Known as Aparanta, the Konkan region was a culturally vibrant land since the early historical period. In what comes as great news, the geoglyphs of the coastal Konkan region of Maharashtra has made it to the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Geoglyphs are rock art produced on the surface of earth either by positioning rocks, rock fragments or by reduction technique, that is, carving out or removing part of a rock surface to form a design - and, perhaps the most famous geoglyphs are the Nazca lines in Peru. Last week, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre has written to Vishal V Sharma, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO, confirming the inclusion of the Konkan geoglyphs in the tentative list of World Heritage Sites.

“Yes, the geoglyphs of the Konkan region has made it to the tentative list. Last year, we had submitted the bid and this year we had made it. We have done the needful to protect these sites,” said Tejas Garge, Director, Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra. “Most of the geoglyphs from this region are mostly live size figures of animals and have been executed in carved outlines. The carvings are not deeper than 5 cm and the grooves are 3-4 cm wide.

Most of the geoglyphs in Ratnagiri appear to be made by pecking technique by hammer stone,” said Dr Garge, the chief archaeologist of the Maharashtra government. Geoglyphs are unique typologies in human creative art in terms of size and scale. Evidence of the largest span of time, Geoglyphs exist worldwide and are important cultural expressions since the Palaeolithic times. While most common rock art in India is in the form of rock paintings, rock etchings, cup marks and ring marks, the large concentration of geoglyphs on the laterite plateaus (Sada) in the Konkan is unique and most remarkable open-air ensembles of prehistoric human expression since 30,000 years ago. Known as Aparanta, the Konkan region was a culturally vibrant land since the early historical period.

More than 600 figures arranged in the clusters are depicted inKasheli, RundhyeTali, DevacheGothane, Barsu, Devi Hasol, Jambharun, Ukshi and Kudopi in southern Maharashtra and Pansaymol in Goa, are the most comprehensive, well-preserved and artistically distinct Geoglyphs evidencing a cultural legacy of 12,000 years. The Konkan region along the Arabian Sea witnessed flourishing trading activities complex maritime and inland trade linkages.

It was connected to the Western Ghats through a major communication corridor and the landscape was dotted with numerous forts, to protect the series of ports that were the critical linkage between the subcontinental and foreign shores. This made the Konkon region the most sought after political-geography, contested by the Mauryas, Satvahanas, Shilaharas, Rashtrakutas, Kalchuris, Chalukyas, Vijaynagaras, Deccan Sultanates, Mughals, Marathas, also by the colonial powers such as Portuguese, Dutch and later the British alike.

https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/konkan-geoglyphs-make-it-to-unesco-tentative-list-1095712.html, April 1, 2022

Across Assam in India, sometimes in plain sight and sometimes hidden in the wilderness, archaeologists have found more sites to add to a long-standing mystery. In four previously unknown locations, 65 giant sandstone vessels bulge from the ground.

Some of these ancient objects are tall and cylindrical, others bulbous, yet others shaped like two cones stacked together. Some are partially or almost fully buried. Who made them, and what purpose they served, is unknown. Whatever their use, however, it seems more widespread than we knew. The discovery brings the total number of known megalithic jar sites in Assam to 11. Similar sites have also been found in Laos and Indonesia. Together, they date between the second millennium BCE and 13th century CE. Human remains found in and around the Laos jars suggest those ones may have been used for mortuary practices. Megalithic jar sites in Assam were first formally described in 1929 by British civil servants Philip Mills and John Henry Hutton, who reported six sites. The seventh site wasn't discovered until a 2016-2017 expedition, part of work to relocate and catalog the sites described by Mills and Hutton.

Led by archaeologist Tilok Thakuria of North Eastern Hill University in India, work recommenced in 2020, and that's when the previously unknown sites started to emerge. "At the start the team just went in to survey three large sites that hadn't been formally surveyed. From there grids were set up to explore the surrounding densely forested regions," says archaeologist Nicholae Skopal of the Australian National University in Australia.  "This is when we first started finding new jar sites."

The four new sites were the village of Herakilo, at which 10 jars were found, six at the outskirts, and the remaining four relocated to the village; a ridgeline at Thaimodholing, where 12 badly damaged jars were found; a spur at Thaimodholing, where eight jars were found, some relocated a short distance from the original spot, possibly due to the construction of a road; and Lower Chaikam, where 35 jars were found in a field surrounded by dense forest. When added to the seven previously known sites, a total of 797 jars have been identified, in various states of preservation, over an area of 300 square kilometers (115 square miles). These jars seem to have been deliberately positioned on ridges, spurs and hills, with views of lowlands. Furthermore, archaeologists haven't found any sources of the sandstone from which the jars are carved in the vicinity of any of the sites. "We still don't know who made the giant jars or where they lived.

It's all a bit of a mystery," Skopal says. However, there are traces of clues to suggest that, like the Laos jars, the Assam jars may have been used for mortuary practices. Mills and Hutton reported that one of the jars contained cremated bone fragments. British anthropologist Ursula Graham Bower lived with the Zemi Naga people in the 1930s; according to her reports, the Zemi believed that the jars were made by the lost Siemi people, for funerary purposes. "There are stories from the Naga people, the current ethnic groups in north-east India, of finding the Assam jars filled with cremated remains, beads, and other material artifacts," Skopal notes. It's likely there are many more jar sites out there in the heavily forested uplands of Assam, since the team only searched a limited area.

This, the researchers said, is very important for protecting the heritage of Assam, as human habitation expands. Additional surveys are warranted with urgency across Assam, Meghalaya, and Manipur, the researchers note. "It seems as though there aren't any living ethnic groups in India associated with the jars, which means there is an importance to maintain the cultural heritage," Skopal says.  "The longer we take to find them, the greater chance that they will be destroyed, as more crops are planted in these areas and the forests are cut down." Finding more sites could also help archaeologists piece together not just what the jars were for, but the heritage of the mysterious people who made them. The research has been published in Asian Archaeology.

https://www.sciencealert.com/weird-giant-stone-jars-created-by-a-mysterious-people-have-been-found-in-india, April 1, 2022

The Government Tamil School in Ashoknagar that was facing the threat of closure will soon get a renovated look. The education department has given permission to (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) to renovate the school, by retaining two rooms as classrooms and the rest as a library open to the public. The 93-year-old school has only nine children enrolled in class 1-5. TOI had earlier reported that even though Intach had made a proposal to renovate the heritage structure, the department was not keen on it and had plans to close down the school. The prime location of the school had led to speculation on the intentions of the government.

“We have suggested to Intach that two classrooms can be retained for the school and the rest converted into a library, which can be open to the public,” said Vishal R, commissioner, department of public instruction. Block education officers said children of classes 1-3, which follow Nali Kali will be clubbed in one classroom, while the other students will be in the second classroom. There are five rooms altogether. The school on Commissariat Road and has a mix of British colonial and vernacular architecture.

Its sloping, Mangalore-tiled roofs, timber decorative eave boards, ornamental plaster works and colonnaded verandahs are reminiscent of Bengaluru’s other heritage structures. “We have noticed that the Gothic pointed arch windows are seen in 2-3 schools situated in the Cantonment areas. It’s an architectural feature typical to this side of the town,” said Meera Iyer of Intach. The roof has deteriorated and tiles broken leading to dampening of the entire structure.

The plaster has worn off because of the dampness. Walls and ornamental features have been damaged. Roots from a tree close-by, has caused movement and breakage of kadappah flooring in the verandah. Intach will look at restoring the roof, replacing the deteriorated wooden structural members, structural repairs to the cracks and the pillars and walls. Replastering will be done with traditional materials. To prevent the roots of the nearby trees from reaching the foundation of the structure, a flagging would be done. The estimated cost is Rs 30 lakh. Rotary Bangalore South Parade is expected to raise CSR funds for the same.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/intach-to-give-93-year-old-govt-tamil-school-a-new-lease-of-life/articleshow/90715827.cms, April 4, 2022

Finally, a rare virtual museum from Sopore, 40 km from Srinagar, will showcase the lifetime collection of a female Kashmiri educationist, Atiqa Bano, who managed to create a huge repository of artefact through door-to-door collections. She died at the age of 77 in 2017, leaving behind a collection that throws light on the life and customs of 18th and 19th Century rural Kashmir. The Aliph Foundation, an international organisation involved in protecting cultural heritage, has approved grants for the e-museum as part of their post-COVID rehabilitation programme.

“We are hopeful that our efforts will create a comprehensive and interactive virtual museum of the artefacts, which will make Bano’s collections accessible to people across the world,” said Saima Iqbal, principal conservation architect at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Bano served at different teaching posts across several districts of Kashmir and dedicated her life to collecting artefacts from locals across the length and breadth of the Valley.

However, her death due to cancer almost brought the curtains down on her dream project, Meeras Mahal, where she wanted to set up Kashmir’s first community museum in Highland Colony at Sopore in a multi-storey building on land donated by her. Ms. Iqbal and her team, mainly women professionals, have come together not to let the artefacts die in oblivion. The task is daunting though. Bano has collected a whopping 8,000 artefacts --- ranging from kitchen utensils to agricultural tools, clothing, earthenware and manuscripts.

The collection includes donations from Kashmiri Pandit families of old-style earthen puja thalis and wooden palanquins with god and goddesses. Among other things, the collection has terracotta items from the 4th Century Kushan period, coins from pre-Islamic era and artefacts from the Buddhist period, which is likely to open a new gateway to understanding the life and times of Kashmir.

Ethnographic collection
“It’s an ethnographic collection and highlights the day-to-day life of rural Kashmir, whether that of a farmer or of someone from the elite class. The collection reflects a syncretic culture of Kashmir. Her artefact is inclusive and give representation to Muslims, Pandits, Sikhs, and Gujjar culture,” Ms. Iqbal said. “Bano would spend from her pocket to ferry these artefact. She would tie up with truck drivers to shift them. This only shows her resolve towards the cause,” Ms. Iqbal said. Moved by Bano’s life and dedication, Basita Shah, an architect, is working on digital data by taking pictures of the artefacts and drawing sketches to narrate the story being worked out by Ms. Iqbal’s team.

‘In dire state’
“We used to be neighbours. But I never knew about her collection till she died. After her death, the artefact were in a dire state. She had no resources to store them properly. But the grandeur and beauty of these could not be taken away. This project will be a beginning to realise her dream,” Ms. Shah, who is working on a dynamic and interactive website, said. The e-museum would be rare in the country for it’s not a typical private museum set up by any heiress or someone from an elite gharana. It reflects the dedication of a lifetime of an ordinary woman living in a far-off rural pocket in north Kashmir. In fact, Bano is buried in front of the museum as per her last wish. “Bano was not married. She was focused on culture and traditions.

She must have collected these things one by one over four decades. She would convince people about the importance of these artefacts. The museum throws light on the vernacular functional life, which would have been otherwise unknown to us. She was aware of preserving a layer of culture,” Saleem Beg, head of the INTACH’s Kashmir chapter, said. The virtual museum is likely to be online by May this year and is likely to be the stepping stone to set up Kashmir’s first community museum in Sopore.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/states/kashmirs-first-e-museum-to-showcase-door-to-door-collection-of-a-teacher/article65293679.ece, April 5, 2022

From reaching out to students in schools, colleges and universities to organising heritage walks and interactive session with the public, a group of youngsters on Sunday suggested ways to preserve and promote the architectural legacy of Bihar. From an IT engineer in Allahabad to an environmentalist in Noida, and from a marketing professional in Patna to a heritage activist in Delhi, they also expressed concerns over the loss of built heritage in Patna in the last several years and the old structures marked for demolition in the Bihar capital. They made their observations during an online session held late evening by the Save Historic Patna Collectorate, a citizen-led initiative to save heritage buildings of Bihar, which completed its six years on Sunday. Sourav Sengupta, a Noida-based environmentalist with roots in Patna, said, “A lot has changed in the past several years. Demolition of heritage buildings is still going on in the name of development.

The apathy of the policymakers and the people towards heritage preservation is still there, but many youngsters care for heritage, and that is a heartening sign.” He said more people-driven heritage movements are needed, not only in Patna but in other historic cities too like Allahabad, Kanpur, Indore, and Cuttack among others, and suggested holding heritage walks and talks to get the message across.

Patna-based marketing professional and cycling enthusiast Shailesh Kumar, who runs an initiative called ‘Pedal4Planet’ to promote cycling and heritage in Patna, lamented on the plight of heritage buildings in his hometown. “Our team often visits the Dutch-era Patna Collectorate during morning rides, and it is always so peaceful amid these heritage buildings. The government has been trying to demolish it since 2016, but a Supreme Court stay since September 2020 has so far saved it.

It is sad that to save heritage, people have to move courts,” he said. He also suggested taking the heritage movement to college and university students, especially those studying in old institutions having heritage buildings on campus, and make them understand its value. Delhi-based heritage activist Md Umar Ashraf, who hails from Bihar and runs a page ‘Heritage Times’ on social media, listed some of the buildings demolished in Patna in the last few years, including the over a century-old Gole Market and the 1885-built Anjuman Islamia Hall, and shared their historical significance. Allahabad-based Vaibhav Maini, an IT professional and heritage enthusiast, suggested reaching out to children to make them partners in the endeavour to save heritage. The Save Historic Patna Collectorate has supporters from diverse professions, students, heritage body INTACH, the UK-based Gandhi Foundation, and a large number of countries, besides people in several Indian cities. PTI KND IJT This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

https://theprint.in/india/youngsters-suggest-ways-to-preserve-built-heritage-of-bihar/901120/, April 5, 2022

Starting today, a new feature that takes us through the nooks and crannies of the national capital. Author-historian Swapna Liddle walks with us through the narrow lanes of Mehrauli, one of Delhi’s oldest inhabited areas, and talks about the need for our monuments to be less policed and more for the people. As author-historian Swapna Liddle takes one through Mehrauli, Delhi’s oldest inhabited area, multiple stories – spanning several decades and dynasties – begin to unfold. Back in the 12th Century, some one-and-a-half centuries after the Tomar Rajputs ruled Delhi, the Turks arrived, bringing in the Sultanate rule. Qutb-ud-din Aibak, one of Muhammad Ghori’s most trusted generals, conquered Delhi, making it a garrison town. “One of the first things he did was to make a mosque for his soldiers. What they built is this, what’s called the Quwwatul-Islam Mosque. It was built out of the stones of temples that were destroyed during the war of conquest. This was a pretty standard practice at the time, to discredit the regime that was being overthrown, since these temples had been erected by the previous rulers. In contrast, temples with a purely popular following – such as the Dadabari Jain temple and the Joymaya temple, both nearby, were not harmed. Apart from these re-used beams and pillars, the mosque also contained some new elements, you will notice that the arch here is not a true arch, it’s corbelled (formed by overlapping stones). And under the lintel that gives the arch its support, is a kirtimukha. This is because the masons are from India and for them this is a feature at the entrance of a temple to ward off the evil eye. Since this is a place of worship, they thought it’s important that it has to have one. Right here you see the dialogue that is working out, on what the aesthetics of new buildings are going to be,” says Liddle. As we move within this UNESCO World Heritage Site, we hear different languages, and one can’t help but wonder how Delhi’s composite culture must have emerged. Liddle points to the motifs on the remains of the stone screen of the mosque, built from new stones a few years after the original mosque, where the rekhta in architecture unfurls, and the writing is literally on the wall. “The masons were given a brief to make some nice carving in stone, but the Muslims who were to pray here didn’t want gods or goddesses. So, the workers made these symbolic representations of Ganga and Yamuna as they would at a temple entrance, on the main doorway of the sanctum. These alternating spirals represent the tail of the Makara, the vehicle of Ganga. And you see the kalash at the base, which is another common element in a temple. This is the beginning of the composite culture that you see in later architecture too. But this is a narrative never told of the Qutub, neither by the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) or the tour guides,” says Liddle. The Qutub Complex is a favourite with Liddle, who has for many years been studying and writing on Delhi’s monuments, and interpreting them for participants in heritage walks that she leads. Her love for the city and its monuments began when she started exploring them as a college student. She is the author of several books and articles on Delhi’s history and monuments, and has been Convener of the Delhi chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). We cross decades in a few steps as we come to the extension of the mosque, built by Iltutmish, the successor of Aibak. By this time, the Sultanate has settled down, it has established itself, and Central Asia feels the effects of the Mongols. People begin to migrate to Delhi and the surrounding areas. These new immigrants are Muslims, necessitating the expansion of the mosque, says Liddle. “I was reading the text on the boards here, and one of the things it says is that this part of the mosque displays purely Islamic motifs, in contrast to the earlier part.” It’s not that simplistic. As we take a closer look at the red sandstone screen of arches in this part of the mosque, Liddle points to the spirals and curves that have given way to more sophisticated geometric patterns and calligraphy. “Calligraphers from Central Asia have come in by now, and you can see their hand at work. Yet the kalash continues to be there, so do the lotus flowers. This is a generation later (1230s) and they know the ritual significance of a kalash, and they’re ok with it. Therefore, for us to say simply that the ornamentation is ‘Islamic’, is missing the complexity of the story completely. From here on we see the motifs of the lotus and kalash regularly in tombs and mosques, and it’s given pride of place,” she says. Liddle thinks the casual references to Sultanate and Mughal rule as ‘Islamic’ in the signage that dots the complex, is unfortunate. “What the ASI does, is that it mechanically reproduces what colonial historians wrote without any critical examination. So, if the Sultanate and the Mughals were Muslim rule, as they say, was British colonial rule Christian? And what about the current times we’re living in?” she says. “The identities of the new rulers of Delhi in the 13th century were complex, and their faith was just one element of it, and not necessarily one that determined their politics.”Liddle thinks it unfortunate that visitors to the Qutub Complex are not informed of the other riches that lie in Mehrauli – the Mehrauli Archaeological Park and the Mehrauli Village. “They can easily open up the exit at the Qutub Minar into the park,” she says, “which is a beautiful place with many historic monuments, from parts of the original 11th century city wall to the 19th century additions by the British. All of this is set in a beautiful green park which has been a picnic spot for generations. Next to it is Mehrauli village, also steeped in history with several protected monuments.” Liddle feels that if these areas around the Qutub Complex were promoted, visitors could spend a whole day in Mehrauli. This would bring business to the local community, as these visitors would eat and shop as well. When it comes to tourism, governments think they have to do everything. But they don’t, they only have to make it easy for people to do things. What stops our monuments, big and small, from being venues for events. Not big-ticket ones, with star performers, but for small groups? Many neighbourhood monuments used to be integral to the life of the community. Those living around them would use it as a meeting place, sit around, have their meetings or gossip sessions, either way, it was a good thing. Now there are guards who unnecessarily restrict even harmless activities. I think the major failure in tourism has been to not engage the community. They are in fact, the ones who have an immediate stake in this and if you can’t reinforce that and give them a voice, a sense of antipathy sets in. You can’t keep people out in the name of ‘maintenance’ and ‘beautification’, you have to work with people,” says Liddle. Barely a kilometre-and-half away from the Qutub Minar is Gurdwara Shahidi Asthaan Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. We leave the Park and the calls of mynahs and babblers to walk through the narrow lanes of the village. As we make our way towards the gurdwara, the road marches forwards towards the dargah of Sufi mystic, Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. One of the oldest dargahs in Delhi, it’s the venue for the annual Urs celebrations. But this isn’t why we come here. Liddle can see recent changes. New prominence is being given to what is claimed to be the place of the martyrdom of Banda Singh Bahadur, a Sikh warrior of the early 18th century, who had put up an armed resistance against the Mughals, for which he was publicly executed in Mehrauli. Then in 1947, the village was the site of sectarian violence directed against the dargah. “In fact, Gandhi visited the dargah just days before his assassination, and made it one of the conditions of breaking his fast that the dargah would be handed back to its custodians. It was probably around this time that one part of a 16th century gateway was converted into a gurdwara. Over the last few years, I have seen that a narrative of 300 years of ‘martyrdom’ of Banda Bahadur has been developed, giving a sectarian form to what was essentially a political movement. That is the tenor of the new board that has been placed within the other part of the gateway. There is a conscious re-inscription of spaces, with an emphasis on conflict. Mehrauli’s history is one of conflict as well as reconciliation. We need to ask ourselves if the stories we tell through, whether through the signage at the Qutub Complex or the re-inscription of this gateway, we are not emphasising the conflict without giving space to the composite culture which is also very much a part of our layered past,” says Liddle.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/mehrauli-home-to-the-qutub-complex-and-the-capitals-layered-past-7857833/lite/, April 5, 2022

President Ram Nath Kovind"s ongoing visit to the Netherlands has brought back into focus the historic Indo-Dutch ties with several Patna residents and heritage experts recalling the ancient city"s link with the European country and appealing to the authorities to preserve the centuries-old district collectorate and other "shared heritage" of the two countries. Patna Collectorate alongside Patna College"s main administration building and the remains of the old opium godown in Gulzarbagh, are among the last surviving signatures of Dutch history of Bihar"s capital. Scholar and ex-vice chancellor of Patna University, R B P Singh, recalled the very few surviving Dutch-era buildings in Patna and emphasised on the importance of "tangible shared heritage" which "not only unify two countries but two cultures" separated far apart geographically.

"It is sad that since 2016, the Bihar government has been trying to demolish the historic collectorate, a symbol of India and Patna"s link with the Netherlands, which is currently hosting our president. Heritage buildings physically represent the ties of two nations and demolishing the landmark would mean demolishing a part of our shared past with that wonderful country," Singh said. The ex-VC of PU, who has also served as the principal of the Patna College, whose office is located in a beautiful 17th century Dutch building, recalled the "polite appeal" made in April 2016 by the then Dutch envoy in India Alphonsus Stoelinga to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to spare the demolition of Patna Collectorate, which he had termed it as a "shared heritage". "I came across reports about the possibility of this shared built heritage of India and the Netherlands being demolished anytime. I sincerely believe that this built heritage depicting the Indo-Dutch history can be restored and alternate uses can be planned," Stoelinga had written in the letter to Kumar. "I am writing this letter to appeal to you to list the complex of buildings as per the norms of the state archaeological department," he had said.

Singh also highlighted that Kovind was the Governor of Bihar back in 2016 and "he surely must be thinking of this shared Indo-Dutch heritage in Patna during his visit". Heritage body INTACH, UK-based Gandhi Foundation, and several noted scholars, historians, conservation architects, former bureaucrats, lawyers and other citizens have been appealing regularly to the state government not to dismantle the collectorate, where parts of Oscar-winning film Gandhi was also shot, and link it to Dutch tourism and Gandhi tourism circuits. Conservation architect Amrita Jena feels the collectorate is such a "historic and iconic site" that it can be reused for a variety of purposes after sensitive restoration. "Both countries are fondly recalling their old cultural, economic and diplomatic links as our President is visiting the Netherlands. And, architectural legacy is a physical means by which we can literally touch that past the two countries share.

If we demolish it, things will remain just in books and it will be a tragedy to lose such a beauty," she told PTI. Besides, this and other Dutch-era buildings and the British-era structures in the 12-acre collectorate campus can be reused as a cultural hub with a museum, library, art gallery and even as an international guest house or an innovation centre to "showcase our heritage locally and to visiting foreign dignitaries". Kovind arrived in Amsterdam on Monday from Turkmenistan on the final leg of his two-nation visit - the first presidential trip to the Netherlands after 34 years since the visit of President R Venkataraman in 1988. During his visit to the Netherlands from April 4-7 at the invitation of King Alexander and Queen Maxima, Kovind is slated to hold discussions with Prime Minister Mark Rutte. After arriving in Amsterdam, Kovind and his wife First Lady Savita Kovind had visited the Keukenhof, the garden of Europe and home to the world-famous tulips, where he had named a new breed of a yellow tulip "Maitri" (friendship) to mark 75 years of official diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Patna native and heritage lover Sourav Sengupta, a core team member of Save Historic Patna Collectorate, a citizen-run initiative founded in April 2016 to save the Dutch-era landmark from demolition said people have no respect for the "extraordinary heritage wealth" that the city has. "We have an extraordinary heritage wealth in our city but do we respect our past let alone a shared heritage? President Kovind is being given so much love and respect by the Dutch and here in Patna, our government is hell-bent on razing it (collectorate) in the name of development though a court stay has halted the wrecking ball as of now," he said. "I feel, if the citizens can rise to the occasion and work together with heritage agencies and government authorities, we can redeem our past. And maybe someday, a VVIP Dutch guest or someone else will visit our city to appreciate our heritage.

They will not come to see the tall glass-and-concrete boxes we are building by demolishing old, beautiful buildings," he rued. The state government would do well to not look at heritage with a "jaundiced eye" and celebrate it as "our heritage, shared heritage". The Dutch came to India in early 17th century with the establishment of the Dutch East India Company which traded in various Indian cities like Surat, Patna, Chinsurah (Bengal) and Pulicat (Coromandel region of Tamil Nadu). Patna was one of the major trading centres for opium and saltpetre and the Dutch built factories and godowns there on the banks of Ganga as the river played a major role in trade operation until the advent of railways in the 19th century. PTI KND RHL

https://www.nyoooz.com/news/patna/1668598/prez-in-netherlands-patna-citizens-recall-citys-dutch-link-appeal-to-preserve-shared-heritage/, April 5, 2022

One can visit these magnificent and historic structures following three routes, all within a 30-km radius of Bolpur. Here’s route one. Of the many destinations close to Kolkata for a quick getaway, Bolpur and Santiniketan remain perennial favourites. When visiting Bolpur next time, tread beyond the known and take some time to visit the age-old brick temples adorned with exquisite terracotta work that dot villages and towns within a 30-km radius of Bolpur. One can visit these magnificent structures following three routes. For the first, it is recommended heading to the temples of Surul, Supur and Itonda. Temples of Surul About 5km west of Bolpur, the Surul Rajbari is one of the few well-maintained erstwhile zamindari homes of Birbhum. In the 18th century, local man Srinivas Sarkar acquired the rajbari and built it up to the structure we see at present. Sarkar made his fortune selling sails for the ships that traded from the busy Saheb Ghat port in Illambazar, about 14km away, when Surul was a commercial residency under the East India Company. By the mansion is the 19th-century Lakshmi Janardan temple. The five-pinnacled structure of the temple has intricate terracotta work depicting scenes from the Ramayana. Unfortunately some of these panels have decayed over time, but the surviving ones are just as beautiful to see. Beside the Lakshmi Janardan temple stand the two Rekha-Deul style Shiva temples of the Sarkar family. The most prominent terracotta work here depicts the enthronement of Rama. Interestingly, in the panel, all those assembled to witness the moment are dressed in European attire. These terracotta temples around the Surul Rajbari were all built by Srinivas Sarkar. Two more temples with exquisite terracotta work stand in the south-western end of the village and are maintained by the descendants of Srinivas Sarkar. Temples of Supur Just 5km south of Surul is the village of Supur, which was once believed to be part of Kalinga king Suratha’s kingdom. Among the temples dotting the village is the 18th-century Jora Shiva Temples, also known as the Jora Mandir of Lalbazar. The two Rekha Deul-style temples, one of which has an octagonal structure, are the best example of terracotta art in Supur. The octagonal temple has terracotta work on all its sides, and along with human figurines, the panels also have impressive floral motifs. Among the top panels, one can see interesting stories from the Ramayana, such as Rama fighting against his sons Lava and Kusha over the Ashwamedha horse. There are also etchings of gods such as Durga with her family and depictions of war scenes including one that shows soldiers with guns sitting on an elephant and horses. The only prominent panel in the ridged Rekha Deul is that of Lord Ram and Sita on the throne flanked by Ram’s courtiers. Temples of Itonda Itonda, or Itanda, is on the other side of Bolpur and about 19.5km from Supur. There are four beautiful temples for visitors to see here. The first temple is a small south-facing Rekha Deul, built by one Gadadhar Pyne in 1815. The second, is a Pancharatna Shiva Temple, which was built in 1828. Among the terracotta work in the second — some intact and some eroded — the most notable ones are a plaque showing the court of Rama, scenes from the Dasavatar, a severely eroded figurine of goddess Kali in a sari and the figure of a bearded nobleman wearing crown-like headgear. The third temple, known as the chandni (flat-roofed) Sridhar temple, is a double-storied structure that looks like an old zamindar house. A foundation stone indicates that the year of construction is 1844. The temple has pillars and arches on both floors, along with detailed stucco work. The Pancharatna Shiva temple and the Sridhar temple were both built around 200 years ago by Rasananda Sadhu, who was the last well-known member of the local Sadhu family. The star attraction of this village, however, is the Jora Bangla-style Kali Temple. The temple was in a perilous condition, but the state archeology department, along with the Santiniketan chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), has done a commendable job of renovating it. The exquisite terracotta panels of the temples are works of art that paint a picture of life, events and art of the 19th century. In one of the base panels, a naval gunfight plays out between two ships armed with cannons. Other interesting scenes show a lion hunting, soldiers marching with guns and elite noblemen in robes. There is also mythology-inspired art such as a figure of Devi Chandi sitting on a lion and fighting demons, and Dasvatar and Dasamahavidya motifs. In one motif we see a young Hanuman attacking Surya, who is in his chariot driven by his winged charioteer Arun, the brother of Garuda. The floral design and the vertical friezes on the walls of the temple were masterfully done as well.

https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/places/tour-the-terracotta-temples-around-santiniketan-in-surul-supur-and-itonda-on-a-day-trip-from-bolpur/cid/1859054, April 6, 2022

Given the situation, PhD scholars of the astronomy department, the lone one in the 2 Telugu-speaking states, are forced to utilise astronomical observatories elsewhere for their advanced research. The Nizamiah Observatory in Hyderabad, which could have well been a relevant reminder of the city’s scientific heritage and its historic contributions to the field of astronomy in India, is a forgotten monument and a symbol of neglect today.

Its two cylindrical stone structures with domes built over a century ago are a grim reflection of its glorious past. Meanwhile, with its main 48-inch telescope lying dysfunctional for over two decades, the Japal-Rangapur Observatory that replaced the former in the 1980s is heading in the same direction. Osmania University (OU), the custodian of the two structures and their many vintage instruments, is distressed about the lack of funds or faculty strength to adopt the latest technologies. Given the situation, PhD scholars of the astronomy department, the lone one in the two Telugu-speaking states, are forced to utilise astronomical observatories elsewhere for their advanced research and analysis.

Established in 1901 as a passion project of an England-educated nobleman, Nawab Zafar Yar Jung Bahadur, at his estate in Phisalbanda with the support of the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Mahbub Ali Khan Bahadur, the Nizamiah Observatory was taken over by the Nizam’s government in 1908, a year after the Nawab’s death. It was relocated to Begumpet and brought under the Osmania University later in 1919. Incidentally, the facility was one among the only two observatories in the country at the time of Independence.

Carte-du-Ciel
In the book, ‘Astronomy in India – A Perspective’, published by the Indian National Science Academy, authors Rajesh Kochchar and Jayant Narlikar note that the formal establishment of the Nizamiah Observatory had to await the founder’s death. In 1908, they say, this Observatory replaced Santiago Observatory in Chile to take part in an ambitious international programme called Carte-du-Ciel, which aimed to photographically map the whole sky by assigning various celestial zones to 18 different observatories around the world. The Nawab’s eight-inch Cooke Astrograph and a 15-inch Grubb refractor telescope were used in the Carte-du-Ciel programme. In 1914, the Nizam brought in Robert John Pocock, ‘a protege of influential Oxford professor Herbert Hall Turner, direct from Oxford, armed with a special grant’ as the new director to replace Arthur Brunel Chatwood who had been brought from England in 1908 for an annual salary of 1200 British pounds.

According to the authors, when the programme ended in 1946, a total of 7,63,542 stars had been observed and 12 volumes of work published. The Observatory, as a community service, also kept standard time and prepared government calendars in Urdu and English. Post-Independence, it was the University Grants Commission that initiated the modernisation of the Nizamiah Observatory in 1954. Most of the funds came from the US Government through the India Wheat Loan Educational Exchange Programme.

According to the two authors, after the OU set up its Department of Astronomy in 1959, it received a special grant from 1964 to 1979. A 48-inch (1.2 m) reflector telescope of Messers JW Fecker of Pittsburgh was brought in 1964 and the same was finally commissioned at a new site in Japal-Rangapur village in 1968. While the new Observatory, about 50-km from the city, gained prominence, the locales of Begumpet made way for urbanisation and concretisation. Citing light pollution, the Nizamiah Observatory was vacated and its vintage instruments were shifted to the OU campus in 1983. Over time, the main telescope at Japal-Rangapur Observatory, too, has become obsolete and has been out of use for about two decades for the same reasons. The university, officials say, has no funds to procure the latest astronomical instruments for its students to use.

Outdated Telescope for Research
While the 48-inch telescope has been non-functional, students of the Department of Astronomy at the OU use a basic 12-inch telescope at the Observatory for their practicals. Research scholars, however, are currently using the same to record preliminary observations with the help of a basic charge-coupled device to produce images. “With the preliminary observations and analysis, they prepare proposals and apply for telescopic time on a bigger telescope available at Kavalur Observatory (Vainu Bappu Observatory operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics at Kavalur in Tamil Nadu),” said a faculty member. “With available facilities, we have been focussed on keeping alive the curiosity in astronomy among youngsters. Yes, currently students are going out and collecting data. We have been trying for funds from the government and other sources for acquiring the latest technologies. It will help research if modern equipment is provided,” says Dr D Shanti Priya, head of the astronomy department.

The department had in the past proposed the purchase of a 0.2-meter robotic telescope that can be operated remotely. It would cost between Rs 3 to 5 crore for one such telescope, she adds. Noting that the university is looking into the request from the department for new telescopes, Dr B Veeraiah, who is the principal of the University College of Science, says that the huge costs involved and the lack of sufficient faculty strength have come as a major obstacle in their procurement. “The cost involved is in crores. The corporates may not fund such big amounts and funding through foreign collaborations requires a minimum faculty strength in the department. We are lagging in that aspect.

But the vice-chancellor is striving for funds and has assured recruitment shortly,” said Dr Veeraiah, who is also the acting director of the Observatory. The Department of Astronomy at the OU has about 60 post-graduate students in its MSc programme and another 12 research scholars at present. Against a sanctioned teaching staff strength of 24 members, the department at present has four regular faculty members and another hired on contract. The last major recruitment in the department was held in 2013, before the formation of the new state of Telangana.
Astronomical Heritage Needs Protection

Vouching for the protection of the city’s heritage, P Anuradha Reddy, the co-convenor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)-Telangana, credits the vision of the Nizams for making Hyderabad a world-class city back in the day. According to her, the Nizam was extremely supportive not only of the Observatory but a whole lot of initiatives that helped Hyderabad stand apart. “So, what if these telescopes are defunct? It will be a good idea to bring it all back to the city. There is so much history that needs to be recorded. These two stone structures in the heart of the city can be a museum where you display the instruments, the documentary and photographic evidence of the works, and so on,” she adds. Dr BG Siddharth, a renowned astrophysicist, agrees with Reddy when he says the Observatory that forms the city’s century-old astronomical heritage needs preservation. According to him, the Nizamiah Observatory comes from an era when the British were interested in making their observations and did not encourage Indian talent.

“It (Nizamiah Observatory) was a very important place for making observations. For an observatory, one requires proper manpower to run it. Over the years, it is a pity that it has become a showpiece or museum piece. Japal-Rangapur observatory seems to be going the same way for lack of personnel to look after it,” says Dr Siddharth who till his retirement worked as the founder-director of BM Birla Science Centre in Hyderabad. The Nizam-era building at Begumpet could be used to house an astronomical museum, agrees Dr Veeraiah.

“The equipment that was transferred from Nizamiah Observatory to Japal-Rangapur Observatory can be brought back to the city. The building can be used as a museum. It needs to be discussed with all faculty members,” he agrees. In the same breath, Dr Siddharth adds that to prevent Japal-Rangapur Observatory from becoming a relic of the past just like the Nizamiah Observatory, huge investments in modern equipment and qualified human resources are necessary. Dr Veeraiah believes that efforts in that direction once fructified will benefit students from the region.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/hyderabad/hyderabad-two-astronomical-observatories-rich-heritage-sad-state-7849636/, April 6, 2022

The city will get a glimpse of 5,000-year-old artefacts from the Harappan civilization retrieved during archaeological excavations by archaeologist and historian Rakhaldas Banerji a century ago. The exhibition at the Indian Museum will showcase the replicas of two of the best known findings, the Priest and the Dancing Girl, and 165 pieces of pottery, terra cotta figures, implements and seals dating back to 1,500 BC to 3,000 BC. Some objects from Harappan culture used to be displayed in the Pre and Proto History gallery at Indian Museum up to the mid-1960s before it was closed around the turn of the century. Though it was renovated along with other galleries during the museum’s bicentenary celebrations in 2014, it is only now that museum authorities have decided to reopen it.

“The exhibition gallery that we are readying to mark the centenary of the Harappan excavation will provide the blueprint for the Harappan gallery on the mezzanine floor in the museum’s eastern wing. The gallery should be ready by next year,” said Indian Museum archaeology section in-charge Satyakam Sen. The exhibition will be inaugurated on April 12, the 137th birth anniversary of Banerji, who discovered Mohenjo-daro. “Since Indian Museum (then called Imperial Museum at Calcutta) was the only major museum at the time, all the significant finds from Harappa and Mohenjo-daro landed here.

We will showcase the best of the lot at this exhibition,” said Indian Museum director A D Chaudhuri. Professor Vasant Shinde, CSIR Bhatnagar fellow and former vice-chancellor of Deccan College, who has conducted several significant excavations at Dholavira in Gujarat, that has been identified as the only Harappan world heritage site in India, said while the artefacts threw light on the lifestyle of Harappans, most did not know about the philosophy of the people who lived in those times. “People tend to believe that since Mesopotemians and Egyptians built giant temples and pyramids, they were more advanced than Harappans.

The excavated sites reveal beautiful, well planned, hygienic cities that require the best civil engineers. Harrapan society was democratic, unlike Mesopotamia and Egypt, where life revolved around kings. Hence, they did not believe in grand monuments,” explained Shinde. Also, Harappans did not believe in burying a lot of wealth with the dead. “They were more pragmatic. At the most, one finds some pottery and bits of jewellery in the graves,” added Shinde. Some such objects discovered at Harappa Cemetery H will be on display at the exhibition. “Alongside the exhibition, we will conduct workshops on pottery-making and pottery-drawing,” said Indian Museum education officer Sayan Bhattacharya.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/museum-to-display-5000-yr-old-harappan-artefacts-on-rakhaldass-birth-anniversary/articleshow/90694802.cms, April 6, 2022

Archaeologists have identified 65 large sandstone jars believed to be used for ritual burials across four sites in Assam, India, according to a new study published in the Journal of Asian Archaeology last week. They have yet to identify who made the vessels. The research project—a joint effort between Australian National University (ANU), North-Eastern Hill University and Gauhati University, the latter two in India—started as a routine survey to explore three known sites. It wasn’t until the team worked with local communities to extend their survey to include a 300-square-kilometer area among dense forests in the surrounding region that they unearthed 742 total jars. The majority were found in poor condition resulting from forest growth, burning, and local road-cutting projects. The vessels vary in shape, size, decoration, and condition. Of the more intricate, a few appear to be carved, decorated with stones, and engraved with human figures—some of whom are depicted holding weapons. While some of the jars are tall and cylindrical, others are partially or fully buried in the ground. “We still don’t know who made the giant jars or where they lived,” ANU PhD student Nicholas Skopal said in a press release. According to the study, common engravings on the bulbs could be in honor of spiritual leader Rani Gaidinliu, who led a revolt against British rule in India in the early 20th century. “There are stories from the Naga people, the current ethnic groups in north-east India, of finding the Assam jars filled with cremated remains, beads and other material artefacts,” Skopal said. “It seems as though there aren’t any living ethnic groups in India associated with the jars, which means there is an importance to maintain the cultural heritage.” Further excavation and research of seven other known sites in the area will be necessary in determining the jars’ purpose as well as their makers. In keeping with previously discovered vessels of this kind, primarily in Laos and Indonesia, the Assam artifacts were located along hills and ridge lines. Among the most well-known concentrations of this kind are 120 megalithic sites, called the Plain of Jars, on the Xiangkhoang Plateau in Laos, with jars made from local sandstone, granite, limestone, breccia, conglomerate, or boulders.

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/giant-stone-jars-unearthed-india-study-1234624268/, April 7, 2022

Are you a heritage buff who loves artefacts? Do you love spending long hours in museums getting acquainted with the stories from the past? If yes, then Museology is the course for you. Museology is a multidisciplinary subject that encompasses bits of history, archaeology, research and archiving. Its other aspects are infrastructure maintenance, offering technical inputs needed to design a museum and audience engagement. It also involves the management and administration of museums. Museums are storehouses of culture and heritage. The word museum has classical origins. In its Greek form, mouseion, it means “seat of the Muses”. Conventionally, it was a designated philosophical institution or a place of contemplation.

Job roles
What are the jobs you can land with a degree in Museology?

Museum Curators: They assemble the display of historical artefacts in museums, design specialised galleries, label and align all the items, purchase new collections, and record the origin, age and conservation details of each item. They also host special events or exhibitions in the museum. Museum educationist: These professionals interact with museum visitors and enlighten them about the historic artefacts in a museum or a specific gallery. They host and guide groups of academics, students, scholars and dignitaries.

Exhibition coordinator: There can be multiple exhibitions in a museum at the same time. Exhibition coordinators curate and coordinate such events. They also handle public relations of those exhibitions. Archivists: They evaluate, organise, collect, conserve and keep access to records and archives in museums and galleries. They also need some knowledge of technology for working in the digital domain. Conservation specialists: They have specialised knowledge to spot decay in historical artefacts. These professionals are trained to treat the deterioration of paintings, monuments and artefacts and restore them to their original forms.

Job prospects
India has around 700 museums and the numbers are expected to go up in the future. Those who complete their post-graduation course in Museology can land jobs in museums outside the country too. Where to study?

Undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma courses in Museology are available in the colleges affiliated with MG University, Kerala University and Calicut University. The Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit at Kalady is now offering MA Museology Programme at its main centre in Kalady. The number of seats for the programme will be 25. Admissions will be orchestrated through online entrance examinations held by the varsities. The notifications about the entrance examinations are published on respective university websites.

Eligibility:
For BA Museology & Archaeology, the candidates need to have passed 10+2 For the MA programme, a degree (regular/distant mode) recognised by the University under the 10+2+3 pattern is mandatory. Students with a UG degree are eligible to apply for the programme.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2022/apr/08/for-the-history-buffs-2439228.html, April 7, 2022

In heartening news for heritage conservationists, the prehistoric petroglyphs at Pansaimol in Rivona in South Goa have made it to the tentative UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. The UNESCO world heritage centre has written to the permanent delegate of India informing the official about the inclusion. The petroglyphs came to be included in the list after the directorate of archaeology and museum of Maharashtra sent a combined proposal for the inclusion of the petroglyphs of the coastal Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa, director of the Maharashtra department, Tejas Garge, said.

The proposal was submitted to the central government last year listing the petroglyphs of Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg districts and Goa’s Pansimol. Petroglyphs are varied in shape and size and include human figures, birds, animals, geometrical forms and composite creatures.

More than 600 figures have been found in clusters in Kasheli, Rundhye Tali, Devache Gothane, Barsu, Devi Hosol, Jambharun and Ukshi in Ratnagiri and Kudopi in Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, and in Pansaimol in Goa. “It is a moment of pride that one of the protected archaeological sites of Goa has been included in the tentative list. We had given our inputs for the proposal of Pansaimol petroglyphs,” assistant superintending archaeologist, directorate of archives and archaeology, Goa, Varad Sabnis, said. A horticulturist, Vithal Khandeparkar, who resides very close to the protected site in Goa, said that villagers knew the petroglyphs as ‘rakhanyachi chitra’.

“I brought the petroglyphs to the notice of former director of archaeology, Prakashchadra Shirodkar, and researcher Nandkumar Kamat in 1993. They highlighted the archaeological and prehistoric heritage associated with it,” Khandeparkar said. Retired officer of the government of Maharashtra, Satish Lalit, who was instrumental in discovering the petroglyphs of Hevale near Malvan in Maharashtra in May 2001, said, “The news about to the inclusion of the petroglyphs of Goa and Konkan region of Maharashtra in the tentative list of Unesco World Heritage Sites will certainly give new dimension to the rich history of the region and draw more researchers.”

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/s-goa-petroglyphs-on-unesco-shortlist/articleshow/90672332.cms, April 8, 2022

The petroglyphs in Ratnagiri region are also known as katal shilpa and believed to be nearly 20,000 years old. THE PETROGLYPHS of Konkan region, spread across Maharashtra and Goa, are among the three Indian attractions that have been added to the Tentative List of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) World Heritage Sites. The other two Indian sites are Jingkieng Jri, the living root bridge in Meghalaya, and Sri Veerabhadra Temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Lepakshi. Petroglyphs or Geoglyphs are a form of rock art, and comprise images drawn by removing part of a rock surface on the ground by incising, picking, carving or abrading. Ratnagiri district is believed to have more than 1,500 petroglyphs spread across over 70 sites.

The carvings are in the shape of human figures, birds, animals and geometric forms, though they vary in shape and size from site to site. The petroglyphs in Ratnagiri region are also known as katal shilpa and believed to be nearly 20,000 years old. The Tentative List in UNESCO mentions seven sites with petroglyphs in Ratnagiri district — Ukshi, Jambharun, Kasheli, Rundhe Tali, Devihsol, Barsu and Devache Gothane, one in Sindhudurg district –Kudopi village, and nine sites at Pansaimol in Goa.

The Maharashtra government, through its Tourism and Cultural affairs Department, has now started the process of preparing a final dossier of these prehistoric rock art sites. The dossier will be sent the Archaeological Survey of India, which will then present it to UNESCO in a bid to secure the tag of a World Heritage Site. Dr Tejas Garge, director of Maharashtra Archaeology Department, said they have started the process to appoint an agency to prepare the dossier, which will include several interesting aspects of the site. Over the last few years, Sudhir Risbud of Ratnagiri-based Nisarga Yatri Sanstha and his team have undertaken a campaign to find and preserve petroglyphs in Konkan region. They have, so far, discovered nearly 1,700 petroglyphs from more than 72 villages. Their team alerted authorities about the rich abundance of petroglyphs in the area. “It is a proud moment for the whole team of Nisarga Yatri as the sites have been added to the Tentative List of UNESCO. We hope that it is recognised as a World Heritage Site,” said Risbud.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/petroglyph-found-in-konkan-added-in-unesco-heritage-sites-tentative-list-7856932/, April 8, 2022