Daily Times

The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) is holding a Sufi night called Bulleh Shah at Royal Kitchen on Friday in the newly conserved monument of Lahore Fort, in which leading performers of Pakistan would be participating.

Shujaat Hashmi would be conducting and hosting the event while Saaen Zahoor, Fazal Jutt, Ajoka Theatre and Wahab Shah would be performing related to Bulleh Shah during the event.

The original name of Bulleh Shah was Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri and he was a Mughal-era Punjabi Islamic philosopher and Sufi poet. His first spiritual teacher was Shah Inayat Qadri and Bulleh Shah practiced the Sufi tradition of Punjabi poetry which was started by poets like Shah Hussain, Sultan Bahu and Shah Sharaf. According to references, Bulleh Shah was born in 1680, in the small village of Uch, Bahawalpur whereas his ancestors had migrated from Bukhara in modern Uzbekistan. Bulleh Shah gave a message of peace, harmony and brotherhood and said that violence was not the answer to violence.

Actor and narrator Shujaat Hashmi said, “It is very important for the new generation to get to know the teachings and writings of Bulleh Shah. With the passage of time, the new generation has lost its interest in the language which Bulleh Shah used in his writings and that has also created a gap in knowing and understanding his messages. Our purpose is to read his poetry and make it easy to understand for the new generation.”

Performer, dance director and artist Wahab Shah while talking exclusively to Daily Times said, “I have tried my best to create a fusion of modern and contemporary dance and performances so that with a new touch and colour, I can bring the people close to Sufism which is need of the hour. I am performing world over on the poetry of Bulleh Shah and other Sufi poets so that I can contribute a little in spreading the message of peace and harmony and also that through my performances I tell the world that Pakistan is a peace loving land and its people believe in brotherhood and tranquillity.”

WCLA Marketing & Media Officer Awais Raza while commenting on the event said, “Bulleh Shah’s writings represent him as a humanist, someone providing solutions to the sociological problems of the world and his poetry highlights his mystical spiritual journey through the stages of Sufism. Bulleh Shah’s popularity stretches uniformly across Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. At present when there is distress among the world and people have lost the spirit of tolerance it is important to highlight the messages of Bulleh Shah which he disseminated through his everlasting poetry.”

WCLA Marketing Director Asif Zaheer said, “The Royal Kitchen is a newly conserved monument inside the Lahore Fort and we are trying to revive the lost arts of Punjab and Pakistan at this venue. Previously, we started the Daastan Goi nights here which was one of the lost cultures of Lahore and now we are holding this Bulleh Shah night to step forward in reviving the culture of folklore and Sufi poetry.”

WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said, “I think it’s high time to spread the message of peace and harmony around the globe and to tell the world that Pakistan is a land of peace, harmony and brotherhood. I want to capture the attention of the new generation as well towards Sufism and message of peace so that they understand their roots. We will be holding Sufi nights on the poetry of others as well including Shah Hussain, Ghulam Farid, Sultan Bahu, Waris Shah and others.”

Published in Daily Times, December 19^th 2018.