KARACHI, Nov 29: As the three-day Urs celebrations of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi drew to a close on Monday evening, the final day of the annual event, droves of people streamed in and out of the shrine compound, disregarding the fear the last month's bombing might have sown.
People were seen alighting from (and boarding) buses, minibuses, private vehicles, taxis, rickshaws and motorcycles. They had continued to flock the site round the clock, but their numbers were far greater on the third day than the previous two days.One track of the road in front of the shrine was blocked with minibuses, police vans and motorcycles. A wall of tent ran along the traffic island. A few gun-mounted vehicles of the Rangers also stood at certain points.
Visitors were frisked at three stages before the entrance and the walk-through gates as they lined up to enter the premises and walk up the steep stairways to the shrine perched on a hillock. Women visitors had a separate gateway, of course, with women police monitoring their affairs. All security staff — Rangers, police and plainclothes men — stood alert. The visitors were cooperative and did not seem to mind the hassle they had to suffer due to the security arrangements.
Sitting in their office at the foot of the stairway, Auqaf officials seemed to be beginning to relax. They said they had been working long hours during the celebrations.
“The Urs concludes with the Mehfil-i-sama (or Qawwali concert), which begins after Isha prayers and ends at 1am,” said Mohammad Nusrat, the administrator of the Auqaf department for Karachi, while talking to this writer. “There are two popular Qawwal groups who will be performing.”
During the day, he said, there was a markazi langar (the main free public meal) in which hundreds of degs were offered to the pilgrims. He added that there had been a 24-hour langar (free distribution of food) during the Urs days.
Auqaf officials said they were thankful to the visitors for their cooperation. They said they knew the pilgrims were put to inconvenience because of the strict security measures, but it was for their own safety. They, however, admitted that the attendance was low this time and said it was more so because of security arrangements than the element of fear of terrorism.
Unafraid of terrorism
“The time of death is set by God, not by humans,” said Haji Mushahid Raza, a furniture trader from Gujrat visiting the shrine with four other traders. “It's part of our faith.”
His colleagues — Mohammad Saleem, Ashraf, Khalid and Mehr Khadim — had come here by train for five days to attend the Urs . They had different trades but all had their outlets on Railway Road in their native town.
Pilgrims from all over the country were visiting the shrine to pay their homage to the holy man.
A middle-aged man, Sarfaraz, from Gulberg said he was unhappy that the pilgrims were not as numerous as they had been in the previous years.
”I come here every year. Pilgrims here were never as few as they are this Urs ,” he said. “But it is just logical. They don't want to risk their lives and believe the saint would pardon their absence.”
He was accompanied by three other friends, visiting from Gulberg to say their 'Salam' to the saint.
Inside the grave chamber and around it, men and women sat with the Quran open in their hands and lips moving in recitation. People were
laying sheets of cloth, mostly inscribed with Quranic verses, and flower garlands on the grave. Sweets were being distributed with the arrival of some charitable pilgrims. A man stood on the top step to hand in a sheet of cloth to each of the returning pilgrims.Pilgrims reverently touched the marble grave and the sheets spread on it. Some kissed the tomb, others just lifted their hands in prayer and stood with the walls. But volunteers requested them to make it quick and clear the area for the incoming people.