SHRINE OF SYED HUSSAIN SIMNANI
The shrine is situated in Kulgam town. Syed Hussain Simnani was a cousin of Amir-1-Kabir. He came to Kashmir alongwith three other Syeds, viz Syed Taj al-Din, Syed Hassan Bahadur and Syed Haider. These syeds were sentby Mir syed AliHamdani as an advance party with a special mission to see and report to him whether Kashmir provided favourable Conditions for preaching Islam. Syed Ali Hamdani himself waited at Ghaur (Afghanistan) for reply. These syeds wereaccorded warm welcome and bestowed on them madad-i-maash grants to ensure their comfortable stay in the valley. Syed Hussain Simnani and his nephew Syed Haider settled in Kulgam and opened a Khanqah there for whose maintenanceSultan Shahab-al-Din endowed Kulgam as madad-i-maash grant. Syed Hussain Simnani is famous for having won largeScale conversions in the area. The oral tradition in this regard and the high esteem in which the Saint is held by the people ofthe area further substantiate the written sources. It is pertinent tomention here that the conversion ofthe father of famous Saint of Kashmir Sheikh Noor-ud-Din is also attributed to Syed Hussain Simnani.He left for his eternal journey in 1395and is buried in the Shrine. The Shrine of Syed Hussain Simnaniwas constructed 40 days after his death by the orders of Mir Syed Jaffar, and by the active efforts of ShangiBhat and Drein Naik. People in large numbers visit the Shrine in order to get solace and relief. Sultan Qutb-ud-Din established a langar khana for the convenience of pilgrims and a jagir was endowed for running the langar..
