‘Har ik makaan mein jalā phir diyā Dīvālī kā’: Diwali illuminated in Urdu verse

‘The joy of Diwali enters every heart’: Nazeer’s India and the spirit of shared celebration

When Urdu poet Nazeer Akbarabadi (1740–1830) penned his glowing verses on Diwali, he was writing about much more than a festival of lights — he was chronicling the pulse of an India where joy transcended religion, where cultural celebration was collective, and where the gleam of a diya symbolised a shared heritage.

At a time when the Mughal empire was fading and the British were tightening their colonial grip, Nazeer’s poetry stood as a radiant testament to India’s plural soul. He saw Diwali not as a ritual confined to one faith but as a cultural carnival embraced by all.

“In his times,” noted the poet Seemab Akbarabadi, “Hindus and Muslims differed only in their modes of worship, not in their way of life.”

Festivals, music, food, and language were shared — and Diwali, above all, was everyone’s joy.

In Nazeer’s India, lamps illuminated every home, and hearts illuminated every gathering.

A festival of colours, sweets, and humanity

In his celebrated poem ‘Sāmān Dīvālī kā’, Nazeer turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. He paints the marketplace as an orchestra of colours and sounds — sweets glitter like jewels, toys giggle like children, and laughter resounds through the streets. The sweet shops overflow with batasha, barfi, imarti, laddoo and balushahi.

In Nazeer’s world, Diwali is as much about the laughter of children as it is about the fragrance of sweets or the flicker of lamps: baṭāshe hañste haiñ aur kheL khilkhilāte haiñ — the sweets laugh, and the puffed grains burst with joy.

Each verse captures the essence of Diwali as a people’s festival — rooted in warmth, generosity, and shared delight. Even poverty or loss does not darken its spirit. Nazeer writes with humour and humanity: kisī ne ghar kī haveli giro rakhā hārī, kisī ne chīz kisī kisī kī churā chhupā hārī, ye hār jīt kā charchā paṛā dīvālī kā (Someone lost his mansion, another smuggled his neighbour’s trinket — the talk of wins and losses fills the Diwali night.)

Here gambling, often seen as a vice, becomes an emblem of joy — a temporary madness that unites people in laughter and lightheartedness: Nazīr, āp bhī haiñ juwārīyā dīvālī kā — Nazeer himself is a gambler on Diwali, he confesses playfully.

Diwali as a celebration of beauty and renewal

In another poem, ‘Hamen ʿAdāyeñ Dīvālī kī Zor Bhātī Haiñ’, Nazeer’s imagery bursts with cinematic detail. His Diwali is not confined to temples or courtyards — it spills into the lanes, markets, rooftops, and hearts of people:

He again describes sweetshops brimming with barfi, jalebi, imarti, laddoo and balushahi, where buyers crowd around with delight. He watches toy-sellers displaying clay elephants, horses and birds painted in vivid colours:

In Nazeer’s lines, clay toys crafted by the kumhar (potter) symbolise the creative pulse of Indian artisanship. Qalam kumhār kī kyā kyā hunar jatātī hai (the potter’s brush reveals wonders), he marvels.

His verse celebrates not opulence but artistry — the ordinary crafts that shape the extraordinary joy of a people’s festival.

Musalmān kahte haiñ ‘Ḥaq Allāh’, Hanūd kahte haiñ ‘Shrī Bhagwān’: The Syncretic Soul of a Festival

Perhaps the most poignant moment in Nazeer’s Diwali poem comes when he observes, without prejudice or division, the faiths mingling in devotion and joy:

This couplet alone captures the essence of Ganga–Jamuni tehzeeb — the syncretic culture of northern India where religious difference did not separate hearts.

To Nazeer, Diwali was not ‘a Hindu festival observed by others’; it was an Indian festival celebrated by all. The spiritual and the social merged in one dazzling frame.

At a time when identity politics threatens to divide even festivals, Nazeer’s Diwali poems remind us of an older, luminous unity — one where Allah and Bhagwan coexisted naturally in the laughter of markets, the crackle of diyas and the fragrance of sweets.

The eternal festival of light and life

Diwali for Nazeer was not just about lamps and rituals — it was about the joy of human connection, the renewal of bonds and the celebration of existence itself.

These lines transcend centuries. They could describe an 18th-century Agra or a 21st-century Delhi, with the glow of diyas still symbolising hope, renewal and harmony.

In another poem, Nazeer wrote:

His concluding lines sum up his philosophy of festivity and faith:

Rekindling the light of pluralism

In today’s India, where festivals are too often painted in sectarian colours, revisiting Nazeer Akbarabadi’s Diwali is an act of cultural reclamation. His verses remind us that Diwali was once — and can still be — a symbol of India’s composite spirit, where faith was private but festivity was collective.

When Nazeer saw har ek dānt se peṛe aṭakte phirte haiñ, imartī uchle haiñ laḍḍū ḍhulakte phirte haiñ (guavas get stuck in every tooth, imartis bounce and laddoos roll along), he wasn’t just chronicling a scene — he was celebrating a civilisational ethos: an India where laughter, trade and light bound people together more powerfully than creed or caste ever could.

To relive Diwali through Nazeer’s poetry is to reclaim that vision — of an India where har ik makān mein jalā phir diyā dīvālī kā, where every home shines and every heart glows with the same light.

Hasnain Naqvi is a former member of the history faculty at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai. More of his writing may be read here

PS: More of Nazeer’s poetry is reproduced below for the curious and patient reader.

***

The Urdu poet Nazeer Akbarabadi (1740-1830) wrote over a dozen poems on Diwali, with more couplets distributed over a range of poems.

In these, he had written about toys and sweets and lights and colour forming an important part of the festivities. Sample the following:

Poem 1

His poem ‘Samān Diwali Ka’ is a magnificent example of him praising the joys of this festival. It’s a beautiful description of the way people celebrated Diwali in the 18th century. He describes the festival as the day when each house is illuminated with lamps, and each heart is full of joy and ecstasy, while the surroundings bloom.

Describing the scene of the market, he writes that the trade in toys, khil (popped rice) and sweets is at its peak. Lamps are being sold with fervour too.

‘Sweet shop owners call people to buy sweets, saying, “Lo! it’s Diwali”, and people respond by purchasing a variety of sweets, some take batasha, some weigh up barfi; but the toy-sellers do even better business than these’ — Nazeer has painted a picture of Diwali where everybody is happily buying sweets and toys.

‘Homes are painted, utensils are cleaned, and lamps are lit’ — this is Nazeer’s description of Diwali. He even celebrates gambling as an important part of this festival.

Nazeer further writes that the enjoyment of Diwali is owed to the money, but without it also, one can celebrate. “The one who loses the gamble is doomed and the one who wins is happy, but still lamp of Diwali keeps the joy of the festival intact for the losers too,” he writes:

He ends the poem saying one should not think ill of the gamblers on this day. “It’s the day of festivities and the poet himself gambles on this day. For him, one should be advised against ills of gambling, but festivities should not stop and Diwali is all about sweets, toys, lights and gambling,” he suggests.

Poem 2

Nazeer also celebrated Diwali in another poem:

He writes that if one is well stocked with the objects needed to celebrate, Diwali can bring out the maximum ecstasy and joy.

In this poem, he again talks about the market scenery, gambling, sweets, etc.

He equates the mood of this festival to that of spring, concluding the poem with the following couplet:

Poem on Diwali in Hindi:

हमें अदाएं दिवाली की ज़ोर भाती हैं, मकां-मकां में बहारें ही झमझमाती हैं

— नज़ीर अकबराबादी

हमें अदाएं दिवाली की ज़ोर भाती हैं

कि लाखों झमकें हर एक घर में जगमगाती हैं

चिराग जलते हैं और लौएं झिलमिलाती हैं

मकां-मकां में बहारें ही झमझमाती हैं

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

गुलाबी बर्फ़ियों के मुंह चमकते-फिरते हैं

जलेबियों के भी पहिए ढुलकते-फिरते हैं

हर एक दांत से पेड़े अटकते-फिरते हैं

इमरती उछले हैं लड्डू ढुलकते-फिरते हैं

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

मिठाइयों के भरे थाल सब इकट्ठे हैं

तो उन पै क्या ही ख़रीदारों के झपट्टे हैं

नबात, सेव, शकरकन्द, मिश्री गट्टे हैं

तिलंगी नंगी है गट्टों के चट्टे-बट्टे हैं

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

जो बालूशाही भी तकिया लगाए बैठे हैं

तो लौंज खजले यही मसनद लगाते बैठे हैं

इलायची दाने भी मोती लगाए बैठे हैं

तिल अपनी रेबड़ी में ही समाए बैठे हैं

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

उठाते थाल में गर्दन हैं बैठे मोहन भोग

यह लेने वाले को देते हैं दम में सौ-सौ भोग

मगध का मूंग के लड्डू से बन रहा संजोग

दुकां-दुकां पे तमाशे यह देखते हैं लोग

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

दुकां सब में जो कमतर है और लंडूरी है

तो आज उसमें भी पकती कचौरी-पूरी है

कोई जली कोई साबित कोई अधूरी है

कचौरी कच्ची है पूरी की बात पूरी है

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

कोई खिलौनों की सूरत को देख हंसता है

कोई बताशों और चिड़ों के ढेर कसता है

बेचने वाले पुकारे हैं लो जी सस्ता है

तमाम खीलों बताशों का मीना बरसता है

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

और चिराग़ों की दुहरी बंध रही कतारें हैं

और हरसू कुमकुमे कन्दीले रंग मारे हैं

हुजूम, भीड़ झमक, शोरोगुल पुकारे हैं

अजब मज़ा है अजब सैर है अजब बहारें हैं

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

अटारी, छज्जे दरो बाम पर बहाली है

दिबाल एक नहीं लीपने से खाली है

जिधर को देखो उधर रोशनी उजाली है

ग़रज़ में क्या कहूं ईंट-ईंट पर दिवाली है

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

जो गुलाबरू हैं सो हैं उनके हाथ में छड़ियां

निगाहें आशि‍कों की हार हो गले पड़ियां

झमक-झमक की दिखावट से अंखड़ियां लड़ियां

इधर चिराग़ उधर छूटती हैं फुलझड़ियां

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

क़लम कुम्हार की क्या-क्या हुनर जताती है

कि हर तरह के खिलौने नए दिखाती है

चूहा अटेरे है चर्खा चूही चलाती है

गिलहरी तो नव रुई पोइयां बनाती हैं

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

कबूतरों को देखो तो गुट गुटाते हैं टटीरी बोले है

और हंस मोती खाते हैं हिरन उछले हैं,

चीते लपक दिखाते हैं भड़कते हाथी हैं

और घोड़े हिनहिनाते हैं

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

किसी के कान्धे ऊपर गुजरियों का जोड़ा है

किसी के हाथ में हाथी बग़ल में घोड़ा है

किसी ने शेर की गर्दन को धर मरोड़ा है

अजब दिवाली ने यारो यह लटका जोड़ा है

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

धरे हैं तोते अजब रंग के दुकान-दुकान

गोया दरख़्त से ही उड़कर हैं बैठे आन

मुसलमां कहते हैं ‘‘हक़ अल्लाह’’ बोलो मिट्ठू जान

हनूद कहते हैं पढ़ें जी श्री भगवान

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

कहीं तो कौड़ियों पैसों की खनख़नाहट है

कहीं हनुमान पवन वीर की मनावट है

कहीं कढ़ाइयों में घी की छनछनाहट है

अजब मज़े की चखावट है और खिलावट है

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं

‘नज़ीर’ इतनी जो अब सैर है अहा हा हा

फ़क़त दिवाली की सब सैर है अहा हा ! हा

निषात ऐशो तरब सैर है अहा हा हा

जिधर को देखो अज़ब सैर है अहा हा हा

खिलौने नाचें हैं तस्वीरें गत बजाती हैं

बताशे हंसते हैं और खीलें खिलखिलाती हैं