Swinging to Sufism
18 Oct 2012 3:43 AM IST
Remember the song Khwaja Mere Khwaja from the film Jodha Akbar? More than the lyrics what realy appealed was the choreography used in it. Grabbing eyeballs instantly, the dance reflected divine vibes.
Popularly known as Whirling Dervishes, the dance was founded in year 1273 by Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, known as the founder of Sufism. Since then, this Turkish dance form has created waves across the world for its spiritual significance and unique features.
‘Whirling Dervishes is a well-known form of Sufi dance that was established by Hüsamettin Çelebi, a follower of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi in 1273 in Konya. Dervish means initiation of the journey on the path of Sufism and Whirling denotes a part of a formal Sama ceremony [Sama is an Arabic word which means ‘listening’ in English]. The performers of Whirling Dervishes are called Semazens,’ explained Ozgur Ayturk, Counselor, Turkish Culture and Tourism.
‘The origin of this form of song and dance dates back when Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi was walking through the marketplace one day and heard the rhythmic hammering of the goldbeaters. It is believed that Rumi heard the dhikr, ‘la elaha ella’llah’ — which in English means ‘There is none worthy of worship but Allah’ — spoken by the apprentices. The rhythm sent him into trance and he started swirling with his arms stretched— sowing the seeds of a unique dance form called Whirling Dervishes,’ he added.
While performing the dance the dervishes wear a white gown [symbolic of death], a wide black cloak [hirka] that is symbolic of the grave and a tall brown hat [kûlah or sikke] that is symbolic of the tombstone.
The dervishes practice multiple rituals, primary among them is the ‘Dhikr’. It involves recitation of devotional Islamic prayer coupled with physical exertions of movement to reach a perfect state where one is on the same level as God.
The second important ritual is the ‘Sama’ which is performed by spinning on the right foot, and represents the journey of a man whose soul gets connected with the almighty in pursuit of attaining the truth and being perfect. In this he follows the truth by sharing love and foregoing his ego to be ‘Perfect’.
He then returns as a man who has reached maturity and greater perfection, able to love and to be of service to the whole of creation. Some of the ceremonies celebrated during Sama are Naat and Taksim, Devr-i Veled, The Four Salams and Concluding Prayer.
Practising Whirling Dervishes since 1990, the Turkish dance troupe called The Konya Turkish Tasawwuf Music Ensemble will be performing in the Capital, centered around the theme Sema with Sufi music. Sema came out of the inspiration on the 13th century Muslim scholar, poet and mystic, Mevlanna Celaleddin Rumi. Sema represents the true spiritual journey to maturity. It is like an ascent to heaven and return to earth. Over the centuries, Sema has become a part of Turkish beliefs, traditions and history. Sema is made up of seven sections, each section having a distinct meaning.
‘We know that both India and Turkey have been influenced by Sufism deeply and a strong tradition coming through centuries is still active in both the countries. Therefore we believe organising this kind of events will help both the nations understand the rich heritage of each other on sufism and make the peoples of two countries come closer,’ concluded Ayturk.
DETAIL
When: 27 October
At: Delhi International Art Festival, Purana Qila
When: 28 October
At: Rashtrapati Bhavan
Popularly known as Whirling Dervishes, the dance was founded in year 1273 by Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, known as the founder of Sufism. Since then, this Turkish dance form has created waves across the world for its spiritual significance and unique features.
‘Whirling Dervishes is a well-known form of Sufi dance that was established by Hüsamettin Çelebi, a follower of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi in 1273 in Konya. Dervish means initiation of the journey on the path of Sufism and Whirling denotes a part of a formal Sama ceremony [Sama is an Arabic word which means ‘listening’ in English]. The performers of Whirling Dervishes are called Semazens,’ explained Ozgur Ayturk, Counselor, Turkish Culture and Tourism.
‘The origin of this form of song and dance dates back when Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi was walking through the marketplace one day and heard the rhythmic hammering of the goldbeaters. It is believed that Rumi heard the dhikr, ‘la elaha ella’llah’ — which in English means ‘There is none worthy of worship but Allah’ — spoken by the apprentices. The rhythm sent him into trance and he started swirling with his arms stretched— sowing the seeds of a unique dance form called Whirling Dervishes,’ he added.
While performing the dance the dervishes wear a white gown [symbolic of death], a wide black cloak [hirka] that is symbolic of the grave and a tall brown hat [kûlah or sikke] that is symbolic of the tombstone.
The dervishes practice multiple rituals, primary among them is the ‘Dhikr’. It involves recitation of devotional Islamic prayer coupled with physical exertions of movement to reach a perfect state where one is on the same level as God.
The second important ritual is the ‘Sama’ which is performed by spinning on the right foot, and represents the journey of a man whose soul gets connected with the almighty in pursuit of attaining the truth and being perfect. In this he follows the truth by sharing love and foregoing his ego to be ‘Perfect’.
He then returns as a man who has reached maturity and greater perfection, able to love and to be of service to the whole of creation. Some of the ceremonies celebrated during Sama are Naat and Taksim, Devr-i Veled, The Four Salams and Concluding Prayer.
Practising Whirling Dervishes since 1990, the Turkish dance troupe called The Konya Turkish Tasawwuf Music Ensemble will be performing in the Capital, centered around the theme Sema with Sufi music. Sema came out of the inspiration on the 13th century Muslim scholar, poet and mystic, Mevlanna Celaleddin Rumi. Sema represents the true spiritual journey to maturity. It is like an ascent to heaven and return to earth. Over the centuries, Sema has become a part of Turkish beliefs, traditions and history. Sema is made up of seven sections, each section having a distinct meaning.
‘We know that both India and Turkey have been influenced by Sufism deeply and a strong tradition coming through centuries is still active in both the countries. Therefore we believe organising this kind of events will help both the nations understand the rich heritage of each other on sufism and make the peoples of two countries come closer,’ concluded Ayturk.
DETAIL
When: 27 October
At: Delhi International Art Festival, Purana Qila
When: 28 October
At: Rashtrapati Bhavan
Next Story
