Jashn-e-Rekhta

Jashn-e-Rekhta
جشنِ ریختہ
Jaspinder Narula performing at Jashn-e-Rekhta 2019
StatusActive
GenreLiterary festival
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Delhi
CountryIndia
Years active2015 – present
Organised byRekhta Foundation
Websitehttps://jashnerekhta.org/

Jashn-e-Rekhta (Urdu: جشنِ ریختہ, lit. 'Celebration of Rekhta', Hindi: जश्न-ए-रेख़्ता) is the world's largest Urdu language literary festival.[1] It is a three-day event held in New Delhi that celebrates Urdu language.[2][3] This event was the flagship event of the Rekhta Foundation.[4] The festival showcases Urdu poetry, Urdu literature, Qawwali, and Islamic calligraphy, with performances such as Ghazal, Sufi music, recitations, panel discussions, debates, conversations on films, and calligraphy workshops. It also includes shopping and food festivals.[5][6] It provides a platform for Urdu lovers[3] to share their poetry and stories in various open forums. The slogan[7] of the festival is "Celebrating Urdu",[8] and it is attended by a huge number of Urdu enthusiasts, younger people[9]

History

The festival was first held in 2015. It is organised by the Rekhta Foundation, a non-profit organization that is devoted to the preservation and promotion of the Urdu language and culture.

Notable participants

Jashn-e-Rekhta has seen participation from dozens of Urdu writers and prominent names from the film, music and TV industry from India, Pakistan, and the United States, including:

Critical views

Jashn-e-Rekhta received criticism from various corners due to its emphasis on Devanagari script and Roman script in expressing the Urdu literature. Rizwan Ahmad argued that "The first few editions did not have the Jashn-e-Rekhta written in Urdu. Recent ones did include the Urdu script, but the schedules were available only in English. The big ‘I LOVE URDU’ cut-out where the youth were seen taking pictures was only in English. Both speak volumes about the targeted audience".[17]

References

  1. ^ "Jashn-e-Rekhta Is Back In Delhi With Fourth Season: Here's What To Expect From The 'Biggest Urdu Festival'". NDTV.com. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  2. ^ "When the soul speaks in Urdu". Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Urdu festival Jashn-e-Rekhta resonates with one and all". The Asian Age. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  4. ^ "'A language has to reach people'". The Indian Express. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Jashn-e-Rekhta 2017: Celebrating Urdu | Three-day Urdu festival". jashnerekhta.org. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  6. ^ Bhanj, Jaideep Chandra Deo. "The great global culinary experiment". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  7. ^ Kumar, Kuldeep (15 December 2017). "Understanding Rekhta". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  8. ^ Kumar, Kuldeep (12 December 2017). "Jashn-e-Rekhta: Celebrating a common heritage". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  9. ^ Vermal Lal, Preeti (12 December 2017). "When the Soul speaks in Urdu". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Jash-e-Rekhta 2019".
  11. ^ "Jashn-e-Rekhta 4th Edition : Celebrating Urdu | Three-day Urdu festival". jashnerekhta.org. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Jashn-e-Rekhta 4th Edition : Celebrating Urdu | Three-day Urdu festival". jashnerekhta.org. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  13. ^ Rekhta (10 October 2016). Dr. Rehman Musawwir at Shaam-e-Sher. Retrieved 5 August 2024 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ rasia (10 December 2017). "Jashn-e-Rekhta shows Urdu is not only alive but rocking". The Siasat Daily – Archive. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  15. ^ rasia (10 December 2017). "Jashn-e-Rekhta shows Urdu is not only alive but rocking". The Siasat Daily – Archive. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  16. ^ Jashn-e-Rekhta (2 March 2018). Varun Grover | Hota Hai Shab-o-Roz Tamasha Mire Aage | Jashn-e-Rekhta 4th Edition 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2024 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ Ahmed, Rizwan. "As We Celebrate Urdu, Let's Not Ignore the Signs of Its Decline in India". The Wire.