Getting There
Almost every village has a shrine to a local saint where annual festivals are held. Biggest festivals of there is celebrating at ‘Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’. It is located in Sehwan, Jamshoro District, Sindh.
What to Expect
The Urs festival attracts Sufi devotees, fakirs and pilgrims from all around the world and the entire festivities include singing and dancing at the magical tunes of the Qawwali sung at the Sufi shrines, offering tributes to the mystical poets and asking for blessings from the Divine.
A major element of the Sufi gatherings at shrines is performing the Dhamaal which is an enraptured kind of dancing. Dhamaal is particular to some South Asian Sufis and it’s done to rid one’s body of the Jinn. This form of dancing includes throwing one’s hands in the air, surrendering one completely to the Divine and whirling one’s head in an ecstatic trance.
History
Sufism is not just the mystical side of Islamism; it’s a divine way of living that a Sufi pilgrim vouches for every single day of her/his life because it’s a kind of life purely dedicated to Allah.
The Urs Festival is the largest festival for Sufi pilgrims that attracts millions of devotees to famous Sufi shrines from various parts of the world. It’s a three to six-day festival full of dancing, singing and feasting popularly celebrated in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and at Ajmer in Rajasthan, India.
Urs actually means marriage in Islam but this festival is celebrated on the death anniversary of the Sufi Saints marking the union between the Sufis and the divine. Sufism based on four principles Rapentance, Sincerity, Remembrance and Love.
Facilities Available
Government of Sindh Department Sindh Tourism Development Corporation has furnished a facility of Guest Houses for Visitors.
