In Narwara, Kashmir's Soul Still Speaks

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
In Narwara, Kashmir's Soul Still Speaks

By Owais Bhat

Tucked in the old quarters of Srinagar's Shahr-e-Khaas, Narwara isn't a place that announces itself. It hums quietly with history. The lanes are narrow. The houses, weathered. Yet the past feels close enough to touch.

Here, stories aren't just told, they're lived. Especially the story of Hazrat Sheikh Baba Masood Narwari [RA], a name spoken with reverence by anyone who knows Kashmir's spiritual lineage.

A mystic believed to have come from Central Asia, Baba Masood settled in Narwara centuries ago and became one of the valley's most beloved Sufi saints. His teachings emphasized humility, devotion, and service. But what sets him apart is not just what he said, it's how he lived.

Every evening, Hazrat Hamza Makhdoom [RA], the beloved Sufi of Kashmir, would come to Narwara just to pray behind Baba Masood. People say his recitation of the Quran was so moving, it made listeners weep. Today, his resting place sits next to a mosque and a high school, quiet but deeply respected.

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In a modest shrine nearby, sacred relics are still preserved. Baba Masood was entrusted with items of profound spiritual significance: a pair of sandals believed to belong to the Prophet Muhammad [PBUH], another worn by Hazrat Fatima Zehra [RA], and two Alams from Karbala. These tabrookats, or relics, are displayed each year on the 10th of Muharram. It's not a grand event. It's solemn, filled with silence, prayer, and awe.

Narwara has never been just a neighborhood. It has been a cradle of mysticism, poetry, and intellect. The Sufi poet Samad Mir was born here. His verses, soaked in love and longing for the divine, still echo in Kashmiri households during religious gatherings. Then there's Ahad Zargar, another mystic who lived a simple life but left behind poetry that still stirs the soul. His words ask eternal questions about life, God, and the unseen threads that bind them.

One lesser-known story from Narwara is that of M. Amin Narwari. A humble man with a strong desire to perform the Hajj, he wrote a letter in flawless Persian to Emperor Aurangzeb, asking for support. So elegant was his writing that it reached the court. When he was summoned and asked who had written it, he quietly said,“I did.” The emperor, moved by his talent and sincerity, appointed him ambassador to Iran and arranged for his pilgrimage.

Narwara was also home to two prominent families of Kashmir: the Handoos and the Drabus. While the Drabus moved on, the Handoos stayed. For generations, they have overseen the management of the local mosque, even donating large parts of their land for its upkeep. One of their ancestors served as a royal advisor to the Maharaja, and yet their presence today is quiet and unassuming.

The neighborhood's ties to the Mirwaiz family are also deep. Through decades of political and religious change, Narwara has stood by the Mirwaizs, offering not just loyalty but shelter and strength.

But there's another side to Narwara too: its hands. This place has been home to artisans whose skill shaped the reputation of Kashmiri craftsmanship. Woodcarvers, weavers, and embroiderers have lived here for generations, passing down their knowledge in silence, from parent to child. Their work is delicate, detailed, and honest. It doesn't shout for attention, it invites it.

Walk through Narwara, and it's all there. The arched doorways, the scent of wood shavings, the whisper of a prayer floating from a shrine. The present coexists with the past in a way that feels almost physical.

• The writer can be reached out at [email protected]

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