A matter of faith: Nogaza Baba and the whole nine yards
Believed to be seating place of saint, memorial’s popularity is unaffected by how little is known about saint's origin
HARIPUR:
Shrouded in mystery, the shrine of Nogaza Baba in Mirpur village of Pandak union council in Haripur draws people not only from surrounding villages but also from other areas of the district.
Although the exact origin and ethnicity of Nogaza Baba is debated, followers flock to the nine-yard-long (27-foot-long) grave of the saint who was said be of the same height. It is unclear if the saint is the same as Naugaja Baba whose tomb in the northern state of Haryana in India is visited by Hindus and Muslims alike and is a personality revered by adherents of all faiths. Yet, the mysterious memorial is a fountain of fascination and folklore.
Haider Zaman, an octogenarian from Mirpur, said he first visited the grave as a child with his father before the creation of Pakistan.
Zaman told The Express Tribune his father used to quote Zaman’s grandfather saying the saint was nine yards tall and used to sit at the spot where the shrine is today. Zaman added his grandfather even claimed to have seen the saint.
A resident of Kahal village, Nazeer, said the place served as the saint’s baithak (seating place) and that the original shrine is somewhere in Azad Kashmir. Nazeer added there is a similar grave in Khalabat Township that is also said to be the seat of Nogaza Baba.
The shrine in Mirpur is a place where people distribute offerings of sweet and rice. “Whenever I have prayed for something at Baba’s grave, God has fulfilled my wish,” said Manzoor, who visits regularly and also cleans the shrine.
Yet another devotee, Nawaz said women and children also visit to get their prayers heard.
The faith in Baba Nogaza may be blind, but his mention elicits a twinkle in the most earnest of eyes.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2014.
Shrouded in mystery, the shrine of Nogaza Baba in Mirpur village of Pandak union council in Haripur draws people not only from surrounding villages but also from other areas of the district.
Although the exact origin and ethnicity of Nogaza Baba is debated, followers flock to the nine-yard-long (27-foot-long) grave of the saint who was said be of the same height. It is unclear if the saint is the same as Naugaja Baba whose tomb in the northern state of Haryana in India is visited by Hindus and Muslims alike and is a personality revered by adherents of all faiths. Yet, the mysterious memorial is a fountain of fascination and folklore.
Although the exact origin and ethnicity of Nogaza Baba is debated, followers flock to the 9-yard-long grave. PHOTOS: MUHAMMAD SADAQAT/EXPRESS
Haider Zaman, an octogenarian from Mirpur, said he first visited the grave as a child with his father before the creation of Pakistan.
Zaman told The Express Tribune his father used to quote Zaman’s grandfather saying the saint was nine yards tall and used to sit at the spot where the shrine is today. Zaman added his grandfather even claimed to have seen the saint.
A resident of Kahal village, Nazeer, said the place served as the saint’s baithak (seating place) and that the original shrine is somewhere in Azad Kashmir. Nazeer added there is a similar grave in Khalabat Township that is also said to be the seat of Nogaza Baba.
The shrine in Mirpur is a place where people distribute offerings of sweet and rice. “Whenever I have prayed for something at Baba’s grave, God has fulfilled my wish,” said Manzoor, who visits regularly and also cleans the shrine.
Yet another devotee, Nawaz said women and children also visit to get their prayers heard.
The faith in Baba Nogaza may be blind, but his mention elicits a twinkle in the most earnest of eyes.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2014.