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NOTES ON SOME FRONTIER SHRINES.
121
APRIL, 1906.]
head of the saint pursued the raiders for nearly a mile, and that when they turned and saw it they fled in dismay, leaving the cattle behind. The cattle were thus recovered. There are now two shrines, one at the place where the saint's body fell, and the other where his head was found. As he was a great lover of cattle, all those desirous of increasing their herds visit his shrine, fix small pegs in the ground and tie bits of rope to them, as a hint that they want as many cattle as there are pegs; and the belief is that their efforts are not in vain. The saint's descendants, who go by the name of Mandúri Sayyids, are found in Kurram and the Bannů District. They are supposed to possess the power of curing people bitten by mad dogs. Their curse is much dreaded by the people, and nobody ventures to injure their property. In the tribal jirgas, whenever one party wishes to bring the opposite side to a permanent settlement or termination of a fend, it invariably secures the attendance of a Manduri Sayyid at the jirga, as no one will venture to violate or contravene an agreement drawn up in his presence. People whose property is insecure in their houses take it to the precincts of this shrine in order to secure its safety, and no thief will venture to touch it. A jackal is said to have once entered the compound of the shrine with intent to steal, but it was miraculously caught in a trap and killed.
4.Ziarat Sarwardin.
This shrine is situated about hundred yards from the shrine of Râmdîn (No. 2). This saint also was a Sayyid. His descendants, who live in the surrounding villages, are said to have been much oppressed by the high-handedness of the Thalwals (inhabitants of Thal), who maltreated them and forcibly diverted their water. One day descendants of Sarwardin, exasperated by the excesses of the Thalwâls, went to their ancestor's shrine and prayed against them, and it so happened that one of the men, who was actually engaged at the time in injuring them, died within twenty-four hours. Another man, who had stolen some grass from the field of a descendant of this saint, saw in a dream that he was stabbed by a horseman and when he awoke he went mad, ran about like a wild animal and died soon after. The descendants of this saint are also respected and dreaded by the people, though not to the same extent as those of the Sar Prêkarai saint.
5. Nasimu'llah Ziarat.
This shrine is about three hundred paces from Biland Khêl Village. The saint belonged to the Qaz Khêl family and lived a life of great austerity. He very seldom spoke, always remained bareheaded, and passed his days and nights, both summer and winter, in water. He left to his posterity a green mantle and a green cloak. The popular belief is that these clothes, when drenched in water, have the power of bringing down rain from the sky. His descendants look upon them as a sacred and valuable legacy and would not part with them for anything.
6.Khalifa Nika Ziarat.
This shrine lies about a mile from the Village of Biland Khêl. The saint, who goes by the name of Khalifa, was a beloved disciple of Háji Bahadur Sâhib, whose shrine is at Kohât, and he is said to have been allowed by his spiritual guide to lift kettles of boiling water on his bare head. There is a belief that if a man receive a piece of cloth from this saint's descendants and dip his hand along with it in boiling water, it will come out unscathed. This shrine is visited both by men and women and vows made for the birth of sons and increase of wealth. The Kâbul Khêl and Khôjal Khêl Waziris make frequent visits to it. A stone taken from the ziárat and passed over the body is looked upon as a potent charm against evil-spirits.
