World’s Only Handwritten Newspaper Is In India, Priced At Just 75p

Staying true to its old-school roots, the newspaper's office doesn't own a single computer

By: Ankita Bose |
May 7, 2018 3:29 pm

The world’s oldest handwritten Urdu daily, The Musalman, is in India and still caters to its over 21,000 readers. Published from its humble headquarters in Chennai, the newspaper employs three calligraphers, called “katibs”, who diligently write the articles for two hours.
Once the Herculean task of scripting is over, the evening paper, that is circulated in the evening, is set to the negative and then sent to be printed in the afternoon. The four-page broadsheet mostly covers Islamic cultural news, but also features articles on politics, current affairs, and sports.
Staying true to its old-school roots, the newspaper’s office doesn’t own a single computer. “The Musalman” was established in 1927 and is the brainchild of Syed Azathulla, who started the newspaper to “give a voice to the Muslim community”. Ninety-one years later, it’s run by his grandson Sayed Arifullah, who is the third editor in the newspaper’s lifespan.
Its scribes have worked for the paper for about 30 years and are considered to be “family”. At 75 p, “The Musalman” is the cheapest paper in the country. This paper is not just disseminating news, it’s also keeping the art of Urdu calligraphy alive.

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