BAHAWALPUR: The centuries-old Channan Pir fair, which has been extended to seven consecutive Thursdays, began with the entrance of hundreds of devotees from all across the country to the shrine in the heart of the Cholistan desert near Yazman, under strong security measures.

Devotees stay at Imamuddin’s shrine, also known as Channan Pir, on Thursday evenings and return home on Friday. A few worshippers stay on the shrine grounds for the entire seven weeks.

According to Auqaf Department officials, rigorous security measures have been implemented at the mela.

The police said CCTV cameras and barbed wire at the venue have been installed, and every devotee is being frisked. Also, hundreds of personnel have been deployed there for security purposes.

As per tradition, the mela starts on the third Thursday of February, and after the completion of seven Thursdays, it usually concludes on the last Thursday of March. But, according to officials, as Ramazan falls in March, the mela festivities this year were expected to be wrapped up on March 16, the fifth Thursday.

The mela’s fifth week is described as the most significant one and devotees in thousands number attend the mela. The district government may also announce a local holiday on the occasion of fifth mela round on March 16. The local holiday has been a decades-old tradition.

The government officials managing the mela said that the devotees arrived at the mela site on the first Thursday by their transport. Most of the devotees dance and sing the poetry of sufi poet Khwaja Ghulam Farid, for his poetry celebrates the beauty of Cholistan or Rohi.

The Auqaf Department has allowed several contractors to set up makeshift bazaars and shops of sweets and edibles, while theatres and recreational centres also continue to entertain the devotees. Devotees also sacrifice thousands of animals for the acceptance of their prayers and tie knots with the tree at the shrine.

The Auqaf officials told Dawn this year all these contracts were awarded Rs5.2 million, while donations from devotees were collected through a cash box at the mazar but the venue does not offer basic facilities, such as drinking water, toilets, and lodging.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2023