Lala Madhav Ram ‘Jauhar’

Lala Madhav Ram, who wrote under the pen name Jauhar, was born in 1810 in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh. He grew up in a period when Urdu poetry was flourishing, and mushairas (poetry gatherings) were the soul of cultural life.

Jauhar’s poetry stood out for its simplicity and elegance. He had a gift for crafting couplets that spoke directly to the heart. Many of his shers captured feelings of longing, love, and the bittersweet truths of human relationships. His words were concise yet powerful, often leaving listeners with thoughts that lingered long after the verse was spoken.

Although detailed records about his personal life remain limited, Jauhar is remembered as a contemporary of Mirza Ghalib. This connection places him among the circle of highly respected Urdu poets of the 19th century. His verses were not only admired in his own time but also carried forward as part of Urdu’s rich literary heritage.

Some of his well-known lines continue to resonate even today:

“aaj ik aur baras beet gaya us ke baghair,

jis ke hote hue hote the zamaane mere”

("Another year has passed without them, when they were here, my world was complete.")

Jauhar passed away in 1889 in Farrukhabad, leaving behind a legacy of soulful couplets and ghazals. Though not as widely published as some of his peers, his poetry continues to live through anthologies and literary collections, inspiring those who cherish the beauty of classical Urdu verse.

Lala Madhav Ram Jauhar is remembered as a poet whose words held both simplicity and depth, reflecting the timeless charm of Urdu poetry.