Baba Bam-ud-din

He was Hindu Rahib who meditated at Bumzoo cave. Day and night he would worship hundreds of idols in his cave. One day Sheikh-Ul-Alam came to his cave and asked for food. Bumsed refused and said that whatever he prepared was eaten by idols and whatever was left he himself ate. Sheikh-Ul-Alam told him that he is lying as there is food in the food pot. Bumsed was annoyed and with anger lifted the lid of the pot and to his own surprise he found pot full of food. He adopted Islam and was given the name of Bam-ud-din.

After enrolling himself as one of the disciples of Sheikh-ul-Alam, Bam-ud-din is said to have lived for twelve years eating crushed stones and water as his food. He is said to have kept no servant and never troubled himself about keeping a systematic life. It appears that Bam-ud-din like his mentor sought solitude. When ruler of Kashmir, Ali shah (1413 to 1420) wanted to see him he said that if the visit was really necessary he should not come in his royal robes. The Sultan attended Bam-ud-din in the dress of a peasant. He asked for the advice of the saint, the saint said “You have taken off the dress of a king but you have not taken your mind from the cares of your kingdom. You refuse to remove the cotton wool of heedlessness from your ears; so what use would my company and advice is to you. The nature of rulers is like fire and the counsel and advice of saints like air; the fire flares up in the air”. Again the Sultan asked if he could do anything for him. Bam-ud-din replied: “Do not come to see me again, and do not mention my name in your court.” the Sultan retorted ; “What deep enmity you show for the ordinary men.” The reply was “only because I am enemy of worldliness.” When Sultan left, Bam-ud-din threw the mat in the river on which sultan had been sitting.

When Bam-ud-din was dying somebody asked him who was to wash his corpse; he replied Zain-ud-din. His disciples told him that was impossible for Zain-ud- din to come as he was in Tibet far from Kashmir, Bam-ud-din replied that distance was nothing. When he died Zain-ud-din miraculously attended his funeral. Bam-ud-din is buried at Bumzoo where he is supposed to have maintained his idols and performed his worship as a Hindu and later lived and prayed as a Muslim Rishi.