By Ashutosh Pandey
From royal courts of Mughals to today’s social media Calligraphy has come long way in Delhi.What started as sacred art has now become a creative way of expression.This is what MODERN FUSION OF CALLIGRAPHY is about giving shape to emotions through INK & IMAGINATION.Calligraphy has always been more than just writing- as said its a way of expressing beauty through inks.Every curve of letters carries emotions of the creator & has its own meaning.What was started centuries ago as a form of artistic writing has now taken on new life,especially in Delhi.Delhi has rich mixture of culters and language,it have become a space where traditional scripts meets modern creativity.But today a new form of art is gaining attention i.e. Modern Fusion Calligraphy.This is not just old calligraphy of manuscripts or Royal court letters ,This is a blend of Urdu,Hindi,English and other languages style of writing.
The roots of calligraphy in Delhi go back to Mughal era, When calligraphy was not just handwriting occupation but was symbol of Intelligence,Devotion & Elegance. As NASTALIQ SCRIPT came to India from Persia ,It soon became popular in Mughal court for writing poetry,royal letters, & religious texts.Emperors like AKBAR, JAHANGIR & SHAH JAHAN encouraged it and slowly Delhi became hub of Nastaliq Calligraphy.The beauty of Persian writing can be seen on monuments like JAMA MASZID,HUMAYUN TOMB, RED FORT ,etc were verses are still engraved on stones.
Calligraphy on QUTUB MINAR [Image credit:- Flickr]
Calligraphy in Delhi is also linked with sufism,As YASIN SAFADI mentions in his book “ CALLIGRAPHY IN THE ART OF MUSLIM WORLD” that ‘ Calligraphy was not just decoration – It was considered an act of devotion & reflection of one’s inner faith. It explains how calligraphy became spiritual and artistic practice in Muslim culture.Poets and Saints like Amir Khusrau used beautiful writing to express LOVE,UNITY,PEACE,& SPIRITUALITY. Sheila Blair in her book “ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY” writes that the Mughal era was the initial as well as golden period of calligraphy.
Calligraphers used to spend years in the practice and mastering the art form.They were respected as scholars.But calligraphy was not just in palaces & mosques ,apart from spiritual and royal use, calligraphy was also found in the urdu literature.Delhi poets especially GHALIB & MIR used expressive words that looked artistic.During British rule printing presses started replacing these handwritten manuscripts. IT DECLINED BUT NEVER DISAPPERED.
REBIRTH
In recent years,Delhi has witnessed revival of calligraphy – but in new modern form.Young artists and designers now experiments with new scripts,new language& different styles.A kind of blend , like a urdu verse maybe written using english letters or any hindi phrase in arabic style.This new style connects heritage with modern design and modern era. it is not only about writing neatly,but also creating art that expresses emotions. And Delhi , being a city that have old charm and modern style automatically becomes a perfect centre for it.
Walk through Delhi and you will notice calligraphy come alive in many places.one of most popular of spot is LODHI ART DISTRICT ,where streets artists have painted beautiful murals that mixes calligraphy with graffiti.These contains messages about Love,Friendship,Peace,etc in both English and Hindi.Famous artists like YANTR,DAKU,ANPU,etc are known for bringing typography and visual art together on the walls of Delhi . In the lanes of NIZAMUDDIN , you will find spiritual and softer calligraphies.Sufi poetry has been painted by artists on the walls of dargah,It’s quite fascinating how one part of city celebrates calligraphy through spray paints and modern style while another part with old devotion poetry and ancient way of writings.Art exhibitions at DELHI HAAT & IGNCA show cases calligraphy artwork from students,They are taking forward the art form with modern digital techniques,These calligraphy works that looks traditional but feels modern.
CALLIGRAPHY AT NIZAMUDDIN [image credit :- www.alamy.com]
But this calligraphy is not only limited to art galleries and exhibitions,It has entered into everyday life of people.You can see calligraphy designs on wedding or invitation cards,restaurants,signboards,etc.Many cafes use them to give vintage vibes to interiors.
Delhi itself feels like work of calligraphy.Every corner ,every monuments has its own story.The carved inscriptions of old Delhi reminds its historical roots.And this modern fusion of calligraphy represents unity as it connects people from different backgrounds and languages.Verses written in Urdu,Hindi,English or any language may not have the same meaning – but it is the emotion behind it that truly connects us.
In the era where everything is typed and digital this art of calligraphy tells that ART STILL BREATHES THROUGH HUMAN TOUCH ,MAYBE TECHNOLOGY WRITES FASTER BUT IT’S THE INK THAT WRITES WITH EMOTIONS.
BILIOGRAPHY :-
YASIN HAMID SAFADI . BOOK – CALLIGRAPHY IN THE ARTS OF THE MUSLIM WORLD,1978
SHEILA BLAIR . BOOK – ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY ,2006
ARTICLE- Reviving the art of Calligraphy in Modern India,The Hindu,2022.
