Orissa Review * November - 2008
Uzir Beg : A Forgotten Bhakti Poet of Orissa
Mohammed Yamin
maintained the tradition in a locality named
Aarasa, here the spectator cannot experience the
modern light decoration at a raised platform, rather
it has its own uniqueness of old tradition of simple
folk festival.
The Culture of Orissa i.e., Jagannath Culture
based on the non-sectarian ideology welcome
every religious and non-religious believer to its
fold to receive the blessing of Lord Jagannath.
Salbeg, though Muslim by birth is the brightest
star of the Orissan sky who enlighten the Orissan
society by his devotional Bhajanas, Jananas and
Chaupadis. In this 21st Century he still being
reckoned as the brightest literary figure of Orissa.
There are certain other contemporary literary
figures who were unfortunately forgotten in our
society deserve special attention to relook. One
of such Bhakti poet is Uzir Beg. In this paper it is
my humble attempt to rekindle on the life and
work of Uzir Beg, a forgotten Bhakti poet of
Orissa.
God belong to mankind, to achieve their
own narrow goal men divided God. God never
differentiates men or the basis of belief rather takes
all mankind as his own creation. In this way Lord
Ram born in Tretaya Yuga, Lord Krishna in
Dwapara Yuga, in course of time in different yugas
Buddha, Jesus and Prophet Mohammed were
born in order to maintain peace and harmony in
this earth. Poet Uzir Beg understood the thinner
meaning of these religious preachers. So, he had
written his work Nanda Utsava in simple
countryside Oriya language to disseminate his
view on Lord Krishna to all. He expressed his
feeling of supernatural and cosmic love by writing
many heart bubbling works like, Sita Banabas,
Rama Banabas, Bhakta Sudama and Babru
Bahana or Khudrukuni Brata Katha.
Uzir Beg, an acclaimed Bhakti poet had
written few devotional Bhajanas in reverence of
Lord Krishna, his writing is simple and melodious,
which can touch the heart of every human
irrespective of their religious beliefs. His anthology
on Lord Krishna is very famous in current stressful
life which can give solace to the mankind. His
great poem Nanda Utsava is an immortal one,
based on Lord Krishna Supernatural love, touched
the emotion of un-emotive soul. Nanda Utsava
or Gopalila is full of Love, emotion and literary
etymology centric round Lord Krishna. The
performance of Nanda Utsava since long has been
Uzir Beg was born in1869 A.D. at Barua
Haripur village under the district of Jajpur in a
Sunni Muslim Family.1 Sometime he has been
referred as the son of Mughal Father and Brahmin
(Hindu) Mother.2 In course of time, Beg family
migrated to the village Badataela of Kanika
Principality. His father served as a body guard of
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Orissa Review * November - 2008
(Worship and recite in praise of Lord Krishna.
He can only make you free from this worldly life.)
Kanika Raja, here young Uzir experienced the
hardship of the common men. He typically
compared the King Kansa exploitation during
Lord Krishna period with the misery of Kanika.
What he experienced the suffering in Kanika, so,
he reproduced in his writings. His love and
devotion to Lord Krishna, Krishna Gopalila had
changed the emotive mind of Uzir Beg.
Thus, Uzir Beg was a distinguished Bhakti
poet of Orissa. Though he is forgotten in the
literary arena of Orissa but his legendary works
are still performed in the villages like, Aali, Baraha,
Chandbali, Kanika, Kayama and Rajnagar.
Khudurkuni Brata Katha has been published
many times. It is illustrious in village folk. Uzir Beg:
A forgotten Bhakti poet of Orissa, had his own
idiosyncratic in his writings. It needs relook to
unfold many more of his ideas through his
legendary writings.
His famous work Nanda Utsava is a meagre
prose dialogue. He himself was a legendary actor
and musician. He used melodious music for the
scene as it required. Sometime he himself played
the role of Nanda in Nanda Utsava. In the same
play he used tuneful songs in which, emotion,
ridicule, fear, love and anger were fancifully
experienced by the spectators.
References :
Uzir Beg was an acclaimed figure in the
writings of Bhakti Poems in Orissa. He is also
known as the Jaban Kabi. He was a renowned
Oriya Bhakti poet and also a silent reformer. It is
believed that, it was in 1926 A.D. Nanda Utsava
was first performed at Aarasa village with the
band of cultural upholder since then this tradition
is continued till now at the same village.3 K.C.
Behera,4 in his book Oriya Sahitya re Islami
Prabhaba has also outlined the performance of
Nanda Utsava in Aarasa village till now. His
devotion for Lord Krishna could be better
illustrated in his following Bhajana :
Krushna Pujana Kar, Krushna Bhajan Kar,
Kebal gati mukti dwara;
Bhane Beg Uzir, Mu Murkha durachar
Kebal naam matra saar.
1.
S.B. Sutar, ed, Kanika, (Oriya), Mallighara,
(Kanika, lst edition, 2000), P.85.
2.
Md. Ayub "Bhakti dhara re Musalmaan Kabita",
(Oriya), M. Mohapatra, ed, The Samaj, (The Oriya
daily newspaper), Sambalpur, 13.8.2006, P.5.
3.
S.B. Sutar, op.cit.
4.
K.C. Behera, Oriya Sahitya re Islami Prabhaba,
(Oriya), Utkalika, Cuttack, 2007, P.71.
Mohammed Yamin is the Head of Deptt. in History,
C.J.D. College, Borda, Kalahandi - 766036.
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