The Bombay Poetry Crawl

20th century poetry & Indian cities:

archives, walks, talks

Collaborators

What & Why?

Preserving the legacy of Bombay poets

The Bombay Poetry Crawl (TBPC) is a dedicated archival research space focusing on Bombay poets who wrote about the city from 1947-1999 in various languages including Hindi, Marathi, English, Urdu, Gujarati, Tamil, and more. Our mission is to preserve and celebrate the rich literary heritage of Bombay through the works of these poets.

Exploring diverse linguistic and cultural narratives

TBPC offers seamless integration with different platforms, providing a unique opportunity to explore and experience the linguistic and cultural diversity of Bombay through the lens of poetry, offering a deeper understanding of the city's rich heritage.

NOTE: It’s شاعری not شایری

The relationship between cities and shayari in the Urdu poetic world evolved in the 20th century. Poets began letting go of overused tropes such as chaand, sitara, ishq, mohabbat, fida, and began writing realistically about daily life. Part of this had to do with the nationalist writings of PWA Urdu writers during British anti-imperial battles. Another part was the disillusionment they faced post-independence as the nation they fought for was nowhere to be found. That, combined with a growing economy, struggles of a nascent country, thriving film industry and increasing national literacy rates, nurtured writers whose urban poetics stand the test of time. Here are some to remember.

Disclaimer: it’s not confirmed that all of these particular poets wrote these sher for Bombay directly. But I’d like to read them in my city, as letters to my city.

Share your favorites in the comments!👇

[urdu poetry, shayari, kaifi azmi, nida fazli, meena kumari, shahryar, akhtarul iman]

#thebombaypoetrycrawl

Bombay POV: my city at night🌖🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓🌔
all photos taken by moi📸

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Season 2 Episode 2: Yogesh Maitreya •
The 1997 Ramabai Nagar massacre, in which 11 dalit people were gunned down by the police after a Babasaheb statue was desecrated and locals were peacefully gathering, exemplifies the brutal continuation of caste based violence even in the most cosmopolitan city. But what makes Ramabai Nagar? And is it harmful to homogenise its demographic? Yogesh Maitreya talks about the multiplicity that exists in the north eastern Bombay suburb, and how its inclusive ethos resists stereotype and prejudice.

To watch the full interview, tap the link in my bio.
@yogeshmaitreya @pantherspawpublication

#thebombaypoetrycrawl

how does that saying go again? a book a day?
reading recommendations from @rhoskote

[bombay, sujata patel, alice thorner, bombay books, mumbai, urban stories]
#bombay #bombaybook
#thebombaypoetrycrawl

Today, my favourite people - @dastangoakshay, @pradnyadpawar, @lokshahirsambhaji and Neeraja Ma’am - accompanied incredible artists Kishore Kadam, Yuvraj Mohite, Chinmayi Sumit, Deepak Rajadhyaksh, Hemant Dhome and Kailash Waghmare. To honour the lokkavi Narayan Surve, they hosted an amazing amazing event called “चावडी” (named after Surve’s column).

It was a packed audience and all of us were unable to look away from the readings for even a second. The range of Surve’s poetry read was vast - covering his lavanis, kaamgar poetry, Marxist poetry, kabootar poems, women poems, and so much more.

And the company helped too - @tivramadhyam @poetly_in 😊

#narayansurve

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Veshya by Dr Pradnya Daya Pawar: a poem.
@pradnyadpawar

#thebombaypoetrycrawl

Today is the birth anniversary of Vilas Ghogare.

Lokshahir Vilas Ghogre (1 June 1947- 15 July1997) was a revolutionary balladeer, poet, Dalit activist, artist and “lokshahir”—people’s poet—known for singing his songs with an ektara string instrument. His father, Bhikaji Ghogre, would play bhajans on his ektara, which influenced Vilas to do the same with Ambedkarite, anti-caste songs. In 1965, he was forced to move to Bombay where he worked as a vegetable vendor, saree artisan, rubber stamp factory, while also singing at social gatherings. His early songs were chronicles of labour, politics, workers’ rights, and a Dalit life that he inherited, each one filled with pride, courage and dignity that Ghogre infused into powada and ballads.

#thebombaypoetrycrawl

Yesterday @yashsheth3 posted a story about reading Meghdhoot, and in this sticky humidity and heatwave-ridden summer, I reread this incredible poem and felt solace in its longing. Kalidasa wrote Meghdhoot in the 4th or 5th century CE, and it stands as one of the greatest love poems,s to come out of Sanskrit literature. Its story follows a banished yaksha who asks for a cloud to deliver a message to his lover. And so the cloud messenger, the megh-dhoot, is created. The poem travels through the Himalayas and flat lands, through all seasons and storms, through various desires and wants of the yaksha.

Right now, we wait for Bombay’s monsoons by holding on to any fragment of hope we can. This poem is one of those pieces I carry while waiting for the rain.

Screenshots taken from the @hindwi_official website.
Meghdhoot by Kalidasa.

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Season 2 Episode 2: Yogesh Maitreya | LINK IN BIO
Yogesh’s book, Water in a Broken Pot, transgresses the boundaries between novel and memoir. In my hour long interview with him, he spoke about his journey as a writer and publisher of anti case literature. Beyond his work with @pantherspawpublication is his own thinking and writing. Listen to how his book came to life, and watch the full interview (link in bio) to discover what’s brought him to this point and what lies ahead.

#thebombaypoetrycrawl

I LOVE FINDING ROUNDED BUILDINGS IN MY CITY 🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♀️
Namdeo Dhasal postcard by @elimentaryart
All pictures by yours truly 📸

#thebombaypoetrycrawl #bombay #mumbai #mumbaiphotography #artdecobuilding
[bombay, buildings, street photography, photography, mumbai photography, art deco, art deco mumbai]

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Reach out to us to explore the poetic world of Bombay, share your insights, or collaborate on projects dedicated to preserving and promoting the poetic legacy of the city.