Ghalib’s Masnavi Chiragh-i-Dair and the Indian Myth, Ganga and Banaras and the Holy Number of One Hundred and Eight

One of the greatest figures in the urdu literature, the brightest star in the firmament of urdu poetry and the thinker and prose writer of eminence, mirza asadullah khan ghalib is a master of ghazal but he has also written influential odes in the urdu language. nowadays, ghalib is more famous for his urdu ghazals though he did not want to be judged on his urdu divan which he calls colorless; he took legitimate pride in his persian works which alone he thought would enhance his reputation. he wrote about eleven masnavis in persian. in this present article we discuss the presence of the indian myth, ganga and banaras, and the holy number of 108 in ghalib’s masnavi chiragh-i-dair.