60-year-old Ghulam Mohiudin Mir, THE KEEPER OF CALLIGRAPHY
Calligraphy is the art of producing attractive writing by hand with the help of a pen or a brush. Usually the calligrapher uses their dexterity and technique in scribbling big and bold letters or numbers in any language that attracts the attention of an audience and helps them in easily comprehending the words or sentences.
In Kashmir, the art of calligraphy is rare, but not completely missing. Monuments built during medieval times are full of Quranic verses written in calligraphy by Persian and Afghani artists. But most of the calligraphy has remained limited to mosques and shrines only.
A 60-year-old retired lecturer, Ghulam Mohiudin Mir, who hails from the Veer village of Anantnag when realized that he was the only remaining calligrapher of his district, Mir rented an old shop in October 2017 in his neighbouring village of Uranhaal and started training students in scripting different languages, in an attempt to keep this art-form alive.
He uses his craft of calligraphy to train around 70 students in writing and teaching different languages. After retiring from his vocation, Mir would practice calligraphy at his home like he always did during his school holidays.
Mir did not learn calligraphy from any college or university. It was passed on to him by his elders, in a long line of ancestors who were expert calligraphers. Mir’s ancestors practiced this art not to make money from it, but like him, indulged in it for personal gratification.
Nowadays, when the class begins, the children of ages four to ten years, including both boys and girls, sit on the floor in a circle, with Mir in the middle. These groups of boys and girls attend the teaching sessions in separate groups and learn different styles and techniques for writing calligraphy.
When the class begins, every student puts a chart on the ply sheet and then under the guidance of Mir scribbles the words and sentences from different languages with sketch or traditional reed pens.
“I teach my students how to write with these reed pens by using ink because it is the best way for anyone to gain command of Urdu writing”, says Mir.
The languages Mir teaches his students include Urdu, English, Kashmiri, Arabic and Persian. Apart from gaining command over the writing and learning different languages, the students simultaneously learn the famous quotations from reputed writers and poets. In Arabic students are guided to write Quranic verses and sayings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Mir’s work is appreciated by the people of the area because he buys the materials used by students in learning calligraphy from his own pocket. He is often invited by schools, colleges, and Madrassas to guide the students in the art of calligraphy.
When Mir finishes his classwork and reaches home, he directly goes to his room where dozens of students from his neighborhood patiently await him to work on calligraphy till dusk.
Mir is ambitious and passionate about keeping alive the dying art of calligraphy and passing it on to future generations. He does not want to make money out of it, but hopes to serve society in the best possible way. “Although some parents offer me money, I hardly accept it”, says Mir.
On the one hand, Mir is happy with his work and receives appreciation from society, but on the other he feels completely dejected because his family does not show any signs of support. “In this materialistic age, nobody is ready to work for the betterment of society without having any monetary benefit and my family is no exception. However, I have made up my mind to play my little role in shaping and guiding the younger generations. When I help my students grip the reed pen properly, that feeling gives me unfathomable bliss.”
