PRESS RELEASE

1. The High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur, for the first time, is organizing Festival of India in Malaysia from mid-March to end June. The festival will cover several cultural events and will showcase Indian culture and art in Malaysia. One important segment of the Festival of India, 2015 is the Exhibition of photographs on Islamic Calligraphy.

2. Islamic Calligraphy is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a broad tip Qalam (instrument or brush) in one stroke. It has become the most venerated form of Islamic art as it provides a link between language and religion. The Holy Qur’an Al Kareem has played an important role in the development and evolution of Arabic language, and by extension, calligraphy in the Arabic alphabet. Proverbs and passages from Al Qur’an Al Kareem are still sources for Islamic Calligraphy.

3. The High Commission of India, in association with the Rampur Raza Library in India, is pleased to present a select photography exhibition of 40 rare specimens of Islamic Calligraphy in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Bahru, Kuantan and Melaka.

4. This exhibition has been specially curated for Malaysia by the historic Rampur Raza Library. This library was established in 1774 in Rampur near Lucknow in India and has a unique collection of manuscripts, in Arabic, Persian, Pushto, Urdu, Turkish and other languages. The library has a collection of nearly 17,000 manuscripts, 60,000 printed books nearly 5,000 miniature paintings, 3000 rare specimen of Islamic calligraphy, Nawabi antiquities besides centuries old astronomical instruments and nearly 1500 rare gold, silver and copper coins dating from 5th century B.C to 19th century A.D.

5. The exhibition will be inaugurated at the Malaysiana Hall, Museum of Asian Art, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur on 12.04.15 at 1100 hours and will continue till 28.04.15. The opening hours of the exhibition will be 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Monday to Friday) and 0900 hours to 1600 hours on weekends.

6. The entry for the exhibition is ‘FREE’.

7. All are invited to view this historic and beautiful collection of photographs of Islamic Calligraphy.

8. The exhibition will thereafter be open for public viewing in Kota Bahru from 07.05.15 to 23.05.15 at the Kelantan Art Gallery. The exhibition will also be held in Kuantan and Melaka in June.