Kashmir Magazine By : Kashmir Magazine | Srinagar, Publish Date: Monday, April 12, 2021 9:53:20 PM | Updated Date : Monday, April 12, 2021 9:53:20 PM
Shafat Malik
A huge rock in the hills of the Gundpora area of North Kashmir's Bandipora is called the prison of giants. Local residents here believe that 1200 giants were imprisoned inside this rock by the Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi(RA).
According to the legend, Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi(RA) stayed in Gundpora for 12 years when there was no residential settlement at that time. During his stay, he constructed a mosque and it is believed that these giants played an important role in the construction of the mosque.
Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi(RA), popularly known as Mehboob-Ul-Alam, and Sultan-Ul-Arifeen (RA) is one of the highly revered saints of Kashmir.
After the completion of the mosque, a residential settlement was established at the place. As per legend, after building houses for the people to live here, the giants used to harass them, due to which they were imprisoned in a huge rock by the saint. There is a lock mark on this stone as well.
At that time a person ,Saalik Ram was living here just beneath this huge rock. He kept in touch with Peer e Kaamil and also continued to perform the service of Pir Mohtaram.
With the passage of time, Saalik Ram and his family were very impressed by Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi's spiritual accomplishments and finally converted to Islam.
Hazrat Sheikh Hamza gave him the Islamic name of Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Raina.The place where Saleh Ram lived was called "Saleh Rainen Tappar" in Kashmiri and is still known by that name.
Saleh Raina (RA) was trained bySheikh Hamza Makhdoomi himself and left for kooh e Maaraan Srinagar after entrusting the care and other arrangements of Masjid Sharif to Sheikh Mohammad Saleh Raina(RA).
Hazrat Allama Baba Dawood Khaki at the behest of Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi writes in Persian about the construction of the Masjid Sharif
Masjid bai kardah ba khalsai bana
Hazrat Sheikh Hamza dar kashmir
Shud majrab bah ibadat o Barkat
Na Ravi az himmat aein peer kabeer
Hama darein kaar bah khidmat buudh
Mukhlishas daval miskeenai faqeer
Gupt dar tahniyat va tareekhash
Masjid Babarkat badiye peer
The cornerstone or what we call the foundation stone of the Masjid which is still preserved in its original condition in Gundpora was laid in 952 Hijri. At that time, the age of Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi was 52 years.