KASUR: The annual three-day celebrations of the 261st Urs of Baba Bulleh Shah began here on Sunday.

The district administration announced a local holiday on Monday (today) as a mark of respect for the Sufi poet. The devotees thronged the shrine on Sunday and laid ‘chaddars’ invoking the blessings of the saint.

Police have made security arrangements and a diversion plan to control the flow of traffic near the shrine during the three days. Parking lots have been kept at a distance of about one kilometre away from the shrine as a security measure which, some people complained, created inconvenience for the devotees, especially women.

The Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department issued the three-day programme for the Urs. The first day started with ‘ghusal’ of the grave of the Sufi poet. Religious Affairs Committee chairman Haji Muhammad Safdar, MPA Naeem Safdar, committee member Muhammad Rizwan and others laid ‘chaddar’ at the shrine and offered ‘fateha’.

Besides recitation from the Holy Quran and prayers, the visitors took part in many devotional activities.

There will be sessions of poetry recital, Na’at, contest of recitation of Heer Waris Shah and Kalam Bulleh Shah, qawwali, speeches, and discussions on various aspects of the life of Bulleh Shah.

The Bulleh Shah Conference is scheduled to hold its 28th programme at Municipal Hall Baldia Chowk on Monday. It will be organised by Khadim Hussain and Abbas Soz. There will also be poetry recitals where Sughra Sadaf is the chief guest. The other poets will include Sharif Anjum, Naveed Yadah, Baba Ghulam Hussain Nadeem, Wajid Ameer, Syed Fida Hussain Bukhari, Yaseen Yas, Zahid Sadiqi, Zafar Iqbal Sajan, Sada Bukhari, Tajamal Kaleem, Altaf Zaman, Noreen Shakir, Kausar Ijaz, Faqeer Hussain Shami, Jamat Ali, Mustafa Anjum, Munawar Ghani and Haroon Gul Swati.

Abbas Soz said the Bulleh Shah Conference is a platform for the local poets and writers to present their works. The writers throw light on various facets of Bulleh Shah’s life. Prominent among the prose writers are Perveen Malik, Dr Naveed Shahzad, Mudasar Iqbal Butt, Akram Sheikh, Anjum Shakeel, Sadat Ali Saqib, Akhtar Hussain Sindhu and Muhammad Iqbal Manjh.

On the last day (Tuesday), the most significant day for the devotees, there will be ‘Jaloos Godri Sharif’ that includes display of the relics of the poet. The participants in the procession would take a round of markets of the city carrying the relics of Bulleh Shah for the lovers of the Sufi poet to have a look at them.

The district administration has banned circus, swings, toy shops and other such activities.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2018