ISLAMABAD: An interactive discussion was held at Lok Virsa on Thursday on Lahoot Lamakan: A Journey of Spiritual and Cultural Significance featuring Panah Baloch.

Mr Baloch is a Baloch writer and researcher who has authored six books on culture and literature, including one on Lahoot Lamakan.

He told listeners at the muzakrathat the Lahoot is located in the Shah Noorani district in Khuzdar. Every year, thousands of pilgrims start off their journey from Sehwan Sharif in Sindh, covering a distance of 200 kilometres to Lahoot. Once this journey is completed, the pilgrims receive the title of Lahooti.

He explained that the three to eight day journey, which is undertaken mostly by Shias, is a way for believers to seek forgiveness and start afresh, and they leave the place as if they were reborn.

He told the audience that his research into Lahoot took him as far back as the 6th and 7th centuries.

Mr Baloch said that while his research did not find the origin or how Lahoot got its name, the cave and location were somehow associated with Hazrat Ali, who stayed there with his family, and had become an important place of worship for Shias.

He said the place was a site of dhamal and rituals that have been passed down for centuries.

The journey includes stops in Noor Wahi, Chonghar, Mai Kinari and Dewana Shah in order to perform rituals such as dipping and swimming in ponds to purify the soul, climbing steep hills upright and in a crouched position, and walking through narrow channels in the cliffs.

In his book, Mr Baloch said that several tales and myths have been borrowed and mixed from various faiths including Hinduism. He saw during his visit to Lahoot that all kinds of people, including visitors from Iran and China, had travelled to pay their respects or perform rituals.

“There is also the myth that Hazrat Ali came to this place to evict a giant,” he said.

Some members of the audience found the description of the journey fascinating, while others argued that many of the myths and stories were fabricated and concocted. Some also noted the influence of various religions, but claimed the entire journey was strictly business.

An audience member also questioned the dates of the events narrated by the speaker, and asked about references in recorded history.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2019