The Zikri community’s seven-day religious festival, ‘Choghan,’ concluded on April 6th in Balochistan. The event, held at Koh-e-Murad in Turbat, the community’s spiritual hub, saw tens of thousands from Eastern and Western Balochistan and Karachi participate in the culmination of the festival with a collective prayer on the 27th day of Ramadan.
Annually, during Ramadan, Zikris converge on Koh-e-Murad for ‘Choghan.’ Devotees, in groups called ‘firqas,’ travel to Turbat from the 22nd to the 28th day of Ramadan. The festival concludes the morning after Laila tul Qadr with a communal prayer, after which attendees return home.
This year’s ‘Choghan’ witnessed record attendance, with estimates suggesting over 215,000, a number believed to be conservative. Devotees, including many barefoot, continued to arrive throughout the festival.
Characterized by fervent cultural and religious activities, ‘Choghan’ engages men, women, and children in prayer and cultural traditions. Prayers for Balochistan’s peace and prosperity and the safe return of missing persons are a focal point.
The festival ended with over 215,000 registered participants, and more than 74,000 present for the final prayer on April 6th.
Blood donation camps were also a feature of this year’s festival, with the Kech Thalassemia Care Center and other organizations facilitating over 1,000 donations, collecting 370 bags of blood for the Kech Center alone.