Dama Dam Mast Qalandar

"Dama Dam Mast Qalandar" (Urdu and Punjabi: دَما دَم مَست قَلَندَر) is a spiritual song.^[1] It is a kalaam in Punjabi by Sufi Saint Baba Bulleh Shah, written a few centuries ago in honour of the most revered Sufi Saint of Sindh, Shahbaz Qalandar of Sehwan Sharif, near Larkana, Pakistan, who worked for Hindu-Muslim unity in Sindh. The melody was composed by Master Ashiq Hussain of Pakistan ^[2] and was made widely popular by many Pakistani and Indian singers and composers like Noor Jahan, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abida Parveen, Sabri Brothers, Wadali brothers, Mika Singh, Reshman and mostly by Runa Laila a singer of Bangladesh. It is said that the kalaam/qawwali was adapted from the original prayer by Amir Khusrow and was then modified completely by Bulleh Shah. Apparently, Bulleh Shah gave an entirely different colour to the qawwali and added verses in praise of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. Bulleh Shah's version of the qawwali gives it a large tint of Sindhi culture.

This poem later was modified by Hindu Sindhis to, "O Lal Meri Pat Rakhiyo Bala Jhule lalan....." to praise Hindu mystic Jhulelal.

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