BHITSHAH: Sindh Minister for Local Government Jam Khan Shoro officially inaugurated the 273rd urs of great sufi Saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai by laying a wreath on his grave here on Tuesday, the day-2 of the three-day urs celebrations.

Minister for Culture & Tourism Syed Sardar Ali Shah and CM’s Special Assistant on Auqaf & Religious Affairs Ghulam Shah Jilani accompanied Mr Shoro. They prayed at the grave and attended a ceremony during which Shah Bhitai’s poetry was sung by some folk artists and gifts were distributed among visiting devotees.

Speaking to the participants in the ceremony, devotees and the media personnel covering the urs celebrations, Mr Shoro stressed the need for spreading the massage of Shah Bhitai to promote peace, brotherhood, religious and sectarian harmony and tolerance. He said the great sufi saint through his poetry and teachings taught people how to discourage hatred and avoid extremism and terrorism. He said Sufism should be promoted and Shah Bhitai’s philosophy spread to restore peace and brotherhood in society. Tolerance and respect for other religions and sects could greatly help check the menaces of extremism and terrorism, he added.

The minister said that the Pakistan Peoples Party was committed to eliminating terrorism in the country as its top leadership had fallen prey to it.

Regarding the Bhitshah beautification plan, Mr Shoro said that all related schemes, as well as other development projects in the province, were being executed on a top priority basis. He extraordinary allocations were being made for the Bhitshah and Sehwan town committees.

Culture Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah said Shah Bhitai was the ‘poet of the world’ whose philosophy and poetic works were internationally acclaimed. He highlighted the unparalleled contribution by the great sufi saint to communal harmony in society and called for spreading Shah Bhitai’s message among the new generation.

He announced that the saint’s statue was being prepared and would soon be installed in the middle of the Karar lake, that existed next to the shrine.

Ghulam Shah Jilani highlighted the special arrangements made by his department to ensure all essential facilities to devotees and other participants in the urs celebrations.

Exhibition, culture village opened

The ministers also inaugurated an agricultural, industrial and livestock exhibition and the ‘cultural village’ as part of the urs celebrations.

Officials of the livestock department briefed them about various agricultural commodities, inventions in the industrial sector and various animal species.

After a livestock show, the ministers gave away prizes to the winners whose animals were adjudged the best ones in beauty and health.

A horse race held in the course outside the shrine drew considerable crowd. Three winners of the race were awarded prizes.

The ‘cultural village’ inaugurated by the ministers was another feature of the urs celebration. A number of stalls displaying domestic products, embroidery and handicraft, books and others articles depicting the rural culture of Sindh have been set up at the village.

Folk singers kept performing at the village to entertain devotees and other visitors.

Yet another regular feature of the urs was Sindhi traditional wrestling called ‘Mulakhro’. Many wrestlers took part in the competition and winners were awarded cash prizes by Matiari deputy commissioner Pervez Ahmed Baloch.

The other well-attended events at the urs were ‘Sughar conference’, a folklore session with special reference to Shah Bhitai’s works, a musical evening where singers recited the sufi saint’s poetry in their unique styles, and a play titled Gul chino girnar jo staged for the first time this year at the urs.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2016