Delhi exhibition traces Shahnameh’s journey from ancient Persia to Mughal India to modern Iran

The Shared Epic World at Sunder Nursery brought together diplomats, scholars and historians to reflect on the enduring relevance of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, a Persian epic poem. The evening began with a walkthrough of the exhibition Shared Epic World at the Garden Amphitheatre in Sunder Nursery, where manuscripts, paintings and visual interpretations from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh traced centuries of Indo-Persian cultural exchange. The event, organised jointly by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the Noor International Microfilm Centre and the Iran Culture House in New Delhi, brought together diplomats, scholars, historians, and literary figures to reflect on the relevance of the Persian epic. Among the speakers were Mohammad Fathali, Ambassador of Iran, Fariduddin Farid Asr, Cultural Counsellor of Iran, Ratish Nanda, India CEO of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Syed Akhtar Hussain of the School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, SM Azizuddin Husain, former Head of the Department of History at Jamia Millia Islamia; writer and journalist Nasira Sharma, Shahab Khajeh Piri, Deputy Director of the Noor International Microfilm Centre, and the town of Qasemi.