The three-day annual Urs of Baba Bhuja Khia Pir which began here on Wednesday concluded on Friday.
The centuries-old shrine of the Baba is located under a neem tree on the way to Chandipur from the Baleswar headquarters town. The Urs is observed by a committee for the last 72 years.
Every Thursday, hundreds of devotees come to the ‘mazzar’ during the annual Urs observation to pay obeisance. During the Urs, quintals of Bhuja (puffed rice) and hundreds of Chaddrars are offered in the mazzar by the devotees where a sizeable number is from the Hindu community.
While some come after fulfilling their desires, others visit with the hope of getting their wishes fulfilled. “Especially we visit during Urs for both peace and prosperity of all our family members,” said Akash Pradhan, a devotee.
“Every passerby at least for a moment stops in front of the shrine and offers reverence. On the day (every Thursday) the congregation is seen more. However, during the Urs with a massive gathering, consumption of Chaddar and puffed rice increases,” said a shop keeper.
It is a glaring example of communal amity where the Hindus and the Muslims pray together. The extent of faith of different religions on the Muslim shrine of this district can be judged by the number of rubbles tied around in its wall. “Baba is here for over four to five hundred years and people from far and wide come here for mitigation of their plights,” said Maulavi.
Baba originally known as Asthana Sharif Hazrat Bhujakhia Pir arrived here from Arab country via West Bengal in the 16th century. While he used to be in meditation under the ‘neem’ tree, ‘Bhuja’ (puffed rice) was his favourite food stuff. As per the locals, he proved to be a messiah as he saved the nearby villages from cholera when there was hardly any relief by medical science. As he is being worshipped since then, the ‘mazar’ has virtually turned into a monument of unity. It is also said that doyen of Odia literature Fakir Mohan Senapati’s original name was Brajamohan. In his childhood, after the death of his father and mother, while he was suffering from several sicknesses, he was brought to this shrine by his grandmother for getting cured. His name was later changed to Fakir Mohan.