The Qawwali Project – An Untold Story

Ustad Ranjhan Ali is a traditional Qawwal from Punjab where this form is notably popular amongst the common people. The Qawwal belongs to the Qadiri Silsila (order) of the Sufi traditions. Traditionally performed at the Dargah (Shrines), every Qawwal prays to the Saint before the performance in a way seeking the permission for the performance at the mehfil (assembly).

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.