SRINAGAR: Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Tuesday morning visited the shrine of Dastgeer Sahib at Sarai Bala to take stock of the arrangements made for the Urs of the revered saint Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA). During the visit the DC sought details of arrangements different departments have made for the annual Urs observation. He also interacted with the shrine management and local representatives of the area where the shrine is located. Senior officers of line departments accompanied him on the occasion. The officers briefed the DC about the arrangements their respective departments have made to ensure smooth observance of the Urs. On the occasion, the DC also visited the surrounding market of the Sarai Bala area and interacted with the representatives of the local market association. The representatives apprised the DC about urgent developmental needs of the market and sought his intervention in fulfilling them. The representatives appreciated the installation of CCTV cameras in the market area. Later a meeting of senior officers of concerned departments was held at DC Office Srinagar to review the Urs arrangements of the revered saint made at Dastgeer Sahib Shrine at Khanyar and Jenab Sahib Shrine at Soura, attended by, among others, CEO Wakf Board and senior officers from KPDCL, Jal Shakti, SMC, Health, F&ES, RTO, SRTC, Traffic. The meeting was informed that curtailment-free schedules for power and water supplies have been devised for the shrines and the surrounding areas on the occasion of the Urs. It was also given out that thorough traffic regulation plans on the routes to the shrines have been devised for the occasion of the Urs on Thursday. Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA) who is popularly known as Ghous-ul-Azam Peer Dastgeer Sahib is an 11th century saint whose annual Urs celebrations are held every year in the fourth month of the Islamic Hijri calendar from 1 to 11 Rabi al-Thani. The main function on 11th Rabi al-Thani – when the revered saint’s anniversary is observed and when devotees can have a glimpse of the saint’s relics – draws thousands of devotees from across Kashmir to these shrines.
