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The Kashmir Timeline

Lal Ded

The mystic poet revered by Hindus and Muslims.

Text placard

No freely licensed photograph of this exhibit was found, so it is shown as text.

Lal Ded, also known as Lalleshwari and Lalla Arifa, left her husband's home to become a wandering ascetic and spoke her insights in short four-line verses called vakhs. Written in early Kashmiri and passed on by memory, they speak of looking inward for the divine and turning away from empty ritual.

Facts

  • Her vakhs are among the earliest surviving works in the Kashmiri language.
  • Lines from her verses are still used as sayings in everyday Kashmiri speech.