Diwali celebrations feature Muslim poets reciting Urdu version of Ramayana in Bikaner

In a special event celebrating Diwali, Muslim poets in Bikaner recited an Urdu version of the Ramayana, promoting goodwill and harmony. The Urdu Ramayan Vaachan, has been held for 12 years and features a version composed 89 years ago.

Dr. Ziya Ul Hasan Quadri, an Urdu teacher and poet,  recited the Urdu Ramayana at a function on Sunday. He emphasised the event’s goal of fostering brotherhood and expressed concern about the changing dynamics of communal harmony, stating, “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.” 

The event is organised annually by ”Paryatan Lekhak Sangh” and ”Mehfil-e-Adab”. The Urdu Ramayana was originally composed by Maulvi Badshah Hussain Rana Lakhnavi in 1935 for a competition at Banaras Hindu University, where it won a gold medal. The Maharaja of Bikaner later hosted a ceremony to celebrate this achievement.

Quadri shared that the event originally took place outside, but now it’s held in a hotel for better planning. He mentioned that Maulvi Badshah Hussain Rana Lakhnavi worked for Maharaja Ganga Singh from 1913 to 1919, translating orders issued by the Mughal rulers from Persian to Urdu. In 1920, Ganga Singh made him a teacher at Dungar College.

The poets aim to take their recitation program to a national level, with plans to organise an event in the capital next year.

(With inputs from agencies)