Famous Urdu poet Jalalpuri dies at 71

Lucknow, January 2

Renowned Urdu poet Anwar Jalalpuri, famous for translating the Bhagwad Gita into Urdu couplets, passed away at a hospital here today. He was 71 and is survived by his wife and three sons.

Admitted to trauma centre of King George Medical University Hospital on December 28 after suffering a brain stroke, Jalalpuri’s condition remained critical till the end came this morning.

The last rites of the Yash Bharti award winning poet will be held on Wednesday at his native village of Jalalpur in Ambedkar Nagar district. 

With the aim to promote communal harmony, Jalalpuri had translated more than 700 shlokas of Bhagwad Gita from Sanskrit to Urdu, winning all-round accolade.

A popular poet at mushairas, Jalalpuri’s important literary works include ‘Rahrau se Rahnuma Tak’. He had also written the dialogues for TV serial ‘Akbar the Great’. He was a member of the Uttar Pradesh Haj Committee and had also the chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education. In 1969, Mirza Ghalib’s birth centenary year, Jalapuri had set up a junior high school named after the iconic poet Mirza Ghalib in Jalalpur. — TNS