Tag Archives: Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Suppliers

Hyderabad: Haziq and Mohi Rare Books planning to sell collection

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Among the patrons of Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Sellers, back when its founder Awad Bafana was running it, also includes author (of White Mughals) William Dalrymple.

 An inside view of Haziq and Mohi rare book sellers. (Image: Yunus Lasania)

Hyderabad: 

For over four decades, Awad Bin Mohd Bafana ran a book store selling rare books in the Old City. A man of Arab descent, he had inherited the books from his grandfather’s personal library. Over a period of time, it became a go-to place for research scholars, and anyone else looking to buy something interesting and old. Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Sellers today is one of those ‘secrets’ that many love to discover among the city’s heritage.

Awad Bafanna, as he was known, passed away suddenly in 2015 over half a decade ago at the age of 74. He left behind thousands of books in his shop, which only he mentally kept track of. His nephews who run the shop today in Hyderabad, painstakingly have only managed to organise a section of the collection. “There was no inventory but he knew exactly where every book was in his head,” said Ibrahim, one of his nephews.

One can understand the enormity of the rare book collection at Haziq and Mohi while walking through it. There is literally space for only one person to walk in its hallway, and to then turn right into another section. Thankfully, Awad Bafana’s family have partially sorted out books based on subjects like history, politics, on Hyderabad etc. The bookstore is a haven for bibliophiles and research scholars who require particular titles.

A favourite of collectors and scholars

Among the patrons of Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Sellers, back when Awad Bafana was running it, also included author (of White Mughals) William Dalrymple. Ibrahim and his brothers still receive calls from abroad for specific books customers want. Awad Bafana’s grandfather had worked as a Jamadar in Barkas. for the Al-Quaiti family that headed the Yemeni community in Hyderabad.

Haziq and Mohi rare book sellers. (Image: Yunus Lasania)

Hyderabad’s Barkas, where their descendants live even today, is believed to be a corrupt word of the word barracks. It is essentially a mini Yemen of sorts and is a go-to place for foodies who want to eat authentic Yemeni cuisine.

Partial book collection up for sale

Now, seven years Mr. Bafanna’s demise, Awad Bafana’s extended family that runs Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Sellers is looking to part with a chunk of its collection. The Bafana family runs the rare book store in Hyderabad’s old city near the Chowk Ki Masjid at Hussaini Alam road. The collection is huge, and the family still has to go through the entire thing in order to catalogue it.

“We are not selling away all our books, nor are we shutting down the store. However, there are some monetary requirements at home due to which we decided to do this. Anyone who is interested can come take a look and discuss it with us,” Ibrahim told Siasat.com.

Haziq and Mohi has a treasure trove of books in mainly Urdu, English, Persian and Arabic. Many book lovers who wander there usually end up sticking around for hours, mostly going back with books they never knew they wanted in the first place. The collection of rare books include several official gazettes, and other publications that are even a century old. One will have to sift through it to even figure out what is there.

Anyone interested in purchasing the collection that is up for grabs can contact the Bafana family for the same (finding it is easy on Google Maps) on +919160161301.

Haziq and Mohi rare book sellers. (Image: Yunus Lasania)

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Yunus Lasania / December 14th, 2022

Rare books, methodically sorted

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Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Suppliers at Mubarak Chowk near Charminar is all set for a massive overhaul.-Photo: Mohammed Yousuf
Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Suppliers at Mubarak Chowk near Charminar is all set for a massive overhaul.-Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

After his death, siblings of Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bafanna, owner of Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Suppliers, start digitising and categorising the inventory.

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

our months after 67-year-old Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bafanna breathed his last leaving behind a treasure trove in terms of literature, his four-decade-old shop which sells rare books is all set to be brought back to life. While it will take time to return things to full functionality, it is nevertheless something that book lovers have been waiting for.

And if you were one of those people wondering about the future of Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Suppliers, then there is good news. Mr. Ahmed’s five siblings have now begun sorting and rearranging the range of books in the shop subject wise, and they also plan to digitise the entire collection. “We started work in December, and have categorised more than 10,000 books so far,” said Khaled Bafanna, the youngest of the siblings.

The work to categorise all the books in Haziq and Mohi will take at least six months more, given that nobody in the family except Mr. Ahmed had any idea of which book is where.

“He had everything on his mind. We have started separating them under categories like Islamic literature and history. It will make things easier, as we would know how to find things. And we don’t even know the total number of books that are here,” explained Khaled. After Mr. Ahmed’s sudden demise, there was fear among his customers that his store would be shut down. Perhaps the fact that the store was closed for about 40 days after his death may have prompted that idea. For instance, a researcher from the US who was in Hyderabad last December went back disappointed, as the store was closed. The shop is a place where any literature lover could get lost in. Filled with books everywhere, there is just enough space for one person to walk through it, literally. A second person would have to either go outside to give way, or turn sideways to let another person pass. And the books also perhaps live up to the store’s name, as all of them inside are titles that would pique anyone’s curiosity.

For example, some of the books on display there are Aazadi (in Urdu), Women in Delhi Sultanate by Lokesh Chandra Nand, Timardaari (in Urdu) and another one titled Hyderabad Gazetteer by A. Khan. “Once my son’s exams are over, I will also create an email ID for the shop, so that our customers can reach us easily,” said Khaled, who is helped by his brothers to run the shop. And without Mr. Ahmed, how do they fix the cost of the books they sell? “We fix the price based on the date of the books, i.e. how old they are. And also, in case we cannot get another print of a particular book, we will only make Photostat copies of the original and give it, to preserve the copy we have,” he said, sitting where his eldest brother once sat in front of the shop on a small stool. Khaled and his brothers will also be relying on the same book sellers who would inform whenever a rare book would be available in the market for them to purchase. Mr. Ahmed is survived by his five brothers Ali, Abdallah, Salem, Osman and Khaled, all of whom maintain the store together. The shop is open from 12 noon to 7 p.m., and customers can contact Mr. Khaled on 93940 21930.

Some of the books are Aazadi, and Women in Delhi Sultanate by Lokesh Chandra Nand

 source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Yunus Y. Lasania / February 22nd, 2016