SAHIWAL: The 781st annual 10-day rituals at the shrine of Baba Fariduddin Ganj Shakar began here on Tuesday at Pakpattan.

Dewan Modood Masood Chishti -- Sajada Nasheen -- inaugurated the event by colouring his devotees with the customary orange colour and traditional sweets distribution.

The main urn celebration will span from Muharram 1 to 10.

The Bahishti Darwaza, a special entrance, will open on the night of Muharram 5 after Isha prayers.

This year, the shrine of Baba Farid is being adorned by an individual from Lahore -- Haji Mushtaq -- who is said to be undertaking the decoration work without any financial assistance from the local administration.

BREACH AVERTED: The timely efforts of highway department authorities successfully prevented the breaching of the Sahiwal-Faisalabad main road near Qutab Shahna bridge.

A breach was anticipated due to mid-level flooding in the Ravi, which commenced from the night of July 16.

Highway EXEN Mian Iftikhar Ahmed said over the past 30 hours, more than 47 trucks loaded with boulders and small stones were deployed to protect the left side of the road, which was at high risk of damage from the Ravi.

He assured that the authorities are closely monitoring the situation to ensure smooth traffic flow between Sahiwal and Faisalabad without any damage to the road.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2023