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Not many know that there is a great co-relation between ghazals (a form sexual poem that has origins in Arabic poetry) and sexology.
According to Mirza Ghalib the uncrowned king of Ghazal, three things are extremely important in Ghazal. Sign, communication and style: Isharat, mein ishara (sign) ibarat (communication) and ada (style). These things are not only important in ghazals, but also in sex and relationships.
Just like the way two lines make a shayari, two individuals make an encounter. Several such encounters evolve into a relationship.
Ghazals have been written on almost every expression of human sexuality—masturbation, sleep emission, homosexuality, heterosexuality, love, affection, warmth, you name it.
Firaq Gorakhpuri, one of the most noted Indian Urdu poets have written a lot of ghazals on homosexuality. Simiarly Mir Taqi Mir, the 18th century Urdu poet from Agra, who is believed to have been better than Ghalib, has written ghazals on homosexuality.
In those days, people used to fall in love not with girls, but young boys, which is why so many ghazals are dedicated to adolescent boys.
A good shayari is one which you find soothing to your ears not just listening but reading too. Reading a couple of good ghazals is how I unwind a hectic day. Sometimes, I write it down too. I find the exercise immensely relaxing.
I unwind my day reading ghazals, not listening. A good shyar is one where you find it beautiful on listening as well as on reading. In text form I read. I read a couple good ghazals, sheyar, sometime, I almost write it down. It relaxes me.
Yet another activity, which I do on a regular basis that keeps me mentally, physically and sexually agile, is pranayama (a yogic practice focusing on breath). The only problem with pranayama is that even many yoga teachers don’t teach them properly.
(Continues)
(Dr Prakash Kothari is India’s pioneering sexologist. In conversation with Sangeeth Sebastian, writer and founder of Vvox, a sextech platform. The biography is a part of an AKADialog initiative to capture the lives of newsmakers.)