27 years on, Khankah-e-Faiz-Panah in Tral still awaits full completion
Tourist cafeteria, women’s shelter lying unfinished as locals seek action
Pulwama: Nearly three decades after restoration work began on the revered Khankah-e-Faiz-Panah shrine in Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, the project remains unfinished, causing discomfort to thousands of daily visitors and locals alike.
The historic shrine — dedicated to the eminent Sufi saint Hazrat Shahi-Hamdan Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (RA) — was destroyed in a fire in December 1997. Soon after, the government had announced a reconstruction plan expected to be completed within a short period. However, 27 years later, several components of the project — especially the tourist cafeteria and a separate shelter for women devotees — remain incomplete.
Residents and regular visitors to the shrine say the unfinished facilities have significantly affected the experience for devotees, particularly women and elderly visitors who come from far-flung areas.
“Hundreds of people visit this sacred place every day,” said Bilal Ahmad, a local resident. “But the lack of a proper cafeteria and women’s resting shelter means families and women often struggle, especially in peak seasons.” Local women visitors said they feel unsafe and inconvenienced due to the absence of a dedicated shelter and rest area. They noted that existing arrangements are makeshift and insufficient for large crowds.
Another local, Ghulam Rasool pointed out that “every winter and summer, people gather here, but there’s no place for them to sit comfortably or have food. Officials had promised these facilities long back, yet they remain incomplete.”
Initial reconstruction plans were drawn up immediately after the fire destroyed the shrine in 1997, with an initial completion timeline of just a few years. However, funding shortages, administrative delays and changes in project scope have seen the timeline extended year after year.
Officials have been claiming for years that over 90% of the work had been completed, but the remaining critical components — notably those intended to facilitate tourism and female devotees — stayed unfinished.
Local activists and shrine committee members have repeatedly urged the administration to expedite work and release the necessary resources, emphasizing both the religious importance of the khankah and its potential as a cultural tourism attraction for South Kashmir.
Officials associated with the project have assured that the remaining work will be completed within the next six months.
“The pending works, including the tourist cafeteria and women’s shelter, are being actively pushed and will be ready in the next six months,” he said.
He added that the delay was due to technical and logistical issues, but that most structural work had already been done.
