Under a canopy of yellow, Basant blossoms at Nizamuddin Dargah

The scent of fresh marigolds and mustard flowers blended with petrichor on Friday – making the perfect backdrop for a bright yellow BasantPanchami celebration in Delhi at the Hazrat Nizamuddin dargah. Attendees from around the country joined the festivities to seek blessings and celebrate the arrival of spring on a rainy Friday.

'A 700-year-old tradition'"This is a nearly 700-year-old tradition.After Hazrat NizamuddinAuliya lost his young nephew, Hazrat Taqiuddin Nuh, he grieved deeply and withdrew into silence,worrying his disciples. It was Amir Khusro who sought to make his pir smile again. Seeing women dressed in yellow for Basant Panchami near (present-day) Humayun's Tomb, Khusro wore yellow himself and went to Nizamuddin Auliya. When asked about the unusual attire, Khusro said he only wished to see his pir smile. That moment marked the beginning of Basant Panchami celebrations here, now known as Sufi Basant, symbolising joy and love," Syed Altamash Nizami, Joint Secretary of dargah committee explained.

'Yellow means love & divinity'

Filmmaker Faraz Arif Ansari, who is known for his short films Sisak (2017) and Sheer Korma (2021), attended Basant celebrations at the dargah for the first time this year. "For me, Basant is inseparable from Amir Khusro and his deep, enduring devotion for Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. The stories I've read about them feel almost cinematic with Khusro dancing and performing in the courtyard, where there is no man or woman, only two souls.

That resonates deeply with me." While he has been frequenting the dargah for more than a decade, this year was extra special for him. "This is a big year for me, with my debut feature film releasing. I wanted to begin it with the spirit of spring and the colour yellow – bright, positive, and affirming. To me, yellow represents friendship, love, and divinity, so starting this year on a Basant note felt important," he shared.

Basant celebration at the dargah has become a unique spectacle for Delhiites, many of whom often visit at this time of the year to capture the beauty of the spectacle. With the tunes of Sakal Ban Phool Rahi Sarson, a ghazal by Amir Khusro (recently featured in Heeramandi (2024)), attendees, along with dargah committee members, showered flowers on an embroidered chaadar to present at the dargah.