Passion Makes Scribble on the Tombstones

Saeed Ahmed, 47, is an artist who carves the names of the deceased on marble slabs to be used as tombstones in Urdu, English, Arabic and Persian. He waits for customers who demand the marbles slabs for the graves of their dearest persons whop die. He does all type of marble works with his hammer and hoe which helps him out in cutting shapes of the marble.

Talking to INFN he said, “My interest brought me here in 1978 when I was just 15 and now I have spent 32 years in this marble slabs art although it is not my ancestor’s profession,”

“I belong to Bahawalpur and got education to grade-3 level but I can write each and everything in the form of calligraphy on slabs of marbles,” he said.

“I earn 400 rupees throughout the day after a hectic work that I have to do sitting on one place with a great concentration. My eyesight is gradually becoming weaker for the sake of this passion,” he added.

Marble slabs’ price range starts from 350 rupees to 1000 rupees and a complete grave covered with slabs costs nearly 3000,” Saeed added. He has a great experience in this field because there are 22 different kinds of marbles in the market. His son is also doing the same job as father, “I feel so afraid when making complete grave for deceased person because often I think that a time will surely come when someone will be making marble slabs for me when I die” Saeed remarked.

The first month of the Islamic Calendar -- Moharram is the main season of marble slabs and a large number of people place order for making slabs for the graves of their dead ones and I earn up to 700 rupees a day, “I am not happy with this profession because of insufficient amount which I earn after an enormous work,” Saeed complained.

Saeed Ahmad knows about the fitting of complete marble grave and is immensely experienced in this work; he has spent his childhood, youth and is now ready to die with this art for the sake of his passion.