Edomcha Touba woke to the scent of rain and roasted millet curling through the narrow alleyways of Old Katu. The city’s clay walls, wet and dark, reflected the early light in a thousand dull sparks. He rolled from his reed mat, feeling the familiar ache in his left knee—the souvenir of a hillside fall a season back—and tied his worn leather sandals. Today, he told himself, would be the day to stop wandering.
Devotees make a ritual visit ( ziyarah ) to the mausoleum of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, located within the mosque complex. There, they offer greetings, read the Fátiha , and seek blessings ( baraka ). Edomcha Touba 2