Punjab's famous Sufi shrines span more than seven centuries and several distinct traditions: Data Darbar in Lahore, believed to be the largest Sufi shrine in South Asia; Baba Farid's tomb in Pakpattan, where a Chishti saint founded Punjabi Sufi poetry; Bahauddin Zakariya's mausoleum in Multan, the model for the city's whole architectural style; the more intimate tomb of the poet Bulleh Shah in Kasur; and Sakhi Sarwar's shrine in the Sulaiman foothills, revered across religious lines.
Each draws a different kind of visit. This sets out what makes each one significant, so you can choose which suits a day trip and which is worth planning a journey around.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Largest shrine | Data Darbar, Lahore, said to be the largest Sufi shrine in South Asia |
| Oldest urs tradition | Baba Farid, Pakpattan, 6 days from 1 to 5 Muharram |
| Finest architecture | Bahauddin Zakariya, Multan, the prototype for Multan's tomb style |
| Most literary | Bulleh Shah, Kasur, Punjab's best-known Sufi poet |
| Most remote | Sakhi Sarwar, Sulaiman foothills, about 35 km from Dera Ghazi Khan |
Data Darbar, Lahore
Data Darbar holds the grave of Ali al-Hujwiri, known as Data Ganj Bakhsh, an 11th-century Sufi scholar from Ghazni who settled in Lahore and wrote the Kashf al-Mahjub, one of the earliest Persian treatises on Sufism. The tomb, rebuilt in white marble in the Mughal period, sits at the centre of Old Lahore and is considered the city's most sacred site, drawing crowds of up to a million at its annual urs. Its scale and central location make it the easiest of these shrines to combine with an ordinary day in Lahore. Read more in our guide to Data Darbar.
Baba Farid, Pakpattan
Fariduddin Ganjshakar, known as Baba Farid, was one of the founders of the Chishti Sufi order in the subcontinent and the first major poet to write in Punjabi. His shrine in Pakpattan, first built under the supervision of his disciple Nizamuddin Auliya, has two gates, one of them the Bahishti Darwaza, the "Gate of Paradise," which pilgrims pass through during the six-day urs held each year from the 1st to the 5th of Muharram. The urs draws an estimated two million visitors, which makes Pakpattan worth avoiding during those dates unless attending the festival is the point of the trip. See our Baba Farid shrine guide for more.
Bahauddin Zakariya, Multan
Bahauddin Zakariya, who settled in Multan in 1222 and established the Suhrawardiyya order in South Asia, is buried in a mausoleum completed in 1262, combining a square base, an octagon and a dome in brick, glazed tile and fair-face brickwork. It is considered the architectural prototype for Multan's later shrines and earned the city its old description as the "city of saints." Of the five shrines here, this is the one to visit for the building itself as much as for its religious history. Our guide to the Bahauddin Zakariya shrine covers visiting details.
Bulleh Shah, Kasur
Bulleh Shah, born in 1680 and a disciple of the Qadiri saint Shah Inayat of Lahore, wrote in the kafi style in Punjabi and Siraiki and remains one of the most quoted poets in the language. He died in 1757 and is buried in Kasur, where his tomb is smaller and quieter than the other shrines here, with an annual urs but nothing like the scale of Data Darbar or Pakpattan. It suits visitors drawn by his poetry more than by shrine architecture or festival crowds. See our guide to Bulleh Shah's tomb.
Sakhi Sarwar, Dera Ghazi Khan district
Sakhi Sarwar, a 12th-century saint also known as Lakhdata ("giver of millions"), is buried at Muqam village at the foot of the Sulaiman mountains, about 35 km from Dera Ghazi Khan. His shrine, later expanded under the Mughal emperor Babur, is unusual among these five for being venerated by Hindus and Sikhs as well as Muslims, and its urs is traditionally held around Vaisakhi, in the wheat harvest season; see our guide to Vaisakhi in Pakistan for more on that timing. It is the most remote of the five, sitting near the Punjab-Balochistan border foothills rather than in a city centre, so it needs more planning than a shrine you can reach on a city day out.
Choosing which to visit
If you have one day in Lahore, Data Darbar needs no special planning; it sits in the old city and can be combined with other Lahore sightseeing. Multan's Bahauddin Zakariya shrine and the other mausoleums in the city are worth a dedicated day if you are travelling through south Punjab anyway. Pakpattan and Kasur suit a specific interest in Baba Farid's poetry or the Chishti tradition, or in Bulleh Shah's verse, more than a general sightseeing itinerary. Sakhi Sarwar is the one to plan deliberately around, given the distance and the lack of a major town at the site itself, and is best timed outside its urs unless you specifically want the festival crowds.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the biggest Sufi shrine in Punjab?
Data Darbar in Lahore, widely described as the largest Sufi shrine in South Asia, with an annual urs drawing up to a million visitors.
When is the urs at Baba Farid's shrine in Pakpattan?
It runs for six days, from the 1st to the 5th of Muharram each year, and draws an estimated two million pilgrims, so the town is very crowded during those dates.
Why is Bahauddin Zakariya's shrine architecturally important?
Its combination of a square base, octagon and dome, finished in early blue tilework, became the model for later shrine architecture across Multan.
Is Sakhi Sarwar's shrine only visited by Muslims?
No. It is unusual for being venerated by Hindus and Sikhs as well as Muslims, and its urs traditionally falls around the Vaisakhi harvest season.
Where is Bulleh Shah buried?
In Kasur, where he lived for most of his life after training under the Qadiri saint Shah Inayat in Lahore. He died in 1757.
