Lalleshwari (Lal Ded)

The Great Mystic Saint (1335-87)

The Valley of Kashmir, in spite of being walled by the high mountains,received waves after waves of various Asiatic cultures, which came from different directions and formed a happy amalgam in this land of beauty and plenty

First came the early Aryans from India and later Kushans, the Indo-Scythians, the Mongols and then Muslim Turks from Central Asia and China.

“The history of India has for its landmarks not wars and emperors but saints and scriptures.”

Lalleshwari (1320 - 1392) locally mostly known as Lal Ded, was a Kashmiri mystic of the kashmir shaivism school of philosophy she was the Creator of the style of mystic poetry called Vatsun or Vakhs, literally "speech" (voice). Known as Lal vakhs.

Her verses are the earliest composition in the Kashmiri language and are an important part in the history of modern kashmiri literature. She inspired and interacted many sufis of kashmir.

She is also known by other names like Lal Ded, Mother Lalla, Lalla Arifa, Lal Didi, Lalleshwari, Lalla yogeshwari and lalishri.
Lalleshwari was born in pandrethan (ancient puranadhisthana) about 4.5 miles of the south east of Srinagar, in a kashmiri pandit family