Although the capital city frequently witnesses art exhibitions mostly by young and upcoming painters, a welcoming feature is that it does not forget seasoned artists either.

One such exhibition “A heritage preserved” opened at Nomad’s Saidpur Village gallery on Monday showcasing masterpieces of veteran artist GN Kazi. Talking about his work, Kazi told The Express Tribune that he is particularly fascinated by Pakistan’s cultural heritage, old buildings, shrines and ancient and narrow alleys.

“I have traveled all over Pakistan and truly appreciate our cultural heritage and architecture. I think it is extremely distinct and beautiful and this is what I have reflected in my work as well,” he commented. “My over 30 years of painting architectural perspective of cities and buildings has given me the experience of handling a varied colour palette and experimenting with imaginary facades too, which I often insert in some of my artwork”, he said.

“He is an extremely a talented artist. He has chosen culture and architectural heritage as his point of interest, showing its complexities and simplicities side by side to complement and highlight the other,” curator and activist Nageen Hyat commented while talking to The Express Tribune. “Kazi’s work is stunning to say the least and the most distinctive feature about his paintings is that there are absolutely no boundaries in his work. His subjects move from forts to palaces and havelis since he is heavily inspired by architecture, particularly from traditional Mughal period and shrines of sufis and saints.”

About his colour combination, Hyat said he is fond of using minimum colours but he does use several bright shades in monotones, which make the paintings stand out. “Using minimum colours ensures that attention of the viewer does not divert from subject of his soil.”

He graduated with a diploma in fine arts from Karachi School of Arts in 1995 and has been exhibiting his work ever since. Internationally, he has exhibited in the UK, India and Bangladesh. He has participated in group and solo exhibitions at Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The artworks on display are primarily oil on canvas. A lot of earth tones and browns have been used in paintings but at the same time tinge of bright colours like blue and orange have also been used to make the paintings stand out. It is not just that his colour palette is stunning but his work is beautifully textured too, which makes the paintings look rather surreal.

As an artist, it seems like Kazi is very rooted in the soil and believes in preserving heritage and architecture of Pakistan. His work is not typical and too commercial because he focuses on his personal admirations and instinct while painting, which makes it unique and beautiful. The paintings are serene and aesthetically pleasing, harmonious and tranquil. They are quite a treat for eyes and soul and that precisely is the reason why the exhibition deserves a visit which continues till September 12.

- The Express Tribune, September 1, 2015

Seeking to instill love and respect for country's cultural legacy, INTACH has taken its second edition of the annual heritage quiz for schoolchildren to nearly 110 cities now, with the Delhi-Haryana round here today throwing a pair of girls from the capital as a champion.

Starting on July 2 from Pondicherry, the INTACH IndiaHeritage Quiz 2015 has so far covered cities, ranging fromSrinagar to Port Blair and Daman to Darjeeling, celebrating India's architectural, linguistic and pluralistic history.

More than 70 schools and 80 teams from Delhi and Haryana gathered at the India International Centre (IIC) Annexe today to test their India quotient, but it was a duo of young girls from Convent of Jesus and Mary (CJM) who came up trumps against other teams with a comfortable margin.

Riva Mehta And Ojasvini Bali, both class X students of CJM, and avid quizzers, brought laurels for their school as they outperformed seven other teams in the final Delhi-Haryana round.

Ojasavini, who couple of years earlier had represented her school in the Bournvita School Quiz, said, "We made it to finals last year as well but this time we converted it, though we were initially not sure of winning, but it all happened finally."

Both girls being members of their school's quiz club, Ojasavini said, "Many people think that girls can't quiz. But, look at us. We hope more girls will quiz, because, it enhances our knowledge and its fun."

Driven mainly by volunteers including its quiz masters, numbering about 20, through the Heritage Quiz, city-based Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) seeks to make it a country-driven effort that unites and celebrates the country's rich past.

Purnima Datt, INTACH's Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) said, "The idea with which we started the event last year has borne fruits and this year we have expanded our reach."

"We have reached nearly 110 cities with couple of more to go. The scheduled for finals is not yet decided but tentatively, it should be in November," she told PTI.

Talking about the experience of conducting quizzes in varying geographies, quizmaster Kunal Savarkar said, "It truly is an India quiz, as with venues, language, costume, and weather changed."

"Last year, at some places we couldn't conduct a quiz because some cloudburst happened, some city had curfew imposed there, but overall we proudly spanned practically the whole of India, from its states to its Union Territories, from big cities to small towns," he said.

Before the Delhi-Haryana round, INTACH also held its zonal finals for the Western UP/Uttarakhand region, which was won by Bal Bharti Public School of Ghaziabad.

- http://www.business-standard.com/, September 1, 2015

Painting: “Aesthetic Memories”, 13th Solo exhibition of paintings by Purnendu Mandal, at Triveni Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205, Tansen Marg, Mandi House, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Exhibition: “One By One Strokes.” an exhibition of paintings by Sanjay Soni at Convention Centre Foyer, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Exhibtion: ‘Paradox’, a solo exhibition of drawings and paintings by Vijendra S. Vij, at Gallery No. 3, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Recital: “Stuti” Odissi recital by Paulami Guha at Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 7 p.m. Talk: “Heritage Transport Museum — Story of the Journey…” by Tarun Thakral at Seminar Rooms II to III, Kamaladevi Complex, Main Building, India International Centre, 6.30 p.m.

Seminar: ‘Reading Buildings and Cultural Landscapes of Calcutta as a source of its Urban History’, Dr. Sukanya Mitra, at Seminar Room, Library Building, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, 3 p.m.

- The Hindu, September 1, 2015

The ban could be extended to some districts of North Maharashtra and Western Maharashtra, which too are facing a water crisis

The Marathwada region hit severely by drought, the Maharashtra government is looking at banning sugarcane cultivation and crushing from mid-September in the worst-affected districts. Both processes demand huge quantities of water but the expected move, if and when introduced, could face opposition from the sugar industry.

The decision could come as early as Tuesday, when Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has convened a meeting with senior ministers and agriculture experts to recommend water-saving measures to be introduced from the middle of the month. Agriculture Minister Eknath Khadse hinted at what is in store. “Sugar cultivation and crushing require huge amounts of water from dams, rivers and borewells and have to be banned in Marathwada,” Khadse said. “We have to keep people and animals alive. Sugarcane cultivation and crushing can wait for one season.”

The ban could be extended to some districts of North Maharashtra and Western Maharashtra, which too are facing a water crisis. The state government may also recommend a change in crop pattern to promote less water-intensive crops. “The production of 1 kg sugar consumes 2,068 litres water,” said an agriculture official. Former minister Harshvardhan Patil, who runs sugar mills in western Maharashtra, agreed that in a crisis, “the state government’s first priority will obviously be drinking water for people and animals; agriculture will come later”.

But he stressed the sugar industry’s importance to the economy. “The sugar industry in the state is worth Rs 50,000 crore,” he said. “Some 25 to 27 lakh farmers cultivate sugarcane, 10 lakh more work as labourers during harvesting, and 2.5 lakh others are employed in sugar mills.” The industry contributes revenue of Rs 5,000 crore, half of this to the state and half to the Centre.

Marathwada has 75 to 80 of the state’s 205 sugar mills. Of the five dams in the region, Jayakwadi is 6 per cent full while the rest have sunk to dead reserves. “In Solapur, Osmanabad, Latur and Beed, sugar mills often find ways to exploit water bodies to overcome losses,” said the officer, calling for a strict ban with penalties.

“Sugarcane should not be allowed in drought-prone districts,” water management expert Madhav Chitale said. “Today, the average rainfall at the best of times is suitable for crops that can sustain eight months. Cane cultivation and crushing require water for 12 months. The government should seriously go for changes in crop pattern… Sugar is best suited for districts like Kolhapur with surplus rainfall.”

- The Indian Express, September 1, 2015

As a member of the audience it is phenomenal that virtually all programmes in Delhi are sponsored and free

Recently I was reminded of the incredible good fortune of Delhi residents who can attend the best of national and international performing arts performance for the cost of a metro ticket to reach the venue. As an artist, I would prefer for performances to be ticketed, but as a member of the audience it is phenomenal that virtually all programmes in this national capital are sponsored and free.

I attended one evening each of two annual festivals produced by two leading dancers, Ranjana Gauhar’s Utsav and Shovana Narayan’s LalitArpan Festivals. Outstanding performances by some excellent artists I haven’t seen for a while were a treat. The Utsav festival opened with a condensed Geet Govinda with Ranjana as Radha which offered her able students valuable stage practice as sakhis in a production that traversed A to Z of the Geeta Govinda, from the springtime setting of Lalita Lavangalata to the culminating expression of the Radha-Shyam union of Kuru Yadunandana.

Next, Shallu Jindal, a disciple of Padmabhushan Gurus Dr Raja Radha and Kaushalya Reddy, presented an exquisite Kuchipudi performance with an involved abhinaya that reminded me of the fawn like quality of Alarmel Valli and Leela Samson’s performances that are treasured memories of earlier decades. She is a joy to watch with her elegant appearance and costuming. The familiar Tarangam, in which the performer dances on the edges of a brass plate, was presented with a complexity and grace that made it outstandingly fresh. Shibani Patnaik, an American of Indian Odia origin, is a fine dancer that should be seen more in India.

I first met her 30 years ago when I was a guest in her home during a tour with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. As I recall, after again staying with her wonderful family on another tour accompanied by Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, he arranged for extensive annual training in California for the three Patnaik sisters and their equally beautiful mother, Rupa. Since then she has extensively trained under late Guru Gangadhar Pradhan (Padmashree), Aruna Mohanty, Manoranjan Pradhan, and Yudhistir Nayak from Orissa Dance Academy. Her training has also entailed frequent trips to study in Orissa. The Odissi dance seen in Madonna’s 1998 MTV Video Music Awards performance was the contribution of the Patnaik sisters.

Her performance was a shining and moving example of how a traditional dance form can offer new choreography that touches evergreen themes that have relevance for all. The opening voice over in her own American accent added universality to her interpretation of excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita and Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s Bhaja Govindam in her presentation of Samsara, the cycle of life. The cycle of birth, death and reincarnation was visualised beautifully around the question “Why do we fear old age and death when it simply part of the perpetual cycle of life?” The culmination in Mokshya, where the soul attains liberation and is released from this Samsara, offered an affirmation of life and our journey through it.

Shibani’s dance composition was well conceived under the direction of Guru Aruna Mohanty who worked out the concept with Kedar Misra. The fine music composition of Guru Bijoy Kumar Jena and mardala composition of Guru Bijaya Kumar Barik combined to make Samsara a dance that should be seen by many audences.

I have seen Santosh Nair develop as a modern dancer and choreographer over many years and the production of The Mystical Forest by his group, Sadhya, concluding the first evening of the Utsav Festival, is perhaps his best work. It was taut, evocative and one of the best modern dance pieces I have seen in years. As the dancers entered through the audience, faces painted half green and half leaf like tattoos added to a finely subtle ambiguity of whether the dancers were part of the flora and fauna of the forest or tribals. The music by Upmayu Bhanot perfectly evoked the forest sounds and supported the rich environment of dynamic and engaging movement.

Twice the sounds of an airplane close overhead framed the threatening risks to the balanced ecosystem of nature and natives. The dancers moved with all the strength, flexibility and control to fulfill the demanding choreography. This made it possible to completely go with the unfolding dynamics of experiences and emotions, rituals and relationships created.

All too often appreciating the intent of Indian modern dance choreography requires overlooking limitations of the dancers’ technique, and this was thankfully not the case here. The male female duet had lifts that were never gimmicky or awkward; every movement had an impact that went beyond shaping out of the ordinary forms.

Santosh Nair and his company’s strong training in Mayurbhanj Chhau was visible appropriately during a section of warriors dancing with spears. I appreciated that, while it is one of the core techniques in which they are trained, obvious chhau uflies were used in only sequences that called for them. The power of tribal animism was created with a bug eyed Sri Lankan Ambalangoda style head mask that added height and majesty to the dancer with a clever play of cloth quickly transforming space and shaman, respectively.

The costumes by Alpana and Neeraj deserve special mention. Just below the knee flesh coloured tights with a dhoti like drape on one leg were a perfect unisex image. Waves of ridges evoking quills or fur or something organic ran across their bodies with traces of leaves woven into the hair.

Gyandev Singh’s lighting was first class and whatever Nalin Sharma did for production and script was right on. I discovered later that this was a condensed version of the production that was premiered in Toronto, Canada in 2014. It was immensely satisfying to see an Indian modern dance production that is up to international standards. Kudos to Ranjana Gauhar for a splendid selection of artists for her Utsav Festival.

With a plethora of dance and music on Delhi’s stages, I missed her second night to attend the opening evening of Shovana Narayan’s LalitArpan Festival at Kamani. The packed auditorium was carried away to Bananas with her performance of Ghalib’s Chiragh e Dair, an ode to the spirit of secularism, plurality and co-existence of cultures that defines Indianness. Ghalib wrote this masnavi of 108 verses after a month long sojourn in the holy city, enraptured by its serene beauty and the Ganges, after having seen the destruction his beloved Delhi. The performance opened with a filmed introduction by Ali Sardar Jafri from 1996-7 who had translated the Persian masnavi.

Shovana’s Kathak dance troupe was outstanding, with perfect synchronisation even in the srungara sequence that is usually seen solo. The lightning by Modern Stage enriched the atmosphere to remarkable effect, as did the excellent musical composition. Shovana was in great form expressing the beauty of Ganga and the joy and peace of Banaras.

After this moving tribute to Banaras, the audience that stayed back was treated with a scintillating santoor performance by Pt. Satish Vyas (Padmashree), Son of the classical singer C.R. Vyas and trained from 1978 by Pt Shivkumar Sharma, Satish Vyas is a joy to hear. His music transported us as only great music and musicianship can. Again, kudos to Shovana for bringing him to Delhi and convening another splendid festival with support from Lalit Hospitality Group and other sponsors. Delhi is fortunate to have such regular festivals sharing the bounty of Indian performing arts for all.

Sharon Lowen is a respected exponent of Odissi, Manipuri and Mayurbhanj and Seraikella Chau whose four-decade career in India was preceded by 17 years of modern dance and ballet in the US and an MA in dance from the University of Michigan. She can be contacted at [email protected]

- The Asian Age, September 1, 2015

Three years and more than 100 amendments later, the revised Master Plan for Delhi 2021 (MPD-2021) is nearly ready. While the Centre will soon notify provisions for transit-oriented development (TOD) and the environment, some amendments have already been implemented.

But is MPD-2021 a feasible plan? How much of it has been implemented? Does it really address the pressing concerns of the city and provide a realistic vision for sustainable development? Is it in sync with the ground realities? These are some of the questions on Delhi's mind.

Experts say many features of MPD-2021 have remained on paper for reasons ranging from the multiplicity of authorities in the city to poor enforcement and planning by the agencies concerned and the presence of many unauthorized colonies, slums, resettlement colonies and villages. Urban planners and experts TOI spoke to said the city needs operational guidelines to implement the MPD and these should be a part of the document.

The failure of civic and government agencies to prepare a local area plan (LAP) even after eight years is an example of the complications in the way of MPD-2021. The erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi had made an LAP for some municipal wards but it was never notified as MCD said it didn't have the powers to notify it while DDA insisted only MCD could notify it.

"Due to this technical discrepancy, there is no approved LAP which is critical for any area's development. Operational guidelines will help in overcoming such discrepancies and help in faster implementation of the plan," said Sanjukta Bhaduri, head of the department of urban planning in School of Planning and Architecture who prepared some of the LAPs. Experts say the MPD is good as a 'vision document' as it provides for sustainable development with provisions like TOD, land pooling and stress on conservation of heritage and the environment, but some of its provisions are not in sync with ground realities.

More than 60% of Delhi's population lives in unauthorized colonies, rural and urban villages and unauthorized regularized colonies. The document doesn't dwell much on the development needs of the people living in these areas. "Regularization of unauthorized colonies can't happen as per the terms and conditions of the present master plan. Building plans can't be sanctioned here as per the MPD. These colonies have come up illegally. There is a need to have different norms for them," said urban planner A G K Menon.

As a result, even "people-friendly" features like sub-division and amalgamation of plots haven't worked. Sub-division of plots was allowed in unauthorized regularized (UR) colonies, but it has not found any takers as the permitted floor-area ratio (FAR) is based on the plot's original size. "In most cases, the FAR has already been used up by people living on the sub-divided plots so fresh construction cannot be carried out on the vacant portion of the plot. This has led to rampant unauthorized construction in UR colonies," said a South Corporation official.

Experts say illegal construction is rampant in Delhi, so each master plan has focused on regularizing illegal activities. The 2007 MPD provided for legalizing commercial establishments in residential areas by allowing mixed land use. Now, the revised plan proposes low-density residential areas (LDRA), which is a way to regularize illegal farmhouses. Corporation officials say LDRA actually allows more dwelling units per plot.

"The vision is limited by the burden of the present. Each plan regularizes what has come up illegally. It is about time we seriously address the issues and provide practical solutions to decongest the city. There are villages which are 300 years old. There is a need for a special plan to restore them," said K T Ravindran, urban designer and former DUAC chairperson.

Experts say the provisions related to parking space need to be revised, as MPD-2021 stressed on providing parking while now the thrust is on public transport. "MPD-2021 allows for two equivalent car spaces per 100-sq metre of residential area and three in commercial areas. There is an urgent need to undo this clause for the success of TOD," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment.

There's also a need for a rolling process of planning for timely course-correction. "Twenty years is too long a period for planning, given the city's complexities and fast growth rate," said Bhaduri.

New Delhi: To a common man it seems strange that years are spent in drawing and reviewing the master plan but Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the city's planning agency, says making the 'vision document' is a mammoth task. Decisions are taken after a lot of discussion between experts and implemented only after seeking and incorporating the public's views. DDA had formed 12 sub-groups of experts from various fields to discuss the city's development and growing requirements of shelter, traffic and transportation, trade and commerce, etc.

More than 200 experts took two years to prepare the draft of Master Plan for Delhi 2021 after the Union urban development ministry commissioned it in 2003. Each group had academicians, experts working on the ground and government representatives. "They submitted their recommendations after reviewing sectoral studies and current problems like the commercialization of residential areas," said a senior DDA official. Experts say the main objective of MPD-2021 was to address the city's growing needs while conserving the environment and heritage.

After the draft plan was notified in March 2005, DDA received more than 7,000 suggestions and objections from the public. "Close to 90% of the suggestions were related to property. We incorporated the suggestions for the city's development and sent them to our advisory council for approval," a DDA official said.

Finalizing a master plan after incorporating the public's suggestions takes a long time. The draft plan is vetted by various committees for legal and technical issues before it is sent to the Union urban development ministry which notifies it after receiving the Cabinet's approval. "The entire exercise for preparing a draft plan is repeated after the public's suggestions are incorporated. That is why it takes years," said the official.

The same process is followed to notify a revised master plan. The revision started in early-2012 and the government is notifying the changes in phases. DDA officials say more than 100 amendments have already been made to MPD-2021. The urban development ministry is in the process of finalizing the last chapter on environment, which will be posted for people's suggestions and objections soon. Sources say the review is likely to end by December.

- The Times of India, September 1, 2015

When the British were planning Lutyen's Delhi, the last known descendants of Mughal dynasty were either resting in their graves or pulling rickshaws in the streets of Calcutta.

After the failed mutiny of 1857 and the subsequent death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, some of them were executed by the British. Those who survived, disappeared from Delhi to live in obscurity and penury, mostly out of fear of being caught and killed.

Zafar's last known relative, his great grandson Prince Mirza Bedar Bukht, died in 1980. His wife and six children live off a paltry pension in the slums of Howrah. Their predecessors Jamshid Bakht and Jawan Bakht didn't do spectacularly well either; their greatest achievement being the successful transition from Lal Quila to the streets of Calcutta.

Between 1911 and 1931, when the British planned and inaugurated New Delhi, they were obviously not under pressure from members of the Mughal dynasty to honour their ancestors. Neither was there any pressure to strike some opportunistic alliance with a powerful family and its supporters. Yet, the British named the roads and parks of the new city after rulers from the Mughal dynasty.

What was the reason? It is clear from the names the British chose for roads, lanes, squares and gardens, they wanted the new city to reflect the history of Delhi. The names were an ode to the various rulers who contributed to Delhi's history, geography, art and culture. So, without getting into the politics, region and religion of the rulers, the British chose Lodis, Tughlaqs, Mughals, and Hindus; Mongols, Pashtuns, Pathans and Rajputs — almost everybody from our history — to give identity to Delhi's landmarks.

That the British chose without differentiating between region and religion becomes evident when you circle India Gate. Roads named after Prithviraj Chouhan, Ashoka, Aurangzeb, Shah Jahan and Sher Shah merge into an amazing kaleidoscope of centuries of history. The British were clearly broadminded in their approach. Though they had no love lost for the Mughals — don't forget they virtually ended the dynasty; killed Zafar's son, exiled him to Burma and fought bitter wars with Aurangzeb that almost drove them out of India — they did not let politics come in the way of the plan for the new capital.

Those who are ecstatic that Aurangzeb has now been replaced by APJ Abdul Kalam on one of New Delhi's main roads have, obviously, missed the point: New Delhi's geography was inspired by history, not politics and bigotry. If the arguments that have been put forward to defend the renaming of Aurangzeb Road — "bad Muslim, bigot, destroyer of temples"— become the basis for revisiting our roads, cities and monuments, nothing would remain sacrosanct.

Lodi Garden — Did Ibrahim Lodi not deny the great Hindu ruler Rana Sanga the throne of Delhi even after being defeated at the Battle of Khatoli (1517)? Tughlaq Road — Did Ulugh Juna Khan (Muhammed bin Tughlaq) not destroy Hindu kingdoms and, like Aurangzeb, not kill his father Ghiyasuddin to usurp the throne? Did he not raise taxes through Tughlaqi firmans to levels so high that people revolted? Did he not, as his court historian Ziauddin Barni wrote, execute Hindus, Muslims, Shias, Sufis, poets, heretics, rivals with disdainful cruelty?

And the Taj Mahal, the monument that defines India? Is it not a symbol of criminal wastage of money collected through exorbitant taxes? Does it not remind us of the apocryphal tales of Shah Jahan's cruel acts of blinding its architects, chopping off the hands of the artisans of its masons and designers?

Oh yes, Aurangzeb had demolished several temples. But, would historians of a later age compare Rajasthan's chief minister Vasundhara Raje with the Mughal ruler because of her ongoing tussle with the RSS, which recently shut down Jaipur to protest demolition of temples by her government for the metro rail project? Frankly, it is impossible to pass a judgment on Aurangzeb. He was not a fleeting phenomenon defined by a single event. He lived and shaped Indian history for nearly 70 years — first as Shah Jahan's son and his viceroy in the Deccan and then as India's ruler.

He could have been a bigot who penalised Hindus, destroyed temples, put restrictions on Diwali celebrations, buried idols of deities under stairs so that he could walk over them, re-imposed jaziya, encouraged conversion through inducement and enforced Sharia on the majority. He may have been extremely cruel and ruthlessly ambitious for killing his siblings, imprisoning his father and sister and executing Guru Teghbahadur and Shivaji's son Shambhaji.

There may also be some merit in the counter arguments: that he financed temples, was secular in his early years but turned to Islam later for political reasons; that he imprisoned his father to stop him from imposing more taxes to finance a replica of Taj Mahal made of black marble as his (Shah Jahan's mausoleum). That he killed to suppress rivals, not because of his religious beliefs; and destroyed temples either for hidden treasures or to discourage their use for planning rebellion.

Well-known scholar Harbans Mukhia argues, history has undergone phenomenal metamorphosis and post-Independence there have been attempts to look at it in terms of several invariables, of which religious identity was only one. In this departure, the notion of class--and conflicts arsing in society on account of it--played a significant role.

History is complex, and so are those who shape it. One man's fanatic can always be other person's Alamgir. Aurangzeb Road could just have been a chapter in history, a reminder of its complexities; instead of being turned into a symbol of the right-wing's desire to pass partisan judgments on those who shaped it through the prism of religion.

In 2002, during a visit to Berlin, I was surprised by the sight of the badly-damaged 'Hollow Tooth'— the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church at Kurfurstendamm. The church was destroyed in British air raids in 1943. But, the Germans refused to repair it in spite of rebuilding entire Berlin. They retained the damaged spire of the church as a reminder of Germany's past and the horrors of the war unleashed by Hitler.

If nothing else, Aurangzeb Road could have been India's Hollow Tooth. It would have reminded many who drive through Delhi's roads of the perils of a government inspired by ruthless ambition, violence, bigotry and a communal agenda.

- http://www.firstpost.com/, September 2, 2015

The forthcoming tourism season promises a new experience for tourists visiting the state as Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) plans to start amphibious vessel rides in the River Mandovi from October.

Goa will become the first state in the country to have amphibious buses for civilian use. Vehicles, each with a carrying capacity of 32 persons and costing about 2 crore, will run both on road and water.

GTDC chairman Nilesh Cabral said they plan to launch the service in October to boost tourist footfalls but there are chances that they may launch it in September itself if they get all the permissions. Cabral said this being an amphibious service, permissions are required from both transport department as well as port administration and this is taking time.

He said they have already urged Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari to issue directions to his ministry to give permissions as early as possible. The service will be operated through an agency Amphibian Tours (P). The vehicles are built through Automobile Corporation of Goa Ltd (ACGL) in collaboration with a US-based agency

He said GTDC is only a facilitator and the service will be operated through an agency as GTDC is not in a position to investment in a big way in fresh projects. Asked about the routes on which vehicle will run, he said tentatively, it will run on two routes - hinterland and heritage. The GTDC is also expected to launch seaplane service in the new tourism season for which soft launch was done a few months ago. The seaplanes will be operated by Maritime Energy Heli Services Pvt Ltd.

Goa tourism is also gearing up to introduce rope way at certain places in the state as a way to boost tourism in the state. GTDC is expected to finalize the agency to operate the rope way shortly.

- The Times of India, September 2, 2015

Villagers found several Buddhist sculptures, including a 100kg headless statue of Lord Buddha, during digging in a private farm in Mainpuri district on Monday.

Sources said that the sculptures and the broken idol of Lord Buddha belong to Kanishka's era. A farmer in Gwaltoli village found the statue while he was digging his field on Monday, said an official.

According to local experts, the Buddha statue is carved out of a yellow stone and weighs around 100 kg. It was found along with 11 other small and big idols from the fields of one Manoj Yadav in Gwaltoli village.

"As the statues are precious, we have informed senior officers who would contact the officials of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) so that they are properly preserved," SHO Kotwali told TOI on Tuesday.

R P Singh, associate professor at Chaudhary Charan Singh Post-Graduate Degree College, Saifai (Etawah) said, "The statues belong to King Kanishka's period (Ist or 2nd century AD). Earlier in October, ancient idols of Lord Shiva were found from Asyoli village, which is about one km from Gwaltoli village."

The villagers have kept the huge idol of Lord Buddha under a tree and have started worshipping it. Apart from Lord Buddha's statue, there are 11 other statues, a few among which, were taken away by the villagers.

- The Times of India, September 2, 2015

Amareswar Galla woke up with the birds, as is wont to him, and took a two-hour walk along the history-strewn streets of Fort Kochi, which he had last visited as a student basketballer in 1973. He sat down for a chat with the fishers as they operated the ‘Chinese nets’ without realising that he is way too familiar with similar fishing contraptions dotting Vietnamese river banks.

“I asked them about the rubbish washed ashore. They pleaded helplessness and said it was all generated upstream at the port. Sounds true, as there was lot of styrofoam in it,” says Dr. Galla, internationally-renowned academic and executive director of the International Institute for the Inclusive Museum where ‘culture democracy’ is practised by the stakeholders in conserving ‘intangible heritage’ of humanity. A while later, he found himself striking up a conversation with the owner of a homestay who was washing his car by the wayside. Two local lads from a bunch of youngsters playing football at the ground told him, ‘it is part of life’, when queried about heaps of garbage in a corner.

Fort Kochi reminds Dr. Galla of the Vietnamese port city of Hoi An with intangible cultural assets like distinctive occupational practices, architecture and cuisine of outstanding universal value,

which he and his team helped map and conserve. As it eventually got inscribed on the list of World Heritage sites, Hoi An now hosts some 2.3 million visitors (Dr Galla is loath to the exclusivity of the word, ‘tourists’) annually and remains a protected zone, with the local people actively taking part in the process of conservation and benefiting from it. The revenue generated there is ploughed back into the process of conservation. “It is this sort of ownership by the local populace that has made the Kochi Muziris Biennale unique,” he says, as former Mayor K.J. Sohan and Biennale director Bose Krishnamachari listen in.

Heritage conservation doesn’t really translate into creating ‘sanitised’ environs with meta-narratives with Disney-land like amusement facilities to boot. It largely involves the experiential part of life by a people and must, therefore, be led by them to be a success, says Dr. Galla, who was shocked to see the damning tourism initiatives on the Buddha trail in India. On Wednesday, he’ll give a talk on ‘Curating Cultural Value’ at an event organised by the Biennale at Fort Kochi’s David Hall.

- The Hindu, September 3, 2015

Indians have topped the list of most experimental travellers in AsiaPacific and have searched for 231 different destinations around the world in the first half of this year, according to a survey.

"Indian travellers are the most experimental travellers in Asia-Pacific. Sharing its throne with Australia, Indonesia and Japan, Indians have searched for 231 different destinations around the world in the first half of 2015," the study by a global travel search engine shows. The survey was on the basis of online searches by customers on its websites from January to July .

It revealed that Indians have been opting for upcoming yet picturesque destinations like Ireland, Sweden, Greece, Switzerland and Japan, which has a sense of place, history and authenticity.

"The Indian travel landscape is evolving and is witnessing a change in travel sentiments in a robust manner.In the spirit of exploration, Indians are looking for more unfrequented destinations. The diversification in destinations indicates a greater sense of adventurism, and should be heartening for the India tourism industry as a whole," says Kavitha Gnanamurthy , the search engine's Senior Marketing Manager.

The findings suggests that Indian travellers are heading to countries that offer an array of tourist attractions, unexplored terrains, vast landscapes, cultures, and rich heritage.

- The Times of India, September 3, 2015

India Gate may soon have 3D images projected on it. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) has proposed a projection/mapping project which will showcase India's relations with Africa.

The projections will be done from October 23 to 29 during the India-Africa forum summit. Sources said that the PMO has given a go-ahead to the proposal, bypassing earlier objections raised by conservationists that India Gate is a war memorial and its sanctity should be maintained. According to sources, the MEA has sent the proposal to the defence ministry for permission on undertaking the projections on India Gate by the MEA-empanelled event management company in coordination with CPWD and other relevant ministries and departments.

"India-Africa forum summit is a prestigious event being hosted by the PM for more than 50 heads of state/governments from Africa. The proposed display is a very important component of showcasing the various facets of India's contribution to peace-keeping operations in several African countries. The images projected would inter alia include Indian peace keepers while deployed in the various peace keeping operations, community outreach, other initiatives taken by them etc,'' said an official.

The tourism ministry had earlier proposed a 3D laser show at India Gate which would reflect the best of India's heritage on the monument. But heritage conservation agency INTACH objected over a memorial site being used for 'entertainment'. In a letter to NDMC, CPWD and Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) over the issue, convener AGK Menon said that using India Gate for the 3D show was 'sacrilegious'.

- The Times of India, September 3, 2015

The districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Hassan are home to four monoliths of Lord Bahubali. However, these monoliths are subject to minimal security. Besides the CCTVs, nothing else safeguards the statue of Gomateshwara in Shravanabelagola.

Although these century-old monuments are maintained by the archaeological department of India, the emphasis laid on safety is almost zilch. "The security provided to the Jain religious monuments is less compared to other temples.

We have written to the Central Archaeological Department to fund the state-of-art surveillance as well as to increase the vigilance for Gomateshwara statue in Shravanabelagola," said Jitendra Kumar, president of Karnataka Jain Association, who also doubles as the working president of the Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony, which will be held in 2018.

When compared to all other Bahubalis in the state, Hassan has more security as it attracts hordes of pilgrims. Nonetheless, it is still not sufficient, he said. A reliable source from Shravanabelagola mentioned that although CCTVs are installed across monument, no frisking of visitors is done before getting in to Vindhyagiri, where the statue is erected. The metal detectors just don't serve the purpose. It is now proposed as a world heritage site by the government. Sources also revealed that visitors to the hill can enter from two sides, while police personnel is posted only at the main entrance.

Kumar added that apart from the CCTVs and police security, they also have requested for an increase of illumination during the night. Jain communities have also expressed their concerns over the repeated thefts in basadis (Jain shrine or temple). "We have requested a thorough probe into recent thefts, increasing day by day, but it has fallen to deaf ears," alleges Mahaveer Jain from Karkala. The small town is home to 18 Basadis.

In DK, the monoliths are at Venur, which was erected by the Jain ruler in 16 century; Karkala was installed on February 13, 1432. At Dharmasthala, it was erected in 1973 near Sri Manjunatha temple. The largest of its kind in the world, built by the Ganga dynasty, 57-foot, is at Shravanabelagola, Hassan district.

- The Times of India, September 3, 2015

In the most comprehensive count of trees ever done, a global team of scientists has estimated that there are 3 trillion trees across the world. That's roughly 422 trees per person on Earth. This is about 7.5 times more than previously thought. The study also estimates that since human civilization began, the number of trees has gone down by 46%.

"Trees are among the most prominent and critical organisms on Earth, yet we are only recently beginning to comprehend their global extent and distribution," said Thomas Crowther of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES) and lead author of the study.

"They store huge amounts of carbon, are essential for the cycling of nutrients, for water and air quality, and for countless human services," he added. "Yet you ask people to estimate, within an order of magnitude, how many trees there are and they don't know where to begin. I don't know what I would have guessed, but I was certainly surprised to find that we were talking about trillions."

The team, made up of researchers from 15 countries, used a combination of satellite imagery, forest inventories, and supercomputer technologies to map tree populations worldwide at the square-kilometer level. Their results are published in the journal Nature.

Previous global estimate was just over 400 billion trees worldwide, or about 61 trees for every person on Earth. That prediction was generated using satellite imagery and estimates of forest area, but did not incorporate any information from the ground. The new study used a combination of approaches to reveal that there are 3.04 trillion trees—roughly 422 trees per person.

Crowther and his colleagues collected tree density information from more than 400,000 forest plots around the world. This included information from several national forest inventories and peer-reviewed studies, each of which included tree counts that had been verified at the ground level. Using satellite imagery, they were then able to assess how the number of trees in each of those plots is related to local characteristics such as climate, topography, vegetation, soil condition, and human impacts.

The resulting map has the potential to inform scientists about the structure of forest ecosystems in different regions, and it can be used to improve predictions about carbon storage and biodiversity around the world.

The highest densities of trees were found in the boreal forests in the sub-arctic regions of Russia, Scandinavia, and North America. But the largest forest areas, by far, are in the tropics, which are home to about 43%of the world's trees. (Only 24 percent are in the dense boreal regions, while another 22% exist in temperate zones.)

In fact, human activity is the largest driver of tree numbers worldwide, said Crowther. While the negative impact of human activity on natural ecosystems is clearly visible in small areas, the study provides a new measure of the scale of anthropogenic effects, highlighting how historical land use decisions have shaped natural ecosystems on a global scale. In short, tree densities usually plummet as the human population increases. Deforestation, land-use change, and forest management are responsible for a gross loss of over 15 billion trees each year.

- The Times of India, September 3, 2015

For the first time, chiaroscuro paintings in tempera by the late Ganesh Pyne will be under the limelight at a Chennai gallery and art collectors may be able to take home one of these along with a frontal metal sculpture by S Nandagopal. Art pieces in canvas and metal of the two exponents of the Bengal and Madras schools of art will be on display from Friday at the IIT Alumni Centre in Abiramapuram.

The dark, brooding paintings of Pyne and silver-plated copper sculptures, with bright enamels, by Nandagopal will bring together two artists who have moved away from their traditions to create an oeuvre that takes the best of Indian and Western techniques. "The beauty of these two artists is that both have followed the diktats of their respective schools till a point, but then both broke free and set up idioms of their own," says curator of the exhibition and IIT alumnus Pradipta K Mohapatra.

Mohapatra, who had been keen on exhibiting Pyne's works since his death in 2013, found a perfect blend of ideas and visual contrast with the sculptures of Nandagopal. Pyne was the first to introduce surrealism in the realistic Bengal school, graduating from water colours to gouache and tempera, while Nandagopal, who is experimenting with enamels of late, brought in a European feel to traditional ideas and created figures with an acrobatic effect.

Sculptor Nandagopal is exhilarated to be teamed up with the late Bengal artist. "I am excited to display my work with an artist who was rated as the best Indian painter by M F Hussain. While Pyne was influenced by the stories of his grandmother, I use a lot of folk tales. And for both, the past acts as a springboard of inspiration." He is putting up around 10 of his creations, most of which are his signature pieces of Garuda, Vishnu and Kama in copper from his enamel series. Folk tales and mythology abound the stories in paint and metal but despite the similarities in idea, the artists are starkly different in their thought.

"Quaint stories from the epics, which capture various images of life, fascinate thambi (Nandagopal) and the enamel gives the birds and animals a personality - it makes them come alive. For Pyne, it is the dark brooding reflections of famine, riots that pervade his canvases," says Mohapatra.

Not all works of Pyne, however, are grim as the collection on display will have paintings, sketches and jottings from various stages of his life. Apart from depictions of skeletal figures, gods and characters from his Mahabharata series, a unique collection of nine impromptu sketches that he drew on the sets of a Satyajit Ray film shows his love for films and highlights his early life as an animator in films.

- The Times of India, September 3, 2015

Located in the overcrowded Mehrauli village in south Delhi, emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar's summer palace continues to reel under government apathy and neglect. Zafar Mahal is a relic from the last days of Mughal rule. It is also one of the few monuments that were declared national heritage by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the 1920s. But encroachment is now posing a serious threat to the very existence of the structure with surrounding buildings slowly eating up its space.

The once lavish courtyard has shrunk to less than half of its original size. A brick wall has come up in the open space, which acts as support for nearby buildings. Por tions of the ASI-protected monument have been vandalized too.

According to historians, it used to be a huge palace and what is now visible is just a fraction of its original size. "Zafar Mahal was a summer retreat. The monument used to sit within a large open space with several acres of land around it. As the village grew and more and more houses were built, locals started fighting for space. Some of the palace's architectural columns and Shahjahani arches were broken and sold off. Houses kept expanding closer and closer to the monument itself,'' said an expert. Evidence of the monument walls being broken can be seen in the courtyard where large stone slabs have been dumped in a corner.

The 100-metre prohibitory rule doesn't even exist for the residents who have been build ing additional floors over the years, some of which are on top of the monument's surface itself. ASI had proposed setting up a Mughal museum here a few years ago. The plans, however, still re main on paper. ASI officials said it was difficult to preserve monu ments like Zafar Mahal due to their location inside urbanized villages. "The encroachments and new buildings started coming up in the 1980s and 1990s and they kept growing because ASI turned a blind eye to all these," the expert added.

Members of the Mughal family like Shah Alam Bahadur Shah-I (second son of Aurangzeb) and Shah Alam-II (son of Alamgir-II) were buried here. The mahal was originally built by Akbar-II, but it was his son, Bahadur Shah Zafar, who constructed the grand gate and added it to the palace in the mid 1800s.

Behind the palace ruins, there is a "house" belonging to Mirza Babur, Bahadur Shah's brother. Located behind Zafar Mahal, it can be reached through a maze of tiny lanes. Called "Babur Mahal" by the locals, it houses over a dozen families now. The foliated arches and floral patterns are still visible in the building. Each room in the original house has become individual dwellings for families and each family has modified the space according to its requirements.

"My grandfather used to live here, and the house has been passed on to us. We know that the house is about 200 years old, but we do not know the history behind it,'' said Ratna Singh, one of the residents.

- The Times of India, September 3, 2015

Work on reviving the aesthetic tempera paintings at Sri Devarajaswamy temple, Little Kancheepuram is all set to gain momentum.

A few more trained hands are likely to join the 3-member team that has already taken up the cleaning of antique wall paintings on the eastern inner wall of ‘Kachivaiththan Thiruchutru’ known as ‘Sri Perarulalan Sannadhi Suttru’ (praharam). According to official sources, the work of reviving mural paintings was taken up during the second week of August after the State government sanctioned a sum of Rs. 64.10 lakh for this purpose. In a tempera mural, pigments found in natural products are used to bond the painting with the surface.

The work is being executed by specialists in the field of archaeology under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India. Additional hands will be engaged for this work soon to expedite the process, expected to be completed in about 24 months, sources said. Talking to The Hindu , S. Mohan, an expert on murals, said the paintings drawn using natural pigments on the temple walls belong to tempera category. To begin with the dust, oil and lacquer coating on the paintings, spread over 80 square metre at the ` Kachivaithan praharam’ , would be wiped off using organic material.

Subsequently, reintegration of flakes, if any, with the wall by using binding materials would be taken up. At any cost, reworking or retouching of the art would not be taken up as it would reduce the antique value of the murals, he added. R. Raghu and P. Shaju, both educated in fine arts, were involved in the process, under the supervision of Sampath Kumar, a retired ASI modeller and conservationist.

The tempera paintings at Sri Devarajaswamy Temple in Little Kancheepuram will get a fresh lease of life

- The Hindu, September 4, 2015

Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) will seek to regain some of its lost sheen by taking foreign delegates attending GIM on conducted tours. Named British Blue Trail, Peacock Trail and Bazaar Trail, the three tour packages being organised by TTDC would cover British-era monuments like Fort St George and the Madras high court, temples in and around Mylapore, and T Nagar, the shopping hub of the city, said an official.

The Tamil Nadu government has launched a media blitzkrieg on the meet, advertising on radio and TV with short audio and video clips of industry honchos talking about the event. Laminated posters and banners on the meet have been put up at domestic and international airports.

All the partner countries have been given an hour time each on both the days to explain their country's industrial prowess. "The investors' meet expects 1,000 foreign delegates and as of now at least 700 of them have confirmed their participation," said an official.

The government has engaged a PR agency for coordinating the preparations. "Ad campaigns have been placed in select print media, television, digital and social media. We have opened accounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube," said the official.

A separate counter is being set up at Chennai airport which will work round the clock and monitor the arrival of foreign delegates and guide them to their hotels. The GIM website helps delegates book flight tickets, cab and even hotel rooms. "The website has details of Chennai city and its rich cultural heritage which includes dining at Saravana Bhavan and visiting temples and other landmarks in the city," said the official. "Some of the delegates have evinced interest in visiting some of the industrial and IT parks in and around Chennai. We will organise such trips," said the official.

At Chennai Trade Centre, the venue for the two-day summit, arrangements are being made on a war footing and officials said more than 4,000 cars could be parked there.

- The Times of India, September 4, 2015

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), which is looking for alternatives to reduce pollution of city's water bodies, has identified two abandoned quarries outside city limits — one near Gondkhairi on Amravati Road and another at Pitesur near Godhani — for idol immersion. NMC deputy director (health) Dr Milind Ganvir confirmed this after inspecting these sites on Thursday. He was accompanied by NMC executive engineer Rahul Warke. Dr Ganvir told TOI, "Now, as per MPCB directives, the civic body will approach the district collector for taking no objection certificate to immerse idols at these two quarries," he added.

This year, the NMC would focus on preventing immersion of idols at Telangkhedi lake. Dr Ganvir said that the lake witnesses highest number of immersions during Ganeshotsav. Apart from household idols, every year over 1,000 sarvajanik ganesh mandals immerse idols in this lake, Dr Ganvir added. The only cause of concern for citizens will be distance of these two quarries from the city. Dr Ganvir said that the quarry near Gondkhairi is almost 12km from Telangkhedi, while the Pitesur site is around 11km from the lake.

"If distance is a concern for sarvajanik Ganesh mandals, we will try to use trailer trucks to carry the idols to the quarry. The rainwater accumulated in the quarry is being not used for any purpose, so idol immersion will cause no harm," said Dr Ganvir. Another advantage of these quarries is that both are surrounded by ample open space, which could be used for parking vehicles, said Ganvir, adding that no traffic diversions would be required for idol immersion. "Once the immersion places are finalized, the civic officials will start planning for the routes with the help of traffic police," he said.

Municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar says that the civic body wants to save the city's water bodies and this is one of the best alternatives for immersion of idols. He appealed citizens to avoid immersion of idols, especially big ones, in lakes to prevent them from polluting further.

Pollution has increased in city's lakes, especially Telangkhedi lake, in the last few years. Environmentalist Kaustav Chatterjee said Telangkhedi Lake is facing grave threat due to idol immersion. According to a study conducted by Chatterjee's NGO Green Vigil, plaster of paris (PoP) idols, being non-biodegradable, are the main polluters which remain in water body for a longer period of time. Paints used in PoP as well as clay idols,

contain heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead which enter the ecosystem. These toxic paints form a thin layer on the water surface of water, thus reducing the atmospheric diffusion of oxygen. This leads to decrease in the dissolved oxygen level in lake, resulting in death of fishes and other aquatic fauna.

Further, adhesives are used for giving finishing touches to clay idols, which also adversely affect the ecosystem. As per a conservative estimation, around 25,000 household idols weighing 5kg and around 335 huge idols, weighing around 75kg, are immersed in Telangkhedi lake every year.

Thus, 150 MT material is added to Telangkhedi Lake alone during Ganpati visarjan every year. The clay as well as undissolved PoP fractions of these idols settle at the bottom of the lake, reducing the water holding capacity of the lakes. "That is why our lakes overflow rapidly in rainy season and dry up quickly during summers," explained Chatterjee. PREVENTING WATER POLLUTION Location of quarries
One is near Gondkhairi on Amravati Road (around 12km from Telangkhedi lake)
* Another quarry is at Pitesur near Mhada Colony in Godhani (around 11km from Telangkhedi Lake)

Transportation issue
* Since both the quarries are situated outside city limits, devotees may cite long distance to avoid idol immersion at these sites

NMC plan
* As per MPCB directives, civic body will apply for NOC from district collector for idol immersion at the quarries
* The civic body is mulling use of trailer trucks to transport idols to these quarries
* Ample open space around quarries can be used for parking vehicles
* No traffic diversions would be required for idol immersion


- The Times of India, September 4, 2015

he ‘Award of Excellence’ by UNESCO for the conservation efforts of the majestic Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur is an honour for the State’s authentic style of architecture. “At a time when temples and other structures of our traditional architecture are being altered and renovated with modern concrete structures, the UNESCO honour emphasises the importance of preserving the remaining traditional structures,” said M.M. Vinod Kumar, who coordinated the initiative for conservation of the Vadakkunnathan temple.

The conservation of Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple received the Award of Excellence in this years’ UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation. A total of 12 projects from five countries - India, China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic , Australia and Thailand - were honoured in this year’ awards.

“Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple has many historical as well as architectural uniqueness. You won’t get many structures, which elaborately used materials like wood, laterate, copper and lime mixture. Traditional oil mixtures have been used to give coating for wood. It is a living heritage structure as it is still the centre of activities in the city,” said T. Sreelakshmi, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India. The award was a recognition for the decade-long team work, she said.

The holistic restoration of the temple is a milestone achievement in reviving a living religious heritage using a combination of indigenous knowledge of vernacular building techniques, strict adherence to elaborate ritual protocols and contemporary conservation practices, according to the UNESCO. After a century of exposure to monsoon rains and inappropriate minor repairs, the project skillfully stabilised the wooden complex for ongoing use by local devotees and restored significant decorative works including murals, it added.

“Conservation of heritage structures has still not been given importance in the State,” said Mr. Vinod Kumar. “Original structures of many buildings with heritage importance are still being demolished and replaced by concrete structures. The State with rich cultural heritage has only a few preserved heritage monuments,” he said.

The restoration of Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple was started after an assessment done in 1990s showed that a large per cent of the temple complex constructed of timber was in a state of ruin due to lack of periodic maintenance. the temple is a living heritage structure as it is still the centre of activities in the city

- The Hindu, September 4, 2015

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) desilted three irrigation tanks in the last three months, said R.S. Lal Mohan, district convenor of Nagercoil Chapter, here on Thursday.

Dr. Lal Mohan said that INTACH had desilted and cleaned the surroundings of three waterbodies – Nachiyarkulam, Kalunkadikulam and Ambalathadikulam – under the control of Public Works Department in association with a private satellite TV channel.

The tanks, spread over two hectares each, were desilted after a gap of nearly 70 years after getting permission from Collector Sajjansingh R. Chavan and Water Resources Organisation of the PWD. The initiative had created awareness among the public that they could also contribute their ‘Shram Dhan’ in addition to monetary contribution.

INTACH had proposed to desilt three more waterbodies – Parvathipuram tank, Aloor tank and Chemmankulam. Over 100 children from Soccer Matriculation School in Erumbukkadu witnessed the initiative undertaken by INTACH on Wednesday, he added.

- The Hindu, September 4, 2015

Cultural performances, art exhibition, interactive sessions and a Mahabharatthemed food festival will be part of the event.

After capturing the imagination of TV and filmmakers, the Ma habharat is coming to Lucknow, thanks to a first-of-its-kind festival on the epic. Scheduled for October 2 and 3, the event is being organised by UP Tourism in association with the Draupadi Trust, and will showcase the Mahabharat era and also give people a peek into the characters of the epic through exhibitions, interactive sessions, quiz, cultural programmes and also a food festival! Why a Mahabharat festival

"Our plan is to highlight and bring people's attention to this place called Kampil in UP , which was a prominent place in the tale of Mahabharat. But despite the epic being so well-known in the state, places like Kampil are yet to be explored for tourism. We want to attract tourists to destinations like these and also educate our own people about our rich heritage," says Amrit Abhijat, DG UP Tourism. "We expect a lot of school kids, college students and people who must know about the relevance of the Mahabharat, to be there," he adds.

Neera Misra, who has collaborated with the government on the initiative, says there is still a lot to be done, but that they will make sure that people love this festival. "It comes as a surprise to most people that the maximum characters of the Mahabharat were from places that come under the present day Uttar Pradesh. Panchali, or Draupadi was born in Kampil, which is near Farukkhabad. There are still remnants of the palace that used to be there during that time, which was discovered a few years ago. Then there's Mathura, the Krishna Janmbhumi, Hastinapur, Kashi where Amba, Ambe and Ambalika belonged to, Naimisharanya, where Mahabharat was narrated to the rishis and Allahabad which was then the Kaushambi region.

South Panchal used to be where you have present day Kampil, near Farrukhabad, and North Panchal was where we have present day Bareilly , Amla and other places. So the purpose of having this festival is to let people know about all these places and to inform tourists across the world that UP has a big part to play in the history of the world and to mark these places on the tourist map," adds Misra. What's in store

The festival as it is planned, will have an exhibition of paintings made on the Mahabharat through centuries. "For art lovers this will be a visual treat as we have planned an exhibition of the timeline of the Mahabharat through art. We have found references of the epic in Mohenjodaro where a plaque was discovered of Krishna and Balram picking up a tree.Then there's also a book on Mahabharat written by Persian artists commissioned by Mughal Emperor Akbar. We will be putting up paintings from that book and also paintings by Raja Ravi Verma made on the epic," shares Neera Misra.

There will also be manuscripts which talk about the Mahabharata. "Students of the Government College of Arts and Crafts and the Dr.Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University will be making other paintings based on their interpretations of the epic and its characters. We will also have the war strategies or the Vyuhas like the Matsya Vyuha, Chandra Vyuha, and the Ardh Chandra Vyuha, depicted through sketches for people to understand what advanced level of planning went into fighting the war," informs Neera.

Apart from interactive sessions with guests and school children, there will also be a small section on Draupadi as the empowered woman with a pictorial depiction of key episodes in her life and how she took the decisions which changed the history of the world. The scene of Draupadi's swayamvar with Arjun piercing the fish eye will be depicted through live models dressed as courtiers and a life-size model of Arjun.

The evenings, meanwhile, will be reserved for cultural programmes. "These too will be centred around the theme, with Teejan Bai, the famous Pandvani, performing at the festival and also a dance ballet by renowned dancer Sharon Lowen," informs Amrit Abhijat.

For more involvement of the people from the city, a play based on students interpretation of the characters of the epic is also being prepared by the students of Bhatkhande Music University .

"With the purpose of having something for everyone a food festival is also being planned based on the theme with dishes we can only imagine were eaten by people of that era," says Abhijat. "The food festival will also focus on the food typical to that area. So from Varanasi or Kashi we will have chiwda, aloo papad and Bheem laddoo. From Mathura we will have fresh makkhan and peda. The Panchal region will have a Panchal thaal serving five dishes and from Hastinapur the Vidur Ki Thali with daalbaati and chokha," informs Neera.

The handicrafts of these regions will also be displayed at the festival with brocade and zardozi and wooden toys from Varanasi, block printed cloth and zardozi and also Draupadi ka lehenga from Kampil, Gangajal and Geeta Saar from Naimishranya and Allahabad and Banaras. We have also called artisans from these places to put up their stuff too," says Neera

- The Times of India, September 5, 2015

Delhi's Mehrauli Archaeological Park is a classical example in disregard of heritage, lack of ideas and proposals caught in the red tape for eternity.

A title like 'archaeological park' normally evokes images of exquisitely maintained monuments displaying the grandeur of a bygone era, clear walkways, informed photographers and guides, literature and civic amenities.

Sadly, the Mehrauli Archaeological Park - Delhi's best known cluster of historical structures after its three world heritage sites - is a classical example in disregard of heritage, lack of ideas and proposals caught in the red tape for eternity.

The 199 acre-area in Mehrauli, that has over 100 tombs, mosques and baolis, seems to be no particular civic agency's responsibility. The ASI is concerned with only six monuments here that are notified with it. The Department of Archaeology, Delhi Government, owns another odd 15. The rest about 80 monuments, and the upkeep of the park, are clearly nobody's baby.

Sir Thomas Metcalfe's Guesthouse, not very far from the famous Jamali Kamali mosque, is a shameful case of vandalism and defacement. The single-storeyed structure, which British civil servant Metcalfe used to rent out to honeymooning couples for its view of the Qutub Minar, has now been extensively scribbled upon by perverted elements. Walls have been etched out, plaster decorations on fireplaces erased and apparently marks of cricket balls adorn the parts.

Dilkusha, the actual resort adjacent to the guesthouse, bears evidence of beautiful tile work, once upon a time. The blue tiles now have been taken out and the ornate calligraphy on the dome is eclipsed by patchy cement restoration work. Rajon ki Baoli, the grand threestoreyed step well believed to be built in the reign of Sikander Lodhi in 1516, now has more plastic bottles floating in it than water.

Asif Khan Dehlvi, founder of a heritage walks' group called 'Delhi Karavan' said, "Certain monuments here could be creatively developed as art galleries, book shops or coffee shops as is routinely done abroad. The concept of 'dead monuments' is flawed." Ajay Kumar, conservationist at INTACH said,

"Our organisation had done extensive conservation work and put up signages at the park between 1997 and 2005. Unfortunately, post that nobody has taken ownership of the area and its holistic maintenance." When Mail Today contacted ASI, an official on the condition of anonymity said, "With our limited resources and security guards we are trying to secure our six monuments the best we can."

- http://indiatoday.intoday.in/, September 6, 2015

A section of historians and scholars have criticised the rechristening of Aurangzeb Road in Lutyens’ Delhi, saying it is a result of a “slanted view” of history and cautioned that such renaming exercises will “open a can of worms”. On August 28, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) gave its nod to a proposal to rename the historic stretch in the heart of the national capital after former President A P J Abdul Kalam, a move that many even felt “belittles the stature” of the celebrated scientist. Noted historian Narayani Gupta says issues like these arise because people don’t have a sense of history.

“Aurangzeb Road, alongside a cluster of others named after Mughal rulers like Akbar and Shahjehan, were given by the British when they designed the new imperial capital of New Delhi. This and Ashoka Road and Firozshah Road, besides King George V and Queen Mary and Hardinge and Wellesley were suggested by noted historian Percival Spear, who was teaching history at St Stephen’s College then. So, just removing a historic name doesn’t augur well. Moreso, when it has history behind the naming. And, a true tribute to Kalam would have been a science museum for children, and not some renamed signpost,” Gupta said.

New Delhi was designed by British architect Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens along with Sir Herbert Baker from 1911-1931. Post-independence, after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination and later after Jawaharlal Nehru’s death, a series of renaming exercises began across the country, including in the national capital, where British names were rechristened after Indian leaders. Delhi’s famed chronicler and author R V Smith, who grew up in Agra, says, “One Drummond Road, a long stretch in Agra, named after its district magistrate was renamed as Mahatma Gandhi Road soon after independence.”

In Delhi also, the historic names were changed like Kingsway (Rajpath) and Queensway (Janpath) and Hardinge Avenue (Tilak Marg), but history is not something to be corrected. “We must learn to respect the history and with this Aurangzeb Road renaming, we are allowing a dangerous trend to be started. People who want his name removed have either no understanding or skewed view of history. “He ruled for nearly 50 years from Central Asia to Rangoon, and every emperor has had good or bad qualities. But, it is wrong to judge him from a contemporary prism,” Smith said.

Smith, author of ‘Delhi That No one Knows’ and ‘Capital Vignettes’ says, by renaming the British-era places and landmarks in Delhi, history has been “destroyed”, and future generations would grow up with a \”slanted view of history”.

“They renamed the historic Willingdon Crescent, Willingdon Hospital, and, then there was the Victoria Memorial Zenana Hospital in Old Delhi, which was rechristened as ‘Kasturba Gandhi Hospital’ by the municipal corporation. “Why can’t we make new roads and new institutions and give them the names of our leaders and heroes and people whom we love. Renaming old places is not just an insult to history, but also to the people they are being renamed after,” he said.

Conservation architect A G K Menon, also convener of Conservation architect A G K Menon, also convener of INTACH’s Delhi Chapter, terms the renaming of Aurangzeb Road as “unfortunate\” and said it will start a trend that the country would find hard to contain. “First we purged our cities of British rulers names and now the Moghuls.

I mean how far back do we go then? And, was this renaming needed at all? Now Wheelers Island has been renamed, and voices are being raised in Maharashtra to rename the entire city of Aurangabad…. This is a bad trend, and it will open a whole can of worms,” Menon said. UK-based scholar Saleem Khan, who did his MA thesis on ‘Portrayal of Aurangzeb in Modern history Writing’ at the University of London, says, Aurangzeb has been “much-maligned” over time without an impartial understanding of his life and times.

“He was a great Mughal emperor, which cannot be ruled out, and even though the British fought him, they chose to name a street after him. “As per notions surrounding him that he was cruel and anti-Hindu, well Aurangzeb employed more Hindus in absolute and percentage terms than any other emperor. “We can have an informed debate over his character but erasing him out like this is unfair,” Khan said.

Historian Gupta says, after the renaming spree in 60s and 70s, “There was a committee in the late 1970s under the Delhi Archives, of which I was a member, which passed a resolution that roads should not be renamed. But we have no sense of the history of policy on road names”.

- http://www.niticentral.com/, September 6, 2015

The Times Palace Food Trail resurrects golden recipes of the royals of Madhya Pradesh

When history is the key ingredient, and the cuisine has been garnished by the presence of erstwhile royals, and laid out in their regal forts and palaces, the platter has to be perfect. This marriage of history and food took 25 participants to Madhya Pradesh's magnificent palaces and forts to taste the menu prepared for the erstwhile kings and queens. The Palace Food Trail, an initiative of the Times Passion Trails, proved to be a boon for those passionate about food.

The four-day food trail began on August 20 at the Jehanuma Palace in Bhopal. The descendants of Nawabzada General Obaidullah Khan and the family members of the palace ensured an elevating experience for the participants. A full-course candlelight dinner at the Begum Hall began with a bowl of sherwa, chapli kebab and fish seekh kebab. Heritage revivalist and storyteller Sikander Malik explained the goodness of the cuisine, its background, history, and motives behind the culinary compositions. By the end of it all, the opulence and grandeur left everyone awestruck.

The next stop was a great Maratha dinner at the nearly 250-year-old Ahilya Fort. The imposing fort at Maheshwar, 95 km from Indore on the banks of River Narmada, captured the ethos of the era gone by. Taste, colour and texture were determined by rulers and royalty, explained Richard Holkar, the son of Yeshwant Rao II, the last Maharaja of Indore. His sous chef de cuisine Kanta Bai, to maintain authenticity of traditional flavours of the Holkar dynasty, follows the kitchen garden approach to cooking.

The Holkars' understanding of the evolution of their cuisine is intrinsic to understanding the dynasty. And there is always room for furthering that evolution, said Holkar. He explained the recipe of duck cooked with pomegranate that was perfected by his mother.

The caravan then rolled to Mandu, a part of the princely state of Dhar some 40 km north of Maheshwar. For a time, Mandu was renamed Shadiabad (or city of joy) by poet-prince Baz Bahadur. The town also has architectural gems such as Hindola Mahal and Jahaz Mahal.

In Mandu, it drizzled softly, covering the hills in the distance with pale dark clouds. When the clouds cleared, the area stretching into the distance gave a sense of regional dominance of the Parmar rulers over the centuries.

Around 40 km away, Hemendra Singh Pawar was anointed as 12th Maharaja of Dhar State, this January, to carry out his clan's religious duties and customs. The former royalty welcomed the guests with 'Dhar Gatha' — to relish royal cuisines. "Inspired by decades of tradition, central India's best royal kitchens were opened for Times Passion Trail-ers," said Hemendra Singh Pawar. True, the Maharaja's table was gleaming with regional flavours, experiments with clever combinations and balances, indicative that the whole region was once dominated by the Parmara dynasty based out of Dhara Nagri, now Dhar.

Bhopal's roots lie in Dhar too. Parmar King Raja Bhoj found Bhopal a suitable area for his dream water harvesting projects. "One of the biggest challenges in compiling a collection like this is that traditional recipes have never been written," said Maharaja Pawar. He was in school when his ailing mother narrated some 115 recipes with family secrets to him, special tricks and closely-held traditions and beliefs - all written in a school book, which he proudly exhibited for the participants.

The cutlery and stemware were of outstanding quality at Daly College, once an exclusive education hub for nobles and royalty. Consummate host Daly College principal Dr Sumer Bahadur Singh was warm and engaging with a deep knowledge of the institution's legacy. The students welcomed the participants with lively musical and Bundelkhand dance performances.

Immensely popular at the Daly College lunch was goolar kebab, a vegetarian preparation coated with khas-khas (poppy seeds), a traditional accompaniment, that is believed to have attracted Mughal and Afghan rulers to the region.

"I have travelled across nearly half the planet and eaten everywhere. Words such as hot, spicy and curry are generally used to describe Indian food. Yet by the end of the Palace Food Trail, I have realised that pungent and aromatic would be more appropriate," said Shrimant Himmat Bahadur Jitendra Singh Gaekwad of Baroda State, the experience architect for the trail.

The food palace trail to Bhopal, Dhar, Maheshwar and Indore was supported by MP Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) MD Ashwani Lohani commended the unique concept of the food palace trail in the 'heart of India'. At the start of the trail in Bhopal he said, "It is a unique and extraordinary initiative that will open new avenues to promote tourism. A new wave of tourism opportunity can be explored taking cue from Times Passion Trail. It will place MP on the culinary travel map of India."

- The Times of India, September 6, 2015

On the 144th birth anniversary of freedom fighter V O Chidambaram Pillai, who spent his last days at Coimbatore central prison during the British rule, his grandson Mu Naa Paa Tamizhvaanan requested the state government to set up a statue in memory of his grandfather at the V O C park and also rechristen Avinashi road as VOC road.

Thousands including children visited the central prison and paid their respects to the man who was one of the chief architects of the second swadeshi movement against the British. Although a political prisoner, he was lodged at the prison as a convict serving life imprisonment and forced into hard labour while subjected to torture. Historian and Tamil scholar, R A Padmanabhan, wrote that Chidambaram was "yoked (in place of bulls) to the oil press like an animal and made to work it in the cruel hot sun."

Top prison officials, politicians and lawyers and advocate association members visited the oil press and paid their homage. BJP MP Tarun Vijay also visited the prison.

"He was lodged in the Coimbatore central prison until December 1912," said his grandson, adding that his grandfather never got the due credit for his works and teachings. "I still remember my parents telling me that when his shipping company was sold to the British he was very upset and that was one of the major reasons of his death," he said. "My grandmother told when he was released from jail only four people were present to welcome him, but still he continued to fight for the country."

"The family members of VOC have struggled a lot and at one point even worked as daily wage labourers. Even now, some of them are struggling. I would speak with the state government to help the family," said Tarun Vijay. He also added that VOC was a great freedom fighter who created an atmosphere to free India from the clutches of the British. "He stands as a great source of inspiration for all to fight against the forces that are eating into India's economy and cultural heritage."

"If we are the followers of VOC, then we must work to eradicate poverty and preserve the cultural heritage of India and Tamil," he said. He also said that Thiruvallur is one of the greatest teachers of India and he would set up a statue of Thiruvalluvar at Haridwar soon.

- The Times of India, September 6, 2015

Karnataka has the largest number of tourist destinations, which include heritage, pilgrimage, adventure, pristine beaches, waterfalls and rivers.

The number of tourist arrivals in Karnataka has crossed 85 million for the first time with the state government aggressively promoting UNESCO World Heritage Centres of Hampi and Pattadakal.

Addressing the 38th Pacific Asia Travel Association Travel Mart Meet 2015, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "Karnataka has seen tremendous growth in tourist arrivals, which have grown by more than 300 per cent from a mere 24 million 10 years ago to 85 million today."

Apart from being an attractive tourist destination, Siddaramaiah said and added that Karnataka offered a variety of investment opportunities throughout the value chain and across tourism industry verticals spanning both the manufacturing and services sectors.

"We have identified 319 such destinations. Karnataka has the largest number of tourist destinations, which include heritage, pilgrimage, adventure, pristine beaches, waterfalls and rivers. Our aim is to place Karnataka one among the top tourist destinations in the country and also among the top tourist destinations in the world," he added.

- http://indiatoday.intoday.in/, September 6, 2015

The event was organised by TIST Tree Planting India in association with Wipro Care Trust.

Over 2,000 saplings were planted in Perumbakkam village on Sunday as a mark of respect to former President of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The event, organised by TIST Tree Planting India in association with Wipro Care Trust, a corporate social activity arm of Wipro Limited, Bengaluru, marked the launch of the program to plant 25,000 saplings sponsored by WCT for the current year. Creating biodiversity

Speaking to The Hindu , B. Praveen, programme manager, said Wipro sponsors 25,000 saplings every year and plants them in five northern districts of Tamil Nadu through local groups formed by TIST-TPI. The main objective of TIST India’s programme is to create islands of biodiversity in an already fragmented landscape to help farmers said A. Joseph Rexon, director, TIST-TPI. He said around 1.8 million saplings were planted in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram districts since 2003.

Over 5,500 farmers have been enrolled as members of this programm that is sponsored by Corporates including Wipro. Mr. Rexon said participants were also entitled to avail greenhouse gas (GhG) credits after 20 years. This would be paid based on the World market price of GhG credits, as on December 1 of the year for which payment was made, he added.

- The Hindu, September 8, 2015

Overrules objections raised by MoD, INTACH to 3D projections on the iconic monument.

India Gate, war memorial to more than 90,000 soldiers, is caught in an inter-ministerial conflict that has forced the Prime Minister’s Office to intervene.

The fight is primarily between the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) – over whether the iconic monument should be used as the backdrop for 3D image projections for an audience of more than 50 heads of state from Africa when they arrive for the week-long India-Africa Summit beginning October 23. The Defence Ministry and the Delhi chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) have objected to the proposal they say is “disrespectful” to the soldiers. However, overruling the objections, the PMO has thrown its weight behind the MEA.

“The PMO has been approached and it is for going ahead with this proposal,” an official said, indicating a written communication is being sent. “It is believed the correct perspective has not been put to the PM on this issue,” a Defence Ministry official, disappointed by the decision, told The Hindu. Both INTACH and Defence Ministry officials said that while they welcome the idea of showcasing the shared heritage of India and Africa and also India’s contribution to peacekeeping in Africa, such projections would hurt the sanctity of the war memorial itself.

AGK Menon, Convener of INTACH Delhi Chapter, told The Hindu that he is in the process of writing to the MEA and the Defence Ministry, detailing the objections. “There is a sanctity associated with it and an overwhelming feeling for the unknown martyrs. There has to be some sense of propriety. We are surprised that the MEA had overruled the sentiments of the people,” he said.

It was the MEA which proposed the audio visual gala at India Gate by a private event management company during the summit. As the summit is a major event in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s outreach to Africa, it is going all out to make it a success. “The audio visual display is a tribute to the ultimate sacrifice made by our peacekeepers,” said an official.

Mr. Menon added that while the idea to showcase India’s efforts to secure peace around the world, particularly in Africa, is laudable, he questioned the wisdom of commemorating the achievements on the war memorial, “Why not some other place, may be Vigyan Bhavan.” One official lamented that India Gate had been used for such projections on several occasions and said that this is not the way a country treats its war memorial. “It is sacrilege to be dancing on the grave of the unknown soldier.”

In the recent past, India Gate has been used to mount visual projections of several campaigns of the Government like ‘End Polio Now’ and ‘Clean India.’ The Tourism Ministry in the past had to shelve a similar project for 3D projections after spending substantial amount of money due to objections over possible disrespect to the martyrs.

- The Hindu, September 8, 2015

'Special Area' status has done little for the lakhs of residents and traders of Shahjahanabad, Sadar Bazaar, Karol Bagh and Paharganj. The redevelopment plan for the area, proposed in Master Plan for Delhi-2021 in 2007, is still on paper.

The erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi had prepared a special area plan that proposed common redevelopment of the entire area. But experts and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials say it cannot be implemented as it ignores ground realities related to the Walled City. "Shahjahanabad can't be clubbed with other areas like Sadar-Paharganj. The building by-laws for this area have to be different. The area has to be developed sensitively and the heritage character has to be retained," said A G K Menon, convener of Intach's Delhi chapter.

There was a proposal to widen the roads for fire safety. Heritage conservationists say this will destroy the basic character of the area. "Widening means demolishing the facade. The plan didn't have any practical solution for redevelopment," said Menon.

The plan was sent to DDA for approval in 2011. After experts objected, Intach was asked to prepare separate guidelines for Shahjahanabad. The special by-laws were submitted to North Corporation a few months ago. "In the new by-laws we have suggested ways to develop the area without damaging heritage properties. Fire safety is an important concern in the area but road widening is not the only solution. There are other ways to manage the crisis. Delhi Disaster Management Authority has accepted our proposal," Menon said.

Although the government has started work on the Chandni Chowk redevelopment project, redevelopment of the Jama Masjid area is yet to start. In Chandni Chowk, the redevelopment work is limited to the main roads; there is no plan for the redevelopment of katras.

Urban planners say redeveloping the special areas is a complex issue. Besides the lack of planning, legal issues related to Delhi Rent Act and Slum Area (improvement and clearance) Act, 1956 also pose problems. "Shahjahanabad has been notified as a slum. So, no construction or demolition is permitted in the area. Any development work can start only after the area is de-notified as a slum," said P S N Rao, DUAC chairperson and professor at School of Planning and Architecture.

Tenancy is also an issue as most of the properties in the special area are governed by Delhi Rent Act. "How will redevelopment happen when people don't have ownership rights? This is going to be the main roadblock in the redevelopment plan,'' said Rao.

But this hasn't stopped DDA from preparing new special area plans for Karol Bagh, Sadar Bazaar and Paharganj. It plans to divide the area as per the ground situation and prepare layouts. Officials say the planning will be guided by local requirements. Most of the areas are commercial.

To encourage the residents to participate in the redevelopment project, the authority plans to give additional floor area ratio (FAR) and allow 15-metre high buildings. In the absence of a development plan, rampant unauthorized construction has taken place. "We plan to give additional FAR to property owners to encourage them to make use of the redevelopment scheme," said a senior official.

Sources say DDA plans to allow commercial activity on all the floors as an incentive to people. "But final decision will be taken by the authority and urban development ministry," said a senior official.

This new plan, DDA officials say, will help the civic agency redevelop these areas in a planned manner. "We will take up an area of one hectare and prepare its layout. People can amalgamate their plots. We need at least 3,000 sq feet area for constructing an 18-metre-high building," said a senior official.

- The Times of India, September 8, 2015

For the first time, the Biological Park at Pilikula Nisargadhama will have an added attraction for visitors and fish lovers. Come September 13, and visitors can see endangered fresh water fish species of Western Ghats, both in mini open water tanks and aquariums.

The new breeding and conservation of endangered fresh water pond as well aquarium, set up a at the cost of Rs 1 crore, will have nearly 50 species of fish, collected from various parts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, from rivers, streams, tanks and paddy fields, said S A Prabhakar Sharma, executive director, Dr Shivarama Karanth Pilikula Nisargadhama. After breeding at the centre, the fish are released to their habitat.

Ronald D'Souza and Ashwin Rai, both PG holders in fisheries course, have shouldered the responsibility to supply rare species of fish to the centre. They run Aquatic Biosystems, a firm that is into breeding of local and ornamental fish.

Ronald told TOI that they have trekked Karkala, Agumbe Ghats, Uppinangady, Gundya and Shishila forest region to catch endangered species of fish.

"These edible fishes are vanishing due to use of deadly fertilizers (copper sulphate) in farming, imbalance in ecology, bursting of dynamite and taking up projects like Yettinahole," he said, adding that fish species are red listed by International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Some of the fishes, which are bought from these region are unfamiliar to people and will go extinct if not conserved, he said adding these include Anomalochromis thomasi, Jardini, Tetnai, Channa Gachua, Garra, Golden Chromide and Assimillis. "Though names sound weird, these are very beautiful fish species", he averred.

These fish species require different breeding methods. "The aim of the new project is to conserve the aquatic fauna and cultural heritage of the Western Ghats and Coastal Karnataka," he said.

- The Times of India, September 8, 2015

What better way to pass on a social message than use the medium of performing arts? Aiming to motivate citizens to become active agents of healthy and sustainable living, the Goa state urban development agency (GSUDA) has organized a state-wide awareness programme. Street plays will draw attention to issues of open defecation, public sanitation and solid waste management.

Sharing his thoughts on this initiative, member secretary, GSUDA, Elvis Gomes, said, "We are doing this as part of the Swacch Bharat campaign for proper sanitation and solid waste management because we want to make Goa an open-defecation-free state. This 13-minute street play sends across a very impactful message that connects with people."

"Since awareness plays a major role in understanding the need for sanitation we have collaborated with community organizers of all the municipal councils in the state to stage these street plays," said superintendent engineer, GSUDA, Anil Ringane.

The performers will gather in crowded areas like bus stands and markets and create awareness on public sanitation, -oor-to door garbage collection, requirement of individual toilets, community toilets and solid waste management.

"People can take financial incentives from the government for construction of new toilets and conversion of existing toilets from unsanitary to sanitary," said Linsay Coutinho, mission manager, Goa state urban development agency.

- The Times of India, September 8, 2015

A group of architecture students, professors from Bordeaux, France along with students from Hyderabad are collaborating for a week to come up with ideas to develop the two metro rail stations.

The obelisk of Monsieur Raymond at Moosarambagh, the reputed French general in the Nizam’s military, which still evokes awe among the visitors, is set to receive a fresh lease of life from a French connection. The Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) authorities are now leveraging French artistic and architectural flair to develop Raymond’s tomb into a heritage precinct and also the upcoming Moosarambagh and New Market metro stations.

A group of architecture students, professors from Bordeaux, France along with students from Hyderabad are collaborating for a week to come up with ideas to develop the two metro rails stations as heritage tourism points. The French architectural talent will also provide inputs and conceptualise development of the Raymond’s tomb, around the metro stations.

“The common theme that I have found between Hyderabad and Bordeaux is the passion that people have for their respective cities. They ask us the same tough questions on how to develop the city and at the same time keep its historical flavour alive. It is a stimulating and challenging work and hopefully we should be able to come up with something tangible in a week,” says architect and professor, Ecole D’Architecture De Bordeaux, J. Kent Fitzsimons.

Close to 13 students from France and 47 from architecture colleges in Hyderabad are taking part in this project, being supported by the Architecture and Design Foundation (India), Alliance Francaise and HMR. Based on the innovative ideas coming out of the collaboration, Telangana State Government and HMR will develop these two stations and Raymond’s tomb into a heritage precinct.

“This is a good way to integrate heritage and conservation values of Hyderabad with metro rail routes. This will go a long way in spreading awareness and re-energising public spaces, especially in places that have historical value,” says senior architect P. Venu Gopal, who will be the guide for the students.

- The Hindu, September 8, 2015

Kerala Tourism's efforts towards heritage conservation have won it the top Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Award for its Muziris Heritage Project. PATA had earlier honoured Kerala Tourism for its Responsible Tourism initiative in Kumarakom and Kerala tourism's popular e-Newsletter in 2014. This time the award came for the state's trendsetting efforts in reinventing the millennia old Spice Route heritage, an official statement said on Tuesday.

"The award is an acknowledgement of the initiative to bring back our tradition and history for the sake of the modern generation and through it achieve the goal of growth and development for our people," said Kerala Tourism Minister A.P. Anilkumar. "This is an award for the community and stakeholders in the state who are involved in the day-to-day work carried out on the ground to preserve our rich heritage," he added.

Kerala Tourism secretary G. Kamala Vardhana Rao who received the award said the Muziris Heritage Project is a vital element in the restoration of the historical Spice Route led by Kerala Tourism and supported by the central government and international organisations like Unesco. The PATA awards, sponsored by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), has appreciated Kerala Tourism for the Muziris project's conservational aspect, uniqueness and impact on local community.

There were 269 entries from 83 organisations and individuals worldwide for this year's PATA award, the highest number since 2007. Founded in 1951, the PATA is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.

- http://news.webindia123.com/, September 9, 2015

Getting clearance for housing projects in urban areas around the protected monuments would be easier in the near future. Culture ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for survey and mapping of all 3,686 protected monuments. These will be uploaded on the web for enabling the municipal authorities to give online approvals.

Culture ministry shared this at an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by the Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday. "It was decided to conclude the process of streamlining approvals for construction projects in urban areas by the end of this year," a ministry spokesperson said. He added all necessary notifications would be issued by December to enable urban local bodies to accord approvals for housing and other construction projects in a specified time period.

Top officials from eight ministries including civil aviation, environment, defence and consumer affairs attended the meeting. Naidu asked the departments to enhance the "ease of doing business" for construction and housing projects in urban areas in the context of implementation of new initiatives such as Housing for All, smart city mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).

Further to the decision of the environment ministry to delegate powers to urban local bodies, it was decided that a workshop will be held later this month to inform states and urban local bodies on the modalities of using the delegated powers. Other ministries will also explain the initiatives being taken to streamline the approvals.

Meanwhile, civil aviation ministry has uploaded the colour coded zoning maps of Ahmedabad and Lucknow airports on the Airports Authority of India website. Earlier such maps of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata were uploaded by the ministry for fast tracking approvals. Same would be done in respect of Guwahati, Bengaluru, Chennai, Nagpur and Jaipur by the end of this year. Such uploading of colour coded maps would enable municipal bodies accord approvals without the applicants going to the ministry. Similarly, aviation ministry officials will hold talks with defence ministry to resolve the issue of uploading zoning maps in respect of 25 defence airports.

- The Times of India, September 9, 2015

We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us. This famous saying is currently relevant to almost every city’s history. The built environment of a city determines the culture and lifestyle of the population. The profession which studies this built environment, its character, and culture is called as architectural history. Its popularity and option as a professional career is new, but is gaining fast momentum due to increase in awareness on heritage and protection of our cultural landscapes.

India is a land of rich cultural heritages and built environment is a true reflection of the country’s history. This environment comprises of buildings, languages, food, textile, life-style, landscape and other natural elements. The conservation of cultural heritage will need a professional, who has the knowledge of the building characteristics along with an expert understanding of historical values. The exposure through this course paired with historical techniques and technology in built environment will make this profession the most sought after career in architectural offices, various government departments, including the Archaeological Survey of India.

This field involves job opportunities in central and state government cultural and tourism departments, including archaeological departments, map making departments, education departments, and museums and so on. What more, an architectural historian can also get the opportunity to work with conservation architects, documentary film production houses and artefact collectors. The main job profile would be to help identify, research and ultimately protect historic resources.

To become an architectural historian in India, one can pursue postgraduate degree in architecture or anthropology or museology. Easiest option is get in to MA in architectural conservation, after completion of bachelors in architecture. The University of Kolkata or Madras gives options to gain MA in conservation or museology. Such degrees give more choices to secure good options in government agencies. Other options are specialisations in preserving architectural material, conducting historical tours, performing extensive research and publishing books, or fundraising management for conservation activities of NGOs.

National Museum Institute, a central institute in Kolkata, offers various options at post-graduate levels to become an architectural historian. This could easily get an employment opportunity with historic preservation or cultural heritage societies. Organisations like Dakshinachitra, Chennai, provides one-year diploma programme for art and architectural history lovers to gain post-graduate knowledge and widen career prospects.

For professionals like architects, urban planner or historian, this specialisation is an ideal choice. United Nations is showing keen interest in bring many culturally and historically significant buildings and landscapes of India in to World-Heritage list, for which architectural historians play major role to prepare dossier and plans. Hence, one should be optimistic in choosing this as a career option. (The author is professor, MARG Institute of Design & Architecture, Swarnabhoomi)

- The Deccan Herald, September 10, 2015

In 428 AD, a group of Vandals, with Goths, Alans and Hispano-Romans among the hordes, crossed into Mauretania Caesariensis, and, in just over a decade, established its foothold in Carthage, and from there set about creating a strikingly precocious kingdom in the shadow of the old empire and dominating the politics of the Mediterranean. In 534 AD, less than a century after the Vandals had established themselves within Carthage, they were evicted following the Byzantine reconquest by the resurgent forces of Justinian, and vanished forever.

Would one call the ISIS the new Vandals bent on setting up an Islamic Caliphate? When Christian Byzantium and Islam first clashed in 636 AD, the Byzantine Empire covered much of present-day Turkey, Armenia, Jordan, Syria, Israel and Egypt. But when they first met the Muslims, the Byzantines had just concluded a long and costly war with the Persians, who eventually would fall to advancing Islamic armies. Throughout its history the Byzantine Empire was remarkably tolerant of non-Christian religious beliefs — such as the cults and mystery religions from Egypt and Persia — although Christianity was the "official" State religion.

By the fifth and sixth centuries, the Byzantine Empire included not only Greece and Anatolia, but Syria, Egypt, Sicily, most of Italy and the Balkans, with outposts across North Africa as far as Morocco. Anatolia (modern-day Turkey and northwest Iraq) was the 'cradle' of the empire, and when Syria fell to the Muslims in the seventh century, it became the frontier as well.

All those grand sites bear testimony to the vestiges of human history. Palmyra in Syria, the Temple of Baalshamin, dedicated to the Phoenician god Baalshamin, was one of the most grand and well-preserved structures in the sprawling complex of ruins. It was built more than 2,000 years ago. Those who have been shocked by the depredatory acts of ISIS trying to slice an 'idolatrous' part of human history off the world, must bear in mind that acts of vandalism, as part of the history of dereliction, is as old as history itself.

Take the instance of one of the most infamous acts of vandalism in the last decade of the 21st century. Mullah Muhammad Omar, then the leader of the Taliban, issued a decree ordering the elimination of all non-Islamic statues and sanctuaries in Afghanistan on February 26, 2001. No amount of effete diplomacy could prevent the Taliban from waging war on the two Bamiyan Buddhas, on which they mounted an attack with rockets, tank shells and dynamite and on March 14, 2001, they made a public announcement that the giant figures had been destroyed. By 2015, the Taliban are a putative stakeholder in the reconstituted Afghanistan.

The US troops failed to protect the Iraq National Library and Archives (INLA) from looting in 2003 that led to the loss, according to one estimate, of as many as 60 per cent of the Ottoman and Royal Hashemite era documents, the bulk of Ba'ath era documents and 25 per cent of the book collections. The worldwide mobilisation against the Bamiyan Buddhas' destruction did not cause the foreign military intervention in the autumn of 2001 or the collapse of the Taliban regime.

In the aftermath of the 'reconstruction' of Iraq, organisations and scholars had to look to the 'help' of the United States and its allies concerning the 'protection' of Iraq's cultural heritage, including museums, libraries, archaeological sites and other precious repositories, with little result. As the US set up a military base on the site of ancient Babylon regardless of what slab of history they were sitting on, coalition forces destroyed or badly damaged many historic urban areas and buildings, while thieves have ruined thousands of incomparable, unprotected archaeological sites. Arsonists had a field day burning the National Library and pillaging the National Museum, besides damaging or destroying many historic buildings and artefacts.

Under the Nazis, mass vandalism of art in Europe though subsumed under the human gore during the World War II, was matched with the scale of human tragedy. Under the Islamic invaders in India – though revisionist accounts now say that the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was not that dreaded iconoclast as he was made out to be – from the eighth and the twelfth centuries, many religious institutions, both Buddhist and Hindu, came under attack.

While announcing the 2008 World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites, Bonnie Burnham, president of the World Monuments Fund (WMF), pointed to three critical man-made threats: political conflict, unchecked urban and industrial development, and, for the first time, global climate change. Today, hundreds of fascinating, important historical structures that relate unique tales of our common past stand under threat of imminent ruin from war, natural disasters, vandalism, pilfering, decay and plain indifference.

According to the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) — which was created in 1984 to protect and conserve India's vast natural and cultural heritage — there are about 70,000 historical monuments in our country. In India's millennial tryst with a number of religions and empires for about five thousand years, we have been endowed with a treasure of thousands of monuments across the country — monuments belonging to Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians. India is the birthplace of three major religions — Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism — while Christianity and Islam arrived with empires that ruled the country for centuries. But what about the upkeep of our history? The Archaeological Survey of India must get its priorities right.

There was some hue and cry when the UNESCO warned of the danger of sulphurous pollution at Agra affecting the Taj, not to speak of cracks in the outer walls, broken stones fixed in the wall, missing designs and other such kitsch. The central concourse of Hampi, the seat of the famed Vijayanagara empire in the 14th century, India's foremost Hindu site, long in the UNESCO's endangered list, has been known to be 'irreparably' damaged, by shops, restaurants and hotels as plaster, paint and neon played havoc with its ancientness. If the historic Red Fort and the Qutb Minar could be surrounded by a mesh of encroachment and illegal construction, the neglected monuments in Tughlagabad, Hauz Khas and Nizammudin in Delhi could not fare any better. There was no militia in place when the Babri Masjid was savaged in Ayodhya.

As ISIS continues to rampage its way through the cultural heritage of Iraq and Syria, destroying the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud and Mosul today, or the Syrian city of Palmyra the next, the only way to stop the Vandals — which is a metaphor for violent and uncultured destruction — is to wage Armageddon. The author is a teacher and social commentator

- http://www.dnaindia.com/, September 10, 2015

St George's Gate, once a prominent structure of the city after which even a road was named, was long lost. And now, even its remains are sinking into oblivion.

The southern gateway to Fort William near the northern slope of Kidderpore bridge, the gate, also known as Coolie Darwaza, was abandoned by military authorities when the passageway was converted into a civilian road — St George's Gate Road. The new St George's Gate of Fort William was built a little west, near Prinsep Ghat.

TOI on Thursday found only the pillar on the side of southern flank partly intact, overgrown weeds covering most part of it. The other part on the northern side has vanished. Only its broken pieces are strewn all over the place. Who razed it? When was it razed? No one ever bothered to know. It is not known whether it was razed when the elevated approach road of Vidyasagar Setu was constructed.

The pathetic condition of the gate was brought to the notice of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by Anthony Khatchaturian, a passionate heritage activist. ASI regional director (east) Dr P K Mishra immediately took note of it and inquired about it. He also wrote to GoC Bengal Area, requesting him to look into how this important heritage gate got destroyed.

"Historically, it is a very important architecture. It would be great if we could restore the structure," said Mishra. There is a detailed reference of St George's Gate in M L Augustine's book 'Fort William: Calcutta's Crowning Glory'.

"I was surprised how such a beautiful structure is being damaged systematically. I was surprised to find the signs of destruction still intact across the road. There must be some serious attempt to restore the structure and rebuild the destroyed one," said Anthony, a passionate save heritage campaigner with an Armenian origin.

- The Times of India, September 11, 2015

India Youth for Society, in association with INTACH and Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, is conducting drawing and essay- writing competitions to mark International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer.

The theme of the contest is ‘Ozone - All there is between you and UV’ and is scheduled to be held on September 13 at Ba Bapu Bhavan, Dwarakanagar, at 10 a.m. Entry is free. A few short films will also be screened on Sunday at the venue between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. For details, contact: 9951958686.

- The Hindu, September 11, 2015

Indore, which once was a meeting point of different royalties and a goldmine of antiques, is now struggling to retain its antiques business due to poor demand and poorer profit margins, say antique dealers and showroom owners. After the country’s independence, ex-royals and rich business families sold off their belongings for money which later on were traded as antiques . But, now the market has slumped, they say.

Antiques dealer Mohammed Zafar Ansari, who runs a side business for livelihood, said there had not been any sale in past two months. “Earlier, I used to make Rs 20,000 a month. Trapped in Facebook and WhatsApp, the new generation pays monthly installments on new gadgets they buy and have no money left for other things,” he remarked. Historian Rajendra Singh, who runs antiques showroom Old World Charm, says he received only 15 buyers out of 49 visitors since May 2015.

“Sales are low during rains. People spend money on tourism during summers. Buying antiques is their last priority,” he said. The decrease in sales has narrowed down the profit margins too. A dealer wishing anonymity said he sold three pairs of a century- old, seven-foot high, hand-carved teak wood pillars with brackets for Rs 65,000. He had purchased them for Rs 45,000, excluding the transportation cost.

Many dealers have switched to the real estate business in the last six year. But there are some who have stayed in the trade as they think the demand for rare antiques remains high in spite of the dipping number of collectors. “I am not driven by money alone. I want to preserve heritage. Being a historian, I can tell story behind every piece. Also, there is a sense of pride that I am doing something different,” Rajendra Singh said.

Despite bleak business prospects, experts are exploring whether Indore can become central India’s hub for antiques sale and promotion. “It has all the potential. But, we have to promote tourism. MP is in early days for heritage tourism, local commercial demand is low and personal use market is small,” said Raghavendra Singh who owns 340-year old Fort Amla, now a heritage hotel in Ujjain district.

Most tourists to Malwa region, of which Indore is a part, are pilgrims who visit Ujjain, Omkareshwar jyotirling temples. “If we can draw even 15% of them to historic places like Mandu, Maheshwar, antiques will be promoted. Local buyers are 0.1%,” MZ Ansari said. However, those who visit Maheshwar, Mandu are unaware of Indore’s potential. Indore was headquarter of the British Central India (Political) Agency which indirectly governed about 60 princely states and estates of northern Madhya Pradesh for 130 years. Their rulers who visited Indore built bungalows which were equipped with royal comfort.

Besides, cultural exchanges took place due to weddings among princely states of the present day Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. “Thus, a lot of material is available within Malwa,” Rajendra Singh remarked. In the last six years, Europeans and Australians visited Indore to buy antiques but returned as they needed them in bulk to save on the transportation cost. “Rajasthan has saturated. Indore can fill the vacuum as foreigners are looking for new avenues to buy antiquities. Those in antiques business need to form an association to supply their items in bulk. We’re working in isolation,” Singh said.

“Another way to make Indore the hub of antiques business is to bring them to the city, restore them using original material and sell them,” ruler of erstwhile Barwani princely state Manvendra Singh said. The third way is to make their replicas. “Reputed foreign companies like Holland and Holland go to Jaipur to get replicas of antiques made,” he said. FAKE VS ORIGINAL

An original 100-year old HMV gramophone fitted with horn and double barrel machine on which 14-15 records can be played costs Rs 25,000. Its replica sans double barrel machine costs Rs 3000 which can play one record. What’s on antiques list? Furniture, paintings, jewellery, books, magazines, automobiles, chandeliers, hand carved wooden pillars with brackets, hand carved wooden doors, royal monograms, coins.

- The Hindustan Times, September 12, 2015

Before the newly established Malaviya Research Centre for Ganga, River Development and Water Resource Management (MRCGRDWRM) at BHU becomes fully functional with financial support from UGC, the university administration has decided to go for an extensive awareness programme for Ganga rejuvenation and water conservation by involving all the departments and institutes.

In a notification issued to all directors, deans, heads of departments, principals of affiliated colleges and coordinators of schools/centres, the university administration has asked them to hold self-supported awareness programmes for students on the campus. They are asked to ensure that at least two self-supported programmes, such as seminar, symposium, workshop, guest lectures, poster/paining/essay/photography competitions may be organised and a documentary film may be shown in institutes, faculties, departments, colleges and schools/centres by December-end. They were also asked to submit the soft copies of the proceedings conducted during this period on or before January 15, 2016 to the office of the chairman of MRCGRDWRM for further action.

A 12-point chart of topics is also suggested that include activities like 'Rejuvenation of Ganga: Ecological issues and challenges', 'Impact of climate change on water resources', 'Environmental legislation and water crisis', 'Impact of water pollution on community health', 'Strategies to reduce, reuse and recycling of wastewater', 'Need of water conservation strategies in agricultural practices', 'Scope of rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharging', 'Role of educational institutions in water crisis management', 'Ancient Indian socio-cultural and religious practices for water conservation', 'Women participation in river Ganga and water conservation programme', 'Eco-friendly technologies for municipal wastewater and industrial effluent treatment' and any other activity related to water conservation.

They are also suggested to procure copies of two documentaries from the office of the assistant registrar (development), BHU for screening. One of the documentaries named as 'Scientific search on Ganga' has been released by the National Academy of Sciences while another 'Harvesting Rain: A silent move' has been produced by environmental scientist B D Tripathi, who is also chairman of MRCGRDWRM.

"After receiving all the proceedings by January 15, 2016 we will assess the outcome and work out further course of action," Tripathi said, adding that it is the first such programme initiated by any university for Ganga and water conservation. Its main objective is to educate students about water conservation.

"We have sent a proposal of Rs 300 crores to UGC for functioning the centre," he said. The centre will generate basic ecological data, develop environment friendly technologies, produce water resource managers and river development experts to cater to national and international needs of water resource management and rejuvenation of Ganga. Besides multidisciplinary research, it will also run UG and PG courses on river and water management. It will be the only centre in the country dedicated to research and academic programmes on river and water resource management. It will be linked with 20 departments of various disciplines for multidisciplinary research.

- The Times of India, September 12, 2015

Bidar, a fort city situated on the Deccan Plateau in the northernmost reaches of Karnataka, has multiple layers of history built into its streets, walls and its very bricks. It's not just the recognized historical monuments in Bidar that speak of its past -the city's vast network of homes, in both its royal and public enclosures, bear testimony to the city's unique, syncretic architecture. A decision by the district administration to identify and restore these homes with the help of the Indian Heritage Cities Network (IHCN) could bring back a measure of the city's lost grandeur, but Bidar has a unique feature -it is a living, breathing city where the homes and streets are lived in, and any attempts at restoration must take into account the impact on residents' eve ryday lives.

But first, the history. Bidar was once, in the 3rd century BC, part of the Mauryan Empire. Later, the Satavahanas, Kadambas and Chalukyas of Badami and Rashtrakutas reigned over Bidar. The Delhi rulers, first headed by Alauddin Khilji and later Muhammed-bin-Tughluq, took control of the entire Deccan, including Bidar. Around the middle of the 14th century , the officers of the Sultan rebelled, resulting in the re-establishment of the Bahmani Dynasty. In 1429 AD, the Bahmanis shifted their capital from Gulburga to Bidar, which was strategically stronger, and had better water resources. In 1430, Ahmed Shah Wali Bahmani took steps to develop Bidar City , and its fort was rebuilt. On the conquest of the Deccan by Aurangzeb in mid-17th century, Bidar became a part of the Mughal Empire. Later, it became a part of Hyderabad state and stayed that way till 1948.

"The remains at Bidar fort stand testimony to its layered history as we can clearly identify some of the layers even today. Historic buildings in Bidar have a combination of Indian and Islamic architecture. It's a melting pot of several styles," says V Govindankutty, assistant professor at the Government College, Chittur (Kerala), and one of the experts at the IHCN, a non-profit organization supported by UNESCO and the Indian Ministry of Urban Development.

In 2012, Govindankutty was surveying the public enclosure of Bidar Fort, and discovered more than 300 houses of heritage value. The basic purpose of the survey was the identification of walking route s." The heritage walk takes one through the microcosm of historic Bidar, covering not just the shortlisted houses but impor tant monuments. These walks help one understand how the community lives and how the city e vo l v e d t h r o u g h time," says the professor.

These homes, many of which are 400 years old (the most recent houses are 200 years old), are within the fortified public enclosure, and claim certain common distinguishable aspects. They are cour tyard houses, lack a setback, and are accessed from the street itself. Houses are grouped to form a cluster and open spaces between the cluster are used as community spaces.Almost every building is acc e s s e d by a n arched entranceway -this is the most distinguishing aspect of Bidar's vernacular architecture, and a telling trait of Bahmani building style.

The doorway is usually framed by a teakwood plinth with a wooden thresh old below. Many buildings also have bay windows, sometimes entirely made of wood, which pro ject into the street and are supported by brackets. Professor Govindankutty explains that most heritage buildings in Bidar are constructed in laterite masonry , very rarely basalt. Timber and lime are extensively used, too. " At present most of these heritage homes are a in dilapidated condition. The present owners may not be able to restore them on their own -for several reasons. One is that most masons and builders lack the ex pertise to recreate the materials used or restore the intricate wood carvings.

The owners are also financially constrained. Without appropriate support from NGOs and government agencies, these house cannot be restored," says Govindankutty . Are the residents themselves aware of the unique history and architectural splendour of their homes, and do they make efforts to sustain this? Yes, says the professor.

"But they need sup port to restore these old homes. The people are keen to preserve them, as well. If these houses are restored and part of them converted to home-stays, then there will be enough revenue available with individual households to maintain them." But the changing fabric of Bidar city is a matter of concern. Lack of planning regulations to control organic and unplanned development means the distinct architectural character and identity of the city is slowly being lost as modern buildings come up in a haphazard manner. It is up to the city and district administration to regulate new development, so that its beauty can be preserved. With inputs from Sonnad Mouneshwar in Bidar

- The Times of India, September 13, 2015

was Kartikeya older or Ganesh? Was he really more powerful than Shiva himself? And who was Ashokasundari? Roshni Nair talks to historians, mythologists and other scholars to put together the story of a family of gods In 1972, Bombay’s Subramania Samaj trust purchased a 2,300sq. yard plot in Chedda Nagar, Chembur. With that, the organisation kick-started a mission to build a Murugan temple that took eight years to bear fruit. “Back home, structures like this are usually built on hillocks. But where could one find a hillock in Bombay?” laughs Subramania Samaj secretary PS Subramaniyan. “So our architects devised a novel solution.”

This solution was the construction of a three-level complex whose heart was on an elevated site – a ‘manmade hill’. Eight hundred tonnes of granite were chiseled by Mahabalipuram sculptors. That work itself took six years. “Another challenge was to adhere to bhoosparsham (earthly contact),” says Subramaniyan. “This was achieved with raised sand pits from the ground to the elevated shrine.”

And so, in 1980, Thiruchembur Thirumurugan Temple, the first Murugan temple in Mumbai, came to be. For Tamilians, no deity is as hallowed as Murugan or Kartikeya, the Hindu god of war and the God of the Hills. Brother Ganesh may be popular elsewhere, but Tamil katavulMurugan’s evolution story is no less fascinating.

In north India, the oft-recounted ‘race around the world’ tale – where Ganesh circumambulates parents Shiva and Parvati while Kartikeya goes around the world – marks the wane of Kartikeya from popular lore. In this version, he’s miffed with the outcome of the contest with his brother (over a mango, offered by wily Narada) and takes a vow of celibacy, leaving Mount Kailash for the Palni Hills of south India. “Murugan is distinct from the Kumara of north and east India. In the south, he has two wives, Devasena and Valli. He was probably an ancient mountain god associated with Mars, virility and war before the arrival of Brahminism, as indicated by Tamil Sangam literature,” says author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik.

“Then Murugan was adopted as the son of Shiva. But in many stories, he knows secrets known not even to Shiva, making him more powerful. Clearly, he is a product of the merging of many communities over centuries.” Origins As Pattanaik says, Murugan is dissimilar from the Puranic Kartikeya, at least in early stages. He’s described in ancient Sangam works, such as the Tolkappiyam, as Ceyyavan or ‘the red one’.

But what’s fascinating is the likelihood of an origin story dating centuries before Dravidian literature. In his 1999 paper 'Murukan in the Indus Script', Iravatham Mahadevan, one of India's foremost scholars on the Indus Valley civilisation, indicated that a primitive Muruku– a red-hued, demon-like war god – may have been worshipped. “…virtually all the Tamil inscriptions and iconographic motifs have been heavily influenced by the Sanskritic traditions of Skanda-Karttikeya-Kumara and have very little in common,” wrote Mahadevan. “Even the meaning of his name has undergone a radical transformation frommuruku, 'the demon or destroyer' to Murukan, 'the beautiful one’.”

That said, there’s no consensus on Mahadevan’s theory, feels Dr R. Mahalakshmi, associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) Centre for Historical Studies (CHS). But she does talk about Puranic influence on Sangam works. An example is the recasting of local mother goddess Kotravai into Parvati. “Kotravai was the goddess of war and victory. She got sidelined, but her son Murugan is venerated. There’s no Ganesh in Sangam tradition. He and Shiva appear in later texts.”

Such regional variances also extend to which brother is older. “In north Indian Pahari paintings, Ganesh is visualised as the younger son. In south Indian imagery, Ganesh is older and celibate while Kartikeya is a virile romantic child-god, almost like Krishna,” Pattanaik says. And in north India itself, there are different versions of the story about the Ganesh-Kartikeya race. In some accounts, the contest isn’t over a mango, but over who would get to wed first.

Since Kartikeya is considered a brahmachari by most, women are expected to not worship him, except on Kartik Poornima. “The oldest heritage spot in Pune is a Kartikeya temple on Parvati Hill, where female worshippers can’t go beyond a point,” says Subramaniyan. “There's even a belief that unmarried people shouldn't worship Kartikeya. But in the south, women worship him year-round.” Ungodly progeny

In 2012, teleserial Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev got people talking when it introduced a character called Ashokasundari – the daughter of Shiva-Parvati. Kartikeya may be less popular than Ganesh, but even then, both have places of prestige in the Hindu pantheon. Not so their virtually-unknown sister. Save for the Padma Purana, Ashokasundari isn’t mentioned in major Hindu works, says Dr. Madhavi Narsalay, associate professor at the Department of Sanskrit, University of Mumbai. “The story goes that Parvati was lonely after Ganesh and Kartikeya left Mount Kailash, so she requested Shiva to take her to the celestial garden Nandanvan. There, she was gifted a baby girl from the kalpavriksha tree.

‘Ashoka’ literally means ‘lack of sadness’ – denoting the role Ashokasundari played in Parvati’s life,” she says. The Ashokasundari arc was helmed into Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev largely in part due to Devdutt Pattanaik, who was one of the show’s consultants. “We didn’t want to endorse patriarchy and show Shiva preferring only male children,” he explains.

Ashokasundari isn’t the only forgotten Shiva-Parvati offspring. At the opposite end of the spectrum to Ganesh and Kartikeya are demon sons Jalandhara and Andhaka. While Jalandhara originated from Shiva’s third eye, Andhaka was created from Parvati’s sweat. Both were adopted by Varuna (the god of water) and Asura king Hiranyaksha respectively. In her working thesis for JNU, 'Siva's Kutumba: Literary and Iconographic Representations in Northern India', Neha Singh notes that both demons rebelled against Shiva and tried attaining Parvati sexually – which not only led to their doom, but also made them unworthy of worship.

Interestingly, no Shiva-Parvati offspring is biological. While Parvati created Ganesh out of clay, Kartikeya was borne of Shiva’s semen. Of course, as in most Hindu mythology, such birth stories have several variations. Regardless, Dr. Madhavi Narsalay points to one family template here anyone can identify with: “The entire family has vahanas (mounts) that are ‘enemies’ of one another. Parvati or Durga has the lion, Shiva has Nandi (cow), Ganesh sits on a rat, and Kartikeya, on a peacock. Then there’s the snake around Shiva’s neck. These could indicate conflicting energies staying together as family.”

Narsalay adds that few accounts of Sanskritic poetic imagination even joke about Shiva consuming poison because he was tired of family feuds – including the alleged sibling rivalry between Ganesha and Murugan.

Whatever be the case, there’s comfort in knowing even godly families aren't immune to dysfunctionality. And this is what makes the Shiva-Parvati family endearing and identifiable. Addendum It's not just Shiva and Parvati's three children that find themselves edged to Hindu mythology's dark corners. There's also the curious case of Vinayaki, whose other monikers include 'Vighneshwari' and 'Stri Ganesha' – the female Ganesha.

But Vinayaki is no consort, sibling, or any familial relation of Ganpati's. She is one of Hinduism's 64 yoginis, a representative of the sacred feminine (Shakti). Temples to her and other yoginis are scattered across India, from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to Orissa and Kerala – though many are in a decrepit state. In his 1975 essay 'The Enigma of Vinayaki' for the Artibus Asiae journal, historian and anthropologist Balaji Mundkur mentioned Shilparatna, a 16th century text from Kerala on the south Indian performing arts.

This text (as well as the much older Matsya Purana), he said, referred to a female elephant-headed deity with 'swelling breasts and feminine hips'. “In contrast to the immense popularity of the images of Ganesa, she is not often represented by an icon, not even in human form,” Mundkur wrote. One of the best-preserved idols of Vinayaki, he added, is in Chitrapur Saraswat Math in Shirali, Karnataka. “It is the first and only metal icon of the goddess... intact except for minor damage... It would not seem far-fetched to believe that the icon represents a Tantric cult goddess, undoubtedly a sakti venerated by one of the sects whose popularity was high between the seventh and twelfth centuries AD.”

Tantric and Shakti traditions, whose reputations are often either misunderstood or besmirched, have texts that are regarded at par with Vedic literature, says Mumbai University's Dr. Madhavi Narsalay. And their influence seemed to have seeped into literature like the Ganesha Kosha, which too mentions Vinayaki. “Since yoginis were the manifestation of female energy, Vinayaki is the feminine energy of Vinayak (Ganesh). There’s also a lore about Lakshmi becoming Vinayaki after affixing the head of an elephant onto herself.”

But this version, Narsalay stresses, has no literary source. And so, the tale of Vinayaki remains in the shadows.

- http://www.dnaindia.com/, September 13, 2015

They were breaking down the walls that had been raised to divide a grand stone mandap into cubicles for temple administrators when they discovered old inscriptions on the granite floor that spoke of land grants made to the 6th century Kamakshi temple near Coimbatore. "We weren't surprised to find the inscriptions. In fact, we would've been surprised if we hadn't," says J Chandrasekhar of REACH Foundation, a heritage conservation group.

Indian archaeologists and heritage activists are now used to seeing priceless ancient art and history wiped out or hidden under shoddy paint and plaster jobs in the name of renovation. A recent such renovation exercise at the National Crafts Museum in Delhi led to the demolition of a room painted by a famous Madhubani artist, while in Tamil Nadu, the High Court rapped the state government last week for indifferent repair and maintenance work at heritage temples. It happens elsewhere too. Two beautiful dwarapalas outside the Pitalkhora rock-cut temple in Maharashtra were cemented over by authorities. All of Sewri Fort in Mumbai was covered with a fine metal mesh and concrete sprayed over it for added "protection". "Now, the fort has a concrete straitjacket and looks like a modern building," says Kurush Dalal, archaeologist and assistant professor, Mumbai University.

The reason for such poor conservation work is often money. Right after Independence this meant that forts and temples crumbled in the absence of conservation drives. Now, the finance commission gives grants-in-aid for the task but it doesn't reach its target. "The state governments end up distributing it among temples with means of income. Indians settled abroad also send money back to their villages for the upkeep of local temples but it is not used judiciously," says archaeologist T Sathyamoorthy, founder-president of Reach.

When there is a crack in a stone structure, it is often demolished and rebuilt with cement, not fixed with a lime mixture as required. Andhra Pradesh has seen the destruction of Nayaka period gopurams while Karnataka, like other states, has several temples redone with colour wash, paintwork and gleaming Jaipur tiles, says Sathyamoorthy. In Sopara near Mumbai, damaged sculptures are periodically immersed in water. "Every few years, the new generation discovers these sculptures. I have seen a Brahma statue that was discarded and installed again," says writer and history buff Kumud Kanitkar.

Sometimes, villagers take better care of the ruins in their midst. "In Chittorgarh, I have seen parts of an 8th century temple kept preserved in homes and backyards," says archeologist Kirit Mankodi. Yes, the icons had got their contours flattened with plaster. "But I have seen many villages where they pick up and put together ruins to create a new temple," says Mankodi.

The tragedy is that contemporary artisans have lost the skills needed to create these unique sculptures and artwork. "When the crafts guilds were alive, damaged stuff could be easily replaced while a broken sculpture would be turned into a washing stone. That tradition is now long gone," says Mankodi.

A lack of pride in heritage structures, poor conservation practices and shortage of expertise in government organisations leaves the door wide open for corruption. S Srikumar, a software professional from Tamil Nadu, remembers watching in horror as abrasive sand blasting wiped away several ancient inscriptions at the Avinashi Lingeswarar temple near Coimbatore in 2012.

"Renovation" also included damaged idols being replaced with brand new ones. And that, of course, means that contractors could enter the scene and make a killing. "I prepared a conservation manual for the Andhra government but it never took off. The main problem was the availability of funding; and they want contractors to construct new things," says Sathyamoorthy, whose organization helped restore around 50 ancient temples in Tamil Nadu.

Srikumar and friends, who are RTI activists, formed the Heritage Conservation Society that deployed the same weapon and collected information and thousands of photographs of violations of conservation laws. When the Madras HC took suo moto note of media reports about the absence of a heritage committee in a state that has more than 30,000 temples and 400 monuments, it used the society's PIL. The court, which appointed an amicus curiae for assistance, has now asked the state government when the expert committee's recommendations will be implemented.

- The Times of India, September 13, 2015

Environmental activists concerned at the degradation of Yamuna river have demanded firm action by the union water resources ministry on the directive of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to ensure a minimal flow of water in this largest tributary of the Ganges.

On June 12, the NGT had directed the Haryana government to release 10 cumecs of water in the Yamuna from the Hathini Kund barrage. While monitoring implementation of the "Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project", NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar had taken to task the Haryana government for dragging its feet in implementing earlier decisions -- both of the apex court and the NGT -- to release water in the Yamuna.

The NGT asked the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh to interact with chairperson of the NGT principal committee Shashi Shekhar to sort out the issue of minimal flow in the Yamuna. This committee was formed in January this year, and comprises secretary of the ministry of environment, secretary of water resources ministry, state secretaries of state governments, commissioners of all municipal corporations, and the vice chairman of Delhi Development Authority.

Mathura-based Braj Bachao Samiti members on Sunday demanded a firm commitment from the Haryana government on release of water in the Yamuna for the downstream towns and cities. The minimal flow was required to maintain the balance and the ecology of the river. The aqua life too needed water for survival, said Shravan Kumar Singh of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society in Agra.

This had been one of the principal demands of the Yamuna Muktikaran Abhiyan. Convener Radha Krishan Shastri said the NGT was doing a good job. Last week, union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti said: "A pollution-free Yamuna is a commitment of our government and we will do whatever is required to rejuvenate both the Ganges and Yamuna."

She said a committee of the UP, Haryana and Delhi government representatives will draw up a comprehensive plan for cleaning the Yamuna and a minimal flow as desired by the National Green Tribunal in the river shall be maintained. She said the NGT orders on encroachments on the flood-plains of the Yamuna shall be strictly enforced. The demands and concerns of the people of Braj Mandal to cleanse Yamuna shall not remain unheard, she assured.

Sharing details of the NGT order, petitioner Madhu Mangal Shukla, a river activist, said he had complained of illegal and unregulated solid waste disposal by the local municipality. "A substantial part of the waste was being dumped on the river bed. Despite repeated requests, officials had failed to develop a trenching site and littering away just about everywhere the waste produced by the local people," Shukla said.

In its order dated August 25, the NGT had asked the petitioner to shoot pictures and video of the work done by the local sanitation workers and the garbage dumps to nail the truth.

Shukla said he would be submitting photographs and videos of the garbage heaps on the river bed. He said the local officials had misled the NGT and allegedly submitted false evidence. Locals have regularly been complaining about how garbage was being dumped to push the river several hundred feet back. In course of time, encroachers begin raising structures on the Yamuna flood-plains.

The petitioner has highlighted how the holy towns with over 5,000 temples were being subjected to environmental deterioration. Already the green cover has been denuded and big chunks of land along the river banks have turned grey with new concrete structures.

- http://www.newkerala.com/, September 13, 2015

The civic body said it has planned to implement Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) and if the plan goes right then there will be many green buildings in Thane. On Friday, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), in association with the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA), conducted a one-day workshop for Thanekars for green building.

The civic body said it has planned to implement Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) and if the plan goes right then there will be many green buildings in Thane. The workshop focused on introducing green buildings concept across the city and ECBC was introduced by the Centre Bureau of Energy Efficiency in 2011, which consisted norms and standards for constructing and designing energy-efficient buildings.

Developers, architects and residents were part of the workshop and officials from the town plannning department said the MEDA authorities wanted them to conduct a seminar to get recommendations to implement ECBC for city buildings.

The green buildings constructed under ECBC code have sufficient lighting and ventilation in the house so that maximum energy could be saved in electricity. In this concept, a certain kind of construction material is used which keeps the house cool, maintains a temperature and ensures minimal use of electricity.

"To implement the code, we will invite recommendations from experts, including developers and architects, about what best could be done for green buildings in Thane. These changes will further be sent to the state for final approval of the code," added Pradeep Goil, assistant director of the town planning department.

"We have planned many eco-friendly measures in city like sewage treatment and decentralised STP among them. We have also made solar water and water harvesting compulsory in housing societies since 2005. Planning green buildings is another step towards a smarter city," said additional commissioner Sunil Chavan.

- http://www.dnaindia.com/, September 13, 2015

Months after the Centre withdrew Delhi's nomination for the World Heritage City tag, the state government shot off a letter to the ministry of culture making a fresh bid for the same. It asked the Centre to request Unesco to release International Council on Monuments and Sites' evaluation report so that Delhi's dossier could be sent for the 40th session of the world heritage committee to be held in Turkey next year.

However, sources said the culture ministry is making a case for Nalanda University in Bihar as India's nomination in the cultural heritage category. This could leave Delhi out of the race.

An expert team from Unesco and the Paris-based Icomos visited the historic Nalanda University late last month to evaluate the site. India can nominate only one site each in the natural and cultural heritage categories.

"This year India did not send any nomination to be considered at the 39th session of the world heritage committee after it withdrew Delhi's weeks before the meet began in Germany,'' said an official.

Tourism minister Kapil Mishra said the government would take steps to ensure Delhi is India's nomination in the next world heritage session. The government has told the culture ministry that it's willing to rework the nomination.

"Whether or not Icomos has deemed it be 'referred', 'deferred' or, in the worst case scenario, `not inscribed', it still gives the Delhi government a chance to amend the dossier," said the letter to the culture ministry. The letter is optimistic regarding the capital chance's of making it to the session.

"The nomination dossier has identified the urban morphology of the two imperial capital cities as having an outstanding universal value (OUV). And the nomination very categorically states that the current regulations and building controls were adequate protection for what has been identified as the OUV for Delhi. It states that effective monitoring mechanisms are already in place to monitor the OUV.

"If, in future, the urban development ministry were to modify the existing building bylaws or development controls, presumably after due process and approvals from Delhi's own monitoring mechanisms like DUAC, etc, then Unesco could take stock of the situation and establish whether it effects the OUV. If so, India has the option of getting the city delisted, as was done in Dresden, Germany in 2009, when the local administration and people supported the building of a four-lane bridge,'' reads the letter.

- The Times of India, September 13, 2015

Holkar dynasty's majestic palace Rajwada seems to be losing its sheen as relentless restoration work and tall promises of archaeology department seems to be proving inadequate to save the monuments.

Recently, around Rs 5 lakh were spent on restoration work of art gallery of Rajwada. But the money seems to have gone down the drain as pieces of plaster from the gallery's roof have been falling. There are apprehensions that these falling pieces can pose a serious threat to life.

Significantly, the art gallery was installed after its restoration work in 2014. However, just a year later, monsoon season brought to fore the quality of the refurbishment.

Chemist Praveen Shrivastava from archaeology department said, "In monuments, we cannot predict in advance, now we have seen that its roof needs work so we are preparing a draft to repair it as soon as possible."

Besides this, all previous plans for renovation and conservation of Krishnapura cenotaphs (Krishnapura Chhatri) have been lying pending. Meanwhile, officials of archaeological department and Gaurav foundation are blaming each other for the pending work.

This year on June 15, a fifteen-day period was given for work of Chattri by Gaurav foundation but nothing was done. On being questioned, Anil Bhandari from Gaurav foundation said, we are ready to give fund for restoration work but archaeology department is not showing any interest.

On the other hand, an official from archaeology department said, Gaurav foundation is responsible for restoration work, we were only responsible for chemical conservation.

Countering the accusation, Bhandari said, everyone knows that archaeology department is responsible for any type of restoration and conservation work of monuments. "We are monitoring the work of Chattries, restoration work would definitely done by the department, as archaeology department is responsible for the work and process is undergoing," said ADM Deepak Singh while adding that work of Rajwada should be done with care as department is soon going to start light and sound show there.

- The Times of India, September 13, 2015

The INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) has urged the authorities to declare Thrissur as a heritage town. The trust raised the demand at a meeting organised at Kerala Sahitya Akademi on Saturday to honour the craftsmen and stakeholders of Sree Vadakkunnathan Restoration project, which bagged the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award for Excellence for 2015.

Disappeared In the last 10-15 years many heritage buildings of the town have disappeared and if this trend continues, Thrissur could lose most of its valuable heritage, the INTACH noted. There is tremendous scope for Thrissur to develop as a spot for cultural, heritage and spiritual tourism. For this a heritage and culture policy needs to be formulated looking into the uniqueness of the town, it pointed out.

The team involved in the restoration work including Kanippayoor Krishnan Namboothirippad, M.M. Vinod Kumar, architect; Superintending Archaeologist Sreelakshmi, Devaswom Board representative T.K. Devanarayanan, artisans Sivadas Achari, Raghuram , Chandran, Vijayakumar , Suresh Thankamani and conservation assistant Rajan were honoured. INTACH Thrissur convener MP ,Surendran presided over the meeting.

- The Hindu, September 14, 2015

Urban planners, designers, architects, and conservationists divided over allowing more height and space to structures under Lutyens Bungalow Zone

When the design of New Delhi was drawn up, it was based on the concept of a ‘Garden City’, an idea much in vogue in early 20th-century Europe. Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, the chief architect of the new capital, had envisaged it with wide, tree line avenues, water bodies, and stately bungalows set in verdant plots. As Delhi kept growing over the years, this area came to be known as the ‘Lutyens Bungalow Zone’.

With a set of stringent guidelines, it is difficult to even carry out slight modifications to buildings coming under the LBZ, which after 2003 included many areas that were not even part of Lutyens’ Delhi. The guidelines are now set to get relaxed after the Ministry of Urban Development asked the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) to review the norms.

The report submitted by the latter, now in the public domain for consultation, recommends not only the exclusion of areas such as Golf Links, Sunder Nagar and Bengali Market from the LBZ, but also the redevelopment of buildings within the LBZ, allowing those more height, floor area ratio, and ground coverage. The proposed norms on the redevelopment of this heritage zone, however, has sparked a debate in the Capital with urban planners, designers, architects, and conservationists being divided over the issue of allowing more height and space to structures falling under the LBZ. The moot question that is being asked is what constitutes ‘heritage’?

“We have a concept of heritage and it would be a great anomaly if you rubbished it,” said A.G.K. Menon, conservationist and convener of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage’s (INTACH) Delhi Chapter. “We are not against development. You have the entire city for development; why is there such anxiety to redevelop such a small area that is declared heritage and admired world over?” he said.

DUAC chairman P.S.N. Rao, however, is of the view that bungalows, vacant plots, and barracks in the area, which are in a dilapidated state, can’t be called heritage. While Mr. Rao told The Hindu that many stakeholders, including INTACH, were consulted before the recommendations were drawn up, Mr. Menon said that he has been misrepresented and misquoted in the report. “We didn’t even get the minutes of the meetings till after the recommendations were sent,” he claimed. INTACH is preparing a report opposing the DUAC recommendations.

“Delhi is already burgeoning and the LBZ is the only salvation place. Redevelopment of the area would mean more people and cars, and added pressure on infrastructure, which is another aspect that has to be looked into apart from its heritage value,” said Priyaleen Singh, HoD, Department of Architectural Conservation, School of Planning and Architecture.

There are views that in a city bursting at the seams, there is no logic in ‘artificially’ maintaining such low density. The number of people living in the LBZ per acre is 15, while the figure exceeds 1,500 in many areas of Delhi. B.K. Chugh, former Director General of the Central Public Works Department, for instance, believes it is a ‘waste of space’. There are also views that redevelopment of the LBZ cannot be kept in abeyance but has to be dealt with carefully keeping its heritage value in mind.

“At the core of the LBZ, there are many ‘loose’ areas, including triangular blocks, barracks, and quarters where proper utilisation of land and densification is possible. However, redevelopment concerns the character of the city and we need to protect the character of the arterial roads, including details such as gates of the bungalows, numbering,” said K.T. Ravindran, former chairman, DUAC. “The current proposal does not address all these concerns and we have to keep in mind that we will never be able recreate such a place again,” Mr. Ravindran said.

- The Hindu, September 14, 2015

Architect Peter Cook says that a new breed of practitioners effortlessly navigates the worlds of art, architecture, and furniture design.

British architect Peter Cook has been a doyen in the global architectural world for over five decades. As one of the founding members of Archigram, an avant-garde futurist architecture group of the 1960s, he helped to project radical possibilities for architecture. Knighted in 2007 by the Queen for his pioneering work, Cook is the brain behind structures like the Kunsthaus Graz (Graz Art Museum) in Austria, Vienna Business and Economics University’s law faculty building and the Abedian School of Architecture at Bond University in Australia.

In an email interview, Mr.Cook tells Shailaja Tripathi about exploring new cultural and economic contexts though architecture. What do you think of these times when architectural drawings can be shown in an art gallery? Do you think lines are really blurring?

According to me the lines never really existed. It is just physical manifestation of architectural drawings. With an ever-growing public awareness of contemporary art comes an increased interest in architecture and design. The intent is to show the collectors commissioning interiors and furnishings that finally match the adventurous spirit of their art collections. This blurring of hierarchies has created a sophisticated new breed of practitioners who effortlessly navigate the worlds of art, architecture, and furniture design.

I am not sure but a lot of these drawings, I believe, can’t be transformed into buildings. Can we see them as unfulfilled dreams of yours? I get many ideas from time to time which I express in form of artwork or drawings. I often use them in my current work. So I won’t say those drawings which I couldn’t use are unfulfilled dreams as I am still working and will try to incorporate them wherever needed. The radical group, Archigram, which you founded, had a vision to make the world a better place. Could it achieve that? What kind of influence did it have on the architecture of those times?

Archigram was an avant-garde architectural group formed in the 1960s — based at the Architectural Association, London — that was neo-futuristic, anti-heroic and pro-consumerist, drawing inspiration from technology in order to create a new reality that was solely expressed through hypothetical projects. Archigram agitated to prevent modernism from becoming a sterile and safe orthodoxy by its adherents. Its visions did, in fact, succeed in inspiring a new generation of architects and architecture. Most obviously, their radical suggestion to reveal infrastructural elements and reverse traditional building hierarchies inspired the famous Pompidou Center by Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, and their drawings and visions continue to be invoked in urban thinking today.

Many iconic projects explored pop culture and emerging technologies and were predicated on the rationale of fun and pleasure as ends in themselves. Among the best known are Walking City, a self-contained pod of urban elements; Suitaloon, a garment that converts into a dwelling; and Blow-out Village, an entire temporary city inflated by a hovercraft. We are talking about green buildings now but nature has been an important element in all your structures. Like your vegetable house series of drawings, or the solar city where vegetation and architecture meet. What triggered that?

One should look around, absorb what is happening around them, and use what they see and feel creatively. At an age of 8, I developed love for architectural designs, nature and its beauty. Therefore, while designing a series of vegetable houses and the solar city, I aimed not only to ‘take’ and ‘use’ the piece of land, but create from it a new urban mixture that gives back more than it takes and at the same time enjoys the view. With these designs I responded to the cultural heritage and [was] inspired by its energy of response towards a new cultural, economic context. You visited some heritage structures on your visit to India. What do you think of their architecture and Indian architecture in general?

So far it is the place that is both excitingly and disturbingly different from anywhere else, including other Asian places. The old architecture set up by those with power, money and influence is striking in its inventiveness. The new stuff is not very interesting, so far. But I am fascinated by the inventiveness of some of the major historical buildings in India and their wild ambition specially the ones made involving columns like Humayun’s Tomb. I visited it and was fascinated by the columns and the openness of the place.

Famed artistes to inspire corporate world

Can the corporate world learn the value of excellence from the world of arts? A unique initiative by the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) hopes to make this exchange possible. While corporate bodies’ engagement with the world of arts is largely confined to funding cultural organisation as CSR initiatives, a programme by IFA hopes to go beyond this.

IFA has partnered with corporate houses in Bengaluru to offer a unique initiative, Catalyst-Arts, An Inspiration for Excellence. Initially, IFA will be working with Biocon Foundation, Titan Company Ltd. and Sasken Communication Technologies Ltd. on this unique programme. Under this, IFA will bring a range of talented artistes from the world of theatre, literature, visual and performing arts to share with its employees what it takes to pursue excellence in their chosen fields. This initiative is championed by art patrons such as Abhishek Poddar,

Director of Sua Explosives and Accessories; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson and Managing Director Biocon Ltd.; and Vinita Bali, former Managing Director of Britannia Industries Ltd., who are also connoisseurs of art. The artistes, who are partnering with IFA include actors Nandita Das and Feroz Khan, internationally renowned photographer Raghu Rai, Bharatanatyam exponent Malavika Sarukkai, renowned Kathak dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas, art historian B.N. Goswamy, noted architect Romi Khosla, theatre personality Arundhati Nag, Indian contemporary artist Jitish Kallat, artist Atul Dodiya, renowned painter Bose Krishnamachari, and journalist Shekar Gupta.

According to Ms. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the diverse dimensions of arts allow corporate world and its workers to fine-tune their sense towards discerning the true substance of things, besides enliven office spaces with conversations and presentations by the artistes sharing their creative journey’s and their pursuit of excellence.

Though three corporate companies have associated with the project at this stage, more companies have shown interest in the initiative. “We are planning to take this beyond Bengaluru in the days to come,” said Mr. Abishek Poddar. In a time marked by intolerance, young people from the middle class working in corporate companies, who are getting distanced from their roots, will be greatly benefited by this endeavour. Arundhati Nag, Theatre personality

- The Hindu, October 15, 2015

For artist Kiran Dixit Thacker, Santiniketan and its beautiful surroundings were the starting point for most of her creative activities. She will soon showcase 35 life-size sculptures, and charcoal and watercolour drawings at IHC .

Sculpures of some artists are abstract but not Kiran Dixit Thacker’s. Her sculptures are a clear depiction of what she wants to say and portray. At a five-day exhibition starting on September 22 titled Chai, chai, arro chai; we want and we want more she will showcase 35 life-size sculptures and an equal number of charcoal and watercolour drawings on life studies at the Visual Arts Gallery at India Habitat Center.

The subjects of the sculptures — a dog lying on its back hoping to be lovingly scratched in the tummy, a group of village elderly playing cards and a man cycling, carrying a woman in the carrier who holds an umbrella over his head — engage the onlooker in a conversation.

Replete with canines in ecstasy, girls swaying their hips through hula-hoop sessions, protest marches in bronze, fiberglass and mild steel, Kiran’s work brims with an analytical understanding of both eastern and western life forms. The artist says most of her sculptures are about everyday activities in Santiniketan, where she lives now. Santiniketan was also where she completed her diploma in fine arts in 1969, before she moved to England and worked and lived for 30 years.

“My work is mostly figurative; all kinds of shapes and forms inspire me. Santiniketan and its beautiful surroundings have been the starting point for most of my creative activities. I am trying to catch the essence of the subject without too many frills. Simplicity of form is what I aim to achieve, and unlike the French Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne, I want to tread the path I have discovered,” says Thacker.

At the heart of this show are two huge works, Protest March and Jaler khala (playing with water) which are representations of different moods in us. The title for this has been evoked from internal experiences. “I’m forever protesting against things and I’m with people who do the same. In a very chai, chai, arro chai-like existence, I’m always questioning everything about us; questioning before accepting. It has become a way of life,” says Thaker.

This 69-year-old artist came back to Santiniketan in 2000 to re-start her career after three decades in London in the aftermath of her daughter’s death. She realised the only way out of her grief was to start work, to sculpt, paint and draw with all sincerity and passion. “This passion is my life’s sustaining force,” said Thacker, who holds a diploma in figurative sculpture from the Frink School of Sculpture. She considers Ramkinkar Baij and Binod Behari Mukherjee as her inspiration as these individuals “could keep the fire of passion for art burning in their hearts, in spite of all the problems life dished out”.

- The Pioneer, September 15, 2015

In a bad news for lovers of the Taj Mahal and other historical buildings across country, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has hiked the ticket prices for monuments by a whopping 200% in all categories after an interval of 12 years. For category 'A' monuments, which include World Heritage sites, ticket price has been raised from Rs 10 to Rs 30 for Indians and from Rs 250 to Rs 750 for foreigners.

Unlike monuments in rest of the country, visitors to Taj Mahal will have to pay even more due to an additional fee collected by Agra Development Authority (ADA) as 'toll tax'. Due to this, the new ticket rates at the Taj will be Rs 40 (Rs 10 towards toll tax) for Indians and Rs 1,250 (Rs 500 as toll tax) for foreigners.

The ASI finally issued preliminary notification to this effect on Tuesday. According to officials, a 45-day period will be given for admitting objections or suggestions from the public, and if everything goes well, the new rates will become applicable from the first week of November.

Visitors from SAARC and BIMSTEC countries, who are treated on a par with Indians, however, will be charged domestic rates. SAARC countries comprise Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan, besides India, while BIMSTEC includes Thailand and Myanmar besides India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan.

ADA treats SAARC and BIMSTEC citizens as foreigners, so they will have to Rs 500 towards toll tax for visiting Taj. Altogether they will have to shell out Rs 530. Notably, the ADA also wants to hike its toll tax further. In December 2014, it had sent a proposal to the state government a proposal to hike the toll tax from Rs 10 to Rs 40 from Indian visitors while Rs 750 in place of present Rs 500 from foreigners. The state government is yet to take a decision on this. For category "B" monuments, the rates have been increased from Rs 5 to Rs 15 for Indians and Rs 100 to Rs 300 for foreigners.

The tourism leaders have already expressed their displeasure over the proposal and called an emergency meeting of all the organizations on Wednesday to chalk out their future course of action. They said such a move would severely affect the industry which is already facing a slump due to fall in number of tourists in Agra in the last three years.

Rajiv Tiwari, president of the Federation of Travel Agents of India, said, "This is not the time to raise the fee. This will further restrict the inflow of foreign tourists to Agra. These tourists, who were paying Rs 900 to see all the three world three heritage sites, will have to pay Rs 2,000 after new rates become applicable."

- The Times of India, September 16, 2015

Large eyes, small face, bright clothes, wide smile and with precise movements, they come to life once the music starts. They tell you enlightening stories, fairytales, legends and even the mundane. They might speak to you in different languages but you still grasp what they mean. They remain faithful to hands that control them. The lively world of puppets and puppeteers enamours many.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi’s (SNA) seventh India Puppetry Festival titled ‘Putul Yatra’ showcased this traditional art in the capital recently. Recreating the magic of those times when puppetry was as common as television today, the evening shows appealed to people across ages. Accompanied by regional songs, audio effects and stage lights, they portrayed popular folk tales to idiosyncrasies of everyday life.

From a special combined opening presentation to Rajasthan’s folk tale Dhola Maru to Andhra Pradesh’s Tolu Bommalatta or traditional shadow puppetry, the festival was a mixed bag.

Gathering artistes from different parts of the country including Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Delhi and Maharashtra, Putul Yatra witnessed a wide range of performances. Representing different theatre groups, and communities, a range of traditional and contemporary puppets performed on stage at the Meghdoot Theatre complex at Rabindra Bhawan.

While displaying the four major types of puppets – string, rod, shadow and glove puppets, the idea of the festival was to reinforce the medium’s unique form of storytelling. “We are supporting puppetry since long. We do regular events on major puppetry traditions. In this series, we tried to give the representation of the entire country and all four types of puppetry,” Helen Acharya, secretary, SNA told Metrolife.

“Functioning as a cultural hub in the field of performing arts, SNA has been active in promoting music, dance and drama and by organising it in the capital, we have tried to give puppetry a larger platform,” she added.

The inauguration also saw many people calling for redefining puppetry to make it relevant to modern times. While appreciating the role played by the government and SNA through organising events like the puppetry festival, they emphasised on the need to respect and promote traditional arts for preserving the rich cultural heritage.

- The Deccan Herald, September 16, 2015

Indian Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma’s recent admission in parliament that eight cases of antiquities theft were reported from State-protected monuments and museums across three states over the last year, has yet again brought to the fore the fraught issue of pilferage and smuggling of art treasures from Indian shores.

According to Global Financial Integrity, a Washington-based advocacy group, illegal trade in paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts is one of the world’s most lucrative criminal enterprises, estimated at $6 billion a year. And India, with its redoubtable cultural heritage, bureaucratic apathy, and tardy implementation of antiquities protection laws, offers pilferers fertile ground to plunder the past and spirit away booty worth billions for sale in the international bazaar.

This exploitation continues unabated despite the existence of The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 whose aim is to protect “antiquities,” an omnibus term that includes, among other items, sculptures in stone, shrines, terracotta, metals, jewelry, ivory, paintings in paper, wood, cloth, skin, and manuscripts over a hundred years old.

The Antiquities Act also mandates that owners of such art pieces register them with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the nodal agency responsible for archaeological excavations, conservation of monuments, and protection of heritage sites. The law also prohibits export of antiquities while permitting their sale within the country only under a license. Failure to comply with these rules can result in jail sentences of up to three years, a fine, or both. In what is seen as a blatantly unfair clause, the Act also empowers the State to compulsorily acquire an art object from its owner without any reliable assessment of a fair price. Yet despite the punitive nature of law, Indian antiquities worth billions continue to be smuggled out of the country or hoarded in private collections sans documentation.

Among the most audacious of Indian smugglers has been Subhash Kapoor, currently on trial in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. In 2011, Kapoor, owner of the “Art of the Past” gallery in Manhattan, was nabbed in Germany and subsequently extradited to India. Among other activities, he is alleged to have sold the 900¬-year-¬old bronze Nataraja for $5 million to the National Gallery of Australia in 2008 and a 1,100 ¬year--old stone sculpture of Shiva to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2004. American authorities – who confiscated 2,622 items worth $107.6 million from Kapoor’s storerooms in Manhattan and Queens – have described him as the most ambitious antiquities smuggler in American history.

In June this year, the ASI unearthed a trove of Indian antiquities in Singapore, also allegedly procured from Kapoor. The lot included 30 objects, including idols and paintings whose provenance could be traced to the 10th century. Most of these were sold by Kapoor’s gallery between 2007 and 2012 to Singapore. On his April sojourn to Canada this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given the “Parrot Lady,” a 900-year-old sculpture from Khajuraho under the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property. The $10 million piece had been smuggled from India. A few American museums, located in Massachusetts and Hawaii, also claim to possess eight rare antiquities pilfered from India.

Even though India is a signatory to the 1970 UNESCO treaty, experts say it is extremely tough to retrieve antiquities that have left the country. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, between 208 and 2012 a total of 4,408 items were stolen from 3,676 ASI¬-protected monuments across the country, but only 1,493 could be intercepted by police. Overall, around 2,913 items are feared to have been shipped to dealers and auction houses worldwide.

Indian antiquities also regularly feature in scams involving the world’s two largest auction houses – Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Employees of these organizations have been known to work in connivance with Indian smugglers in the past to peddle stolen artifacts at auctions. Even websites like eBay claim to be selling Indian antiquities.

Dr. Satish Pandey, Assistant Professor, National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology, New Delhi, opines that the Indian government’s lackadaisical approach is primarily responsible for the current mess. “To date, India has documented only a few of its monuments; many are not even under State protection. Hundreds of buildings – like the stunning gompas (monasteries) of Ladakh and scores of temples in central and southern India – lie unprotected. The problem is made worse by flaws in the existing laws due to which most of the thefts do not come to light or go unreported.”

According to the National Mission for Monument and Antiquities, there are approximately 7 million antiquities in India. But by March this year, only 1.3 million had been documented. A report by the Comptroller and Audit General stated in 2013 that the ASI had never participated or collected information on Indian antiquities put on sale at Sotheby’s and Christie’s as there was no clear provision in the Antiquities Act, 1972 for doing so.

According to Naman P. Ahuja, Associate Professor at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, art also gets smuggled abroad rather than being kept at home because the present laws are drafted in a way that deters people from building private collections. “We have far too many antiquities for the government to be held responsible for safeguarding them. So if Indians aren’t going to build collections, and if our government institutions cannot cope with the plenitude, where is it all going to go? Abroad, obviously,” says Ahuja.

Since 1987, different governments have been trying to amend the flawed legislation. Unfortunately, after two committees and several consultations, the law still remains unmodified, entirely out of sync with the current needs for heritage protection in the country or the changed dynamic of the Indian art market. “Heritage continues to be the least priority for most governments. Museums and the ASI remain gravely short-staffed with an inadequate number of licensing and registering officers. Worse, a combination of bureaucratic paperwork and staff crunch scupper the implementation of the Act,” explains a senior official at ASI.

Registering antiquities is also a cumbersome process, say insiders, which discourages art lovers and hobbles their documentation by the State. Experts have suggested electronic registration of antiquities as a less tedious alternative. They also point out that laws in the U.K. and Canada allow citizens to place their art for sale on the international market with the State given the chance to match the highest bid, unlike India where any antiquity can be impounded by a government agency without fair compensation to its owner.

“Having fair provisions in the act will balance the owners’ right to their property as well as the nation’s investment in important cultural objects,” explains Ahuja. The historian adds that smuggled Indian artifacts abroad raise important issues about the preservation and protection of Indian heritage. “Catching one person every eight to ten years is reflective not of the success, but of the failure of the present laws. Although the authorities have managed to arrest few of the smugglers, thousands of art works have actually left India’s shores. So the larger question to ask is not how we can increase policing of our borders, but on why so many Indian art treasures continue to leave the country?”

Ahuja also recommends building larger cadres of art historians, conservators and archaeologists to man important sites and museums to safeguard and maintain heritage. Sindhu Garg, a Delhi-based art gallery owner, is of the view that incentivizing art fairs, auctions, and art dealers will help solve the problem by creating a thriving domestic market. “India,” he explains, “is poised for exponential growth in the art market due to an unprecedented interest among buyers. If the market is regulated better, it will attract more buyers, sellers and artists and organically snuff out illicit trade.”

To plug some of the loopholes, the government is launching a National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities, tasked with documenting the antiquities and preparing a national database. The mission will also help establish provenance in the retrieval of smuggled antiquities, in addition to promoting public awareness and participation in the safeguarding of antiquarian wealth. A committee has also been set up to review museum security requirements for a comprehensive security policy.

Though these measures augur well for the future of Indian heritage, experts say there is an urgent need for more proactive measures, factoring in the needs of all stakeholders. As Ahuja explains, “Thieves may smuggle Indian heritage, but the inaction of policymakers can destroy it forever.” Neeta Lal is New Delhi-based senior journalist & editor.

- http://thediplomat.com/, September 16, 2015

As part of celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Kochi, St Albert's College organized 'Festa da Cultura' as a tribute to the centuries-old Anglo-Indian community.

The programme is part of the initiative, 'Ethnicity', which began in February this year to study, document and showcase the practices, traditions and distinct culture of the city's many ethnic groups.

"When we first began this initiative, we identified 22 separate ethnic communities living in Kochi. We arranged a meeting with community leaders and received good response when we proposed 'Ethnicity' which each month focuses on a particular community and highlights its distinct culture and traditions. Today, we focused on the Anglo-Indian community. There will be many such fests in the months to come," said Edward Edezhath, a researcher at the college.

The tribute to Anglo-Indian community featured an exhibition, organised in collaboration with the archives department of the Government of India, which showcased rare documents, books and articles of historical significance related to the community, as well as photographs and maps of the Portuguese community, houses, churches and distinct architectural styles.

"The project is more of a celebration of ethnic communities as opposed to the mere documentation and paperwork of cultural and traditional practices. Kochi is rich in Anglo-Indian culture and traditions and I plan to start a museum to preserve the same," said Anglo-Indian MP Richard Hay who spoke on the occasion.

An exhibition of fruits and vegetables which came to India from Portugal, including guava, bread fruit, pineapple, passion fruit, and cashew, was also held. The food festival, meanwhile, featured community staples such as pente frito, soulingee, matrimony, filo, bole as well as other dishes like duck roast, vindhaloo, cutlets, dumpling stew and ball curry.

On the occasion, community members, including senior musician Winnie Dsouza, Latin music expert Gordon Figaredo, Fifa referee Benta Decoutha and singer Sandra Diaz, were honoured.

- The Times of India, September 16, 2015

The expatriate community in Bengaluru has become an important part of the culture and ethos of the City. The expats here like to celebrate every Indian festival in true Indian style — be it in terms of food, mode of celebration or clothes. Among all Indian festivals, Ganesh Chaturthi arouses a lot of curiosity among them. The food, colours and rituals associated with it have fascinated them to no end.

Born and raised in London, Yana Lewis, the artistic director of The Lewis Foundation of Classical Ballet, first visited India 17 years ago. “When I first came here, I couldn’t understand why people worshipped an elephant god. Later, I learnt the stories and understood his significance as an elephant,” she says. Yana later married an Indian. She recalls, “We were supposed to have a small Ganesha printed on our wedding card.

I didn’t understand why we needed to carry it at all. It was only later that I understood its importance after my husband explained that the Lord is also the nemesis of all obstacles.” Yana has had a feel of the festival and confesses that she absolutely loves the colour and the bonhomie associated with it. “Our daughter Jazmine loves to celebrate Ganesha. She enjoys going out on the street and taking part in all the festivities,” she adds.

Oliver Kaye left his hometown in England a few years a ago to take up a job in Mumbai. After travelling extensively across the country both on work and as a tourist, Oliver settled down in Bengaluru a few months ago. He says that he has seen and experienced Ganesh Chaturthi in the best of spirits when he was living in Mumbai and saw how the festival is celebrated in Bengaluru as well.

“While I was living in Mumbai, I had the privilege of taking part in the wonderful Ganapati immersion twice at Chowpatty Beach. I will never forgot the excitement of being at the beach with thousands of people from different communities. Many people asked me to walk into the sea with them for the final ritual of placing the Ganesha statue and praying,” he recollects. He says that he has also witnessed the immersion here in Bengaluru. “The festival of Ganesha brings back many lovely memories as everyone here is so welcoming and wants me to be a part of the experience. This is what makes India so special — inclusion, warmth and friendship,” he elaborates.

Youngsters go all out to celebrate the festival. They not only gorge on the food but also bring home a small idol of Ganesha to decorate and later partake in the immersion process. Eighteen-year-old Narnia is from Philippines. She, along with her 13-year-old sister Hamaynie, bring home the Ganesha every year. “My mother has received several Ganesha idols as gifts and we used to be very curious about how it would be when a man’s body has an elephant’s head.

I learnt from school how Ganesha had an elephant head and found the story very interesting,” says Narnia. Hamaynie believes that when Ganesha is kept at the entrance of their home, it wards off evil. “We have heard from our Indian friends that Ganesha brings prosperity. His big belly means generosity. I am glad we have several Ganeshas at home,” she adds.

Food is an indispensable part of the festival and most households and restaurants across the City spread out a lavish feast. Boomlarah Panchai, a Japanese, relocated to Bengaluru a few years ago to join as a chef at Zen, The Leela Palace Bengaluru. He feels Ganesh Chaturthi is a fascinating festival as he gets to see a lot of beautiful sculptures.

“From clay to colourful idols and street processions, the festival is a new experience to me. I also keep a small Ganesh statue at home as it symbolises good luck,” says Boomlarah. He also states that he is very fond of sweets. “I make ‘modakas’. There is a sweet and savoury version of the same but I like the sweet one with jaggery and coconut better,” he shares.

- The Deccan Herald, September 17, 2015

Film makers wanting to capture the picturesque locales of world heritage monuments like Ajanta-Ellora caves and Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad or the historic Shaniwarwada in Pune will have to pay Rs 1 lakh per day. Besides, they will be charged a refundable deposit of Rs 50,000. Till now, they could get permission for the shooting for Rs 5,000 per day.

Tourists, both Indian and foreigners, will also have to pay higher fees to tour world heritage monuments, the category A structures. While local tourists may not mind the hike from Rs 10 to Rs 30, foreigners will have to pay Rs 750, up from the earlier Rs 250. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has issued a notification about the revised fees for monuments which will be effective soon.

For shoots at category B monuments, film makers will have to pay Rs 50,000 per day, with Rs 10,000 as a refundable deposit. The tweaking of the fees structure will fetch ASI a yearly revenue of Rs 300 crore, up from Rs 100 crore.

"This revision comes after 13 years. It is difficult to maintain and restore numerous monuments in the country with the revenue ASI currently garners. Once the new structure comes into place, it will increase earnings which can be used for the upkeep of monuments," a senior ASI official said.

No permission would be granted to film the interior of any protected monument or any part of it which is covered by a roof of any description, except when the film is for education or publicizing the monument, an ASI official said. In addition, the entrance fee to all the ASI monuments will be hiked several times than the earlier fee. Entry charges to category A' monuments for Indians, visitors from SAARC (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) nations and BIMSTEC countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand) as well as overseas citizens of India has been fixed at Rs 30 per head from the earlier Rs 10.

In case of Group B or other ticketed monuments, Indians and those from SAARC and BIMSTEC countries will have to pay Rs 15 per head as entry fees instead of the earlier Rs 5, while other foreigners will have to pay Rs 300 per person instead of the earlier Rs 100. India has 32 world heritage properties of which 25 are cultural and seven are natural. How much to pay

World Heritage Monument: Entry fees---Before----After Indian Rs 10---Rs 30 Foreigner Rs 250---Rs 750 Group B Monument: Entry fees--Before----After Indian Rs 5---Rs 15 Foreigner Rs 100---Rs 300 Entry Charges Must At Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta caves which are world heritage properties Aurangabad Caves, Bibi Ka Maqbara, Aurangabad Bhaja and Karla caves, temple, inscriptions Daulatabad Fort Junnar cave, temple and inscription Kanheri caves, Mumbai Pandulena caves, Pathardi Raigad Fort Shaniwarwada and Aga Khan palace in Pune Hirakota old fort, Alibag Old Fort, Solapur

- The Times of India, September 17, 2015

The removal of encroachments near Shore Temple may prove to be a tall order

The World Heritage Monument at Mamallapuram, the Shore Temple, has received special attention from the officialdom recently with the Union Ministry of Culture declaring it as one among the 25 monuments in the country to be developed as Model Monuments under ‘Adarsh Smarak Yojna’.

While the Archaeological Survey of India, which is maintaining the monument, took up documenting the measurements of the Pallava dynasty structure, another Central Government organisation, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited provided wifi facility as mandated in the scheme. The other tourist facilities to be provided as part of the scheme included the setting up of interpretation centres showing short films about the importance of monuments, signages, security and keeping the area free of encroachments.

Meanwhile, enquiries revealed that the issue of encroachments is likely to be a stumbling block in achieving the goal of making this site a Model Monument. At present, a row of shops exists on the southern side of the monument complex and their presence makes it difficult for the tourists to reach the beach to have a glimpse of the temple from the shore.

A few months ago, an attempt was made by some traders to put up unauthorised shops on the beach near the ‘Tiruvalluvar Square’, set up by the Mamallapuram Town Panchayat eight years ago as part of the local area beautification project. When the encroachment attempt attracted public attention, the civic body, which scrutinised its records, found that the land on which the encroachment attempt was being made belonged to the Tourism Department.

Subsequently, the Tourism Department gave a letter to the District Revenue Department seeking its help to evict the encroachments. Even these shops were initially allowed to function as mobile vending shops during evening hours and later on turned as permanent shops with the blessings of local politicians, claimed a resident. Such a situation has now cropped up on the road near ‘Arjuna Thapas’ monument. Several mobile vending shops have cropped up on this road, civic body officials pointed out.

- The Hindu, September 18, 2015

In what could be a wake-up call for the Centre to fix weaknesses in the Swachh Bharat initiative, nearly 71% respondents in an online poll conducted by a social media group feel cleanliness in their cities and towns has not improved much in the past one year and want a greater municipal-citizen connect.

The online poll on "local circles", which has over 3 lakh participants, provides a strong feedback that municipalities need a big technology and skill upgrade and need to improve actual delivery of sanitation services at the ground level. Involving citizens in the cleanliness drives as well as in advocacy will also help, the poll indicates.

Swachh Bharat mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2 last year. The poll has brought to light the big gap in capacity of municipal bodies, which are primarily responsible for collection, transportation and treatment of both solid and liquid waste in urban areas. Some 96% felt municipal and city leaders should connect with citizens for the success of Swachh Bharat mission.

A senior government official said the findings of such surveys will help in planning the next course of action. "Efforts are being made to sensitize the municipal authorities and we have been monitoring the progress. It's a time taking programme. We are providing technical and financial assistance to urban local bodies to implement the scheme," the official added.

According to latest government data, 1.42 lakh tonnes of solid waste was generated per day in urban areas in July and only 15.33% of it was processed, indicating how under-equipped municipal bodies are to handle the mammoth task. They also face a problem in terms of lack of a dedicated municipal cadre that can bring qualified economists, public policy graduates, environmentalists and engineers into city administrations.

While one of the key components of the mission in urban areas to create more public toilet facilities, over three-fourth of respondents in the online poll said the availability of toilets has not increased in the one year. More than 70% of the respondents also pointed out how local municipalities are not seriously engaged in the scheme and driving the "cleanliness/ civic sense" initiatives on the ground.

Considering that cities are competing with each other to get the Smart City tag, 88% of the respondents said that municipal bodies that implement Swachh Bharat mission effectively should be considered as the key parameter for this scheme.

Even an analysis of the cities and towns that have been shortlisted for three major urban development scheme — Smart City, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation and Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana — shows how the common underlying concern is ensuring sanitation under all these programmes. Most of the urban areas have poor ranking so far their Swachh Bharat rankings are concerned.

The urban component of Swachh Bharat Mission includes construction of 1.04 crore individual household toilets, over five lakh community and public toilet seats and 100% door-to-door collection of solid waste and its transportation and disposal.

- The Times of India, September 18, 2015

The constant hammering of environmental concerns has led many in the city to see beyond the glitter and sheen of the Ganesh festival. The condition of the water bodies as immersions begin from second day onwards, has made people rethink about the prudence of buying an idol every year and then immersing it in water tanks, wells and lakes.

This year homemaker Jyotsana Pandit will not buy a big idol. "We have reduced the size as we will be doing the immersion in a drum that has been bought and kept on our terrace," she said. The decorations too are natural. "We have decorated the idol and the altar with real flowers. These initiatives may appear small but if everybody takes it up it will go a long way," she feels.

Not sure of the claims made by the idol makers and vendors, Manjusha Lagoo, who works for an NGO, gave up buying clay idol last year. "I have a metal one which I take out during the festival. I dip it in a vessel filled with water for immersion and then store it away for next year," she says. Though the array of idols in the market may present a pretty picture, but architect Rohit Buty says he was horrified with the idea that some are China made. His family stopped buying an idol two years back. "Now we place a supari. We also use an aesthetically framed photograph of Ganesh for decoration and puja purposes," he added.

Going a step further is advocate Ankit Nigam. Not sure of what he buys from the market, he decided to summon an artist to sculpt a 3ft idol. "We got the clay from Chitar Oli and material like jute and dry grass from Santra market. Artist Rahul Meshram has used sindhoor to colour the idol," he said. The immersion will be done in an artificial tank. "We will keep it in the back of our house for three to four days till the idol dissolves completely," he informed.

Just going back to the original customs would stop the pollution, feels Dr Mamta Jagtap. "The age old practice has always been of using a supari as a manifestation of Ganpati," she said and added that residential societies can set an example by adopting this custom. "After all it is these societies who add to the number of big idols made from PoP," she said.

- The Times of India, September 18, 2015

From an acorn, grew an oak. The acorn in question is an adult literacy project that advocate and Rajya Sabha member Vandana Chavan launched in Pune in 2000 when she was the city’s mayor. Part of the literacy drive included vocational training in stitching, sewing, embroidery etc for more than a hundred women, which blossomed into Savitri Marketing Institution for Ladies Empowerment (SMILE). Today, it is a robust entity, spawning many success stories with the SMILE model becoming a government mandate.

It all began with a rebuff. “When I approached the urban community development department of the municipal corporation (Pune) to get started, I was given the typical government answer that it was not their mandate,” says the 54-year-old. “Not ready to give up, I approached the then municipal commissioner, who liked the idea and provided an outlet for SMILE. Things fell into place when SMILE was set up in a location better suited for commerce, such as the centrally located Vishrambaug Wada, a heritage structure”.

There were more obstacles. “We were bogged down with issues of untimely delivery with many of the poor women not able to buy material for big orders,” says Chavan. That is when she asked some of her friends to partner with the women and invest a little money. “We ended up with clusters with one well-to-do woman partnering with 10 poor ones and setting up a small workshop. It was a win-win situation with the poor ladies benefiting with quality control and timely delivery assured,” says Chavan. Today, SMILE has 200 suppliers, with each employing 10-15 women.

Once economic empowerment for women was achieved, SMILE got about conquering more milestones. After 10 years, SMILE Saheli came into existence. Says Chavan, “We formed 43 women’s groups with 100 in each. They participated in a one-year programme, wherein they got acquainted with legal literacy besides receiving inputs about health and wellness.” Another venture, Change Makers, was started last year with women being groomed to become leaders in their community. “A group of women beat up a bunch of eve teasers, after which I labelled them the ‘gulabi gang’,” laughs Chavan.

The biggest feather in their cap was when the SMILE model received government approbation. “The government of Maharashtra has adopted the SMILE model via municipal corporations and municipalities,” says the ex-mayor. SMILE has also found mention as one among the 11 best practices in the government of India’s register of innovation for poverty alleviation and has been recognised by the UN-Habitat. Chavan was also instrumental in getting Mahratta Chamber of Commerce and Pune Municipal Corporation to provide market research for small entrepreneurial activities.

SMILE makes handicrafts, decorative articles, bags, food stuff and more. It has become a go-to place for those wanting to gift ethnic things to those abroad. “The khan material (woven textile) that comes in vibrant colours was being used only to make blouses. We adopted khan in our products, giving it a new lease of life. Now, even fashion designers have begun to use this fabric,” she says. SMILE’s wares are priced from Rs 50 to Rs 3,000.

SMILE has empowered countless women, making entrepreneurs out of them. “A lady who started out making pickles is today heading a food business, while another told me that for the first time, she was able to foot her husband’s medical bill by herself,” says Chavan.

- The Indian Express, September 19, 2015

After several unsuccessful attempts, the state tourism department has finally decided to start the 'heritage walk' project from October. Under the project, tourists will walk along a designated trail to explore lesser-known temples and heritage sites in Old Town here.

The tourism department has written to the works department and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to repair roads and clean Old Town so as to attract tourists. The sites, which will be covered under the 'heritage walk' project, include Ekamra Van, Vaital shrine, Papanasini temple, Lingaraj temple, Devipadahara tank, Rajarani temple, Mukteswar, Parasuameswara, Swarnajaleswar, Kotitirtheswar and Ananta Basudev temple.

"Tourists only know about Lingaraj temple, Rajarani temple and Anata Basudev temple in Old Town. But there are several other small shrines, which are yet to be promoted. We will soon finalize some routes, which lead to lesser-known shrines. The roads will be developed and signage boards installed," said Bhubaneswar tourist officer Sasanka Rath. "We will take tourists on walks around the historical monuments in Old Town once or twice every week," Rath said.

The proposed project was announced on the occasion of World Heritage Day in 2011. After that the state-run Odisha tourism development corporation tried to identify the 'walk corridor', but to no avail. OTDC had planned to transport tourists in buses and drop them at the originating point of the walk corridor.

There was a proposal to collect Rs 50 from each tourist for the walk, which could last up to two hours. Guide service was also proposed for the tourists. "It was a good proposal to promote our heritage sites. Sadly, the same government agency sabotaged it. Where was the problem in executing the project," Gopal Makadam, a priest of Lingaraj temple asked.

Notably, the Puri district administration had also thought of introducing a similar walk heritage project. An Ahmedabad-based consultancy had prepared an action plan and identified a trail. However, the proposed project has made little headway. Citizens accused the tourism and culture department of turning a blind eye to the insignia of the dying heritage. "The department failed to tap the rich tourism potential. Many temples are lying in shambles," Prafulla Sarangi, a resident of Old Town area said.

"We are in the process of creating documentation of the monuments of heritage importance in Bhubaneswar and other places. Steps are being taken to preserve the heritage sites. Rs 65 crore would be spent for conservation of 400 temples and monuments in the next four years," a culture department officer said. "Preservation of tangible monuments apart, we are also taking measures to survive the intangible heritage like folk theatre dance and music," he said.

- The Times of India, September 19, 2015

A big moment for Goan art on September 17, when the monumental 1955 painting 'Birth' by Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002) sold for a world record $4.01 million at Christie's auction of modern and contemporary Indian art in New York.

Previously purchased by Tina Ambani in 2008 for $2.5 million, 'Birth' is now the most expensive Indian painting ever, eclipsing the $3.7 million benchmark set in 2013 for an untitled work by another Goan master, the genius abstractionist, Vasudeo Santu Gaitonde (1924-2001).

There is something quite fitting about Souza and Gaitonde remaining linked to each other so many years after their student days in 1940s Bombay, and the blaze of idealistic camaraderie that compelled the Progressive Artist's Group, which included M F Husain, S H Raza, K H Ara, Akbar Padamsee, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, Krishen Khanna. Even in that remarkable company, the two Goans would have the most significant global impact.

Last year, the first-ever retrospective dedicated to Gaitonde opened at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, prompting reviewers to update their understanding of world art history—one critic wrote Gaitonde's "contribution to abstraction is a translucency of light unseen since the Renaissance and Baroque development of sfumato and chiaroscuro" and his paintings "count among the most technically adept and exquisitely rendered compositions of modernism, particularly those painted in the 1970s and 1980s".

As with Gaitonde, the kind of critical appreciation that Souza always deserved (and craved) is coming in a trickle now, long after his death, and after the marketplace has weighed in resoundingly with its own judgment. When Souza died, Husain wrote in great sorrow, "I came into the art world because of him. He is the most significant Indian painter, an intellectual... an artist whom India should be proud of."

But that did not happen (though to be fair, the artist's irascibility did not help). About his childhood bout with smallpox (that left permanent scars on his face) he wrote, "Better had I died. I would not have had to bear an artist's tormented soul, create art in a country that despises her artists and is ignorant of her heritage."

Nowhere does that lament ring truer than Goa, which produced Gaitonde and Souza, and other master artists, but remains crushingly ignorant of this peerless legacy. Incomprehensibly, generations of schoolchildren are educated and pass out of institutions all over the state without ever learning the names (let alone seeing paintings) of Gaitonde, Souza, Laxman Pai, or Angelo da Fonseca. Lack of resources is not an excuse; no other state in India treats its own heritage so disgracefully.

We live in an era of giant government budgets, but here it is useful to remember that both Souza and Gaitonde spent their last years in hermit-like isolation, very close to indigent. Both were proud men, fully aware of the quality and calibre of their artworks—nothing would have pleased them more than establishing permanent repositories of their paintings in their ancestral homeland of Goa. If the state had the foresight, it could have been done for less than the price of a single painting on auction now at Christies or Saffronart, but it did not, and so most Goans will now have to go to Delhi or Mumbai or London or New York to see these iconic paintings.

But even if Goa never loved them back, it is heartening to recall that Gaitonde and Souza retained very soft spots for their homeland and countrymen. Around 2000, the artists Subodh Kerkar and Suhas Shilker visited Delhi and wanted to meet Gaitonde, who by then was very reclusive. But on the phone, Kerkar told his senior that he had brought some stuffed mackerels from Goa. "Come right away," said Gaitonde.

This writer had a similar experience with Souza, who was 50 years older, and also famously solitary, but charmed by the idea of meeting a young Goan who had found his number in the Manhattan phone directory. Not knowing what to take along with me, I carried a handful of cashews still in their shells, plucked from the tree a few weeks earlier. Souza was delighted.

He took them all carefully, and when he invited me back a few days later, I found them carefully mounted in a line on his shelves. "They are the most beautiful reminder of home," he said, "I have been dreaming of Saligao every night." Previously purchased by Tina Ambani in 2008 for $2.5 million, 'Birth' is now the most expensive Indian painting ever, eclipsing the $3.7 million benchmark set in 2013 for an untitled work by another Goan master, the genius abstractionist, Vasudeo Santu Gaitonde (1924-2001).

There is something quite fitting about Souza and Gaitonde remaining linked to each other so many years after their student days in 1940s Bombay, and the blaze of idealistic camaraderie that compelled the Progressive Artist's Group, which included M F Husain, S H Raza, K H Ara, Akbar Padamsee, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, Krishen Khanna. Even in that remarkable company, the two Goans would have the most significant global impact.

Last year, the first-ever retrospective dedicated to Gaitonde opened at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, prompting reviewers to update their understanding of world art history—one critic wrote Gaitonde's "contribution to abstraction is a translucency of light unseen since the Renaissance and Baroque development of sfumato and chiaroscuro" and his paintings "count among the most technically adept and exquisitely rendered compositions of modernism, particularly those painted in the 1970s and 1980s".

As with Gaitonde, the kind of critical appreciation that Souza always deserved (and craved) is coming in a trickle now, long after his death, and after the marketplace has weighed in resoundingly with its own judgment. When Souza died, Husain wrote in great sorrow, "I came into the art world because of him. He is the most significant Indian painter, an intellectual... an artist whom India should be proud of."

But that did not happen (though to be fair, the artist's irascibility did not help). About his childhood bout with smallpox (that left permanent scars on his face) he wrote, "Better had I died. I would not have had to bear an artist's tormented soul, create art in a country that despises her artists and is ignorant of her heritage."

Nowhere does that lament ring truer than Goa, which produced Gaitonde and Souza, and other master artists, but remains crushingly ignorant of this peerless legacy. Incomprehensibly, generations of schoolchildren are educated and pass out of institutions all over the state without ever learning the names (let alone seeing paintings) of Gaitonde, Souza, Laxman Pai, or Angelo da Fonseca. Lack of resources is not an excuse; no other state in India treats its own heritage so disgracefully.

We live in an era of giant government budgets, but here it is useful to remember that both Souza and Gaitonde spent their last years in hermit-like isolation, very close to indigent. Both were proud men, fully aware of the quality and calibre of their artworks—nothing would have pleased them more than establishing permanent repositories of their paintings in their ancestral homeland of Goa. If the state had the foresight, it could have been done for less than the price of a single painting on auction now at Christies or Saffronart, but it did not, and so most Goans will now have to go to Delhi or Mumbai or London or New York to see these iconic paintings.

But even if Goa never loved them back, it is heartening to recall that Gaitonde and Souza retained very soft spots for their homeland and countrymen. Around 2000, the artists Subodh Kerkar and Suhas Shilker visited Delhi and wanted to meet Gaitonde, who by then was very reclusive. But on the phone, Kerkar told his senior that he had brought some stuffed mackerels from Goa. "Come right away," said Gaitonde.

This writer had a similar experience with Souza, who was 50 years older, and also famously solitary, but charmed by the idea of meeting a young Goan who had found his number in the Manhattan phone directory. Not knowing what to take along with me, I carried a handful of cashews still in their shells, plucked from the tree a few weeks earlier. Souza was delighted.

He took them all carefully, and when he invited me back a few days later, I found them carefully mounted in a line on his shelves. "They are the most beautiful reminder of home," he said, "I have been dreaming of Saligao every night."

- The Times of India, September 19, 2015

Forty-two-year-old Sirselam works as a carpenter and occasionally moonlights as a construction labourer to make ends meet. But he still fondly reminisces about the time he used to head out to Malkam Cheruvu, once a lush green lake in Raidurgam, in search of Katla, Sheelavathi and Rohu.

Sriselam is one of the members of the Dargah Hussain Shah Wali fishermen co-operative society, an association of 80 fishermen whose livelihoods have been threatened as rapid industrialization, coupled with poor land planning, has shrunk and polluted the lake. Malkam Cheruvu, which has grown into a prime real-estate site, is now spread over a mere 14 hectares. Its original size: over 17 hectares.

"Almost 15 years ago, even Durgam Cheruvu used to be one of the lakes we used to catch fish in, until the state government announced its plans to develop the lake for tourism. Malkam Cheruvu then became our only source of income. However,

nearly three years ago, we noticed that the fish in the lake started dying. All the new fish seeds we procured and released into the lake thereafter did not survive," K Anjaneyulu, who now undertakes plumbing jobs, said. "That's when we realized that the water had become highly contaminated. Incidentally, we used to once drink that water and use it for other purposes too," he recalled.

The last time the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board studied water samples from the lake three years ago, the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) was found to be 29 mg per litre. BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen required by an aerobic biological organism to survive in a water body.

"Usually, if the BOD is above 30, it indicates that there isn't enough oxygen for fish to survive. The Malkam Cheruvu samples, collected three years ago, can be described as borderline. And over the years the lake has become only more polluted," said environmentalist Capt J Rama Rao.

The chain link fence surrounding Malkam Cheruvu, which was slated to be put up to demarcate the Full Tank Level (FTL) of the lake as outlined by the irrigation department, is also open at several places, giving the surrounding colonies and establishments easy access to pollute the lake.

"Initially, we formed groups and surrounded the length of the lake to keep watch at night. However, when we returned the next day, we often found a fresh load of garbage dumped around it. After a few months our efforts seemed futile. Our livelihoods had gone for a toss along with the quality of the water," rued N Suresh, a resident of the village adjoining the lake and a member of the fishermen association.

In addition to the garbage that emits an unbearable stench and has turned the area into a breeding ground for mosquitoes, untreated sewage from Durgam Cheruvu has also found its way into what's left of the lake. While the sewage was supposed to be treated and subsequently released into the Musi River, that hasn't been the case.

Residents of the area, meanwhile, squarely blame the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) for their plight. The authority, in charge of approving building projects, has failed to safeguard their land, they allege.

Environmentalists couldn't agree more. "The FTL areas have not been marked properly for any of the water bodies in Hyderabad. The water-spread area in all the lakes has been shrinking over the years, thus leading to reduced siltation and thereby lower water holding capacity. This is why it is important to mark the FTL levels. People will otherwise continue to occupy the lakebed until the whole area turns into a concrete jungle," said Rao.

- The Times of India, September 20, 2015

A 9th century Durga idol, which went missing from a temple in Jammu and Kashmir and surfaced at a museum in Germany, is likely to return to India this week. According to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) sources, the idol is expected to be handed over to the Indian Embassy in Germany on September 23 and will be flown to India. "The idol may reach India by September 26 or 27," official sources here said.

The Mahishasuramardini idol, showing the Goddess slaying the Buffalo Demon, was stolen from a temple at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s, official sources said. An FIR was registered in connection with the theft and investigation launched. In 2012, ASI received a tip off that the idol was spotted at the Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany. Thereafter, the Union government started the process of getting it back. Two ASI officials visited Stuttgart for the purpose last year.

Armed with the FIR, which is a crucial evidence that the idol belonged to India, the government took up the issue with the concerned authorities in Germany and it is likely to be back here soon. "The idol was registered with the Department of Archaeology of the Jammu and Kashmir Government, as well. We had submitted all the evidences including the FIR to German authorities for retrieving the Durga idol," sources said.

Police suspect the role of notorious Indian art dealer Subhash Kapoor in smuggling the idol out of the country. Kapoor was arrested in Germany in 2011. Sources said the idol could have been procured from his (Kapoor's) gallery 'Art of the Past'. Kapoor was the subject of an Interpol red corner notice and was arrested in 2011 at Frankfurt International Airport in Germany. He was subsequently extradited to India to face criminal charges.

In April this year, Canada returned a 900-year-old 'Parrot Lady' sculpture from Khajuraho after it was seized from a person, who was possessing the antiquity without valid documents in that country.

- The Indian Express, September 20, 2015

In India, water has been an object of worship since time immemorial, not only for its life-sustaining properties but also because of its use in nearly all rituals and ceremonies. That is why step-wells or wells with an underground flight of steps leading down to the level of water were developed in arid regions of western India and Rajasthan centuries ago to collect and store water for drinking, bathing, washing clothes, irrigating crops and also for their use in rituals. Step-wells were called vavs in Gujarati language and in northern India, these were called baolis.

In the earliest step-wells, nothing more than a plain dressed stone protected the sides of the sandy pit, but with the passage of time these step-wells developed into meticulous works of engineering, architecture and art.

Its typical example is the marvellous Rani-ki-Vav (Queen’s step-well), an 11th century step-well that survives at Patan in Gujarat. Perceiving its manifold significance, Unesco added it in the World Heritage List last year. Rani Udayamati built the step-well, Rani-ki-Vav in memory of her husband King Bhimdev (1022-1063). A mention of the construction of this step-well by Rani Udayamati has been made in Prabandha Chintamani written by Merunga Suri in 1304 A.D. It was built at Patan on the banks of Saraswati river.

Following the flooding and disappearance of this river due to geotectonic changes, this step-well was buried under layers of silt for nearly seven centuries. In late 1980s, the Archaeological Survey of India exposed the hidden treasure of sculptural and architectural wealth in its original dimension and splendour through careful excavations and removal of silt and debris.

According to the Archaeological Survey of India: “Rani-ki-Vav was built at the height of craftsman’s ability in step-well construction and the Maru-Gurjara architectural style, reflecting mastery of this complex technique and great beauty of detail and proportions. Designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water, it is divided into seven layers of stairs with sculptural panels of high artistic quality, more than 500 principal sculptures and more than 1000 minor ones combine religious, mythological and secular imagery, after referencing literary works. The fourth level is the deepest and leads into a rectangular tank at a depth of 23 metres. The well is located at the westernmost end of the property and consists of a shaft, 10 metres in diameter and 30 metres deep.”

Rani-ki-Vav was selected by the Archaeological Survey of India as the site for digital preservation and this monument was scanned over a two-week period in 2011 by the Scottish Ten team and colleagues from the Digital Design Studio at the Glasgow School of Art and experts from CyArk, a non-profit organisation founded by Ben Kacyra,

the inventor of 3D scanning system. This group created the 3D digital models of this heritage site, which will help in its proper conservation, restoration and maintenance. Udayamati’s step-well represents architectural and sculptural monument of human creative genius in its variety of motifs and its elegance of proportions. Preserved with all its key architectural components and, despite missing pavilion stories, its original form and design can still be easily recognised.

It was built in Maru-Gurjara temple architectural style, which originated somewhere in the 6th century in and around areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Ancient name of Rajasthan was Marudesh while Gujarat was called Gurjaratra. Thus Maru-Gurjara art literally means ‘art of Rajasthan and Gujarat’. Its walls teem with many numerous sculptural images that its architectural form is almost obscure. The full-size sculptures of the stepwell demonstrate the entire Hindu pantheon. The central theme is the Dasavataras, or 10 incarnations of Vishnu, who appeared on earth, each time as a saviour of mankind or as a destroyer of some evil.

These incarnations on the earthly scene are known as his avatar, ‘descents’. Sculptures of Vishnu representing him in the form of different 10 avatars are as follows: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parsurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha. Kalki, the last and the 10th incarnation of Vishnu, is yet to come at the end of the present Kali Yuga or Age of Darkness. At the water level of this step-well is a carving of Sheshashayi-Vishnu, in which form Vishnu reclines on the 1000-headed serpent Shesha, where, it is said, he rests in the infinity between ages.

More gracefully carved images depict Shiva, Ganesha, Brahma, Lakshmi, Parvati, Durga, Kubera, Bhairava, Surya and several others accompanied by sadhus and various female figures such as apsaras (nymphs), nagkanyas (mythological serpent women), and yoginis (women who practise yoga). Interestingly, the sculptures of the apsaras showcase the solah-shringar, the 16 different styles of make-ups to make a woman look more attractive. These numerous sculptures harmoniously blend with geometric patterns and sinuous bands of flowers and leaves, glorifying sculptor’s creativity, as well as Rani Udayamati’s initiative and enterprise.

- The Tribune, September 20, 2015

The recent good rainfall in Aurangabad and parts of the region has reduced the number of water tankers compared with the provision made last week. The region, which was dependent on 1,249 tankers till last week, is now receiving water supply through 815 tankers.

The number of water tankers pressed into service for Aurangabad district has almost halved since the monsoon revival last week. The district, which received nearly 134 mm rain on last Thursday and Friday, now has 82 tankers deployed in different areas.

The nine talukas of Aurangabad district have received a total of 502.91 mm rain since the beginning of the monsoon season this year, including nearly134 mm rain recorded on Thursday and Friday. Last monsoon, the district had received around 422.34 mm rainfall between June and October 2014.

Jalna district, which has surpassed last year's rainfall figures during current monsoon due to recent heavy showers, has become free from water tankers. The district, which has received 64.41% of average annual rainfall so far, had as many as 169 tankers in service till September 10.

Among the other districts, Hingoli, which has recorded 60.93% of average annual rainfall as compared to 51.71% registered last year, is getting only three tankers. Nanded too has surpassed last year's rainfall mark this year, but is still dependant on tanker for water needs. The number of tankers in Nanded has reduced only by 14 as many rural areas are facing issues of drinking water supply.

Among the remaining four districts in the region that have received relatively lower rainfall, Parbhani has been receiving the lowest number of tankers (25). Beed district continues to be largely dependent on tankers (285), followed by Osmanabad (161) and Latur (134).

The number of water tankers deployed in these three districts has gone down marginally as compared to other districts in the region. Many parts of these districts did not record substantial rainfall compared with the other districts in the past 48 hours, causing water scarcity to persist.

The revival of monsoon in parts of Marathwada has also reduced the number of water bodies that were taken into possession by respective administration. Around 3,902 private wells and borewells among other water bodies were take into custody by administrations last week, but the number has reduced to 3,245 at present.

- The Times of India, September 21, 2015

The shrine dedicated to Mhatoba on top of Vetal Tekdi is an important cultural and historical site and should be maintained as it is, instead of obscuring it with a modern structure, feel experts and environmentalists.

"The Mhatoba shrine is important from an archaeological point of view as well as in terms of the folk and cult geography of Pune. Building a modern-style temple on the site would erase the actual ritual association that pastoral communities had with the shrine," said Indologist and researcher Saili K Palande Datar.

As far back as 1962, historian and polymath D D Kosambi had commented on the importance of the site in mapping the cult of Mhatoba. In his book 'Myth and Reality — Studies in the Formation of Indian Culture', Kosambi terms this shrine on the hilltop as "the original locus" of the Mhatoba of Kothrud village. According to him, it came here along with "herdsmen" from Wakad, where there is a temple to Mhatoba and his consort — a structure older than 1678AD.

Kosambi also found prehistoric artefacts in the vicinity of the shrine, including what may be megaliths (large stones) from an ancient burial site. "I have been visiting the site from the 1960s. It used to be as Kosambi has described it, 'a red-daubed boulder' minimally covered with a tin shed. It was revered by Dhangar and Wadar communities, who would offer a sacrifice to the deity when passing through Pune," said environmental activist Vijay Paranjpye.

Palande Datar said the communities that have historical associations with the shrine, such as the Dhangars, don't even pass through the area anymore. "Altering the structure would be an appropriation of their cultural symbols and amount to an erasure of history. Introducing something new will damage the cultural significance of the site," she said.

She said that several hills in and around Pune are associated with similar folk and tribal deities, many of them closely connected with the conservation of biodiversity. The Waghjai and Taljai goddesses on Taljai Tekdi for instance were associated with their own sacred groves on the hill. "Both these deities are Mother Goddesses worshipped by forest-dwelling communities. Over the years, the land-use pattern of the hill has changed, but they were originally protectors of its environment," she said.

A key aspect of retaining the shrines in their original form is that many of them were not meant to be enclosed by any artificial structure. Kosambi had noted that the "primitive origin and nature" of the cults was shown by the injunction that the stone must be open to the sky. He saw it as a sign that the cults date back to a period "before houses were in fashion, and when the 'village' was on the move".

"The shrine on top of Vetal Tekdi, along with its natural precincts, is a very important cultural heritage site. The shrine as I have known it all these years was always open to the skies. It should be maintained as it is, without disturbing its natural precincts," Paranjpye said.

- The Times of India, September 21, 2015

From high above the sky , with their sharp and keen vision, they know that a mere speck could be potential prey . They swoop down with a ferocity not possessed by many of their avian counterparts to seize a hapless rodent or a squirrel in their powerful talons or beak.These birds of prey also known as raptors can range from the smaller-sized hawks to the enormous bearded vultures.

In a first ever study, Madras Naturalists' Society (MNS) has formed a team to learn about the habitat of raptor species in Chennai. The city and its outskirts are known to be home to a total of 35 raptor species -of this 18 are residents and 17 are winter migrants. The study on these winged warriors began a month ago.

C Sashikumar, leader of the team, said they initially started with diurnal predatory birds such as kites, harriers, buzzards, falcons and shikra. At a later stage, the team will take up study on nocturnal predatory birds such as owls.

MNS is beginning the observation on the outskirts.And over the past one month, the team made two field trips -one to Kaveripakkam near Kancheepuram and to Koonimedu near Marakkanam."Right now we have started with these areas, which are at least 100km from the city . At the end of one year, we will venture into the city to study the urban species," said Gnanaskandan, one of the team members.

The study aims at not just observing the raptor diversity and assess the biodiversity of their habitat in and around Chennai, but is also trying to come up with a plan to conserve them. It will also address factors that lead to their habitat modification or degradation.Since these birds of prey occupy the pinnacle position in the food chain, understanding their distribution and their status will provide information of the overall habitat.

The MNS team has identified 17 raptor hotspots within a radius of 100km. Each spot has three to four sub-hotspots where the field surveys will be carried out. The team began their study from the farthest hotspots from each direction. In north, Annamalaicheri in Pulicat Lake; Walajabad near Kancheepuram in the east and Koonimedu on East Coast Road in the south.

Short-toed snake eagle, white-eyed buzzard, red-headed falcon, black-winged kite, Indian spotted eagle, black kite, oriental honey buzzards and shikra are some of the resident and common raptors in the city, the team members said. Migrant birds include Montagu's harrier, pallid harrier, booted eagle, common kestrel, peregrine falcon, marsh harrier and osprey .

- The Times of India, September 21, 2015

It began life as the library of an emperor-in-waiting 378 years ago and has since then served as a British residency, a government college, a municipal school, office of the state archaeology department and an archaeological museum. But long neglect and the reduced standing of Dara Shikoh's library near Kashmere Gate now show clearly in its building while plans to covert it into Delhi's first city museum remain on paper.

Experts say this building on the campus of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University is unique for its layers of Mughal and colonial architecture. On the northern side, cusped arches and columns some of them absorbed by walls added later give it a clear Mughal identity. But alterations and additions made by the British impart an equally strong colonial character.

Amid the whitewashed walls, cracked and dusty display cases house a selection of archaeological artifacts for visitors, although it's not a very welcoming place. TOI found it locked up from inside by the guard who doubles as a caretaker.

In 2011, the Sheila Dikshit government decided to convert the library into Delhi's first city museum within a year in collaboration with conservation body Intach's Delhi chapter. Four years later, Delhi tourism minister Kapil Mishra says the conversion will be done on priority. "We have had discussions about the Dara Shikoh building and want the archaeology department to bring out all its collection of artifacts from storage and display it for visitors," he said, adding, another Delhi museum will be set up at Town Hall.

The Delhi archaeology department has about 2,200 artifacts and most of these will be displayed in the proposed city museum after proper documentation. Besides displaying the excavated coins, stones and other antiquities from ancient and medieval times, the museum will also familiarize visitors with the history of the seven cities of Delhi. There will be a section on the city's natural history. Another will show historical maps and plans of villages along with data to explain spatial distribution and issues like migration, changing social structure, land use and economic activity.

Women who have played a prominent role in Delhi's history, from Razia Sultan down to Matia Begum, Kamala Nehru and Aruna Asaf Ali will also find space here. Paintings, vintage photographs, models and simulated sounds will transport the visitors to a different era and could make the museum a major attraction for children.

- The Times of India, September 21, 2015

All the four major political parties of the state -- Shiv Sena, NCP, Congress and BJP - swear by the name of great Maratha king Shivaji and his charismatic mother Jijabai. All of them talk big about 'Shiv Rajya' - replicating the benevolent rule of Shivaji. However, the pitiable condition of Jijabai's fort and the mausoleum of her father Lakhujirao Jadhav, situated in Sindkhed Raja (district Buldhana), expose the real level of their commitment to Shivaji.

The state's archaeology and museums department has done restoration work of Jijabai's fort only to make it look uglier. The difference in size of stone blocks used in construction of walls and the entrance is huge and the new construction is clearly distinguishable.

Any restoration work should be done in a way that it blends with the old structure. At one place, three different patterns have been used. In the same structure some wooden columns are white while others have wood polish on them. The department has done concreting on the top of the semi-underground palace, which creates a sense of disharmony. Stones lie strewn in one part of the fort. The fountain inside the fort lies dry. Weeds grow here and there. There are no lights inside it and consequently, visitors are not allowed after 5 pm.

The mausoleum is in a better shape and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is building a new platform around it. However, the agency has not bothered to provide electric lights inside the structure and visitors, who are very few, have to use mobile torch light. This samadhi is a unique rectangular structure and perhaps one of its kind in the country.

Sindkhed Raja's only claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of Jijabai. One would expect the state government and the municipal council to market this fact. But there is not even a single signboard indicating the existence of these monuments. Consequently, most travellers pass through this small town without visiting them. Guides are not available to explain their history. The only organisation to do justice to Sindkhed Raja is the Maratha Sewa Sangh. It has built a grand monument in honour of Jijabai - Jijau Srushti. However, there are no signboards in the town to indicate the existence of this monument either.

Locals are disgusted at the attitude of government. "All politicians talk a lot about Jijau but nobody bothers to even take a look at these monuments. A light and sound show on the life of Jijabai should be started in the fort," said a student Mandar Kharat.

The only contribution of Congress-NCP government was to install a huge statue of Jijabai outside the fort. This was done way back in January 2003. The development plan of Jijabai's heritage remained only on paper. The BJP-Sena government is building a museum in the town. This decision was taken only after the fort's cannon was stolen in December 2014.

The concerned authorities and public representatives are at pains to explain the shabby treatment. Sindkhed Raja MLA Shashikant Khedekar, who is from Shiv Sena, said he had raised the issue with cultural affairs minister Vinod Tawde and was following it up. Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) does nothing to promote these monuments. MTDC official RD Pawar said a plan to promote tourism in every district including Buldhana. "We will start work on it in phases after government approves it," he told TOI.

Virag Sontakke, assistant director of archaeology, defended the restoration work. "We used all the stones available in the fort and then used new ones. We have sent a plan to install lights inside the fort. After the new museum is built, we will use the gate for other purposes," he said. NEGLECTED HERITAGE

Jijabai's fort in Sindkhed Raja is in bad shape. Stones lie strewn and weeds grow here and there
The restoration done by state archaeology department does not blend with the old structure
Her father Lakhujirao Jadhav's mausoleum does not have lighting inside
There are no signboards in Sindkhed Raja to indicate the existence of these monuments
So far MTDC's plan to promote the town is only on paper
A museum is being built by the government but only after the fort cannon was stolen
Maratha Sewa Sangh has built a monument in honour of Jijabai


- The Times of India, September 22, 2015

Gujarat high court on Monday directed the state government to fence water bodies to prevent them from becoming dumping grounds and, subsequently, natural breeding grounds for mosquitoes causing dengue. The direction comes at a time when the vector-borne disease has claimed four lives in the city and more than 700 cases have been reported.

Citing an earlier order passed by the high court, a bench of acting chief justice Jayant Patel and justice NV Anjaria said that all government land must be protected, especially water bodies like lakes and ponds. They should be prevented from turning into dumping grounds and being encroached upon.

The court said that the government should start doing this at least by fencing ponds in the city so that people don't dump waste in it and water bodies don't become a breeding ground for mosquitoes at a time when people are dying of dengue. The authorities allow encroachment and if construction takes place, the situation becomes irreversible. The government must protect ponds, the court said.

The high court made these observations while hearing a PIL filed by an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member Rituraj Mehta, who brought to the court's notice the dumping of waste by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and local builders on a water body in Thaltej locality.

The HC ordered the municipal commissioner to depute an inspector to get the waste removed from the pond in a week's time and intimate the district collector, who has been asked to fence the pond in the next four weeks.

Observing that it is the duty of the authorities to prevent dumping of waste on the pond to curb spread of diseases like dengue, the court refused to buy into AMC's contention that builders use the pond as a dumping ground and said that the photographs submitted suggest that the civic body's vehicles use it as a dumping ground. The court has sought progress report from the state government by October 14.

- The Times of India, September 22, 2015

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee was among hundreds of well-wishers who thronged Keoratala crematorium for TOI-Kolkata editor Sumit Sen's last rites on Monday. She had earlier tweeted: "Sad Sunday. One of Bengal's most-loved journalists Sumit Sen of TOI passes away in prime of his career. A tragedy. On my way to pay respect." At the crematorium on Monday afternoon, she said: "It's a personal loss for me. A tragedy." Leader of the opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra offered his condolences to the bereaved family.

Among those who attended his last rites were journalists, luminaries from the world of art and culture, leading politicians, senior police officers and friends from across Kolkata society. What they remembered most about him were his passion for journalism, love for wildlife and nature, his endearing nature and how he never compromised on his ethics.

Raj Kamal Jha, editor of The Indian Express and a close friend since their Statesman days, recalled how Sen didn't hesitate to question the editor's judgment. "He had the intellectual courage and honesty to speak his mind and it's wonderful for an editor to have such a mind in the team. I am privileged to have worked with him," he said. If we're lucky, some of our colleagues grow to become dear friends.

Sumit Sen was a colleague, and a dear friend. We worked together for over a decade; we knew each other a lot longer, almost 30 years. We first met when I was a rookie reporter with the fledgling Telegraph and Sumit was with the venerable Statesman; he was by then a familiar name.

Sumit had been a reporter, with little experience on the editing side of the newsroom aisle, when he took over as Editor of TOI-Kolkata. But he slipped into the role effortlessly, as if he was to the editorship born. It didn't come as a great surprise -he knew the city and its people inside out. More importantly, he was a leader.

He was good at spotting, attracting, nurturing and empowering talent. A lot of good people joined The Times of India, and stayed with it, because of Sumit. Many returned to it, also because of Sumit. The relationships he built lasted a lifetime. His goodwill and people skills extended beyond TOI and the English media: He played a critical role in coaxing some of Kolkata's finest journalists to join Ei Samay, The Times Group's new Bengali newspaper.

Sumit loved his work, and the enthusiasm he brought to it was infectious. As a reporter, he'd done his rounds of Lalbazar, Writers', Alimuddin Street -so crime, government, politics and other 'hard news' was part of his basic DNA. What helped him shift to a higher gear when he became head of the edition was his inquisitive mind and boundless energy . He brimmed with fresh ideas and new approaches. Under him, TOI-Kolkata became a more rounded, eclectic paper as it deepened and widened its coverage of urban issues, health and education on the one hand, and art, culture and heritage on the other. He was the driving force behind the introduction of the weekend Kolkata Xtra! pages.

Much as I valued and trusted Sumit for his professional capabilities, it was his qualities as a human being that I cherished most. He was a kind, gentle and affectionate man, always ready to help anyone who came to him with a problem. He showed everyone, regardless of the person's station in life, the same respect and consideration. He wore the mantle of editor with dignity, integrity and grace.

Sumit also loved life. He knew where to find the best of everything, particularly food (although he was a careful eater). He enjoyed the process of discovery, and sharing that joy with friends and colleagues. He was a naturally positive, upbeat person, and it reflected in the paper. In all the years that I knew him, I never heard him speak ill of anyone.

When Sumit was first diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, we all wanted to believe he would beat it despite his doctors indicating that the odds weren't good. Sumit didn't allow the dreaded disease to break his spirit. He remained reso lutely cheerful right through, even as his doctors gave up hope after the last examination. Over the past few months, as the slim, trim frame and youthful face that belied his years turned progressively frail, gaunt and skeletal, my colleagues and I told him time and again to take it easy, to not push himself. But he would brush aside our concerns with a smile and say, "Don't worry, I feel fine. This is a phase. This, too, shall pass."

About a month ago, he threw himself with full-throated gusto into organizing the annual TOIKolkata party, almost to the point of micro-managing everything and irritating everyone! I got the impression that, deep down, he suspected this might be his last bash.

Yet, till the very last, he perhaps thought he could will his mind to triumph over his withering body. He was at work till past nine in the evening on Saturday, and on Sunday, just an hour before he passed away, he was on the phone all charged up and planning a big editorial package around the declassified Netaji files.

Outside of family, friends and work, Sumit's passion was wildlife. Every time he'd ask for a few days off, I'd ask him, "Which jungle are you off to now?" He enjoyed observing all forms of animal life in their natural habitat, but I sensed he had a special thing for tigers.

The Sunderbans, in particular, exercised a hypnotic effect on him; he just couldn't resist the call of the wild. For years he entreated me to come with him to the Sunderbans, promising to take me into the restricted "core area". My abiding regret will be that I wasn't able to find time to see the raw, majestic beauty of the place through his eyes.

The last time we spoke, he said, "I have a request. Once I'm a little better, I'd like a few days' leave. I want to go to North Bengal or the Sunderbans with Malabika (his wife, an accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer)." I asked him if Malabika was as wild about wildlife as he was. He laughed and said, "Akkebarey noy (absolutely not)."

Then, suddenly , he turned solemn and said, "Jaano to, beshi din jangol na dekhle, kirokom dam bandho lagey (I feel like I can't breathe when I can't visit a jungle)."

I wish he could have made that one last journey. But who knows, it's not outside the realm of possibility that Sumit's soul is somewhere in the Sunderbans today.

- The Times of India, September 22, 2015

After the passage of four years, the long awaited renovation of some key spots on the route of Heritage Walk commenced recently. The guided walks are still grappling with teething problems like unsanitary conditions, loose hanging electricity wires and tempering with heritage structures.

Unveiled to showcase the old world charm of the holy city to the tourists coming here from across the country and around the world, the heritage walk has 14 key religious, historic, architectural and traditional spots in the walled city on its list. It was launched by the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board (PHTPB) on September 27, 2011.

Dariana Mal Temple, which is administered by Durgiana Temple and comes on the route of the heritage walk, is being renovated. The PHTPB had received the NOC from the Durgiana Committee to restore Thakurdwara Dariana Mal last year. Built during the reign of legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the temple houses Radha Krishan Temple. It is known for beautiful frescoes and finely engraved doors.

However, its well, equipped with a unique wooden system, installed on the ground floor and attached to a window at the first floor to draw out water from it and supply at the first floor directly was lost forever as a concrete roof and walls were raised around it. It happened two years ago.

Many heritage value buildings are being given a contemporary look. This move is risking the very existence of the walk. Deplorable roads, missing footpaths, widespread encroachment, unorganised traffic, loose and dangling power supply cables, telecom and private satellite channels, poor garbage collection, unhygienic environment and lack of cleanliness are the lacunae, which disenchant and give a wrong message to tourists.

Meanwhile, officials of the PHTPB maintain that as majority of these buildings and structures were owned by individuals and religious trusts, the government and its agencies could do little to stop changes.

They said, “Now, the board has started renovation of frescos and wall paintings of the temple. NOCs from Chitta Akhara and Sangalwala Akhara have been received and soon façade of these centuries’ old structures will be restored. Besides, the façade of Jalebi Wala Chowk and an intersection nearby, Gurdwara Saragarhi and Gurdwara Chaurasti Attari will also be restored and beautified.”

The board is also conducting a Panj Sarovar Walk (five holy ponds), which takes tourists to Santokhsar, Bibeksar, Ramsar, Kaulsar and Amrit Sarovar, considered most sacred, in the Golden Temple complex. It was started on December 14, 2011.

- The Tribune, September 22, 2015

As one enters Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), a series of old pillars stand guard alongside the road, as much a part of the forest as the trees around them. These pillars have always aroused the curiosity of wildlife enthusiasts. Many stories have been told to visitors, often by the jungle-guides, about the utility and origin of these historic pillars.

However, such guesswork has given rise to many myths and misconceptions. Ashok Singh Thakur, convener of INTACH, Chandrapur Chapter, has studied the pillars and their history to conclusively prove that the pillars were erected by the British as direction indicators in the dense jungle.

The forest department had recently asked Thakur to educate guides about the history of Tadoba and specifically the pillars, so that they could educate the visitors too. Thakur said, "A lot of misconceptions have been going around regarding the pillars. Now that the origin of the pillars has finally been traced, we are planning to include their real story in the upcoming Chandrapur Gazetteer and the coffee table book on the city made by district collector Deepak Mhaisekar."

The series of some 20 pillars are seen near Padmapur Check Post, while some others are also found inside the dense forest. The last of these direction indicting pillars is seen at the Kolara village near Tadoba, exactly where the dense forest ends and civilization starts. The pillars found until now are mostly 15 feet high, square and made of sandstone. In a latest discovery, Thakur found three pillars at Kolara assembled using bricks. Throwing light on their history, he said that the pillars were erected by the British, after they started ruling Nagpur and Chandrapur too after taking over the Bhonsla dynasty in 1818.

At that time, the British officials from Chandrapur had to regularly report to the residency situated at Nagpur, travelling over days on the way and back. He said that the officials often had to face obstacles, specially during the rainy season, when the Irai River and nullahs near Warora and Butibori would overflow.

The British, therefore, mapped a way out up to Chimur through the jungles of Tadoba. At that time, it soon became the official route for officials, more so because it was not blocked during to the rains since there was no river or big nullah across it.

Thakur also said the British then erected these pillars to show the way out of the dense jungle of Tadoba. The U-shaped stones placed on top of the pillars show the correct direction to follow, leaving no chance for anyone of getting lost.

- The Times of India, September 23, 2015

Sorake says the plan could get clearance in 15 to 20 days

The much-delayed Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) for Mysuru city may see the light of day before Dasara festivities. The issue over undue delay in approving the CDP had been recently taken before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who held a meeting with the city’s elected representatives and top officials, to thrash out differences over the plan.

A delegation of representatives from the Builders’ Association of India (BAI), Mysuru,and the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), Mysuru chapter, met Minister for Urban Development Vinay Kumar Sorake in Bengaluru recently and sought his intervention in clearing the CDP, the delay of which had hit the real estate projects here.

Mr. Sorake, who was in Mysuru on Wednesday, said there was no scope for modification in the present plan and the Advocate General of Karnataka had said the plan has to get going. “Of course, the local representatives had expressed their reluctance on clearing the CDP without certain corrections, which are being considered. In all probability, the CDP may get approved in 15-20 days,” he said.

Scope for revision The Minister said the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which prepared the CDP-2031, had been empowered to revise the plan one month after its approval. “It (MUDA) can consider to introduce a revised CDP, addressing the concerns, but changes are not possible at this stage,” he clarified.

MLA Tanveer Sait, a member of MUDA, who had reportedly opposed the implementation of CDP in its present form, suggested refinement of the plan. “The focus should be on decongesting the cities and developing them as smart cities. Land required for future development needs to be properly set aside,” he told at an event organised by the MUDA, the BAI, and CREDAI here on Wednesday. “What has happened today is that commercial growth is happening on the plots earmarked for residential purposes. Such inconsistencies need to be addressed,” Mr. Sait said.

Being a heritage city, there are certain limitations for taking up development in the central business district. But that does not mean indiscriminate conversion of land should be allowed on the city’s outskirts, he said. Triggers growth S.V. Jagadish Babu, president, CREDAI Karnataka, said the approval of CDP would trigger growth and expressed confidence that the character of the city won’t be affected.

“The heritage character of the city will be retained, focus will be on greater Mysuru for vertical growth,” Mr. Babu said, adding that higher floor area ratio (FAR) was the need of the hour for addressing indiscriminate conversion of farm lands.

- The Times of India, September 24, 2015

Encroachment and illegal construction around monuments continue unabated in Agra. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) says over 1,150 illegal structures have come up near monuments, including in the vicinity of the three Unesco World Heritage Sites, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. ASI headquarters has issued demolition orders in 166 cases, but the district administration has ignored these orders.

The maximum encroachments are near Akbar's Tomb in Sikandra (554), followed by Fatehpur Sikri (257). There are 108 illegal constructions around the Taj Mahal. There were 130 illegal buildings near the Agra Fort. Around Itimad-ud-daula, there are 139 structures that have been put up without the requisite permission.

ASI data show that 1,165 FIRs have been lodged in cases of illegal construction near monuments. Show cause notices have been issued in 836 cases. Demolition orders were issued in 166 cases so far.

However, no action has been taken to clear the area near monuments of illegal buildings, except in two instances of such buildings near Taj Mahal and Akbar's Tomb. ASI officials say they have raised this matter several times with the district magistrate and divisional commissioner, but to no avail.

"I don't think the administration has ever intervened in any matter brought to its notice by us in the last 13 years. Encroachment is rampant near monuments. Our role is limited to getting FIR registered and informing the administration, seeking action. Every time the matter is raised, they make promises. There is no action," a senior ASI official said, seeking anonymity.

He added that even though a massive anti-encroachment drive had been undertaken by the district administration and the corporation none of the structures near the monuments were being demolished.

The 100-meter radius around the monuments is prohibited area. No new construction is allowed under law in this area, and even renovation of already existing structures can only be conducted with permission from authorities.

According to the Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASAR) Act, violation of this law attracts a fine of Rs one lakh or imprisonment up to two years, or both. However, none of those flouting these rules in Agra has had to cough up a fine.

City magistrate Rekha S Chauhan, who is heading the anti-encroachment drive, blamed the ASI for the prevailing situation. "They (ASI) just write letters. We have removed encroachments on the request of the railways and the education department. If ASI comes forward and submits a plan, we will happily assist them in removing encroachments around monuments. We cannot act alone." DM Pankaj Kumar could not be contacted for his comments.

- The Times of India, September 24, 2015

A narrow focus on growth-led development is the cause of the world’s sustainability crisis, not its solution

The world’s political leaders meet in New York today to adopt a ‘sustainable development’ agenda. On the face of it, this sounds very hopeful. It signals that finally, humanity may move towards making peace with the earth,

even as it erases the shame of over two billion people still living in deprivation and poverty. Do we have cause to celebrate? The document, Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was negotiated over several months of intense discussions amongst government delegates from every country. It also involved extensive consultations with the public.

It lays out 17 goals and 169 targets, covering poverty, health, education, gender, water and sanitation, energy, economic development, inequality, infrastructure, settlements, production and consumption, nature and natural resources, and climate. It is a distinct improvement over the Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015), most notably in making sustainability a cross-cutting objective, and in bringing inequality and gender issues more clearly into focus.

It’s preamble declares, boldly: “We envisage a world of universal respect for human rights and human dignity, the rule of law, justice, equality and non-discrimination … A world in which consumption and production patterns and use of all natural resources are sustainable. One in which humanity lives in harmony with nature and in which wildlife and other living species are protected.” Growth is unsustainable

But unfortunately, the SDGs (sustainable development goals) are unlikely to take the world to either ecological sustainability, or to eliminating poverty and stark inequalities. One major reason for this is the continued dependence on ‘economic growth’ as the engine to achieve these outcomes. The sum total of human activity on earth, in the name of development and growth, are already beyond what the planet can bear.

Both modern science and indigenous peoples have warned that we are consuming resources beyond their regeneration capacity. Alarmingly high rates of extinction of animal and plant species, and climate change, are symptoms of this ‘ecological overshoot’. In other words, further economic growth is simply not sustainable.

The document says “we will decouple economic growth from environmental degradation”. There is no evidence of any country having sufficiently ‘decoupled’ growth from the use or ‘throughput’ of energy and materials, despite many technological advances. ‘Sustainable growth’ has been, and remains, an oxymoron. Another issue being hidden in the hype of the SDGs is that the dominant model of development across the world has not tackled poverty at a rate that anyone can consider acceptable.

According to an open letter signed by Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein and over 1000 other eminent thinkers and activists, at this rate, it will take at least another 100 years for the (at least) 2 billion poor people to move out of poverty. And this will mean a 12-fold increase in the size of the global economy! The resultant ecological damage will more than wipe out whatever gains are made. No answers on inequality What the world does require is a radical redistribution of economic wealth and political power.

One per cent of humanity owning 50 per cent of its private wealth, while billions of people suffer deprivation, is ethically preposterous, and also socially unsustainable. It is a recipe for resentment and conflict. Also untenable is the concentration of power in the hands of a few, whether elites in state and religious and scientific institutions or CEOs of private corporations, while the vast majority have little more than voting rights. Across the globe, the rise of peoples’ movements is signalling that people want a change in both these conditions.

Unfortunately, the SDGs are weak or silent about these aspects. On inequality, they only have targets like “progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average”. There is nothing about reducing the wealth of the super-rich, or their wasteful consumerism. Language on corporations is soft and placatory, with nothing on mandatory regulatory mechanisms to make them ecologically and socially responsible.

While participatory and accountable governance is advocated (welcome in itself), there is no explicit commitment to direct democracy in which people and communities have full decision-making roles where they live and work. Modes of production will remain in the hands of capitalists or the state, as there is nothing explicit on transferring their control to producers and workers.

The SDGs also do not contain any substantial democratic reform of the United Nations system, a system too heavily dependent on the power of the nation-state, and with no formal decision-making role for indigenous peoples, local communities, and citizens’ groups. Missing the signs

Rather than pursuing the tired and failed strategies of economic growth, capitalist production and nation-state led governance, the SDGs could have broken new ground. For instance, they could have moved away from indicators like GDP towards meaningful ones like basic needs, well-being in all its dimensions, and harmony with nature (they only suggest, vaguely, that countries consider other indicators to “complement GDP”).

They could have given options to move towards worldviews already present, and being revived in peoples’ movements, instead of growth-led development; these includebuenvivir (good life) in various forms across Latin America, swaraj in India, ubuntu and various similar concepts across Africa.

Thousands of initiatives in these regions are showing that such approaches are not simply up in the air, but practicable in every sector of life. Greece today survives its worst crises partly because of such grassroot community efforts keeping economically impoverished families afloat. The Zapatista in Mexico have shown that autonomous, direct democracy-based communities can thrive, despite a hostile national government.

Hundreds of sustainable farming, decentralised water harvesting, renewable energy, nature conservation, and decent livelihoods initiatives across India are helping communities survive and thrive. Interestingly, even the Pope, and a large number of Islamic clerics, have issued declarations that call for stronger action on environment, inequality, and injustice, than is envisaged in the SDGs. Unfortunately the SDGs appear to have missed these signs. The writer is with Kalpavriksh, Pune

- The Hindu, September 24, 2015

Karigar's vision is to build a platform of expert, local artisans around the world, where their traditional skills are translated into ethical, sustainable, high fashion products for conscious consumers, or retailers who wish to work with the handloom and craft industry.

Parwa Devi in Garhwal was a farmer but didn’t make much money. She then became an artisan and began weaving handlooms. Today, she makes enough money to send her son to school and has become a hero of sorts in her village. This is all thanks to Karigar.

On a trip to Garhwal, Kanak Hirani Nautiyal (who moved from Bangalore to Amsterdam post marriage) and her friend Sindhu Holla discovered beautiful handloom scarves made by the local artisans. Together, they set up Karigar in Europe and, in course, changed the lives of many people in Garhwal. In an interview with dna, Kanak Hirani Nautiyal talks about their initiative and what they hope to achieve for the artisans in rural India. How did you come up with the idea of Karigar?

In 2013, my friend Sindhu Holla and I started Pashm in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with the aim to give rural Indian artisans a global platform. During a trip to Garhwal, I bought some handmade scarves at a local handloom fair. We thought, how would it be if we could connect these artisans to the global fashion world? We wanted to generate regular employment for rural artisans by showcasing their handmade scarves in Europe.

But people found them too ethnic and if we wanted our vision to make an impact we had to change our approach. We had to give a contemporary translation to the traditional skills, craft and heritage of rural Indian artisans and create contemporary, well designed products. We partnered with Dutch textile designer Jolijn Fiddelaers and together we launched Karigar (a brand of home and fashion textile products) – Dutch-designed and fairly crafted in India using natural materials.

We are now retailing Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, UK, Austria and Switzerland and we plan to grow the brand globally. Why did you decide to crowdfund? There are multiple reasons, but the most basic is that we have a high quality, well-designed, handmade product that can directly and indirectly impact many lives.

We want to make people in different parts of the world aware of our brand, our beautiful products and the capabilities of the people creating them. What better way to understand the market than by learning it from your customers, first hand? Our Karigar Crowdfunding Campaign launches on September 25 and runs until October 31, 2015 on Indiegogo.com. People can pre-order one of the Karigar products, which will be delivered to them if the campaign succeeds. How is Karigar helping the artisans of Garhwal?

We started our business by working with weaving clusters, weaving groups and independent artisans in Garhwal. Around 90% of our products are made in Garhwal, where we work with around 800 skilled rural artisans (silk/wool rearing, nettle/wool carding, spinning, dyeing, weaving, finishing). Most of the weavers and embroiders that we work with are women. Working on our designs gives them an opportunity to learn a new skill, become financially independent and send their children to school. Incidentally, my husband is from Garhwal, so the region has a special place in my heart.

What do you hope Karigar will achieve over the next few years? Our vision is to build a platform of expert, local artisans around the world, where their traditional skills are translated into ethical, sustainable, high fashion products for conscious consumers, or retailers who wish to work with the handloom and craft industry.

Over time we aim to do design innovation and reach new markets - by exposing them to new designs and re-training them, getting them to push their own creative boundaries and in improving their quality standards, we give their skills a much-needed boost and open up a world of possibilities. We also want to marry design and technology.

For many artisans in remote villages, the full capability of technology remains limited. By linking technology with design and craft we connect people to our karigars (artisans) and our products with the click of a button. Already, each chief artisan that we work with has been given a smartphone, enabling them to record each stage of the process. This information is shared with consumers though the hang tag on each of our products. We call it the Talking Tag as it tells you how your product came alive. Lastly, artisan focus.

This is the closest to our heart. We want to work with talented artisans across the globe and be able to translate their traditional craft into contemporary designs thereby giving an international voice to their talent and skill.

- http://www.dnaindia.com/, September 24, 2015

India's nationally determined contributions to mitigate climate change are likely to be unveiled on October 1 and will promote renewable energy, enhanced energy efficiency, less carbon intensive urban centres, green transport and abatement of pollution.

India's strategy ahead of the climate summit in Paris in December will be firmly anchored in the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" and will clearly project India's financial, technology transfer and capacity building requirements.

India, along with several other developing countries, has been a vocal advocate of developed nations doing their bit to transfer mitigation technology and green innovations in keeping with their historical responsibility for global warming.

The intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) are expected to reflect initiatives in agriculture, water management, health and programmes for coastal regions and islands. Disaster management, protection of ecological diversity and the Himalayan eco-system will be dealt with by the Indian announcement.

The Indian plan will seek a connection with Mahatma Gandhi's ideal of sustainable and equitable lifestyles. It believes that while poverty is a big polluter, profligate consumption is a grave threat to the environment.

The approach appears to reflect the views of environmental economists who argue that nature is both a resource and a sink and replenishment and less wasteful consumption are essential to ensure balanced growth.

The document will be read with interest as India is under pressure to do more to control warming as a large and rapidly developing nation. On its part, India has said that its per capita carbon imprint cannot be compared to nations like China which is the world's largest manufacturer and emitter of greenhouse gases.

The government is looking to address contributions that include adaptation, mitigation, finance, technology transfer, capacity building and balances the need for reducing pollution and GHGs while catering to the growth needs of a large population.

Environment and forests minister Prakash Javadekar has stressed that India's right to grow cannot be curtailed even as it undertakes serious initiatives to reduce its carbon dioxide production. "In fact, the more developed countries should vacate carbon space for countries like India," he has said.

Ahead of the preparation of INDCs, the government has engaged in a wide and detailed consultative process involving various departments and civil society organizations. The government also carried out GHG modeling studies with three institutions to generate projections of emissions till 2050.

- The Times of India, September 24, 2015

Indian Purple Frog, an endemic and endangered amphibian found exclusively in the biodiversity hotspot of Western Ghats, is facing extinction threats due to the consumption of tadpoles by local tribes.

The continuance of the practice of eating tadpole could lead to the extinction of its local population of the particular kind of frog, which in turn would be deleterious for the very survival of the species, researchers said.

The startling finding made by researchers Ashish Thomas and S D Biju of the Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, was published in the recent issue of the international journal 'Salamandra'. A five-year-study, carried out by Thomas for Phd research under the guidance of Biju, said that though the Western Ghats is a global hotspot for amphibian diversity and endemism, more than 40 per cent of its amphibian fauna is threatened with extinction.

An old practice of consumption of the Purple tadpoles is prevalent among tribal communities in the state, it said. As a part of the study, they had carried out a five-year survey during 2008-2013 in high range Idukki, where tadpole consumption is prevalent and the qualitative and quantitative impacts of this practice had been analyzed. The tribes in the area had been harvesting tadpoles from the time they settled in this area about 40 years back, it said.

"Times have changed drastically and the purple frog now perilously survives only in a few pockets. If the purple frog tadpoles continue to be on the tribal menu as a monsoon delicacy, the local population of these frogs are destined to disappear," he said.

The researchers further suggest implementation of tribal-friendly conservation actions in order to mitigate this direct threat. Their proposal includes "education and awareness programmes for tribal communities cohabiting with the Purple frog, along with increasing employment opportunities for the tribal youth."

The Indian Purple frog, known as Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis in scientific parlance, is considered as a flagship species for conservation of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot region.

- http://zeenews.india.com/, September 24, 2015

Thanks to the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), heritage now begins where the bus stops. Last week, members of INTACH put up signs at various Corporation of Chennai bus stops across the city, detailing heritage sites in the vicinity. Around 40 stops are being done in the first phase, and there are 40 more to go, says architect Sujatha Shankar, also the convener of INTACH-Chennai Chapter.

"We are looking at putting up these along key routes," says Shankar, and adds that each of the signs will have a photograph and a few details of the site and the building there. "The idea is to generate interest in heritage," she says. "People may not visit the sites the first time they are at the stop, but chances are that if they keep using that route, at some point, they will be curious enough to check out a heritage building nearby. We want heritage to grow on people."

The bus stop near St Ebbas School Marticulation Higher Secondary in Mylapore, for instance, lists sites such as Kalyani Hospital (built in 1909), Stella Maris College (1947), St George's Cathedral (1815), while the 'Ice House' stop on Beach Road lists San Thome Church (built in the 16th century), Chepauk Palace (completed in 1768) and the Lighthouse (one of the 13 in India that are identified as heritage centres) among others.

Visitors at the Marina Beach on Saturday received free copies of heritage maps of Chennai, watched films about the city's past and participated in heritage awareness events as part of the Madras Day celebrations.

Last month, during the Madras Day celebrations to commemorate the founding of the city on August 22, 1639, INTACH unveiled a heritage map of the city for free distribution. Among other attempts to make heritage a part of people's lives, city chronicler V Sriram created the app Past Forward as a virtual space for Chennai's past. It helps people indentify heritage spots and learn the story behind them as they commute through the city.

- The Times of India, September 24, 2015

The life-force is palpable in Kiran Dixit Thacker’s sculptures.

When most artists her age are thinking of winding up, 69-year-old Kiran Dixit Thacker is all geared up for the journey. The reason is that she started a bit late. She completed her diploma in fine arts in 1969 from Santiniketan and moved to England where she lived and taught craft design for 30 years. The artist returned to India in 2000 and took up sculpture again and since then it is one exhibition every year.

There is indeed anxiety about the time lost, her fragile health but it doesn’t match up to the excitement she feels planning and working towards her shows. “There is so much to look forward to. I keep praying that ‘God give me 10 more years to create art’,” says the artist.

The latest from Kiran is “Chai, chai, arro chai” (We want and we want more), an exhibition of 35 life-size sculptures and charcoal and watercolour drawings on life studies, which is currently on at Visual Arts Gallery in India Habitat Centre. Before this, the Santiniketan-based artist held her solo in Delhi in 2010 at the same venue. Dynamic and rooted in her surroundings would be the best way to describe her work on display which includes canines in ecstasy, girls swaying their hips through hula-hoop sessions, protest marches in bronze, fibreglass and mild steel. Her figurative work is inspired by all kinds of shapes and forms, she comes across.

“Santiniketan and its beautiful surroundings have been the starting point for most of my creative activities. I am trying to catch the essence of the subject without too many frills. The simplicity of form is what I aim to achieve, and unlike the French Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne, I want to tread the path I have discovered,” says Kiran.

A rebel at heart, Kiran says the show draws from her internal experiences. “I am forever protesting against things and I am with people who do the same. In a very chai, chai, arro chai-like existence, I am always questioning everything about us; questioning before accepting. It has become a way of life.”

After she took up sculpture again, Kiran remembers asking herself if she remembered everything taught by Ramkinkar Baij at Santiniketan. “But I got into it and even now after I am done with this work, I ask myself ‘Have I done this?’.” One of the reasons, Kiran went back to practising art was her daughter’s death. Art gave her succour.

She realised the only way out of her grief was to start work, to sculpt, paint and draw with all sincerity and passion. (The exhibition is on at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, till September 26)

- The Hindu, September 24, 2015

The landmark Sadr Gardens near Kasturi Rangan Road in Alwarpet - which houses a bungalow that was once the 'Sadr Adalat' or the chief court of appeal under the administration of the Nawabs in the 19th century - will soon be brought down. While members of the Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed family have chosen not to comment on what is to become of the site, the signs of redevelopment are pretty conspicuous to passersby.

The 'Sadr Adalat', according to lawyer turned legal historian Randor Guy, were the highest courts of appeal administering Hindu and Islamic Law for different types of cases until the 1860s when they were abolished by the British. City historians say that till 1801, the East India Company only had control over a small part of modern day Madras or Chennai, with the bulk of it still under the rule of the Nawabs of Arcot. The Sadr Adalats were under the administration of the nawabs.

"There was a banyan tree on Mowbray's Road near the Luz Church Road junction in Alwarpet, which was used to hang prisoners sentenced to death and came to be called the 'hanging tree'," says Guy, who mentions the sadr adalat and the gardens in his book titled the Madras Seva Sadan Saga.

The book mentions that Brahmin priests from the nearby Chenna Kesava and Chenna Malleeswara temples would come to the court with 'Holy water' and 'tulasi' (basil) leaves for solemnization of witnesses giving evidence in court. "I visited Sadr Gardens a little over ten years ago. The mansion was a beautiful architectural structure," he says.

The Sadr Courts of Madras were in a "spacious mansion" in Alwarpet, until 70 years ago when it was bought by Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed, former judge of the Madras High Court, who made it his residence.

"In Tamil Nadu, the Heritage Act has not yet been enforced, which is the reason we are losing a number of our heritage structures," says T Satyamurthy, former superintending archaeologist, with the Archaeological Survey of India. "In 2008, a committee headed by Justice Padmanabhan had listed out the heritage buildings in the city, which needed to be preserved. There were 400 buildings identified and recommended," says Satyamurthy. "This is only a recommendation. Unless the buildings are approved as heritage and notified, they can be demolished.

So far, most of the buildings that have been inspected by government authorities and certified as heritage are government buildings. Most private ones have not yet been officially certified," he adds. "Unfortunately, heritage is the least of the government's priorities," says Satyamurthy.

- The Times of India, September 24, 2015

The promote the extraordinary heritage and unique legacy of Lucknow, The Times Group has joined hands with UP Tourism Department. The aim is to create awareness about heritage monuments and intangible heritage of Lucknow among various sections of society.

For this, the TOI Group would organise 'Heritage Walk' and 'Lucknow on Cycle' for 24 different segments of people including doctors, engineers, army officers among others who travel frequently, students who are glued to social networking, teachers who are often opinion makers to boost the image of Lucknow and its heritage.

Both Heritage Walk and Lucknow on Cycle are an initiative of the UP Tourism department and fairly popular among tourists and visitors. Integration of Lucknow in Heritage Arch—chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's dream project to promote UP's tourism potential—has given chance to tourism officials to project Lucknow more than ever.

Officials at Tourism department said despite the best of heritage and legacy, Lucknow has failed to attract too many visitors. "The gap between visitors to Agra or Varanasi and Lucknow is huge and it's an area that deserves attention," said an official. Organisers informed that besides invited guests, anyone willing to participate was welcome after duly registering with TOI group.

- The Times of India, September 25, 2015

Noted British philologist and archaeologist Irving Leonard Finkel will deliver a lecture here on Saturday. The event is being co-hosted by the Kochi Biennale Foundation along with the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) and the British Council.

College of Fine Arts and the Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi chapters of the British Association of Scholars are also associating with the event.

The lecture titled “A Great Adventure: The Ark before Noah” will be held at David Hall, Fort Kochi, on September 26 at 6.30 pm. The sexagenarian Assyriologist will be touring key historical sites in the state as part of the visit.

This was announced at a press conference attended by Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) research co-ordinator Bonny Thomas, Research Officer attached to Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) Preeta Nair and Research Associate Deepak Nair.

Dr Finkel is the curator in charge of cuneiform inscriptions on tablets of clay from ancient Mesopotamia at the British Museum, London. He specialises in ancient Mesopotamian medicine and magic, and is also doing extensive research in literature and religion.

He is currently working on a major project titled “The Indian Board Game Survey” in collaboration with the Anthropological Survey of India. Finkel will also visit Pattanam archaeological site near North Paravur, where he will interact with archaeology students and researchers.

- The Indian Express,, September 25, 2015

An online petition to the government has been started by Kakoli Banerjee of the citizen group People for Pondicherry’s Heritage on change.org for reconstruction using traditional materials only, and it has got around 200 signatures.

Apart from this, representatives from People for Pondicherry’s Heritage, Friends of Pondicherry Heritage, PondyCAN and a cross-section of residents also met the Chief Secretary recently to submit a petition with the same demand. They plan to meet the Lieutenant Governor regarding this. As the SLHAC is only an advisory committee and does not have statutory or legal powers, INTACH Puducherry has said it would wait for an official word from the government.

“The Mairie’s fall brought us together and we want to see the building come up in its original glory. If built with traditional materials, a complete documentation of the reconstruction will be made.

This is a valuable knowledge tool for the future, to make modern buildings using traditional materials. A RCC structure just cannot be an exact replica,” said Sunaina Mandeen of PondyCAN. The argument that traditional materials does not allow for modern interiors does not hold true either, she said.

- The Hindu, September 29, 2015

Officials prefer RCC, NGO members opt for traditional ways to reconstruct it

Two months short of the first anniversary of the collapse of the iconic Mairie (Town Hall) building, plans on how to re-construct it appears to have deeply divided stakeholders and decision makers in Puducherry. The World Bank, which had first been on board to fund the renovation of the Mairie through the Project Implementation Agency of the Puducherry Government, had later agreed to fund its reconstruction following the collapse of the building.

A recent meeting of the State Level Heritage Conservation Advisory Committee (SLHAC) conveyed its recommendation to reconstruct the Mairie as a Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) framed structure with a new foundation. However, several non-government members of the SLHAC have raised objections to the proposal.

They have demanded that the Mairie be reconstructed using the traditional brick and lime-mortar construction as in the case of the original. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Puducherry chapter, a special invitee to the meeting, has also made its disagreement clear about going ahead with RCC.

“For any building of heritage value that is reconstructed or restored, the global practice is to carry out this work by staying true and as close to the original, local methods of construction. This alone will preserve the integrity of the site and structure. By using RCC, the Mairie building will lose all heritage value, it will become a falsity,” said SLHAC member and architect Devangi Ramakrishnan in her letter to the body. She added the move can have major repercussions on the reputation of Puducherry as a heritage tourism destination.

The SLHAC was reconstituted in September 2014 with 14 members including representatives from Departments of Town and Country Planning, Public Works, Local Administration, Tourism, Art and Culture, Puducherry Planning Authority and Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

Cost factor The major argument which has been made mainly by the government officials in the SLHAC for RCC construction is the cost factor. Based on the estimates from the PWD (RCC framed structure) and INTACH (traditional construction), they have said that the PWD estimate comes to Rs. 7 crore, while the INTACH estimate comes to around Rs. 9.5 crore.

A.K. Das, Additional Co-Convenor, INTACH, said this is a miscalculation. “The PWD estimate is based on prices from 2013. The other factor is that the PWD estimate has not considered the annexe buildings in the Mairie complex. It is also not based on original dimensions. If the Mairie is to be reconstructed in RCC with original dimensions, the price goes up by another Rs.1.26 crores,” said Mr. Das.

Some of the other arguments include the lack of availability of materials like good quality lime and skilled workforce. Ashok Panda, Convenor, INTACH said, “We have been reconstructing portions of heritage structures using traditional materials. The Bharathiar museum is an example.”

Sunaina Mandeen of citizens group People for Pondicherry’s Heritage said that with the seafront’s corrosive atmosphere, there are examples of concrete buildings like the Chief Secretariat needing high maintenance.

A government official confirmed that a team from World Bank would be in Puducherry in the first week of October to discuss and finalise the proposal for the reconstruction of the Mairie.

- The Hindu, September 29, 2015

Officials prefer RCC, NGO members want traditional ways to reconstruct it

Two months short of the first anniversary of the collapse of iconic Mairie (Town Hall) building, plans on how to reconstruct it appears to have deeply divided stakeholders and decision makers in Puducherry.

The World Bank, which had first been on board to fund the renovation of the Mairie through the Project Implementation Agency of the Puducherry Government, had later agreed to fund its reconstruction following the collapse of the building.

A recent meeting of the State-Level Heritage Conservation Advisory Committee (SLHAC) conveyed its recommendation to reconstruct the Mairie as a Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC)-framed structure with a new foundation. However, several non-government members of the SLHAC have demanded that it be reconstructed using traditional brick and lime-mortar construction as in the case of the original. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Puducherry chapter, a special invitee to the meeting, has also made its disagreement clear about going ahead with the RCC.

“For any building of heritage value that is reconstructed or restored, the global practice is to carry out this work by staying true and as close to the original, local methods of construction. This alone will preserve the integrity of the site and structure…,” said SLHAC member and architect Devangi Ramakrishnan in her letter to the body. The SLHAC was reconstituted in September 2014 with 14 members, including representatives from the departments of Town and Country Planning, Public Works, Local Administration, Tourism, Art and Culture, Puducherry Planning Authority and Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

Cost factor The major argument which has been made mainly by the government officials for the RCC construction is the cost factor. Based on the estimates from the PWD (RCC-framed structure) and INTACH (traditional construction), they have said that the PWD estimate comes to Rs. 7 crore, while INTACH estimate comes to around Rs. 9.5 crore.

A.K. Das, Additional Co-Convenor, INTACH, said that this was a miscalculation. “The PWD estimate is based on prices from 2013. The other factor is that the PWD estimate has not considered the annexe buildings in the complex. It is also not based on original dimensions. If the Mairie is to be reconstructed in the RCC with original dimensions, the price goes up by another Rs. 1.26 crore,” said Mr. Das.

Some of the other arguments include lack of availability of materials like good quality lime and skilled workforce. Ashok Panda, Convenor, INTACH, said, “We have been reconstructing portions of heritage structures using traditional materials. Bharathiar museum is an example.”

Sunaina Mandeen of citizens group People for Pondicherry’s Heritage said that with the seafront’s corrosive atmosphere, there were examples of concrete buildings like the Chief Secretariat needing high maintenance.

A government official confirmed that a team from the World Bank would be in Puducherry in the first week of October to discuss and finalise the proposal.

- The Hindu, September 30, 2015

A new museum in Goa seeks to redefine how locals and visitors interact with art from across the country.

THE IDEA that the art scene in Goa is vibrant is an illusion,” says artist-curator Subodh Kerkar. “A few things have happened here of late, and it was nice.” Over the last two-three years, the coastal city has seen a surge in festivals of the arts. Authors and filmmakers have made the city their home, some permanent, others for a few months every year.

“But when it comes to a contemporary arts space that is accessible to the common man, the city has none,” says the 56-year-old. On November 6, Kerkar will launch the 1,500 sq ft Museum of Goa or MOG (which translates into “love” in Konkani) in the quiet village of Pilerne in south Goa.

It has been designed by architect Dean D’Cruz. The museum reflects the need to step away from conventional exhibition models and converge the historical with the contemporary. “The idea first came to me in Berlin five years ago when I was showing my works through ICCR.

The curator of the Museum of Asian Art invited me to see his museum. In the middle of ancient works from China, was the installation of Chinese contemporary artist and activist Ai Weiwei. He had created bricks out of compressed teabags.

I was taken aback by this juxtaposition,” says Kerkar, “Ten per cent of India speaks English, of which five per cent speaks and reads well, and out of that, a small percentage takes interest in contemporary art. The rest has no idea. This void hit me,” he says.

The ambitious MOG project, which will involve only temporary exhibits, is sprawled across three floors, each gallery dedicated to different art forms, including video and sound installations. Outside, a large garden has been laid for sculptures. Additionally, there will be art classes, lectures as well as documentary film screenings.

The team is also planning a corporate art training programme, taking off from the leadership programme module, and art retreats. A broadcast programme called Kalakirtan will have voice presentations in Konkani (which is being broadcast in the city currently), Marathi, Hindi and English. Lastly, the project will sponsor Rs 1 lakh prize for emerging artists from Goa.

Seeking collaborations from artists as well as organisations, MOG is designed more as an institution than just a gallery of objects. As Kerkar readies his space for the opening, he has in store two back-to-back exhibitions to launch his concept.

The first, titled “Gopalapatanam”, will feature 20 artists, including Kerkar’s, and will bring forth his long-term engagement with Goan history, before and after the Portuguese period. “The idea was that I should narrate Goa’s history in a contemporary idiom. I involved other artists and asked them to create works in response to this city’s history,” he says.

Kerkar’s involvement with his hometown reflects in his participation in “Balcao”, a show by Goan artists put together by Delhi’s Dhoomimal Gallery, and at Kochi-Muziris Biennale with “Janela”, in which he explores the cultural relationship between Goa and Kerala.

The exhibition has been co-curated by Lila Vincent, Peter Mueller and Sabitha TP, and the participating artists evoke a similar theme — while Delhi-based Pablo Bartholomew’s photographs, taken in Portugal, capture Goans settled in Lisbon, 30-year-old Tahireh Lal presents Sand Castles in the Air, which animates sand from the Goan beaches to make them look as if they are rising and falling, “like a civilisation”.

Mumbai-based Narendra Yadav brings three metaphysical works, one of which is My Sanctum Mother, which takes the image of mother Mary on a lotus as a fusion point of two cultures.

The second show is called “Morphology of Archives and will feature 15 international and 15 Indian artists. As the museum comes together for its upcoming launch, Kerkar even considers hosting an art biennale, much like India’s first and biggest one in Kochi. “Artists cannot sing alone in the desert. They need an audience,” he says.

- The Indian Express, September 30, 2015

The ropeway to Reis Magos promises to be a thrilling ride and a link-up to a heritage zone, but it may have to fit into a proposed master plan and ground realities in a crowded capital city.

The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) recently issued an e-tender to set up the ropeway from Panaji to Reis Magos with a capacity to carry 30 to 40 cars and over 1,200 passengers.

The aerial transit across the Mandovi offers a panoramic view of the river's mouth, Panaji with its shoreline, headlands of Dona Paula and Aguada, the Arabian Sea and the heritage zone of the fort with the church and its precincts.

A few heritage lovers and stakeholders in the tourism industry are happy about the opportunities for promoting heritage tourism. "We are excited about the ropeway project to connect the historic heritage fort, literally flying over the beautiful river. It will be something different from the mundane," said president of the Goa Heritage Action Group, Prajal Sakhardande.

The project throws up a few possibilities to make it a package for tourists. "It offers a wealth of heritage with the fort atop the hill and the church and precincts below, the riverside and beach with rocks. It is an excellent spot for fishing," pointed out spokesman for the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), Ralph D'Souza.

The London Eye, a giant Ferris wheel on a bank of the River Thames gives revellers a earful of history in addition to the eyeful they get during the ride, he compared. "It (ropeway) is not a just an exciting mode of transport, but we can take it to the next level and convert it into a heritage ride with recorded commentary on heritage landmarks," suggested D'Souza.

But citizens and activists are wary about the project, as it has several implications. "It will be an ill-conceived plan for Panaji. The tourism department will not get much from it financially but it will greatly reduce the comfort levels of citizens in Panaji and Reis Magos due to problems arising from it," said president of NGO Echo-Goa, Gurudas Kamat.

Agreed former Panaji councillor, Patricia Pinto, "The city cannot take the extra inflow of tourists with inadequate infrastructure for all this, especially parking. I wonder if the corporation of the city of Panaji (CCP) has been taken into confidence."

CCP commissioner, Sanjith Rodrigues conceded that the civic body is in the dark about GTDC's plans. "Any infrastructure planned has to be in line with the holistic master plan for Panaji, which has been worked on with a lot of effort, and stakeholders' and public participation," he said.

The riverfront is choc-a-bloc with casinos, water sports vessels, fishing and cruise boats and other vessels. "A sea plane has also been proposed," Pinto said.

But CCP mayor Shubham Chodankar said the ropeway would enhance Panaji's tourism profile. "It is a good idea. If there are problems of parking, these can be solved," he said.

The riverfront in Campal, Miramar, and partly Reis Magos has remained uncluttered so far. "Both shores are beautiful for a panoramic view and the ropeway will be an eyesore," said Kamat. D'Souza stressed that the damage from the ropeway would be minimal. But Kamat pointed out that there are other issues related to safety and raising towers in CRZ areas. Details of the ropeway's landing and take-off points in Panaji are not yet known to citizens.

According top priority to basics rather than bringing in fancy projects can facilitate better tourism promotion, said Pinto, "Give Goa as Goa is to tourists. They are not coming here for the ropeway or fancy things." Agreed architect Dean D'Cruz, "The money can be usefully invested in a few critical issues, like repairing of potholes."

- The Times of India, September 30, 2015