Data Darbar

As a child I had spent almost 12 years of my life running about in the streets of Lahore; with marbles in my pockets and a gleam of mischief in my eyes. I remember almost each Thursday being the day we visited the ‘Babajis’ shrine, to pay him offerings and pray for the safety of our beloved ones. I would always reminisce it with the dried dates and colorful ‘chadars’ that were sold about the outskirts of the shrine to be draped over the tomb as a symbol of reverence.
Data Darbaar, is the shrine of the famous Sufi saint Hazrat Syed Ali bin Usman Hajweri , who is also known as Data Ganj Baksh by most of his believers. They believe him to be a vessel through which their prayers will reach the Almighty in a faster and an effective way. Built by Sultan Zakiruddin Ibrahim in the 11th century, the shrine is located in the heart of Lahore near the Bhatee gate, in the walled city of Lahore and is home to many Darveshes, beggars, and homeless worshippers.
The charade of devotees is never any less, be it day or night. On every Thursday that we used to visit the shrine, Folk songs ie qawwalis were sung by the musicians along with a sufi dancers who would dance in concentric circles in such a selfless trance that the onlookers would hang about with their jaws dropped in awe. Devotees are welcome to buy special rice from the Data darbar complex and have it distributed amongst the needy at times of supper and lunch as an act of donating alms
On special days, such as Eid or the Jashan Milaad Un Nabi, the shrine is decorated with lights and incense sticks and there is treble the amount of devotees that come visit the shrine for gathering the Babjees blessings. The shrine is one that never sleeps, and is never closed for a moment be it any time of the day.