FIRST WORD
निज भाषा उन्नति अहै, सब उन्नति को मूल।बिन निज भाषा-ज्ञान के, मिटत न हिय को सूल।।विविध कला शिक्षा अमित, ज्ञान अनेक प्रकार।सब देसन से लै करहू, भाषा माहि प्रचार।।
TRANSLATION
Progress is possible only through one's own language, because it is the foundation of all progress. Without the knowledge of the mother tongue, it is not possible to relieve the pain of the heart. Various types of arts, unlimited education and many types of knowledge, must be taken from all countries, but they should be propagated only through the mother tongue.
ABOUT DEVANAGARI
Devanagari is a script used primarily for writing Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, and several other languages of the Indian subcontinent. Its name, derived from the Sanskrit words "deva" (god) and "nagari" (city), translates to "script of the city of the gods," reflecting its esteemed status in Indian culture. Originating around the 7th century CE, Devanagari evolved from ancient Brahmi script and has since become one of the most widely used and recognized writing systems in India. Characterized by its horizontal line running across the top of characters, Devanagari is an abugida, where each character typically represents a consonant with an inherent vowel that can be altered or muted by additional marks. Its rich history and adaptability have made it central to the literary and cultural traditions of South Asia, encompassing religious texts, classical literature and modern media.
FIRST WORD
Nikheel Aphale
ABOUT THE CALLIGRAPHER
Born in 1979 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Nikheel Aphale’s fascination with letters began right from childhood. By the time he was in college, the fascination grew into a passion for creating art out of letters. Nikheel graduated with a Bachelors in Applied arts from L.S Raheja School of Arts, Mumbai followed by Post Graduate Diploma in Communication Design from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad.
The Devanagari script is Nikheel’s muse, he adores his traditional and spiritual roots, and being the script of his mother tongue, Marathi, he feels deeply connected to it.