Dargah Hazrat Shaik Ji Hali Abul Ul Lai Celebrates Basant Panchami

 Hyderabad: The Dargah Hazrat Shaik Ji Hali Abul Ul Lai near Charminar celebrated Basant Panchami in the Dargah, a celebration that it said had evolved centuries ago.

Minister Mohammed Azharuddin participated in the “Basant Sufi Festival”, offering prayers at the dargah, and attending the music performances.

The dargah, in bustling Pathargatti market, was decked in yellow marigold. Visitors and devotees wore yellow dresses, yellow “pagdi” and fabrics. The festival was organised by the All India Markazi Majlis-e-Chistia, in collaboration with Telangana Arts and Cultural Association.

The Basant Panchami festivities goes back centuries. The tradition began with Amir Khusrau, a disciple of Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, wanting to cheer his teacher who was mourning the loss of his nephew. Khusrau saw a group of Hindus clad in yellow dresses and decorating their houses in yellow marigolds on the occasion of Basant Panchami. Taking inspiration from them, Khusrau did the same and performed Sufi music in front of his Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Since then, the tradition has been continued in Sufi shrines.

Artists and Sufi musicians performed tranquil music which set the tone for the area. Sarangi musician Aslam Khan, sitar player Sai Santhosh, tabla player Amit Bhushan and vocalist Hruday performed a sitar jugalbandi.

Mohammed Chand Pasha, a resident of Gulzar Houz said “I’ve been attending the festivities here for three years now. I feel very calm and peaceful everytime during these celebrations. Hindus and Muslims come in and we all celebrate the festival together. This is the embodiment of Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb.”

Pridhvi Mudiraj, a resident of Bholakpur, said, “I saw a reel about this on Instagram, and I wanted to see how this goes. I’m amazed at how everyone is welcoming and warm about celebrating a Hindu festival in a Muslim dargah. I genuinely did not expect this.”

N. Shriram is an intern contributed to the story