In this article we will trace the grave of Ali Hajveri, whose shrine is known as Data Darbar.
Data Darbar is one of the oldest Muslim shrines in the subcontinent. It houses the remains of the 11th-century Sufi saint Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery.
The shrine is located near the Bhaati Gate in the walled city of Lahore.
It was originally built by King Ghaznavi Sultan Zakiruddin Ibrahim later in the 11th century and has been extended several times since. Many influential books were written by Ali Hajvery.
In his books, Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh himself says that he was being taken to Lahore in chains and imprisoned on the order of Sultan Masood Ghaznavi.
History tells that when Ali Hujweri first came to the subcontinent, he saw many evils prevailing in the society.
Through the means of human-centric Islamic teaching, he was able to spread Islam among the people at that time.
Dara Shikoh has put many of Lahore’s saints in the spotlight and rekindled interest in Ali Hujweri himself.
Similarly, the writings of Nur Ahmad Chisti and Ghulam Sarwar Lahori also speak about the feast celebrated at the shrine of Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh.
Where is the actual grave of Hazrat Ali Hajveri?
The present site where most people pay a visit is known to be the grave of Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh.
However, in the words of Ustad Ahmed Ali Lahori, who was a renowned Sufi Muslim scholar, the grave of Hazrat Ali Hajweri is beneath the walls of Shalimar Garden, Lahore.
Meanwhile, Dara Shikoh, son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, mentions the grave of Pir Ali Hujwiri in the Lahore Fort in his book Safinat-ul-Auliya. Allah has kept it hidden from the rest of the world.
The present shrine, according to history, was the “place of worship” of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh.
Data Sb is one of the best-known and most revered Muslim saints in the subcontinent. It is said he had miraculous powers and was an erudite scholar with several books.
Most are in publication today and have been translated into dozens of languages, including English.
For centuries his tomb has been visited by Muslims and Hindus seeking his blessings, but after the partition, most visitors are Muslim, although people of all religions can visit it.
This year people are celebrating Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh’s 979th annual Urs in his remembrance.
