Pulwama hosts Mehfil-e-Mushaira in Sufi poet Soch Kral’s memory

PULWAMA — A poetry event ‘Mehfil-e-Mushaira’ was organised in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district by Coffee & Kalam, Kashmakash Trust Pulwama and Qalamkaar Kashmir.

The program was held in Town Hall Pulwama in the memory of Kashmiri Sufi poet Soch Kral, wherein young and prominent poets from across the valley participated.

According to one of the organizers, Musadiq Riyaz, the main motive of this event was to promote Urdu and Kashmiri languages.

“Our primary goal is to provide a platform to the budding poets to showcase their talent in poetry in front of a respectable audience and have a free exchange of ideas concerning various forms of poetry and poetic devices,” another organizer and poet, Shahi Shahbaz, expressed.

The poets who took part in the poetic symposium ‘Mehfil-e-Mushaira’ include Talib Ahmad (Srinagar), Akeel Aasra (Bandipora), Arsalan Aatish (Bandipora), Jazib Sopori (Sopore), Qurat Khan (Srinagar), Tooba Khursheed (Srinagar), Zainab Shafi (Srinagar), Ahmad Sajjad (Budgam), Tawheeda Naz (Srinagar), Mariya Qadri (Bandipora), Aqeel Farooq (Shopian), Shahi Shahbaz (Pulwama), Azam Farooq (Pulwama), Hashir Afnan (Srinagar), Irfan Gazi (Kupwara), Sagar Salam (Kokernag), Mohsin Kashmiri (Bandipora), Mohsin Riyaz (Bandipora), Ummer Fayaz (Anantnag), Mysar Nashad (Anantnag), Mubarak Lone (Baramulla), and Faisal Fehmi (Srinagar).

The program, which was sponsored by The Kings Landing Cafe, Career Candle, KY Hyundai and Food Palace, witnessed the participation of members of Traders Federation Pulwama, students from different schools and poetry-loving people.

It is in place to mention here that Soch Kral (1782 – 1854) was a Kashmiri Sufi poet, and a Sufi saint. He was born in Inder village of the Pulwama district. Being a potter by profession, he lived a simple life devoted to spirituality, monotheism and mysticism.

Soch Kral may have migrated to the village of Devsar in the Anantnag district, where his descendants are still living. He married but divorced his wife, and died on November 29, 1854, in his native Inder village.