GulzarBhat
Zigzagging through harrowed fields being readied for the kharifcrop, a narrow road leads to a modest white-and-green shrine that isbuzzing with devotees paying obeisance. A common enough sight in different parts of India, a nation identified by its deep sense of reverence towards a variety of gods and saints alike. Except that this abode of spirituality draws the faithful in multitudes that, elsewhere, follow faiths and beliefs so different as to lead to disagreements and, sometimes, even overtly violent clashes.
But the shrine of Baba Hara Pirin SaiKalan, a quaint border village in R.S.Pura township of Jammu, is different. It exudes a divine aura that touches a chord in the hearts of believers, irrespective of caste, religion or nationality. As the flow of people continues without ebbfrom dawn to dusk, its symbolic confluence of different religious beliefs is not lost on anyone, particularly at a time when parts of Jammu continue to burn in the aftermath of communal disturbances.
“We are all here to seek the blessing of Hara Baba. No matter whetheryou are a Hindu, Muslim or Sikh, in the eyes of Baba we are alike inflesh and blood,” says a young devotee, covering his head with a snow white scarf as he approaches the shrine.
No records are available to ascertain the history of Hara Pir, although local residents believe that he was a Muslim sufi saint. Legend has it that he had curative powers and would cure little children suffering from malnutrition. Even today, people bring their underweight children here for a dip in the nearby AikRiver and then seek the blessingsof Hara Pir.
Although Baba Hara Pir is believed to be a Muslim sufi saint, the Committee constituted to take care of the shrine and maintain its sanctity today comprises Hindu members only.
“There was no one in this village when we arrived here as the entire Muslim community had fled the area. When we saw the shrine of Hara Baba, we paid obeisance in complete faith and started taking care of it,” says Dayal Chand, an octogenarian, one of thousands of refugeeswho arrived fromPakistan Occupied Kashmir.
Numerous such Sufi shrines dot the picturesque landscape of Jammu province, many said to be centuries old, making them a remarkable example of interfaith harmony. Drawn by a need for interjection to meet a specific need, faith in the inherent goodness of the Pir that gives him the ability to mediate for the need’sfulfillment, draws people to these shrines in thousands.
Before 1947, the area was largely inhabited by Muslim populace and itwas they who looked after the shrine. They were forced to flee in large numbers during the Partition and ensuing violence. The people who arrived here from West Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), in turn, were the first generation of present refugees who took on the responsibility of taking care of the shrine.Since then, the village of SaiKalanhas been home to nearly two thousand families who came from West Pakistan, mostly from Sialkot, in search of safety – and a secure future. Since then, the shrine has been their blessing and source of strength and solace, as they started over, making a life for themselves in the newly created nation.
“For decades now, I have seen people bringing their children here from across the Jammu region, praying for their good physical health,”said BachanLal, former Sarpanch of Village SaiKalan.Traditionally, when farmers begin the harvest season or plant the first seeds, they visit the three temples in the vicinity; but they also make it a point to visit and make offerings at the shrine of Baba Hara Pir.”The tradition of making such offerings dates back to 1947 when the first generation of refugees arrived here,” said Ashwani Kumar, a young farmer of village SaiKalan.
A popular time to visit shrines is during the Urs(Arabic for marriage) celebration of the saint that marks his death anniversary and is observed as the occasion of his union with God.The third week of June each year marksthe Urs is being held at the Shrine. Around 30,000-35,000 people of different castes and communities across the country participate in this festival and pay their respects.
The sufi shrines, without an iota of doubt, have played aninstrumental role in blending the different castes and communities from time immemorial. Like theBaba Hara Pirshrine that epitomizes the harmonious relations of different castes and communities, there are six other shrines in this border area that are equally popular among the people, as are countless othersufishrines inthe Jammu region which bringtogether people from different religions. Prominent among them are PirRoshan Ali, the first Sufi believed to have come to Jammu in the 13th century, PirLakhdatta, Baba Bhudan Ali Shah,PirMitha, Baba Jeevan Shah and PanjPir.
Indeed, the sufi shrines symbolize the blessings of the wise, with their quintessential message of harmony in this ancient land of rich cultural heritage. St. Thomas Aquina, Italian priest and philosopher, summed up this spirituality succinctly with his famous assertion,
‘To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary;
To one without faith, no explanation is possible.’
“What else I can say,”says Davindra Singh, who, as head of the Committee, sees nothing unusual about the Hindu members of the Muslim sufi saint’s shrine,”It is the paragon of our communal harmony andage old secular tradition.”
Charkha Features
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