Makhdoom Sahib is the shrine of the Sufi saint Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi, set on the southern slope of Hari Parbat above the old city of Srinagar. Two ways up: about eighty steps, or the ropeway that runs to the hill. From the terrace the whole of Srinagar spreads out below, which is why visitors climb it even outside prayer times.
Duke Kashmir Travels has worked from Srinagar since 2011 under Department of Tourism registration JKTA00003978. This shrine and the old city below it form one morning of our Kashmir itineraries, which start near ₹6,350 per person, twin sharing.
By Duke Kashmir Travels Team · Reviewed by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, Founder · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
- On the south face of Hari Parbat, below the Mughal fort wall.
- Honours Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi, also called Mehboob-ul-Alam and Sultan-ul-Aarifeen.
- About eighty steps from the road, or take the ropeway.
- One of the widest views over Shahr-i-Khaas and the Jhelum.
- Very busy at the major religious festivals.
- Sharika Devi Temple stands higher on the same hill.
Who was Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi?
A sixteenth-century Kashmiri Sufi, remembered by the titles Mehboob-ul-Alam, beloved of the world, and Sultan-ul-Aarifeen, king of the knowers.
His following in the valley is large and long-standing, and the shrine on Hari Parbat has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. Most of the people you will see there on an ordinary day are locals rather than visitors.
How do you get up to the shrine?
Either the flight of roughly eighty steps from the road below, or the ropeway that serves the hill.
The steps are steep but short. Dress modestly, remove shoes at the shrine and expect separate sections for men and women. The view from the terrace takes in the old city, the Jhelum bridges and the ridge line beyond.
What else is on Hari Parbat?
The Mughal fort wall runs round the summit, Sharika Devi Temple sits on the top, and Badamwari lies at the foot.
The hill carries a Sufi shrine, a Hindu temple and a Sikh gurdwara on its slopes, which is the short version of Srinagar's own history. See the Srinagar page for the rest of the city.
Booking this with us
Behind the itineraries: Duke Kashmir Travels, a Srinagar agency carrying tourism registration JKTA00003978 from March 2011, IATO membership ALD150928 and a seat in the JK Tourism Council. Details on About Us.
Give us the dates and the number of travellers; the itinerary and the quote come back the same day. +91 9018 44 0000, info@dukekashmirtravels.com, or the contact page.
About the founder
Duke Kashmir Travels is owned and run by its founder, Rayies Ahmad Zargar, who set it up in Srinagar in 2011 and checks these destination pages himself. LinkedIn.