The plan for the parking under construction at Subhash Maidan near Red Fort - which partly caved in on Saturday - was not sent to Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) for clearance, according to chairman DUAC, K T Ravindran. According to DUAC, since the parking lies within a heritage precinct, such clearance from the commission is mandatory. In fact there should be no underground digging in the area. ''Such digging should not be allowed till the sub-surface archaeology has been investigated,'' said Ravindran. According to sources, traffic police and ASI had also objected to the construction of this three-level underground parking facility. ASI had expressed reservations as the parking facility was being constructed near the world heritage site - Red Fort as well as the Sunehari Masjid. Work of constructing the parking lot at Subhash Maidan started last year after ASI refused to give clearance for construction of a parking facility at Shaheed Park on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. The reason for ASI's denial of clearance was that this parking lot would have fallen within the prohibited area of two centrally protected monuments - Khooni Darwaza and Ferozshah Kotla ruins. The Subhash Maidan parking lot which is being constructed at a cost of Rs 52 crore will accommodate 800 cars and is now expected to be ready by May 2011. Said an MCD official: ''The parking lot is supposed be a solution to the parking mess in Chandni Chowk. The work would have been completed much earlier but the incessant rains led to slowing down of work.'' The ground was supposed to have been restored by now, according to earlier deadlines given by MCD. In a similar incident, a wall collapse near an under-construction MCD parking site in Munirka was reported in August. Indiscriminate dumping of loose earth from the parking lot had led to collapse of a boundary wall around DDA flats. Five cars and three scooters were damaged. According to MCD officials, the weight of the loose earth being dumped in the rock garden next to the parking lot had led to the wall collapse. Meanwhile, despite years of planning, MCD has not been able to complete work of constructing even one multi-level parking site in the city. The Kamla Nagar automated multi-level parking site, which was inaugurated by the LG about three years back, is not likely to be completed any time soon.

- The Times of India, November 1, 2010

There's something magical about a monastery. Spinning the prayer wheels, we enter the Lingdum or Ranka Monastery near Gangtok. While the lamas are in the midst of their evening chants, some of the younger boys are practising their ritualistic dances in the courtyard. As they swirl around, their movements synchronise with the sonorous music from the monastery. Watching them perform, I recall some of my earlier trips to Sikkim when I visited a couple of monasteries. Steeped in myriad myths, they had a mystical aura about them. Our first stop is at Enchey Monastery, built atop a ridge near Gangtok. We are admiring the views of the city, when we hear this story from our guide. The 19th Century Gompa was home to a flying saint who had built his hermitage here. Lama Drutob Karpo, a tantric who could levitate, is believed to have flown in here from South Sikkim and blessed this site. Even today, people from Gangtok believe that the Gompa (known as the Solitary Temple) contains and preserves the spirits of protective deities that take care of them. A little further from Gangtok is the older Rumtek Monastery, one of the largest in Sikkim. We are awed, not by just the sheer size of the monastery, but also by the heavy security. The silence, however, is all-pervading, as we walk around the Dharma Chakra complex, the Institute of Buddhist Studies and the Golden Stupa. Our guide explains that the monastery was the seat of the Karmapas, who belonged to Karma Kagyu, one of the schools of Buddhism. Rebuilt by the 16th Karmapa in the 1960s, who took refuge here after his exile from Tibet, it was founded in the 16th Century. Even today, precious relics along with the remains of the Karmapa are preserved in the Golden Stupa. The Karmapas are also called the Black Hat Lamas, on account of the Black Crown that symbolises their power. Legend has it that the first Karmapa was visited by several dakinis or the Buddhist versions of fairies, and each of them gave him a strand of their hair as a gift. These strands were later woven together into a black hat, and the hat handed down by one Karmapa to another. My guide explains that the black hat is at Rumtek Monastery, and has to be either worn by the Karmapa or tucked safely in a box, for they believe that otherwise, it will fly away. The monastery was mired in controversy and sectarian violence over the selection of the 17th Karmapa, which led to heavy security. As the guide finishes the narration, I look around at the peaceful monastery set amidst the mountains, and find it ironic that it has to be protected by men with guns!

- The Hindu, November 1, 2010

The Boranakanive reservoir constructed near Hoysalakatte village in Chikkanayakanahalli taluk of Tumkur district turns 122.

This reservoir was built much before the Vani Vilas Sagar was constructed in Hiriyur taluk. The reservoir was constructed so as to save the water that filled up over 375 tanks in Tiptur and Chikkanayakanahli taluks that were going awaste. The then Dewan of Mysore K Seshadri Iyer visited Tumkur and people of the region requested him to construct a reservoir. The Dewan agreed and handed over the responsibility of construction to Chief Engineer Colonel McNeil Campbell and his Assistant Engineer. When the then Mysore King Chamarajendra Wodeyar came to the spot for a personal inspection, he came across a shepherd called Bora there. He too appealed to the King to build a reservoir at the spot. This is why the reservoir gets its name of Boranakanive. In front of the reservoir is a temple of Bhairaveshwara and the region is called Bhairava Kanive, but it slowly came to be known as Boranakanive. It is said that Rs 2.8 lakh was spent on the construction of the reservoir, and work on the completion of the project took four years. One wall of the reservoir connects two hills. The construction that began in 1888 ended in 1892. Till date, the reservoir's walls have not seen a single crack. It was after 1892 that water was supplied to the fields nearby. The reservoir reached its maximum storage level once every two-three years. The region saw a lot of agricultural activities thanks to the reservoir. Coconut and areca plantations started raising their heads. Hundreds of villages in and around Hoysalakatte, Muttugadahalli, Ambapura, Dabbagunte got employment after the dam, thanks to agricultural activities. A plan to supply drinking water from the reservoir to five villages including Huliyar was chalked out some years back, but, today, drinking water is being supplied only to Huliyar village. In the last 35 years, the reservoir has been full a couple of times (1977 and 2000). The water levels have dropped because many check dams, and other small water bodies have been constructed in the vicinity.

- Deccan Herald, November 2, 2010

The Built by the Kakatiya kings of Warangal, the Gulbarga fort was rebuilt by Alauddin Bahmani, when he set up the new empire. There are other remains of his empire, including the Jami Masjid, the dargah of the revered Sufi saint Khwaja Bande Nawaz Gesudiraz and several tombs, discovers Meera Iyer

Gulbarga is another one of those places in Karnataka that has much to boast about but which, inexplicably, remains relatively unknown. The town is home to a spectacular medieval fort, an immense mosque and an unusual set of tombs. And interestingly, each has unique features that are seen nowhere else in India. Gulbarga's history is closely tied to the fortunes of the Bahmani dynasty. Just ten years after Muhammad bin Tughluq made his famously disastrous move from Delhi to Daulatabad and back, a group of officials in his Deccan provinces broke away and established a new, independent state. And so, in 1347, was born the Bahmani empire, with its first capital at Gulbarga. As my friend and I clattered through this town in a beat-up taxi, we asked our driver, a Patel, about getting to the fort. "Why do you want to go there?" he asked, perplexed by our interest in a "dirty old ruin that has nothing in it."

A fort in ruins

Sadly, Patel was right, for the fort is indeed ruined in places. But the dark stone walls looming over us still had an impressive air of impregnability. Originally built by the Kakatiya kings of Warangal, the fort was rebuilt by Alauddin Bahmani when he established the new empire. Almost everything inside the fort is also in ruins save for a few buildings. One such is the Bala Hissar, a grim, formidable structure with six circular towers and walls rising to a height of 19m. The rectangular building has no windows, and at first glance, seemed to have no way in either. The entrance is actually tucked away high up on the northern wall, approached by a very long flight of stone steps The interiors are also said to be elevated well above ground level. On the roof are three large gun platforms, each 10m in diameter, with 2m thick recoil walls. One platform still has a 25-foot cannon, one of 26 guns that dot the fort's towers.

India's only donjon

Scholars refer to such a heavily defended, inner stronghold as a donjon or a keep: a self-sufficient structure that defenders could retreat to as a last resort during a battle. Gulbarga's Bala Hissar is India's only known donjon. The donjon is perhaps a reflection of the Bahmani dynasty's incessant conflicts. Born of conflict, the dynasty endured constant intrigues, bitter internecine rivalries and battles with neighbouring kingdoms, including the powerful Vijayanagar empire. Yet, it was also a period when trade as well as culture, literature and spirituality all flowered. The kingdom attracted people from around the world, especially central Asia and Iran. They came in their hundreds to pursue the Great Bahmani Dream, so to speak. One example of the contributions of these settlers is another of Gulbarga's unique monuments, just opposite the Bala Hissar – the Jami Masjid, also known as the Great Mosque. According to an inscription, it was built in 1367 by a certain Rafi who hailed from Qazvin in Iran. It is the only mosque in India that is completely covered and has no courtyard. The Jami Masjid is also one of India's larger mosques, able to accommodate an astonishing 5000 worshippers. The northern, southern and eastern sides of the mosque are all open arcades. Along the western wall is the mihrab, which has a large dome over it. But in the building's centre, where one would expect a courtyard for the faithful to assemble in, the Jami Masjid instead has still more arcades and domes. In fact, the mosque has a total of 250 arches supported on 140 pillars. I visited the mosque in the late afternoon, when the angled sunlight flowing in through the open arcades bathed the interiors in a gentle, warm glow. The muted sounds of two children playing outside the mosque accentuated the silence within. Arches stretched out in front of me in every direction, each providing a fascinating interplay of light and shadow. Despite its massive proportions, the Jami Masjid was dignity and quiet elegance personified. The Jami Masjid's covered courtyard plan was never repeated by the Bahmanis nor by any other rulers in India.

Tombs that speak of a rich past

East of Gulbarga fort is one of the funerary complexes of the Bahmani kings, the Haft Gumbad, also known as Sath Gumbaz and Haft Gumbaz, meaning Seven Domes. The tombs here chronicle the beginnings of the Bahmani architectural style. Take the oldest tomb here, that of Mujahid Shah, the third Bahmani sultan. It is a squat-looking square structure, with sloping walls topped with battlements like in a fort. Devoid of any decorative elements, it has the typical Spartan look and feel of a Tughluq tomb. But then comes a style not seen anywhere else in the country. Mujahid's successor, Dawud Shah, lies buried in a double tomb: two very similar, domed structures sit on a single basement, creating, in effect a double tomb. The last tomb in the complex is that of the eighth sultan, Taj-ud-din Firoz, who died in 1422. Firoz also lies in a double-domed tomb. But in contrast to the plain and severe older tombs, Firoz's tomb is richly decorated. Both the interior and exterior are full of decorative elements, some of them clearly a mix of local Hindu elements with Islamic elements. The tomb has an upper tier of arched windows, each decorated with differently-patterned jalis. A second tier of arches decorates the lower half of the tomb's walls, some of them with doors leading into the tomb. Many are topped with eaves held up with brackets resembling those found in temples. Many features in Firoz's tomb became typical of the Bahmani style of architecture. But Gulbarga's double-tomb concept is not seen anywhere else in India.

In memory of a Sufi saint

Our last stop was to the dargah of the revered Sufi saint, Khwaja Bande Nawaz Gesudiraz, who came here in 1401 and died in 1422. Like Firoz's tomb, the saint's mausoleum is also a lofty building with two tiers of arches that make it seem like a two-storeyed building. Several other tombs are found in the vast complex, which attracts visitors from all over India. It was close to 8pm when we visited, almost closing time, and still people from all walks of life streamed in ceaselessly. Yet, the atmosphere was one of absolute serenity. Some women lit incense sticks, others lit lamps. Some men murmured prayers, others bowed their heads silently. It was impossible not to feel moved by the faith and piety of all those around me. Last week, Gulbarga celebrated the 606th Urs-e-Shareef of this messenger of universal brotherhood.

- Deccan Herald, November 2, 2010

Delhi will be sporting a bit of Barcelona, Paris and Helsinki soon, as the Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) new initiative to rope in experts from international cities in urban planning for redevelopment of the capital is set to start with the MoU with Barcelona, Spain. The Spanish city known in the planning circles for its expertise in conservation of built heritage as well as public urban spaces will form the template for redevelopment in Delhi as well, say DDA officials. It's not just Barcelona that will be lending a helping hand. Officials say that talks are on with Paris for its expertise in local area planning, and Helsinki for environmental planning, to come forth and share their experiences and resources. Said B D Risbud, a senior consultant with DDA, "The idea is to use the expertise from across various cities for inner city development. The expertise need not only come from international cities... we plan to also tap into the resources of neighbouring cities like Mumbai, which has expertise in squatter aggregation for instance.'' Denying that the sharing would only be one-way, DDA officials say the participating city in the MoU would also be using resources and expertise of the DDA. Added the official, "Like we will use the vision of the development of Barcelona for Delhi, they too, will use our experiences in urban planning.'' While no specific projects have been pencilled in yet for the initiative, DDA officials say that Barcelona's expertise in using public urban spaces effectively will be the template for redevelopment of commercial hubs like Nehru Place, scheduled for next year. Said the DDA official, "The initial object is to arrange feasible, mutual exchange of experts for studies, conferences, seminars, training and visits. We will also coordinate the dissemination of research data and innovations undertaken by other organisations.'' Said the official, "Barcelona has been in the forefront of the urban rejuvenation and redevelopment. The transformation of the city's Eixample district, a garden city consisting of 520 street blocks, has been the biggest examples of conservation to built heritage coupled with redevelopment of public urban infrastructure.'' According to officials, the modern transformation of Barcelona began with preparations for the 1992 Olympics. Faced with urban decay in both inner and peripheral districts, planners had to take a holistic approach. The Olympic Village, developed on abandoned industrial land close to the coast, was the backbone of the rejuvenation, with construction of six artificial beaches on either side of the Olympic Port. The inner city districts were also spruced up, even as the marginal (read criminal) elements on the periphery of the districts were cleared out. Post Olympics, the city was developed further, with the coming up of a high technology zone, a new container port and logistics park etc, all constructed on coastal brownfield and reclaimed land. The MoU with Barcelona will be concentrating on redevelopment of the Walled City and its extensions with emphasis on government-owned properties as well as promotion of privately owned ones. A conservation policy that looks at adopting conservative surgery as a planning tool is also on the cards. Integration of historical monuments and precincts in the layout plans of the areas will be a priority as well. Guidelines for development, redevelopment, addition and alterations, repairs, renovations and reuse of heritage buildings form a part of the MoU. Design for upgradation and redevelopment of selected public squares and public urban infrastructure in Delhi may, perhaps be the most important part of the MoU, admit DDA officials.

- The Times of India, November 3, 2010

The Government has decided to declare the natural course of the Ganga in 135-km stretch from Gaumukh to Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand as "eco-sensitive" zone, which would be the first of its kind on a major river. "This means that part of the river cannot be disturbed for any projects," pointed out Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday at a book release function. A monitoring committee will be set up to give clearance to permissible projects in the area. Already, the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGBRA) chaired by the Prime Minister, has ratified its decision to scrap three big hydel power projects —Loharinag Pala, Bhairon Ghati, Pala Maneri on the upper Ganga canal in Uttarakhand. Earlier, for the projects falling under NGRBA only the capital cost was borne by the Central Government while the operation and management expenses were borne by the State Government. But henceforth it has been decided that the Centre along with State will share the cost of operation and management on 70:30 basis for a period of three years, informed the Minister.

- The Pioneer, November 3, 2010

Expressing concern over the presence of a parking lot on the riverbed, non-government organisation Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan has written to Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna seeking restoration of the river land and removal of the structure put up by the Delhi Transport Corporation. During the Commonwealth Games the DTC was permitted to set up a temporary bus shelter for vehicles to be used to ferry the athletes and Games staff. However, the shelter continues to remain on the riverbed, much to the disappointment of environmentalists and water conservation activists. YJA convenor Manoj Misra has now written to the L-G to issue "appropriate directions" to the Delhi Development Authority for urgent action against the DTC so that the riverbed can be rid of encroachments. In his letter, Mr. Misra has written: "….despite it being more than a fortnight since the CWG 2010 concluded in the city, the DTC seems to be making no efforts to remove their structures erected on the riverbed along Ring Road opposite the Indraprastha Park, while your honour had given them only a week's time after the conclusion of the games." Pointing out that the shelter is in violation of the terms and conditions set by the L-G himself, the YGA functionary said the shelter was in temporary possession of the DTC to park 300 of their buses meant for the ready use by the athletes and officials residing at the nearby Games Village. 'Illegal occupation' "Your (L-G's) conditions as under were very clear and specific and we fail to understand as to where from is the DTC getting a mandate to continue their increasingly becoming unauthorised and even illegal occupation of the said land," the letter states. As per an earlier order, no permanent construction will be allowed at the site (riverbed), soft parking will be developed only by compressing the earth or by providing perforated paver blocks, land will remain with the DDA and will be licensed to the Delhi Government and DTC for temporary stabling of buses till one week after the Games are over. The temporary infrastructure was to be dismantled soon after the Games got over. A team of officials from the Delhi Urban Arts Commission will inspect the riverbed on Wednesday to examine the encroachments that the YJA has alleged have come up on the critical zone. The YJA had earlier drawn attention towards a residential complex being built by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which is being constructed without the mandatory clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and of the DUAC.

- The Hindu, November 3, 2010

The Amber's heritage havelis (mansions) forcefully seized by the state government on Wednesday have remained in controversy ever since they were reportedly bought by former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi four years back. The heritage havelis, which were allegedly bought at a dirt cheap price, were purportedly acquired to turn them into high-end luxury hotels. As Modi wielded considerable clout under former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, the Congress consistently mentioned the sale of heritage havelis among the alleged corruptions committed by the previous government. The issue was repeatedly raised in the state assembly by Congress and taken up before the courts by individuals with suspected political leanings. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot finally ordered a probe into the matter when it was once again raised in the assembly by his party legislator Ram Narayan Meena in the last budget session. The probe under the then Jaipur divisional commissioner Kiran Soni Gupta concluded that the two havelisBairathon ki Haveli and Chhabron ki Haveliwere government properties and were given the heritage status under a 1974 gazette notification. The divisional commissioner's report stated that the purchase deal was made through one Amber Heritage City Construction Pvt Ltd, which later changed its name to Ananda Heritage Hotels, and had Modi and his wife Minal on its board. Ever since the committee under the divisional commissioner recorded the findings on April 9, 2010, the Gehlot government had been mulling action in the matter. In April this year, a city-based NGO, Nagrik Morcha, too moved a petition before the district and sessions court at Jaipur, alleging that the couple fraudulently purchased the heritage havelis. It was alleged that the havelis were part of the area notified as "protected" by the state government in 1966, but Modi and his wife Minal managed to purchase them illegally through the company Amber Heritage City Construction Pvt Ltd, of which both became directors soon after the purchase. Meanwhile, the commissioner's report mentioned that one Vikas Bhattacharya sold part of the "Chhabron ki Haveli" to the Amber Heritage City Construction Pvt Ltd even though he was not the owner of the property. Bhattacharya was a travel guide and had encroached upon the property some five decades back, the report said. Bhattacharya reportedly failed to furnish the ownership documents before the inquiry committee. Further, contrary to the Land Registration Act, the local revenue officer did not crosscheck the havelis' ownerships before registering them in the name of the Amber Heritage City Construction Pvt Ltd.

- The Times of India, November 4, 2010

For readers and book-lovers, Akhilesh Jha's Katasraj: Ek Bhooli Bisri Dastaan provides not only a historical account of the place situated in western Pakistan, but also a panoramic view of the Hindu temple complex dedicated to Lord Shiva. Only after going through a few pages of the book, one gets the feeling that it is a successful attempt by the author to highlight a forgotten history of the subcontinent. It also aims to bring about cultural harmony between the people of India and Pakistan. Through this book, the author inadvertently demystifies the ancient secrets of the Katasraj temple complex, which may converse a new-fangled inspiration among the present generation. For him, it may also become a monument of friendship between India and Pakistan. After all, the two countries after engaging in four battles — the last one being fought at Kargil — stand at a crossroads. Since 26/11, the bitterness has only reached a new height. Under these circumstances, these reflections on ancient history may prove to be fruitful in easing the tension. The book treasures the traces of Indian culture scattered across the subcontinent, including Pakistan's western frontier where Taliban have retrenched themselves beyond comprehension. Many people today know about Takshashila University, but very few must be aware of the grand temple complex of Katasraj, situated about 200 km from the ancient university site. Once these temples had been the centre of Indian education, culture and art. Gypsies, who practised music and dance here, are today scattered across the world. Following the Muslim attacks since the seventh century, this cultural centre was destroyed, but Gypsies expanded their branches — one of them reached Europe through Afghanistan, the other entered northern Africa, and the third section settled in Rajasthan, Kashmir, Punjab and other part of India. The Katasraj temple complex is believed to have some links with the Pandavas. Legend has it that the dialogue between Yudhisthir and Yaksh took place beside a pond situated in the complex. Its oldest monument is the Satghara series of temples, which according to several legends was built during the Mahabharat time. Today, these temples have turned into ruins. After Partition, the number of devotees visiting these temples reduced drastically and the state of these temples deteriorated over the years. Later, the Punjab province of Pakistan chalked out a scheme for the restoration of the temple complex, for which the Indian Government had also contributed. When the author got the opportunity to go to Pakistan, he could not curb his desire to visit the Katasraj temple complex. There he met several Pakistani archaeologist; the most enthralling encounter, however, was with a young engineer, Aamir Shehzad, who conveyed his displeasure over Pakistani ignorance about Hindu religious details. He claimed that the archaeologists there didn't possess adequate knowledge about Hinduism. In the process, several models of ancient architecture got destroyed, he lamented. Through this book, the author, with 16 tomes under his belt, wants people to not only know about Katasraj, but also spread the awareness about preserving the ancient Indian heritage. Jha believes, quite rightly, that any such effort can help India and Pakistan rediscover their historical unity, besides mitigating their existing politico-religious bitterness.

- The Pioneer, November 5, 2010

More than two centuries after his death, Tipu Sultan's possessions continue to lure art lovers and historians. Rare paintings depicting the battle of Pollilur, and a finial of his throne, recently rediscovered, were in the spotlight even as they went under the hammer at Sotheby's and Bonhams, London, last month. "What man is, only his history tells," German historian and sociologist Wilhelm Dilthey has rightly said. The interest in Tipu Sultan's memorabilia and objects at the two auctions in early October speaks volumes about how this powerful 18th century ruler of Mysore is remembered. More than two centuries after he died defending his capital, Seringapatam, from the British, the Sultan continues to entice the world and how. In Sotheby's biannual Arts of the Islamic World Sale on October 6, a set of 24 rare and rediscovered preparatory paintings depicting the Battle of Pollilur was sold to an anonymous telephone bidder for £769,250. The auction house was expecting the paintings to fetch £650,000 to ?800,000.

Vignettes of history

Going back 230 years, the paintings celebrate the finest hour of the fearless leader who, fighting alongside his father Haider Ali, crushed the East India Company forces in the famous Battle of Pollilur. A day later, on October 7, the second finial from Tipu Sultan's famous octagonal golden throne went under the hammer at Bonhams Indian and Islamic Art sale. Inclusive of buyer's premium, it sold for £434,400 exceeding the auctioneer's estimated price of £200,000 to 300,000. The gem-set gold finial, 8.4 cm high weighing 346 gm, in the form of a tiger's head, one of the eight from the throne, rested with a Scottish family for the past years 200 years and had come to the seller by direct descent. In April last year, industrialist Dr Vijay Mallya created a buzz with the purchase of the first finial at Bonhams auction at a whopping £ 389,600. Discovered by Bonhams Islamic Department on a routine valuation, that spectacular piece of decoration first lay in an English castle for a 100 years and then in a bank vault, unknown to Tipu enthusiasts and scholars. These finials made of gold sheet over a natural resin core, finely smoothed and burnished, and set with rubies, diamonds and emeralds adorned Tipu Sultan's throne – the throne he refused to ascend till he had vanquished the British. Tipu Sultan died on May 4, 1799 defending his capital Seringapatam, his throne plundered by the marauding army. A third finial rests in Powis castle. There is one more known finial that appeared in a London auction in 1973 and was then offered by a London antiques dealer in 1974. The current location of this finial is not known. Kristina Sanne, head of the Indian and Islamic art department at Bonhams, says, "There are possibly four more finials in existence, although they might have been broken down over the years." Also on sale at Bonhams on October 7, was Benjamin Sydenham eyewitness account, running over 50 pages, of the death of the Tiger of Mysore. Addressed to Earl Macartney and written in beautiful copperplate script in 1799, Sydenham describes the death of Tipu Sultan by the wounds he encountered in the Battle for Seringapatam. This extraordinary document was estimated to sell for £10,000 to £15,000 but made £86,400. This just goes to show the fascination for the written word even in this digital age. The two auctions were a happy confluence of objects related to Tipu Sultan, who according to culture theorist and art curator Ranjit Hoskote, "has been a figure of enduring romance and mystery in the British historical imagination, ever since his death by treason at the Battle of Seringapatam." Or, as Edward Gibbs, Head, Middle East Department, Sotheby's London and Maithili Parekh, deputy director, Sotheby's India, put it, "Tipu Sultan was a truly remarkable figure and is rightly regarded as a great national hero in South Asia and a hero to Muslims throughout the wider Islamic world." Born Sultan Fateh Ali Khan, Tipu Sultan was the son of Haider Ali, commander-in-chief of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II and de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. Young Tipu fought alongside his father in the Second Mysore War. Tipu commissioned the mural installed in the Daria Daulat Palace, Seringapatam in 1784 to commemorate his father's victory at the Battle of Pollilur in 1780. The mural and preparatory paintings illustrate Haider and Tipu splendidly attired on their elephants supported by their army and the French mercenaries under the command of Monsieur Lally and the Maratha troops. The British feared this man, who Sydenham described as: "in stature about 5' 8" and not very fair, he was rather corpulent, had a short neck and high shoulders, but his wrists and ankles were small and delicate." "So quick was Tipu Sultan in his movement that to the enemy he seemed to be fighting on many fronts at the same time," says Dr Dulari Qureshi, director and professor of department of tourism, Babasaheb Ambedkar University, Aurangabad, who lectures on the history of warfare at military schools. In 1791, the mural was painted over following the Treaty of Mysore, when Tipu was forced to surrender his two sons as hostages. Thankfully, Colonel Wellesley subsequently got the mural restored possibly using these preparatory paintings as a reference.

Contemporary focus

Hoskote says that the timing of the auctions is significant. "At a time when the relationship between the Islamic world and Europe is in close focus – with debates over immigration, cultural assimilation, global jihad and the rising tide of Western neo-conservatism – such moments take on dramatic contours. They allow us to reassess the flow of history through the modes of patronage and representation. To look at Tipu Sultan's Mysore now is also to look at a modern State before the rise of Western-style modernity, a State that was inclusive in its approach to the composite and multi-religious society it governed." Independent curator and art historian Arshiya Lokhandwala, makes a case for bringing back such treasures to India but raises the larger question of whether India has the mindset to give them their rightful place. Seven years ago Dr. Mallya had successfully bid for the Sword of Tipu Sultan and followed that up with other memorabilia of the Mysore leader with the intention to set up a museum of these rare objects of Tipu Sultan. Till then, auctions such as the ones earlier this month, will continue to give a glimpse of Tipu, the man, remembered through his remarkable history.

- The Hindu, November 7, 2010

Tourists turned away; World Heritage Site turns into a fortress ahead of Obama visit

The Humayun's Tomb Complex, a World Heritage Site, turned into a fortress on the eve of US President Barack Obama's visit with authorities turning away visitors since Friday afternoon. As Obama is scheduled to visit the monument on Sunday evening, the site as well as places in its vicinity have been fortified with heavy police deployment. The Delhi Police conducted an hour-long meeting this evening at the monument, preparing the deployment plan for Sunday while a large number of police officials carried out security checks around the site. The Humayun's Tomb Complex and the area around it have been under constant surveillance since November 2, and the place is periodically visited by sniffer dogs. Obama is slated to visit the monument around 4 pm on Sunday and, according to sources, he will come to the site directly from the airport after landing in the Capital. Though no special preparations have been made by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), sources said either ASI Director General Gautam Sengupta or Culture Secretary Jawhar Sircar is expected to receive Obama at the site. Senior officials of ASI and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) are likely to show him around. Around 20 children of conservation workers, who are being tutored in makeshift schools run at ASI sites, and five tutors will meet the US President during his 40-minute walk through the site. According to sources, Obama himself had asked the US Embassy to arrange for a meeting with the underprivileged kids. The children, between five and eight years of age, started attending the makeshift schools about a year ago. The ASI had started the schools, keeping in view that a large number of migrant workers were camping at the heritage sites. Most of the workers come from remote areas in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, and are unskilled or semi-skilled workers working under contractors. At present, these makeshift schools are run at Red Fort, Purana Quila, Qutab Minar, Tughlaqabad, Safdarjung's Tomb and Qila Rai Pithora. The site also has traditional craftsmen from Dholpur who are renovating ancient jaalis and pillars. If these artisans acquire security clearance, even they might get a chance to meet the US President. A special exhibition, aimed at explaining the site's historical significance and background, may also be set up on the occasion. Humayun's Tomb, which draws over a million visitors every year, has been a popular destination among foreign delegates. While the site was visited by Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenny last year, 2010 has witnessed visits by German President Horst Kohler and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle until now. Centered around the conservation of Humayun's Tomb, the AKTC is implementing an urban renewal project in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India, Central Public Works Department and Municipal Corporation of Delhi. As part of the project, the US embassy is co-funding an English education programme for 200 youths from the Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin, and the conservation of Sunderwala Burj through a grant under the American Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation Scheme. Humayun's Tomb, the first garden tomb in the Indian sub-continent, had created a precedent for subsequent Mughal architecture and eventually paved way for the construction of the Taj Mahal. The Humayun Tomb gardens were restored in 2004, and conservation works are being undertaken on the mausoleum of the Mughal emperor and associated buildings based on exhaustive archival research and documentation.

- Indian Express, November 7, 2010

The festival of lights is an occasion for Ahmedabadis to celebrate their décor antique.

The citizens of Ahmedabad celebrated Diwali by distributing sweets and meeting up with relatives and friends to exchange Diwali greetings. The young burst crackers with abandon. Many families lit various types of diyas in their homes to mark the festival of lights. Businesses started a new financial year by opening fresh account books. But for some families, it was an occasion to renovate and upkeep their heritage buildings in this city, nearly 12,000 of them as per the count taken by the Heritage Department of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. These are heritage houses of Ahmedabad tucked deep inside the walled city areas, known as Pols. The stately residences are no less than any classic heritage monuments. Old they may be, but their beauty have dazzled the best architectural minds as far as France. The families use Diwali as an opportunity to revive the age-old traditions and culture by doing up the buildings. They take up the work after getting the necessary approvals from the Heritage Department, whose officers supervise and guide the restoration work. For those residing in these heritage houses it is about traditional rangoli which has a story to tell and at this time of the year it is also about the restoration of century-old utensils to be brought out for display. "The house was on the verge of collapse and we realised that if the last pieces of these beauty also disappear it will be difficult for our younger generation to restore it as they would not have any idea about the original structure," says 81-year old Mr Arvind Mehta residing in the 1871 heritage house in Khadia area. Mehta, who retired from the Ahmedabad Electricity Corporation ( now called Torrent Power), lives with his son and grandchildren in the House. For him, such occasions are a time to familiarise the younger generation with the old traditions and culture. Their house in this Pol was among those selected as part of the heritage project initiated by governmental agencies in partnership with NGOs. "It is not possible to remove these century-old utensils and other traditional items like the spread on the swing for all occasions. At this time of the year, the decorations are pulled out of the storage with the help of the children and they help us in recalling some of the old memories," says Mehta. The authorities put the number of heritage buildings in the City at around 12,000. The owners need to take permission from the Heritage Department of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for undertaking repairs or changes. The officials from the department supervise and guide during the restoration work, if taken up in the identified buildings. "It is during the restoration that we were able to do up the ceiling which had some Italian work and this Diwali we plan to do up that part of the ceiling as well so that this area of the house to gets its old original look," said Mehta. The Mehtas reside with three generations. The third generation, comprising 21-year old female twins and their brother, older by a year, share the elders' enthusiasm for celebrating the festivities in their heritage home. "Every year, the rangoli that is created in the otla (courtyard) has a story to tell," said Suchi Mehta, the daughter-in-law of the household. Last year the rangoli was a theme from the Ramayana. "It is the children who take interest in the decorative work," said Suchi Mehta. The elders keep reiterating that more than bursting crackers and lighting up the house erratically it is beauty with a message of decoration and restoration. Abhay Mangaldas of the Ahmedabad for World Heritage City, who has been working for conservation of heritage, says that it is not just restoration work but the realisation that restoration was a necessity that makes the difference. "Paying attention to minute details like proper lighting and using the right kind of utensils which have some significance with the festivities are also important for the younger generation to know," said Abhay Mangaldas. Bina Brahmbhatt, who also lives in a heritage house, points out that the Diwali is the occasion when the heritage homes get their original beauty and looks. "It is this time of the year that the children are initiated into learning alphabets. They are also taught about the importance of upkeep and restoration of the buildings. The children learn about steps to be taken to ensure the colours do not fade. They are explained the significance of colours and pictures on the walls and ceilings so that they are not defaced," said Brahmbhatt. So while the city celebrates with a display on a variety of crackers, the residents of heritage homes find time to pass down traditions and celebrate as well.

- Deccan Herald, November 7, 2010

Martial Mewar's past is not only filled with tales of heroism but also internecine warfare and patricide. As one walks the forts and hills of Rajasthan, the legends come alive, and across the centuries the story of Panna shines with its unparalleled valour and pathos… The sky is red in clouds, and from the terrace of the Lake Palace Hotel, the eastern shore of Lake Pichola presents a fantastical panorama straight out of the pages of the Arabian Nights. Udaipur is never more compelling than at sunset; the undulating mosaic of whitewashed squares, brick facades and chatris from an older age are all lit by a russet glow of the dying sun. The immense medieval pile that is the City Palace dominates the shoreline, where the lake is a shifting mirror: blue, red ochre and silver all at once as it reflects the city against the backdrop of the Aravalli Hills. That indefatigable chronicler of Rajputana, Colonel James Tod, once described Udaipur as the 'most romantic spot on the continent of India' and 170 years later, it is still easy to see why. As I sip my drink, my eyes are drawn to the hills. They appear somehow primordial in the deepening dusk, and suddenly I am reminded that the Aravallis are described by geologists as amongst the oldest mountains on the planet. But beyond their geological significance, these ranges have defined this extraordinary land of Mewar as few mountain tracts in history.

Hoary history

Mewar. The very name now has a martial ring to it: a call to arms, of death before dishonour, of a ferocious resistance against overwhelming odds. From the time of its founding by Bappa Rawal, the names of Padmini of Chitor, and the Sisodia Ranas — Kumbha, Sangram Singh and the great Pratap — even today live enshrined in the memories of millions. But if the annals of its blood-soaked past are filled with heroism, so too are they a testament to internecine warfare, of patricide, of a mindset rooted in ancient codes of warfare that time and again were to prove fatal against the modernism of the invader. Nowhere was this so decisively demonstrated as in the Battle of Khanua in March 1527. The Rajputs, coming together for one of the few times in their history, fought with desperate courage, but their valour was no match for the artillery and matchlocks that Babur used to devastating effect. Many historians aver that this was the battle that truly laid the foundation of the Mughal Empire in India. The leader of the Rajput confederacy, Rana Sangram Singh (Sanga), barely managed to escape, only to die the following year. For the next 13 years, Mewar descended into a long night. In 1534, Bahadur Shah of Gujarat took advantage of the feckless reign of Sanga's son Vikramaditya and laid siege to Chitor. Vikramaditya fled the fort, leaving its defence to his generals. The infant son of Rana Sanga, Udai — the last of the Mewar line — was also sent into hiding. Though Chitor was saved by Mughal forces under Humayun (who happened to be a rakhi brother to the queen), the groundswell of hatred for Vikramaditya's callow cowardice caused his nobles to depose him, and Banbir, an illegitimate son of Sanga, was placed in executive authority. Banbir's remit was to serve as regent till the young Udai Singh came of age, but he soon developed other plans: sole, supreme power.

Unparalleled

Now opens an episode in the annals of Mewar that has few parallels for its heroism, a starburst of such brilliance that even today it lights up the pages of Mewar's chequered history. We have seen earlier that when all seemed lost, Udai Singh had been spirited away to Bundi in the keeping of his wet nurse or dai, called Panna, a woman from Pandoli in the service of Rana Sanga. One night, when she was putting Udai to sleep, Panna heard screams in the adjoining wing of the palace seraglio. Soon after, the family barber rushed into the room. Banbir, he told Panna Dai, had just assassinated Vikramaditya and was on his way to kill the child. They had only moments. Panna snatched up the prince and placed him in a fruit basket. Covering it with leaves, she handed the pannier to the barber, all the while whispering instructions to him. Then she moved to the corner of the room where lay her own child, Chandan. She quickly placed Chandan on Udai's cot and had barely settled herself down when Banbir burst into the room. Close to five centuries after, the scene still rises in macabre detail before the mind's eye. The lamp-lit chamber, the maidservant huddled by the bed, and the half-crazed Banbir holding a blood-stained blade. He throws a malevolent look at this frail, insignificant-looking woman and then speaks a single, grating question. Panna cannot trust herself to reply; she points a trembling finger at the infant sleeping in the royal cradle. Banbir lunges towards it; Panna shrieks once and swoons. When she comes to, it is to the sight of her slaughtered Chandan, the child she not long before had fed from her breast before putting him to sleep. But, even through her grief, she knows what she must do. Having, in the words of Tod, "consecrated with her tears the ashes of her child", Panna made her way to the bed of the Beris River, a few miles west of Chitor. Here the barber awaited her with his precious charge. Taking the still sleeping boy into her arms, she began what would be the first of her many journeys through the perilous wilderness of the Aravallis.

Exceptional courage

The name Panna means emerald. Never was a name more aptly given. Over the next weeks and months, this seeming wisp of a woman would single-handedly protect her charge against impossible odds. Her first destination was Deolia, to place Udai in the protection of the chieftain, Rawat Rai Singh. Finding the latter reluctant to accept them on account of his fear of Banbir, she proceeded to Dungarpur, where her plea for sanctuary was again turned down. With the risks of discovery and betrayal ever-present, Panna began her most desperate journey, on a circuitous tract that wound through the Mewar Hills into the very heart of the maze of valleys and jungles that form the southern spur of the Aravallis. Despite the encroachment of modern civilisation with its roads and resorts into the Aravallis, a traveller in these parts today will still be struck by the immensity of its wilderness. Looking at a map of Rajasthan in 1595 as drawn by Prof. Irfan Habib in his seminal Atlas of Mughal India, one can see the words 'dense forest' written over this area, bereft of all human settlement. Tigers, bears, cheetahs and leopards roamed the forests in teeming numbers. It is certain that Panna would never have made it through alive but for the help she received from Bhil tribals, to whom this forest country was home from time immemorial. At last, exhausted and near despair, she reached the great mountain fastness of Kumbhalgarh. There "she demanded an interview [with the governor Asa Shah]…which being granted, she placed the infant in his lap and bade him 'guard the life of his sovereign'." Asa initially hesitated, but he was a Jain, and when his mother exhorted him to do his duty, he took the child in. Panna then withdrew from Kumbhalgarh to draw away suspicion from Udai, who was, for a while at least, to be brought up as Asa Shah's son. The years passed and it became common knowledge that the true prince of Mewar had risen again in Kumbhalgarh. The sardars of Mewar gathered to declare him king, and soon their combined armies deposed Banbir and sent him into exile. Rana Udai Singh ascended the throne of Mewar in 1541 AD. The reader who has followed our story thus far is surely justified in expecting a fairytale ending. Unfortunately, the reign of Udai Singh was undistinguished and Mewar was to endure another sack of Chitor, this time by the great Mughal emperor Akbar. Still, Panna Dai's supreme courage and self-sacrifice did not go in vain. She continued to serve Udai Singh's family till the end of her days, living long enough to see the line of Bappa Rawal survive in the person of Udai's eldest son, Pratap. Rana Pratap Singh would, for 25 long years, hold aloft the banner of fierce independence against the greatest army in the known world of the day and restore to Mewar much of her lustre. Panna's legacy lives on in another respect too: Udai Singh went on to found the city that still bears his name — Udaipur. From the deck below I can hear the strains of a sitar mingling with the voices and laughter of other guests. High above, the saptarishi constellation hangs like a diadem in the heavens. The water is lit softly by the lights of the hotel, and across the lake, by the effulgence of the City Palace. The Aravallis have been blacked out by darkness, but as I stare out into the night, I see her in every detail: a lone woman clutching the young body close and making her slow way into the hills. Note: The author is grateful to the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) for assistance with some facts for this article. Since 1997, MMCF has instituted the Panna Dhai Award for sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty.

- The Hindu, November 7, 2010

More than three lakh migratory birds from Siberia, Central Asia and European countries have arrived in Kashmir to spend the winter months in the wetlands of the Valley. Swarms of birds, on their annual visit have teemed up at the Hokarsar wetland, 16 kms from here, where they will spend some part of the winter, escaping the more chilling weather in their natural habitats. The species of birds, which have arrived and will stay here till the return of Spring include Malards, Pintails, Common Teal, Grey Leg Geese, Pochards and shovelers. "Around three to four lakh birds have arrived at the Hokarsar wetland. Malards are in large number," Ghulam Ahmad Lone, Wildlife Warden of wetlands, said. He said the arrival of these birds, which began in mid-September, will continue throughout the month of November. "The inward migration started from September 15 and will continue till the end of November. They continue to be here in the winter months and start returning from February 20 to first week of April," Lone said. However, the birds are facing a threat as there are only 15 wildlife guards to secure an area of nearly 14 sq kms of the Hokarsar wetlands. During the winter months, the poaching and hunting of birds is often reported and sighted from the wetland and its adjoining areas.

- The Pioneer, November 8, 2010

Bringing together the works of four contemporary tribal artists is an ongoing exhibition of contemporary art at Art Alive Gallery in Panchsheel Park. "Jangarh Kalam: Contemporary Art of the Adivasis" features the art works of Durga Bai Vyam, Ram Singh Urveti, Bhajju Singh Shyam and Mayank Shyam, who hail from the Pardhaan community of Madhya Pradesh. Curated by Udayan Vajpeyi, author of "Jangarh Kalam: Narrative of a Tradition, Gond Painting", the exhibition reflects the collective memory of the community through a form that has acquired a distinctive artistic idiom. Through their works, the four Gond artists seek to preserve the slowly disappearing Gond environment and their longstanding heritage of tales and legends. "The narrative and colours used in these works have a universal appeal." says Art Alive Gallery Director Sunaina Anand. The artists, who have now become synonymous with the Jangarhi idiom, were tutored by the late Jangarh Shyam himself. Their close association with the late artist not only helped them to master his particular style but also gave them the courage to follow on his footsteps, taking their art to various national and international venues. Despite Jangarh's obvious influence on their art, each artist in this collection has a distinct vocabulary and a specific voice. Bhajju Shyam and Durga Bai have become celebrities as the illustrators of publications such as "The London Jungle Book" and "The Night Life of Trees". Mayank Shyam, the youngest of the group, has moved away from the usual primary colour palette characteristic of the style and experimented extensively with the colour black. Their personal, artistic peculiarities notwithstanding, all four artists are evidently driven by the same urgency to express and to leave on canvas a thriving proof of their existence. The works on display echoes the triumphant cry of the Pardhaans, a community that fought and won its own unique war against complete creative obliteration. The exhibition brings together an often ignored group of artists who have effectively contributed to a renewed interest in this part of the world. The exhibition is on view up to November 15.

- The Hindu, November 8, 2010

U.S. President, First Lady visit Humayun's Tomb

As part of their first engagement in the national Capital, U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle visited the World Heritage monument Humayun's Tomb here on Sunday. They interacted with children of labourers engaged in the monument's heritage conservation work and got a brief tour of the monument's historical and cultural significance. The couple shook hands with 14 schoolchildren aged between five and thirteen who were accompanied by some workers at the monuments tended by the Archaeological Society of India (ASI). They were seen carrying slates with the sign "Welcome Obama Ji" and "Welcome Obama Uncle." Before entering the monument, the couple had a look at a model of the tomb and Google map pictures of the monument's aerial view that were on display. Greeting the children with folded hands and a "Namaste", Mr. Obama and his wife began their warm interactive session which included the President bending down to chat with them better about their place of stay and their studies. While exploring the over 450-year-old Mughal monument located on a 32-acre plot in South Delhi's Nizamuddin area, Mr. Obama praised the architecture and was briefed about the monument's rich cultural history and archaeological significance through the tour provided by ASI's Superintending Archaeologist (Delhi Circle) K. K. Mohammad. After taking a walk around the fountain on the green plush garden on the monument premises, the couple entered the tomb, where the media was not allowed for security reasons. After spending a few minutes inside, they came out to join the children who were waiting for them. The couple spent about 45 minutes at the monument after which Mr. Obama was seen walking out with his wife hand in hand. While Mr. Obama entered the monument wearing a white shirt, black trousers and a coat, soon after entering he discarded the coat and rolled up his sleeves. Mr. Obama and his wife struck an instant chord with the children and posed with them for a group photograph. The couple also distributed gifts to the children that comprised a two-and-half-inch silver bookmark with the U.S presidential seal which carried Mr. Obama's signature. "Through the rise and fall of empires, Indian civilisation has endured and led the world to new heights of achievement. The world owes a profound debt to India and its people," Mr. Obama wrote in the visitor's book at the tomb, according to reports. Ms. Michelle Obama also signed below his signature. The tomb, built over 450 years ago, sports a new look after a major renovation exercise undertaken by the ASI and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Conservation architect Ratish Nanda, who interacted with Mr. Obama for a few minutes, explained to him the concept of using conservation as a tool for socio-economic development through the public-private partnership model.

- The Hindu, November 8, 2010

Despite witnessing the wettest monsoon in decades, baolis (stepwells) across the Capital continue to present a pitiable spectacle. Under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), these stepwells are filled more with polybags, plastic bottles and filth than water. Baolis or stepwells form an important part of the Capital's architectural and cultural heritage. These stepwells have been in use for ages as a popular method of water conservation. While some of the baolis in Delhi are known for their medicinal properties (like the one at Nizamuddin Dargah), others are known for their beautiful architecture (Agrasen ki Baoli). The one inside the Red Fort is unique in design with a huge tank just outside the actual well and steps leading to the tanks from two sides in L-shape. In connection with a court case, the ASI as a sample showcase, had earlier repaired and revived the Agrasen ki Baoli near Connaught Place. However, it was supposed to carry out similar jobs for the remaining wells across the Capital. The stepwell at Red Fort, for instance, is brimming with water. Delhi witnessed one of the wettest monsoons this year with 1031.5 mm rainfall as against the normal rainfall of 645.7 mm (data as on September- end), as per the Met office. However, when the Hindustan Times visited some of the baolis , it was found that all that the ASI-maintained baolis can hold is not more than a few buckets of rain water out of the total rainfall received. For instance, the level of water at the Gandhak ki Baoli in Mehrauli at the end of the monsoon was very low. Mohammad Rizwan (38), a resident of Adhchini and a regular visitor to the nearby Bakhtiyar Kaki ka Dargah, says, "This monsoon, the water level hardly reached the first step of the well. I have been coming here for more than 20 years now. I had never seen the water level so low. The steps are mostly broken and nobody seems to be bothered about repairing them." Echoing Rizwan's sentiments, Surendra Kumar (50), who runs a grocery shop opposite the baoli at Mehrauli, says, "It is not just a maintenance problem. The authorities dug up two bore wells, one each on the south and north side around 10-12 years ago. The water level started going down since then." The ASI on its part blames the shortage of manpower for the continuing problem. "We agree that the ASI needs to maintain it properly. But with very less people at hand to carry out the work, we are helpless," said a senior ASI official on condition of anonymity as he was not allowed to speak to the media. "According to an affidavit filed in the court, the ASI had claimed that they would regularly maintain and clean the baolis under their protection," says Vinod Jain of Tapas, an NGO. Jain has been pursuing a case in the Delhi High Court to save the water bodies across Delhi. All that Jain and others of his ilk feel is the ASI should ideally maintain the 13 baolis across the Capital as promised besides working on the nine-point formula for water harvesting.

- Hindustan Times, November 8, 2010

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has constituted a technical committee for setting up a heritage village near Srinagar airport. The government plans to build the village outside the airport to provide first-hand information about the heritage and age-old traditions, besides art and craft of Kashmir to tourists on their arrival in the summer capital, an official spokesman said here today. The six-member committee was constituted at a high-level meeting of officers chaired by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Samoon, here, the spokesman said. The committee would prepare a work plan and identify the land for constructing the village outside the airport area.

- The Tribune, November 8, 2010

IIC recently released A Journey with the Buddha, a monumental work on the entire gamut of Buddhism. While releasing the two-volume work, Dr Karan Singh, Chairman of ICCR, praised the comprehensibility and scholastic integrity of the author, Utpal K Banerjee and averred, "Alongside the ancient legacy of Hinduism and the prevalence of the two epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, there lies an entire panorama of the Asian culture which has so much in common. To cite one instance, Angkor Bhat in Cambodia is a Hindu temple complex that is the largest in the world, yet located outside India. The current effort to resurrect the ruined Nalanda University to its past glory, with the combined efforts of Five Asian countries, is entirely praiseworthy." A Journey with the Buddha is written from the modern man's sensibility and raises pertinent questions how, in the 6th century BC, a new, major religion like Buddhism could make inroads into India. Unlike Hinduism, which allows man's gradual evolution to the absolute and unlike prophetic dogma, like Christianity and Islam, which begin with the absolute and permits no evolution — Buddhism centres on the primacy of human life and denies all absolutism? The book narrates the Jataka stories of the past that formed the fount-head of all parables late, including Panchatantra and Europe's Aeshop's Fables. Bodhisattvas were pre-Buddha embodiments of compassion and piety. Shakyamuni, the only historical Buddha, is endearingly described in Sri Lanka's Pali texts in his human persona. Theravada is entirely shorn of rituals, while the succession of conclaves resolved the internal differences of Buddhism through civilised dialogue, to achieve convergence. Mahayana assumed the human images of the Buddha by the first century AD. Lotus Sutra, prevalent in Japan, promises Buddhahood in this life and Zen harks back to total meditation, sans any scriptures. The second volume offers insight into the Japanese Mantrayana, the pan-Himalayan Vajrayana and the Eastern India and Bangladesh's Sahajayana — all with touches of tantric figures. Buddhism's spread in Asia — without the sword or promise of redemption — is astounding and so is its aesthetic manifestations. The book ends with the concept of Maitreya, the future Buddha. Says the author, "Like the free trade zone being actively talked about in India's 'Look East' policy, there an eminent need for considering a Free Culture Zone, since so much of heritage is shared by the entire continent. Jataka stories are narrated in Sri Lanka households and are sung as lullaby's in Myanmar, Pali literature is national treasure in the South Asia countries. Japan's alphabet owes so much to the Indian phonetics. Further, the celebrated Dun-huang caves in China's Pamir Valley and Sigriya caves of Sri Lanka follow identical Buddhist aesthetic patterns. The icons of the Buddha everywhere in Asia follow the same proportions and balance. Could there be a more common base?"

- The Pioneer, November 9, 2010

Be it Raja Ravi Varma's Tanjore style portraiture of Maharaja Serfoji II, embellished with gomedhaks, FN Souza's graphic tribute to Rabindranath Tagore or Jamini Roy's female figures on the canvas, you will find everything that you must have heard of and is rare to find. And it is not just the works of stalwarts but the works of some lesser known artists too will be the part of this auction titled Significant Indian Paintings Sale 0007 by Bid & Hammer in Delhi. Scheduled to be held on November 30 at ITC Sheraton Hotel, the auction would be preceded by a three day preview at the Russian Science & Cultural Center, between 25th and 27th of this month. "After the stupendous response to our previous two auctions held in March and August this year in Bangalore, I am now delighted to present this auction in Delhi. It is an effort to bring forth works of the unsung heroes of modern Indian art by presenting them with the works of some of the world renowned artists," told Maher Dadha, chairman and managing director or Bid & Hammer auction house. Among the other noteworthy artists being featured are Nicholas Roerich, Rabindranath Tagore, Allah Baux, A H Muller and S H Raza. After the successful representation in international auctions artist Ranjan Roy's works will also be the part of this auction.

- The Pioneer, November 9, 2010

Hampi's monuments have UNESCO's world heritage tag.

Every monument here gains importance by virtue of this tag. However, not much attention seems to have been paid to the maintenance of these monuments, especially the lesser-known temples. Take Malapana Gudi for instance. You will come across this village on the way from Hospet to Hampi. The deity of the village is Mallikarjuna, but the villagers are not too interested in the temple here. Way back, during the peak of the Vijayanagar empire's glory, the Mallikarjuna temple in between Hampi and Nagalapura (today's Hospet) had great importance. Today, the temple has become a cattle-shed. Cow-dung has been stacked in a big heap right in the temple. Moss and weeds have grown over the temple's walls and its tower. The temple which was built in the Vijayanagar period during the reign of Devaraya is in the Chalukya style of architecture. It has four sanctum sanctorums. Two huge (seven-foot-long) dwarapalakas (sentinels at the entrance of the temple) form the principal draw of the temple. There is a Nandi mantap and an edict at the entrance of the temple. The edict talks about the rejuvenation of a well in the temple premises. Today, the temple area has been encroached upon. More attention needs to be paid to the management and maintenance of these lesser-known temples in the historic Hampi region.

- Deccan Herald, November 9, 2010

Lakshmi Sharath visits Anegundi, which is believed to be the mythical Kishkindha of the Ramayana, and is blown away by the mysticism and history associated with the place.

As a traveller, one is always on the lookout for unusual experiences, but Anegundi is what I would call a "trip". I have always enjoyed being on the road, exploring many a town by foot or going on the occasional road trip, but this one took the wind out of my sails. I was visiting Anegundi after almost a decade. Although I had been to Hampi many times, this ancient town had always eluded me. So, when I promised myself a date with the mythical Kishkindha of Ramayana, as Anegundi is believed to be, Virupaksha , my guide, looked rather worriedly at his watch and said, "Madam, you have just three hours over there and then you need to come back to Hampi and later catch your train." I didn't have a choice. So I let him customise my itinerary and blindly followed him. The first thing that I saw was the crumbled remnants of what was once a bridge between Hampi and Anegundi across the Tungabhadra. Just when I had gotten over the eyesore, Virupaksha announced that we would cross the river in a coracle. I wasn't really worried until I saw the coracle. Our boat arrived, shaped like a circular basket, made of cane, bamboo and some plastic sheets. Sailing along with us were another eight men, a couple of them travelling with their bikes. I sat on the rim of the coracle and swirled around, looking at the mountains, worried that it might topple any moment. I mentioned to Virupaksha that I did not know swimming, but he comforted me saying that the coracle was used to ferry people even during the Vijayanagar era. Looking at my rather skeptical face, he donned the role of a serious guide and referred to Robert Sewell's book, A Forgotten Empire, which quoted the 16th century Portuguese traveller, Dominoes Paes. I later looked up the book and Paes indeed had observed that the coracle was used to carry "fifteen to twenty persons and even horses and oxen can cross in them if necessary." Thank God, I thought to myself, that I had to deal with only bikes.

Story of an ancient kingdom

The journey was rather quick and I saw a visibly excited Virupaksha gushing with pride as he described his hometown. "Anegundi is older than Hampi – in fact this is the mother kingdom. When the Delhi Sultans invaded Warangal, two brothers called Harihara and Bukka escaped and landed here first. They later founded the Vijayanagar city on the other bank," he added, referring to Hampi. A fisherman and his wife were busy making nets near the Tallarighatta gate or the erstwhile toll gate as we sipped tea in a small shack , owned by some women. Virupaksha meanwhile quietly arrived on the scene with an autorickshaw and that was when the real "trip" started. I had travelled in all modes of transport, but this was my first experience of "a hop on hop off auto rickshaw tour". The auto buzzed off in top speed as the hills circled us. The roads were bumpy and narrow and virtually empty. We drove down the charming village of Anegundi, a lively settlement with a few mahals and monuments like the Gagan Mahal.

The Ramayana connection

We left the village behind us and stopped at the many gates of the fortified town to take photographs. The auto veered past lush fields as Virupaksha spoke about his career as a guide with an auto rickshaw. He rattled off names of celebrities who had sought his services and in between he gave us some history of Anegundi. Besides the Ramayana connection, pilgrims consider it holy as the Pampa Sarovar flows here. Even today, the royal descendants of the Vijayanagar empire are believed to reside here in this village. The houses gave way to fields as we continued chugging around. But for the occasional nomads and their herd of horses, we encountered neither a bullock cart nor another vehicle. We learnt that we were headed to the Durga temple and the Anegundi Fort entrance. We slowly left the plains and followed the curves of the road and drove uphill. The boulders looked much closer as I realised that this was the first time I was driving up a hillock in an auto. There was no one in sight – just the bare landscape and us in a lone rickshaw. After almost half an hour, we stopped at the foothill of a hillock. A long flight of steps led to a quiet unassuming Durga temple where a couple of dogs were lying around. The walls of the courtyard were painted with signs of 'Om' and an old man looked at me rather curiously. I struck a conversation with him in Kannada assuming he was the caretaker of the temple, but all that he seemed to understand was the word "photo." Virupaksha later told me that he was the cook's helper and that he could not speak a word of Kannada. We climbed further up and reached the ruins of the fort and its many gates. Tombs lay scattered around. We saw a cave temple dedicated to Ganesha. "The Vijayanagar kings used to come to the Durga temple and pray before every battle," explained Virupaksha, and then they went to the holy Pampa Sarovar lake and the Lakshmi temple there, located further up the hill." Virupaksha added that the Pampa Sarovar dedicated to Shiva and his consort Pampa or Parvati was also featured in the Ramayana, where Sabari, a devotee met Rama. The legends of Ramayana seemed all-pervading around Anegundi.

Rock art

The auto kick-started again and this time, we drove outside Anegundi to a prehistoric settlement called Onake Kindi. We stopped in front of some paddy fields and climbed our way through a steep narrow pathway in a rocky terrain. The path led us to a wide plateau of tall grass, where we found ourselves ringed in by hillocks. There was no one in sight. But we walked through the grass towards the boulders until Virupkasha pointed out to some rock art in one of them. We found a rock with some red and white markings, which had some stick figures of humans and some animals like the bull. In another boulder was a circular diagram which looked like drawings of sun and moon, but we could not figure out the symbolism behind it. I later learnt from Professor Ravi Korisettar from the Department of History and Archaeology of the Karnatak University that the rock painting belonged to the Iron Age, somewhere around the period of about 1500 BC and that the faded circular painting was a very rare depiction of a megalithic style of burial." If you look closely, you can see a human body in the middle and a lot of burial goods, surrounded by a stone circle," he said. But at that moment, I had not understood the significance of the paintings when I had seen those crude red sketches on the rocks. I learnt more that day, an entire site of megalithic dolmens was located further up in the hills called Mourya Mane. Virupaksha meanwhile was giving me his own interpretations as we sat for a while in the fields and looked up at the mountains. My three-hour trip was almost ending and I knew it was time to hit the road again. I closed my eyes for a moment and a montage of images from the trip swept past by me. I saw forts and palaces, old isolated temples, saffron-clad sadhus, lost lovers in the ruins, lush fields ...and realised Anegundi is indeed ageless. It has a mysticism that can neither be explained nor explored. When I opened my eyes, I found a lone auto waiting in the middle of an empty road to take me back to Hampi.

- Deccan Herald, November 9, 2010

Early start and sustained efforts have been critical for the conservation of monuments. Unfortunately, these have been lacking in regard to the historic cities in India such as Ujjain and Kancheepuram, which are now shadows of their past and are fast turning into less desirable places to live in. UNESCO's move to create Indian Heritage Cities Network (IHCN), a programme to recover the heritage value of cities is a commendable initiative. Recently, in an attempt to convince representatives and officials from the various Indian cities, it took them to some French towns where valuable assets have been created by integrating heritage conservation with urban development. So far, city development and investment plans have bypassed them. For instance, the Master Plan for Varanasi (1991-2011), one of the ancient cities with a unique urban design and impressive river-front architecture, has designated only two per cent of the land under use as heritage area. The emphasis is always on the new areas. As a result, the peripheries develop rapidly, leaving the old urban core to struggle for even basic services. A case in point is the walled city of Delhi, Shahjahanabad, now a notified slum with crumbling house stocks. The IHCN decision to work actively with the local bodies to reinvent old cities as worthy places of living is an effective strategy. However, this partnership should go beyond producing conventional development plans that mainly address aesthetic concerns. The priority should be to improve the housing stock and the urban services without affecting the stakes of the less-privileged inhabitants. In Lima, Peru, the poor occupants of its historic core area were given property titles under a special law so as to ensure their participation in its improvement and encourage them to spend on maintenance. Another challenge would be to fund residents to retrofit their old houses. In Graz (Austria), since the local bodies, with their meagre resources, would find it difficult to support such a programme, a dedicated fund was created and annually replenished through government grants. The restoration costs are fully met from this fund. Over the last 35 years about $6.5 million has been disbursed. Targeted credit with affordable interest rates and allowing for limited commercial use in housing area could be other ways of mobilising funds. Redeveloping old cities without impairing their historic significance may appear challenging but, as experience elsewhere shows, it is eminently feasible.

- The Hindu, November 10, 2010

India has submitted a proposal to UNESCO World Heritage Centre for inscription of 39 serial sites in Western Ghats on its World Natural Heritage List. "These sites are in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The Kass Plateau in Maharashtra is one among the 39 serial sites included in India's proposal," MoS of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasami said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

- The Pioneer, November 11, 2010

Over a century back, when the rest of India was passing through turbulent times, four women – Qudsia Begum, Sikandar Begum, Shah Jahan Begum and Sultan Jahan donned the crown consecutively to rule the city that came to be known for its lakes. Under these rulers, the state saw a rapid pace of development with a postal system, efficient water supply and schools for girls coming up. They planned the city, raised it to the next level of beauty and education, promoted the well being of its denizens and ensured that the diverse communities lived in peace and harmony. It was the age of women's liberation -- before most of the western world had even thought about it -- as women were granted rights of the kind that didn't exist anywhere else. They flourished as hakims, poetesses, writers and more' Little wonder that their multifaceted talents and vision have become legendary. I gasped in awe as I saw the city of Bhopal spread over three hills with romantic names like Shamla, Arera and Idgah. And these seemd to be grasped in a bear hug by two lakes that span 31 km and date back to the 11th century. It is said that there was once a king called Raja Bhoj whose wisdom and generosity was famed throughout the land. He built a beautiful city called Bhojpal on the edges of a massive lake, which was filled with cool, blue water. Credit goes to him for planning the two man-made lakes that are the city's lifeline. The construction of the wondrous Bhojeshwar temple is also his gift to the city. Bhopal is accessible by air from all over India by air and rail. And for those with deep pockets, the best place to stay is definitely the the Noor-Us-Sabah Palace and Jehan Numa Palace Hotel. But there are lots of other hotels for all budgets clustered on Hamidia Road in the Old city. As for food, with its nawabi connection it is natural that rogan josh, delicious korma, keema, and biryani along with succulent seekh and shami kababs are available in plenty. A must try is bafla dunked in rich ghee and eaten with daal, with laddoos as chasers! And if history's your thing, it's worth staying on and venturing out to see the prehistoric rock paintings at Bhimbetka and the famed Sanchi stupa (both some 45 km from the city) , the palaces of Islam Nagar (11km away) and the beautiful and incomplete Bhojeshwar Temple... But for the moment I was interested in Bhopal itself so I made y way around the city one sweltering summer morning. As I circumambulate the Chhota Talab and Bada Talab, as the two lakes are known, I realise I am in one of the most beautiful cities in India. The minarets of the second largest mosque in Asia - The Taj-ul-Masjid , constructed by Shah Jahan Begum , loom up magnificently in the distance , providing a picturesque backdrop. Rickshaws laden with school children ply unhurriedly as do the cows, unmindful of the obstruction they create. This is to set the pace for my short sojourn – gentle, unhurried and enjoyable. Shah Jahan Begum, like her famous Mughal namesake, was interested in architecture and laid the foundations of Shahjahanabad and the Taj ul Masjid, or crown of mosques. A plethora of beautiful structures like the Noor Mahal, Barah Mahal, Ali Manzil and Nawab Manzil were her gifts to the city as were three lakes called the Noor Mahal Lake, Mushi Hussain Khan Talab and Talab Taj Mahal. My day began early as I made my way to the majestic and imposing Taj ul Masjid. The access through a sprawling ground with enthusiastic young cricketers led to the pink mosque built around a large courtyard with a huge reservoir in the centre. As I tried to position my camera for a good shot, a group of boys abandoned their cricket and crowded around me suggesting camera angles and placement. That is the essence of the Bhopali – helpful and enthusiastic – I discovered as I peeled off the layers of the old city. The boys followed me into the mosque, eagerly. The lofty, 18 floor high octagonal minarets and the marble domes of the mosque, were as captivating as their chatter. The students of the adjacent seminary joined the melee, doling out interesting snippets about the mosque. 'The prayer hall has eleven recessed arches and lots of pillars,' I was told. 'Have you seen the Taj Mahal?' asked a shalwar clad boy, shyly. 'Yes, I have. I was at Agra for one full week,' I told him. 'I don't mean the one at Agra, we have one at Bhopal, too,' he retorted proudly. "Oh , there is nothing left of the structure,' his friend added dismissively. That was news to me. I had no clue that the city had a Taj Mahal. Thanking the boy for the information, I hired a cycle rickshaw to take me to the place. Rashid Khan, the cycle rickshaw owner, proved to be as garrulous as the boys in the mosque. 'Pehli baar aa rahe hain aap? Kitne din rahengi?' he asked. (Is this your first visit to the city? How long do you intend staying here?) I told him I had been to the city earlier but not been able to see everything. This time I intended to see everything I missed the last time. He laughed and informed me that it would be not be possible to see entire Bhopal in a lifetime. 'Ek hafta toh bahut kum hai,' he said, pedaling energetically. (Even a week is too short) When I told him I wanted to see the Taj Mahal, he was not too enthusiastic, agreeing with the earlier naysayer about the fact that it was derelict. Remnants of an edifice stretching across one side of Motia talab then came up in the distance. 'That is what is left of the Taj Mahal,' Rashid Khan said. The Taj mahal, with its amalgamation of Islamic and Hindu architectural elements turned out to be the ghost of a once splendid palace. I eyed the crumbling cusped arches, colossal gates, ornamental plasterwork and jharokhas pathetically. Now rubble, at one time the massive gateway was designed to allow large horse drawn coaches to drive in. The crumbling jharoka from where the Begum would appear for darshan, spoke of its glorious past. Arches and stone pillars emblazoned with floral patterns could be seen in some places. The water bodies and charbaghs spoke of her fondness for the elements. Efforts are being made to restore the palace to its former glory, I was told. I promised myself another trip, once the restoration is over.

Remnants of History

After Rashid Khan dropped me back at the city, I wandered around looking for structures from the past. Unlike Shah Jahan Begum's majestic Taj ul Masjid, Sikandar Begum's red stoned Moti Masjid was much smaller. The Sadar Manzil was once the hall of public audience of the rulers of Bhopal and Shaukat Mahal; today a group of old gentlemen sat around there absorbed in their game of chess. Asking my way around, I reached the dilapidated remains of the Gohar Mahal, with its beautiful view of the lake. Along the lakeside, a few unnamed, crumbling structures still stood, hugging their history. All around the city are reminders of an invaluable heritage in various stages of disintegration. Neglected by the current rulers, the creations of the powerful past rulers of Bhopal are in danger of disappearing. Through the Moti Masjid, I entered the Chowk, with its old buildings and havelis. Within the narrow lanes of the lively market, I came across shops overflowing with handmade sequin handbags, zardosi work, bead work, glass bangles and silver jewellery. It was a veritable treasure chest of handicraft. A festive air permeated the market as burqa clad women haggled and chattered incessantly. Sadly, the multiplex culture has hit this city too. So heritage buildings are being overshadowed by ugly modern constructions, marring the grace of a beautiful past. In the evening I went to Bharat Bhawan, the repository of art designed by Charles Correa. With its collection of contemporary art and sculpture, it is a visual treat for the art lovers of the city and beyond. I still had not seen the Van Vihar Safari park, Birla Mandir, the Manav Sangrahalaya on Shamala hills of Bhopal (an open-air museum depicting tribal dwellings) and other museums but I was reluctant to move into the present as I ended the day in throes of ecstasy sitting by the lakeside, ruminating about the splendorous past of the city. More importantly, a past ruled by a set of determined women.

- Economic Times, November 11, 2010

144-year-old Town Hall may be converted into a heritage museum depicting history of Delhi

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is set to move to its new headquarters at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civic Centre on Thursday. The fate of its present address, meanwhile, has not been decided yet. The 144-year-old Town Hall was earlier slated to be converted a heritage hotel, but later the civic body started working on a plan of turning it into a heritage museum. The decision is likely to come through after the shift. Subhash Arya, Leader of the House, told Newsline that a portion of the building will definitely be reserved for a museum. "We want a portion (of Town Hall) should display the history of Delhi but the exact nature will be decided after the building is vacated and an assessment is done," he said. As of now, however, all emphasis is on shifting to the new Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civic Centre on Jawaharlala Nehru Marg near Minto Road where various departments will move in a phased manner till December 8. While the first set of offices to be moved are the control room, Estate, Education and Horticulture departments etc, the offices of the Commissioner, Additional Commissioners and Municipal Secretary will be the last ones to go to the building that was inaugurated in April. Shifting will be done in four phases.

- Indian Express, November 11, 2010

The Delhi High Court has asked the ASI to ensure proper maintenance of Jantar Mantar

The Jantar Mantar, built in the 18th century is an observatory of much interest to tourists for its historic significance and also for being a striking monument of astronomy. However, with it becoming a landmark where rallies and protests are held at regular intervals, it is not in the best of condition. But there is hope for the observatory now with a division bench of the Delhi High Court asking the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to ensure proper upkeep of Jantar Mantar. Disposing of a PIL, a division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Monmohan observed that ASI should make the astronomical observatory functional. The Jantar Mantar declared a national monument, must be preserved by all concerns. The central government as well as the state government shall extend all necessary support to the Archeological Survey of India so that they can work to bring back the lost glory, said the bench. The petitioner Ravindra Nath Sharma, a lawyer, had alleged in the PIL that the ASI had failed to maintain the monument and that holding of rallies was allowed there, which led to it becoming dirty. And many Delhiites rue that the condition of the monument and the area around it is in a pathetic condition. I regularly use the stretch in front of Jantar Mantar while going to office. But as soon as I reach the area near Jantar Mantar, I have no option but to walk on the main road as barricades are placed on the footpath. Besides, vehicles coming for rallies block a major portion of the road running along Jantar Mantar, rues Isha Kaur. People holding protest rallies there even enter the observatory. Another disturbing factor that has been noticed is that during any rally, people coming from outside Delhi enter the monument in hordes and indulge in large scale vandalism. Protestors even turn it into a public lavaratory. This astronomical observatory should get proper attention from the ASI, says Ravi Kalra, president of a city-based NGO. Jantar Mantar being a prominent monument of Lutyens Delhi catches the attention of tourists and visitors coming to Delhi, so it is even more imperative that it be maintained properly. The purpose of the observatory built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur was to predict the time and movement of the sun, moon and planets.

- The Times of India, November 12, 2010

From coexistence to a conservation choice. The lush forests of Biligere Ranganatha Temple (BRT) sanctuary of southern Karnataka, recently given the status of a tiger reserve (in-principle), has a poignant dilemma at hand: whom will the forest nurture, the tigers or the Soligas (tribals of the region)? Ever since the Centre approved the state's proposal to turn the park into a tiger reserve in September, the 1500-odd Soliga families have been living with the insecurity that they will any day be urged to leave the core area and be relocated outside the forest. The proposal received a further boost, with the tiger census this year giving clear indications of a "healthy presence". In fact, the estimation has revealed 16 direct sightings. The forest department is determined that the forests are made inviolate. Relocation from the core area will be a voluntary option, but the department cites success stories like Bhadra where ungulate and, in turn, tiger population had increased considerably after the relocation of tribals, to press its case. "We are not planning to drive anyone out. We will be taking their consent for any relocation and the department is offering a good package of Rs 10 lakh. They will not be relocated to distant places, only to fringe areas. We don't see why concerns should arise," says principal chief conservator of forests B K Singh. Power and water lines in the park will have to be removed and those who choose to stay back will face problems in the days to come, says Singh. School and healthcare facilities will become much more inaccessible once the tiger reserve is notified. According to Singh, the rights of around 1,100 families have been recognized as per the Forest Rights Act; the remaining are in the process. The rollout, however, does not appear to be all that simple. There are as many as 22 podus (tribal colonies) in the core area of this 540sqkm sanctuary and the life of the Soligas has been intrinsically linked to the ways of the forest for centuries. There are around 40,000 Soligas in the Chamrajnagar district of southern Karnataka. As many as 42 of the podus are in the fringe areas of BRT forest. Before the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 came into force, they were practising shifting cultivation and collecting non-timber forest produce (NTFP) such as fruits, honey, lichen, soap berry and others. However, since the act was implemented two years later, their right over the produce was gradually curbed. And in 2004, NTFP collection was completely banned. "Even with the last deputy conservator of forests, we argued and told them how closely our lives are linked to the collection of non-timber produce. We showed him documents from Sunabeda sanctuary in Orissa were the tribals' rights to collect such produce were restored. The DCF temporarily allowed us to collect honey and broomstick. We also submitted a petition to Rahul Gandhi when he came here. But now, we have a more serious problem at hand," says Madegowda C of the Jilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivruddi Sangha. As far as the gritty Soligas are concerned, they will not evacuate the core area of the forest, irrespective of the compensation offered. While it is apparent that their lifestyles have become modernized and one can no longer expect to see them in tribal clothes, they claim their lives are still entwined with the forest. "I will not go out, no matter what," says Hanumegowda, a senior Soliga leader who is now a coffee planter. His wife, Pangamma cuts in, "Tell them we will not move even if they give us Rs 50 lakh." Many tribal leaders also feel that the forest department is able to do its job only with Soliga help. Since they know the forest better and understand animal behaviour, they have been helping the skeletal department staff patrol the area. "Tribal knowledge says there are at the most 15 to 20 tigers and not 34 tigers as the staff has estimated. Many of us work as watchers for the forest department," says Soliga leader J Bommaiah. "What trouble are we giving to the forest? If they have to relocate us, they have to relocate Lord Biligere himself, who had married a Soliga girl, Kusumale." Adds Chari Madegowda, a senior leader of the podus: "We have been living with the animals for all these years. They sleep on that side and we on this side. Have we given trouble to each other? We eat fruits and tubers from the forest on a daily basis. If we are taken out, we will be like fish out of water." Other tribals have a different take. They feel it will be easier for poachers to strike once the Soligas are moved out and the zone is declared a tiger reserve. "Soligas were like wild monkeys. You could not differentiate between them and the wild animals. Even today, tourism puts much more pressure on the ecosystem here than us," says Achugegowda. "The forest department staff are scared of poachers. It is we who have been protecting the forests." The forest animals, indeed, are worshipped, points out Madegowda. "We worship Huliveerappa, the tiger god. Many clans worship other animals. We have around 487 sacred sites inside the forest where we worship. We have a very deep emotional and cultural relationship with the forest that cannot be overlooked," he says. Member of the Karnataka State Wildlife Board and a researcher with the Wildlife Conservation Society-India, Sanjay Gubbi, feels a middle ground needs to be struck. "If a sanctuary is declared a tiger reserve, it does not mean people will be forcibly relocated. But if a solution is worked out and accepted by forest dwelling communities, that would benefit both people and tigers," he says.

- The Times of India, November 12, 2010

K.K. Muhammad, the ASI officer's who took U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife on a guided tour of Humayan's Tomb, has a human side

It was a dramatic picture that caught one's attention. It appeared in almost every newspaper in India on November 8, showing the U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle standing in front of Humayun's Tomb in New Delhi. An official of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was explaining a point to them. He was K.K. Muhammed. Some newspapers mentioned his name, while others did not. But this modest officer, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI (Delhi Circle), does not care. For Muhammed, it is routine – to explain the history and architecture of monuments in New Delhi, Agra, Gwalior or Mamallapuram to visiting heads of Governments. He even guided Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf around Taj Mahal in 2001. Muhammed is a scholar in Sanskrit, effortlessly quoting from Kalidasa's 'Raguvamsa' or 'Megh Doot' and texts such as 'Manasara Shilpa Sastra' and 'Mayamata Vastu Sastra.' His magnum opus has been the restoration of more than 100 ethereally beautiful temples/shrines that lay in ruins at Bateshwar complex, about 40 km from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. PRESENCE OF DACOITS The swathe of destruction was such that it looked as if it had been hit by an earthquake. About 200 temples had been built there 1,300 years ago. Stylistically, the Bateshwar complex belongs to the period between post-Gupta and early Pratihara (between the 8th and 10th centuries CE). The restoration was not only an epic task, but it also involved negotiating with the Chambal valley dacoits - who controlled the complex – to hand it over to the ASI for restoration. During a reconnaissance trip, Mohammed, to his consternation, found a bearded man smoking inside a temple. An ASI employee informed him that it was the dacoit Nirbhay Singh Gujjar. After protracted negotiations, Gujjar handed over the complex to Muhammed for restoration."This (Bhateshwar) is my place of pilgrimage. I come here once in three months," Muhammed said later. He really connected with Obama and his wife, whom he described as "a wonderful couple." The U.S. President was keen on meeting the children of itinerant workers from Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Bihar who (workers) were engaged in restoration and conservation of various monuments in Delhi. Since these workers travelled from place to place, their children could not receive any education. So Muhammed and his colleagues taught these 150 children Hindi, English and mathematics on the premises of monuments. "Obama made a request that he would like to meet those children," the Superintending Archaeologist said. But most of the workers and their children had gone back to their home town to celebrate Deepavali. However, Obama and his wife met 12 children, who have learnt to read, write and do calculations. The U.S. President wanted to know the history of the Mughal rule in India and was curious about the "cultural strands" that had gone into themaking of the Humayun's Tomb. Muhammed told him that while the double-dome concept in the tomb belonged to Central Asia (Samarkhand), the arches were from Persia and the cupolas from Rajasthan. The "kalash" on top of the dome was also from India. Michelle Obama was informed that it was marble from Rajasthan, red sandstone from Uttar Pradesh and local quartzite that went into its construction. The Humayun's Tomb complex was built in seven years from 1565 to 1572 by his widow Haji Begum. It marks the beginning of the major building activities of the Mughals. What kindled Obama's interest was the link e that Muhammed drew between Dara Shikoh and the American writers (and transcendentalists) such as Henry Thoureau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman, who believed in human freedom and social betterment. "Their inspiration came from Dara Shikoh, eldest son of Shah Jehan, who built the Taj Mahal," he explained. He told them that Dara Shikoh was buried in the Humayun's Tomb complex. Fifty-eight year old Muhammed has won four national awards from 2006 to 2010 from the Union Ministry of Tourism for the conservation of Sanchi Stupa, Qutub Minar and Humayun's Tomb, making them tourist-friendly and enabling physically challenged persons to visit these sites. In February 2010, he received the SAARC Environment Award for conserving the Bateshwar temple complex. On November 19, in Chennai, Muhammed will receive the REACH (Rural Education and Conservation of Heritage) Foundation award for restoring the Bateshwar complex to its original splendour.

- The Hindu, November 12, 2010

After successfully illuminating Jantar Mantar and Safdarjung Tomb using solar energy generated on the premises of these heritage sites, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) has set its eyes on Red Fort, Lotus Temple and even Tihar Jail. At the India International Trade Fair, which opens on Sunday, the state government will showcase the success stories of Jantar Mantar and Safdarjung Tomb. Both these sites are under the Archeological Survey of India and the solar energy projects executed here were funded by the union ministry of new and renewable energy. In all, 28 monuments have been illuminated. Of these, 13 are with the ASI and 15 with the state archaeological department. Jantar Mantar and Safdarjung Tomb are on this list but as an experiment solar energy was used to illuminate them. According to sources, the Commonwealth Games provided the DSIIDC the opportunity to demonstrate the use of solar energy. The photovoltaic solar power plant at Jantar Mantar has been set up at a cost of Rs 25 lakh and can generate 9 kilowatts of power. The solar energy generated from the plant here can illuminate the complex for five hours. To make this energy efficient system possible, 55 solar panels have been installed at one end of the complex. In case of Safdarjung Tomb, the number of solar panels used is 65. The plant has a capacity of 10.4 kilowatts of power. The solar energy generated can light up the place for up to five hours. The solar power plant has come up at a cost of Rs 25 lakh. Encouraged by these two projects, the DSIIDC is now looking towards Red Fort and a proposal has been submitted to the central government for approval, sources said. Similar proposals on Lotus Temple and the Tihar Jail are being prepared, sources said. Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta says Delhi is committed to generating a stipulated amount of solar power by 2012 under the climate change agenda.

- The Times of India, November 13, 2010

A curious mix of terms, blending Hindi, Persian and Rajasthani words, strikes as one walks through the wonderfully spacious complex that makes up the Sawai Man Singh Palace Museum at Jaipur. This may not be a-typical, and surely one encounters it at countless other places too, but since the memory is fresh, the thought comes readily to the mind. One enters the glittering Sabhanivas — the hall of public audience, where royal darbars used to be held — or the Sarvatobhadra building — name derived from Sanskrit, designed on tantric principles and now used for a chamber open on all sides. But one also goes into the arms and armour section called the Silekhana — sileh being a Rajasthani version of Persian asliha, meaning weapons, and khana, from Persian again, meaning home or dwelling — and comes upon references to the records of the Chhapakhana — where block printing on textiles used to be done. And so on. It is a seamless mingling — segue is perhaps the right word — of languages and dialects. There is nothing wrong with it but, interestingly, nobody even gives it a thought: this is the way we live our lives, taking it all in our stride. The blend, we speak of I thought I saw in the persona of one of Jaipur's celebrated rulers, Sawai Pratap Singh (ruled 1778-1803) when I started going through a delightful book, a slim little volume, that I picked up there — courtesy, the director of the museum — titled Pratap Prakash. Written towards the end of the 18th century by the state poet of Jaipur, Kavi Krishnadatta, and copied by a journalist in 1802, it centres round the Maharaja, who was many things at once: a warrior, poet, builder, administrator and devotee. But it is neither a dedicated eulogy of the monarch nor a history of his reign. It is couched in the form of an account of the poet's visit to the court of the Peshwa, Bajirao II, who represented Maratha power in the Deccan, and the dialogue between him and the Peshwa. Naturally curious about a Rajput ruler, who had defeated the powerful Maratha chief, Mahadji Scindia, in the recent battle of Tunga, the Peshwa took the opportunity of asking the Jaipur poet to describe his patron, his interests, daily routine and an account of the battle, if he had witnessed it. When asked thus, the poet, it seems, came into his own, drawing upon well-worn bardic encomiums of great monarchs and applying these to his own king, but also entering upon the sharp, chiselled descriptions of things he had observed. It is a fascinating account, a revealing glimpse of how things merge. Consider this passage — translated from the Dhundhari dialect of Rajasthani by well-known scholar G. N. Bahura — in which the poet speaks, after having waxed eloquent about the proud lineage of his king, of how he begins his day. "The minstrels start singing in praise of the family quite early, before dawn. The king, having heard this, rises in the Brahmamahurta (the hour of Brahma). He meditates on the Lord, his ishta and places his left foot on the earth after having a darshan of the sacred cow and performing chhayadana. Then he sits on a chowki studded with jewels and washes his mouth. The petitioners submit their appeals and singers sing some padas composed by the king. He, then, attends to his daily morning routine. Arrangements for his bath are made. Waters brought in kavads from Triveni, Gomati, Gangasagara`85 Godavari, Pushkar and the Yamuna under strict guards, are placed for ablutions. Having taken his bath, he attends to the worship of panchayatana (the five deities) with Vedic hymns. Then, he distributes the daily gifts among Brahmins and pandits, who come to receive these from far off Kashi and Kashmir." One notices that till this point, everything is in consonance with the ancient Hindu tradition of royal conduct, and all terms go back to Sanskrit. A little later, however, a description of the king's dressing up comes in. "The king, then, prepares to dress himself. The khawases put forth various sets of dresses arranged in trays. The Maharaja chooses one to his taste." A close description follows: "He puts on the durbar costume, turban just like a mukuta, chhonga, turra andkalangi of pearls, kiran rumal, an embroidered jama, earrings with the white, red and bluish pearls representing Shukra, Mangala and Budha, embroidered and embedded partala, aliband in his waist, a dagger tied up, and he holds a dhoop in his hand. Thus dressed, the Lord of Amber proceeds to the darbar hall followed and attended by hundreds of his bodyguards, khawases and officials`85." Suddenly, in this picture, other things have come in, many of them bearing the imprint of the Mughal court: the turra, the aliband, the rumal, the jama, for instance. See this together with a description of a portrait by the artist Navala — from the records of the court — recording exactly what Sawai Pratap Singh is seen wearing in it: "a khuntadar turban, a karanpech of badala in the ears, a jama of dardavan, chaukidar hawasiornament tilai and nuqrai around the neck, Gujarati phenta, pohnchis of pearls `85" Once again, khuntadar, karanpech, dardavan, chaukidar hawasi, tilai, nuqrai — all from Persian or Persian-derived, and badala, phenta, pohnchi from local Hindi/Rajasthani usage. This is the essence of it. I admit I do not have an exact understanding of all the terms, even though I know a few. But I recognise that the blending of which I spoke. This is the manner in which the entire text proceeds — evocative descriptions of the glitter of the darbar, eloquent recounting of a sanguine battle, quiet passages with an account of the music made and the poetry recited — and this is how the entire situation must have been. Between all this,chobdars and gunijans, darogas and tazimi sardars, keep weaving in and out. Whatever the outsider reader's problems may be — the text proceeds smoothly, following its own natural rhythm. For decoding some terms, I had to turn to Dr Bahura's helpful text. Some opaqueness persists but there also comes in, I need to add, some excitement because, as someone interested in painting, and, therefore, portraits, I begin to look at all these things with greater care. When I saw a portrait of Sawai Pratap Singh in the museum, I realised that I was seeing it with a different pair of eyes.

- The Tribune, November 14, 2010

At Rs 5 lakh a night, it is the most expensive hotel in the country, an ultimate destination for self-indulgence. If you want to experience the slice of regal splendour and feel the luxury that was once the exclusive preserve of Hyderabad rulers, you need to head for Taj Falaknuma Palace, a 117-year-old palace of Nizams converted into a 7-star hotel. It took 10 years of painstaking restoration efforts to convert the 19th century palace into an exclusive luxury hotel by Taj Group of hotels. Built in 1893, Falaknuma Palace, which means "mirror in the sky" in Urdu, is a majestic blend of Italian and Tudor architecture. The scorpion-shaped, all-marble majestic structure is located on the banks of Musi river, about five kms from the historic Charminar. It was the royal residence of Nizam Mehboob Ali Khan. An ultimate symbol of royalty and opulence, the palace was bought over by Taj Group of Hotels and restored to its past glory. The super luxury hotel, with 60 rooms, will be thrown open to customers on November 13, offering them a glimpse of the regal lifestyle. The grand presidential suite at the hotel will cost Rs 5 lakh per night, making it the most expensive palace hotel in the country. The suite will take you back in time and make you feel like relaxing in the private chambers of the Nizam, sitting in the splendid Durbar Hall that once hosted guests like King George V and Czar Nicholas II. The other rooms come with a price tag of Rs 33,000 per day, plus taxes. "We have ensured that it will be the experience of a lifetime as guests can experience enchanting moments of luxury while reliving chapters from the lives of the Nizams," said Ranjit Phillipose, General Manager, Taj Falaknuma Palace. The rooms and halls are decorated with ornate furniture, rich handcrafted tapestries and brocade from France. The interiors are a splendid interplay of Venetian chandeliers and intricate frescos, and have charming outdoor terraces, and a treasure of rare artefacts,including paintings, statues, furniture, manuscripts and books. The palace also has a 101-seat dining hall, considered the largest in the world, and the Durbar Hall, embellished with intricately carved wooden ceilings, parquet flooring, regal walnut wood furniture and handcrafted mirrors. "The palace was in a state of disuse. It took us nearly ten years to restore it to its past glory. We paid attention to every single item," Phillipose said. From the zanana wing for ladies to the gossip room - where the Nizam used to discuss the day's events with his family - every nook and corner of the palace has its own history. The Nizam's writing table, for instance, has a priceless Jacob diamond, which was once used as a paperweight. The Nizam's breakfast room has been converted into a conference room, an oasis of modernity in the century-old palace. The two halls in the 'Gole bungalow' have been transformed into restaurants serving Italian, Indian and Mediterranean cuisine, perhaps in deference to the architectural inspirations of the building. Though it is the fourth palace in the country which the Taj Group has converted to a luxury hotel, executives say Falaknuma stands out for its exclusive splendour and majesty. It was Nawab Vaqar-ul-Umra, the Nizam's prime minister, who built the palace. Impressed by its magnificence, the Nizam bought it for himself. Spread over 35 acres, the palace has many firsts to its name. It had the country's first GE refrigerator, first electrical switch board, first telephone exchange, first petrol pump, and first attached bathroom. Princess Esra Birgin, the first wife of Mukarram Jah, thescion of the Nizam family, played a key role in the restoration of the palace. Apart from 60 exquisite rooms and suites, the hotel offers an outdoor pool and the signature Jiva Spa of manicured gardens. These resplendent suites, which were once the private chambers of the Nizam, royal family and state guests, are beautifully detailed and complete with every modern comfort, from state of the art amenities to a personal butler.From the moment they arrive at the hotel's main entrance, the guests are given royal treatment. They are ferried on a "bagghi" (horse carriage). "Everything that we offer is luxury. The idea is to give a glimpse of a day in the life of Nizam," says an executive of the hotel.

- The Tribune, November 14, 2010

A visit to this paradise can divide your life into two halves ~ before and after Kashmir, writes Rangan Datta

It is said that the Eskimoes have a hundred synonyms for the word snow. Standing on the snow slopes of Gulmarg I wondered if the Kashmiris have more. It was early winter and the snow was yet to come in Srinagar, and the bare Chinar trees welcomed me to the valley. After spending a couple of days in a barren landscape and under an overcast sky I decided to head for Gulmarg. As my jeep gained altitude, patches of snow started appearing. Soon the patches grew bigger and bigger and by the time I reached Gulmarg (2653 m) it was snow, snow and more snow. It was my first visit to Kashmir and it felt like was in paradise. After checking in one of the numerous hotels and a quick brunch, I stepped out to explore the place. But I was soon surrounded by the sledge wallas. The sledges are nothing but an indigenous version of Kolkata's hand-pulled rickshaw, where you are carried along snow in a wooden carriage without wheels (like a piece of log) by a fellow human being. It was nothing adventurous and I decided to give the sledge ride a miss but the in the process probably denied a poor man his income. My first stop was the Rani Temple. Built in 1915 by Mohini Bai Sisodhia, wife of the last king of Kashmir Hari Singh, the temple is strategically located on a small hillock and is visible from every part of Gulmarg. I followed the snow covered slippery steps to the temple only to find it locked, but the view was incredible. Moving on, I headed for the J&K Tourism office. Located about 500 metres away, the British cottage styled building was totally covered with snow. But the office was open and the young tourist officer provided me not only with tourist brochures but also chalked out an itinerary for my one-and-half-days' stay in Gulmarg. Next to the tourism office is the Gulmarg Golf Club. The century old Gulmarg Golf Club is situated in a similar cottage. Bypassing it, I headed through the snow covered golf course to the St Mary's Church, located on a hillock overlooking the golf course. Built in 1902 the church contains some stained glass work. After a brief stop at the church, I made my way through the snow covered meadows, where the enthusiastic tourists try out their newly learnt skiing skills. I preferred to wander aimlessly to a hilltop, said to provide great views. It was late afternoon and by the time I reached the viewpoint, the clouds reigned supreme and it was all set to snow. I took a shortcut and made it to the warmth of my hotel room just before the snowfall began. The snow continued all evening and late into the night. Next morning I was greeted with the most spectacular sight. The snow had stopped and the skies had cleared. Without losing much time I went out with my camera. After a breakfast I headed for Gulmarg's prime attraction the Gondola Cable Car. As my four seater cable car started to move, I was rewarded with a spectacular view of the Gulmarg valley crowned with the eternal snow peaks of the Himalayas and Karakoram. The ride was short and I was soon in Kongdori (3045m), where there was more snow. I walked past the frozen seven springs, known for seven natural outlets of water, and headed for Khilanmarg. Located 4 km away Khilanmarg is known for its breathtaking views of snow peaks extending all the away to Pakistan. But within a kilometre the snow reached well above my knee and I was forced back to Kongdori, from where I took the cable car back to Gulmarg. Now it was time for home. As I retraced my steps back to Srinagar, I was reminded of a line from J&K Tourism Brochure "They say a visit to Kashmir can divide your life into two halves – before & after Kashmir." Calcutta – Jammu: Jammu Tawi or Himgiri Express (Sleeper Calss Fare Rs514) Jammu – Srinagar: Jeep (Fare Rs 300, subject to bargaining, Time 6 hrs) Srinagar – Gulmarg: Jeeps Batmol (in Srinagar) – Tanmarg (Rs50, 45 mins) Bus Tanmarg – Gulmarg (Rs10, 10 mins) Places to stay: Numerous hotels of all budget starting from Rs400 (aprox.) Places to eat: Apart from restaurants there are numerous road side eateries. Getting around: In winter sledge (charges about Rs100 / hr, subject to bargaining) & walking are the only options. In winter the Cable Car operates up to Kongdori (Rs 300 for round trip)

- The Statesman, November 14, 2010

Swati Das discovers the fine art of traditional tile-making at Athangudi that complements the palatial havelis in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu

They give you an impression of a polished oxide floor when adorned in plain colours and brighten up your house when designed. Like wine, they age wonderfully with time and the more you walk on them, the more they shine. But you'd be fooling yourself if you believe that these are oxide or ceramic floors. These are Athangudi tiles, the jewel of Chettinad village. It is a well-preserved and an authentic art straight from the land that is an epitome of luxurious living. The tiles still complement the palatial homes that the Nattukkottai Chettiyars or Nagarathas built, importing the best of building material from overseas in the beginning of the 20th century. Back then special makers were brought in from Europe and the locals adopted the art. But what makes these tiles special and unique is the use of the soil and the water of Athangudi village. They are made by mixing soil with cement and chemical paints. The process seems so easy that you may want to jump into making these pieces of art yourself. At present, there are about 50 units, falling under the Karaikudi block of Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, involved in this small scale industry. It is surprising to see how small units spring up at every nook and corner of this village, producing tiles, one better than the other. We visit one such place at Vinayagar. Its owner, VR Shanmugam, has been making these tiles for the last 40 years and is now supported by his three sons. "It is the wari mannu (sand from rain-washed mounds) and the use of water from the temple ponds here that make these tiles unique. We used chemical paints from ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries, originally a British company) but it is no longer available in the market so we now use Nerolac instead," says Shanmugam while he instructs his two workers to carry out a few errands. Shanmugam takes me on a tour of his workshop and the process of making these colourful tiles. He starts off by describing how the reddish sand and clay are quarried from the mounds surrounding gullies formed by rainwater. He says this gives the tiles a glazed finish. The sand strained into fine powder is used along with the paints, cement and baby jelly. The sweet and clear water of the two temples — Lognayagi Amman (village deity) and Sivan (Shiva) — is used for manufacturing these tiles. The use of white and black in line drawings and designs is traditional. The other earthy colours include red, yellow, blue and green. If you notice, the designs are usually floral. The artist starts with a glass cast plate around which a square frame of three-four inches is placed. A metal design mould is then put inside the frame and on the glass. Thick paint of different colours is poured into different grooves of the design mould. The frame is then lifted along with the glass and gently shaken to even out the paint. As the thick paint settles into a design, the mould is taken off and a layer of sand is sprinkled on it. Cement jelly is then filled over the sand. More sand is then sprinkled over the cement and levelled with a flat square wood. Using the same wood to hold the moulded tile on the glass plate down, the frame is taken off. The tile with the glass plate on the painted side is left to dry for a day. The next day, the dried tile is submerged in water tubs and left for curing. After four days, the tile, with glass plate still stuck to the paint, is taken out and placed on the racks to dry in the sun for one or two weeks. Once dried, the glass cast plate is peeled off the paint side of the tile. It is now ready for use. At times, the designs are done with hand after placing the blobs of thick paint on the glass plate and without using a mould. "We make tiles based on orders. For the smaller ones, we charge Rs 30 per sq ft and for the big ones, Rs 32 per sq ft. To make a design, the mould itself costs Rs 3,000," informs Shanmugam who is assisted by 10 craftsmen to create these tiles. He proudly takes me to the Periya Pillayar Koil Temple at the end of the road where his thatch roofed units are located. A huge grin appears as he tells me that the flooring and lower portion of the front area of this temple is laid with the tiles made in his units. My next destination is the Azhanmanai village where the owners of a 200-year-old Thyagarajan Chettiyar House laid plain alternating red and black tiles. The owner of the house, A Palaniyappan Chettiyar, shows me a portion of the floor made with cement, and is shining. He points out that the use of sand in the locality gave the tiles that polished effect. "In fact, with use and friction, the cement becomes more polished," he says. Similar is the case with Athangudi tiles whose shine increases with use. Initially, the floors were cleaned with husk but now a cotton mop with a few drops of coconut oil in water has been put to use and helps maintain the sheen. Experts believe that curing and subsequent drying in the sun for longer periods make the tiles stronger and textured. "We have innovated because of the demand by people who want modern designs," says Shanmugam. After making these tiles, one needs to be cautious about laying them on the floor. This again is a special technique where the cement packing under the tile needs to be thick enough to settle under the uneven base of the tile and to set them together evenly. Besides being an artist, Shanmugam is a true entrepreneur, too, as his business does not end at just tiles as is the case of other unit owners. He deals with old Japanese tiled Chettinad furniture, intricately designed doors of Chettinad houses and old curios. In his unit stands one main door with heavily worked frame, waiting to be restored to its original grandeur. "Once redone, a door like this can fetch a minimum of Rs 30,000," he says. Shanmugam banks on the income the visiting tourists who are ready to shell out the greens to witness of making these extraordinary creations. Along with tile units, timber merchants are abound Athangudi so one can easily term it is an artist's village. Since we are already in the land of Chettinad, there is no way I am going to miss the grand houses which were once a sign of prosperity, something they portray with elan. I enter one such house where the decorative floral tiles from Japan adorn the floor — Burma teak beams and pillars, elaborately designed broad framed doors, tiles and mirror set doors, ceilings adorned colourfully with either tile-setting, metal decorative or Kerala woodwork, Italian marble flooring mixed with Spanish or Athangudi tiles, grand courtyards and verandas; hundred odd rooms, banquette halls, hand painted murals and tempera works on the walls, borders and windows; colourful stain-glasses on windows and arches to provide a riot of colours when the sun filters through them, Belgian mirrors, English steel grills and pillars, Swiss chandeliers and European furniture. As most of these historic mansions are in a dilapidated condition with the paint having peeled off and dust settled on wood engravings due to lack of maintenance, some are inhabited. Only a few, however, have been converted into hotels by their owners so that the visitors, can experience the grandeur of these mansions by booking a room here. The Athangudi tiles sure add colour to these historic mansions and act as the window to its rich glorious past. The village of Athangudi can easily by addressed as an artisan's paradise for the sheer beauty it has preserved for years.

- The Pioneer, November 14, 2010

A three-month long exhibition documents the tangible and intangible heritage of the Capital over centuries

Sometimes curious school students or art and history scholars, but more often a stray art gallery visitor strolls into the two large halls at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) to discover an intriguing story of Delhi. Elaborate panels and life size exhibits narrate the history of Delhi spanning across 1,000 years spread over the large empty echoing halls. A three-month long exhibition that was inaugurated last month — Delhi: A Living Heritage — is part of a concerted effort towards documenting the tangible and intangible heritage of the Capital over centuries. But despite being a promising compilation, it has been unable to draw visitors. Organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and supported by the World Monument Fund's Sustainable Tourism Initiative and the IGNCA, the exhibition is an attempt towards showcasing Delhi as a Heritage City. "We are short of funds and haven't been able to spread the word about the exhibition. But this comes as a crucial attempt in compiling the history of the city and to infuse a sense of pride among the people. This is a first step towards documenting and presenting a comprehensive picture of the Capital's heritage. The idea is to work along with the government bodies and apply for the UNESCO World Heritage City status," says AGK Menon, Convenor, Delhi Chapter, INTACH. "We are also in the process of publishing a book based on the exhibition called, Delhi: A Living Heritage." The exhibition stitches together various strands from Delhi's narrative. Like how in 1639, more than three quarters of a century after Akbar had moved the Capital of the Mughal empire from Delhi to Agra, his grandson Shah Jahan decided to shift it back to Delhi. A new city was built and named Shahjahanabad after its founder. While Shahjahanabad was undoubtedly inspired by accounts of the magnificence of the Iranian ruler Shah Abbas Isfahan, rules for architecture laid down in the ancient Hindu text, Vastu Shastra also played a big role in determining the overall layout of the city. Interactive panels complemented by information panels and life size exhibits narrate the history of Delhi across the Ancient, Sultanate, Mughal, Colonial and Post-Colonial periods. The information flows easily and attracts the visitor as it talks of the origin of crafts, dance, theatre and performing arts and cuisine in the Capital. Kiosks featuring the life size exhibits portraying the Ghantewala Confectioners, Gote wala and ittar shops, men and women in a qawwali performance are images that promise to stay with the visitor. The Natural and Built Heritage sections individually chart out what the journey of the Capital through sprawling charbaghs and gardens dating back to the Mughal era to the post colonial congestion. The last section is one that spells hope as INTACH gives out details on how the World heritage City status could become a reality. The Heritage Route project will integrate the old and the new as it takes visitors from the Humayun's Tomb to the Red Fort, using clean energy shuttle buses, improved information centers and environmentally responsible street furniture and lighting along the way' and the pilot project between Humayun's Tomb and Red Fort, is drawing out the way ahead.

- Indian Express, November 14, 2010

Ismail Khatri's creations of Ajrakh, an art that has been practised for generations, are some of the finest creations. They will be showcased at an exhibition, KAMALA, organised by the Crafts Council of India, in Chennai next month.

Think moonless, think midnight, think darkness… the star spangled sky, against a stark blue-black background. This is what ajrakh, meaning blue in Arabic, is likened to. It is the synergy between handloom textiles and vegetable dyes that creates magic. The introduction of chemical dyes led to the decline of natural dyes towards the end of the nineteenth century. Ajrakh printing, using natural dyes is one of the oldest techniques of resist printing in India and is one of the most complex and sophisticated methods of printing. It is said that the word could have come from " aaj rakh" (keep it for the day) The longer the wait between each process, the finer the result.

History and legend

Legend goes that ajrakh printers were descendants of Rama's sons Lava and Kusha. The king of Kutch brought them over to his barren uninhabited land, along with dyers, printers, potters and embroiderers. The dyers were Khatri Brahmins. Two generations later they converted to Islam and settled in Dhamadka. This place was devastated by severe earthquakes twice which caused the artisans to shift to Ajrakpur 12 kilometres from Bhuj. The ajrakh makers claim that their craft harks back to early medieval times. Scraps of printed fragments which were believed to originate from Western India, were unearthed at Fostat near Cairo. The finest samples were printed in Sind (now Pakistan) but traditions are maintained in Kutch, in Khavda and Dhamadka and Barmer in Rajasthan. A few Khatri families use the ajrakh method of printing. Mohammad Siddique whose forefathers migrated from Dhado village of Sind, Pakistan, belongs to the community. The Siddique family belongs to the ninth generation of the makers of ajrakh in Dhamadka. Ismail Mohammed Khatri, brother of Razzaque Mohammed Khatri will work on the ajrakh prints which will be displayed at the Crafts Council of India's exhibition of revival of heritage textiles in December. With almost 200 traditional geometric and floral designs, the Khatris plan to put together a design directory. Ajrakh printed cotton is traditionally worn by the pastoral Maldhari community. Apart from pagdis and lungis the women wear printed skirts, and use the ajrakh fabric as bed covers to line cradles for babies. Every colour tells a story and the design images the status. The Khatris have developed a feel for the contemporary market and now ajrakh yardage, kurta sets, furnishings, scarves can be bought. A remarkable feature of ajrakh printing is that on a single fabric, using the same design, resist printing is combined with other printing and dyeing techniques. The whole process is repeated on both sides of the fabric in perfect cohesion, which calls for unsurpassed skill. Ajrakh uses mud-resist in the various stages and another unique feature is that the dyeing and printing is repeated twice on the fabric to ensure brilliance of colour. Superimposing the repeats is done so perfectly that the clarity is sharpened. To identify ajrakh one needs to look for fabric with a background of red or blue (though other vegetable dye colours like yellow and green have been introduced) Traditionally four colours were used red (alizarin), blue (indigo), black (iron acetate) white (resist). The ajrakh makers believe that the printed fabric has warm and cool colours which steady the body temperature… blue is cooling and red is warm.

Intricacies

The printing blocks have to be very finely chiselled and by experts in the field. A set of three blocks create a dovetailing effect which finally results in the design. The white cotton cloth is placed in a copper container with water and soda ash, then steamed to soften it and washed in running water preferably in a river. Soap is applied to it as it is spread over a large cauldron of water. It is then dipped in a mixture of oils, squeezed out and kept overnight. The fabric is washed out the next day and soaked in a mixture of powdered sakun seeds and oil and dried again after which it acquires a dull beige colour. The specially designed blocks are used to print the fabric in gum using an outline block. The second line of printing which is kat printing gives a black colour using a solution of ferrous sulphate and ground seeds. When it is dyed in alizarine it turns black. After the third printing with a resist made of natural elements the fabric is dyed in indigo. The fabric is washed, and dyed in alizarine which produces the red colour in the areas which were covered initially by resist. The second dyeing is in indigo to produce another shade of blue. After this the final wash consists of successive washing in soda ash then in water where detergent is added and then in running water which results in a luminous and beautiful product. Today the preparation has been scaled down with short cut methods as no one has the time to go into such laborious procedures. But then the intricacy and delicacy of lines are sacrificed. Inclusion of chemical dyes diffuses the quality of the colours. Today the scarcity of water has interfered with the production. The natural products used of late are gums, oil, clay lime, sakun seeds and molasses. Ajrakh is an example of textile printing in which natural dyes are used. Previously many kinds of vegetable dyes were prevalent in our country and put to use. Rather than allow the ecological balance to tilt due to the use of chemical dyes it is necessary to relate to nature and explore plant resources. Dr. Ismail Mohammed Khatri was taught the traditional craft of ajrakh printing by his father, and today his work is acclaimed internationally. In 2002 he presented workshops and lectures at the Iowa Color Congress; in 2003 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. Ismail participated in the Resurgence Exhibition of the Manly Council in Australia, in 2003 showcasing work specially designed to reflect the post-earthquake situation. Ismail and his brother Razzaque attended the UNESCO conference on Natural Dyes held in Hyderabad, India, in 2006.

The Exhibition

Crafts Council of India's exhibition KAMALA a heritage textile craft revival will showcase Ismail Khatri's signature ajrak prints along with reproductions of some of the finest heritage textiles on December 16 and 17 at the Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai www.craftscouncilofindia.org

- The Hindu, November 14, 2010

Two of the three rarest species of vultures, listed as "critically endangered" and included in the Red data list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), would now be reared in an upcoming ex-situ (captive breeding) conservation site at Muta in Jharkhand. IUCN, the oldest and largest global environmental network globally, is also the world's main authority on the conservation status of species. The Central Zoo Authority recently granted Rs 41 lakh to the State for the project. According to BS Bonal, Member Secretary Central Zoo Authority of India, the two of these three rare species include White Rumped Vulture (Gyps Bengalensis) and Long-Billed Vulture (Gyps Indicus), whose population has come down drastically by 95 per cent-97 per cent across the country. Vulture is to the bird kingdom what tiger is to the animal kingdom, both being the highest form of carnivores. "The alarming decline of vulture population may upset the food pyramid, these raptors being positioned topmost," Bonal said. The three other vulture conservation centres are in Pinjore in Haryana, Buxa in West Bengal and Ranipur in Assam. After Jharkhand, another one is in the pipeline in Madhya Pradesh, where the site is yet to be selected. "Hazaribagh in Jharkhand is also the natural home to these birds. We have spotted about 23 nesting sites in and on the periphery of the district with a population of about 163 birds," says AK Mishra, DFO Wildlife (Ranchi and Hazaribagh) and in-charge of the vulture project. "The tall eucalyptus trees that are believed to have no environmental value are actually their ideal habitats," he said. The standing branches and height of the trees help the vultures perch comfortably on them and build their nests. Unfortunately, the tree is banned in Jharkhand. Hazaribagh, however, has been fortunate enough to have surviving eucalyptus trees which are about 70 years old. "This may be cited as an important reason for the survival of these rare species of vultures here," points out Mishra. The White-rumped Vulture, also called White-backed or Bengal Vulture, was till 1991 a common breeding resident, but is now a rare visitor. It is a typical vulture, with only down feathers on the head and neck, broad wings and short tail feathers, and white neck ruff. The Long-billed Vulture, on the other hand, has a bald head, but again with very broad wings and short tail feathers. Both the species are essentially scavengers, feeding mostly on carcasses of animals which they find around human habitation. They often move in flocks. A very distinct feature of these birds is that they are slow breeders, laying just one egg at a time. "We would rear at least 20 pairs, 10 of each species," informed Mishra, adding that the baby birds aged above 45 days would be released at the site. "It would be easier to procure them, considering that their natural nesting sites happen to exist in the nearby district of Hazaribagh," he added.

Killer drug

According to experts, a common reason cited for the extinction of these vultures is the killer drug Diclofenac. A study by the Bombay Natural History Society has stated that the vultures of the genus Gyps die of consumption of this non-steroidal anti-inflammatory veterinary drug, which is given as painkiller to cattle and used routinely to treat livestock. A dose of 0.13-0.75 per cent Diclofenac, which is found present in carcasses of cattle, is lethal for the vultures. By eating the carcasses of these cattle, the vultures suffer severe kidney and liver damage, ultimately resulting in their death.

- The Pioneer, November 15, 2010

Our visit to the Red Fort was a memorable experience. The monument is surrounded by vast vegetation, and there's more greenery inside it. We were met by a lady who gave a vast description of its history and various constituent buildings. Conceptualised by Shah Jahan in the1640s, it took nine years to build the magnificent monument of red sandstone and white marble. We saw the area where Akbar resides, and his throne. Channels of water ran through the entire area, giving it a cooling effect. The pavilions are covered with heavy khus mat curtains in the summer and quilt in the winter. Beautiful designs are carved on the marble structures, and one of them is even covered with gold, making everything look very picturesque. In all, the experience was a good one as such kind of art can be seen nowhere else – considering that 90 per cent of Mughal establishments were destroyed during the British rule. Though the area reportedly looks different from how it originally did, our guide gave us a sneak peek of how it must have actually appeared in the ancient days. Varan Beriwal, XI In spite of being a Delhiite for 17 years, I never got a chance to visit the Red Fort. I want to express my utmost gratitude for all my teachers as well as the Indian Express for giving me a chance to savour such a splendid experience. Lal Qila is an architectural masterpiece and one of the most haunting spots for tourists from India as well as abroad. Through the visit, we came to know many things about Delhi's history. We also met lots of tourists, mostly foreigners. It felt wonderful to see foreigners showing so much interest in our heritage and culture. Gaurav Soni, XI Being an educational trip, I expected the historical walk to be boring. But contrary to my expectations, it was full of fun and adventure. I gained a lot of knowledge as well. In fact, I was feeling quite excited when I reached the UNESCO designated world heritage site. The fort, based on Mughal architecture, is a unique blend of Persian, European and Indian art. Although the 17th-century fort was targeted by terrorists in December 2000, some of its buildings are in fairly good shape and boast of undisturbed decorative elements. However, none of them contained water. Diwan-i-khas, zenana and nahr-i-behisht were some of the important structures inside the fort, besides Bazaar Street and Chatta Chowk. I was happy to see that the fort had kept its charm intact all through the years. I had a truly great time visiting the monument. Ashima Talwani, XI Don't you relish a splendid experience, especially if it follows a really tiring walk? Don't you wish that the experience never ends? I got the same feeling on the day I visited the Red Fort for a heritage walk. Though I thought at first that it will be a very boring experience, I thought why not give my boring life a chance to experience something nice? I was amazed to see how the monument had been beautifully carved out from red sandstone. We first saw the Chatta Bazaar. Next came the Diwan-I-Aam, where the emperor used to sit and pass judgements. Then we saw the emperor's chamber, called the Rang Mahal. The open chamber used to be covered with khas to keep it cool during the summer. One thing that went unnoticed by all my other classmates but came to my notice was that the bunkers made by the Britishers were still there, though they had destroyed 90 per cent of the fort. Then our journey came to an end. Vanshul Pali, XI As a lover of history, I was very excited to visit one of the most famous monuments in Delhi, the Red Fort. The minute I reached there, I was spellbound to see and hear the history behind the monument and everything related to the structure. The best part was that even though so many years had passed, Red Fort still hadn't lost that feeling of greatness. Also, I felt good that foreigners were taking an interest in our history. The Red Fort was originally termed as the Qila-i-Mubarak. And there were little things about the monument that I would never have gotten to know, if it weren't for our wonderful guide. I think that even if one doesn't have a soft spot for historical monuments, he/she should visit Qila-i-Mubarak. Because, I can assure you that after visiting it, you will become a lover of history, just like me. Vidushi Khanna, XI The Red Fort, situated in Chandni Chowk, is one of the largest monuments in Old Delhi. Built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1638, it is a unique piece of work. It felt great visiting the monument as part of the heritage walk. I actually got to know many new facts that I was unaware of. The entrance to the fort is through the imposing Chatta Bazar, also known as the Meena Bazar, which happened to be the shopping centre for ladies of the court. Just beyond the Chatta Bazar lies the heart of the fort, called Naubat Khana .Our guide told us that musicians used to play for the emperor from the Naubat Khana and the arrival of princes and royalty was heralded from here. We also saw the Diwan-e-Aam, where the emperor would sit and hear complaints lodged by the commonfolk .We even saw the Diwan-e-Khas, a hall where the emperor held private meetings. At the centre of this hall, made of marble, used to be the Peacock Throne – which was carried away to Iran by Nadir Shah in 1739. The other attractions within the monument are the royal baths, the Shahi Burj, Moti Masjid and Rang Mahal. I am proud to be a part of the country where such magnificent structures exist.It is truly a peaceful haven that helps one take a break from the frantic pace of life. Shrinkhla Sharma, XI B On October 30, we went on a heritage walk to the Red Fort, organised by The Indian Express, and it did a lot to expand our knowledge. The students of St Mark's School with the guide, Swapna, accompanied us on the walk and told us everything about the monument. We came across many pavilions, courtyards and offices, including Diwan-e-Khaas, Diwan-e-Aam, Nahr-e-Bashisht and Chatta Chowk. Unfortunately, we could not see some of the places that had either been destroyed during revolts in the past or prohibited for entry by visitors as they were studded with semi-precious stones. They had made everything just perfect, suitable for all kinds of weather conditions. We found it strange that though the Mughals were invaders of India, they had a tradition that was similar to the India of ancient times. Women were given the right of way in narrow passages and – on occasions – told to remain behind curtains. Even the younger members of the royal family would not sit till the time the elders were seated, an act of showing respect. I would like to thank the Archaeological Department of India as they have restored the past glory of the monument at many places. This one-of-a-kind heritage walk was a good experience as it gave me the opportunity to learn more about the country's rich heritage and take pride in being a part of such a country. Rajeshwari Bansal, XI C It was on a lazy yet exciting morning that I woke up to an opportunity to visit the historic Red Fort, as part of a heritage walk organised by the Indian Express. We visited the Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-i-Aam, Rang Mahal, among others. The experience was further heightened by our guide, who explained the significance of the monuments in detail – thus expanding our knowledge. We learnt that water from the Yamuna river used to be diverted into the Rang Mahal Palace to keep it cool during the summer, and people used to sleep on carpets along the channel.We had a blast, clicking and posing for pictures, marvelling at the beauty of the place, and meeting up with lots of foreign tourists! Finally, it was a trip that made me feel proud to be an Indian; one I could never forget Samarth Garg, XI A

- Indian Express, November 15, 2010

With water gently lapping in the breeze at Sultanpur lake, which was just a barren piece of land a few months ago, the surrounding area is also on revival mode. Five months after the 'lake' had nothing more to show than animal carcasses and amphibian and avian skeletons, life can be seen prancing around here much to the rejoice of animal lovers. The lake is now full of tranquil water and fish, birds and other animals can be seen frolicking around. Earlier in June, the sole inhabitants here were toads jumping from one dry crack to another, and stray cattle from neighbouring villages. Now, the sight of over 250 species of resident and migratory birds and antelopes (such as Blue Bulls and black bucks) can be enjoyed at the Sultanpur Park, a well-known bird sanctuary near Gurgaon in Haryana. The place is a haven for migratory birds and wildlife. In June, there were two 20ftx20ft puddles of water, packed with hundreds of dying fish. More horrifying was the sight of dead African black fish, with their rotting yellow scales amid the muddy water. However, the efforts made by the park authorities since and a good monsoon have borne rich dividends and the lake is now full of water. "We have carried out a number of development works at the sanctuary, including construction of mounds and widening of paths. Four tubewells have also been dug up. More trees, which are popular with the birds, are being planted and four watch towers set up to enjoy bird-watching," said Gurgaon wildlife inspector Saeed Khan. Among the more than 250 avian species found at the sanctuary, birds from Siberia, Europe and Afghanistan can be seen. Thanking the media for highlighting the sorry state of affairs at the park earlier, a park employee said, "Nahi to itna kuch badlav nahi hota aur yeh ghonsla khatam ho gaya hota." The Sultanpur lake is the lifeline of Gurgaon's Sultanpur National Park and Bird Sanctuary, spread over nearly 90 per cent of the 359-acre park. Since 2000, the canal has been the lake's biggest water provider, besides the monsoon. The canal, owned by the Haryana Government's irrigation department, could not supply water to the lake after February this year.

- The Pioneer, November 19, 2010

Doordarshan is telecasting a 26-episode television documentary series -- "The Forts of India" -- showcasing the rich legacy of forts and fortified cities in the country. The first episode of the series was telecast on November 14 highlighting the Chittorgarh Fort. The series goes on the air on Sundays at 8-30 p.m. on DD National. The next episode on November 21 will focus on the Daulatabad Fort in Maharashtra. The other forts covered by the series include the ones at Agra, Bundi, Fatehpur Sikri, Jaisalmer, Ranthambhor, Jhansi, Gwalior, Patiala, Jodhpur, Gingee, Golconda, Bijapur, Bidar and Mandu. The series will culminate on May 8 with Delhi's Red Fort. The documentary series has been conceived by G.S. Chani, Gyandev Singh and Pushpesh Pant. The documentary makers say the series was inspired by the idea that forts are not merely a subject of specialist interest but are of significance to students of military history or architecture. Each episode takes a long lingering look at the building and highlights the prominent landmarks or characteristic features of the fort. The makers claim that an imaginative recreation of the past supplements the historical narrative utilising folk forms prevalent in the region where the fort stands. The story of the fort is told in the "local voice". When the episode focuses on Golconda it is "Barra Katha", the traditional folk theatre form in that part of Andhra Pradesh, which narrates the story of the fort and its protagonists. The Golconda episode will feature the poetic compositions of Quli Qutab Shah to bring to life the romance between him and Bhagmati. "Shooting the documentary has been the experience of our lifetimes. Our rigorous research spread across many universities, museums and other institutions has ensured exceptional authenticity to our production," say Mr. Chani, Mr. Singh and Dr. Pant. The trio state that the story of a fort cannot be restricted to the narrative of battles, victories and defeat. "These have been an integral part of the life of our people and continue to do so. These compounds have for generations reverberated with soulful singing, graceful dancing and joyous celebrations in which the general population participated enthusiastically."

- The Hindu, November 19, 2010

Chief Minister PK Dhumal unveiled a 15-ft statue of Rani Lakshmi Bai at the Rani Jhansi Park, here today. The three-tonne statue of the crusader of freedom movement Rani Lakshmi Bai has been raised as a mark of respect to the freedom fighter who revolted against the British regime. The statue has been sculpted by Faqir Charan Parida of Haridwar at a cost of Rs 26 lakh. Speaking on the occasion, Dhumal said the government would explore the possibility of raising a memorial of freedom fighters from Shimla district in the park as a tribute to the great warriors who laid down their lives for the country. He said the Department of Language, Art and Culture was compiling the data of the freedom fighters district wise so that the future generations could draw inspiration from the sacrifice made by their ancestors. He said light and sound system would be installed to highlight the heritage park that would give boost to heritage tourism. The Chief Minister said Himachal was a land of valiant soldiers who had made supreme sacrifices for the nation and the government had set up memorials dedicated to freedom fighters and martyrs at various places. He also inaugurated the main gate to the park.

- The Tribune, November 19, 2010

For the first time,visitors can catch the 19th-century photographers work, spanning three decades, at an exhibition at IGNCA.

Three decades of work of the 19th-century photographer, Raja Deen Dayal, has been displayed for the public at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) for the first time. The vintage collection includes his early documentation of heritage monuments in central India in the mid-1800 s to his photographic sojourn in the Nizams dominions towards the turn of the 20th century. The IGNCA archive has 2,857 glassplate negatives in its collection out of which more than 200 photographic reproductions have been displayed for visitors in the exhibition. The exhibition is being held at the newly opened twin gallery at IGNCA. The pictures on display represent a cross section of Deen Dayals photographic career spanning three decades. One of the countrys largest art galleries, which was earlier just a storage dump,is being dedicated to the exhibition, said professor Jyotindra Jain, member-secretary of IGNCA and curator of the exhibition. Deen Dayals penchant for photography dates back to 1854 when he was studying civil engineering in Roorkee. Photography was then introduced as a subject in the college and he immediately felt drawn towards it. In his first major work, he documented monuments of architectural heritage in central India. In the years that followed, he worked as the official photographer of several viceroys, and from 1885 onwards, he was a photographer at the court of the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad where he remained till his death in 1905.It was during the time he worked as a photographer at the court of the Nizam that he reached the zenith of his career. The title of Raja was conferred on him in 1984 by the Nizam. Some of the unique photographs that are on display at the exhibition include rear view of the palace on lake, Udaipur (1882); Red Forts Diwan-e-Khas (1885); Writers Building in Kolkata (1900); Nizam of Hyderabad with his three daughters (1890); shikar expeditions of the Nizam of Hyderabad (1894); temple chariot in north/central India (1901),etc. The images were carefully selected keeping in mind the aesthetic value and originality of the pictures. Though only about 200 photographs are on display, visitors can see all the 2,800-plus pictures from Deen Dayals inimitable collection in a film that is being played at all hours, said an IGNCA official. All the 220 images displayed at the exhibition are digital reproductions of bromide silver photographs produced by the Raja Deen Dayal and Sons studio between 1988-89 and visually correspond to the 2857 glass-plate negatives that now form a part of the IGNCA collection. The current selection is drawn from a total of 300 images reproduced from the Raja Deen Dayal Studio Archives at IGNCA and the rest will form a part of the reserve for future exhibitions, added Jain. Officials added that collections comprising Dayals vintage photographic prints are now scattered all over the world. It was in August,1989, that IGNCAs cultural division acquired Dayals studio archives from his family in Hyderabad at a cost of Rs 19 lakh. The photographs today are worth several crores, say experts.

- The Times of India, November 20, 2010

Delhi is like no other capital in the world. There's archaeological proof that parts of it have been lived in for at least 6,000 years. In the last 1,000 years it's witnessed continuous building, some of it in an imperial scale. It's got an impressive variety of flora and fauna. There are songs and foods typical to the city. Yet, bafflingly, our capital doesn't feature among the 220 'World Heritage cities' listed by Unesco. "It's a vacuum of our imagination," says A G Krishna Menon, urban planner and convenor of the Delhi chapter of the Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), an NGO. Since 1998, Menon has been at the forefront of the process of earning the tag. Now comes 'Delhi, A Living Heritage' — a Rs 1-crore exhibition put together by Intach and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). Through 150 printed panels, six interactive kiosks, five scale models and seven three-dimensional models, the show provides a sweeping view of the capital's tangible and intangible heritage. It's not just meant for moving ahead the case for the heritage status; it's also meant to "form the core of a city museum" whose idea is being seeded, says Menon. Chief minister Sheila Dikshit is seized of the idea. She says, "I want an 'active' museum, with events, changing artefacts... We have seen some places and maybe the abandoned premises of the Delhi Industrial Corporation behind the old Secretariat can be used for it." Jyotindra Jain, member-secretary of IGNCA and one who's credited for making the Crafts Museum one of the most attractive ones in the city, says: "A Delhi museum would need a huge space — including some for storage — and 7-10 years to plan and build." For now, does the current exhibition live up to the mandate? Even after you ignore the spelling errors, the lifeless human models, and unfriendly jargon on some of the kiosks, there are some serious questions to answer. Sohail Hashmi, a writer of Delhi's old and new histories who'd rather be called "a potterer among ruins", points out to the first panel. It implicitly claims the Mahabharata as historical text and tries to link the diggings at Humayun's Dinpanah to Indraprastha. "I've seen the archaeological work in the 1960s... There's nothing that historically proves the link," says Hashmi. Swapna Liddle, co-convenor of Intach who wrote the text, agrees but says the text isn't biased. The diorama on qawwals makes them wear black achkans and hands them a sitar — both off the mark, says Hashmi. The information on street food fed into a kiosk leaves one high and dry. Liddle herself rues the lack of any film clips or sounds of the city. The best parts include a section on music on the intangible heritage kiosk, panels on landscaping, education and early settlements, and the view of our changing natural heritage. The Delhi museum maybe some way off. But the heritage bid maybe submitted by the end of 2010. Among various things, it requires a "sense of history" among the city's denizens. This show could be a good starting point.

- Hindustan Times, November 20, 2010

An exhibition on Lucknow, to be held in Los Angeles from next month, has got the descendants of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the last king of Oudh, up in arms. Hemchhaya De finds out why

A battle royal seems to lie on the horizon for Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's descendants in India and abroad. The members of the erstwhile royal family say they have been given short shrift by the organisers of an international exhibition on Lucknow, which will be held in Los Angeles from December 12 to February 27 and will then move to Paris. "None of our family members has been invited to the event, which will revolve around our ancestors. We were not informed about it in any way. We consider it an affront to our dignity," says Shahabzada Wasif Mirza, president, Oudh (Awadh) Royal Family Association, which comprises about 100 families scattered around the world. The exhibition is being organised by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), one of the most venerated cultural institutes in the art world. Titled India's Fabled City: The Art of Courtly Lucknow, the event is being hailed as the first major international event of its kind that is completely devoted to bringing to a global audience the artistic traditions of Lucknow, which was the capital of Awadh (modern-day Uttar Pradesh). Around 200 art objects — some of them reportedly sourced from Victoria & Albert museum in London — including paintings, vintage photographs, textiles and jewellery, will be on display at the exhibition. Through the art works, the sovereign as well as the colonial history of the region will be explored. What's more, Satyajit Ray's Shatranj ke Khiladi, set in the time of Wajid Ali Shah's dwindling hold on power in Awadh, will be screened at the beginning of the exhibition. "The information pertaining to the exhibition came from years of serious scholarship by the curators of the south and southeast Asian department of the museum," says Barbara Pflaumer, associate vice-president of communications, LACMA. But the descendants of Wajid Ali Shah are not impressed. As Wasif Mirza points out, "We do appreciate the fact an exhibition on our forefathers is being organised on such a grand scale. But shouldn't the family be a part of it? Perhaps, the organisers haven't done their homework properly." He adds that LACMA could have easily traced the family in Calcutta. "After his kingdom was annexed by the British in1856, Wajid Ali Shah moved to Calcutta and he was buried in the city," says the septuagenarian. His sentiments are echoed by S.A. Sadiq and Sahro Nawab, descendants of Wajid Ali Shah based in Lucknow and Louiseville, Kentucky, respectively. "We could have taken care of our own travel expenses. But for courtesy's sake, LACMA should have extended an invitation to the family," says Sadiq, former principal of the Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (under Aligarh Muslim University). "This is the first time that Lucknow is being put on the world map. So the family members in the US at least could have been informed," says Sahro, who moved to the US several decades ago. The LA exhibition is, of course, significant as it is the first time that Lucknow has reached the international stage. According to sources, a large and expensive catalogue has been produced and grants have been provided for the exhibition by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Southern Asian Art Council. Incidentally, some Indian artistes will be performing during the exhibition in Los Angeles. There will be a kathak (a dance form patronised by Wajid Ali Shah) recital in January by Bhairavi Kumar, and a performance by tabla maestro Swapan Chaudhuri in February. There will also be a lecture titled "Listening to the Courtesan — The Soundscapes of Pakeezah", examining the acclaimed soundtrack of the Hindi film depicting a Muslim courtesan, Sahibjaan. The lecture will be delivered by Aparna Sharma, a filmmaker, film theorist and assistant professor in the department of world arts and cultures at UCLA. Wajid Ali Shah's descendants say that often the Awadh Nawabs are painted in a negative light by scholars and historians. "We as family members try to ensure that our ancestors are never misrepresented or vilified. For instance, it's often thought that Nawab Wajid Ali was more interested in pursuing leisurely activities than in defending his kingdom against the British," says Wasif Mirza. "Hence it would make sense if any real member of the family is present during an international event such as this one." Scholars say that historical opinion on Wajid Ali Shah is indeed sharply divided. "None of the British Government officials, or later British writers, could say anything good about him. They all thought he was a degenerate, not fit to rule Awadh, and that he wasted his money on building palaces and holding extravagant theatrical events," says Rosie Llewellyn Jones, author of a number of books on Lucknow like Portraits in Princely India: 1700-1900(2008) and A Fatal Friendship – The Nawabs, The British and The City of Lucknow (1999). "Indian writers, on the other hand, see him as a king who was badly treated by the British, a sensitive poet who promoted the first Indian theatrical performances in his Qaisarbagh Palace in Lucknow, and who treated both his Hindu and Muslim subjects fairly." Meanwhile, LACMA says that it is in the process of drawing up a list of five to six senior members of the Awadh royal family to whom it would extend an invitation. "Sadly, the museum cannot provide funding to cover their airfare or expenses," says a LACMA spokesperson. The Oudh Royal Family Association says that they haven't received any confirmation of this. And they wouldn't like to be included in a ragtag list of invitees as an afterthought. "We heard that they had been planning this event for two years. And now they are compiling names at the eleventh hour. No, thanks," says Shahanshah Mirza, Wasif Mirza's son and great great grandson of Wajid Ali Shah. After all, the family wouldn't submit to anything that goes against the proverbial Lucknawi tehzeeb.

- The Telegraph, November 21, 2010

Golkunda fort and Qutub Shahi tombs, both precious remnants of the Mughal heritage are located at some distance from the heart of Hyderabad and continue to be ignored by successive governments

These heritage sites attract visitors despite the fact that they are shabbily maintained by the very departments that are supposed to preserve and maintain them. The magnificent Qutub Shahi tombs remind us of the great patronage extended by the Qutub Shahi kings to Persian craftsmanship, Islamic art and also of the confluence of Indo-Islamic architectural heritage of the Deccan. The Golkunda monument is supposed to be protected by the Archeological Survey of India, while the seven Qutub Shahi tombs are at the mercy of the Andhra Pradesh Government and the Department of Archaeology and Museums. Incidentally both are ticketed monuments, generate solid revenue for the respective departments and contain immense potential to draw more and more tourists. Regardless of who wrests controls of these heritage sites, the maintenance of both these monuments remains inadequate. The remains of the Golkunda fort are located amidst mindless encroachments clearly violating the bylaws governing protected monumental heritage sites. The entry to the famous Golkunda fort starts at the clasping portico at ground level followed by other areas as we move further and further up to the Zanana (a zone exclusively for women), an armoury, the Nagina bagh (garden of passion), Jhula khana (A zone with swings), Lakkana and Maddana (the record office), the Ramdas Jil, Ibrahim Mosque, Maa Kali temple, Durbar Hall, Zanana Masjid (Women's mosque), women's dining hall, Rani Mahal, a judgement hall, the Bhagmati Palace, Taramati Palace and a masjid. All these are spread across 40 acres overgrown with wild vegetation and littered by the visitors. Even though it was declared a protected monument by the ASI, no major conservation efforts were made and the heritage conservation authorities did nothing more than carrying out structural repairs. Chronic neglect has turned it all into a heap of royal rubble. Development of little patches with Mexican grass and ornamental plants at the entrance does not elevate the image unless the entire fort is taken into account and is cared for. Occasionally meagre funds are granted to undertake patch work, which is insufficient considering the expanse of monumental sites of this stature. Qutub Shahi tombs are spread across a vast area with 70 odd structures and became a State protected monument under an agreement between the Nizam Trust and Director of Archaeology, Andhra Pradesh in 1965. All these tombs have been created with exemplary mortar craftsmanship with intricate Persian mosaic and tile work, now mostly eroded with time at many places. Only patches of these colourful works are now visible after the chemical washes. The 82-acre area has several mosques besides other structures and weeds and wild plants are running rampant across the legacy. Meagre promotional effort, absence of administrative vision and lack of public awareness has reduced the importance of these structures. Irresponsible locals and tourists scribble on the walls with colours or leave ugly graffiti over the lime mortar plaster. Inadequate staff cannot maintain these monuments. All these are concerns that need to be addressed on a priority basis and allocation of sufficient funding from both Central and State government agencies must come forth to enhance the image of these priceless heritage sites. The recent central assistance worth Rs 40 million is a bounty for the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Hyderabad. "The department has begun utilising the grant and is laying a two meter wide granite slab around the platforms of all major mausoleums in an effort to strengthen the foundation of the tombs," says Dr GV Rama Krishna Rao, deputy director, (technical), Department of Archaeology and Museums, Hyderabad. Former deputy director, MA Qayum says, "It has been difficult to identify and engage skilled masons well-versed with ancient skills but the department is doing its best in accomplishing the task despite technical difficulties." The departmental staff claims that the funds will also be utilised in beautifying the area with landscapes besides strengthening and protecting the heritage site. This funding should encourage the Andhra Pradesh government to throw its weight behind the maintainence. It has promised an assistance of Rs 10 million after the complete utilisation of the central grant. Now it is the turn of the respective departments to do their bit to conserve and beautify the monuments so that they become not just the pride of Hyderabad but the entire country.

- Deccan Herald, November 21, 2010

Old silver coins belonging to the Mughal period and the era of Maharaja Ranjit Singh have recently been found in Bhalur village of Moga district, writes Subhash Parihar

Bhalur is a small village in Moga district of Punjab, situated 25 km southwest of the district headquarters. Recently, the local inhabitants planned to build a new gurdwara in memory of Bhai Des Raj, founder of the village. As usual, kar seva (voluntary work service) started. A digger offered to dig the foundation for the structure at night, free of charge. The very next morning the kar sevaks were amazed to see some old silver coins in the dug-up earth. On a careful search, 56 coins were found (one coin has been lost since then). A study of the coins revealed that 18 of these belonged to the later Mughal period and the rest to the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1799-1839). Each Mughal coin measures 2.7 cm in diameter and weighs about 11 gm. The edges of some coins are still in tact. The complete legend on each reads as follows:

Obverse

Hami din ala Muhammad Sikka Fazal Shah Alam Badshah [z]d bar haft kishwar (Defender of the divine Faith; money [with the grace of] Shah Alam Badshah [struck] seven climes).

Reverse

Sana 45 julus maimanat manus zad Farrukhabad (In the year 45 of his reign of tranquil prosperity; struck [at] Farrukhabad) Emperor Shah Alam (literally meaning Lord of the Universe), in whose name these coins were issued, was the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II (reign 1761-1805), son of Emperor Alamgir II. The original name of this infelicitously-styled emperor was Ali Gauhar. In fact, he was the emperor in name only but really a pensioner of the British. After the Battle of Buxar (1764), he submitted to the English who, the next year, took over the administration of what remained of his realm. With this, the company also assumed the right of coinage. Although Shah Alam lived up to 1806, he had been barbarously blinded 1788 when a new puppet king Bidar Bakht was put on the throne. But soon the Marathas deposed the new king and kept Shah Alam under their control until the British general, Lord Lake, freed him in 1803. He has also left a collection of his Persian and Urdu verse under the title Diwan-e-Aftab (Aftab was his pen name). The mint name is given as Farrukhabad (situated some 150 km from Agra), which, along with Benaras, was one of the two chief mints that served the upper country in Bengal. It was founded in 1803 and first issued these coins corresponding to the year 1218 Hijri or 1803 of the common era. However, this mint was closed in 1824. It may be interesting to note that the Benaras mint ceased to issue its own rupees in 1819, and instead issued Farrukhabad rupees from 1819 till 1830. After this date, Calcutta and Sagar took up the duty of issuing Farrukhabad rupees. The remaining 37 coins of the hoard belong to the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1799-1839). The date is not readable on one of the coins. Of others, the year-wise number of coins is: 1861 (1), 1865 (1), 1869 (4), 1871 (12), 1872 (3), 1974 (4), 1876 (3), 1877 (3), 1878 (4), 1879 (4), 1880 (4), 1881 (3). All these aresamvat years which, if converted into common era, fall in between the years 1804 and 1825. One of the Sikh coins bears on its reverse side along with the date, the mint name as Dar-al-Saltanat, Lahore, and some other coins as Sri Amritsar. The weight of each Sikh coin is also 11 gm but their size is a bit smaller — 2.4 or 2.5 cm in diameter. Obviously, the Sikh rulers continued the denominations, weight and purity standards as established by the Mughal rulers. Even the Persian script, the lingua franca of the educated people from Turkey to Bengal, continued to be used. What they changed was the legend on the coins. The following two types of legends were used on the obverse side of the coins: Deg Tegh o fateh nusrat be-dirang Yaft az Nanak Guru Gobind Singh (Abundance, power and victory [and] assistance without delay are the gift of Nanak [and] Guru Gobind Singh). Sikka zad bar har do Alam fazl Sachcha Sahib ast Fath-i-Gobind Shah-i-Shahan Tegh-i Nanak Wahib ast. (Coin struck through each of the two worlds by the grace of the true Lord. Of the victory of Gobind, King of Kings, Nanak's sword is the provide). All the coins bear a leaf mark on the reverse side, chosen for unknown reasons. Some scholars identify it as a pipal leaf (Ficus Religiosa) but the variations on the shape of the leaf are so many that it does not belong to a botanically identifiable plant but represent the general idea of a leaf. Along with the leaf, the date and mint is also inscribed on this side. The purchasing power of the Sikh coins can be known by comparison only. Eminent historian Bikaram Jit Singh Hasrat says that between 1830 and 1840, in Lahore and Amritsar, one rupee bought on an average 37.5 kg of wheat, or 76.5 kg of barley, or 46 kg of gram, or 7.7 kg of rice, or 18 kg of gur, or 3.7 kg of cotton. French Generals Alard and Ventura entered Maharaja Ranjit Singh's service in 1822 at an annual pay of Rs 30,000. The rupees of Lahore and Amritsar mint were valued at Delhi only at 14 `BD annas. They were supposed to be of pure silver and weighed 11 mashas and 2 ratis, but at Delhi they were valued at only 14`BD annas, i.e. at about 10% discount. Sardar Gurdev Singh Bhalur, president of the village gurdwara, plans to display these historical coins for public viewing in the shrine.

- The Tribune, November 21, 2010

Close to the old Kangra Fort, Maharaja Sansar Chand Museum owned by the Royal family of Kangra has been opened for the public this month. A chart showing the complete Katoch dynasty has been displayed with pictures at the entrance of the museum that exhibits the items owned by the royal family like crystal and silver utensils, clothes, coins, a silver bed, swords, telescopes, some written texts and almost everything that could showcase the royal lifestyle. The walls inside the museum were painted by artists especially brought from Rajasthan, disclosed the staff at the museum. An entry fee of Rs 10 is charged by the visitors and if they want to click pictures, they will have to shell out Rs 25 extra. The newly built and tastefully done museum would definitely attract lot of Indian and foreign tourists. However, TR Sharma, superintendent, Archaeological Survey of India (Shimla Division), said over phone said the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2010, stipulated that an area of 100 metres in all directions of the protected monuments and sites shall be declared prohibited for construction purposes and no private or public construction in the prohibited area will be allowed except those undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Bill also says that in addition to the 100 metres of prohibited area around the site, a minimum area of 200 metres in all directions of the protected site will be regulated. No construction will also be allowed on these areas, "except in accordance and permitted by extent of the heritage bylaws" that will have to be approved by the Centre that might extend it more than 200 metres. Sharma further said they had received permission from the ASI (Delhi) but after some objections the matter was pending with the review committee.

- The Tribune, November 21, 2010

A stay at Deogarh Mahal, Rajasthan, combines a fairytale setting, a royal lifestyle and care for the environment in a quiet way. "Dhameero" is taking me to Khayyam. No, it's not a horse like Dhanno of "Sholay" but an army vehicle turned into an open car by the brilliant boys of Deogarh Palace: Veerbhadra and Shatrunjai Singh. "The idea was to have a vehicle that would consume minimum fuel yet merge with the character of the place. Our beloved 'Dhameero' is a mix of a tractor and a big open jeep," say the brothers. The village of Deogarh lies on a plateau northeast of Udaipur in Western Rajasthan (about two and a half hours drive). Being 2,100 ft above sea level, it is shielded from the desert heat and is enveloped by the Aravali range. At the top of the village, and the very heart of the community, is Deogarh Mahal. With its bold battlements, domed turrets and balconies, the Mahal towers over the town below. The terraces offer a commanding view of the surrounding mountains and its rugged rock-strewn countryside dotted by a number of lakes.

Steeped in history

A fitting stronghold for one of the 16 umraos (feudal barons) of Mewar, Deogarh Mahal is over 300 years old. This stone and lime edifice was built in stages as each ruler added to it. The current family restored their ancestral home taking care to retain the integrity of its original style and the many years of history within its ramparts. Few palaces are more traditional than Deogarh with its mud packed walls and old staircases stretching along neat curves, impeccably kept courtyards with their beautiful greens. As we move towards our jungle lodge, sounds from the forest silence us: an owl's hoot, the staccato barking of deer, a movement in the hedges, a flap of wings on the branches high above and the cicadas making music. We are in a heritage tent beside Anjana Fort. The softly lit-up open-air restaurant is the best place to watch as the sun sinks into the fort and stars light up the sky. Early morning, woken by a choir of birdsong, we walk the trail to spot coots, black ibises, painted sand grouse, kingfisher, Rufus tree pies and a paradise flycatcher. We hit the tracks to reach Saind Mata Temple at 1500 ft. Lunch back amid the agricultural farm was picture perfect with local charpoys neatly laid out to stretch aching legs. Laal maas and vegetables with fresh local produce and live music of Rajasthani dhol ……what more one could ask for? And then there is Seengh Sagar, the island fortress, an experience I shall never forget. My suite villa unbelievably exquisite, with the lake waters and the rapidly forming hues of the skyline being picture perfect. An eclectic English tea awaited me with an interesting and knowledgeable host, Col Randhir Singh of Deogarh. Each of the four suites is built around a turret with the balcony being transformed into a daybed covered in jewel-coloured silks. I sat under a huge neem tree in the creeper-strewn courtyard listening to my host's stories while the staff whipped up cocktails from the 'James Bond bar.' My relentless storyteller ignores my pleas and says, "What's the big deal? It's just another glass!"

Complete package

Eco-conservation is the family's mission in their hospitality business, which is a complete package of environment, tradition and culture. Add to it a whopping dose of luxury. The properties are eco-friendly, disabled-friendly and use only renewable source of energy (solar) and water harvesting technologies. The owners aim to generate more than 95 per cent of their electricity using solar panels, windmills and biogas plants. All the waste generated is treated. They are establishing a sewage treatment plant, which will re-cycle sewage and make it fit for use in the garden. The spa uses beeswax candles, which are supposed to clean the air. Plastic is totally banned; laundry bags are made of jute and Haylide, which is bio-degradable, is used for cleaning utensils, the bathroom, metal polishers and for mopping of floors. Deogarh has a relaxed rhythm and a heart-stopping beauty. No noise, no pollution… only the parakeet's high pitched call and a myriad of other chirps, whistles, and songs announce the animal orchestra... a goose's honk finishes the notes, at a distance. This is what I call the ultimate bliss! Sharmila Chand is a Delhi-based lifestyle and travel writer.

How to get there

Deogarh is on the border of Mewar, Marwar and Merwara. By road: Deogarh is a couple of miles east of National Highway 8. It is 140 km from Udaipur, 280 km from Jaipur and 170 km from Jodhpur. By rail: Deogarh is on the Western Railway Route, between Udaipur and Marwar junction. Nearest Airport: Udaipur (about 140 km) Plenty to do Trekking, bicycling, picnicking, bird watching Explore the countryside on horse or jeep safari Look royal with a vintage drive. Enjoy a pool game in Mahal's bar Take a ride on the local metregauge train Go for day trips to Kumbalgarh or Ranakpur Just relax in the Spa at the Mahal

- The Hindu, November 21, 2010

The representation of the Gurus, particularly Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh, constitutes a major part of the themes in murals of Sikh art, writes Kanwarjit Singh Kang

About wall paintings in ancient Punjab, we have no evidence that has survived. Percy Brown spoke of the possibility of some kind of mural decoration on the edifices of the Indus Valley civilisation. "More carefully conducted excavations in future," Charles Fabri felt, "may well reveal such mural decorations." Despite wanton destruction carried on in Punjab by successive waves of invaders, the art of mural painting, it is conjectured, continued to languish in a broken tradition. The advent of the 19th century in Punjab brings us to the threshold of a new era of this pictorial art and numerous instances of its having prominently in vogue come to light. It became a popular mode of embellishment under the Sikhs, struggled for existence in the violent social changes that came in the train of the British and succumbed to the great transformation that was brought about in Punjab by the turn of the century. Representation of the Sikh gurus constitute a major part of the themes pertaining to the Sikhs. More than half the murals portray Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh, the first and the last of the Sikh gurus. From among the extant remains of the murals in Punjab, the earliest rendering of Guru Nanak is from the late 18th century painted panel in the temple of Shri Namdev at Ghoman in Gurdaspur. Guru Nanak often appears accompanied by Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana, the former a chauri - bearer and the latter a rebab or rebeck player. Under a tree on which birds — mostly parrots — are shown perching, Guru Nanak usually sits cross-legged in characteristic meditative pose; his back supported by a round bolster, a rosary in his right hand, the left hand resting on his knee or the mat on the floor. His head is encircled in dark colour putting the face in relief. The outer ring of this circle takes the shape of a nimbus radiating golden rays, which symbolise the spirituality of the guru. There are a series of murals illustrating the life of Guru Nanak based on tradition as well as on large corpus of literature called the Janmasakhis. The most representative series are to be seen in the gurdwara of Baba Atal at Amritsar. Beginning with the birth of Guru Nanak, the first part of the series illustrates themes from the Guru's childhood consisting of scenes of the Guru attending school, disagreeing with his teacher's lessons on worldly knowledge, grazing his father's buffaloes and cows, feeding the poor and the holy etc. As he grows up, he is seen as a keeper of government stores at Sultanpur Lodhi, getting betrothed and married, and renouncing the world. Then, he appears as a preacher meeting Malik Bhago and demonstrating the difference between the earnings of the oppressor and those of an honest man. Further, he is seen with cannibal Kauda, with Kaliyuga and Wali Kandhari, all of whom are made by him to relinquish their vileness. The series in Gurdwara Baba Atal end with the Guru appointing Angad Dev as his successor. Similar series are to be seen painted in the precincts of Gurdwara Ram Rai at Dehradun and at Gurdwara Baba Kala Dhari at Una, the latter have mostly faded with the passage of time. The old building of Gurdwara Panja Sahib at Hasan Abdal, too, once had murals relating to the Guru's life. Another important theme in the murals is the sidha goshti, Guru Nanak's religious discourse with the sidhas, usually representing the Guru facing the leader of the sidhas backed by a number of sidha ascetics sitting in their hierarchical order. Many a time, he appears along with his sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand, sitting respectfully before him. Murals representing Guru Nanak flanked by the rest of the Gurus were painted several times. Typical examples are to be seen in the samadh of Mahant Mangni Ram and akhara Bala Nand, both at Amritsar; in the shivala of Hardhan at Matewal, a village near Amritsar and in the samadh of Baba Mohar Singh at Tanda in Hoshiarpur. Among the paintings that embellished the walls of a palace at Wazirabad, now in Pakistan, built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, were the life-size portraits of the Gurus from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind, according to Baron Charles Hugel, who saw these there personally. Lieut William Barr, who visited Lahore in 1839, saw several murals in the royal palace, including the one that depicted Maharaja Ranjit Singh standing in reverence before the Guru. He wrote: "`85picture represents the Maharaja in the presence of Baba Nanak, the founder of the Sikh sect; the holy father being most splendidly robed in a suit of embroidered gold, and sitting; whilst his disciple, who had done so much to extend the domains of his followers, is dressed in bright green silk, and standing, with his hands joined in a supplicatory manner. Behind the Baba, keeping guard is an Akali, with drawn sword, and with but very little covering."

- The Tribune, November 21, 2010

Rajmahal has fallen to human avarice and its scars of opencast mines and quarries are clearly visible, writes Padip K Mridha

The four kilometre wide Ganga at Manikchawk looked like an azure ocean dotted with bobbing boats and an obscure shoreline far off in the distance. We were off to the medieval town of Rajmahal situated in the Santhal parganas of Jharkhand. Our cab was stopped as there was no place available on the lower deck of the ferry. However, the wait for the next ferry was worth it as the smell of 'dal-puris' wafted out of a thatched motel on the breezy river bank had revved up our appetite, and we gorged on steaming reftreshments for breakfast. Soon, we boarded a vintage large vessel and that reminded me of the fabled era of Corbett's Maniharighat days, some hundred kms away. The ghat had lost relevance after Farakka bridge came into being decades back. The upper deck was filled with locals returning from Malda town after shopping or medical treatment. In an hour's time we got down at Rajmahal town, that was once the capital of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The traces of monuments and villas of the colonial era remain amongst the incongruous modern houses. The National Highway 81 that runs towards Sahebgunge via Rajmahal town parallel to the verdant hills offers a visual treat for visitors to the town. Man Singh, the trusted General of Emperor Akbar, shifted the capital of West Bengal to Rajmahal in 1592 considering it healthier than Gour for its wonderful location near the river Ganges and famed Teliagarhi pass. The ancient pass composed of a narrow, deeply wooded passage runs between the steep hill and deep stretch of the Ganges. Rajmahal reigned in all its glory till 1661 when Shah Suja, the second sibling of Aurangazeb, having lost the war of succession fled towards Chittagong, and was killed by the Arakan king. Thereafter, the capital was shifted to Dhaka in 1663. It was at Rajmahal that Dr Gabriel Boughten cured Shah Shuja's daughter and secured the Farman from Shah Shuja for the English to trade in Bengal. Thus the foundation of British rule was laid here long before the Battle of Plassey. The fugitive Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daula was captured at Rajmahal. In the mid-nineteenth century, Rajmahal again hogged the limelight. A huge citadel enclosing majestic barracks and villas overlooking the bazar stands at the British residency. Bereft of flamboyance, it bore the first heat of the Liberation Movement Hul, that flared up in 1855 under the leadership of brave brothers - Sidho and Kunhu, Chand and Bhairav. Contiguous to the villa, buried in luxuriant reeds is a dark tunnel and a menacing looking Gol-ghar. On the riverbank near the bazaar stands Sangi-Dalan; a marble palace built by Shah Suja. The sculpted porch is an exquisite piece of art and attractive resort. Few kms off the town, high on a woody knoll, and an ochre haze of picturesque ruins called Bara-duary is situated. And few yards across and further inland stands the grandest monument of Rajmahal, the two storied Jame Masjid built by Akbar's general Man Singh at Mangalhat. Around 13 kilometers northwest, is Kanhaiystan. It is said Lord Chaitanyadeva once stayed here on his way to Brindaban from Gour. Footsteps of the Mahaprabhu are also preserved here. From the hillock temple, the view of the Ganges tamely flowing along the steep rocks is a scene worth watching. Leaving the highway, a narrow lane tangents off left near Maharajpur village leading to the lush green foothills with its own charm. It is enveloped in serene silence, save for murmur of a fall named Mati-jharna. The waterfall gushes down from 200ft during the rainy and autumnal seasons. Closer foothill, we came upon a foyer leading to a cave big enough to shelter about 200 people. As we entered, we felt a whiff of cool air blowing. We sat in its tiled interior enjoying the eerie moments. Rajmahal today has fallen to human avarice and its scars of opencast mines and quarries are clearly visible. The bare mines cut in steps are 150- 200 feet deep and closer to medieval remnants like the old palaces, manuments, and majestic trees. This perhaps explains why such a beautiful heritage town in the lap of an emerald hill is kept out of public glare. The hills are mined illegally and unless checked, the medieval traces and precious natural resources will have vanished in no time. Moments passed and we drove back to the jetty to catch the last ferry across to Malda. The enchanting songs of the multitude of birds became hushed as the red glow from the setting sun faded from the hills.

- The Statesman, November 21, 2010

Madhubani art from Bihar was initially drawn on walls but today has reinvented itself.

Striking straight lines are drawn and filled in with bright and vibrant colours on paper and even fabric. These are done by women living near the town of Madhubani. The stylised and symbolic tradition incorporates the great cycle of life, marriage, gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon and also domesticated and wild animals. The figures from nature and mythology have been painted through centuries on walls to mark seasonal festivals and special events such as marriages. The women who created this work came to be acknowledged as "artists" only in the last three decades. It was a major drought in 1966-68 that brought the region to world recognition resulting in the All-India Handicrafts Board taking notice of the art that had helped people to sustain themselves. It then started encouraging the women artists to produce their traditional paintings on handmade paper for commercial sale. Even now most of the work remains anonymous as some artists are illiterate and remain reluctant to consider themselves individual producers of "works of art". Commercialisation of the folk art has generated a multilevel distribution system. It has also allowed people around the world to discover a long and authentic heritage linked to the lives of women. And, one that has created a new source of gainful employment for rural women. The continuing demand for this art throughout the world is a tribute to the resourcefulness of the women of Madhubani, who have successfully transferred their techniques of bhitti chitra or wall-painting to the medium of paper and have resisted the temptation to alter their traditional designs too freely in pursuit of unpredictable public tastes.

- Deccan Herald, November 21, 2010

Hugh and Colleen Gantzer visit the rock-cut cave temples sculpted between the sixth and eighth centuries. These temples in Karnataka are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially of the Chalukya period

We were led to Badami by a man we have never met. Satish Gover, our favourite architectural historian, had described it as 'picturesquely located on a lake, surrounded by steeply rising cliffs," and that when the powerful Chalukyan empire had shifted its capital to Badami, "rock cutters were soon at work carving out halls from the scarp of the hill." The dynasty had been formed in the sixth century AD and so the crafted caves were more than 1,500 years old. We decided that we must visit them and we were happy that we did. The town massed on an undulating plain on one side of a huge lake: the Agasthya Tirtha. The other three sides of this reservoir were ringed by coloured hills in shades ranging from cinnamon through cocoa to caf`E9-au-lait and burnt-rose. We left our car, bought tickets at a booth in the parking lot at the base of the right spur of this amphitheatre of hills, and began to climb up a flight of steps cut into the rocks. Above us, served by the rising steps, lay the ancient rock-cut sculptures. As we climbed, the views of the town and lake changed. Sometimes, they were framed in soaring rocks; at others it almost seemed as if we were looking out between the hulking shoulders of bare-bodied, ochre-skinned, giants. From the very start of our journey around the sculpted caves, we got the impression that they were deliberately asserting the essential unity of all, apparent, contradictions: Creation and Destruction, Static and Dynamic, Siva and Vishnu, Male and Female. In the first cave, for instance, there was a superb fusion of devotion, dance and modern stroboscopic imagery. The multi-armed Siva, carved on the wall of the cave, captured the Lord of the Tandav dance ... the dance of destruction and re-creation ... in 81 poses of the classical Bharatnatayam. Here we were joined by a group, which had clearly been here before. They carried powerful torches, illuminated the multi-armed Shiva, and then shifted their beams slowly. Highlights and shadows changed subtly: the sculpture began to move. And then, as the beams were flipped faster and faster, Shiva danced, his arms and legs keeping pace with the beats of a small hand-drum played by one of the men. It was as dramatic as a son-et-lumiere (sound and light show): Static and Dynamic perfectly matched. Up another 31 steps we came to the second cave. Carved on the left was Varaha and, on the right, Vamana. The first was the boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Preserver; the second was the dwarf incarnation. The boar could exemplify the emergence of warm-blooded creatures on the evolutionary ladder; the dwarf could indicate an awareness of our proto-human ancestors likeRamapithecus We trudged on, wary of the tribes of questing monkeys that have been known to snatch cameras and small handbags. A further 61 steps brought us to the third cave: the most impressive of them all. It has been cut into the base of a sheer face of rock. The pillars, here, show the development of such cave architecture. There are square pillars and rounded ones and, within these two broad classifications, these pillars have embellishments, which span much of the creative range of rock-cut pillars all over our land. Carved on the rock outside the cave were Vamana and Vishnu with eight arms. Inside the anteroom of the cave were carvings ofVishnu sitting on the coils of Sesha as if on a throne. Sesha is an immortal serpent, who has been variously described as representing the power of the ocean or, more imaginatively, the slowly moving currents of molten rock or magma on which the continental slabs rest, or even a totem worshipped by pre-Indo-Iranian tribes now absorbed into the Hindu pantheon. Then there were Narasimha andHarihara. The Man-lion, Narasimha, is the most fearsome of the successive incarnations of Vishnu and could be a stylised depiction of a Neanderthal: a rather brutish and extinct human species and now considered to be one of our direct evolutionary ancestors. An inscription in this cave indicates that it was carved in AD 578. Had Darwin's theory been pre-empted by our ancient sages? We felt particularly insecure when climbing the last flight of rain-slicked steps. But the views from this height made the risk worthwhile. The Agasthya Tirtha lake spread below and it was full. According to legend, sage Agasthya slew a fiendish giant here and gave his name to this water-body. We looked out over the water, with our backs resting against the outer wall of the last cave. To the right of the reservoir was the Bhootnath Group of Temples. To the left of the tank, the town spread with a white, domed, mosque close to the banks of the lake. Near the top of the hill opposite, on the far side of the tirtha tank, rose a fort and two pavilions. We turned around and entered the last cave temple on this spur of the hill. This cave had been carved by the Jains. The central figure was that of their 24th tirthanka, Mahavira. He had been a contemporary of the Buddha in the sixth century BC. On the right of this image was that of the 23rd tirthanka, Parsavanath, who, according to the Enclyclopaedia Britannica, lived about 250 years before Mahavira. To the left was the image of tirthanka Bahubali. We had visited his giant, monolithic sculpture at Sravanabelagola. There are many who believe that Mahavira had founded the Jain religion. Our Jain friends, however, contend that he was the last of their tirthankas and that their faith predated Aryan beliefs by many centuries. We can't express an opinion on this. All we do know that when we stood on that high place, the artistic heritage of our land unrolled like a great and ageless scroll sculpted into the rose and cocoa rocks of Karnataka's Badami.

Getting There

By Air: The nearest airport is Belgaum about 150 km away. Badami is around 130 km from Hubli. By Train: It is on the Hubli-Sholapur rail route. The railway station is 5 km from the town By road: It is also connected by road to Hubli and Bijapur. Badami is reachable from Bengaluru by a 12-hour bus ride . Badami is around 150 km from Hospet, which has a decent motorable road. A car journey would take around 4 hours from Hospet to Badami. Local Transport: Rickshaws, tongas and city buses. Accommodation Hotel Badami Court Tel: 08357-220207 KSTDC Mayura Chalukya Tel: 08357-220046 & 220117

- The Tribune, November 21, 2010

With barely a year left for the centenary celebrations of the Delhi Durbar, where the shift of the British Capital from Calcutta was announced, plans to restore its venue, the Coronation Park, continue to crawl. Five years after the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) first announced that they would develop the park together, and over a year after the two bodies signed a contract to begin work, the first set of tenders for the work are yet to be opened. Intach's Delhi chapter convenor A G K Menon said: "Tenders for initial construction work have been called, but the contracts are yet to be awarded. It has been a year since we tied up with the DDA to begin work on the project, but the movement has been sluggish." He added: "The park currently lies in a state of neglect and a lot of work has to be done. The plan is to develop the site with extensive landscaping with an interpretation centre and permanent exhibition as well as a restaurant. Work has to be phased out and with barely a year left we have to speed up now." The sprawling 55-acre park is now used as a playground by children. The heavy vegetation which now covers most parts of the park will have to be cleared for the landscaping, designed by architect Mohammad Shaheer. The plan is to reshuffle the location of the existing statues around the obelisk and develop the garden in a geometric pattern, officials said. "The tenders that have been called now are for constructing pavements, walls and chhatris. Once this layout is in place, contracts for building the interpretation centre and restaurant will be tendered," Menon said. "There will be special focus on the interpretation centre, where extensive information on the history of the Delhi Durbar and its significance will be explained. Audio-visual facilities will be available in English and Hindi to begin with and this might be extended to other languages later. We are also in the process of collecting archival pictures and maps of the location." "The deadline for the project is certainly December 2011 as that will mark the centenary year of the Delhi Durbar. But we have to expedite work now as time is running out," Menon said. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 20 crore. The park witnessed the coronation of King George V on December 11, 1911 and the shift of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi. The park has the largest and tallest statue of King George V on a pedestal, which was earlier located on the chhatri at India Gate. But the statue, along with a few others from the British period, is in a bad shape and needs to be repaired. The site has also been identified as the starting point of one of the Heritage Circuit routes that will link the park to other heritage sites like Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb.

ROYAL PAST

1877: Coronation Park becomes venue of Delhi Durbar, when Queen Victoria was proclaimed the Empress of India. 1903: Celebrates the accession of Edward VII. December 11, 1911: Hosts Delhi Durbar, commemorating the coronation of King George V as Emperor of India. Representatives of all the princely states attended the function.

- Indian Express, November 22, 2010

W hereabouts in Delhi is the grave of the deposed Nawab of Bengal, Mir Kasim? He was the one responsible for the 1763 massacre in Patna of 200 British nationals. According to the memoirs of Col Skinner, after the Battle of Buxar (1764), in which Prince Ali Gauhar (Shah Alam), the Nawab Vazir of Awadh, Shuja-ud-Dowla and Mir Kasim were defeated by the British, the latter escaped to Awadh, along with Walter Reinhardt Sumroo, who had carried out the killings at his behest. The British asked Shuja-ud-Dowla to hand over the two "renegades" to them. But the Nawab Vazir allowed Mir Kasim to escape to Hafiz Rahmat Khan's Rohilkhand and left Sumroo to take care of himself as he had an armed force of his own. Kasim was plundered during his fight but he had already sent most of his treasure to the outskirts of Delhi (to whom and how is not known). As fate would have it, Kasim died in a remote Delhi village "unlamented and unknown" and was buried in an obscure grave. It seems the grave was a kutcha one in keeping with the tenets of Islam, with no inscription. In course of time it disappeared, though what happened to his family and the Great Bengal treasure is not known. But oral history in Delhi does refer to a Mir Sahib (probably Kasim's son) who settled down in Shah Jahan's walled city with his family. He was believed to be fabulously rich but thrifty in his dealings so as not to arouse suspicion. Probably he did not contact even Shah Alam in order to conceal his presence.

Rise of Sumroo

Mir Kasim's descendants may still be living in Delhi and part of the treasure lying in the vaults of some old haveli or buried under ground without anybody being aware of it. With Mir Kasim's asylum in Rohilkhand hangs another tale –the revival of the fortunes of Sumroo, who made his peace with the British and, thanks to his friend, Nawab Najaf Khan, Vazir of Shah Alam, got the principality of Sardhana, where he lived with his young begum and, occasionally, at Agra, the place in which he died in 1778. May be he and Begum Sumroo knew of the fate of Mir Kasim but preferred to stay quiet. Rahmat Khan's notorious successor in Rohilkhand, Ghulam Qadir invaded Delhi and blinded Shah Alam. He made a marriage proposal to the widowed Begum Sumroo, with a promise of equal rights but she rejected it with contempt and instead decided to side with the blind emperor. The Begum erected a battery in aid of the occupants of the Red Fort and bombarded Ghulam Qadir's troops. But devoid of local support her efforts were in vain. Meanwhile the Marathas came to Shah Alam's rescue and Ghulam Qadir, who had escaped to Mathura, was captured and brought back to Delhi. The spot near India Gate, where now stands a masjid, was the scene of his execution. Three black drops of blood was all that remained of him in the end and these were licked up by a black dog that suddenly appeared and then vanished. Begum Sumroo lived on till 1836, having been honoured by Shah Alam with a Khillut and the appellation of "beloved daughter". Mir Kasim's family must have rued her good fortune but then what he had left behind (after paying a bribe 200000 pounds to the British) was probably more than enough for them.

- The Hindu, November 22, 2010

Considering its outstanding value and vulnerability, Unesco has recognised Mudiyeettu, an age-old ritual drama of Kerala, as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity". This dance-drama tradition that forms part of the Goddess Kali cult is the second art form from Kerala to be included in the UN list for preservation as human cultural heritage after the classical theatre Kudiyaattam, which was accorded the status a few years ago.

- Hindustan Times, November 22, 2010

It might be rated 'A' in terms of archaeological value and date back to the Mughal era, but that hasn't stopped locals from Hashtsal village in Uttam Nagar from vandalising portions of the 17th century Hati Khana monument, also popularly known as Barat Ghar. It originally consisted of two storeys, according to conservationists, but now only the top storey exists with the lower storey having been completely takn over by villagers and renovated. It was constructed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as his hunting lodge. Today, one can see only glimpses of the original structure. According to an INTACH listing, the double-storey pavilion contains a central chamber covered with a 'Bengali' dome and is entered through three cusped-arch openings. ''It's a unique structure in terms of Delhi's heritage. Here there are very rare monuments built by Shah Jahan. Today, you can make out the Mughal architecture and historical setting only in the upper storey as the lower floor is occupied by several families besides having a dumpyard,'' said a conservationist. Two temples have come up at the base of the monument, one right at the base of the entrance to the upper pavilion and a bigger one on a side of the lower storey. Next to these, one can see a number of hutments. From outside, it doesn't look like a 17th century monument due to the new constructions. It's a rare visitor that takes the trouble of using the very narrow staircase to the upper storey which is the only place where one can still see decorative patterns in sandstone and the three cusped-arch openings as planned by the Mughals. Even at the entrance of the upper storey, one has to wade through a pile of garbage. Unfortunately, still without state or central protection, the Hati Khana does not figure in the list of 92 monuments drawn up by the state government for conservation and protection though the nearby Hashtsal Village, which came uparound the same period, is on the list. ''This is not the firsttime the hunting lodge has been overlooked by the authorities. Earlier, ASI had failed to notify it. Without any protection, even the upper storey may not survive for long,'' said a heritage expert. Historians say the lodge was originally part of a larger enclosure with a battlement wall but very little evidence of that remains.

- The Times of India, November 23, 2010

Residents of Hasthsal Village in Uttam Nagar refer to this 17th century minaret as `Qutub Minar'. But unlike that World Heritage Site, this Mughal-era monument is a victim of neglect and urbanisation. Though just three-storeys tall, architecturally the Hasthsal minar is very similar to the 13th century monument but it is surrounded by encroachments and has not been extended any protection by the state. Access to it is through a narrow, dingy lane that is about a half meter in width and all around you can see frenzied construction activity. When TOI visited the monument, a shack was coming up right at the base of the minar, next to a pile of garbage. Ironically, though the locals take pride in the 17th century structure, they do little for its upkeep. "A chowkidar, who is on the payroll of the state archaeology department, comes in once a week to clean up the site. Otherwise, no one is allowed inside the minar,'' says Ravi Gupta, a local resident. Usha, another resident who lives nearby, observes: "Three generations of my family have lived here, and they say that over time, new constructions around it have increased considerably. Though most of are aware this is a very old building, we have no clue who built it and what is its significance.'' Though the single gate guarding the entrance to the minar remains locked, pedestrians can easily reach the plinth and lower platform through any of the illegal constructions surrounding it. New constructions on the plinth have also weakend the structure and experts emphasise the need to remove them the earliest. Conservationists recall that this Qutub lookalike orginally had five storeys and was crowned by a domed chhatri but the upper two storeys and the chhatri collapsed sometime in the 18th century. The structure is made of brick masonry faced with red sandstone. While the lower platform has been completely taken over by villagers, the second upper platform that is octagonal in plan is also in a very dilapidated condition. The steps leading up to it disappeared a long time ago. The surviving three storeys are each marked by a doorway, and like the Qutub, the upper two storeys are circular and their facade decorated with alternate angular and semi-circular flutings. The monument figures in the list of 92 structures identified by the state archaeology department and INTACH for conservation and upkeep. Plans are being outlined to give the neglected structure a facelift. Officials say the biggest challenge will be to sensitise and educate the community about its historical significance. "Structural repairs are also urgently required to avoid further deterioration and encroachments on the lower platform need to be removed,'' say officials. Senior officials added that encroachment removal was their biggest concern and it was only after a verification of records on the land surrounding the minaret, would they be able to take action. "So many new constructions have come up in recent years and this will be a huge task,'' said sources.

- The Times of India, November 23, 2010

Decades ago, the Hesaraghatta lake area was a pristine and unpolluted part of Bangalore. There was hardly any human settlement around.

The only structure one remembers was a window where freshly collected vegetables andfruits from farms were sold. One could gorge on the exotic litchi fruit available in plenty here. In the course of time, however, the beauty of this place began to fade, what with all the urbanisation. Owing to the reduced inflow of water into its basin year after year, the lake is dying a slow death. Decades ago, the river Arkavathi originating somewhere near the Nandi Hills coursed through this region on her way towards Kanakapura to merge with the Cauvery. The idea of building a reservoir across the river so that the water supply needs of Bangalore could be met was thought of by the then Dewan Sir K Sheshadri Iyer and the Chief Engineer of Mysore M C Hutchins. A 5544 ft. long earthen bund reinforced with stonework was built in 1894. A volute siphon ensured the passage of excess water when levels were high. The Hesaraghatta lake was formed because of the uninhibited inflow of water from streams and rivulets in the higher reaches of the catchment area. It was not only a project for water supply but turned out to be a beautiful picnic spot.

Thriving biodiversityy

Biodiversity thrived with a myriad species of trees and shrubs and a healthy population of lesser wildlife like snakes, frogs, butterflies and insects. The avifauna too varied with kingfishers, egrets, cormorants and robins apart from raptors like Brahminy kites, blackshouldered kites and harriers. The lake was a haven for water sports too. The area around became a hub of activities such as farming and animal husbandry. The Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Indo-Danish breeding farm, pisciculture, rabbit rearing etc all sprang up. Though the initial objective in building the reservoir was to store water for a few years, the project sustained much longer. Channelling the water through a pipe to the nearby Soladevanahalli village and pumping it to the drinking water network of the metropolis was taken up for many years. However, 'development' activities around the lake and in catchment areas had a telling effect on the life of the lake. While mindless granite quarrying eroded the catchment areas and also filled the streams with debris, the sand mining around the water body only added to the problem. Accumulation of silt suffocated the inlets to the reservoir thereby gradually reducing the water content. Another phenomenon that had a direct bearing on the water inflow was the unabated construction of numerous check dams higher up and countless borewells dug by those farming around the lake. The water table too started to sink. The lake began to shrink and by 1925, it almost dried up and the pumping station ceased to function. That was when another dam was built downstream at Tippagondanahalli near Magadi from where the supply of water to the city continued. The last time Hesaraghatta reservoir touched the brim was in 1994, reports say.

Revival of the water bodyy

The deteriorating lake urgently needs to be revived so that water requirement of local people is addressed besides making it a picnic spot. There have been concerted efforts by NGOs like Arkavathi Kere Ulisi Andolana Samithi (AKASH), a movement to save the lake, and Friends of Hesaraghatta to rejuvenate the reservoir by deepening the inflow path. But the steps to be taken on priority are desilting the lake, preventing erosion of catchment areas, total ban of sand mining and monitoring the check dams and borewells, all of which have to be initiated by the authorities concerned.The deteriorating lake urgently needs to be revived so that water requirement of local people is addressed besides making it a picnic spot. There have been concerted efforts by NGOs like Arkavathi Kere Ulisi Andolana Samithi (AKASH), a movement to save the lake, and Friends of Hesaraghatta to rejuvenate the reservoir by deepening the inflow path. But the steps to be taken on priority are desilting the lake, preventing erosion of catchment areas, total ban of sand mining and monitoring the check dams and borewells, all of which have to be initiated by the authorities concerned.

- Deccan Herald, November 23, 2010

Taj Mahal and its Conservation

Monument restoration is an ancient phenomenon. Indian texts on architecture spell out the methods to be adopted in retrofitting damaged structures and images. Some ancient literary works give specific instances of such effort. Though the concept of conservation is old, the practices and measures used for it are totally different in modern times. The modern school lays emphasis on documenting the conservation decisions in every minute detail. Such documentation is a prerequisite for restoration all over the world. In India, scientific conservation of ancient monuments dates back only to the early decade of the 20th century. It may not be wrong to trace the codification of the practice suitable for Indian conditions to Conservation Manual (1923), the seminal work of John Marshall, Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India. Seen in this perspective, this book by Dayalan documenting the efforts made to conserve the world renowned Taj is remarkable. The Taj, India's monument par excellence, has fascinated generation after generation, and its magic charm continues unabated. An attempt to track, historically, the story of how such a monument came to be conserved at different points in time is commendable. A massive restoration project ordered by Viceroy Lord Curzon was completed in 1908.

Mughal architecture

In the introductory chapter, Dayalan offers a brief historical account of the Mughal rulers and their all-round achievements. A comprehensive description of the Taj and the several structures in the complex claims a major share — and understandably so — of the chapter devoted, among others, to the architectural development of the construction of tombs and mosques. Interspaced with the descriptions, the salient features of the development of Mughal architecture are discussed admirably, and their relevance to the architectural elements of the Taj comes across sharply. The role of architects, calligraphers, and other craftsmen associated with Islamic architecture is discussed in a separate chapter, and the documentation of masonry marks engraved along the banks of the Yamuna river is highly informative. Then follows an analysis related to the time taken for the construction of the complex, and this is based on the information found in the inscriptions. It is obvious that imperial structures such as the Taj could not have been put up with locally available materials alone. It is worth recalling that the building was actually constructed with sandstone and then a marble veneer with intricate inlay work was provided. Thus, while the brick, lime, sandstone and the bulk of the other construction materials were obtained from local sources, the marble and stones required for inlay works were procured from faraway places. In addition to all this information, the author gives the physical and chemical properties of the materials used in the structure.

Scientific analysess

It is to the credit of the author that he has brought to light the results of several scientific studies and analyses, which would otherwise have remained in the cupboards of the institutions concerned. They include: the petrologic study to identify the elements present in the marble; studies relating to the pattern of crack formation, porosity, the presence of soluble salts in the marble, and the absorbing capacity; and analyses of dust accumulation on the surface of the Taj Mahal, soil formation below the monument, and so on. These are an eloquent testimony to the government's scientific approach to conservation-related issues. Perhaps the best part of the information is tucked away in the series of appendices that list the major conservation efforts chronologically. Overall, the book is a veritable goldmine of information on the Taj Mahal and it speaks of the hard and sustained effort Dayalan has taken in gaining access to the archival records of several institutions, including the Archaeological Survey of India. It is indeed a valuable addition to the available literature on monument conservation. One of the major complaints heard in international forums is that there is little documentation on India's conservation efforts, particularly in respect of its World Heritage Sites. A model log book of the world heritage site, this publication is bound to blunt that criticism at least to some extent.

- The Hindu, November 23, 2010

Royal Legacy The tradition of the famous Dasara exhibition was started in 1880 by the then Maharaja of Mysore Chamaraja Wodeyar. It continues to pull crowds thanks to new attractions such as a replica of world-renowned monuments like the Taj Mahal, writes Srikantswamy B

When the then Maharaja of Mysore Chamaraja Wodeyar X started the tradition of theDasara exhibition in 1880, little did he know that it would later become an integral part of the festivities. What started with the sole aim of introducing timely developments in the areas of industry and agriculture to the people of Mysore, has now become a major crowdpuller, especially after the Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) was entrusted with the task of holding the Dasara exhibition. The KEA has been adding new attractions in the form of popular tourist spots, albeit temporarily. The exhibition that is underway has a replica of the Taj Mahal which has become the cynosure of all eyes. The exhibition, which is being held for a month now, is a highly popular one. The credit goes to Velu and his team of artistes from Chennai who have replicated one of the seven wonders of the world, with finesse, at an estimated cost of Rs 65 lakh. The entry fee is fixed at Rs 30 for adults and Rs 20 for children. In the previous two years, visitors had the rare opportunity to go on a religious sojourn at the replica of Vaishnodevi and Amarnath yatra at the expo. Apart from ensuring that entry for school children was free on Children's Day, the organisers also distributed 3,000 biscuit packets, 2,000 chocolates and 7,000 packets of butter milk. It was first brought into effect by the then chief executive officer A B Ibrahim.

History

Jeevannarayana Katte (now J K Grounds) set the platform for the exhibition in its nascent days. It was later shifted to the Mysore Medical College (now Mysore Medical College and Research Institute) premises. Many can still see the closed shutters in MMC and RI building on Irwin road. The president of the Cultural and Industries Exhibition Committee held the reins of the exhibition from 1976 to 1980 before the Department of Industries and Commerce which conducted the exhibition from 1980 to 1986. Taking account of its increasing popularity, the government decided to form a separate body to look into its affairs and that was how the Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) came into existence in 1981. But, they had to wait till 1987 to take over the task of the expo. From 1987 to 1993 the exhibition was conducted under the banner of Information, Tourism and Youth Affairs Departments, and from 1994 to 2003 by Kannada and Culture, Information and Tourism Departments. During that period, the state government leased out 80 acres of the total 164 acres of Doddakere Maidana to the authority for a period of 30 years starting from 1996 to host the exhibition. Since then, Doddakere Maidana comes alive especially during Dasara for a period of 60 days to 80 days and 45 days during summer with 'Besige Mela'. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say, that if not for the exhibition, the people of Mysore wouldn't have got a glimpse of the art and culture of different parts of the state, apart from other states. Traders from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi, Haryana and other states put up stalls here selling garments, grocery items, mats and toys among several other products. A lot of interesting snacks are also available at the exhibition. From the locally popular chaat items to 'delhi papad' visitors are treated to a varied platter. There was a time when cotton candy made out of pink sugar in the form of thin threads drew people young and old alike in large numbers. Needless to say, now, 'gobi manchurian' and other Chinese dishes top the order, while 'churmuri' (made of puffed rice) is still a major attraction. Chief Executive Officer of KEA M V Hemanth Kumar told Spectrum that a total of 45 stalls are available in 'A' block, measuring 10 feet in width and 12 feet long, 20 in 'B' block and 46 in 'C' block. Two Rangamandiras (auditoria for programmes) have been constructed at the exhibition premises to conduct cultural programmes. B V Karanth Rangamandira has four green rooms, and a seating capacity of 2,000 people. P Kalingarao Rangamandira has two green rooms. Separate area has been earmarked for Zilla Panchayats and other departments to open their stalls. For amusement alone, a total of two acres of area at the southern part of the exhibition is reserved with 'giant wheels', 'Columbus', 'toy train' among others enhancing the mood. The other attractions include a four-compartment sky track mono rail installed at the cost of Rs 25 lakh at the centre of the exhibition. The exhibition saw its heydays during the reign of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar (1902 to 1940), continued by Jayachamaraja Wodeyar from 1940 to 1947. Though the exhibition now is a government programme, it still retains its charm.

- Deccan Herald, November 23, 2010

Come November 30, it will be 112 years since the then Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone for the Glass House at Lalbagh in Bangalore. The man behind the idea was John Cameron. He was also the man who introduced the pear squash, better known as chow-chow, to the city. The father of horticulture is said to have stood at the toll gate on Hosur Road to distribute vegetables to farmers, discovers Meera Iyer

On November 30, 1898, the who's who in Mysore gathered at the Lalbagh BotanicalGarden in Bangalore. The occasion was a reception party hosted by His Highness Chamaraja Wodeyar for an English royal then on tour in India, Prince Albert Victor, heir to the Prince of Wales. During this function, the dapper young prince laid the foundation stone for a building then called the Albert Victor Conservatory, but now known as the Glass House. The man behind the idea of the Glass House: John Cameron, Superintendent of Lalbagh. Cameron took over as the Superintendent of Lalbagh in March 1874. Like his predecessor, Cameron had a background in botany and had trained at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, then the centre of botanical research in the world. We don't know too much about John Cameron the person. But whatever little we can glean from stray records and correspondence of John Cameron the official reveals a man full of ideas, action, and a passion for plants and horticulture.

Horticulture with gusto

The main reasons for the establishment of Lalbagh as a Government Botanical Garden in 1856 were the introduction of new useful species, the acclimatisation of these so that they could be taken to other places in India, and the education of 'native' farmers and gardeners on superior methods of horticulture and cultivation. Cameron pursued all these objectives with great fervour. Lalbagh's first known plant census, done in 1861, records 1033 species. In the first six years that he took charge of Lalbagh, Cameron managed to introduce an average of 160 new plants every year, so that Lalbagh's second plant census records 2,020 species in the garden. And eleven years later, the garden had an astonishing 3,222 species, though of course, by this time the garden had also increased in size. It's no wonder that the 33 years that Cameron was in charge of Lalbagh are regarded by horticulturists as the Golden Era of plant introductions. Cameron cast his net far and wide, using his contacts around the world to bring in new plants to the garden: Clematis from Greece, oil palms from West Africa, silkrubber from Indonesia, Qat from Yemen, Fish poison tree from Sri Lanka, blackthorn from Australia… He also tried to introduce many commercial crops, including varieties of coffee, apples, rubber and grapes.

The chow chow makes an entry...

In fact, many of the vegetables that we think of as integral parts of our diet were introduced during Cameron's period. The next time you chew your chow chow palya (curry), ponder how this may not have been possible but for Cameron. Horticulturist S V Hittalmani writes about how Cameron introduced and popularised the chow chow, also called seeme badanekai or foreign brinjal. Sometime in 1890, Cameron received three chow chow fruits from Sri Lanka. After trying them out in Lalbagh, he was convinced the vegetable could be useful. But convincing farmers was no simple task. To persuade them to try out this new crop, Cameron personally toured the surrounding countryside on horseback, talking to farmers and distributing the seeds. (This probably explains Cameron's special horse allowance of Rs 30 per month!) A few months later, he revisited them to find out if they had tried the vegetable and how their crop was doing. It is said that the indefatigable Cameron even stood at the toll gate on Hosur Road to distribute these fruits to farmers. Perhaps this is why people in our neighbouring states still refer to chow chow as the Bangalore brinjal. From January 1887, Cameron was also given charge of the Bangalore museum. But the additional responsibility does not seem to have lessened his commitment to horticulture. He kept up a steady stream of scientific publications, some based on botanical tours that he undertook to various parts of the state. He continued with experiments at Lalbagh to determine the potential value of new plants. Students and volunteers were encouraged to come and watch these for free so that they may learn. Outstanding volunteers were also given certificates of merit. He began a Gardeners' Class in Lalbagh to train 'native' gardeners, with six scholarships available for deserving candidates. Cameron even edited a 115-page book in Kannada on kitchen gardening, titled Mysore Seemeyalli Kaithotagala Vyavasaya, which was all about the cultivation and care of exotic and native vegetables.

Expansion plans

Cameron's second mission was to enlarge the area under his care. When he assumed office, Lalbagh had an area of about 45 acres. In 1889, 30 acres were added to the eastern side, followed by 13 more in 1891, including the Rock with the Kempegowda tower. Three years later, Cameron managed to add a whopping 94 acres to Lalbagh, just east of and below the Rock. Another pet project of Cameron's seems to have been the Zoo. Lalbagh had a zoo since at least 1866, but Cameron seems to have collected animals for it with quite as much enthusiasm as he collected plants for the garden. Among other things, he procured a tiger cub (for an exorbitant Rs. 50!), orangutans, bears, hoolock gibbons and rhinos for the zoo, besides innumerable birds and small animals like rabbits. He also continued to improve Lalbagh's facilities. It was Cameron's idea to have a conservatory in the garden to facilitate acclimatisation of plants and also as a venue for the flower showers which until the Glass House built, were held near the bandstand. In 1891, Cameron also had an elegant new main gate built. The grand wrought iron railings of the Cameron gate, as it was called for many years, were designed to provide a view from the road of the garden inside. Cameron handed over his responsibilities as Superintendent of Lalbagh and the museum to his able successor GH Krumbiegel in January 1908. He returned to England shortly after. Today, though horticulturists hail him as the Father of Horticulture in Karnataka, his contributions are forgotten by most. Nothing remains in Lalbagh to preserve his memory. The zoo that he so lovingly tended was closed in 1933 when all remaining animals were transferred to the Mysore zoo. The entrance that bore his name for many years is now known only as Main gate, and I wonder how many today know who is responsible for the welcome glimpse of green they get as they crawl past the traffic here.

- Deccan Herald, November 23, 2010

This compelling story of the 'Bengal Renaissance' could not have come at a more appropriate time. The year-long celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore — the very epitome of this 19th century "Awakening" and, to quote the author, the quintessential "Renaissance man" — are under way. Superbly documented, the book brings to the fore Subrata Dasgupta's skill as a chronicler of events and reveals the consummate researcher in him. The story of this awakening is one of the encounters of a cultural kind that energises a new creativity. The product of this cross-fertilisation and blending of two traditions with their distinctive ethos and idioms inspired an elevated consciousness, which Dasgupta calls the "Indo-Western mind". There is the Orientalist, William Jones (1746-94), the forerunner of this "mind"; Raja Rammohun Roy (1772-1833), widely considered the pioneer of the Bengal Renaissance; and the "enfant terrible", Henry Derozio (1809-31), embedded, as the author notes, in Indian culture yet drawing upon "ideas and style strongly influenced by the Western intellectual tradition." As the narrative progresses, we come across Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-91), whose contribution was "practical" humanism, which imbued the awakening with "the mentality of a practical, secular humanist committed to the progress of the human condition, to the principle and practice of egalitarianism, to an integrity that others could rely upon absolutely". It was these values that would fashion the 'Renaissance mind'. If it was Rammohun Roy who campaigned against 'sati' and Vidyasagar against child marriage, the story of Rassundari Debi, thrust into marriage when she was just 12, is about what it was like to be a traditional Bengali Hindu female in a male-dominated 19th century social mileu. Rassundari's book Amar Jiban (My life) meant a lot more to the blossoming of the Bengal Renaissance. Hers was the voice of her gender. What more, by writing it, she — even if unwittingly — transplanted a "peculiarly Western literary genre" (autobiography) into a very Indian ambience, the first feminists. Who but Michael Madhusudan Datta (1824-73) could be the "Jolly Christian Rhymer"' of "Exquisite Graces" (the title of the chapter on him) — the mercurial, revolutionary poet whose creative output earned him a place among the notables in the literary history of Bengal. As the story of Bengal Renaissance unfolded, it was imbued with the spirit of nationalism. Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay (1838-94), the author of historical romances and an architect of the "awakening", owed it to the English to have drawn the Indian consciousness to the desire for liberty and a national identity after centuries of subjugation. His composition Vande Mataram is a hymn to this new consciousness. The "Indo-Western mind", considered in the book as the ultimate product of the Renaissance, found expression in Swami Vivekananda ((1863-1902). In the chapter "The sound of monistic music", the author argues that, in Vivekananda's scheme of things, material progress and spiritual progress were not at odds with each other; this is because he maintained that both science and religion sought unity in diversity. Moving on to the advent of modern scientific research in India, the author refers to Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858-1937) who, at the International Physics Conference in August 1900, talked about the similarity between the responsiveness of living and non-living matter to physical stimuli — a commentary on nature's monism. He goes on to say that Bose was most likely drawn to his "Bose-ian thesis" not only on the basis of scientific reasoning. There was the likelihood of a monistic strain in the scientist; making it thus an "Indian response to Western science... another extraordinary example of the cross-cultural mind that characterised the Bengal Renaissance." The concluding part of this fascinating story of the Bengal Renaissance, is dedicated, for good reason, to Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). The author explains that this literary colossus, at one level, symbolised the new awakening of the Indian mind and, at another, represented its legacy in the age that followed. In this sense, his life "in the era of the Bengal Renaissance becomes less a chapter and more an epilogue to this story." "A Renaissance needs a Renaissance man. The Italian had Leonardo da Vinci. Bengal had Rabindranath."

- The Hindu, November 23, 2010

After gracing the collections of several car collectors across the globe, a 1934 customised Rolls Royce, 'The Star of India', is all set to return to the erstwhile royal family of Rajkot. Mandhatasinh Jadeja, former prince of Rajkot, recently bought the car at an online auction from Monte Carlo for 6.44 lakh euros (Rs 3.2 crore). His grandfather had sold it to a British collector in 1968. The Phantom-II 40/50 HP Continental, an all-weather convertible, was part of the private collection of Rolls Royce collector Hans-Gunther Zach before Jadeja bought it back. He plans to gift the car to his father Manoharsinh Jadeja on his 75th birthday on November 29. Manoharsinh was a state minister in Chhabildas Mehta's government between 1993 and 1995. "I could not think of a better birthday gift for my father. The car is part of the family's history," he said. Even Mahatma Gandhi and Queen Victoria had travelled in this car. Mandhatasinh's grand uncle Thakorsaheb Dharmendrasinh had ordered the customised Rolls Royce in 1934. "We wanted to bring back this heritage irrespective of its costs. It may well be the first case in which an artefact sold by a royal family outside the country has been bought back by the same family. The Rolls Royce will be transported back to Rajkot within six months," Jadeja said. Currently, the car is on display in Ontario at the exhibition, Maharaja: The splendour of India's royal courts," Jadeja said. When it returns, the car will be part of a new heritage museum Mandhatasinh is building. "The car has several features which were considered unique in the 1930s, including headlights controlled by steering wheel and ability to track the vehicle's progress on road. A similar technology, now called adaptive curve lights, is the feature of the latest BMW and Mercedes models," he said.

- The Times of India, November 24, 2010

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), is showcasing a never-seen-before selection of pioneer photographer Raja Deen Dayal's oeuvre in an exhibition, which captures India from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s. Seen through the lens of one of India's first court photographers, the exhibition is a slice of history. It also marks the digitisation of 220 Deen Dayal's glass plate negatives by Kaushik Ramaswamy, who has restored the works as well as placed them in a digital archive for posterity. "These images have been lying with the IGNCA for years, but with the opening of the new gallery, the exhibition that has taken a year of hard labour has finally come together," says Ramaswamy. Curated by Dr Jyotindra Jain and Pramod Kumar, the exhibition begins with Deen Dayal's open-air photography of moments, cities, temples, palaces and festivals, and ends with his famed studio portraits of Indian royalty and bourgeois during the early years of the British East India Company. "Our main criterion was to make Deen Dayal's astonishingly big body of work accessible to the public. Besides its nostalgic value, his work is a great study tool since it captures the drama of the past and recreates an epoch," says Kumar, managing director of Eka, a cultural resource and research centre. Jain, a curator and cultural theorist who is credited with curating several significant shows, says that though the exhibition has been arranged chronologically to present a sense of history to the viewer, it is Deen Dayal's style that is the main clue to understanding the importance of his work. "When photographing the Nizam of Hyderabad, Deen Dayal would imagine that it was the Nizam himself who was behind the camera and take the picture in a spirit that captured him at his best moment," says Jain. Besides the courtly portraiture that marks most of the collection, there are some interesting images to watch out for, like the photograph of M M Shirazee and friends. The group of youngsters pose before a backdrop of the countryside with their bicycles, dressed in a typical British style, in a 1889 portrait. What is interesting is that the image has not been cropped and it reveals the fake landscape against which they are posing in a gently humorous way. There is also an unusual, 1890s image of Gulam Mahmood with nautch girls and wine, an image considered daring for the times, as are the many portraits of dancers like Firoza Begum and courtesans that stand in the hall of fame, alongside queens and princesses. While certain purist photographers wish the exhibition was not a collection of digital prints but the actual albumen prints developed from the glass plate, others are just happy to see the works that had been lying unattended for decades.

- Indian Express, November 24, 2010

Non-government activists campaigning for the conservation of the Yamuna flood-plains say they feel let down that a temporary bus shelter on the river-bed that should have been dismantled after the Commonwealth Games is likely to remain there. Convenor of the NGO Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, Manoj Misra, has written to Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta pointing out that the decision to continue with the bus shelter at the site is flawed. "Apart from the fact that the Lieutenant-Governor had given permission for a temporary structure that too for the duration of Games, the Delhi Development Authority in a reply to a query under the Right to Information Act on November 10 had said that as per records available, no allotment was made to the Delhi Transport Corporation. Clearly the river-bed owning principal agency in the city is not even aware that such a facility like this exists on the river-bed," said Mr. Misra. Urging the Chief Secretary and the agencies to look for "alternate" space for the depot, the YJA said: "… we are most appalled when you justify a new wrong (the depot) based on an earlier wrong namely a fly ash dump in the river bed. Does it mean that because a part of the river bed was being wrongly used as a fly ash dump so it no longer remains a river bed?" The YJA has also drawn attention to the recent floods and the related incident of a building collapse in East Delhi that claimed 70 lives. "The river has sent a clear message that it will not permit any further messing up with its remaining flood-plains in the city," said Mr. Misra. "The L-G had in 2007 declared a complete embargo on any new construction other than CWG village being undertaken in the flood-plain. This embargo has since been made statutory in nature through the approved land use plan in the notified zonal plan for Zone O. To a RTI response, the DTC in 2009 clearly stated that 'DTC requires land for idle parking for 300 buses during CWG 2010 in the vicinity of Games Village and it has no plan to set up any bus depot there'. Yet there has been no effort to rid the river bed of this illegal depot," said Mr. Misra. A letter from the L-G's office to YJA in 2009 also stated, "…permission is in view of security arrangements....this is purely going to be a temporary arrangement....there is no proposal for the DTC for any bus depot in the river bed". "The temporary nature of the facility was reiterated by the L-G's office in May this year. Clearly the permission was specific not just for temporary structures but temporary occupation too ," YJA has claimed in the letter.

- The Hindu, November 24, 2010

Finding Delhi is a book with a conscience that voices environmental and human concerns in the rush to turn Delhi into a "world class city." A metropolis consisting of malls, highways and sanitised markets, Delhi has been steadily pushing the poor out of sight. Often, Delhi's traditional markets like the Kabari Bazaar are shifted to faraway places, and some like the wonderful old flower markets in Mehrauli, Old Delhi and Connaught Place are threatened with extinction. The essays written by well-known activists and academics enliven the concerns of citizens who exist in Delhi's twilight zone. As the editor Bharati Chaturvedi articulates in her introduction, 'these denizens inject into the city a unique robustness as they fight for the right to live as an acknowledged, useful part of the urban ecosystem". The book reveals how little Delhi's empowered citizens care about the city's lesser citizens. In the essay on "Urban Exclusions," Amita Bavaskar writes, "full citizenship is only allowed to those on the right side of the property and class divide." Lalit Batra details the ruthlessness of Delhi as thousands living on the banks of the Yamuna were evicted in a demolition drive to free the city of slums. Kalpana Vishwanath looks at Delhi from a gender perspective, concluding that the metro is not kind to its women. Women are subjected to staring, comments and become easy sexual targets. Traditionally markets and parks were their legitimate spaces, but new public spaces are opening for women with the metro and malls. Kalpana feels it's still a long way before women will be able to access the city with complete confidence. A book of this kind would have been incomplete without focussing on the Yamuna, our dying river. I am glad that veteran waterman Manoj Misra of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, an organisation that has been relentlessly trying to save the river, has written for the book. He writes how the Yamuna in Delhi and downstream has become the most threatened river stretch in the country. Activist Harsh Mander focuses on the lack of night shelters in Delhi. His personal encounters with the homeless on cold wintry nights leave you teary-eyed. The last section of the book titled, "Experiences," is rather unusual. It consists of first-hand accounts of the city's lesser denizens. Santu, the garbage collector, who sorts out the recyclable stuff from Delhi's 8,000 tonnes of daily waste. A dhobi and a domestic servant too, recount their tale of survival in the city. Finding Delhi is not an easy feel-good book, but a must read for those who wish to understand the city in its totality. As someone whose family has belonged to Delhi and loves the city, I sincerely hope this book awakens the Delhiwallah to collectively engage in efforts to save the city's natural resources and the lives of our less privileged co-citizens.

- Deccan Chronicle, November 24, 2010