Deva Sharif Baba of Bara Banki

That was my second visit and surprised to watch great harmony of Hindus and Muslims. 24th March' 2016 Holi's Holiday. When I reached, Holi celebrations were going on inside the compound of Darga. All religious people are playing Holi with colors.

Deva is an ancient town to the north of Bara Banki, seven miles from the headquarters of the district. Like other towns, it has not escaped the ravages of time. Unsightly ruins and mouldering walls meet the eye on every side, but the moral decay is no less remarkable than the physical. Noted once as the birth-place of great Sufis and divines, it is now notorious as the hot-bed of intrigue and litigation.  A child was born in a quiet little town in Oudh whose word and example were destined to influence the religious conceptions and ideals of an incredibly large number of human beings. He was the late Haji Hafiz Syed Shah Waris Ali Sahed of Deva. Haji Saheb was at one time a familiar figure in Oudh. He came of a family of Husaini Syeds, distinguished for peity and learning. His father Syed Qurban Ali Saheb belonged to the proprietary body and was a land owner of substance. The date of Haji Saheb's birth was 1819. He lost his parents in his 3 year old. At the age of five he started learning tghe Quran and committed it to memory in two years. He did not take to his other studies kindly. Though he seldom read his books. He spent long periods in retirement and contemplation. Once on a search being made he was discovered in a wood in a state of meditation. He was never seen playing with children of his age, but he was indulgent to them and took pleasure in giving them sweets and distributing money among the poor. Swimming was another passion with him. People came from distant places to discuss theological questions with him and some even went to the length of charging him with unorthodoxy. He had a dislike for controversy, but his replies, though brief, generally silenced his adversaries and showed a thorough knowledge of the subject in dispute. He could speak Arabic, Persian and Pashtu. He was in the habit of visiting the tomb of Shah Abdul Munim (a Sufi Saint) at Deva, and passed night after night there in his devotions. When he was only eleven years of age, the elder Syed initiated him into the mysteries of occult science and gave him the necessary training. He was duly elected a successor of the deceased Haji.

Some of his precepts :- 1. Divine love cannot  be acquired. 2. It is a gift of God There is no method of love. 3. Distance does not count in love. 4. If you love me, I am with you even if you are at a distance of thousands of miles. 5. Love is akin to faith. 6.  Love of God turns disbelief into faith. 7. The universe is governed according to the sentiments of the lovers of God. 8. Do not carry your want before God even if you are starving, for He knows everything. 9. Real worldliness is forgetfulness of God. 10. A true faqir is never in want. 11. Trust in God. If you rely upon Him truly, you need not worry about your daily wants. 12. Faith should be free from doubt. 13. It is no use going to the Kaaba for those who can not see God here. 14. The same God is to be found in the mosque, the Church and pagoda.

Tomb of Haji Waris Ali Shah in Deva, Bara Banki (India) is a symbol of universal love and brotherhood. Prayers made at the holy shrines of Syed Haji Waris Ali Shah (Deva Sharif ) have always been accepted and the believer is blessed with happiness and peace. Hindus held him in high esteem and regarded him as a perfect Sufi and a follower of Vedanta. The splendid monument was erected in his memory by some of his devoted followers, both Hindus and Muslim. It is said that Raja Udit Narain Singh of Ram Nagar donated the silver-plated spire and the most attractive covering of silver on Shrines doors was done by some kings of Kashmir. Flooring of the Shrine in white marble was done by Thakur Pancham Singh of Mainpuri. Deva Mela is one of the most popular and big gatherings in the city of Bara Banki each year in October to recall the teachings of Sufi Haji Waris Ali Shah and to inculcate feelings of communal harmony. The fair is attended by people from India, Pakistan and other countries. Mushaira, Qavali, Poetry reading and religious debates are some of the activities where devotees can enjoy.

Nearest Airport : Lucknow (39 km from Bara Banki)

Nearest Bus Stand & Railway Station : Bara Banki

Nearest Highway : Faizabad Road (NH28) Matiyari Chauraha (Crossing)

Timing : 5AM to 12 PM & 2PM to 9PM

Address of the Shrine : Dargah Hazrat Haji Ali Shah Warsi (Deva Shariff), Barabanki (Dist), Uttar Pradesh (India) - 225001

Anoop Menon