Uttar Pradesh:  Meerut's CCSU University  (Chaudhary Charan Singh University)  has digitised a copy of the Ramayana in Urdu, published in Lahore way back in 1919. The digitised copy will soon go online.

The books will be accessible on the university website in within a week, said Professor JA Siddiqui, who assisted in obtaining the Urdu Ramayana. The book reached from Lahore via Sardhana to the Raja Mahendra Pratap library at CCSU. Mahatma Shiv Brat Lal translated it into Urdu 103 years ago.

Over six years ago, Siddiqui bought the book for the university from a Muqarram Ali who lived in Sardhana, Meerut.
The Urdu Ramayana is a very unique book. I took it to the library from Muqarram Ali, a relative of renowned actor Naseeruddin Shah. I visited Ali's house around 7 years ago and saw it in his collection. He told me it was gifted to him by a friend over 60 years ago. He was initially not keen to give it away, for obvious reasons," Siddiqui said.

The rare Urdu Ramayana was given to the library during his second visit, the author said, "During my second visit to his house, I urged him again to offer the book to the Raja Mahendra Pratap Library and eventually agreed." "The book's pages are in extremely fragile shape. We have kept it secure because of this. To prevent damage, we gently open the book "he added.

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