KMAWS condoles demise of poet

Chrar-e-Sharief, Oct 9: Kashmir Markaz Adab-wa-Saqafat expressed its deepest condolences to the family of well-known sufi poet and writer of Kashmir, Haji Ghulam Ahmad Dilbar on his departure from this material world.

Ghulam Ahmed Dilbar’s real name was Ghulam Ahmad Matto and “Dilber” was his pen name. He was born in Charar-i-Sharif in 1922 AD. His father’s name was Ilyas Baba Matto.

Dilbar Sahib was a spiritual guide of Ghulam Nabi Gowhar. In his lifetime, he published 16 collections of poetry. Dilbar’s first poetry collection was published in 1956 in the name of “Kalam-e-Dilbar” which was followed by Aashiq Mashooq, Shama-te-Paonpar, Rubayat-i-Dilbar, Naat Nabi, Miraj Nama, Sooz-e-Ishq, Manqbat and others.

Kashmir’s well-known critic and educationist Prof. Mohiuddin Hajni in one of his writings called Dilbar as a “Shayr-e-Dilbar.” In a similar show of respect for his great stature and intellectual depth of his poetry, renowned poet late Ghulam Nabi Aariz called him Kastoor-e-Alamdar (Fragrance of Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani).

As soon as the news of his demise poured in, a large number of people expressed their sorrow. Hundreds of sorrowful people attended his funeral prayerS and conveyed their condolences with his son, Muhammad Iqbal Mattoo.

Kashmir Markaz Adab-wa-Saqafat President Dr Gazzanfar Ali and patrons Ghulam Nabi Adfar and Ali Ahsan, Secretary Mushtaq Mehram, President Adabi Markaz Kamraz, Mohammad Amin Bhat, Convenor Sahitya Academy, Prof Shad Ramzan, besides Nisar Ahmad Dildar, Warsi Bashir, Mohammad Yaseen Madhosh, Ghulam Rasool Sadoor, Showkat Farar, Bashir Ahmad Baba (President Fruit Traders Association), Rasheed Javed, Haji Younis (Mutwali Shrine), Advocates Mohammad Ashraf Shah and Nazir Ahmad Mashooq, Ali Mohammad Wazir, Waqar Ahmad, Zahoor Ahmer, Prof Farooq Fayaz, Younis Wahid, Abdul Rashid Shad, Dr Ghulam Nabi Haleem, Nazir Saliq, Shafat Shaida and other prominent poets, thinkers and scholars and citizens expressed their condolences on the demise.