Staff and students at CQU Brisbane International Campus recently celebrated Mela Chiraghan, the 'festival of lights'.

Mela Chiraghan is a 3-day annual festival to mark the death anniversary of the Punjabi Sufi poet and saint Shah Hussain. It takes place at the shrine of Shah Hussain in Baghbanpura, on the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan. Shah Hussain, one of the most venerated saints of Lahore, is said to have been born in 945 Hijri (1538-39 AD).

The event begins with the celebrations of Shah Hussain's birth. Most devotees would be dancing to the beat of drums, singing of the saint's kafis and setting up traditional food stalls.  Pilgrims would also walk up to a fire at the shrine of Shah Hussain and throw candles into it.  The belief is that the closer you can get to the fire, the greater the chances of your prayers being answered.

To celebrate Mela Chiraghan at the Brisbane Campus, students and staff members joined the 12 Pakistani students on campus to share a delicious Pakistani lunch.