LAHORE (Kashmir English): The Punjab government on Friday declared a public holiday in Lahore on March 28 in view of the annual Urs of Shah Hussain, commonly known as Mela Chiraghan.
The notification noted that “a Local Holiday in Lahore District shall be observed on 28th March, 2026 (Saturday) on the eve of Annual Urs Mubarak of Hazrat Shah Hussain (R.A) / Mela Chiraghan.”
“This holiday will be observed only at the District level and its subordinate offices located in the Lahore District,” the notification issued by the Services and General Administration Department said.
Mela Chiraghan is observed every year to mark the Urs of the renowned Sufi saint Shah Hussain, popularly known as Sahi Madhu Lal Hussain, drawing large crowds for cultural festivities, including lamp lighting and qawwali performances.
Shah Hussain was a renowned Punjabi Sufi poet born in 1538 in Lahore during the Mughal Empire.
His poetry reflects themes of love, longing, and union with the Divine, and he remains an influential figure in Punjabi literature and Sufi tradition.
Schools to reopen on April 1
Earlier on Wednesday, Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat announced that schools across Punjab will reopen from April 1 amid the speculation about the extension of holidays.
In a post on X, the provincial minister said that the “academic activities at educational institutions across Punjab will resume from April 1.”
In a separate post, the education minister dismissed the reports regarding the extension of school holidays. “They are NOT being extended as of now. Pls Avoid Fake news,” he wrote.
Earlier, the minister declared a notification circulating on social media claiming the extension of holidays in educational institutions was fake.
“The public is requested to trust only information issued by authentic and official sources,” he stated.
A fake notification attributed to the Punjab School Education Department alleged that all schools in Punjab shall remain closed with effect from April 1 to 15. However, the minister denied issuing any such notification.
