Some of them were buried in India and Pakistan and their sanctuaries, dargah, continue to be the object of important pilgrimages and festivals - the Urs. It is at these gatherings that we can see the singers of qawwali recite poetry primarily inspired by the Sufi tariqa Chishtiya, of Mu'în al-Dîn Chishtî, the founder of this brotherhood in India. “The qawwal singer does not sing for himself; he brings the listener into contact with the invisible, the immaterial, and guides him towards a perception of the impalpable aspect of the world. You come and sit at the mehfil (meeting) to listen with your soul�?. (Claire Devos "Qawali" - Editions du Makar)

Qawwali singing, the Sufi expression of the Indo Pakistani subcontinent, lives on thanks to qawwals stemming from the Chishti Order. This order dates back to the 12th century and assures the passing on of the singing from Pir master to Murid disciple.

These great singers can be heard performing their art during religious gatherings, facing the tomb or Dargah shrine of a Pir saint, surrounded by their disciples and the crowds at these traditional festivals.

The word qawwal comes from the Arabic ‘qaul’ meaning words, speech. The qawwals sing the sacred words of the inspired poet, in Persian, Hindi or Urdu, depending on the origin of the poetry.

Beyond the very sophisticated and emotional vocal effects, the singer must always devote himself to the gift of the word and of speech to bring about the state of grace – Amad.