Soch Kral
Faqeer Soch Kral R.A. | |
|---|---|
 Shrine of Soch Kral | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Ismail 1782 Yendragam, Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. |
| Died | 29 November 1854 |
| Resting place | Pulwama |
| Era | Early 19th Century |
| Region | Kashmir Valley |
| Main interest(s) | Sufism, Tasawuf |
| Other names | Soch Seab |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Ishq, (Sufi) |
Soch Kral (1782 – 29 November 1854), was a Kashmiri Sufi poet, and is a Sufi saint.[1] He was born in 1782 in the village of Inder, in present-day Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir. He was a potter by profession. He lived a simple life devoted to spirituality, monotheism and mysticism. He was the son of the Sufi poet Arif Kral.[2]
Soch Kral may have migrated to the village of Devsar in the Anantnag district, where his descendants are still living. He married but divorced his wife,[2] and died on 29 November 1854 in Inder.[2] He was a contemporary of Kashmiri Sufi poets such as Mahmud Gami, Wahab Khar, Karam Buland, and Shah Qalandar. Soch Kral was mentored by Sufi saint Moomin Sahib of Babgam, Pulwama.[3]
Published works
In 2021, Songs of Soch Kral by Mushtaque B. Barq was published by Kitab Mahal Publishers. The book contains English renderings and interpretations of 23 of Soch Kral's poems, with analysis of their mystical and humanistic themes.[4]
In 2025, Mehfooza Jan, Head of the Department of Kashmiri at the University of Kashmir compiled Soch Kral's poetry into a 234-page book titled Kuliyati Soch Kral, published by Meezan Publishers, Srinagar. The book contains 45 songs, many of which were previously unknown to the public, and includes detailed commentary on his life, poetic style, and spiritual philosophy.[3]
Legacy
According to a blogger on Blogspot.com, Soch Kral used poetry as a tool to enlighten the minds of people,[5] and his work promoted Sufism in Kashmiri poetry.[6]
The Soch Kral Memorial College of Education in Pulwama was named after him.[2]
In about 2009 the state government set aside Rs 50 lakh for the development of a heritage site near the Soch Kral's shrine. By 2012 construction had not started.[7]
In 2016, at Pulwama Degree College, singer Dhananjay Kaul grouped Lal-Ded, Mahjoor, Wahab Khar, and Soch Kral as among the "Sufi greats that Pulwama has produced", and sung their poetry which he set to music.[8]
References
- ^ "Before Iqbal's 'shikwa', there was Soch Kral's divine petition". Free Press Kashmir. 22 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Soch Kral a Sufi Poet". SKM College. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ a b "'Kuliyati Soch Kral' (by Dr. Mehfooza Jan)". Kashmir Images. 18 May 2025.
- ^ "Songs of a Mystic". Greater Kashmir. 7 July 2021.
- ^ "Kashmri rooster". Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ^ "Tributes paid to Soch Kral". Greater Kashmir. 24 July 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ Maqbool, Zahid (6 March 2012). "Construction of Soch Kral heritage site hits roadblock". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ Ashiq, Peerzada (8 June 2016). "Pandit couple spread notes of harmony in Kashmir". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 April 2018.