Dewa Sharif Dargah – Spiritual Getaway from Lucknow

Related Articles

The Hosteller’s Diary: Fort Kochi Edition

February 16, 2024

This post comes in late, very late I should say. It had been lying in the drafts folder for quite some time now. But I’m glad that this is finally here ! It was in December last year when I was in Lucknow, I got a chance to visit Dewa Sharif Dargah in Dewa. If you remember my Flower Show, visit to Sharmaji Ki Chai, Baati Chokha Restaurant and Frozen Factory posts, yes this was a part of the same trip. So without wasting much time, let me take you on a virtual tour of Dewa Sharif Dargah.

How to reach Dewa Sharif

For all of you who don’t know where Dewa is, it’s a small town in Barabanki District in Uttar Pradesh. A little over 40 kms from Lucknow. It’s a good drive from Lucknow, but the roads are narrow – single lane – so not much of overtaking, please ensure safety first. Since I went in the month of December- which is when Winter is probably at its peak – it was way too foggy and hence we took more than usual time to reach Dewa. The sign boards are well in place and ensure you don’t get lost finding your way. You can find a lot of a spots on the way to click photos for your cover photo 😉

Dewa Sharif Shrine – History

I love learning about different cultures and religions. Now it can either be through Food, Language or visiting religious places. Like I visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar or the St. Philomena Church in Mysore. I was eager to learn about Dewa Sharif Dargah too. Dewa Sharif is the dargah of late Waris Ali Shah who was a sufi saint born in Dewa. Apparently his spiritual order was liked by many from around the world. And that is the reason why tourists from around the world visit the Dewa Mela that is held every year in October – November.

Mystical Dewa Sharif Dargah

This was my first visit to a Dargah. Ajmer Sharif has been on my bucket list for quite some time now, will soon be there too. We reached there early in the morning to avoid any rush. Please be aware that there is a lot of parking issue near the Dargah, and hence I advice you to use public transport as much as possible. Since we drove in our personal vehicle, we had to park it near a stall only because we bought stuff from there. (Forgive me for using the word stuff here) As they say when in Rome do as the Romans do, we bought a basket that had a chaddar, ettar, aggarbatti and some flowers. We then walked up to the shrine. You’ll find a lot of shops on the way selling various items including food, clay pots, religious items etc.

I was uncomfortable carrying my DSLR, as I didn’t know whether I was allowed to take it inside or not. Well, it turns out that you can carry the camera inside the complex, but not the shrine. So I clicked a few pictures of the shrine from the outside. Went inside the shrine, followed what the cleric said – put the chaddar, applied the ittar and moved on. I was told that while exiting the shrine it is advised to not show your back, hence walk backwards to exit the shrine.

Good place to spend some time – Dewa Sharif Dargah

With close to a couple of hours drive from the city of Lucknow, Dewa Sharif is a serene place to be. You’re lucky if you visit during the Dewa Mela as you get to witness some soulful sufi performances. It’s a calm place and one can spend hours inside the complex. Just ensure to take care of your belongings and vehicle. Prior to this trip, I hadn’t heard of this place, but enjoyed this short spiritual getaway. Do visit if you are in and around Lucknow and have few hours to spare.