The Miracle Evergreen Tree at Dargah Baba Gulam Shah Badshah (RA) at Rajouri

BY M S Nazki

Hazrat Syed Baba Ghulam Ali Shah Bad Shah (RA)was born in the Neighboring country in 1733. His Mentor Hazrat Syed Latif Ahmed known as Imam Bari Sarkar instructed him to go and live in the mountains of Kashmir in his so childhood age. So he first stayed in Dharaba village of SurankoteTehsil of Poonch District. Here he Stayed at several places. He is also stayed at Shah Sattar place for some time. He also stayed in the village of Kalaban. Sayed Baba Ghulam Ali Shah lived in Kalaban for seven years and nine months. When he was in Poonch district, then the ruler of Poonch was Raja Rustam Khan. Aya Khan, a cousin of Rustam Khan used to attend Baba Ghulam Ali Shah’s Majlis. When Raja Rustam Khan came to know about his cousin Aya Khan, he used to sit in Baba Ghulam Ali Shah’s Majlis he felt not good. Then Raja Rustam Khan had a doubt that he would not ask Baba to take the throne of Raja Rustam. Therefore, in this suspicion, Raja Rustam Khan killed his cousin. When Baba came to know about the murder of Aya Khan, Baba was very saddened by this act of Raja Rustam. Someone had given him a pair of Pools in Poonch. When Baba left Poonch and go for Rajouri, he took off those Paddy dry plants made shoes (Pools) from his feet and threw them in Poonch and went ahead with some of his disciples. In 1765 he reached the place of Shahdara Sharif. The old name of this place was Sen Dara which means Lion’s Hill or Lion’s abode. He died (wisaal)at this place in 1806. There is an Evergreen tree at the same place which is considered to be the sacred tree of Baba Ghulam Ali Shah. When Allah’s Wali performs an amazing work and shows it to his devotees, it is called Karamat. It is well known about this evergreen tree and it is also a fact that the Autumn never touches it. This evergreen kenno tree is not affected by any weather. Let us tell you the complete story of this evergreen tree. It was the coldest night of December and Baba was lighting a fire with his disciples. The Oak wood and Pine wood were burning. When the wood was completely burnt to coals, Baba asked his disciple to put more wood to the Mach. The disciple immediately obeyed the sage’s order and put a lot of wood into the Mach. All the logs were burning in the fire except one log. There was only one wood among so many that was completely spared by the fire. When Baba saw that all the wood was burning in the fire but there was one wood which the fire could not burn. Then Baba threw the wood out of the Match and said, “O wood, if you does not burn, then always flourish.” It was only this wood that took the shape of the Kenno’s stem and is still there today. This tree is always green. The fruits that grow on it are also very fresh. No one is allowed to pluck the fruit of this tree, but if it falls on someone, he is entitled to this fruit.