Shah Jalal Dargah
শাহজালাল দরগা
Bara Gumbad mosque
Religion
Affiliation	Sunni Islam
Sect	Sufism
Festival	Urs on 15 March
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Dargah
Leadership	Huzaifa Hussain Chowdhury(Imam)
Status	Active(as a shrine and mosque)
Location
Location	Dargah Mahalla,Sylhet District,Sylhet Division
Country	Bangladesh
Location of the dargah inBangladesh
Geographic coordinates	24°54′09″N91°52′00″E / 24.902592°N 91.866589°E /24.902592; 91.866589
Architecture
Type	Mosque architecture
Style	Mughal
Completed	c. 1500CE
[1] Sareqaum Fatehullah Al-Aman (Mutawalli)[2]

TheShah Jalal Dargah (Bengali:শাহজালাল দরগা) is theSufi shrine and burial place of the 14th-centurySufi saintShah Jalal. Thedargah complex, constructed inc. 1500CE, that incorporates fourmosques, amadrasa, themausoleum and a public cemetery, is located inSylhet,Bangladesh. Many additions and alterations have been made to its structures over the following centuries. It became a religious centre in the region, respected across multiple ruling administrations and greatly venerated amongBengalis, with local folklore and legends developing around it. Thedargah is presently the largest and most visited religious site in Bangladesh.

Shah Jalal was aSufi saint traditionally accredited with the Muslimconquest of Sylhet as well as the propagation ofIslam in the region.^[3][4] Described bySyed Murtaza Ali as "the patron saint of Sylhet",^[5] following his death in 1347, Shah Jalal's burial place inthe city became an object of veneration.^[6][7] BothBengali Muslims andHindus perform pilgrimages to the site to make offerings and prayers to the saint.^{[8][note 1]} The annualurs, a Sufi death anniversary festival, attracts thousands of visitors, mainly from Bangladesh and neighbouringIndia.^[10][11] Thedargah is presently the most visited shrine in Bangladesh,^[12] with historian Syed Mahmudul Hasan calling it "the religious centre of Sylhet".^[13]

It is said that following the conquest, Shah Jalal settled on top of the hillock where the Dargah now sits with some of his companions. TheSultan ofLakhnauti,Shamsuddin Firuz Shah, requested the saint, as a reward, rule over the newly acquiredQasbah of Srihat (Sylhet). However, the latter refused to accept this offer and instead appointedSikandar Khan Ghazi as the firstwazir of the region. Firuz Shah, wanting to somehow reward Shah Jalal, then announced that he would honour the saint by making his residence tax-free. This exemption for the site has continued to the present-day.^[14]

The original shrine was constructed by Khalis Khan during the reign of SultanAlauddin Husain Shah ofBengal according to a 1505 CE inscription at the site,^[13][15] though earlier religious buildings had previously existed there. Among these were a large mosque from the reign of SultanShamsuddin Yusuf Shah built by adastur (minister) namedMajlis Alam in 1472, as well as potential buried pre-Islamic ruins, though the latter remains unexcavated.^[16][17][18] After the region came underMughal rule, many of the governingFaujdars of Sylhet commissioned construction projects at the site, which included mosques and tombs. Though many have since disappeared, notable among what remains are a three-domed mosque by Bahram Khan, the surrounding wall of the Dargah byLutfullah Shirazi and the Bara Gumbad mosque byFarhad Khan.^{[19][note 2]} It was also under Farhad Khan's tenure that, in 1678, the current shrine was constructed.^[21] No presently existing building dates from beyond the 17th century, with subsequent construction tending to only renovate the older structures.^[22]

According to old records, when the courtiers ofDelhi would visit the town, theShaykh of the Dargah would ceremonially tie apagri on their heads. The locals would not accept the high status of the courtiers until they paid their respects to Shah Jalal.^[10] This was also a tradition among Sylhet's Muslim rulers who, as an act of reverence, visited the Dargah upon their first arrival at the city. Underthe British this custom was continued by theResidents of Sylhet.Robert Lindsay, appointed to that role in 1779, gives the following account of his visit:^[23][24]

I was now told that it was customary for the new resident to pay his respects to the shrine of the tutelar saint, Shaw Juloll. Pilgrims of the Islam faith flock to this shrine from every part of India, and I afterwards found that the fanatics attending the tomb were not a little dangerous. It was not my business to combat religious prejudices, and I therefore went in state, as others had gone before me, left my shoes on the threshold, and deposited on the tomb five gold mohurs as an offering. Being thus purified, I returned to my dwelling, and received the homage of my subjects.

Prince Firuz, a son of theMughal emperorShah Alam II, visited the dargah in 1850. The dargah was also visited by theNizam of Hyderabad's minister.^[10]: 100

Located on a low hillock (known as theDargah Tila) in the Dargah Mahalla neighbourhood of north Sylhet,^[8][25] the mausoleum complex is the largest religious compound in Bangladesh.^[12] The main entrance, known as the Dargah Gate,^[4] opens into a large plaza, ahead of which lies a section dedicated to services for women. Shah Jalal's burial place itself lies in the centre of the compound and is reached via a flight of stairs to the right of this section, though only men are permitted to enter.^[12][21] The steps terminate at a broad flat platform, in front of which is the Bara Gumbad mosque, through which visitors pass to access the tomb.^[17][26] The latter is masonry constructed and open-roofed, with its four corners marked by large tapering pillars which support a cloth canopy, with the grave itself being considered notable for its unusually large size.^[26][27][28] The burial places of some of Shah Jalal's companions, such as Shahzada Ali, Haji Yusuf, Haji Khalil and Haji Daria, as well as hisChilla Khana, are located nearby.^{[29][30][note 3]} The saint'stalwars,Quran, robes, woodenkharam,deerskin-prayer rug, copper plates andArabic-enscribed bowls and cups are also preserved.^[33][10][34]

As well as containing amadrasa and akhanqah,^[4][35] on the opposite side of the plaza to the tomb is a largeLangar Khana (kitchen) to serve the many poor who visit the Dargah and originally made to be a shelter for visitors. This is now closed due to environmental reasons and so there is a small hut built to its east which serves this purpose. Located in theLangar Khana are three brassdegs (cauldrons), the largest being 5 feet in height. Each of these cauldrons can simultaneously cook 7 cows and 7 maunds of rice. On their edges arePersian inscriptions that mentions that they were made by Shaykh Abu Sa'id ibn Muhammad Zafar ibn Yar Muhammad ofJahangirnagar and sent by Murad Bakhsh to the Dargah inRamadanAH 1106 (1694/1695 CE).^{[11][10][4][30]} An extensive graveyard occupies the area behind the tomb, with it being a popular desire among Muslims to be buried near Shah Jalal's remains, though the lots are very expensive.^[8] Also present are a Jalsa-house, established during the Mughal period, and an elevated domed clock-tower to its south.^[11][10][36] To the tomb's west, at the foot of the hillock, is a natural well namedChashma which stands within a spacious brick enclosure. According to legend, Shah Jalal himself ordered its digging,^[10][34] and its sacred water, which is drunk by visiting pilgrims, is the same as that of theZamzam Well inMecca.^[4][26][37]

Legends also exist regarding thecatfish andgreat snakeheads (known asgozar) that inhabit the shrine's tank reservoir, which are commonly fed by visitors. They are said to be the defeated soldiers ofGour Govinda, cursed by Shah Jalal to be eternally reborn in this form.^[4][34] Alternatively, they have also been claimed to be descendants of fish which had been bred by the saint. In December 2003, an unidentified group poisoned and killed over 700 of the fish. In response, the following month, 24gozar were brought from the shrine of Shah Jalal's companion, Shah Mustafa, in the neighbouringMoulvibazar District and released into the Dargah reservoir. Presently, the population has once more risen to the hundreds.^[34] Local folklore further states that theBlue Rock Pigeons seen in and around the Dargah (known asJalali Kabutar or 'Jalal's pigeons') are descended from a pair gifted to the saint byNizamuddin Auliya.^[38][39]

A total of four mosques currently exist around the dargah,^[17] with the Bara Gumbad being the biggest of these as well as the largest structure in the compound in general.^[21][27] Constructed in 1677 by Farhad Khan, its original purpose is uncertain, though historianAhmad Hasan Dani suggested that it may have been intended as a tomb.^[22] Its single dome rests on an octagonal drum and is topped with a pinnacle and surrounded by corner towers, also octagonal, though the latter are stunted due to their tops having disappeared. The structure has three framed entrances on its eastern side, with the middle being the largest, and a small niche between them. The parapet is of a blendedMughal andBengali style and the interior is simple, though the underside of the dome is decorated.^[30]

To the south of the Bara Gumbad is Bahram Khan's three-domed structure, commissioned in 1744, which serves as the primary mosque of the compound.^[27][37] Each of its domes has tallfinials and rest on crenelated drums. Like the Bara Gumbad, its eastern side has three arched doors, the middle also larger, as well as a modernveranda. The mosque was damaged during the1897 Assam earthquake, requiring repairs by the Magistrate of Sylhet, John Willes.^[22][19] A smaller mosque stands on the western side of Shah Jalal's grave and forms a part of the enclosure. Three-domed and likely originally also constructed by Farhad Khan, it was rebuilt in the same design and style in the late-18th century by the then Collector of Sylhet.^[27][30] A fourth mosque, erected byAbdullah Shirazi, lies on the eastern bank of the tank reservoir.^[19][40]

• Shah Jalal: Sufi saint (1271–1347)^[29]
• Shahzada Ali: companion of Shah Jalal (c. 14th century)[29]
• Haji Muhammad Yusuf: companion of Shah Jalal (c. 14th century)[29]
• Haji Khalil: companion of Shah Jalal (c. 14th century)[29]
• Haji Daria: companion of Shah Jalal (c. 14th century)[29]
• Muqabil Khan: Wazir of Sylhet (c. 1440s)[41]
• Sadeq Khan: Faujdar of Sylhet (d. 1688)^[19]
• Mir Ali: Faujdar of Sylhet (d. 1763)^[19]
• Abu Torab Abdul Waheb:mutawalli of the Dargah (d. late 19th century)
• M. A. G. Osmani: Commander-in-chief of the Mukti Bahini (1918–1984)^[42]
• Salman Shah: film and television actor (1971–1996)^[43]
• Humayun Rashid Choudhury: Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad (1928–2001)^[44]
• Asaddor Ali: writer and historian (1929–2005)^[45]
• Arif Billah Akbar Ali: Deobandi Islamic scholar (1916–2005)^[46]
• E. A. Chowdhury: Inspector General of Police (1928–2009)
• Dewan Farid Gazi: Member of Parliament (1924–2010)^[47]
• Muhammad Ashraf Ali: Member of Parliament (d. 2015)^[48]
• Gulzar Ahmed Chowdhury: Member of Parliament (1937–2019)^[49]
• Abul Kalam Zakaria: Deobandi Islamic scholar (1956–2019)^[50]
• Mahmudul Amin Choudhury: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1937–2019)^[51]
• Fazlul Haque Aspia: Member of Parliament (1935/6–2021)^[52]
• Muhibbul Haque Gachbari: Deobandi Islamic scholar (1945–2023)^[53]
• Imam Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury: advisor to caretaker government (1926–2023)^[54]
• C. B. Zaman: filmmaker and actor (1945–2024)^[55]

• 
  Dargah Gate
• 
  Another view of the dargah gate
• 
  Main plaza with the dargah gate in the background
• 
  The eastern side of the dargah's primary mosque with its modern veranda. On the right are the steps leading to the Bara Gumbad
• 
  Another view of the mosque
• 
  The mosque (prior to the construction of its veranda) and the Bara Gumbad,c. 1900s
• 
  The steps to the Bara Gumbad, with a partial view of the women's section on the right
• 
  Jalali Kabutar
• 
  Tank reservoir

• Islam in Bangladesh
• List of mosques in Bangladesh

• 17th-century mosques in Bangladesh
• Archaeological sites in Sylhet district
• Buildings and structures in Sylhet
• Cemeteries in Bangladesh
• Cemeteries established in the 14th century
• Dargahs in Bangladesh
• Historic sites in Bangladesh
• Muslim cemeteries
• Mosque buildings with domes in Bangladesh
• Mosque buildings with minarets in Bangladesh
• Mosques completed in the 1670s
• Mosques in Sylhet Division
• Mughal mosques
• Mughal tombs
• Religious buildings and structures completed in 1500
• Religious buildings and structures completed in 1677
• Sufi shrines in Bangladesh
• Sunni mosques in Bangladesh
• Tourist attractions in Sylhet

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