Shalamar Link
Road Shrines
Mian Wadda
Khanqah Mosque and
Dars(religious
school) of Shaikh
Mohammad Ismail
alias Mian Wadda
It is best to
retrace your steps
to G.T. Road, where
a little further
east, opposite the
Shalamar Gardens,
Shalamar Link Road
(earlier Mughalpura
Road) leads south.
A road, almost a
mile down from
Shalamar Gardens and
short of Mughalpura
Bridge, leads west
from Shalamar Link
Road and provides
access to the
khancjah (monastery)
and mosque of Mian
Wadda or Baray Mian
da Dars, as it is
known locally.
An old whitewashed
gateway with a small
marble plaque leads
the way into this
extraordinary
enclosure. As you
step in the gateway
you enter a world of
peace and serenity
with an atmosphere
proclaiming
reverence. Enclosed
from all sides, in
this large compound,
a short covered
passage leads past
some cloisters,
which are part of
the langar khana
(soup-kitchen).
On the right is a
courtyard, which
doubles as extension
to the mosque
located beyond the
courtyard on the
right. A tomb with a
green dome located
on the south west
corner of the
courtyard belongs to
saint Muhammad Din.
The verandah-like
passage leads to a
small arched doorway
on the left, and
into another similar
verandah-passage. In
the midst of a large
graveyard, is the
tomb of the great
saint, which, in
deference to his
wishes, is without a
roof to this day.
The platform
containing his
katcha (unbuilt)
grave is shared by
his lieutenants
Shaikh Jan Mohammad,
Shaikh Hafiz Mahmood
and Shaikh Mohammad
Saleh.
Shaikh Mohammad
Ismail (d.
1095/1683) completed
his discipleship
with Makhdum Abdul
Karim of Langar
Makhdum on the
Chenab. He was a
great scholar who
built his madrassah
(school) with a
large number of
cloisters, along
with the mosque,
during the reign of
Emperor Akbar in
1008/1599. The area
was then known as
Mohallah Tailwara or
Tailpura. It was
here that he gave
dars or religious
instruction—the
reason behind the
popular name Bare
Mian da Dars (The
Place of the Elder
Saint's Religious
Instructions)—and
blazed the path of
enlightenment to
thousands in the
fields of theology,
jurisprudence,
Hadith (sayings of
th Prophet) and
Tafsir (commentary
on the Quran).
Many successive
rulers were his
devotees, which
accounts for the
large enclosure of
the madrassah and
graveyard: Emperor
Shahjahan, a devout
disciple granted a
gift of land, while
Emperor Aurangzeb
granted seven wells
and constructed a
hostel, and is also
reputed to have
built his tomb.
However, the present
structure is
obviously a more
recent construction.
The Sikh ruler
Ranjit Singh and
many of his sirdars
were also disciples
of the saint.
The mosque itself is
one of the ancient
mosques of Lahore,
and is believed to
have been
constructed in part
during Emperor
Akbar's reign, with
additions by
Shahjahan. The
Mughal portion of
the mosque is
defined by four
minarets on the four
corners and a
shallow dome
defining the central
chamber.
According to
Kannahiya Lal, the
khanqah became
inadvertently
embroiled in the
Sikh war of
succession, when
during the reign of
the infant Dulip
Singh, Suchit Singh,
arriving from Jammu,
forced himself into
the khanqah and set
up camp here. The
opposing Khalsa
army, on
instructions from
Hira Singh, opened
fire, resulting in
severely damaging
the buildings and
killing many of the
derveshes (monks)
residing in the
khancfah.
The saint belonged
to Suhrawardy
silsila.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
|
