Directory
14th–15th Century (c. 1377–1440) — Mysticism & Sufism
Nund Rishi
تَس پَدمان پورٕچی لَلێ، یێمِ گَلہِ اَمرت پیوٗو۔ سوٗے سَنیٛن اَوَتار لۄلێ، تِتھؠ وَر دِتَم دیٖوو
"That Lalla of Padmanpor, who drank the divine nectar of immortality. She is our Avatar of love; O Lord, grant me the exact same boon."
Philosophy
His spiritual philosophy is captured in his "Shruks" (stanzas/knots), which structurally and thematically parallel Lal Ded’s Vakhs. He taught that the Divine is found not through empty rituals, but through rigorous self-discipline and inner purity. Way ahead of his time, he was also a passionate environmentalist, famously proclaiming "Ann poshi teli yeli wan poshi" (Food will last as long as forests last).
The Legend
Born in the serene village of Kaimoh, Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (شیخ نورالدین نورانی), affectionately revered as Nund Rishi, stands as the towering patron saint and eternal spiritual compass of the valley. As the founder of Kashmir's indigenous Sufi Rishi order, he seamlessly wove the profound egalitarian principles of Islam into the ascetic cultural fabric of Kasheer (کٔشِیر). Deeply inspired by Lal Ded, he channeled his divine wisdom through piercing, rhythmic verses known as Shruks (شُرُک), elevating the native Koshur (کٲشُر) tongue into a profound vessel for mystical revelation. His teachings championed universal brotherhood, deep inner purity, and a striking, visionary reverence for ecology—immortalized in his timeless maxim that sustenance endures only as long as the forests thrive. Resting in the revered shrine of Charar-e-Sharief, he remains forever enshrined in the hearts of the people as the Alamdar-e-Kashmir (عَلَم دارِ کٔشِیر), the supreme standard-bearer of peace, tolerance, and the unified soul of Kashmir.