View source for Basant (spring) and the Panchami

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[[Category: India |B]]
[[Category: Festivals |B]]
[[Category:Name|Alphabet]]
[[Category:Name|Alphabet]]
 
=Basant=

By Gen O Dwyer

Carnival Time

'' India Harmony '' Volume - 1 : Issue - 2, 2013
==In North India==
Basant, the onset of spring is carnival time in India, and especially in
Punjab. When nature carpet-bombs the earth in a sea of yellow – mustard
flowers bobbing their heads and golden wheat ears swaying in the
breeze, the Punjabi zeitgeist is in full cry.

[[File: basant1.png|basant1|frame|500px]]

The verdure in the ground beneath is matched with a zillion-hued kites
darting and leaping across the sky. And from Basant Panchami in
Januray-end to Holi in March it is a time of joy and vim.

In the season of renewal of life, as Nature slowly unfolds her immense
bounty, obeisance is paid to the Lord of creation.

[[File: Basant is a time of merriment.png|Basant is a time of merriment|frame|500px]] 

And the season of re-birth and bloom is also the season of amour.
Kaamadeva and his companion Vasanta are worshipped. Kalidasa in his
Ritu samhara and romantic Abigyana Shakuntalam has waxed eloquent
on spring. The first encounter of enchantment between Shakuntala and
King Dushyanta are in Vasant ritu, the season of spring.

peeli peeli sarson phooli
peeli udey patang
arre peeli peeli uddi chunariya
peeli pagdi ke sang
galey lagaa ke dushman ko bhi
yaar banaa lo
kahey malang
aayee jhhom ke basant
jhoomo sang sang mein
aayee jhhom ke basant
jhoomo sang sang mein
aaj rang lo dilon ko
rang lo rang lo dilon ko
ik rang mein
aayee jhhoom ke basant
jhoomo sang sang mein
aayee jhhoom ke

Braj Mandal, the land of Lord Krishna which
covers Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan and
Goverdhan turns yellow with flower
decorations, banners, rangoli and people
sporting yellow kurtas on Basant Panchami,
heralding the advent of spring. The lore of
Radha and Krishna's romance and the Holi
celebrations are legendary.

The famous Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz has
penned the nazm titled

Bahaar Aayee (Spring is here)
“Bahaar aayee toh jaisey yak baar laut aaye
hain phir adum se woh khwaab saarey,
shabaab saare, jo terey honton pe mar mittey
thhe, jo mit kar ke har baar phir jeeye
thhe/nikhar gaye hain gulaab saare/Bahaar
aayi toh khul gaye hain/naye sirrey se hisaab
saarey/bahaar aayee, bahaar aayee .”

(With the coming of spring, once again have
returned all those thoughts, all that
youthfulness….roses
have bloomed again
which are fragrant with
memories of you).

[[File: The Bhangra dance matches.png| The Bhangra dance matches|frame|left|500px]]

However, the Punjabi
spirit is more in keeping
with the inimitable
genius Mirza Ghalib's
verse:

"The Spring came with
such abandon
That the sun and the
moon became mere
spectator"

Men and women dressed
in yellow and golden
finery break out in dance and song to the beat
and verve of Bhangra and Giddha, the
special dance forms of Punjab. The Bhangra
is a dance which involves a a lot of jumping
to the accompaniment of drums. Gidda is a
lively dance where the womenfolk perform to
the tune of folk verses. These verses are
called bolis and dwell on several social
aspects from arguments with in-laws to
recurring political issues. Sweetmeats are a
fine blend of kesar and yellow halwas.

Soaking in the gentle spring, children swing
in gay abandon and
Revellers are busy trying to outwit one
another in the skies trying to cut the strings
of each other's kites. The moment a kite is
snapped from an opponent's string, there are
triumphant whoops.

==In Amritsar==

Chheharta Sahib Gurudwara near Amritsar
comes alive with devotees thronging the
shrine. Though this fascinating season has its
distinct music in the chirping of the birds and
buzzing of the bees among the lush green
fields and gardens, the music which it gives
rise to in the human heart found its way in the
form of “Raga Basant” long ago. Guru Nanak,
Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das and Guru
Arjan Dev composed shabads in this raga,
which are in Guru Granth Sahib. Performed in
slow tempo, this gentle melody depicts quiet
joy. According to tradition, it is sung in the
Sikh Gurdwaras from the festival of Maghi
(after Lohri) till Hola Mohalla. It is indeed a
divine experience to hear these shabads. The
most popular shabad in the raga is Dekh
Phool Phool Phooley and has been rendered
by almost every 'Ragi' with individual
variations.

[[File: basant.png||frame|500px]]

The Muslim Sufis adopted this festival in the
thirteenth century as a way of participating in
the community activities of the area they had
settled in. By the Mughal period, Basant was
a popular festival at the major Sufi shrines.
Spring festivals were reportedly arranged
around the shrines of various Muslim saints.
Lahore, which housed several Sufi shrines,
also acquired these traditions and turned these
into popular local traditions. Amir Khasru, the
famous Sufi-poet of the thirteenth century,
even composed verses on Basant. From
Basant to Holi is a time of enjoying the slow
turn of spring's first shoots into a riot of
colours. Holi – the festival of colours is
celebrated on the day after the full moon in
early March and glorifies good harvest and
fertility of the land.

==In Lahore==

'''Across the border'''
 
The spring festival celebration in Lahore (which has
been banned for the last two years) usually
opens up with a colourful ceremony featuring
performance of 16 army bands, folk dances of
Punjab, displays of brass band, fireworks,
acrobatics and stall of traditional foods and
Across the border in Pakistan, Basant
is celebrated with gusto at the
end of February or in the beginning of the
month of March (depending on weather)
has
traditionally been a wildly colorful festival that
covers the skies of Lahore with swooping
triangles and the streets of Lahore with gangs of
bow-kata kids. Known as Jashn-e-baharan,
Basant festival artisans at work. The festivities simultaneously
run at Jilani park, Minar I Pakistan and Gulshan
I Iqbal for the public who gather in large
numbers. Cultural troupes from other
provinces, besides Punjab, along with foreign
music groups perform at Jilani park. Free music
programmes are presented at Tourist street, Old
Anarkali, Jilani Park, Mini Tollinton Market
and National Bank Park on Basant night. A
Basant Rang music programme is presented at
Noor Jehan Hall of the Alhamra Cultural
Complex Qadahafi Stadium.

Colourful gates are built at all entries including
airport, railway station, Ravi bridge, Minar I
Pakistan, Thokar Niaz Beg, Chungi Ammar
Sadhu and Motorway toll plaza to greet the
people reaching Lahore. Gowalmandi food
street, Old Anarkali tourist street and Gulberg
main boulevard wear a festive air.

There is no place other than Lahore where
Basant is celebrated with a lot of passion and
enthusiasm. In fact, the city used to host the
world's biggest kite flying festival and
therefore Basant fever spread to other
neighboring cities too.

[[File: Kites galore flitting across.png| Kites galore flitting across|frame|500px]]

In Lahore, it has always been about paychay
(kite flying competition) from dawn until
dusk. The competition involves having the
strings (with glass powder pasted) of two
flying kites to cross each other in the sky.
The winner's party is the one
who will cut the string of another party and
then there will be shouts of “Bo Kata, Bo
Kata”. The winner is so excited that he will
often not realize that his hands are bleeding as
a result of cuts from the string. Several boys
can be seen on the roads keeping track of the
kites that drift down when their strings are cut
and chasing the catches. The sky looks like
surface of a lake scattered with the petals of
flowers, breath-taking scenery on the large
canvass of the sky. A peaceful and soothing
balm to the soul.

With the passage of time, the excitement of
kite-flying has intensified innovatively paving
the way for night Basant. Competitors have
high capacity spot lights installed on their
roofs with dozens and dozens of white kites in
their stocks that illuminate in the lights. White
paper kites shimmer in the night sky, diving
and soaring as rival fliers joust in duels
marked by battle cries of Pecha! and victory
shouts of bo kata! Bursts of drums and
trumpets mark the cutting of a kite's chord.

Even as the orgy of kite-flying is on, there are
rooftop soirees, garden parties and equestrian
events. Lahorites and out-of-town enthusiasts
don glamorous clothes, in the yellow and
green of spring flowers blooming citywide, to
bid farewell to the frosts and fogs of winter
and usher in spring.

Flood lights search the skies for that little
piece of paper with reflecting patches. Fingers
bleed, get taped, bleed. Proud patches of a day
well-spent for the next week. The knee-high
stash of gudis dwindles away. The string flies
away from the fingers......

==In Purani Dilli==

'' India Harmony ''  Volume - 2 : Issue - 1, 2013

[[File: celebratin basant.png||frame|500px]] 

The Anjuman-Sair-e-Gul Faroshan is a unique society established in 1961 under the
patronage of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. The moving spirits behind this venture were Shri Yogeshwar Dayalji a well known businessman and Janab Nooruddin Ahmed Saheb, a
celebrated stalwart of the Delhi Bar and a highly regarded criminal lawyer. These were the
leading lights of the Chandni Chowk area in pre-partition Delhi. Both were dedicated Indian
nationalists and determined to preserve the cultural traditions of then city.

Their passionate advocacy of preserving the atmosphere of peaceful coexistence and celebration
of diverse festivals in 'Purani Dilli' led them to revive the “Phool Walon Ki Sair" festival founded
by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar Shah II, and his consort, Begum Mumtaz Mahal, in 1808. The first
procession took place when the Begum went to the Dargah of Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki at Mehrauli
to offer a “Chadar” of flowers. She had prayed fervently at this shrine for the release of her son
who had been captured and exiled by the British. On his release, a celebration was organized
commencing with the Begum proceeding to the Dargah to redeem her pledge and to offer
thanksgiving. On orders of the Emperor, the procession was directed to offer a floral 'Chhatri'
also at the adjacent Yogmaya Temple. The entire city joined in the celebrations with great
enthusiasm. Seeing the participation of the common people of all faiths and hues, the Emperor
decreed that the festival would be held every year after the rains. The next forty years saw the
celebrations grow from strength to strength reaching their zenith under the rule of Bahadur
Shah Zafar when the festivities spread over one week. Alas the Mutiny in 1857 and the
ruthlessness with which it was quelled put an end to all celebrations. The devastation of the old
city and its culture took its toll. The subsequent repression by the British put an end to this
celebration too. However, the spirit of harmony survived and the people of Dilli with the help of
some wealthy patrons continued to take out a small procession to the Dargah and Mandir at
Mehrauli under the watchful but sympathetic eye of the then British Deputy Commissioner. In
1942, the British finally banned this festival in preparation for the final severance of the
harmonious ties between the two communities. Partition and the bloodbath that followed cast a
pall of gloom over the old city.

[[File: celebratin basant1.png||frame|500px]] 

Undeterred by events, Shri Yogeshwar Dayalji took the lead in reviving the “mela” with his own
funds. His dedication to Indian arts and traditions had resulted in his Havali being thrown open
to artists, singers and musicians of all faiths. During the week long “Phool Walon Ki Sair” mela in
the nineteen sixties his home was the centre of all activity and the atmosphere became that of a
wedding celebration. Food and hospitality was open to all. He presided over this festival with
great devotion for 45 years until his death in 2006. Hs last wish was for the “Sair” to continue in
the manner and tradition followed by him. His vision and spark continues to live in the hearts of
Delhi's citizens who celebrate the week long festivities every year under the dynamic leadership
of Smt. Usha Kumar, a well known High Court lawyer and daughter of Shri Yogeshwar Dayalji. A
daughter's homage to her father and her own commitment to this festival has brought cheer to
the citizens of Chandni Chowk and Mehrauli who enjoy the seven day mela Her work has earned
her accolades and patronage from Smt. Sheila Dixit, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Salman
Khurshid, Hon'ble Union Minister of Law and Shri Tejendra Khanna, Hon'ble Lt. Governor of
Delhi. The entire Mehrauli area comes alive with kite flying, wrestling and qawwali competitions
at the “Jahaz Mahal”. The music and celebrations bring together the old spirit of “Bhaichara” and
the “Ganga -Jamni Tehzeeb” which has survived against all odds.

In 2011, Smt. Usha Kumar celebrated the golden jubilee of the Anjuman Sair e Gul Faroshan by
organizing a citizen's harmony walk on the occasion of Basant Panchmi – a celebration of the
advent of spring. The walk began with a prayer at Gauri Shankar temple at Chandni Chowk and
ended at the Dargah of Hazrat Nizammuddin. Eminent citizens of both communities participated,
carrying yellow marigold pankhas and wearing multicolored turbans. The spirit of bonhomie
continued as they followed the “Shehnaiwalas” and the entire congregation into the Dargah
where they placed a “Chadar” on the mazaar and were welcomed by the 'Gaddinasheen' at the
Dargah. The India Harmony Foundation participated in this walk on Basant Panchmi, 2012. It
salutes the indomitable spirit and courage of Smt. Usha Kumar and offer her its wholehearted
support in her mission.