In the land of the whirling dervishes

While watching the 2008 movie Jodhaa Akbar, I could not grasp the choreography accompanying the Sufi song Khwaja mere Khwaja. Years later, in Istanbul, I attended a cultural performance that seemed familiar. Men clad in white robes (tennure), tall hats (sikke), and black cloaks (hirka) entered the hall with their hands crossed over the chest.

As the melody of the ney flute filled the air, they began to whirl in a slow, graceful motion in an anticlockwise direction. Their heads were tilted as if listening to the divine, right hands raised to receive God’s grace, and left hands lowered to share with earth, as if becoming a conduit between God and creation. At that moment, I learnt that the Hindi movie featured whirling dervishes. What at first seemed like a stylised dance in a movie turned out to be a centuries-old spiritual Sufi practice known as the Sema ceremony.

The origin of the art has a close connection with the poet Jalal al-Din Muammad Rumi, popularly known as Rumi. The whirling dervishes belong to the Mevlevi Order, a mystical branch of Islam founded in the 13th century by Rumi’s followers after his death in 1273. Rumi, born in 1207 in present-day Afghanistan, had fled with his family to Konya in what is now Turkiye in the early 13th century to escape Mongol invasions. Each December, on the death anniversary of Rumi, Konya hosts the whirling dervishes festival, a week-long celebration of Rumi’s legacy, drawing pilgrims and tourists to witness the Sema ceremony. Rumi’s mausoleum in Konya has become home to the Mevlevi order.

The ceremony is derived from the Arabic word Sama’a, which means “to listen”. Legend has it that while passing through a bazaar, Rumi heard the rhythmic pounding by gold beaters. Overwhelmed by spiritual ecstasy, he began whirling with the rhythm, giving birth to the Sema. This ceremony unfolds in seven parts as a journey from acknowledging the creator to experiencing unity with the divine.

In fact, even the attire is symbolic: the sikke represents the tombstone of the ego; the white tennure signifies a burial shroud, symbolising death of the ego and worldly desires; and the black hirka represents worldly attachments. The whirling itself mirrors the cosmic dance of planets, with the ceremony’s final stage featuring a sheikh standing at the centre assuming the place of the sun in the centre.

The Mevlevi dervishes used to undergo a 1,001-day apprenticeship in a Sufi lodge (tekke) to learn about music, poetry, whirling, philosophy and so on. However, the Sema ritual had been primarily performed by men in its formalised practice during the early centuries, though Rumi’s teachings emphasise inclusivity.

In contemporary times, especially since the 20th century, Sema has become more inclusive with women increasingly participating as whirling dervishes, reflecting evolving gender norms.

The influence of the whirling dervishes extends across the globe. In 2005, UNESCO recognised the Sema ceremony as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This 800-year-old-tradition is taught at many universities to preserve its rich history. To perpetuate Rumi’s legacy, the Mevlana International Foundation was created in Konya in 1996. Sema performances are held globally, and miniature figurines of dervishes are sold as cherished souvenirs for tourists.

So, the next time someone says “like whirling dervishes”, it’s worth remembering that behind those spinning figures lies a centuries-old practice rooted in discipline and surrender. Maybe that’s an opportunity to pause, look inward, and move with intention.

[email protected]