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A Note to All Our Readers: Please scroll down or click Home page for other recent posts and click What’s New for links to all articles published on this blog since March 2009.
By the generosity of the Imam of the time, we say that Paradise in truth is the Intellect, and the Gateway of paradise is the Prophet (peace and salutation be upon him) during his time, and his wasi, his rank, and the Imam of the time during his age. The Key to the gateway of paradise is the utterance of the phrase, La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadan rasul Allah.
This statue of the Ismaili da’i and intellectual giant Pir Nasir Khusraw stands in his memory in Badakhshan. Please click for article.
Pir Nasir-i Khusraw on the Gateway and Key to Paradise
A Note to All Our Readers: Please scroll down or click Home page for other recent posts and click What’s New for links to all articles published on this blog since March 2009.
Please click on image for Vali Jamal's article. Centre photo: The refurbished Kampala Jamatkhana, photographed in February 2009 by Amin John Kassam, Ottawa. Copyright.
Remembering Kampala Jamatkhana
A Note to All Our Readers: Please scroll down or click Home page for other recent posts and click What’s New for links to all articles published on this blog since March 2009.
This digital mosaic rendering is based on an existing photo portrait of His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th Ismaili Imam. For graphic artist Akbar Kanji of Toronto, the concept is to “portray our Imam’s entire life and his dedications at a glance which we cannot imagine until we come closer to him.”
Says Akbar Kanji about his astonishing work, “This mosaic portrait was created with fifteen hundred different images of our beloved Hazar Imam from his birth to the celebration of his Golden Jubilee. The portrait has been made with passion and lots of artistic efforts such as collections of pictures from various sources, resizing, reshaping, color corrections, arrangements and proper placements.”
A pixel sample of the portrait of His Highness the Aga Khan shown above. View the pixel strip further from the screen to see the facial features and move closer to the screen to see more of his dedications. The portrait is made up of 1500 'digital mosaic' pieces. Copyright. Akbar Kanji.
Akbar’s magnificent contribution is a work of labour and love, and Simerg is delighted that he is sharing this special portrait with readers of this Web site to mark the auspicious and happy occasion of Navroz, the Persian New Year.
We convey Navroz Mubarak to all our readers, and wish everyone happiness and success in all walks of life. The previous post, below, has two new poems and ginan explanation related to Navroz.
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The digital portrait is Copyright, Akbar Kanji. Hi-resolution print in varying sizes (recommended is 36″ x 24″ or 48″ x 36″) which will include the artist’s original signature is available for purchase from the artist. Please write to him at: akbarkanji@hotmail.com.
About the artist: Born in Bangladesh, Akbar Kanji moved to Pakistan where he pursued his childhood dream of becoming an artist by completing a Graphics Design Diploma at the Karachi School of Art. He continued his interest at other Fine Art, Performing Art and Visual Art institutes in Karachi and Toronto, and also trained under well known Pakistani artists including the late Ismaili artist Gulgee, Rabia Zubairi, Talat Hussein and others. He has served the Ismaili community’s Arts and Culture portfolio, and currently resides in Toronto where he works as a graphic designer.
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By Nuram
It is ordained by Allah
I come once a year on this day
And for six months
I stay in the Northern Hemisphere
I shine in all my splendour
I bring warmth
I bring life to the dead earth
I bring colour and all the hues
I bring movement to all living things
I bring hope for good things to come
There is resurgence, a renewal all around
Under the full moon on a special night
Come, gather and feast under the big tent
And dance and sing in his Name
Celebrate the New Day
With Zikr in the morn
With supplications
to ease all difficulties around the world
in the evening
And finally to bed
Knowing, no matter
that the Star is always with us
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Eji hette Alisu hirakh baandho,
Avichal ranga Sahebse girahiya,
Evi chint baandhi Nar Qayam saathe,
Sat bhandaar motiye bhariya….Verse 4
Please click for Navroz Ginan and to view enlarged version of the signed photo.
Be joyfully bound in the love of Ali
And attain the unfading spiritual color (the state of bliss) from the Master;
When my mind was bound to the Ever-Living Lord in contemplation
Reality adorned (the Soul) with priceless treasure of (Noorani) pearls
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By Navyn Naran
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© Simerg.com.
More Navroz Readings:
Literary Reading: The Light of Imam and the Festival of Nawruz
Al-Karim Jaffer: Craving Souls and Navruz Mubarak
Laila Lokhandwalla: A Spring Poem for Shah Karim
Stained glass window panel from the examination hall of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Headquarters in London, UK, showing Avicenna on left and Galen on right. Please click for article. Photo adapted from http://www.rpharms.com
Please click for "Two Tales from Rumi"
Maputo Jamatkhana, Mozambique, one of the many Jamatkhanas rendered in art by Nargis Mawji of Montreal, Canada. Please click for more Jamatkhana paintings.
Happy and excited students look on as their teacher greets His Highness the Aga Khan during his visit to the Aga Khan Primary School, Parklands, Nairobi, in 1966. Please click for more photos and enlargements.
Please click to view more photos.
Simerg
 Voices - Interviews and insights from Individuals |
 Literary Readings on the Alid and Shia Imami Ismaili Traditions |
 Modern Artistic Expressions |
 Series: The Life and Works of the 49th Ismaili Imam |
 Series: "I Wish I'd Been There" - 31 Ismaili history narratives |
 Series: The Life and Works of the 48th Ismaili Imam |
 Collections: Extraordinary Books, Extraordinary Objects |
 Parables: Succinct stories and lessons from Islamic literature |
 Historical Photos: Life in the Ismaili Community - 1885 and up |
 Sidelines: Perspectives on issues that matter |
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