Grand Magal de Touba (Senegal)

Grand Magal de Touba is a public holiday in Senegal, and it is observed on the 18th of Safar, which is the second month of the Islamic calendar. The holiday commemorates the life and teachings of Cheikh Amadou Bamba, the founder of the Senegalese Mouride Brotherhood.

Amadou Bamba was born in 1853, and he was the religious leader in Senegal. In 883, he founded the Mouride brotherhood in Touba, Senegal. He emphasized the virtue of pacifism, hard work, and good manners in his teachings, and became famous. As a result, a number of kings became his followers. His growing power and influence worried the French colonial government and he has exiled to the equatorial forest of Gabon.

He asked his followers to celebrate the anniversary of his exile to Gabon as the Grand Magal. However, his son and successor organized the first gathering on his death anniversary. In 1946, his son\’s successor changed the date of the Magal to the anniversary of his exile.

The Grand Magal has grown over the years, and it reached over 3 million pilgrims attending in 2011.

The following is the list of Grand Magal de Touba in the Gambia from 2022 to 2026.