Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday celebrated India’s Sufi traditions, citing the inclusiveness and syncretic nature of stalwarts such as Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusro to say that it reflected India’s rich and diverse heritage.
Speaking at the 25th anniversary of the annual Sufi music festival, Jahan-e-Khusrau, in Delhi, Modi wished citizens on the beginning of the holy month of Ramzan and underlined his record as Gujarat chief minister in restoring the western state’s main nodes of Sufi tradition, specifically the Sarkhej Roza.
“In India, Sufi traditions have made a name for themselves. Sufi seers didn’t limit themselves to mosques… if they read the holy Quran, they also read the Vedas. They added the sweetness of Bhakti songs to Azaan,” he said at an event in south Delhi’s Sunder Nursery.
“Sufi music is our shared heritage, we have lived it together,” he added.
The Prime Minister, in his 15-minute address, said that Sarkhej Roza – a Sufi mosque and tomb complex near Ahmedabad – was restored to its present glory in Gujarat when he was the chief minister. He added that Krishnotsav was celebrated with much fanfare there and the Nazar-e-Krishna performance at Jahan-e-Khsrau reminded him of it.
He reminisced about Khusrau’s verses on heaven on earth, calling India a part of that vision, where diverse cultures have thrived.
“There is something special in the soil of this country, which is why when the Sufi culture came to India, it connected with its own soil. This is the land of Baba Farid’s tranquillity, Hazrat Nizamuddin’s festivities and Hazrat Amir Khusrau’s verses… The language, style and words may be different, but the message is the same,” he said.
Modi emphasised how Sufi and classical Indian music merged to produce spiritual greats such as Khusrau, Farid, Guleshan, Mir, Kabir, Rahim and Raskhan, all of whom propagated spiritual love among people.
“Raskhan was a Muslim who worshipped Krishna. He said that love and ‘Hari’ are the same as Sun and sunshine. Khusrau said the same in his verses… He said that the feelings of difference can be overcome only by immersing yourself in love,” Modi said.
He also recalled invoking Rumi in his 2015 speech at the Afghanistan parliament, reiterating his verses as a reflection of India’s ideology of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world as one family.
As the sun set into a vibrant orange, briefly giving way to a light drizzle, performers at the festival enthralled the audience on the first day of the three-day Jahan-e-Khusrau festival at Sunder Nursery.
Modi lauded their dedication, acknowledging the weather’s challenges.
During the festival, Modi also visited the TEH Bazaar (The Exploration of the Handmade), which has been set up for the first time featuring products by local artisans as well as handicrafts from One District-One Product in Uttar Pradesh. Over the three days, artists from across the country will showcase folk and classical performances including, Sanjukta Sinha dance company, Jasu Khan Manganiyar, Malini Awasthi, Warsi brothers, Kanwar Grewal, Manjari Chaturvedi, and Satinder Sartaj among others. “Before watching the the performances, I visited the TEH Bazaar and met some old friends in Bagh-e-Firdaus,” he said.
“The performances Nazar-e-Krishna were mesmerising, especially with the challenges due to the weather and the limitations of the mike and other equipment. Despite the restrictions, the artists performed in sync with nature. Though they and the audience may have been a bit disappointed, sometimes such situations teach us big life lessons. I believe today would be one such occasion,” he said.
Established in 2001 under the guidance of the Rumi Foundation, Jahan-e-Khusrau is a three-day cultural festival designed and directed by Muzaffar Ali and was the pioneer in presenting Sufi music in India. Participating countries include the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, Tunisia, Iran, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Besides Delhi, Jahan-e-Khusrau has also been organised in Jaipur, Patna, Lucknow Srinagar, Boston, and London.
At Sunder Nursery, Modi also remembered Prince Karim Aga Khan for his contribution to developing the area and called it “a boon for lakhs of art and culture enthusiasts”.
He concluded with a verse from Ghalib, noting that the distance between Kashi (India) and Kashan (Iran) is half a step, which he said, is a big message in the world that is grappling with division and war.
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