Week-long urs of Hazrat Sheikh Nooruddin Noorani commenced

Srinagar: The week-long urs of Hazrat Sheikh Nooruddin Wali at Charar-e-Sharief in the central Kashmir district of Badgam will commence today.

Thousands of devotees from all parts of the Kashmir valley besides Jammu region participated in the night-long prayers despite severe cold.
Special State Road Transport Corporation(SRTC) and hundreds of other passenger vehicles were pressed into service from different parts to the shrine for the devotees.
However, devotees alleged today that the devotees faced problems this morning in the absence of sufficient transport service.
The Chaddar on the Sanctum was offered on Sunday in which thousands of people participated.
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has declared today as holiday to enable people to participate in the urs, as lakhs of people are expected to join the special prayers in the newly constructed shrine and Khankah, which were damaged during an encounter between security forces and militants in 90s.
Born in 757 Hijri in a royal family of Kishtwar which descended from Maharaja Vikramajit in Jammu region.
The year of his death is a matter of dispute with the chroniclers and biographers. It varies from 808 Hijri, to 820 Hijri to 825 Hijri, and to 842 Hijri but the year 842 Hijri (1438 AD) is probable.
All the former Prime Ministers, including Indira Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru and Atal Behari Vajpayee had visited the shrine.
Last year a number of Pakistani devotees also visited the shrine for the first time since 1947.