Born on 7th May, 1280 Fariduddin Mas’ud Ganjshakar, commonly known as Fariduddin Ganjshakar was Sufi preacher from the 12thcentury and belonged to the Chishti order of the Sufism from South Asia.
He is known the main for being the pioneer of poetry in Punjabi language and being one of the vital saints belonging to Punjab.
He is illustrious to Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs of the world; moreover he is reflected as a part of the fifteen Sikh Bhagats and portions of his work are included in the sanctified scripture of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib. Housed in Pakpattan, the tomb of Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar is made of white marble. The tomb has two doors, one of them is known as the Gate of Light or Nuri Darwaza in local languages and faces east, while the other one called the Gate of Paradise or as locals call it Bahishti Darwaza and faces north. Inside the tomb there are two graves built with marble.
These two graves are of Baba Farid and his elder son. Always covered with green sheets of cloth and flowers brought by visitors these graves offer a constant source of inspiration for many. Although there is not enough space inside the tomb as only ten people can be in there at any moment, but Benazir Bhutto the former prime minister of Pakistan managed to enter the tomb when she came to visit the reliquary. The shrine is a spacious and properly built structure, which was constructed under the supervision of Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia. The entire structure is built off marble now even though it previously comprised of bricks along with marble. Countless believers visit the shrine in order to attain inner peace and get benedictions.
The death anniversary/urs of the saint is feted for six days in the Islamic month of Muharram i.e. from the fifth to the tenth of Muharram. During this occasion the Bahishti Darwaza is opened (which is never opened throughout the year). Followers believe that by entering through this gate one’s sins are all washed away. Countless visitors and pilgrims visit to pay reverence to the great saint.
