Manzar Bhopali


Syed Ali Raza is a contemporary Urdu poet. He was born in Amravati, Maharashtra. During his teenage years, Manzar started taking interest in poetry and attended his first Mushaira at the age of 17. Over the course of 3 decades, he has penned more than a dozen books in Hindi and Urdu.

Early life

Manzar Bhopali was born on 29 December 1959 in Amrawati, Maharashtra, India. He is the third of four children. His grandfather, Mir Khairat Ali was a Hakeem in Achalpur. His father, Mir Abbas Ali worked in the field of Urdu arts and literature and was also a poet. His mother, Tahira Nikhat was an educationist. His family moved from Amrawati to Bhopal when Manzar was very young. Growing up, Manzar was greatly influenced by the poetic culture at his home and the city of Bhopal. He started writing his own couplets when he was fourteen and said his first ghazal at the age of seventeen.

Career

In a career spanning more than three decades, Manzar has recited his poetry in thousands of Mushairas in five continent and two dozen countries. He attended his first international Mushaira in Karachi, Pakistan in 1987. Some of the countries, he has recited his poetry are:
USA- 26 tours since 1991,
Australia- 7 tours,
Canada- 8 tours,
Pakistan- 18 tours,
Iran- 2 tours,
Saudi Arabia- 13 tours,
Oman- 16 tours,
Qatar- 11 tours,
Dubai- 18 tours,
Kuwait-8 tours,
Sharjah
England,
Tanzania,
Norway,
Malaysia,
Thailand
Jordon,
Singapore,
The Kingdom of Bahrain,
The Netherlands.

Awards and honours

Manzar has been honored with several awards, both in India and abroad.
He was given the honorary citizenship in Louisville, Kentucky and was felicitated with the key to the city. In April 2018, he was honored with the 'Pride of Madhya Pradesh' Award by the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, for his contribution to Urdu and Hindi Literature.
Citation from the County Comptroller Hon. George Maragos, Nassau County, New York
Mehboob e Urdu Award, Santa Monica, USA
Honor from Aligarh Alumni Association, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Lifetime Achievement Award, Awam-e-Urdu, Orlando, Canada
Honor from Pakistan Association of Utah, USA
Rashtriya Ekta Award, Hindi Urdu Ekta committee, Lucknow
Sahitya Ratan, Geetanjali Organisation
Shaadan Indori award, MP Urdu Academy
Savitri Foundation Sahitya Award, Lucknow
Ittehade-Millat Nida Fazli Award, Lucknow
Sheri Bhopali Award, Sheri Academy, Bhopal
Ghazal Award, Bazme-Adab, Washington
Bhim Ratna Award, Nagpur
Honor from Geetanjali Organisation, London, UK
Jashne-Manzar Bhopali, Windsor Canada
Ek Shaam Manzar Bhopali ke Naam,
Mandsaur University, Mandsaur
Nishaane-Urdu, Sydney, Australia
Honour from Gehwara E Adab, Atlanta, USA
Sahitya Saraswat, Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag, Allahabad
Mirza Ghalib Award, New Delhi

List of Publications

Manzar has published several books, in Urdu, Hindi, and English.
Ye Sadi Hamari hai, 1991
Zindagi, published in Karachi, Pakistan, 1992
Lahu Rang Mausam, 1996
Manzar Ek Bulandi par, 2000
Udas Kyun Ho, published in India and Pakistan, 2006
Lava, published in India and Pakistan, 2009
Zamane Ke Liye, Urdu Hindi and English, 2011
Haasil, published in India and Pakistan, Urdu 2012
Tishnagi, Urdu, 2013
Taveez, Hindi, 2016
Betiyon Ke Liye, Hindi 2016
Sae mein chale aao, a collection of 1000 poems by poets from all across the world, 2016

Personal life

Manzar is married to Tabassum Manzar and lives in Bhopal with his family. He is graduated from Barkatullah University.