#BestUrduPoetry #Mushaira_Jashn_e_Bahar
ABOUT US
Jashn-e-Bahar Trust
Poetry unites beyond borders and if it’s written in a language that is itself a confluence of many cultural and linguistic traditions, it carries universal appeal across generations - from connoisseurs to the Gen Next.
Well known among poetry lovers for its annual mushaira Jashn-e-Bahar for the past two decades, Jashn-e-Bahar Trust constantly involves itself in activities related to nurturing India’s rich literary traditions and works towards developing friendship and amity among people in India and across borders who share a common literary and linguistic heritage.
Headed by Cultural Activist Kamna Prasad, Jashn-e-Bahar Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Urdu and the syncretic cultural traditions it symbolizes.
It’s Scope - to give a platform to the poetics of the day and the sensibilities of the times.
It’s Aim - to promote India’s syncretic, secular values, its Ganga-Jamni culture and its hoary literary traditions.
It’s Mission - to foster amity and friendship, tolerance and acceptance through poetry.
It’s Goal - to nurture a secular, syncretic cultural continuum for our coming generations.
Activities of the Trust
Mushaira Jashn-e-Bahar | Now in its 21st year, mushaira Jashn-e-Bahar is the world’s biggest such international event. Attended by approximately 5,000 lovers of Urdu poetry in New Delhi every year, it has travelled to several places across India.
It is an annual confluence of myriad streams of modern poetry. A galaxy of the best among contemporary Urdu poets from across the world and India gather in New Delhi to regale the audience with myriad shades of poetic sensitivities, countless colours of modern day sensibilities and the everlasting elegance of Urdu verse.
Promoting amity and friendship through poetry, the mushaira celebrates the joy of the season and of creativity as expressed through Urdu Verse. It is organized with the sole objective of keeping alive and nurturing the traditions of Urdu and the composite culture it represents.
Every year the international mushaira also travels to several cities in the country. The purpose is to keep alive this unique tradition of a poetic dialogue between poets and their audience and also to contribute to the efforts of taking Urdu to a wider cross-section.
Jashn-e-NauBahar
Launched on popular demand in 2018 to mark 20 years of Jashn-e-Bahar, ‘Jashn-e-NauBahar’ is our unique ground-breaking youth initiative aimed at reaching out to Gen Next through their own poetics.
Since 2016, Jashn-e-Bahar Trust has also delved into and innovated on the age-old tradition of Dastangoi to present fascinating stories of Urdu poetics. It has organized ‘Qand-e-Farsi wa Tutiyan-e-Hind,’ Dastangoi presenting the journey of Indo-Persian poetry in Iran and India; ‘Dastan-e-Bedil,’ based on the life and poetry of classical doyen Bedil Azimabadi; and ‘Dastan-e-Marsiya: Karbala se Kashi tak,’ on the evolution of Marsiya as a genre of Urdu poetry.
In collaboration with its sister organization Jiya Prakashan, the Trust has published collections of classical Urdu poets in Devnagri script with the aim of reaching the best of these literary works to people who have an interest in Urdu but cannot read its script. Jiya Prakashan has published books on Mirza Ghalib, Meer Taqi Meer, Kabir, Daag Dehlavi, Ahmad Faraz , Sahir Ludhianvi, Akbar Allahabadi, Nazeer Akbarabadi and Jigar Moradabadi.
Documentaries
Meka Films, another sister concern of Jashn-e- Bahar Trust, has made several films on Urdu related subjects. Prominent among these are: ‘Kahkashan’ - a series broadcast on Doordarshan, India’s national broadcaster, comprising bio-pics of eminent Urdu poets; ‘Urdu Hai Jiska Naam’ - a four part documentary on the history of Urdu for the Ministry of External Affairs; ‘Sheharnama - A Living History,’ a series on the history of Delhi for Doordarshan; and the latest ‘Dastan-e-Urdu’- a 13-episode docudrama series for Doordarshan that traces the history of the language from its genesis to modern times.
This is Jashn of Urdu at Jashn-e-Bahar since '99, with Urdu Legends participating in it. Poets like John Elia, Ali Sardar Jafri, Kaifi Azami, Dilip Kumar, Javed Akhter, Rahat Indori, Bashir Badr, Nida Fazli, Munawwar Rana, Bekal Utsahi, Prof Waseem Brelvi, Dr Shahryar, Manzar Bhopali, Farhat Shehzad; Max Bruce(USA), Prof Hiroji Kataoka; Prof So Yamane (Japan), Omar Salim Al Aidroos (Saudi Arabia), Dr Zubair Farooq(Dubai), "Intekhab Alam" (China), Ashfaq Husain (Canada), Dr Taqi Abdi; Zamin Jafri(Canada), Lata Haya, Shabina Abeeb, Anjum Rehbar, Ahmad Faraz; Rehana Roohi; Fehmida Riaz; Kishwar Nahid; Amjad Islam Amjad; Zehra Nigah; Dr Peerzada Qasim; Anwar Masood(Pakistan), Saghar Khayyami, Popular Meeruthi, Mansur Usmani, Deepti Mishra, Rajesh Reddy, Dr Halil Toker (Turkey), Zebunniso Malakhova(Tajakistan), Nusrat Mehdi, and other poets participating.