Place of Ghazals /Gazals/Gajal in Garhwali Literature

Bhishma Kukreti

[Notes on Ghazals /Gazals in language; Ghazlas/Gazals in Garhwali language; Ghazlals/Gazals in Uttarakhandi language; Ghazals/Gazals in Mid Himalayan language; Ghazals/Gazals in Himalayan language; Ghazls/Gazals in North Indian regional language; Ghazals/Gazals in Indian regional language; Ghazals/Gazals in South Asian language; Ghazals/Gazals in Asian regional language; Ghazals/Gazals in English language; Ghazals/Gazals in Urdu language; Ghazals/Gazals in Hindi language; Ghazals/Gazals in Marathi  language]

  Wikipedia states that Ghazal is poetic form structuring of rhyming couplet and refrain with each line sharing same meter.

  Ghazal is main poetic form of Urdu language. Urdu language brought Ghazals in the literature. Ghazlas came in existence in Indian around eleventh and twelfth centuries and spread all over south Asia. Sufism   plays a great role in Ghazal becoming famous and part of poetries in various regions and languages.

  The Ghazals are popular in many languages as in English too as under

My rivals for your love – you’ve invited them all

This is mere insult, this no farewell tonight

(Agha Shaihid Ali, (Real Ghazlas in English, 2000)

  There is tradition of Ghazals in Hindi language. Credit goes to famous Hindi poet Dushyant Kumar for popularizing in modern Hindi literature. Dusyant Kumar (1931-1975) took out Ghazals from Love subject a connected Ghazals to real social issues.  

आज यह दीवार पर्दों कि तरह हिलने लगी

शर्त लेकिन  थी कि ये  बुनियाद हिलनी चाहिए 

 There are Ghazal makers in Marathi and an example of Ghazal in Marathi is as

झुकवली ती मान मी , जी ताठ होती 

हाय माझ्याशीच   अंती गाठ होती 

   In Garhwali literature, the records state that Netra Singh Aswal started writing Ghazals and popularizing them, first time there is mention about Gazlas and their criticism by Rajendra Dhashmana in introductory Garhwali  poetry collection ‘Dhanga se Sakshtakar’ (1988) by poet Netra Singh Aswal. Iminent Garhwali drama playwright Dhashmana names ‘Ghazlas’ as ‘Ganjeli ‘poem. Ganjeli means pestle. Pestle (Moosal) has three parts – upper part is necessary but not important, middle part is to hold by hands and the lowest part that has metal ring is very important for pounding the cereal in mortar.  Dhashmana states that In Ghazlas also the first two parts of poem are important for form purpose, third part is to push the poem and last part is most important part of Ghazlas for explaining the reality.  

    Urdu Ghazals did not influence any Garhwali Ghazlas maker. However, Dushyant Kumar the famous Hindi Ghazal maker influenced all Garhwali Ghazlas makers.  Madhu Sudan Thapliyal (2002) accepts that Dusyant Kumar influenced him (though he studied prominent Urdu Ghazlas makers Ghalib, Meer, Dag, Faij, Jigarand Basheer Badr . Madan Duklan accepted that he and other Garhwali language makers were influenced by Ghazlas of Dushyant Kumar. Famous Garhwali literature critic Virendra Panwar vouches that there is effects of Dushyant Kumar on Garhwali Ghazlas. The reason is very simple that Garhwalis are unable reading Urdu script and by enlarge, Garhwali villages are without Muslims or Punjabis who write, speak Urdu the most.  Another aspect is that Ghazlas have different vocal and creative concept than traditional Garhwali poetry. That is the reason Garhwali critic Bhagwati Prasad Nautiyal bluntly discards Ghazlas in Garhwali (Chitthi Patri –note on Harvi Harvi).

  As far as Garhwali Gazlas are concerned, Garhwali Gazlas are less of love subject barring the Gazlas of Madan Duklan, Uma Bhatt , Mahendr Rana

तुमारि नजर का हम त वन  हकदार इ नि छा

भले दुनया मा हमारा कदरदार कम नि छा । (Uma Bhatt)

The following Ghazlas of various Garhwali Ghazal makers will show that there are social issues in Garhwali Ghazals but with varied subjects

मधु सुदन थपलियाल क गजल Ghazla by Madhu Suudan Thapliyal

धारा -पंदेरा,  घाट -राठ  जमिगे सिंवाल़ू

पाणि से अनमोल छन यी रुपयों की खाणी

 Madhu Sudan Thapliyal created maximum Ghazals in Garhwali and he is the only Garhwali Ghazal maker who published exclusive Ghazal collection ‘Harvi Harvi

मदन डुकलाण क गजल Ghazlas by Madan Duklan

Madan Duklan uses Ghazals for developing Garhwali poetry.

कुछ भितरों लोग कळेजी छौंकणा छन, 

 बाकी चौछ्वड़ी पेट सबका धौंकणा छन I
 

 नी च क्वी गैल्या मेरी, मंजिल बि नी च,

 खुट्टा छन  कि आस मा ये दौड़ना छन I
 

वीरेन्द्र पंवार की गंजेळी कविता (गजल) Ghazlas by Virendra Panwar

क्वी हाल नी दिखेणा चुचौं कुछ करा

पौड़ छन  पिछेणा चुचौं कुछ करा

Virendra Panwar feels that nothing is wrong in bringing newer and contemporary forms /structure in Garhwali poetry for modernizing Garhwali literature

नेत्र सिंह असवालै गज़ल Ghazal by Netra singh Aswal

कखड़ी लगीं छ ये पर, गुदड़ी लगीं छ क्या 

न्यल्दु  क्या छै रे छ्वारा, नजीक देख आ I 

साडी मुलक मा छन भमक्यां  झाला विकट छन

पिंपरी कु तरसणा छौं , कन फुट  कपाळ ग्या I   

It may be said that Aswal inspired Garhwali poets to use satire in Ghazal format.

बलवंत सिंह रावत कि  गजल Ghazal by balvant rawat

जिकुडि कि खैरि कैमा लगाण 

तिसलु रै ग्याई तिसलु पराण  I   

क्वी नीच कैकु दुन्या मा दगड्या 

कैकु कजै ना कैकी कज्याण   I

The Ghazal maker uses two messages from one Ghazal

. महावीर  बडोला कि गजल 

कुछ ना कुछ पैनी अबत पैनी नजर हूण चैन्द  भै 

जाड़  से नि रैठा मगर असर हूण चैन्द  भै  I  

Badola has tremendous potentiality to take Ghazal at height  

कुटज भारती कि गजल 

जगरी सृस्था वेद कु , बक्या बण्या ब्रह्मा जख 

मोंळ मादेव थै धुपाणी  सुंगाणा रै सदान  I   

Ghazals of Kutz Bharati ar satirical

चन्द्र सिंह राही कि गजल 

एक मनिख द्वी मुखडि देखि भळि  ऐ 

असली क्वा नकली क्वा जरा पछ्याण धौं  I   

Rahi uses philosophical and inspirational aspects in his Ghazals

गिरीश पंत मृणाल कि गजल Ghazal by Girish pant ‘Mrinal’

खौरी का बारा , बिज़ी ग्याई कविता 

लेखिक, पौढीक 'से' ग्याई कविता 

Girish talks about poetry in this Ghazal

उमेश चन्द्र सिंह रावत कि गजल Ghazal by Umesh cahndra rawat

अब बदल्यलि मिं अपड़ी आँखी 

तयार आन्खुंन अब दुन्या थै  द्यखणु छौं  I 

आशीष सुंदरियाल क गजल Ghazal by Ashish Sundariyal

वीं क बारम क्या बतों सब्बु तैं 

जै  देखी खुद भूलिग्यों अफु तै  I 

गणेश खुगसाल 'गणि' कि गजल Ghazal by Ganesh Khugsal ‘Gani’

वूंकी किरपान बैठों  किस्तिम 

बल वांफर पैलि हुयुं  छेद. I  

Most of Ghazals by Gani are satirical 

देवेश जोशी क गजल Ghazal by Devesh Joshi

कबि त छटैला ई  जाळा दगड्या 

कबि हमारा बि दिन आला दगड्या 

Devesh Joshi used various subjects in Ghazals

महेन्द्र सिँह राणा 'आजाद' क गजल Ghazal by Mahendra Rana 
मायाक समुण आज भी सिराणा रे ग्यायी
त्येरी माया मा बिज्यु ही रे ग्यायी!

Mahindra tries to bring eternal love into Garhwali Ghazals

  By reviewing recent trend and recent poetry collections, it may be said that Ghazals are becoming integral part of Garhwali poetry form.  The Garhwali Ghazal makers are using various social issues and philosophical aspects into Ghazals.  There is bright future of Ghazal form in Garhwali poetry.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti 22/8/2012

Notes on Ghazals /Gazals in language; Ghazlas/Gazals in Garhwali language; Ghazlals/Gazals in Uttarakhandi language; Ghazals/Gazals in Mid Himalayan language; Ghazals/Gazals in Himalayan language; Ghazls/Gazals in North Indian regional language; Ghazals/Gazals in Indian regional language; Ghazals/Gazals in South Asian language; Ghazals/Gazals in Asian regional language; Ghazals/Gazals in English language; Ghazals/Gazals in Urdu language; Ghazals/Gazals in Hindi language; Ghazals/Gazals in Marathi  language to be continued…