Aqzar Raheel
Ganderbal, June 8: The mountains of Wangat stood silent, but beneath them rose the sound of crying hearts, whispered prayers, and verses of faith as thousands of devotees gathered at the revered Baba Nagri shrine in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district to commemorate the 130th Urs of Hazrat Baba Nizam-ud-Din Kiyanvi (RA).
For two days, Baba Nagri became a place where pain found words, tears found comfort, and weary souls searched for healing. From every direction came caravans of believers elderly men leaning on sticks, mothers carrying children in their arms, young boys walking through the night, and families travelling for hours simply to stand for a few moments at the shrine of the saint they call a source of peace for generations.
As the Urs concluded on Monday with emotional collective prayers, the shrine grounds turned into an ocean of raised hands and tearful eyes. Thousands stood shoulder to shoulder under the open sky, praying not only for themselves, but for peace in Kashmir, for departed loved ones, for sick parents, for struggling families, and for hearts carrying silent grief.
Many devotees could not control their emotions. Some wept openly during the prayers. Others sat quietly against the walls of the shrine, their lips trembling with supplications as the sound of Darood and Quranic recitations echoed through the cold mountain air.
The Urs began on June 7 with Quran Khawani, Darood Azkaar, and Khatmat-ul-Mozama, followed by night-long Shab Khawani that filled Baba Nagri with remembrance, devotion, and emotion until dawn.
Devotees from Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Shopian, Baramulla, Bandipora, Kathua, Kupwara, Srinagar, and several other districts travelled tirelessly to attend the annual congregation. While many arrived in buses and private vehicles, countless others walked difficult mountain routes, refusing to let distance or hardship separate them from the shrine.
“I lost my mother this year, and all I wanted was to come here and pray for her,” said a devotee from Baramulla, tears streaming down his face. “When I raised my hands at Baba Nagri, it felt as though my pain was finally being heard.”
Nearby, an elderly man from Rajouri sat silently after the prayers, holding his prayer beads tightly in his hands.
“I have been coming here since I was a child,” he said in a trembling voice. “Life changed, people changed, but Baba Nagri still feels the same peaceful, pure, and close to Allah.”
A woman devotee from Shopian broke down while speaking about the emotional atmosphere at the shrine.
“When thousands cry together in prayer, your own heart melts,” she said. “You feel every pain around you. You pray not only for yourself, but for everyone.”
Another young pilgrim from Doda, who travelled overnight to attend the Urs, described the final moments of the gathering as unforgettable.
“I saw old men crying like children, mothers praying with shaking hands, and strangers hugging one another after the prayers,” he said. “At that moment, it felt like every heart here was carrying both pain and hope together.”
In keeping with centuries-old traditions, devotees offered sheep, cattle, maize, rice, pulses, and monetary donations as symbols of gratitude and devotion.
Member of Parliament Mian Altaf Ahmad remembered the spiritual legacy of Hazrat Baba Nizam-ud-Din Kiyanvi (RA) and his late father, Mian Bashir Ahmad.
Addressing the gathering, Mian Altaf urged people to embrace the teachings of love, humility, compassion, and humanity preached by the saints.
“If we truly follow the path shown by saints like Baba Nizam-ud-Din (RA), hatred will fade and humanity will prevail,” he said.
Religious scholars and clerics described Baba Nagri as a timeless spiritual sanctuary where generations continue to seek peace for wounded hearts and troubled souls.
As the Urs came to an end and devotees slowly began their journey home, many turned back again and again for one final glimpse of the shrine. Some wiped tears from their eyes. Others stood silently with raised hands, unwilling to leave.
And long after the crowds began to disappear into the mountains of Wangat, the sound of prayers and the ache of countless hearts still seemed to linger in the cold evening air of Baba Nagri.
