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For the lovers of Sufiana Qalam
Abida Begum of Pakistan performing at the festival in New Delhi.
AWAY FROM the usual criticism about pollution and congestion in the Capital, this is one annual event that hopes to revive the rich cultural past of this ancient "City of Djinns''. Giving Dilliwallahs a window into the city's glorious past, the annual Sufi music festival "Jahan-e-Khusrau'' began here this past Friday evening. Organised by the Rumi Foundation and the Delhi Government, the fifth Jahan-e-Khusrau - "The Realm of the Heart'' -- is being held in the beautiful Arab ki Sarai, part of the Humayan Tomb complex. The three-day festival will draw to a close this Sunday.
The city's tryst with Sufi music on Friday evening included a show enacted by puppets of Dadi Pudumji on a poem by the famous poet Rumi. It also witnessed a performance by the Yansimalar Group of Turkey, known for their original music. Ending the evening on a musical note was the famous singer Abida Parveen from Pakistan.
Conceived by the well-known painter, designer and film-maker Muzaffar Ali, this annual music festival is dedicated to Mevlanan Jalaluddin Rumi. The festival aims at taking Delhi's famous Sufi saint Amir Khusrau "to every child and intellectual across the length and breadth of the country and to all corners of the world''. It hopes to take the Sufi saint's message of love and peace to everyone. And to do this, the annual festival tries to bring together musical instruments from all over the country and the world to discover their common roots. It also brings on one stage performing artistes from all regions of the country like Kashmir, Maharashtra, Delhi, Awadh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh and Uttaranchal and blending them with artistes who have travelled from countries such as Iran, Tunisia, Turkey, Bangladesh, Morocco, United States and Israel.
This year, the festival has artistes like Zila Khan and Shujaat Husain Khan from India and Shafqat Ali from Pakistan performing on stage. It also includes a `Qawwali experience' by the Israeli artiste Shye Ben Tzur accompanied by Indian artistes. And there's more in store for Delhiites as the schedule for Sunday includes a performance by the well-known `thumri dadri' singer Vidya Rao from India, the famous Daf player from Iran, Massod Habibi, and Abida Parveen.
By Anjali Dhal Samanta
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram
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