The urs of Hazrat Bibian Pak Daman started on Tuesday with the traditional chadar poshi and bathing of the shrine in rose water (ghusal). The shrine will remain open for visitors all day during the three-day urs.
Management, who had already expected a low visitors’ turnout due to security reasons, said that pilgrims from other cities, who made up major part of the visitors, were unaware that the shrine will remain open fro 24-hours during the three days of the urs.
The shrines managed by Auqaf Department are closed for visitors from during Isha to Fajr for security reasons. However, for the duration of the urs, the closure has been lifted to facilitate the visitors. The urs was inaugurated by Dr Asifa Mamdot.
Usman Ghani, a cook at the shrine, said that now most people preferred to bring food offerings with them instead of ordering them at the shrine or distributing it through the shrine cooks. This, he said, had affected the revenue at the shrine.
He also said there were fewer pilgrims from outside Lahore as many were anaware that the shrine will be open at night. “Outsiders usually stay inside the shrine during the nights and leave only when the urs is over. Thinking that they will have no place to stay, most of them haven’t visited this year.”
He hoped that more people will show up on the last day of the urs.
He said the low turnout had affected their business, which was down by 75 per cent. He said most of the staff at the shrine had had to be fired in view of low revenue.
Urs celebrations at the shrine are held twice a year, once by the Sunni visitors, the one currently being held, and the second by Shiites on the 7th of Muharram. Muhammad Shafiq, a nearby shop owner, said that the peak time for visitors was in Muharram. “Then is the time we make some money,” he said.
He said that during summers, visitors preferred visiting the shrine after sunset.
Security arrangements
Police and Auqaf Department security contingents have been deputed at all entry points of the shrine. Vehicles are not allowed to enter the premises.
Pilgrims go through three checking points before entering the shrine. There are walk-through gates and metal detectors at all entry points. Frisking of the visitors has been made mandatory.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2011.
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