A great fair descends on Khanyar on the Urs of Dastgeer Sahib

A great fair descends on Khanyar on the Urs of Dastgeer Sahib

Srinagar: The harsh cold was rendered immaterial as the annual Urs of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA) drew thousands of devotees to the revered shrine at Khanyar in downtown Srinagar on Friday, with holy relics displayed to the devotees after each of the five prayers of the day.
Despite the threat of Covid-19, thousands of devotees including women and children were seen thronging the shrine on Friday to pay their obeisance and receive the glimpse of holy relics on the Urs of the 11th-century saint, popularly known as Dastgeer Sahib (RA).
However, the holy relics this year were not displayed in the interiors of the shrine due to social distancing norms. The shrine management body had announced earlier that there will be no display of holy relics inside the shrine while also cancelling the night-long prayers on the eve of the Urs on Thursday night.
Despite such announcements, several devotees still turned up for night-long prayers at the shrine. They were turned away by the police personnel deployed at the shrine. Against the normal routine and tradition, the shrine remained closed to devotees for the entire night, which otherwise would have been the main event of the Urs.
The annual Urs, which coincided with a Friday this year, saw devotees in large numbers making their way towards the shrine to offer Juma (Friday) prayers. They not only occupied every available space inside the shrine but also stood in queues that extended to the busy main road outside the revered shrine.
The scene of jam-packed lawns and streets leading to the shrine, and later the blockade of the main road with hundreds offering Friday prayers together, lasted almost the entire day.
Throughout the day, the shrine remained abuzz with devotees turning up in large numbers to receive the glimpse of holy relics after every prayer of the day.
Emotional scenes were witnessed during the display of holy relics at the shrine as the devotees made earnest prayers amid sobs and tears of overwhelming emotion.
The market outside the revered shrine wore a festive look with vendors having set up stalls that were thronged by devotees. The vendors said they did very good business for the day.
The entire locality of Khanyar was in commotion during the day, roused by the arrival of devotees in large numbers at different intervals of the day, especially at the main Friday prayers of Zuhar.
The annual Urs of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA) is usually celebrated on the fourth month of Islamic Hijri calendar, Rabi Us Sani. For the first eleven days of the month, special prayers are held at the shrine followed by the main function on the 11th day. The displaying of holy relics at Dastgeer Sahib shrine is done on the 11th and then subsequently on the 12th day.

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