I have been wanting to write about my recent trip to Konya. Words have failed me. This was my second trip to Konya – the magical town – where Mevlana Rumi lived, preached and met his beloved Shams and ultimately his Creator. Last time I could not see the roses in bloom. But this summer there were roses everywhere. Looking at these roses, I realised why were roses so inspirational for Mevlana. In fact, the mystic rose is a Sufi symbol of the love for the Beloved exuding His perfume, beauty and image. As we waded in the soothing hustle-bustle of the garden outside Mevlana’s tomb, I took the pictures and thought of his verse:
“In the driest whitest stretch of pain’s infinite desert, I lost my sanity and found this rose”
A Rose signifies the smouldering love for the Divine. The Rose inspires the immortal longing of the mystic drawing him towards his celestial origin. The well known tale of the Nightingale and its undying love for the Rose in Sufi poetry spells out the central, transcendental beauty of the Creator.
