The Grand Magal of Touba.
The Grand Magal of Touba is the annual religious pilgrimage of the Senegalese Mouride Brotherhood, one of the four tariqa (Islamic Sufi orders) of Senegal . 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 Cheikh Amadou Bamba , the founder of the brotherhood. [1] The Great Mosque of Touba (Touba, Senegal) The Grand Magal has been recognized as "one of the most popular pilgrimages in the world," with over 3 million participating in 2011. [2] The pilgrimage dates back to 1928 (one year after Bamba's death) and commemorates his 1895 exile to Gabon by the French colonial government . [3] Etymology and history Edit "Magal" is a Wolof word derived from the verb "mag," which means "to be important" or "to be old"; the noun form is translated as "...