The Qawwali Project – An Untold Story

Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, often referred to as Mahboob-e-Ilahi (The Beloved of God), is recognized as the greatest Sufi saint of his times. His dargah (shrine) in Delhi is thronged by continuous flow of visitors of all religions, genders and social status. Qawwali is performed every day at the shrine and the daily informal music sessions held are intimate gatherings in which the assembly of listeners sit on the ground right next to where the Qawwals perform. Qawwali becomes their means of prayer and in some the balm that soothes their souls.

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.