Hazrat Baba Haneef ud Din Reshi (Babi Saheb): The Beloved Saint of Daresh Wale Baba
By Altamash Ali New Age Islam
9 December 2025
Hazrat Baba Haneef Ud Din Reshi was a great Sufi-Rishi saint born in Hamadan (Iran) about 450 years ago. He left everything and came to Kashmir only to serve Allah and people.
Main Points:
1. He became the disciple of Hazrat Baba Zain-ud-Din Reshi who was himself the disciple of Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (Nund Reshi). This is the pure Kashmiri Rishi tradition.
2. On the orders of his Guru, he settled in a cave on Kohi-Darwa hill (near Magam, Budgam). He spent his whole life there in prayer and passed away in the same cave.
3. Lakhs of people visit every year. People say incurable diseases are cured, wishes come true, and mysterious lights are seen at night. The biggest Urs is held in July and September.
4. The shrine “Daresh” sits on a 2500-feet high hill surrounded by thick deodar forests. From the top you can see Dal Lake, whole Srinagar city and hundreds of villages – people call it one of the most beautiful hill shrines of Kashmir.
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Hazrat Baba Haneef Ud Din Reshi Saheb is one of the most beloved and respected Sufi-Rishi saints of Kashmir. Even today, people lovingly call him “Hazrat Babi Saheb” or “Daresh Wale Baba”. His holy shrine is situated on a high hill called Kohi-Darwa in the Magam area of Budgam district. Locals also call this place “Daresh” or “Darez”. It is about 30 kilometres from Srinagar city and only 4-5 kilometres from Magam market
Hazrat Baba Haneef Ud Din Reshi Saheb was born in the historic and famous city of Hamadan in Iran. From childhood itself, his heart was very pure and pious. He would remember Allah day and night. One day, he left everything behind and set out towards Kashmir. At that time – roughly four to five hundred years ago – Kashmir was a great centre of Sufi and Rishi saints. As soon as he reached there, he went straight to Aishmuqam, where the great Rishi saint Hazrat Baba Zain-ud-Din Reshi (also known as Zain Shah Wali) was living.
Hazrat Baba Zain-ud-Din was earlier a Hindu Rajput; his original name was Jiya Singh. He was the son of Kishwar’s Raja Yash Singh. When he was only 13 years old, his father was murdered. After that, he left home and came to Kashmir, reaching the greatest Rishi saint of Kashmir, Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (whom people call Nund Reshi or Alamdar-e-Kashmir). Hazrat Nund Reshi invited him to Islam and taught him the Rishi path. Later, Hazrat Baba Zain-ud-Din performed long and intense penance in the dangerous cave of Aishmuqam. When Hazrat Baba Zain-ud-Din felt that Hazrat Baba Haneef Ud Din was fully prepared, he ordered:
“Now leave Aishmuqam and go towards Beerwa-Manchama. Go there and show people the true path”
Hazrat Baba Haneef Ud Din placed his guru’s command on his head and eyes and went into the thick forests of Magam. There he started living in a cave. Day and night he did zikr of Allah, offered Namaz, kept fasts, and taught people came to him for teachings of goodness, love, and peace.
In that very cave, while doing severe spiritual practice, his soul left the body. His disciples buried him on the same Kohi-Darwa hill. Today that place is famous as “Daresh Hazrat Baba Haneef Ud Din Reshi”. This shrine is now more than four hundred years old.
The hill is about 2500 feet high. All around are thick deodar forests. Standing at the top, Dal Lake, Srinagar city, and hundreds of surrounding villages look extremely beautiful. Earlier the path was very difficult; people used to climb for hours on foot. In 2005-2006, the Jammu & Kashmir government built a proper road, parking, small park, drinking water, toilets, and lights. Now thousands of people come every day in summer.
Every year in July and September, a very big Urs is celebrated here. Thursday, Friday, and Sunday see the maximum crowd. On Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha, people come from all over Kashmir – children, elders, women, men, everyone. People make vows (Mannat), offer Chadars and sweets, and give sacrifice. Outside, tea-samosa, ice-cream, toy, and Chadar shops are set up.
Local villagers say Hazrat Baba’s blessings are immense. Even incurable diseases get cured with the dua here. Sometimes at night, mysterious light is seen at the shrine. Whoever asks with a true heart, his wish definitely gets fulfilled. People of Rathsoon, Dragger, Manchama, Beerwa, Haripora, and dozens of nearby villages believe the whole area is protected by Hazrat Baba’s blessings.
In the troubled years of the 1990s and early 2000s, when violence was at its peak in Kashmir, some extremists used to target Rishi and Sufi shrines because they did not like the Hindu influence (yoga, vegetarianism, cave penance) in the Rishi tradition. In 2012, Hazrat Baba Haneef ud Din’s shrine was also set on fire. The old wooden structure burnt down. Everyone felt deep pain. But the people of Kashmir and the government did not lose heart. Together they rebuilt a much more beautiful shrine. Today it shines even brighter than before – this is the victory of Kashmiri culture and love.
Rishi saints were completely different. They did not follow foreign orders like Naqshbandi, Qadri, or Suhrawardi. They were vegetarian, lived in caves, practised yoga and Japa, lived simple lives, and never differentiated between Hindu and Muslim. Hazrat Nund Reshi laid the foundation of this path. Hazrat Baba Haneef ud Din Saheb was one of the greatest saints of that very chain.
Today this place is not only religious but has also become a major tourist spot. In summers, school children, families, visitors from other states, and even foreign tourists come in large numbers. From the top, the whole of Kashmir is visible. People say, “Coming here brings peace to the heart; with Hazrat Baba’s dua, every difficulty becomes easy”
Hazrat Baba Haneef ud Din Reshi is still alive in the hearts of millions of Kashmiris. His shrine is the biggest symbol of peace, love, brotherhood, and true Kashmiri identity. Whoever comes here with a sincere heart never returns empty-handed.
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Altamash Ali is a Sufi writer and a students at IFTM University.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/hazrat-baba-reshi-babi-saint-daresh/d/137941
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