Hyderabad, May 2 -- Zeenath Khan

While on a holiday in the town of Selcuk, Turkey seven years ago, a framed photograph of a little boy in white fur-trimmed regalia, scepter in hand, on the wall of a small family restaurant, caught my eye. After the Deccan welcomed a pair of emerald-eyed, blue-blooded princesses into its midst, its sons and daughters have held all things Turkish in high regard. We even imagine ourselves to have a special connection with the country. So, I assumed Turkish people hold Bismillah ceremonies for their children as we do in Hyderabad. Despite the lapse of years, I remained curious to trace the tradition's trajectory from Turkey to the Deccan Plateau. Last month, I googled 'Turkish Bismillahs' but came up with na...