Spring in the step

On Basant Panchami, the Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya dargah in Delhi becomes a riot of yellow as it celebrates the arrival of spring and renewal of hope.

The Hindu festival of Basant Panchami is a time of riotous celebrations at the shrine of the Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi. On that day, the dargah is decked out in vibrant yellow as it welcomes the onset of spring and, with it, the renewal of life and hope.

A qawwal at Nizamuddin Dargah during Sufi Basant celebrations on February 14, 2024. | Photo Credit: Shivam Khanna

Qawwals in yellow kurtas and chadars (ceremonial cloth) are ready for the celebrations. | Photo Credit: Shivam Khanna

The festival, which has been held for the last 800 years, is a nod to India’s syncretic past, when Hindus and Muslims could worship together. Basant Panchami, the fifth day (panchami) in the month of Magh as per the Hindu lunar calendar, is the day of Sufi Basant, the third day of the fifth month in the Islamic calendar. It is an auspicious day, marking the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

Yellow marigold flowers are showered on the grave of Nizamuddin Auliya. | Photo Credit: Shivam Khanna

There is a story behind the celebrations at the shrine. Nizamuddin Auliya was devastated by the death of his beloved nephew Khwaja Takiuddin Nooh and would not budge from his grave at Chilla-e-Sharif. Hearing about his grief, the saint’s disciple, the poet-scholar-singer Amir Khusrau, was worried. But he knew what to do to make the mehbbob-e-illahi (beloved of god), Nizamuddin Auliya, smile again.

The spirit of bonhomie is high as devotees help each other tie the yellow turbans. | Photo Credit: Shivam Khanna

Amir Khusrau donned a yellow ghaghra, covered his face with a chunni, decked himself up with marigold and mustard flowers, and landed up at the khwaja’s doorstep beating a dhol.

Beats of dhol add to the fervour at The grave of one of Nizamuddin Auliya’s disciples. | Photo Credit: Shivam Khanna

He danced and sang in Braj bhasha: “Rejoice, my love, rejoice, / Spring is here, rejoice! / Bring out your lotions and toiletries / And decorate your long hair. / Oh, you’re still enjoying your sleep?! Wake up! / Even your destiny has woken up, / Spring is here, rejoice!— / You snobbish lady with arrogant looks…”

The Nizamuddin dargah is a sea of yellow on Basant Panchami. | Photo Credit: Shivam Khanna

Then he went to Nooh’s grave, singing: “Ashq rayz ameedan abro bahar” (Shed tears of joy at the coming of spring and the clouds). Seeing this, Auliya came out of his grief. From then on, his followers have observed Basant Panchami as a day of revival.

The atmosphere sizzles with rapturous qawwalis. | Photo Credit: Shivam Khanna

The festivities kick off with the worshippers taking mustard blooms to the house of the nizami brothers (where the qawwals perform every Basant Panchami) and offering yellow chadars to everybody at Laal Chabutara, where devotees, qawwals, and khadims (seat holders at dargahs) assemble.

Prayers are offered at one of the graves in the Nizamuddin locality. There are many such graves in the streets surrounding the dargah. The graves are said to be of Nizamuddin Auliya’s disciples or loved ones. | Photo Credit: Shivam Khanna

A musical procession snakes its way through the streets, stopping at various places on the way. The first stop is singer and disciple Khwaja Muhammad’s shrine, followed by a halt at Khwaja Takiuddin Nooh’s grave. From there, it heads to the dargah of Nizamuddin Auliya and to the tombs of his beloveds, including Amir Khusrau, Abu Bakr “Musallahdar” (who would carry Auliya’s prayer mat, the musallah), and Maulana Mohiuddin Kashani (one of the senior leaders of the Chisti order, to which Auliya too belonged).

Qawwals perform with their groups in the courtyard of the dargah. | Photo Credit: Shivam Khanna

Devotees of all genders, religions, and castes are welcome at the celebrations. | Photo Credit: Shivam Khanna

All along, qawwals sing the praises of Auliya. On other days, the qawwals do not enter the sanctum of the dargah; they sit opposite the shrine’s doorway to sing. Only on the day of Basant Panchami do they go inside to sing to their saint.

Namaz being offered in the courtyard of the dargah. | Photo Credit: Shivam Khanna

Music blends with devotion to honour the legacy of Nizamuddin Auliya. The atmosphere intoxicates with the fragrance of flowers, the recitations from the Quran, the Sufi chants, and Khusrau’s couplets. Devotees from all genders, religions, and castes are welcome. For one day, all differences are forgotten as the spirit of joy, friendship, and love takes over.

Shivam Khanna is an independent photojournalist based in Delhi.