Passage Rites - 'The Kindling of the lamp' or ‘Chiragh Rawshan’

The following account describes a ceremony known as chiragh rawshan (the kindling of the lamp). It is conducted by Badakhshani Ismaili communities in Afghanistan as part of their rites of death.

When a person in a family has passed away, the family members contact the Khalifa who arranges for the burial. During the three-day mourning that follows, relatives, neighbours and acquaintances visit the family to express their condolences and offer prayers for the departed soul.

In the evening of the third day, neighbours and relatives gather in the house of the bereaved family to take part in the chiragh rawshan ceremony.

The assistant to the khalifa takes a bowl with some wheat ted salt in it, over which prayers have been recited. He adds these ingredients to a large quantity of wheat which is being cooked with the meat of a sacrificed ram. This food is known as dalda, and it is distributed to the gathered people as tabarruk (blessing).

The assistant Khalifa brings another plate with a ball of cotton on it. He walks slowly towards the khalifa and recites prayers related to this specific act. The members join the assistant in chorus, reciting the salwat. Upon receiving the ball of cotton, the khalifa starts making the wick while reciting the prayers. He holds the front of the wick while the assistant holds the end. They spin and weave the cotton into a wick, continuing to recite the prayers as the wick increases in length.

The khalifa stops using more cotton when he finishes reciting the prayers, and folds the wick into a length of about thirty centimeters. He then cuts through the folded wick, separating its strands. The assistant twists all the strands together and places them in a lamp holder made of stone. He soaks one end of the prepared wick in the butter oil in lamp holder and leaves the other part hanging One strand of the wick is separated, which is the one the khalifa kindles first and with which the chiragh or lamp is lighted.

As the chiragh is kindled, the khalifa continues leading the participants in the prayers. They recite Quranic ayat and prayers in a poetic form. The assistant khalifa pours oil on the burning lamp to keep the flame to a required level.

When the prayers for this part of the ceremony come to an end, the assistant khalifa carries the burning lamp to the men seated on one side and then to the women's side. As he passes by the participants, they pass their hands over the flame of the lamp and express their respect. He finally places the lamp in a niche in one of the walls, and lets it burn till the wick and the butter oil are used up.

While the dalda is being prepared, the rest of the night is devoted to qasida khwani, the singing of devotional poems. The singing is accompanied by musical instruments that include the daf, rubab and tambur. The singing starts in a modest way by one of the qasida reciters and gains momentum as the night progresses. With each round of singing, the participants place money in front of the main singer. This money is distributed at the end among and the needy in the audience.

In some chiragh rawshan ceremonies, an elderly man may stand up and dance to the music of the qasida. The dance is a special part of the ceremony, and is performed only for a deceased person who has reached old age. The old man explains that there is something in the heart that cannot be expressed through the tongue. The only way to express it is through the movements of the dance. It is a mystical dance that reflects deep love for the Imam.

The dalda is ready before the break of dawn, and distributed as blessing. A big bowl of the dalda presented to the khalifa who distributes the food to singers and other participants. Some is also set aside for people who have been unable to participate in the ceremony. At this point, the ceremony comes to an end, and the khalifa prepares the berieved family to resume normal life.

The ceremony of chiragh rawshan forms a central part of the religious practices of the Badakhshan Ismailis. According to the oral history of Badakhshan, this practice was introduced by Hakim Nasir-i Khusraw and remains an important tradition today

One participant explains that the Badakhshanis light the chiragh because the Ayat-i-noor has deep meaning in the Ismaili faith. The chiragh is a symbol of divine light that has become manifest in Prophet Muhammad and imam Ali. He goes on to say that in the Ismaili faith the lamp is always present and ever lighted, referring to the light of Imamat.

According to Badakhshani tradition, the handling stick of the lamp is the eve of the chiragh, the wick is its soul, and the light is its love. The ten properties of the chiragh also stand for people of different ranks. The devotee is represented by the fire in the lamp, the pure by its energy, the truthful bv its light, the pious by the whiteness of the flame, the wise by its blueness, the martyr by its redness. the grief-stricken by its yellowness, the hypocrites by its blackness, the ignorant by the smoke, and the burned by the handling stick of the lamp.

WORD CHECK

• acquaintances - people whom one knows, but not too closely
• bereaved - those deprived of a family member or elative by death
• condolences - sympathy expressed to a family in which someone has died.
• chorus - singing together in a group
• daf- a tambourine; a round drum covered only at one end
• deceased - a person who has died
• grief-stricken overcome with deep sorrow or suffering
• hypocrites - people who pretend to be what they are not.
• Kindling — lighting a lamp
• martyr- a person made to suffer or put to death for a cause in which, he or she firmly believes
• mourning — deep sorrow expressed for the death, of a person
• oral - transmitted by mouth, verbal
• ram - a male sheep
• rubab, thambur- stringed instruments similar to the guitar
• salawat - prayer to God to send His blessings on the Prophet and his family
• wick - a strip of material feeding a flame with fuel in a lamp or candle

Reflecting on the texts

Give some examples to show how the symbol of fire is a part of the way of life of the Shugnanis.

List some of the ceremonies of the Shugnanis in which the symbol of fire plays an important part.

What are some of the meanings that the image of fire conveys for the Shugnanis?

Describe in your own words the ceremony of the kindling of the lamp?

What part do the recitation of Quranic ayats, prayers, and devotional songs play in the ceremony?

How does the food serve as a means of bringing the people together?

What meanings do the Badakhshanis give to the kindling of the lamp ceremony?

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Mandate of TMS

His Highness' Speech at the TMS Meeting at Baltit Fort.

https://hisamullahbeg.blogspot.com/2019/10/mandate-of-tms.html

First of all I would like to tell the Town Management Society, how happy I am to be able to meet with you on this really unique day when, for the first time, I am able to visit the restored Fort of Baltit. I would want to take this occasion to congratulate all those who have been associated with the restoration for the really wonderful work that they have put in to make this a successful restoration.

There are two ways of working, one with one's head only, and the other is to work with one's head and one's heart. I have to tell you that I sensed today that all team members who worked on this project have worked with their head and their heart, and I really would like to tell you how grateful I am, how happy I am.

I would like to take this occasion to illustrate to you why I think this is such an important initiative. The history of the peoples of the Northern Areas is under your control: it can be eliminated and forgotten, or it can be retained and used as direction and guidance in a number of different ways for generations ahead. It was my hope that this would be the use that you would make of your own history. History has multiple ways of being part of our everyday lives, and one of them is in the historic buildings that we have. Retaining these historic buildings, giving them a purpose from one generation to another, enabling them to inform us as to what were the principles by which previous generations lived; these are all elements of the greatest importance, and I am deeply happy to see that the Fort has not only returned pride in one building, but it has returned pride in the history of the people of Hunza. This is to me a very important aspect of the work you have been doing, and I am hopeful that what has been learnt from this restoration project will become part of Hunza's society.

As you look at your old buildings, you will want to retain them and give them a modern purpose in life. Now the nature of life has changed, and Hunza has changed. There are two ways to look at change: one is to let it build up its own momentum in many different ways, but the benefit is likely to be dubious and diluted and there may be negative repercussions. The other way is try to understand and forecast the nature of change and have that Change work for you. And that is what I am hoping for, in the way you think about planning in the town of Karimabad, and other towns in the area. That is: let the processes of change occur but manage them, forecast them, make them work for you.

Now this is a new concept. A hundred years ago there was no question of large number of visitors coming to, Hunza every year. The younger generation wasn’t receiving the type of education it is receiving today. Today, there are new requirements, there are new needs, and the important thing is to create a consensus around one objective: that those processes of change should bring new quality of life to you and the future generations that live here. And the only way to do so is to try to identify what are the positive aspects of the processes of change and what are the negative aspects. Remember they very rarely come independently one of the other. They will nearly always, come together.

So while looking at the opportunities of change, be careful of the risks of change and in the work that you are doing. There are both aspects: risks and opportunities. Risk management means identifying the areas where change could be damaging to the traditional way of life, to maintaining history, to maintaining the overall atmosphere and quality of life, Opportunity is letting the change benefit. Now if you locate those, benefits in various areas of your environment, you will find that they will become beneficial to everyone. The effect may not be recognizable immediately. But in the long run they will help everybody, because more and more people will find that the planning that you have done has been beneficial to them. This means that everybody has to collaborate in turning those opportunities to the positive side and in managing the risk.

I really wanted to share this thinking with you. Please remember that previously we have discussed income enhancements through improving everyone's resources, we have discussed improving health care through a primary health care and hospitals. We have discussed the improvement of basic education, and the training of teachers. Now we are discussing the physical environment; all that is part of the same goal, which is to improve the quality of life for people in the areas in which you are living.

I have simply given you some sense of the importance of this work. What I would like to do now is to listen to you, so that you can tell me whatever problems you have and I can think about them. I may not give you answers immediately, because sometimes I like to think a little bit more also as to what are the solutions. But basically, the important thing is to manage opportunity as it comes, so that you get the benefits of the opportunity and you contain the risks of change. This is what I am hoping for.

I think that you will be setting an extraordinary example. There are not many other places on the face of the earth with societies like yours, doing such things. So it is a new initiative. And Insha’Allah, with the intellect that you have, and with the knowledge we try to support you with, we will bring to this part of the world the knowledge of our time, but at the same time protect the past and enhance the future; that is really what we are seeking.

http://www.akdn.org/Content/1180/Speech-by-His-Highness-the-Aga-Khan-at-the-UNESCO-Conference-on-Culture-and-Development-in-Hangzhou-China

Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the UNESCO Conference on Culture and Development in Hangzhou, China

15 May 2013

Extracts:

“I am honoured by your invitation, and pleased for this opportunity to talk about two subjects that are very close to my heart – culture and development.”

“My attention to cultural legacies was triggered, over three decades ago, when I realized that the proud architectural heritage of the Islamic world was endangered. The art forms through which great Islamic cultures had expressed their identity and their ideals were deteriorating.

The result, for huge segments of the world’s population, was a fading of cultural memory. The world was threatened by an enormous cultural disaster.

Even worse, there were few resources for addressing this situation. Architectural thinking, globally, was dominated by western industrial models. Islamic architecture itself was abandoning its heritage in the face of an all-consuming modernity. 

Our response to that situation began with the creation, in 1977, of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, dedicated to the renewal of this legacy. Soon afterward came the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and under its aegis, the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme.”

“The life of the neighbourhood has also been revitalized. Important initiatives in health, education and sanitation grew out of our quality of life assessments, and we continue to monitor quality of life indices, through baseline studies, on a regular basis.”

“For all of these journeys, the development process has been long and complex, but filled with stimulating lessons. Let me briefly summarize five of them.

First, these cultural projects depend upon an ethic of partnership. This means that traditional separations between public and private domains must be set aside. The concept of public-private partnership is an essential keystone for effective cultural development.

The role of governments, including municipalities, is fundamental in providing what we often term “an enabling environment” for development. But the public sector cannot do this work alone. A creative mix of participants is needed, corporations and development agencies, foundations and universities, individual donors, faith communities and local community groups.

I have one more comment to make about partnerships. It is absolutely essential that effective partnerships are maintained throughout the life of a project, including the post-completion period. Let me cite our own experience in support of this point. Of the 20 Historic City projects that we have undertaken, only two have failed the test of time. But in both cases what was missing was a strong partnership structure for post-project management.

This discussion leads me to a second conclusion: while cultural development often begins with physical legacies, planning must focus well beyond the cultural goals. We cannot somehow assume that a favourable social and economic impact will flow naturally as a by-product of cultural commitments. Issues relating to the quality of life must be considered from the beginning and monitored throughout the project's life.

A third point in this list of lessons learned is that the engagement of the local community from the earliest stages is imperative for success. Cultural endeavours, in particular, involve risks that go beyond external, economic factors. Their progress can depend heavily on variable qualities of human nature, including the pride and confidence of the peoples involved. In any development effort, there will be a tipping point along the way when we see the glass as half full rather than half empty. But these tipping points are more likely to tip in the right direction when attention to local confidence has become an ingrained reflex.

There is a fourth point that is also special to historic restoration projects. That is the fact that we can never be sure just what we will encounter as the work of rediscovery moves along. There are many unknowns going in, and we must be ready for surprises. I think, for example, of how little we knew, when we started, about the extent and condition of the Ayyubid Wall in Cairo, buried for 500 years or more. The Wall in fact had been so completely obscured that plans had been suggested for building a highway over it, until its remains were identified. In this case, as in so many others, the resilience and adaptability of all the partners, including the people of the local neighbourhoods, was critical.

Let me finally highlight a fifth lesson. Planning for such projects must anticipate how they will operate on a continuing basis after they are completed. In many cases, a permanent service facility will be put in place, a site museum perhaps, a scholarly centre, a children’s library, a training workshop, a clinical resource, or research facility. Financial planning must take these opportunities into account, as a set of costs to be sure, but also a potential source of revenue. Up-front investment will be on everyone’s mind at the start. But our financial strategies should include eventual income streams that will sustain the project over the long run. One of the least happy outcomes for any cultural initiative is that it becomes a net drain on the local population.”

Hunza Culture and BHT

Background: 

• a.    “Use culture to strengthen faith” appointment meeting guidance to leaders and ITREB November 1996.

• b.  Mandate of BHT: Entrusted to the promotion and preservation of the cultural and historical heritage of this part of the world and steering ongoing rapid change. 

• c. Detailed Policy:  On “how” and “what” of the policy. Read on this link:

• UNESCO Conference in China

           d.    REORIENTATION - Ordained by the Imam since 2000 - Details on:

                (1)   Book - "Where Hope Takes Root" authored by MHI. 

                (2)    TALIM CURRICULUM -the relevant beliefs now available through the TALIM curriculum rather than the POLLUTED forms of "DAS AVTAR" scripture compiled by Pir Saddruddin or Wajh-e-Din/Zadul-Musafirin compiled by Pir Nasir-e-Khisraw.

                  (3)    CIVIL SOCIETY LEARNING PUBLICATIONS.

                  (4)    THE ISMAILI CONSTITUTION

                  (5)    WEBCAST -11th July 2017

• d. Discussions on the topic with BHT Chair
• Meaning of HERITAGE: According to the Oxford Dictionary, heritage is defined as “property that is or may be inherited”, “valued objects and qualities such as historic buildings and cultural traditions that have been passed down from previous generations”, “denoting or relating to things of special architectural, historical, or natural value that are preserved for the nation”, “a special or individual possession”, and “Christians, or the ancient Israelites, seen as God’s chosen people” 1.

STRATEGY:

• a. Assign Primary Responsibility to the CURATOR. 

• "A curator (from Latin: cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution (e.g., gallery, museum, library, or archive) is a content specialist charged with an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage MATERIAL."

• b.  Sources:

1.  Research Publications donated by CAK research team.
2.  Collections by AKCSP.
3.  Input by interested researchers both indigenous and global through this “LIVING DOCUMENT”

• c.  How: Share the link for this document on social media, related blogs, mail etc.

• d.  Form a dedicated group on “WhatsApp” and similar platforms.
• BHT

AKDN VIEW:  

AKTC became active in the north of Pakistan in 1989, in response to concerns that the unique culture of the area was under threat due to developments that followed the completion of the Karakoram Highway in 1978.  Increased accessibility to remote valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan, which were part of the old Central Asian Silk Road but which had remained inaccessible to vehicular traffic, coupled with the impact of tourism, introduced a rapid transformation of local customs and economic patterns.  These changes called for a new strategies and procedures that were capable of steering ongoing rapid change.

The conservation of the Baltit Fort – the earliest elements of which date back more than 700 years – and the stabilisation of the historic core of the village of Karimabad - historically BALTIT - in the Hunza Valley, were the Trust’s first major interventions in Pakistan. The project was finished in 1996, but conservation efforts continued. The AKTC’s country affiliate, the Aga Khan Cultural Service-Pakistan (AKCSP), was formed in 1991.

BALTIT FORT IS NOW A MUSEUM

After the restoration of Baltit Fort in 1996, the fort was opened to the public. It is now being managed by the Baltit Heritage Trust. An estimated 15,000 people visit the Baltit Fort every year which includes locals, domestic and foreign visitors.

IT TOOK 6 YEARS TO RENOVATE THE BALTIT FORT

The fort was renovated by Aga Khan Cultural Services for Pakistan (AKCSP) and opened for the public in September 1996. The restoration work of Baltit Fort took AKCSP about six years to complete with the support of Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC). The fort was inaugurated after restoration by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan and then president of Pakistan Mr Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari.

The Fort remains open all year round and seven days a week, with the idea of being a self-sustaining cultural centre supported by the sale of entry tickets, souvenirs and generous donations of individuals and organizations entrusted to the promotion and preservation of the cultural and historical heritage of this part of the world.

Hunza Cultural Forum Islamabad and BHT: 

Baltit heritage trust is the main institution in Hunza towards preservation and promotion of the heritage of Hunza. Now we have the son of soil heading this organization that gives us the hope that the trust will provide the needed impetus even to the diaspora. My advocacy: Hunza Heritage through BHT chair.

AKCSP & BHT: Seek input through this paper.

BHT SITE: Click this link FEATURED SITE.

How can anyone participate and contribute towards the MANDATE: Open the document on this link and update with your input, be it an audio clip, a video, a saying, historical event etc - anything that deals with culture/civilization of past, present or the thoughts for future.

BURUSHAKI LANGUAGE:

http://www.burushopedia.org/860-2/

Remarks/Speech: TMS MANDATE and BHT - +Mandate of TMS 

History of Hunza: Read through this link: 

+Tarikh-e-Atiq 

SAGA OF ISMAILI Institutional Development:

+Saga of Development of Institutions in our Region 
Summary of recent history

This video clip covers a few indigenous practices in our region which are fast disappearing:

 The Karakoram in Transition: Culture, Development and Ecology in the Hunza Valley

edited by Hermann Kreutzmann 

More Details - click this link