Piran Kaliyar Sharif

Piran Kaliyar Sharif is the dargah of 13th-century Sufi saint of Chishti Order, Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir Kalyari also known as Sabir Pak and Sabir Kaliyari. It is situated near Haridwar on the banks of Ganga Canal and one of the most revered shrines for Muslims in India and is equally revered by Hindus and followers of other religions. The dargah shrine was built by Ibrahim Lodhi, an Afghan ruler of Delhi Sultanate.[1]

Kaliyar Shareef Dargah

Sabir Pak was a 13th-century Sufi saint in the Chishti Order, succeeding Baba Farid and establishing the Sabiriya branch of the Chishti Order.[2]

Allauddin Ali Ahmad Sabir Kaliyari

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Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari was born on 19 Rabi al-awwal, 592 Hijri (1196) in Herat to Jamila Khatun, who was the elder sister of Baba Fareed. After the death of his father Syed Abul Rahim, in 1204, his mother brought him to Pakpattan to Baba Fareed, who then made him his disciple and put him in charge of the langar.[2][3]

When Alauddin's mother visited him after a long time, she found him weak, prompting her to demand an explanation from Baba Fareed. Baba Fareed explained that he was made in charge of the kitchen and hence had no shortage of food.

Alauddin explained that although he was in charge of the kitchen, he refrained from eating from it. Instead, he sustained himself by foraging in the jungle during his free time. Impressed by his perseverance, he was then given the title Sabir (lit. patient).[4][5]

In 1253 AD, after being appointed as the protector of Kaliyar Sharif by Baba Fareed, Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari reached Kaliyar and remained there for the rest of his life, passing away on the 13th of Rabi al-awwal, 690 Hijri (1291).

Location

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Situated on the outskirts of Roorkee town, the shrine is a revered destination for both tourists and devotees, renowned for its mystical powers and attracting millions of devotees from various religious backgrounds, both within India and from abroad.[6]

Piran Kaliyar

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Over the centuries, a small town developed around the shrine and came to be known as Piran Kaliyar. In later history, India's first steam engine, Mary Lind, (specially shipped from England moved on rails in India) ran in Roorkee on 22 December 1851, between Roorkee and Piran Kaliyar, two years before the first passenger train ran from Bombay to Thane in 1853. Operated by the Bengal Sappers, the railway line was built to carry soil used for the construction of the Upper Ganges Canal aqueduct from Piran Kaliyar, 10 km (6.2 miles) from the city.[7]

The campus of Piran Kaliyar Dargah is home to a notable Gular tree, which holds significance for pilgrims visiting the shrine. Pilgrims often take the tree's fruits as Tabarruk or Prasad, believing them to possess mystical powers. It is said that the revered saint used to meditate under the shade of the Gular tree before attaining salvation.[8]

Famous Gular tree at Dargah Sabir Pak,Kaliyar

Piran Kaliyar is also an Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly constituency, part of the Haridwar Lok Sabha constituency.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Haj committee HQ at Piran Kaliyar". The Times of India. 13 March 2003. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b Dhir, Krishna S. (1 January 2022). The Wonder That Is Urdu. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-4301-1.
  3. ^ Piran Archived 3 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine Haridwar Official website.
  4. ^ "The Biography of Hazrath Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir Kalayeri | PDF | Sufism | Religion And Belief". Scribd. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  5. ^ Siṅgha, Haribhajana (2006). Lokapriya sūfī santa kavi Śaikha Farīda. Hind Pocket Books Pvt Limited. p. 463. ISBN 9788121602556.
  6. ^ "Piran Kaliyar Sharif Dargah | Uttarakhand Tourism". uttarakhandtourism.gov.in. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  7. ^ First train ran between Roorkee and Piran Kaliyar[usurped], The Hindu, 10 August 2002.
  8. ^ Bharat, E. T. V. (13 October 2022). "Pilgrims never forget to take home 'mystical' Gular tree fruit from Piran Kaliyar Dargah". ETV Bharat News. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  9. ^ "30 Piran kaliyar Candidate | District Haridwar, Government of Uttarakhand | India". Retrieved 13 February 2024.
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