Back to Jaisal Italy and the Living Fort

Sawaali hun na khaali hun

Aashiq mast jalaali hun

Khaata hun na peeta hun

Marta hun na jeeta hun

Re nashi mawaali hun

Main aashiq mast jalaali hun

Nar hun na madi hun

Na chor fasadi hun

Allah hun ni bulla hun

Maula hun na Mohammed hun

Arabi ji vich Ahmed hun

I don’t ask many questions, nor am I worthless

I am a lost lover (love for Allah)

Neither do I eat, nor do I drink

Neither am I alive, nor am I dead

I am intoxicated with the love, “ibaadat for allah”

Neither am I man, nor a woman

I am not a thief or rioter

I am not Allah or Bulla (the poet himself)

Neither am I Maula, nor am I Mohammed (Maula=Allah, Mohammed=Prophet Mohammed)

Words are less to describe the mesmerizing effect Bulle Shah’s poetry has on you, simple but profound in narrative! Physically, I was exhausted, after so many song translations and interviews, but mentally, I was not. Almost everyone in Jaisalmer seems to have such an interesting background story, specially these Manganiyaar singers.

The golden sand of Jaisalmer once again welcomed me, though this time, it was cold, desert winters are harsh and we were shooting in Mama’s Desert Camp and Resort, and desert resort situated some 38km from Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer, once again, amazed me with its golden sand grains and the living fort. When I came to know that I will be working with Anahad again, not only was I happy, but I had an intuition that this time we will be working twice as hard. Not to mention, with the chilling temperatures.

Jaisalmer’s temporal dimension is something which is not constant. During September, its off-season, hotel palaces are almost empty and deserted, but this time of the year, tourism in Jaisalmer is crazy! With tourists pouring in from every corner of the world. This was a schedule with many ‘firsts’ for eg. A first time night setup for the shoot, which included a female singer as well. Bonfires did help in keeping the cold temperatures at bay, but our team couldn’t contain their excitement as we gave in to the powerful vocals of Rekha Sapera, who sang us a song, which was about a wife trying to please her husband by cooking for him.

As a person who is too much into classical music, working with Anahad is probably the best thing which one could ask for. Along with the work comes sleepless nights too! Writing is not an easy task, yet its an enjoyable one when coupled with good food, and roller coaster desert safari rides for free! It did take two hair washes to get the sand out of the head and the system, yet, these sand dunes are so majestic and scary, that the thrill of riding them was out of this world.

The music documentation this time was not an easy task, with a mammoth target of almost 5 groups per day. After a while, you tend to forget all that and lose yourself in the work. Listening to the stories of these people is an absolute delight.

With each group, came a new package of stories and experiences, and new found wisdom. Their music is timeless, and beyond the boundaries of caste and religion, as one particular singer told me, that they are “Islamic” in their beliefs, but “Hindu” in their patterns, and daily habits, and appearance. On one harmonium, I noticed later, was written the number 786 alongside a swastika symbol. There is indeed, so much to learn from these people.

Their music is as unique as it is timeless, as it combines the traditions and emotions from both Hinduism and Islam, music has no boundaries of caste, creed or religion, and Sakur Khan’s music is a perfect example of that. In one particular song, rendered from a poem by the famous Sufi Poet, Shah Latif, who composed mainly in Sindhi language, a girl wishes to leave this material world and desires to become a ‘Jogan’, (female ascetic). In the entire song, she uses various metaphors for describing a Swami, yet retaining the Sindhi-Islamic flavor. It’s interesting, yet worth noting that most of the singers from these Manganiyaar community are followers of Islam when it comes to religious worship, yet they are hindus in their day-to-day life.

Khufar jholiyo kulhan mein

Wajnan wayu kann

The swami carries a satchel (jhola), in which he keeps a utensil

When he asks for food.

He keeps walking and roaming till eternity.

(Swamis, in India, generally carry a satchel, and are dressed in simple clothes, they are devoid of material desires and live on “bhiksha”, on people’s generosity)

The swami usually carries a utensil which is known as ‘kista’ in the local language and lives on the food provided by the people which he carries in his ‘kista’. The most mesmerizing thing about this composition is that it’s composed in Raaga Malahari, which is an important Raaga in Hindustani Classical music and is associated with the atmosphere of rains. Yet, this is the beauty of folk music, that one raga can be used to evoke various emotions and to create a variety of moods. According to legend, raga Malhar is so powerful that when sung, it can induce rainfall. It is possible that the rainfall that the legends speak of is in fact metaphorical of the state of mind brought about by the recital of the raga.

The systems of Raaga and Taal in the Manganiyaar sangeet, have been documented by the Legendary Ghazi Khan, as he told me when we interviewed him. Even though, music cannot be really standardized and confined to textbooks, yet, it should be documented, as it’s as much part of the heritage of Jaisalmer, as is the Jaisalmer fort itself.

Conserving the heritage and creating livelihood options for these people is one of the main objectives of Anahad. While conservation is not an easy process, it’s not something which is unachievable, it’s all about the right kind of strategy, and understanding the issues at a holistic level. And communication really helps to recognize the problems at the grass-root levels. Outreach is also equally important.

And when conservation work comes with fun, there is nothing more which one could probably ask for. Our documentation concluded with a great lunch at Jaisal Italy, which had become my favorite place during my last visit. It never fails to charm me, and I have made it a point that if I visit Jaisalmer in near future, I won’t leave without roaming inside Jaisalmer Fort and without having a meal inside Jaisal Italy.

Each time I visit such a place, I thank myself for choosing Architecture, and moreover I thank my inclination towards music, because Jaisalmer combines the best of both worlds and I am truly blessed to appreciate both equally, while I pack my bags and roam around like an aimless wanderer. As Bulle Shah says

Sawaali hun na Khaali hun

Aashiq mast Jalali hun