Sunday, February 28, 2010

Persian evening

On most days, Bagh-e-Bedil near Mathura Road in Delhi is nothing more than a tangled forest. But on Thursday, the dead poet who lies forgotten in a simple dargah in this park came back to life. Mirza Abdul-Qader Bedil, a 17th century Persian poet lived in India and died in Delhi, and his grave is one of the city’s unknown landmarks.

Qawwals Chand Nizami and group brought alive Bedil’s poetry at a special performance held at Bagh-e-Bedil as part of the ongoing International Festival of the Sacred Arts. Conceptualised by Sohail Hashmi, the event included three kalams of Bedil among other works, all delivered in an energetic, peppy rhythm. “I had tears in my eyes when I was asked to prepare Bedil’s poetry for the festival. We specially learnt his Persian verses for this performance,” Nizami told the crowd that had gathered at the poet’s grave.

Full report here Indian Express

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