The Urs of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya is the annual commemoration of the death anniversary of Multan’s most influential Sufi saint, held at his shrine inside the old fort area of Multan.
Who Was Bahauddin Zakariya?
Shaikh Bahauddin Zakariya (c. 1170–1262) established the Suhrawardi Sufi order in Multan and made the city one of the great centres of learning and spirituality in the subcontinent — a key reason Multan is called the City of Saints. His mausoleum, with its carved brickwork and blue tile, is among the city’s most important landmarks.
The Urs
In Sufi tradition, an urs (literally “wedding”) celebrates the union of the saint’s soul with the Divine. The urs of Bahauddin Zakariya draws thousands of devotees for prayers, Quran recitation, qawwali and dhamal, and the distribution of langar (free food). The gathering is managed by the Auqaf & Religious Affairs Department of Punjab, which administers the shrine.
When and Where
At the Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya, Multan. The urs follows the Islamic lunar calendar, so its Gregorian dates shift each year; exact dates are announced by the Auqaf Department.
Explore More
Read about Multan’s spiritual heritage on our Multan page and Saraiki history section.
References
- Auqaf & Religious Affairs Department, Government of the Punjab — auqaf.punjab.gov.pk
- Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya — Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org