Phool Walon Ki Sair, Hindu-Muslim Unity Fest, Cancelled After Venue Denial
The centuries-old Delhi’s famous ‘Phool Walon Ki Sair’ festival will not be held this year, marking its first cancellation in more than six decades. The festival is known for its shared culture and communal harmony, organised every year at its traditional venue, Aam Bagh in Mehrauli.
Ghalib once spoke of Phoolwalon Ki Sair and said: “Delhi’s existence depends on many lively scenes — the Fort, Chandni Chowk, the daily crowd at Jama Masjid, the weekly stroll on the bridge over the Yamuna, and the annual fair of the flower-sellers. If these five no longer remain, then where is Delhi?”
The event could not be held as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) did not grant permission for its traditional venue, due to land land-related issue between DDA and the Forest Department. Due to the lack of availability of the venue, organizers were left with no choice but to cancel the program.
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Vinod Vatsa, vice-president of the Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan, the managing organisation of the festival, said, “Tired of the wrangling, we decided not to hold the festival this year.”
The event began in 1812 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar Shah II to fulfill the wish of his begum Mumtaz Mahal. Begum Mumtaz prayed for the safe return of his son Mirza Jahangir and decided to offer flower fans at Mata Yogmaya Temple and a flower sheet at Sufi saint Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaki’s tomb. Both communities of Hindus and Muslims participated in that procession, symbolizing the unity.
It was later revived by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1961, and has been celebrated annually ever since. Traditionally, the phoolwalo ke Sair includes processions, music, wrestling, kabaddi, painting competitions, and floral offerings at both the dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaki and the nearby Yogmaya Temple, symbolising Hindu-Muslim unity.
