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By Jan Khaskheli, *Bhitai’s Urs preparations in full swing* - The News International - Pakistan; Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Shopkeepers have started preparations amid fear and speculations collecting and packing dry fruit, foodstuffs, displaying a variety of hand-made colourful items and installing sweet meat shops along the streets in Bhit Shah town, Matiari district, on the occasion of 267th three-day annual Urs of Sufi Poet and saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.

The celebrations are starting from January 19, 2011. The annual urs of Bhitai attracts 500,000 to 600,000 devotees every year from all over the country, parts of India, UAE and Europe to pay homage to the Sufi saint. Hundreds of people from the neighborhood supply milk, meat, handicrafts, water, installing small shops and the workforce find suitable job to supply water and do other work for a week of activities to earn a little on the occasions.

Shopkeepers have started preparations amid fear and speculations collecting and packing dry fruit, foodstuffs, displaying a variety of hand-made colourful items and installing sweet meat shops along the streets in Bhit Shah town, Matiari district, on the occasion of 267th three-day annual Urs of Sufi Poet and saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.

The celebrations are starting from January 19, 2011.

The annual urs of Bhitai attracts 500,000 to 600,000 devotees every year from all over the country, parts of India, UAE and Europe to pay homage to the Sufi saint. Hundreds of people from the neighborhood supply milk, meat, handicrafts, water, installing small shops and the workforce find suitable job to supply water and do other work for a week of activities to earn a little on the occasions.

One of the leading fairs of Pakistan not only attracts devotees to pay homage to the Sufi Saint but also is a major opportunity for the people to initiate economic activities during the week-long celebrations. Shopkeepers belonging to Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber- Pukhtoonkhwa and Punjab province mostly bring dry fruit items from Quetta, Karachi, Hyderabad and other areas. Majority of shopkeepers set up their decorated shops on the occasion of the three-day Urs while others have permanent shops there, selling a variety of items to earn their living.

Workers packing dry fruit at famous Hameed Lahooti shop, located close to the main entrance of shrine say, the shop is open for 24 hours entire 12 months of the year. The devotees from all over the country visit the shrine frequently. There is always a rush hence they never shut their business. However, on the occasion of annual gathering, they say, hundreds of people come to the shrine and all the devotees mostly cross their shops to enter inside. They have safe food items, which the people buy for their homes.

Saghir Ahmed, another shop owner who was supervising his workforce to arrange these items, sharing his observations said that now the devotees cannot afford to purchase these items because of increasing prices. For example, he said, 10ó15 years back dry food items they sold at per 40-kg was available at Rs5000 in the wholesale market, which now they purchase at Rs15,000. Thus now they are compelled to sell with little benefit but the buyers are reluctant to get valuable gift for their children and relatives. He said they display these dry fruits originally are produced by Afghanistan and Iran.

The Shaukat Mughul dry fruit shop, which is also open for 24 hours whole the year has hired workers for the period of Urs celebrations as daily wagers.

The workers, who usually hunt lucrative jobs in the mela season, said the rates of popcorn per bag has jumped from Rs300 earlier to Rs800 atpresent. They now were making small packs for buyers.

Kodu Mallah, owner of the famous tea shop of the town, sharing his experience said they have developed contacts with the local dairy farm owners who supply milk frequently as per our requirement and face no difficulty during the period. He claims they use pure milk and that is why the people coming from different areas prefer to have a cup of tea there. The tea stalls in other parts face a difficulty during the period and they mostly use dry milk. In fact they increase rates during the period due to price hike and demand.

Some hand-made items which the shopkeepers prepare themselves are also available at every corner. A vendor, Juman, vending a variety of items say that these items people take as gifts to present to their loved ones. “Obviously, Rs10—20 is considered a meagre amount but the item bought from the shrine of Sufi saint has more value. The visitors, both men and women know which colour of a thread-knitted item their beloveds may like and they get it for them”, he describes the value of these items.

The Shah Abdul Latif Book Shop, located on the premises of the shrine also attracts a large number of people. The owner said publishing institutions supply a variety of books to them, which they sale at 30 per cent discount rates.