The shrine of Baba Farid in Pakpattan is open every day of the year, but it is best known for ten nights each year during his urs, when a second door, the Bahishti Darwaza or "Gate of Paradise," is unlocked and pilgrims queue for hours to pass through it. This guide covers who Baba Farid was, what the gate ritual involves, and how to visit both during the urs and on an ordinary day.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pakpattan city, southern Punjab, on the old bank of the Sutlej River |
| Shrine hours | Open 24 hours, every day |
| Annual urs | Held in the Islamic month of Muharram, lasting about ten days |
| Bahishti Darwaza | Opened only during the urs, from sunset to sunrise each night |
| Urs attendance | Estimated in the hundreds of thousands to around two million over the ten days |
| Access | Free; extremely crowded during the urs |
Who was Baba Farid?
Fariduddin Ganjshakar, known as Baba Farid, was a 13th-century Punjabi Sufi mystic and poet, one of the founding figures of the Chishti order in South Asia and the first major poet to write in Punjabi. He settled in the town then known as Ajodhan, on the Sutlej, after the death of his own teacher, and lived there until his death, commonly dated to 1266. The town was later renamed Pakpattan, "the pure ferry crossing," and his shrine has been the town's centre of gravity ever since. His verses were later included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture, which is part of why the shrine also draws Sikh visitors alongside Muslim pilgrims.
The shrine and its two doors
The tomb chamber has two marble doorways. The Nuri Darwaza, the "Gate of Light," stands open through the year and is the door ordinary visitors use. The Bahishti Darwaza, the "Gate of Paradise," is kept locked the rest of the year and opened only during the urs, on the belief that passing through it wipes away a pilgrim's sins. The inner chamber is small, holding no more than about ten people at a time, so even outside the urs a visit involves a short wait and a brief moment inside rather than a long stay.
The urs and the Bahishti Darwaza
The urs, the annual commemoration of a Sufi saint's death, is held each year in the Islamic month of Muharram and runs for about ten days. According to Pakpattan's district administration, the Bahishti Darwaza is unlocked each night of the urs from sunset to sunrise and padlocked again during the day, and pilgrims queue through the night for the chance to pass through it.
Because the date follows the Islamic lunar calendar, it shifts earlier by roughly ten to eleven days on the Gregorian calendar each year, so check the current year's dates rather than assuming they match a previous visit.
The scale of the event is considerable: hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are estimated to attend across the ten days, with figures for the busiest years cited as high as two million. That volume of pilgrims funnelled toward a single small doorway has been dangerous in the past — a stampede at the gate in April 2001 killed 36 people — and crowd control around the Bahishti Darwaza has been tightened since. If you attend during the urs, expect serious crowding, go with a group, keep valuables secure, and don't attempt to reach the gate itself unless you are prepared for a long, tightly packed wait.
Access to the gate itself is also restricted by gender: women are not permitted to pass through the Bahishti Darwaza, a rule the shrine's caretakers have maintained despite periodic public criticism of it. Women wanting to take part in the wider urs can still visit the shrine and its outer areas, which remain open to everyone.
Visiting outside the urs
For most travellers, visiting on an ordinary day is simpler and gives a clearer sense of the shrine itself: the tomb, the surrounding mosque and langar hall, and the old town of Pakpattan built up around it over more than seven centuries. The shrine is open around the clock, so there's no fixed visiting window to plan around, though daytime hours are more practical for getting around the town.
Etiquette
Dress modestly, remove your shoes before entering the tomb chamber, and keep your voice down inside. Langar, the free communal meal served at the shrine, is open to all visitors regardless of faith. Photography of the tomb itself is best confirmed with staff on site rather than assumed.
Is it worth visiting?
If your interest is Sufi history and Punjabi literature, yes, and an ordinary-day visit is calm and manageable. If you specifically want to see or take part in the Bahishti Darwaza ritual, treat it as a major, crowded pilgrimage event rather than a sightseeing stop, and plan for long queues, dense crowds and an overnight or very early start.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Baba Farid urs held?
In the Islamic month of Muharram, for about ten days. The Gregorian dates shift earlier each year because the Islamic calendar is lunar, so check the current year's dates before travelling.
What is the Bahishti Darwaza?
A second, normally locked door at Baba Farid's tomb, opened only during the urs, which pilgrims pass through in the belief that it absolves their sins.
Can women pass through the Bahishti Darwaza?
No. Women are not permitted through this particular gate, though the rest of the shrine and the wider urs gathering are open to everyone.
Is the urs dangerous to attend?
It draws very large crowds funnelled toward a single gate, and a stampede there in 2001 killed 36 people. Go with a group, expect serious crowding, and don't push toward the gate itself unless you're prepared for a long, tightly packed wait.
Is the shrine open outside the urs?
Yes, every day, around the clock. Visiting outside the urs is far calmer and is the easier way to see the shrine itself.
