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The shrine of Shahdra Sharief in Rajouri district,
177 kms from Jammu is one of the most popular Muslim shrines of
Jammu region, visited by thousand of devotees every day.
According to historical sources, in 1820 AD Maharaja Ranjit Singh
of Punjab sent his army general Gulab Singh to defeat an adversary.
Out of the 150 companies of troops taken on this expedition, only
25 soldiers could stay with the General. At last he camped at Thanna-Mandi
and went to call on a local recluse named Baba Ghulam Shah
‘Badshah', who lived in the nearby locality
of Shahdara and was known as a wise and pious person. When Gulab
Singh became the king of Jammu and Kashmir according to the prophecy
of the saint, he built a shrine dedicated to the saint to pay homage.
It is highly inspiring to learn that this Muslim shrine was built
by the Hindu founder of Jammu & Kashmir.
Today, thousands of devotees of all faiths, irrespective of caste, colour and creed, visit the shrine every day in deep faith and with great devotion. And it is strongly believed by the multitude of the Baba's devotees that their cherished desires are invariably fulfilled. Interestingly, the pilgrims and visitors to the shrine are provided free accommodation, food and other facilities by the shrine management. Now large-scale infrastructure development carried out by the shrine management as well as the State Government has made this holy heritage site easily accessible to everyone and the shrine now attracts large numbers of pilgrims every year.
How to get there:
Shahdra Sharief is well connected with Rajouri town by a 30 kilometre-long
road. Regular bus service operates from Rajouri and even Jammu to
Shahdra Sharief. Taxis of all kinds are available from Jammu as
well as Rajouri for visiting this very popular holy shrine. | 
