Whirling Dervishes Festival

The ancient Seljuk capital of Konya hosts the Whirling Dervishes Festival annually to commemorate the life and teachings of the great Sufi saint- Mevlana. Regarded as one of the spectacular event with a strong visual appeal, the Whirling Dervishes Festival is a true crowd puller as thousands of people gather here to be a part of the proceedings.

The essence of the preachings of Mevlana includes the unification of the human soul with the Ultimate through the medium of dance. As result, this mega festival abounds in dance performances by the dervishes (ascetic Muslim monk). The harmonious dance and melodious music joins hand to create a sublime atmosphere in the entire air.

The dance of the dervishes is very much aesthetic as they start to move in circles with the head leaned to one side and both hands clasped. The hand that is raised is said to be receiving the divine messages from the heaven which flows down to the earth through the hand that is directed towards the ground. When all the dancers start whirling it can transform the onlooker to another world of spirituality.

The clothes of the dancers are also designed to carry a message: the cloak they wear represents a coffin, their conical hat a gravestone and the white skirt signifying a shroud. This is a marvelous symbolic statement suggesting the whole circle of life.

Get ready to be a part of a spiritual journey that is superbly rich in artistic value and touch. This unique concept of attaining the divine with dance is something that needs to explored and felt.

Spirituality finds a very different manifestation in the annual festival of the Whirling Dervishes in Konya, Turkey. Observed as a commemorative fiesta to the honor of the Sufi saint Mevlana, this cultural and religious gala is a artists delight. The stunning concepts and symbolic messages merging with the soothing dance makes it a must visit.