Pakistan: Devotees flock to Lahore for three-day Urs festival

Devotees light clay-lamp during celebrations of the three-day annual festival or 'Urs'. In Lahore, as many as one million devotees flock to the shrine of Hazrat Ali Hajveri, also known as Data Ganj Bakhsh or Data Sahib, for a three-day celebration of his life.

Devotees touch the shrine’s lattice in an act of devotion and faith during the three-day annual Urs festival.

Processions arrive from across Pakistan, with worshippers reciting Quranic verses and offering ceremonial cloths at Ali Hajveri’s grave. Some perform the dhamaal, a ritual dance accompanied by drumming, spinning until they enter a trance-like state.

Devotees pass walk through gate at a checkpoint as they arrive to attend celebrations of the three-day annual festival or 'Urs'.

A spiritual devotee, locally known as a “Malang,” performs the traditional Sufi trance dance called Dhamaal during the three-day annual Urs festival.

Born in Ghazni, Afghanistan, in 990, Ali Hajveri travelled through Iran, Iraq, and Syria to meet leading Sufi masters and later settled in Lahore until he died in 1077. He is revered as the city’s patron saint.

The Data Darbar shrine, a primary South Asian pilgrimage site, transforms into a hub of faith, culture, and fraternity during Urs. A langar, or community kitchen, serves free meals around the clock, while devotional singing, or qawwali, fills the air.

"We have been coming here since my childhood, almost 40 years," said Hussain Jilani, 57. "We feel spiritually fulfilled whenever we come. Data Sahib is a source of blessings." Saleem Tayyab, 63, added, "Our pockets have never been empty, and our hearts never without peace. Whoever comes here takes blessings with him." Above, volunteers pack food for devotees attending celebrations of the three-day annual festival or 'Urs'.