Grand Magal of Touba
On the 18th of Safar, the second month of the Islamic calendar, pilgrims gather in the holy Mouride city of Touba to celebrate the life and teachings of Amadou Bamba, the founder of the brotherhood.[1][6] The event is televised, with coverage in part serving the Mouride Brotherhood's proselytizing mission; video cassettes of the Magal are sold domestically and internationally as well.Pilgrims pray with outstretched hands and touch the walls and doors of the mausoleum, and some drop coins inside the area around the tomb, which is fenced off.Because of the minimal government presence in the city (due to its religious character), business is conducted with little state regulation or oversight; a wide range of products can thus be found with prices lower than those of any other market in Senegal.Traffic jams and road accidents are common as heavy crowds descend on Touba each year; during the November 2016 Magal, 16 people were killed and 572 injured while travelling to the pilgrimage, according to the lieutenant-colonel of the National Fire Brigade.[1] Additionally, different local associations of Mourides (called da'iras) are responsible for maintaining different pilgrimage sites[3] and residents of Touba house and feed the pilgrims.[22] According to Ross, "Murid dahiras abroad are intended as both extensions of, and conduits to, the holy city itself" and they organize celebrations of the Grand Magal annually.