Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin’s visit to Bahmani kingdom, Aland urs fair
Russian Post released as stamp to celebrate 550 years of Afanasy Nikitin’s journey to Kalaburagi and Bidar
REHAMAN PATEL
History is really fascinating indeed. An accidental find of a piece of heritage may sometimes lead to new research ventures to dig out more and more hidden treasure.
And falling to this category, perhaps, is the latest chance discovery of rarest of the rare historical finding of Afanasy Nikintin’s visit to Bahmani kingdom. In the year 2021 Russia Post released a stamp on August 18 to celebrate 550 years of Afanasy Nikitin’s journey to India. Stamp depicting images of the monument of Tver city in Russia and Indian ancient places of interest including Afanasy Nikitin standing on horse shaped ship travelling to India.
In Particular, Bahmani monuments and a temple of south India are depicted in the stamp.
The stamp containing an Indian map inserted with Jama Masjid of Bahmani fort, Bidar fort and also a temple on the bottom is seen. However, on the top left a monument of Russian city Tver is seen. Though the Jama Masjid is considered the second biggest in Asia, the Bidar fort is said to be one of the best in Karnataka forts.
This stamp may entice the research scholars and historians and also artists to venture into further studies and research to throw new light on Afanasy Nikitin’s travel to Bahmani kingdom and know about art, culture and literature which he mentioned in his book “The Journey Beyond Three Seas”.
Nikitin’s visit to Aland Dargah fair
According to the documents shared by historian Jafar Khasim Ansari, “The Cambridge Economic History of India and History of Medieval Deccan” mentioned that after wandering in Persia, Afanasy Nikitin embarked at Hormuz Island with his horses in a tava or Indian Ship and reached Chaul (Modern Bombay) in 1769, though probably a place of considerable antiquity, had become a prominent port under the rule of the Bahmani sultans of Deccan in the fifteenth century.
After disembarkation Nikitin proceeded southwards via Junnar with his stallion and proceeded inland towards Bidar, reaching Gulbarga after ten days.
Nikitin wrote in his book “The Journey Beyond Three Seas” that next he went Urs or commemorative annual festival at the Sufi shrine of Aland Shaikh Alauddin Ansari alias Ladle Mashaikh Ansari, some twenty miles north-east of Gulbarga, which that year around 1 October, 1470 correspondence to 5th Rabbi-us-Sani, 875 Hijri and lasted for ten days. This was a major trading fair with the Bahmani dominions, to which Nikitin states 20,000 horses were brought as well as other trade-goods. He describes it is the best fair in the land of Hindustan, all wares are sold or brought there in memory of Sufi. He failed to sell his own stallion there and so proceeded to the capital of Bidar where he succeeded in selling his horse around Christmas, for a sum sufficient to maintain him for a whole year.
Nikitin, was a first Russian (as well as European) traveler, writer Tver merchant and the author of famous narrative known as “The Journey Beyond Three Seas” to India who undertook voyage by the sea crossing three seas namely the Caspian Sea, The Black Sea and the Arabian/Indian Sea, around 30 years earlier than Portuguese navigator Vasco-Da-Gama to India. He has visited India in between 1768-72, died in 1774.
About painting
On the occasion of 550 years of Afanasy Nikitin’s visit to India, the Indian Royal Academy of Art and Culture, Shryansy International and Hazrat Ladle Mashaikh Ansari Historical Study and Research Academy invited Russian painters to Aland to study the art and architecture of sufi shrine. And one of Russian painters Tatiana Svetkina created a live painting at a one-day event that shows the Ladle Mashaik’s tomb and an entrance gate to the Dargah with high minarets. She beautifully elaborated the scene by painting a portrait of Afanasy Nikitin who came from Russia to Aland. The painting title “Afanasy Nikitin in Aland” is made up of oil colour on canvas. Tarasova Elizaveta, Shryansy Singh, Mohammed Ayazuddin Patel, Rehaman Patel, Shaikh Ahsan also attended the event.
A three-day annual Urs fair of Aland Dargah started from today October 25 will end on 27.