https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=MareezMareez - Revision history2026-07-31T12:45:01ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Mareez&diff=516465&oldid=prevSurojits999 at 10:27, 31 December 20252025-12-31T10:27:21Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian Gujarati-language poet (1917–1980)}}<br />
{{for|the play about Mareez|Mareez (play)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2025}}<br />
{{Infobox writer <br />
| name = Mareez<br />
| image = Gujarati poet Mareez.jpg<br />
|caption =<br />
| pseudonym = Mareez<br />
| birth_name = Abbas Abdul Ali Vasi<br />
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1917|2|22}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Surat]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]]<br />
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1983|10|19|1917|2|2}}<br />
| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]<br />
| occupation = Poet, journalist<br />
| nationality = Indian<br />
| website = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Abbas Abdul Ali Vasi''' (22 February 1917 – 19 October 1983), popularly known as '''Mareez''', was an Indian poet of [[Gujarati language]], mainly popular for his [[Ghazal]]s.<ref name="Khabarchhe.com 2015">{{cite web | author=Chandrakant Bakshi | title=ગુજરાતના વિરાટ ઉદ્યાનનું અભિન્ન અંગ દાઉદી ગુલશન | website=Khabarchhe.com | date=22 May 2015 | url=http://www.khabarchhe.com/magazine/vahora-part-two/ | language=gu | accessdate=7 June 2015 | archive-date=13 June 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613001103/http://www.khabarchhe.com/magazine/vahora-part-two/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> He is popularly known as ''[[Ghalib]] of Gujarat''.<ref name="Khurana 2018">{{cite web|last=Khurana|first=Ashleshaa|title=Urdu Ghazal's Gujarati Misras|website=The Times of India|date=1 July 2018|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/urdu-ghazals-gujarati-misras/articleshow/64810397.cms|access-date=24 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="Sandesh Gujarati Newspaper 2015">{{cite web | title=કદમોથી પણ વિશેષ થકાવટ હતી 'મરીઝ' મંઝિલ ઉપરથી પાછા ફરેલી નિગાહમાં (છપ્પનવખારી) | website=Sandesh | date=18 February 2015 | url=http://www.sandesh.com/article.aspx?newsid=3043816 | language=gu | accessdate=7 June 2015 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113353/http://www.sandesh.com/article.aspx?newsid=3043816 | archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref><ref name=Kumar1060/> He left studies in young age and started working in rubber shoe factory. Having been interested in poetry, he took up journalism but remained financially unstable throughout his life. He wrote Ghazals published in collections but many of his works remained uncredited which he sold during his financial difficulties. His popularity escalated after his death.<br />
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==Early life==<br />
Abbas Vasi was born in a [[Dawoodi Bohra]] family on 22 February 1917 in Pathanwada area of [[Surat]], [[British India]] to Abdul Ali and Amatullah Vasi. His father was a teacher in Madrasah Taiyabiyah School, Surat. He was third among eleven siblings.<ref name=Kumar1060>{{cite magazine |last=Rahi |first=Dr. S. S. |title= અબ્બાસ વાસી 'મરીઝ'|trans-title= Abbas Vasi 'Mareez'|language=gu |magazine=[[Kumar (magazine)|Kumar]] |location= Ahmedabad|publisher= Kumar Trust| editor1-last = Parikh| editor1-first =Dhiru |editor-link=Dhiru Parikh |pages=7–10| date =April 2016 | issue =1060}}</ref> His mother died of [[tuberculosis]] when he was young. He studied only till second grade as he was not interested in studies. Noticing his disinterest, his father discontinued his studies and sent him to [[Mumbai]] to work.<ref name="GSP">{{cite web | title=સવિશેષ પરિચય: મરીઝ | website= [[Gujarati Sahitya Parishad]] | url=http://gujaratisahityaparishad.com/prakashan/sarjako/savishesh/Savishesh-Mareez.html | language=gu | accessdate=7 June 2015}}</ref><ref name="mtp">{{cite web| title=Mareez The Poet : Life Sketch| website=:: Mareez The Poet| date=19 October 2009| url=http://www.mareezthepoet.com/lifesketch.html| accessdate=7 June 2015| archive-date=27 February 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227031815/http://www.mareezthepoet.com/lifesketch.html| url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
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From young age, Abbas was interested in [[Marsiya]]s as his elder sister Rukhaiya used to recite Marasiyas written by [[Urdu]] poets, [[Mir Babar Ali Anis|Anis]] and [[Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer|Dabeer]]. He wrote his first poem on the first birthday of his cousin when he was fourteen years old. He used to go to Zhapa Bazar in Surat where the group of people interested in Urdu and Gujarati [[Ghazal]]s gathered on regular basis. He met Ameen Azad (1913-1992) there whom he acknowledged as his teacher or ''Ustad''.<ref name="mtp"/> Amin Azad named him, ''Mareez''.<ref name=Kumar1060/><br />
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==Career==<br />
He went to Mumbai in 1932 and started working at Universal Rubber Works which manufactured rubber shoes.<ref name=Kumar1060/> Though his earnings were not good he used to spend them on books. He fell in love with his cousin. His marriage proposal was rejected by her father because of his financial condition and habits of smoking and drinking. He was deeply shocked by the incident.<ref name="mtp"/><br />
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He left the rubber shoe factory and started working as journalist.<ref name="GSP"/> He also briefly worked as a salesman of bookseller, Shrafali and Sons, Bhindi Bazar, Bombay.<ref name=Kumar1060/> He had edited a special edition of ''Gulshan-e-Dawoodi''. He worked briefly with ''Vatan'' and ''Matrubhumi'' dailies. ''Vatan'' stopped publishing following the [[Partition of India]]. He published ''Azaan'', ''Khushbu'' and ''Umeed'' magazines but they were stalled due to financial constraints. His friend and poet, [[Asim Randeri]] helped him and he presented his first ever Mushayara, recitation of Ghazals, on [[All India Radio]] in Mumbai in 1936. He also worked in ''Leela'', a magazine published by Randeri.<ref name=Kumar1060/> He married his wife Sona in 1946 and uncle of his wife, Salehbhai Abdul Kader introduced him to [[Indian Independence Movement]] and he participated in [[Quit India Movement]] in 1942.<ref name="mtp"/><br />
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In 1960, he joined as an editor of ''Insaaf'', a weekly of Muslim [[Dawoodi Bohra]] community which helped him stabilise financially. He was appointed by Sayyedna [[Taher Saifuddin]], [[Dā'ī al-Mutlaq]] of the Dawoodi Bohra. After death of Sayyedna, the weekly stalled so he returned to freelance journalism. In 1964, he was infected with tuberculosis and was admitted to Sarvoday Hospital, [[Ghatkopar]] for two months with monetary help of his admirer Pravin Pandya. In 1965, a wealthy person who wanted to be poet hired Mareez to write poems in his own pen name ''Tabeeb''. The book ''Dard'' was published in September 1966 causing uproar in literary circles and his admirers resulting in it being withdrawn from the market.<ref name="mtp"/><ref name="World News 2009">{{cite web | title=મુકત મીરાં, મુકત મરીઝ | website=World News | date=24 August 2009 | url=http://article.wn.com/view/WNATeea0263886d4cc5b37dbdd6a9a72545b/ | language=gu | accessdate=7 June 2015}}</ref><br />
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He confined himself to his home in last two years. He was knocked down by speeding [[auto rickshaw]] while crossing road just outside his home on 13 October 1983. He had multiple fractures in thigh. He was admitted to hospital in [[Ghatkopar]], Mumbai and underwent successful surgery on 19 October 1983. He died on the same day following heart attack in the hospital. He was buried the next day at Kurla Dawoodi Bohra Kabrastan in Zarimari area.<ref name=Kumar1060/><ref name="mtp"/><br />
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==Works==<br />
His pen name, ''Mareez'', literally means "a sick man".<ref>{{cite book|title=Indian Writing Today|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1wUtAQAAIAAJ|year=1967|publisher=Nirmala Sadanand Publishers|page=27}}</ref> He wrote some [[Nazm]] and many Ghazals. In his financially difficult times, he sold his creation for which he was not credited. His first collection of Ghazals, Nazm and Muktak; ''Aagman'' was published in 1975. He dedicated it to Pravin Pandya. His second collection ''Nakshaa'' was published posthumously in 1984. Some of his poetry is published in ''Disha'' (1980) along with others.<ref name="GSP"/><ref name="mtp"/> His complete works, ''Samagra Mareez'', was published by his son in 2012. It was edited by [[Rajesh Vyas 'Miskin']].<ref name="Singh2001">{{cite book|author=Nagendra Kr Singh|title=Encyclopaedia of Muslim Biography: I-M|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qVtuAAAAMAAJ|year=2001|publisher=A.P.H. Publishing Corporation|isbn=978-81-7648-233-2|pages=472–473}}</ref> His religious poetry was published in religious and social magazines. Some of them were later anthologised in ''Akidat'' (1991) edited by his son Mohsin Vasi and poet Gulamabbas 'Nashad'.<ref name=Kumar1060/><br />
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He also partially translated Urdu poetry, ''[[Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa|Siqva Jawab E Siqva]]'' by [[Muhammad Iqbal|Iqbal]] in Gujarati.<ref name="mtp"/> He had also written two books, ''Mazloom-e-Karbala'' and ''Hurr'' dedicated to [[Imam Hussain]] which are not available in publication.<ref name=Kumar1060/><br />
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[[Raeesh Maniar]] published his biography titled ''Mareez : Astitva Ane Vyaktitva''. It was later adapted into a play titled ''[[Mareez (play)|Mareez]]'', directed by [[Manoj Shah]].<ref name="editorial">{{cite web | last=editorial | first=MTG | title=Mareez Gujarati Play/Drama | website=www.MumbaiTheatreGuide.com | url=http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/gujarati/mareez.asp | accessdate=7 June 2015}}</ref><br />
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==Recognition==<br />
He was felicitated in 1970 and in 1981 by Mareez Sanman Samiti for his contributions.<ref name="mtp"/> He was awarded [[Premanand Suvarna Chandrak]] posthumously in 1984.<ref name=Kumar1060/><br />
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==Personal life==<br />
He was introduced to Sona in the 1940s and they fell in love. They married in 1946. His son Mohsin was born in 1947 and his daughter Lulua in 1952.<ref name=Kumar1060/><ref name="mtp"/><br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==Further reading==<br />
* {{cite book|author=Maniar, Raeesh|title=Mareez : Astitva Ane Vyaktitva : Life Story and selected poems of Mareez|language=gu|publisher=Image Publications|location=Ahmedabad|date=January 2001|isbn=978-81-7997-712-5|oclc=59530879|author-link=Raeesh Maniar}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Purohit, Ramesh|title=Mareezni Gazal|year=2008|publisher=Navbharat Sahitya Mandir|isbn=978-81-8440-148-6|language=gu}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Vadgama, Nitin|title=Gazal Sarjak Mareez|year=2006|publisher=Navbaharat Sahitya Mandir|language=gu|oclc=85765657}}<br />
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== External links ==<br />
* {{Gujarati Vishwakosh}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mareez}}<br />
[[Category:1917 births]]<br />
[[Category:1983 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:People from Surat]]<br />
[[Category:Gujarati-language poets]]<br />
[[Category:Dawoodi Bohra people]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Ismailis]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian Muslims]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]<br />
[[Category:Gujarati writers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian male poets]]<br />
[[Category:Poets from Gujarat]]<br />
[[Category:Urdu-language Indian poets]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]</div>Surojits999