The Shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (Urdu: شاہ عبداللطیف بھٹائی مزار; Sindhi: شاهہ عبداللطيف ڀٽائي جي مزار) is an 18th-century Sufi shrine located in the town of Bhit Shah, in the Pakistani province of Sindh. The shrine is considered to be one of the most important in Sindh, and its annual urs festival attracts up to 500,000 visitors.[1]
Women serve as caretakers of tombs within the shrine complex.[4] Male singers at the shrine mimic female voices by singing in falsetto to mimic heroines in Shah Abdul Latif's poetry.[4] The Hindu Bhil and Kolhi communities revere the shrine, as Shah Abdul Latif's poetry is considered to be tolerant of other beliefs.[4]
Building complex
Entry to the shrineThe shrine's inner sanctum is the site of the saint's tomb.
The shrine complex was built in 1772 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro to house the tomb of the Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.[5] The shrine complex includes a mosque and a mausoleum that open onto a large courtyard encircled by domed arcades by means of a large gateway. The complex is notable for being elaborately decorated with Sindhi tile work featuring blue and white floral themes.[6]Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai's Surs are performed nightly at the shrine after evening prayers.[4]
Annual festival
The shrine is site of an annual urs festival that attracts up to 500,000 visitors over the course of three days,[1] beginning on the 13th day of the Islamic month of Safar.[7] The festival commemorates Shah Abdul Latif's death by means of celebration, as his death is regarded to be a union with God.[8]
^ abcdAbbas, Shemeem Burney (2010). The Female Voice in Sufi Ritual: Devotional Practices of Pakistan and India. University of Texas Press. p. 34. ISBN9780292784505.
