Kashmir’s Hazratbal Shrine Facelift: A Look at the History of Holy Relic, Grand Architecture

The Hazratbal Shrine project from Bakshi Stadium will include site development of the entire area including the construction of the boundary wall of the shrine, the Illumination of the Hazratbal shrine precinct, the improvement of Ghats and Devri Paths around the shrine, construction of Sufi interpretation centre, construction of Tourist Facilitation Centre, installation of Signages, multilevel storied car parking, construction of public convenience block and entrance gateway of the shrine, according to the statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Let’s look at the historic significance of the shrine.

The Meaning

The Dargah Sharif is popularly known as Hazratbal Shrine, which in Kashmiri means holy (Hazrat) place (Bal). It contains a relic, Moi-e-Muqqadas, the hair of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is also called Assar-e sharif and Madinat-us-Sani. This mosque is an epitome of love and devotion of the Muslims for the Prophet.

The History

The shrine was established by Inayat Begum, the daughter of Khwaja Nur-ud-Din Eshai, the custodian of holy relic.

The first building of the shrine was built in the 17th Century by Sadiq Khan, the Mughal subedar during emperor Shah Jahan’s reign. It was later converted into a prayer hall in 1634 by the emperor.

The holy relice was brought to Kashmir by Syed Abdullah Madani, who was supposed to be the descendant of the Prophet who left Medina for the city of Bijapur, now in Karnataka. After Madani’s death, his son, Syed Hameed, inherited the relic. As Mughals took over, Hameed’s inheritance and estates were seized. He handed over the relic to Kashmiri businessman, Khwaja Nur-ud-Din-Eshai. But Emperor Aurangzeb got the holy relic seized from Eshai and imprisoned him, and sent it to the shrine of a Sufi mystic, Mu’in al Din Chishti, of Ajmer Dargah.

Aurangzeb apparently had a strange dream and saw Prophet with four of his caliphs. The Prophet ordered the emperor to immediately send the holy Moi-e-Muqaddas to Kashmir. Thus, Aurangzeb sent the relic to Eshai and asked for his release immediately.

The relic was transported back to Kashmir in 1700. And Eshai’s daughter Inayat Begum became the custodian of the holy relic.

Now, the head cleric of the shrine displays the relic mounted in a silver and glass container attached with green tapestry and decorated ornaments. The caretaker of the shrine is known as ‘Nishandeh’ and the eldest male heirs continue this legacy.

The Architecture

The renovation of the mosque with the marble dome started in 1968, and took 11 years to finish. It was carried out by Auqaf Trust Kashmir under the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Sheikh M Abdullah.

The building has a Persian influence and is the only domed mosque in Kashmir, while others have pagoda.

The mosque is made of white marble and has intricate carvings and calligraphy, which has been used to inscribe the names of God, the Prophet and other Islamic figures. Mosques typically use calligraphy to decorate the walls and ceilings.

It has a large white dome and tall minarets on the sides. Its dome and minaret showcase the Mughal architecture, while the shrine is influenced by the Kashmiri architecture. It is the only domed mosque in Srinagar.

The shrine provides stunning views of the Dal Lake and the surrounding mountains. The beautiful Nishat Mughal Garden is located at its entrance.