http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ghalib-remembered-on-213th-birth-anniversary/138713-40-100.html
New Delhi: He lived during one of the most tumultuous periods in Indian history and produced an ensemble of work that is unparalleled in breadth and quality. Yet, his admirers remember him as a common man's poet. Mirza Asadullah Khan 'Ghalib', the poet for all seasons is one of Delhi's most revered legends who witnessed the wipeout of the magnificent Mughal dynasty and the crushing of India's first war of independence.
As Delhi marks his 213th birth anniversary today, the people associated with his legacy say that his poetry had an intricate grip on human psychology and this is what makes him an immortal poet. "The way he captured life in all its essence in poetry endures him to a common reader like no one else does. Its so easy to relate to what he says and yet the way he says things is unmatched in the history or Urdu," says Aqil Ahmad, Secretary of the Ghalib Academy, Delhi.
"His life was a bagful of sorrow. He lost his father early, and none of his seven children survived. He saw in front of his own eyes the devastation of Delhi at the hands of the British following the revolt of 1857," he says. A number of activities were held in the capital to pay tributes to the 19th century poet, who was a prominent literary figure during the reign of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
The Ghalib Academy, which observes the day each year by highlighting something new about Ghalib, had last year organised a special reading of the letters written by Ghalib. This year, the body has organised a lecture on 'Ghalib and Science' by Prof Wahab Qaiser of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad.
Ghalib's birth anniversary celebration were also held at the India Islamic Cultural Centre, where danseuse Uma Sharma performed alongside the recitations of his poetry. Leading contemporary Urdu poet Shahryar says no other poet has ever captured the complexities of human psychology with such precision as Ghalib. "His poetry throws up a new facet whenever you read it. Every time you read a couplet, you will discover a new meaning," he said.
For Shahryar, who says that Ghalib's writings -- including the remarkable collection of his letters -- help you understand yourself better -- every day is Ghalib's birthday. "Everything related to man finds a mention in Ghalib's poetry. He has written with great objectivity on emotions that are experienced by every person, yet seldom realised so intensely," he says.
New Delhi: He lived during one of the most tumultuous periods in Indian history and produced an ensemble of work that is unparalleled in breadth and quality. Yet, his admirers remember him as a common man's poet. Mirza Asadullah Khan 'Ghalib', the poet for all seasons is one of Delhi's most revered legends who witnessed the wipeout of the magnificent Mughal dynasty and the crushing of India's first war of independence.
As Delhi marks his 213th birth anniversary today, the people associated with his legacy say that his poetry had an intricate grip on human psychology and this is what makes him an immortal poet. "The way he captured life in all its essence in poetry endures him to a common reader like no one else does. Its so easy to relate to what he says and yet the way he says things is unmatched in the history or Urdu," says Aqil Ahmad, Secretary of the Ghalib Academy, Delhi.
"His life was a bagful of sorrow. He lost his father early, and none of his seven children survived. He saw in front of his own eyes the devastation of Delhi at the hands of the British following the revolt of 1857," he says. A number of activities were held in the capital to pay tributes to the 19th century poet, who was a prominent literary figure during the reign of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
The Ghalib Academy, which observes the day each year by highlighting something new about Ghalib, had last year organised a special reading of the letters written by Ghalib. This year, the body has organised a lecture on 'Ghalib and Science' by Prof Wahab Qaiser of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad.
Ghalib's birth anniversary celebration were also held at the India Islamic Cultural Centre, where danseuse Uma Sharma performed alongside the recitations of his poetry. Leading contemporary Urdu poet Shahryar says no other poet has ever captured the complexities of human psychology with such precision as Ghalib. "His poetry throws up a new facet whenever you read it. Every time you read a couplet, you will discover a new meaning," he said.
For Shahryar, who says that Ghalib's writings -- including the remarkable collection of his letters -- help you understand yourself better -- every day is Ghalib's birthday. "Everything related to man finds a mention in Ghalib's poetry. He has written with great objectivity on emotions that are experienced by every person, yet seldom realised so intensely," he says.