ISLAMABAD: A 178-member delegation of Pakistanis has participated in the 721st Urs celebrations of the 13th-century Muslim mystic Amir Khusrau in New Delhi.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Muhammad Umar Butt has said that as part of the traditional Ur rituals, the delegation presented a ceremonial cloth at the saint’s shrine, a gesture that signifies devotion and reverence in Sufi tradition.
Amir Khusro, a revered Sufi and devoted disciple of Nizamuddin Aulia, is renowned for his profound influence on Indo-Islamic culture. Through his poetry, music, and advocacy of both Persian and Hindavi languages, he played a pivotal role in shaping the region’s cultural and literary heritage.
“The Charge d’ Affaires of Pakistan to India, Saad Ahmad Warraich, laid the traditional cloth on behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan at the shrine,” the Pakistani High Commission said in a statement.
A large number of devotees from diverse backgrounds gathered at the shrine, reflecting the inclusive and universal appeal of Amir Khusrau’s spiritual legacy.
The Pakistani pilgrims peacefully performed their religious rituals and, following the Urs ceremonies, departed for their return journey.
The visit was held under the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, which facilitates reciprocal religious tourism between the two countries.
Pakistan has recently issued nearly 6,000 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Pakistan for the Baisakhi festival, one of Sikhism’s holiest celebrations.
Thousands of pilgrims gathered at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Pakistan, a revered site believed to bear the handprint of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith.
They also visited other significant religious sites, including Nankana Sahib, Guru Nanak’s birthplace, and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
