K D Maini
Darbar Lar Sharief Baba Nagri Wangat which is 45 Kms in the north of Srinagar is one of the most sacred shrines for Gujjar-Bakarwal Tribe and Phari speaking people of J&K who have great spiritual attachment with this Dargah. Every day large number of tribal and Phari families visit the shrine to pay obeisance in the Ziarat of their Murshad Hazarat Baba Ji Shab, Hazarat Haji Baba (Mian Nazam-ud-Din Larvi), Hazarat Baba Shaib (Mian Bashir Ahmed Larvi) and gets blessings of present Sajada Nashine Hazarat Mian Altaf Ahmed. Mian Altaf Ahmed every day conducts religious cum spiritual sitting of devotees. He receives them with smiling face, kind attitude and a sympathetic way and then delivers his spiritual sermon which becomes a memorable moment for the devotees. Then he listens the devotees with patience about their religious matters, day to day problems and provides advice about their social upliftment and leadership for their bright future. Then the sitting ends with ‘Dua’ from Sajada Nashine for the participants. This routine sitting leaves great impact on the life of the tribal community who consider Darbar Lar Sharief as a symbol of their pride, heritage, culture and a fort of spirituality.
After getting blessings from Sajada Nashine, the devotees move towards Langer hall where meal for the devotees is served. Generally Maize bread (known as Gogi), Lassi and Chattni (mixture of Salt, chilly and garlic) is served as Tabrook (Parsad) apart from normal meal. Then devotes move towards the mosque and offer prayer. After that the devotee either leave back with spiritual solace or stays in guest house. Apart from day to day gatherings at the shrine, the Urs Sharief of Hazarat Baba Nazam-ud -Din Kayanvi, the Pir of Baba Ji Sahib is celebrated with great enthusiasm in which every year more than one lakh devotees participate from all over the State and celebrate the occasion. In this congregation the tribal families also gets opportunities to meet each other, revive their relations, share their joys and miseries and gets direction from the Sajada Nashine how to perform religious matters, how to face day to day challenges and work for the better future of new generation.
Darbar Lar Shrief Baba Nagri Wangat was established in 1893 when a great spiritual saint Hazarat Baba Ji Sahib migrated from his native village Sanjora Balakote (Now in Pakistan) to Hari Dhaji Wangat on the direction of his Pir Hazrat Baba Nazum-ud-Din Kayanvi of Silsila-Naqush Bandia-Majajdia of Mangalnar near Sharda Shrief now in POK. Baba Ji Sahib alongwith some tribal families came to Wangat where the natives compelled him to stay in their locality after knowing his spiritual deeds. With the local cooperation Baba ji Sahib constructed house, possessed cultivable land in Hari Dhaji (Place of God) and started Langer. After knowing about this spiritual saint the people started visiting and getting blessings from Baba Ji Sahib. Apart from religious preaching he was a spiritual personality, Sufi poet and social reformer of his time. He wrote three books namely Israr-e-Kabiri, Malfuzat-a-Nazamia and Baba Ji Sahib ki Si Harfian. Within a very short period he became very popular in Kashmir valley and Poonch-Rajouri. He also established a winter Darbar at Mohra Sharief Poonch for the convenience of the devotees. Mohd din Fauq, a re-knowned Historian of 20th century wrote in his book Tariq-E-Aqwam-e-Poonch that from 1993 to 1925 almost all the Gujjar-Bakarwals and Phari speaking people of Poonch Rajouri and upper reaches of Pir Panchal in Kashmir side had become the followers of Baba Ji Sahib who passed away at the age of 63 in 1926 A.D at Wangat. He was buried at present Darbar Lar Sharief Ziarat.
After the death of Baba Ji Sahib his son Hazrat Mian Nazum-ud-Din Larvi became the Sajada Nashine (Head priest) of the Shrine. He was not only a religious preacher, social reformer but also a political leader of Gujjar-Bakarwal tribes and Phari people. He tried his best to uplift suppressed and depressed Gujjar-Bakarwals community. He laid the foundation of Gujjar Jat conference in 1933 to provide political leadership to his followers. Before 1947 he became MLA of Parjya Sabha in 1946. After the turmoil of 1947, Hazarat Mian Nazm-ud-Din Larvi remained MLA from 1953 to 1967 and provided religious and political leadership to his devotees. He passed away in 1972 and was buried near the grave of Hazarat Baba Ji Sahab in Darbar Sharief.
After the death of Hazarat Mian Nazam-ud -Din Larvi, his elder son Mian Bashir Ahmed became Sajada Nashine of Darbar Sharief in 1972. Hazarat Mian Bashir Ahmed was a great orator, reformer, spiritual personality apart from people friendly political leader. He also remained MLA from 1967 to 1987 and three time minister in Sadiq, Mir Qasim and Sheikh Government. However he was more inclined towards spirituality and passed his life by serving the down trodden people. On 26th January 2008, he got Padma Shri award in recognition to his spiritual contribution from Government of India. Throughout his life Hazarat Mian Bashir Ahmed popularly known as Baba Sahib fought of the better life for Gujjar-Bakarwal community. He was having a good relation with Mrs. Indira Gandhi. on his request she had sanctioned Rs. 13 Crore in 1974 for the welfare of Gujjar-Bakarwal community with directions that this amount may be utilized on the schemes which shall be approved by the Mian Sahib. In 1980 Baba Sahib resigned from Sheikh Abdullah cabinet on the issue of Schedule Tribe status for Gujjar-Bakarwal Tribes. Immediately after that Mrs. Gandhi assured him that Gujjar-Bakarwal community shall be declared Scheduled Tribed shortly. Accordingly survey work and other formalities were completed and file was ready for approval. When in 1984 Mrs. Gandhi was assassinated and approval delayed a number of Gujjar Bakarwal deputations met the then Prime Minister Chander Sheikhar and pressed for the approval of ST status for their community. Since the file was already in process therefore Chander Sheikhar announced ST Status for Gujjar-Bakarwal tribes in 1991.
After 1987, Hazarat Mian Bashir Ahmed left politics and devoted himself for religious cum spiritual preaches. In 2018 keeping in view his health problem he appointed his son Mian Altaf Ahmed as Sajada Nashine of Darbar Lar Sharief.
When he was minister, MLA and later on a preacher, he used to live with Gujjar-Bakarwal tribes and Phari people, stayed in their Dharas (hutment) in Dhoks and Mergs, at with them, wore like them, live like them, spoke lived them and preached in their language. He was a saint with spiritual deeds and was considered the Wali of Kashmir. He passed away on 14th August 2021 and was buried in Darbar Lar Sharief near the grave of his father Hazarat Mian Nazum-ud-Din Larvi.
The present Sajada Nashine Mian Altaf Ahmed was born in Baba Nagri Wangat in 1958. He got primary education from Primary School Wangat, then got admission in DAV College Srinagar, passed 12th from Amar Singh College and did LLB from Kashmir University. Since his childhood he had seen the misreable conditions of Gujjar-Bakarwal community. Therefore he decided to serve this community instead of joining Government service or practice. He fought election on Congress ticket in 1887 from Kangan and remained Minister upto 19th January 1990 in Farooq Abdullah Government. From 1990 to 1996 he was associated with shrine matters and worked for the victims of militancy. From 1996 to 2000 Mian Altaf Ahmed again became MLA and Health Minister in Farooq Government. During 2007 election he was again elected from Kangan and became forest minister in Omar Abdullah Government. From 2018 onwards he is looking after the matters of Darbar Lar Sharief and continues his traditional attachment with the followers of Darbar Lar Sharief on both the sides of Pir Panchal.
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