Khawaja Awais Kagha is a sufi saint of Multan

Multan

Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...

History

The full name of the saint is Khawaja Shah Jalalud Din Muhammad Awais Jaafri Quraishi Hashmi Khagga. His father’s name is given as Bayazidai. He was a disciple of Shaikh Muhammad Iraqi a saint of Awaisi chain of Sufis. He is believed to have arrived in Multan during the times of Hazrat Sadruddin and died in the year 700AH/1300AD. Hazrat Shah Rukne Alam is said to have led his funeral prayers. He was buried in the graveyard of Basti Daira which was then known as Basti Shah Jalal.. It has also been reported (Gilani, Aulia-i-Multan, 237) that the foundation stone of this tomb was laid by Hazrat Shah Rukne Alam.

Mausoleum of Khawaja Awais Kagha

The Tomb of Khawaja is square in plan with sloping walls having corner bastions and turrets. Each of the four sides has arches set in rectangular frame. The only entrance to the tomb chamber is on the south side from an entrance-vestibule, approximately 10ft x 14 ft which leads to the main chamber. The square plan converts into an octagon culminating in a drum on which sits the dome. The monument has a segmental dome stilted on a drum which has rectangular depressions and four windows on each of the cardinal sides. The finial has strong tapering cylindrical base. Light enters the main chamber on the ground floor from a perforated wooden jalli on the east and four openings in the dome from the top. Externally the building is covered with blue tiles leaving only some parts as painted white. The same is true about the dome. Any part that is not covered with blue tiles has been painted white particularly in the area of Mehrab The inner side of the tomb-chamber is decorated with wall paintings as well as glazed tiles From inside the chamber has a whitewashed surface with sprinkling of wall painting. The entrance vestibule was added at a later stage. The entrance vestibule is covered with calligraphists in Arabic, Persian and Punjabi and a painted ceiling. This is probably the only couplets scribed on the eastern wall in standard Punjabi. Flooring is of terracotta light blue tiles of 12”x12”. The door is modern and is painted fresh in green, blue and red.

External Links

• Reema Khan