Bu Ali Shah Qalandar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject.
WikiProject History or the History Portal may be able to help recruit one.
If a more appropriate WikiProject or portal exists, please adjust this template accordingly.

Shaikh Sharafuddeen Bu Ali Qalandar Panipati (born 1190 CE, Ganja, Azerbaijan) was a Sufi saint who lived in India. His mausoleum in the town of Panipat is a place of pilgrimage.

Tomb of Bu Ali Shah Qalandar

1 Birthplace
2 Tomb
3 Legends
4 Further reading
5 External links

[edit] Birthplace

One account says he was born in early 1400 in Panipat, India. However an epitaph on his tomb in Persian gives his birthplace as Ganja in present-day Azerbaijan. It traces his descent from Imam e Aazam Nauman Ibn Saabit Abu Hanifa.

[edit] Tomb

The dargah (mausoleum or shrine), mosque and enclosure at the Qalandar Chowk in Panipat were constructed by Mahabat Khan a Muslim Rajput noble in service of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Mahabat Khan's own tomb in red sandstone is adjacent to the saint's mausoleum. The tombs of Hakim Mukaram Khan and the Urdu poet Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali are also located within the enclosure.

The left wall of the mausoleum has a qaseedeh (panegyric) embossed and painted in blue and gold, written by Zahuri Neishabouri who visited India during the reign of Akbar.

A large number of people from all walks of life - Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians - visit the tomb and offer prayers there each Thursday.

[edit] Legends

Various legends exist about the saint. One legend says after the ibadah (act of obedience and submission) of 36 years standing in the water in Karnal he was awarded the status of "Bu Ali" (Fragrance of Ali) by Prophet Muhammad. After achieving this Rutba he was visited by many other Sufi saints. An alternative legend to explain his name says that the Prophet Muhammad appeared to him in a dream and offered him a wish. The Qalandar asked for prophethood and was told that all positions has been filled and Muhammad was the last one. He asked to be Ali and was told that position was also filled. He then asked for at least the fragrance of Ali and that wish was granted. A scholarly view of his name is that Bu Ali is simply another form of Kuniyyat Abu Ali.

Another legend says that after many years of devotion and service Bu Ali Shah Qalandar disappeared into the sky in front of all his devotees. (However his Dargah (shrine) exists in Panipat.)