Hyderabad's Old City Calligraphers Keep Ancient Art Alive

Hyderabad: Calligraphy, the ancient art of beautiful handwriting that dates back to the 3rd century BC, continues to survive in Hyderabad’s Old City. Yet, with the rise of technology, the number of people pursuing it as a profession has steadily declined. Many artists now continue out of pure passion, taking up limited projects such as writing religious texts, wedding invitations and decorative frames.

One such artist is Anil Kumar Chauhan, who has been practising calligraphy for 35 years. “Technology has reduced the demand for calligraphy slightly, but the beauty of handwritten art can never be replaced by machines,” he said, adding that he continues to receive assignments from mosques.

Ishrath Unnisa, who runs a calligraphy institute in Tolichowki, said demand for calligraphers has fallen sharply. “Since my childhood, I have seen my father as a professional calligrapher, or Khattat, who learnt from my grandfather. Although the number of learners has dropped, we keep our doors open to encourage youngsters and keep the art alive,” she said. She added that there has been little government support for calligraphy, which deserves preservation and promotion as a recognised skill.

In Chatta Bazaar, one of the city’s main markets for printing invitation cards, calligrapher Yousuf Pasha continues to work by hand despite the dominance of digital printing. “Technology has changed everything, but hand-done calligraphy still has its own uniqueness,” he said. “The art is still sought for brochures, religious verses on frames and wedding cards. It needs patience, which many in today’s generation lack.”

Pasha said some artists in Chatta Bazaar still earn well through custom calligraphy frames that sell for thousands of rupees. “We also do work for madrasa brochures, wedding cards and college notes,” he said.

Renowned master calligrapher Mohammed Abdul Gaffar, who teaches at the Idara-e-Adabiyat-e-Urdu in Punjagutta, said he has trained nearly 10,000 students over the past two decades and continues to mentor about 50 learners. “Calligraphy is not only an art but also a part of education. Manuu and Dr B.R. Ambedkar Open University offer diploma courses in Urdu calligraphy,” he said. “Learning calligraphy enhances children’s mental development and keeps them away from phone addiction,” he explained.