Mehfil
Encyclopedia
A mehfil is a gathering or evening of courtly entertainment of poetry
or concert of Indian classical music
(particularly Hindustani classical music
) and dance, performed for a small audience in an intimate setting.
Historically, mehfils were presented in the homes or palaces of Muslim royalty or noblemen, who acted as these artists' patrons.
Today they are generally given in the homes of especially avid music lovers. Ghazal
s are a common genre performed at mehfils. Such performances are rarer today than in the past.
language, which in turn derives from the Arabic
word mehfil , which means "gathering to entertain (or praise someone)."
Mehfil-e-Naat
is an Islamic mehfil (forum) in which people sit and recite poetry in the praise of the Prophet Muhammad.
Mehfil-e-Sama is a gathering for Sufi devotional music such as Qawwali
or prayer.
film Jalsaghar
(1958).
Urdu poetry
Urdu poetry is a rich tradition of poetry and has many different types and forms. Borrowing much from the Persian language, it is today an important part of Pakistani and North Indian culture....
or concert of Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
(particularly Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
) and dance, performed for a small audience in an intimate setting.
Historically, mehfils were presented in the homes or palaces of Muslim royalty or noblemen, who acted as these artists' patrons.
Today they are generally given in the homes of especially avid music lovers. Ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s are a common genre performed at mehfils. Such performances are rarer today than in the past.
Etymology
The word mehfil derives from the UrduUrdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
language, which in turn derives from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
word mehfil , which means "gathering to entertain (or praise someone)."
Mehfil-e-Naat
Naat
A Na`at is a poetry that specifically praises the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Many of the famous scholars in the earlier days of Islam wrote Naat. People who recite Naat are known as Naat-Khua'an or Sana'a-Khua'an.-History:...
is an Islamic mehfil (forum) in which people sit and recite poetry in the praise of the Prophet Muhammad.
Mehfil-e-Sama is a gathering for Sufi devotional music such as Qawwali
Qawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi devotional music popular in South Asia, particularly in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, Hyderabad, Delhi, and other parts of northern India...
or prayer.
Popular culture
Several mehfil performances may be seen in the Satyajit RaySatyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
film Jalsaghar
Jalsaghar
Jalsaghar is the fourth feature film directed by Satyajit Ray. Jalsaghar is a narration of the end days of a Zamindar in Bengal. The landlord, Roy , is a just but other-worldly man who loves to spend time listening to music and putting up spectacles rather than managing his fields ravaged by...
(1958).