Uttar Pradesh: the Dargah of Haji Waris Ali Shah
Approximately 40km outside Lucknow is the final resting place of the Nineteenth Century Sufi Saint, Haji Waris Ali Shah. Preaching a message of love and religious unity until his death in 1905, his shrine continues to be visited by practitioners from all North India’s major faiths – Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs.
A descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, Haji Waris Ali Shah travelled widely in the Middle East and Europe on foot for fourteen years. During this time he performed the Haj ten times and met some of the great rulers of his day including Sultan Abdul Majid, the Ottoman Ruler, and Prince Bismarck in Berlin. It is claimed that he was the first Sufi to visit Europe.
When I visited the Dargah on 20th September 2009 – and took the photographs shown here – I was amazed to see such a large number of devotees at the shrine. Moreover, most of the people there were wrapped in a saffron coloured cloth, a renowned Hindu symbol that I was surprised to see at a Muslim shrine. In fact, the Dargah is an outstanding living example of India’s multi-faith tradition. Hindus hold Haji Waris Ali Shah in high esteem, regarding him as both a perfect Sufi and a follower of Hindu tradition and philosophy. For his part, Hjai Waris Ali Shah always wore a saffron ahram (a single unstitched piece of clothing) to show his respect for Hindu traditions and values. It is this item of clothing that his followers continue to wear today.
Read MoreA descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, Haji Waris Ali Shah travelled widely in the Middle East and Europe on foot for fourteen years. During this time he performed the Haj ten times and met some of the great rulers of his day including Sultan Abdul Majid, the Ottoman Ruler, and Prince Bismarck in Berlin. It is claimed that he was the first Sufi to visit Europe.
When I visited the Dargah on 20th September 2009 – and took the photographs shown here – I was amazed to see such a large number of devotees at the shrine. Moreover, most of the people there were wrapped in a saffron coloured cloth, a renowned Hindu symbol that I was surprised to see at a Muslim shrine. In fact, the Dargah is an outstanding living example of India’s multi-faith tradition. Hindus hold Haji Waris Ali Shah in high esteem, regarding him as both a perfect Sufi and a follower of Hindu tradition and philosophy. For his part, Hjai Waris Ali Shah always wore a saffron ahram (a single unstitched piece of clothing) to show his respect for Hindu traditions and values. It is this item of clothing that his followers continue to wear today.
