Nund Rishi

Nund Rishi ( c. 1377 – c. 1438 AD; sometimes spelled Nund Reshi), also known as Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, Sheikh-Ul-Alam (spritual guide of the world) and by the title Alamdar-e-Kashmir ("Flag Bearer of Kashmir"), was a Kashmiri Sufi saint, mystic, poet and Islamic preacher.). And Sheikh ul-Alam ( ur, ) among the Muslims and as Nund Laal among the Hindus. Nund Rishi was among the founders of the Rishi order, a Sufi tradition of the region. He influenced many spiritual teachers and saints, including Hamza Makhdoom, Resh Mir Sàeb, and Shamas Faqir.

Early life

Noor-ud-Din was born in AD 1377 in hi-jogi poraor aimohvillage in Kulgam district to Salar Sanz and Sadra, also called Sadra Moji or Sadra Deddi.Soqte:School Of Orthoepy Quran And Theology::Kashmir
His grandfather "Sheikh Salah-Ud-Din" hailed from Kishtwar. The legend has it that he refused to be breast-fed by his mother after birth and it was Lalleshwari who breastfed him. In teenage years Noor-ud-Din was apprenticed to a couple of traders. He was married to Zai Ded who hailed from the village of Dadasara, Tral and had two sons and a daughter with her. She renounced the world after the death of her children and became a hermit.

Noor-ud-Din renounced the worldly life at the age of 30 and retired to live a life of meditation in a cave which is still shown in Qaimoh and is about 10 feet deep. During his last days, he survived by drinking a cup of milk every day, and later, he used to survive by drinking water.

Literary works

Noor-ud-Din spread his teachings or message through poems, commonly known as ''shruks''. His poems have four to six lines each and evolve around religious themes, highlight moral principles and often call for peace. He strived for Hindu–Muslim unity. One of his prominent poem is ''Ann poshi teli yeli wan poshi'', which translates as "Food will thrive only as long as the woods survive".

A Kashmiri poetess Lal Ded was his contemporary and had a great impact on his spiritual growth.Jaishree Odin, Lalla to Nuruddin: Rishi-Sufi Poetry of Kashmir. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass (2013) Some scholars argue that he was her disciple, and associate his poetry with the Bhakti movement, although others disagree.

Noor-ud-Din witnessed several transmissions of Hinduism and Islam in the valley throughout his life, although he was actively involved in philosophical work and in writing Kashmiri poems. In his verses, he recalled some events, including arrival of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani to Kashmir.

Noor-ud-Din is also credited with translating the Quran into Kashmiri language.

In 2015, the university of Kashmir published an Urdu