The Kabikaj Foundation

یا کبیکج احفظ ہذا الورق

Collections

We are humbled to introduce our growing collection of over a 1000 works in Dakhni Urdu, Persian, English, as well as a few in Arabic and Telugu. Spanning the 19th to the 21st centuries, the collection ranges from handwritten folios to printed volumes, reflecting a rich diversity of themes, languages, and formats. Focused on—but not limited to—the Islamicate Deccan, our holdings include Dakhni Urdu and Persian poetry, treatises on history and Islamic sciences, as well as lexicons, dictionaries, textbooks, manuals, catalogues, and literary works, among others. Our collection also forms the foundation of an ongoing project called Dakhni-pedia – an evolving repository of Dakhni literature.

OUR wORK

We also collaborate with researchers, scholars, and enthusiasts—whether for academic inquiry or public engagement—to preserve and share the materials in our care as well as public and private archives. Our collaborations often take the form of archival projects, translations, and joint research, including ongoing partnerships with organizations like The Deccan Archives Foundation and Dar-al-Isnad. These partnerships manifest in archival projects, translations, and joint research efforts.
In addition to our archival and research work, we organize workshops, lectures, and exhibitions that bring our collections and areas of focus to wider audiences. These include sessions on Urdu poetics, prosody, Dakhni literature, and the history of literary traditions, as well as curated exhibitions showcasing rare and significant items from our archive. Over the years, through Kabikaj, our founder has conducted such programs in academic settings like EFLU and Symbiosis Law School, and at prominent cultural venues such as the Salarjung Museum, Hyderabad Literary Festival, and Sham-e-Rekhta. These events invite participants to engage deeply with the literary and historical contexts of Urdu and Dakhni, explore classical poetic forms, and experience the intellectual richness of these traditions firsthand.
We also welcome interns and volunteers interested in contributing to this collective work.

The Foundation began in 2017 as a personal initiative by Riasath Ali Asrar to preserve his family’s archival collection—especially the works of his grandfather, Hazrat Riasat Ali Taaj (1930–1999) <Rekhta / Facebook Page>. What started as a private effort gradually evolved into a broader and formal mission. We are formally registered, merging Anjuman e Fannan with Kabikaj, as Anjuman Kabikaj & Associates under Registration No. 219 of 2025. Our work is sustained through personal contributions, service revenue, merchandise sales, and donations from well-wishers. You can support our mission by purchasing our merchandise—including posters, postcards, notebooks, and other collectibles—all of which directly fund our preservation efforts.

We invite you to join us in safeguarding these cultural treasures—whether by supporting our work, collaborating on research, or simply spreading the word. Together, we can ensure that this part of a rich and diverse heritage remains accessible for generations to come.

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