Kashmir’s shrines, mosques and khanqahs’ are spiritual, archaeological and architectural significance for the people of Kashmir but damage to several revered shrines in recent years in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley is yet to attract the attention of the government for the preservation and protection of these revered shrines, mosques and Kanqahas’. Whenever an accidental fire damages any shrine or Khanqah’ the people at the helm talk about safety measures required for the preservation and protections of these shrines, mosques and Khanqahas but the little to no attention government gives to the fire safety measures required for the protection of religious places speaks volumes about the government’s non seriousness over this issue of greater public concern. These spiritual places are a grim reminder of the creative building technologies of their ancestors who relied on local materials and skills and built up these marvels of wood, brick and stone. In recent years accidental fires have either partially or fully damaged the revered shrines of Khanqah-e-Faiz Panah of Shah-e-Hamadan at Tral, the shrine of Rishi Moul Saheb in Anantnag, the world-famous shrine-cum-monastery of the 14th century saint and founder of Kashmiri’s Rishi order, Sheikh Noorud-din Noorani, at Chrar-e-Sharief and the shrine of Hazrat Gaus-ul-Aazam, Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jeelani much popularly called Dastgeer Saheb shrine. When the shrine of Gaus-ul-Aazam, Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA) much popularly called Dastgeer Saheb shrine was damaged in June 2012 , the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah talked much about fire safety measures required for the preservation and protection of shrines, mosques and Khanqahas but almost did nothing for the protection of these religious places of spiritual, archaeological and architectural importance.
Fire extinguishers have been though installed at most of the shrines and Khanqahas’ but most people living in the vicinity of these shrines and Khanqahas’ don’t know how to operate these extinguishers in the event of an emergency. More importantly the equipments to be used for fire fighting are not in working at most of the shrines and Khanqahas’ as was experienced during the recent fire at Khanqah e Moula Srinagar and as such improvement in the management systems would be a better remedial measure to address the concerns of people on protection and prevention of fires at these shrines and Khanqahas’.
The then Omar Abdullah government restricted itself to the reconstruction of the shrine of of Hazrat Gaus-ul-Aazam, Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA) much popularly called Dastgeer Saheb shrine . Again in the year 2016 yet another blaze at Khanqah e Moula Srinagar woke up the then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti from deep slumber as she ordered a time bound fire safety audit of shrines and Khanqahas’ in Kashmir. Ironically the people are yet to know the outcome of the fire safety audit of the shrines and Khanqahas’ in Kashmir and the issue of much greater concern the preservation and protection of these shrines and Khanqahas’ of Kashmir is yet to be addressed. For protection of Khanqahas’ and shrines of spiritual, archeological and architectural importance from accidental or incidental fires both a foolproof security system and a preventive and quick reaction fire fighting systems are the measures demanding immediate attention and intervention of the government. A foolproof security system for shrines and Khanqahas’ does not mean deployment of police and paramilitaries at these spiritual places but government’s support to the idea of deploying a vigilant, round-the-clock team of volunteers to be identified by the local populations at these religious places on rotational basis. As far as installation of quick reaction fire fighting systems at shrines and Khanqahas’ is concerned, fire extinguishers have been though installed at most of the shrines and Khanqahas’ but most people living in the vicinity of these shrines and Khanqahas’ don’t know how to operate these extinguishers in the event of an emergency. More importantly the equipments to be used for fire fighting are not in working at most of the shrines and Khanqahas’ as was experienced in the fire at Khanqah e Moula Srinagar and as such improvement in the management systems would be a better remedial measure to address the concerns of people on protection and prevention of fires at these shrines and Khanqahas’.
