Ruhaniyat is back in Hyderabad with its 24th edition, celebrating the divinity of music

"Sufi and bhakti poetry professes interacting with people of different cultures, and imbibing happiness"
Chaar Yaar
Chaar YaarViva WeddiNg
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Music is transcendental. While you completely immerse yourself in music, you are elevated above the conscious world, into a realm where you forget yourself and become one with the melody. Since almost the beginning of civilization, music has acted as a medium of communication, entertainment, faith and even therapy.

Across all belief systems, music is one string of commonality which makes you feel more connected to the divine, and in the process, connected to your inner self. Ruhaniyat, a festival aligning itself with these values, is back in Hyderabad with its 24th edition.

Nandini Mahesh, the co-founder of Banyan Tree Events, shares her vision for this year’s festival, “The idea of presenting Ruhaniyat is two-fold, one is to transcend man-made divine, embrace joy, harmony and universal brotherhood, and the other is to give a platform to lesser-known forms.” The line-up for this year represents this idea of showcasing spiritual and artistic diversity.

Avdhoot Gandhi and ensemble
Avdhoot Gandhi and ensembleVIVA WEDDING

Connecting with the divine

India has always been known for being home to philosophers and saints who have written some spectacular verses and com posed soulful melodies. “The Sufi and bhakti poets from Southeast Asia have travelled increasingly, and their poetry professes inter acting with people of different cultures, and imbibing happiness. The idea of love, friendship and tolerance become central in most verses,” says Madan Gopal Singh, from the Chaar Yaar group that is set to present Bulleh Shah’s works, relating it with contemporary contexts.

Chaar Yaar group comprises musicians from different regions, ethnicities, faiths and backgrounds, to create music. The songs they present are their original compositions, reflecting the idea of inclusivity, and working with multiple layers of influences. They use two string instruments, and include lines of multiple other languages, “creating knots across cultures.”

Another performance which aims to spread the knowledge of saints through com positions is by Avdhoot Gandhi and group. They present So Said the Saints of Maharashtra, an amalgamation of abhangs, bharud, jagrans and Gondhals of saints like Gyaneshwar, Eknath and Tukaram.

Avdhoot explains the significance behind each of these kinds of songs, “Bharud is sung by people who dress up in costumes and go around villages performing verses from ancient texts. Abhangs are also a way to explain texts to common people. Jagran and Gondhal are sung during auspicious occasions. The former is in praise of Khanderai, an avatar of Vishnu, and the latter, of Bhavani. Together it celebrates the union of Shiv and Shakti.”

They present an original composition Chia Ning Ling of a jagran by saint Eknath, which talks about how the path to enlightenment is beyond ego, selfishness and worldly desires. The vocalist will be accom panied by instruments like dimdi, man jeera, tuntuna, pakhawaj, tabla, harmonium and sambal.

Hussain Brothers
Hussain BrothersPradeep Gaur

Rooted in tradition

While some performances embrace contemporary sensibilities, others prefer to preserve the sanctity of the old, original formats. One such presentation is by the Hussain Brothers and group, offering soulful and powerful qawwali. They will be performing popular tracks like Chaap Tilak, Kahe ko byahi bides, and a qawwali in Sanskrit.

Qawwali in essence is a transcendental form which takes the audience on an emotional journey. We asked Hussain about the journey. We asked Hussain about one such experience on stage which took him to a different realm. “In a show in Delhi while we were singing Kahe ko byahi bides, a woman in the first row started crying. Seeing her get emotional, the whole ensemble got teary-eyed on stage. The song is about a woman going to her in-laws’ place after marriage,” he shares.

Another performer who retains her art in its original form is Meena Sahu, a Pandavani performer. Hailing from Chattisgarh, she performs Kapalik Pandavani, a folk form in which stories from the Mahabharata are told. In this presentation, she explores the story of Eklavya and Dronacharya, touching upon themes like bravery and caste system.

Global soundscapes

This edition also features some fantastic artistes from across the world as a representation of their respective cultures. The festival will have Chia Ning Ling with the Pipa instrument, performing poetry and ballads, blending history and emotion. She says that the music brings age-old verses to life, bridging past with the present, and evoking beauty, sorrow and wisdom of ancient times.

“The younger generation perceives traditional classical music as dull and difficult to understand, hence finding it relatable only when Chinese music is incorporated with pop music,” says Chia. Through her music, she aims to evoke appreciation for the depth of traditional music and literature.

Ruhaniyat showcases two other performances by international artistes — Arabic tawwasuf comes alive by Saif Al Ali from UAE with Aly El Helbawy from Egypt, and an Indo-Arabic production titled When Hearts Connect.

Tickets at INR 500. January 26, 6.15 pm. At Taramati Baradari, Ibrahim Nagar.

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