HYDERABAD:
The 20th Urs celebration of the revered Sufi poet of Sindh, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, concluded on Sunday after three days of devotion, music, sports, shopping, and literary activities.
Governor Kamran Tessori graced the closing ceremony in Bhit Shah, a rural town situated along the National Highway in Matiari district, approximately 50 kilometres from Hyderabad. Governor Tissori paid his respects by laying a floral wreath and offering prayers at the shrine of this 18th-century saint.
He revealed that around 500,000 devotees visited the town each day to express their reverence for the saint at his shrine during the Urs festivities. The streets and makeshift markets bustled with a continuous stream of enthusiastic visitors.
One of the contributing factors to this surge, he noted, was the Covid-19 restrictions that had been in place over the past three years. During his visit to the shrine, the governor was mesmerised by the ‘raag’ (musical rendition) performed by Bhitai’s fakirs (disciples).
These fakirs, who sing in both male and female voices while playing the dambur, a five-string instrument modified by Bhitai, create an enchanting atmosphere. The choir, consisting of six to seven fakirs, follows Bhitai’s musical and lyrical tradition, drawing inspiration from the saint’s poetry.
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Governor Tissori pointed out a disconnect between the teachings of Sufi saints and the lives of the province’s residents, suggesting that the challenges faced by the people were indicative of this disparity. He encouraged the population to embrace Sufi traditions as a path to establish peace and harmony.
Accompanied by the caretaker Sindh Minister for Culture Syed Junaid Shah, Secretary Auqaf Manwar Ali Mahesar, and Secretary Culture Abdul Aleem Lashari, Governor Tissori distributed clothing and gifts to deserving women.
Literary conference
The Urs celebration also featured a literary conference, emphasising the importance of digitising Bhitai’s poetry and translating it into global languages. Federal Minister for Education and Vocational Training Madad Ali Sindhi as the event’s keynote speaker stressed the duty to spread Bhitai’s message.
He believed that Bhitai’s poetry resonated with all forms of civilised societies and held potential appeal for the country’s youth if they chose not to remain detached. Sindhi credited late political leaders and literary figures GM Syed, Makhdoom Talibul Maula, and Dr Hotchand Molchand Gurbkhshani for pioneering the annual literary conferences held in conjunction with the Urs celebration.
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He suggested that all available mediums of knowledge transfer should be harnessed to introduce Bhitai’s poetry to global audiences.
Drawing a parallel with Turkey’s approach to promoting the 13th-century saint, scholar, and poet Rumi through online portals and web television, Shah emphasised the need for a similar initiative in Pakistan. Shah expressed appreciation for Bhitaipedia’s initiative, envisioning it as a comprehensive reference document for those interested in exploring the life and contributions of the Sufi poet.
Dr Azhar Shah, a researcher, highlighted Bhitai’s poetry’s portrayal of teachers, where a teacher examines the subject they teach. He affirmed that societies blessed with exemplary teachers rarely falter. Shaukat Ali Ujjan, another researcher, observed that intuition often leads ahead of science, citing his paper on Bhitai and the evolving world.
He noted that noble characters in Bhitai’s poetry are depicted through folk heroines possessing qualities such as love, bravery, sacrifice, steadfastness, truthfulness, honesty, and even rebellion against suppressive norms. Poet and academician Dr Adal Soomro noted that the literary contributions of Bhitai’s contemporaries often remained overshadowed by “Shah Jo Risalo”, Bhitai’s poetry compilation.
Abdul Majid Bhurgari, the mind behind Bhittaipedia, expressed confidence that the platform would cater to the present generation of mobile phone and computer users seeking access to the Sufi’s works.
He highlighted that Bhittaipedia contained not only Shah Jo Risalo but also its translations in English, Urdu, Persian, and Punjabi languages.
Furthermore, the weblinks had been shared on literary websites in China, Russia, and France. Bhurgari also mentioned the potential of employing artificial intelligence to facilitate the reading of Bhitai’s poetry in approximately 130 languages