Final Prayer of Baba Bhandari’s 164th Khoshroz Sharif to Be Held Wednesday

Thousands of devotees gather at Maizbhandar Darbar Sharif as prayers, devotional chanting and food distribution enliven the area

The 164th Khoshroz Sharif of Hazrat Gausul Azam Shah Sufi Maulana Syed Golamur Rahman Baba Bhandari (K), one of the prominent spiritual figures of the subcontinent, is being observed at Maizbhandar Darbar Sharif in Fatikchhari, Chattogram. The religious gathering began on Monday, October 12, and the concluding prayer will be held on Wednesday night, October 14.

The final prayer will be led by Hazrat Shah Sufi Syed Saifuddin Ahmad Al Hasani Wal Husseini Al Maizbhandari, a great-grandson of Baba Bhandari and a spiritual guide in Shariah and Tariqah.

The occasion has created a deeply spiritual atmosphere at Maizbhandar Darbar Sharif. Devotees have gathered at the shrine of Baba Bhandari and other shrines to offer prayers to Allah. The entire area resonates with devotional chanting, zikr, sama and qawwali. Many devotees have been seen praying emotionally for divine mercy and blessings.

Devotees have travelled to Maizbhandar Darbar Sharif from different parts of Bangladesh and various countries abroad. Their arrival has created a festive atmosphere around the shrine. A large fair has also sprung up nearby, with traders displaying a wide range of goods.

Extensive preparations are underway at different manzils to serve the visiting devotees. More than 4,000 cooks and volunteers have reportedly been preparing tabarruk, or blessed food, continuously for the past three days using more than 3,000 cooking stoves. Preparations are also in full swing at different manzils for distributing food among the devotees.

Anjuman-e-Rahmania Mainiya Maizbhandaria and other organisations and manzils have arranged various programmes to mark the occasion. These include Quran recitations, Khatme Ghausia, placing ceremonial cloth coverings on the shrines, free medical services, blood-group testing and food distribution. Awareness activities against drug abuse, dowry and child marriage are also being conducted. The entire shrine complex has been decorated with colourful lights for the occasion.

Several hundred thousand devotees have already gathered for the Khoshroz Sharif, according to the organisers. Alongside law enforcement personnel, around 3,000 volunteers from different manzils are working to ensure security, maintain order and manage the gathering.

Shah Sufi Syed Saifuddin Ahmad Maizbhandari, head of the Gausia Rahmania Mainiya Manzil and president of the Anjuman, said a monitoring cell had been formed to oversee overall arrangements and security. The entire shrine complex has been brought under closed-circuit camera surveillance. He urged everyone assigned to duties to work with patience, restraint and sincerity.

The formal observance of Baba Bhandari’s 164th Khoshroz Sharif will conclude with the final prayer on Wednesday night. Devotees gathered at the shrine will pray to Almighty Allah for mercy, blessings, peace and the welfare of humanity.