1. the sound of music
Anchor
Songs For The Gods
The World Sacred Spirit Festival reveals delightfully contrasting
aspects of Jodhpur—juxtaposing the loud, chaotic town with
mellifluous music under starlit skies.
Words Harini Sriram Photography Arun sarin
Shye Ben Tzur (centre), a poet and
musician from Israel, performs
alongside Johnny Greenwood, guitarist
of the UK rock band, Radiohead,
a brass band from Ajmer and the
Manganiyars of Rajasthan
march 2015 3938 March 2015

2. (Previous page) Mukhtiyar
Ali sings Sufi poetry with an
ensemble of musicians
(This page) Cherifa (left, in white),
a poetess and musician from
Morocco, sings of stars and skies
as she dances with the rest of the
musicians onstage
G
azi Khan Barna clinks two wooden blocks.
The crowd erupts in cheers. He is dressed
in traditional Rajasthani attire complete
with a colourful turban. His weathered
face looks radiant, there’s a hint of a
smile on his lips and his eyes glow like
amber. He is now in some sort of trance, swaying gently as
he plays his khartal. Barna is part of Divana, an ensemble
of Manganiyars, nomadic musicians from the deserts of
Rajasthan, who are performing at the Mehrangarh fort in
Jodhpur as part of the World Sacred Spirit Festival (WSSF)
to an audience that is clearly getting goosebumps at
this stage.
I’m in Jodhpur primarily for two reasons—to understand
the essence of ‘spiritual’ music, and gorge on pyaz kachoris
and mirchi wadas. But mostly for the former. Organised
impeccably by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust (established
by Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Jodhpur), WSSF celebrates
the sacred—an idea, a theme that finds resonance in the
voices of the Rajasthani Manganiyars as much as in the
exuberance of the Moroccan Berbers. This is the eighth
edition of WSSF; while the first few editions of the festival
were held at the Ahhichatragarh fort in Nagaur, since 2012
the courtyards of Mehrangarh have also been reverberating
with the strains of Sufi poetry and Persian chants. The
festival travels every year from Nagaur to Jodhpur, with the
lineup remaining pretty much the same at both venues. The
Nagaur leg of the festival is meant only for guests at the fort,
but the performances in Jodhpur are open to the public.
Part of the magic of the festival lies in the setting.
Because, when it comes to festival venues, few can trump
Mehrangarh both in terms of heritage and the sweeping
views it offers. The fort is steeped in history and legend. It is
believed to have been built in 1438 by Rao Jodha, who ruled
Marwar then, and the city of Jodhpur was named after him.
The story goes that when Jodha decided to build a fort atop
the hillock in the region, he had to evict its sole occupant—a
hermit, who cursed the land with water scarcity. Though
efforts have been taken to harvest water within the fort and
in the city, the area is generally arid and drought-prone. For
history and architecture enthusiasts, there’s a fabulous audio
tour around the fort that you might want to take. There’s
also a ziplining tour (in the fort) run by Flying Fox that gives
you a different perspective of the city.
The lazy evening sun gently lights up the fort, and I
follow the chords of what sounds like a sitar. It takes me
past gardens in full bloom, with sunlight streaming through
bougainvillea flowers as if they were stained glass. I walk
up a flight of stairs and see the Blue City sprawled in front
of me like a miniature set made of Legos. I try to count
40 March 2015

3. the number of blue houses but soon realise I’m being silly.
Occasionally, a bunch of blushing kids would emerge from
one of the houses and wave to us. From where I stand, I
see the calm and sparkling Ranisar lake; on the banks of
the lake, a group of people lie arched on the grass, their
heads resting against bolsters. Some of them are perched
precariously on steps leading up to the top of the fort,
listening with rapt attention to Pandit Kushal Das, a
distinguished sitarist from West Bengal. He plays a piece
in Maand, a raag that has its roots in Rajasthani folk music.
I’m now in a cocoon, a bubble, smiling to myself, foolishly
reassured that all’s well with the world again.
Later in the evening, at Daulat Khana Chowk, in the
fort, I find myself absolutely captivated by the haunting
Andalusian hymns of Francoise Atlan, a French-Jewish
singer, complemented by Sukhdev Prasad Mishra on the
Carnatic violin. Purists might cringe at this rather bizarre
pairing, and dismiss it as yet another experiment in fusion,
but then they should have been there because, in all
honesty, it works like a dream. After a particularly soulful
violin and tabla jugalbandi, Atlan says, “It’s difficult to
sing after what they just played, but I will try.” It is this
simplicity that makes these musicians endearing, and their
music—though unfamiliar to a novice like me—makes me
feel weightless for a few seconds.
It’s time for Nour Ensemble, a group of French and
Persian musicians who, along with the Manganiyars, serve
up music so delicious you want to bite into it and let the
taste linger forever. Elsewhere, in the massive Zenana Deodi
courtyard, Shye Ben Tzur, a Jewish Israeli qawwal, is singing
songs about love, faith and gratitude, and the dais is filled
with seemingly disparate musicians—Johnny Greenwood
(guitarist for UK band Radiohead), Manganiyars and a brass
band from Ajmer. No words can do justice to the music they
create together.
The air is nippy, there’s a strong chill wind spewing dust
and sand. Night descends like a huge inky canvas clustered
with a million stars. We are perched some 400 feet above
the city, the high walls of the fort sealing off sights and
sounds from outside. I’m sure these courtyards have seen
blood—you can still see battle marks on some of the gates
—yet, sitting under the stars, wrapped in a shawl, with some
new friends and great music for company, I feel strangely
peaceful and at ease.
(This page) Mathias Dulessy, a
French musician, doing what he
does best
(Next page) Sabir Khan weaves
magic with the sarangi; Gazi
Khan Barna plays his kartal
Part of the magic of the festival lies in the setting. Because, when it comes to festival venues,
few can trump Mehrangarh both in terms of heritage and the sweeping views it offers
march 2015 43

4. March 2015 00
The following day, I set out to explore the city and its
markets. The afternoon sun is merciless and I’m now at the
main market near the clock tower. The area is chaotic, to
say the least; vehicles zip past from all directions, honking
relentlessly. The road is choc-a-bloc with buildings, each
uglier than the other. This could be any town in India at
the moment. Women in brightly coloured saris—fluorescent
orange, fuchsia, bright green—walk down the roads,
unmindful of the noise and clutter. Perhaps these colours
make up for the otherwise barren landscape of Rajasthan
and the blank expressions on their faces. The streets are
choked with garbage and green-and-yellow autos that are
piled up one behind the other. These autos are slimmer than
the ones in other cities, and I’m told that they are designed
that way simply to negotiate the narrow, congested streets
that the city is rife with.
I’m at the famous Janta Sweets Home with two other
friends and we sink our teeth into crispy pyaz kachoris and
spicy mirchi wadas. The kachoris are filled with mashed
potatoes and onions; they are tangy probably due to the
addition of aam choor (dried mango powder). We wash our
heavenly snack down with paper cups of steaming hot
masala chai. MV Spices in Sardar Market, near the clock
tower, stashes Indian spices from chillies, aam choor and
garam masala to saffron, cardamom and even herbal powders
that claim to do wonders to your skin and hair. There are
several shops selling quintessential touristy things—bandini
and lehriya dupattas, kurtas, saris, mojris, bags, jewellery.
However, most shops have fixed price tags, so don’t even
bother bargaining. Alright, maybe just a bit.
Back at the fort, I meet Li Daiguo, a US-born Chinese
musician who performed earlier at the festival. He tells me
he’s been performing since he was five, and is trained in
both Western and Chinese classical music. Li is a maverick
musician, a prodigy of sorts, who dabbles in multiple musical
styles and instruments. He does beatboxing, plays the pipa
(a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument), ethnic flutes,
the cello, violin, viola; he works with musicians across genres
and geographies, from jazz to beatboxing, from Zimbabwe
to Japan. He speaks of physical spaces and energies, adding
that an artiste who is truly free (liberated), has the power to
create that energy in any situation, in any space.
Later that evening, I soak in the songs of sexuality by
Chaar Yaar and Madan Gopal Singh, a Sufi singer from India;
sway to the Mongol rhythms of Mathias Duplessy, a French
musician, and Mukhtiyar Ali, a Sufi singer from Rajasthan;
dance to the beats of Midival Punditz, a fusion electronic
duo from Delhi. Li’s words make sense to me. Of course, the
fort is marvellous, but it’s the free-spiritedness and depth
of these musicians that make the festival what it is. I had
always thought that a spiritual experience had to be solemn
—but after three days of being footloose in a little city, I
realise that the paths to spirituality are many. For some, it’s
yoga; for others, it’s music.
I had always thought that a spiritual experience had to be solemn—but after three days of
being footloose in a little city, I realise that the paths to spirituality are many
44 March 2015
(This page) Francoise Atlan, an
Andalusian singer, collaborates
with Sukhdev Prasad Mishra (left),
a vocalist and violinist from the
Benaras Gharana
(Facing page) Listening to the
music of the Langas of Rajasthan
at the break of dawn

5. March 2015 00
The foundation for the World Sacred Spirit
Festival (www.worldsufispiritfestival.org) was
laid eight years ago in the small town of Nagaur in
central Rajasthan, following a conservation project
that the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, established by
Maharaja Gaj Singh II, had done at the Ahhichatragarh
fort. Nagaur is considered the second most important
centre for the Chistiya Sufi order (after Ajmer) in
Rajasthan, and the festival was conceptualised to
promote Sufi music under the patronage of famous
UK musician Sting, and was meant to be a celebration
of the restoration effort.
But, as Karni Singh Jasol, director, Mehrangarh
Museum Trust, tells us, “Nagaur was not on any kind
of map, and we wanted the festival to reach a larger
audience. We were bringing in amazing artistes from
around the world but only guests at the fort could
enjoy it. So, four years back, we conducted the festival
in Jodhpur too, and threw it open to the public. Last
year, we felt the need to expand our horizons, look
beyond Sufi and bring in diverse musicians from across
the world.” WSSF is a direct result of that urge.
Alain Weber, artistic director, WSSF, believes that
the festival is all about a return to the roots; it’s about
identifying artistes who share a common culture and
style and bringing them together on one platform.
Though it’s hard to pick one standout performance,
Weber is of the view that the Langas and Manganiyars
of Rajasthan are stars in their own right, simply
because their grasp of music is amazing. It’s this
adaptability and versatility that makes their musical
style blend seamlessly with Iranian, French, African
and even Israeli music, he adds. Alexandra de Cadaval
is the co-director of WSSF.
World Sacred Spirit Festival
46 March 2015
(Clockwise from top left) A Manganiyar
dholak player is all concentration;
Suphala, a tabla artiste from the
US, enthralls the audience with her
performance; Ballake Sissoko from Mali
plays the kora, a stringed instrument
from Africa; the crowd dances to
Midival Punditz

6. Navigator
Jodhpur, the second largest
city in Rajasthan, is known as
Sun City and Blue City. It is
best known for royalty, forts
and its fiery cuisine.
Where to stay
Bijolai Palace, a Treehouse
Hotel, a restored hunting
home of the erstwhile
maharaja, has well-
appointed rooms. It’s far
from the chaos of the city
yet just a few kilometres
from the city centre (www.
treehousehotels.in).
Places of interest
A trip to Jodhpur is pointless
without a visit to Mehrangarh
fort. Also visit the Umaid
Bhawan palace (part of it is
managed by Taj Hotels) and
Jaswant Thada (a memorial
made of marble).
Shop
Find great deals on mojris,
clothes, jewellery and bags
in the markets around Ghanta
Ghar (clock tower).
Eat
Café Mehran and Chokelao
Mahal Terrace in Mehrangarh
fort; Janta Sweets Home for
kachoris and mirchi wadas.
Getting there
By Air There are daily flights
(Air India and Jet Airways)
from Delhi and Mumbai.
By Train Jodhpur is well-
connected by trains with
all major cities. with Delhi,
board the Mandor Express,
and from Mumbai you could
take the Suryanagari Express.
By Road Jodhpur is 595 km
from Delhi and 976 km from
Mumbai. Buses ply both
routes every day, and private
taxis are also available.
Evening concert at
the Ranisar lake in
Mehrangarh fort
march 2015 4948 March 2015