Festival of lights: Thousands visit Shah Hussain’s urs

The three-day urs festivities started on Saturday and will end on Monday.

LAHORE: “It took us two hours to walk from a village near Faisal Town to the shrine of Hazrat Madhu Lal Hussain”, said Muhammad Din, who was among a group of 10 people who was attending the second day of urs festivities on Saturday.

Several such groups from across the city visited the shrine. Many came with drum beaters.

Some carried a large green cloth, an offering for the shrine. Many came barefoot.

Sunday was the last day for families. Monday, the third day of the urs, is specifically for female devotees.

The three-day celebrations known as Mela Chiraghan (the festival of lights) had started on Saturday. The urs is famous for an alao (large fire).

Muhammad Din said walking the distance was a traditional way of paying tribute to Madhu Lal Hussain.

“It is tragic that many people who come to the festival are unaware of Madhu Lal Hussain’s services for humanity,” he said.

Many people offered prayers at the shrine.

Jamila Bibi said she came with her family to pray for fulfilment of their wishes.

“I believe all prayers offered at the shrine come true,” she said. She said a lot more people had visited the shrine this year than last.

The festival also attracted many photographers.

Mustafa Ahmad from Model Town, who works for an advertising agency, said he had seen pictures of the urs last year and decided to take some himself this year. He said, for him, was the alao.

He said he had taken a lot of pictures of the offerings made to the fire by the devotees.

He said wanted to someone to explain the concept of the alao, but there was no one to do it.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2014.