Sufi Yatra

TEAM ST reports on the inaugural festivities of an itinerary that traces the footsteps of Sufi mastersWe are living in very troubled times where we can see conflict, war and intolerance everywhere.We need the message of the Sufis — the message of compassion, love and acceptance,”says author and Sufi practitioner Sadia Dehlvi at the inaugural evening of the Times Passion Sufi Trail in New Delhi, at her residence in Nizamuddin where, 23 participants from across the country including one from Colombo, Sri Lanka, congregate for an evening of prayer, qawwali, and dastarkhwan, a ceremonial dinner spread.The evening unfolds with the release of The Best of the Speaking Tree — A Sufi Selection published by Times Books with each participant receiving a copy, a fitting companion to add value to the journey to be undertaken. “Sufism is the mystical aspect of Islam,” says Dehlvi explaining Sufism in the context of Islam.“We are getting so involved in the trappings of the modern world that we neglect the heart and it’s very important to suffuse the heart with memories of God,”she adds. Dehlvi emphasises the message of love and compassion in Sufi teachings:“In Sufism, there is great emphasis on service to mankind as the quickest and surest way to reach God.” Heavenly Showers She quotes from Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, who said that the fastest way to reach God was to bring cheer to the human heart and Khwaja Garib Nawaz, who urged his disciples to develop earth-like hospitality, sun-like bounty and river-like generosity....The Auliya or Sufi saints such as Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti live on in our hearts; we seek their blessings, they pray for us.We are heedless and prone to error, but the auliyas, the friends of God, are able to bless us.Those who go to Sufi courtyards find peace there,” she adds. Feeding the hungry is an act of love which is why at dargahs of Sufi saints, thousands of people are fed every day through langars. “The Auliyas shelter people. You may be rich or poor, a king or a slave,you are welcome at the dargah.Mosques are closed to women, but you will find large number of women praying at Sufi courtyards,”says Dehlvi. She talks of heavenly showers that descend at the dargahs of the Sufi saints and says that whoever visits these places bathes in these showers. Sufi ecstasy can also be experienced through writing and calligraphy. Qamar Dagar, an expert on Islamic calligraphy, says,“There are 99 names of Allah; they are names as well as virtues that convey different qualities.Names such as Zahir meaning the manifest is understood and interpreted in different ways by different people and that understanding comes across in different styles according to an individual’s perspective. Each person is unique in the way they understand things. For instance, Zahir for me could be a leaf, a tree or the entire universe.There is a greater possibility of sharing your own comprehensioni of Sufi concepts through calligraphy.” “Sufism represents the journey of the Self,” says Sufi singer Dhruv Sangari aka Bilal Chisti. Sangari and his group soulfully render popular Sufi qawwalis beginning with Hazrat Amir Khusrau’s kalaam.The audience is held captive to beats of the tabla and Sangari’s impressive voice.The opening verse is evocative and sets the mood: “Chhap tilak sab chchinee re mose naina milaike Bat agham keh dini re mose naina milaike You’ve taken away my identity, by just a glance You’ve said something so deep,by just a glance. Qawwali renditions are interspersed with Sangari elaborating on different aspects of qawwali. He describes Hazrat Amir Khusrau’s first meeting with his Pir or master, Nizamuddin Auliya. He says that young Khusrau was taken to meet Nizamuddin Auliya, but he refused to enter Auliya’s abode. He composed a verse and declared that he will accept Nizamuddin Auliya as his mentor only if Auliya’s comment on Khusrau’s verse satisfies his curiosity. Khusrau says: “Toa aan shahey ke bur aiwaan-e-qasrat Kabutar gar nashinad baaz gardad You are a king and I have come to your palace. I have heard that that those who come here as pigeons become falcons. Khwaja Nizamuddin responds thus: “Beyayad androon mard-e-haqiqat Baa maa yak nafas hamraz gardad Come in O seeker of truth, wisdom. You too become privy to the secrets of secrets. Khusrau accepted Khwaja Nizamuddin as his master and the rest is history, says Sangari. After a moving qawwali session, the chador or the cloth for dastarkhwan is laid out and participants seat themselves on the floor in traditional style to dine together in the true spirit of Sufism — serving the Lord by serving His creation. The next day, participants set out at dawn for a heritage walk to Qutub Minar, dedicated to Hazrat Khwaja Sayyid Muhammad Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki of the Chishti Order. Mid-morning, yatris are happy to learn the rudiments of calligraphy from Qamar Dagar, who makes a power point presentation at the India International Centre, New Delhi, and initiates everyone into the art, after offering them a bamboo kalam each, ink and a sheet of paper with Urdu alphabets printed on them. This is followed by a two-hour interactive session on Urdu poetry, by Manzar Bhopali, whose tarannum —ghazal-style recitation — holds the audience spellbound.Exercised by the recent terror strikes in Paris, the poet hopes that Sufi poetry — that is focused on love, love, love — will help heal the world and bring people closer together in peace and harmony. He recites verses he wrote specially in this context, appealing for greater understanding. This sets the tone for the evening visit to Nizamuddin Auliya’s dargah, and yatris prepare for their onward journey over the next few days to Pushkar, Dargah Hazrat Moulana Ziauddin Sahab in Jaipur, and to Dargah Salim Chishti at Fatehpur Sikri,Agra before returning to Delhi. ■