DADU, Sept 11: The annual Urs of Hazrat Shahbaz Qalandar begins in Sehwan Sharif on Tuesday. Thousands of devotees from Sindh and other parts of the country have arrived in the town for the three-day event.

Hazrat Qalandar Lal Shahbaz Usman Marvandi was born in Marvand in Afghanistan in 1177 and died in Sehwan Sharif in 1274.

He received his early education in Marvand and learnt the Holy Quran by heart. His ancestors are reported to have migrated from Iraq, but later returned to Marvand. During the mediaeval period Merv, Herat and other cities in the region were centres of learning. A number of saints entered the Indian subcontinent from places like Khorasan, Balkh, Bokhara and Herat.

Qalandar Lal Shahbaz came to the lower reach of the Indus Valley from Baghdad through Makran. He stayed for some time near the valley of Punjgoor and the place got its name of ‘Dasht-i-Shahbaz’. Many Balochis became his disciples. Therefore, a large number of people from Makran come to his shrine at Sehwan to pay homage.

He passed through Pasni Bunder taking the route earlier traversed by Alexander’s army and came to Lahoot La-Makan in Lasbella. There are evidences that Qalandar came to Sehwan Sharif via Shah Hassan and Manchhar Lake.

Qalandar Lal Shahbaz later went to Multan where he came in close contact with Ghous Bahauddin, Shaikh Fareed and Jalal Bukhari. He is said to have impressed Sultan Muhammad, son of Sultan Ghayasuddin Balban, the then governor of Multan, who offered to build a “Khanqah” for him at Multan, but the Qalandar declined the offer.

From Multan he went to ‘Hindustan’ where he met Bu Ali Qalandar at Panjpat. It is here that he was told to concentrate on Sindh because there were already many Saints in Hind. He is also said to have gone to Junagarh. Before coming to Sehwan, he went to Laki where he met Shah Sadar.

The Qalandar came to Sehwan when one Hindu Raja by the name of Jesar ruled the area. The Raja was defeated by Sultan Nasiruddin Mehmood in 64 A.H/1251 A.D.

With the coming of the Qalandar to Sehwan not only the Raja was defeated by a pious Sultan but a den of women of bad character was eliminated and it is at that place where the shrine of the Qalandar now stands.

Syed Usman Qalandar was given the titles of Lal, Shahbaz, Saif-ul-Lisan, Shamsuddin, Mehdi and Makhdoom because of distinguished status and learning.

He memorised the Holy Quran at the age of seven. He learned Arabic and Persian and was a linguist and grammarian. He wrote a number of books, including Uqd, Kism Doyum, Ijnas and Meezan Sarf, which were taught in Maktabs.

Hundreds and thousands of devotees of Lal Shahbaz attend his annual Urs in Sehwan Sharif every year.