By Ali Usman

Daily Times: August 29, 2007

LAHORE: The air of Kasur gets misty with melodious Kafis (short poems) of Bulleh Shah every year, when a 3-day celebration of Bulleh Shah’s Urs commences in Kasur. On the last day of the Urs, devotees from all across the country throng the city to pay their tribute to one of the greatest Punjabi sufi poets, termed by many as the poet of love and humanity.

Shah was born in the small village of Uch, now the city of Bahawalpur, in 1680. He received his early schooling in Pandoke, and later moved to Kasur for higher education, where he become a student of the prominent teacher, Ghulam Murtaza Baba. The most striking fact about Bulleh Shah’s poetry is his audacious critique of the religious orthodoxy of his day, particularly the Islamic kind.

Most of those who come here are followers of Bulleh’s philosophy against mullahism, said Burkat Ali, a devotee from Gujrat. He said he came here to pay his tribute to the Baba Gee who had taught the world to refrain from shedding blood in the name of religion and creed. He said he attained spiritual peace by attending the Urs celebrations. The Urs was officialy inagurated on Sunday with the Chadar Poshi (laying wreath) by provincial Auqaf minister Saeedul Hasan Gilani.

Nirmala Desh Pandey, heading a sikh delegation from India said, that Punjabi poets like Bulleh Shah were the mutual asset of all Punjabis. Indian folk singer Hans Raj Hans also visited the shrine to pay his tribute to the saint. He said Shah was a great sufi poet who had given the lesson of love, with no discrimination, to all of humanity. He said that the poetry of Shah guided those who believed in humanity and detested hatred. Hans Raj also gave a performance on the second day of the Urs, which was widely appreciated.

Auqaf manager Muhammad Khalid said that almost 10,000 devotees visited the shrine every day of the urs.

The shrine of Bulleh Shah is situated along a graveyard, with a spacious hall, a yard and verandas where devotees can spend their nights during the Urs. Rasheed, a lahori dervish, said that attending the Urs provided him with a strong spiritual power which kept him fresh and healthy. “I havent eaten anything since morning, yet I am fresh and active”, he added.

Abid H Mir, a devotee of Shah told Daily Times that he had been coming every year from Singapore to attend the Urs. “I feel ‘sarkar’ calling me, and putting everything aside, I come here to present my tribute to him”, he said. Mir said visiting the place had also helped him attain materialistic gains. Some artists from the Shahi Mohalla in Lahore were also present at the shrine to pay their tribute. Requesting anonymity, an artist told Daily Times that she had came here because Baba Gee was a saint for everyone. She said attending the Urs gave her mental peace and she felt light-hearted having offered her tributes to the saint. Another artist said she had come here to obtain the blessings of the saint, “Bulleh Shah loved everyone and his shrine is for all, irrespective of status”, she said.

Sian Azra said she had been visiting the shrine for the last many years. She said that she did not come here by her selves, but was rather ‘called’ to the place by ‘sarkar’. She said she believed that the wishes of those visiting the shrine were fulfilled.

Apart from the devotees, a large number of people come to the Urs for the sake of entertainment. Bilal said he came from Lahore with his friends to see the Urs. He said he loved to dance to the beat of the drum. He said by dancing enthusiastically he felt refreshed. Many come for chadar poshi. Adnan said that the Urs is a fantastic place for shopping. He said unique CDs of mystic music were available at the stalls set up along the shrine. The display at the stalls ranges from pottery to toys and eatables, where devotees can satisfy their shopping appetite, said Munawar, a stall vendor.