KASUR: A large number of devotees, against the officials’ expectations, thronged the shrine of Punjabi classic poet Baba Bulleh Shah whose three-day Urs concluded on Sunday, forcing the district administration and religious affairs committee to intervene and stop some events to remove the overwhelming number of visitors from the premises.

The uncontrolled devotees broke the gate and iron fences that made them move in a queue at the entrance point to the shrine at the Tehsildar Chowk. They entered the premises, making the law enforcers helpless. The entrance passage was not enough to accommodate the rush of pilgrims.

A large number of women devotees were also present at the shrine to pay homage to the poet. They also tied threads of different colours with the windows of the shrine, seeking blessings for the fulfilment of their wishes.

Dhamal on the drumbeats, singing of poetry of Bulleh Shah and Waris Shah at various points on the compound of the shrine added colour to the Urs celebrations and they remained a major attraction for the devotees.

Swings, well of death, sweets and toy shops installed along Shahbaz Khan Road were the source of attraction for children. Scores of devotees in the form of processions also reached the shrine to lay colourful chadars on the grave of Bulleh Shah and offer prayers for his soul.

The Bulleh Shah Conference held its 34th annual edition on Saturday that lasted till dawn on Sunday.

The programme was attended by PPP stalwarts Qamar Zaman Qaira and Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed. Poets and scholars from various parts of the country participated in the conference and shed light on the facets of the poetry of the Sufi poet.

Scholars presented their search papers on the poetry and explained the vastness of its themes. The conference was also a platform for other poets to present their own poetry.

The Urs was also an event for local political figures, journalists and other notables to fix giant panaflexes on Shahbaz Khan Road and Railway Road near the shrine.

The Urs concluded after prayers at the end of Mehfil-e-Sama held in the courtyard of the shrine on Sunday night.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2024