Google doodle pays tribute to Ghalib
In a tribute to the legendary poet, the doodle shows Ghalib looking outside in the backdrop of Mughal architecture, holding his pen and paper and penning his imagination. Photo: Google Doodle
(Web Desk) – Google paid tribute to south-east Asia’s most celebrated legendary poet Mirza Ghalib with a doodle on his 220th birth anniversary.
The renowned poet was born on December 27, 1797 in Agra.
Ghalib remains one of the most popular and influential poets of Urdu and Persian language. He started writing poetry from the age of 11, according to The Indian Express. His first language was Urdu but Persian and Turkish were also spoken at his home. He received his education in Persian and Arabic.
In a tribute to the legendary poet, the doodle shows Ghalib looking outside in the backdrop of Mughal architecture, holding his pen and paper and penning his imagination.
#Mirza Ghalib’s 220th Birthday
— Goggle Doddle (@GoggleDoddle) December 26, 2017
Date: December 27, 2017
Today we celebrate one of Urdu literature’s most iconic poets, Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan, known in popular culture by many names, but most commonly as Ghalib (meaning conqueror).
Born in the Indian state of Uttar Pr… pic.twitter.com/Tc760DRcnm
"His (Ghalib) verse is characterised by a lingering sadness borne of a tumultuous and often tragic life — from being orphaned at an early age, to losing all of his seven children in their infancy, to the political upheaval that surrounded the fall of Mughal rule in India. He struggled financially, never holding a regular paying job but instead depending on patronage from royalty and more affluent friends," Google said in its blog post on the doodle.
“But despite these hardships, Ghalib navigated his circumstances with wit, intellect, and an all-encompassing love for life. His contributions to Urdu poetry and prose were not fully appreciated in his lifetime, but his legacy has come to be widely celebrated, most particularly for his mastery of the Urdu ghazal (amatory poem),” the post added.
Ghalib’s ghazals have been translated in many languages and are extremely popular among the poets and poetry enthusiasts. He continues to inspire not only the youth in south-Asia but also readers around the world.
Mirza Ghalib died in Delhi on 15 February 1869 and the house where he lived, in Old Delhi, has been turned into "Ghalib Memorial". Known as "Ghalib ki Haveli", it permanently houses Ghalib’s exhibitions.
For more on this, watch a report by Dunya News below.
