Centuries-old Patna Collectorate which was featured in key scenes in Oscar-winning film “Gandhi” was demolished for a redevelopment project, while the Delhi government began work on restoration of several monuments under its jurisdiction — 2022 was a mixed year for built heritage. The fate of the historic collectorate complex, parts of which were built during the Dutch era, was sealed on May 13, 2022 when the Supreme Court rejected a plea by Delhi-based heritage body INTACH for its preservation, paving the way for its demolition by the Bihar government.

The bulldozers rolled in its sprawling campus the next day, as dismantling began with the 1938-built District Board Patna Building being the first to face the blows, and in the next few days, the British-era structure as well as the Dutch-era Record Room Building were reduced to heaps of rubble, triggering grief among heritage lovers and Gandhians. Only a small front portion of the once-elongated Record Room building that ran on a north-south axis on the banks of Ganga, is currently standing, even as work is underway in full swing to construct the new, high-rise Collectorate complex that will come up at the historic site spread over 12 acres.

Bulldozers had pounded the Dutch-era Record Room Building, which had high ceilings, massive doors and old and unique skylights on the roof, and razed it on May 17. A little over a month later, the historic British-era Patna District Magistrate’s office building was torn down brick by brick in June, around the same time, the first phase of the new Ganga Drive that also passes by Collectorate Ghat, was being inaugurated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Endowed with ornamental pilaster Corinthian columns in its iconic Meeting Hall, the District Board Patna Building was also pulled down by May 17. In the film “Gandhi”, the Record Room was dressed up as Motihari Jail while the DM Office Building was used for the courtroom scene depicting the famous Champaran trial that turned barrister Mohanlal K Gandhi into a “Mahatma” for the people. Eight buildings, including two built post-Independence have been dismantled for the redevelopment project, for which the demolition was first proposed by the government in 2016.

INTACH was fighting a legal battle since 2019 to save the landmark from demolition, and after losing the case in the Patna High Court in 2020, had soon appealed in the apex court, which had granted a stay earlier in September 2020. But, heritage in Patna continued to face threat in the year gone by, as the 100-year-old Sultan Palace was the next to face the axe, when the Bihar government in June announced that the state cabinet has given its nod to build three five-star hotels in Patna, including one at the site of the palace on Beer Chand Patel Road, and that the imposing landmark would be dismantled to make way for a modern high-rise hotel building.

The move shocked historians, conservationists and ordinary citizens of the country who have vehemently opposed the decision and appealed to preserve and restore the “architectural icon” and not raze a veritable “pride of Patna”. However, a PIL was filed later and a Patna High Court bench after the first hearing on September 23, granted a stay on the proposed demolition, raising a hope among historians and heritage lovers that the palace built by legendary barrister Sir Sultan Ahmed may be saved for the posterity.

Sriram Krishna, the lawyer of the petitioner in the Sultan Palace case, said, “A future cannot be forged by erasing our past, it has to be a holistic development”. However, the year 2022 also brought cheerful news for heritage, in the national capital, if not in the Bihar capital.

In July, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said that work had started on restoration of monuments under the jurisdiction of the Delhi government, as he underlined that these extremely important historical buildings have “remained neglected for a longer time” that has caused “much damage” to the heritage structures. Sisodia had also held a high-level meeting with the officials concerned and reviewed the status of these monument sites in that month. Delhi has a large number of historical monuments, many of which are centrally-protected, some under the Delhi government’s jurisdiction and many other sites which fall under the ambit of the local civic bodies.

"Historical monuments in Delhi symbolise the country’s evolution over the period of time… The Kejriwal government is ensuring that each of the monuments under its responsibility, gets a facelift as soon as possible without tampering with the essence of history associated with it. This will help generations to understand our history in a better way,” Sisodia had said. There are 71 hidden gems of history which are maintained by the Delhi government. These monuments too have great historical importance, he said. “The Delhi government is working on restoration of these monuments and will organise various cultural events around them to celebrate their historical importance and spread awareness about them,” he said.

https://theprint.in/india/patna-lost-its-famed-collectorate-in-2022-heritage-restoration-work-began-in-delhi/1291769/, January 1, 2023

The task of giving a facelift to the holy precincts has been entrusted to Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA) and Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC). The city’s heritage is expected to get a major facelift with the Telangana government stepping up its efforts to restore the glory of several structures, which had been victims of neglect for decades. From Badshahi Ashurkhana, the second oldest structure in the city after Charminar, to Saidani-Ma Tomb near Hussain Sagar lake between the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and from Sardar Mahal, a landmark palace near iconic Charminar, to historic stepwells in different parts of the Telangana capital, the conservation efforts have suddenly gathered pace.

After the success of the restoration project at Qutb Shahi Tombs in partnership with Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and the conservation of the historic stepwell at Bansilalpet in collaboration with some NGOs, the state government is expanding its efforts. Heritage activists say the efforts will go a long way in not only conserving Hyderabad’s heritage but will strengthen the city’s case for UNESCO world heritage status. Arvind Kumar, special chief secretary, of urban development has been visiting heritage structures in different parts of the city and announcing plans for their conservation and restoration.

The officer, who was hailed for leading the efforts to give a facelift to Moazzam Jahi Market two years ago, is now quite active in taking up the much-neglected structures of Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi (Nizam) eras for their conservation and restoration. Badshahi Ashoorkhana, the oldest in the city, was built in 1594 by Qutb Shah king Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of Hyderabad. It was constructed three years after he built Charminar, which symbolizes Hyderabad. It was then the hub of mourning for the Shia community during Muharram. Though a protected monument, it fell on bad days due to centuries of neglect. The holy precincts comprise the main building and ancillary structures Naqqar Khana, Niyar Khana and Abdar Khana. The main building is known for the masterpiece of Persian enamel work, which was carried out in 1611.

The task of giving a facelift to the holy precincts has been entrusted to Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA) and Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC). They will take up adaptive intervention, prevent further decay, restore lime plaster and consolidate structure. Arvind Kumar promised efforts to strengthen the roofing, structures and restore original tiled colour scheme Another Qutb Shahi structure Sheikhpet Sarai or rest house in Sheikhpet area of the city will also be restored. The 17th-century structure spread over three acres with 29 rooms, a camel and horse stable, a tomb and a mosque will be restored for adaptive reuse under the aegis of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) by Aga Khan Trust. The latest on the list of structures to be restored is Khursheed Jah Devdi at Hussaini Alam in the old city.

The official announced that litigation about the structure has been finally sorted out. HMDA and QQSUDA will restore the original grandeur of Devdi, a 140-year-old structure. The two bodies will develop a garden with fountains in the front lawns at a cost of Rs 10 crore. It will take two years for completion of the project. After going around the structure, Arvind Kumar said he was sad to see the decay and abuse over the years mainly due to reckless shootings. He is determined to bring back the glory and pride. Located just a kilometer away from Charminar, it was built by Paigah noble Nawab Fakhruddin and was inherited by his descendant Khursheed Jah Bahadur. It is considered one of the best examples of Palladian architecture that can be seen in European countries.

The tomb of Saidani Ma, the Sufi woman saint, will be also restored by HMDA through Aga Khan Trust. The tomb is a state-protected beautiful memorial with stucco decoration and fretwork screens. The tomb of Saidani-Ma was built in the 1880s by her son Sardar Abdul Haq Diler Jung, who was the home secretary of erstwhile Hyderabad State and also served as the director of the Nizam’s State Railways. Located on the north side of the Tank Bund road, the tomb has been a victim of neglect for decades and a part of its land has also been encroached.

There have been demands from heritage activists to save the tomb which has an onion-shaped dome on an octagonal base. While the arches on the upper chamber of the monument reflect Qutb Shahi architecture, the ground floor arches are built in Mughal style. Aga Khan Trust will be helping authorities in restoration of various heritage structures in the city after the successful project to restore Qutb Shahi Tombs, the royal necropolis spread over 106 acres. With 72 monuments, including mausoleums of rulers of the Qutb Shahi dynasty (1518-1687), the sprawling complex at the foot of the majestic Golconda Fort is getting a new lease of life.

Early this month, the state government finalised the revival and restoration plan of Sardar Mahal, a landmark near iconic Charminar. Sardar Mahal, a palace built in European style by Nizam VI Mir Mahboob Ali Khan in 1900, will be conserved and restored to its original structure with additional architectural designs. It was announced that the Sardar Mahal will have an art gallery, cafe and heritage accommodation on lines of Neemrana Fort Palace in Rajasthan. The works will be taken up by Kalakriti Art Gallery in a tripartite agreement with the state government and QQSUDA. The government had already announced that Sardar Mahal will be developed as the cultural hub of the city, adding an attraction for thousands of tourists who visit Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Chowmahalla Palace and other monuments every day.

Though Mahboob Ali Khan, the then ruler of Hyderabad State, built the palace for one of his beloved consorts, Sardar Begum, she refused to inhabit this token of love as it did not live up to her expectations. No one stayed there but the building took her name. It was declared a heritage building by the Heritage Conservation Committee and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) took over Sardar Mahal in 1965 due to outstanding property taxes. Mir Alam Mandi, the oldest market, will be restored and renovated at a cost of Rs 16.14 crore.

More than 200-year-old vegetable market is named after Mir Alam, a nobleman who served as the Prime Minister of Hyderabad State from 1804 until his death in 1808. The market has been in a dilapidated condition due to neglect by the authorities concerned. Another key project is restoration and redevelopment of Mahboob Chowk at a cost of Rs 35 crore. Located near Charminar and also known as Murgi Chowk, it is a heritage structure and houses over 200 shops that predominantly sell chicken, birds besides meat. Mahboob Chowk market was built in the early 20th century. The proposed ground plus one market complex will offer modern facilities for meat and poultry related business. Early this month, the 17th century stepwell at Bansilalpet was thrown open to the public.

It was a remarkable effort as the stepwell was in dilapidated condition and filled with garbage. The stepwell was once served drinking water needs of the locality, but later was neglected to turn into a garbage dump. The revived stepwell will prevent inundation and improve the groundwater levels. The urban development authorities plan to turn it into a tourist attraction and a cultural centre. After hard work of more than a one year, the stepwell was restored by various departments in partnership with organisations like Rainwater Project, Gandipet Welfare Society and the local community.

After successful restoration of the Bansilalpet stepwell, the government announced that 10 more historic stepwells will be restored. The restoration of Bansilalpet stepwell has also been awarded for sustainable revitalization of traditional rain water harvesting at Big 5 construction impact awards by the UAEs’ ministry of energy and infrastructure. The award for restoration of Bansilalpet stepwell is the second major recognition for restoration initiatives in Hyderabad In November, UNESCO recognised the conservation of six stepwells at Qutb Shahi Tombs with the 2022 award of distinction.

https://theprint.in/india/patna-lost-its-famed-collectorate-in-2022-heritage-restoration-work-began-in-delhi/1291769/, January 1, 2023

A distinguished son of Kashmir, Mr. Saleem Beg is a passionate cultural activist with a substantial body of work in advocacy, conservation and writings on history and culture of Kashmir. He is a dedicated crusader of Kashmiri heritage- arts, architecture and archaeology, crafts. Mohammad Saleem Beg was born in Srinagar, the Capital of Jammu and Kashmir, in 1950.

He grew up in Old Kashmir or Shaher-e-Khaas. This is where we find original residents following their daily pursuits, thickly congested and thriving on its own culture and heritage.Saleem sir was deeply influenced by his surroundings and developed a passion and desire to protect his natural environment and heritage.

Places with iconic heritage value like the shrine of Shah-e-Hamadan on the banks of Jhelum, Khanqah-e-Maula always inspired him to protect and conserve what came down to all Kashmiris through generations. He felt emotionally and morally responsible to see that the intangible and tangible heritage properties are preserved for future generations to feel proud about.

He completed his education through the, SP college, Gandhi Memorial College and the University of Kashmir. Even as a young growing adult, his focus was clear. He was determined to work and see Kashmir brought back to its historic and cultural glory. During our interaction, he threw light on his growing up years in the downtown Srinagar and its urban setting.

He stated that the Srinagar of 70s had a vibrant cultural spread where crafts, literature, festivals and other aspects of heritage were thriving in a manner that created an enabling ecosystem for many of the young persons who had inclination towards working for societal causes within the community space.

Friendships were a unique mix of school mates, crafts persons, children from the families of shrine keepers. Craft shops along the river and occasional tourists who would engage with local boys were a familiar sight. He counted his reasonable command of English an asset that exposed him to a melange that included crafts persons, merchants, men of letters and social and political activists. Growing up in this intensely inquisitive environment, led him to understand the human capital that Kashmir has and that has given it an identity and a brand. He joined the government services in 1975. He knew that if you want to bring change, then working from the inside is the best solution. In the government system, he got an opportunity to work with the sectors like handlooms and handicrafts, local industries, and tourism, which he calls an inner calling.

These were happening years in the country when handicrafts and handlooms were a thrust area and therefore prioritized for promoting its essentials, the traditional technologies, cultural skill base and employment. It was also during this period that the J & K Government sought assistance from the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation, CFTC, London for revival of Kashmir tweeds. Along with Scottish tweed specialists Mr. Martin Hardingham, Saleem sir was put in charge of this project and made the local counterpart specialist. This project was a phenomenal success which, apart from design support for the tweeds, also provided it with backward and forward linkages in utilizing the local merino wool, mainly from the traditional weaving belt of Pulwama and Chadoora.

The manufacturing and design process of the tweed was based on the world-famous Harris tweed. He also extensively traveled through the tweed country of Scotland for familiarization with the essential features of the tweed industry. During this time, another major initiative was the UNDP assistance for promotion of woolen processing and given the forward integration through CFTC project, Kashmir tweed became a brand in its entirety.

He vividly remembers visits of great promoters of the crafts, especially handloom sector like PupulJaikar, L C Jain, Rehmatullah Khan, Rajeev Sethi, Jaya Jaitly and others whose seminal role is part of the history of revival of creative sectors and cultural industries. His contribution and work in Kashmir was nationally noticed and the Textile Ministry requested for his services and he was placed in charge of a National level promotional organization, Association of corporations and societies of handlooms (ACASH) in the office of Development Commissioner Handlooms at Delhi. He was awarded an EEC Funded Fellowship in 1988 at the University of Leuven.

Belgium, primarily for understanding the changing markets for traditional textiles. He finally got the opportunity to work with the artisans, understand their issues, and find solutions to preserve these art forms. During this stint, he worked on marketing projects for the glorious Indian textiles. During his tenure at Delhi the most significant market outreach for Indian Handlooms, the Festival of India, was launched that provided him with an opportunity to work with designers, crafts persons, exhibition specialists from different textile centers in the country and then coordinating with agencies and design.

After his return from the deputation from GOI, he was posted as Managing Director for Handlooms, also for some time Handicrafts, Sales and Export Corporation, positions he held for 6 years. Kashmir, around this time was recovering from a long spell of militancy and the State government put a lot of emphasis on revival of Tourism. He was put in charge of the Tourism Department and posted as Director General Tourism in 2002. This was the recovery phase of the travel industry in Jammu and Kashmir that involved sensitive handling of promotion, publicity, infrastructure and reconstruction. The programs devised during this period had a positive and productive impact with phenomenal results. Retired in 2008, after a long tenure of serving as Director General of Tourism, life had other plans for him. The vast experience in crafts and tourism could not be allowed to wither. He was always exploring newer avenues and options to take his mission of public service forward. He formally opted for Heritage Conservation by opening the Jammu and Kashmir chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). He took over the responsibilities of convenor INTACH J&K chapter on a full-time basis after his retirement.

(INTACH) was founded in 1984 in New Delhi with the purpose to spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India. Today INTACH is recognized as one of the world’s largest heritage organizations, with over 150 Chapters across the Country.It is running programs for training and capacity building in all aspects of heritage conservation and management. He worked as Convener INTACH for around a decade. During this period, he supervised mapping of cultural resources of Srinagar and its built heritage.

He set up a mapping protocol based on the all India pattern developed by INTACH that has recorded the architectural details of over 800 structures for the city of Srinagar. This was subsequently expanded to other parts of the State. In the case of major monuments/structures, this mapping was followed by detailed documentation and digitalisation in such a manner that in the case of any damage or destruction, the same structure can be reconstructed from scratch. In fact, this documentation and digitalisation was put to test after the unfortunate fire at Dastgeer Sahib shrine, Khanyar when the State Government entrusted INTACH with reconstruction of the shrine. The Intach team took up this onerous task and the result was the most faithful reconstruction to its original shape, size along with all the architectural features.

Apart from these, the chapter also worked on monuments, shrines, and heritage sites that were decaying due to neglect. Most structures, centuries old, like Aali Masjid, Manasbal Temple, Gulmarg Palace, and Mughal Gardens were once again brought back to their grandeur and fame. Apart from major restoration projects which led to the conservation of Kashmiri heritage, the highlights were the restoration of Mughal era camel hump-shaped OontKadal in the middle of Dal Lake and Aali Masjid the 15th Century mosque and 17thThagBaab Sahib (RA) shrine in Srinagar, both with financial assistance from international agencies. A major intervention in heritage education under Saleem sir’s supervision was a broad-based art integrated learning program implemented with support of Dorabji Tata Trust, Mumbai, in 100 schools in the Jammu and Kashmir province in the year 2010.

The program ran for three years and resulted in creating a capacity and a pool of trained teachers in heritage preservation and education through the medium of arts. The project software and methodology was developed under the guidance of eminent experts in this field. Saleem Beg sir led from the front and INTACH emerged as a prime organization in the promotion of art and culture. Its credibility and validation made its presence felt in all circles, which had an impact on the heritage of Kashmir. With the treasure trove of knowledge and experience, he worked with various Universities like Jamia Millia Islamia, Kashmir University, Central Universities at Srinagar and Jammu and the University of Illinois, USA which provided the foundation for high academic credentials in art and heritage. His dedication and the struggle to resurrect, restore, protect, and refurbish Kashmir’s heritage and legacy, led him to be noticed by State and Central governments and various international bodies. In 2013, he was appointed as a whole-time member and Chairman of the prestigious National Monument Authority(NMA), a statutory body set up under an act of Parliament to preserve the nationally protected monuments and their historic setting.

UNESCO, the United Nations educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation has the mandate of promoting international cooperation in its defined fields by promoting knowledge sharing and free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding among the communities. In India, a tangible intervention in preservation of heritage led to establishment of the trust, Indian Heritage Cities Network, IHCN, with an office at Bangalore. Based on his work and understanding of the complexities of urban heritage he was made a founder trustee of this trust where he was also listed as UNESCO expert on heritage. UNESCO initially awarded a project to the J & K Chapter with him as Convener for documentation and restoration of SPS Museum Srinagar.

The detailed report by the chapter was highly regarded by UNESCO. The chapter took on the responsibility of preparing the dossier for inclusion of Srinagar in another of the UNESCO programs, Creative Cities Network. This dossier brought out the strengths of the city for its enlistment supported by surveys, research and documentation. In 2021, the dossier was accepted and Srinagar joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).This huge achievement was mainly due to the efforts taken by Saleem sir. The cities which are part of this, commit to sharing their best practices and developing partnerships involving the public and private sectors as well as civil society in order to strengthen the creation, production, distribution and dissemination of cultural activities, goods and services. They also pledge to develop hubs of creativity and innovation and broaden opportunities for creators and professionals in the cultural sector. The work done under the guidance of Saleem sir was highly acclaimed, earning praise from the highest authority of the land. This inscription led to improving the brand Kashmir, in crafts and folk arts.

The city has a history of producing finest of the handicrafts like shawls, carpets, wood carving, papier mache etc. This global recognition has opened new vistas for the sector and also, recognition of the deftness and ingenuity of its crafts persons. Saleem sir says,” We prepared the dossier to highlight the genuineness of Srinagar’s claim to be recognised as a UNESCO heritage city”. His sentiments were echoed by several others including Jammu & Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha who labeled it an “ultimate recognition for artisans & weavers of J&K.” Junaid Azim Mattu, the city’s mayor also lauded the achievement drawing attention to the fact that Srinagar was now the only Indian city among UNESCO’s list of ‘Creative Cities of Art and Craft.’ In lieu of his exemplary public service and dedication, the State government bestowed him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 2016. This award was an acknowledgement for 35 years of his service.

He is also known as the Heritage Man for his decades of hard work in the field of culture and heritage. Apart from the above, he has been awarded by a number of Universities, and NGOs for his path-breaking work in the field of research and documentation. Knowing his need and desire to keep working, I was eager to know his future plans for Kashmir. In an informal interaction, he laid out a vision and a broad outline of the future course that he has charted for himself and for the larger cultural fraternity. He detailed out the promotion and resetting of the creative industries, the arts and crafts that are a key to economic uplift as also giving an identity and dignity to its practitioners and the community they represent. A newer and hitherto lesser explored area, the documentary heritage of Kashmir, will be the focus, while he prepares for networking and identifying partners locally for this. He believes this heritage will, in future, form part of the UNESCO program ‘Memory of the World’.

A major initiative in this direction was taken when a week-long exhibition, panel discussions and awareness and familiarization of Persian heritage of Kashmir was organized in Srinagar in November 2022. He expressed that another thrust will be to work toward rehabilitation of the vernacular architecture through informed follow-up on the implementation of the related laws on their preservation, providing professional support to the line organizations like Municipalities and ULBs and expert services for restoration, conservation and wherever needed, sympathetic expansion.

He sounds hopeful that institutional interventions by various governmental bodies like Smart City Program, heritage restoration by the department of Culture are shaping up well with the right kind of approach and implementation. He also sees healthy interventions in the public awareness in the environmental and other sectors due to efforts of credible local NGOs who have been doing some exemplary work for some time now. The Amir Khusro famous quote on Kashmir “Gar Bar-ru-e-ZaminAst; HaminAst, HaminAstHaminAst.” has justified the splendor of this place in the most perfect way calling it Paradise on Earth”.

It is because of passionate and dedicated people like Mohammad Saleem Beg sir, that the grandeur of Kashmir will be preserved for generations to come. We salute the efforts put in by one man during one lifetime in making India proud of its heritage and culture.

https://nomadlawyer.org/mohammad-saleem-beg-heritage-man-of-kashmir/, January 5, 2023

The geodiversity of the Indian subcontinent spans over 4.5 billion years and records some of the world’s greatest geological events. It is one of the most dynamic landmasses which shifted its position in time and space from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere and ultimately collided with the Asian plate resulting in the formation of the mighty Himalayas. The lofty young mountain ranges of the Himalayas, dissected rugged continental layered volcanic eruptions of the Deccan Traps, the Precambrian Indian peninsula, the dry land environment of the Thar Desert and the rain-soaked North-Eastern India have universal appeal and hold an important position in Earth’s geological history. The fossil wealth of dinosaur remains of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, marine fossils of Kutch and Spiti, wood fossils of Gondwana, and oldest life forms --. stromatolites of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, vertebrate fossils of Siwaliks, the Medieval rock art paintings on the Pakhal Supergroup of Pandavula Gutta, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, Telangana and so on, are of great geo-heritage and geo-tourism value. The world’s oldest records of gold, lead and zinc mining in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh record the metallurgical prowess of Indian ancient times.

All these wonders are still preserved but are under great threat of obliteration. India is a party to the UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted on 16th November 1972 in Paris and ratified by India on 14th November in 1977. This participation is to ensure the effective and active measures for the protection, conservation and presentation of the cultural and natural heritage situated within its territory. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has adopted a Resolution [2015] that affirmed Geo-diversity and Geo-heritage as integral parts of Natural Diversity and Natural Heritage and therefore, geo-diversity and geo-conservation has to be treated as inseparable from biodiversity and nature conservation.

It is a common practice all over the world to protect Geo-heritage sites (GHS) through relevant legislation/ Act. Recognising the immense importance of the natural heritage of this great Indian subcontinent that displays the unique geological characteristics of outstanding universal scientific value, the Ministry of Mines published the much-awaited draft bill on Geoheritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance), 2022 for public consultation on its portal The bill was under consideration for the past few years by the GOI and enactment of the Geoheritage act will be a major step forward, towards the declaration, conservation, protection and maintenance of geo-heritage sites and geo-relics of national importance for geological studies, education, research and spreading awareness within India and outside.

These geo-heritage sites also hold immense potential to support livelihood, through the creation of employment opportunities and the generation of revenues for the conservation and maintenance of the Geoheritage sites. Additionally, these also create a feeling of ownership among the local inhabitants. Amongst other salient features, the bill enables the Central Government to acquire an area under a geoheritage site under the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR Act), the acquisition being for a public purpose within the meaning of that Act. The Central Government will also be authorised to declare the area around each geo-heritage site as a prohibited area and regulated area and their extent may be different for each site.

http://www.uniindia.com/legislative-framework-for-indian-geo-heritage-conservation/south/news/2892051.html, January 6, 2023

For the first time since Independence, the Union government has prepared a draft Bill on the preservation, protection and maintenance of geo-heritage sites. The Bill has been drafted by the Ministry of Mines and has been put on the public domain for the stakeholders to come up with suggestions and advice by January 14. People can respond through the email: [email protected] Welcoming the draft Bill, adviser to the Geo-Heritage Cell of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) and former professor of Geology, Andhra University, D.

Rajasekhar Reddy, said that India has been a party to the UNESCO convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage, adopted on November 16, 1972 in Paris and it was ratified by India on November 14, 1977.

Though the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has adopted a resolution in 2015 that geo-diversity and geo-heritage sites are an integral part of natural diversity and are to be treated as inseparable from biodiversity and nature conversation, India till date does not have any specific and specialised policy or law to conserve and preserve the geo-heritage sites and geo-relics for the future generations, he said. According to him, geo-heritage sites are sites of rare and unique geological sites that have rare geomorphological significance and we have listed about 180 such sites in India, with about 38 located in Andhra Pradesh and about a dozen in the districts of Visakhapatnam and Alluri Sitarama Raju.

Geo-relics are any relic or material of geological significance or interest like sediments, rocks, minerals, meteorites, or fossils. And in such instances Erramatti Dibbalu near Bheemunipatnam, Mangamaripeta arch and Borra Caves in ASR district qualify. The draft Bill provides for the declaration, preservation, protection and maintenance of geo-heritage sites and GSI has been proposed to be a nodal agency.

“We welcome the Bill, but apart from GSI being the nodal agency, we suggest that other stakeholders such as the various departments of the State Government such as revenue and tourism, INTACH and other related organisations such as the water boards and institutions such as ONGC be roped in. A national geo-heritage authority should be constituted and it should function as an umbrella organisation such as the Coastal Management Authority,” Mr. Rajasekhar Reddy said.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/visakhapatnam-intach-welcomes-draft-bill-on-preservation-protection-and-maintenance-of-geo-heritage-sites/article66365024.ece, January 9, 2023

Unveiling marks the start of the 4-day Apeejay Literary Festival in Kolkata. The celebration to mark 100 years of the Oxford Bookstore was officially launched here on Thursday with the unveiling of a special logo at the 14 th edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF). “After being severely impacted by the pandemic, it is heartening to see Oxford Bookstore rebound to a healthy and vibrant state,” said Priti Paul, director, Apeejay Surendra Group. The group will hold the centennial celebrations of the bookstore throughout the year across cities.

"The four-day literary festival at AKLF, featuring a host of sessions on fiction, history, poetry, cinema, translations, dance, art and so forth, is a great place to start the celebrations,” she said. Writers and poets including Janice Pariat, Jeet Thayil, Srinath Perur, Kunal Basu, Bachi Karkaria, Shrabani Basu, Urvashi Butalia and others will hold sessions over the next few days.

Maina Bhagat, director, Oxford Bookstores, and director, AKLF, used the occasion to remind patrons of the institution’s journey over the decades, “a journey which reflects the life, times and rich history of Calcutta." The inauguration was held on the grounds of the renovated colonial-era Park Mansions, which won the KMC-INTACH Heritage Award for the restoration of an iconic architectural heritage. The celebration to mark 100 years of the Oxford Bookstore was officially launched here on Thursday with the unveiling of a special logo at the 14 th edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF).

“After being severely impacted by the pandemic, it is heartening to see Oxford Bookstore rebound to a healthy and vibrant state,” said Priti Paul, director, Apeejay Surendra Group. The group will hold the centennial celebrations of the bookstore throughout the year across cities. “The four-day literary festival at AKLF, featuring a host of sessions on fiction, history, poetry, cinema, translations, dance, art and so forth, is a great place to start the celebrations,” she said. Writers and poets including Janice Pariat, Jeet Thayil, Srinath Perur, Kunal Basu, Bachi Karkaria, Shrabani Basu, Urvashi Butalia and others will hold sessions over the next few days.

Maina Bhagat, director, Oxford Bookstores, and director, AKLF, used the occasion to remind patrons of the institution’s journey over the decades, “a journey which reflects the life, times and rich history of Calcutta.” The inauguration was held on the grounds of the renovated colonial-era Park Mansions, which won the KMC-INTACH Heritage Award for the restoration of an iconic architectural heritage.

Talking about the essence of Oxford Bookstore, Anjum Katyal, director, AKLF, said: “In celebrating 100 years of Oxford Bookstore, AKLF celebrates the infinite and inclusive world of a bookstore which makes space on its shelves for debate, dissent and contrasting points of view.” Three sessions on day one, ‘Much More than a Bookstore’, ‘Restore, Renovate, Re-use’ and ‘The Oxford Para ’, celebrated the bookstore with anecdotes and memories.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/special-logo-to-mark-100-years-of-oxford-bookstore/article66370115.ece, January 10, 2023

Rehman Rahi, Kashmir's first Jnanpith Award recipient, is no more. After decades of writing and translating works deemed 'classics from the valley,' he leaves behind a legacy and a Kashmir that lives through his words. His journey starting as a clerk in a government department in 1948 to being awarded the country's highest literary award in 2004, is beyond inspirational. As he bids goodbye to the world, The Logical Indian revisits his unparalleled contributions. Student At A University He Teaches Rehman Rahi rose among the literary circles through unexpected paths. Rahi began his career as a clerk in the Public Works Department of the Government in 1948. He then slowly began exploring the world of words, and for that, Kashmir continues to be grateful.

In his initial days, he became associated with the Progressive Writers' Association (PWA), of which he then became the General Secretary. From editing PWA's literary journal Kwang Posh to venturing into journalism and editing the Urdu daily Khidmat, Rahi found words to be his natural calling. Between 1953 and '55, he was also a prominent face on the editorial board of the Urdu daily Aajkal in Delhi. Around 1952, Rahi did an MA course in Persian, and ten years later, he secured another Master's degree in the English language. Interestingly, he chose to study the languages at the Jammu and Kashmir University, where he taught Persian.

As a student and professor, he was quite vocal about the politics of the valley and often used words to convey his social commentary. He was also associated with the Cultural wing of the communist Party of Kashmir during his student days. While wearing the hat of a translator, he took many renowned literary works to larger crowds by translating them into the Kashmiri language. He did translations of Baba Farid's Sufi poetry. An avid reader and writer of poems, many of his works see a strong influence from Camus, Sartre, and Dinanath Nadim. Even today, many lovingly remember Rahi for his words, "Oh Kashmiri language, I swear by you, you are my awareness and my sight. You are a radiant ray of my consciousness." Bringing The First Jnanpith To The Valley Rahi's works were widely received and recognised by literary circles. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961 for his poetry collection Nawroz-i-Saba and the Padma Shri in 2000.

In 2004, he brought the country's highest literary award - the Jnanpith Award back home, becoming the first ever Kashmiri to receive the honour. The recognition came knocking on his doors for his work "Siyah Rood Jaeren Manz" (In Black Drizzle).

Rahi passed away on 9 January 2023, aged 97, leaving behind an irreparable void in Kashmir's literature space. News regarding his demise was received with utter grief in the country, and several personalities poured in their condolences. Veteran satirist and poet Zareef Ahmad called Rahi the "brightest star of prose and poetry of Kashmir." During the funeral, Zareef noted that he was a pioneer in the promotion of the Kashmiri language.

The office of lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said that Rahi was one of the influential poets in Kashmiri. A report by Hindustan Times quoted a tweet by Sinha saying, "His passing marks the end of an era." People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti expressed her grief over Rahi's death and said, "In his death, Kashmiri Literature and society has been left with a void that can never be filled."

Halqa e Adab Sonawari, one of Kashmir's oldest literary organisations, also joined along and termed Rahi's demise a great loss to the Kashmiri language and literature. As he now rests peacefully in the shrine of Khawaja Habibullah Nowshehri, many believe that Rahi will continue to live through the influence he left behind on young bards and writers.

https://thelogicalindian.com/history/kashmirs-first-jnanpith-awardee-abdul-rehman-rahi-dies-at-age-98-39795, January 11, 2023

As part of student counselling at a Belagavi school, the students of classes 8, 9 and 10 were given a questionnaire to fill out. Apart from other surprises, what caught the eye were a few students who replied under the ‘Areas of interest’ column as Cryptocurrency, Dogecoins and NFTs.

If you thought they had just mentioned something fancy, you'd be in for more surprise because, on inquiry, it was found that they had deep knowledge about what they had written. What’s more, they also knew what needed to be done to make a career with it. While many experts may frown at the disinterest of this generation towards reading and deep learning, there are many who take to it naturally.

In an INTACH Heritage Quiz this month for school students, it was magical to see that they all knew about authors and books, could identify quotes from books and also knew almost all people from the images shown to them. Again, when asked corollary questions to the correct answer they gave, they could tell more about it, proving that it was not readymade information from general knowledge books. It goes to show that teachers today are teaching students for whom the school is not the only medium of learning. As digital natives, children are adept at surfing the net and know about multiple apps, websites and platforms from where they gain immense knowledge.

Since their peers are equally involved in the pursuit of knowledge, students generally share a lot among themselves. Professors in technical institutes express their frustration when plenty of smart students in mathematics class complete a problem even before they have started teaching it. Computer teachers in school dread those kids who know more about computers and art teachers are in awe of the work their students manage to do. However, as teenagers or twenty-somethings, these students still need to be taught and trained, coached and handheld. Nick Bollettieri may not be able to beat his protégés Andre Agassi or Serena Williams on the court today, but that does not undermine his importance in shaping their careers.

So teachers do have a major role. Preparing to guide them For one, these students may know the core part of a particular domain but they still need to learn. Teachers cannot feel inferior before them nor can they dominate and shoo down these students. It is important to understand that teaching implies continuous learning, even if it’s from your own students.

Ensure they learn the process of planning, application, development and also working with teams. Learning becomes a symbiotic process when the whole class is encouraged to share what they know. The teacher then turns into a guide or a mentor who shows the direction ahead. Teachers need to keep themselves abreast of the latest knowledge and technological advances. One cannot write off smart students just because you know less than them. Children can sense it when a teacher faces them underprepared.

They begin asking questions and when you don’t have convincing answers, they can lose interest in the class. Taking up advanced online classes, reading the genres that they do, discussing on teacher forums and understanding what is needed helps pave way for a strong student-teacher relationship. Engaging them all Schools are not meant merely for the dissemination of knowledge: they are places to learn other crucial skills like teamwork, communication, emotional intelligence, problem-solving and decision-making. A student who appears to be a know-it-all may still need to learn all these skills. Moreover, there would always be a mix of students in a class apart from the smart ones —those in the middle of the spectrum and also those who are at the bottom.

A teacher is expected to teach ‘all’ of them at a differential pace. Teachers also benefit from acknowledging the smart kids in class but not allowing them to overwhelm the discussion. Address them separately, preferably after class hours.

Engage them in advanced activities, like writing down or elaborating on what they already know. Give them additional reading while you take your regular class ahead. Teachers know for themselves that a smart class is a joy to teach because students bring a lot of energy. However, students respect and cherish teachers who bring value and show various facets of what they already know. (The author is a Belagavi-based counsellor).

https://www.deccanherald.com/supplements/dh-education/teaching-pupils-who-know-more-than-you-1179683.html, January 12, 2023

As urbanisation gained pace, the importance of accuracy grew and watches started becoming an essential part of people’s life. Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has begun renovating the century-old clock tower in Town Hall in Coimbatore in collaboration with Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI) without disturbing the age-old structure. The civic body officials are also carrying out NMT corridor works near the clock tower.

The clock tower, which is popularly called the ‘Manikoondu’, is getting a facelift as the civic body has begun renovating the facility. Established in 1877, Manikoondu is the oldest clock tower in the district. Back in the days, people used to calculate the time by checking the position of the Sun. As urbanisation gained pace, the importance of accuracy grew and watches started becoming an essential part of people’s life. However, not everyone could afford it due to the cost of the watches in the past.

In this situation, the iconic clock was brought from England and donated to the Coimbatore city by the sons of Rao Bahadur AT Thiruvengadaswamy Mudaliar, who was the then chairperson of the Coimbatore Municipality in 1877. Gugan from CREDAI said, “The clock tower is being fully renovated by CREDAI. Currently, we have not fixed any estimate costs for renovation as we would like to give the clock tower the best possible facelift without any fund constraints. We are plastering the damaged portions, removing the old paints and giving touch-ups wherever necessary.

The building will be painted in the same colour and no changes will be made to the iconic structure. We are planning to set up an open garden on the premises as well. Also, the clock is now running and is in good condition. We have also got an AMC for it. The works will likely be finished by the end of this month.” Many people, including the convenor of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had raised concerns over the utilisation of cement, concrete and other materials to renovate the heritage structure.

CCMC Deputy Commissioner Dr M Sharmila told TNIE, “No cement or concrete is being used in the renovation works. We are using the same materials which were used during its construction. Also, after establishing the garden and finishing off the NMT corridor works, we shall take a call on whether to allow the public inside the heritage building."

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2023/jan/08/19th-century-clock-tower-in-coimbatore-getsfacelift-2535728.html, January 12, 2023

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) director Munirathnam Reddy explained that one of the inscriptions is a Dana Sasanam (Gift of Land) and the other two are heroic inscriptions. Three rare inscriptions dating back to the 7th and 9th centuries (Common Era) were unearthed at Kottareddivaripalli village in Madanapalle taluk of Annamayya district on Sunday. Villagers noticed the inscriptions on agricultural lands on the outskirts of Kottareddivaripalli. The pictures of the inscriptions, engraved on a stone, were later sent to the archaeology department in Vijayawada and further forwarded to epigraphists in Mysore. It was then confirmed that the inscriptions belonged to the Renati Chola and Vaidumba dynasties. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) director Munirathnam Reddy explained that one of the inscriptions is a Dana Sasanam (Gift of Land) and the other two are heroic inscriptions. “It appears that the two inscriptions are a record of the death of a hero named Mudduvanna who lost his life while saving cattle during a raid at Chippuli village. It dates back to the period when Vaidumba Maharaja was the administrator of the region,” he said. No plans to shift inscriptions to museum: ASI The third inscription, engraved on a stone in Telugu and characters of the 7th century CE, is a Dana Sasanam, meaning a record of a land being gifted. “The inscription is a record of Renati Chola III King Punyakumara from Indurajya, who ruled the region in 625 CE, gifting a parcel of land to a Brahmana (para) named Sura,” the ASI director explained. Archaeology department joint director (Tirupati) R Siva Kumar said the inscriptions will be preserved safely. He added that the department has no plans to shift them to museums as the process would be risky and might cause damage to the inscriptions.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2023/jan/11/villagers-in-aps-annamayya-district-unearth-3-inscriptions-of-7th--9th-centuries-2536686.html, January 12, 2023

The calendar year, 1983, bears great importance for Aurangabad as its magnificent and stupendous Ajanta and Ellora Caves (Maharashtra) were conferred with the status of world heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) along with the seven wonders of the world Taj Mahal and Agra Fort (Uttar Pradesh).

Accordingly, the two caves entered the 40th year with this tag in 2023. The year also becomes more important as hundreds of international delegates will be visiting these places as a part of the G20 summit in February 2023. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI, Aurangabad Circle) is the custodian of the world heritage Ajanta and Ellora Caves.

Says the superintending archaeologist, Milan Kumar Chauley, “The status is earned because of its uniqueness and rich cultural past. The ASI indeed feels proud of it and leaves no stone unturned to utilise our expertise in maintaining these sites at par and making them tourist-friendly. The lack of people’s participation in the upkeep of these sites, however, pinches us. The visitors should not take the status for granted.

They should act responsibly and help ASI in maintaining the tag as well as the sanctity of The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI, Aurangabad Circle) is the custodian of the world heritage Ajanta and Ellora Caves. Says the superintending archaeologist, Milan Kumar Chauley, “The status is earned because of its uniqueness and rich cultural past. The ASI indeed feels proud of it and leaves no stone unturned to utilise our expertise in maintaining these sites at par and making them tourist-friendly. The lack of people’s participation in the upkeep of these sites, however, pinches us. The visitors should not take the status for granted. They should act responsibly and help ASI in maintaining the tag as well as the sanctity of According to India Tourism’s senior officer Snehal Patil,“ It is indeed a matter of pride and an occasion to cherish.

The union Ministry of Tourism and Culture and our office promote Ajanta and Ellora Caves, through various international and national platforms to enhance tourist (foreigners and domestic) footfall. These caves were already of great importance for India much before the declaration of the status. The inception of the India Tourism office (Aurangabad) in 1954 is its acknowledgement.” Boxxxxx Salute to archaeologist Dr Ghulam Yazdani. The veteran historian Dr Shaikh Ramzan said, “The heritage experts and archaeologists believe that the world is able to see and understand the Ajanta and Ellora Caves due to the valuable contribution made by the Indian archaeologist Dr Ghulam Yazdani. He is the first Indian chronicler of the Deccan, who has devoted his whole life to surveying, documenting and preserving the two caves and other heritage sites, belonging to different religions, existing in the Hyderabad State. There are references that the Director General (ASI), Sir John Marshall, had deputed him to constitute the Archaeology Department (Asar-e-Qadima) in the Nizam's Dominion (Hyderabad State) in 1914. He served as the director of the department for 30 long years till his retirement in 1943.

A true caretaker of our ancient civilization, Dr Yazdani wrote eight volumes on the work of Ajanta and Ellora (before and after) excavation and preservation. His published work remains one of the most important primary sources for all the modern authors of the subject till today. The Government of India (GoI) awarded him with Padma Bhushan in 1959.”

https://www.lokmattimes.com/aurangabad/ajanta-ellora-caves-enters-into-40th-year-with-world-heritage-tags/, January 13, 2023

The city’s Cheenepara — neighbourhood of people of Chinese descent — came alive on Sunday as school kids, heritage enthusiasts and others came together to witness the heritage of Kolkata’s old Chinatown and do their bit to save it. Know Your Cheenapara is an initiative to spread awareness about Chinese heritage in the city.

The World Monuments Fund (WMF) had in 2022 nominated Tiretta Bazar, or old Chinatown, as “one of the 25 heritage sites of extraordinary significance, facing pressing challenges”. The WMF had stated that its “partnership with local communities has the potential to make a meaningful difference” to the place. The WMF has helped in the restoration of the roof of Sea Ip temple during the monsoon last year. To observe World Monuments Watch Day (January 15), the heritage walk was organised at Tiretta Bazar by conservation architect Sohini Pyne, Vibha Mitra and Navpreet Arora. The walk started from the Sea Ip temple built in 1905.

This church is in the midst of a transportation hub and was surrounded by parked trucks and vans. The Toong On Church, built in 1924, has a garbage vat right next to it in Blackburn Lane.

Chattawala Gali, the site of the famous Chinese breakfast, was on the walk map, as was the old commercial establishment Pou Chong, famous for their sauces and condiments. The walkers went past the Gee Hingtemple, which was built in 1920 and is in urgent need of restoration. Boarding houses and dormitories in Damzen Lane and the Alm’s House were the next destinations. The walkers got to witness prayers at the Choonghee ThingThien Haue temple, built in 1858. The walk ended at the 1820 Nam Soon temple.

Students from Modern High School International did a lantern-making workshop and a display on the religious and cultural heritage of Tiretta Bazar. The Heritage School showed recordings of interviews with members of the community. G.M. Kapur of Intach, Kolkata, who was a mentor to the initiative, said: “I think there is tremendous potential in the area. We have approached the government on this. Every city... has their Chinatowns which have been preserved and are throbbing tourist destinations.”

https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/news/a-walk-through-old-chinatown/cid/1910121, January 16, 2023

Last week, L-G V K Saxena and National Green Tribunal Chairman Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel took a boat ride along the drain for a joint inspection of rejuvenation efforts. While the process to clean and restore the Najafgarh drain has started, a mammoth task awaits. Once called the Sahibi river, the drain enters the national capital near Dhansa in Southwest Delhi and runs through parts of West, Central and North Delhi before meeting the Yamuna near Wazirabad.

The 57 long kilometres that the Najafgarh drain covers is more than twice the 22-km stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi. Near where the drain enters Delhi is the Najafgarh jheel, a transboundary wetland straddling the Haryana-Delhi border. Last week, L-G V K Saxena and National Green Tribunal Chairman Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel took a boat ride along the drain for a joint inspection of rejuvenation efforts. The management of the Najafgarh jheel, an ecologically significant wetland and bird habitat, is being monitored by the NGT.

Considering the length it covers and the large number of smaller drains that meet it, cleaning the Najafgarh drain includes everything from improving the sewerage network in many parts of the city, ensuring that existing sewage treatment plants meet norms for treated water, setting up additional sewage treatment plants, and keeping garbage away from the river, according to a senior Delhi Jal Board (DJB) official.

In his budget speech last year, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said that the drain will be developed as a tourist destination and that the Sahibi river will be “brought back”. The budget allocation for the Najafgarh drain was Rs 705 crore. A start has been made with efforts to clean a 11.38-km stretch of the drain from Basai Darapur to Timarpur in North Delhi, which is not far from where it meets the Yamuna.

An official of the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department in-charge of the project said that “partial desilting” of the drain is being done with around 20 boats that are fitted with “rakers” that rake up the silt and carry it with the flow of the drain towards the Yamuna.

A small stretch of around 2.3 km from near Mall Road to Timarpur is likely to be inaugurated later this month and a recreational boating service is likely to be launched, the official said. The possibility of using the drain to transport goods is also on the anvil, but plans have not been finalised, he added.

The challenges
The challenge with the Najafgarh drain is also the historical sludge that has accumulated in the drain along with management of solid waste, the DJB official said.
Cleaning of waste that lies along the banks of the drain is also underway. The I&FC department official said that around 1,800 tonnes of solid waste was cleared from the banks and handed over to the MCD, but heaps of waste still remain along the banks of the drain. “With both sewage from areas without a sewer network, and industrial effluents being a source of pollution of the drain, the DJB is in charge of dealing with the drains that fall into the Najafgarh drain and the DSIIDC will have to deal with industrial effluents,” the I&FC official added. “There are 126 drains that meet the Najafgarh drain, and the roughly 12 km between Timarpur and Basai Darapur where work is underway has around 52 smaller drains that meet it,” he said. Along a little more than 5 km between Timarpur and Bharat Nagar, there are 32 inlets, of which 10 are storm water or dry inlets and five have been intercepted or trapped. The remaining 17 have not been intercepted yet, data with the I&FC department shows.

The DJB official said, “The objective is to treat all the sewage before it reaches the Najafgarh drain. Of the 126 drains falling into Najafgarh drain, the DJB in the first instance has taken up trapping of 47 drains. Some drains have been trapped under the interceptor sewer project and some are dry. STPs based on old design parameters are being upgraded in a phased manner and work has been awarded in three packages so far.” A total of 40 decentralised STPs are likely to come up, some within the Najafgarh drainage zone itself and others in the northwest and west areas — for some, land has been allotted but for some land is yet to be allocated, the official added. The Najafgarh drain has a flow or discharge of around 452 MGD (million gallons per day).

Of this, around 252 MGD is treated effluent from STPs and 105 MGD is being discharged from Haryana through two drains including the Badshahpur drain, according to data with the DJB. The drain is, therefore, heavily polluted. A report submitted by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to the NGT last October on the mass death of fish in the Najafgarh drain had pointed to outfall drains from Gurgaon and Delhi that carry “huge quantity” of silt, sewage, industrial effluent and solid waste. The in-situ treatment of major drains and “selective dredging” without disturbing bird habitats to restore the natural flow of inflowing drains, and removal of water hyacinth in the Najafgarh drain are part of the plan for management of the Najafgarh jheel. Manu Bhatnagar, principal director of the natural heritage division at INTACH, said, “The 1865 excavation of Sahibi nadi downstream of Najafgarh Jheel earned it the name of Najafgarh drain.

The river used to function during the monsoon, feeding the Najafgarh jheel all the way from north of Jaipur. To ensure that it is navigable, you first need clean water in the drain, beautiful banks and depth. Intercepting the drains that flow into it could also reduce the draft in the Najafgarh drain and that will have to be considered. The water through the bed of the drain recharges the aquifers."

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/how-delhi-is-trying-to-turn-a-drain-into-a-river-8367980/, January 17, 2023

A proposal was mooted in 2015 to convert the Byzantine edifice into a city museum. But with no proper body to assess and preserve the city's heritage, and an inactive heritage cell, VMC remains undecided. Nearly five years after the district court vacated the premises to shift to the new court building in Diwalipura in March 2018, Vadodara’s iconic landmark, Nyaymandir, which served as the “temple of justice” for 126 years is in news again. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), which finally received the physical possession of the property this month, has cleared and barricaded the periphery of Nyaymandir that had served as a parking space for traders and visitors of the congested city market in the vicinity.

Newly elected BJP MLA Balkrishna Shukla from Raopura constituency, who was the Vadodara mayor in 2008, has proposed demolition of the Padmavati Shopping Centre that stands across Nyaymandir to make way for a ‘centre point’ and eventually a heritage corridor.

The association of shopkeepers of this VMC-built shopping centre, however, has agreed only if offered proper rehabilitation. Shukla dashed a letter to the Municipal Commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani recommending that the Padmavati Shopping Centre, named after the erstwhile queen of Baroda state, be razed to clear the traffic congestion and develop the structure into a ‘centre point’ and proposed developing the old city area as a heritage spot with Nyaymandir at the heart of it by relocating the 240 traders. The VMC had, in 2015, mooted a proposal to convert the structure into a city museum. But with no proper body to assess and preserve the city’s heritage, and an inactive heritage cell, the civic body remains undecided.

The Byzantine edifice, which is adorned with motifs of Moorish architecture and Italian marble tiles for its facade, stands at a strategic point surrounded by the Lehripura gate–one of the four entry gates to the old city, the Music College—said to among the oldest such school in India, and the Sursagar Lake that has a 11-metre-tall statue of Lord Shiva—currently being gold-plated under the aegis of BJP MLA Yogesh Patel’s religious trust. However, Nyaymandir overlooks the congested old city Mangalbazaar market and the run-down Padmavati Shopping Centre, about 35 years old. While Shukla feels that his recommendation is an ideal win-win situation for all, the VMC is yet to consider the idea, mostly at a loss due to the absence of a heritage cell. “Nyaymandir is one of the most important heritage buildings in the heart of the city. However, being a busy market area, heavy vehicular traffic poses a hindrance to the development of the place… VMC should remove the Padmavati shopping centre, which is a dilapidated structure itself, and is the cause of traffic snarls in the area. The shopkeepers should be rehabilitated by providing an alternate space for conducting their commercial activities,” Shukla said. He added that preservation and protection of heritage structures were also the promises he had made to the voters. “I am not the one to decide what should be done with Nyaymandir but being an MLA of the constituency, it is certainly in the interest of the people that I must urge VMC to take up the matter.

The entire stretch of Nyaymandir, Sursagar, Music College and Chimnabai school can be turned into a heritage corridor but it needs planning for the future… Nyaymandir should certainly be turned into a centre of attraction for the people,” he added. Shukla’s proposal has left the Padmavati traders worried but the members of the association—mostly belonging to the Sindhi community of the city—have decided to support the decision if offered a viable alternative commercial space. Last week, led by Hira Kanjwani, a BJP corporator from the community, representatives of the traders’ association met Pani and expressed their willingness to evict the dilapidated structure should the VMC decide to act on Shukla’s proposal. Bhadra Kacheri, which also houses the police station of the Detection of Crime Branch of Vadodara city in its premises, has also been facing neglect despite being under the possession of the state government. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana) Kanjwani said, “There have been newspaper reports about the proposal made by party MLA Balu Shukla about razing Padmavati complex. It has left the traders anxious and I decided to accompany them to meet the VMC Commissioner as they made their representation seeking an alternate space to conduct their business in case VMC decides to remove the structure… They are willing to be part of any good execution to make the city better but their livelihoods depend on the shopping complex.”

Senior VMC officials, however, said the civic body has “no plans” to raze Padmavati as of now. “The heritage cell does exist on paper but there is no dedicated officer to look after the issues… In the past, VMC has also prepared a list of about 100 structures in the city, including the pols in the old city, to be part of the heritage preservation list but there has never been a policy formed or a team appointed to look into the conservation. Also, since most of the properties of the city, including the Lukshmi Vilas Palace, are private properties, the civic body has never been able to interfere in matters of structural changes and repairs,” a senior officer of the civic body told this newspaper. The VMC, instead of enforcing guidelines of heritage conservation, has itself made massive structural changes to expand the air-conditioned cabins of elected members of the BJP in the Khanderao market heritage building where the civic body is housed. The Lehripura gate, which stands on one side of Nyaymandir and was restored by ASI under an MoU with VMC, had a part of its roof collapse in September 2021.

ASI is yet to repair the damage, despite notices issued by VMC. Municipal Commissioner Pani said the decision on converting the structure into a city centre will soon be taken. “A lot of assessment is needed to come to a decision on how the structure can best be put to use… There is a sprawling central hall and the premises also have rooms. We will have to undertake a structural audit first to ascertain how much part of the structure can be safely used and how much of it has to be protected… Then, there also needs to be an assessment on what would work best. Since it is in the heart of the city, we can consider turning it into a multipurpose centre but on the theme of heritage, especially considering tourists visiting the Statue of Unity, could have another attraction in Vadodara.

One of the biggest assets of Vadodara city is its architecture and the heritage cell of VMC is working on the preservation of the legacy," Pani said. Nyaymandir—a two-storeyed, 80,000 square feet Robert Chisholm architecture—has remained shut since March 2018. In June 2015, the then district collector had held a meeting to discuss the fate of the heritage structure. It supported a proposal that the civic body made to the Road and Buildings department, seeking handover of the building to turn into a heritage museum. The tourism department also proposed to protect it as a heritage site. In July the same year, VMC Commissioner sought powers from the standing committee of the municipal corporation to acquire Nyaymandir and establish a city museum that was already approved. A cherished gift to the city by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Nyaymandir was originally named Chimnabai Nyaymandir—after the Maharaja’s first wife whose statue by Italian sculptor Augusto Felici adorns the building. At the time of its inauguration on November 30, 1896, by Viceroy Lord Elgin, interestingly, the structure was intended to serve as a two-storeyed vegetable market.

But when Maharaja Sayajirao III witnessed the grandeur of the structure, he changed his mind and turned it into a town hall and a court. Built at a cost of Rs 7 lakh at the time, the Central hall of the building, decorated with distinct mosaic work. Before the Independence, when Gaekwad ruled the erstwhile royal state of Baroda, Nyaymandir was the Supreme Court of the state. According to historians, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III had laid down a rule—Nyaymandir would have to dispose of each case within 360 days in order to deliver “undeniable justice”. Chandrashekhar Patil of Nav Chetna Trust said that in the early 1900s, a tram pulled by horses used to run from the existing Clock Tower in Raopura to Nyaymandir. A ticket window was located outside the structure, at the back of the Chimnabai Hall to allow litigants to purchase bus and tram tickets. Until 1985, the Chimnabai hall hosted cultural programmes and art exhibitions, mass weddings and community events. The 28 courtrooms were handed over to the judicial system of independent India after Baroda’s last ruler Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad gave his final speech before acceding to the Indian Union from the balcony of the building in 1947.

Heritage lost
Since 2013, over 100 structures have been identified by VMC as structures that had heritage value and needed preservation. The following year, the Nazarbaug Palace, one of the four Gaekwad palaces in the Mandvi area of the city that was on this list, was razed. The list also has the current residence of the erstwhile rulers—the Gaekwad’s Lukshmi Vilas Palace, Kothi Kacheri that houses the district administration and revenue offices, the Clock Tower in Raopura, Nyaymandir, the Walled City, the four gates of the city, the Makarpura Palace that serves as an Air Force base, and Parsi Agiary. Several structures form the exhaustive list compiled by the corporation with help from reference books and oral sources and the Baroda Heritage Trust—formed in Baroda in 1984 by like-minded architects, artists, art historians, archaeologists, historians, museologists and writers interested in conservation of different kinds of heritage of the city.

Radhikaraje Gaekwad of the royal family is a patron of the trust. The Second Revised General Development Control Regulations of 2012 of VMC provide for a Heritage Conservation Committee to be appointed by the government, which will oversee the overall upkeep, preservation and development of “to-be notified” heritage buildings in Vadodara. However, till date, the committee has not been formed, even after having received direction from the Gujarat High Court in 2013 when it was hearing a petition by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the Gujarat government and the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) Baroda and Gujarat, seeking immediate action to save the snow-white Nazarbaug palace that was being demolished by its owners Pratapsinh and Sangramsinh Gaekwad—cousin and paternal uncle respectively of the current titular king—to make way for a sprawling commercial complex that stands in its place today that is only partially opened. The then BJP corporator and now two-term MLA Shailesh Mehta had blamed the civic body for “inaction” in not saving Nazarbaug.

Mehta had, in a letter to the then VMC Commissioner in 2014, said, "It is sad to see that VMC has not been able to do anything to protect these heritage structures despite being empowered by the notification of the state government through the amended GDCR. The responsibility of implementing this protection to the heritage sites rests with the Vadodara Municipal Corporation. But you have not yet formed the mandatory heritage cell till date or pressurised the government to proceed forward with it, leaving many beautiful structures of the city to meet the fate that the Nazarbaug palace has met.” In fact, since losing Nazarbaug, VMC has been unable to save other structures like the railway saloon shed situated between Platform 7 and the Pandya bridge, which was demolished in September 2021 to make way for the under-construction Ahmedabad-Mumbai National High-Speed Railway Corridor for the bullet train project. The structure, built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in the 1880s to park the broad Royal Saloons of the Maharaja, had been facing neglect and was in ruins. For several years, there had been a growing demand from heritage conservationists to the railways and the Vadodara Municipal Corporation to act upon several recommendations to restore the structure. Similarly, the back of Tambekar Wada—once the residence of Bhau Tambekar, the Diwan of Baroda (1849–54)—the beautiful, four-storeyed, Maratha-styled oblong wooden Tambekar Wada has been fighting for survival. Tambekarwada, which is in the possession of VMC, has been facing neglect while the upkeep of the facade of the structure is with ASI. In 2021, a big part of the VMC’s Tambekarwada also came crashing down and has not been restored since. Sameer Khera, Vice-President of the Baroda Heritage Trust, said that apart from the apathy of the administration, the absence of a body to implement conservation guidelines has caused a major loss to the city’s rich architecture. Khera, who as part of the recently concluded Vadodara Marathon, submitted a representation to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to form a heritage cell, said the delay has left most conservation activists disillusioned.

"On December 19, 2022, I met CM Patel to invite him for the flag-off of the Vadodara ‘Heritage’ Marathon. We presented the Trust publications- The Baroda Collective Stage I & Once Upon a Time in Baroda. The CM proactively engaged with the city’s heritage sites and showed keen interest in The Baroda Collective’ next stage. But in the absence of the heritage cell of the civic body, Vadodara’s heritage management to carry out conservation at different levels has definitely been hindered,” he said.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/vadodara-heritage-corridor-nyaymandir-awaits-justice-8383931/, January 18, 2023

Swapna Liddle’s The Broken Script examines the state of Delhi from 1803-1857–a time when the two regimes overlapped–and the trauma left behind by the revolt. The phenomenon of rewriting history in India today brings fear and anxiety—Home Minister Amit Shah recently asked to “fix distorted narrative.” But historian Swapna Liddle thinks rewriting is important. “Please rewrite history. It’s very important because often many avenues are left unexplored.

But leave this rewriting to historians, those with the proper academic tools to do so,” Swapna said during a talk at the Press Club of India on 15 January. Discussing her latest book, The Broken Script, which talks about the state of Delhi during 1803-1857, she questioned the language used to define the era – “Twilight” and “the age of decay.” She also discussed how the 1857 revolt shaped the perceptions of the era.

Re-examining history
The public and academics often use contradictory terms such as “Twilight,” “age of decay,” and “Delhi’s renaissance” to define the first half of the 19th century, Liddle said. It’s these contradictory views that intrigued her, who began examining them during her PhD at Jamia Millia Islamia in the early 2000s. While she abandoned her research on the subject after her PhD, in 2019, she returned to the topic. Thus came alive the idea for her latest book The Broken Script. A Speaking Tiger publication, The Broken Script examines Delhi from 1803-1857, a time when two regimes overlapped – the Mughal Empire and the East India Company.

It takes readers on a journey of shifting power dynamics, cultural and intellectual upheaval, the trauma left behind by the revolt of 1857, and more. In a conversation with Eshan Sharma, heritage activist and founder of a student-led history and heritage promotion initiative Karwaan, Liddle said how the revolt changed the perception of the period predating 1857.

It often leads people and sometimes historians too into believing that Delhi was unaffected by colonialism at the time. “The first books on the period before 1857 were only written three decades after the revolt, in the 1880s, due to the trauma of the revolt. Written by survivors or their descendents, they were often emotional accounts lamenting the loss of an idealised Mughal court,” Liddle said. She added that the transformation and the impact of colonialism on the Mughal court during the period, in its tussle with the East India Company, was entirely lost in these accounts. In roughly 400 pages, Liddle captures the inner workings of the existing political structures of the time, between a seemingly symbolic authority and a rising military and political power.

The book also explores the areas surrounding the changing world of Urdu poetry, the growth of the printing presses leading to the rise of the first modern newspapers in the 1830s, and the establishment of institutions like the Delhi College and the Delhi Archaeological Society, among others. Liddle, also the convener of the Delhi chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), has written several other books on the city, including Delhi: 14 Historic Walks (2011), Chandni Chowk: The Mughal City of Old Delhi (2017), and Connaught Place and the Making of New Delhi (2018).

History made accessible
In an hour-long discussion, the historian also delved into themes such as the circumstances of those being ruled, the role of newspapers, misconception about modernity being a western invention, and the existence of fake news even back in the 19th century. Commenting on Liddle’s writing, Sharma said that the author had finally made history “accessible” to the people to whom it belongs – the people of Delhi.
(Edited by Tarannum Khan)

https://theprint.in/pageturner/leave-rewriting-history-to-historians-says-swapna-liddle-at-her-book-launch/1319505/, January 19, 2023

The list includes 36 government-owned buildings, 9 French government buildings, 60 ashram buildings and others; the structures are classified into three grades, allowing for, or not permitting construction changes. Giving a major push to heritage conservation, the Puducherry Government has notified 114 buildings in the French and Tamil quarters in the Boulevard as protected heritage buildings.

They were notified as heritage structures based on the recommendations of the State-Level Heritage Conservation and Advisory Committee (SLHCAC). The notified list includes government-owned buildings, followed by institution-owned and French buildings. The buildings have been graded as Grade -I (no external change is permissible), Grade II A (new construction may be allowed on premises), Grade II B (horizontal and vertical addition and alternation may be allowed), and Grade III, where the structure has no architectural significance and demolition may be allowed.

According to a Gazette Notification, the list includes 36 government-owned buildings, nine French government buildings, 60 ashram buildings and nine church buildings. Of the 114 heritage buildings, as many as 10 are Grade I A buildings, followed by 87 Grade II and 17 Grade III buildings. The prominent Grade I A buildings included the Ayi Mandapam, the Old Light House, Raj Nivas, Gingee Column and Gandhi Thidal, Statue of Dupleix, Consulat General de France, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Notre Dame des Anges church, Former Capuchin Church and Goubert Market Clock Tower. The Puducherry Planning Authority (PPA) had listed these 114 buildings and issued a notification calling for objections and suggestions from the public in October 2022. According to Ashok Panda, co-convenor of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), “Puducherry already has a heritage regulation and the notification will enable the protection of these 114 institutional heritage buildings legally, [as they] cannot be demolished, though minor modifications may be allowed after consideration by the SLHCAC.

Puducherry is among the few cities in India, which now has a heritage regulation and notified heritage buildings, which will be protected legally. Some of the other cities are Ahmedabad, New Delhi and Jaipur.” Mr. Panda added, “The second list of heritage buildings is being prepared by the Puducherry Planning Authority (PPA) in collaboration with Intach and will include many private heritage buildings. Once approved by the SLHCAC, the second list will also be notified after approval of the government.” The PPA will subsequently prepare a Heritage Management Plan for the Heritage Precinct so that apart from protection of the listed heritage buildings, other areas in the precinct will be provided with proper infrastructure and lighting and signage in harmony with the streetscapes, Mr. Panda said adding that Intach was also preparing an inventory of heritage buildings in Karaikal. PPA and INTACH will next work to prepare a dossier to get Puducherry listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage City.

Only Ahmedabad and Jaipur are presently listed by the United Nations body as World Heritage cities in India, he said. In 1995, a broad study by Intach declared 1,807 buildings in the Boulevard as heritage structures. In 2005, this number fell to 1,173. However, in 2008, a few more buildings were added to the list increasing the total to 1,184. In 2010, after changing the listing classification in line with national practices as per the recommendations of the Ministry of Urban Development, the number was pruned to 980 buildings. In 2013, a survey done by Intach has updated the listings of all heritage buildings in the Boulevard, with the the number of buildings down to 488.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/114-buildings-in-puducherry-get-heritage-tag-will-be-protected-structures/article66382198.ece, January 20, 2023

Eminent social scientist Durga Madhab Panigrahy on Friday urged Ganjam collector to restore the tower and declare it a place of national importance. Among several structures of historical importance that are fading into oblivion in the state is the pigeon tower near the Potagada fort on the outskirts of Ganjam town.The 40-feet-high tower used to accommodate around 1,000 pigeons engaged in postal service.

The post was built when the Nizam of Hyderabad invaded Ganjam in 1604. The British continued operating the post after they took over Ganjam in 1770. The British rulers of Ganjam were in regular contact with their Madras counterparts, 1,075 km away, with the help of the pigeon post, said historian Anantaram Kar. The history of Potagada fort is aligned with that of the Ganjam collectorate that included Ganjam,Northern Circars, the French government, Madras Presidency, Bengal Presidency and the East India Company.

Many rulers used Potagada as their administrative headquarters to rule over the region. The remnants of the fort narrate stories of their administrative procedures. TJ Maltby, who was a civil servant in Madras Presidency, spoke about the fort in his Ganjam District Manual in 1900. Quoting the manual, Kar said the pigeons kept at the tower were given special training and the birds carried letters weighing around 15 grams to their destination.

The pigeon post service continued till the 1970s and the structure was used to despatch letters to Paralakhemundi and Seranga in present-day Gajapati district and G Udayagiri and Raikia in Kandhamal. With advent of technology, the service was not used anymore and the post left to its fate.“If we did not have the internet, we might still be using the pigeon post,” contended Kar. INTACH Ganjam Chapter has expressed its concern over the neglect of the structure.

Chapter chief Dr Sudhansu Pati said despite claims by government of protecting old heritage buildings, such structures in Ganjam are lying in a dilapidated condition. The structure may collapse anytime.Eminent social scientist Durga Madhab Panigrahy on Friday urged Ganjam collector to restore the tower and declare it a place of national importance.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2023/jan/22/odisha-witness-to-history-centuries-old-pigeon-tower-lies-in-neglect-2540287.html, January 20, 2023

Renowned basketball player Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash on 26 January 2020. The NBA legend, accompanied by his 13-year-old daughter was going to attend a girls' basketball game. India celebrates its 74th Republic Day today, 26 January. On this day in 1950, the country became a republic gaining full independence from the British Empire. Apart from this, a lot of significant events have taken place across the world over the years on 26 January. On this day in 1988, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s popular musical The Phantom of the Opera opened on Broadway, New York. On the same day in 2001, the Gujarat earthquake took the lives of more than 20,000 people. NBA legend Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter died in an unfortunate helicopter crash on 26 January 2020. 26 January- Historic Events: India became a republic; 1950: The State Emblem of India was established on 26 January 1950. It features a portrayal of the Lion Capital of Ashoka over the words “Satyameva Jayate.” The Lion Capital, which was initially situated atop the Ashoka Column at Sarnath and erected in 250 BC, served as the inspiration for the national emblem. On the same day, the Constitution of India also came into force. The Phantom of the Opera opened on Broadway; 1988: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, a musical version of Gaston Leroux’s melodramatic novel, debuted on Broadway in New York on 26 January 1988. Webber composed the piece by joining hands with lyricists Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. It was named the best musical at the Tony Awards and later went on to become the longest-running show in the history of Broadway theatre in 2006. In 2010, a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera opened in London. Gujarat Earthquake; 2001: On 26 January 2001, a massive earthquake hit Bhuj, Gujarat and resulted in considerable damage. Owing to the natural catastrophe, more than 20,000 people lost their lives while 167,000 people were injured. Numerous historic structures and popular tourist destinations were among the more than one million structures that were destroyed or damaged. Nearly 40% of the residences, eight schools, two hospitals, and 4 km of road in Bhuj were demolished by the earthquake. It partially destroyed the city’s famous Prag Mahal and Aina Mahal forts as well as the Swaminarayan temple. More than 250 historic structures in Kutch and Saurashtra were examined by the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), which discovered that half of them had either collapsed or been severely damaged. Death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant; 2020: Renowned basketball player Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash on 26 January 2020. The NBA legend, accompanied by his 13-year-old daughter was going to attend a girls’ basketball game. The tragic incident took the lives of as many as 9 people onboard including Bryant and his daughter. Later that year, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Besides his illustrious career in the NBA, Bryant was also a member of the U.S. men’s basketball teams that won the gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics.

https://www.firstpost.com/world/26-january-from-indias-republic-day-to-kobe-bryants-death-remembering-historic-events-12041302.html, January 20, 2023

A hero stone belonging to the Hoysala period and dated to early 13th century was discovered at Chakashettihalli about 6 km from Pandavapura town in Mandya district. Though hero stones are commonly found in the rural hinterland, this is reckoned to be rare as it was erected to commemorate the memory of an officer (sthanika) who killed his wife before ending his own life, according to heritage expert N.S.

Rangaraju of INTACH Mysuru. The inscriptions on the plate accompanying the hero stone was copied and the estampage was sent to experts who have deciphered the inscription and also pieced the story behind the hero stone which is 4.10 ft in height and 3 ft in width, and the slab has a thickness of 6.5 inches, according to C.A. Shashidhara, senior research fellow at the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada (CESCK), who discovered the hero stone. Half of it was hidden in the ground while only a portion of it was visible before it was excavated, he added. It indicates that Masanayya was perhaps a Garuda (a class of soldiers during the Hoysala period who had dedicated to guard the king and sacrifice themselves in the event of the ruler’s death) and was mortally wounded in a battle with little chance of survival.

So husband and wife decide to end their lives and the hero stone depicts Masanayya plunging a dagger to his wife, besides striking himself. Prof. Rangaraju said that monumental inscriptions of this type have not been found in the Hoysala period or any other dynasty and is hence rare. It has been dated to the regime of the Hoysala king Veerabalala II and the period corresponds to February 17th, 1209 CE, he added.

Half of the text of the inscription consists of the titles of the Hoysala ruler Veerabalala II and it transpires that a place mentioned as Daasara Shettihalli was an important administrative centre during the Hoysala period, according to Prof. Rangaraju. N.M. Talwar, Project Director, CESCK, said they would seek permission from the Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage to shift the hero stone to its (CESCK’s) premises where they were also planning to have a museum of antiquities in future. Shailendra Mohan, Director, Central Institute of Indian Languages, and others were present.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/hero-stone-of-hoysala-period-discovered-near-pandavpura/article66432059.ece, January 21, 2023

Cycle along the town’s quaint streets, learn about the mangroves, play a game of pallankuzhi on a streetside thinnai. In December 2015, a group of Puducherry citizens got together to take their union territory’s rich heritage to more people. They came up with a line-up of events to celebrate the region’s cultural, architectural and natural heritage.

Today, Pondicherry Heritage Festival (PHF) has grown in scale, and the organisers, People for Pondicherry’s Heritage (PPH), Pondicherry Citizen’s Action Network (PondyCAN), and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), step into their ninth edition with events spread across February and March.

This year, according to Sunaina Mandeen of PondyCAN, a citizen’s action network, the theme is Responsible Tourism. “As there is an influx of tourists to the region since more people have started travelling after the pandemic, we thought our focus should be on this aspect," she says, adding: "We are looking at moving out of the central zone towards the natural heritage around Pondicherry.” Sunaina explains that there are events and a roundtable on this topic on March 15. On February 12, for instance, there is a boat ride at Thengaithittu before which participants will be introduced to mangrove forests. The heritage festival also features cycle tours, during which participants can soak in the beauty of the quiet town’s small lanes and hear stories about them from experts.

Puducherry is known for its quirky design ideas and as a nod to its many creative minds, PHF presents Made in Pondy, an event in which products by designers and artisans of the town, as well as Auroville, will be on sale. “This will include clothes dyed with colours derived from flowers, pottery, blockprinted fabrics and more,” says Sunaina, addding that the Crafts Council of Puducherry will be presenting Pudhu Vanam, a sale by artisans from across the country. PHF will also feature a series of workshops and events on Tamil games, silambattam, and kolam, apart a symposium based on the writings of yogi Sri Aurobindo in light of his 150th birth anniversary. Sunaina says that 2023 being the International Year of Millets, there will be a Local Food Systems festival with a focus on millets. Her team is adding events to the festival as we speak.

"We are planning to host Street Play Pondicherry that aims to reclaim street life,” she says. “People young and old can register to enjoy two hours of playing traditional games and eating snacks on the thinnai at Kamatchi Amman Kovil Steet, that will be free of motorised traffic for the day."

Then there is a discussion highlighting the contribution of women to culture. “This year, we have performances by Anita Ratnam and Meera Das from Odisha, as well as a concert by Amrit Ramanath,” adds Sunaina. Pondicherry Heritage Festival is on from February 1 to March 15. For details, visit https://www.pondicherryheritagefestival.org, @pondicherryheritage on Instagram.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-arts/chen-history-and-culture/celebrate-the-simple-joys-at-pondicherry-heritage-festival-2023/article66423338.ece, January 21, 2023

Intach Mangaluru Chapter, in collaboration with Art Kanara Trust, released an illustrated booklet, ‘Chennu: Mangaluru City Profile’ on Saturday at Kodialguthu centre for art and culture, Ballalbhagh. Akshy Sridhar, commissioner, Mangaluru city corporation, launched the booklet in the presence of Subhas Basu, convener, Intach Mangaluru Chapter, and Niren Jain, co-convener. Akshy Sridhar said: “It is essential to preserve our heritage and maintain our cultural links.

The heritage community should draft a proper working methodology and systematic approach.” He assured them that the city corporation would extend all possible help in such tasks. He suggested that short videos be produced similar to the book to create awareness.

He also felt that the book should be made available in schools. Subhas Basu initiated the programme and informed the audience regarding the concept and ideas behind bringing out this 24-page booklet. “The idea to create a city profile was first instilled in the Intach Delhi chapter. However, this is not a typical tourism guidebook. It is a compilation of various aspects of the city, such as its history, economy, old and new structures and various cuisines. It is a step taken towards sensitising the people and the community to the importance of the native culture of Mangaluru," he said.

He added that it was deeply saddening to know about the demolition of the old municipal council building and the present demolition of the old DK ZP school at Bengre. “There is a lack of a heritage community within the municipal and governmental systems. It is important to avoid the demolition of these heritage valued buildings, ” he opined. Niren Jain introduced the people and the work involved in the production of the book. Intach plans to expand this booklet into a full-fledged book, he said. Sharvani Bhat, life member of the Intach Mangaluru chapter, introduced the guest. The cost of printing the booklet has been sponsored by Suez pvt. ltd.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangaluru/booklet-on-kudla-highlights-citys-rich-culture-heritage/articleshow/97266762.cms, January 22, 2023

Details of as many as 500 monuments and intangible heritage along the Mahanadi have been presented in the book. A book documenting the heritage of river Mahanadi was released by the Odisha chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage at Cuttack on Saturday.Released by academician and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi and INTACH chairman Major Gen LK Gupta, the book titled ‘Heritage of the Mahanadi Valley in Odisha’ is the result of the exhaustive documentation drive that began in 2018. Details of as many as 500 monuments and intangible heritage along the Mahanadi have been presented in the book.

Convenor of state chapter of INTACH Amiya Bhusan Tripathy said five teams of heritage enthusiasts were formed which covered nearly 450 km of the river covering Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, parts of Angul, Subarnapur, Nayagarh, parts of Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur. “We had decided to list and document monuments, ancient structures within 5 km of both sides of the river.

We had started the project from Sambalpur,” he said. The project team members included Anil Dhir, Deepak Kumar Naik, Neha Sharma, Bisweswar Prusty, Sarat Satpathy, Tarini Prasad Panda, Deepak Panda and late Abhay Padhi.Tangible heritage like temples, palaces and forts had come up along Mahanadi while intangible heritage like folklore, songs and dances, tribal art and craft had also thrived along the river. Tripathy said all important heritage sites have been photographed, videographed and documented with details.

The book will serve as a road map for those into conservation, history and research, he added. On the occasion, the second edition of the book ‘Conservation, the Odissan Way’ authored by Director of INTACH Conservation Centre Mallika Mitra was also released.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bhubaneswar/2023/jan/22/book-on-mahanadis-heritage-released-by-intach-2540270.html, January 24, 2023

Details of as many as 500 monuments and intangible heritage along the Mahanadi have been presented in the book. A book documenting the heritage of river Mahanadi was released by the Odisha chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage at Cuttack on Saturday.Released by academician and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi and INTACH chairman Major Gen LK Gupta, the book titled ‘Heritage of the Mahanadi Valley in Odisha’ is the result of the exhaustive documentation drive that began in 2018. Details of as many as 500 monuments and intangible heritage along the Mahanadi have been presented in the book.

Convenor of state chapter of INTACH Amiya Bhusan Tripathy said five teams of heritage enthusiasts were formed which covered nearly 450 km of the river covering Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, parts of Angul, Subarnapur, Nayagarh, parts of Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur. “We had decided to list and document monuments, ancient structures within 5 km of both sides of the river.

We had started the project from Sambalpur,” he said. The project team members included Anil Dhir, Deepak Kumar Naik, Neha Sharma, Bisweswar Prusty, Sarat Satpathy, Tarini Prasad Panda, Deepak Panda and late Abhay Padhi.Tangible heritage like temples, palaces and forts had come up along Mahanadi while intangible heritage like folklore, songs and dances, tribal art and craft had also thrived along the river. Tripathy said all important heritage sites have been photographed, videographed and documented with details.

The book will serve as a road map for those into conservation, history and research, he added. On the occasion, the second edition of the book ‘Conservation, the Odissan Way’ authored by Director of INTACH Conservation Centre Mallika Mitra was also released.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bhubaneswar/2023/jan/22/book-on-mahanadis-heritage-released-by-intach-2540270.html, January 24, 2023

INTACH and Indian Embassy jointly organise International seminar on knowledge sharing on conservation of natural and cultural heritage in Kathmandu. On the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, an International seminar on Knowledge sharing of conservation of Natural and cultural heritage was organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in coordination with the Embassy of India in Kathmandu.

Ambassador of India, Naveen Shrivastav informed about the Indian government’s contribution to conserving cultural heritage in Kathmandu. The government of India extended support worth USD 50 million for the reconstruction of two UNESCO heritage sites Pashupatinath Temple and Bhandarkhal of Patan Durbar Square post-2015 earthquake in Nepal. Guest of the event Sudan Kirati, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal appreciated the efforts of the Indian Embassy in bringing together conservation experts from India and Nepal to reconstruct and restore natural and cultural heritage.

MoS Sushila Shreepali appreciated the organisation of an international seminar that widens the perspective on conservation. Chhatra Pragya Pratiyogita, a painting and essay competition among Indian diaspora school students was organised on the theme of Swachcha Bharat, Sundar Bharat, Save Trees and iconic places in India and Nepal, the role of Hindi in integrating India & Nepal and integrating the cultural heritage of India & Nepal was organized in the Indian embassy.

https://newsonair.com/2023/01/22/intach-and-indian-embassy-jointly-organise-international-seminar-on-knowledge-sharing-on-conservation-of-natural-and-cultural-heritage-in-kathmandu/, January 25, 2023

No one knows what it says.

No one knows what it says.

THE 5,000-YEAR-OLD PORT CITY OF Dholavira can be found on an island in the salt flats of the Great Rann of Kutch on India’s western edge. It has been described as “one of the best preserved urban settlements from the period in Southeast Asia” by UNESCO. Researchers have found step-wells and reservoirs that formed a sophisticated water management system, the remains of ancient streets and boulevards lined by houses of varying sizes, the ruins of a jewelry workshop, and one of the most remarkable discoveries in Indian archeology: what is believed to be the world’s oldest billboard. The billboard—typically called the Dholavira signboard—was discovered when a team from the Archaeological Survey of India began excavating the southern center of the Indus Valley Civilization in the 1990s. At Dholavira’s northern gate, archaeologists came across two chambers flanking the gate on either side. These chambers looked like storage spaces. And like most storerooms, they were an absolute mess. The team in the western chamber was gently clearing fallen debris and stones that hadn’t been touched for thousands of years when glints of white became visible. After more careful excavation, they found ten large symbols, each about 15 inches tall and made out of multiple pieces of white gypsum, a material that’s used in drywall today. Archaeologists also found evidence of decomposed wood surrounding the symbols. These clues led the researchers to conclude that the symbols were part of a billboard. The bright white gypsum would have made the symbols visible from a distance even at night, as torch light reflected off the mineral, while the surrounding wood would have supported the symbols. R. S. Bisht, who led the team that excavated the site throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, believes that the Dholavira signboard sat atop the largest of the ancient city’s five entrances. Bisht says, “the wooden board was 3.5 meters [11 feet] long and the threshold of the northern gate was also 3.5 meters [11 feet] wide. It seems that it was bolted on the facade of the northern gate and could have been seen from the lower and middle town.” Researchers wondered why the sign was in a chamber next to the northern gate rather than on it. But Bisht believes that an earthquake, a common occurrence in the area, could have been responsible for dislodging the sign, after which the citizens of Dholavira carefully moved it to a storeroom next to the gate. Still, one big mystery remains: What did the billboard say? The symbols are remarkably well preserved, perhaps because the billboard was lying face down for thousands of years, the wood of the board protecting the gypsum symbols from the environment. But they are written in the script of the Indus Valley Civilization, which has not yet been deciphered, so no one knows what information was displayed so prominently in the city. The Dholavira signboard is now in the collection at the National Museum in New Delhi, though it is not on display because of preservation concerns. It remains an object of ongoing research as one of the longest inscriptions in the Indus or Harappan script. Until the script is deciphered, everything that is known about the people and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization comes from archaeological evidence. From its earliest beginnings as the neolithic Mehrgarh culture over 9,000 years ago, the Indus Valley Civilization thrived for thousands of years across the lands of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The people traded with the civilizations of Mesopotamia and China and built settlements with better-planned drainage systems than some modern cities. Yet, around 4,000 years ago, they abandoned their cities and writing and disappeared. “The Indus Valley people could not get basic needs like fresh water for irrigation and drinking,” says Mahesh Thakkar, professor of geology and head of the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at K.S.K.V. Kachchh University in Bhuj—the closest major city to Dholavira. “Slow climate change over time led them to migrate to the fertile and perennial river basins of the Ganga and Yamuna, leaving their old urban centers abandoned.” The climate events that caused the people of Dholavira to abandon their city were not caused by humans but while we cannot decipher what was written on the sign that the people of Dholavira left forgotten in a storeroom before leaving their city for good, its message about the dangers of climate change is clear.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/oldest-billboard-in-world, January 26, 2023

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is all set to begin excavation at Delhi’s Purana Qila again. According to the Ministry of Culture, this would be the third season of excavation at Purana Qila after excavations in the year 2013-14 and 2017-18. Being led by Archaeologist Vasant Swarnkar, the excavation will be focusing on accomplishing the traces of Painted Grey Ware finding in stratigraphical context. Furthermore, the latest excavation is looking forward to utilize the exposure and preservation of the trenches that were excavated in the previous years (2013-14 & 2017- 18).

During the closure of the previous season’s excavation, evidence of layers predating the Mauryan period was found. Purana Qila A timeless monument, Purana Qilla, is a 16th-century fort, built by Sher Shah Suri and second Mughal emperor Humayun. The fort is standing on a site with thousands of years of history.

It is believed that the area in which the Purana Qila stands today is the site of Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas of the great epic Mahabharata. It is for the same reason that the Purana Qila is often called the “Pandavon ka Qila”. Archaeological excavations have tend to shed light on the said belief.

Findings during previous times
Excavations at the site in 1954–55 and 1969 -1973, conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India and headed by Prof BB Lal, revealed a few shards of pottery belonging to the Painted Grey Ware (PGW) variety, that historians trace to the Mahabharata period (1500-1000 BCE). They also revealed the existence of stratified layers belonging to 8 periods- from the 4th century CE up to the 19th century, confirming that the site had a long and unbroken chain of habitation for centuries. Apart from archaeology, textual sources such as the Ain-i-Akbari of Abul Fazal (16th century), mention that Humayun had built the fort at the site of Indraprastha-the ancient capital of the Pandavas.

Furthermore, till 1913, there was in existence a village named ‘Inderpat’ within the fort walls. The village was relocated after the British started building the modern capital of Delhi. The findings and artefacts unearthed in earlier excavations comprises painted grey ware, belonging to 900BC, an earthen pottery sequence from Maurya to Shunga, Kushana, Gupta, Rajput, Sultanates and Mughal periods. Excavated Artefacts such as sickles, parers, terracotta toys, kiln- burnt bricks, beads, terracotta figurines, seal and dealings etc., excavated earlier are now displayed at the Archaeological Museum inside the fort complex.

Painted Grey Ware The Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture is an Iron Age culture of the Gangetic plain and the Ghaggar-Hakra valley in the Indian subcontinent, conventionally dated 1200 to 600–500 BCE. The Painted Grey Ware sites reveal the development of agriculture and pastoralism. It is associated with village and town settlements, domesticated horses, ivory-working, and the advent of iron metallurgy.

Further, they show a large scale population increase in the northern part of India. The Iron Age in North India was coeval with Painted Greyware Culture, and in South India, it was associated with Megalithic burial mounds. Painted Grey Ware is characterized by a style of fine, grey pottery painted with geometric patterns in black.

https://newsonair.com/2023/01/18/archaeological-survey-of-india-to-begin-excavation-at-delhis-purana-qila/, January 27, 2023

In the south-eastern extreme of the Sunderbans, where the island meets the sea, stands the village of Buraburir Tat. What separates this tiny, picturesque hamlet comprising farmers and fishermen is an unassuming little house made of brick and mud without even proper flooring. It serves as a museum of the history of the Sunderbans. Registered under the name “Gobardhanpur Sunderban Pratna Sangraha Sala”, the museum has on display ancient artefacts and materials painstakingly collected over 35 years from the surrounding coastal region by Biswajit Sahu. A fisherman, Sahu has made it his life’s purpose to unearth and bring to the fore the historical and cultural heritage of the land he lives in.

On display are more than 10,000 items that include pottery, beads, seals, inscriptions, coins, terracotta figures, bone tools, small toys, semi-precious stones, and old animal remains and fossils. Archaeologists who have examined the collection are of the opinion that many of the artefacts belong to the “early historic period” (third century BCE to fourth century CE). Shack of antiquities

To reach this remote village from Kolkata, one needs to travel nearly four hours by car, one and half hours by ferry, then another hour by motorised van. Yet, it is becoming a most unlikely tourist destination in Bengal. More and more people are being driven by curiosity to undertake the strenuous journey to see this unique shack of antiquities in the middle of nowhere.

Earlier, the museum would be visited three or four times a year by a handful of academics and researchers, but now, the guest register that Sahu maintains shows an average of more than 30 visits a year, not just from scholars but also from tourists and people from all walks of life.

Following in the footsteps of the great amateur archaeologist Kalidas Datta (1885-1968)—whose discovery of antiquities in the Sunderbans in the 1920s put paid to the colonial claim that it was the British who first made the Sunderbans habitable—Sahu has been instrumental in throwing greater light on an otherwise neglected chapter in the history of Bengal.

While Datta was a rich landowner and had the resources to carry out his archaeological project, Sahu has had to work with practically nothing but his instinct and his indomitable curiosity about the region. Barely educated, having studied only until class 4, Sahu has no regular means of livelihood and suffers from a chronic lung problem. Yet he ventures out every day, walking great distances and travelling by boat, to search for the antiquities that lie buried in the mud and sand of the estuary. It is not just a collector’s obsession that goads him; his museum is testament to a simple, uneducated man’s search for his identity and his resolve to archive and preserve his heritage.

"I have neither training nor education, but my work is helping people doing their PhD,” he told Frontline proudly. Subha Majumder, Superintending Archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India, Kolkata Circle, who visited Sahu’s Museum and explored some of the areas from where the artefacts were collected, believes the venture has the potential to become an important source of academic research. “Although other parts of South Paraganas have been explored, the Sunderbans, mainly because of its topography, has been overlooked. Biswajit Sahu’s museum is wonderful in its diversity and important because it is not possible for the general public to explore the area from where he collects his artefacts; only fishermen and locals will be able to reach these places. Studying his collection can give us an idea of the history of the land. Scientific excavations have not yet taken place in the coastal extreme of the State,” said Majumder.

According to him, the diverse nature of Sahu’s collection indicates that “there was some connection between the region and south-west Asia”. He said: “Some of the antiquities do not look like they have their origin in India.” What started off as a hobby 35 years ago—collecting old artefacts buried in the mud while returning home after a day’s fishing—became an all-consuming passion for Sahu. Many of the things he has uncovered are yet to be carbon-dated or examined by archaeologists. But every new discovery presents a new angle to the history of the region. Studying the photographs of some of the new items in Sahu’s collection, which include seals, inscriptions, and figures, Rajat Sanyal, a professor of archaeology at the University of Calcutta, pointed out two rare pieces: a Surya image and an image of a two-armed Vishnu. “These are interesting and rare finds. They are lesser known evidence of typical art-in-stone of the pre-Pala and post-Gupta period, between the sixth and eighth centuries. This period is a nebulous time frame as far as knowledge of the history of eastern Indian art activities is concerned; and these figures suggest that there were post-Gupta settlements in the region,” Sanyal told Frontline. Some inscriptions are also interesting. “They are in late Brahmi and Sanskrit scripts and are mostly personal seals of people who were engaged in trading activities. Some may be associated with a local cult, but mostly they are personal seals of traders who conducted business in that area. And we know that this was a fertile trading zone in the early historic period,” said Sanyal.

Animal bones and fossils
Also on display are old animal remains and fossils. “Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India [ZSI] came and studied these, pointing out that there was a time when rhinos and elephants roamed this region. Of the 3,000 animal remains I have gathered, the ZSI documented 100 items,” said Sahu. When contacted, the ZSI was reluctant to comment on the matter. However, a zoologist attached with a government institution told Frontline that it was time scientists explored the Sunderbans coastal region more closely. “The kind of forest tract that existed earlier to support different kinds of animals may not exist anymore. Due to the rise in the sea level, a lot has also gone under water.

These remains can tell us more. It is very commendable that he [Sahu] has collected animal remains. As zoologists, we may be interested in these things, but most people are not, and yet he realised their importance even though he has no knowledge of the subject,” said the scientist. She believes an “interdisciplinary exploration” of the region would give an all-round picture of the life and flora and fauna in the past.

A difficult dream
For Sahu, fulfilling his dream of creating a museum and maintaining it has been a hard journey. Ten years ago, he had told this reporter that it was his ardent wish that a museum would be built in the Sunderbanswhere his collection could be put on display. When Sahu realised that it was not likely to happen in the foreseeable future, he took it upon himself to build one. Initially, it was a mud hut adjacent to his house in Gobardhanpur village, which is now being slowly consumed by the sea. Five years ago, he was forced to move further inland to Buraburir Tat with his meagre belongings and his beloved collection.

Today, the museum is a part of his house and of his everyday life. “People come to make money from doing research from my collection, but I get nothing. On top of that, many of the artefacts have also been filched while I was not looking. This place became famous after someone mentioned it on Facebook. Now many people other than academics are coming to see my collection. I am now asking for donations from visitors to help me maintain this,” said Sahu. Archaeologists believe Sahu does not have the necessary equipment to preserve his collection, and many, including Subha Majumder, have asked him to allow an institution to take care of them. Moreover, it is only a matter of time before the sea encroaches further and threatens his new house too. But Sahu refuses to part with his precious finds. “I don’t want to give it up. I want to build a museum in the Sunderbans and I want people to come to the Sunderbans and do their research [here] rather than sit and do it from Kolkata,” he said.

The Crux
Biswajit Sahu is a fisherman who lives in the village of Buraburir Tat, at the south-eastern extreme of the Sunderbans in West Bengal. Collecting old artefacts buried in the mud while returning home after a day’s fishing started out as a hobby for him some 35 years ago but has now become an all-consuming passion. His unassuming little house, made of brick and mud without even proper flooring, serves as a museum. Registered under the name “Gobardhanpur Sunderban Pratna Sangraha Sala”, it has on display the ancient artefacts and materials that Sahu has painstakingly collected.

On display are more than 10,000 items that include pottery, beads, seals, inscriptions, coins, terracotta figures, bone tools, small toys, semi-precious stones, and old animal remains and fossils. Archaeologists who have examined the collection are of the opinion that many of the artefacts belong to the “early historic period” (third century BCE to fourth century CE). To get to this museum from Kolkata, one needs to make a long journey, but it has become a most unlikely tourist destination in Bengal.

Subha Majumder, Superintending Archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India, Kolkata Circle believes the museum has the potential to become an important source of academic research. He said that the diverse nature of the collection indicated that “there was some connection between the region and south-west Asia”. Maintaining the museum is not an easy task. He does not have the necessary equipment to preserve his collection, and he gets no money for the work he does. Sadly, some people who come to view his collection have stolen artefacts.

(This story was published in the print edition of Frontline magazine dated Feb 10, 2023.)

https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/heritage/the-museum-that-biswajit-sahu-built-in-the-sunderbans/article66377427.ece, January 29, 2023

The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Monday that the Centre has nominated the maidams of Ahom Kingdom in Charaideo to seek a UNESCO World Heritage Site tag for the historic site. These maidams were chosen out of 52 sites for the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag for the cultural heritage category. The nomination of the Charaideo maidams comes at the time when India is celebrating the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Barphukan, who was the legendary general from the Ahom Kingdom who fought the Mughals in 1671.

What are Charaideo Maidams?
The Charaideo Maidams are the representation of the late medieval mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam. The Ahoms ruled Assam for more than 600 years after which the British took over Assam in 1826 ending their rule over the region. The Charaideo is situated more than 400 km east of Guwahati. Guwahati was the first capital of the Ahom dynasty and was founded by Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha in 1253. Till now, 386 Maidams are explored and 90 royal burials have been preserved at Charaideo. These burials are seen as showpieces of the mound burial tradition of the Ahom community.

After the 18th century, Ahoms adopted the Hindu cremation method and began to entomb the cremated bones and ashes in a Maidam at Charaideo. Currently, the Maidams are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India and the State Department of Archaeology under the Ancient Monuments and Sites Remains Act 1958, and under the Assam Ancient Monuments and Records Act 1959.

Who are the Ahom people?
The Ahom, also known as the Tai-Ahom, are an ethnic group found in the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Members of this group are mixed descendants of the Tai people who arrived in Assam's Brahmaputra valley in 1228 and the local indigenous people who joined them over time. Sukaphaa, the Tai group's leader, and his 9000 followers founded the Ahom kingdom (1228-1826 CE), which ruled over much of the Brahmaputra Valley in modern Assam until 1826.

Ahom Kingdom (1228–1826)
The Ahom Dynasty, a late medieval kingdom, was established in Assam's Brahmaputra Valley in 1228. It was known for its multi-ethnic mix and for successfully retaining its autonomy for 600 years, even fighting the Mughal Empire to keep its independence at one point. Chaolung Sukaphaa, the first King of the Ahom Kingdom, crossed the Patkai mountainous region to reach the Brahmaputra valley and lay the foundations of the Ahom Dynasty.

How did the Ahom Kingdom expand? Sukaphaa and his followers obtained wet rice farming technology and shared it with the residents of the region. This technology increased agricultural output in the region. The Ahom way of life and government gradually absorbed other people in the region, such as the Barahi, resulting in a large population increase. The absorption process lasted until the Ahom Empire grew large enough to accept other ethnic groups in the 16th century.

Ahoms vs Mughals conflict of 1662
The Ahom Dynasty faced its first significant conflict with an imperial force, the Mughal Empire, in 1615. In 1662, the Mughals conquered the Ahom capital of Garhgaon but were defeated in subsequent battles. Finally, in 1671, the Ahoms, led by Lachit Borphukan, successfully repelled a strong Mughal assault, extending their borders west to the Manas River.

https://www.wionews.com/india-news/assams-maidams-as-indias-entry-for-unesco-tag-a-look-into-ahom-kingdom-its-history-and-significance-555197/amp, January 30, 2023

Excavations at one of the biggest necropolises of the Harappan era in Gujarat have shown what history has repeatedly demonstrated around the world — ancient humans buried the dead with afterlife items like personal artefacts, sacred animals, and pots of food and water. The digging began in 2019 at Juna Khatiya village, about 30km from Lakhpat in Kutch district, and archaeologists found rows of graves with skeletal remains, ceramic pots, plates and vases, beaded jewellery, and animal bones that piqued their interest.

Over time, it emerged as one the biggest Harappan burial sites, with the possibility of 500 graves, of which about 125 have been found so far. These are from 3,200 BCE to 2,600 BCE, predating Dholavira—a UNESCO world heritage site—and several other Harappan sites in the state. The site is important because others like Dholavira have a cemetery in and around the town, but no major habitation has been discovered near Juna Khatiya, said Rajesh SV, excavation director and assistant professor of archaeology at University of Kerala.

The site demonstrates the transition from earth-mound burials to stone graves. The pottery from the site have features and style similar to those excavated from early Harappan sites in Sindh and Balochistan. “The artefacts can put the site in perspective of other pre-urban Harappan sites in Gujarat, ” said Rajesh. The rectangular graves were made of shale and sandstone, which are common rocks in the area, and other than items like clay bowls and dishes, prized possessions like beads and bangles of terracotta, seashells, and lapis lazuli were interred with dead.

“The majority of burial pits had five to six pots. In one, 62 pots were found. We have not found any metal artefact from the site so far, ” said Rajesh. “Some of the burial structures have boulders of basalt as coverings. Pebbles of local rock, basalt, soil, sand, etc were used for construction, and clay was used to bind them together, ” said Rajesh, delivering a lecture at IIT Gandhinagar last week. The vagaries of time have taken a toll on the graves buried for five millennia: soil erosion, tilling of the land for are devoid of any human remains, ” Rajesh said. His research team includes Abhayan GS of University of Kerala, Francesc C. Conesa from Spain’s Institute of Classical Archaeology, Juan Jose Garcia-Granero of Spanish National Research Council, and Subhash Bhandari of KSKV Kachchh University.

“Multiple teams are working on aspects such as DNA analysis and isotope study, ” Rajesh said. agriculture, plus vandals opening graves in their quest for ancient treasure. “We have only one fully intact skeleton, whereas many of the graves are devoid of any human remains, ” Rajesh said. His research team includes Abhayan GS of University of Kerala, Francesc C. Conesa from Spain’s Institute of Classical Archaeology, Juan Jose Garcia-Granero of Spanish National Research Council, and Subhash Bhandari of KSKV Kachchh University. “Multiple teams are working on aspects such as DNA analysis and isotope study, ” Rajesh said.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/gujarats-harappan-necropolis-reveal-death-rituals-of-5000-years-ago/articleshow/96821787.cms?from=mdraz, January 30, 2023

The purpose of the ‘Parichay’ heritage walk is to examine the origin and history of the site. The Bengaluru chapter of INTACH is hosting a heritage walk on February 4 through the 153- year-old All Saints Church in Richmond Town. The purpose of the ‘Parichay’ heritage walk is to examine the origin and history of the site, besides gaining an understanding of its architectural features and symbolic imagery. The single-storey building, consecrated in 1870, is made of composite brick and stone masonry.

Popular for the pointed arches, coloured stained glasses, rose windows and a false high ceiling, the church is also called ‘Garden Church of the Garden City’ to recognise the diverse flora it is nestled in. Last year, stakeholders of the All Saints Church ordered a structural condition assessment to understand its structural integrity due to its proximity to the underconstruction Pink Line underground metro route. The assessment also sought to prepare for preventive action to avoid potential accidents that could arise from the metro construction. A group led by Dr S Raghunath, a civil engineering professor at BMS College of Engineering, worked with the BMRCL to examine the current state of the All Saints Church.

They wanted to see what the foundation of the building was made of and find out how strong the soil was under and around the structure. Shikha Desai, a conservation architect from INTACH, Bengaluru Chapter, told DH that the assessment recommendations include the installation of instruments such as tilt meters and accelerometers to monitor areas identified during the assessment along the metro construction. "The observations conducted throughout this process will enable the stakeholders to take effective, precautionary measures should any possibility of a potential mishap be identified," said Shikha.

hhttps://www.deccanherald.com/city/life-in-bengaluru/journey-down-history-heritage-walk-at-all-saints-church-1187361.html, January 30, 2023

The property is a Grade I heritage structure that once housed Tipu Sultan's family. Tollygunge Club — or Tolly, as it is popularly known — received an Intach heritage plaque on Thursday. The property is a Grade I heritage structure on the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s heritage list. “While everybody knows of Tollygunge Club, few are aware of its heritage. The plaque is a recognition of that heritage,” G.M. Kapur of Intach, which works for preservation of heritage, said while unveiling the plaque.

“Institutions like ours are like a banyan tree (of which there are plenty on the sprawling grounds). We are proud to belong to such an institution,” said Captain Sanjiv Dhir, president of Tollygunge Club. Born in 1895, the club gets its name from the area it is located in. One of the most iconic features of the club is its 240-year-old Club House. According to the club records, the property was acquired by Richard Johnson in 1781 from H. Grant. An East India Company employee, Johnson’s fortunes fluctuated and he sold and acquired the property multiple times.

After his death, the East India Company took over his property and the title deed was transferred in the name of Lt Col T. Hawkins and G.D. Guthrie for the accommodation of Tipu Sultan’s family in 1809 after the king’s death. Tipu’s 11th son, Prince Gholam Mohammed Shah, purchased the properties where his family was confined. At the time of his death in 1872, Shah’s properties included Bara Bagh, which was spread across 305 bighas and included a large house, and several smaller houses. Bara Bagh and the smaller houses together eventually became Tollygunge Club. William Dickson Cruickshank, who was secretary and treasurer of the Bank of Bengal, stumbled on the property while walking his dog. “Cruickshank signed a lease with the Waqf Trust to establish Tollygunge Club in 1895,” said the club’s past CEO Anil Mukerji.

https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/news/heritage-plaque-at-tollygunge-club/cid/1913938, January 31, 2023