269th Urs celebrations: Bhittai’s hometown to be turned into an international cultural city

Many devotees are expected to reach here on their return from Garhi Khuda Bux.

HYDERABAD: Bhit Shah, which hosts thousands of devotees every year on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the renowned Sufi saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, will soon be converted into an international cultural city, announced Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo on Friday.

Palijo was attending the first day of the three-day celebrations marking the 269th Urs of the famous Sufi poet. Adviser to chief minister Sharmila Farooqui had inaugurated this year’s celebrations while Sindh Assembly speaker Nisar Khuhro was among numerous government functionaries who were present on the occasion.

The Sughar Conference, wrestling competitions, horse and bull races, and Mach Katheri were the highlights of the first day of the celebrations. The conference, also called sughar kachehry, focused on Sindhi literature, and also involved poetry and “riddle solving” sessions.

Another session within the conference involved a group of participants singing one part of a popular Sindhi poem, with the other side completing the remaining part. Apart from literary scholars, people from all over the province who were well versed in Sindhi folklore also took part in the conference. Devotees also enjoyed mach kachahry, which involved devotees sitting around a bonfire in the evening and listening to folk stories and discussing their culture.

Culture department secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili had earlier said that delegates from Iran, India and Germany had been invited as guest speakers for the second international conference that was also being organised as a part of the celebrations.

Benazir Bhutto’s death  anniversary

This year’s Urs celebrations almost coincided with the fifth death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Nearly 200,000 people were present in Garhi Khuda Bux on December 27, as the Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari launched his political career.

Devotees are seen dancing to the tune of drums in these pictures, taken outside the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in Bhit Shah on Friday. The number of participants is expected to go up as many people will come here from Garhi Khuda Bux. PHOTOS: EXPRESS

While many devotees began arriving in Bhit Shah, which is located around 50 kilometres from Hyderabad, on December 27, many more are expected to reach here as they return from Garhi Khuda Bux.

Arrangements

Restaurants and teashops in Bhit Shah were renovated by their owners, and a makeshift shopping centre established near Bhitai’s shrine to offer meals to devotees who planned to stay for the next couple of days. Medical camps have also been set up by the health department to deal with emergencies.

More development

The government’s proposal to renovate Bhit Shah into an international cultural city also include setting up an art gallery comprising Bhittai’s seven surs (themes) along the National Highway, said the provincial culture minister, Sassui Palijo.

The government also plans on establishing the Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Institute of Research and Music Academy.

The Shah Jo Risalo, a compilation of literary works of the Sufi saint, will be translated into French, German, Spanish and other languages next year, added Palijo.



“We can meet the challenges posed by terrorism and confrontations through the teachings of Sufism, as revealed by the poetry of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (RA),” said Palijo.   Speaking outside Bhittai’s shrine, Sindh Assembly speaker Nisar Khuhro said that the Sufi poet not only promoted love and harmony among human beings, but also prayed for Sindh and the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, Sharmila Farooqi said that if the country followed the principles laid down by the Sufi saint, then “we can also have a peaceful society”. Given the law and order situation in Pakistan, it is crucial that we spread his message, she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2012.