Google Doodle is celebrating renowned Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib's 220th birth anniversary

Google is celebrating the 220th birth anniversary of one of the most iconic Urdu poets, Mirza Ghalib, who was popularly known by one of his pen-names Ghalib which means ‘dominant’. Ghalib was born on 27 December 1797 and named as Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan in Agra, Uttar Pradesh during the reign of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah. [caption id=“attachment_4276859” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Ghalib Google Doodle. Google[/caption]   The **Google Doodle** shows Ghalib looking out of one of the arched windows of a palace, holding a pen and paper as though he is set to pen down some memorable couplet or two. In the background we see a pink sky and minarets to the right-hand side, placing this scene somewhere in Delhi, where the poet spent most of his productive years. Ghalib was educated in Persian, Urdu and Arabic. Many of his verses are characterised by sadness borne from the difficult experiences of his life. The iconic Urdu poet was orphaned at early age and also lost seven of his infant children. He also witnessed the fall of Mughal rule in India. According to the post on Google, Ghalib struggled financially, never had a full-time job and survived on the patronage of royalty and affluent friends. His contribution to poetry and prose was not fully appreciated during his lifetime, but it began getting traction only posthumously. His prose has been converted into memorable Ghazals. Ghalib was given the title of “Dabir-ul-Mulk” and “Najm-ud-daula” by the then Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II. Despite all the financial difficulties and emotional turmoil, Ghalib navigated his life with wit, intellect and a love for life. Ghalib died at the age of 71 in the house ‘Ghalib ki Haveli’ located at Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. The house has now been converted into a museum and attracts a lot of travellers from India and abroad. You can check out the early concepts of the Doodle on the doodle archives page. The reach of this doodle is limited to the Indian sub-continent. His contributions still inspire many of us. Here are a few examples of the lines penned by this great Urdu poet. hazāroñ ḳhvāhisheñ aisī ki har ḳhvāhish pe dam nikle  bahut nikle mere armān lekin phir bhi kam nikle (I have a thousand yearnings , each one afflicts me so Many were fulfilled for sure, not enough although) bas-ki dushvār hai har kaam kā āsāñ honā aadmī ko bhī mayassar nahīñ insāñ honā (Tis difficult that every goal be easily complete For a man, too, to be human, is no easy feat) Source:  Rekhta