In 1919, Lahore published a copy of Ramayana in Urdu, translated by Mahatma Shiv Brat Lal 103 years ago.
The book reached to Meerut from Lahore in Raja Mahendra Pratap library of Chaudhary Charan Singh University [CSSU], Meerut, by JA Siddiqui the librarian and professor of university who helped to procured the book for the university from one Muqarram Ali, a relative of renowned actor Naseeruddin Shah, in a resident of Sardhana a city and municipal board in, Meerut, over six years ago.
The Siddiqui said, I visited Ali’s house around seven years ago and saw this book in his collection, he told me it was gifted to him by a friend over 60 years ago. He was initially not keen to give it away, for obvious reasons, Siddiqui said. The professor added: “During my second visit to his house, I urged him again to give the book to the Raja Mahendra Pratap Library. finally agreed and gifted the precious Urdu Ramayana to the library. Given its age, the pages of the book are in very delicate condition. That is why we have kept it safe. We open the book very carefully in order to avoid damage.
Urdu Ramayana was published in Lahore century ago
The book is unique not just for its antiquity and language but also its voluminousness. It has over 1,000 pages, with pictures of Rama and his durbar.
Cataloguer Vijai Laxmi, part of the digitisation team, said,” we digitised the Urdu Ramayana so people can get access to it online. We will also try to get its soft copy on a CD available in the future,” it will be available on the university’s website within four to five days.
Siddiqui added, with pride: “perhaps no other university in the country has such an old copy of Ramayana in Urdu. The CCSU library also possesses a copy of the Bhagwad Geeta in Urdu,”
