Ghalib Academy & Library Museum Delhi

Just opposite the popular shrine of Nizamuddin, near the mausoleum of Mirza Ghalib (1797- 1869) lies the famous Ghalib Academy and Library Memorial established in 1969 as a 'literary and cultural' institution of the capital. Inaugurated by then the President of India, Zakir Hussain on the death centenary of Ghalib, the great Mughal court poet who is regarded by many as the last classical poet and the first modern poet of India, the academy houses a rich library, museum and an auditorium.

The main attraction of the academy is its well-laid museum at the top floor with years old photographs and paintings of great poets like Bahadur Shah Zafar's court poet, Zauq, Abdur Rehman Chugtai, Mohd. Hussain Azad and Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali along with Ghalib's statue and portraits depicting different phases of his life. Do look at the farman (orders) of Balban, a Sultan of Delhi of 14th century A.D, rare manuscript of Dara Shikoh, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's elder son and Abul Fazl's Ain-i-Akbari in the museum.

The other interesting exhibits of the museum are the ornamented specimens of calligraphy or katabas and waslis, in kufic script, collection of coins and postal stamps of eighteenth century as well as of recent time, Ghalib's writings in his hand-written postcards and letters and some his personal belongings like clothes, his personal chessboard made out of cloth with wooden pieces, shoes, his walking stick and cutlery items. Carvings and paintings of modern artists describing the couplets of Ghalib are also displayed in the museum.

The unusual attractiveness of the museum is the section where dummies of Ghalib's favorite dishes like seekh kabab, shammi kabab, murg massalam, kofta, dal chana, yakhni and besani roti etc are displayed.

Since its inception, the Academy is striving hard to promote the study of Urdu literature through its different schemes and projects. Apart from teaching Fan-e-khattati (calligraphy), Urdu typewriting, Kitabat (composing of books and manuscripts), Urdu shorthand, proof reading, translation work and the training in Urdu journalism, the academy maintains a library containing collections of almost all of Ghalib's writings including the complete edition of his renowned work Diwan as well as relevant material for research on the great poet. The library also houses the writings and poems of all his contemporary poets and writers.