The black and white background to Dervish's blog..is not just a random black and white picture.
It is a picture of a Jaali. Filigree work...jaalis..are commonly found in most ancient historical buildings in the Indian sub-continent..but some are more interesting than others. The interest could be of what the jaali is holding in or holding out.. or it could well be what the jaali signifies.
The word "jaali" invokes myriad images..from spiritual to the mundane. Leaving the mundane aside, and keeping the non mundane in view, Jaali generally has a spiritual connotation for some.
In the Indo Pak subcontinent...Jaali's in Dargah's are used either for holding and entreating to the saint for his mercy or for your hearts desire or for the other practical alternative for communicating to getting your heart's desire heard...tying the red dyed thread...with the vow that you will untie the thread as soon as your heart's desire has been fulfilled.
In a time long ago...the prime location of the Dhaga Dargahs used to be Hazrat Salimuddin Chishti's Dargah in Fatehpur Sikri. He who is historically attributed for having prayed for the birth of his namesake Prince Salim of Anarkali fame...no other than the Mughal Emperor Jehangir...Akbar the Great's son.
(If you visit Hazrat Salimuddin Chishti's shrine...you will also get to hear..if you haven't already...how Akbar walked on foot from Ajmer to Fatehpur Sikri to request Hazrat to pray for the heir to his throne. )
But then...Time waved its magic wand..."Sufism" became the buzz word...and as with all other things in life...quick fixes became the norm...even in the spiritual world...and Karma Cola became the flavor of the day. "Paisa phaik tamasha daikh" was the preferred way of life.
This perhaps can be attributed to the sprouting of the Dhaga culture at most shrines. They have all become Dhaga Dargahs. Perhaps the sense of communicating that one feels in the act of tying the thread outweighs the silent communication of prayer for some.
This picture though is not as interesting as a Dargah's jaali...but for Dervish is more thought provoking and elemental.
For anyone who has visited the Red Fort at Delhi the picture and the view should have been easily identifiable. It is a shot through the Jaali of the Moti Masjid at the Red Fort.
Built for worship by kings (specifically Aurangzeb) and now locked, derelict...no throng of entreating visitors here...no sense of urgent prayer...not even a single devotee...
Echoing only to the sound clicking photographers, chattering tourists peeking through its mysterious and inviting jaali...and cooing pigeons.
Such a simple word. Encompassing a world within it. The love. The thirst. The Search.
Dervish’s introduction to Qawali was at an age that now seems lost in the mist of time…this introduction was not garnered through the famous Qawals that are so revered and well known to the world and Qawali listeners alike, but through those un-named and unsung (no pun intended) maestros that are an essential part of all Dargahs.
What is Qawali? Any self respecting Qawali aficionado, worth his salt, would be quick to answer that one, it is a musical tradition, introduced by Hazrat Amir Khusro, on a variety of topics, ranging from the Hamd of Almighty to the celebration of Spring, with the commonality in most topics being spirituality, whether obvious or subtle.
It would perhaps be appropriate to tweak the above statement and say that Qawali is a musical tradition “improved” / “enhanced” / “elaborated” by Hazrat Amir Khusro, for when Khawaja Ghareeb Nawaz settled at Ajmer he is said to have introduced / convened Mehfil-e-Sama to / in the Indo Pak sub-continent.
Hazrat Qutubuddin Kaki, the successor to Khawaja Ghareeb Nawaz (and quite obviously the pre-predecessor to Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya) is also well known for his love for Qawali / Sama. According to what has been passed down, Hazrat Qutubuddin Kaki’s wisal is said to have occurred was while he was in a stated of Wajd.
The couplet attributed to the kaifiyat-e-wajd is well known
”kushtgan-e-khanjar-e-tasleem ra …Har zaman az ghaib jaan deegar ast”
“Murder by dagger of acceptance results in a new life from the unknown”
This also suggests that Qawali predates Hazrat-e-Amir.
Sultan ul Mashaiq, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s fondness for Qawali is well known, and not merely due to the fact that it led to the further development of Qawali through the aegis of Hazrat Amir Khusro.
Tradition records that when Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya was of a young age and was living in the city of Badayoun, a Qawal named Abu Bakar arrived from Multan in the presence of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s teacher and recounted his experience with Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya of Multan and of the spirituality of his khanqah. Thereafter he detailed his experience of Pak Pattan with Baba Farid Ganj-e-Shakar. And from that day onward Hazrat Nizamuddin was so deeply moved by this experience that perhaps the the initial seeds of the fondness and love of his future teacher can be said to have been sown by this incident. As future incidents unfolded Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya was the successor to Baba Farid Ganj-e-Shakar.
Given the backdrop of such spiritual personalities, the question remains as to what is Qawali?
From Dervish’s perspective there is no objective answer to that question. Rather there is a just a very subjective one.
Qawali is actually a passage to that seemless boundless ocean where nothing exists except a sense of spirituality.
As Hafiz has said...it has to be a state of Ba Har Soo Jalwa-e-Dildar Deedam..
He sells sea shells by the sea shore....and pictures of faqirs poets and saints a-galore!
In what seems a hazy past now...(it seems in days when Karachi used to be safe city)....Dervish remembers shops in front of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi's shrine....selling flowers, and chaddars and the myriad other knick knacks that are an essential part of any dargah in Indo Pak....there used to be rickety columns of "daighs" trying to reach for the skies tempting with food being cooked and distributed to the people by the roadside...
But these essential landmarks of a Dargah were conspicuous by their very absence when Dervish visited the Mazar during the Urs. Hazrat's Mazar although a peaceful haven lacked the the hustle bustle of a mazar bazaar and the familiar ring of a malangs bangles and cry of Haq Allah Hoo.
Dervish couldn't help but investigate what happened to the bazaar and was told that the shops are now tucked into the lane next to the Mazar and sure enough if you walk into the dimly lit lane next to the Mazar there is a gate leading to shops (within the Mazar grounds but with no access from within the Mazar...or maybe thats the way it was during the Urs).
Hoping to find shops selling the usual paraphernalia...and life...Dervish met with disappointment.
Sure there were shops...but the majority of them were selling food...or daighs for langar. There were a few shops selling regular knick knacks and plastic jewelry and other cheap jewelry available all over the city. There was nothing specific set these shops apart as Mazar shops.
Why would be Dervish interested in Mazar shops would be the natural question to ask. In the hope that there would be some individuality left in the shadow of the shrine. That the consumerism and commercialism so evident all over the world would not have reared its head here as well. Not so. There was nothing different in these shops.
And then Dervish saw something that set these shops apart. The shell picture frames being sold in some of these shops had very interesting pictures in them. Ones that Dervish had never before seen.
These were an artists interpretation of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Hazrat Suman Sarkar.
So there was some hope yet...some hope for retaining the individuality and the diversity that one normally finds in these small pockets that are so much a part of any big city. And the disappointment that Dervish had felt at the "I Miss You" wristbands being sold at the Mazar bazar was somewhat alleviated.
It also signified that for some people out there these three personalities...Lal Shahbaz he for whom the dhamal is danced on Dama Dam Mast Qalandar on a regular basis (not only at spiritual occasions but also at not so spiritual ones)...Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai with his universal message of love...still hold sway. Dervish has heard about Hazrat Suman Sarkar but does not know much about him. The fact remains, that if people continue to revere these personalities and their teachings of love for all and equality, irrespective of color, creed or religion, than the world and this region will surely be a better place and peace will reign supreme.
Apart from the few shops selling knick knacks, you can buy daighs of Biryani to give to the poor...but here again the commercialism is at work...the price you pay to the shop keeper does not include the price of the plastic bags...the people who get the food have to buy their own plastic bags from the plastic bag sellers who are roaming around selling their wares.
The shop keepers said that generally business is slow and generally the place had a sad feel of a rejected forgotten place..very different from the main Dargah.
Perhaps it is different during normal days when the security does not control the ingress to the Mazar and it is easier for the populace to have access to the Bazar, but Dervish wonders that even during the normal days what kind of business would the shopkeepers other than the ones who sell food would be doing.
The word "Urs" as used in the Indo Pak sub-continent with reference to "buzurgs" (Sufis to the west) is the celebration of their death anniversary. Celebration of a death anniversary in itself seems a paradox but over the past 100s of years it has become a reality....a way of life....at the hundreds or thousands of shrines that dot this part of the world.
Why celebrate the death anniversary one would ask? It is actually not a celebration of death rather the celebration of being united with the beloved. The occasion of meeting the maker is a time of rejoicing for they have served their time in this world and now after having done their duty they are ready to meet Allah. Which is why there are Qawalis that term the saint as the Doolah.
The 1281st Urs of the patron saint of Karachi, Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi has recently concluded in the coastal city.
Not much is known about Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi except that he keeps Karachi safe from all calamities specially those that are ocean borne. Whatever Hazrat's history, his following into the present is undoubted.
His Mazar stands as a quiet sentinel over the city of Karachi and is beautifully decorated each year at the time of his Urs just as it was this year as well.
Thousands of people throng to the Mazar to pay homage to their saint..and this year they and no qualms to stand in the queue to be granted access within the shrine.
His shrine has a sense of peace and spirituality that Dervish did not expect. Even though it was Urs time, when thousands come to pay their respects, there was a sense of calm throughout the shrine and an all pervasive sense among the people that they are there just to pay their respects and are not interested in anything else.
The entry into the "sanctum" was orderly and monitored...people were kindly requested to keep moving..no one was directed to bow down...anyone who wanted to say the Fateha was allowed to stand and say the Fateha...all others were allowed a decent amount of time and then requested to move along so that others had the chance to come inside..(if people wanted to touch the grave that was there call and were neither stopped or directed to do so). Dervish did not see any bowing down to the grave within the Sanctum. There were chaddars being put but it wasn't too elaborate an exercise nor it made into a circus. To be honest the administration of Mazar that were present in the sanctum were strictly polite and ensured that people behaved. Which was most appreciated.
Due to the Urs and the security concerns, it appeared that the regular residents of the Mazar had been moved out. Dervish had been interested in meeting and talking to them but perhaps the Urs was the wrong time to expect to talk to them.
As one exits the Sanctum and takes the stairs down there are graves on both sides. The graves on the left side seem to have more importance and there are administration people standing there who keep guiding people to keep moving. Upon enquiring Dervish was told that these are the graves of "Baba's Malangs" and are very very old. No further information could be gleaned at that time due to the press of the people. (However Dervish aims to find out further details on the next visit whenever that may be...or whenever Baba deigns that to be :))
The love, respect and devotion of the dwellers of Karachi and the people who believe in Abdullah Shah Ghazi, was evidenced by the fact that despite a bomb blast in a nearby area just a day before the Urs and the bomb blast at the Mazar itself at the Urs last year, the people continued to flow to the Mazar as if nothing had happened. If that isn't faith than what is.
To be honest one also has to admire Karachi police. They were there in droves and contrary to what one has heard about them, they were smiling and helpful!!! When Dervish thanked them for making the Mazar safe for the people to attend the Urs, all they had to say was no one ever appreciates it...all we get is criticism and condemnation. Well, for one Dervish commends their effort for making the Urs a safe one for the thousands that attended this year.
Karachites believe that while Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi continues to keep his quite vigil over the city Karachi will be kept safe from all harm.
Faith .. in whatever form... has a role to play in the making and breaking of peoples...and perhaps the answer to Karachi's survival does lie in the faith of this troubled city's people in this quite sentinel.
Note to readers: This is a blog. A personal space. Dervish's views and your views may differ. The views of Dervish and the readers may differ. This piece is not suitable for those who hold negative views about Sufism and therefore Dervish would request them not to venture further. Please don't embarrass yourself and Dervish by ungentlemanly comments.
Those who believe in the Way would know that visits to sites of sufi importance require more than simple will of the visitor.
Khawaja Ghareeb Nawaz probably tests this will more than others..what with a fourteen hour drive from Delhi to Ajmer and back...on roads which are highways by Indian standards...but factually are highways that are undergoing extensive construction work which makes the journey quite arduous.
Dervish travelled the road to Ajmer.
Technically this piece should have been about Ajmer...it should have been about Khawaja Gharib Nawaz....it should have been about the experience of the Dargah...it should have been about the spirituality of the Dargah...about the feeling of reaching a destination on the Sufi Yatra. But no. This piece is not about any of those. This piece is just about the Road to Ajmer. Why? The reasons will become clear as Dervish writes further and as the reader reads further.
Ajmer was originally planned as the second stop on the Sufi Yatra with Data Ganj Buksh being the first one...but as said at the beginning of the piece..in Sufi Yatras its not the will of the Yatri that counts..there are other factors that are beyond our control which determine where and who we visit...so as it panned out....Data Sahab was not the first stop...and the Sufi Yatra began on the road to Ajmer.
Allow me to expand on why Dervish wished to visit Data Sahab first before paying respects at Ajmer (in case it is not obvious). On his way to Ajmer, Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti visited Lahore and paid his respects at the Mazar of Shaykh Abu-al-Hasan Ali Ibn Usman al-Jullabi al-Hujwiri al-Ghaznavi..popularly known as...Data Ganj Bukhsh...at Lahore.
Literary Source the foreword to Data Sahab's book Kashf al Mahjub / English Translation...Revelation of the Mystery translated by R.A. Nicholson.
Physical source the small shrine purported to signify the place where Khawaja Gharib Nawaz had prayed to seek permission to advance further as Data Sahab had "spiritual authority over the entire the Indian sub-continent". (As Dervish has not had the privilege of visiting Data Sahab therefore the above is based on what Dervish has heard from others and the foreword in Kashf Al Mahjub).
As Dervish set out from Delhi that early morning..Dervish was taken over by a mixture of feelings...happiness...expectation...anticipation.....happiness at being finally on the road...expectation and anticipation that at the end of the road there will be a spiritual experience...
As the trip progressed....the only feeling that remained was "Rung Do Chunariya Khawaja Piya....Mori Rung Do Chunariya..."
The anticipation just took over and a seven hour journey that would have...under normal circumstances been quite a difficult one.....was quite pleasant.
Finally it seemed as if Dervish reached Ajmer.
There was some event in Ajmer that day as a result of which traffic was disrupted and the main entrance to the Dargah to was difficult to reach.
So the Road to Ajmer was longer than expected as Dervish's access to the Dargah was through the back alley's never before seen or heard.
These were the narrowest alleyways...lanes...that you can imagine...with open drains on the sides..houses and shops on the sides...people sitting on the sides of open shops...pedestrian traffic passing by...and amongst all of this..you are not going to believe this..unless you have experienced it of course....scooter rickshaws! Yes! Scooter rickshaws!
The width of these lanes could just about accommodate the scooter rickshaws but that didn't make a difference to the healthy traffic of scootys...happily plying passengers...passengers coming and going to the Dargah...and in other directions as well.
The Scooty ride was quite an experience....but not a spiritual one!
Finally after bumping along Dervish arrived at the Dargah. Passed through the x-ray machine. Reached the court yard. Filled with a milling crowd. And looked around in wonder.
(this is not the entrance)
Dervish actually just stood there wondering.....wondering as to what happened...in between the drive to Ajmer and arriving at the Dargah. Every single feeling of spirituality that Dervish had ever felt in Dervish's bones had vanished into thin air. I just stood there grasping at thin air..that place inside of Dervish where thoughts of Khawaja had lived and kept the flame alive..that had brought Dervish to Ajmer...that place was empty. There was nothing there. What happened....it was an absolute mystery.
What could it be? Surely it couldn't be the people...all Dargahs have people.
Was it the x-ray machines that sucked out the spirituality? Not possible.
Was it the number of people who were doing the chaddars? Couldn't be...cause that was their karam and their dharam not Dervish's.
Was it the fund raising efforts that Dervish experienced from the powers that be of the Dargah? Will have to rule that out as well...as Dervish is worldly enough to know that such is the way of the world.
Was it the two little boys dressed in white kurta pajama and topi who came running to beg for money within the confines of the Dargah? Shouldn't be as people ask for money everywhere nowadays and Dargah's are the prime suspect.
Was it the press of people within the inner sanctum who were more interested in touching the grave and charhoing the chaddar then saying the Fateha? Once again thats their Dharam and their Karam, Why would that affect Dervish's spirituality.
Was it the dirty pond of water? That is too petty and surely Dervish could not be affected by such things.
Could it be the wandering swines in the alleys outside the Dargah? Surely not as they were not close enough..and in any case they did not touch Dervish.
Through the press of people Dervish was led to the inner sanctum...the chaddar was lifted..in expectation of something from Dervish. Dervish head only bows for Allah and the message was relayed. Dervish requested for time alone to say Fateha and there was a strange kind of surprise on the face of the people who had arranged for the inner sanctum. (The surprise on their faces could not have matched the surprise that Dervish felt)
Sitting right outside the door to the inner sanctum..Dervish watched groups of people bring one chaddar after another after another...and felt no spirituality just a sense of sadness.
While sitting there...(and now while writing it is being relived)...the sense that Dervish got was that people came there with a wish in their heart and the hope for its fulfillment. Which is the norm for Dargahs. And not being a preacher...Dervish has no bones to pick with that. As Dervish said earlier..its each person's own Dharam and Karam.
But Dervish went there looking for Khawaja. For Dervish's Khawaja...Who lives in Dervish's heart. The Khawaja who went to Data Sahab to pray before the start of his message. The same Khawaja whose disciple is Farid Ganje Shakar. Dervish went there looking for the Khawaja whose echoes resound in Qutubuddin Kaki..in Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia...in Kalyar Piya. Not the physical presence of course..but the sense of intense spirituality that one experiences in certain places.
Although Dervish said Fateha at the Dargah of Khawaja Ghareeb Nawaz Moinuddin Chisti but Dervish was on the Road to Ajmer...and never actually reached Ajmer...that road is still going on.......
Dervish will keep you updated once Dervish reaches Ajmer.
