The Qawwali Project - An Untold Story by Mustafa QuraishiSufi Kathak Foundation
The strength and power of Qawwali as a music form is used to convey a mystic religious message. The poetry is passed as a oral tradition from one generation to the other. The Qawwal has to draw and hold the attention of a randomly converged audience and it is the perfectly honed skill that the best Qawwals excel at.
"Saiyan sajilay torey naina rasilay, jiyaraa par kar gayo vaar re…" - listen to one of the traditional centuries-old composition sof this silsila, sung as a Qawwali by clicking the play button above.
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 documented at the shrines where they perform. This is an attempt to document the traditions as they exist at the shrines.
Qawwali Practitioner: Ali Waris
Safipur is a town in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, India. The original name of this small town was Saipur, the town's name Safipur comes from the name of the Muslim Sufi Saint, popularly known as Hazrat Maqdoom Shah Safi. His complete given name was Khwaja Abdus Samad Al Marukh and his physical death is recorded as 17 June 1538. The silsila or the Sufi order in Safipur is kept continued till date by the family and its unbroken traditions.
During the Mehfil-e-Sama, Assembly of Listening, with the lead Qawwal there is a chorus of four or five men who repeat key verses and follow the intensity of the lead Qawwal who leads the verse and they follow his mood with their eyes on him and simultaneously aid the percussion by the rhythmic clapping of hands, all this taking the audience on a spiritual ecstasy.
Qawwali Practitioner: Ali Waris
Mehfil-e-Sama
Qawwali that is traditionally performed at the Dargah (Shrines) is by the performers of minority communities who are called Qawwals. Mehfil-e-Sama, or the Assembly for listening, is considered important at the Dargah and hence Qawwali becomes a medium where believers create a link to religious ecstasy and to God through the performer.
Qawwali Practitioner: Qamar Warsi
Mehfil-e-Sama
Hazrat Maqdoom Shah Safi dates back to the times of the reign of Humayun and the present shrine was built during his lifetime and hence dates back to 500-525 years back and currently from the lineage, the 16th generation, Janab Afzal Mohammad Farooqui Safvi are the caretakers of the shrine. Qawwali mehfils are held regularly under the patronage of the family in the premises of the shrine.
Qawwali Practitioner: Qamar Warsi
The Sufi traditions of this region were all interconnected of the prominent Sufi Saints Maqdoom Shaikh Saad, Maqdoom Shahmina of Old Lucknow, Maqdoom Khairabadi of Khairabad, Sheikh Sarang of Majhgawan Sharif and the Qawwals till date continue to sing at the shrines interchangeably.
Qawwali Practitioner: Gufran Aslami Khairabadi
मुझे इश्क़ ने ये सबक़ दिया, के ना हिज्र है ना विसाल है, उसी ज़ात का मैं ज़हूर हूँ, ये जमाल उसी का जमाल है मेरी बंदगी है तो बस यही, के करूँ मैं अपनी ही बंदगी, यही ज़िक्र है यही फ़िक्र है, यही हाल है यही क़ाल है वही सूरत और वही आइना, ये ख़याल दिल से जो जाए ना, तो वो रूबरू है हर आइना, यही शान शाने कमाल है। मैं फ़िदाए ख़ादिम ए पाक हूँ, दरे बारगाह की ख़ाक हूँ, वो समा के मुझ में ये कहते हैं, के ‘अज़ीज’ ग़ैर मुहाल है हज़रत अज़ीज़ुल्लाह सफ़ीपुरी
Dargahs are also called Khanqah. Dargah is a core concept in Sufism and the devotees believe their desires and wishes will be fulfilled once they offer prayer at the Dargah of the Saint they follow. Large gatherings are frequent at the Dargah especially during the music sessions. Qawwali hence is of prime importance at the Sufi shrines that are found dotted in and around Lucknow.
The Qawwali Project - An Untold Story by Mustafa QuraishiSufi Kathak Foundation
Qawwali is increasingly becoming a de-centered art form and is no longer limited only as a part of the religious institutions and the Khanqahs. And yet, the Qawwals continue to owe their strict allegiance to the Khanqah or the Dargah. They respect the direct descendants of the Sufi Master or his chosen disciples, who become the custodians of the tradition, the Sajjada-Nashin as they are formally known at the Shrines.
The kissing of the hand defines certain hierarchies among the age-old Islamic traditions that are still followed in the Khanqahs.
Qawwali Practitioner : Mohammad Imran
The Qawwals find their relevance in their own personal association with the Shrine and the silsila, the Order for whom they connect themselves with and continue to swear their allegiance for generations.
They add the name of the Sufi Saint in their names as Warsi, Chisti, Nizami, and others. Their own personal journey is a continuity of mehfils, singing in praise of the Almighty.
Concept and Text: Manjari Chaturvedi
Image rights: Mustafa Quraishi
Contributor: Sufi Kathak Foundation
About the photographer:
Mustafa Quraishi is a New Delhi based photojournalist.
In the past, Mustafa has worked with the Associated Press (2004-2013) and the Indian Express (1999-2004). Mustafa currently works independently with NGOs and aid organisations and has been published in newspapers and magazines like The Newsweek, Time Magazine, Der Spiegel, The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Geo, The Guardian, etc.
Visit Mustafa's website at www.mustafaquraishi.com
