Few days ahead of this year’s Diwali, the Urdu name of Lady Shri Ram college’s Diwali Mela, ‘Noor’, triggered a controversy. Many right-wing supporters accused the mela organisers of ‘Islamising’ a Hindu festival celebration.
A couple of years back a similar row erupted over a company giving an Urdu name – Jashn-e-Riwaaz – to its ad campaign during the festival. The popular clothing brand Fabindia drew the ire of netizens who charged the company of tarnishing the Hindu festival Diwali by giving it an Urdu name. They slammed the brand for unnecessarily uplifting secularism and Muslim ideologies in a Hindu festival.
The ‘Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan’ sloganeers’ annoyance over the use of Urdu words on a Hindu festival or event is ridiculous. It seems bigots neither know the history of the language nor they know that all the three words of their ‘slogan’ – Hindi, Hindu and Hindustan – are also Urdu words.
Born and brought up in the historical city of Delhi, Urdu has imbibed words from Khari Boli, Saraiki, Braj, Sanskrit, Awadhi and other local languages and dialects as well as from foreign languages like Persian, Turkish, Arabic and Pashto. It has enriched from generation to generation, mainly through accumulated wisdom, techniques and cultural traditions.
The ganga-jamuni tehzeeb is the soul and essence of this language and is well recorded as numerous Urdu couplets have captured the essence of Diwali and other Hindu festivals very well.
It is also a reality that almost 70 per cent of words we use in our conversation are Urdu words. Qismat, zindagi, intezaar, badtameez, dard, hukm, vaqt, akhbaar, kitaab, kaghaz, qlam, koshish, giraftaar, adaalat, muqadma, qanoon, taarikh, avaaz, aurat, kursi, taala, ummeedvaar, nateeja, dosti, dil, tijori, fikr, daftar, mulaqaat, naashta, paani, sair, ilaaj, azaadi, bahadur, mushkil, havaa, davaa, paani, doodh, ras, tan-khvaah, and gunah etc., are just some of the numerous Urdu words used daily by people of all the religions in this country. If we discontinue using these Urdu words, then our conversation will certainly sound jarring.
Many of us will be surprised to know that more than 50 per cent of Urdu words like ujaala, dhadkan, dukh, neend, baadal, andaa, khirki, agla, din, raat, meetha, kal, padson, mann, saavan and paas etc., are Sanskrit origin words.
Many Urdu words use Sanskrit prefix ‘an’ for negation – anjaan (unknown), anaari (unskillful), anpadh (illiterate), ankahi (unspoken), ansuni (unheard), andekhi (unseen), anhoni (strange) and an-ban (quarrel) etc.
The Urdu word sunsaan (lonely) is derived from Sanskrit ‘shunya’ (empty) and ‘asthan’ (place). Another Urdu word niraala (strange) has come from Sanskrit’s niralay (out of place).
In the Urdu word saaf-suthra, saaf is Arabic while suthra is Sanskrit. Similarly, in subh savera (early morning), subh is Arabic meaning morning while savera is derived from Sanskrit word ‘vela’ meaning time. Sanwla (dark skinned) is from Sanskrit word shyamala (black) while gora (fair) is from gaur (white). Ginti (counting) is from ganana (counting), while amma is from amba, meaning mother.
It is also important to mention that not only Muslims but also a galaxy of non-Muslims – like Munshi Nawal Kishore, Ratan Nath Sarshar, Ram Babu Saxena, Braj Narayan Chakbast, Ram Prasad Bismil, Raghupati Sahay (Firaq Gorakhpuri), Rajinder Singh Bedi, Munshi Premchand, and Krishan Chander etc., – are counted among greats of Urdu literature.
At a time when Urdu has been gaining popularity in many western and European countries and is being taught in various universities in the USA, UK, Japan and China etc., it is a sad commentary that the language is facing hatred in in its country of origin.
This pain of linking it to one community and religion is reflected in the following verse:
Kyun mujh ko banaate ho ta’assub ka nishaana
Main ne to kabhi ḳhud ko musalmaan nahi maana
Dekha tha kabhi main ne bhi ḳhushiyon ka zamaana
Apne hi vatan mein huun magar aaj akeli
Urdu hai mera naam main Khusro ki paheli
(ta’assub = prejudice)
I am sure that the lovers of Urdu – from all the religions – are there in a large number and their love for Urdu in a time of hate is a big boost to this shireen (sweet) language. I conclude this write-up with a nazm on Urdu written by me:
As Hindus across India celebrate the festival of lights - where they light oil lamps and candles to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil - here goes my poetic compositions on this beautiful day.
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Diye to diye dil jagmaga rahe hain
Kya khoob hai ke sab muskura rahe hain
Hai ye jalva-e-bahisht bar-ru-e-zamii.n
Jo mil ke aaj sab Diwali mana rahe hain
#RAZA ELAHI
(* jalva-e-bahisht bar-ru-e-zamii.n = display of Paradise on the earth)
The name Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit word dipavali, which means ‘row of lights’ that people light outside their homes to symbolise the inner light that protects them from spiritual darkness.
More than 500 couplets by many Urdu poets like Nazeer Akbarabadi, Haider Bayabani, Hafeez Banarasi and Jameel Mazhari etc., have captured the essence of this important day. Below are some Urdu couplets written on Diwali:
Meri saañsoñ ko giit aur aatmā ko saaz detī hai
Ye diwali hai sab ko jiine kā andaaz detī hai
Sabhī ke diip sundar haiñ hamaare kyā tumhāre kyā
Ujaala har taraf hai iss kinaare uss kinaare kyā
Gagan kī jagmagaahaT paḌ ga.ī hai aaj maddham kyuuñ
MuñDeroñ aur chhajjoñ par utar aa.e haiñ taare kyā
#Hafeez Banarasi
Hai dasahre mein bhi yuuñ go farhat-o-zīnat 'Nazīr'
Par Diwali bhi ajab paakīza-tar tyauhār hai
#Nazeer Akbarabadi
Samet lein mah-o-khursheed roshnii apni
Salahiyat hai zameen mein bhi jagmagaane ki
#Mazhar Imam
Diwali ke diip jale haiñ
Yaar se milne yaar chale haiñ
Chaaroñ jaanib dhūm-dhaḌākā
Chhote rocket aur pataaḳha
Ghar mein phul-jhaḌiyāñ chhūTe
Man hi man mein laddu phuute
Diip jale haiñ ghar āñgan mein
Ujyaaraa ho jaa.e man mein
Apnoñ kī to baat alag hai
Aaj to saare ġhair bhale haiñ
Diwali ke diip jale haiñ
#Haider Bayabani
(Above two pics are the nastaliq version of my poetry)
Celebrating the multifaceted beauty of Urdu across diverse art forms, Jashn-e-Urdu is a big draw among Delhiites. It provides a platform for nurturing and showcasing the rich tapestry of the language and its tahzeeb. Renowned artistes from the field of ghazal singing, qawwali, sufi melodies, and drama perform in the four-day Urdu Heritage Festival, organised every year by Urdu Academy of Delhi government.
Below is the video of the highlights of this year festival (Oct 17-20, 2024) held at Central Park in Connaught Place, New Delhi.
With a plethora of food joint hubs and hidden gems, Delhi-NCR boasts of an extensive array of cafes and restaurants, each with its unique identity and specialty. The city’s cafe culture or eating out culture has been developing for years, but post-Covid there is a remarkable surge in it. People lookout for new and exciting places to hang out with friends and families, or simply enjoy a good cup of coffee or a quick bite of yummy snacks or a proper meal in a cool and comfy ambience.
The trend is brewing in particularly among young generation as cafes and restaurants have adapted to all occasions with their chic ambience and wide range of food and beverage options. Below are two videos of mine covering several cafes, restaurants and outdoor eating places in Delhi-NCR.
During his travel towards Persia in winter of 1543, Mughal emperor Humayun and his retinue experienced immense hardship. On one occasion, he had to sacrifice a horse and cook horse meat in a helmet. The ‘royal’ party, which included Hamida Banu, Bairam Khan and around 30 warriors, passed through the frigid mountains. They laboured through the snow and so scarce were the rations that a precious horse was killed for food. ‘There was no cooking pot. So they boiled some of the meat in a helmet (pic below) and some they roasted,’ writes Gulbadan Begum, sister of Humayun, in Humayun-Nama.
Humayun, the second Mughal king, had travelled three times more than Marco Polo, the famed explorer, covering 34,000 kilometers during his lifetime as a warrior, through present-day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.
The emperor, who ruled Hindustan in two stints (1530-40 & 1555-60), was so obsessed with astronomy and astrology that he used to wear a specific colour each day of the week to align with the planet of the day.
More such interesting stories of Humayun are lovingly told in the newly-curated Humayun Tomb World Heritage Site Museum — how he missed Hindustan when he was sent by father Babur to Badakhshan; how he was defeated by Sher Shah Suri and sought refuge in Iran and unceasingly plotted his way back to the throne of Hindustan after 15 years; and he was so fond of books that he used to carry his libraries on camelbacks during his travels.
A highlight of the museum is an immersive gallery featuring a 270-degree screen, offering virtual tours of the World Heritage Site's monuments and gardens.
The museum transports visitors to the grandeur of the Mughal era with 700 artefacts, including Bahadur Shah Zafar’s throne and intricate antiques.
The museum is a facility of the Archaeological Survey of India designed and built by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture at the culmination of 25 years of conservation effort at the 300-acre Humayun’s Tomb – Sunder Nursery – Nizamuddin Basti area of Delhi, wherein over 60 monuments have been conserved and the Sunder Nursery city park created as part of a single conservation and development project.
The museum, whose layout is inspired by the medieval 'baolis', or traditional water tanks, showcases the legacy of Humayun and the heritage of the Nizamuddin area over the last seven centuries.
On 26 December 1530, Humayun succeeded his father Babur to the throne of Delhi as ruler of the Mughal territories in the Indian subcontinent (which is now Northern India, Eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan) from 1530 to 1540 and again from 1555 to his death in 1556.
All the pics and video above are taken inside the museum by me.
By 2026, flying taxis will whiz through the skies of Delhi-NCR, Mumbai-Pune and other urban centres like Bengaluru. The air taxi will cover in 7 minutes the same distance that would take 60-90 minutes in a car in New Delhi or Mumbai and its fare would be approximately 1.5 times that of an Uber/Ola car, Nikhil Goel, chief commercial officer, Archer Aviation, said this at World Leaders Forum in New Delhi on Saurday.
The California-based company is all set to revolutionise urban mobility with safe, sustainable, and low-noise air taxis. Archer’s 4-passenger air taxi is capable of travelling at speeds of up to 150 mph and is 100 times quieter than a helicopter cruising at altitude. The company is in final stages of getting approvals for its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, dubbed 'Midnight', from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States.
Besides the US, UAE and India are the countries where Archer plans to start the air taxi and it has recently struck a deal with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, which gives it, over the time, hundreds of millions of dollars to build out the technology in the country.
Nikhil Goel (in pic left), former Uber Elevate co-founder and recognised as a Forbes 30 Under 30 awardee in Consumer Technology, has worked at NASA, Microsoft, Google, McKinsey, Uber and now Archer.
'Our aim is to keep the air taxi service very affordable and the lower labour costs (for pilots and maintenance) in India will assist in achieving this goal,' Goel said.
Archer is in talks with Indian airport operators and DGCA as well as with InterGlobe Enterprises, which is the owner of India's largest airline, IndiGo for setting up of vertiports inside airports, necessary clearance, finalising routes and establishing other infrastructures etc.
Its manufacturing contract deals are in place with Stellantis, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and others and has plans for an air taxi network in Los Angeles ahead of some major sporting events: the World Cup in 2026, the Super Bowl in 2027, and the Summer Olympics in 2028. The network includes vertiports at Los Angeles International Airport, University of Southern California, Orange County, Hollywood Burbank and Santa Monica etc.
After a hot and humid summer when the skies open up and bring rain with cool breeze, there is nothing better than sitting in the balcony watching the little raindrops beating feverishly on the railings and sensing the aroma of the wet earth. Succulent jamuns, irresistible bhuttas, garma garam chai-pakoras and mouth-watering jalebis are inseparable part of the monsoon and so is the romance with Urdu shayari during the season.
For many Urdu poets love blooms in the rains while for others it is time to describe pain. And for a few, downpour is a time for remembrance as it weaves together the emptiness and contentment or the moment to recall old memories. Interestingly, for a good number of Urdu poets, rainy season is the excuse to drink some wines.
I consider something magical about rains - a season of love and joy. Here goes the two couplets of mine:
Kitna sehr-bayaan hai uff ye mausam-e-barsaat
Dekhta huun tera aks giirti buundon mein
#Raza Elahi
(sehr-bayaan = magical description)
Patte pe giri baarish ki ye do boonden
Jaise sadaf-saan si teri do aankhen
#Raza Elahi
(sadaf-saan = resembling sea shell)
Some more ashaar (couplets) on baarish, barsaat, abr (cloud), ghata, baadal, paani, and boonden (droplets) that best describe nature's bountiful creation - rains!
Barsaat ke aate hi tauba na rahi baaqi
Baadal jo nazar aaye badli meri neeyat bhi
#Hasrat Mohani
Mausam-e-abr ho subuu bhii ho
Gul ho gulshan ho aur tuu bhii ho
#Anonymous
Saath baarish mein liye phirte ho us ko 'Anjum'
Tum ne iss shahr mein kya aag lagaani hai koi
#Anjum Saleemi
Ghalib chhuti sharab, par ab bhi kabhi kabhi
Peeta hoon roz-e-abr, shab-e-mahtaab mein
#Mirza Ghalib
(Ghalib, I gave up drink but even now sometimes I drink on a cloudy day and on moonlit night).
Aaye kuch abr, kuch sharaab aye
Uske baad aaye jo azaab aaye
#Faiz Ahmad Faiz
(Let there be some clouds, and let wines come. After that let any disaster comes).
Main thakaa haaraa thaa itane mein jo aaye baadal
Kisi matwale ne chupke se badha di botal
#Moin Ahsan Jazbi
Ab bhi barsaat ki raaton mein badan tuTtaa hai
Jaag uThtii hain ajab ḳhvaahishein añgḌaai ki
#Parveen Shakir
Mujh pe chhaa jaa.e vo barsaat ki ḳhushbu ki tarah
Añg Añg apna isii rut mein mahaktaa dekhūñ
#Parveen Shakir
Yun barastain hain tasauvvar pe purani yaadein
Jaise barsaat main rim-jhim ka samna hota hai
#Anonymous
(Old memories fall on the surface of my mind, like raindrops in monsoon).
Barse baġhair hi jo ghaTaa ghir ke khul gayi
Ik bevafaa ka ahd-e-vafaa yaad aa gayaa
#Khumar Barabankavi
Baarish ho rahi thii kambakhat yaadein taaza kar gayii
Apni har ek boond ka hisaab mujh se le gayii
#Bushra Iqbal
Baarish hui to phuulon ke tan chaak ho gaye
Mausam ke haath bhiig ke saffaak ho gaye
Baadal ko kya ḳhabar hai ki baarish ki chaah mein
Kaise buland-o-baalaa shajar ḳhaak ho gaye
#Parveen Shakir
(saffaak = tyrant; shajar = tree)
Duur tak chhaa.e the baadal aur kahiiñ saaya na tha
Iss tarah barsaat ka mausam kabhī aayaa na thā
#Qateel Shifai
Der tak baithe huye, Hum dono ne baarish dekhi,
Woh dikhati thi mujhe, taaron pe chalti hui boondein
#Gulzar
(We sat till late and watched the rain; she showed me raindrops walking on the stars).
And one really goes down the memory lane and feels that childhood is the best time to enjoy rains if one listens to Jagjit Singh singing Sudarshan Faakhir’s poem:
