Learn Punjabi Gurmukhi Calligraphy

[Ishna]

Does Punjab have a tradition of decorative Gurmukhi text, like calligraphy to Roman script? Google searches are finding mainly modern Gurmukhi artwork but examples of some more traditional decorative lettering would be appreciated (if available).

Waheguru ji ki fateh.

 

[Ambarsaria]

Does Punjab have a tradition of decorative Gurmukhi text, like calligraphy to Roman script? Google searches are finding mainly modern Gurmukhi artwork but examples of some more traditional decorative lettering would be appreciated (if available).

Waheguru ji ki fateh.

Ishna ji I wonder if you checked the following,

http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/arts/calligraphy/GurmCallgfy.htm

Sat Sri Akal.

 

[Ishna]

Thanks Ambarsaria ji. I've seen that page before but somehow missed the classic images a few pictures into the page. It is a shame they're not very large images.

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

Gurbani writers ( together with writers of ancient Hindu Texts like ramayan Mahabharta etc etc) did NOT go into Calligraphy ( as much as Arabic/Muslim writers went into ) simply because PICTURES were all right in Hinduism Sikhism etc BUT BANNED ENTIRELY in ISLAM. Hnece the Islamics had no choice except to DEVELOP Calligraphy to express their ART..while the others expressed theirs via beautiful images, borders, colours etc...on the Pages.

 

[Ishna]

Christians aren't prohibited from having pictures, and you will find many medieval manuscripts which contain both pictures and heavily decorated calligraphic text.

Could there be any other factors which impact Gurmukhi calligraphy? The alphabet doesn't really seem to lend itself to artistic rendition (coming from a beginner). But perhaps it was more important to present a simple text to people who may have been illiterate. Or maybe it's just not what Punjabis are interested in. The border art is usually more embellished than the text itself.

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

Ishna Ji,
Sikhs didnt have the luxury of monasteries full of thousands and thousands of monks and spinster nuns..who had nothing to do for an entire lifetime except Calligraphy etc...
Sikhs were hunted like wild animals from Day ONE....and had to live off the land fighting a guerilla war..and then our history is so SHORT compared to the others.I think thats the reason. BTW .I havent come across any JEWISH texts that have Calligraphy !! something to wonder why ??...But its evident that Islamic Caligraphy is an obsession...and the Arabic Script with long tails us easily twisted about..something not possible with the Roman alphabet or Gurmukhi devnagree etc...as you have observed...

 

[Ishna]

Ambarsaria ji, on much closer inspection the site you suggested is quite good. Thanks.

 

[Ishna]

Apologies for the lack of technical terms here... found this perhaps Islamic-inspired piece of art recently and wondered...

Does the meaning of the symbol change since the letter ONKAR is 'open' in this image, ie, the letter is not connected to the head-line on both left and right sides as usual? There is a gap between the left side of the letter and the head-line.

 

[Ambarsaria]

Ishna ji there are lot of flow and curves in "Arabic" and "Urdu" alphabet and grammar. Lot of combinations can look alike to something else with totally different phonetics and meaning. Unfortunately I don't know urdu perhaps some on the board do and they can clarify.

If it is written to represent of Ik-Onkaar in Punjabi then it is simply artistic.

Sat Sri Akal.