Inner and Outer Pilgrimages in the Mystical Narrative of the Citrāvalī by Usmān

Presenter:

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Abstract

The Citrāvalī (1613 CE) by Usmān belongs to the literary genre of the Sūfī Hindavī romances (premākhyans), constructed on the motif of the devotee’s mystical journey towards God. Drawing from the local religious imagery, the Sūfī Indian poets juxtapose the figure of the Sūfī seeker to that of a Rājput prince who gives up his status and goes in search of his beloved, turning into a premyogī. The prince endures many obstacles along his mystical ahead of his intimate encounter with the divine. In the Citrāvalī, the hero traverses both real and metaphorical cities (Gorakhpura, etc.), bumping into every sort of pilgrims and ascetics, such as followers of Gorakhnāth and Jaṅgama groups. What distinguishes the Citrāvalī from the other sources is the insertion of a geographical event in the story, when some yogīs go looking for the prince on the princess’ behalf. In this episode, Usmān mentions the lands of Islām, Buddhist centres and Hindū tīrthas, giving glimpses of local practices and rituals such as the Pancakrośī yātrā and the karvaṭ sacrifice in Kaśī. Sometimes, he also gives personal opinions, for example referring to the Muslim Hājj he questions the benefit of going on pilgrimage for those who lack a pure heart, thus emphasizing the internal perspective of Sufism. In this paper I will try to explore the metaphor of the pilgrimage and the rhetoric of sacred geography in a composite early modern Indian text, in connection with the process of the Indo-Muslim identity formation marked by moments of assimilation, competition and negotiation within the multi-religious 17th century North India.