Sindh is enriched with Sufi culture and everlasting historical monuments. Every year, several festivals are celebrated across the whole of Pakistan. One can observe that these festivals are the only places where true demonstration of secular gatherings is observed. Within these festivals, one can find Muslims and non-Muslims of different sects who otherwise will not offer prayers with each other, but in Sufi shrines at a particular Urs, they would not only celebrate but dine, sleep and, pray together. Sufism has a very great impact on Sindhi life and literature with its humanist outlook and harmonious approach, especially through the secular poetry of the great Sufi and saint poets like Qazi Qadan, Abdul Karim, Shah Inayat, Shah Latif, Sachal Sarmast, Sami, Roohal, Bedil, Bekas and Dalpat etc. However, Sindh is known as the land of approximately 124,000 saints and dervishes, both Muslim and Hindus. If we are talking about pure Sufism, then the name that comes to mind is the shrine of Faqir Qadir Bux Bedil & Bekas located in Rohri close to Sukkur. Recently, I had a chance to visit this famous shrine. From its exterior, we can see a white building with a contrast of sea green presenting a mesmerising Sufi culture, which is amazing to watch. Basically, it’s a small shrine but from inside, it lets you experience great mental and physical relaxation. Faqir Qadir Bux Bedil was a Sufi poet and scholar of great stature in the history of Sindh. On the other side, Muhammad Mohsin was also a Sindhi poet, famously known as Bekas. He was the son of Faqir Bedil and the first follower of his school of thought in poetry. We have heard about great poets of all times like Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Sachal Sarmast, but after these two greats, the name that comes in Sindhi poetry who could measure up to them in excellence, were the father and son Bedil and Bekas. They wrote poetry in Sindhi, Hindi, Seraiki and in Persian. Their shrine is commonly known “Bedil and Bekas”. While visiting this shrine, I had a chance to talk with Syed Qaiser Shah who was a local and academician by profession. He told me that the shrine was very close to everyone’s hearts as their teachers had taught them the message of brotherhood and peace. He said, every year on the 11th month of the Muslim calendar on his Urs, thousands of his murids approximately 3,000-4,000 (disciples) throng to pay homage to the great saintly oet. Sufism has a great impact on Sindhi life and literature with its humanist outlook and harmonious approach, especially through the secular poetry of great Sufis like Qazi Qadan, Abdul Karim, Shah Inayat, Shah Latif, Sachal Sarmast, Sami, Roohal, Bedil, Bekas and Dalpat. Sindh is known as the land of approximately 124,000 saints and dervishes, Muslims as well as Hindus Sufi singers on the occasion of his Urs, sing Sufi kalaams of Fakir Qadir Bux Bedil, which are always enjoyed by the participants. Men, and sometimes women, in bright traditional robes dance and shout around, following their own path to enlightenment. A traditional drum called dhol beats deafeningly and hypnotically, making everyone dance and forget his or her surroundings and hence tread in the voyage of ecstasy. As the story goes, Faqir Qadir Bux Bedil was a follower of Platonic Love. He had three Platonic beloveds: Karam Chand, Qazi Pir Muhammad and Sufi Ghulam Muhammad. Just to highlight for my readers that Platonic Love according to Merriam Webster Dictionary means a close relationship between two persons in which sexual desire is nonexistent or has been suppressed or sublimated. Actually, this terminology is named after the great scholar Plato. As per the Encyclopedia of Indian literature, the poetry of Bedil was a classic one and this style of writing he got from his great murshid Sachal. He was a staunch Muslim who moulded his life strictly according to the laws of the Shariat and followed as a pure devotee of Lal Qalander Shahbaz and Sarmast. He wrote 23 books, among his poetical compositions, his famous elegy Diwan-e-Bedil, written on the death of Sarmast immortalising the master and incidentally himself too. However, regarding Sufi Bekas, many historians compare him to poet John Keats just because he died at the age of 23 and left behind enough poetry and thoughtful writings for his readers. On the other hand, district administration is least concerned about its development and reconstruction. Every year, the government announces construction funds but practically nothing happens except false commitments. The government needs to protect and reconstruct such shrines, which give out messages of interfaith harmony among religions. Last but not the least, to me, there is nothing quite as peaceful and purifying as sitting on the floors of this shrine and listening to people chattering, crying, praying, and reciting kalaams. The writer is a social and political activist based in Lahore. He Tweets at Salmani_salu and can be reached at salmanali088@gmail.com Published in Daily Times, October 30th 2017.