Nund Rishi | |
|---|---|
 Painting of Nund Rishi from a 17th-century manuscript known asKashmiri Kalaam. | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Noor Ud-Din c. 1377 |
| Died | c. 1438[1] Charar-i-Sharief,Charari Sharief,Kashmir |
| Resting place | Charar-e-Sharief shrine |
| Home town | Qaimoh,Kulgam |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Tariqa | Rishi order |
| Muslim leader | |
Influenced by
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Nund Rishi[a] (Kashmiri pronunciation:[nundɨrʲoʃ] c. 1377 – c. 1438; bornNoor-ud-Din[b]) was aKashmiriSufi saint,[2][3] mystic, poet andIslamic preacher.[4][5] Nund Rishi was among the founders of theRishi order, a Sufi tradition of the region, and is also known by the titlesSheikh-Ul-Alam (lit. 'spiritual guide of the world')[6] andAlamdar-e-Kashmir (lit. 'flag bearer of Kashmir') by Muslims, and referred to asNund Lal andSahajananda byHindus. He influenced many spiritual teachers and saints, includingHamza Makhdoom,Resh Mir Sàeb, andShamas Faqir.[7][8][9]
Noor-ud-Din was born in 1377 in Khee Jogipora village nearQaimoh in today'sKulgam district of Kashmir to Salar Sanz and Sadra, also called Sadra Moji or Sadra Deddi.[10][c][d] His grandfather Sheikh Salahuddin hailed from Rajput Royal Family OfKishtwar. The legend has it that he refused to be breastfed by his mother after birth and it wasLalleshwari who breastfed him.[11] His stepsons (Shash and Gundro) later tried to corrupt him into theft, but even when forced into burglary he refused to sin, reportedly composing a Kashmiri poem instead, In teenage years Noor-ud-Din was apprenticed to a couple of traders. He was married to Zai Ded who hailed from the village ofDadasara,Tral ,they had three children (two sons, one daughter), but all died in infancy. He renounced the world after the death of her children and became a hermit.[12]
By age 30, Noor-ud-Din “became sullen with worldly life” and turned to asceticism. He withdrew regularly to solitude (his mother even pointed to a local cave in Qaimoh as a meditation retreat, the “Fikri Taing” mound). Under the influence of theKubrawiya (through his patronage of the Persian saintSyed Hussain Simnani), he embraced a life of self-denial.[13] He began wandering and preaching in the villages, using the Kashmiri vernacular (Koshur) to reach ordinary people. His goal was monotheism and universal brotherhood, criticizing caste, ritualism and communal divisions. As one contemporary scholar observes: He writes:
"We belong to the same parents, then why this difference? Let Hindus and Muslims worship God alone, we came to this world like partners.’”[13]
He repeatedly urged tolerance and non-violence; for example, he proclaimed
“Here the good alone can claim noble descent; in the hereafter caste will be extinct”
He and his (often Hindu) disciples sought to make religious teachings accessible: Nund Rishi famously insisted on Kashmiri (rather than Persian) as the medium of his poetry, effectively preserving the local language at a time when Persian dominated the courts.[13]
Noor-ud-Din’s message attracted people across faiths. Biographers note that many local Hindu ascetics (sadhus, yogis and pandits) and Muslim missionaries gravitated to him. Bazaz observes that during his lifetime notable figures such asMir Sayyid Ali Hamadani's son Mir Mohammad Hamadani and Syed Hussain Simnani“all developed contacts with him” Hindu monks and Kashmir Shaivites also became his followers. Under the sobriquet“Rishi”, a Sanskrit term for sage, Noor-ud-Din drew on both Islamic and Hindu mystical traditions. In his ascetic phase as apir, he subsisted on a cup of milk a day and finally on water alone.[13]
He converted many people to Islam throughout his life. some figures include the first spiritual successor to hisRishi order, Hazrat Baba Bam ud-Din Rishi who were converted by Sheikh Noor ud-Din after a long discussion on idol worship and Sheikh ul-Alam convinced him enough to make him a Mulsim. After Baba Bam ud-Din Rishi's death, The Cloak ofRishi order fell upon Sakhi Zain ud-Din Wali ofAishmuquam who became The Second Spiritual Successor, it is said The Holy Saint Sheikh Noor ud-Din once got to know of Zain ud-Din's illness when he wasn't a mulsim, The Holy Saint then told his mother that he would make dua for them if they accepted Islam, hence it was Zia Singh (later Sakhi Zain ud-Din Wali) who became Muslim with his mother and accepted Islam, after the supplications done by The Holy Saint Sheikh Noor ud-Din, Zai Singh was cured. After the death of Sakhi Zain ud-Din Wali. Following them were Baba Latif ud-Din who desired the friendship of the Holy Saint Sheikh Noor ud-Din, who denied his offer of friendship until he didn't accept islam, after yielding, Baba Latif ud-Din accepted Islam and became the Third Spiritual Successor to Sheikh Noor ud-Din Noorani, following them was Baba Nasr ud-Din as The Fourth Spiritual Successor.[12]
With a message oftawhid (divine unity), Noor-ud-Din traveled theKashmir Valley preaching peace. He established a network of followers, the nascentRishi order, whose core values were simplicity, equality and non-violence. In his role aspatron saint of the Valley, he is credited with making non-violence and religious harmony “the basic characteristics” of Kashmiri society According to one study,“In Kashmiri poetry, he holds a very important position”, and he is remembered as a bridge between Kashmir’s Shaiva and Sufi heritage He outlived (by a few years) his fellow saint-poet Lal Ded or known asLalleshwari, and tradition holds that her verses and example deeply influenced him. (The legend that Lalleshwari nursed him as an infant symbolizes their spiritual kinship).[12]
Noor-ud-Din was also a prolific mystical poet. His verses, calledshruks are brief Kashmiri sayings (usually 4–6 lines) that capture existential and ethical themes. Bazaz and others emphasize that Rishi’s poetry is steeped innegative theology: it speaks of God through negation, death, and the void. For example, he often reminds devotees of life’s impermanence (“die before you die”) and praises the annihilation of the ego. At the same time, his shruks address social issues in plain language. As one scholar notes, Nund Rishi used Kashmiri “as the piercing mode of expressing [his] poetry” to reach the masses.[13] The content of his poetry consistently stresses oneness and social justice. He explicitly denounces caste, hypocrisy and communalism, calling for equality before God. For instance, one translated verse declares:
“Here the good alone can claim noble descent; in the hereafter caste will be extinct.”
Another counsels religious harmony:
“We belong to the same parents, then why this difference? Let Hindus and Muslims worship God alone; we came to this world like partners.”
His environmental awareness is also remembered in lore (e.g., the famous“Ann Poshi” verse, “Food will thrive only as long as the woods survive”), reflecting respect for nature and rural life.
In sum, Noor-ud-Din’s philosophy combined fervent monotheism with universal humanism. He rejected ritualism and violence, urging simple piety and compassion. He declared that all religions share one source, famously saying that Hindus and Muslims“came to this world like partners ". As one study concludes,“His thoughts have moulded the minds of [Kashmiris] for more than five centuries, establishing a culture of utmost religious tolerance with an abiding faith in the omnipresence of God.”. His poetry remains central to Kashmiri literature and spirituality; Kashmiri shruks (vernacular devotional poetry) owe much to Nund Rishi’s example.[13]
On another occasion, when invited to a feast, Noor-ud-Din went in ragged dress, earlier than the appointed time. The servants, not recognizing him, would not permit him to enter, and he had to go back to take his food at home. When all had sat for the sumptuous dinner, the Sheikh was specially sent for. He came, this time in a flowing chugha (cloak) and was given the seat of honour. But the Sheikh, instead of partaking of the food, stretched forth his sleeves and put them on the plates. The people were astonished at the sight and asked him the reason. He replied: "The feast was not really for Noor-ud-Din but for the long sleeves![14]"
Noor-ud-Din isfoundational to Kashmiri identity andSufism. He is traditionally considered the founder of the localRishi order (a syncretic Sufi tradition blending Islam with Kashmir’s pre-Islamic mysticism). He and Lal Ded (Lalleshwari) are celebrated as Kashmir’s two great saints, heralds of a vernacular, devotional culture. Bazaz notes that Kashmiris revere Nund Rishi as“Alamdār-i Kashmir” (“flag-bearer of Kashmir”) and“Shaikh al-‘Ālam” (“teacher of the world”). Indeed, tales of his life cross religious lines: even Hindus fondly call himNund Lal and many Kashmiri Pandit families trace oral traditions to meetings with him.[14]
Under SultanZayn al-Abidin the Great's tolerant rule, Nund Rishi’s movement flourished. He is credited with safeguarding the Kashmiri language and culture at a time when Persian rule was ascendant. By preaching in Kashmiri rather than Arabic or Persian, he validated local folklore and speech. His emphasis on non-violence, vegetarianism, and egalitarian ethics also echoes Kashmir’s indigenous values.[14]
Even foreign rulers recognized his stature. In the 19th century, the Afghan governor Atta Muhammad Khan minted coins in Nund Rishi’s name to legitimize his rule (Later, Sikh governor J. S. Ranbir Singh likewise patronized a coin issue honoring the saint.) Today, the Kashmiri government still awards theSheikh-ul-Alam Award for contributions to cultural harmony, underscoring Nund Rishi’s lasting symbolic role. As one scholar observes,“The centrality of Nund Rishi… to Kashmiri cultural memory has never been in question.[14]”
Noor-ud-Din spread his teachings or message through poems, commonly known asshruks.[e][15] His poems have four to six lines each[16] and evolve around religious themes, highlight moral principles, and often call for peace.[17] He strived forHindu–Muslim unity. One of his prominent poems isAnn poshi teli yeli wan poshi, which translates as "Food will thrive only as long as the woods survive".[18][19]
Kashmiri poetLal Ded was Noor-ud-Din's contemporary and had a great impact on his spiritual growth.[20] Some scholars argue that he was her disciple, and associate his poetry with theBhakti movement, although others disagree.[21]
Noor-ud-Din witnessed several transmissions ofHinduism andIslam in the valley throughout his life, although he was actively involved in philosophical work and in writing Kashmiri poems.[22] In his verses, he recalled some events, including the arrival ofMir Sayyid Ali Hamadani to Kashmir.[23]
There have been several books published on him, most notablyKalam-e-Sheikh ul-Alam. In 2023 academicAbir Bazaz wrote a book on Nund Rishi namedNund Rishi: Poetry and Politics in medieval Kashmir on the life and poetry of Nund Rishi.[13] In 2024 Renowned poet and ProfessorShafi Shauq released a book namedNund where he discussed the poetry of Nund Rishi with translations in English.[24]
Noor-ud-Din is also credited with translating theQuran intoKashmiri language.[25]
In 2015, the University of Kashmir published anUrdu book titled "Kalam-i-Sheikh-ul-Alam", comprising about 300shruks of Nund Rishi translated intoUrdu by Ghulam Muhammad Shad.[26]
Noor-ud-Din died in 1438 at the approximate age of 63. It is said in the local tradition that on the first two days of his death, over 900,000 people showed up toCharari Sharief for his funeral. SultanZain-ul-Abidin commissioned a tomb for his body atCharari Sharief. TheCharar-e-Sharief shrine is visited by pilgrims to this day, especially on the eve of Noor-ud-Din'surs.[1][27] His Urs was observed on 23 October 2022, this day has been declared a gazetted holiday by the government.
TheAfghan governor, Atta Muhammad Khan, minted coins with Noor-ud-Din's name.[28]
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]
Noor-ud-Din’s disciples were the early carriers of the Rishi movement. Many were drawn from the Hindu yogi and Pandit communities; indeed, Bazaz records that his key disciples –Baba Bam ud-Din, Baba Zain ud-Din, Baba Latif ud-Din andBaba Nasr ud-Din, were “recent converts to Islam,” who then helped spread the Rishi order. (Local tradition adds female disciples such as Behat Bibi, Dehat Bibi, Sham Dyeed and Shangu Bibi. These followers propagated Noor-ud-Din’s teachings in Kashmir’s villages, blending Sanskritic and Islamic motifs in their own poetry and practices. In later centuries, the Rishi tradition inspired other saints: for example, the great 16th‑century SufiHamza Makhdoom is often said to have been spiritually influenced by Nund Rishi’s legacy, even if he lived a generation later and was fromthe Suhrawardiyya Order. Similarly, the Reshi Mir Saeb of south Kashmir and the 19th‑centuryShamas Faqir andRahim Sopori belonged to the same syncretic tradition and honor Sheikh Noor-ud-Din’s example.[13]
Through his disciples and literary heirs (who wrote down theshruks centuries later), Noor-ud-Din’s message endured. Hiskalam (sayings) were transcribed into Persian and Kashmiri texts, and are still recited in Kashmiri gatherings and sufi circles. Culturally, he paved the way for Kashmir’s composite heritage: his insistence on peace, unity, and devotion outside rigid dogma became a hallmark of Kashmiri Sufism (often called “Kashmiri Rishiism”). In sum, Sheikh Noor-ud-DinNoorani (Nund Rishi) remains a towering figure whose life and works shaped Kashmir’s spiritual and cultural identity for over six centuries.[12]
In 2005, theGovernment of India renamed the Srinagar airport toSheikh ul-Alam International Airport and granted it international status.[29]
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