ISLAMABAD, May 25: It is the spiritual season for the rustic of the land in the city of elite. The Urs of Bari Imam, the patron saint of Islamabad, is on.

Devotees started arriving at the grounds of the saint’s shrine in Nurpur Shahan with the break of dawn on Sunday. They came on foot from the twin cities and in vehicles from places as far away as Lahore, Multan and Peshawar.

“It’s the pull of the Bari Imam. You come here once, you will come here always,” a malang, with eyes closed and a gentle smile on his face, said pointing towards heavens.

The steady stream of people and their spiritual ecstasy seemed to prove the malang’s point and gave the gaily decorated shrine a festive look.

And the Nature certainly looked to be kind to the devotees as dark clouds cooled the rigours of a hot summer for the small parties of trekkers bringing colourful Dalis to the shrine. The benign sun and a cool wind added to the natural charm of the picturesque beauty of Bari Imam which sits in the foot of the lush green Margalla hills.

For many parties of devotees, the shrine of Shah Allah Ditta Latif opposite Aabpara market was the first stop on the way to the shrine of his illustrious son, Bari Imam.

Devotional music to the beat of drums filled the air and attracted spectators all the way. It reached its crescendo on reaching the destination where the rhythm of ‘Allah Hoo’ played for hours, intermingling with devotional songs like ‘Mein Suaa Jora Paya Teri Farmaish Tey’ and the all time hit by Esa Khelvi ‘Ai Mundari Da Theywa’, to mention some.

Singers’ gusto, and the catchy and up tempo Bhangra beats on dhols, sent the bare-feet malangs into ecstatic dancing. Soon their whirling and addictive beats of dhols would start swooning. Many joined, as under a magical spell, the malangs in their turning in circles and repeating the name of Allah.

“It was a lifetime experience,” said one exhausted young devotee after coming out of the trance.

No doubt the long trek to the shrine and all the whirling and dancing sap devotees’ energy but the Langar (free food) at the shrine takes care of everybody, exhausted or just hungry.

Wealthy devotees, and those who come with wishes, arrange food for distribution through the Langar, or on their own, at regular hours. A mountain of food is on offer, the talk of food crisis and high prices notwithstanding. Thousands are fed at the Bari Imam’s Urs and many were taking away pots full of pulao and zarda from the Langar.

Beggars crawled on their bellies in the area seeking alms not food while saintly figures sat along side the road to the shrine, some lost in themselves, some talking and screaming to themselves and others dispensing wisdom.

“You will be celebrating Bari Imam in the true spirit only when you make efforts to purify your heart,” intoned one wise man.

At the gates of the shrine there was melee to get in first. Once inside, one feels to have stepped into a world of colour and light. The art and design created a distinctive atmosphere of worship, embodying the fundamental insights of religious beliefs.

The Islamabad administration had made plans for an influx of tens of thousands of people. Elaborate security arrangements are in place to ensure smooth running of the festival.

Foreign interest in the event seemed to be less this year. But the event, in any case, is more about worship than a festival and its size and reputation has been growing each year.