Journalism of Courage
The Modi handwriting competition,that is being conducted for the first time in the city,is an effort towards preserving the script
In it’s most ancient form,it was known to be a script that was both challenging,yet preferred for its convenient style. The Modi script,in fact,is an important part of the fabric of Pune’s history. It not only hides in its rich texts detailed reflections of life during the Peshwa era,but also captures the mundane observations in such an effective manner that it is a cherished part of history. In an attempt to safeguard this very historical treasure,the Bharat Ithihaas Sanshodak Mandal (BISM) is organising,for the first time in Pune,a Modi Handwriting Competition,where close to 120 people will be participating. Shares Mandar Lavate,who has been teaching this script since 2008,”This competition will further the cause for the popularisation of the script. A lot of people are learning it with such passion. And it’s great to see the response.”
Earlier,Modi was taught in classrooms till 1950,but was discontinued as typecasting it was tough. A lot of people have felt the need to learn the script for pedantic purposes,but a lot of them who are a part of the competition are there to revive the script. “There are three awards that will be given to the best writers. These are constituted in the name of Balaji Avji Prabhu,the first secretary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj which we will give by the hands of Babasaheb Purandare,noted historian,” says S M Bhave,secretary of BISM.
Beyond the basics
*The origin of Modi has several theories to it. One of it claims that it was developed by Hemadri Pandit,during the reign of Mahadev and Ramdev Yadav,that dates back to the 12th century. Some say it was brought by Hemadri from Sri Lanka.
*Contrary to popular belief,Marathi is not the only language that was written in Modi. Other languages like Urdu,Kannada,Gujrati,Hindi and Tamil also have used this script.
