New Delhi: The Phool Waalon Ki Sair (procession of the florists), a centuries-old festival that celebrates Delhi’s spirit of communal harmony, will not take place this year as organisers said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has not granted permission to hold the event at Mehrauli’s Aam Bagh.

The DDA, however, denied blocking the festival, claiming that it had already provided conditional permission pending compliance with forest regulations.

The week-long event sees members of both the Hindu and Muslim communities offering floral chaadars (sheets) and pankhas (fans) at the dargah of Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaki and pankhas and chhatras (canopy) at the nearby Yogmaya Temple in Mehrauli. Besides the religious offerings, the celebration also features swings, cultural performances, and food stalls, which transform Aam Bagh into a vibrant fairground.

Usha Kumar, general secretary of the Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan – the non-profit that has organised the festival since 1961 – told The Indian Express that the group had begun the process early this year to avoid delays but permission was not granted by DDA.

“Since we faced difficulty in getting permission last year also, we started early this year. We met the DDA in April to get permission to hold it in Aam Bagh, but they said a No-Objection Certificate is needed from the forest department. The forest department did not respond to calls or messages, so we had the message hand delivered to them. The Delhi government also supported us and attempted to coordinate between different government agencies, but the DDA did not give permission eventually. Till 2023, they were allowing us to hold the festival at Aam Bagh,” she said. “How did they suddenly realise they can’t allow us?” Kumar was quoted by IE. 

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A senior DDA official, however, countered the claim.

Speaking to IE, he said, "In 2023, the DDA had received a communication from the forest department, GNCTD, that no non-forest activity can take place in reserved or protected forests without due approvals. The area is ridge and comes within protected forest. We have given conditional permission subject to compliance of forest laws. Thus, the fact that DDA has not given permission is not correct."

A tradition rooted in Delhi’s syncretic history

When Mughal prince Mirza Jahangir was exiled to Allahabad after he fired at the British resident in Delhi, his mother Mumtaz Mahal Begum, vowed to walk barefoot from the Red Fort to the dargah of Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki in Mehrauli if her son returned safely.

When her prayers were answered, Mumtaz Mahal Begum went to Mehrauli to keep her promise. It is said that the royal court moved there with her, and soon many people from Delhi joined in. For seven days, Mehrauli apparently turned into a hub of celebration with swings in the mango gardens, kite-flying, wrestling, cockfights, bull shows, and swimming contests. During the festivities, a beautiful flower chaadar was offered at the dargah of Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaki and as the Mughal ruler instructed a floral pankha was also offered at the Yogmaya Temple – a gesture that evolved into an annual symbol of interfaith unity.

From 1812 onwards this incident was marked by a fair. The British halted the event in 1942. But it was revived in 1962 under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as a celebration of Delhi’s composite culture. Over the years, leaders across political lines have participated in the festival.

The Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan, which manages the festival, has been recognised with the National Award for Communal Harmony in 2008. 

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