Urs celebrations: Thousands waiting on Bahishti Darwaza to open

Fariddudin Ganj Shakar’s urs kicked off on October 10 and will continue till Muharram 10

PAKPATTAN: The 15 days of Baba Fariddudin Ganj Shakar’s urs celebration kicked off in Pakpattan on October 10. The urs will end on Muharram 10.

Hundreds of thousands of devotees flocked to the shrine from all over the country for the commencement rituals. Maudood Masood, the custodian of the shrine, distributed traditional langar – ground sugar, halwa, jaggery and sweets – among the devotees.

Most of the devotees at the shrine said they were there to pay homage to the great saint but also to pass through the Bahishti Darwaza (gateway to heaven) that will open on Muharram 5 at 8pm.

Each year, approximately 800,000 people pass through the Bahishti Darwaza in the five nights it is kept open.

Stringent security measures have been taken for the urs. Surveillance cameras have been placed throughout the city and citizens and devotees have been asked to report any suspicious activity.  Temporary barricades and boundaries have been erected around the shrine. Police and Rangers have been put on high alert and additional policemen, called in from other districts, have been deployed at the shrine.

At a session of the District Peace Committee in Pakpattan on Monday, Sahiwal Division Commissioner Azmat Mahmood said ensuring tight security at the urs and during Muharramul Haram was the government’s top priority. He said they had tightened security under the National Action Plan so that visitors, citizens and devotees would not face any difficulty.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2015.