Photos: Nomadic Muslims throng forest shrine in scenic Kashmir
Al JazeeraThe road to the Baba Nagri forest shrine in Indian-administered Kashmir was a colourful spectacle. Tens of thousands of men in vibrant attire, henna-dyed beards and bright headgear thronged around the Muslim shrine nestled at the base of a mountain, to pay their respects last week. The shrine to Mian Nizamuddin Kiyanwi has its origins in the 19th century and provides free meals all year to devotees, most of them from Kashmir’s nomadic pastoral community. Kiyanwi, originally from Kashmir, migrated to the Hazara region of modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan during the late 19th century. Another devotee, Mohammad Farooq, who is visually impaired, said: “It would have been great if I could see things for myself, but I find peace when I visit the shrine.” Kashmir, divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety, is a Muslim-majority region.
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