A Sufi state of mind Prachi sibal prachi. sibal@ mid- day. com Main toh apne kamre mein tere dhyaan mein gum tha, gharwaale sab kehte the saara ghar mehekta tha,u201d says Mohammed Vakil, one of the performers at Samau2019a: The Mystic Ecstacy, an upcoming three- day Sufi music festival. Just like the verse he shares with us, his performance will delve into the deeper realms of Sufi thought, transcending religion and form. Titled Raqsam, which means dancing in Urdu, Vakil and group will present something from every religion that embodies Sufi thought. u201c From Kabir to Mira to Guru Gobind Singhu2019s shabd and Bulle Shahu2019s poetry, we will present everything,u201d he says, explaining that a Sufi is one who walks the divine path keeping worldly vices at bay. This is also the genesis of Samau2019a, now in its 10th year, a celebration of the mystical in myriad forms and languages, and across regions. u201c Sufis didnu2019t want to wait till the end to connect withthe divine and it is their longing to connect with it that forms the essence of Sufism. Music here is a vehicle that brings them closer to this ecstasy. Though branching out from Islam, it resonates in other forms and movements like Bhakti,u201d explains Suvarnalata Rao, programming head, Indian music at NCPA. This timeless ideology thus finds representation in the festival through diverse performances that both, spread the mysticsu2019 message and push the envelope in the musical context. So, while on the one hand Moroccan all- womenu2019s group Hadarrattes Souiriyattes will present Sufi music from the region with a hint of trance and the use of multiple instruments, on the other, Parvathy Baul will enthrall audiences with her interpretation of it through the folk form from West Bengal.

There will also be a film screening, ChaloHamara Des: Journeys with Kabir and Friends, directed by Shabnam Virmani, which juxtaposes the journeys of home- grown Kabir artistse Prahlad Singh Tipanya with academician Linda Hess.