KASUR: Three-day celebrations of the 268th Urs of Punjabi Sufi poet Bulleh Shah started here on Friday. The district administration announced Saturday as a local holiday.

Devotees from parts of the country had started arriving to attend the Urs and to pay homage to the poet who is known for its element of spiritualism and universal themes of humanism and love.

The administration claims to have made foolproof arrangements to facilitate the devotees.

District Police Officer Essa Khan Sukhera said 20,000 cops would perform duty on the Urs in three layers and three shifts.

“One hundred and twenty CCTV cameras have been installed at various points in and around the shrine to keep an eye on the criminal elements. Policemen would search the devotees at the entrance points with the help of metal detectors and walkthrough gates,” he added.

Deputy Commissioner Imran Ali said the officials of municipal committee, police, Auqaf, Lesco, health department and civil defence had installed tents near the shrine to facilitate the devotees. He said eight parking lots had been established for the devotees that come from far-off areas on the vehicles.

The three-day celebrations started with the Ghusal ceremony of the grave of Bulleh Shah on Friday morning. Local parliamentarians, including MNA Sheikh Saad Waseem, MPA Naeem Safdar Ansari, DC Imran Ali, DPO Essa Sukhera and dozens of devotees performed the Ghusal of the grave with rosewater. Later, a Chadar inscribed with the verses of the Holy Quran was laid on the shrine along with layers of rose petals.

A Mushaira and Mehfil-i-Milad were also parts of the first day celebrations organised by the shrine administration.

Singing of the Kafis of Bulleh Shah by small groups in various corners of the spacious courtyard and Qawwals created a fascinating scene that added to the beauty of the event and uplifted the souls of the devotees.

On Saturday (today), Quran Khawani, debate competition among students and Qawwalis will be held .

On Sunday, the concluding day of the Urs, celebrations would consist of speeches of various scholars, presentation of thesis on the life and poetry of Belleh Shah.

Meanwhile, the 35th Bulleh Shah Conference would also be held at the local banquet hall. A seminar to highlight various facets of the poetry of Bulleh Shah and recitation of his poetry are also parts of the celebration. The main event of the Bulleh Shah Conference would include Mushaira to provide a chance to the writers to unfold various aspects of the poetry of Bulleh Shah.

According to Bulleh Shah Conference office-bearer Tariq Rasheed, local poet, the late Tajamal Kaleem, recently awarded with a presidential award would be remembered during the event.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2025