An evening at Dhoomimal Gallery finds quiet meaning in Rumi’s words

Connaught Place rarely slows down on a Saturday evening. But step inside the Dhoomimal Gallery, and the noise seems to soften. This weekend, the space took on a more reflective character, hosting a preview event inspired by the life and philosophy of Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī.

The evening on March 28 commenced without much formality. Visitors drifted through PRINT AGE: The Art of Printmaking in the Age of AI Reproduction, a large group show featuring 137 artists, including Zarina Hashmi. Conversations rose and fell in pockets.

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Some people lingered over certain works, while others moved on quickly. The exhibition itself quietly posed questions about originality, repetition, and how art shifts in a time shaped by technology, but it didn’t demand answers.

Gradually, the focus moved beyond the walls. The idea of “oneness,” so central to Rumi’s journey, became the thread tying the evening together. Lady Mohini Kent Noon, who has co-written Rumi: Unveil the Sun, spoke briefly—less a speech, more a moment of grounding—about why Rumi’s ideas still feel relevant.

From there, the space opened up in a different way. Storyteller Ashhar Haque led a Dastangoi performance that didn’t stay in one place. The audience followed as the narrative unfolded across the gallery, weaving in references to Konya and Rumi’s connection with Shams of Tabriz. It felt less like watching a performance and more like moving through it.

By the time Jitender Singh Jamwal began his Sufiana Kalam set, the mood had shifted again—quieter, more inward. Drawing from both Sufi and Bhakti traditions, the music didn’t feel like an ending. If anything, it carried forward the same sense of shared feeling the evening had been building all along.

The event also serves as a prelude to the staging of Rumi: Unveil the Sun in April. But for those who were there, the experience didn’t feel like a preview. It felt complete in itself, something gentle, unhurried, and unexpectedly familiar.