Hyderabad: The Dargah Pahadishareef is all decked up for the 752nd annual Urs celebrations being held at the hilltop shrine of the Sufi Saint Syednah Baba Sharfuddin. Thousands of people from across the country have gathered at the dargah to participate in the celebrations held annually to remember the saint.
According to Alhaj Peerzada Syed Fareeduddin, the caretaker of the shrine, Baba Sharfuddin Suhrwardi came to the Deccan in 1190 from Baghdad via Delhi and settled in a neighbourhood known as Balapur some 5 km away from the place where his shrine is.
“Initially, he came and settled down in the Balapur area of the city. The people held him in high respect and came to him seeking resolution of their problems and fulfilment of their wishes. After a few years he climbed this hillock and decided to stay on for his prayers. He was among the first of Sufis who came to this region,” says Syed Fariduddin.
The legend goes that many noblemen sought help at the dargah. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb built the structure over the simple grave of the Baba while Nizam Mir Mahbub Ali Khan constructed the big hall with multiple columns and multi-cusped arches. The steps on the hillock were chiselled out and shaped during the time of Mir Osman Ali Khan. At the foothill of the shrine is a Deorhi built by Paigah nobleman Iqbal Ud Dowla.
The annual Urs celebrations began on the 16th of the Islamic month of Shaban and will continue till the 22nd of the month. The first sandal procession was taken out from Balapur, where the saint is believed to have stayed for almost 11 years, and reached Pahadishareef. Two more important offerings are made by the HEH Nizam Trust and the state government through the Pahadishareef police.
