Monday, December 17, 2012

SEB-I ARUS - AN EXTRAORDINARY WEDDING

Mausoleum of Mevlana in Konya
Hz. Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi was a great Anatolian mystic, poet and the father of the Mevlevi Order. He is known as Hz. Mevlana in the East and as Rumi in the WestAccording to Mevlana's teachings, human beings are born twice, once of their mothers and the second time of their own bodies but the real birth is the second, spiritual birth. He passed away on 17th of  December in 1273, every year in 17th of December, great ceremonies are held in Konya city to remember his legacy and his reunion with his love, God. That’s why his death day is called “Seb-i Arus”, meaning “Wedding Night”, defining the unity of two souls.

Mevlana has achieved to abolish any discrimination and gathered everyone under one roof... Neither religions nor the ethnicity had any importance in his house and his messages to the world always carried the gentle breeze of peace, relaxing & soothing. His famous words are  “Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again , come , come.”

Those who live this celebration every year and also those experiencing it for the first time, were given at least a taste of the beauties and wonders of loving God, of wanting to be with God eternally.

Also should be noted, Sema is part of the inspiration of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi as well as of Turkish custom, history, beliefs and culture. It is what we do as a form of remembrance of God.