Mystic melodies for city ears

Wandering artistes and folk singers from all across the country will once again enthrall music connoisseurs in Mumbai. ‘Ruhaniyat’, a festival of Sufi and mystic music, will bring together fakirs, monks, qawwals and mystic healers from India and countries like Pakistan, Iran and Switzerland.

The two-day fest, which begins on November 25 at Horniman Circle Garden, Fort, is organised by event company Banyan Tree. "Sufism is all about oneness and unconditional love not just for the supreme being but also for fellow human beings. Hence, we keep organising this event, year after year, in the hope that the message will reach as many people as possible," says Banyan Tree director Nandini Mahesh who has travelled to remote shrines across the country "to sample the mysticism of Sufi music" along with her husband Mahesh Babu.

The couple travels across the country in search of rare and authentic talent. They are even planning to set up a fund for artistes. "For these singers and performers, their art is not about money — it is a way of life," says Mahesh.

Interestingly, most of the artistes come from the remotest corners of the country. They do not speak Hindi or English and can only converse in regional languages. But language is no barrier, insist the organisers, since music "has a way of diminishing boundaries."  

From Mumbai, 'Ruhaniyat' will move on to other cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune.