Onlykashmir.in News Desk
A six-day International Sufi Conference concluded on Tuesday at Darbar Aaliya Younsia Naqshbandia in Awoora, Kupwara, under the spiritual leadership of Alhaj Miyan Mohammad Maqbool Naqshbandi, bringing to a close a week of devotional gatherings that drew followers from across the world.
The conference brought together devotees, Islamic scholars and members of the Sufi order from different parts of the country and abroad, transforming the shrine complex into a hub of spiritual activity through the week. Nightly gatherings and Shab Khawani sessions, involving extended devotional recitations continuing well past midnight, created an atmosphere of collective faith that organisers said had strengthened bonds among attendees drawn from diverse backgrounds.
On the concluding day, following the Zuhr prayer, a grand religious procession set out toward the Ziyarat, with thousands of devotees joining the march in a display of devotion that has become a hallmark of the annual gathering. Volunteers managed the large turnout, coordinating logistics for food, accommodation and movement of the crowd through the narrow lanes leading to the shrine.
Addressing the concluding session, Alhaj Miyan Mohammad Maqbool Naqshbandi offered prayers for peace, prosperity and the wellbeing of the Muslim Ummah. He urged those present to promote the teachings of Sufism and to uphold what he described as the true values of Islam, centred on tolerance, compassion and service to humanity. He called for strengthened unity, love and spiritual guidance among believers as essential to the preservation of faith in an increasingly divided world.
The gathering, which has been held annually at the Awoora shrine for decades, has come to be regarded as one of Kupwara district’s most significant religious and cultural events, drawing pilgrims not only from across Jammu and Kashmir but also from other parts of India and overseas. Local authorities coordinated security and traffic arrangements throughout the six days to manage the heavy footfall without disruption to daily life in the area.
The conference closed with special prayers for global peace, communal harmony and the welfare of humanity, themes that organisers said were especially resonant given ongoing conflicts and social tensions in different parts of the world. Attendees departed the shrine complex through the evening, with many expressing hope that the spiritual renewal experienced during the gathering would carry forward into their daily lives long after the conference formally concluded.
