Urdu Ka Safar – Meer Se Haali Tak
Event organizers and the instructor,
From Left: Hassan, Professor Ahsan Syed, Tauseef Siddiqi.
Audience enjoying Urdu Ka Safar workshop.
Photos: Hassan Studio
Ian Staff Reporter
SUGAR LAND: Two huge ‘Deewans’ of Meer Taqi Meer and Mirza Ghalib adorned the podium. A pleasant fragrance of rare ‘Khuss Itar’ filled the hall. Calligraphy art and arabesque displays set the mood. In a traditional fashion of Urdu Mehfil of Mughal India, Professor Ahsan Syed lit the candle marking the commencements of the 3-day literary workshop, ‘Urdu Ka Safar – Meer Se Haali Tak’. This literary conference on classical Urdu poets and their unparalleled poetry was organized on April 5,6,7, 2013 at Maryam Masjid, in Sugar Land, Texas and was attended by prominent Urdu poets of Houston and many others. The workshop was conducted by Professor Ahsan Syed of Palo Alto, California, originally from Hyderabad, India, who has been teaching Urdu literature in North America for many years. Besides Meer and Ghalib, other classical poets of 18th, 19th and 20th century India included Momin Khan ‘Momin’, ‘Daag’ Dehlvi, Moulana ‘Haali’, ‘Jigar’ Muradabadi and ‘Akbar’ Allahabadi. Urdu-lovers of Houston are invited to join their mailing list by sending an email to UrduMehfil@yahoo.com for member privileges and discounted tickets or free invitations for their next event.