Amir Khusrau Memorial Lecture organised by Ghalib Institute
New Delhi: The Ghalib Institute organised the Amir Khusrau Memorial Lecture titled “The Indo-Iranian Classical Ghazal Tradition and Amir Khusrau Dehlavi” at Aiwan-e-Ghalib here Saturday. On this occasion, Prof Azarmi Dukht Safavi, former Head of the Department of Persian at Aligarh Muslim University, delivered the keynote lecture. She stated that literature has always witnessed a tension between universality and locality. While it’s true that various minds, ideologies, and languages contribute to the making of literature, its identity is ultimately shaped by local principles and cultural elements. The Indo-Iranian classical ghazal is a living example of this phenomenon.
She further explained that India’s classical ghazal, while following Persian ghazal in form and temperament, became deeply infused with ancient Indian mystical thoughts, introspection, and the spirit of Indianness, thereby creating a unique style now recognised globally as the “Indian Style” of ghazal. There is a need today to revisit this poetic tradition and try to understand the historical and linguistic dimensions of this cultural exchange.
The session was presided over by Prof. Sharif Hussain Qasmi, a senior Persian scholar and former Head of the Department of Persian at Delhi University. In his presidential address, he remarked that the Indo-Iranian tradition has influenced not just Urdu and Persian, but nearly every language in India. This is not surprising, he said, because when two civilizations come into contact, the resulting impact is often deep, wide-ranging, and long-lasting.
Prof. Sadiq-ur-Rahman Kidwai, Secretary of the Ghalib Institute, in his welcome address, emphasised the importance of the topic. He pointed out that nearly every major writer has addressed this subject in their own way, yet there remain untouched aspects. Moreover, as new individuals join our literary community, it is essential to inform them about the elements of our literary and cultural tradition, and why this heritage holds such importance. He expressed his happiness that Prof. Safavi has a deep understanding of these issues and that her logical and articulate style is a hallmark of her speeches and writings.
Dr. Idris Ahmed, Director of the Ghalib Institute, in his vote of thanks, remarked that no matter how many lectures are delivered on Amir Khusrau’s personality and literary contributions, it still feels as though justice has not been fully done, and a sense of incompleteness remains. On behalf of himself and the Institute, he thanked all the attendees for sparing their valuable time to participate in the event.
The programme saw the participation of numerous prominent figures from the fields of literature and academia, as well as a large number of research scholars.
