Shrine of Mian Mir

The Shrine of Mian Mir (Punjabi and Urdu: میاں میر درگاہ‎) is a 17th-century shrine located in Lahore, Pakistan, that is dedicated to the Sufi mystic Mian Mir. The shrine is one of the most celebrated in Lahore, and has historically been revered by both Muslims and Sikhs.[1]

Shrine of Mian Mir
میاں میر درگاہ
Mian Mir's shrine is one of the most important Sufi shrines in Lahore
Religion
AffiliationIslam
DistrictLahore
ProvincePunjab
Year consecrated1640
Location
LocationLahore
CountryPakistan
Shown within Lahore
Shrine of Mian Mir (Pakistan)
Geographic coordinates31°32′54.15″N 74°21′36.11″E
Architecture
TypeMosque and Sufi mausoleum
Dome(s)1

Location

The tomb is located in the Alam Ganj neighbourhood of the Dharampura municipality, approximately 3 kilometres west of Lahore's Walled City.[2]

History

Mian Mir wished to be buried next to his long-time friend Syed Muhammad Natha Shah Gilani.[3] The tomb was built on the orders of Dara Shikoh, and was completed in 1640.[4]

Dara Shikoh had previously built a shrine dedicated to Mullah Shah, but intended for the shrine of Mian Mir to more superb.[2] After Dara Shikoh's death, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb used much of the material collected by Dara Shikoh for the construction of Mian Mir's tomb, and instead used those materials in the construction of Lahore's grand Badshahi Mosque.[2]

The shrine was embellished by the use of precious stones, which were all removed by the Sikh Emperor Ranjit Singh in the 19th century to embellish the Golden Temple in Amritsar.[2][5] Singh, however, had the interior of the shrine painted with floral patterns.[6] Though a pilgrim to the shrine,[7] Ranjit Singh also plundered the shrine of its marble for use in construction of his baradari at the Hazuri Bagh near the Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort.[6]

Architecture
The shrine is popular with devotees.

The tomb is enclosed by a rectangular structure topped by a dome made of gray granite with eaves overhanging the structure known as a chajja.[8] The entire tomb is built upon a raised square plinth made of white marble that measures 54 feet on each edge.[6] The tomb is surrounded by a courtyard made of red sandstone. The tomb itself is accessible from the courtyard by a set of steps made of white marble.[2]

The tomb is located in the centre of quadrangle measuring 200 feet on each side.[6] The quadrangle is enclosed by high walls containing numerous small cells that form a cloister around the tomb on the southern and eastern side of the complex that were used by dervishes and pilgrims.[2] The western portion of the complex is defined by a mosque constructed of pink sandstone, with five short domes atop it.[8] A pink sandstone gateway leads to the shrine, with a couplet in Persian over the entrance reading:

Mian Mir, the title page of devotees, the earth of whose door is as luminous as the Philosopher's stone, took his way to the eternal city when he was weary of this abode of sorrow.

Associated shrines

Adjacent to the tomb is the tomb of Mian Mir's nephew Muhammed Sharif, who served as the first sajjada nashin, or hereditary caretaker of the shrine.[2] Another tomb, that of Haji Muhammed Saleh, is also located within the shrine complex.

The shrine is located immediately west of the tomb of Nadira Begum, wife of the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh. The shrine of Mullah Shah was also built near the shrine.[2]

Urs festival
The shrine is illuminated during the annual urs festival, and on religious holidays.

His death anniversary, known as an urs, is observed there by his devotees every year.[9]

Influence
Devotees frequently tie strings of thread as prayers.

The nearby Lahore Cantonment was originally named "Mian Mir Cantonment" in reference to the saint's shrine.[8][6] The tomb has been used as a focal point to bring together Muslim and Sikhs.[10] The shrine has been suggested to be model for the Golden Temple in nearby Amritsar.[11]

Shrine administration

The shrine is managed by an Awqaf committee that consists of influential persons, such as judges and politicians.[10] The committee has also included a Sikh organization, Guru Nanak Ji Mission, in the committee's activities.[10]

See also
  • Numerous small cubicles are used for burning of oil lamps
  • The underside of the shrine's dome is decorated with mirror work known as ayina kari

References
  1. Arbab, Munawar (2014). Sufi Saints of Indus Valley. Lulu. ISBN 9781329580886. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  2. Latif, Syad Muhammad (1892). Lahore: Its History, Architectural Remains and Antiquities: With an Account of Its Modern Institutions, Inhabitants, Their Trade, Customs, &c. New Imperial Press.
  3. Bilgrami, Fatima Zehra (2005). History of the Qadiri Order in India: 16th-18th Century. Idarah-i Adabiyat-i Delli.
  4. Furnival, William James. Leadless decorative tiles, faience, and mosaic. Рипол Классик. ISBN 9781176325630.
  5. Chaudhry, Nazir Ahmad (1998). Lahore: Glimpses of a Glorious Heritage. Sang-e-Meel. ISBN 9789693509441.
  6. Murray, John (1883). Handbook of the Punjab, Western Rajputana, Kashmir, and Upper Sindh.
  7. Duggal, Kartar (1988). Philosophy and Faith of Sikhism. Himalayan Institute Press. ISBN 9780893891091. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  8. "Mian Mir's Shrine and Mosque". Lahore Sites of Interest. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  9. Death anniversary of Mian Mir observed in Lahore, The Nation newspaper, Published 20 December 2015, Retrieved 17 June 2017
  10. Boivin, Michel (2015). Devotional Islam in Contemporary South Asia: Shrines, Journeys and Wanderers. Routledge. ISBN 9781317379997.
  11. Arshi, Pardeep Singh (1989). The Golden Temple: history, art, and architecture. Harman Pub. House. ISBN 9788185151250.
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