Hazrat Chashni Pir (R.A.) was a distinguished companion who accompanied Hazrat Shah Jalal (R.A.) on his spiritual journey to spread Islam in Bengal. He was known for his expertise in soil science and soil testing. According to the legend associated with his life, Hazrat Shah Jalal (R.A.) was instructed by his maternal uncle to travel with a handful of soil from Mecca and find a land whose soil matched its smell, color, and taste. During their journey, Hazrat Shah Jalal (R.A.) met Chashni Pir, who possessed the special spiritual gift and knowledge to test and taste soil. He was entrusted with carrying and safeguarding the pouch of sacred soil throughout their travels. Upon reaching Sylhet, Chashni Pir tested the local soil and discovered an exact match in smell and taste to the soil of Mecca, signaling that Sylhet was the place where Hazrat Shah Jalal (R.A.) should settle and establish his spiritual base. Because of his crucial role in tasting and matching the soil (“chashni” referring to tasting or testing), he became famously known as Chashni Pir.
The saint’s shrine (mazar) is located atop a small hill in the Goaittula area of Sylhet. The site is widely known for a remarkable ongoing phenomenon associated with it, where a large population of wild monkeys lives on the hill around the shrine. These monkeys remain at the shrine premises, guarded and living in harmony with the environment, which visitors and locals consider a unique and living sign connected to the spiritual sanctity of the saint’s resting place.