On December 27, the 227th birth anniversary of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, one of the greatest Urdu poets, will be commemorated. Born in Agra in 1797, Ghalib moved to Delhi as a child, where he spent the rest of his life until his death in 1869. His longest residence was in a haveli in Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, near Chandni Chowk.
Ghalib’s biography, Ghalib: The Man, The Times, published in 1989, was well received and has been translated into numerous editions across major Indian languages. However, when the book was first released, few knew the exact location of Ghalib’s home. His haveli, in a state of disrepair, had been taken over by a brickmaker and an iron scrap dealer.
In the late 1990s, Uma Sharma, a renowned kathak dancer, led an effort to restore the haveli. She, along with several others—including veteran bureaucrat Abid Hussain, writer Firoz Bakht Ahmed, corporate leader Vinay Bharat Ram, classical vocalist Iqbal Hussain, and others—founded the Ghalib Memorial Movement. Their first goal was to restore the haveli. This task was a challenge, requiring the support of the Delhi government, which was granted by the then Lieutenant Governor and Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit. After convincing the current occupants to vacate, the haveli was renovated and transformed into a small museum, serving as a memorial to the poet.
In the years that followed, Uma Sharma, the Chief Minister, and other Ghalib admirers gathered at Chandni Chowk on December 27. With torches and traditional drum players, they led a procession to Ghalib’s haveli in Ballimaran. The evening included speeches and an impromptu mushaira. On one occasion, the poet Gulzar joined the procession. This tribute, accompanied by a two-day festival of poetry, music, and dance, has become an annual event. Credit for the event’s continued success goes to Uma Sharma’s tireless efforts in organizing it. This year, a lecture on Ghalib’s life, relevance, and poetic genius was delivered as part of the celebrations.
Ghalib was known for his Sufi beliefs, and his spirituality transcended conventional religious boundaries. When he died, there was confusion over whether his funeral should follow Shia or Sunni rites. It is believed that Ghalib would have been content with any spiritual practice, even being cremated according to Hindu tradition. His writings often reflect his spiritual openness, such as when he expressed a desire to settle in Kashi, drawn by its temples and spiritual energy.
One of his well-known couplets expresses his universal approach to faith:
God is one, that is our faith;
All rituals we abjure.
‘Tis when the symbols vanish
That belief is pure.
Another couplet by Ghalib emphasizes that true faith transcends all external symbols:
Steadfast devotion
Is the foundation of all faith;
If the Brahmin dies in the temple
Bury him in the Kaaba.
These verses illustrate that Ghalib believed that the essence of faith lies beyond rituals. He frequently critiqued religious orthodoxy. One of his famous couplets mocks the hypocrisy of religious leaders:
The tavern door and the preacher
Are truly poles apart.
All I know is I saw him enter
As I left to depart.
Ghalib’s spirituality often mirrored Vedantic philosophy. His reflections on life and existence echoed Vedantic teachings. He wrote:
When except You, none else exists; then, O God, what is all this tumult about?
He also captured the essence of the Vedantic concept of Maya (illusion) in his poetry:
Asad, do not fall a victim
To existence’s deception;
The world is a snare
Of thought’s conception.
Ghalib’s wit and philosophical depth were often intertwined. He humorously remarked:
‘You who tangle with Ghalib—remember; inwardly he is a saint if outwardly a sinner.’
Lastly, Ghalib’s reflections on the nature of existence and God were profound and thought-provoking:
When nothing was, God was;
God would still be if nothing had been;
Being born, I was damned;
What loss would it have been
Had I not been?
This December, as Ghalib’s birth anniversary is observed, his legacy continues to be celebrated. The haveli, now a museum, stands as a tribute to his remarkable life and enduring poetry.
