Rama Krishna Sangem
The Sufi Basant festival, which honored many religions was celebrated at Dargha Hazrath Shaik Ji Hali R.A. in Urdu Galli Patharghatti. Majlis e Chist Markazi in Hyderabad on February 2, Sunday.
Jennifer Larson, Consul General US, Hyderabad, Gareth Wynn Owen, the Deputy High Commissioner to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as well as Turkish Consul general Orhan Yalman Okan, Consul-General of Turkiye in Hyderabad, attended the All India Markazi Majlis-e-Chistia.
As the strains of qawwalis drifted through the air, people dressed in bright yellow and the Dargah Hazrath Shaik Ji Hali Abul ulai R.H. was decked up in marigold. The Basant Sufi Festival, which combined traditional customs with devotion and cultural harmony enthralled one and all.
According to Muzaffar Ali, head of the All India Markazi Majlis e Chishtiya, “this festival has been celebrated in Hyderabad for the past five years, but its history goes back centuries, said a media release from Snaps India. .
Festival has a glorious legacy
“It all began with the renowned Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, who was devastated by the death of his newborn nephew. Amir Khusro, his loyal follower, attempted to lift his spirits. He once witnessed a group of Hindus wearing yellow clothing, carrying mustard flowers, and making their way to the Yamuna River’s banks for Basant Panchami.
They served as inspiration for Khusro and his fellow pupils, who performed music, held marigolds, and wore yellow in front of their distraught master. The Basant Sufi holiday began when Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya finally grinned, according to Muzaffar Ali.
The event is now a significant custom in Sufi shrines, having been observed by the Qutub Shahi rulers and the Nizams in later years,” he stated.
Baba Farid’s in Sharqpur, Pakistan; Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan; and Delhi’s Nizamuddin Dargah also hosted the celebration. Singers in Hyderabad sang songs composed by renowned musician and poet Amir Khusro, who was instrumental in the development of classical music.
The atmosphere was raised by the dhol beats, rhythmic clapping, and strong qawwalis. At the festival, people of several faiths were present. “Beyond religion, it brings people together,” festival attendees remarked.