KARACHI: Whirling Dervishes: performers steal the show
By Hasan Mansoor
KARACHI, March 1: The Whirling Dervishes of Mevlevi Order, founded by Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Mohammad Rumi’s followers in 1273 AD in the historic Turkish city of Konya gave a spectacular performance at the Arts Council Auditorium at a programme organised by the Rumi Forum and the Turkish Mission in connection with the 800th birth anniversary of the greatest Sufi poet of all times.
Unesco has declared 2007 as International Year of Rumi.
The idea behind their whirling around during Sema (zikr) is the concept that the fundamental condition of our existence is to revolve, according to those who spoke to the audience to suggest that science also now confirms the theory.
“There is no object, no being which does not revolve and the shared similarity among beings is the rotation of electrons, protons and neutrons in the atom,” argued one of the speakers.
The Dervishes performed on the rhythm of their fellow singing partners and musicians waving their headdress (their egos’ tombstone) and their white uppers (their egos’ shrouds) and removing their black cloaks spiritually born to the truth. At the onset and upon each pause of the Sema, they held their arms crosswise, as if they represent the one and only and testified to God’s oneness.
While whirling, their arms were open, the right hand of each one raised towards the sky, ready to receive the God’s beneficence, looking at his left hand turned toward the earth, he would turn from right to left around the heart.
Revolving around the heart, from right to left, he embraces all the mankind, all the creation with affection and love.
A packed to capacity crowd enjoyed the show thoroughly and gave standing ovation to the performers.
