{{Short description|Type of South Asian calligraphy}}
{{Short description|Type of South Asian calligraphy}}
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Type of South Asian calligraphy
Samrup Rachna is a 60-piece calligraphy collection of Apni Boli, a fusion of Hindi and Urdu, created by Pakistani artist Syed Mohammed Anwer.[1][2]
The name is derived from the Sanskrit words Samrup (समरूप), meaning “congruence” or “similar”, and Rachna (रचना), meaning “creative work” or “design”.[3] In linguistics, languages like Hindustani, written in two different scripts, are referred to as synchronic digraphia.[4]
The calligraphy combines the Devanagari (northern Brahmic) and Nastaliq (Perso-Arabic) scripts of Hindi-Urdu, which Anwer refers to as Apni Boli.
The work is pictographic, visually representing the meaning of each word. For example, the Hindustani word surahi (meaning “ewer” or “pitcher” in English) is written in Apni Boli calligraphy, so that it forms the picture of an ewer.[5][6]
The artwork aims to highlight the shared linguistic heritage of Hindi and Urdu, underlining their cultural and linguistic similarities.[7]
The 60-piece collection was published as a book titled “Samrup Rachna: Calligraphic Expression of Apni Boli” (Hindi–Urdu) at the Pakistan Mother Languages Literature Festival, held at the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage in 2016.[8]
In July 2025, the Indian Ocean Rim Area Research Project at Osaka University, Japan, included “Samrup Rachna” in its art archives.[9]
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Samrup Rachna Exhibitions
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The inaugural exhibition of “Samrup Rachna-Art for Peace” was held in Islamabad from April 2–4, 2012. The artist, Syed Mohammed Anwer was interviewed by VOA.[5]
A session featuring Anwer was held at Kuch Khaas Center of Arts & Culture, Islamabad, on April 27, 2012.[10]
The book “Samrup Rachna: Calligraphic Expression of Apni Boli” was launched[11] on World Local Languages Day in 2016 at a cultural festival held at Lok Virsa, Islamabad. During an interview at the festival, Anwer discussed his journey and motivation for creating the artwork.[12]
Anwer’s work was later featured in the exhibition titled “Cosmopolitanism and National Identities” at the University of Chicago, which ran from September 5, 2018 to December 14, 2018.[1]
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“Juta” (shoe) written in Samrup Rachna calligraphy
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“Buddha” written in Samrup Rachna calligraphy
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“Fatwa” written in Samrup Rachna Calligraphy
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“Surahi” in Samrup Rachna Calligraphy
_is_written_in_Samrup_Rachna_calligraphy_by_Dr._Syed_Mohammed_Anwer.jpg)
