Sheikh Noor-ud-din Wali (1377 – 1440)
Sheikh Noor-ud-din, also known as Nund Rishi, was a famous Kashmiri saint Who belonged to the Rishi order. He was born in 1377 CE, and he died at the age of 63 years in the year of 1440 CE. In various circles, is also called Alamdar-e-Kashmir and Sheikh-ul-Alam and is the patron saint of Kashmir’s.
Shaikh Nur-ud-din (RA) was born in a village called Qaimoh (old name Katimusha) [District ‘KULGAM’],( which is 60 km South east of Srinagar), in, on the day of the Eid al-Adha. His father’s name was Shaikh Salar-ud-din his mother Sadra. He felt disgusted with the ways of the world, and, deciding upon renunciation, retired to caves for meditation at the age of thirty. It is said that he lived for twelve years in the wilderness. Hence, perhaps, kaimuh is given the derivation of kai-wan (or ban, a forest) in rustic belief. The actual cave of contemplation is shown in kaimuh and is about 10 feet deep. Shams-ul-Arifin or ‘the sun of the pious’ is the chronogram which gives the date of his death. The tomb of Shaikh Nur-ud-din at Charari Sharief, a small town perched on a dry bare hill, 20 miles south west of Srinagar, is visited by thousands of people to the present day. Shaikh Nur-ud-din- appears to have married Zai Ded from Dadasara. The simplicity and purity of Shaikh Nur-ud-din’s life have deeply impressed the Kashmiri who entertains the highest veneration for the saint. In fact, the Afghan governor, Ata Muhammad Khan, gave, as it were, expression to public sentiment when coins were struck by him in the name of Shaikh Nur-ud-din in 1223-25 A.H. (1808-10 CE). No other saint perhaps in human history has ever had coins struck in his honour.
Sheikh-ul-Alam is supposed to have loved Kashmir and its people very intensely and was a revolutionary himself. Sheikh Nur al-Din Wali is one of the most prominent scholars and Du’ah of Kashmir. He used his poetry as tool to spread the true knowledge. His poetry is commonly known as Shrukhs. He was a man of innate foresight and intuitive knowledge. One of his most famous and oft quoted couplets is (Kashmiri:”Ann poshi teli yeli wann poshi“) meaning ‘Food will last as long as forests last. Lal Ded the famous Shaivite poetess of Kashmir was his contemporary. She had a great impact on his spiritual growth. He has in one of his poems prayed to God to grant him the same level of spiritual achievement as God had bestowed on Lal Ded. The saint’s attack on hypocrisy is interesting says he:
By bowing down, thou shalt not become a Rishi; the pounder in the rice-
mill did not ever raise up its head.”
“By entering a cave, God cannot be attained: the mongoose and the rat
seldom come out of their holes”.
“By bathing, the mind will not be cleansed: The fish and the otter never
ascend the bank.”
“If God was just pleased by fasting, the indigent rarely cook food in pots.”
Once, on his way to a garden, accompanied by a disciple, he stopped and would not move. On his disciple requesting him to proceed, he made the following reply: “Every minute that I spend there, will be deducted from my stay in heaven“. On another occasion, when invited to a feast, Nur-ud-din went in ragged dress, earlier than the appointed time. The servants, not recognizing him, would not permit him to enter, and he had to go back to take his food at home. When all had sat for the sumptuous dinner, the Shaikh was specially sent for. He came, this time in a flowing chugha (cloak) and was given the seat of honour. But the Shaikh instead of partaking of the food stretched forth his sleeves and put them on to the plates. The people were astonished at the sight and asked him the reason. He replied: “The feast was not really for Nur-ud-Din but for the long sleeves!”
The shrine of Sheikh-ul-Alam, in addition to the structure itself, contained its attached Khanqahs, inns for the pilgrims and other physical features, the vendors of various prayer merchandise, food stalls etc. All combined to make it a place of pilgrimage for Kashmir’s of all communities.
