The three-day celebration of the 979th Urs of the great saint Syed Ali Abul Hasan bin Usman Hajveri, popularly known as Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh (RA), began on Thursday in Lahore.
Special food stands have been set up in the designated areas of the sanctuary for the general public present at the Urs celebrations. During the three days of celebrations, food would be distributed to visitors and devotees 24 hours a day.
However, the Lahore Police Department has taken strict security measures for the annual Urs. Police personnel has been deployed to nearby rooftops to monitor suspicious activity and vehicles from the Dolphin Squad and Police Response Unit are said to patrol nearby areas to deal with any unpleasant incidents.
Worshipers would be allowed to enter the shrine through passage gates and checked by metal detectors at entry points. The municipal government has announced a local public holiday on September 17 (Saturday) to mark the annual Urs of Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh.
A notification says that September 17, 2022, is to be observed as a local public holiday in the Lahore district.
