The Unseen Sufi: Legacy of Hazrat Syed Roshan Ali Chishti

 

By Adnan Faizi, New Age Islam

15 April 2025

Hazrat Syed Roshan Ali Chishti, Known As Boga Baba, Was A Quiet Sufi Who Shunned Fame. His Silent Presence Lives On Through Simple Rituals, Gentle Memories, And Inward Spiritual Practices

Main Points:

1.    Hazrat Syed Roshan Ali Chishti, known as Boga Baba, was a silent yet spiritually impactful Sufi of the Indian Chishti tradition.

2.    He remained detached from public recognition and Khanqaahi structures, preferring quiet spiritual practices.

3.    His Urs is marked by unique customs like silent gagar offerings and the preparation of Chaawal-E-Sukoon.

4.    While no written teachings exist, his sayings and practices survive through oral traditions.

5.    His legacy continues in modest zikr circles and a small dargah preserved in simplicity.

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Introduction

Hazrat Syed Roshan Ali Chishti, remembered locally as Hazrat Boga Baba, was a mystic of the Chishtiyya Silsila whose life unfolded away from attention. He did not leave behind books or institutions. His legacy rests instead in the quiet influence he had on those around him. Many recall him not through records but through memories, gestures, and a kind of spiritual gentleness that left no need for words.

Early Life and Roots

Very little has survived about his early years. His family belonged to a modest background and lived in a rural region of northern India. Though the precise location is now disputed, some of his older disciples suggest he was born in the late 1800s. From childhood, he was marked by habits that later defined his spiritual approach, long silences, absence from gatherings, and a preference for empty spaces.

It is said he would often sit alone for hours near wild bushes of bougainvillea. This habit became so regular that villagers began calling him 'Boga Baba.' The name stayed with him, eventually replacing his original one in local memory. Those who knew him in youth describe a boy who avoided questions and rarely looked up when spoken to, but who somehow gave a strange comfort even in stillness.

Spiritual Orientation and Lifestyle

He did not follow the path of establishing a Khanqah or taking on a large circle of disciples. Instead, he wandered. He spent years in semi-nomadic retreat, staying near graveyards or under trees, eating what was given and never asking for more. A man once offered him a blanket on a cold morning. He took it, folded it, and gave it to a sleeping dog nearby.

His form of 'Zikr' was not audible. He taught those close to him a style of inward remembrance that required no words or beads. Sit, breathe, and watch, he would say. If asked for advice, he often responded with gestures, placing his hand on his heart, closing his eyes, or simply pointing to the sky.

He accepted murids, but only a few. Among them was a man named Shamsuddin, who later preserved some of his sayings by memory. One of them was, “Jis Raaste Par Awaaz Ho, Wahan Se Rooh Guzar Nahi Karti.” The soul, he believed, avoided noisy paths.

Unique Urs Practices and Rituals

Each year, on his Urs a small number of families gather near his resting place. There is no Qawwali no announcement. Instead, women prepare 'Chaawal-E-Sukoon' plain white rice, cooked without spices, served cold, and eaten in silence. It is believed that this was all he would accept as food in his later years.

A unique practice takes place during the Urs. Children from nearby houses carry gagars small water pots in a silent walk to the shrine. The pots are filled from a well believed to have been dug by one of his companions. No drum or song is allowed during this time. The walk is considered part of the offering.

Women also prepare white cotton sheets without decoration. These are laid on his grave before sunset. No flowers are used only leaves from neem or tamarind trees. The practice reflects a belief that outward beauty distracts from inner silence.

Ongoing Legacy

The dargah remains small. No dome no marble. It is cared for by the family of one of his early visitors, who passed down the duty without seeking donations. People still visit mostly locals not seeking miracles but peace.

A weekly zikr circle is held at a private home nearby where followers gather and sit in silence for an hour. There is no reading, no speech, just presence. This, they say, was his way.

Though there are no books or institutions in his name Hazrat Boga Baba’s memory survives through lives he touched. He asked for nothing built nothing, but left behind a rhythm that continues slow, quiet, and uninterrupted.

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Adnan Faizi is a Peace and Harmony activist based in Delhi. He is an alumni of CCS University, Meerut.

 

URL:   https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/sufi-legacy-hazrat-roshan-chisht/d/135167

 

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