International Performers Bring Rumi’s Teachings Alive
http://www.aku.edu/news/majorevents/pr-26112006.shtml
A soulful performance by a group of international artistes mesmerised
audiences in Karachi this weekend. The show that lasted two nights,
brought Moulana Jalaluddin Rumi’s teachings to life with the whirling
of dervishes of the Mevlavi order from Turkey, devotional chants of
exotic performers from Iran and spirited recitation by seasoned
artistes from India and Pakistan. An enthralling rendition by Abida
Perveen in the end completed the experience. The night was dedicated
to devotion.
Karwan-e-Rumi – a spectacle of recitation, music and dance inspired by
Rumi’s teachings – is a show by the Rumi Foundation led by renowned
Indian filmmaker Muzaffar Ali. Aga Khan University’s (AKU) Annual
Giving Committee collaborated with Rumi Foundation to bring the show
to Karachi to raise funds for Aga Khan University Hospital’s (AKUH)
Patients’ Welfare Programme. The event commemorated the 800th
anniversary of Rumi’s birth.
The show was conceived and designed by Muzaffar Ali whose passion for
poetry, visual arts and their application to the celluloid and digital
formats has been path breaking. He is well known for being the
director of the movies Umrao Jan, Gaman, Aagman and Anjuman.
Performers from Turkey, Iran, India and Pakistan presented a
beautifully choreographed show which integrated devotional elements
from their diverse cultures along a unifying theme of seeking a
spiritual union with the Beloved Sustainer.
Set whirling by Jalaluddin Rumi 800 years ago, the Mevlavi Sema is the
most evolved of the many forms of Sema which is a dance to empty
oneself of all distracting thoughts and be filled with the presence of
God. The dervish must be inwardly pronouncing the name of God, feeling
the connection through the Sheikh of the ceremony to the whole Mevlavi
lineage and its founder Mevlana Rumi, turning with the love of God.
The packed house was all admiration for the tireless whirling by the
Dervishes from the Mevlavi order.
The splendour of Iranian devotional music held the audience in a
perfect rapture. An hour of spirited performance by male vocalists
seeking ecstasy in the name of God through collective chants and music
was duly complimented by imaginative use of lighting.
Zia Mohyeddin, the veteran actor and elocutionist, recited
translations from Moulana Rumi’s work, ably supported by Indian actors
Nandita Das and Murad Ali who read soulful selections before an
engrossed audience.
The evening culminated with a characteristic performance by Abida
Perveen which completed the cycle of soul searching for the night.
Shama Zaidi wrote the script for the show while Meera Ali was the
production designer. Imaginative use of lighting by Roosevelt D’Souza
and excellent sound by Fali Damania complemented the artistic stage
design by Vikram Sharma.
Earlier, AKU President Firoz Rasul welcomed the audience to the show
and thanked the supporters of AKU for their constant cooperation in
helping to make AKU’s services accessible to those who cannot afford
the full cost of their treatment or education. He praised the services
of Muzaffar Ali and his team who presented the show gratis to further
the cause.
Aga Khan University Hospital’s Patient Welfare Programme offers
financial assistance to those patients who are unable to afford the
medical cost of treatment. In 2005, 74 per cent of all patients
treated at AKUH were from low- to middle-income groups. Since the
inception of this welfare programme in 1986, over Rs. 1.4 billion has
been disbursed to more than 250,000 needy patients.
Ismailimail 
“The splendour of Iranian devotional music held the audience in a
perfect rapture. An hour of spirited performance by male vocalists
seeking ecstasy in the name of God through collective chants and music
was duly complimented by imaginative use of lighting.”
It must have been a wonderful atmosphere.
Congratulations!
Blessings,
Richard of eTidings
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The show was indeed beautiful on both days. Just some additional info..the lights were done by Abhishek in the absence of Roosvelt.
The event management company was Vision Works.
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The world, today has sunk in the shakles of matererial possessions and the precious values,shared by the whole humanity is under threat. The message delieverd by Rumi is the penacea to contain the unstopable flood of materialistic tendecy.
Mucic and soft images of our history would definatly bring harmoney,peace and tranquility. The world today needs Attar,Rumi,Shabastari,Hallaj,Hafiz and Nasir Khosrow.
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Read the compelete poem.
What is to be done, O Moslems? for I do not recognize myself.
I am neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Gabr, nor Moslem.
I am not of the East, nor of the West, nor of the land, nor of the sea;
I am not of Nature’s mint, nor of the circling’ heaven.
I am not of earth, nor of water, nor of air, nor of fire;
I am not of the empyrean, nor of the dust, nor of existence, nor of entity.
I am not of India, nor of China, nor of Bulgaria, nor of Saqsin
I am not of the kingdom of ‘Iraqian, nor of the country of Khorasan
I am not of the this world, nor of the next, nor of Paradise, nor of Hell
I am not of Adam, nor of Eve, nor of Eden and Rizwan.
My place is the Placeless, my trace is the Traceless ;
‘Tis neither body nor soul, for I belong to the soul of the Beloved.
I have put duality away, I have seen that the two worlds are one;
One I seek, One I know J One I see, One I call.
He is the first, He is the last, He is the outward, He is the inward;
I know none other except ‘Ya Hu’ and ‘Ya man Hu.’
I am intoxicated with Love’s cup, the two worlds have passed out of my ken ;
I have no business save carouse and revelry.
If once in my life I spent a moment without thee,
From that time and from that hour I repent of my life.
If once in this world I win a moment with thee,
I will trample on both worlds, I will dance in triumph for ever.
O Shamsi Tabriz, I am so drunken in this world,
That except of drunkenness and revelry I have no tale to tell.
From Divan-i Shams
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Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find
all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.
We have to break all the walls and fences of caste, creed and culture in order to celebrate ONENESS. Mowlana Jellaluddin Rumi has spoken of love, the most powerful force pervading in the Universe! God is the inside of everything. We should stop looking out and start looking within. Looking outside we dream, Lookind inside we AWAKEN…. !!! I honour your precious words dear Sufi.
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I would like to congratulate my brothers and sisters on the occasion of the birthday of the greatest mystic of Islam, Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (RA). The Ismailis would definatly feel proud to be the part of this celebration, because the wanderer behind Rumi was Hazrat Shams Tabriz (RA), a devout and staunch Ismaili. The former, who ignited the spirit of love,ecstasy and music- and a theologian became a Sufi. The spiritual journey inspired him to produce the master pieces in Sufism- Mathnavi and Divan-e-Shams Tabrizi.
Rumi, though passed 800 years ago, but all time alive in the heats of human being. His message is very clear;
O Muslims? For I do not recognize myself.
I am neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Gabr, nor Muslim.
I am not of the East, nor of the West, nor of the land, nor of the sea;
I am not of Nature’s mint, nor of the circling heaven.
I am not of earth, nor of water, nor of air, nor of fire;
I am not of the empyrean, nor of the dust, nor of existence, nor of entity.
I am not of India, nor of China, nor of Bulgaria, nor of Saqsin
I am not of the kingdom of ‘Iraqian, nor of the country of Khorasan
I am not of the this world, nor of the next, nor of Paradise, nor of Hell
I am not of Adam, nor of Eve, nor of Eden and Rizwan.
My place is the Placeless; my trace is the Traceless;
Beyond creed,cast,race and gender;based on humanity.
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Would you know where (in which book) Rumi’s poem starting with “O Muslims? For I do not recognize myself.” can be find please ?
I am trying to find the original poem in Farsi but so far have not been successful. Thanks for sharing all these nice thoughts and poetry.
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The original version fo the said poem is available everywhere.The love of Rumi and passion would lead you towards the destiny. The books are available in Tariqa Board, books shops in Saddar and and Clifton. There is a poem for You
Lovers
O lovers, lovers it is time
to set out from the world.
I hear a drum in my soul’s ear
coming from the depths of the stars.
Our camel driver is at work;
the caravan is being readied.
He asks that we forgive him
for the disturbance he has caused us,
He asks why we travelers are asleep.
Everywhere the murmur of departure;
the stars, like candles
thrust at us from behind blue veils,
and as if to make the invisible plain,
a wondrous people have come
(RUMI)
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You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?
The above lines of Rumi has a deeper significance. We are crawling when we live superficially. We fly when we discover the eternal kingdom of love within our soul.We become love and enter the holy realms of existence where everything rumbles with the divine and mysterious power of love !!!
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