The annual Mushaira organized by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, was held this weekend at the International Indian School and more than 2,500 people enjoyed the recitations of the 12 Urdu poets, both inside the auditorium and outside, where a huge screen was installed. The sweetness of the Urdu language and poetry has so much magnetic power that it can force even non-Urdu speaking people to derive enjoyment from hearing it. This was quite evident in the Mushaira when the Indian Ambassador Mohammed Farook sat glued to his seat for more than six hours, right from the beginning at 8.30 P.M. until the end of the Mushaira at 2.30 A.M., even though he hails from a non Urdu-speaking area. Among the audience a lot of Keralites and Tamilians were also seen enjoying the Urdu poetry. The Indian Embassy carefully selects the poets from all parts of India, and this time, twelve poets representing six Indian states, enthralled the audience for almost six hours. Shakeel Azmi and Agha Sarosh stole the show as the most successful poets; Agha Sarosh was appreciated so much that a senior poet, Rahat Indori, also recognized his talent and praised him on the stage. Poluar Meerathi, Hasan Kazmi, Ghous Khwamakhwah, and Dr. Naseem Nikhat also had successful runs. The efforts of the Secretary of Culture and Information Hifzur Rahman and the keen interest and guidance of Deputy Chief of Mission Rajiv Shahare played a vital role in the successful organization of the Mushaira. Shahare, a keen Urdu lover also announced that the Mushaira will continue to be organized every year. At the start, Jameel Khairabadi was invited to present the Naat-e-Shareef. Since the stage was set for traditional ghazal recitation, Aleem Saba Naveedi from Chennai was called on the stage. He proved to be a good opener and enthralled the audience with his poetry. He was tremendously applauded when he said: Tum ne mujh ko radd kiya acha kiya Hadsa ek nagehan hone ko thaa Haajaton ne dushmani ijaad ki Log apne qad se oonche ho gaye He was followed by Hasan Kazmi who mesmerized the audience with his voice and couplets. Referring to the feelings of expatriates he said: Phool chunne mein kaante mile Unglion mein chubhan rah gaye Muddaton baad pardes mein Sirf yaad e watan rah gaye Nida Fazli presented his collection in his own inimitable style: Saaton din Allah ke kya mangal kya peer Jis din suwe der tak bhooka rahe faqeer To boost the Mushaira even more, Ghouse Khwamakhwah was called in for his humorous poetry. His hilarious couplets brought smiles all around: Mashooq ho haseen zaroori hai ye magar Aashiq ko chahiye ke wo andhaa zaroor ho Mohabbat mein meri begum gazal ka sher lagti hai Khafa ho jaaye to barood ka phir dher lagti hai The first poetess of the evening, Mumtaz Naseem from Aligarh, also enthralled the audience with her melodious voice: Jis taraf dekhiye arbab e sitam milte hain Dhoondne se bhi kahan ahle karam milte hain Shakeel Azmi was then called in to recite, and he quickly emerged as one of the most successful poets: Naqab mein bhi koi be naqab hone laga Main usko padhne laga wo kitab hone laga Tum bhi zara si baat ko ghar le ke aagaye Footpath pe jo mar gaya insaan hi to tha It was now the turn of Jameel Khairabadi who said: Khuda se ye duaa karta hoon har namaz ke baad Tamam mulk meiin amn o amaan ho jaaye Mansoor Usmani hosted the event successfully and he got a lot of praise when he presented his poetry: Jisko bacha ke rakhne mein ajdaad bik gaye Hum ne usi haveli ko neelam kar diya Kabhi kabhi to hamein dil ne ye malal diya Tumhari yaad bhi aayi to hans ke taal diya It was tenth annual mushaira by the Embassy of India, Riyadh and the Mission acknowledged the gracious support and contribution of the individuals and associations involved for turning the event into such a huge success.
