The Punjab government has declared a public holiday in Lahore on April 12 (Saturday) in connection with the annual Urs celebrations of Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Hussain - widely known as Mela Chiraghan.

A notification issued by the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) on Tuesday stated that all public offices and institutions within the Lahore district will remain closed on the day to facilitate the observance of the traditional celebrations.

“This public holiday shall be observed in the Lahore district only and will apply to all sub-offices situated within the district,” read the notification. However, the provincial government clarified that the holiday will not apply to the Punjab Civil Secretariat, its attached departments, or regional offices.

Mela Chiraghan — also known as the “Festival of Lights” — marks the annual Urs of Hazrat Shah Hussain, a revered 16th-century Punjabi Sufi poet. The event attracts thousands of devotees from across the province who gather at his shrine adjacent to the Shalimar Gardens to pay their respects.

The festival, which typically spans several days, features devotional music, poetry recitations, and traditional rituals that reflect Lahore’s deep-rooted spiritual and cultural heritage.

Security and traffic arrangements are expected to be reinforced around the shrine and adjoining areas during the celebrations.