There is a certain blessing of divine proportions to be a calligrapher and to be born in India. This country has numerous languages and multiple scripts that differ in their fundamental form creating a vast treasure of design. I am often quoted for my idea that “भारत हा शेती प्रधानच देश नाही तर लिपी प्रधान देश सुद्धा आहे” i.e. “India isn’t just an agricultural country, it is also a country with a significant number of languages and scripts that are a dominant aspect of our lives and culture.” As a calligrapher from India, I have a unique opportunity to study diverse scripts that have a scientific phonetic origin, their distinct and striking forms and explore them across media through my creations.
India today has 23 official languages and about 12 scripts. If you add the ancient scripts that number rises further. I have worked extensively in Devanagari script used for writing languages like Sanskrit / Saunskrut, Hindi, Marathi, Konkani and few more. Not only its forms have been adapted to create scripts like Gujarati but to fulfill the necessity of ‘Speedy Writing’, Modi was created from its basic form. The efficiency in writing was further increased by drawing a single headline or ‘Shirorekha’ instead of separated one found in Devanagari. It became an official script of courts for correspondence, records and other administrative purposes.
There are many stories about the origin of Modi. Some believe it to be Hemadpanthi while another faction says it evolved from the Brahmi. It's use has been seen from around the 14th century to about the 18th century. (Roughly from Chhatrapati Shivaji’s reign to the Peshwe rule). I examined its unique aspects closely during my research on the script for my thesis, early in my career. In ancient India, Tamrapatra (Copper Plates), Burjapatra (Bark) were used to write on. They required etching / carving of letters onto them. Letters like ‘Ka’ needed the hand to be lifted twice and thus the media were not suitable for writing fast. The advent of paper from China, facilitated writing with speed.
Thus, a script like Modi was developed but to some extent legibility was a bit sacrificed at the altar of speed and it was used more for personal writing and record. Though the script had originated in the land of Marathas and from the Devanagari script, its forms and style were soon adapted for scripts like Gujarati, Kannada, Bangali, Telugu and Urdu. While studying the script in light of its use and geographical journey through the aforementioned period, I came across a very interesting thing.
As a researcher who was foremost a calligrapher, I could analyse Modi and its manuscripts both for the technical aspects and its aesthetics. I saw how a medium and its availability had dominated the layout and the balance of positive and negative spaces in letters and records. In the earlier times when paper was scarce, large amount of matter was fitted / arranged in available space, reducing gaps between words and lines. Later, when paper was easily available and in better quality, one can see better spaced-out layouts with more legible and beautiful writing. Even in Modi Script we can see styles of the script named after the person / office bearer who developed it. e.g. ‘Chitanisi’ or ‘Mahadaji’.
With changing methods of writing, tools and advent of technology, this highly practical script of a non-conventional charm saw a decline in use and resultantly in people with the knowledge of reading and writing it. Modi was lost in the pages of time only to be pursued by historians or artists, calligraphers and researchers like me.
The whole purpose of any research is to develop something that elevates the research subject or helps it evolve further or discover something new, previously unknown information through your findings. My research in the Modi script inspired me to create something unique that not only celebrates the beauty of the script but is more relatable to my generation. The work that followed led to the creation of ‘Mukta Lipi’ – an amalgamation of features of Devanagari and Modi scripts. It was well-received and appreciated. It was used for the title and headings of the book ‘Aapla Maharashtra’, an initiative of The Government of Maharashtra to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the formation of the state. It was also used for movie and play titles like ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’ and ‘Swami’.
I hope calligraphers of today take up more of the many scripts, ancient and modern, that our nation has to offer and create beautiful specimens of Indian calligraphy for the next generations. Art will survive when it is preserved, documented and developed.
Thank you so much for putting more light on the MODI, मोडी Lipi.
It was so much AMUSING to know, understand Such a long historocal history it has.
Your PASSION,DEDICATION,"OBSESSION" has really lead, Compelled ...us to understand it more intensely.