SK Zahurul Islam’s father Aminul Islam published an authentic Odia almanac way back in 1935. Known as Oriya Kohinoor Press panjika, this almanac has been an indispensable guide to religious rituals and is found in every Odia household. The almanac has even found acceptance in the Jagannath temple, Puri for its authenticity.
Zahurul, the present proprietor of Kohinoor Press, has carried forward his father’s legacy with sincere commitment. A man who believes in respecting all faiths, Zaharul is an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath. With the Lord’s annual sojourn Rath Yatra around the corner, Sunday POST caught up with Zahurul and his son Iftekhar Zahur, who quit a cushy job to join his father in his almanac publication work. They throw light on their bonding with Lord Jagannath and the difficulties they faced to carry forward their legacy.
Today, a number of panjis are available in the Odia language, but the Kohinoor Press one is considered the most authentic. This ephemeris is a reference source for almost all Hindu families, religious institutions and temples. Not only the people of Orissa, but Odias living outside the state as well as in foreign countries also consult this ephemeris. Be it a marriage, foundation laying ceremony, house warming or other auspicious occasions, Hindu families in the state look to the Orissa Kohinoor panji for finding suitable dates.
Zahurul says, “Kohinoor Press panjika was my father’s brainchild. He introduced the ephemeris with the help of his friend, Krushna Chandra Pandey. Our press has been publishing books since 1928. We started producing the almanac in 1935 after we got the nod from the Mukti Mandap Pandit Sabha, the highest Hindu religious body of the Jagannath temple in Puri. Every year, the approval comes from them. Soon after the almanac is printed, rituals are performed at the temple before it is released for sale. Earlier, there was only one almanac in Orissa, which was published by Arunodaya Press. We carved a niche for ourselves by providing more accurate data. Our almanac is now an 83-year-old publication thanks to the dedication of my father, Aminul Islam. Every year, we produce the almanac with the help of astronomers. During my father’s tenure, astronomers Harihara Khadiratna and Bishnuprasad Khadiratna used to prepare the draft after making necessary calculations and get it approved by the Mukti Mandap Pundit Sabha. After the death of Harihara and Bishnuprasad, it is the latter’s son Krushnaprasad who prepares the draft for us.”
“My father was an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath and he used to be addressed as second Salabega. He was instrumental in promoting communal harmony by publishing books on Indian culture, Vedas, Puranas and the Holy Quran. I followed in his footsteps. And now I am proud that my son is carrying forward the legacy. What makes me very happy is that, though we are Muslims, this almanac is well accepted by Hindus and even Sri Jagannath temple as well as Muslims. We could not have come this far had Lord Jagannath not blessed us. Besides, we are happy that people from the Hindu community know us more than those from our own community due to our noble job.”
It was by a quirk of fate Zahurul’s son Iftekhar joined his father’s business. He had started working in ABN AMRO bank after completing his MBA from Mumbai. He was about to leave for the Netherlands when he inexplicably changed his mind and decided to carry forward his forefather’s legacy.
“My brother is in USA, while my sister lives in Dubai. I could have left for the Netherlands to lead a comfortable life. But I must say it is nothing but a miracle of Lord Jagannath that I quit my job just to carry forward the legacy of my forefathers. When I entered the business, I was scared. I still remember my first meeting with the Shankaracharya. When I entered the saint’s mutt to be part of the annual meeting, everyone was looking strangely at me, as if I had committed a crime. The Shankaracharya called me and gave me an apple as a blessing. He later told me to distribute other apples among the participants of the meeting. This made me feel that when people like the Shankaracharya do not have such feelings, why should I bother about others?”
Iftekhar does not regret his decision to quit his job to carry forward the work of his father and grandfather. “I feel respect matters a lot more than money. Yes, money is required to maintain a good lifestyle. But you feel glad and proud of yourself when someone respects you from core of their heart,” he says with a smile.
Recollecting some difficult times, he says, “There were instances when some unscrupulous elements wanted to tarnish the image of the Kohinoor panji but with the blessings of Allah and Lord Jagannath, we overcame the problems. One year, the Mukti Mandap did not give us a certificate to publish the panji. We were really hurt.
However, people approached the Mukti Mandap when they found that the publisher who had been allowed to publish the panji had provided wrong data. Then, the members of Mukti Mandap checked out our data and found it was right. They advised people to go with the Kohinoor panji. I think Lord Jagannath saved us. Otherwise, we could have lost the faith of the people. Whatever we are today, it is because of the Lord’s grace.”
Interestingly, Iftekhar got married to a Hindu girl thanks to his family’s support. “We don’t have a conservative mentality. When I expressed my desire to get married to the girl I love, my parents said yes without a second thought. We faced no difficulties, and I believe this was possible thanks to the Lord’s grace.”
That’s not all. This family has a fixed deposit in Puri temple, which is used for conducting the thread ceremony for boys belonging to poor families.
Regarding his plans, he says, “Annually a few lakh copies of the panji are printed and sold. Now, we are all set to launch a mobile app which will help people get data regarding festivals and other rituals with just a click, at any time and any place. Besides, some news channels want to collaborate with us. This will help us reach people globally. With the evolution of printing technology, the Kohinoor Press has also come a long way. From hand composing and letter press printing, now it has adopted desktop designing and printing through computers and multi-colour printing in offset press.
“Lastly, I would just say Lord Jagannath is the lord of the universe. He is the one who created this earth and thus no creation lies beyond the boundaries of his mercy and all have the right to pray to him. The famous story of Bhakt Salabega is proves that no one has the right over God, and all that matters is our intention, devotion and faith in the Lord. Caste, religion, status, all these are attributes which may hold importance for man, but for the Lord of the world these are unimportant elements, for he seeks only true love, care and faith.”
Feathers in Zahurul’s cap
- A master’s degree holder in literature with a degree in law, Zahurul won the first prize in a Hindi essay competition on Panchayati Raj and was felicitated in Parliament in 1996
- Felicitated with the honour of Dabyacharya at a conference hosted by the Astrological Research Project in 1997
- Felicitated by former Chief Minister of Orissa Nandini Satpathy for his immense contribution in the field of literature
- Awarded with Chinta O Chetana Rashtriya Samman by former governor of Orissa SC Jamir
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP