By: RASHID AHMAD RATHER
This anthropological study examines the Reshmol Sahib shrine in Anantnag, South Kashmir, as a site of shared worship for Hindus and Muslims. The shrine is dedicated to Hazrat Baba Hyder Reshi, a Sufi saint of the Kashmiri Reshi order. During the annual six-day Urs festival, devotees from both communities participate in rituals such as offerings, circumambulation, and collective abstinence from meat. The paper explores how these religious groups share the same sacred space without conflict. Based on observations of rituals and devotee behavior, the study finds that religious boundaries become flexible at the shrine. The saint’s background as a blacksmith who rose to spiritual authority makes him accessible to ordinary people across religious lines. The paper argues that Reshmol Sahib represents an older, syncretic tradition of Kashmiri society that challenges narratives of permanent religious division. This study contributes to the anthropological literature on shared sacred spaces and interfaith coexistence in South Asia.
