With so many Sufi shrines, the Kashmir Valley is truly blessed,
No other place celebrates Sufism like Kashmir does. Your visit will not be complete without paying obeisance at the several dargahs or ziarats that dot the valley. Here, you will find shrines of not only Sufi saints from Kashmir but also of those saints who came from places as far as Iran and Iraq. Travelling thousands of kilometres, these Sufis came here in search of peace. In all probability, they found tranquillity in abundance, since none of them went back to their homelands. The stark simplicity of these Sufis got them close to not just the local people but even to the then emperors.
In Search Of Peace
Mughal prince Dara Shikoh was so impressed that he set up a unique Sufi school called the Kas-i-Mah in Srinagar. The first of its kind in the whole of Asia and Central Asia, the school - now in a dilapidated state - was built near the Chashm-e-Shahi springs at the suggestion of his spiritual teacher Akhund Mullah Mohammad Shah, who came from Badakhshan, in Afghanistan.
Kashmiri historian G M D Sufi writes in his two-volume book Kashir: ‘Deeply imbued with Sufism of the age and country from which they emigrated, these Sayyids and their followers seem to have stimulated the tendency to mysticism for which Vedantism and Buddhism had already paved the way….’ There could be several explanations to this but the most probable one is that the local population was greatly impressed by their selflessness and simplicity.
Mughal emperor Jehangir’s memoirs and the writings of Abu’l Fazal are lengthy descriptions on these Sufis and their uncomplicated lives. Keeping away from worldly ways, these Sufis planted trees and practised renunciation and meditation. It is said that Sufi Makhdoom Sahib could control his breath for long stretches. The Kashmiris’ attachment with these Sufis and their ziarats is deeply emotional and gives them peace and strength.
Last August, when I visited Baba Reshi situated enroute to Gulmarg, it was sheer tranquillity that held sway. Amidst scenic settings, the faithful prayed quietly; there was no frenzy, no stampede, no overcrowding.
Every time I visit Srinagar, I make it a point to visit at least a couple of these dargahs. Built in pagoda style, some are laced with elaborate, intricate wooden carvings, while others have only the bare basics.
Unless there is an ongoing curfew or a crackdown in that area, you will find many local Kashmiris offering prayers at these shrines, perhaps, in the hope of seeing more peaceful times.
There are many dargahs in Srinagar city itself - in and around Nowhatta Chowk area. Moving a little away from the Chowk, on the banks of the Jhelum, is the dargah of Shah-i-Hamdaan, who, as a legend says, had left the small Persian town Hamdaan to escape the wrath of the Mongol-Turkic ruler, Timur. It is believed that about 700 Sayyids accompanied the Sufi into the valley during the reign of Sultan Shihabuddin in 1372 BCE. It is also said that when the mystic poetess Lalla Arifa saw Shah Hamdaan descend on Kashmiri soil, she exclaimed that at last she had spotted a man!
The very design and architecture of Shah-i-Hamdaan stands out. At night, its reflection gets picked up by the waters of the flowing Jhelum. Though the original structure was built in 1395, it was rebuilt several times and the present structure dates back to 1732.
On the other side of Nowhatta Chowk, overlooking the main road is the dargah of the Iraqi Sufi, Dastgeer Sahib. The wooden architecture of this two-century-old dargah - burnt in a fire two months ago - was an epitome of Kashmir architecture. A few hundred metres ahead, is another shrine, Ziarati Hazrati Yousa Asouph Syed Nasiruddin.
Inside the dargah complex, there are two graves: one belongs to Hazrat Yousa Asouph and the other is of Syed Nasiruddin. Some people believe that Yousa was one of the descendants of Moses.Further ahead, on the slopes of the Hari Parbat stands the impressive dargah of Shaikh Hamza Makhdum, a Sufi scholar of the 15th century.
On the outskirts of Srinagar city, there are several dargahs. Prominent is the dargah of the patron saint of the valley, Nand Rishi Sheikh Nooruddin Wali in Charar-i-Sharief. The original shrine, built of wood, was gutted in the 1990s. The then administration built a concrete shrine in its place, leaving little trace of the original structure; it’s a pity that no one gave a thought to the history of the structure.
The concrete structure does not even resemble the original structure and this has deeply hurt and upset Kashmiris. For, as I have said, Kashmiris have a deep sentimental attachment with these Sufis and their ziarats.
Several kilometres away in Pokhor Por stands the dargah of the Iraqi Sufi Syed Ali. There are numerous stories about the power in command of this saint. One of them is that even today if a man looks in the direction of the graves of the womenfolk of the Sufi’s family, he will turn blind.
The valley has had several women mystics. The foremost is Lalla Arifa, known by several names: Lalla Ded, Laleshwari and Lalla Yogeshwari. She was born in a family which lived about four miles south-east of Srinagar. As a child, she was always engrossed in deep thoughts and was not interested in worldly matters. A story about her life says that she simply walked out of an unhappy marriage in search of peace till she found solace in her own soul. Her verses in Kashmiri dwelt on mysticism:
Passionate, with longing in mine eyes
Searching wide, and seeking
nights and days
Lo, I beheld the Truthful one, the Wise
Here in mine own house to
fill my gaze
That was the day of my lucky star
Breathless, I held him my Guide to be.
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