Bahar-E-Urdu Day 2: Young Voices, Literary Wisdom & A Night of Soulful Celebration

The second day of Bahar-e-Urdu, celebrating fifty years of the Maharashtra Urdu Sahitya Academy, lit up the Dome SVP Stadium, Worli, with a grand tribute to Urdu’s eloquence, intellect, and emotion.

The day began with an Open Mic Mushaira, where young poets Kayam Shah, Ahad Saeed, Payal Pandey, Zain Lakhimpuri, Riyaz Aasi, Shaukat Ali, Adnan Shaikh, Mayank Verma, Imran Ataai and Maqsood Aafaque filled the hall with youthful passion and heartfelt verse.

Two scholarly sessions followed. In “Maharashtra Mein Urdu Adab,” moderated by Dr. Tabassum Khan, papers were presented by Dr. Shaikh Ahrar Ahmad (Thane) and Dr. Quazi Naveed Siddiqui (Aurangabad), with insights from Dr. Abdullah Imteyaz Ahmad (Mumbai) and Prof. Shahid Naukhez (Hyderabad). The next, “Modern Technology and Urdu,” moderated by Mohammad Irfan Raza, featured Dr. Mohd. Tabish Khan (Bhiwandi), Dr. Liaqat Ali (Delhi), Dr. Parvez Ahmad, and Dr. Mahmood Mirza, highlighting Urdu’s growing digital presence.

The evening’s Tamseeli Mushaira brought poetic icons to life, with Zahid Ali Sayyed, Manzoor Islam, Sajid A. Hameed, Raziya Baig, Noman Khan, Nuzhat Parveen Akil Kagzi, Talha Bi Saver Hashmi, Mohsin Husnuddin Shaikh, and Khan Shadab Mohammed portraying legendary poets including Mirza Ghalib, Tahir Faraz, Anjum Rehbar and Obaid Azam Azmi.

A mesmerizing Dastangoi by Fouzia Dastango and a soulful Sufi performance by Jhelum Singh — featuring “Nitt Khair Manga,” “Mere Dholna,” and “Dama Dam Mast Qalandar” — enchanted the audience.

The evening celebrated those who continue to serve Urdu through literature, education, and creativity. Awards were presented in the following categories:

Award for Emerging Writers, Layout Designing Award, Award for Urdu Journalism, Special Award, Educational Service Award, University and Degree College Level Award, School Level Award and Best Book Award.

Each award was a reminder of the many different ways Urdu is being nurtured—on the page, in the classroom, and in the community.

The evening also honoured poets, writers, journalists, educators, and designers for their contributions to Urdu, culminating in a spellbinding Qawwali by the Sabri Brothers.

Bahar-e-Urdu’s second day was not merely an event; it was a living celebration of heritage, intellect, and artistry — a reminder that Urdu does not just belong to history books, but to every voice that dares to sing, speak, and dream in its melody. As the festival prepares for its final day, one truth resounds through every ghazal, every word, and every applause — Urdu lives on, radiant as ever, in the hearts of those who love it.