A peek through into the shrines of the two jewels of downtown.
By Sualiha Zubair: Nestled in the heart of the old city of Srinagar is Dulal Mohalla, often mistakenly referred to as Dalal Mohalla. This neighborhood derives its name from two revered Sufi saints and scholars, Allama Syed Mohammad bin Ahmad R.A and Baba Syed Hashim R.A, whose shrines, or Astaans, are located here. The name “Dulal” (دو لعل) translates to “two rubies” in Persian, signifying the precious legacy of these figures. Unfortunately, despite their historical and spiritual significance, the area has suffered from neglect, leaving many unaware of the saints’ existence and the rich heritage of this important site.
On entering the mohalla , one can spot the newly renovated Masjid Hanifa more commonly known as Dasil Masjid. The Masjid compound houses the shrine of Allama Syed Mohammad bin Ahmad R.A that does not look like a shrine at all. The shrine is apparently not registered with any governing body of shrines like the Waqf Board.
Sajad Mustafa, member of the intizamya committee of the same Masjid takes care of the shrine along with the committee members. According to him, the scholar came to Kashmir with Shah e Hamdan R.A.
“We have heard from our elders that he came from Iran with Shah e Hamdan R.A to spread the message of Islam in the valley and eventually settled here,” Mustafa said.
Shah e Hamdan R.A first came to Kashmir in 774 H (1372 AD) with a group of 700 Sayyids. These Sayyids were also skilled men who taught Kashmiri’s both religion and different crafts to earn a living. These crafts such as paper machie, carpet weaving, wood carving etc. exist till date and have earned Kashmir international repute, fame and money.
“When Shah e Hamdan R.A came to Kashmir he chose this area to preach religion. Religious discussions and meetings were held in this masjid where we are standing today. Allama R.A left his home for Islam and never returned back, he settled here only,” said Mustafa.
Unfortunately, the shrine does not stand in a good position. It looks like a small structure in a corner of compound. It does not have a name plate making it even difficult to identify. The structure that houses the actual grave is not more than seven feet tall. It stands on a concrete base and is made up of wooden fence (Jaali) typical to shrines and old structures to let people peek inside and has a tin roof to protect the grave. The structure is painted with a light shade of blue and the roof is green but the condition of the paint is bad too. The paint has almost completely chipped off the bottom with some remaining in upper part of the shrine. On opening the door, the grave made of stone with no name inscribed can be seen. The wall surrounding the compound has also developed cracks.
According to Mustafa, government does not provide any funds to take care of the shrine. “We approached asaar e qadeema (department of archeology) and submitted an application to them so that it can be taken care of, renovated and preserved for future generations,” he said, however adding that even after assurances , nothing has been done till date.”
Just a few steps away from the shrine of Allama Mohammad bin Ahmad R.A is the shrine of Baba Syed Hashim R.A. The shrine is located on the right side of the lane that leads to Maharaj Gunj police station. According to Mustafa, Hashim R.A also came to Kashmir with Shah e Hamdan R.A.
The shrine is quite big in comparison to that of Allama R.A and has a clearly written name plate. It is made with concrete and painted bottle green. The front portion has two small windows through which a grave can be spotted. The shrine’s entrance is through a by lane that has few houses.
The shrine shares a wall with an adjacent house and according to a resident of Dulal Mohalla (who wished anonymity) , the family living in the house has locked the shrine and nobody is able to enter it now or may be nobody wants to. With no one accountable for its maintenance the shrine as visible from the windows, is extremely dirty and needs cleaning.
Kashmir is known as “Peer Waer” and rightly so. The valley is a resting place for numerous known and unknown Sufi Saints, Rishis and Religious Guides but unfortunately lesser known shrines are not taken care of like the popular ones. They have been completely forgotten to an extent that no reference of them in any book or the internet is found.
Similarly, these Dulals of Dulal Mohalla have been neglected which has in return led to loss of identity of the whole area. Today very few people call the area by its correct name. According to locals, even revenue records contain the same incorrect name which is understandable because the actual name would only be known and remembered when the origin of that name would have been honored and remembered.
Mustafa wants the original name should be returned to the place.
The shrines are in a bad state today but this has not always been the case. According to Nighat Shah 51, who lived in Dulal Mohalla in front of the shrine of Allama R.A till her marriage, the shrines were not in this abandoned form always.
“In my childhood I heard this shrine of Allama Mohammad bin Ahmad R.A is of great importance. It was maintained properly, painted regularly, cleaned thoroughly, the garden was so beautiful with different flowers like sunflowers, its condition was not bad at all. People would come here to light candles, clay lamps, incense sticks and pray in hopes of their prayers getting answered,” Shah said.
The shrine of Baba Syed Hashim R.A according to Nighat Shah was not much developed when she was young but then her father Mohammad Lateef Shah, along with few other men of the locality stood up and laid the foundation stone of the shrine.
Like other people of the locality, Shah is not happy about the condition of the shrines and the attitude of people towards it. She believes that just like the old times the residents should come forward and preserve the shrines.
She further said that it is the duty of people to preserve these shrines as people of Kashmir are indebted to these saints who migrated to the valley centuries ago and worked tirelessly for their betterment.
“They left their country, their homes forever and came here. They gifted us Islam and various crafts that helped in our development. So, it is our duty to payback and take care of them instead of leaving them unattended,” she said.
These shrines need immediate attention like many other shrines that can be found in the lanes and by-lanes of the city.
Sualiha Zubair is a freelance reporter and a journalism student based in Srinagar, Kashmir. She writes about culture, development and local affairs.
You can reach her at sualihazubair7@gmail.com