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Phool Walon Ki Sair meaning "procession of the florists" is an annual celebration by the flowers sellers of Delhi. It is a three-day festival, generally held in the month of September, just after the rainy season in the region of Mehrauli, is seen as an example of the composite culture of Delhi, which has bolstered an environment of communal harmony in the city, and even today the festival is celebrated by both Hindus and Muslims alike.
This secular festival involves a procession, led by shehnai players and dancers, and bearing large floral fans, pankha, to Yogmaya Temple, the shrine of Devi Jog Maya, and winds through Mehrauli bazar, to reach the dargah of 13th century Sufi saint, Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki.
Also known as Sair-e-Gul Faroshan during this three day festival, the flower sellers pray for a better flower season in the coming year by offering big fans, pankha, embroidered with flowers to both shrines.
Just as when it was first conceived, and had the Mughal Emperor as its patron, these days the festival has the Prime Minister of India has its main patron; Jawaharlal Nehru who revived and inaugurated festival in 1962, and all the PMs hence, have equally participated in the festival. Another tradition is to offer a similar floral pankha to the President of India, Chief Minister of Delhi and also the Lt. Governor of the city. The recent addition are the cultural troupes from various states of India, which perform songs, dances and drama at the main function which is held at 'Jahaz Mahal' in also in Mehrauli, located in a corner of 'Hauz Shamsi' and is believed to have been built in Lodhi dynasty era, takes the festival beyond its vision of communal harmony to that of national integration.
History
Phool Walon Ki Sair is an annual celebration held in Delhi by the flower sellers of the city and is organized by 'Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan' society. The festival is held just after the monsoon season in the Delhi and is observed as a symbol of communal harmony and mixed culture in Delhi. The festival is celebrated by both Hindus and Muslims.
The origin of this festival goes back in history during the Mughal era. At that time the British appointed Bahadurshah Zafar as the Mughal emperor. This made Mirza Jahangir, his half-brother annoyed as he was being ignored. To release his frustration, he shot the British Resident, Sir Archibald Seton. Although uninjured Sir Archibald Seton at once exiled him to Allahabad. Mirza Jahangir's mother made a vow that if her son returns to Delhi, she would walk from the tomb of Nizamuddin Auliya to Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. Mirza Jahangir was pardoned and his mother duly fulfilled her vow. This practice is still continued today as the Phool Walon Ki Sair.
The Festival was stopped by the British during Quit India Movement in 1942, following their Divide and rule policy. Around 1961, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India revived and restarted the Festival. The Festival has grown since then and is known for its communal harmony and national integration.
Celebration The festivities carry on for a week. It begins with the procession from Nizamuddin's Dargah to Kaki's Dargah. The procession is led by musicians, dancers and flower-sellers to Kaki's tomb. Here floral 'Chaadars' and 'Pankhas' are laid on the Dargah and the same ceremony is repeated at the Devi Jog Maya temple. The festivities are continued with cultural programmes, Kathak performances, Qawwalis, etc. Shehnai is played during the festival and a 'Pankha' is presented to the Lt. Governor of Delhi, the Chief Minister of Delhi, the Vice President and the President of India on a day according to their availability. They give their thanks and blessings for the Festival. An amusement fair is also organized with stalls, kite-flying competitions, wrestling bouts, traditional sports, etc.
Delhi is the capital city of Indian Republic and thus has a vibrant culture. This is pretty evident from the fact that various kinds of fairs and festivals are held almost every now and then. No matter what time of the year you visit Delhi; you will find some or other fair or festival being organized. Most of these fairs or festivals are organized to showcase either the Indian culture or its technological advancement. They are organized in various parts of the city and are attended by people coming from different backgrounds and strata. Thus, besides reflecting the cultural, scientific, educational advancement, the fairs and festivals of Delhi bring cohesion among the people.
The foremost and the torchbearer among them is India International Trade Fair (IITF), popularly known as trade fair in Delhi. The Delhi Trade Fair is normally organized in the month of November (14-27). This trade pulls crowd in millions and is arguably one of the largest fair in the world in terms of footfall volume. Besides showcasing products from nearly all the states in India, it has pavilion from nearly 100 countries. This is a one-stop destination to shop whatever you like, literally, from a thing as miniscule as a needle to a thing as gigantic as an Aircraft. Then there is Art and crafts fair that showcases the vivid art and craft of India. There are stalls from nearly all the states with special emphasis on the Tribal art and crafts, fighting the war against extinction.
