Tajik Prez visit: Mirza Bedil's tomb in Delhi gets face-lift

All of a sudden the dilapidated tomb of Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedil, the great Persian poet, who was born in Patna, is getting a face-lift. The officials are busy sprucing up the structure and plaques would be put up about the poet.

Incidentally, Bedil is very popular in Central Asia rather than India, where he was born and died. However, the upcoming visit of Emomali Rahmanov the Tajikistan President who is arriving in Delhi on August 6 has prompted officials into action.

Rahmanov had expressed his wish to visit Bagh-e-Bedil on Mathura Road. Ghalib drew heavily from Bedil. Ghalib's couplet 'tarz-e-bedil meN reKhta kahnaa/asadullah khaN qayaamat hai' is well-known. Many other Urdu and Persian poets have been inspired from the 17th century poet who has great following in Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

"Bedil az kulfat-e-shikasht mun'aal Bazm-e-hasti dukaan-e-shishagar ast (Bedil weep not for your losses, this party that is life, is after all held in a glassmaker's shop)."
Moushumidas Gupta has reported in HT www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1758717,000600010001.htm