Whirling in worship

The performances of whirling dervishes revolve round Persian poet Rumi’s emotional verses. Krishnaraj Iyengar writes

July 14, 2016 03:56 pm | Updated 08:02 pm IST

The performance by a Dervish.

The performance by a Dervish.

Transcending the quagmire of thoughts is an elixir for those seeking the highest reality. One of the world’s greatest known mystic poets Jalaluddin Rumi Balkhi, simply called ‘Rumi’, ecstatic with the boundlessness of that reality, wrote, “Emruz cho har ruz, Kharaabim kharaab. Magoshaa dar andishe o bargir rabaab” (Today, as every day, we are drunk. Untwine yourself from the maze of thoughts and grab the lute).

The towering Persian Sufi, while in a bazaar one day, heard the rhythmic pounding by goldbeaters that sounded to him like ‘La ilaha illallah’ (There is no God except God), the Islamic declaration of faith. After being enraptured in divine love, he began whirling with the rhythm, and thus was born one of the Sufi musical traditions, the ‘Sema’. Derived from the Arabic ‘Sama’a’ or ‘to listen’, the ceremony has attained international recognition through the ‘Raqs’ or dance of the Whirling Dervishes.

Upheld by the followers of the ‘Mevlevi’ tradition of Rumi, the Sema signifies the liberation of the soul from the ‘nafs’ or ego, to unite with the divine .

The dervish whirls anti-clockwise, with one hand raised, signifying the receiving of divine mercy, the other lowered, to shower it on all of creation.

Typically comprising of a band of traditional musicians and a group of dervishes, the Sema begins with ‘Na’at Sharif’ or songs in praise of Prophet Muhammad.

Turkish instruments such as the soft, basal kudum drum, daf, the tambur, klassik kemenche and kanun (counterpart of the santoor) are employed along with specially trained singers.

An intricate four-section style of classical Ottoman music called ‘Ayin’ forms the basis of Sema. The Na’at then ceremoniously unfolds into a continuous whirling, captivating audiences .

The Dervishes are usually in white gowns signifying the ego’s shroud, a tall brown camel hair cap called ‘Sikke’, the ego’s tombstone and a black coat (which they shed), symbolising worldly trappings.

The ceremony is led by a ‘Sheikh’ or a master whose hand is kissed by each Dervish before commencing their dance. The recitation of Qur’anic verses is also a part it.

“We do not feel dizzy, as the beloved’s name is on our lips constantly”, smiles Safir, a young Mevlevi Dervish. It is after intense spiritual and musical training that the Dervishes can qualify to participate in Sema.

The night his soul left his corporeal body, to fulfill ‘union’ with the divine is called ‘Shab e Urus’ or Rumi’s ‘wedding night’.

In Konya, Turkey, where his mausoleum stands, this is celebrated through Sema performances. Generally, audiences are required to applaud only after the end of the performance.

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