An ode to Munavvar Lakhnavi, famous Urdu poet from Lucknow who named himself after the city

Munavvar Lakhnavi is a renowned name in the field of Urdu literature. A poet and a fluent translator, Munavvar is considered a gem in the realm of Urdu literature who forever attached the memory of Lucknow to his name.

Born as 'Bisheshwar Prasad', in a family that comprised Urdu, Sanskrit and Persian litterateurs, in the 1897 Lucknow, the poet quickly took to the culture and the popular mannerisms of the city. It was this culture that strengthened Bisheshwar's foundations and made him into a poet and author who had a reputation of being mystical and charming in his writings.

From Bisheshwar to Munavvar

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Bisheshwar wrote with the pen name 'Munavvar Lakhnavi'. Munavvar and his work gained recognition in 1952, when his translation of the holy Bhagvad Gita, an Urdu verse titled- Naseem e Irfaan, was published. He then went on to publish several such translations including Kalidasa's Kumarasambhava, Durga Saptshati i.e. Devi Mahatmya, select Persian sh'ers of Hafez Sherazi, the Gitanjali by Rabindra Nath Tagore and even several important aayats of the Quran.

Munavvar's Urdu translations of the teachings of Gautam Buddha, Dhampad ya sachi raah which was published in 1954 is considered a masterpiece to this day.

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It was the writing of Munavvar which forever attached Lucknow's name to his and made both an inseparable part of the Urdu literature. The poems, the words and the thoughts of writers like him will remain with us even when all else perishes. Munavvar in his love for Lucknow made his and the city's name immortal.

Even after years of his passing away, Lucknow remembers Munavvar Lakhnavi's name with the same passion which has forever made the poet a part of the city, even though he spent most of his life in others.

Knock Knock

Munavvar Lakhnavi has left an imprint on the culture and the literature of Lucknow that is second to a very few. His words, his writings and his name will forever remain with the people of the city. So here's to Munavvar Luckhnavi and the beauty of Urdu literature. Find out more about his works and read his beautiful work at Rekhta.