Hindi poet Agyeya's poem 'Samragyi Ka Naivedya-Dan', about the visit of the revered Japanese Empress Kōmyō to Nara's Buddha Temple. She devotes these eloquent lines of prayer to the Mahabuddha. Right pic of colossal rock-cut Buddha from my 2019 visit to the Kanheri Caves,Mumbai.

On Rabindranath Thakur's birth anniversary: 1. A page in his handwriting from The Religion of Man 2. Depicted as 'Baul' in Abanindranath Thakur's painting

Pages from a 1924 edition of ‘La Rose de Bakawali’ by Garcin De Tassy, French translation of the famous Urdu tale ‘Mazhab-e Ishq’(Gul Bakawali) by Nihalchand Lahori, which was in turn based on Izzat Ullah Bangali’s Farsi version. Illustration by the Russian artist Boris Zvorykin.

In Oct-November 1933, the famous Hindi magazine 'Hans' (edited by Munshi Premchand) published what was claimed to be an old photo of the legendary Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. It was from the records of Brajaratnadasa who claimed that he had photos of other pre-1857 kings & nawabs too.

On Easter Sunday, here is some Resurrection art by the Indian Christian painter Frank Wesley (1923-2002): 1. Easter Morning : the risen Christ has a haloed outline,stigmata,golden glow etc. & the two Marys proceed to the grave 2. Resurrection appearance of Christ to the fishermen

On World Heritage Day, here is some built heritage from my city Gurgaon,Haryana: 1. Church of the Epiphany,Civil Lines 2. Ali Vardi Khan Mosque & Sarai, built in 18th century 3. Old Shivala temple near Masani mata,old Gurgaon 4. Tomb of Major Jean Etienne,Begum Samru's Jharsa,sector 40

The Flagellation of Jesus, from the album Mir’at al-quds ('Mirror of Holiness') of Father Jerome Xavier, 1602-1604. Illustrated in Allahabad, North India. This Persian biography of Jesus Christ was prepared by Xavier for the Mughal Emperor Akbar. (description given in the right pic)

Two Mughal-era adaptations of the ancient tale of King Nala & his wife Damayanti: Left: Farsi version 'Nal-Daman' by the poet Faizi of Emperor Akbar's court. Copy printed in 1930. Right: An Awadhi version by a poet Surdas of Lucknow,written in 1657 during Shahjahan's reign (copied later)

Description of the month of 'Baisakh' (April-May) from 'Bikat Kahani' by Muhammad Afzal 'Gopal' of Panipat/Narnaul (Haryana). It was a Barahmasa poem written in a mix of Farsi & early Hindi-Urdu. Dated to 1625, it is considered the earliest example of Urdu poetry in North India.

'The Last Supper' (also identified as 'The Marriage Feast at Cana'), a Mughal miniature painted in the mid-17th century. From The Warren Hastings Album. Jesus & his disciples are dressed in a mix of Biblical & Portuguese clothes. Dogs have been added to the scene.

जन कबीर का सिखरि घर, बाट सलैली गैल पाँव न टिके पिपीलका, लोगन लादै बैल (Kabir's home lies atop a slippery hill where even ants struggle to get a foothold, And here people try to bring oxen loaded with goods!) Painting: "Kabir & Two Followers on a Terrace" dated 1610–1620,India, Mughal

Cover of 'Badmash Darpan', a collection of Bhojpuri poetry by Tegh Ali 'Teg' of Varanasi, printed in 1906. Tegh Ali was a 'goonda kavi' (ruffian/muscleman poet). Originally published in 1885, a newer edition of the book has been published by Vishwavidyalaya Prakashan, Varanasi.

Baisakhi views: Walking through golden fields of wheat around Dehradun today. There are jackfruit and mango trees here. A lush forest of Sal trees surrounds this area in the Shivalik foothills.

On the anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, here is a survivor's account from Rahul Sankrityayan's Hindi book 'Ghumakkar Swami' (घुमक्कड़ स्वामी). It is a biography of Swami Harisharananand,who led a very interesting & active life. It is available online (Internet Archives website).

Saw these very interesting 19th-century murals on the Jhanda Gate of Dehradun's Darbar Sahib yesterday: 1. Maharaja Ranjit Singh 2. English ladies, Sepoys mixed with mythological scenes 3. A rare self-portrait of Tulasiram Mistri, one of the artists who painted these murals.

Met a few characters from old Urdu literature in Dehradun today, illustrated on the walls of the Darbar Sahib: 1. The heroine Badr-e Munir holds her strings of pearls ('Sahrul Bayan') 2. The heroine Bakawali & Tajul Muluk('Gulzar-e Nasim') 3. Shahzada Gulfam & Sabz Pari ('Indar Sabha')

In Dehradun today, after a long time (5 years). Visited the beautiful, 17th-century Guru Ram Rai Durbar Sahib. Its walls are covered with gorgeous illustrations of mythological, historical & spiritual scenes. Perfect weather in Dehradun, very cool. Like mid-March in Delhi.

Meer Baqar Ali, considered the last traditional 'dastan-go' (storyteller) of Delhi, loved tea. According to him, the ideal cup of tea should have 3 qualities : 1. 'Lab band' - excessively sweet (lit. 'lips shut') 2. 'Lab rez' - a full/overflowing cup 3. 'Lab soz' - piping hot

Cover art from some Urdu translations published in the Soviet Union by the famous Raduga Publishing House, Moscow: Left: Dostoevsky's 'The Insulted & The Humiliated', trans. by Zoe Ansari Right: A Children's book 'Why Tuppy Doesn’t Chase Birds', trans. by Shakuntala Kushwaha

Today's bookmail from the publisher Dilli Kitab Ghar: A collection of articles from the famous Urdu weekly 'Tehzeeb-e Niswan', edited by CM Naim,published in 2 volumes in 2023. This pioneering women's weekly was published from 1898 to 1951. Dilli Kitab Ghar has a good catalogue.

"aa ke sajjāda-nashīñ qais huā mere baad na rahī dasht meñ ḳhālī koī jā mere baad" After a prophetic dream, Laila finds an emaciated Majnun in the wilderness, surrounded by animals. From a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau.Painted by the artist Sanwala (active c. 1580–1600)

On Rahul Sankrityayana's birth anniversary (April 9, 1893): Here are some old photos from his collected works. He was a veritable genius, an expert of many languages & a true 'ghumakkar' (wanderer/traveler). His travelogues & memoirs are amazing (I read one volume every year).

Born in 1850 in Lahore, Pt. Saligram Kaul 'Salik' wrote the Urdu prose 'Dastan-e Jagat Rup' probably while he was imprisoned in Jammu's Bahu Fort by the Maharaja. Salik described his beloved Lahore & Patiala in the preface to his 'Dastan' (which was compared to 'Fasana-e Ajaib'):

Born in 1847,Munshi Banwari Lal Verma 'Shola' later learnt poetry from Mirza Hargopal 'Tafta',who possibly introduced 'Shola' to Mirza Ghalib. His work 'Bazm-e Brindaban' was printed by Kayasth Prakash Press,Aligarh with color illustrations. His signature is at the end (last pic).

In 1890,Munshi Banwari Lal 'Shola' wrote this very popular religious work in Urdu called 'Bazm-e Brindaban' devoted to Krishna. It was considered a holy book (like Gita) by many Urdu-speaking Hindus. Born in 1847, Shola (who was originally from Hisar,Haryana) spent most of his life in Aligarh.

This Urdu book 'Tarikh-e Jhajjar' on the history of Jhajjar, Haryana was written by Munshi Ghulam Nabi in the late 1860s. Has information about its rulers,buildings etc. He was the Tehsildar of Jhajjar (distt. Rohtak) & wrote a second part 'Jughrafia-e Jhajjar' on its geography.

The inscription on this gateway in Jacobpura/Sadar mentions dedication of the house in 1933 to Jain Temple, Jharsa. The temple of Bhagwan Chandraprabhu 'Jharsa Wale' (left pic) is possibly the oldest temple of Gurgaon. The aarati mentions its foundation in samvat 1534 (1477 CE).

Views of Old Gurgaon/Sadar/Jacobpura area from today's visit. Went there for shopping (rice,whole spices etc.) There are many old buildings,dharmshalas in the narrow lanes. The shopping trip was followed by a tasty lunch of kaddu-poori & kachori at Jain Halwai. Surprisingly, it wasn't crowded today.

Pages from The Psalms of David ('Daood Ke Zaboor') in Urdu, printed in 1825 at the famous Serampore Press, Danish India (Serampore now lies in Hooghly district, West Bengal). This press used metal types to print literature in Bangla, Nagari, Urdu-Persian-Arabic scripts.

Lamb licking a lion’s nose. Detail from a portrait of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan by Bichitr, c.1630 in @chesterbeatty.bsky.social Lecture by @rkkinra.bsky.social at V&A used this pic to show importance of “suhl-i kul” (peace with all) in successive Mughal courts. To see the entire painting… 1/2

Pages from the magical 'Tilism-e Sikandar Zulqarnain' translated to Farsi by Md. Usman Khan, published by Naval Kishore Press in 1915. This work has five components: 1.Kimiya (Alchemy) 2.Limiya (Talismanry) 3.Himiya (spells) 4.Simiya (science of signs) 5.Rimiya (conjuring)

Illustrations of Delhi's most famous Devi temples Kalkaji (left) & Yogamaya (right) in the early 1850s, from the Urdu book 'Muraqqa-e Salatin'. These sketches were based on Sir Syed's famous 'Asar us Sanadid'. Both temples were renovated during the reign of Mughal ruler Akbar Shah II.

Braja-Bhasha verses from the Exalted Fort for the occasion of Eid, composed by the Mughal ruler Shah Alam II. Written in both Nagari & Nastaliq scripts, verses collected in 1797 under the name 'Nadirat-e Shahi'. They were meant to be sung in specified Hindustani raga formats.

Illustration of Delhi's famous Barahpulla bridge, from the book 'Muraqqa-e Salatin', published in 1894. It was built during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir by Mihrban Agha, a prominent Khwaja Sara of the court. The Persian inscription on the bridge is also shown.

First page from 'Sundar Singar', a 17th-cent. work in nayika-bheda format,written by the Bhasha poet Sundar 'Mahakaviraya',who was patronized by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. Here Sundar is depicted as invoking the blessings of deities Hari & Saraswati. Text in Nagari & Nastaliq.

Faizi, the famous poet of Mughal Emperor Akbar's court, translated Bhaskaracharya's celebrated Sanskrit book on mathematics, Lilavati, into Persian. Here are some pages from that trans., copied in 1711 in Lahore during the reign of Bahadur Shah I. It contains extensive marginalia.

Pages from 'Khudai Faujdar' the Urdu version of Don Quixote, translated by the famous Urdu author Pt. Ratan Nath Sarshar of Lucknow in 1894. In the foreword he writes about laughing uncontrollably while translating the book. Its humor could turn the readers into 'Lotan Kabutar'.

Mughal Princess Zebunissa 'Makhfi' & her companion Amani Begum: In his 1898 biography of the Mughal Princess-Poet (right), Mirza Hairat Dehlavi writes about the anecdote of her favourite Amani Begum (left pic) who also composed Farsi poetry. Amani lived near Kalan Mahal,Delhi.

Apart from the famous Naval Kishore Press, other publishers in the late 19th century printed popular religious texts like this 'Bishan Sahansarnam' (Vishnu Sahasranama) in both Bhasha (Nagari script) & Urdu. Published by Munshi Mohd. Ibrahim's press Matba-i Iftikhar, Delhi.

Calligraphy samples from a 19th-cent. notebook of a scribe named Gulab Rai of Tajganj (Agra, UP). He calls himself a student of the 'Madrasah of Sarkar Faiz-maab Company Angrez Bahadur' (probably Agra College). First two styles are in flowery 'Khat-e Gulzar'. Last one is a zoomorphic design.

Old covers of the Hindi magazine 'Bhavishya',Allahabad: Left: Pictures of heroes of the Lahore Conspiracy Case, published in Oct. 16, 1930 issue, i.e. some days after they were sentenced to death Right: A photo of Bhagat Singh from his student days, published in April 1931 issue

Visions of heaven & hell on a bright spring day at the Crafts Museum Complex, New Delhi: This huge 19th-cent painting from Rajasthan (based on an Iranian painting) depicts the punishment of Yazid, Namrud, Qarun, Firaun etc. & the pleasures of the walled gardens of Paradise.

Bright, cool morning in Gurgaon today. As I rest under these mulberry trees (left) after the morning run, I find it hard to believe that exactly a week ago I was sitting under this (right) large walnut tree, surrounded by pines, willows & alders in the cold, misty hills.

Epitaphs of Shah-e Mardan/Jor Bagh,New Delhi: Poignant Farsi inscriptions from an old graveyard. Written 150 years apart. From the graves of Ishrat, Mihrunnisa Begum & Ahmed Husain Khan, buried in the hallowed grounds of Dargah Shah-e Mardan. Recorded by Maulvi Zafar Hasan in 1919.

Nauroz & Indian Tea: Here is an Urdu ad from 1942 for the Indian Tea campaign, that led to its status as a 'national beverage'. From the magazine 'Sadaqat', Kanpur. It encourages people to make tea a part of celebrations like Nauroz/New Year. "Har barey mauqe ke liye behtarin peene ki chiz"

Nauroz in 18th-century Mughal Delhi: Nauroz songs from the Exalted Fort of Delhi in 'Bhasha' or 'Bhākhā' (Braja). Written & compiled by Mughal ruler Shah Alam II in 1797, to be performed in traditional Hindustani music (raga) formats. These lines invoke majesty, jewels, royal splendor etc.

After work today, went to explore the Chitragupta Temple (Paharganj) right next to RK Ashram Metro Station. This newer structure was built in 1916-17. Urdu & Hindi inscriptions on the gateway mention 'Jaisinghpura', the old name of this area. Names of donors inscribed on the floor.

Pages from a very rare Farsi manuscript 'Haal-e Begum Samru', written in 1841 in Sardhana, 5 yrs after her death. Possibly this biography of Begum Samru is a prose redaction of a poetic Farsi work by her munshi Lala Gokul Chand. Here it praises the 'Sajda-gah e Saheban e Alishan'

Rest in peace, Joanna Sombre: This beautiful marble monument marks the tomb of Begum Samru. She sits majestically, gazing towards the Virgin Mary inside the Church that she built. In her hand she holds the deed granted by the Mughal ruler Shah Alam II. Her portrait hangs nearby.

On my way back home from the hills: At the Basilica of Our Lady of Graces in Sardhana (Meerut, UP) today. As described in this Farsi inscription above its gate, it was built by the famous Begum Samru (Zebunnisa) 'with the help of God & the grace of the Messiah'. Dedicated in 1822.