Unique Sufi pilgrimage beckons music lovers the 12th edition of ruhaniyat 2012 will be held at horniman garden circle on december 1 and 2

Unique Sufi pilgrimage beckons music lovers

the 12th edition of ruhaniyat 2012 will be held at horniman garden circle on december 1 and 2

Ruhaniyat 2012, a sufi and mystic music festival, will open in the city on December 1 at Horniman Circle Garden before going to eight other cities across the country. With a line-up of international sufi troupes, the festival has always enjoyed a pride of place on the country’s cultural calendar. The 12th edition of the two-day festival is organised by Banyan Tree, a cultural organisation that promotes performing arts. Calling the festival “a unique musical pilgrimage,” Banyan Tree director Mahesh Babu said, “One feels privileged to be part of this festival which, in many ways, is the call of the soul, enlivening centuries of spiritual wisdom. The way immortal works of great mystics are brought to life by mostly unheard of but immensely talented carriers of living traditions from remote parts of the country can be overwhelming.” This year, the festival will travel to Raipur and Ahmedabad too, along with Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Bengaluru. “With each passing year, the family keeps growing as we discover more and more talent and bringing them to the Ruhaniyat platform. Such dynamism in the line-up has brought newer audiences too,” added Babu. This edition will feature some unique art forms like Kapalik Pandvani from Chhattisgarh, Sukhnani Ojhapalli from Assam, Ravanhatta ensemble from Rajasthan and Sindhi Saraiki from Kutch. The festival opens with Mystic Drums by P Nandakumar & Group (Kerala), Sindhi Saraiki by Ismali Para and Group (Kutch), Sufiana Maqam ensemble by Oud, Kanoon, Edakka, Kamaycha by Mohammad Farghaly & Group (Egypt, Kerala and Rajasthan), Kapalik Pandvani by Meena Sahu & Group (Chhattisgarh), Tannoura by Dancing Dervishes (Egypt) and Sufi Qawwali by Sabri Brothers & Group (Jaipur). The second day will feature Sukhnani Ojhapalli by Dron Bhuyan & Group (Assam), Mystic Ravanhatta ensemble by Sugunaram & Group (Rajasthan), Shabad by Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa (Punjab), Baul songs by Parvathy Baul (West Bengal), Sufi Qawwali by Chand Nizami & Group (Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, Delhi).