The Qawwali Project – An Untold Story by Dinesh KhannaSufi Kathak Foundation
The Living Heritage of Punjab
The Qawwali mehfils (assemblies) are held regularly at many Sufi shrines, called Dargahs.
One such impromptu haazri (singing) by Qawwal Ranjhan Ali is shot by the photographer and he explores the way people in the subcontinent express emotions in colour, and how colour eventually becomes a part of their language and the visual frame of the image.
The chorus of four or five men who repeat key verses follow the lead Qawwal, who leads the verse emotionally seeking the grace of the Almighty. They also follow his intense mood with their eyes on him and simultaneously aid the percussion by the rhythmic clapping of hands to create ecstatic music.
"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, and this is an attempt by the Sufi Kathak Foundation to document the traditions as they exist at the shrines itself.
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).
Ustad Ranjhan Ali is a traditional Qawwal from Punjab where Qawwali is notably popular. He belongs to the Qadiri Silsila Sufi tradition. This region has been home to many Sufi saints and mystical traditions. The Qawwal sings at the shrine: in contrast to the bright colours around him, he is in a sombre mood, lost in praise of the Almighty where he leads with just his voice. His team of musicians wait for their turn to add to the music.
Qawwali mehfils (assemblies) are held regularly at the many Sufi shrines or dargahs. While seated on the ground people lose themselves to music and poetry, yet there is a well-timed rush of activity of giving money to the Qawwal as part of their obeisance to the shrine. The performers continue singing undisturbed, an age old tradition followed equally by men and women at every shrine.
The Qawwali Project – An Untold Story by Dinesh KhannaSufi Kathak Foundation
Qawwali Under the Trees
The Qawwals sit cross-legged on the ground usually in two rows with the lead singer, side singers and harmonium players in the front row, and the chorus and percussionists in the back row. The interesting addition to this party is the presence of the young woman in this rural Punjab traditional setting.
In the past, women were generally excluded from traditional Qawwali music, since they were prohibited from singing in the presence of men. Even now, Qawwali is still mostly kept as a fiercely androcentric tradition.
The Qawwals in casual practice under a shade of the old Banyan tree next to their house in the premises of the Qadiri Shrine.
Even a practice session by them becomes a sort of mehfil (assembly) for people to stop by, sit and listen. A group of Qawwali musicians, called a party, typically consists of eight or nine men including the lead singer after whom the party is named, one or two side singers, one or two harmoniums and on percussion, one tabla and the dholak.
The Qawwali Project – An Untold Story by Dinesh KhannaSufi Kathak Foundation
Dance In The Moment
The Qawwals repeatedly and hypnotically chant some specific words and lines, coupled with frenzied clapping of hands in the rhythm which transports the audiences to a trance-like state. Impromptu dance is common in Punjab traditions, the turbaned Sahib-e-Mehfil (the host or the head of shrine) leads first and then the people start dancing on the music.
The photographer has juxtaposed their two seemingly different cultures (Sikh and Muslim) and captured how the audience in Amritsar reacts in the Punjabi tradition of getting up and dancing for the mood of Qawwali.
Lost in poetry
A Qawwali mehfil where the shrine is decorated with modern day balloons. This unusual decor adds to the colour of the whole frame, with the serenity of the moment intact. The Qawwal uses his voice modulation with an intensity that brinks on spiritual ecstasy. The popular repertoire for Qawwals in Punjab is a Kafi (a poem) the language used is Punjabi, Seraiki or Sindhi with the local dialects. The mystical, spiritual poetry of Baba Farid, Sultan Bahu, Shah Hussain and Bulleh Shah are popular in the assemblies of music called mehfils.
Concept and Text: Manjari Chaturvedi
Image rights: Dinesh Khanna
Contributor: Sufi Kathak Foundation
About the photographer:
Dinesh Khanna is a managing trustee of Nazar Foundation, and one of the co-founders of the Delhi Photo Festival and was also a photography curator for the first two editions of the Serendipity Arts Festival. He is the visual consultant with Sahapedia and advises on the ‘Sahapedia Frames’ Grant for cultural photography. He teaches photography in various institutions, and is a Director of the Dhrish Academy at the Museo Camera: Centre for Photographic Arts. He has published four books of photography — Bazaar (Penguin: 2001), Living Faith (Penguin & Harper Collins: 2004), Right of the Line: The President’s Bodyguard (Rashtrapati Bhawan, 2014), and Life in Rashtrapati Bhawan (Rashtrapati Bhawan, 2015). Visit Dinesh Khanna's website at www.dineshkhanna.com
