Karnataka - Hassan   

Lakhs attend religious leader’s funeral

Last respects: Devotees at the funeral ceremony of Sharief Baba in Javagal near Arsikere on Thursday.

HASSAN: Thousands of devotees from across the State and outside gathered at Javagal, near Arsikere, on Thursday for the funeral of religious leader Haji Hazarat Khalandar Shafi Khalivulla Sharief.

A police team had been camping in Javagal for the past two days.

Popularly known as Sharief Baba, the religious leader attracted devotees from many countries including the Middle East and Far East.

According to the police, over 3.5 lakh people visited the shrine, which he had built, on Tuesday, five lakh people on Wednesday, and six lakh on Thursday.

There were long queues all along the route of the shrine. Holy water and earth were brought all the way from Mecca.

Sharief Baba, who was born in Javagal 70 years ago, led a simple life.

He did not preach, but worked for the downtrodden. People from all communities visited him.

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