Main procession taken out from inside Dehli Gate ended at Karbala Gamay Shah. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The main procession for the Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) started from Imambargah Haveli Alif Shah inside Dehli Gate on Thursday morning and ended at Imambargah Karbala Gamay Shah.
The procession passed through its traditional route through Fazl-i-Haq Chowk, Chowk Nawab Sahib, Mubarak Haveli, Akbari Gate, Kashmiri Bazar, Pani Wala Talab, Shahi Mohalla, Nisar Haveli, Chohatta Mufti Baqar, Purani Kotwali and culminated at Karbala Gamay Shah.
At Imambargah Haveli Alaf Shah, Maulana Syed Hassan Zafar Naqvi gave a lecture on life, sacrifice and the mission of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA).
The mourners stopped at several points and performed zanjeerzani. They also recited nohas and tazias. They offered Namaz-i-Zohrain at Purani Kotwali Chowk. A large number of children and women also participated.
A large number of devotees had set up sabeels of water, milk and juice at various points along the route. Some distributed biryani and haleem and naan. Strict security measures had been made for the occasion. Markets and streets leading to the route were closed. The route had been cleared by sniffer dogs and the bomb disposal squad.
Police had cordoned off the route using barbed wire, barricades and tents. Some 6,000 policemen and 2,000 volunteers were deployed for security. Policemen, both in plain-clothes and uniform escorted the procession.
The procession was monitored through 163 CCTV cameras fixed at various points. A control room at DCO, CCPO, DIG Operations and SP City office was set up to monitor the situation.
Snipers were deployed on rooftops. Police vans were on patrol. Senior police officials including the CCPO and the operations DIG also visited the area.
Earlier, Mujahid SP Karar Husain had led a flag march through The Mall, Anarkali, Lower Mall, District Katchery, Bund Road, Niazi Chowk, Yadgar, Akbari Mandi, Railway Station, Club Chowk that culminated at Qurban Lines. As many as 20 police vehicles and 125 officials of the Elite Force participated in the march.
Three-day urs concludes
The three-day urs celebrations of Hazrat Ali bin Usman Al Hajveri concluded late on Thursday night. Data Darbar Mosque Khateeb Mufti Ramazan Sialvi addressed the concluding session and led the prayers.
A series of spiritual gatherings were held on the last day of the annual celebrations. Thousands of devotees from various parts of the country participated in the celebrations. They prayed at the shrine of the Sufi mystic and took part in various activities.
Data Darbar Complex Administrator Noor Muhammad Awan told The Express Tribune that an unprecedented number of devotees was recorded at the urs celebrations this year.
He said, “The darbar has a capacity to accommodate around 50,000 visitors. But long queues were seen at entry and exit points suggesting that the number of people who visited the shrine was far beyond its capacity.”
Awan said dozens of spiritual and religious leaders from across the country had visited Data Darbar for the event.
He said religious and spiritual leaders from India had also attended the event. These included Sajjada Nasheen of Ajmair Sharif, Syed Dewan Aal Syedi Ajmairi and Pir Syed Nazim Ali Nizami Shah, the Sajjada Nasheen of Hazrat Khawaja Nizamuddin Aulia.
He expressed satisfaction with the performance of law enforcement agencies and the district administration.
He said the event had been provided extensive security which was reassuring for visitors who came out in large numbers as a result.
Recitation of the Holy Quran, qawalis and dhamal performances featured on the third day of the urs.
Scores of visitors were seen standing in queues near the sabeel and langarkhana for their turn to get free food items.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 4th, 2015.
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