Gehwarae Adab USA Organizes Fourth Yakjehti Mushaira
By Wasim Zaidi

Gahwarah-e-adab ne sajai jo aaj shab
Hum ko tha ik baras se is shab ka intezar 
                                                        - Zafar Abbas

The Gehwarae Adab USA organized the Fourth Pak-o-Hind Yakjaeti Mushaira on Saturday, July 12, 2008 at the Woodland Banquet Hall in Artesia. It turned out to be a memorable event and the evening’s proceedings were so lively and absorbing that the audience appeared truly mesmerized as it listened to the entrancing kalam of poets from India and Pakistan along with leading local poets. It was an un-forgetful experience.
The emcee was  well-known poet and President  of the Urdu Writers Society Irfan Murtaza. His remarks had a lively influence on the evening’s proceedings.
After highlighting the endeavors of Gahwahra-e-Adab in presenting the Yakjehti series, he introduced Samin Faruqi, President, Karachi Club, who thanked the audience for showing up in such large numbers to demonstrate their love and support for the promotion of Urdu. Mr Faruqui also acknowledged the efforts of the LA Unit in-charge Wasim Zaidi and his team for organizing the mushaira.
Irfan Murtaza then introduced Sadre-Mushaira Mr Abdur Rehman Siddiqui, a well-known social personality of the LA area.
The local poets were then introduced. They included:
Sahriq Zaidi, Fazlur Zia, Zia Khan, Akbar Usmani, Zafar Abbas, Asad ullah Hussaini Chakar, and  Nayyar Jahan
Ifran then invited famous Pakistani poet Manzar Ayubi who presented some of his finest verses and won spontaneous accolades from the audience.
Khata kisi se ho sarzad aur saza kisi ko mile
Inqilabad kuch aise bhi nazar se guzre
Subah ke baad zulmat thi jidhar se guzre
Manzil door bhi hai koch-ae mehboob bhi hai
Dekhna yeh hai ke ab kaun kidhar se guzre.
It was then Jawed Arshi who entertained the enthusiastic crowd and received wholehearted applause.
Har ek nigah ko kab rasai deta hai
Jisey talab ho usi ko dikhai deta
Khuda kare mere dushman ko dikhai de
Woh ek zakhm jo bhai ko bhai deta hai
Then it was none other than the renowned poet from India Rahat Indori who kept the audience absorbed in the proceedings with his stylish adayegi and enticing, composition of hymns and poems.
Jitne apne they parai the
Hum hawa ko gale lagay they
Ek banjar zameen ke seene par
Maen ne kuch asman ugai the
Warna auqat kiya they sayun ke
Dhoop ne hosle barhai they.
And so this memorable and un-forgetful evening came to an end. The audience appeared willing to stay on to listen to the poets but the time constraints could not be avoided.
Gahwarah-e-Adab recognizes the LA media - Pakistan Link, Urdu Times and Pakistan News - for their support.

 

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