Thousands of the devout on Friday took part in the sandal procession of the Dargah Hazrat Yusufain, one of the most important dargahs in the city.
The sandal procession is the first important activity of the three-day urs of the dargah, which is in Nampally, and will witness rituals and other activities such as qawwali and chiraaghaan (lighting of lamps).
According to naib (deputy) mutawalli Syed Yadullah Hussaini, the urs is in remembrance of the two renowned sufis – Hazrat Syed Yusufuddin and Syed Sharifuddin – who are buried in the dargah. “It was on the 5th of Zul Hijjah, 1121 of the Hijri calender (corresponding to 1710 CE) that the two passed away. They had come to Hyderabad, Deccan, as part of Aurangazeb’s army. They were pious and spiritual, and revered by people of all faiths,” Mr. Hussaini said. The sandal procession left for the dargah from the historic Mecca Masjid after 5 p.m. The sandal was carried by Telangana State Waqf Board chairman Mohammed Saleem. “The sandal is actually sandalwood powder which will later be made into a paste. This will be used to wash the inner sanctum of the dargah. We expect to do this later tonight. It is scheduled for around 1.30 a.m. on Saturday,” Mr. Hussaini, who too was a part of the procession, said.
The second day of the urs will witness charaghaan. The lamps will be lit after the dusk, post-Maghrib prayers. This will be followed by qawwali . Khatm-e-Quran (recitation of the Quran) is scheduled for the last day of the urs.
TSWB officials were seen busy with arrangements for zarieen (visitors) who came from various walks of life and from different faiths and communities.
