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Genesis

Sir Shankar Lall "Shankar"

Lala Shri Ram, founder of the DCM Shriram Group, first originated the Shankar-Shad Mushaira (Urdu Poetry Symposium) in New Delhi in 1954. This annual gathering has since become a cherished city tradition and a cornerstone of Urdu shayari, bringing together both legendary masters and contemporary voices. As Delhi’s longest-running public Mushaira, it serves as a platform for preserving and promoting the rich legacy of Urdu literature and celebrating the beauty of the language.

With the idea of instituting a periodic symposium to mark the changing face of Urdu poetry through the years, Lala Shri Ram consulted leading literary figures at the time – including renowned then-Chief Commissioner of Delhi Shankar Prasad (ICS), Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia Professor Mohammad Mujeeb, Poet Laureate Ram Dhari Singh Dinkar, as well as other notable civil servants, educationists, and Urdu poets like Josh Malihabadi, V. Shankar, and K.G. Syed. With their guidance and encouragement, Lala Shri Ram conceived the Shankar-Shad Mushaira – in memory of his brother, Sir Shankar Lall ‘Shankar’, and his son, Lala Murli Dhar ‘Shad’, both of whom had themselves been well-known poets of the Delhi School. Since then, the Mushaira has been held annually (subject to geopolitical realities) under the aegis of the Shankar Lall Murli Dhar Memorial Society.

Lala Murli Dhar
"Shad"

Lala Shri Ram greatly valued cross-cultural cooperation and used this platform to allow the many literary giants of his era to enrich the cultural life of the Indian subcontinent. The Shankar-Shad Mushaira soon became a literary institution of vital importance, helping preserve and propagate Urdu Literature. An invite for recitation became a landmark for a young shayar/shayaraa, and the legendary masters would often showcase their latest compositions at the Mushaira to roaring crowds of adoring listeners.

The Mushaira has received the support and encouragement of some of the leading lights of our nation such as our Late Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, Late President Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and other prominent leaders who graced the occasion with their presence and zeal. After the passing of Lala Shri Ram, the Mushaira continued to prosper under the patronage of his sons, Lala Bharat Ram and Lala Charat Ram, and then later by his grandson Dr. Bansi Dhar.

Today, the Shankar-Shad Mushaira continues annually, with the support of DCM Shriram Industries Limited, and under the patronage of Madhav Bansidhar Shriram, the great-grandson of the Late Lala Shri Ram. The Shankar-Shad Mushaira continues to be an exhibition and playground for the greatest Urdu poets in the world.

Genesis

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