The urs of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh concluded on Monday night as thousands of devotees bade farewell to the annual gala of rich spiritual and cultural rituals.
The devotees gathered at the shrine of Data Sahib to participate in the three-day urs celebrations including preaching congregations, Mahafil-e-Samaa (naat khwani), Qirat Khwani (recitation of Holy Quran), Qawwalis and spiritual gatherings addressed by noted ulema, mashaikhs and gaddi nasheens from spiritual centers and darbars across the country.
The urs was supervised by Auqaf and Religious Affairs Minister and chairman religious affairs committee of the shrine, Ishaq Dar, and other officials, including Auqaf Secretary Nawashish and DG Religious Affairs Auqaf Department. Noted Qaris from across the country recited the Holy Quran while a large number of naat khwans enthralled the devotees with the two-day Mahfil-e-Naat that was held in several sessions.
A large number of ulema and mashaikhs participated in the preaching congregations and meetings. These gatherings were presided over by Pir Syed Muzahir Ashraf, Pir Syed Khalilur Rehman Chishti, Allama Mazhar Saeed Kazmi, Dr Mufti Ghulam Sarwar Qadri, Mufti Munibur Rehman Hazarvi, Syed Ahmad Ashraf Shah, Ghulam Qutbuddin, Nazeer Ali Shah, Baqar Ali Shah while prominent among the participants were Abul Khair, Samsam Ali Shah, Abdul Shakoor Hazarvi, Sufi Ashraf Masoomi, Siddiq Hazarvi, Mufti Khan Mohammad Qadri, Ashraf Asif Jalali, Professor Zafarul Haq, Abdul Tawwab Siddiqi, Fida Hussain Shah, Hafeezullah Mehrvi, Mehmood Ahmad Qadri and others.
They also offered special prayers for national security and prosperity and for the well being of Muslim Ummah. Outside the shrine, there was a huge crowd of devotees, visitors and sightseers trying to have their share of the spiritual benefits at the place known as the center of religious activities in the province since the last 10 centuries. Unusual rush was witnessed at milk Sabeel and Langar where devotees queued up to have just one morsel of the blessed food.
There were many men and women who had travelled large distances to seek special blessings of Almighty Allah and offer special prayers to fulfil their pressing needs and solve the unsolvable problems. Despite the lack of space due to unusual rush of people, a number of people were found offering prayers on small available spaces and even at the pathways and the stairs of the shrine.