Karnataka: Sandal procession marks start of Khwaja Banda Nawaz Urs

Kalaburagi (Karnataka) [India], June 6 (ANI): The Sandal procession- a ritual of anointing sandal paste marked the second day of the 619th Urs-e-Sharif of 14th century Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Banda Nawaz Gesudaraz on the dargah premises here on Monday.
The 619th Urs-e-Sharif began with Sandal rituals on the dargah premises in Kalaburagi.

The Urs which means the death anniversary of the Sufi saint takes place on the 15th day of Zul-Qa'dah of the Muslim calendar.
Thousands of devotees cutting across all religions from different districts and also neighbouring States thronged the city to participate in the Sandal procession of the Urs.
The first three days of the fortnight-long Urs include ceremonial verses, speeches and Qawwali programmes.
Thousands of devotees from different districts and also neighbouring States thronged the dargah to participate in the Sandal procession.
A ceremonial procession (Sandal Shareef) had taken out from Public Garden to the Dargah premises after a special prayer.
The three-day religious proceedings begin with Khidmat-i-Fatiha, Band Sama and then, the distribution of Tabarruk at the dargah followed by namaaz-e-Asar at the Mehboob Gulshan Public Garden.
The procession carrying the Sandal passed through Mibaz Masjid in the Super Market area to offer Namaz-e-Maghrib before it reached the dargah, where it was received at the Gyarah Sidi (11 steps) leading to the dargah.
The Sandal paste brought in the procession was then anointed on the tomb of Khwaja Banda Nawaz. (ANI)