Lal Ded - The Mystic Poetess & Saint

                (Image courtesy: Internet)

Lalleshwari: The Mystic Soul of Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir has given birth to many saints and Faquirs in ancient times or we can say that the land of Kashmir is rightly called Reshvaer or Reshi Vaer because of it being the land of saints and Godly men. She was born on 1320 and left this mortal world on 1392. Lalleshwari left her parents home at the tender age of merely 12 years and to marry a Pandit boy. Her fathers name is Chandra Ju Bhat. It was at the age of 26 years that she renounced her in-laws house and went for realising God. Folklore recalls severe mistreatment by her mother-in-law, who often placed a large stone underneath a thin layer of rice on Lal Ded’s plate to make it look like a full, heavy meal. Lal Ded bore these hardships silently and with immense patience. She had enough faith in Shiva and she meditated on Shiva. She is called by many names such as Lal Ded, Lali Arifa, Padmavathi, Laleshwari etc but she is commonly known by the name of Lal Ded. She was born at Pampore to a Kashmiri Pandit couple. But from the very beginning of her life she had no love for worldly desires and she liked to pursue the path of truth and concentrated on the meditation of Shiva whom she considered her the god father. Lal Ded was the mystic poetess of highest order and her poetry is called Vachun or more popularly known as Vakhs rather Lal Vakhs and these Vakhs are on the tip of the old kashmiris both Hindus and Muslims. Her Vakhs form the part of Kashmiri literature.

Lal Ded in Historical and Literary Tradition

The first mention of Lal Ded’s name is found in Tadhkirat ul-Arifin in 1587, a collection of biographies of saints and religious figures written by Mulla Ali Raina, a famous Sufi saint. The first printed and published volume of translations of Lal Ded’s poems was by Sir George Grierson’s (1914). Notable among other translations are those by Pandit Ananda Koul (1921), Sir Richard Temple (1924), and Jaylal Kaul (1973). More recent include translated works by Coleman Barks, Jaishree Kak, Neeraj Mattoo, Paul Smith and Ranjit Hoskote. 

The Spiritual Quest for Truth and the Almighty

The only light that Lal Ded sought was knowledge of the truth, the only pilgrimage she undertook was the journey of love for the Almighty, and the only companion she yearned was the Supreme. It was this firm resolve that made her daring and determined to break the chains of societal norms, prejudices and discrimination.If the quality of living in Kashmir is made heavenly by its breathtaking beauty, the forests and meadows, the colourful flowers and fruits, picturesque rivers and lakes then undoubtedly the quality of life is elevated by the singing of Lal Ded’s verses that are embedded in the culture and ring a bell in day-to-day conversation in every Kashmiri household!

A Bridge Between Shaivism and Sufism

Pertinent to mention here, Lalleshwari revere and honour Hinduism and Islam and thus muslim community have deep respect for her. Her Valks are very famous and often recalled by the Kashmiris irrespective of the religious affiliation. Lal Ded’s Poetry and his personality influenced saint Sheikh Noor-Ud-Din Noorani to vast extent and he is also called Sheikh Ul Alam and the Kashmiri Pandits call him Nund Rishi. Lal Arifa as she is called by the Muslims of Kashmir was influenced by both Shavism and the Sufism as in her valks one sees the mixture of both Shavism and Sufi culture. Nund Rish was her contemporary and he regarded him in great respect and wanted to achieve perfection and greatness like him. Although she was not interested in worldly things, she was married with a Kashmiri Pandit by her parents. But she was treated very shabbily by her in-laws particularly by her mother-in-law. It is said that her mother-in-law used to keep a stone on his plate and it was being covered by cooked rice. But she never complained about the cruelty meted to her by her inlaws. In one of her Vakhs she said "Hund Astin Ya Khat Lali Neelvat Chali Ne Za". She left her in-laws as she was intoxicated with Shivism and she made Shiva as her true God and meditated on Shiva remaining away from the hustle and bustle of life. 

The Universal Message of Lal Ded’s Vakh

She had equal respect for both Hinduism and Islam. In one of her famous Vaakhs she said "Shiv Chu Thale Thale Rozan, Mu Zan Hund Te Muslman". It clearly showed that Lallishori has equal respect for the two important religions prevalent in those days in which she lived. She has also said in one of her Vakhs "Sari Samhan Akhs Razi Lamhan Tel Kyazi Rayha Kahan te Gaw" as it shows that she gave top importance to the unity in the human society. She was the Kashmiri mystic of the Kashmiri Shaivism school of Hindu philosophy. She was a great mystic poetess and the Kashmiri society is much impressed by her poetry called Vaks which are even today on the tip of many Kashmiris. She gave mystic poetry called Vakhs to the humanity and People of Kashmir are very much impressed by her Vakhs.

Lal Ded and Nund Rishi: Symbols of Kashmir’s Composite Culture

She was the mystic who defied gender norms. It is said about him that once she was roaming naked and she saw Shiekh Ul Alam coming and she said Murdi mumin has come who has the eyes to see him naked and so she hid her in the Tandoor of a bread maker called in Kashmiri as Kandur. It is also said of her that he belly was so big that she hid her private parts by her belly and some say that she is called Lal ded because of her long belly. Lal in Kashmiri means belly. There was profound connection between Lal Ded and Nund Rish and their legacies show composite culture which can well be called more appropriately as syncretic culture of Kashmir for which Kashmir was famous throughout the globe. While Led ded spoke Vakhs, Nund Rish spoke Shruks. Through these Vakhs and Shruks they conveyed their mystical experiences as well as teachings.We can say that the verses of Lad Ded and Sheikh Ul Alam exhibited oneness of the world. There is much influence of Lal Ded’s poetry on the verses of Nund Rishi and he showed the stature and greatness as well as the perfection of Lal Ded and wanted to acquire her qualities. The teachings of both transcended the boundaries of religion and their spiritual relationship shows the blend of Shaivism and Sufism and their teachings and experience has great bearing on Kashmir and its culture and legacy.

Lalleshwari Jayanti: A Global Celebration of Her Legacy

Further, the 705th birth anniversary of the revered 14th-century mystic poet Mata Lalleshwari, was celebrated with deep devotion on September 19. The main event took place at the Sedeshwar Mahadev Mandir in Pampore, Kashmir, where both Kashmiri Pandits and local Muslims came together to honor her enduring legacy of peace and communal harmony. Not only in Kashmir, Lal Ded's birth anniversary was also celebrated in Jammu, Delhi, Haryana and many other places of India. Even Kashmiri Pandits celebrate her birthday anniversary in abroad. The Kashmiri Pandit (KP) diaspora celebrates the birth anniversary of Mata Lalleshwari (Lalleshwari Jayanti) as a global week of remembrance. Because the community is scattered globally, the milestone 705th celebrations combined traditional religious rituals with highly collaborative digital spaces. 

Lal Ded’s Timeless Message for the Modern World

Perhaps Lal Ded’s most important lesson for the modern world is the courage to question. She teaches that inherited forms must be examined, that knowledge must become experience, and that spiritual life begins with an honest confrontation with oneself. Her poetry does not offer an easy escape from the world. It demands transformation within it. Seven centuries later, that demand remains compelling. Lal Ded belongs to Kashmir, but her philosophical reach is much wider. She belongs to the history of Indian spirituality, to the literature of Kashmir, to the intellectual tradition of Shaivism and, ultimately, to humanity’s continuing search for meaning.