Srinagar, Oct. 19 – The first prayers of the yearly Urs, a festival in honor of Sheikh Nooruddin Wali, began on Sunday in Charar‑e‑Sharief, a town in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Scholars and Muslims alike call the saint “Sheikh‑ul‑Alam” or “Alamdar‑e‑Kashmir,” while local Hindus know him as Nund Rishi. His poems—full of simple, timeless wisdom—continue to inspire today. One famous couplet says, “Aan Poshi Teli Yali Wan Poshi,” meaning food follows the forest and will last only as long as the forest lasts.
Sheikh Nooruddin was born in 1377 and died in 1438. Legend says even the king of Kashmir, Budshah, attended his funeral. That event marks the largest funeral procession in Kashmir’s history. The saint rests in Charar‑e‑Sharief, where a grand mausoleum now stands around his grave.
In 1995, a Pakistani militant named Mast Gul sparked a deadly fire that gutted the old shrine and almost two‑thirds of the town. Security forces say he set the building ablaze to escape. The blaze also destroyed many homes, but the shrine has since been rebuilt. Every year, thousands of devotees line the streets of Charar‑e‑Sharief during the Urs to pray and seek blessings.
Sheikh Nooruddin’s travels across the valley taught a message of peace, equality and non‑violence. He founded the Rishi order, a network that helped spread those values. Historians credit him with making religious harmony a hallmark of Kashmiri life. Even the famous 15th‑century saint‑poet Lal Ded, or Lalleshwari, influenced him, and he outlived her, according to tradition.
The saint’s poetry sits at the heart of Kashmir’s culture, bridging Shaivism and Sufi traditions. The Urs is especially popular in the countryside, so the festival usually follows the harvest season whenever most families are free to travel.
For many in Kashmir, Sheikh Nooruddin Wali’s legacy lives on through his simple, powerful words and the sense of unity that his life inspires. The annual Urs serves as a reminder of his message of peace and of the vibrant cultural heritage that continues to shape the region.
Source: ianslive
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