The principles of Sufism are as relevant today as they were in medieval times because love and compassion, the two main planks of Sufism, will never age. Through their humanistic teachings, Sufis bridged the gulf between people of different faiths. There are various dimensions of Sufis and to teach those to the people, especially our younger generation, is the need of the hour. The people need to realise the vastly rich heritage of Kashmir including the Sufi movement and the tradition of tolerance embodied by Sufis. There are great Sufi saints like Baba Farid who are revered by Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs alike. Kashmir is known as a bastion of Sufi traditions. Infect, it won’t be an exaggeration to call Kashmir the cradle of Sufism in South Asia. This tradition has been an integral part of the people’s ethos in the valley. Sufism, practiced for centuries, made co-existence among various religions and civilisations possible in the past. Multiculturalism has emerged as a reality and Sufism provides us with the platform of interaction between the East and the West. Given the present challenging times, there is a dire need to revive the essence of Sufism to bridge the gap between the communities.
