"Chishti Is the One Who Embraces All Irrespective Of Caste, Creed & Culture", Says Lieutenant General Zameer Uddin Shah at Sufi Rang Festival in Ajmer Sharif

International Sufi Rang Festival (ISRF) Is the Largest Spiritual Occasion In India Which Celebrates Sacred Arts Of Sufism Main Points: 1. The Festival is a celebration of Divine Love with Sacred Arts, Calligraphic Inscriptions, Sufi musical renditions, poetry, seminar on Sufism and dialogue for peace, interfaith unity and communal harmony. 2. Academicians, writers and noted Sufi artists and calligraphers participated from around 40 states in India, besides visual participation of the Arabic and Persian calligraphers from 32 countries. 3. The idea is to promulgate the foundational Chishti principles and noble teachings of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishty Gharib Nawaz (R.A) through art and culture. 4. The Festival has been fostering the pluralistic practices of the Chishti Sufi Order among its devotees and followers across India, South Asia and different countries around the world. ------ By New Age Islam Staff Writer 6 October 2022 The International Sufi Rang Festival (ISRF) happens to be the largest spiritual occasion in India to celebrate Sacred Arts of Sufism. Over the years, it has now become a unique art exhibition bringing together noted Sufi artists, calligraphers, painters, curators and visual artist from across the country and other continents of the world. Hosted and organised by Chishty Foundation from the past 15 years inside the 800-year-old majestic Sufi courtyard at Dargah Ajmer Sharif famed as Mehfil-e-Sema Khana (spiritual audition hall), the ISRF has been conceived by Haji Syed Salman Chishty of Ajmer Sharif and curated by Gori Yusuf Hussain of Bharuch, Gujarat, the International Sufi Rang Festival is an annual Sufi event which celebrates Divine Love with Sacred Arts, Calligraphic Inscriptions, spiritual Sufi musical renditions, poetry, seminars on Sufism, dialogue for peace, interfaith unity and communal harmony in the country. Based on the foundational Chishti principles and noble teachings of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishty Gharib Nawaz (R.A), especially "Love for all, malice towards none" and "Serving all Creations of God with Unconditional Love", the Festival has been fostering the pluralistic practices of the Chishti Sufi Order among its devotees and followers across India, South Asia and different countries around the world. The 6th day of the 15th International Sufi Rang Festival (ISRF) in Ajmer Sharif witnessed an incredible zest from both the distinguished Guests of Honour as well as an audience of academicians, scholars, writers and noted Sufi artists and calligraphers from around 40 states in India, besides the visual participation of the Arabic and Persian artists from 32 countries. While the enthralling exhibition of sacred Sufi arts and calligraphic inscriptions workshops continued throughout the day in the Mehfil Khana of Dargah Ajmer Sharif, the blissful night of 10th Rabi-ul-Awwal marked a historic occasion in the history of the annual Sufi Rang Festival. On this occasion, a gamut of film industry celebrities, bureaucrats, media producers and literary figures exhibited an avid interest in the sacred Sufi arts through their remarkable interactions and public speeches. At the very outset, Haji Syed Salman Chishty, Gaddi Nashin at Dargah Ajmer Sharif and chairman of Chishty Foundation extended the vote of thanks to all the dignitaries on the 6th day of the ISRF who participated in the evening session moderated by the Sufi writer & Indo-Islamic scholar, Mr. Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi. Zameer Uddin Shah ----- Former Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Lieutenant General Zameer Uddin Shah who was the Chief Guest, lauded the initiative as an incredible effort towards strengthening the social fabric of the country. He averred that the true Sufi is the one who is actively engaged in social and humanitarian service with an indefatigable commitment. "A Chishti is the one who embraces one and all irrespective of caste, creed and culture", he said. Noted filmmaker, poet and cultural revivalist Muzaffar Ali spoke eloquently about the sacred arts and aesthetics referring to the Islamic spirituality as evidenced in the holy Qur'an and the Prophetic traditions including the famous Hadith as follows: "Allah is the Most Beautiful and [therefore] He loves the Beauty". He encompassed the various dimensions of Sufi conception of the beauty and aesthetics in his brief, yet insightful address. Prominent Indian classical singer of the Dhrupad genre, Padma Shri Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar heaped high praises on the celebration of Sufi Rang Festival, stressing the need for a consistent effort for highlighting the importance of cultural festivity and plurality through the sacred arts, especially the soulful Sufi music. The 20th generation modern Dhrupad vocal master who has been rendering beautiful form of Dhrupad as his family tradition, holding concerts in India and internationally, mesmerised the mixed gathering of artists and academics, bureaucrats and filmmakers during the ongoing 15th International Sufi Rang Festival. Blending patient phrases with fine rhythmic control and an effortless vocal elasticity, Ustad Dagar left the audience spellbound, reminding them of his father, noted Dhrupad singer Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar. Tellingly, Dhrupad is one of the oldest surviving classical traditions today dating from the 15th century when a Dagar was a court musician for the Mughal Emperor Akbar. And it is continuing to this date with Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar. The Sufi Rang Festival in Ajmer Sharif has been trying to revivie India's various classical musical traditions including the genre of Dhrupad rendering. Chairman of Lokmat Media Group, pioneering journalist and veteran parliamentarian, Shri Vijay Jawaharlal Darda was also among the Guests of Honour during this session of the 15th ISRF-2022. As a compassionate philanthropist & son of a Freedom Fighter, Shri Darda inspired the event organisers, curators and volunteers, commending the herculean efforts being exerted by the Chishtiya Foundation for peace-making and nation-building. Photo: New Delhi Times ---- All the dignitaries were given the Global Peace Awards in recognition of many years of their visionary leadership and immaculate guidance in serving the nation and humanity at large. Simultaneously, the holy shrines custodians--Khuddam-e-Khwaja Saheb--felicitated them with the traditional Dastar-Bandi. Moreover, Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (R.A) Trust, Nagpur was also honoured and felicitated through the Trust Secretary, Janab Taj Ahmad Raja. Chairman of Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (R.A) Trust, the famous Oxygen man Pyare Khan--Nagpur-based businessman, who shot to fame for his incredible relief work for the Covid patients during the 2nd COVID wave-- was also recalled on this occasion. Besides them, Ata Muhammad Nizami Shah Taj Qadri Baba from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh along with Syed Ahfaz Ali, Sajjadanashin at Hazrat Shafi Baba Qadri, Nagpur were also felicitated by Khuddam-e-Khwaja Saheb. Last but not the least, Fatima Farrah Chishti, an Entrepreneur, Business Leader & Philanthropist and another social activist and a Sufi devotee Saira Haleem Shah d/o Lieutenant General Zameer Uddin Shah were also honoured. At the end, the classical Indian Dhrupad singer Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar once again amazed the audience with his beautiful Sufiyana Kalam (spiritual lyrics) and soulful music. The dignitaries took great interest in the live workshops and interactive sessions on the Calligraphic Inscriptions, Sacred Arts and Spiritual Ethos being imparted in the Mefil Khana as part of the International Sufi Rang Festival. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/chishti-caste-creed-culture-sufi-rang-festival-ajmer-/d/128125 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism