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(Right) The decked up dargah; (Left) CM Atishi astatine Phoolwalon ki sair this year. (Express Photo)
In the aboriginal 19th Century, astir the clip the Mughal empire began to fade, a rebellious prince began to crook into a thorn successful the broadside of the British. All of 19, Mirza Jahangir fired astatine the past British nonmigratory and was exiled to Allahabad. His mother, Mumtaz Mahal Begum, made a vow: Once her lad returned, she would locomotion barefoot from the Red Fort to Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki dargah successful Mehrauli to connection her gratitude.
Her prayers were answered, and the queen decided to support her promise. To easiness her journey, it is said, the section radical scattered flowers passim her route. The angiosperm seller besides made floral pankhas (fans) offered to the Kaki dargah and the adjacent Yogmaya temple. So fashionable was the lawsuit that it was decided to beryllium held yearly. The effect was a week-long yearly solemnisation called the Phoolwalon ki sair oregon Sair-e-Gulfaroshan.
Over 200 years on, the contented continues and serves arsenic a testament to Delhi’s syncretic culture.
This year, the lawsuit kicked disconnected connected October 21 and saw the organisers, Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan, presenting the ceremonial pankha, with a representation of Goddess Durga juxtaposed with an representation of the Madina mosque, to Chief Minister Atishi.
Phoolwalon ki sair was instituted successful 1811, writes writer and historiographer Swapna Liddle successful her book, 14 Heritage Walks of Delhi. “…it became an yearly just sponsored by the palace…”
In 1942, during the Quit India Movement, the British stopped the festival. “Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru restarted it successful 1962…The president of India and the Lt Governor of Delhi are ceremoniously invited with the shehnai being played astatine their residence,” writes writer and historiographer Rana Safvi successful her book, Where Stones Speak – Historical Trails successful Mehrauli, the First City of Delhi.
Pakistani writer Raza Rumi wrote successful his book, Delhi by Heart: “(Phoolwalon ki sair is) a multicultural lawsuit that progressive Hindus, Muslims, mullahs and pandits each successful 1 go.”
On Saturday night, Jahaz Mahal, a Lodhi-era operation successful Mehrauli, was each decked up with lights and marigold flowers to big a taste lawsuit to people the celebrations. Cultural performances and a splendid Qawwali were portion of the event, a property enactment by the Delhi authorities stated.
Speaking astatine the event, CM Atishi said, “’Phool Waalon Ki Sair’ is not conscionable a festival; it has upheld the contented of Delhi’s centuries-old Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb.”
Asif Khan Dehlvi, laminitis of Delhi Karavan, said: “Given instances of strife astir the world, the festival is much applicable than ever before. An juncture wherever radical of each faiths and walks of beingness travel unneurotic and celebrate, what tin beryllium much beauteous than that?”
As the past Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar said: “Waqai sair hai ye dekhne ke qaabil, Chasm e anjum ho na iss sair par kyun maai’l”. “To look astatine this ceremonial is specified a delight; Why wouldn’t the stars regard astatine this precise ceremony,” translates Safvi successful her book.
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