Music is an important area in Rajasthan's cultural landscape and this horizon is lit up with numerous constellations of traditional musical communities. These communities are either into folk music or they follow the Sufi style.
One such talented group of hereditary musicians are the Mir musicians from Bikaner(Pugal), Rajasthan who follow the age-old musical tradition of the Sufiana Kalam of Baba Farid, Baba Bulleh Shah, Shah Hussain, Sultan Bahu and Khwaja Ghulam Farid.
Their mesmerizing rendition of the poems and verses of the great poets can transport you to a blissful state of heightened consciousness.
We are extremely grateful to our gracious host Gopal Ji, the Founder Rajasthan Kabir Yatra, that during Bikaner food exploration, on discovering our fondness for Rajasthani music, he had arranged a meeting with two veterans Mir musicians from Pugal.
So after relishing the laal maas cooked by Adhiraj ji beside the Darbari lake, we and Gopal ji left for Pugal. The plan was to pick up the veteran Mir tabla player Abdul Jabbar ji from his residence and head to Mir Basu Baktar Khan's home some 30 kms away from Pugal. He is the veteran singer from this community.
So we stopped at Abdul ji's home had a cup of tea and a brief conversation and then left for Mir Basu's residence. It was late evening when we reached his home. The whole family was standing out in the darkness of the evening to welcome us.
It was a quiet village surrounding and we were super excited to listen to his stories, songs and savour their traditional meal. We went to the open kitchen area and settled down by the oven for both general conversation and to witness the meal preparation. The food stories from this adverse region were so fascinating.
Coming to the meal, it was a simple and exciting spread of usual traditional dishes. It is a testimony of resourcefulness and ingenuity that fits the harsh desert conditions. One of the dishes i.e the kachari phophaliya was a total revelation for us.
Sharing the meal with the warm musical masters was indeed a cherished experience. And the highlight of the evening was the soul stirring musical performance. Hope you enjoy this melodious journey.
ABOUT OUR COLLABORATOR
Rajasthan Kabir Yatra (https://www.rajasthankabiryatra.org/) is a 6 days-long traveling folk music festival spread across six rural and urban locations in and around Rajasthan. Organized by Lokayan, Bikaner and partnered with Bikaner Police, Kabir Project Bangalore, Department of Tourism, Rajasthan and Sant Dularam Kulariya Trust, this is a folk festival providing a space where folk musicians, artists, scholars, students and seekers can immerse themselves in the voices of Bhakti and Sufi saint-poets such as Kabir, Mira, Bulleh Shah, and many more, questioning and dissolving boundaries of caste, class, religion and identity.
Those willing to get in touch with the musicians for performances ad collaboration may reach out to Mir Basu Ji on 992978552.
Let's come together to support these phenomenal artists of our country.