Charar-e-Sharief ShrineKashmiri: Tsrar-i-SharifCharar-e-Sharief in 2023ReligionAffiliationSunni IslamRiteSufismEcclesiastical or organizational statusSufi shrine and mosqueStatusActiveLocationLocationCharari Sharief, Budgam, Kashmir Valley, Yusmarg, Jammu and KashmirCountryIndiaLocation of the shrine and mosquein Jammu and KashmirGeographic coordinates33°51′59″N 74°46′00″E / 33.86639°N 74.76667°E / 33.86639; 74.76667ArchitectureTypeSquare mosque architectureFounderZain-ul-AbidinCompleted1460 CEDirection of façadeWest
The Charar-e-Sharief Shrine (also spelled Charar-i-Sharief, Charari Sharief, Chrari-Sharif, etc.) is a Sufi shrine and mosque situated in the town of Charari Sharief in the Budgam district, in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India.[1][2] It is one of the oldest and sacrosanct shrines of Indian Muslims, including Kashmir Valley dedicated to a Kashmiri Sufi saint Nund Rishi.[3]
The shire and mosque were built in 1460 to pay homage to Nund Rishi. It has religious significance in the cultural heritage of Kashmir and is considered a holy site for Muslims.[4] but is also visited by Hindus.[5] After the Sufi shrine was gutted by a fire in 1995, it was rebuilt.[6] The 1995 incident was related to the escape of Pakistan-based terrorist Mast Gul.[7] Local people accused the local government of not taking measures to prevent incidences of fire.[8]
History[edit]After the death of Nund Rishi around 1438, he was buried in Charari Sharief. In 1446, the eighth sultan of the valley, Zain-ul-Abidin, laid the foundation stone of the Charar-e-Sharief shrine at the burial site. Over the time, the shrine was partially damaged. Later, Yakub Shah Chak repaired the damaged parts. During the 19th century, an Afghan governor named Atta Mohammad Khan, reconstructed the shrine. The shrine compound was engineered when Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad was serving as the prime minister of the state. In 1979, the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages installed an epigraphic stone at the mazar (mausoleum) of Nund Rishi.[9]
Desecration[edit]On 11 May 1995, Hizbul Mujahideen militants took shelter inside the shrine when they and Indian security forces were in direct combat. The battle evacuated more than 25,000 people from the encounter site and they took shelter in neighboring villages, "fearing that they would be caught in a battle". Initial reports cited 1,000 houses damaged and another 200 stores destroyed. Indian security forces didn't allow journalists to enter the affected area. The battle left thirty militants and fifteen security personnel dead during a hey fire exchange. The gunfight also reportedly left a 65-year-old civilian dead.[10] The BBC News falsely reported the shrine had been stormed by the Indian Army and retracted the claim only after being strongly criticised.[11][12]
In 2001, unknown attackers carried out a terrorist attack on the women devotees during a Friday prayer that left four fatalities with fifty others wounded.[13][14]
In 2015, unknown attackers hurled a grenade at the mosque; ten devotees were wounded.[15]
See also[edit] Islam portalIndia portal Islam in India List of mosques in India References[edit] ^ Burns, John F. (12 May 1995). "Muslim Shrine In Kashmir Is Destroyed". The New York Times. ^ "Kashmir: Despite killing of key militants at Charar shrine, India loses a battle". India Today. 31 May 1995. ^ "CHARAR-E-SHARIF IN KASHMIR". ^ "Housing and Urban Development Department, Government of Jammu & Kashmir". www.jkhudd.gov.in. ^ "Why a trip to Yousmarg is must when in Kashmir?". Times of India Trel. Retrieved 4 June 2025. ^ "Kashmir: Despite killing of key militants at Charar shrine, India loses a battle". India Today. Retrieved 26 July 2023. ^ "Sufi shrine of Charar-e-Sharif on fire". India Today. 2 July 2007. ^ "After fire audit, Wakf shelves measures to ensure safety of shrines". Greater Kashmir. 5 December 2019. ^ "Featured story". www.tribuneindia.com. ^ "Ancient Shrine in Kashmir Destroyed in Fight Between Indian Forces, Rebels". The Washington Post. 12 May 1995. Retrieved 4 June 2025. ^ "As New Delhi accuses BBC for goof-ups, network to go in for tougher and tighter procedures". India Today. 15 July 1995. ^ Rai, Ajai K. (June 2000). "Conflict Situations and the Media: A Critical Look". Strategic Analysis. 24 (3). Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group): 585–601. doi:10.1080/09700160008455233. S2CID 145094564. ^ "Four killed in grenade blast at Kashmir shrine". CNN. 8 June 2001. ^ "4 die, 50 hurt in Kashmir bomb attack". Arab News. 10 June 2001. ^ "Rare blast in mosque in Kashmir hurts 10". Reuters. 13 August 2015. External links[edit]Media related to Charar-e-Sharief shrine at Wikimedia Commons
vte Mosques in India Bihar Chatta Noori Pathar Ki Sher Shah Suri Delhi Afsarwala Bara Gumbad Fatehpuri Golden (Red Fort) Hijron Ka Khanqah Jama Jamali Kamali Jamat Khana (or Khilji) Kalan Khairul Manazil Kotla Mubarakpur Lal Moth ki Moti (Mehrauli) Moti (Red Fort) Mubarak Begum Nizamuddin Markaz Qila-i-Kuhna Qutb Minar Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki Shia Jama Sunehri (Chandni Chowk) Sunehri Bagh Zeenat-ul GujaratAhmedabad Achut Bibi's Ahmed Shah's Baba Lului's Dastur Khan's Haibat Khan's Jama Malik Isan's Miya Khan Chishti's Mohammed Ghous Muhafiz Khan Qutub-e-Alam's Rani Rupamati's Rani Sipri's Saiyad Usman Sardar Khan's Roza Sarkhej Roza's Shah-e-Alam's Roza Shahpur Sidi Saiyyed Elsewhere Hilal Khan Ghazi Jami, Khambhat Jami, Bharuchi Haryana Dargah Sheikh Musa Ala Vardi Khan Kabuli Bagh Himachal Pradesh Dharamshala Jama Sanjauli Jammu and KashmirSrinagar Aali Mosque Akhund Mullah Shah Dastgeer Sahib Eidgah Shah-i-Hamdan Hazratbal Jamia Khanqah-e-Moula Madin Sahib Pathar Mosque Elsewhere Charar-e-Sharief shrine Jamia (Bhaderwah) Jamia (Shopian) Jamia (Sopore) Jenab Anchar Karnataka Ali Farhad Khan's Andu Bilal i-Ala Ek Minar (Raichur) Ibrahim Rauza Jama (Bidar) Jama (Bijapur) Jama (Kalaburagi) Kali (Bidar) Mahmud Gawan Mecca (Bijapur) N Gumbaz Solah Khamba Zeenath Baksh Kerala Central Mahallu Juma, Muvattupuzha Chempittapally Cheraman Juma Edappally Juma Kambalakkad Juma Kolloorvila Juma Madayi Malik Dinar Mampuram Maqam Mishkal Misri Muchundi Nellikunnu Muhyaddin Juma Odathil Palayam Juma Ponnani Juma Pullancheri Juma Saukar Jamiul Futuh Tahir Thazhathangady Juma Madhya Pradesh Bhopal Moti Burhanpur Jama Chanderi Jama Kamal Maula Lat Mandu Jama Taj-ul MaharashtraAurangabad Alamgir Jama Jalna Aksa Al-Furkan Bilal Chawki Gol Jama Kadrabad Kali Miya Sahab Darga Moti Mumbai Haji Ali Dargah Jama Mumbai Jama (Nerul) Moghal Saifee Sat Tad Nagpur Ghareeb Nawaz Jama Elsewhere Jama (Erandol) Jama (Furus) Jama (Raza) Puducherry Khutba (Karaikal) Khuthbapalli (Pondicherry) Meeran (Pondicherry) Punjab Anwaar Aqsa Mubarak Noor Moorish Jamia Nathowal Rajasthan Chaurasi Khamba Lal, Tijara Shrine of Mu'in al-Din Chishti Tamil NaduChennai e-Anwari o-Anwari Bahram Jung Big (Poonamallee) Casa Verona's Dharma Kidangu Hafiz Ahmad Khan e Mahmood (Choolaimedu) Makkah Mamoor Periamet Thousand Lights Triplicane Big Triplicane Labbai Jamaath Madurai Goripalayam Kazimar Big Sungam Thiruparankundram Dargah Elsewhere Athar Jamad Bawa Kassim Valiyullah Begumpur Butt Road Jumma Kanchipuram Jama Kattuba Kottaimedu Malik ibn Dinar Meltheru and Keeltheru Mohaideen Andar Muhyuddin Andar Nadir Shah Nawab Jamia Palaiya Jumma Palli TelanganaHyderabad Afzal Gunj Azizia Charminar Chowk Ke Hayat Bakshi Golconda Jama Hyderabad Jama Judi Kali Khairatabad Kulsum Begum Hyderabad Makkah e-Raheem Khan Mirpet Musheerabad Premamati Saidabad Secretariat Shahi Spanish Toli Uppal Kalan Uttar PradeshAgra Jama Mina Moti Nagina Jaunpur Atala Jaunpur Jama Jhanjhari Lal Darwaza Elsewhere Aasfi Alamgir Ayodhya (see Muhammad bin Abdullah) Chaukhamba Dildar Nagar Jama Fatehpur Sikri Jama Ganj-e-Shaheedan Gyanvapi Jhalra Kheri Eidgah Lucknow Jama Mathura Jama Muhammad bin Abdullah (proposed) Najibabad Noumahla Pilibhit Jama Purani e-Rasheed Shahi Jama Shamsi Jama Sir Syed Taj Mahal (Kali) Ziarat Shareef West BengalKolkata Basri Shah Nakhoda Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (Tollygunge) Murshidabad Chawk Fauti Jama (Motijheel) Madina (Bengal) Nizamat Imambara Yellow Elsewhere Basri Shah Hooghly Imambara Elsewhere Andaman and Nicobar Islands Delanipur Andhra Pradesh Shahi Jamia Arunachal Pradesh Tezu Jama Assam Panbari Chhattisgarh Bhilai Jama Goa Safa Jharkhand Ramgarh Jama Lakshadweep Mohidden Meghalaya Shillong Madina Uttarakhand Nainital Jama Former Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra Adina Akbarabadi Akhonji Akhund Mullah Shah Babri Bari Baro Shona Begumpur Bibi Ki Champaner Bawaman Jama Kevada Lila Gumbaj Ki Nagina Damri Deval Masjid Dilawar Khan's (Maharashtra) Guru Ki Maseet Humayun Katra Kherur Khirki Langar Ki Madin Malik Alam's Malik Isan's Mangrol Jami Mian Mishk Qutbuddin Qutub-e-Alam's E Qutub Shahi Langer Houz Sadna Qasai Sayed Jamaluddin Shahi Prayagraj Shahi Udaypur Shaikpet Mosque and Sarai Sidi Bashir Thanesar Pathar Tughluq Shāhī Uparkot Jumma Category List Islam in India Mosques by country