Diwali fest: Muslim poets recite Urdu version of Ramayana

Jaipur : Setting the syncretic way for a Diwali of goodwill and harmony, Muslim poets in Bikaner recite an Urdu version of the Ramayana to begin the countdown to the festival of lights. The Urdu Ramayan Vaachan, composed 89 years ago, has been a unique event in the Bikaner calendar for 12 years. And so it was on Sunday as well when Hindus and Muslims gathered for an Urdu rendition of the Hindu epic.

Dr Ziya Ul Hasan Quadri who was among the poets who took part in the recitation said that the objective of the event is to give a positive message of harmony and brotherhood. Quadri said the couplets vividly describe scenes from Ramayan like Lord Ram's exile, victory against Ravan and his return to Ayodhya, capturing the emotions depicted in the epic which is greatly appreciated by audiences in the city.

"Paryatan Lekhak Sangh" and "Mehfil-e-Adab" jointly organise the event 'Urdu Ramayan Vaachan' every year in Bikaner since 2012. Maulvi Badshah Hussain Rana Lakhnavi of Bikaner composed the poetic version of Ramayana in Urdu language in 1935 for a competition organised by the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on the birth anniversary of Tulsidas. It won the gold medal following which the erstwhile ruler of Bikaner, Maharaja Ganga Singh, organised a ceremony to listen to Rana Lakhnavi's version.

Tej Bahadur Sapru presented the gold medal to Rana Lakhnavi on behalf of the BHU in this programme. Quadri said he first learned about the Urdu version of the epic in 1996. In the following years, the idea to hold the event began to take shape. The poets, who take part in the recitation in Rajasthan's Bikaner before Diwali, now want to take the practice at the national level and plan to organise the recitation programme in the national capital next year. "Things have drastically changed from the time when it was composed. Today, communal harmony is under threat.

Lord Rama is revered by all and belongs to all, but today he has been limited which is disappointing," Quadri said. He said that Muslim poets recite the Urdu Ramayan and the audience comprises both Hindus and Muslims.

Quadri said that initially, the event used to be organised in the open but later the venue changed and now it is held in a hotel so that things are well arranged. He said that Maulvi Badshah Hussain Rana Lakhnavi worked for Maharaja Ganga Singh from 1913 to 1919, during which he translated orders issued by the Mughal rulers from Persian to Urdu. In 1920, he was appointed as the teacher at Dungar College by Ganga Singh.