Sufi basant
Basant means "spring" in Sanskrit.
Spring being the "King of all Seasons", the festival of Basant Panchami marks the end of winter and the beginning of warmer days.
The festival of Basant Panchami is associated with all three goddesses in the Hindu trinity, namely Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati, celebrating knowledge, prosperity, and creative energy.
While Basant is widely recognised as a celebration of Saraswati Puja, its cultural significance within Sufi traditions is less well-known.
Basant Panchami is also the day when Sufi Muslims mark the grave of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Aulia in Delhi.
The day of Sufi Basant is the third day of the fifth month in the Islamic calendar.
Local Sufi traditions say that in the twelfth century AD, the poet Amir Khusrau saw Hindu women dressed in colorful yellow sarees, carrying yellow flowers to a temple on Basant Panchami and when he asked them the women replied that these rituals were practiced to make their deity happy.
Listening to this, Khusrau immediately decided to cheer up Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia popularly known as Mahbub-e-ilahi (Beloved of the Divine) who was grieving the death of his beloved nephew, Khwaja Taqiuddin Nuh.
Poet- Amir Khusru
Khusrau dressed in a yellow saree and leading the lively, melodious group singing in the Purabi dialect, showered mustard flowers at the feet of the saint.
This heartfelt gesture brought tears to Auliya's eyes, and he joined the celebration.
The saint went up to the grave of his nephew and sang: "Ashq rayz ameedan abro bahar" (Shed tears, the time of spring and life and clouds is here)
Since then, Basant Panchami has been celebrated at his shrine in Nizamuddin Dargah which is decorated with yellow flowers echoing the joyous spirit infused by Amir Khusrau.
Devotees dress up, tie yellow bands around their heads and carry mustard and marigold flowers along with them.
The whole shrine is covered with a sea of yellow flowers.
Qawallis, describing several life events of the saint and his disciple Amir Khusrau, are sung throughout the evening.
The tradition of Sufi Basant has become an integral part of his Khanqah's annual calendar.
To commemorate the occasion, Khusrau wrote beautiful poems in Brij Bhasha one of which is "Aaj basant manalay suhagan".
The songs sung at the shrine are written by Amīr Khusrau.
These are unbroken oral traditions that continue to date.
Sakal ban phool rahi sarson,
Umbva phutay, tesu phulay,
koyal kare pukar,
Aur gori karat singaar, Sakal bun phool rahi, Tarah tarah kay phool lagaaye,
Lay gadhwa haathan mein aaye.
The whole shrine is covered in an electrifying atmosphere and is a living example of the Ganga-jamuni tehzeeb which is still alive in some parts of the country.
Spreading love, harmony and brotherhood across all religions and communities was the aim of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya which has successfully passed through all these centuries and continues to pass on to the future generations.
Much like the revered tradition at Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah in Delhi, Hyderabad’s Dargah of Shaikhji Hali also resonates with the timeless Basant songs of Hazrat Amir Khusrau, a tradition that dates back to the era of the Qutub Shahi dynasty, approximately five centuries ago.
The Dargah, popularly known as Urdu Shariff, turns yellow on Basant Panchami, with the devout wearing yellow clothes, just like the tradition started at Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah in New Delhi about eight centuries ago.
Hazrat Nizammudin Dargah, New Delhi
As music and devotion intertwine, the harmonious coexistence of diverse traditions is a testament to the power of shared traditions, transcending religious boundaries to celebrate the beauty of togetherness.
I am reminded of the famous Chishti Sufi adage which goes: "Your minds have limits but not your hearts, for they are receptacles of endless capacity."
This is the guiding light and mystical wisdom that flows from the Chishti tradition of Indian Sufi saints.
At a time when trust between faiths often seems fragile, Basant Panchami emerges as a vibrant reminder of shared cultural heritage and spiritual harmony which is the essence of our country.
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