OK, so I am supposed to have a Jewish background (which I don’t really, except going back to my grandparents’ generation from Russia and Ukraine), and I never was raised with any religion, nor have I ever fully found any (yet). But there is one religious holiday that I would like to celebrate – more than any other – and that is the Urs of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar! I think readers of this blog should at this point know why (unless you are absolutely “brand new” here). And, much to my chagrin, I missed it again this month! (I understand that the Urs was on July 12.) But last night, I did finally find a good short clip in English that explains what this is all about:
There is also a very interesting description of the celebrations in a book that I’ve mentioned before, The Dancing Girls of Lahore. Though it isn’t quite as positive, and is much more amusing in places…but it still reveals some fondness for this tradition, from another westerner who has usually self-identified as an agnostic or atheist. I might transcribe that here fairly soon.