The second edition of Jashn-e-Khusrau comes to the city

Mohay apnay hi rang mein rang lay,Tu to saaheb mera Mehboob-e-Ilaahi

Almost 750 years ago, Amir Khusrau Dehlavi, a court poet to several Sultans of Delhi, the favourite disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and one of the finest contemporary poets known in the continent, must have written this couplet in his house in Ghisiyapur, now known as Nizamuddin Basti. The strains of this poetry and more will reverberate around the same area where the second edition of Jashn-e-Khusrau will take place. The festival organised by the Archaeological Survey of India, in collaboration with Aga Khan Trust for Culture is hosting a fine and rare line-up of musicians apart from exhibitions, film screenings and symposiums to be held during a month-and-a-half long tribute to the genius of Khusrau. "The rare qalams, Persian and Hindavi, and some of the ragas that he invented will be part of the musical performances," says Shakeel Hossain, the curator of the festival.

The festival, which opens today with a classical vocal recital by Ustad Nasiruddin Saami, a leading exponent of khayal from the Dilli gharana, will move to the amphitheatre in Sunder Nursery, opposite Humayun's tomb. The organisers are hosting a large part of the festival at the Nursery so that it becomes a cultural, heritage and environmental hub.

Ustad Ghulam Mohammad Saaznawaz, who is arguably the only existing master of Kashmiri Sufiyana qalam in the world and Kolkata-based 105-year-old singer Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan will regale the audience. Khan, perhaps the oldest performing musician alive, will sing a slew of Persian bandishs and rare taranas.Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan will play ragas such as Shahana and Bahar — Khusrau's most famous ragas at Chausath Khamba.

The festival will conclude on March 27.

www.nizamuddinrenewal.org

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