Sufi Srinagar

Kashmir has been home to many Sufis (Muslim saints) and there are numerous Sufi shrines in the region. The greatest influence here has been the more mystical Rishi order, named after Nund Rishi, which evolved in the valley beginning in the fifteenth century and was probably influenced by both the Hinduism and Buddhism that prevailed in the region before then. I’ve visited three major Sufi shrines here in Srinagar: Makhdoom Sahib, Shah-i-Hamadan and and Pir Dastgir Sahib. All are beautiful, interesting and have fascinating vibes, but it’s Pir Dastgir that really moves me (photographically and psychologically) and I’ve returned several times to photograph it. (Top photo of Shah-i-Hamadan; all others of Pir Dastgir Sahib.)

Srinagar is a bustling and noisy city, but when you step into Pir Dastgir the outside just melts away and is replaced by a trance-like calm. People enter through two doors from which are hung strings of chains connected to thick brass disks engraved with writings from the Koran. As people pass through the doors they touch the disk and chains and then gently rub their hands over their faces and bodies with the energy/power/blessings from them. It looks and feels like a kind of purification ritual. Each person does it differently and parents do it to their children. As people leave the shrine they walk through the doors backwards and repeat the ritual, often touching (and sometimes kissing and even licking) the floor, doors, and walls as they go. It’s absolutely mesmerizing to watch.

Inside the shrine is the tomb of Pir Dastgir covered in blinking colored lights, which everyone can see from glass windows surrounding it. There are some smaller coffins in a different room, and separate prayer rooms for men and women. In the women’s room on my first day a young woman was crying and talking on a mobile (had the feeling it was a matter of a broken heart), and being consoled by a friend. It’s a safe public place to let it go. In the men’s room they were chanting and a couple of men were asleep on the floor. On my second day a man was wailing at the tomb for about 30 minutes, which was pretty unpleasant, but I caught the one o’clock prayer in the women’s room, which was pretty amazing.

At first I was hesitant to photograph, but I kept my heart open, smiled, said “Salaam aleikum” to everyone, and was warmly welcomed. Some women shook and kissed my hand, and when I reciprocated they gave me big bear hugs and touched their hands to their hearts. Hey, I’m all about the heart too…

From Wikipedia: