Breath-taking performances and soulful compositions by the finest ghazal singers and Hindi poets captivated a crowd of over 8,000 students, faculty members and guests at Jamia Millia Islamia’s sprawling Ansari auditorium lawns creating a festive mood on campus as the grand six-day celebration of the 105th Foundation Day of JMI entered its third day today.
The day began with a surge of patriotic fervour as the university celebrated the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at its Sports Complex to honour his invaluable contribution to national unity. A well-attended ‘Run for Unity’, led by Vice Chancellor, JMI, Prof Mazhar Asif and Registrar, Jamia, Prof. Mahtab Alam Rizvi was followed by an ‘Oath of Unity’ administered by Prof Zubair Meenai to a large gathering of more than 500 students, faculty members and national and international delegates, reaffirming JMI’s commitment to unity, peace and nation-building.
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A memorable event of the Talimi Mela was the spiritually enriching “Mehfil-e-Qira’at-o-Naat Khwani and the Prof. Mohammad Mujeeb Memorial Lecture” that lent a sombre air to the festivities. Maulana Mufaddal Shakir along with Maulana Shabbir Husain Bhopalwala, both representatives of the Chancellor, JMI (Ameer-e-Jamia) His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, and Prof. Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz, eminent educationist and former Vice Chancellor, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) were the guests of honour at the event. In their addresses, Maulana Mufaddal Shakir and Maulana Shabbir Husain Bhopalwala reflected on Jamia’s historic legacy and its enduring contribution to education and social reform. Maulana Bhopalwala conveyed the Ameer-e-Jamia’s congratulatory message, highlighting that JMI was founded on sacrifice, conviction, and sincerity, values that still guide its progress today and hold the key to humanity.
The Qur’an and the Cosmos
In his illuminating talk, “The Qur’an and the Cosmos”, Prof. Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz said: “The Qur’an is not merely for recitation but for reflection and action; true success lies in understanding and implementing its message in our collective lives.” Students from the M.A. Arabic programme, Sayar Shabbir Wani and Mohammad Adil along with guest reciters, Burhanuddin Badri and Huzaifa Badri, presented Naats imbued with reverence and devotion, captivating the audience.
Sham-e-Ghazal, Akhil Bhartiya Kavi Sammelan
The cultural evenings held daily at 5:30 p.m. remain a major highlight of the Foundation Day celebrations. On October 29, the much-anticipated ‘Sham-e-Ghazal’ by Padma Shri Ustad Ahmed Hussain and Ustad Mohammed Hussain enthralled audiences with their soulful melodies, as golden lights illuminated the grand façade of the Ansari Auditorium. The following evening on October 30, the ‘Akhil Bhartiya Kavi Sammelan’ brought together celebrated poets including Laxmi Shankar Bajpai, Yash Malviya, Aman Akshar, Rahul Sharma, Dixit Dankauri; Ranjit Chauhan, Preeti Tripathi and Abhisek Tiwari. Their verses ranging from poignantly emotional to light-hearted humour and social satire were beautifully anchored by Prof. Rehman Musawwir from the Department of Hindi.
Yesterday, the university’s amphitheatre came alive with vibrant dance performances from North East India, organised by the Department of Educational Studies. Students, dressed in traditional attire of white, red, blue, black, and gold, celebrated the region’s rich heritage, focusing on the tea tribes and the culture, textiles, and folk heritage of Assam. The event opened with one of Bhupen Hazarika’s masterpieces ‘Ganga Behti ho Kyun’ followed by a heartfelt tribute to one of the region’s most beloved singers, the recently deceased Zubeen Garg, his timeless melodies evoking both nostalgia and pride.
International Food Festival
Jamia is known for its great food culture and in keeping with that tradition, throughout the Talimi Mela, the International Food Festival added delectable flavour to the festivities, filling the campus with colour, aroma, and excitement. Stalls lined up across the venue offered everything from traditional Indian fast food and sweet delicacies to international cuisines and icy desserts. The Embassies of Mexico, France, Italy, Venezuela, and Slovenia presented exhibits of their food culture along with local restaurants like Zehra and Shaik. Students and visitors moved from stall to stall, tasting, chatting, and capturing moments of joy.
Reflecting on the success of the Talimi Mela, Prof. Asif and Prof. Rizvi said: “The extended Talimi Mela has beautifully and emphatically showcased JMI’s intellectual vibrancy and cultural diversity through seminars, lectures, panel discussions and workshops and especially, through book fairs, exhibitions food, music and dance turning the campus into a lively carnival of educational and cultural exchange.”
Mehfil-e-Qira’at-o-Naat Khwani
Jamia Millia Islamia marked its 105th Foundation Day with a spiritually uplifting “Mehfil-e-Qira’at-o-Naat Khwani and the Prof. Mohammad Mujeeb Memorial Lecture” held at the Dr. M.A. Ansari Auditorium. The event was graced by the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Professor Mazhar Asif, who presided over the ceremony. Among the distinguished attendees were Registrar Prof. Mohammad Mahtab Alam Rizvi, Dean, Students’ Welfare Prof. Neelofar Afzal, senior faculty members, and a large number of students.
The programme commenced with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an by Qari Huzaifa Badri, whose melodious and spiritually stirring voice filled the auditorium with divine serenity. The Vice Chancellor warmly welcomed the special guests — Maulana Mufaddal Shakir, Maulana Shabbir Husain Bhupalwala, both the representatives of Ameer-e-Jamia Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, and Prof. Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz, eminent educationist and former Vice Chancellor, MANUU.
Following the soulful recitation, Jamia’s famous anthem was sung with great enthusiasm, rekindling a spirit of unity and academic pride. Students from the M.A. Arabic programme —Sayar Shabbir Wani and Mohammad Adil — along with guest reciters Burhanuddin Badri and Huzaifa Badri, presented Naats imbued with reverence and devotion, captivating the audience.
In their addresses, Maulana Mufaddal Shakir and Maulana Shabbir Husain Bhupalwala reflected on Jamia’s historic legacy and its enduring contribution to education and social reform. Maulana Shakir emphasized that Jamia’s intellectual and moral mission continues to inspire the Muslim world. Maulana Bhupalwala conveyed the Ameer-e-Jamia’s congratulatory message, highlighting that Jamia was founded on sacrifice, conviction, and sincerity — values that still guide its progress today.
In his presidential address, Prof. Mazhar Asif lauded the contributions of the distinguished guests, noting that their presence strengthened the bond between the academic and spiritual worlds. He remarked, “Jamia Millia Islamia has always stood for the highest ideals of education, culture, and service to humanity — values that define its very identity.”
Delivering the vote of thanks, Prof. Neelofar Afzal, Dean, Students’ Welfare, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Vice Chancellor, dignitaries, faculty, students, and organisers for the successful conduct of the event. She remarked that such spiritual and intellectual gatherings embody the ethos of Jamia, nurturing both moral and intellectual growth among students.
The event concluded with the rendition of the National Anthem, bringing to a close a day that beautifully blended the spiritual, intellectual, and patriotic spirit of Jamia Millia Islamia.
Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, and Abdul Majid Khwaja were founders of Jamia. One of the leaders who gave the movement its vision, vision, and direction was Mahmud Hasan Deobandi. Later, Dr. Zakir Hussain, who later became the President of India, became one of the figures who established Jamia’s identity. Jamia played an important role in freedom struggle.
Jamia: A brief history
Jamia Millia Islamia was founded in Aligarh on October 29, 1920 by a group of nationalist leaders and students of Aligarh Muslim University. Its founding members included Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari, and Abdul Majeed Khwaja.
In 1925, the institution shifted from Aligarh to Karol Bagh, New Delhi. A decade later, on March 1, 1935, the foundation stone of its school building was laid at Okhla, then a quiet village on Delhi’s southern outskirts. By 1936, all departments of Jamia Millia Islamia except the Jamia Press, Maktaba, and the library had moved to the new campus.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) granted Jamia Millia Islamia deemed university status in 1962. Later, on December 26, 1988, it was elevated to the status of a central university through an Act of Parliament.
