Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 25: The annual Urs of Hazrat Mir Syed Ali Hamdanil popularly known as Shah-e-Hamdan, was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety in Kashmir today.
The main function of the Urs was held at Khanqah-e-Moula Shrine in downtown Srinagar where hundreds of people, including men and women from various parts of the Kashmir valley, participated in night-long prayers.
A large number of people from all walks of life thronged the shrine on the banks of river Jhelum at Khanqah-e-Moula in Srinagar to attend midday prayers.
Special prayers were held for the peace and prosperity of the Kashmir valley.
The shrine was illuminated and vendors had put up their stalls selling a variety of items on the occasion.
The authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the devotees and erected Shamiyanas for the visiting pilgrims for offering Namaz amid hot and humid weather conditions.
Mir Sayed Ali Hamdani was an Iranian scholar, poet and a Sufi Muslim saint. He was born in Hamadan in Iran and preached Islam in Central and south Asia. He first visited Kashmir valley with 700 followers to preach Islam in 774 Al Hijri. He died in Kashmir and was buried in Khatlan in Tajikistan in 1384 CE.