View source for Data Darbar

{{Short description|Sufi Islamic shrine in Lahore, Pakistan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox religious building
|building_name= Data Darbar
|native_name={{nq|داتا دربار}}
|image= File:Data Durbar as more then one decade before by Usman Ghani.jpg
|image_size=300px
|caption= The shrine of [[Ali Hujwiri]] is one of Pakistan's most important Sufi shrines
|religious_affiliation=[[Sufi Islam]]
|rite=
|country=[[Pakistan]] {{flagicon|Pakistan}} 
|province=[[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]]
|location=[[Lahore]]
|district=
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|map_type = Pakistan Lahore#Pakistan
|map_size = 190
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|coordinates = {{coord|31.57898|74.30474|display=inline,title}}
|architect=
|architecture_type=[[Mosque]] and [[Dargah|Sufi mausoleum]] 
|architecture_style=[[Modern architecture|Modern]]
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'''Data Darbar''' ({{Langx|pa|{{nq|داتا دربار}}|translit=Dātā Darbār}}) is an Islamic shrine located in [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan]].<ref name="linus" /> It is the largest [[Sufi]] shrine in [[South Asia]]. It was built to house the remains of [[al-Hujwiri]], commonly known as ''Data Ganj Baksh'' or more colloquially as ''Data Sahab'', a Sufi saint from [[Ghazni]] in present-day Afghanistan, who is believed to have lived on the site in the 11th century CE. 

The site is considered to be the most sacred place in Lahore,<ref name=a>{{cite book|last1=Halafoff|first1=Anna|last2=Clarke|first2=Matthew|title=Religion and Development in the Asia-Pacific: Sacred Places as Development Spaces|date=2016|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9781317647454|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cTslDwAAQBAJ&q=data+darbar+-bomb+-bombers+-suicide+-attack&pg=PA57|access-date=12 September 2017}}</ref> and attracts up to one million visitors to its annual ''[[urs]]'' festival.<ref name="linus"/>

==Location==
Data Darbar is located in the center of [[Walled City of Lahore|Old City Lahore]]. Surrounding it are Lower Mall Road, [[Bhati Gate]], Gawalmandi & [[Karbala]] Gamay Shah.

==History==
The shrine was originally established as a simple grave next to the mosque which Ali Hujwiri had built on the outskirts of Lahore in the 11th century.<ref name="linus">{{cite book|author1=Linus Strothman|author-link1=The politics of Sufism on the ground: The political dimension of Pakistan's largest shrine|editor1-last=Tschacher|editor1-first=Torsten|editor2-last=Dandekar|editor2-first=Deepra|title=Islam, Sufism and Everyday Politics of Belonging in South Asia|date=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317435969|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UQNADQAAQBAJ&q=data+ganj+-bomb+-bombers+-suicide+-attack&pg=PA232|access-date=12 September 2017}}</ref> By the 13th century, the belief that the spiritual powers of great Sufi saints were attached to their burial sites was widespread in the Muslim world,<ref name=c>{{cite book|author1=Richard M. Eaton|author-link1=Authority of the Shrine of Baba Farid|editor1-last=Metcalf|editor1-first=Barbara Daly|title=Moral Conduct and Authority: The Place of Adab in South Asian Islam|date=1984|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520046603|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y5-vzVq8hdkC&q=pakpattan&pg=PA349|access-date=29 August 2017}}</ref> and so a larger shrine was built to commemorate the burial site of Hujwiri during the [[Mughal empire|Mughal]] period.<ref name="linus"/> The shrine complex was expanded in the 19th century, and Hujwiri's mosque rebuilt.<ref name="linus"/> However, some historians claim that the present shrine doesn't house the grave of Ali Hujwiri. This place was a site where he used to come for worship. His actual grave is hidden in Shahi Qilla, Lahore.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tracing the grave of Ali Hajveri: Facts about Data Darbar |url=https://theasianmirror.com/tareekh/17456/tracing-the-grave-of-ali-hajveri-facts-about-data-darbar/ |access-date=11 May 2024 |website=The Asian Mirror|date=16 September 2022 }}</ref>[[File:Data durbar (7).JPG|thumb|The shrine houses the tomb of the 11th century [[Sufi]] saint, [[Ali Hujwiri]].|left]]
The shrine came under Pakistani government control as part of the ''Auquf Ordinance of 1960'', with the official aim of preventing shrine caretakers throughout the country from financially exploiting devotees.<ref name="linus" /> The shrine was greatly expanded in the 1980s under the rule of military leader [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|Zia ul-Haq]],<ref name="linus" /> during which time the shrine became the largest in South Asia.<ref name="linus" /> Offices for [[NGO]]s, a library, ''madrasa'', police station, carpark, and offices were all added under his regime.<ref name="linus" /> Designated spaces for musical performances, and new free kitchen were also added during that time.<ref name="linus" /> New markets have emerged around the site since its massive expansion.<ref name="linus" />

Since 1965, the ''mehfil-e-sama'', a 2-day ''[[qawwali]]'' music festival, had been held adjacent to the shrine, which in 1992 shifted to a nearby school.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nettl|first1=Bruno|last2=Arnold|first2=Alison|title=The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent|date=2000|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9780824049461|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOlNv8MAXIEC&q=data+ganj+-bomb+-bombers+-suicide+-attack&pg=PA755|access-date=12 September 2017}}</ref> 

=== Terror attacks ===
On [[July 2010 Lahore bombings|{{Nowrap|1 July}} 2010, two suicide bombers attacked the shrine.]] At least 50 people were killed, and 200 others were hurt in the blasts.<ref name="CNN20100702">{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/02/pakistan.explosions/index.html|title=Explosions at famous shrine in Pakistan kill dozens|date=2 July 2010|publisher=CNN|access-date=3 July 2010}}</ref><ref name="bbc20100701">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/10483453.stm|title=Deadly blasts hit Sufi shrine in Lahore|date=1 July 2010|publisher=BBC|access-date=1 July 2010}}</ref><ref name="nyt20100701">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/02/world/asia/02pstan.html|title=Blasts at Sufi Shrine in Pakistan Kill at Least 35|last=Tavernise|first=Sabrina|date=1 July 2010|work=The New York Times |access-date=1 July 2010}}</ref>  On 8 May 2019, another [[2019 Lahore bombing|blast]] at the same site killed twelve people included police officials Saddam Hussain, Head Constable Shahid Nazir, Head Constable Muhammad Sohail, Head Constable Gulzar Ahmad, Constable Muhammad Saleem, and security guard Rafaqat Ali near the entrance gate for female visitors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/four-killed-in-blast-near-sufi-shrine-in-pakistan-s-lahore-2034502|title=8 Dead In Blast Near Sufi Shrine In Lahore; We Were Targets, Says Police|website=NDTV.com|access-date=2019-05-08}}</ref>

== Architecture ==
[[File:Data Darbar Mosque.jpg|thumb|The shrine's mosque was rebuilt in the 1980s utilizing a modernist architectural style.|left]]
The shrine of Hujwiri is housed in a Mughal era tomb crafted of carved white marble. The tomb is surrounded by a massive marble courtyard, while a new educational institution at the shrine complex utilizes modernist architecture.<ref name=b/>

==Significance==
The site is considered to be the most sacred place in Lahore.<ref name="a" /> The shrine has emerged a major economic, political, and social centre in Lahore,<ref name="linus" /> and is one of the only places in Lahore where the extremely rich and extremely poor share space together.<ref name="linus" />

It is widely believed among devotees that the saint interred at the shrine is the supreme authority over all Sufi saints in the [[Indian subcontinent]], and that no new Sufi saint could immigrate to the subcontinent without obtaining permission from the spirit of Hujwiri.<ref name="b">{{cite book|last1=Quraeshi|first1=Samina|title=Sacred Spaces: A Journey with the Sufis of the Indus|date=2010|publisher=Peabody Museum Press|isbn=9780873658591|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yIrQkw9aN90C&q=data+ganj+-bomb+-bombers+-suicide+-attack&pg=PA127|access-date=12 September 2017}}</ref>

Following the establishment of a shrine dedicated to Hujwiri, his tomb was visited by [[Muslims]] and non-Muslims in search of his blessings. Illustrious figures such as [[Baba Farid]], [[Moinuddin Chishti]], [[Nizamuddin Auliya]], [[Dara Shikoh]], and [[Allama Iqbal]] all paid obeisance to the shrine, and pledged allegiance to Hujwiri.<ref name="b" /> Former [[Prime Minister of Pakistan|Prime Minister]] [[Nawaz Sharif]] was a frequent visitor to the shrine.{{fact|date=December 2022}}

Hujwiri's teachings were critical of practices associated with South Asian Islam, such as the use of drugs, and dancing.<ref name="linus" /> He also taught that Sufi saints were themselves still obliged to the demands of Islam, and so is revered by reformist Muslims who are critical of Sufi practice, as well as traditionalist Muslims who revere Sufi shrines.<ref name="linus" />

''[[Qawwali]]'' performances are regularly held at the shrine. On special occasions, the shrine is decorated with lights, dinner is prepared for thousands of visitors, who also partake in dance while musicians play [[Sufi music]] for hours. At the boundary of the shrine, Muslim faithfuls recite the [[Qur'an]], and pay tributes to the Prophet [[Muhammad]]. 
{{wide image|Hazrat Ali Hijwary Shrine.JPG|1000px|align-cap=center|The shrine attracts thousands of devotees on a daily basis.}}

===Social services===
The shrine provides a wide array of social services which have made it a popular hub for impoverished residents.<ref name="linus" /> In a custom that is 1,000 years old,<ref name="a" /> up to 50,000 visitors per day are offered free food at the shrine.<ref name="a" /> Patrons facing personal difficulties frequently donate money or labour to the shrine's free-kitchen fund,<ref name="a" /> in line with Islam's emphasis on feeding the poor.<ref name="a" /> The shrine also provides for students' education in nearby schools, and helps fund local hospitals as part of its social mission.<ref name="a" />

==Access==
The shrine remains open at all hours, and welcomes visitors who freely enter the complex. The shrine is visited by approximately 30,000 to 60,000 visitors on a daily basis,<ref name="linus" /> though the number can double on religious holidays, and on Thursdays<ref name="linus" /> - the traditional night for visiting shrines. Approximately 1,000,000 devotees visit the shrine during its annual ''[[urs]]'' festival.<ref name="linus" />

The shrine is served by the ''Bhatti Chowk'' station of the [[Lahore Metrobus]].

==Administration==
The shrine is managed as part of an ''Auqaf'' foundation as part of the ''Auqaf Ordinance of 1960''.<ref name="linus"/> The shrine is managed by approximately 200 full-time workers,<ref name="linus"/> excluding security services.<ref name="linus"/> The shrine produces the most revenue for the ''Auqaf'' board out of all the some 400 shrines under its control in Punjab province,<ref name="linus"/> and contributes approximately 33% of the board's revenue.<ref name="linus"/> The shrine collects 4 times more income than is spent on the shrine's upkeep.<ref name="linus"/> Considered to be the centre of all shrines in Punjab, religious practices and sermons are subject to more government regulation than at other shrines in Pakistan.<ref name="linus"/>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Beautiful Scene of Data Darbar Lahore.jpg|The shrine surrounds the green-domed tomb
File:Ali Hajveri Tomb.jpg|Ali Hajveri Tomb at night
File:Data Darbar 2.jpg|Data Darbar Mosque
File:Data darbar complex 13.jpg|The shine's interior is decorated with mirror work and flowers
File:Data durbar (2).JPG|The cenotaph is surrounded by carved marble screens
File:Data Darbar Mosque Insiade.JPG|View of the new mosque's interior
File:Data durbar (5).JPG|Supplicants at the innermost sanctum of the shrine
File:Data darbar complex, lahore, pakistan (3).jpg|Entrance to the shrine's inner sanctum
File:Data Darbar Complex Evening.JPG|An evening view of the shrine and its adjacent mosque
File:Compound of the Data Darbar Complex, Lahore - panoramio.jpg|The shrine is fronted by a large courtyard for devotees to gather every Thursday night, as well as on other festival nights. 
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of mausolea and shrines in Pakistan]]
* [[Sufism]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat|Data Durbar Complex}}
* [http://www.dataganjbakhsh.com/ Data Darbar Web Site]
* [http://www.dataganjbakhsh.com/fatehqaloob Fateh Qaloob A Research Book About Data Darbar and Data Ganj Bakhsh]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060706150012/http://www.server786.com/ Information about the complex]
* [http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1000_1099/ghaznavids/dataganj/dataganj.html Photos of the Data Darbar complex]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051104043043/http://www.bonner-design.com/projects/data_darbar.htm Details about the construction]

{{Walled City of Lahore}}
{{Cultural heritage sites in Punjab, Pakistan |state=autocollapse}}
{{Mosques in Pakistan}}

[[Category:Sufi shrines in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Mosques in Lahore]]
[[Category:Mausoleums in Punjab, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Lahore]]
[[Category:Walled City of Lahore]]
[[Category:Ziyarat]]
[[Category:Shrines in Lahore]]
[[Category:Barelvi]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with domes in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with minarets in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Sunni mosques in Pakistan]]