Nushoor Wahidi

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Nushoor Wahidi (Wahedi or Vahidi) was a famous Indian Urdu poet. Born in 1911 in the village of Sheikhpur, Ballia District, United Province (renamed as Uttar Pradesh after the Indian independence) Nushoor had 7 siblings. He received his early education at home. Nushoor had begun to compose poems from an early age and had by the age of 13 become famous in his locality as a poet.

Nushoor's major breakthrough came in a poetry session featuring the famous poet Jigar Moradabadi. Moradabadi had been reciting poems for some time and desired to take a break. Nushoor offered to come on stage and recite a few of his own poems while Moradabadi did so. It was in this forum that Nushoor was first recognized by the litarary circles as a talented poet. Even Moradabadi acknowledged the young man's skill.

Known as one of Urdu's last romantic poets, Nushoor published several compilations of Urdu poetry and a volume on philosophy, named the Sabah-e-hind. Despite being very popular in literary circles, Nushoor refused to lend his poetry to the then emerging Indian movie industry. It is perhaps for this reason that Nushoor could not gain the massive fame that his contemporaries had.

Nushoor died in 1983. He was survived by his wife and two sons. His standing as a poet was so great that the Indian Prime Minister, Indra Gandhi, personally called his family to condole his death. A park in the city of Kanpur, India has been named in his honor.