New Delhi, October 31, 2025: Breathtaking performances and soulful compositions by renowned ghazal singers and Hindi poets captivated 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 JMI’s 105th Foundation Day entered its third day.
The day began with a surge of patriotic fervour as the university celebrated Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Sports Complex to honour his invaluable contribution to national unity. A well-attended ‘Run for Unity’, led by Vice Chancellor Prof Mazhar Asif and Registrar Prof Mahtab Alam Rizvi, was followed by an ‘Oath of Unity’ administered by Prof Zubair Meenai to more than 500 students, faculty members, and national and international delegates, reaffirming JMI’s commitment to unity, peace, and nation-building.
A memorable highlight 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 and Maulana Shabbir Husain Bhopalwala, representing the Chancellor, JMI (Ameer-e-Jamia) His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, along with Prof Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz, eminent educationist and former Vice Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), were the guests of honour. 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 JMI’s foundation on sacrifice, conviction, and sincerity, values that still guide its progress and hold the key to humanity. Prof Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz, in his illuminating talk, “The Qur’an and the Cosmos”, 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.
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 ranged from poignantly emotional to light-hearted humour and social satire, 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 beloved singer Zubeen Garg, whose timeless melodies evoked both nostalgia and pride.
JMI is renowned for its vibrant food culture, and in keeping with that tradition, the International Food Festival added delectable flavour to the festivities, filling the campus with colour, aroma, and excitement. Stalls 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 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, workshops, book fairs, exhibitions, food, music, and dance, turning the campus into a lively carnival of educational and cultural exchange.”
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