Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar

Shrine Of The Thirteenth Century Sufi Saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Administered By The Sindh Auqaf Department; Home Of The Evening Dhamaal · Sehwan Sharif, Sindh

The shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan Sharif is one of the most visited Sufi shrines in South Asia, the tomb of a thirteenth-century mystic whose red robe gave him his name. It is famous above all for the dhamaal: every evening at sunset huge drums start up in the courtyard and men and women spin, sway and dance in trance to honour the saint, in a devotion that crosses sect, class and even religion - Hindus visit too. The song Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, sung across the subcontinent, is about him. The tomb is a shining building of blue and white tiles with gold and silver doors, crowded day and night with pilgrims tying threads, offering flowers and red chadors. At the annual urs, hundreds of thousands arrive from across Pakistan. In February 2017 a suicide bomber killed more than eighty people during the dhamaal; the next morning the caretaker rang the shrine bell as usual and the drums returned that evening, and people speak of that defiance still. Sehwan is hot, dusty and intense, and it is unforgettable.

Sehwan Sharif, Jamshoro District, beside the Indus, Sehwan Sharif, Sindh, Pakistan

Open day and night. The dhamaal is held every evening around sunset in the courtyard, and on Thursday evenings it is at its biggest. Entry is free, with heavy security screening at the gates and separate entrances for men and women. The urs, in the Islamic month of Shaban, brings enormous crowds and extra security. Sehwan is about three to four hours by road from Karachi and about two from Hyderabad.

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