Chah Miran
Shrines Group 2
From the tomb of
Shah Musa Zanjani,
travelling south via
Pak Nagar Road, you
will arrive at G.T.
Road. Turning left
(east) on G.T. Road,
past the University
of Engineering and
Technology, will
lead you to the next
group of Chah Miran
Tomb. These are the
Shrine of Ghoray
Shah Syed Bahauddin,
Pir Mahdi Durbar and
the Shrine of Hazrat
Shah Bilawal.
Ghoray Shah Syed
Bahauddin Mazar,
1003/1594
To reach Ghoray Shah
(literally Horse
Patron) Tomb,
turning left (north)
from G.T. Road into
a road known as
Singhpura Road,
which in turn,
turning left (on the
west) will lead you
into Undroon
Singhpura and
Sultanpura
Roads—which
constitute a bazaar
full of activity and
bustle. Past Chowk
Ghoray Shah, and a
police chowki
(post), you arrive
at Ghoray Shah Road,
on the left or south
of which is located
the celebrated mazar.
In Ghoray Shah Road,
a large gateway
painted green marks
the entrance to this
extraordinary
compound, full of
old trees and
graves. As you walk
past the stall
selling fresh rose
petals exuding a
heavenly fragrance,
you will notice a
pile of beautifully
made clay toy horses
painted white with
colorful stripes—the
favorite toy of the
child-saint—being
offered at one rupee
to be placed in the
tomb to please the
saint.
The Durbar or Mazar
of Ghoray Shah is
one of the most
splendid shrines,
and an enclosure
which carries a
remarkable ambiance.
How the 16th century
tomb of a young
child should acquire
this singular
following, carrying
a profound feeling
of tranquility and
veneration is
something that has
to be experienced to
be believed.
On your left on
raised ground is the
enclosure made of
dwarf walls which
contains the mazar.
On the south of the
enclosure is the
decorative gateway
with figures of
prancing horses
which marks the path
leading to another
arched gateway
fronting the
enclosure where the
grave is located,
along with two
others, thought to
be companions of the
saint.
The grave is in the
open but an enormous
tree provides the
necessary shade.
This enclosure abuts
the road on the
north, and has
graves on the
remaining three
sides, a huge
graveyard being
located on the south
east, full of lovely
old trees. This
graveyard is known
as Ghoray Shah
Qabristan and
according to
historian Qadri
contains the graves
of Hazrat Maulana
Mohammed Matiul Haq
Piyami Naqshbandi,
Syed Shahbaz bin
Abdul Malik al
Mutawaffi 1041/1631
and Gohar Shah bin
Arif Shah bin
Imadulmulk al
Mutawaffi 1050/1640.
In spite of a throng
of people in the
compound, the place
exudes a feeling of
serenity and peace.
Evidence of devotees
presenting the
favorite toy horse
to the saint are
everywhere, and none
more so than in the
raised graveyard
fence along the road
which is edged with
piles of toy-horses.
The revered figure
was but a child of
five years when he
died. His name was
Syed Bahuddin,
although some
believe his real
name was Muhammad
Hafiz. His
grandfather was a
Bokhari Syed who
moved from the
historic city of
Bokhara to another
of great antiquity
in the Punjab, Uchch
Sharif. The
grandfather, much
revered for his
piety, was afflicted
with palsy and due
to his trembling
demeanor, was
nicknamed Jhulan
Shah, or the saint
who shook like a
swing.
Scion of a saintly
family, Bahauddin is
believed to have
been a born wali, or
one with saintly
attributes. The
child-saint was
remarkably fond of
horses and even at
the early age of
five was a
consummate rider.
Those of his
followers who
presented him with
gifts of toy horses,
were immediately
rewarded with
prayers and
fulfillment of their
innermost desires.
The father, Syed
Muhammad Shah Jhulan
Shah, himself a
revered figure, was
furious at the
extravagant display
of God-given
miraculous power in
return for toys, and
upbraided the young
Bahauddin. At the
display of his
father's temper, the
child is said to
have collapsed and
died in Rabiul Awwal
1003/1594.
Ghoray Shah belonged
to Suharawardi
silsila (school of
mysticism) and his
urs (celebration) is
held on 13,14 of
Meraj Sharif. In
year 2003, it will
be held at the end
of October.
Hazrat Shah
Bilawal Qadri
Shah Bilawal Tomb
can be found on the
opposite side of the
road from the Shrine
of Ghoray Shah. It
is located in the
east of what was
once known as Raja
Dina Nath Bagh.
Although the name of
the garden is still
remembered, a large
tree, exactly
opposite Ghoray Shah
Mazar, marks the
area where the large
garden was situated.
Shah Bilawal Tomb
itself is thus
located to the
north-east of Ghoray
Shah Mazar.
A green trifoil arch
identifies the
street which leads
from Ghoray Shah
road to the tomb of
Shah Bilawal. The
shrine is located in
a modest enclosure,
hemmed in by
structures all
around, and in spite
of the large arch at
the street leading
inside the
close-knit
residential
structures, the
zigzagging streets
make it difficult to
locate it. However,
if you ask the local
urchins they will
gladly guide you to
the tomb.
Parking your car on
the main road, you
will need to walk
through a narrow
street, and turn
left into an even
narrower passage
which will lead you
to a small
enclosure. Here lies
the body of the
seventeenth century
saint whose
ancestors had hailed
from Herat. Having
traveled in the
train of Emperor
Humayun when he
returned to the
subcontinent, the
Shah Bilawal family
had settled in
Shaikhupura, about
30 km from Lahore,
where the famous
Hiran Minar,
constructed by
emperor Jahangir is
located.
As soon as you step
into the enclosure
of the shrine, you
enter a world of
peace and serenity.
Although the tomb is
well looked after,
the khanqah
(monastery) that was
once located nearby
is no longer extant.
Today there are not
many devotees of the
saint—for the tomb
is quite quiet—with
no throngs of people
as seen in many
other shrines.
Although there is no
longer any evidence
of its former days
of glory and as
centre of attention
of the most powerful
and disadvantaged in
the land, the shrine
is worth a visit for
the feeling of
tranquility that it
exudes.
Sent to Lahore for
his studies by his
father, Syed Shah
Bilawal (d.
1046/1636 at the age
of seventy) became a
devotee of Hazrat
Shamsuddin Qadri, on
whose instructions
he spent many years
in seclusion
reciting the Holy
Quran. Many tales
are related of his
miraculous powers at
the early age of
seven. On being
informed that one of
his friends had
passed away, his
fervent prayers
resulted in his dead
friend's rising from
his bed to play with
him. His prayers
could bring rain to
parched lands during
droughts, and induce
earthen containers
to pour out coins
for the benefit of
the needy.
Shah Bilawal had
established his
khanqah on the bank
of the river Ravi,
which was frequented
by the rich and poor
alike. A mosque was
attached to the
khanqah in the midst
of a garden full of
flowering and fruit
tees and a hauz
(tank) around which
qaris (reciters)
would recite the
Holy Quran. In time,
due to the changing
course of the river,
part of the
enclosure wall was
swept away. Maharaja
Ranjit Singh, a
devotee of the
saint, entrusted
Fakir Azizuddin with
the task of removing
the body to a more
suitable location.
According to
Kannahiya Lal, when
the coffin was
opened,
miraculously, even
after two hundred
years "the
appearance of the
body had not at all
changed. It seemed
as if the man had
just expired."
Scores of Muslims
said the janaza
(funeral) prayers
and took part in the
reburial in the
locality where the
present shrine is
situated.
The saint belonged
to the Qadri silsila.
A mela is held on
his urs on 28 Shaban,
which at one time
was attended by
Hindus and Muslims
alike, and was an
occasion of much
festivity with atish
bazi (fireworks).
Mir Mahdi Durbar
The road to Mir
Mahdi Durbar leads
from Ghoray Shah
Road. Turning north
on Kot Khwaja Saeed
Road there are
twists and turns
before you arrive at
the main bazaar of
Kot Khwaja Saeed. A
brick gateway marks
the street that
leads to the mazar.
Historical accounts
are silent regarding
the history of Mir
Mahdi, but Latif
believes that the
existence of a
mosque which was
still extant during
the late nineteenth
century pointed to
its antiquity as
belonging to the
period of 'early
Mahomedan emperors'.
Today, however, no
mosque is in
existence.
A masonry mihrab
(arch) marks a grave
on a platform
approximately 7' in
height. New
construction
consists of a
reinforced brick
roof on a platform
20'3"x 9'9", and is
painted green.
No urs or annual
gathering is held at
the grave.
An interesting
shrine in the
vicinity of Mir
Mahdi Durbar is a
large graveyard with
large trees. This is
the tomb of Hazrat
Baba Shah Noor Pir,
who carried the
appellation Baba
Kabutar Wala (the
pigeon saint).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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