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The greatest Saraiki poet; his kafis celebrate the Rohi (Cholistan) desert
Khawaja Ghulam Farid was born into a family of Chishti Sufi saints at Chachran, on the Indus in the princely state of Bahawalpur. His parents died while he was young, and he was raised and educated by his elder brother, who was also his spiritual guide.
He became a learned scholar, fluent in Arabic and Persian, and a spiritual guide to many, including the Nawab of Bahawalpur, Sadiq Muhammad Khan IV.
He spent long periods in the Rohi (Cholistan) desert, whose landscapes, rains, flowers and people fill his poetry.
Divine love expressed through the longing of Sassi searching the desert for Punnu, the beauty of the Rohi, the monsoon, and the unity of existence (wahdat al-wujud).
He is the most celebrated poet of the Saraiki language, and his kafis are central to Saraiki identity. Singers such as Abida Parveen, Pathanay Khan and many others have made them famous. His shrine at Kot Mithan holds a large urs every year.