| Religion: | Islam |
| Honorific Prefix: | Wali |
| Nund Rishi | |
| Birth Name: | Noor Ud-Din |
| Birth Date: | 1377 |
| Birth Place: | Kulgam, Kashmir |
| Home Town: | Qaimoh, Kulgam |
| Death Date: | 1438 |
| Death Place: | Charar-i-Sharief, Charari Sharief, Kashmir |
| Influences: | Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani |
| Native Name Lang: | ks |
| Denomination: | Sunni |
| Resting Place: | Charar-e-Sharief shrine |
Nund Rishi (in Kashmiri pronounced as /nundɨ rʲoʃ/ c. 1377 – c. 1438; sometimes spelled Nund Reshi),[1] also known as Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, Sheikh-Ul-Alam (spiritual guide of the world)[2] and by the title Alamdar-e-Kashmir ("Flag Bearer of Kashmir"), was a Kashmiri Sufi saint, mystic, poet and Islamic preacher.[3] [4] 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.[5] [6] [7]
Noor-ud-Din was born in 1377 in Khee Jogipora village in today's Kulgam district of Kashmir to Salar Sanz and Sadra, also called Sadra Moji or Sadra Deddi.[8] His grandfather Sheikh Salahuddin hailed from Kishtwar. The legend has it that he refused to be breastfed by his mother after birth and it was Lalleshwari who breastfed him.[9] 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.
Noor-ud-Din spread his teachings or message through poems, commonly known as shruks.[10] His poems have four to six lines each[11] and evolve around religious themes, highlight moral principles and often call for peace.[12] He strived for Hindu–Muslim unity. One of his prominent poems is Ann poshi teli yeli wan poshi, which translates as "Food will thrive only as long as the woods survive".[13] [14]
Kashmiri poet Lal Ded was Noor-ud-Din's contemporary and had a great impact on his spiritual growth.[15] Some scholars argue that he was her disciple, and associate his poetry with the Bhakti movement, although others disagree.[16]
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.[17] In his verses, he recalled some events, including arrival of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani to Kashmir.[18]
Noor-ud-Din is also credited with translating the Quran into Kashmiri language.[19]
In 2015, the university of Kashmir published an Urdu book titled "Kalam-i-Sheikh-ul-Alam", comprising about 300 shruks of Nund Rishi translated into Urdu by Ghulam Muhammad Shad.[20]
Noor-ud-Din died in 1438 at the approximate age of 63. Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin commissioned a tomb for his body at Charari Sharief. The Charar-e-Sharief shrine is visited by pilgrims to this day, especially on the eve of Noor-ud-Din's urs.[21] His Urs was observed on 23 October 2022, this day has been declared gazetted holiday by the government.
The Afghan governor Atta Muhammad Khan minted coins with Noor-ud-Din's name.[22]
Noor-ud-Din's father Sheikh Salar-Ud-Din and two brothers Kamal-Ud-Din and Jamal-Ud-Din are buried near Dadasara while his wife is buried in Qaimoh.
Noor-ud-Din's sayings and verses are preserved in Kashmir region, including in a museum built at Kashmir university. The shruks also describe the life of the saint. They were translated into the Persian language by Baba Nasib-ud-din Ghazi two centuries after his death.[8] [15] In 1998, University of Kashmir established an institute called Markaz-e-Noor Centre for Sheikh-ul-Alam Studies to conduct scientific research on Noor-ud-Din's life.[4] [23] In 2015, the university established a research center called Sheikh-ul-Alam Chair in order to honor his teachings. The centre is aimed at exploring the social and cultural background of the Kashmiri Rishis.[24] In 2017, the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages covered his life in a book titled "Hayat-e-Sheikh-ul-Alam" (life of Nund Rishi).[25] In 2005, the Government of India renamed the Srinagar airport to Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport and granted it international status.[26]