I was also quite interested in knowing more about this beautiful heritage building - right in front of NIMS at Errum Manzil - which sticks out from the matchbox type buildings that surround it. So one takes the Metro and gets off at the Errum Manzil stop and walk down to this building.
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| Idara-e-Adabiyat-e-Urdu |
The station has some VISA offices running - all kinds of countries and so many people applying. From the station one can see the brown colored building quite close by - the Idara-e-Adabiyat-e-Urdu (Hall of Homage). It was set up in 1931 by Mr Syed Mohiuddin Quadri Zore (1905-1962) a reputed scholar of his time, as a library, an archive of manuscripts, paintings, to preserve literary culture of the Deccan in Dakhni, Persian and Arabic. Now it has a museum (Aiwan-e-Urdu) and is an institute for calligraphy training. The Idara's principle is 'Knowledge should be free' The calligraphy courses are taught free.
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The main door of the Idara which was built on lands donated by Zore's wife, the poet Tahniyat Un Nissa, is now managed by their son Rafiuddin Quadri. The door is imposing and shut (but by now I realised that many doors which appear shut have other doors that are open and we should look around without giving up). And then, a little ahead, to the curious and never-giving-up mind, there was a small gate that was open. Inside, there was an office to the right and up ahead a sign that said Museum. However I found no activity except an old lovely table and some closed doors so it was back to the office. There was not much activity going on in the office so we looked at the pictures and stuff.
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| The hall |
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| A beautiful painting on the wall |
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| A piece on Hope by Tahoora Afsheen - such idealism, hope her hope never dims |
Inside the main hall which one can access through the office there was some activity - some students were practicing calligraphy - all of them women. After a while we walked in and one particular student, Shabnam from Kurnool, came and took the trouble of explaining what they are learning. Its a calligraphy course she said after which they can get jobs in schools, colleges and madrasas. She showed some of the works that were displayed on the walls including her own work.
It was a huge hall with a beautiful painting on the balcony on top, works of students and photographs displayed on the walls - a room full of history, art and character. Above the painting (I would love to know what it was about) were three window like structures which she said were actually designed with Khutbi script hidden in them. Shabnam was kind enough to give us some booklets which had some of their work. Since I could not read Urdu I asked Pallavi to take them.
I found some more information from a newspaper interview on the wall with Mr Abdul Ghaffar (a katbi - scribe) who has been teaching calligraphy at this institute since 1997. He himself had been a student at this very institution. Unfortunately he was not there when we went (maybe I should go there some other time and chat with him). He says in the interview that calligraphy by hand is still different from what a computer can do.
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| Shabnam's work |
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| Interview ith Mr Abdul Ghaffar |
At the institute, the learner is taught the skill of holding the pen at the right angle, how to exert the exact pressure, different calligraphic scripts like nastaliq, khat-e-shikista, khat-e-kofi, art of mirror writing (makus), khat-e-gubar (making of ornamental outline with two pencils drawing simultaneously) etc. Once the students are ready they can find employment by getting into design works such as logos, cards, bills, letterheads, certificates (I remember the beautifully calligraphed certificates we used to get during our University days). Abdul Ghaffar has taught more than 3500 students. Its a free course, a 2 year diploma in calligraphy.
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| Shabnam and Pallavi |
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| The office - the walls of the hall |
I looked up on Urdu after I got back home. Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language which shares a common vocabulary with Hindi - while Urdu has more vocabulary derived from Persian and Arabic, Hindi is derived from Sanskrit. Urdu is often referred to as Hindustani. Urdu developed in the 12th century from the Khari Boli dialect which is also the basis for Hindi (emerged in the Delhi and Meerut area). Urdu poetry have the forms of ghazals and nazms, As the base is common - Sanskrit and Prakrit - it is referred to as Hindustani. The written script of Hindi is Sanskritised register written in Devanagiri while Urdu is Persianised and Arabic register written in Perso-Arabic script.
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| The main door from the inside |
In an article I found on the net, the authors have mentioned that there is a rare original 18th century painting of Chand Bibi at the Aiwan-e-Urdu.
https://www.mpositive.in/tag/idara-e-adabiyat-e-urdu-hyderabad-telangana/
Lot more to check out in the place. That there is an institute putting in efforts to upkeep a language and the art of calligraphy on its own is commendable. Needs another visit. Hopefully soon. I was thinking it is the perfect place for a book launch. Lovely atmosphere and great character.
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