An urs, and the qawwali after it
The night a saint's death is kept as a wedding, with singing until dawn
What it is
An urs marks the anniversary of a Sufi saint's death, understood as the soul's union with God — which is why it is kept as a wedding and not a funeral. A chadar is laid on the tomb, the shrine is lit, and qawwals sing, often until first light. Maner Sharif and the Bari Dargah at Bihar Sharif hold the largest in the state.
Why it matters
These shrines have taken Hindu visitors as readily as Muslim ones for six hundred years, and an urs is the most public night of the year at any of them. Anybody may come.
How it works
- Dates follow the Islamic calendar and move each year. Ask before you plan.
- Cover your head, take off your shoes, and follow the crowd in.
- The singing usually starts late and goes on for hours. Nobody leaves early.
- Who it is for
- Anybody. You will not be the only outsider there.
- Best season
- Oct - Mar
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Free. A chadar or flowers can be bought at the gate if you want to offer one.
- When
- Each shrine's own urs, on the Islamic calendar. Thursdays all year.
- Booking
- None for the shrine. A room on urs night needs one.
- Book ahead
- A month for the big ones
- Languages
- Urdu, Hindi, Persian in the verse
Rules
- Head covered, shoes off, modest dress
- Women pray at the outer screen at some shrines. Ask, do not assume
- Thursday evening is the busy night at most dargahs, all year
Where
- Maner Sharif: Maner is a major Sufi pilgrimage centre, "the land of Sufi saints"; devotees come to the tombs to seek...
- Bari Dargah: Devotees of all communities come to offer chadar and make vows at the shrine of the saint who is...
- Maqbara of Malik Ibrahim Baya: Devotees climb the hill to pray at the tomb of a soldier-saint, and the hilltop has a temple and park...
- Chhoti Dargah, Biharsharif: Muslim devotees come to pray at the saint's tomb, particularly at the Urs
- Khanqah Mujibia, Phulwari Sharif: Devotees come to the khanqah and the old mosques and dargahs of the town for Sufi blessing and...
- Goraul Sharif: Muslims visit it as one of Bihar's leading Sufi shrines
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