Here prayer stems from the heart

Inderdeep Thapar visits the Dargah of Hazrat Sher Shah Wali at Ferozepore where the devout, cutting across faithlines, come to worship

It is a different era in the History of India where amidst the heightened "religious" consciousness, larger than life fundamentalist identities - the "prayer", what the seekers describe as "heart to heart connection with the divine" has receded into the hazy background of ritual and overbearing clergy. The essential peace one experiences on hearing the ringing of the temple bell, or covering the head with the chaddar when one communes with the infinite is dulled when the cherished, esoteric experience is categorised as distinctly, "Hindu" or "Muslim." Amidst so much of confusing ideologies the Dargah of Hazrat Sher Shah Wali at Ferozepore stands forth as the best example where devotion of the masses has swept over the "pseudo" identities and the seer pours forth his message even when not physically alive, that all human beings are the same.

Hazrat Sher Shah Wali was a Sufi saint, in which century, even the locals do not know. All the old timers recollect that the Dargah was in existence before partition. Surprisingly, it was not so famous at that time amongst the Muslim population of the area. The Chisti saint is said to have passed away here and though the body was taken to his native village in Patti, Amritsar and buried there, his followers built a small edifice in his memory at Ferozepore. Thereafter, the popularity of the saint has been spreading like the fragrance of incense everywhere. Every Thursday miles long queues cover the road leading to the dargah as the traffic does a detour. Qawalis, langar and a fair is organised where hundreds converge from places far and near even abroad to pay obeisance to the saint. However, the devotees are not only Muslims but the majority are Sikhs, Hindus, in fact the whole of the suffering humanity who come with faith that their woes might be eased with the blessings of the baba.

The Dargah is run by a trust which has eight members, the chairman being the local S.S.P and the rest the locals, with only one lady Muslim member and the rest belonging to the other communities. "We have never thought Baba as a Muslim saint", says Ashok, the manager, "he is our baba, the one who heals whosoever comes to him with prayer in his heart. The elders swear that Ferozepore was saved in the two wars of 1965 and 1971 because of the baba’s hand. A part of the Dargah’s is in the stationed S.S.Ps house but no one has attempted to straighten the wall. Story goes that a particular officer who did try the above was beset with so many problems that he realised his folly and withdrew.

The Trust as a body is involved in different charitable activities. The dispensary has a doctor coming in daily in the mornings to give free consultation as well as medicine. They fund for 50 tuberculosis patients at all times. Even the expenses of the operation of the poor are looked after by them. They are responsible for marrying off poor girls with no strings attached. A part of the road with dividers and traffic lights is also maintained by them. The trust encourages sports with the local hockey players of Nehru Stadium getting their daily nourishment from them. These players have been representing the district at various matches at state level.

As I walk out I am reminded of something similar at Ajmer where I had asked from the local if it was necessary to tie the thread or place the chaddar and he had answered, "nothing is compulsory, only offer prayers with sincerity and respect." As they say, these are matters of heart visible, only to the mind’s eye where ritual or an intermediator is not required, where "I" as a soul communes with the Universal Soul, where I fold my hands and He spreads His and applies the balm — where faith overpowers the narrow walls of useless identities.

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