A woman lights a traditional oil lamp in Lahore on the eve of Data Ganj Baksh’s 976th Urs. Celebrations will begin on October 18 (today) and will end on October 20. PHOTO: ONLINE
Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar will inaugurate the Urs celebrations while laying the traditional cloth on the grave of the Sufi saint.
Data’s devotees descend on Lahore
Sources stated that Rs10 million had been allocated while 500 religious scholars and naat khawans have been invited for the occasion. Meanwhile, 200 spiritual leaders from Pakistan and India are participating in the Urs. Previously, Punjab Auqaf Department Minister Pir Syed Saeedul Hassain Shah said that 103 CCTV cameras had been installed while 2,000 policemen have been deputed to ensure security.
Further, 11 walk through gates and 36 metal detectors have been provided to check visitors entering the shrine. The bomb disposal squad will also remain on high alert during the Urs. The department has also installed cameras around the shrine’s premises to monitor Urs celebrations.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 18th, 2019.
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