Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Jun 15 : In the serene valleys of Kashmir, where art and culture thrive amidst natural beauty, Mohammad Afzal stands out as a master calligraphy artist whose work is characterized by intricate designs and profound elegance that earned him recognition both locally and internationally.
Mohammad Afzal (40), a resident of Zadibal area of Srinagar, has been constantly becoming part of workshops so as to train youth in calligraphy work.
Speaking to the news agency, Mohammad Afzal said that he has been associated with calligraphy since his childhood. “In the beginning, we were writing on slate and that was the beginning of my calligraphy and later at home my father used to tell me to write verses and later at a religious seminary I wrote the whole holy Quran,” he said.
He said that later he joined an academy of art, culture and languages to further get trained and learn all the intricacies of this art.
Mohammad Afzal, said that he later worked in the academy, then started teaching students, religious seminaries to train youth.
“Currently, I am training interested youth every Friday at Baitul Meeras Ali Kadal and participating in workshops conducted by schools, colleges and universities where he is teaching interested youth the basics of calligraphy,” he said.
He said that it is difficult to manage family on calligraphy work but he is working on different things like writing Quranic verses, bloodline, nikah nama and many other things.
He said that he is currently working on a project where he is writing 99 Names of Allah (Al Asma Ul Husna) and then these items are being kept in shrines and mosques along with 99 names of Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
He said that there comes different orders and demands to write a Naat, verses, poetry and other things that are being used as decoration at home, adding that he has been working on his own to conduct workshops to train students at different levels and there is a need for promotion from the government side.
“There are calligraphers now in every nook and corner these days but at individual level everyone is right but there is a need for a teacher, guide and guru for everyone to learn the intricacies of this art after which they can do their work in a better way,” he said.
He said that he himself learned from a well known calligrapher Kousar from Ishber area and there are many other master calligraphers in the Shalimar area, adding that there is a need government must take steps to promote the handmade calligraphy so that youth interested in it can take up this work forward.
Mohammad Afzal’s contributions to calligraphy are not just an artistic achievement but also a cultural preservation effort. His work serves as a testament to the rich artistic heritage of Kashmir and the enduring power of creativity in the face of adversity.
