Indian autodidact calligrapher Anil Kumar Chowhan has been writing calligraphy verses of the Koran in Arabic for the past 30 years. His works are made on more than 200 mosque walls throughout India.

Based in Hyderabad, the 50-year-old man's passion for calligraphy was ignited while painting signage of shops around the southern Indian city of Urdu for a living.

Chowhan was a man from a very poor Hindu family. He had to stop studying after 10th grade to support the family.

"I'm good at drawing, so I thought why not use this skill to paint signage as my career," he was quoted as saying in AhlulBayt News Agency, Wednesday (30/6).

Chowhan said he has also painted in 30 temples, with images of Hindu gods and goddesses. Not only that, he has also painted in countless dargah (tombs) and monasteries.

When he works for 100 mosques and is rewarded, another 100 jobs he will do for free. He mentions feeling a spiritual connection with those places and preventing him from asking for payment.

Chowhan himself now earns about 350 US dollars or Rp 5 million per month, based on his freelance duties across the country.

This man claimed not to attend formal or Islamic schools to study Arabic or Urdu. He learned to read and write autodidact when given a job.

"People are starting to acknowledge my talent and give me the opportunity to beautify the architecture around the city with Quranic verses," he said. 

For the past 30 years in Hyderabad, it has been important to write signage in Urdu because the majority of the city's residents and shopkeepers are Muslim. With this condition, he had no choice but to learn the language. 

Slowly, while writing in Urdu without understanding it, she fell in love with the script.

Over time, he began to recognize the words as well as the alphabets. Slowly and organically, he then developed an interest in it.

In his spare time, Chowhan began trying to write Urdu script, copying words from textbooks, which later helped with the calligraphy work he made.

He bagged his first major assignment in the 1990s, when asked to beautify Hyderabad's iconic Noor Mosque with Quranic verses.

"I'm like being over the moon. Accepting that great task is proof that my talents are not only recognized, but I also receive a stamp of approval from the city's elite that will open the door for me. And, it worked," he said.

However, life is not without its challenges. Some locals oppose Chowhan's work because he is a Hindu.

Determined to pursue his career, he finally obtained a "fatwa" from Jamia Nizamia University in Hyderabad to continue his work as an artist.

He himself believes art has no religion. God, God, Jesus, they are one and man is god's children.

"Today, most of my friends are Muslim.  We ate together, hung out together, participated in mehfil (meetings), and enriched each other's lives," Chowhan said.

Today, he tries to write Urdu poetry and is often invited to town meetings to recite his verses. Chowhan also plans to hold an exhibition of Koranic paintings.

The holy month of Ramadan is referred to as the busiest moment of his life. He had to move quickly from one mosque to another to convey the message of peace of Allah SWT, through artwork.

Nevertheless, he felt the routine was not a job. He likes to do such tasks. Calligraphers believe art should not be restricted by community or religion.

"Mosques, temples, monasteries, I have decorated everything.  All these places give the same message, about love, peace, and the unity of mankind. Religion is a unifying force, not a divisive one. If we follow God's teachings, we can all live in harmony and the world will become richer because of it," chowhan said.