The Procession of Flower Vendors
This three-day festival in the month of Bhadrapad, is celebrated by both Hindus and Muslims. Its special feature is a grand procession of flower vendors through the streets of Delhi.
Sair-e-Gulfarushan or Phool walon-ki-sair literally translated means" a walk by the flower vendors". This three-day festival, celebrated in Delhi by both Hindus and Muslims, rejoices in the brotherhood of man.
The festivities centre around the durgah of a Muslim saint, Khwaza Bakhtiar Kaki, and the ancient Hindu temple of goddess Yoga Maya. On the first day a huge procession of Hindus and Muslims, beginning at Ajmeri Gate, progresses slowly towards the temple at Mehrauli to offer the traditional pankha, ornamented with intricate designs of flowers and tinsel. The entire route is cleaned and decorated. Banners, flowers and paint are also used to brighten their path. The procession is led by drummers who are followed by two flag bearers. One flag bears the emblem of the hilalor the crescent of the Muslims, while the other sports a Sudarshan Chakra of the Hindus. Behind them walk the musicians, playing trumpets, trombones, drums and other percussion instruments. In earlier times, this group was carried on wooden seats by bearers. Wrestlers and stick wielders, displaying their skill and power, come next. During thereign of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar(1837-1862), artists were rewarded according to their performance. A number of people dancing and singing also accompany the procession. The pankha is held at the end. The massive parade inches forward to a medley of tunes, current as well as traditional.
The procession reaches the temple of Yoga Maya late at night. The priest accords a ceremonial welcome to the pankha, which is given the status of a deity. It is then placed on the throne of the goddess and offered prayers. After the invocation, the priest distributes prasad to the processionists. With this ritual, which lasts for about an hour, the proceedings of the day came to an end, and the crowd disperses for the night.
The following day, a similar parade goes to the tomb. Prayers are recited after the pankha reaches the grave at night. Then Hindus and Muslims join together to watch a magnificent display of fireworks. Entertainment programmes and games to commemorate the day are also organised. These continue through the night and into the next day, until the late evening when all festivities draw to an end.
The festival is of fairly recent origin. Legend has it that in the early 19th century, Prince Mirza Jehangir, the son of Emperor Akbarshah II (1806-1837), was imprisoned by the British in Allahabad. His mother Queen Mumtaz Mahal prayed for his release at the durgah of Khwaza BakhtiarKaki. On his discharge from jail, she offered a chadar made of flowers at the grave, in thanksgiving to the saint for fulfilling her wish. This ceremony was celebrated with great fanfare by people of all religions and from all walks of life. The emperor then instituted this event as a festival for both Hindus and Muslims, to be observed in the month of Bhadrapad. To reaffirm their feelings of camaraderie, it was decided that they would offer prayers and a pankha at the temple and the tomb. It came to be named Sair-e-Gulfarushan or Phool-walon-ki-sair, because flowers were used not only to decorate the pankha and the pathways but were also an important part of the offerings.
It was banned by the British in 1942 due to communal tensions, but was revived and restored to its original glory in 1962.