Srinagar, June 8 (IANS) Thousands of devotees on Monday attended the prayers at the annual Urs of Sufi saint Hazrat Mian Nizamuddin Kiyanvi at the shrine in Wangat village of J&K’s Ganderbal district.

Devotees from remote areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, and other districts of J&K, along with those from outside the region, assembled to join the ceremonial prayers before departing for their homes.

Traffic authorities faced challenges regulating the heavy flow of devotees arriving by different modes of transport. Food and ‘Halwa’ were served at the saint’s ‘Langar’ (Community Kitchen) at Wangat Sharif during the Urs.

Grandson and ‘Sajada-Nisheen’ (Custodian of the shrine), Mian Altaf Ahmad – a senior National Conference leader and sitting Lok Sabha member from Anantnag-Rajouri constituency – led the final day’s ceremonial prayers. He thanked devotees for travelling from far-off places to be part of the Urs celebrations.

Mian Altaf explained that the day marks the annual Urs of his grandfather, Mian Nizamuddin Kiyanvi. He said the saint was called Kiyanvi because he originally belonged to Kianya Sharif, Athmuqam, in the Neelam Valley (presently in Pakistan-occupied J&K).

He recalled historical records stating that Maharaja Partap Singh visited the saint in Kianya Sharif during his reign and spent nearly 14 days there, even ordering the laying of a garden around the saint’s seat.

Mian Altaf added that reverence for the saint owes itself to Baba Zee Sahib (his great-grandfather), who made Mian Nizamuddin Kiyanvi his last ‘Khalifa’.

He said nightlong recitation of the Holy Quran and ‘Durud’ (praises of the Holy Prophet) concluded with the final ceremonial prayers.

“The Urs celebrations are completely apolitical. Nobody made or was allowed to make a political speech during the Urs. It is a religious function of prayer, penance, love, and reverence that has nothing to do with politics and is much beyond and above politics,” Mian Altaf Ahmad said.

–IANS

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