RAHIM YAR KHAN: The district administration has declared October 1 a local holiday to mark the Urs of renowned Sufi poet and mystic Hazrat Khawaja Ghulam Farid (R.A).
Deputy Commissioner Khurram Pervez issued a notification stating that all government offices in the district will remain closed on October 1. However, the holiday will not apply to ongoing board examinations, banks, or federal institutions.
The Urs of Khawaja Ghulam Farid is observed with deep reverence, drawing thousands of devotees from across the country who gather for spiritual and commemorative events.
Born in Chachran, Bahawalpur, Hazrat Khawaja Farid was a follower of the Chishti and Qadiri Sufi orders. He lived a life of simplicity and spiritual reflection, leaving behind a rich legacy of mystical poetry.
Most of his work was written in Saraiki, with his masterpiece Diwan-e-Farid focusing on themes of divine love, human compassion, and the beauty of nature, often expressed through the soulful musical tradition of Kafi.