The Punjab government has declared a local public holiday in Lahore on March 28 to commemorate the annual Mela Chiraghan festival, which celebrates the Urs of the revered Sufi saint Shah Hussain, also known as Madhu Lal Hussain. This holiday will be observed exclusively within the Lahore District and its subordinate offices.
An official notification from the Services and General Administration Department of the provincial government stated that the local holiday will be observed on March 28, 2023 (Tuesday), coinciding with the Urs Mubarak of Hazrat Madhu Lal Hussain (RA) and the Mela Chiraghan festivities.
Mela Chiraghan is held annually to honor the memory of Shah Hussain, attracting large gatherings for cultural events such as lamp lighting ceremonies and qawwali performances. Shah Hussain, born in 1538 in Lahore during the Mughal era, was a distinguished Punjabi Sufi poet whose works explore themes of love, spiritual longing, and union with the Divine. His legacy continues to influence Punjabi literature and Sufi traditions. He passed away in Lahore in 1599.
