Haji Waris Ali Shah (1817-1905) was the Sufi saint from Dewa and was the founder of the Warsi order of Sufism. He was initiated in the traditional Chishtiyya Sufi order and formed a more liberal view and a large section of his followers remained in their own respective religions. Qawwali is a stronghold in this region, many famous Qawwals come from here.
The Qawwali Project, is an initiative conceptualized by Manjari Chaturvedi where the untold story of Qawwali unfolds through the eyes of photographers. The practitioners are photo-documented with their performance art, their lives and their association with the Sufi shrines where they perform. Qawwali is the performance art and Qawwal is the practitioner. This is an attempt by the Sufi Kathak Foundation to document the traditions as they exist at the shrines itself.