ABOUT THE AUTHOR:- Inam Abidi Amrohvi, is an internet entrepreneur, author, and editor. He writes on a range of topical subjects and has contributed articles to various publications including Hindustan Times, Times of India, Gulf News and News Laundry. Inam has also edited publications like ‘IT Magazine’ and ‘InfoStore’. Originally from Amroha, his family migrated to Lucknow in the late 1970s.
Inam holds a masters in computer applications, and manages a software consultancy dealing in cloud-based solutions.
MT: Please introduce yourself? AUTHOR: I’m an internet entrepreneur who loves to write.
MT: What made you come into writing?
AUTHOR: My father was very fond of reading and even set up a reading club with his friends. Every week they assembled at one house and books were distributed to each family for reading. This early family environment inspired me to start reading and as I delved more into novels, I realised that creative writing came naturally to me.
MT: Why did you select to write on Amroha?AUTHOR:Amroha is my ancestral town. The idea of first writing a book on Amroha crossed my mind in 2015 while researching for an article on the city. It was supposed to be a travelogue of sorts to introduce my kids to the city. The realisation soon came that there was no comprehensive English account of the city for the mainstream audience. I started working on it several years later.
MT: Tell us briefly about the book? AUTHOR:The book is broadly divided into three parts viz., the political and social history of the city, a few prominent personalities of the city, and some cultural aspects.
MT: What do you feel is your best and most interesting chapter in the book? One that readers should not miss. AUTHOR: I’ve tried to write a concise account so that every chapter is short and contains interesting information. Writing about Amroha’s connection to Gandhi’s civil disobedience and the city’s luminaries was the most fulfilling part.
MT: What challenges did you face while writing and publishing the book and how did you overcome them? AUTHOR: The biggest challenge was reading the Urdu and Persian text and extracting relevant bits of information. Thankfully I found help at home (especially my wife) and from friends. For first-time authors, publishing is a tough task. In the end it all bottles down to how well connected you are.
MT: Are you planning to write any book in the future? If yes, what will be the topic? AUTHOR:Currently only enjoying the positive reception to my book. If I do write another book, it’ll be a historical account.
MT: What future do you see for reading, especially books, in the era of virtual reality and mobile phones? AUTHOR:I see a short format of books coexisting with the digital media.
MT: Any suggestions for budding authors? AUTHOR: Write for others. People pick up a book only when there’s something of interest to them. An original idea rarely fails.
Mujib – The Making of a Nation, a biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation of Bangladesh is a co-production agreement between India and Bangladesh
India and Bangladesh had announced a biopic directed by Shyam Benegal who earlier helmed a biopic on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, during the commemoration of the birth centenary of Rahman on March 17, 2020.
Speaking about the film, Benegal said that it has been a tough task for him to bring Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s towering life on the screen. “Mujib – The Making of a Nation remains a very emotional film for me; to bring Bangabandhu’s towering life on the reel is a tough task; we have portrayed his character in an uncompromising way. Mujib remained a great friend of India.”
Speaking about collaborating with National Film Development Corporation, India and Bangladesh Film Development Corporation, Benegal said: “I am glad to be working on this feature film. It has always been a fruitful association working with NFDC since its inception and now collaborating with BFDC was a joyful experience.”
Bangladeshi Actor Arifin Shuvoo, who plays the role of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said: “Fascinated to be playing the role of Mujib. This is a dream come true. I am honoured to be a part of this iconic project and to be directed by the legend himself, Shyam Benegal Ji. No words to express how big this feature film is for me and for my nation. I felt the warmth and great hospitality during the production of the film in India. Hopeful that I have justified the role and the audiences will connect with me and love the film, the way they love Bangabandhu.
Known for his ‘method acting’, he learnt to play Sitar in order to appreciate classical music required in a film. He is said to have gone without sleep for shots that required him to appear exhausted
Decorated by both India and Pakistan, he was given Pakistan’s highest civilian award, Nishan-e-Imtiaz, in 1998 and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2015. He had earlier been conferred the Padma Bhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The legend turned down David Lean who offered him a role in Lawrence of Arabia, the role that made Omar Sharif a household name in Hollywood.
He spoke more than a dozen languages including English, Hindi, Urdu, Pashtu, Gujarati and Marathi. He was well-read with deep knowledge of Philosophy, Theology and Poetry. A foodie who relished both kebabs and Vada Paav, he would say when it came to food he had no class, that he ate everything.
His heart in the right place, he unhesitatingly participated in charity shows to raise funds for the industry and for relief funds. When fellow actor Mukri was ailing with gangrene, he got him shifted to Lilavati Hospital. Gracious, he would ask beneficiaries of his benevolence not to speak about it in public.
Known for his ‘method acting’ and realism, he once ran around the studio for several laps and returned panting to give a shot where he was to look exhausted. Fellow actors in Kalinga, which was canned, he put off a shot several times till he could show genuine grief by recalling his elder sister, who was no more. He learnt to play the Sitar in order to appreciate classical music required in a film. And he is said to have gone without sleep for shots that required him to appear exhausted.
The ‘King of Romance’ was romantically linked with Kamini Kaushal, Madhubala and Waheeda Rahman before at the age of 44 he got married to Saira Banu who was just 22 at the time. He married again Asma, a mother of three from Hyderabad but divorced her after first denying the marriage.
While it is believed Yusuf Khan changed his screen name to Dilip Kumar because of the communal tension that preceded and followed Partition, he told his biographer that he had done so to avoid getting thrashed by his father, who was a prosperous fruit merchant. Kumar concealed his new assignment from his father and quietly made his debut with Jwar Bhata in 1944.
Filmindia editor Baburao Patel, known for his acerbic tongue, in his review of Jwar Bhata was scathing in his criticism of the actor and wrote that the actor “needs a lot of vitamins and a prolonged treatment of proteins before another picture can be risked with him”. But undaunted, Dilip Kumar studied the work of his idols Ingrid Bergman and James Stewart and developed a minimalistic style.
Sampooran Singh Kalra, popularly known as Gulzar and one of the most iconic figures in Indian poetry and film music, loves Urdu. To the extent that in one of his most famous songs ChhaiyyaChhaiyya, he praises the beloved with the iconic line “Ho Jis Ki Zubaan Urdu Ki Tarah”.
He is not the only one to do so. The legendary dialogues and songs in Indian films would not be what they are today without Urdu. India still holds the Jashn-e-Rekhta event to commemorate Urdu every year. I wonder how many people reading this article know what rekhta means. For those who don’t, it is another name for Urdu.
I probably come from the last generation to have grown up with Urdu literature occupying a large part of my life. We, the eighties kids, had Ibn-e-Safi and Ishtiaq Ahmed to read and we graduated to Ashfaq Ahmed, Manto, Shafiq-ur-Rehman and Mustansar Hussain Tarar as we grew up. Our poetry was not a random guy turning incoherent sentences into words and calling it poetry. There was no Larro Mujhay or ‘Aisay Jeenay Mein’ because it was incorrect Urdu. Lyrics and poetry were ruled by Radeef, Qaafiya, Zameen and Beher. As I type these lines, I have a lump in my throat.
Let’s put the emotions and nostalgia aside and come to the problem at hand. Last month, Aurora’s website published an article called ‘Why is Urdu Difficult For Us’, which opened unhealed wounds. That piece was written by young creative manager and was more of an admission of guilt – and I felt his pain and conundrum.
The decline, if not demise of Urdu, particularly in advertising, can be attributed to several factors.
The Rise of WhatsApp and Roman Script
In 2004 when I started my career in advertising, the first language of communication for brands was Urdu. The communication was written and read in Urdu. Fast forward 15 year and a glance at the billboards on the streets and digital ads online, quickly show that Urdu is not written in Urdu script anymore. It’s all Roman, with everyone using their own spelling version to communicate. What is wrong with it, you may ask? It is a modern adaptation of a language and in keeping with trends. There is nothing wrong with it, except that it will kill the Urdu language sooner than later. Script, called Rasm-ul-Khat (رسمُ الخط ) is the basic difference between a ‘zabaan’ (language) and a ‘boli’ (lingo). A zabaan has its own rasm-ul-khat (script) and without a script a language cannot exist. What we have in advertising now, is Urdu spoken and written in English.
The biggest reason for this shift is the rise of apps, such as WhatsApp, where users type Urdu using English script and understand it the same way. It’s so common that advertisers consider it okay to only use one language. I would be fine with it if this was a global problem. It is not. In Turkey, ads are written in Turkish. In China the script is Mandarin. Greece, Spain, France… you name it. Go to the Middle East and see how many ads have Arabic written in English script. They all advertise in their own script. In Pakistan, you will see less than five percent digital ads using Urdu script. Instead, you see is five different spellings of ‘Hai ہے’ from Hey, Hai, Hay, Hae etc. Today’s copywriters do not understand the difference between writing ‘Nahin نہیں’ and ‘Nahi نہی’ as the two spellings are commonly used. In Urdu, ‘Nahin’ means No, whereas ‘Nahi’ used without an extra ‘noonghunna’ (ں) sound, means denial or rejection. This is a huge difference and only one example of the problem at hand. ‘Kya’ and ‘Kiya’ have very different meanings. Kya is ‘What’ and Kiya is ‘Did’. Now open your ads and billboards photos and see how many times the two spellings have been used to say ‘What’.
Death of the Urdu Copywriter
The second and even bigger problem is that people do not even think Urdu is important or a skill worth having. In 2004, ad agencies had an Urdu copywriter who was an expert in his field and English copywriters were junior resources and usually part of the copy teams headed by an Urdu expert. More often than not, copy was written in Urdu and translated into English. Today, ad agencies have copywriters; there are no Urdu or English copywriters – just copywriters. Pitch decks are made in English, concepts are written and thought in English and if needed, translated into Urdu using English script. How then can one expect Urdu to exist or flourish in advertising?
The most unfortunate aspect of all this is that Urdu is no more a specialty. Anyone can write in Urdu. Any English copywriter can write Urdu taglines or dialogues (if someone is smart enough to create a concept where dialogue is required). Otherwise, a visual montage with heavy Urdu words without coherent sentences can always do wonders. Urdu jingles are written by English speaking copywriters. The end result is ‘Baby shor machay ga shor se zyda, party karley more sezyada’ – and this unfortunately is one of the better examples – at least it rhymes.
Decline in Reading Habit
Advertisers are not to blame for everything. Unfortunately, and that is the sad reality, there is a decline in reading all over the world. Books have been replaced by screens and screen-time is divided between social media, content, games and music. Reading is at the bottom of the pecking order. Forget anyone else, I used to be a one-book-a-week guy and now I am a one-book-every-six-months guy. If screens are going to replace books, Urdu will suffer way more than English because Urdu reading is limited to Pakistan.
Ranting aside, do I have a solution? I don’t want to be a pessimist, but the truth is advertisers will not switch to Urdu. Their rationale will be that Urdu is not the first language of the majority anymore; at least in terms of reading, if not speaking. As flawed as this argument may appear, there some merit for this rationale, particularly among the younger generation. The only way any of this can change is if the entire advertising industry decides to switch to Urdu as the first medium of communication. Not Urdu written in English script, but Urdu the language. They will have to bring back Urdu copywriters and give jingles to poets not English medium graduates. I am not being condescending towards a part of the fraternity, it is unfair to expect from them something that they have not studied or experienced.
None of this is going to happen. There is a strong possibility that 25 years from now, there will only be a handful of people who will know how to write Urdu. It will be a sad time to live in, but it’s okay. We will survive. We have survived Corona, haven’t we?
Sami Qahar is a marketer turned film producer. sami.qahar@gmail.com
At 8.30PM on the sixth of May 2021, Shamim sahab’s family received a call from MD City Hospital, New Delhi, “We are going to give CPR to the patient as his heart is not responding. We have to incubate him. Could you please come soon?” Just an hour back doctors were hopeful about his condition.
With prayers in our heart, we rushed from Jasola to Model Town. That 40-minute drive was the longest I ever took. We reached hospital at 9.20PM and dashed towards the ICU ward, only to be stopped by the doctor outside the ward, “We tried our best but could not succeed, he is no more.“ Shamim Hanfi had left for his heavenly abode at 8.50 PM, to be united with his parents, brothers, his illustrious friends like Intezar Hussain, Balraj Menra, Zahid Dar, Shamsur Rahman Farooqui, Asif Farrukhi, Zubair Rizvi, Manglesh Dabral, Mohammad Alvi, Mohd Shahid and many others. He left behind a grieving wife and two daughters. Continue reading “Khuda Hafiz Shamim sahab”
Ajmer: The much awaited yearly Urs of famous Sufi Saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty at Ajmer will have a different look this year, as the Government of Rajasthan has made it mandatory for the pilgrims to obtain passes as per the COVID-19 protocols to enter into the shrine.
According to the sources, those pilgrims who want to take part in the Urs celebrations will have to submit his travel plans and other information including identity card on the Department of Science and Technology (DOITC) website this time. For this, the website Ursfair2021.doitcajmer created,
Garib Nawaz’s 809th Urs is expected to begin on on 12 or 13 February 2021 when the moon is sighted and will end at February 19. It is for the first time, the online registration process for Urs celebration has been taken up, These steps have been taken by the state government to protect against the corona virus.
The link of this website is being made available to the various states and districts of the country, so that it can reach the strong information about it to pilgrims.
Registration will also be possible from mobile
Pilgrims can also register with their Mobile. One has to open the link Ursfair2021.doitcajmer.in on the mobile, then in turn you will have to give the information sought in the given call. The intending pilgrim shall have to undergo an COVID-19 test, and the negative report has to be updated while obtaining the pass.
According to the rules, the Passengers will have to give prior travel information including the mode of transportation and date of arrival and has to give a declaration too. After the declaration, a booking number will be issued to Zaireen by the district administration and accordingly a pass for entry into the Dargah.
Ayodhya: The Ayodhya Mosque Trust –Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation, set up to build a mosque at Ayodhya on the land mandated by the Supreme Court after the apex court gave the Babri land for the Ram Mandir, has decided to put the name of Mughal emperor Babar in the past baggage and dedicate its mosque project to the 1857 freedom fighter of Ayodhya — Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah.
Even after more than one and a half centuries of the 1857 War of Independence, this great revolutionary who kept Ayodhya and other parts of Awadh region free from the British for more than a year and was an icon of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood in his lifetime has not got his due regard.
Maulavi Ahmadullah Shah Freedom Fighter Special Cover( Courtesy: Hipstamp)
After he was martyred by British agents and his head was severed from his body, the British buried his body and head at two unknown places, to prevent the people from turning his grave into a mausoleum. The British were of the opinion that even the dead Maulvi was as dangerous for British Raj as he was during his lifetime.
Historian Roshan Taqi said, “while going through the books written on Mutiny by British writers, this fact reveals how much the English were scared of the dead Maulvi. It’s very unfortunate that British authors have written a lot about Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah but we have no course on him in colleges and schools.”
The only memory of Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah in Ayodhya is the Masjid Sarai in Faizabad city which was his headquarters, he added.
Ahmadullah Shah, born in 1787, more famously known as the Maulvi of Faizabad, was one of the leading figures in the war of 1857. In the Awadh region, Ahmadullah Shah was known as the ‘Lighthouse of Rebellion’. Hailing from a noble warrior family of Awadh in Faizabad, he grew up to be a political leader committed to armed revolutionary insurrection against British rule in India.
During the freedom struggle, the Maulvi made Faizabad the centre and launched revolts in the entire Awadh region. He made the local mosque Masjid Sarai located in Chowk area of Faizabad his headquarters. As he liberated Faizabad and the larger part of Awadh region, he used the premises of this mosque to hold meetings with rebel leaders.
Shah kept Faizabad free from British rule for almost one year, until his death at the hands of British agents on June 5, 1858.
the Maulvi of Faizabad was born as Saiyid Ahmad Ali Khan to Nawab Mohd Ali Khan of Chinapattan (Madras). He received, an excellent education in classical languages and traditional Islamic sciences He seems to have acquired some knowledge of English. Came to Lucknow in Nov 1856 pic.twitter.com/ljnqS1Ypge
According to researcher and historian Ram Shankar Tripathi, “While being a practicing Muslim, he was also the epitome of religious unity and Ganga-Jamuna culture of Faizabad. In the revolt of 1857, royals like Nana Sahib of Kanpur, Kunwar Singh of Arrah fought alongside Maulavi Ahmadullah Shah. Maulavi’s 22nd Infantry Regiment was commanded by Subedar Ghamandi Singh and Subedar Umrao Singh in the famous Battle of Chinhat.”
Tripathi says, “Maulvi wanted Raja Jagannath Singh of Pawayan, a zamindar in Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, to join the anti-colonial war. On June 5, 1858, with prior appointment, he went to meet Raja Jagannath Singh in his fortress-like house. On arriving at the gate, he was greeted with a volley of gunshots from Jagannath Singh’s brother and retainers. The Maulvi breathed his last on the spot.”
“The martyr’s head was severed and carried in a piece of cloth with blood still oozing from it to the district magistrate, Shahjahanpur, by the zamindar. The district magistrate was at lunch with his friends. But the depraved feudal lord rushed in and presented the severed head of the hero on the dining table of the district magistrate. With a reward of Rs 50,000, he returned home.”
According to another historian Roshan Taqui, “Maulvi use to bring out revolutionary pamphlets mobilising the masses to do ‘Jihad’ against the British. Maulvi was arrested by the British in January 1857 and was held captive in Faizabad, but three months before the revolt broke out in Lucknow on June 3, he escaped and launched a war against the British in Awadh region including Faizabad, Lucknow and Shahjahanpur.”
“During the revolt, the revolutionaries appointed him as chief of 22nd Infantry Regiment that fought the famous battle of Chinhat in Ismailganj of Lucknow on June 30, 1857, against British forces led by Henry Lawrence. The Britishers were badly defeated in this battle,” informed Roshan Taqui.
British officers like George Bruce Malleson and Thomas Seaton have made mention about the courage, valour, personal and organisational capabilities of Ahmadullah Shah. Malleson has repeatedly mentioned Ahmadullah in the History of Indian Mutiny, a book written in six volumes covering the revolt of 1857.
Athar Hussain, Secretary of the Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation, said “the Trust is thinking very seriously over the proposal of dedicating our Ayodhya Mosque Project to the great freedom fighter Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah, we have got suggestions regarding the same from different platforms, it is a good suggestion, we will officially announce it after deliberation.”
Hyderabad: Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is known around the world over for the mourning of Hazrat Hussain, the son of Imam Ali and a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was martyred in the battle of Karbala, in Iraq (about) about 1400 years ago.
Hyderabad’s Moharram traditions, especially its huge processions, are believed to be the largest in the Indian sub-continent, which witness the participation of thousands of people, including those of non-Islamic faiths.
The processions begin from the first day of Muharram and end on the tenth of the same month. The Alam, which is a symbolic representation of the martyrs who died in the battle of Karbala, is usually carried out of the Bibi Ka Alawa ashoor khana on an elephant. It is followed by performing Khooni Matam, flagellation as a practice of mourning.
Every Ashoorkhana’s Alam has a Tabaruq (leftovers from the battle of Karbala or the anything which is associated Hazarth Hussian’s family).A number of people visit the Alam to offer their prayers.
History
The Qutb Shahi rulers were Shia Muslims. During the reign of Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth Qutb Shahi King, a prominent religious man named Aga Ali went for Hajj pimilgrimage (performed in Mecca). During the pilgrimage he had the privilege of acquiring a double edged sword which belonged to Imam Jafar Al Sadiq,who is a member of Prophet Hussain’s family.
The sword was received by Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah with royal honors. He later directed to construct Hussaini Alam Ashoor Khana and appointed Aga Ali as its chief cleric. The relic was installed as an Alam, which is incorporated in a specially designed Alam. The monarch also issued a decree for a Mahi Maratib, Royal Umbrella and Naubat for the Ashoor Khana. Aga Ali was endowed with Jagir and pension for the upkeep of the Ashoor Khana.
The Langar of this ashoor khana is very famous, and still attracts thousands of Muslims every year It was started by Hayat Bakshi Begum, the daughter of Mohd. Quli Qutb Shah, on her boon (mannat) coming true. According to a legend, Hayat Bakshi Begum’s son Abdullah was on his way to the Golconda fort, when the elephant he was travelling on went wild.
The elephant then picked up pace, threw down the mahout and ran with the then one-year old Prince into the forest. The worried mother seeing the crescent of Muharrum on the same day prayed that if the Prince returned safely she would offer a chain of gold equal to the weight of the Langar.
She vowed that this chain of gold would be tied round the waist of the Prince and he would be made to walk to the ashoor khana with it. After a day or two, the elephant recovered from its fit and reportedly returned tamely to the fort. With her wish coming true, the Queen mother arranged for a carpet to be spread from the Golconda fort to Hussaini Alam.
The legend also says that Hayat Bakshi Begum tied a gold chain of forty maunds (a traditional unit of mass) around the body of the Prince, who later went walking to the Hussaini Alam ashoor khana. The Alam in the historical Bibi-ka-Alawa ashoor khana goes round in a procession within the precincts of the building on the night of ashoora , the 10th day of Muharram.10). Ashurkhanas are called so since it is linked to the day of Ashura.
Hayat Bakshi Begum held a unique place in Hyderabad and Qutb Shahi history, give that she was connected to three kings: she was the daughter of a monarch (Mohd. Quli Qutb Shah), wife of a king (successor of her father, Sultan Mohd. Qutb Shah) and her son was also a king (Abdullah Qutb Shah). She was believed to be one of the most powerful women in the dynasty.
This brass globe is divided into twelve equal sections (for months). Line of equator is marked in degrees, the stars are represented by small cavities and the constellations by engraved pictures. (Safavid, 1649-50)
Astrolobes measured time and distance using the movement of stars. This one is made of brass and has one fixed and six removable disks. An openwork disk with curved pointers sits on top. The back has a perforated pointer attached by a screw, which is decorated with dots. (Alhomad, 1252-53)
This brass jug is decorated with floral motifs and interlace bands in silver and gold inlay. The handle is in the form of a dragon. There are inscriptions set inside cartouches, one such is the owner’s name on the foot. (Timurid, 1466-67)
The tasbih (declaring praise to the Lord) or prayer beads is used at the end of the ritual prayers or by dervishes. A large bead marks the beginning and end of the string, smaller beads divide rest of the beads into groups. Typically, a tasbih has 99 beads. This one is made from the clay of Karbala. It’s here that the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Imam Hussain, was martyred in 680AD.
This Gold-plated alem is in the form of a palm leaf on a tall base with three knobs. Quranic inscriptions adorn the main part. The summit is itself in the form of a smaller alem. Alems or finials were used as a symbol of power and sovereignty. (Ottaman, 18th century)
This brass candlestick rests on a circular plinth. It has engraved and niello decoration with a handle at each upper edge. Persian couplets adorn the edges of the rim. (Ottoman, 17th century)
This rock crystal casket has an octagonal body and a domed lid, both of which are set with emerald and rubies in flower shaped gold sockets linked by gold stems. It was made to contain hair from the beard of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). (Ottoman, 16th century)
This hilyat panel has the top resembling a mihrab or prayer niche and has a picture of Madinah with Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) tomb. The centre has a circular medallion with text describing the physical attributes of the Prophet as narrated by Ali. Names of the four caliphs are inscribed in the four corners, top and bottom have Quranic verses. It ends with a prayer followed by the name of the calligrapher and a date. The hilyat was believed to protect the house where it was hung in. (Ottoman, 1797-98)
This brass alms dish is in the form of a boat with dragon heads at either end, its eyes are made of turquoise. The dish is engraved with rumi scrollwork and medallions. Quranic inscriptions fill up the outside. The owner and the maker finds a mentions too. Some Persian poems are also present. Kashkul as they were called in Turkish, were carried by dervishes for alms collection. (Safavid, 17th century)
This depiction of the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) footprint is on a silver plaque set in a wooden frame, and lined with blue paper with rosettes. The top frame has a rose bud and a blooming rose. The rose motifs symbolise the Prophet. When the Prophet ascended to heaven during Miraj, he left an impression on a stone. The depiction here is copied from the same. It is believed to bring good fortune. (Ottoman, 1640-41)
This multiple-niche prayer mat can serve seven people simultaneously. It’s made of green velvet decorated with flower and leaf motifs cut from pink, green, red and blue broadcloth. A silk embroidery is used on the tiny circles. (Ottoman, 19th century)
This short sleeves, wrap-around, talismanic shirt is made of white linen and is lined with green silk. The inscriptions have verses from the Quran. The back has several motifs, including a pair of scorpions and Zulfiqaar. The double-bladed sword of Ali was attributed with magical power. It’s depiction here reflects the belief that the power of Ali will protect the one wearing it. (Ottoman, 19th century)
This inscription panel is embroidered in the dival technique in yellow wire on green velvet, surrounded by a border of scrolls. The Arabic inscription literally reads, “Here lies Hazrat Fatima Al-Zahra, most illustrious of women, may Allah grants her Her blessing.” It could have been used on her tomb in Madinah. (Ottoman, 19th century)
Surah Al-Ikhlas with the kalima by calligrapher Salih, 1845. (Ottoman, wood, silver paint)
The painting depicts Mir’aj which holds a special place in the Islamic calendar. It’s the night when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ascended the heaven on a mystical creature (buraaq) guided by the angel Gabriel. The angel first took him from the Kaaba to Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and from there to heaven. The obligatory five prayers resulted from this journey (referred to as Isra in the Quran). There’s an element of mystery in the event and so cultural influences show in its depiction. A case here is the representation of houris and a lion on the top left. (Image: Kisas-i-Enbiya, Suleymaniye Library, Turkey)
This copper sherbet pan is engraved with medallions and pendants with inscriptions in cartouches. Borders of floral motifs cover the top and bottom. Two names are engraved on the rim which could be of the maker or the person who sanctioned it. (Mamluk, 15th century)
This rehal or book showcases Anatolian Seljuk woodwork. It is decorated with Quranic inscriptions and a few oral traditions of the Prophet (pbuh). It has openwork rumi and palmette motifs. The rehal used to be an integral part of Muslim households, as it was used for Quran reading, before the audio visual invasion. (Seljuk, 13th century)
The silver Ewer and basin, which has a perforated strainer, in this sample are engraved with a pattern of interconnected medallions with a dot inside each. A knob in the form of a rose tops the lid. (Ottoman, 19th century)
A ney is a flute made of hollow reed stem. This one has two silver bands in the middle to hold the body together. It became a symbol of Islamic mysticism after Rumi found its sound expressing love of God. The Mawlawis understandably call it nay al-sharif. (Ottoman, 1718)
A painting of Madinah showing the tomb of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), few pilgrims some of whom are praying and the date garden of Fatima (daughter of the Prophet). The unsigned painting is gouache on ivory. (Ottoman, 19th century)
This cast steel mirror has a heavily engraved back. It has a holding knob in the centre surrounded by two symmetrical sphinxes. A prayer in kufi script surrounds the edges. In ancient Egypt, the sphinx was a symbol of the hereafter. It later symbolised prosperity and mysticism. (Seljuk, 12th century).
(Source for all above items: Topkapi Museum)
The Ardabil (after a city in Iran) Carpet is the oldest carpet (1539-40) in the world and also one of the largest (10.5m x 5.3m). Its surface is covered by a single integrated design. The border is in the form of four parallel bands, which surrounds a rectangular field having a large yellow medallion in its centre. The medallion is surrounded by a ring of pointed oval shapes, and a lamp is shown hanging from either end. This centrepiece is matched by four corner-pieces, which are quarters of a similar but simpler composition, without the lamps. The dyes used were made from natural materials like pomegranate skin and indigo, so the shades vary slightly, producing a ‘ripple’ effect where darker and lighter batches of wool were used. Each part of the design is filled with one or more types of scrollwork set with swirling flowers or leaves. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum, London)
In the last few years, Chinese products have invaded Indian markets big time. Be it electronics or toys or household items or cheap fabric, the made-in-China label is all pervasive. Chinese products score because they are cheap, and widely available. And it is making inroads into Chikankari – a form of intricate embroidery work which this city is famous for.
Chikankari is widely believed to have originated in Persia many centuries ago, and it was brought to Lucknow in the 17th century by Noor Jahan, Mughal emperor Jehangir’s queen.
For the last 200 years now, Chikankari has thrived in the city, so much so that today Lucknow is often called the city with the first claim to the craft.
The embroidery has caught the fancy of fashion designers in Bollywood and has made an impact on international couture too. But with the invasion of the cheap machine-made Chinese variety, Lucknow’s reputation as the number one in the craft is facing a stiff challenge.
“I learnt the craft from my mother-in-law. She was an expert at it,” says Nasreen Jehan, Nasreen is a member of the city-based NGO, Lucknow Mahila Sewa Trust, which is working with more than 2,500 women embroidery workers like her. It will take her 15 to 20 days to complete the job, and she will be paid 400 rupees for her work.
Manufacturers employ close to 200,000 women from in and around the city – most of them illiterate Muslims. The pay is not much – those registered with Sewa get a minimum of 35 rupees a day. In many factories around Lucknow, the embroidery-makers are paid as little as 20 rupees or sometimes even less for a day’s work.
But even that paltry sum goes a long way in the slums of Lucknow where most families live in abject poverty. Farida Jalees, secretary of , says now the embroidery workers have a reason to be worried.
Hundreds of thousands of metres of cloth, often with very similar embroidery, is now being made in China and this “Chinese-chikan” has made it to the shop shelves in Lucknow in the past two years.
“In China, the embroidery is done by machine, it looks smooth, it has a better finish. And they can make it quickly, in huge volumes and meet the market demand. This is our biggest challenge,” Ms Jalees says. “Our women here work with hands. So their work doesn’t have that kind of finish.
And it takes a lot longer to make each piece which means our prices go up. Now if we continue to get Chinese-chikan, then we will be pushed out of the market.” And one the women who work independently name Shakeelo bano says”These days demand of chikankari is very low,they are not getting work as we get before from our customers”.
And when she asked about the chinese chikankari then she told” we don’t have any idea about it, we just know that we are not getting the satisfactory work to do as before.”
Women are not aware of international market they impose low demand on customers and change of fashion but due to lack of knowledge they don’t know the correct scenario, but true is China is capturing Indian chikan market, so goverment must take some stringent action to control it” Parveen Abidi, Seceratary, All India women personal Law board and a social worker told this news portal.
Farida Jalees says it should be documented as soon as possible. She is also campaigning for the patenting of the embroidery form to ensure India doesn’t lose out the craft to China.”We are pushing the Indian government to file for a patent on chikan embroidery.
Just as we are fighting for patenting the basmati rice, we must fight for chikan too. It belongs to India, it belongs to Lucknow. It’s a matter of bread and butter for the hundreds of thousands of women who are dependent on the craft.
At Narang’s store in upmarket Sahara Ganj shopping mall, the Chinese-chikan which is known as “Hakooba” is giving serious competition to the original hand-embroidered variety. Shop-owner Gurbir Singh shows some of the samples.
It is difficult for an untrained eye to make out the difference.It’s obvious the made-in-China tag doesn’t seem to bother the customer.In the last few years, Chinese products have invaded Indian markets big time.
Be it electronics or toys or household items or cheap fabric, the made-in-China label is everywhere to see. While only time will tell what impact Chinese chikan will have on the local industry but with the dragon on rampage, it would be only sooner than later that the industry would go to the Chinese, rendering a body blow to the age old finery.
At 8.30PM on the sixth of May 2021, Shamim sahab’s family received a call from MD City Hospital, New Delhi, “We are going to give CPR to the patient as his heart is not responding. We have to incubate him. Could you please come soon?” Just an hour back doctors were hopeful about his condition.
