BABA NAGRI, India (AP) — The road to the forest sanctuary of Baba Nagri in Indian-controlled Kashmir was a colorful spectacle. Tens of thousands of men in vibrant costumes, henna-dyed beards and shiny hats packed the Muslim shrine perched at the base of a mountain to pay their respects last week.
The worshipers raised their hands and shouted their wishes. Some also tied multicolored threads around the shrine’s trees, which represented their prayers.
The shrine of Mian Nizamuddin Kiyanwi dates back to the 19th century and offers free meals throughout the year to devotees, most of them from Kashmir’s nomadic pastoralist community. Devotees believe that their wishes are fulfilled at the shrine.
Kiyanwi, originally from Kashmir, migrated to the Hazara region of present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan during the late 19th century. There he was mentored by a Sufi saint and later returned to Kashmir to preach Islam. After his death, the shrine was built as a sign of respect for him – a manifestation of the region’s unique ties to Sufism.
Abdul Razaq, a devotee, said he has been visiting the shrine since he was 6 years old and feels blessed to pay his respects there.
“I remember as a child we had to travel a lot on foot, but things have changed and today we can reach the sanctuary in one day,” he said.
Another devotee, Mohammad Farooq, who is blind, said: “It would have been great if I could see things for myself, but I find peace when I visit the shrine.”
Kashmir, divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety, is a Muslim-majority region.
Rebel groups have been fighting for Kashmir’s independence since 1989, an objective supported by large numbers of Muslims in the disputed territory.
The region remained embroiled in civil strife for decades and the shrine, including hundreds of others scattered across its landscape, was and continues to be much more than a mere spiritual retreat for Muslims.
Many believers consider these shrines a rare space, far from the relentless political tensions in the region.
