Growing on Tombs

Thousands of people gather at the tomb of Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery, well known as “Data Saibh” a Persian sufi saint of 11th century, in Lahore, the second largest city of Pakistan. Data Saibh has hundreds of thousands of devotees all over the Pakistan and abroad, who congregate at the tomb, especially on Thursday to pay their gratitude to the saint and distribute food and sweets. As thousands kilograms of rice, breads and curry is distributed on the tomb everyday, thousands of poor and homeless out stationed laborers mess in the vicinity of the tomb of Data Saibh. These people have opportunity to spend their nights inside the tomb complex or outside in green belts and overhead bridge in front of the tomb. Most of these people are drugs addict and they work as massager. Once you visit the area you can find tens of straw mattresses along the road, lying people and getting their legs and back massaged. Reportedly there are also a number of pickpockets, thieves and other type of criminals camouflaged as saints or else. In the vicinity of the tomb of Data Saibh, one can not say with sure that a person in shabby condition who has stretched his palm before for alms, who is he in fact. Police have been taking actions and arresting suspected people from here time to time. Also large number of drug peddlers operates from this crowd of unidentified persons. Since the saints are believed well respected in Muslim society, many people of suspicious back ground throng to the tombs of saints disguising as saints.