The tradition of mushaira

Literally, mushaira is a poetry symposium. Poets from far and wide are invited to recite their latest verse. The audience attend in large numbers and express their appreciation with a loud, verbal chant of "wah-wah". Those poets who can lyrically recite with extempore receive a lions share of appreciation.

The stage secretary Nazim conducts the event by introducing each poet. The order in which the poets are invited to present their work is in the reverse order of poet’s seniority, from novices to masters (ustad). In a traditional setting a burning candle is brought in front of the poet who is due to recite. He or she then seeks the permission of the Chair Mir-e-Mushaira before proceeding with the recitation.

The stage secretary (Nazim) is responsible for the proceedings of the Mushaira who arranges an appropriate seating order for the poets – senior poets are grouped together.  An excellent, fictional account of the last Delhi mushaira is presented in the epic tale of Urdu poetry by Farhatullah Beg (Mazameen-e-Farhat, in Urdu).  The diagram below shows the poets seating plan for the Mushaira Urdu Ghazal.

Urdu Ghazal is probably the most developed and popular form of poetry. It constitutes of self-contained couplets that are composed with the view to express the poets love, message, thought or indeed his philosophy. While the length of the verse maybe variable, the chosen rhyme and metre remains unchanged throughout the entire composition of that ghazal.