'Sufi Basant' celebrated at Delhi's Nizamuddin Dargah

Delhi's Nizamuddin dargah was abuzz with activity as devotees embraced the colour yellow through various forms to celebrate the spring festival of Basant Panchami on Monday.

This festival, which is also popularly known as Sufi Basant, dates back to the 12th century when celebrated poet Amir Khusro dedicated his songs of spring to his Khwaja (spiritual master) Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.

Every year as winter recedes, Sufi Basant or Basant Panchami takes over Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya's dargah.

Special qawwali programmes are organised and songs related to the onset of spring are dedicated to Hazrat Nizamuddin.

"We have been celebrating this festival every year here. It is a 750-year-old tradition. People from all religions come here to celebrate this festival. Special qawwali programmes are organised on this day and spring songs are dedicated to Hazrat Nizamuddin. People will not find such celebrations anywhere in India," dargah in-charge Syed Kashif Ali Nizam told ANI.

Devotees pay homage to both Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusro.

The festival was first introduced by the Qutub Shahi dynasty about five centuries ago. Their successors, the Asaf Jahi rulers carried on with the tradition till 1948.