Muslims of India

Siraj Sholapuri is a popular contemporary poet of humor and wit. The arrow of poetry has pierced his heart so he has published a number of poetry collections, which are well received. Interestingly the name of the most of his poetry collections has been taken from a single couplet of the great Ghalib.

कोई मेरे दिल से पूछे तेरे तीरे नीमकश को

कि खलिश कहाँ से होती जो जिगर के पार होता

The first collection of poems ‘Teer-e-Neemkash’ composed by Siraj Sholapuri was published by Anjuman-e-Qadeer, Sholapur. His second, third and fourth poetry collections respectively ‘Khalish Kahan Se Hoti’, ‘Sail-e-Junun’ and ‘Kahin Chhaon Na Mil Jaye” were published by Khidmat-e-Khalq Organization of India. The fifth collection of poems namely ‘Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe’ has been released by Urdu Literary Forum Sholapur.

Siraj Sholapuri is an admirer of the great Ghalib in his art of poesy. Here are some specimen couplets:

दावत में हुआ यूँ भी तमाशा मेरे आगे

आ धमका अचानक कोई मुल्ला मेरे आगे

हर टांग झपट लेता था मिश्काब से खुद ही

आने ही नही देता था मुरगा मेरे आगे

(A strange event occurred in a feast before me

A mulla suddenly had come here

He would snatch every chicken leg from plate

He would not let any chicken come before me.)

एक शाइरा जो बज्म में गाने लगी गजल

बोला कोई कि कुछ न्या कर दिखाइये

गर्दन को जा झटके दे ही रही हैं तो फिर जरा

जहमत कमर को दिजिये, ठुमके लगाईये

(When one poetess began singing a gazal in a poetry symposium

Someone requested her to do a novel thing

‘Since you are moving your neck indeed

Please bring your waist in motion and dance)

Siraj Sholapuri has not only composed humorous poetry, he has also done a good job in serious and sober poetry. There is wide following of his creative outputs and he is considered a guaranty of successes in the mushaira he recites his poems.

We hope more marvelous and hilarious creations from Siraj Sholapuri, who has established himself as an icon not only in the south India but also in the entire country.