Nund Rishi Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, the Sufi mystic after whom the Charar-e-Sharif in Srinagar is named, was the initiator of Rishism or mendicant-hood. It was later that his school of Rishism was renowned as the Rishi Mat or Vaishnav Mat. The Charar-e-Sharif in Srinagar today is the epitome of a religious practice that preaches communal harmony, non-violence, vegetarianism and secular tolerance. Nund Rishi Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani gathered many followers who called him by different names. Some of the names conferred on him include: the Nund Rishi, Sheikh-ul-Alam, Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, Alamdar-e-Kashmir, Sarkhel-e-Rishiya, etc.
J&K Haj Piligrims list 2011
Charar-e-Sharif in Srinagar is the site where the Nund Rishi made numerous contributions in the field of philosophy, verses and poetry. It is said that on the occasion of his death in the year 1438, about nine million people gathered on the shrine of the Charar-e-Sharif in Srinagar. The funeral procession was also taken part by the King Sultan Zainul Abdin. Charar-e-Sharif in Srinagar is the place which houses the mortal remains of the Sheikh. Despite the destruction of the Charar-e-Sharif in Srinagar twice, the shrine has been reconstructed on the lines of central Asian architecture. The most recent assault on the shrine in 1995 has not managed to impede its reverence by Hindus and Muslims alike.