Kulgam, February 11: Braving freezing winter, devotees descended on the shrine of the famous Sufi saint Hazrat Syed Noor Shah Wali Baghdadi (RA) to take part in the ongoing annual Urs Festival which is being celebrated with religious fervour in Kashmir.
Devotees, including women and children, who turned in large numbers post-pandemic paid their obeisance at the Mausoleum (Shrine) of the Sufi saint located at Kund village in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
“The main objective of Syed Noor Shah was to spread brotherhood when he had arrived in Kashmir for the first time. He preached about peace and Humanity. He emphasised spirituality and preached Islam,” Noor Muhammad (Member of the shrine committee) told ANI.
In a joint prayer, devotees prayed for peace, prosperity, unity, brotherhood and communal harmony in the Union territory and the whole country.
“Everyone who is visiting the shrine returns with the blessings of peace. We will pray for peace for Kashmir, and for everyone. Devotees have turned in large numbers since Urs was not celebrated for two years due to the pandemic,” Ghulam Mohd, a Devotee told ANI.
District authorities had made special arrangements for the ongoing annual Urs of Sufi saint.
The devotees offered prayers at the shrine, which resounded with recitations and chants of the Holy Quran.
“Kashmir has remained as a land blessed with saints for many centuries. People have always welcomed saints who come from distant places. Devotees have come from places as far as Banihal to celebrate the Urs of this great saint,” Nisar Ahmad another Devotee said.
The annual Urs was celebrated according to the Islamic or Lunar Calendar.
Syed Noor Shah Saheb Wali Baghdadi (RA) was one of the great Sufi saints of Kashmir valley. The message of this Sufi saint was of peace and prosperity among all communities and brotherhood.–(ANI)
