Kalaburagi is also known as Gulbargah and is near Hyderabad, India.
Thousands of devotees cutting across religious lines thronged the streets of historic city to participate in the famous sandal procession to mark the beginning of the four-day 613th Urs-e-Sharief of the 14th century Sufi saint Hazrath Khwaja Bande Nawaz Gesudiraz on Tuesday.
Prior to the ceremonial procession from the Mehboob Gulshan Public Garden, devout Muslims participated in a special namaz presided over by the Sajjada Nasheen of the Dargah Sharief, Syed Shah Khusro Hussaini.
Devotees from all over the country and abroad participated in the special prayers and the procession.
The sandal procession was preceded by special prayers since morning, including Khidmat-e-Farrashi and Band Sama at the Dargah Sharief, followed by an address by the Sajjada Nasheen and the special prayers Namaaz-e-Juma.
The procession carrying the sandal paste stopped at the Mehdus Masjid in the Super Market area to offer Namaz-e-Maghrib before reaching the Dargah Sharief, where the sandal procession was received at the Gyarah Sidi (Eleven steps) leading to the Dargah Sharief.
Source: Devotees throng Kalaburagi to witness 613th Urs-e-Sharief