By Means of Intelligence and Love

Staff Reporter - The Hindu - Chennai, India

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Hyderabad: Revolving, the fundamental principle of existence evident in every manifestation of life whether it is electron or Mother Earth, will receive a special tribute on November 22 in the live performance of ‘Whirling Dervishes of Rumi’ to be organised at Taramati Baradari Cultural Complex at Ibrahimbagh.

Known as Sema, the Turkish ritual will have artistes rendering a whirling performance to represent man’s ascent to perfection by means of intelligence and love.

The present event is being organised by Indialogue Foundation to mark the 800th birth anniversary of eminent scholar and poet Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, in association with Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation and Metropolitan Municipality of Konya city, Turkey.

Also part of the event will be a Sufi music concert.

Sharing the details at a press meet, M.A.Vural from Indialogue Foundation informed that Dervishes from Konya were being brought especially for the events to be held also at New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

The inaugural ceremony on November 21 at Madina Educational Centre and an international seminar at Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National University the next day will be part of the birth anniversary celebrations.

The year 2007 has been declared as ‘Year of Rumi’ by UNESCO.

Addressing the press meet, former Minister Basheeruddin Babukhan said that Sufi poets had spread the message of Islam by propagating goodness, harmony and peace.

[Picture: Dance tribute: A poster showing the ‘Whirling Dervishes’ in action. Photo by P.V. Sivakumar].