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The poems of Bidel as a remarkable poet of Indian style, who lived outside the geographical boundaries of Iran, reflects the popular culture, rituals, traditions, and people’s beliefs in India. This Persian mystic poet whose works originates from the basic culture of his homeland, consciously or unconsciously, accomplished to reflect parts of the culture and popular beliefs of Hindus in his poems through different ways. This study seeks to survey some popular beliefs, customs, ceremonies, and rituals dealt with Bidel Dehlavi in Mathnavi-e Erfan. The results of this research was extracted by a descriptive analysis revealing that beliefs in reincarnation, Sati practice, Vedas custom, and burning the dead people are among some common traditions and beliefs in the land of India applied by the poet to create artistic themes and explain mystic and religious ideas for the audience. Furthermore, the romance of Kamdi and Madan in Mathnavi-e Erfan displays the luxurious state of courts of the Indian kings and their social customs. This research can be a reflection of popular culture and tradition of Hindus, and be useful in ethnology studies, social science, and cultural research.
Review of the literature
No independent research study was found on the themes of people’s culture and customs of Hindus, and its reflection in Masnavi-e Erfan by Bidel Dehlavi. Although some studies have addressed some aspects of the Iranian culture in Bidel Dehlavi's poems, the following can be mentioned.
Khosravi et al. (2018) analyzed the level of Iranian culture in Bidel Dehlavi poems. Kariminia et al. (2018) focused on the reflection of public beliefs and ideas in Bidel's poems limiting themselves to the culture. Zolfaghari and Tabatabai (2015) studied the use of Persian proverbs in the poems of Bidel Dehlavi. Ranjbar (2013) investigated folklore in the Indian style describing aspects of people's culture in Bidel's poetry, which is a continuation of the Indian style poetry.
Hosseinabadi (2015) studied myths of death in the Indian vision. The study has only paid attention to the subject of death in Indian mythology and has tried to study the beliefs, customs, and rituals related to the Hindu religion. In the similar line, Eliassy (2009) studies the subject of reincarnation in Hindu texts. Latifi (2016) explained the functions of shroud and burial in Hinduism. It could be understood from the research background that the present study is significant in the field of reflection on Hindu culture and rituals in the Masnavi of Erfan Bidel Dehlavi.
Aims and questions
The main purpose of this research is to answer the following question: which of the customs and culture of Bidel is reflected India in "Masnavi-e Erfan"?
This Masnavi has become an important and reliable source for understanding the folklore and popular literature of the Indian land by containing long mystical thoughts as well as Bidel's references to Hindu folk culture, rituals, and customs. Hindu ideas about termination, metamorphosis, reincarnation, ritualism, Vedas, and the love story of "comedy and civilization" are of Indian origin. Although some of them are based on religious, philosophical, and theological views, it has shaped the culture of people in this land. Accordingly, in this research, an attempt is made to answer the research questions while analyzing and reporting some examples of Bidel's influence on Hindu's popular culture.
1. Which of the themes of Indian culture, including customs, traditions, and popular beliefs, is reflected in Bidel Dehlavi's Masnavi-e Erfan?
2. Is the poet only the narrator of some Hindu customs and rituals or he has been able to use these themes in an artistic way to express his mystical thoughts?
Assumptions
1. The ritual of burning the dead, the ritual of Sati, the commitment of Vedad, the religious ceremony of the Ganges River, and the story of "Comedy and Madan" are mentioned as part of the customs, traditions, beliefs, and rituals of Hindu culture and religion in Masnavi-e Erfan.
2. Bidel draws on highly mystical and poetic concepts in the form of anecdotes, and attractive and dynamic images of Hindu customs and rituals by using mystical terms.
Discussion
Studying the culture of the people in Bidel's Masnavi-e Erfan, we seek to examine some of the beliefs, customs, and traditions that are related to the culture of the Indian subcontinent and are reflected in Bidel's Masnavi. The study of Masnavi-e Erfan from the perspective of popular culture proves that he was raised in India. Wherever he had the opportunity, he displayed the main themes of the people's culture and various aspects of Hindu customs and beliefs in his poetry.
Belief in reincarnation and the influence on the beliefs of the Indian people, ritualism, rituals of mourning, as well as the love story of a dancer and singer are manifested in parts of Masnavi-e Erfan as customs and beliefs of the Indian people.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, Bidels work, as a Persian-speaking poet in the Indian subcontinent, reflects the Hindu civilization, culture, and customs. The ritual of cremation, rituals, vows, religious ceremonies of the Ganges River, and the story of "Comedy and Madan" refer to some of the Hindu cultural and religious customs, traditions, and rituals. In the form of anecdotes, Bidel draws attractive and dynamic images of this ceremony that are not well-known to the audience of Persian poetry. In the story of "Comady and Madan", there are similarities with the love stories of "Khosrow and Shirin" and "Lily and Majnoon" in which Bidel Dehlavi was able to artistically combine Iranian and Indian stories. 
References
Abazari, Y. (1993). Religions of the ancient world (in Farsi). The Institute of Cultural Studies and Researches.
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Bidel Dehlavi, A. (2009). The flam of song: the poems of Bidel Dehlavi (in Farsi). Negah.
Elyasi, P. (2009). The afterlife in the holy Indian books. The Research Journal of Religions, 6, 1-26.
Hossein Abadi, Z. (2015). An analysis of the death’s myths in the Indian perception). Journal of the Indian Subcontinent, 23, 4-25.
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Keywords: Bidel Dehlavi, India, popular culture and people’s beliefs, Mathnavi-e Erfan, traditions and customs.

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