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Charer-e-Sharif was a Shrine holy to both Muslims and
Hindus. The Islamic militants burned it down in 1995 at the behest of
Pakistan. Sheikh Nooruddin, after all, was arguably the greatest
mystic-saint of Kashmir.
Saint Sheikh Nooruddin
Nothing
could better exemplify the composite culture of Kashmir than the life of
Sheikh Nooruddin himself. The Sheikh was born as Nund Reshi or Sahazanand
in 1377 AD. His ancestors came from Kishtwar and had migrated to the
Valley. His father, Salar Sanz, a pious man, came under the spiritual
influence of Sufi Saint. Yasman Reshi who arranged his marriage to Sadra
Maji.
For three days, the infant Nund is said to have refused to be breast-fed.
The third day, the Yogini, "Lal Ded" (a very well known saint)
entered the house and put the child's mouth to her own breast. While
leaving, she is said to have called the infant her spiritual heir.
While personifying the Hindu-Muslim culture of the Valley, Nund, later
named Nooruddin, 'the light of faith', fully believed in the immanence and
transcendence of God, hoped for a society based on moral values and
preached against indulgence. All his life he wore a coarse Pheran. Within
two days of his death in 1438 at Charar, nine lakh people are said to have
gathered at the Shrine, including the King, Sultan Zain-ul-Abdin.
He preached against communal hatred and wrote: "We belong to the
same parents. Then why this difference? Let Hindus and Muslims together
worship God alone. We came to this world like partners. We should have
shared our joys and sorrows together."