Every year Basant Panchami is celebrated at the shrine of the Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia from the last 750 years.
Syed Anis Nizami, descendant and Incharge of Dargah Sharif told us that this tradition was started since the time of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia, when he lost his most beloved nephew Hazrat Taqiuddin Nooh. After his nephew’s death, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia had stopped smiling for months and his dearest disciple Hazrat Amir Khusro felt heartbroken seeing his master in a state of bereavement. On the day of Basant Panchami, Hazrat Amir Khusro saw a group of women celebrating the festival wearing yellow clothes, singing songs, carrying mustard, tesu, marigold flowers and walking near Kalka Mandir. Hazrat Amir Khusro went back to meet his master dressed in yellow attire carrying mustard and tesu flowers and he sang ” Phool Rahi Sarson Sakal Ban” which literally means “Mustard flowers are blooming everywhere in the fields”. When Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia saw Hazrat Amir Khusro dressed in yellow attire and singing this song the saint smiled and that brought an end to his grieving. Basant Panchmi is the only day of the year when all the Qawaals of the Dargah sharif gather inside the innermost sanctum and sing this Sufi song that was written and composed by Hazrat Amir Khusro.
The celebration of Basant at Nizamuddin Dargah is living testament of the fact that India has always been secular. Infact on the direction of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia, it was Hazrat Amir Khusro who spread and gave rise to the idea of “Ganga – Jamuna Tehzeeb”. Since then that tradition continued and being celebrated with full fervour which is being attended by people of all faiths in harmony.
Syed Anis Nizami, Incharge Dargah Sharif also told us that visitors who cannot visit the shrine during the Basant celebration can get all the updates and watch live programme through his Instagram account @InchargeDargahSharif or from his Facebook page “Syed Anis Nizami”.