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Sufi Basant 2021: Spring arrives in hues of yellow at Hazrat Nizamuddin
The festival celebrations, which take place in memory of poet Amir Khusrow, will follow social distancing norms this year.
As winter paves way for spring, Delhiites wear their yellow robes, and some will head to the Sufi Basant celebrations at the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, today. With marigold flowers and yellow attires lining the way, qawwali programmes scheduled specially for this occasion, the conglomeration will maintain social distancing to keep it a safe affair.
The annual event of Sufi Basant falls on the third day of Jumada-al-awwal, the fifth month of the Islamic calendar. “This festival is celebrated in memory of the poet Amir Khusrow who dedicated his songs of spring to Khwaja Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Celebrating with the community assumes greater importance in the face of the pandemic. We will start the celebrations around 4.30pm in the dargah. Namaz se pehle basant leke ayenge aur phir program shuru hoga. Masks will be compulsory and we will also be providing sanitiser on the premises of the dargah for all visitors,” says Peerzada Altamash Nizami, a descendant of Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya and joint secretary of the dargah committee.
The qawwalis, today, will be performed by Nizami brothers Ghulam Sabir and Gulam Waris, who have been keeping with this tradition for years. “Humare dada, pardada ke time se humari family Sufi Basant par dargah mein qawwali kar rahi hai. We will be singing Amir Khusro’s qawwalis along with our family members. The qawwali programme usually happens in the courtyard of the dargah, but on this day we perform around the tombs of Amir Khusrow and Hazrat Nizamuddin. Covid ki wajah se sab pareshan hai, but this will be a good occasion for everyone to come together,” says Ghulam Waris, sharing how they celebrate this festival to commemorate the day when Amir Khusrow got his master to smile after he was grief stricken at the death of his nephew.
People from different religions gather at the dargah to mark the celebrations, and revel in the spirit of ushering in spring. “I go to Nizamuddin every year on this day and feel at peace to see people come together,” says Archie Saxena, a Noida-based corporate professional, adding, “I don’t think there could be a better way to celebrate communal harmony than attend the Basant Panchami celebrations at a dargah. This speaks about India’s Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb.”
Catch It Live
What: Sufi Basant
Where: Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, Nizamuddin West, New Delhi
When: February 16, today
Timing: 4.45pm onwards
Nearest Metro Station: Indraprastha Metro Station on Blue Line and Jangpura on Violet Line
Author tweets @bhagat_mallika
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