The Randhawa Auditorium at Punjab Kala Bhawan was filled to capacity on Sunday for “Rumi Meets Kabir – A Mehfil of Mystic Poetry, Dastangoi & Music,” an event organised jointly by the Chandigarh Citizens Foundation (CCF), SIFAT and the Punjab Arts Council.
The programme was dedicated to the memory of scholar Prof Malwinderjit Singh Waraich.
Dastango Ashwin “Afraad” presented a narration combining the poetry of 13 century Persian poet Jalaluddin Rumi and 15 century Indian poet Sant Kabir. Vocalist Sawani Shikhare performed alongside the narration.
The presentation covered themes of self-realisation, detachment and the search for the divine as expressed in the works of both poets. It included Kabir’s verses on the impermanence of worldly attachment and Rumi’s verses on locating the divine within rather than in external places.
The programme opened with a screening of the short film “Mavali,” based on playwright Mohan Rakesh.
Organisers said the event was part of an ongoing effort to promote cultural dialogue through India’s literary and artistic traditions.
