Srinagar, Aug 4: The original ‘Ibadat Gaah’ of the revered Hazratbal shrine has been revived after nearly four centuries with the installation of a radiant Fanoos inscribed with Quranic verses, restoring the sanctum’s historic spiritual aura.
As per a statement issued here, on the sacred occasion of Eid Milad (SAW), Dr. Khwaja Farooq Renzushah joined devotees at Hazratbal and led special prayers for Kashmir’s protection from floods and disasters. “Allah listens to the prayers of Awaliyas, who remain spiritually alive in Kashmir. From Hazrat Bulbul Shah Khurasani and Turkistani to Hazrat Shah-e-Hamdan Amir Kabir (RA), safeguarded this land through devotion and prayer,” Renzushah said.
He expressed gratitude to the Waqf Board and its Chairperson, Dr. Syeda Darakhshan Andrabi, for reviving the sanctum’s legacy. The new Fanoos, he noted, is a symbolic continuation of the one first placed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his Sufi-inclined son Dara Shukoh when the Moi-e-Muqaddas (Holy Relic of Prophet Muhammad SAW) was brought to Kashmir. Renzushah recalled that the sanctum and its spiritual aura had suffered during the rise of radical extremism, when Shah Jahan was imprisoned and Dara Shukoh martyred. For decades, the relic was kept hidden in Shahr-e-Khaas shrines until it was restored to Hazratbal after Aurangzeb’s death. “The glittering Fanoos has once again illuminated Hazratbal with both natural and spiritual light,” he said, adding that the revival must go further. “The Waqf should take steps to restore the 72 lakh Tasawuf manuscripts and libraries, including the Hazratbal library destroyed in the 1990s. I assure my full support in this mission.”
