February 25, 2008	Monday	Safar 17, 1429

THATTA, Feb 24: “Sat Diharay, ath mailay, kam karan main kehre waylay.” (Seven days, eight festivals, on which day can I work?) This popular saying demonstrates the fondness of Mailayye people (regular visitors to Urs celebrations of sufi saints) to attend each and every event of this kind.

After lull brought about by Muharram, the season of festivals has begun in Sindh with the annual Urs celebrations of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.

Sunday was the concluding day of the Urs when the pilgrims of Bhit Shah observed the ritual of Tihayee (the third day of the Urs) by cooking and distributing sweet dishes.

After that many of them left for Jhoke in Thatta district where first Dhamal marked the beginning of 299th Urs of socialist-sufi Shah Inayat Shaheed.

They were joined by hundreds of others in the dusty hamlet of Jhoke where the celebrations began with the laying of a wreath on the grave of Sufi Shah Inayat by the custodian of the shrine, Sufi Attaullah Sattari.

Hundreds of disciples, including members of Hindu and scheduled-caste communities and those coming from as far as the US, the UK, Gulf states and India, thronged the shrine which echoed with Sufi songs being sung here and there.