Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine – Pakistan's latest attack site – inspired soul-stirring song 'duma dum mast qalandar'

Islamabad: Pakistan's revered Sufi shrine Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, which was ripped apart by a deadly terror attack on Thursday in which dozens of people were killed and hundreds of others injured, has an Indian connection too.

According to various historians, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is also known as 'Jhulelal' in India after the Hindu deity 'Varuna'. 

Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is revered by both Hindus and Muslims alike, claims Sadia Dehlvi, who is an expert on Sufism.

The original name of the Sufi saint was Syed Usman Marwandi, but he later came to be known with his title 'Lal Shahbaz Qalandar'.

The shrine, which is visited by thousands of devotees every year from across the world, is located at Sehwan in Pakistan’s Sindh province where revered Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar lays buried there. 

Baba Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is said to be the inspiration behind a number of popular Sufi songs, including ''Dama Dam Mast Qalandar''.

The verses of the Sufi song or qawwali was written by noted Sufi poet and scholar Amir Khusro in the honour of the revered Sufi Saint of Sehwan, which was later amended by another Sufi musician Baba Bulle Shah.

Lal Shahbaz Qalandar was a Sufi philosopher-poet of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. The shrine is called Lal (red) after the saint’s usual red attire, Shahbaz to denote a noble and divine spirit.

Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine is one of the most revered shrines in Pakistan. Lal Shahbaz Qalandar – a very well read man – was also well versed in Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Sanskrit languages and taught people about true Islam till his last breath. 

In most of his teachings, which is clear from his poetry, he emphasised on following Imam Ali and mourning for Imam-e-Hussain. It is said that Lal Shahbaz Qalandar died at the ripe age of 98 in Sehwan.

The shrine was targeted allegedly by the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province group during 'Dhamal' – a Sufi ritual – when hundreds of devotees were present inside the premises of the vast mausoleum of the saint.

Devotees gather at the shrine of the revered Sufi saint every Thursday to participate in a dhamaal and prayers. 

The attack on shrine came a day after Pakistan vowed to “liquidate” all those elements posing a threat to peace and security in the country amid a spurt in terror attacks.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban militants have frequently targeted Sufi shrines across Pakistan. More than 25 shrines across the country have been attacked since 2005, according to reports.