Golra Sharif is a village on the western edge of Islamabad, at the foot of the Margalla Hills, built around the shrine of Pir Meher Ali Shah, a Chishti Sufi scholar who was born there in 1859 and died there in 1937. His urs is held at the end of Safar in the Islamic calendar, which fell in mid-August in 2026 and will come in early August in 2027. The shrine draws steady visitor numbers year-round and very large crowds during the urs, and sits next to one of Islamabad's more unusual small museums, the Golra railway heritage museum.
This guide covers who Pir Meher Ali Shah was, what to expect at the shrine and the urs, and how to fit the railway museum into the same visit.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Location | Golra Sharif, Sector E-11, western Islamabad, at the Margalla foothills |
| Who it honours | Pir Meher Ali Shah (1859 to 1937), Chishti Sufi scholar |
| Urs | End of Safar (Islamic calendar); mid-August in 2026, early August expected in 2027 |
| Nearby | Golra Sharif Junction and the Pakistan Railways heritage museum |
| Museum entry | Around PKR 10 (2026); check current pricing on the day |
| Museum hours | Roughly 9 am to 4 pm daily, shorter on Fridays for prayer time |
Golra Sharif history: who was Pir Meher Ali Shah?
Before his family made it famous, Golra was a village on the outskirts of Rawalpindi, at about 520 metres where the plains meet the Margalla Hills. Pir Meher Ali Shah was born there on 14 April 1859 (1 Ramadan 1275), studied in Lucknow, Rampur, Kanpur and Aligarh, and became a disciple and khalifa of Khawaja Shams-ud-din Sialvi of Sial Sharif. He became one of the most prominent Sufi scholars of the Chishti order in the region, known both for his religious writing and for his role in the theological debates of his era, including his opposition to the Ahmadiyya movement in works such as Saif-e-Chishtiyai. He died on 11 May 1937, corresponding to 29 Safar 1356 in the Islamic calendar, and was buried in the village where he had been born. His son, Ghulam Mohiyuddin Gilani, known as Babuji, succeeded him, and the family has kept the shrine since.
The shrine
The mausoleum that stands over his grave took around two decades to complete and was designed by the architect Babu Lal-Muhammad Chughtai in an Islamic architectural style, with marble brought from the Makrana quarries in what was then Jodhpur State. It sits in the foothills of the Margalla range in what is now Sector E-11, and has been looked after by successive custodians drawn from the saint's family since his death. The complex today includes the mausoleum itself, a mosque, and space for the crowds that gather during the urs.
Visiting on an ordinary day is a quiet experience: people come to pray, sit in the courtyard, and pay respects, and there is none of the crowding of the urs period.
When is the Golra Sharif urs?
The main urs at Golra Sharif marks Pir Meher Ali Shah's death on 29 Safar, so it follows the Islamic calendar rather than a fixed Gregorian date. Sources give slightly different spans: the shrine's own website lists 29 Safar to 1 Rabi-ul-Awwal, while Wikipedia gives a three-day urs from 27 to 29 Safar. Either way it falls in the last days of Safar.
In 2026 the end of Safar came in mid-August, around 13 to 15 August depending on moon sighting. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, the dates move about eleven days earlier each year, so in 2027 expect the urs in the first days of August. That 2027 date is our calculation, not an announcement, so check the dates with the shrine or local news before planning a visit around it.
During the urs, expect large crowds, a market of food and religious item stalls around the shrine, and significant traffic on the roads into Golra Sharif from the rest of Islamabad. Trains bringing devotees from further afield are also a long-standing part of the event, given the shrine's location next to a working railway junction.
Golra Sharif railway museum
Golra Sharif Junction, immediately next to the shrine, was built by the British in the early 1880s (sources give 1881 or 1882) as part of the rail line running toward the Khyber Pass, and was upgraded to a junction station in 1912. Part of the station complex was turned into a heritage museum in 2003 and now displays more than a century and a half of railway history: steam and early electric locomotives, vintage coaches, a saloon car once used by Lord Mountbatten, and an 1888 saloon built for the Maharaja of Jodhpur, alongside signalling equipment and other railway relics, spread across two galleries and an open yard.
The museum is generally open daily from around 9 am to 4 pm, with shorter Friday hours around midday prayers, and entry has been a nominal fee of about PKR 10, though prices and hours at small government-run museums like this change without much notice, so treat these as a guide and confirm on arrival.
Planning a visit
Golra Sharif and its railway museum sit well together as a half-day trip: allow perhaps 30 to 45 minutes at the shrine outside the urs, and a similar amount of time in the museum, plus travel from central Islamabad. A private car or ride-hailing service is the easiest way to reach it, since it sits on the western edge of the city away from the main tourist corridor around Faisal Mosque and the Margalla viewpoints.
Dress modestly for the shrine, as at any Pakistani shrine: loose clothing, and a headscarf for women. Photography inside the mausoleum should be done discreetly and never of people praying without asking first.
If you're deciding which of Islamabad's shrines to prioritise, Bari Imam on the other side of the city is busier day to day and has its own urs in August; Golra Sharif is the quieter option outside of its own urs period, with the railway museum as an added reason to make the trip. Our Islamabad travel guide covers the rest of the capital's sights if you're building a longer itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
When is the urs at Golra Sharif held?
At the end of Safar in the Islamic calendar, around the anniversary of Pir Meher Ali Shah's death on 29 Safar. In 2026 that was mid-August, and in 2027 it should be early August; check the announced dates before planning a trip around it.
What is the history of Golra Sharif?
Golra was a village on the outskirts of Rawalpindi where Pir Meher Ali Shah was born in 1859. His teaching made it a major Chishti centre, his shrine was built over his grave after his death in 1937, and the British-era railway junction next to it dates from the early 1880s.
Is there an entry fee for Golra Sharif shrine?
No, the shrine itself is free to visit. The adjacent railway museum charges a small entry fee, around PKR 10 as of 2026.
Can I visit the railway museum and the shrine in the same trip?
Yes, they are next to each other at Golra Sharif Junction, and most visitors combine both in a single half-day trip.
What should I wear to visit Golra Sharif?
Modest, loose-fitting clothing, as at any shrine in Pakistan. Women should bring a scarf to cover their heads.
Is Golra Sharif far from central Islamabad?
It's on the western edge of the city, a reasonable drive from central Islamabad by car or ride-hailing, though further out than sights like Faisal Mosque or the Margalla viewpoints.