NOWSHERA: Thousands of devotees from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tribal areas and other parts of the country attended the three-day Urs celebrations of Sufi saint Syed Kasteer Gul, popularly known as Kaka Sahib, which concluded at Ziarat Kaka Sahib town here on Friday.

The Khur Miangaan, caretakers of the shrine, performed the flag hoisting at the ceremony and laid floral wreath on the shrine. Like previous years, Kaka Sahib town came alive with unusual rush of visitors streaming up and down.

Tight security arrangements were made by the local administration to facilitate the devotees during the Urs celebrations. The devotees also participated in Chiraghan (illumination) ceremony.

Rasheeda Begum , 65, a devotee of Kaka Sahib from Attock, told this scribe that she had been coming here along with her family members to attend the Urs of the Sufi saint for the last over two decades. She said that it gave them a great solace. `I never miss the Urs celebrations. I feel secure and comfortable here,` she added.

During the celebrations, the religious scholars said that Kaka Sahib lived in the Mughal era and had spread religious education and advocated peace, brotherhood and humanism.

They said that he always helped the poor and needy and used to impart religious education to his pupils.

A Sufi musical concert and Naat recitation session were also held. Local qawwali singers continued performing till late in the night.

They sang poems of Rahman Baba and other Sufi poets to pay tribute to Kaka Sahib. Many devotees were also seen reciting from the holy Quran.

Tariq Hameed, 45, from Karachi told this scribe that he along with his friends stayed at the shrine and had drawn a spiritual fragrance from the Urs.

A large number of stalls selling sweets, traditional chapli kakbab and handicrafts were also set up.

A football tournament was also arranged to entertain the visitors.

Feroz Jamal Shah Kakakhel, patron-in-chief of `Qaum-iKakakhel` and elders of the area had opened the Urs celebrations and concluded them on Friday night with distribution of langar (free meal) to the devotees.