Pamuk and KhudaBaksh Library

Reading Pamuk can be tough work. “My Name is Red” is a magical book which transports you to a different world altogether. Since I can only read Pamuk in translations I cannot stop imagining the beauty and elegance of the original writing. Anyway My Name is Red reminded me once again of my visit to the Khudabaksh Library in Patna. In mid 1990s I had gone to Patna to officiate in place of my colleague who was on an extended leave. I stayed at the Maurya for a fortnight .My office was at a walking distance but people insisted that I should take a rickshaw since it was not safe for a lady to walk on the streets of Patna unescorted. The security guard was not used to seeing a lady boss and every time I entered the office he addressed me as Sir with a military salute. I protested but he did not seem to understand and I gave up trying to educate the innocent Bihari.


My visit to the KhudaBaksh library remains etched in my memories because of the priceless collection of the library. I could easily relate to Pamuk’s hauntingly beautiful descriptions of the painters of Istanbul and their art even after so many years since I had last seen those beautiful books at KhudaBaksh. The tradition of painting and embellishing books was part of ancient Islamic art and was widely prevalent in Mughal India. KhudaBaksh has some amazingly beautiful rare books in its collection. The beauty of the illustrated books some of them painted in gold can be mesmerizing. The finesse and elegance with which the artists treated their work cannot be expressed in words. One must see the works in original to appreciate the skill of the painters. My Name Is Red actually takes you to the inner world of these artists and their amazing art form.



http://kblibrary.bih.nic.in/
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2012/Apr/23/a-tribute-to-khuda-bakhsh-36.asp