Three students of Dyal Singh College, here, have secured place in the merit list of MA Hindi of Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra. With 353 marks out of 500, Sapna secured eighth position while Pinky got tenth position with 349 marks. Neetu secured fourteenth position with 345 marks. Principal Dr Chander Shekhar congratulated the faculty of the Hindi Department for the achievement. The students were honoured for their achievement. The Principal appreciated them and encouraged them to keep working hard in future.

Head of the department Dr Randhir Singh lauded their determination and consistency. “Hindi is an employment oriented subject in the present time. It leads to many opportunities in the sectors such as teaching, journalism, book-writing and public administration. It is the fourth most spoken language in the world," he said. Faculty members of the Hindi Department, Dr Balbir Singh, Dr Subhash Saini and Dr Surender Bala also congratulated the students.

DCRUST authorised by AICTE Sonepat: The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) authorised the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, (DCRUST) to impart training to the teachers serving in various technical educations of North India. Under the Teachers Training Policy of the AICTE, a number of selected technical education institutes in the country have been authorised for conducting such training and the Murthal university was the lone university from Haryana.

According to university's Vice-Chancellor Rajindra Kumar Anayath, the university would organise at least 10 faculty development programmes during the current academic year.

He opined that technical superiority was necessary for taking the lead in the global competition.

Online crafts workshop
Ambala: Over 80 students and teachers, from six schools, and INTACH members attended a crafts workshop conducted by the INTACH, Ambala. It proved to be a big hit with children. Some children even produced what they were taught during and soon after the workshop. At the outset, Colonel RD Singh, convenor, welcomed the teachers and their students. It was so good that sister Shaily, head of BK Ashram, Vijay Sharma, HOD Hindi Department, SD college, and member INTACH, Teresa, architect, from the INTACH head office Delhi, Anusha Singh, a lawyer and corporate communication expert and an INTACH member, and Madhu Talwar from the APS also joined it.

Reena, co-convenor, a resource person and crafts teacher, started the workshop and showed the students the art of making beautiful baskets with bangles. Madhu Singh shared with students some innovative ideas on making things such as invitation scrolls, hexagon shaped paper pot pourri, soap hangers etc at home. "We will keep in touch with students. More school students will be participating in our next workshop," said Col RD Singh.

Yamunanagar: Mukand Lal National College, Radaur, organised an online quiz competition on the theme "Monuments of the world", in which 111 students and scholars belonging to the various parts of the nation participated. In the competition, Chakshu of JMIT Radaur bagged the first prize. Rishika, from University College of Law, Udaipur, and Manish Kansal, NAS PG Degree College, Meerut, jointly secured second rank. Pooja Kumari from Government College, Kalka, got third position and consolation prize went to Vidhi of MLN College, Radaur.

The event was conducted by Dr Richa Sikri, Assistant Professor of History and supervised by Dr Deepak Kaushik, Officiating Principal of the college. The participants rated the quiz competition as absorbing, interesting and knowledge booster.

SMO honoured on Doctors’ Day
Kurukshetra: On the occasion of Docters' Day, Ladwa SMO Dr Anjali Vaid was felicitated by Dhanora-Ladwa Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Senior Secondary Public School Principal Dherminder Khera and staff. The senior medical officer was honoured for her relentless service to the Covid-19 patients at the Government Hospital, Ladwa. Khera apprised the faculty about the commendable services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Vaid apprised the teachers about the precautions to be taken as per the WHO guidelines, including social distancing, use of mask and hand sanitisers. Dr Vaid stressed that these precautions were the panacea for the virus so far. School Vice-Principal Narender Sharma, co-ordinator Sushil Dua, Kavita Laller, Poonam Sharma, Rajbir Sharma, Ajay Gupta and other teachers were also present on the occasion.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/students-shine-in-varsity-exams-107470, June 30, 2020

Rajasthan stones are grabbing international recognition. After Makrana, which was the first and only stone resource from India as well as Asia to get the Global Heritage Stone Resource (GHSR) status, next in line hoping to feature in the list are the famous yellow limestone of Jaisalmer and pink sandstone from Jodhpur. International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) has a committee on geoheritage and a sub-commission known as Heritage Stone Sub commission (HSS).

HSS makes effort at recognising natural stones from around the world as GHSRs based on their heritage value and international popularity. India records numerous architectural heritage built in diverse natural stones, which need to be promoted on a global platform. To date, five important natural stones from India have been proposed to be designated as GHSRs, namely the Deccan Basalt and Trachyte, the Vindhyan Sandstone, the Jodhpur Sandstone and the Jaisalmer Limestone.

Two technical researches on the pink and yellow stones have been completed and proposals have been sent by Punjab University, Chandigarh, to IUGS for accreditation and consideration as GHSR. Once a stone is GHSR, it is promoted on different international platforms resulting in new research activities and large number of commercial inquiries. The research work was carried out between June and November 2019. Physical, microscopic, and geotechnical properties were studied in the field.

Apart from the Punjab University team led by Gurmeet Kaur and head of the project Anuvinder Ahuja, three persons from Rajasthan who contributed in the technical knowhow were Dr Manoj Pandit, a retired professor in geology from Jaipur, Rakesh Giri Goswami, retired senior geologist from the department of mines and geology, Jodhpur, and Kirit Acharya, a retitred senior geologist from RSMM, Udaipur. “Our work included identification of suitable areas for field surveys, sampling locations, accompanying the university team for field work and providing inputs about architectural styles.

On the basis of this work, two research proposals have been prepared and published in an international journal GeoHeritageEurope in January and June this year. Since, it was on the recommendation of the HSS that Makrana could be included in the GHSR list, we are hopeful that these two stones too would soon gain the heritage status that would bring pride not only to Rajasthan but also the country,” Goswami told TOI.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jodhpur/jaisalmer-jodhpur-stones-likely-to-get-global-heritage-resource-label/articleshow/76680112.cms, July 1, 2020

Prehistoric rock art in red and white ochre have been discovered inside a rock cavern in Neelanthangal, a remote village in Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu. There are at least 15 images of animals and other figurines inside the cavern, which is facing threat from vandals. Like many rock art sites in the state, vandals have scribbled their names around these prehistoric pieces of art too. It’s difficult for one to identify the ancient figurines and images from the recent ‘creations’ of the vandals, according to S Balamurugan, tehsildar of Tiruvannamalai, who with a team of four heritage enthusiasts discovered the site a couple of days ago.

“It was not easy for us to identify the prehistoric figurines, particularly those painted in white ochre. People who come here don’t know the significance of it. They draw images inside the cavern imitating the ancient. pieces of art. They also write their names and initials on the rock wall,” said Balamurugan. South India, housing the second largest corpora of rock art after the central Indian Vindhyan hill zone, contains more than 500 rock art sites in a varied ecological, geographical, geological and ethnographic setting. The rock art sites of Kerala-Tamil Nadu zone, located in the granite-laterite zone, are datable from the megalithic to early historical times.

The study of rock art in Tamil Nadu, particularly in the recent years, has attracted the attention of academicians, artists and amateurs from different fields. The curiosity in this ancient form of art has resulted in the discovery of more than seventy-five sites in Tamil Nadu with paintings (petrographs) and engravings (petroglyphs) executed on the surface of rock-shelters.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/prehistoric-rock-arts-discovered-in-tiruvannamalai-cavern/articleshow/76708941.cms, July 1, 2020

The ruins of an ancient temple have been unearthed during the highway expansion works at Navelim, in Salcete. The archaeology department is now approaching the PWD to allow them to supervise the work and salvage the remains, which they fear could become a casualty of the highway if they do not intervene.

"One of the locals informed us of the remains that look like a temple structure. These were near the Chapel of St Xavier’s close to which the highway expansion project has been going on,” assistant superintendent of archaeology Varad Sabnis said.

A joint inspection was conducted last week by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and archaeology department officials. Archaeological experts have denied that this could be an instance of the Portuguese era when new religious structures were erected in place of existing ones. The architecture of the St Xavier chapel is fairly recent, Sabnis said. “The chapel is a newly built one," he said. "We would like to inspect the site when the work is ongoing to see if there are any more remains. The remains can be displayed either at the department or at the state museum," Sabnis said. Sources said that the highway expansion works have currently halted due to the monsoon. The archaeology department is in the process of writing to the PWD to permit them access to the site. Experts estimate that the remains belong to the 13th or 14th century. However, an exact date and time stamp is yet to be placed on the find.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/temple-ruins-found-during-road-expansion-at-navelim/articleshow/76679614.cms, July 3, 2020

Although some heritage sites are slowly reopening, many of our favourite destinations will remain closed for a while longer.

To fill the gap, Amy Brunskill has created another summary of some of the best ways to get involved in archaeology and heritage from home – as well as listing some of the places that you are now able to visit in person.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/temple-ruins-found-during-road-expansion-at-navelim/articleshow/76679614.cms, July 3, 2020

Heritage conservation activists have termed the demolition of Saifabad Palace as a “sad day” for the historic city of Hyderabad. INTACH city convenor Anuradha Reddy, who has a personal connect with Saifabad Palace as her late father C Sreeram Bhoopal, Hyderabad Civil Services and later IAS, had his office in Block-G, said it was a sad day as a historic building is being demolished. “Such heritage structures should be recognized and protected. The Saifabad Place or Block-G was once a protected heritage structure listed on the heritage structures list of HMDA’s heritage committee.

I don’t know how it got delisted,” she said. Prominent heritage conservation activist and secretary of the Centre for Deccan Studies, Sajjad Shahid, said Saifabad Palace was the first office of the administration. “Old-timers and every responsible citizen should stand up against destruction of the city’s heritage,” he said.

"Where is the heritage committee? While giving its judgement on Irrum Manzil, the high court had said that all the 150-odd listed heritage buildings in the city should be protected. Was Saifabad Palace not on the list? If not, why,” he said. UNESCO’s former president VBJ Rao Chelikani said: “It is our misfortune that our heritage is not being preserved. The Saifabad Palace was intentionally allowed to dilapidate. All heritage buildings should be put to use because they don’t degrade if used properly. The revenue from tourists can be used to maintain them,” he said.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/delhi-s-monuments-reopen-see-minimal-footfall/story-aioQR1EBAeRJYyGzBu7wOL.html, July 7, 2020

Originally a mud fort built over a granite hilltop by Kakatiya rulers of Warangal in the year 1143, the fort was called 'Golla Konda', meaning a shepherd's hill. Abdul Aziz, 31, stands outside the Golconda Fort every morning out of habit. As he does that, many things weigh on his mind — the most important being how to get the next meal for his family. A private guide at the fort for two decades now, Aziz has had no work ever since a nationwide lockdown owing to the pandemic was announced in late March this year.

Friday was no different. Aziz was unaware of the Centre’s decision allowing the opening of monuments that are in the custody of the Archaeological Survey of India by July 6. The ASI’s Hyderabad circle takes care of historical monuments like the Charminar, the Warangal Fort, the Thousand Pillared Temple and Ramappa Temple in Warangal, the Alampur Temple in Gadwal district, and a couple of prehistoric excavation sites. Among these, the Golconda Fort witnesses the maximum tourist footfall.

Even as the fort is closed for visitors, several people can be seen every day taking photographs from outside its main entrance. With Bonalu, a state festival of Telangana, set to begin this week, several people arrive at the fort seeking permission to visit the hilltop temple. Denied entry, they usually offer a quick prayer from outside the gate before leaving. The history of the fort which Aziz narrates to his customers is what he has learned from his elders. “My life so far has been around this fort. I love my job as much as I am proud of my heritage,” he says. Originally a mud fort built over a granite hilltop by Kakatiya rulers of Warangal in the year 1143, the fort was called ‘Golla Konda’, meaning a shepherd’s hill. It was fortified later between the 14th and 17th centuries by the Bahmani Sultans and then the Qutub Shahi dynasty which made the fort its seat of power.

Except for the Diwan-e-Khas and Diwan-e-Aam, the multi-storied darbar halls on the hilltop, the rest of the fort was destroyed by Mughal emperor Aurangazeb after the battle for Golconda in 1867. “The fort was carved out of the granite hill between 1518 and 1580. The outer fort is 7 sq.km area and the inner fort is 3 sq.km area. There are eight doors, 52 windows, 87 cannons, and 47 bastions. Everything including the palace was destroyed by Aurangazeb after the battle that lasted 8 months and 9 days,” says Aziz. But many would not know, he says, that the Mughal emperor had left behind his favourite cannon called Fateh Rahbar, made of gold, in Golconda after its siege.

Fort to open on July 6 with curbs
The officials of ASI’s Hyderabad held several discussions Friday following instructions from the head office. One of their major concerns is whether the Golconda Fort falls under a containment zone demarcated by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. However, after the GHMC gave a go-ahead, the ASI has decided to open the monument on July 6, Monday, but with certain curbs in place.

“We have decided to restrict the number of visitors to 2,000. The ticket counter will remain closed and entry will only by online booking via the ASI website. No eatables will be allowed inside and only packaged drinking water could be allowed in the canteen inside, for which only digital payments will be accepted,” M Naveen Kumar, Conservation Assistant in-charge of Golconda told indianexpress.com. After the lockdown was eased, the cleaning and maintenance work at the fort has been going on for the last month. According to Naveen, hand sanitisers will be kept near the entrance and every visitor will have to undergo thermal screening.

They will be asked to return in four hours. “The average footfall used to be nearly 5,000. We will follow all instructions from the government. If we get any COVID-19 case in Golconda, we may have to shut down then,” he added. Welcoming the Centre’s decision, P Anuradha Reddy, co-convenor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)-Hyderabad chapter stressed that people will have to respect the guidelines and ensure physical distancing. “We have seen that the disease is spreading in congested spaces.

It is good to have our monuments open to the public. Our heritage sites provide open space for people to disperse. At the same time, the rise in the spread of disease is also because of the carelessness of the public. Unless people follow all the guidelines, it is going to be a problem,” said Reddy.

Tourist guides out of work
Aziz, born and brought up in the Resham Bagh near the fort, does not remember a time when the fort had been closed beyond a day. “I have survived several challenges in life but it has been a very tough three months without work. We are surviving on charity of local leaders and social workers, apart from the government ration,” says Aziz whose family comprises his wife and two school-going daughters. A guided tour around the fort takes two to three hours, he says, adding he would easily earn around Rs 600-800 a day.

One among the 35 private guides at the monument, he says he can converse in English, Hindi, Telugu and Urdu. Notwithstanding the decision to open the monument to the public, how long would it take for normalcy to return? Fifty-seven-year-old Mohammed Shahed, an autorickshaw driver near the fort who also works as a city tour guide, says “as long as it takes the public to forget about the virus.” While waiting for customers near the fort Friday morning, Shahed says a lot of people used to come from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and northern India. “Even among the locals, everyone loved to take their family out once in a while after days of hard work. People are still worried about the virus."

Shahed, however, is hopeful that tourists would return. He says though he doesn’t have school education, he has the knowledge and experience of a seasoned guide. “Once I take someone for a city tour, they never forget me. They would recommend me to their friends too. It is because of the service," he says. A three-day city tour with Shahed costs between Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,500. He takes his guests to the Charminar, Qutb Shahi tombs, Salar Jung Museum, Chowmahalla Palace, Nizam’s museum, NTR Gardens, Lumbini Park, Birla planetarium, and the Ramoji film city. “Whoever wishes to tour Hyderabad and learn about the history, it is meaningless if the tour does not start from Golconda Fort. Tourists would return whenever it is time,” he concludes.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/its-a-sad-day-bemoan-city-heritage-activists/articleshow/76843781.cms, July 5,2020

The emergence of the sixteen old Samadhis of the Siva Tirtha Mutt in the Old Town is drawing a lot of interest from locals, scholars and historians. The existence of these Samadhis was made by historian and heritage expert Anil Dhir, and reported to the authorities and the Archaeological Survey of India on the 16th of last month. The Samadhis, half buried under rubble and vegetation, had been long forgotten and had been encroached upon from all sides. The six buildings in front of it were slated for demolition after the No Objection Certificates had been obtained from the owners. Had the existence of the Samadhis not been reported, they would have been buried under the debris and removed with the rubble. The present demolition was done in a controlled and careful manner, ensuring that no damage was done to the Samadhis.

In fact the demolition stopped just two feet away from the structures. The timely intervention just a day before the demolition was due to the wide media coverage received after Dhir reported their existence. He had said that these groups of Samadhis are of the earlier Mahants of the Siva Tirtha Mutt which dates back to the late 11th Century CE and its origin is contemporary with that of the Lingaraj Temple.

The Mutt, which has lost a lot of its relevance, was once an important centre and had many responsibilities in the day to day affairs of the temple. Various religious functions were assigned to it, including many rituals during the annual Rukuna Rath Yatra.

According to Dhir, the set of sixteen Samadhis, set in a straight line, are a chronological record of the history of the Mutt and the Lingaraj Temple. The Samadhis of a Mutt are the most important determinant of its history, even if renovations and alterations were made in the premises, the Samadhis always remained untouched. "These Samadhis are a timeline of history, ranging from the 12th Century till the 20th Century, all of them have small Shivalings; two have been stolen a few years back", Dhir said. Dr. Biswajit Mohanty has reiterated the need for a proper Heritage Affect and Impact Assessment Report by experts before undertaking any renovation projects in ancient religious and heritage sites.

He said that wanton destruction of culturally significant structures was tantamount to criminal trespass and vandalism. Nowhere in the world would such desecration be allowed. This is worse damage than what was inflicted by the marauding iconoclastic invaders of yore. A proper team consisting of local stakeholders, religious heads, historians, archaeologists and heritage experts should be constituted and the entire development plans be cleared after proper study by them. The government should put on hold all further demolitions till such a clearance is obtained. A.B.Tripathy, State Convener of INTACH too is of the opinion that these Samadhis have a lot of historical and heritage value, they can easily be restored with proper conservation.

He said that INTACH will extend all expertise if the administration is willing. Both the Archaeological Survey of India and the State Archaeology were unaware of these sixteen ancient Samadhis. Earlier too, Dhir had raised the matter of the Buddha Ganesh Temple which was slated for demolition after removing the idol to a nearby school. After a hue and cry was raised, the authorities relented and have retained the temple as a roundabout in the proposed road.

https://orissadiary.com/siva-tirtha-samadhis-rise-from-the-ruins/, July 5, 2020

Renovation of the house of the doyen of Assamese literature Laxminath Bezbaroa at the Nelson Mandela Chowk here has been badly hit due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Earlier, it was expected to be completed by June 30. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) started renovating the house in December 2018.

Bezbaroa lived in Sambalpur for 20 years from 1917 to 1937. He had constructed two houses in the city in 1924. While the eminent Assamese writer was living in one house, he was using the other as office. Member of INTACH, Sambalpur chapter, Deepak Panda said the renovation work was going on in full swing till the lockdown was imposed. “Work has resumed and if everything goes as per plan, the work would get over by August-end,” he said. He said currently plastering of the walls is underway.

A paste prepared from lime, gum of wood apple and jaggery is being used for the purpose. After completion of the plastering and flooring work, interior work will be undertaken. Panda said the building will be converted into a library-cum-museum. Books of Bezabaroa besides the books on Bezbaroa will be kept in the library. Moreover, portraits of Bezbaroa, old photographs and artefacts of Odisha and Assam will be displayed in the house so that the people would know about Bezbaroa and his life in Sambalpur.

“We have also planned to start the renovation of the other house of Bezbaroa, where he was living, after work on this house gets over,” he added. While the Assam government has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh, the Odisha government has given Rs 55 lakh for the renovation of the two buildings.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/lockdown-delays-bezbaroa-house-renovation/articleshow/76862403.cms, July 9, 2020

Four weighing stones of different sizes and spherical in shape have been unearthed from Keeladi excavation site in Sivaganga district. The Tamil Nadu state archaeology department is currently conducting the sixth phase of excavation at the site. Deputy director of archaeology R Sivanandam said they had discovered the stones over the past one week. One stone was discovered on June 25 at a depth of 1.22 meters in one of the quadrants.

It was spherical in shape and black in colour. The base of the stone is flat, and the surface is polished. The 16.40mm tall ball with 18.80mm width weighed 8 gram. Another interesting antiquity found with this stone was an iron object. On June 24, a slightly bigger stone weighing 150 gram was also found. It was black in colour, polished and made of basalt, which is an extrusive igneous rock, formed from rapid cooling of magnesium-rich and iron-rich lava. It was 41.26mm in height and 47.11mm in width.

Another iron object was found near it. On July 3, the archaeologists found the third weighing stone at a depth of 1.45 metre, in another quadrant. It weighed 300 gram and was also made of basalt. This stone also was finely polished, black in colour and was 57.78 mm in diameter. A copper object and glass slag were antiquities found along with this stone. The smallest of this lot was a stone weighing just 18 gram.

This was found at a depth of 1.53 metre and the dimension of 20.74 mm X 23.59 mm. A furnace-like structure has also been found in one of the newly opened quadrants at Keeladi. Charcoal was found from the depth of 0.61 metre. This can be the traces of a bigger firing activity. The furnace and weighing stones are indicative that there was trading activity in Keeladi which is believed to be an industrial site, according to Sivanandam.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/keeladi-excavations-ancient-weighing-stones-unearthed/articleshow/76789114.cms, July 4, 2020

Archaeologists involved in excavation of ancient burial sites of Adichanallur have found a few more burial urns while one of them has been closed. While the sixth phase of excavation began at Adichanallur near here, known as the ‘Cradle of ancient Tamil civilization,’ on May 25, a maiden excavation at another archaeologically important site at Sivakalai near Eral was started simultaneously by the Department of Archaeology.

Though Minister for Tamil Development K. Pandiarajan had announced that excavation in the archaeological sites at Adichanallur and Sivakalai, both in Thoothukudi district, would commence on March 15, the exercise got delayed due to the lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic. While excavation is done at Sivakalai near Eral for the first time after repeated demands made by academics from various departments and Tamil scholars following recovery of articles used by ancient Tamils, the sixth phase of digging resumed at Adichanallur in May last after the exercise was carried out earlier in 1876, 1902, 1905, 2004 and 2005 during British regime and by the Archaeological Survey of India. As the sixth phase of the excavation commenced amidst a lot of expectations, a team of officials of the Department of Archaeology, led by Deputy Director Sivanandam launched the work in areas close to Sivakalai. Led by its Excavation Director M. Prabhakaran, a team of experts are doing excavation at Sivakalai while the work was being executed at Adichanallur by J. Bhaskaran, Excavation Director.

After the excavators resumed the excavation at Adichanallur and Sivakalai on May 25, more than 35 burial urns have been retrieved in these places. While some of the burial urns were found to be partially damaged, others were retrieved intact. As the excavators started moving towards the colony from the existing spot in Adichanallur, which is said to be the burial ground of the ancient population, they stumbled upon 3 more burial urns in a same pit, each measuring about 4 feet tall, near Pandiaraja Temple on Thursday. While one of the urns remains closed, the excavators believe that it would contain human skeletons, which would be sent for dating and associated analyses.

"While the top portion of the burial urn with a stand is black in colour, the lower portion is red. Small pots had been placed around these urns, which could be a custom followed by the ancient Tamils. We’ve planned to send the entire set of burial urns for analysis, which will throw more light on the ancient civilization and bring out more interesting information” the excavators said. Officials said the work that would go up to September this year, i.e., before the onset of north-east monsoon, is expected to give vital information about ancient civilization in this region.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/urn/article32034194.ece, July 10, 2020

Archaeologists involved in excavation of ancient burial sites of Adichanallur have found a few more burial urns while one of them has been closed. While the sixth phase of excavation began at Adichanallur near here, known as the ‘Cradle of ancient Tamil civilization,’ on May 25, a maiden excavation at another archaeologically important site at Sivakalai near Eral was started simultaneously by the Department of Archaeology.

Though Minister for Tamil Development K. Pandiarajan had announced that excavation in the archaeological sites at Adichanallur and Sivakalai, both in Thoothukudi district, would commence on March 15, the exercise got delayed due to the lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic. While excavation is done at Sivakalai near Eral for the first time after repeated demands made by academics from various departments and Tamil scholars following recovery of articles used by ancient Tamils, the sixth phase of digging resumed at Adichanallur in May last after the exercise was carried out earlier in 1876, 1902, 1905, 2004 and 2005 during British regime and by the Archaeological Survey of India. As the sixth phase of the excavation commenced amidst a lot of expectations, a team of officials of the Department of Archaeology, led by Deputy Director Sivanandam launched the work in areas close to Sivakalai. Led by its Excavation Director M. Prabhakaran, a team of experts are doing excavation at Sivakalai while the work was being executed at Adichanallur by J. Bhaskaran, Excavation Director.

After the excavators resumed the excavation at Adichanallur and Sivakalai on May 25, more than 35 burial urns have been retrieved in these places. While some of the burial urns were found to be partially damaged, others were retrieved intact. As the excavators started moving towards the colony from the existing spot in Adichanallur, which is said to be the burial ground of the ancient population, they stumbled upon 3 more burial urns in a same pit, each measuring about 4 feet tall, near Pandiaraja Temple on Thursday. While one of the urns remains closed, the excavators believe that it would contain human skeletons, which would be sent for dating and associated analyses.

"While the top portion of the burial urn with a stand is black in colour, the lower portion is red. Small pots had been placed around these urns, which could be a custom followed by the ancient Tamils. We’ve planned to send the entire set of burial urns for analysis, which will throw more light on the ancient civilization and bring out more interesting information” the excavators said. Officials said the work that would go up to September this year, i.e., before the onset of north-east monsoon, is expected to give vital information about ancient civilization in this region.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/urn/article32034194.ece, July 10, 2020

The building, built in Rajasthani style of architecture, was severely dilapidated when the State Government roped in INTACH four years back to restore it. The ancient Jamadei Mahal, also known as Rani Bakhri (Queen’s Palace) in Sambalpur has regained its lost glory.

Restoration and structural conservation of the monument, located near Maa Samaleswari temple, has recently been completed by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) at a cost of `1 crore. Built by fifth Chouhan king of Sambalpur Baliyar Singh for his daughter Jamadei in 1650, the three-story monument with 16 rooms had lost its sheen to neglect and encroachments.

The building, built in Rajasthani style of architecture, was severely dilapidated when the State Government roped in INTACH four years back to restore it. Prior to that, only the palace’s roof was rebuilt in 2001 with funds provided by the Centre under Project Odisha scheme. INTACH experts used traditional techniques for the restoration work without affecting the original structure.

A mixture of lime, gum of Bael (wood apple), Ritha (soap nut) and jaggery was used for plastering the monument. Motifs inside the palace have been uniformly coloured while damaged paintings were restored and pathways created. The old plaster of the historical structure was removed and fresh plastering undertaken in the entire structure, informed Director of Intach Conservation Institute, INTACH Mallika Mitra.

Before restoration work, encroachment of the monument by a saw mill was evicted with the help of local administration. “The adjacent land behind the monument was developed into an amphitheatre, stage with required illumination and landscape for future use of the premises for revenue generation purpose,” said Mitra. Amenities for visitors like toilets, drinking water supply and ticket counter have also been set up on the premises. INTACH will hand over the monument to the Tourism department later this month.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2020/jul/17/historical-rani-bakhri-restored-to-former-glory-2170975.html, July 17, 2020

Digital museum at 'Pothan Vignana Peetam' will have different screens. If a visitor presses on an icon on screen, audio and video will be played about that particular subject. Much to the delight of the literary aficionados, the process of digitisation of all the available literature, including the manuscripts of saint poet Bammera Pothana will begin soon as part of the renovation of the ‘Pothana Vignana Peetham’ in the city.

According to the official sources, District Collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu held a meeting with the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC), commissioner, and Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA) vice-chairperson Pamela Satpathy and other officials a couple of days ago and directed the GWMC commissioner to take immediate steps to call for tenders for the renovation of the Peetham and complete the works by August 15. It is said that Rs one crore were sanctioned for the project. Speaking to ‘Telanagana Today’, INTACH convenor and former professor of NIT M Panduranga Rao said that KUDA would execute the project and added that nearly Rs 60 lakh would be spent on the digitisation of the literature and the remaining Rs 40 lakh would be spent on the renovation of the building.

The digital museum will have different screens, and some of them are touch screens. If a visitor presses on an icon on the screen, audio and video will be played about that particular subject, Panduranga Rao explained.

Though the project was announced in September 2017 and the then GWMC commissioner Shruti Ojha, noted curator Birad Rajaram Yajni and Prof Panduranga Rao inspected the Peetham to take the stock of the situation, the project remained a non-starter till the date due to the reasons best known to the officials of the GWMC. Meanwhile, KUDA Project Officer (PO) E Ajit Reddy said that they were going to call for the tenders soon after visiting Peetham at the earliest. The Peetham was established in 1980 following the efforts of then External Affairs Minister PV Narasimha Rao to promote art and literature besides preserving the Pothana’s legacy.

https://telanganatoday.com/digitisation-of-poet-pothanas-literature-to-begin-soon, July 12, 2020

There is so much more to Hampi than what meets the eye

Vedha Pant

Spread across 41.5 square kilometres, the UNESCO world heritage of Hampi in Karnataka astonishes tourists with its architectural marvels. The structures here are mostly the remnants of the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire (14th-16th Cent CE),

Pinhole camera mechanism in a temple complex
Virupaksha was the patron deity of the Vijayanagara rulers. The guidebook of the Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) says that it was built in the 15th century. Repairs and some extensions were carried out in 1510 by King Krishnadevaraya. The temple is a popular spot for visitors. However, most people do not know about the pinhole camera that exists near the shrine to sage Vidyaranya (the advisor of Krishnadevaraya) through which you can see the temple spire in an inverted form.

Inbuilt cooling system in a palace
located close to the river Tungabhadra, and surrounded by hill ranges. The 1,600 or so surviving remains include ancient temples, treasury buildings, bazaars, remains of royal pavilions and platforms, aquatic structures, treasury buildings, and more.

Here are 5 things you must check out next time you are in Hampi.
The Lotus Mahal is located in the queen’s fort. It combines Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture. This palace was built for the queens to rest and relax in during hot summer months. Towards the rear of the mahal, there is a water well. Pipes extend from the well to into the wall of the palace. The water from the well was manually pumped and circulated around the palace walls to cool the building.

Musical pillars
When you visit the Vijaya Vithala temple complex, look out for a 'phalapurja' mandap which was constructed by Krishnadeva Raya, apparently for his second wife Chinna Devi, a dancer. It is said that the queen used to perform here for the king. Each pillar has the picture of an instrument engraved on it and makes the sound of that instrument when tapped on.

A secret chamber in the court
You may have visited the Royal Enclosure while in Hampi. But did you know about the secret passage with steps leading to an underground chamber? The torch holders present here were used to illuminate the dark space. It is rumoured that this is where war plans were made, prisoners were brought in for questioning, and the king spoke to spies.

The Ramayana one temple walls
The Hazara Rama Temple has scenes from Ramayana engraved on its walls. In the inner complex, if you move clockwise and take rounds of the temple (or 'pradakshina'), you will see the entire story of the epic depicted here.

https://www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/explore/story/70675/did-you-know-about-these-offbeat-places-in-hampi, July 15, 2020

This far from the touristy circuit destination in Jharkhand is known for its own version of the famous masked Chhau dance of India

Uttara Gangopadhyay

As we picked our way through the artists’ colony, it was the signs of poverty that appalled us. This was where the mask-makers lived. And along with the dancers, who donned these masks, they together preserved one of India’s cultural traditions, the Seraikela Chhau.A little over 300km from Kolkata and nearly 50km from Jamshedpur, Seraikela does not look any different from other small towns of India. But once upon a time, it was a princely state, founded in the early 17th century. Although a largely Odia-speaking state, it was merged with Bihar after India became independent and then brought under Jharkhand when the new state was formed.

But the political ramifications or its emergence as an industrial hub is not its claim to fame. Seraikela is home to a unique traditional dance form of India, the 'chhau'.

According to Odia litterateur Sitakanta Mahapatra, the word originates from ‘chhauni’ or military camps, which partly explains why the dance form has been a male dominated one. There are three distinct forms of chhau, which take their name from the region they flourished – Purulia (West Bengal), Seraikela (Jharkhand), and Mayurbhanj (Odisha). However, Purulia and Seraikela use masks during performances. In 2010, UNESCO inscribed ‘chhau’ on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The royal palace is one of the star attractions of Seraikela town. Although a large section lies in a decrepit state, the architecture speaks volumes of the glorious days. A scion of the royal family, Raja Pratap Aditya Singh Deo, along with his wife Arunima, reside in a well-maintained section of the palace. He has built a small museum inside his residence, which may be seen with special permission.

One section of the museum is devoted to family history through photographs while another section is devoted to a display of Seraikela chhau masks and other paraphernalia. While the masks used for Purulia chhau are large and elaborately designed, that of Seraikela is smaller, fitting snugly with the wearer’s face and has minimum embellishments. Different masks represent different characters, from divinities to demons to animals. There are distinct colour codes and trimmings which help the spectators to identify the characters. Making the masks is an elaborate process, which can be seen in the neighbourhood with prior arrangements. Not many artists pursue the trade now. It is the delicately painted expression on the masks that breathes life into the drama.

"The royal family of Seraikela has always been a great patron of the dance,” said Pratap Aditya as he took us around the museum. His grand-uncle Kumar Bijay Pratap Singh Deo, considered the 'Paramguru' of Seraikela chhau, contributed to many areas of the dance form, including choreography. It is said that it was he who gave the finer nuances to a dance form rooted in martial movements. Other family members too have been active patrons of the dance form. The present royal family continues to support the dance school on the premises, which was founded in 1941. The temple of the royal family’s guardian deity, Paudi Mata, is also located in the palace compound. It was from the Raja that we learned the best time to visit Seraikela is during the Chaitra Parav festival (in mid-April) when night-long dance performances are held in the royal palace. Prior to the commencement of the performances, there are many rituals to follow, which are mostly held at the Jatraghat on the banks of the Kharkai River.

The state government too organises a dance festival during this time. Outside the festival, the Kharkai river bank was a tranquil place. There were many small Shiva idols lying in the open next to a large temple. There are several other temples in and around town, including a nicely maintained Jagannath Temple. Raja Pratap Aditya Singh Deo has started a small heritage homestay in the palace, which can be the base for a quiet holiday in this little-known corner of Jharkhand. With prior arrangements and separate payment, the palace homestay can also arrange for local sightseeing, chhau recitals, culinary lessons, and other activities.

Information:
Seraikela is connected to Kolkata and Jamshedpur by road and rail. By road, it is nearly 320km from Kolkata and about 50km from Jamshedpur. It is advisable to stay in Jamshedpur and make a day visit to Seraikela. Although train travel is not recommended under the pandemic situation, you may avail the early morning Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express when things are back to normal. Get down at Sini (just after Tatanagar). From Sini, Seraikela is nearly 15km by road. Personal protective gear such as masks and gloves, sanitisers, and other necessary precautions, such as car sanitisation, maintaining distancing norms, etc. for travel during pandemic are a must.

https://www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/explore/story/70673/have-you-been-to-seraikela-in-jharkhand, July 15, 2020