The Sufi music festival invites all those who want to drown in the sea of divinity

If you ask dervishes where to find God, they will not tell you a place but a person. God is found within self, and what better way to find self than a Sufi fest? For centuries Sufism has been helping people connect themselves with their inner self and the supreme being. The pirs and murshids have carried on the tradition of haal and sama'a sinces ages via poetry, dance and music. National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) has been contributing to this tradition for five years now. This year too promises to bring a platter full of mysticism.

Poetry and verses Sama'a, The Mystic Ecstasy Festival of Sufi music will open with Muzaffar Ali's works. There will be a screening of 'Breathe into Me', a documentary by him on Mevlana Rumi's poetry, followed by the actual rendering of Rumi's verses by Ali as a dialogue between the flute and him. India has been the blessed land where spirituality flourished transgressing all manmade barriers. In India, The Garden Of Saints Ali offers a glimpse of Sufi shrines in the country highlighting the contribution of Sufi mystics in spreading the message of humanity and love. Nisbat, on the other hand, depicts a spiritual journey of a young man at the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer Sharif, one of the most revered monuments in India dedicated to Sufi-Chishti order.

Experience the haal Qawwali is the predominant genre through which Sufi music finds expression in the Indian subcontinent. Although performed mainly at Sufi shrines (dargah), today the genre has gained mainstream popularity. Qawwali is specially regarded as the most accessible musical form leading to spiritual crescendo. Warsi brothers (Nasir and Nazir Ahmed Khan) from Hyderabad, who trace their family lineage to the legendary musician Tanras Khan, will present dargahi qawwalis composed by various Sufi saints at the fest. "We are trying to give people a holistic experience of the Sufi tradition through this year's festival," says Suvarnalata Rao, head of programming for Indian music at the NCPA.

Musical musings The fest will also see a dance performance by Ziya Azazi a Turkish-born Austrian dancer and choreographer. His presentation, Dervish in Progress is a contemporary interpretation of traditional Sufi dance, reflecting Azazi's personal, artistic, conceptual and emotional analysis. It aims to simultaneously represent the physical awareness and a high state of meditation. The core idea of love, longing and union with the beloved, as espoused in the Sufi songs has an evergreen appeal with people from all of walks life, transcending the physical boundaries of region, religion, caste and creed. Today, besides the traditional repertoire a large number of songs are sung under the Sufi label. And nobody has been able to connect to people through his sufi voice better than Kailash Kher. His performance will include a bouquet of sufiana compositions from traditional repertoire and also songs based in Bollywood.

NCPA will host Sama'a from November 7 to 9

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Call of spirituality