Baghbanpura
Shrines
This cluster of
shrines contains the
tombs of Shah Abdul
Ghani Qadri, Madhu
Lal Hussain and Pir
Shaikhan or Hazrat
Syed Soban Ali Shah
alias Sakhi Pir
Shaikhan.
As you proceed east
on the recently
built double
carriageway of G.T.
Road, midway between
Wheatman (marked
Vetman Road on many
maps) Road and
Shalamar Link Road
(situated on south
of G.T. Road) and a
little before
reaching Shalamar
Gardens, a turning
on the left (north)
leads to Baghbanpura
via Baghbanpura
Bazaar.
Shah Abdul Ghani
Qadri
Turning left (north)
from Baghbanpura
Main Bazaar the
first shrine that
you encounter is
that of Shah Abdul
Ghani Qadri, located
in close proximity
to the tomb of
Hazrat Madhu Lal
Hussain, the venue
of the famous Mela
Chiraghan (the
Carnival of Lamps).
The shrine is
situated on a slight
eminence on the
right (east) of
Abdul Ghani Road.
A green gateway
resting on two
concrete pillars
marks the entrance
to an enormous
graveyard, and a
path leads to the
mosque and tomb. The
vast graveyard and a
road away from the
bustle of bazaars
imparts a lulled
silence and gravity
to the enclosure.
Although the size of
the area is
overpowering because
of the multitude of
graves, it is not as
well kept as some of
the other shrines.
In a sense the
feeling of
desolation
experienced in the
vast graveyard
portrays the reality
of our fleeting life
and the impermanence
of the world. It
also symbolizes the
reclusive character
of the saint, whose
preference was to
meditate in the
wilderness and in
desolate places far
away from the
company of people.
Shah Abdul Ghani was
among the closest
disciples and
companions of Hazrat
Mian Mir, the
celebrated saint who
had such a profound
influence on the
poet-prince Dara
Shikoh, who, in
spite of being
first-born, lost the
Mughal Empire to
Aurangzeb Alamgir.
The saint belonged
to Qadri silsila.
His urs is held in
the last week of
March, after Mela
Chiraghan held in
the nearby tomb of
Madhu Lal Hussain.
Madhu Lal Hussain
Hazrat Shaikh
Hussain Qadri alias
Madhu Lal Hussain
From Shah Abdul
Ghani Qadri tomb a
turning to the left
(west)—into Madhu
Lal Road—leads you
to the tomb of Madhu
Lal Hussain. This is
the famous tomb
where Mela Chiraghan
is held on the last
weekend of March,
and draws enormous
crowds of devotees
and others.
The entrance to the
tomb is marked with
a gateway of brick
composed of a
multifoil and a
simple cusped
archway, through
which a few steps
lead you into an
elevated court. The
enclosure of the
tomb is large with a
graveyard located on
its east side. The
whole area is
endowed with a
remarkably festive
appearance, with
flags and colorful
paper streamers
marking the path to
the tomb area.
Another access to
the tomb is from the
rear, where a street
past the adjacent
mosque leads on the
right into a large
open space (north of
the tomb) being used
as a playground as
well as parking
space for visitors.
The ground contains
a small tomb said to
belong to Mai Khagri.
The shrine is famous
because of its
antiquity, and is
revered by Muslims
and Hindus alike.
The melas (fairs)
that are held here,
especially the Mela
Chiraghan (the
Carnival of Lamps)
has added another
dimension of
popularity to the
tomb. During the
Mela Chiraghan the
large ground in the
rear becomes a
carnival space with
Ferris wheels,
roller coasters and
carousels etc.
The enclosure has a
remarkable quality
of repose and
serenity. You will
find rose petals
exuding a delicate
fragrance and a
picturesque metal
oil lamp and candle
holders with burnt
candles atop a well
adding to the
ambiance of the
mazar. The area is
well kept and
though, due to
reconstruction the
aura of old
buildings is
missing, large old
trees provide shade
and tranquility.
The sepulchre marks
the location of the
graves of Lal
Hussain and Madhu,
which are in a
subterranean
chamber. Shaikh
Hussain (b.
945/1538), a
grandson of Kalas
Rai Lahori, a Hindu
who had converted to
Islam during
Humayun's reign (or
during Firoze Shah
Tughlaq's, as
recorded by some
scholars), was
always dressed in
red, due to which he
acquired the prefix
Lal (red). Madhu was
a young Brahmin boy
from Shahdara from
across the river
Ravi, to whom the
saint became
attached. Madhu
converted to Islam
and as the two
became inseparable,
the prefix Madhu
became part of
Hussain's name.
Lal Hussainbegan by
being a devout
disciple of Shaikh
Bahlol Daryai,
spending 26 years in
meditation and
prayer and another
36 years reading the
tafsir (meaning of
the Quran) from
Shaikh Saadullah
Lahauri, while
spending his nights
at the tomb of Data
Ganj Bakhsh. He
would spend whole
nights standing in
the Ravi, all the
while reciting
verses from the Holy
Quran. The saint
earned widespread
fame due to his
supernatural powers,
and thousands of
miracles have been
recorded in a
Persian book called
Hacfiqat ul Fuqara
(the story of
saints) by Pir
Muhammad. One such
event relates to his
companion Madhu who
wished to go on a
pilgrimage to the
river Ganges;
however, the saint
declared that Ganges
would be brought to
him. Madhu, on
shutting his eyes,
found himself
transported to the
bank of the Ganges—a
story later
corroborated by
Madhu's parents who
confirmed having
seen Madhu bathing
in the Ganges while
they were on a
pilgrimage there. It
was this miracle
that is said to have
converted Madhu to
Islam.
The saint was
originally buried in
Shahdara. However,
when the river
changed course his
grave was swept
away, Madhu exhumed
the corpse, later
burying it with due
formality in the
present enclosure.
The original tomb is
believed to have
been constructed by
a later Mughal
emperor, Muhammad
Muazuddin Jahandar
Shah. The mosque is
entirely new,
expanding and
largely replacing
the earlier mosque,
which Qadri reports
was built by the
mother of Moran (a
courtesan of the
Sikh ruler Ranjit
Singh) in 1275/1858.
Although
investigations were
made, no original
inscriptions are
extant on the tomb
or any other
structure in the
compound.
Emperors and rulers
were in constant
attendance, since
apart from his
supernatural powers,
Lal Hussain was also
acknowledged as the
noted poet of the
Kafi (mystic) genre
of poetry. According
to Prince Dara
Shikoh, Emperor
Jahangir, as Prince
Salim along with the
ladies of the harem
of his father, was a
firm believer in the
miraculous powers
possessed by the
saint, and ordered
the compiling of his
miracles by Bahar
Khan, later
published in a book
known as Baharia.
Ranjit Singh too was
a great believer in
the supernatural
powers of the saint.
During the festival
of Basant (spring),
the Maharaja would
attend the tomb with
great pomp and
ceremony. According
to Kannahiya Lal,
Ranjit Singh would
hold his durbar at
the shrine with his
sirdars (nobles) in
attendance
elaborately dressed
in yellow robes.
When the Sikh
ruler's silver
bungalow was erected
on the northwest
side of the tomb,
the whole Sikh
battalion would line
the road from the
citadel to the
shrine. Ranjit's
tribute at the tomb
included a nazrana
(offering) of Rs.
1,100 and a pair of
valuable yellow
Kashmir! shawls.
The saint belonged
to the Qadria
silsila. His urs is
held on the last
Thursday of March,
when the famous Mela
Chiraghan or
'Festival of Lamps'
is held.
Pir Shaikhan or
Hazrat Syed Soban
All Shah alias Sakhi
Pir Shaikhan
Proceeding
north-west from the
shrine of Madhu Lal
Hussain, on the left
(southwest) of the
road you will find
an elevated shrine
reached by climbing
a staircase almost 8
feet above street
level.
This shrine is
located on the side
of a large compound
perched on an
eminence, with a
pleasant setting due
to the shade of a
number of old trees.
It is a world of its
own, insulated from
the traffic and
bustle of the
surrounding area. A
few more steps lead
you to the tomb
which is being well
maintained but has
unfortunately been
made completely new
in an attempt at
restoration. A
mosque on one side
and a small
graveyard complete
the cluster. The
tomb is of an early
Mughal-era saint who
is believed to have
lived during the
reign of Emperors
Akbar and Jahangir.
He is much revered
by the people of the
area, due to the
miraculous powers
attributed to him.
It is related that
Pir Shaikhan was
often seen on the
back of a tiger,
emerging from the
forest that
surrounded the
hillock on which the
shrine was later
constructed. The
scenery must have
been picturesque
since the river Ravi
had once skirted the
hillock.Chah Miran Shrines Group 1
Chah Miran Shrines Group 2
Baghbanpura Shrines
Shalamar Link Road Shrines
Cantonment & Mian Mir Shrines
Shah Jamal & The ciry Shrines
The Walled City Shrines
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