Basant

The Kites of Blasphemy

By Syed Mohammad Anas

Basant is celebrated in Pakistan with great fervor and the interest in celebrating it seems to be increasing every year. The celebrations have reached the point that invitation cards are printed out. It is celebrated on different days in the country so that ``the spirit of Basant`` is kept alive nationwide and people can participate in it on a national scale. The night of Basant is reminiscent of `Qiyam-ul-Layl`, in the sense that people do not sleep on this night. But the `ibadah` is of a different kind. Reputed hotels have their rooftops booked for the whole night. The whole night is spent in flying kites, merry-making, with Indian music blaring on loudspeakers in the background.

Like many of our rituals, its origins remain largely unknown to the majority of people. But there is no denyng that this is a dangerous activity. It causes severe damage to life and property. Many lives are lost and the country suffers damages going into hundreds of thousands of rupees every year in accidents related to it. A few years ago three grid stations caught fire on this occasion because of short circuits caused by metal wires used in kite flying. Yet, the government promotes the celebration of Basant with an almost religious intensity.

If people ever do stop to think about how Basant originated, they assume it was a Hindu festival to mark the change of seasons. That Muslims should be participating in a pagan celebration would be bad enough. But the reality is starker than that. Are you ready for this? Here is an account of its origin from Dr. B.S. Nijjar`s book, ``Punjab Under the Later Mughals.`` According to him, when Zakariya Khan (1707-1759) was the governor of Punjab, a Hindu of Sialkot, by the name of Hakeekat Rai Bakhmal Puri spoke words of disrespect for the Prophet Muhammad and his daughter Fatima, Radi-Allahu anha. He was arrested and sent to Lahore to await trial. The court, acting according to the law, gave him capital punishment. The non-Muslim population was stirred to request Zakariya Khan to lift the death sentence given to Hakeekat Rai but he did not accede to their request. Eventually the death penalty was carried out and the entire non-Muslim population went into mourning.

As a tribute to the memory of this blasphemer, a prosperous Hindu, Kalu Ram initiated the Basant `mela` in (Marrhi) Kot Khwaja Saeed (Khoje Shahi) in Lahore. (This place is now known as Baway di marrhi.) It is the last stop on the route of Wagon no. 60 from Bhati Gate. Dr. B.S. Nijjar states on Page no. 279 of his book that the Basant `mela` is celebrated in memory of Hakeekat Rai.

The ignorant crowds and their equally ignorant vocal advocates may ask ``Hey, what`s wrong in a little fun?`` But should they continue to fly the kites of blasphemy?

(References taken from Salim Rauf`s ``Waah re Musalmaan.``)


http://www.albalagh.net/food_for_thought/basant.shtml




- not tryna burst a bubble on anyones basant festivities... jus something to ponder about. me personally, i dont fly kites, not cause of the article, but because i dont enjoy it much. i do tho enjoy the poondhi and the concerts. so if we can like keep that but destroy everything else, hey im all for it!! lol.

Azure: very nice.
Ballu Khan: since u are familiar with Basant songs im wondering whether you would have any idea as to the real origins of the festival. ive heard too many weak versions to know which to believe, or if, in fact, any one of them is true.

#13
Yep! it could happen ...funny

#14
thats funny too

Ref pardaisi #12

[13 people are reportedly dead during the ``Basant`` festival due to falling from roofs, electrocution 7 running into traffic while chasing ``Kati Patang``.... and I thought Mardi Gras was dangerous.

Looks like someone needs to remind people on basics like do not fly kite with metal string near poles with naked electrical wires. Do not run while looking up.......its that simple. It is sad that people have died during this colorful festival.]

Well, some people can be warned of the dangers around them but then there are those who have to pee on the high tension wire for themselves!

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13 people are reportedly dead during the ``Basant`` festival due to falling from roofs, electrocution 7 running into traffic while chasing ``Kati Patang``.... and I thought Mardi Gras was dangerous.

Looks like someone needs to remind people on basics like do not fly kite with metal string near poles with naked electrical wires. Do not run while looking up.......its that simple. It is sad that people have died during this colorful festival.

Ref mumbaikar on #8

[Where the wave falls away is called pattan. Many cities situated on the banks of rivers are given the prefix of –pattan as in our sacred city Pakpattan in Punjab. This is the part of the river from where it can be crossed.]

With that derivation of the word ``pattan``, you struck one blow at the Maasanamuthus of Tamil Nadu who never tire of proclaiming the purity of their language and invent new words to replace words like `bus`, `driver`, `conductor`, etc.

The full name of Madras/Chennai is Chennap-pattanam. Now I know where that word `pattanam` -- once used exclusively all over Tamil Nadu to refer to Madras -- comes from. You also find the same word used in Andhra where you have towns named Vishakhapatnam and Masulipatnam.

I liked it, karishna and gopian. Basant in my view means `back to nature`. This has become all the more necessary due to the suffocation created by the `deen-e-mulla` for the `na-pak` in the paki land. Mulla is trying to impose the culture of the desert traders in the lush green valeys of south asia. The mulla, the abnormal growth of the `deene fitrat`, have their abnormal enjoyments provided by their madrissas. They are a cancer of the society and require a major operation to get rid of them. May God save the `deene fitrat` from the desplcable designs of the mulla who is anti nature and anti-human. Basant and Krishna and gopian are a reaction to his sodomistic indulgence.

Upside of all the fun and games and activities on Basant and Valentine`s Day in mid-Feb is that 9 months later it is followed by Children`s Day on 14th February, aka Nehru`s Birthday.

Enjoy.

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ballu khan...
what language is used for these songs... does not sound urdu or even persian..is it hindi or something else...could you translate it in simple english for us to appreciate it...and by the way what kind of name is ballu khan..no offence just curious...thanks...

Nice one Taimur.

Father and son, both professional flyers,
Get killed when their guddi gets tangled in the wires,
Mohallay kay log pareshaan nahi kiunkay vo jaantay heiN that,
Whosoever would use a metal wire would die like a rat.

No water, no internet, no TV, no laptop,
Grab your guddi and join them on the rooftop,
They shout and scream when the guddi comes down,
And people like you just sit there and frown.

``Arey guddi uRao, maza ata hai baRa
Patang pakeR ker chal udher ho khaRa
BolooN jab meiN to day day tu kanni
Just remember that the kite cost me a lot of money``

Phir choR daita hooN guddi ko meiN hava meiN,
Wo udti chali jaatee hai aur meiN dor samait-ta reh jaata hooN,
Naa janay kia junoon hai in peelay jungleeoN ko iss khel ka,
Keh katva laitay heiN apnay haath ik dhaagay say kheltay kheltay!

:P

This is another composition in Dhrupad Style

Dhrupad:-
Hindol Basant; Sool Tal

(Dal) Ayo Basant
Badasha mardan fakir
chatak chaubdar ali terat phirat
Daso disaye

ritu darsani sab belana phulahani
lakha birahan birah raas rasani
kahata guna sarasa chahu aur dhaye
kaam jaese saena katak

This a composition about Basant celeberations in Delhi by Niyamat Khan (Sadarang) probably composed during the reign of Mohammad Shah.

Raga Bahar

Basant aaee Hazarat Rasul Ali Shahe Mardan ke Darbar
Hat Liye Gudava Aur Tat Bitat Ghan Shikhar Baaje Bajaye
Jaese Hi Qutubudeen Nizamuddin sab sate aur Peer hasadase
Nikasa Darasa Bhari Taanan So Gaye Gaye Dilliya Nagar Bachaye!


There are a great many compositions on Basant as it was celeberated in the Mughal days in Delhi- un-fortunately purists deliberately ignore this aspect of Mogul history.

Here is another composition on the celeberations on Basant Panchami and the night of celeberation in Delhi Darbar. Mohammad Shah was described as playing Dhamar

Hindol Raag, Teen-Taal

Asthayi-
Kar Pichakari Kesar Ki
Abir Gulal Udai Udai
Khele Dhamar Pyare Mohammad Shah

Antara-

Sugandha Pavan(blessed) Yaar Saalan Suno
Basant Panchami Ratan Ko
Sadarang Parasana Jali Neelo Bhayo Lubhaye.!