SEHWAN: As one walks into the shrine of Qalandar Lal Shahbaz one can almost physically feel mystique in the air. At around 1am on Wednesday authorities were supposed to close inner sanctum of the shrine for security ahead of scheduled formal opening ceremony in the morning but devotees’ number was not slackening.

Policemen request visitors to leave so that they can run security sweep of the premises and cleanliness can begin but their calls remain unheeded as disciples scramble to touch the elegant beautiful brown frame — lovingly called zari in local parlance — built around Qalandar’s grave.

It was the third urs of Qalandar after massive suicide blast at the shrine on Feb 17, 2017, but devotees appear visibly undaunted. It seems paying homage to Qalandar for them matters more than their lives.

As groups of men beat their chests in the courtyard in the memory of Hazrat Imam Hussain, grandson of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), women present nauhas (elegies) inside the shrine. Some devotees only sit in awe of Qalandar, whose original name is Syed Usman Marwandi.

The sight of the golden dome of the shrine is an embodiment of ethereal beauty for the devotees who reach Sehwan from either side of Indus Highway. The ongoing work on the highway’s expansion which is often hit by delays leads to road tragedies, causing loss of precious lives of devotees.

People espousing diffe­rent religious beliefs usually visit the shrine throughout the year but their numbers swell during urs celebrations. Bare-footed, young and elderly, men and women throng Qalandar’s abode in temperature as high as 40 degrees Celsius to have their prayers answered.

Many perform dhamal in groups outside the dome as others struggle to enter the shrine with chants of ‘bolo bolo mera sohna Lal Qalandar mast’. Some devotees keep blowing a seashell-like horn inside the shrine from time to time.

Qalandar, it is said, used to blow it as a tribute to martyrs of Karbala when he felt immersed in their love. Wearing red frocks and twinkling anklets bearded men perform dhamal in a trance at different places. Having long hair and begging bowl in hand is an expression of deep affection for Qalandar by devotees.

“Aqeedat hay tu phir khauf kaisa or khauf hay tu phir aqeedat tu nahi na huwee (if one has faith one need not fear and if one has fear he has no faith)” quips a woman Arzoo when asked if she feels afraid that terror can strike again.

She has arrived from Lahore and will spend three days in Sehwan.

She consi­ders the shrine more sacred in her life than anything else. “Since my childhood we are visiting the shrine. It’s a religious obliga­tion for us,” she says. Like many others, she is undeter­red by the threat of terrorism at shrines in general and Sehwan in particular.

Clad in red shalwar kameez Rafiq Rajput, a book­shop owner from Lah­ore, says he has hardly missed any urs in last 25 years. He remarks with visi­ble faith in Qalandar: “I’ve got everything from my murshid’s door sill”.

With a broom in his hand his relative Zeeshan Rajput Bhatti is waiting for the shrine’s premise to close. “We will sweep the shrine. Spirituality is at its peak around the grave when its crowning ceremony takes place,” says Bhatti.

Youths carrying dhol walked up to the shrine from different directions and women lit earthen lamps as a mark of respect. Though urs marks death anniversary of a saint it is considered a meeting of the saint with his beloved God.

People sacrifice animals and distribute food as langar among devotees.

As Muslim and Hindus mingle during urs celebra­tions many visitors spend an entire week in Sehwan.

After the third dhamal groups of pilgrims — called Lahootis — embark upon a weeklong journey on foot to the shrine of Shah Noorani in Balochistan and reach there after treading inhospi­table terrain through Kir­thar mountains.

Around maghrib time on Feb 17, 2017, on a Thursday a suicide bomber — later identified as Barar Brohi by the police’s Counter-Terro­rism Department (CTD) Karachi — entered the mau­s­o­leum and blew himself up on the left side of the saint’s grave while dhamal was in progress in the courtyard.

The otherwise pure white floor inside underneath the dome was littered with devotees’ belongings inclu­ding infant’s feeders.

Blood­stains were easily noticeable on the floor which was blackened by smoke at some places.

A part of the lower portion of the zari and wooden frame’s silver grill was slightly damaged, the dome’s windowpanes were smashed and ceiling fans were bent.

The rest of the premises were intact and so was chandelier right above the grave.

This reporter found emotionally charged devotees storming the premises from its eastern side after the blast the next morning.

They kissed the dark brown zari as a mark of respect amid slogans of “Labbaik Ya Hussain”. Repairs and renovation were carried out soon after the blast.

Nadir Jakhrani, a suspect in the suicide blast, is in Karachi prison while other suspects including Farooq Bangalzai, Aijaz Bangalzai, Safiullah, Imran and Tanvir are yet to be nabbed. Nadir told CTD that he and Safiullah had dropped Barar at the golden gate entrance to the shrine and left. According to CTD officers, the investigation is under way to bring them to justice too.

Whatever the outcome of the investigation and trial of the blast case there is no sign the devotees’ desire to pay respects to their saint is going to die down. They continue to respond to Qalandar’s call.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2019