I am an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in history at the University of Delhi. My areas of interest include medieval and colonial Indian history. I am particularly interested in socio-cultural history. I also enjoy learning literature and philosophy.
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Festivities bring people closer together. The Phool Waalon ki Sair or Sair-e-Gul-Faroshan (Procession of the Florists) is a festival that was started in the 19th-century Mughal Delhi. Since then, the event has survived as a week-long celebration of community, culture, and harmony. The Japanese proverb “Happiness is flowers in both hands” is taken literally during the festivities, when people celebrate together and present their floral pankhas and tributes to the Dargah of Sufi saint Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki and the Yogmaya Temple. Comprised of a grand procession, dance, music, and other cultural performances, the Phool Waalon ki sair is an extremely interesting and beloved celebration within Delhi.
Waqai sair hai yeh dekhne hi ke qaabil Chashm e anjum ho na iss sair par kyun maai’l
(To look at this ceremony is such a delight Why wouldn’t the stars gaze at this very ceremony)
—Bahadur Shah Zafar (1)
PROCESSION OF PANKHAAS (Source: https://phoolwaalonkisair.com)
BACKGROUND:
The rapid disintegration of the centralised control that the Mughals had once achieved was taking its course during the 18th century. The British East India Company took advantage of the shrinking power of the Mughals by posting a resident, Archibald Seton, in the court of Emperor Shah Alam II (1728-1806), thereby reducing the power of the emperor. After he passed away, Shah Alam’s son, Akbar Shah II, took over the throne. Akbar Shah II (1808–1837) was the penultimate ruler of the Mughal Empire. The installation of a British resident during his father’s reign caused him to engage in a constant struggle with Seton and the Company over the political authority over Delhi.
One of the reasons for the discord between Akbar Shah and Seton was the question of the succession of the Mughals. According to Akbar Shah, his son Mirza Jahangir was the preferred heir. His mother Mumtaz Mahal was very close to the emperor and wanted her son to be the successor. This idea was opposed by Archibald Seton, who wanted Sirajuddin Zafar to take over after his father. Zafar was not seen as the ideal choice and did not enjoy the support of the imperial court.
Mirza Jahangir was against the increasing influence of the British. He was known to be brash and reckless. In 1809, after a disagreement with Resident Seyton, Mirza Jahangir insulted him and later shot at him from the roof of the Naubat Khana of the Red Fort. Seyton, unwilling to tolerate such an insult, ordered the prince to be sent to exile to Allahabad (Prayagraj) for three years.
Mirza Jahangir (Source: Wikipedia)
The grief-stricken Mumtaz Mahal made a vow of offering ‘phoolon ki chadar’ (blanket/sheet of flowers) at the dargah of Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (in Mehrauli) for her son’s return. Thus, after Mirza Jahangir’s return in 1812, a procession was taken out from the Red Fort to the shrine of Bakhtiar Kaki as well as the temple of Yogmaya Devi in Mehrauli. The Queen, supposedly, also vowed to walk barefoot, so flower petals were dispersed on the path to make it easier for her to walk.
This event later came to be known as Phool Waalon Ki Sair or Sair-e-Gul Faroshan (Procession of the Florists), it was a matter of such great celebration and the festivities that it became a part of an annual tradition. Eventually, Sirajuddin Zafar became the last emperor of the Mughals, taking on the name Bahadur Shah Zafar. Not only was this tradition continued under Zafar, but he expanded the occasion into an even grander affair. The procession, along with the royal family, would start from the Red Fort. It would go through important sites like Humayun’s tomb and the tomb of Hazrat Nizamuddin. The emperor would give out coins to the crowd. The procession would stop at the Safdarjung Tomb Complex, where they would rest for a while before continuing to Mehrauli. According to Rana Safvi, the royal family would reach Mehrauli by evening, where they would pay their respects at the tomb of the saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki. Subsequently, they would go to Jahaz Mahal, Hauz e Shamsi, and Auliya Masjid.
Dargah of Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki in Mehrauli, Delhi. (Source: Bharatpedia)
Akbar Shah II offered a pankha (fan) made of flowers at the Yogmaya temple on the first Phoolwalon ki Sair. Thus, on the 15th of Bhaado’n from then on, a pankha would be offered at the Yogmaya temple and to the dargah Qutub Sahab on the next day. Sirajuddin Zafar wrote on the event of the first procession:
“Nur e altaaf o karam ki hai yeh sab iss ke jhalak Ke woh zahir hai malik aur hai batin mein malak Yeh bana iss Shah e Akbar ki badaulat pankha Aaj rangeen hai raiyyat se laga Shah talak Zafranzaar hai ek baam se dargah talak Dekhne aayi hai iss rang se khilqat pankha”
Yogmaya Temple in Mehrauli, Delhi (Source: Justdial)
(All this reveals the radiance of his blessing Within he is an Angel and without a King
To that great King Akbar do we owe this coloured fan From prince to pauper, all bedecked to the last man From the bower to the dargah, a wondrous saffron hue A blessed Pankha all creation has come here to view) (2)
(Source: https://phoolwaalonkisair.com)
Zafar even built structures like Diwan-e-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), Diwan-e-Am (Hall of Public Audience), and the Bab-e-Zafar (Zafar Gate) near the dargah of Bakhtiar Kaki. During the Phool Walon ki Sair, he would temporarily shift the imperial court to Mehrauli. This celebration would end with a firework competition between the people of the city and imperial officials, in a water reservoir in Mehrauli called Hauz-e-Shamsi.
REVOLT OF 1857 AND AFTER:
Delhi was in ruins after the revolt of 1857. Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled to Rangoon (present day Myanmar), and the British took over the city. With the destruction of structures, widespread displacement of the city people, and the end of patronage by the Mughal ruler, the Phoolwalon ki Sair celebrations were discontinued for several years. Renowned poet Mirza Ghalib once lamented after the revolt:
Dilli ki hasti munasir kayi hangamon par hai: Qila, Chandni Chauk, har roz majma Jama Masjid, har hafte sair Jamuna ke pul ki, Aur Dilli men har saal melaa phool vaalon kaa—ye paanch baaten ab nahiin, phir Dillii kahaan.
Shehnai performance, at Jahaz Mahal, during the Phool Walon ki Sair in 1971. (Source: https://humanitiesacrossborders.org)
(The existence of Delhi is dependent on many tumultuous events: The fort, Chandni Chowk, the daily crowds at Jama Masjid, the weekly jaunt of the Jamuna bridge, The annual fair at the Phool Walo’n ki Sair—now these five things are not there, then Delhi isn’t Delhi.) (3)
Seeing the cultural significance of Phool Walon Ki Sair, it was started again in the 1870s by the British as a means of legitimising their rule over Delhi. The organisation of the Sair was interrupted again in the 1940s, with it being halted due to the Quit India Movement and later due to the partition of India and Pakistan. In 1961, the event was revived again by the first Prime Minister of India, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. In 1962, Anjuman Sair-e-Gulfaroshan was formed, which is responsible for organising the Phool Walon Ki Sair.
(Source: https://phoolwaalonkisair.com)
CELEBRATION TODAY:
Phoolwalon ki Sair is usually organised during the months of October or November. This festival is the paradigm of communal harmony and enjoyment of festivities as a community. Both the Hindu and the Muslim communities make up avid participants of the event. The procession moves from Chandni Chowk to Mehrauli. During the week-long festivities, the entire community, along with a procession of Shehnai players, invites the Lieutenant Governor to the event, moving from there to the Delhi Secretariat and the office of the Deputy Commissioner. Apart from the procession, other cultural activities simultaneously take place. For instance, the fair is an important part of the celebration. Qawwali performances also take place. Other events like wrestling, kabaddi, and kite flying are also held during this time. The main event, of course, is the presentation of elaborate floral pankhas offered at the dargah of Bakhtiyar Kaki on the second day and to the Yogmaya temple on the third day. These Pankhas are offered by several states in India, not just Delhi. Performers, entertainers, and musicians from several states also participate in the Sair.
(Source: https://phoolwaalonkisair.com)
CONCLUSION:
(Source: https://phoolwaalonkisair.com)
The epitome of what is called the “Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb”, Phool Waalon Ki Sair Festival in Delhi is an important event that helps maintain the communal peace and harmony. The procession and the offering of floral pankhas have a very fascinating history. This event is the display of the unbreakable bond between the people of Delhi. Despite being a celebration of the return of Mirza Jahangir from his exile initially, the celebration has become so much wider in its scope today. It is a celebration of culture and community today, and should be cherished and preserved.
TRANSLATIONS:
1. Safvi. 2016. Where Stones Speak: Historical Trails in Mehrauli, the First City of Delhi. Element.
2. Safvi. 2016. Where Stones Speak: Historical Trails in Mehrauli, the First City of Delhi. Element.
Sircar, Sraman. 2025. “The Politics of Celebration: Interrogating the Secular Heritage of the Phool Waalon Ki Sair Festival in Delhi.” Contemporary South Asia 33 (1): 36–51. doi:10.1080/09584935.2024.2446283.
Safvi. 2016. Where Stones Speak: Historical Trails in Mehrauli, the First City of Delhi. Element.
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