The private world of Ghani Khan By Arshad Khan.

The private world of Ghani Khan By Arshad Khan. 

English Blog About Ghani Khan Baba

Having already enjoyed the privilege of attending historical Jamia Millia Dehli, destiny brought Ghani Khan to Anand Bhawan -- the home of Jawaharlal Nehru in Allahabad, for eight long months, to occupy the rooms where Motilal Nehru once lived. Over here, he was looked after by Kamala, Jawaharlal’s wife, while for company, he had comely, Indira Priyadarshini -- later day Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India. As if proximity of these towering historical figures was not enough, sometimes around 1934, Jawaharlal Nehru sent him and Indira to study together at Shantiniketan Academy (currently Visva Bharati University), founded by great Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, where he studied journalism , arts and sculpture while Indira took up Chemistry and History.

Ghani is a phenomenon, typical of rural Charsadda and Mardan, associated with making of coarse sugar (gur) from boiling sugarcane extract. the son of legendary Bacha Khan and brother of Wali Khan. Ghani Khan’s residence, picturesque rural landscape of Charsadda which had provided essential inspiration to Ghani Khan for his mesmerising poetry.

Ghaani lives near the serene Jindi River, in close proximity of the poet’s residence at Mohammad Narai village in Utmanzai area. It was inside that dimly lit Ghaani, laden with scent of fermenting sugarcane, intoxicating details from early life the historical linkages, involving Nehrus, Indira, Bacha Khan, Ghani Khan and Rabindranath Tagore, when he unveiled yet another twist in this enchanting account. "Ghani Khan and Indira continued their studies at Shantiniketan Academy for quite some time. Ghani Khan was elected president of the students union while Indira became the social secretary. Ghani Khan had the added honour of being taught painting and sculpture by Nandalal Bose, an accomplished Indian artist of his times who later became head of Arts School Kala-Bhavana. At this juncture, events took an unexpected turn with a visit of Bacha Khan to Shantiniketan Academy. For some inexplicable reason, Bacha Khan suddenly decided to withdraw Ghani Khan from this premier art institute and even the intercession of Mahatma Gandhi (at the insistence of Ghani Khan’s teacher, Nandalal Bose) failed to change his mind

In less than a year’s time following Ghani Khan’s departure from the Academy, Indira also left her studies mid-course as she accompanied her ailing mother to Germany for treatment. 

"Eyes full of manliness, laughter and the devil" is how Ghani Khan described the Pashtun folks in his famous book, Pathans. True to this description, I could clearly see an unspoken story brewing in the devilish mind of Khan about the youthful Ghani Khan and Indira.

-- Aman Garh -- the great poet’s residence, with mixed feelings of reverence, awe and excitement

Inside, the first thing that struck everyone was the abundance of old, towering trees around the main building. Evening shadows of these mighty trees silhouetted a sprawling garden as the air throbbed with a multitude of evening songs of birds. Beneath the towering trees, line after line of fruit trees of mixed varieties was interspersed with an ensemble of colourful bushes.

-- Ghani Khan, Ali Khan and Wali Khan -- in their youthful years. A more apt spectacle of Pashtun manly charms coupled with unparalleled achievements cannot be imagined than the one presented by this larger-than-life picture affixed in the hujra of Ghani Khan.

Alongside this spectacular mural hung an equally evocative picture showing Mahatama Gandhi and Bacha Khan, standing side-by-side, making one feel face-to-face with history. 

Passing through the hujra compound, is the main building, which was separated by another gate and a wall. Once inside the living quarters of Ghani Khan, it was as if one had entered imaginary gardens from Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyaat. More towering trees of equally grandiose proportions, including mangoes and banyan, stood in a more neatly laid-out fashion. While the garden around the hujra was less organised and gave a chaotic look, like a poet’s stray thoughts, the inner garden encircling the residential compound was an immaculate affair, as if done with a sculptor’s scalpel.

this perfectly complimented the diverse dimensions in great Ghani Khan’s creative personality

Tastefully displayed in three spacious rooms and encircled with an old-styled verandah, the legacies of Ghani Khan took shape in all possible artistic expressions -- in many of his self-portraits carrying his flowing signatures and in the Buddha-like busts chiselled out of stones with his own hands.

Da Panjary Chaghar or "Chirpings from Prison", which was produced while he served a six-year sentence in Haripur Jail.

There is other books like Palwashay, Panoos and Latoon.

Every now and then, it looked as if Bacha Khan, Mahatma Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru would step out of one of the many black and white pictures hanging in those rooms. Every now and then, some drawing or a faded writing showed the richness of talent of Ghani Khan, who was a poet par excellence in the manner of likes of Amir Hamza Shinwari and Rehman Baba as well as a political activist having the honour to become the youngest member of legislative assembly in British India before the partition. Besides his impressive accomplishments, the overall impression one got after witnessing his many creations was of an indefatigable romantic, full of energy and passion. Or to put in Pashto, the Leewanay Falsify as most Pashtuns love to call him on account of his satirical columns that he contributed to an early day Pashto newspaper, Pukhtoon, in the heydays of Khudai Khidmatgar movement. Let death overtake me,Whenever it will;

It will find me prepared,With a flower in hand,

Or a gun in hand,Or quill and ink;

And drowned in laughter,The cares of the world;

Ghani Khan residence and museum can be reached after leaving Islamabad-Charsadda Motorway at the Charsadda Exit and by travelling a few kilometres on the main highway between Razzar and Takh Bhai close to Utman Zai village

Pashto Times English Blog About Khan Abdul Ghani Khan Aka Ghani Khan Baba. Life And Work Of Ghani Khan Baba In English. Who Was Ghani Khan. Ghani Khan Biography in English.

The private world of Ghani Khan By Arshad Khan.

Pashto Times English Blog About Khan Abdul Ghani Khan Aka Ghani Khan Baba. Life And Work Of Ghani Khan Baba In English. Who Was Ghani Khan. Ghani Khan Biography in English.

The private world of Ghani Khan By Arshad Khan.