Festivals are perhaps one of the most vibrant and visible displays of religious culture. Chariot festivals in particular are a common way to celebrate in different religions in Southern India. Peter B. Andersen details three festivals in Tamil Nadu of a very similar form. One is for Hindu fisherman, one is for Muslim devotees of a Sufi Saint, and the last is a Christian festival for "Our Lady of Good Health." However, the religious divide is less apparent in these festivals. Street processions bring these religious celebrations right into the public sphere, and in the case of the Muslim festival, other religious figures were invited, and in the Christian festival, members of other religions participated fully.
The Festival of the Pirs is a very local example of syncretic practices. Peter B. Andersen describes it as "extremely uncommon in Islam elsewhere and thereby offers and instance of the local culture which is relevant for the understanding of the traditional open-mindedness of Islam in South India," (275). This festival starts outside the dargah (sufi gathering place). Year round, Muslim women will go to the dergah to pray and Hindu, Christian and Muslim women will bring their children with them on Thursday nights. During the festival, the dergah and adjoining mosque are particularly vibrant with the whole street leading to them filled with stalls selling flowers, children's toys, and caps for Muslim men. Music plays as the people dance throughout the night, with songs varying from obviously Muslim music to traditional carnatic music to pop hits. Young men and boys in particular would get wilder and wilder in their dancing as old uncles would give them unapproving glances, but do little to stop the fanfare.
It's a great example of how there are many instances of borrowing between religious communities at the grassroots level. The formal leadership never seemed to show much interest in these festivals. The dancing pushes the boundaries of religious practice where the lines between religious and secular are not clear. Andersen humourously describes the organizer of the event repeatedly trying to stop the dancing, but as the boys beg him each time to let them have their fun, he can do nothing but give in.
After some hours of lewd dancing, they begin their procession with a parade of musicians leading two cars symbolising the two sufi pirs of the dergah, Sheik Ismail Sadaat Valiyullah and Seiyadina Saiyad Shaib Sadat Vailyullah. Meanwhile, imams stay at the dergah reciting from a prayer book until the inner sanctum of the tomb is opened and bits of mortar scraped off and passed around in a bowl.
This video of Ranveer Singh in Ram Leela is more or less what I'd like to imagine their dancing looks like...
This festival in the hamlet of Tharangambadi is such a beautiful expression of how piety is not only expressed through rules and regulations, but can also be a communal and welcoming celebration. Localised culture can create such beautiful expressions of Islam, and we can only hope that it will continue. In modern day there has been some objections to the practice from Muslims who had spent time in the Gulf and imported Wahabbi theology. However, this is not to say that all Muslims who went to the Gulf were similarly influenced.
On a final note, let's enjoy this narration of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), enjoying the dancing and celeration of another culture in the company of his wife, Aisha (may Allah be well pleased with her):
"Aisha, the wife of the Prophet was inside her chamber at that time. She reports that amidst all this, she heard heard Muhammad call on to her "Aisha! Come here, quick!"In Aisha's word's: "The Prophet was smiling watching the play and asked me if I would like to watch it too, and I said yes."
Muhammad then took Aisha into the crowd and placed her on his back to make her have a better view and she fondly remembers her cheek touching his cheek while she keenly watched the African spear dance and drumming with the Prophet Muhammad. Aisha says "I leaned my head on his shoulder, with my cheek touching his and looked from between his ears and his shoulder."
Source:
Andersen, Peter B. “Processions and Chariot Festivals in Tharamgambadi and Velankanni: Cultural Encounters and Marking.” Review of Development and Change, vol. 14, no. 1–2, Dec. 2009, pp. 271–287. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0972266120090114#articleCitationDownloadContainer