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Kashmir's Self-Taught Calligraphy Artist Revives Ancient Art with Training Institute

Malik Mukhtar, a self-taught calligraphy artist from North Kashmir, is dedicated to reviving the region's rich calligraphic tradition. He discovered his talent in school and honed it without formal training, eventually pursuing higher education at the University of Kashmir. To counter the art's decline over recent decades, he has established a professional training institute in Srinagar. Here, he educates students and professionals, ensuring the survival and promotion of this ancient writing style.

Key Points: Malik Mukhtar: Self-Taught Calligraphy Artist Revives Art in Kashmir

  • Self-taught artist promotes Kashmir's calligraphy
  • Opens professional training institute for youth
  • Art suffered due to lack of infrastructure
  • Students from across Jammu & Kashmir attend
2 min read

J-K: Self-taught calligraphy artist in Srinagar educates next generation with training institute

Malik Mukhtar, a self-taught calligraphy artist from Srinagar, opens an institute to train the next generation and revive Kashmir's rich calligraphy heritage.

"A person learns all his life. When I went to the university, the scholars used to come to me. - Malik Mukhtar"

Srinagar, March 13

A self-taught calligraphy artist, Malik Mukhtar, is working hard to promote the old-age and rich writing style in Kashmir.

Born in Mamoosa village of Pattan, North Kashmir, Mukhtar got his initial education from Iqra public school, Lalpora and after that completed his twelfth class from higher secondary Kunzer Tangmarg, where he showed his hidden talent of calligraphy when his teacher asked him to prepare a card by hand.

Speaking to ANI, Mukhtar said, "Since my childhood, my handwriting was very good. I used to come first in the class, whether it was Arabic, English or Urdu. I started in 11th grade, when I was studying at Kunzar Khair Secondary. One day, a teacher of Environmental Science, named Mansoor sir, gave me an assignment. He asked me to print out the assignment. I was the first student to write it by hand."

Mukhtar was very much interested in getting a higher education, which resulted in his parents sending him to a degree college in Pattan then he also got a chance to complete his master's from the University of Kashmir.

"A person learns all his life. When I went to the university, the scholars used to come to me. The children used to come to me from Ramban, Dhoda and Jammu," he said.

In the Kashmir Valley, some youth are doing tremendous jobs in different activities, including specific artwork and calligraphy, one of the artworks which is very popular across the world. But for almost the last three decades, due to the lack of infrastructure and dearth of professional calligraphers, this art got huge setback, which has resulted in most youths not being aware of it.

So to promote and revive this rich artwork, Mukhtar is doing excellent work in the shape of opening the institute where young students are learning calligraphy in a professional manner. Since childhood, Mukhtar has spent his extra time with calligraphic activities done by himself without any teachings, which resulted in him learning this art at a young age and becoming a self-taught calligrapher of the valley.

Many students and professionals are learning calligraphy at Mukhtar's training institute.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
Wonderful initiative. Kashmir has such a rich heritage of art and craftsmanship. It's great to see a young person not just mastering an art form but also ensuring it doesn't die out by teaching the next generation. We need more such institutes across India.
R
Rohit P
As someone who loves Urdu poetry, I know how beautiful the script is. Calligraphy brings those words to life. Kudos to this artist. I hope the government and art councils provide some support to scale this up.
S
Sarah B
This is inspiring. A self-taught artist turning into an educator is a powerful story. It shows how passion can create opportunities not just for oneself but for an entire community. The article mentions a lack of infrastructure—hopefully this institute gets the attention and funding it deserves.
V
Vikram M
Respect. It's not easy to pursue art, especially traditional art, in today's world. The fact that students are coming from Jammu, Ramban etc. shows there is a real hunger to learn. This is true nation-building—preserving culture and creating skilled individuals.
K
Karthik V
A positive story from Kashmir is always welcome. While I applaud the effort, I do wonder about the long-term viability for the students. Will learning calligraphy lead to sustainable careers? The institute should perhaps also integrate it with modern design courses to ensure employability.
N
Nisha Z

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