Thousands participate in Urs of Hazarat Khadar Vali

 Giddalur: Thousands of devotees thronged Dargah of  Hazarat Khadar Vali at Mundlapadu road in Giddalur on Saturday and Sunday to participate in the 166th Urs. The organisers performed Gandham Mahotsavam on Saturday while Urs was held on Sunday.

Legend says that Khadar Vali was a priest in the village, performs peer festival and worked for communal harmony. When the people in the village were suffering with the evil forces, he was said to be throwing stones at them. However, the stones became coconuts and broken into two halves after falling onto the ground.

On Saturday night, as part of Gandham, a tray filled with the mix of sandal powder was brought to the Peda Dargah from the China Dargah on horse. On Sunday, on Urs, the devotees spent time till early morning and reached homes to welcome peer at 4 am and prayed to it and submitted offerings.

The committee president P Lathif Khan, secretary P Yakub Khan, treasurer Vali, vice-president P Vali, executive members PA Mastan Vali, Shukur Raza, Khaja Hussain announced that about 10,000 devotees from Guntur, Kurnool, Nellore, Kadapa, Karnataka and other places participated in the Urs. They had arranged free meal to nearly 4,000 of them.