Gulfam and Sabzpari

[V S Rawat]

I realized that I am not aware of the story of Gulfam and
Subzpari.

Could anyone give some idea what it was about?

In summary, is it a matched pair, suitable for each other,
or is it something like hoor and languur/ beauty and the beast?

--
Rawat

[shu...@gmail.com]

> Rawat :-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indrasabha

A drama by Aga Hasan Amanat entitled Indrasabha was staged in Lucknow during the reign of Wajid Ali Shah. According to oral tradition, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah played the title role of Indra for the inaugural performance.
Indrasabha is a multimedia piece incorporating narrative, poetry, dance and music, within the visually lavish sets depicting Indra's abode - the heaven. The paris and devs including the hedonistic Indra (the lordly human monarch) surrounded by a harem of apsaras (beautiful dancing girls) were blended in the Indrasabha with the dastan (story telling) tradition imported from
Indrasabha shot to immediate fame and was staged all over India. The written play also became a blockbuster. The first edition which was published in Kanpur in 1853 touched publishing heights by 1870s when 33 editions were published from major cities of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as well as Lahore, Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. The reputation of the work reached Europe and soon it was translated into German by Friedrich Rosen in 1892.

In year 1932 Jamshedaji Madan (Under Madan Theaters) produced a film Indrasabha - starring jahan Ara Kajjan ,Master Nisar , Patience Kapoor and ors..It had about 71 songs (highest number of songs in Hindi film) music by Nagardas Nayak./

`````````From the Indian story called Indra Sabha.
A fairy, Sabzpari, who was one of the dancers of the court of Indra, the King of Heaven, was attracted by Prince Gulfam, a man on earth, while she was flying over his palace. Her servant, the black Deva, carried Gulfam at her desire from earth to heaven. Gulfam was at first most unhappy in the strange place, but then the love of Sabzpari attracted him so much that he lived in her love. Sabzpari had to be at the court of Indra every night to dance and entertain him, and as, in the love of Gulfam, she was absent a few times, everyone at the court wondered why she was not there. But her going every night to the court of Indra made Gulfam suspect that perhaps there might be someone else who was entertained by Sabzpari's charms. He asked her about this many times, and every time she refused to tell him, until he became vexed and Sabzpari thought she could not hide it from him any longer. On hearing her explanation Gulfam requested her to take him to the court of Indra. She said, 'No man has ever been there, no man can ever go there, and if Indra should see thee it will at once end our sweet days of love and happiness. We shall surely be separated.One day Sabzpari brings Gulfam to the Indra Sabha disguised as a Musician Laldev. Indardev comes to know and beomes very angry and orders Sabzpari to be exiled to the Earth and Gulfam is ordered to be imprisoned. . Sabzpari wanders and wanders in search of Gulfam as Jogin.
Indradev knowing plight of Sabzpari releases Gulfam and the lovers are united.

from various sources of Internet)