Dargah Shah Pir Mohammad - Adobe of Peace in the Heart of the City.

“I serched for God and found only myself, I searched for myself and found only God”

Such is the idea of preachers and believers of Sufism. Do you know that Sufism has a history in India evolving for over 1,000 years now? The Sufi teachings of divine spirituality, cosmic harmony, love; humanity has left a prevailing impact on religious, cultural and social life in South Asia. Infact the introduction of the mystical form of Islam was done by Sufi saints. Besides preaching in major cities and centres of intellectual thought, Sufis reached out to poor and marginalized rural communities and preached in local dialects as well. One such Sufi Saint who is not much talked about in present but has touched the heart and soul of many is Shaikh Pir Muhammad. My very keen self took me to him recently.

The shrine of Pir Muhammad Sheikh is bathed in fragile tranquillity situated in the backdrop of Teele Wala Masjid, adjoining Pukka Pul(Stone Bridge). Lying on Bara Imambara Side, the Dargah is circled by a typical hustle-bustle of the city with the presence of constant traffic of auto rickshaws, buses, cars, flowing unevenly. Inside, however the very air is suffused with peace and privacy. Entering the Dargah, I saw the two holy structures. The square mausoleum of Shah Pir Mohammed is dominated by a large dome resting on a tall cylindrical drum. The dome and drum are nearly twice the height of the three arched square compartment at the base. Besides the grave of Shah Pir Mohammed inside the small hall, there are two graves, at the entrance towards south and on the platform outside. One of them, towards west, has extremely intricate and beautiful inlay work on its marble surface, even though the coloured stones studded therein have disappeared. The other Hall next to this contains three graves inside. It may be the final resting place for some of the holy man’s followers.

According to N. Hanif, Author of ‘Biographical Encyclopaedia of Sufis of South Asia’ - Shaikh Pir Muhammad was “A native of Jaunpur, he obtained formal education in his native town and in Delhi and Kannauj. In Lucknow he completed his religious and theological studies, later going on a Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, Shah ‘Abdu’llah Sayyah Chishti who came from the mountainous regions of Herat appeared in Lucknow and initiated Sheikh Pir Muhammad into Chishtiyya order. Later, he ordered him to settle permanently in Lucknow as a teacher of theology and mysticism. Choosing a place of high ground on the banks of Gomti, Sheikh Pir Muhammad built a hermitage not far from the Tomb of Shah Mina of Lucknow. A lover of Sama and Quwwals, were always on hand to perform. In 1669/70 he died’. However he left a rich heritage in form of books on both Fiqh (philosophy of Islamic Law) and Sufism. He did not marry and spent his whole life in the study of religious doctrines and scriptures and guided students who came to his abode, for the interpretation of theological matters. Sources also tell us that he considered diseases as both physical and spiritual, ‘the former were cured by a physician, but spiritual illness being caused by the dominance of one instinct over the other, could be set right only by a perfect Sufi guide. His work on Wahdat-al Wajud (unity of Existence/ Unity of being) is also very interesting as he talks about Mysticism in such a way that one could overlook both the laws of Sharia and Zariqa.

I chose a Thursday to visit this place. It was 1 o clock in the noon and the weather was perfect.   I specifically remember the very surprising welcome of cool breeze on entering the shrine. As in my habit I take in the feeling of the place before admiring the tangible beauty of it and so I did here. There was an absolute positivity in the atmosphere. Even though there was a huge commotion in the outside world in the middle of the day, this place managed to shelter its enclosed world in a state of seclusion. While the courtyard was semi crowded with worshippers, I noticed a few also sitting inside the main shrine around the tomb. Men, women, children all praying, bending down on the stairs, lighting the incense sticks and taking a round of the shrine. As I moved inside I was noticing it all, the beauty of our diverse nation and the beauty of faith which makes us unique.

It was pleasing to notice that people from all walks of life and faith were present under the same shade of neem tree and there was similar hope in the eyes of all. Women are allowed inside the Chambers where the Saint once lived, lived and now buried. These graves were covered with coloured clothes and flower petals. In Dargahs, the devotees sit quietly in front of the shrine - eyes closed. Sometimes a Khadim- the Dargah’s traditional caretaker is requested to liberate a man possessed by Djinns. The Khadim gently sways peacocks feather over the afflicted man’s head and order the unseen spirit to go away.

A Hindu family I happened to talk to is among the crowd present at this hour, sitting down infront of me, they offered me home cooked Sooji Halwa. They told me how strong their belief was for Pir Baba. A brief and astonishing answer to my curiosity was shut when they insisted me to take their phone number and call them exactly a year after and check if their prayers were answered. They were so sure of it!

I researched and found historians like Abdul Halim Sharar, the famous author of ‘Guzishta Lakhnau’ and the translators of his book to English, E.S.Harcourt and Fakhir Hussain in their notes have erroneously mentioned Shah Pir Mohammed. Nabi Hadi,Author of ‘Dictionary of Indo-Persian Literature also mentions Pir Muhammad Lakhnawi belonged to the period of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb and as a Sufi he lived the life of exemplary poverty, and sparing one time’s food for himself, gave away to others whatever he received daily as Futuh (offerings), from the devotees.

Directly opposite to this mausoleum is a small mound, which is said to have been formed when the eastern gateway of the Bara Imambara of Asaf-ud-Daulah (which was parallel to and corresponded with the Rumi Darwaza on the west) was bombarded and demolished by the British in July 1857. The mound was also used in 1857-58 for setting up scaffolds to hang the rebels (freedom fighters) who had revolted against the unlawfully imposed British rule. Name of at least five freedom fighters and heroes hanged are available in historical accounts as Maulvi Rasool Bakhsh, Hafiz Abdul Samad, Mir Abbas, Mir Qasim Ali Kamadan and Mammu Khan.

Coming out I am taking a very different feeling with me. There is a huge importance of this place in history and now in my heart as well. While writing this and remembering the shrine I can still smell the air with a beautiful composition of essence of Rose, Incense sticks and huge amount of Faith.

Developing a Culture Hub - Awadh Shilp Gram inaugurated in Lucknow

The Shilp Gram is an open air craft bazaar cum food plaza situated in campus of Awadh Vikas Yojna on Sultanpur road. Coming from Gomti Nagar side, you will see it on the left side just parallel to the Shaheed Path. UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav inaugurated the 'Avadh Shilp Gram' on Saturday and announced several welfare measures for the artisans. The 20-acre sprawling campus of the Shilp gram houses a huge complex of shops where artisans from across the state can showcase their products. Built in red stone, the 'haat' saw thousands of people flocking there on its inaugural day. The haat will comprise 169 craft shops, food courts, exhibition hall, banquet hall and amphitheatre as well. The project has been developed by the state government for providing financial and marketing assistance to the artisans of various handicrafts and medium, small and micro entrepreneurs.

The idea is to display the crafts and promote the Craftsmen from all states of India to make a wide variety of handicrafts are available at one place. There is a lot of similarity here with much famous Dilli Haat, New Delhi. However this one in our Lucknow is much huger in the scale and in area. In my eyes this place can turn out to be much more than a handicraft selling place because there is a lot that can be done and enjoyed here. The place is made keeping in mind the contemporary visitors of our city. From Kashmiri Shawls to Phulkari Dupatta, to anything and everything, one can go on a shopping spree here instead of going from state to state. As I visited the place just one day after the inauguration I could spot only limited stalls and shops open but most of the shops are already allotted and will open very soon.   There are so many reasons to Visit Shilp Gram.

It is a Shopper Paradise – from home decor, to clothing and jewellery, one can find anything and everything at one place. This place is soon going to attract people from city and visitors from outside Lucknow too. Surely our wait for yearly Lucknow Mohotsava has ended with this being available to us all year round. If you love to shop and explore do not miss this place. It also makes an excellent joint for buying gifts for friends and family.

Another reason that could make it popular among the citizens is the chosen site of the Shilp Gram, which is away from city’s hustel-bustle which allows you to enjoy and breathe in fresh air, free of dust and pollution which dominates inside the city and the crowded markets. There are enough parking spaces which make it even better. Apart from saving time finding a parking spot it is also provides a relaxed visit as there is not much of a chaos in this part of the city.  Morever there is alot of open space for your kid to move here and there inside the complex too.

Modern day Lucknow contains alot of beautiful buildings but we have to admit that Shilp Gram complex is very unique and impressive in its own way.  The infrastructure is very appealing, giving Indianised look with modern techniques. The complex is divided into various sections to make it feasible. There is a separate food court, an amphitheatre for performances in future, two very well set up Children’s playing area and clean washrooms. The stalls and directions are very well marked too. There are air-conditioned and non-AC shops in Awadh Shilp Gram, numbering 209 along with provision of separate men and women dormitories for lodging of visiting artisans.

The Shilp Gram serves right for people of all age and section of society. There is something for everybody. From food stalls to shopping stalls one can come and enjoy here with family and friends. People who are looking to take a break from the giant malls and polluted markets of Lucknow, you may get that in Shilp Gram.

Apart from from art and craft, Shilp Mela has a huge makeshift food court where you can find a lot of variety in food. There will be stalls from different states and various cuisines. Who would not want to indulge in some mouth watering, delicious food after much shopping?

Another USP of Shilp Gram is its Children Play Area. Congratulations all you ladies, you can let loose and shop without the worry of eyeing on your kids because there is a lot for kids to enjoy in the place too. The open spaces and, play spaces for kids are a very good idea and have been brought up in Lucknow for the first time.

The place is not ticketed for now, not sure about the coming days though. But till then one can go in, for free.

India’s amazing and varied handicrafts will be beautifully displayed here under one roof. This will not only increase people’s awareness on our dying art and tradition but also help the indigenous artisans to come up. Preservation of these arts is must and this is the foremost way to it. We will be lucky to see many Indian artists who are superb at what they do but have not got the right stage to showcase what they got. Luckily with such platforms they are coming up.  E.g. embroidery, paintings, pottery and textiles. There will be a variety of affordable souvenir shopping in a pleasant, open-air, un-crowded place, promoting the handicraft industry along with opening up of new avenues of jobs for youth.

The Shilp gram is being developed as a Cultural Hub. There are plans to organise appropriate ambience for the festivals. This will be a single point where foreign and domestic tourists will be brought and there will be a show case of culture and tradition in form of art and craft. Music, Dance, Sports, and theatre is also taken into consideration.

A good initiative from the state government to promote the handicrafts of the country, this would provide a unique shopping experience to the visitors if the promises are truly kept. If developed properly, it can surely turn out to be one of the major attractions of the city.