Two rare idols of ‘Bhairava’ dating back to the 10th century were recovered Monday from the Baitarani riverbed near Mudhapada village in Sholampur panchayat of Bhandaripokhari block in Bhadrak district. The idols were found during construction work for a project. Notably, ‘Bhairava’, a fearsome manifestation of Lord Shiva is worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists. The breakthrough came when some workers engaged in work on the riverbed found something shining and found an idol. Later, they found another idol close by. They informed local villagers who in turn informed INTACH member and researcher Biswambhar Rout about the discovery. Rout rushed to the spot and seized the two idols. He then informed the Archeological department about the discovery. Eminent archeologist Sunil Pattnaik stated that the idols belonged to the 10th century after examining them. One of the idols is 1.5 feet in height and built of black granite stone. Three out of its four arms were found broken with the lone intact one in a blessing pose. The idol has clotted hair and is being offered a garland by a Gandharva (celestial being). Two guards with weapons stand at the bottom of the idol. The second idol is built of khondalite stone. It is the idol of ‘Bajra Bhairav’ with four arms and mounted on a headless lion. One of its arms is in a blessing pose while the remaining three are holding weapons. Later the idols were handed over to the Sholampur Museum for research with the assistance of local villagers including Gajendra Kumar Mohanty, Ramesh Jena, Bijay Sahu, Bibeknanda Mallick, and Amulya Jena.

https://www.orissapost.com/rare-10th-century-idols-found-in-bhadrak-dist/, May 1, 2023

Locals believe that spirit of Begum Wilayat Mahal, who died by suicide after allegedly swallowing crushed diamonds in her possession three decades ago still lives in the ruins, making the place a perfect for the first trip of the series of 'haunted walks'. The Delhi Tourism Department is all set to launch its much awaited ‘haunted walks’ on Saturday evenning, and the first destination is the Malcha Mahal. The Tughlaq-era hunting lodge, built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in the 14th century, is situated 1.5 km from the main road, deep inside a forest in Chanakyapuri. It is named after Malcha Marg, which houses the elite of the city, including diplomats, businessmen and authors. The Mahal was lying abandoned for centuries before it came to limelight for serving as home to a mysterious family, claiming to be descendants of the Nawab of Awadh, whose last member, ‘Prince’ Ali Raza, died in 2017.

Raza, known as Cyrus, was found dead inside the mahal on September 2, 2017, having led a life in abject penury, devoid of any material comforts that one associates even with a commoner, let alone a royalty. Locals believe that the spirit of the matriarch of the family, Begum Wilayat Mahal — who died by suicide after allegedly swallowing crushed diamonds in her possession three decades ago — still lives in the ruins, making the place a perfect for the first trip of the series of ‘haunted walks’. The Begum, along with her two children (Raza and his sister Sakina) had moved into the Mahal along with around a dozen hounds in May, 1985.

Before they moved in, the structure was known as Bistadari ruins. The Begum was allotted the Mahal after she camped in a first-class waiting room of the New Delhi Railway Station in the ’70s, demanding recognition from the government. The entire duration of their stay remained shrouded in mystery as the family did not appreciate any outside interference. In 2019, the Delhi government had received a proposal from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to restore the Mahal.

https://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/malcha-mahal-delhi-haunted-walk-8594750/, May 5, 2023

Archaeologists here have recently found rare stone tools, belonging to the neolithic age, with the findings indicating that the city's history goes back to about 6,000 years. The Neolithic age relates to the period when humans used tools and weapons made of stone and had just developed farming. It was for the first time that neolithic tools have been found in the city, said E Sivanagi Reddy, a retired government archaeology official. Reddy, a noted archaeologist and CEO of Pleach India Foundation, said he and S Haragopal of 'Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam' (an organisation working on the history of Telangana) recently visited a natural rock formation at BNR Hills in the city, locally known as 'tortoise rock', to explore if there were any prehistoric rock paintings when they stumbled upon the said discovery. He said they closely looked at a gap between two rocks and found as many neolithic stone tools. "...to our surprise, we noticed two neolithic stone tools which are known as new stone age tools. One is 12 cm in length and another is 9 cm.

The width is 2.5 cm...these two stones are very, very important archaeologically. They are dated 4,000 to 2,000 BC," he said. These stones are well polished at the bottom and each one has a butt end to hold or to fix to a wooden shaft so that it can be used as an axe, either for food collection or as a tool of self-defense, he said. These tools are made out of blue granite stone, he added. This important find shows that around 4,000 BC, these rock shelters served as temporary habitation site for people of the neolithic age whose subsistence was from agriculture, domestication of animals and hunting and gathering, Reddy said. The conclusion arrived is that people lived at BNR Hills, adjacent to the posh Jubilee Hills, about 6,000 years ago, he said. "Those people belonged to the neolithic folk. The history of Hyderabad goes (back) to 6,000 years," he stated.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/stone-tools-dating-6000-years-found-in-hyderabad/articleshow/100515765.cms?from=mdr, May 7, 2023

International Museum Day is celebrated annually on May 18th and in 2023, the event is observed today. It is a global event that aims to raise awareness about the importance of museums in society and promote their role as cultural and educational institutions. The day provides an opportunity for museums worldwide to engage with their communities and highlight the value of preserving and promoting cultural heritage. Visiting museums offers a multitude of enriching experiences. They serve as gateways to knowledge, culture, and history. Museums house fascinating collections that educate and inspire, allowing us to explore diverse subjects ranging from art and science to anthropology and technology. They provide a tangible connection to the past, fostering an understanding of our roots and heritage.

Museums also promote critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity, encouraging us to question and learn. Moreover, they offer a platform for social interaction and community engagement, bringing people together to appreciate shared interests. Ultimately, museums are invaluable cultural repositories that expand our horizons, offering immersive experiences that ignite imagination and nurture lifelong learning. On the occasion of International Museum Day 2023 here we have listed some of the most famous museums of India that must visit once in life and you will also know the history of International Museum Day: 1. Shivalik Fossil Park Museum In Sirmour 2. Indian Museum In Kolkata, West Bengal 3. National Rail Museum in Delhi 4. Shankar's International Doll Museum in Delhi 5. Human Brain Museum in Bangalore 6. National Museum in Delhi 7. Kite Museum In Paldi in Ahmedabad 8. City Palace Museum in Jaipur 9. Partition Museum in Amritsar 10. Hal Aerospace Museum in Bengaluru 11. Government Museum in Chennai 12. Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Museum Mumbai

https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/social-relevance/international-museum-day-2023-most-famous-museums-in-india-602956.html, May 10, 2023

The burial site, spread over 16 hectares in a Kutch village, is considered to be the largest pre-urban Harappan cemetery. The dry, arid soil on a 16-hectare expanse on the outskirts of Khatiya village in Gujarat’s Kutch district has thrown up several surprises — a shell bangle, pottery shards, stones blades, even human skeletal remains. Since 2018, a multi-disciplinary international team of archeologists has discovered 500 graves and excavated 197 of those here, but deep below, the site holds the key to an enduring mystery: whose graves are these?

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/kutch-harappan-graveyard-team-works-to-unlock-a-mystery-life-and-times-of-those-buried-8623304/, May 15, 2023

A team of archaeology experts claimed to they have found an ancient rock sculpture of an elephant in Kanas block of Puri, which is very similar to the ones found at Dhauligiri in Bhubaneswar. The discovery was made by a team of experts from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), which has come across the ancient elephant sculpture during their exploration of monuments at the Daya river valley. The team said the exact spot where the discovery was made was at the far end of Gada Balabhadrapur village near Nirakapur, about 5 km from the Mandakini river bridge on the New Jagannath Sadak.

"The sculpture is nestled in the flood plains of the Daya and Mandakini rivers. The sculpted elephant is very similar to the rock cut elephant found at Dhaulagiri, which has been dated by historians to the 3rd century BC, " said Anil Dhir of INTACH. He said the surroundings where the elephant sculpture has been found is rich in Buddhist antiquities. "The elephant sculpture is much similar to the other three monolithic elephants found across Odisha, all of which have been studied and acknowledged to be from early times, " he added. Experts say the most notable among these rock elephants is seen at Kaima in Jajpur.

The stone pillar near the elephant at Kaima is also replicated at the Gada Balabhadrapur site. There are other similar pillars which lie underground, as reported by the local villagers. INTACH has requested the government to make a proper study of these artefacts and take measures for their conservation. "A proper archaeological survey of the area should be undertaken, as there are many buried artefacts in the flood plain, " said A B Tripathy, the state convener of INTACH.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/ancient-rock-sculpture-of-elephant-found-in-puri-dist/articleshow/100288820.cms?from=mdr, May 20, 2023

The undulating forest of Devgadh Baria, famed for sloth bears, is also a treasure trove of knowledge on the culture thriving during the Middle-Stone age (9,000 BCE to 4,300 BCE). A forest department team trekking deep inside the forest stumbled upon rock paintings dating back at least 5,000 years, inside a cave. Interestingly, these invaluable archaeological pieces are being guarded by none other than a sloth bear that resides inside. Forest officials have ascertained the bear's presence with its scat. The discovery suggests that the area was inhabited by humans in the Mesolithic age and many of the paintings are intact, archaeologists said. The paintings on the granite rocks of a cave have been made in a way that they are unscathed by rain, wind and sunlight. The paintings include those intact ones on the cave's rock, and some others on other rocks of the hill that have been partly erased over the years. These exist on the Vyavhariya Dungar, a hill situated between Devgadh Baria and Sagtala.

Assistant conservator of forest Prashant Tomar, who photographed the paintings, said that the mountain was in a reserve forest area. "The paintings have remained intact or just partially erased as the cave is located in a protected forest area and the presence of a sloth bear, " he said. Former MS University professor and an expert on rock paintings, V H Sonawane, said, "From the photographs, it looks like the figures drawn on the rock on the hill were of different times. A bull and humans drawn are potentially from the Mesolithic era." Former MS University professor and an expert on rock paintings, V H Sonawane, who discovered the first rock paintings of Gujarat at Tarsang in the Panchmahal district in 1971, said another painting with horses on it is more recent and could be from the 13th or 14th century. He pointed out that even in Tarsang rock paintings from the Mesolithic era and more recent times were found in the same area.

Sonawane said that such paintings are rare. Apart from Tarsang, other locations where such paintings exist in the state include Chhota Udepur district, Amirgadh in Banaskantha, Idar in Sabarkantha, Thangadh in Surendrangar and Chamardi in Bhavnagar district. On the paintings in Baria, Sonawane said these were made on granite rocks with red hematite, a ferrous oxide compound found in rocks and soil. "These should be protected and kept safe. They are an indication that humans lived here in the Mesolithic age. More studies can lead us to other shreds of evidence of human settlement there, " he said. The discovery has kindled hopes that more such paintings and evidence lie hidden inside this forest and provide more information on human habitation here. Conservator of forests, Vadodara range, Anshuman Sharma, who was first to tweet these pictures said, "Locals told us there are more such boulders with paintings in the forest. We will request the government to get these caves examined by the archaeology department. These paintings are peculiar with animals and some are those of horns."

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/5000-year-old-civilization-set-in-stone/articleshow/100314900.cms?from=mdr, May 21, 2023

To celebrate World Turtle Day, INTACH A and N Chapter took 40 students of the Industrial Training Institute to Wandoor Interpretation Center. There they witnessed life size models of the saltwater crocodile, the Leatherback and Hawksbill turtle and the Dugong, the State Animal of the islands. Mr. Mohammed Hussain gave a lovely lecture to the students about marine turtles and their role in the environment. It was fascinating to know a giant leatherback can weigh up to 100 kilos.

The students were also shown a film on the marine world. The chapter has expressed gratitude to the Principal Mr. Venketesh and his staff who came along. And the chapter also is grateful to Mr. Birendra Choudhary, CF, and Mr. Erul Rajan, RFO, Wandoor, Forest Department. The tour was conducted by INTACH volunteers Ebi Mathew and Sibi Mathew along with Samhita Veda Acharya, Convenor, INTACH.

http://www.andamansheekha.com/115676/, May 23, 2023

INTACH Andaman and Nicobar Chapter celebrated the World Day for Cultural Diversity at Chinmaya Mission with support from Venkat and Group. Several artists from the islands presented their talent on stage. Mr. Sujit Bala presented a melodious rendition on flute. Kumari V. P. Bhuvanes Pavai performed a mesmerizing Shiva Tandav which gave goose bumps to all.

Kumari. D. Ambili Kumari performed on a foot tapping Sambalpuri Tribal dance from Odisha. Little Miss Manisha performed an innocent little Ganesh Vandana on through Bharatnatyam. And the most mesmerizing item of the evening was an on stage art done by Mr. Dilleswar Rao. The event was attended by INTACH patron and life member Mr. Rajesh Anand, Mrs. Komal Anand, renowned Social Worker, Swamiji, Chinmaya Mission, Convenor INTACH A and N Chapter, Samhita Veda Acharya and INTACH volunteers Ebi Mathew and Sibi Mathew , Vijay Bahadur of Dance Nritya Academy and Mr. Venkat who supported the event. The Master of Ceremony for the evening was Mr. Rizwan of MJ Music Academy.

http://www.andamansheekha.com/115720/, May 23, 2023

The Eastern India Philatelic Association along with INTACH , Odisha Chapter, today released a postal cover at the Kotia Branch Post Office today. The Cover, bearing the Slogan that “Kotia Belongs to Odisha” was stamped and cancelled at the Branch Post Office of Kotia which falls under the Pottangi Sub Post Office both of which are under the Koraput Postal Division of the Odisha Postal Circle. The Cover was released Anil Dhir and Dr. Biswajit Mohanty, philatelists in the presence of the former State Election Commissioner Sanjib Hota, who has also been the Collector of undivided Koraput earlier.

Other officials of the Government of Odisha too were present on the occasion. Speaking to the Press, Sanjib Hota said that Kotia has been and will remain as an integral part of Odisha and the territorial dispute should be solved as soon as possible. He said that while all administrative and revenue offices of Odisha have been in place at Kotia since the formation of the State, the presence of the Post Office, which has been functioning foe decades is another proof of Odisha’s claim. Biswajit Mohanty said that Andhra Pradesh and ulterior motives for claiming the region as there are rich bauxite deposits in all the hills of the Kotia Panchayat.

He said that the government of Odisha, has in the recent years, developed infrastructure to a great extent in the Panchayat. According to Mohanty, Kotia today is among the best and well maintained Panchayats of the State. Anil Dhir said that the effort of releasing the cover in this remote Post Office was to support Odisha’s claim. He said that nearly 300 covers were posted to stakeholders and persons who are involved in the dispute. Individual covers were dispatched to the Chief Ministers of both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and the Prime Minister and President.

Covers were also sent to the lawyers who are fighting the case in the Supreme Court. Each and every MP and MLA of both the states have been mailed the covers from the Post office at Kotiya, with the cancellation and postmark of the Kotiya Branch Post office with the Pin Code. Dhir said that the sheer natural beauty of the Kotia region makes it one of the most beautiful and pristine destination of the State. While hordes of tourists come to the place from Andhra Pradesh, it has still not become a popular place for Odias. There is excellent infrastructure in the region by way of Eco- tourism and the Govt. of Odisha is developing the Deomali region by constructing cottages. The Kotiya Post Office offers all postal services like delivery of mails and parcels, money transfer, banking, insurance and retail services. Interestingly, there are three other Post Offices in the country one each in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, which are named Kotia, hence the Odisha Branch Office is spelled as Kotiya with the assigned Pin Code being 764039. The team went to the different villages of Ganjaipadar, Katraguda, Nandaparti, Neredivalasa, Soliamari, Tadivalsa, Talasembi and Uppersembi. They interacted with the villagers and returned via the Heritage Road from Neredivalasa to Pottangi.

https://orissadiary.com/intach-odisha-chapter-today-released-a-postal-cover-at-the-kotia-branch-post-office-today/, May 25, 2023

New excavations have found pottery shards dating to around 1200 BC to 600 BC, the remains of a 2,500 year-old ring well from the Mauryan era, and a four-room complex probably built 2,300 years ago. A fresh round of excavations at the site of Delhi’s Purana Qila or Old Fort has uncovered evidence of the continuous history of the city since the pre-Mauryan era. The findings include shards of Painted Gray Ware pottery which are usually dated to around 1200 BC to 600 BC. Sources said that the site could host one of the accompanying events during the G-20 leadership summit in September. The Purana Qila, built by Sher Shah Suri and Mughal emperor Humayun, is believed by many to be the site of Indraprastha, as mentioned in the Mahabharat. The new excavations have also found remains of a 900-year-old Vaikuntha Vishnu from the Rajput period, a terracotta plaque of Goddess Gaja Lakshmi from the Gupta period, the structural remains of a 2,500-year-old terracotta ring well from the Mauryan period, and a well-defined four-room complex from the Sunga-Kushan period dating back to 2,300 years ago, besides beads, seals, copper coins and a bone needle. Trade centre “More than 136 coins and 35 seals and sealings have been discovered from a small excavated area, indicating the site’s pivotal role as a centre for trade activities,” Culture Minister G. Kishen Reddy, who visited the excavation site on Tuesday, said. This was the third round of excavations at the site, beginning from January. Earlier excavations had been carried out in 2013-14 and 2017-18. Former Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) director general B.B. Lal had earlier carried out excavation work inside the fort itself and its premises in 1954 and 1969-73. These efforts have revealed nine cultural levels, representing different historical periods, including pre-Mauryan, Mauryan, Sunga, Kushana, Gupta, post-Gupta, Rajput, Sultanate, and Mughal. Uncovering chronology “The ongoing excavation, initiated in January 2023, aims to establish a complete chronology of the site. Currently, structures from the early Kushana level have been exposed, with a depth of 5.50 metres reached thus far. This excavation is expected to provide further insights into the ancient city of Indraprastha,” said ASI director Vasant Swarnkar, who is leading the current excavation. While the excavation reports of earlier seasons have already been submitted, they still await publishing by the ASI director general. The findings of the current excavation will be compiled and submitted this year, Dr. Swarnkar added. Open air museum The Culture Minister said that the Purana Qila would soon be reopened and the excavated remains preserved, conserved, and provided with a shed. “The site will be showcased as an open air site museum, allowing visitors to experience the rich historical legacy of Delhi,” Mr. Reddy said. The excavated remains will also be displayed to the delegates of the G-20 summit, including heads of States, scheduled to be held in Delhi this September, he said.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/purana-qila-excavations-reveal-pre-mauryan-era-settlement/article66912593.ece, May 26, 2023

Scientists concluded that people lived at BNR Hills, adjacent to the posh Jubilee Hills, about 6,000 years ago. Archaeologists in Hyderabad have recently found rare stone tools, belonging to the neolithic age, with the findings indicating that the city's history goes back to about 6,000 years. The Neolithic age relates to the period when humans used tools and weapons made of stone and had just developed farming. It was for the first time that neolithic tools have been found in the city, said E Sivanagi Reddy, a retired government archaeology official. Reddy, a noted archaeologist and CEO of Pleach India Foundation, said he and S Haragopal of 'Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam' (an organisation working on the history of Telangana) recently visited a natural rock formation at BNR Hills in the city, locally known as 'tortoise rock', to explore if there were any prehistoric rock paintings when they stumbled upon the said discovery. He said they closely looked at a gap between two rocks and found as many neolithic stone tools. "...to our surprise, we noticed two neolithic stone tools which are known as new stone age tools. One is 12 cm in length and another is 9 cm. The width is 2.5 cm...these two stones are very, very important archaeologically. They are dated 4,000 to 2,000 BC," he said. These stones are well polished at the bottom and each one has a butt end to hold or to fix to a wooden shaft so that it can be used as an axe, either for food collection or as a tool of self-defense, he said. These tools are made out of blue granite stone, he added. This important find shows that around 4,000 BC, these rock shelters served as temporary habitation site for people of the neolithic age whose subsistence was from agriculture, domestication of animals and hunting and gathering, Reddy said. The conclusion arrived is that people lived at BNR Hills, adjacent to the posh Jubilee Hills, about 6,000 years ago, he said. "Those people belonged to the neolithic folk. The history of Hyderabad goes (back) to 6,000 years," he stated.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/archaeologists-find-neolithic-stone-tools-in-hyderabad/article66891919.ece, May 30, 2023