The Shah Jalal Dargah is the most important Islamic pilgrimage site in Bangladesh, and the experience of visiting it is unforgettable: the courtyard packed with pilgrims, qawwali singers, vendors of rosewater and flowers, and the constant motion of the famous black koi fish — descendants, according to tradition, of fish brought by the saint himself — in the central pond. The dargah complex includes the tomb of the saint, a mosque, and several shrines of his disciples.
Non-Muslim visitors are usually welcome in the outer courtyards but should not enter the inner shrine chamber. Modest dress is required (shoulders and legs covered); women may be asked to wear a headscarf. The atmosphere is most intense on Thursday evenings and during the saint's annual urs festival, when tens of thousands of pilgrims arrive.