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Purana Mushaira

6 episodes

This Urdu Podcast Series 'Purana Mushaira' presents some of the great Urdu poets such as Ali Sardar Jafri, Wamiq Jaunpuri, Kaifi Azmi, Shahryar, Iftikhar Arif, Sajida Zaidi, Waseem Barelvi, Zahida Zaidi, Hasan Rizvi, Bashir Badr, Zehra Nigah, Ghulam Rabbani Taban, Saghar Khaiyyami and Fazal Tabish. The old recordings have been retrieved from a Delhi-based Mushaira lover, Sajid Raza Khan's personal collection.

Noted Urdu scholar and Delhi University Professor, Ali Javed is the Nazim-e-Mushaira.

Mushaira is an assembly of Urdu poets, having a Naazim (moderator) and a Sadr (a senior presiding over the assembly). The tradition goes back to the great Hindi Urdu poet Amir Khusro in the 14th century. But Delhi's Mughal Durbars made Mushaira a hugely popular form of poetry recitation in front of an audience, saying Wah Wah, Irshad, Mukarrar Irshad, and Subhanallah. It was customary at a Mushaira to place the candle (Shamma) before the poet who was reciting his kalaam/sukhan (poetry).