Daily Times

SEHWAN: Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s annual Urs begins in Sehwan Sharif on Monday with participation of thousands of pilgrims from all provinces of Pakistan. The Urs will continue for three days with colorful ceremonies and dance programs.

Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair inaugurated the Urs by laying a floral wreath on the Sufi saint’s grave. Sindh Food Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Provincial Transport Minister Nasir Hussain Shah and Auqaf Department Advisor Pir Ghulam Shah Gilani also accompanied the governor. They also offered Fateha at the mazar. Auqaf Department Advisor presented gift of Ajrak and Sindhi Topi to the Sindh Governor when he arrived in the mazar.

Talking to media on this occasion, Sindh Governor said that this is the biggest Urs in Sindh, for which high level security arrangements have been made. He said that victims of the shrine blast would be paid compensation after the conclusion of the Urs celebration. He said that overall security in Sindh was better.

High level security arrangements have been made to celebrate the annual fair with peace. Surveillance cameras have been installed in the shrine premises and the roads of the city to keep vigilance on the activities of people, while walkthrough gates have also been installed to check the pilgrims for security concerns.

A terrorist carried out a suicide attack at Qalandar’s shrine on 16 February 2017, killing over 90 people and injuring over 250. The Auqaf Department and district administration and police held a meeting in Sehwan and issued directives for high security measures.

The meeting decided increase in the deployment of security personnel and CC TV cameras. As the tense situation prevails in Sehwan, 4,500 policemen, 300 Rangers soldiers, 500 special branch officers and 400 traffic personnel have been deployed to avoid any untoward incident. Arrangements have been made to monitor the town with the help of 200 closed-circuit television cameras, with 100 inside and outside the shrine, and four drone cameras.

Syed Muhammad Usman Marwandi, popularly known as Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, was a Sufi philosopher-poet. He was called Lal for his usual red attire and Shahbaz to denote a noble and divine spirit and Qalandar as he was a wandering holy man.

Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, son of Pir Syed Ibrahim Kabeeruddin, was born in Marwand. His ancestors had migrated from Baghdad and settled in Mashhad, before moving again to Marwand. He lived when the Ghaznavid and Ghurids ruled the Indus region. A contemporary of Rumi, he travelled around the Muslim world and settled in Sehwan where he was eventually laid to rest.

Lal Shahbaz lived a celibate life and died in the year 1300 at the age of 151. In Multan, he met Bahauddin Zakariya of the Suhrwardiyya, Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar of the Chishtiyya and Syed Jalaluddin Bukhari.

Following his death, Hindus within Sindh began to identify Lal Shahbaz Qalandar as an incarnation of their patron deity, Jhulelal. This connection was emphasized by the popular spiritual song Dam-a-Dam Mast Qalandar which referred to him by the name Jhulelal.

The tomb of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is located in Sehwan Sharif, Sindh, Pakistan. The shrine was built in 1356 and decorated with Sindhi ‘kashi-tiles’, mirror-work and a gold-plated door donated by the Shah of Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi and installed by the late Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.