Rhythms of Devotion: Raag and the Poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
“Now that you have asked for a friend put aside all restrains
Who so saw Beloved they kept away from all religions”
(Sur Hussaini)
Who is Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai? Born around 1689 or 1690, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai is a revered spiritual poet and a towering figure in the world of Sindhi language. He’s best known for his poems, also called Baits in the local language, which are collected in a book named Shah Jo Risalo. He passed away at the age of around 63 in 1752 and now rests in Bhit Shah, where he moved from Kotri and spent the last ten years of his life.
Every year on the 14th of Safar, which is the second month of the Islamic calendar, a special event called the Urs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai takes place. People who admire and love Shah gather from all over the world for three days of festivities, including fairs, prayers, musical performances (raag), literary conferences, and traditional ceremonies.
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s poems, or baits, were not written down while he was alive. Instead, he recited them in gatherings, and his followers memorized and later performed them with music (raag).
The first known manuscript of Shah Latif’s poems (baits) dates back to 1780 and is known as the “Bulri Waaro Nuskho.” Another manuscript emerged in the 1790s, recognized as the “Abdul Azeem Waaro Nuskho.” Additionally, London houses two manuscripts: one at the British Museum and another at the Indian Office Library. Notably, “Captain Stack Waaro Nuskho” is in Iran.
Surprisingly, Shah’s collection Shah Jo Risalo was published more than a century after his death, in 1866, by a German Philologist named Ernest Trumpp. Subsequently, a version known as the Bombay Edition surfaced in 1867. Tarachund Shokiraam contributed his rendition in 1900, followed by Qalich Beg in 1914 and the Bakhtyaar Puri Vaara Edition in 1931. Dr Gurbuxani undertook his version, spread across three volumes, with the initial volume released in 1923, the second in 1924, and the third in 1932. These scholars conducted their research based on the aforementioned manuscripts, deriving their content from them.
Many of these editions of Shah Jo Risalo are not entirely accurate, given that authors have occasionally incorporated poems (baits) of different poets as Shah Latif’s poems since the manuscripts themselves contain poems (baits) of various different poets. In Ernest Trumpp’s rendition, approximately 50 Baits by Shah Abdul Karim Bulri and Qazi Qazan have been interwoven at different points within Shah Jo Risalo. Similar instances have also occurred in other versions.
The Shah Jo Risalo consists of 30 chapters, or Surs, each based on different musical notes. Some of these Surs are inspired by folk tales, like Sassui Punhun, Sohni Mahiwal, Umar Marvi, and Lilan Chanesar. Other, like Sur Sarang, is simply about rain and the rainy season, while Sur Kedaro, which was Bhittai’s last poem (Bait), mourns the tragedy of Karbala and Imam Husayn Ibn Ali.
“O rain, if you learn to rain like my eyes
You would rain day and night and would never stop dropping”
(Sur Sarang)
Following are all the surs of Shah Jo Risalo, namely: Sur Kalyaan, Sur Yaman Kalyaan, Sur Khanbhaat, Sur Suri Rang, Sur Samundi, Sur Sohni, Sur Sassui Aburi, Sur Maazuri, Sur Desi, Sur Kohyari, Sur Hussaini, Sur Lilan Chanesar, Sur Momal Rano, Sur Marui, Sur Kaamod, Sur Ghattu, Sur Sorath, Sur Kedaro, Sur Sarang, Sur Assa, Sur Rippa, Sur Khahori, Sur Ramkali, Sur Kapati, Sur Purab, Sur Karayal, Sur Pirbhati, Sur Dahar, Sur Bilawal, and Sur Kamod.
Mir Abdul Hussain Khan Talpur stated that Shah Jo Risalo was organized into surs by two Indian musicians named Attal and Chanchal while Shah Latif was still alive, and it was Shah Latif himself who bestowed titles upon these surs.
Now, to understand Shah Jo Raag, let’s begin with Raag. Raag or Raga is actually a very complex and difficult concept to understand and I myself don’t fully understand it. In simple words, a melody which expresses a feeling is a raag. Confusing, isn’t it? Raag is simply a set of musical notes arranged in an ascending (Aaroha) and descending (Avaroha) order. It is a word that comes from Sanskrit, meaning “something that colors your mind.” If you want to learn more about Raag, I suggest checking out Anuja K’s Youtube Channel. You’ll also find many other great teachers on YouTube who explain the concept of Raag really well.
A Raag needs to have a minimum of five notes in its ascending sequence (Aaroha) and five notes in its descending sequence (Avaroha). The varying number of notes in these upward and downward patterns leads to different types of Raags. A Raag consists of three key elements: a “set of musical notes,” “Chalan,” and “Ornaments.”
So, what is the connection between Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Raag? As I mentioned earlier, Shah Latif’s poems (Baits) were never compiled in written form during his lifetime. His followers would memorize his poems and perform in the form of raag with Shah Latif himself present in the gatherings. They used a musical instrument called the Danboroo, which Bhittai himself invented and he also sang his poems (baits) as stated by Dr Gurbuxani in his book Muqqadmah Latifi. Today, his poems are still performed in the Raag style by his followers (Raagai Faqeers), especially at two places: the Dargah of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in Bhit Shah and the Dargah of Shah Abdul Karim Bulri in Bulri Shah Karim.
Every day, musical renditions (Raag) take place at the Dargah of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, while at the Dargah of Shah Abdul Karim, these performances occur every Thursday. During the Urs commemorations of these two saints, Shah Jo Raag is also melodiously presented at their respective Dargahs. Additionally, the “Sur Kedaro” is performed on the day of Ashura at both Dargahs.
The combination of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s Poems, Raag music, and the Damboroo creates a magical experience. Even though I don’t understand most of the poems (Baits) as they are in the purest form of Sindhi which is very different from present-day Sindhi, still there’s a remarkable sense of peace and beauty when you hear his poems sung in the Raag style.
The blend of Shah Latif’s verses, Raag’s melodies, and Damboroo’s harmony are truly enchanting and captivating. Sometimes Shah Latif himself would pass days together in Sama(Song Sitting) where he would become so absorbed that his own identity seemed to dissolve into the music (Raag).
When Shah Latif sensed that his life was dwindling from years to months, an urge to visit Karbala Muala overcame him and he along with his disciples started their journey towards Karbala. Along the way, a disciple asked Shah Latif, “Sir, what’s happening? You’ve always said your final moments would be at Bhit, yet here you are, embarking on this long journey.”
Shah decided to return from the journey mid-way. As he made his way back to Bhit Shah, he began composing the Sur Kedaro, which he completed upon his return. Upon the completion of Sur Kedaro, he went into isolation for 21 days.
Emerging from his seclusion, he took a bath, draped himself in a simple cloth, and went into a state of detachment from the world, engaging in profound communion with God. While Shah Latif was in another realm, he hinted to his faqeers to perform the raag and they did so for three interrupted days.
As the chants of Shah’s poems (baits) reached the clouds and the voice of the Raag and Damboroo echoed around the city of Bhit Shah, the mystic, the saint, the divine, the miraculous, left this world and eternally got closer to God. When the singing came to an end, the faqirs approached Shah and were shocked to see that he had already breathed his last and the date was the 14th of Safar.
“Sahar, Sohni and the river are one and the same
It is all a mystery, an enigma”
(Sur Sohni)
