Nund Rishi[a] (Kashmiri pronunciation:[nundɨrʲoʃ] c. 1377 – c. 1438; born Noor-ud-Din[b]) was a Kashmiri Sufi saint, mystic, poet and Islamic preacher.[2][3] Nund Rishi was among the founders of the Rishi order, a Sufi tradition of the region, and is also known by the titles Sheikh-Ul-Alam (lit.'spiritual guide of the world')[4] and Alamdar-e-Kashmir (lit.'flag bearer of Kashmir') by Muslims, and referred to as Nund Lal and Sahajananda by Hindus. He influenced many spiritual teachers and saints, including Hamza Makhdoom, Resh Mir Sàeb, and Shamas Faqir.[5][6][7]
Early life
Painting of Sheikh Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, also known as Nund Rishi
Noor-ud-Din was born in 1377 in Khee Jogipora village near Qaimoh in today's Kulgam district of Kashmir to Salar Sanz and Sadra, also called Sadra Moji or Sadra Deddi.[8][c][d] His grandfather Sheikh Salahuddin hailed from Kishtwar. The legend has it that he refused to be breastfed by his mother after birth and it was Lalleshwari who breastfed him.[9] In teenage years Noor-ud-Din was apprenticed to a couple of traders. He was married to Zai Ded who hailed from the village of Dadasara, Tral and had two sons and a daughter with her. She renounced the world after the death of her children and became a hermit.
Noor-ud-Din renounced the worldly life at the age of 30 and retired to live a life of meditation in a cave which is still shown in Qaimoh and is about 10 feet deep. During his last days, he survived by drinking a cup of milk every day, and later, he used to survive by drinking water.
Literary works
Kalam Sheikh Ul Alam
Noor-ud-Din spread his teachings or message through poems, commonly known as shruks.[e][10] His poems have four to six lines each[11] and evolve around religious themes, highlight moral principles and often call for peace.[12] He strived for Hindu–Muslim unity. One of his prominent poems is Ann poshi teli yeli wan poshi, which translates as "Food will thrive only as long as the woods survive".[13][14]
Kashmiri poet Lal Ded was Noor-ud-Din's contemporary and had a great impact on his spiritual growth.[15] Some scholars argue that he was her disciple, and associate his poetry with the Bhakti movement, although others disagree.[16]
Noor-ud-Din witnessed several transmissions of Hinduism and Islam in the valley throughout his life, although he was actively involved in philosophical work and in writing Kashmiri poems.[17] In his verses, he recalled some events, including arrival of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani to Kashmir.[18]
In 2015, the university of Kashmir published an Urdu book titled "Kalam-i-Sheikh-ul-Alam", comprising about 300 shruks of Nund Rishi translated into Urdu by Ghulam Muhammad Shad.[20]
Death
Noor-ud-Din died in 1438 at the approximate age of 63. Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin commissioned a tomb for his body at Charari Sharief. The Charar-e-Sharief shrine is visited by pilgrims to this day, especially on the eve of Noor-ud-Din's urs.[1] His Urs was observed on 23 October 2022, this day has been declared gazetted holiday by the government.
The Afghan governor Atta Muhammad Khan minted coins with Noor-ud-Din's name.[21]
Noor-ud-Din's father Sheikh Salar-Ud-Din and two brothers Kamal-Ud-Din and Jamal-Ud-Din are buried near Dadasara while his wife is buried in Qaimoh.[1]
Legacy
Charar-e-Sharief shrine
Noor-ud-Din's sayings and verses are preserved in Kashmir region, including in a museum built at Kashmir university. The shruks also describe the life of the saint. They were translated into the Persian language by Baba Nasib-ud-din Ghazi two centuries after his death.[8][15] In 1998, University of Kashmir established an institute called Markaz-e-Noor Centre for Sheikh-ul-Alam Studies to conduct scientific research on Noor-ud-Din's life.[3][22] In 2015, the university established a research center called Sheikh-ul-Alam Chair in order to honor his teachings. The centre is aimed at exploring the social and cultural background of the Kashmiri Rishis.[23] In 2017, the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages covered his life in a book titled "Hayat-e-Sheikh-ul-Alam" (life of Nund Rishi).[24] In 2005, the Government of India renamed the Srinagar airport to Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport and granted it international status.[25]
^In Kashmir, "Moji" refers to mother and "Deddi" denotes an elderly women, especially a paternal or maternal grandmother. It is widely used by the Kashmiri people to represent an elderly woman.
^Nund Rishi's poetry is known as "Shruks" or "Koshur Kuran". Koshur Kuran means a translated version of the original text of Qur'an.
