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Studies on Persian-Arabic Typography and Persian Language

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2012/02/05

Since 1927 the daily [Musalman] newspaper has been published in Urdu language in Chennai, India. What makes this a noteworthy story is that this family owned and operated publication has been handwritten every single day by a tireless team of four katibs.

A Katib [calligrapher] is writing in preparation of Musalman newspaper
At first glance the whole practice appears backwards and disconnected from the technological advancements that the population in a major city like Chennai enjoy. But the newspaper actually caters to a very dedicated niche audience, namely those who still find the experience of reading handwritten calligraphy more authentic and a sign of respect for the language and script.

Katibs [calligraphers] are writing in preparation of Musalman newspaper

The newspaper itself was founded as a means of keeping the Urdu script and language alive three generations ago in a city that has a small Muslim and Urdu speaking minority. To this date this shared goal is the main driver for everyone at Musalman.

Preparation of Musalman newspaper To learn more about the paper see this video.

Written by Behrouz Hariri

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