Shrineof Hazrat Shah Jalal Tour

Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal (R)

The Mazar (Shrine) of Hazrat Shah Jalal (R) is 3 kilometres away from the Circuit House of Sylhet town. Hazrat Shah Jalal (R) was known as the chief of all saints and historic Sufi and Pir (spiritual guide) in the subcontinent. His full name is Shaikh Jalaluddin. He spread Islam in the Sylhet region. Hazrat Shah Jalal (R) with his 360 companions came to Sylhet after knowing the happening that Raja Gaur Govinda inflicted oppression on Sheikh Burhanuddin, the first Muslim in Sylhet.

This famous spiritual saint started preaching Islam and started living permanently in Sylhet. He was buried there after his death. This Mazar has been named after his name. Immediately after the main gate, there is a mosque and behind it, there is a one-domed building on a hillock. Around the Mazar, there are countless Jalali pigeons and in the pond, there are large Gajar fish (Giant Snakehead). Apart from that, a pair of wooden sandals, a sword and a few utensils which are preserved here are considered his mementoes.

Explore More About Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal:

The site, known as a dargah, was originally constructed c. 1500, though many additions and alterations were made to its structures over the following centuries. It became a religious centre in the region, respected across multiple ruling administrations and greatly venerated among Bengalis, with local folklore and legends developing around it. The extensive surrounding compound serves several functions and includes four mosques, a religious school and a public cemetery among others. The Dargah is presently the largest and most visited religious site in Bangladesh.

Shah Jalal was a Sufi saint traditionally accredited with the Muslim conquest of Sylhet as well as the propagation of Islam in the region. Described by Syed Murtaza Ali as "the patron saint of Sylhet", following his death in 1347, Shah Jalal's burial place in the city became an object of veneration. Both Bengali Muslims and Hindus perform pilgrimages to the site to make offerings and prayers to the saint.

The annual urs, a Sufi death anniversary festival, attracts thousands of visitors, mainly from Bangladesh and neighbouring India. The Dargah is presently the most visited shrine in Bangladesh, with historian Syed Mahmudul Hasan calling it "the religious centre of Sylhet".