Two heritage precincts in the city that have stood mute witness to some glorious chapters of the Indian freedom struggle-the August Kranti Maidan and the Azad Maidan have degenerated to a "shocking state of neglect and degradation" reveals a two-year study conducted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in collaboration with architectural firm Ratan J Batliboi Consultants. In a countdown to the 70th anniversary of India's independence next year, the Foundation and Batliboi architects have drawn up an ambitious blueprint of change to transform what they believe are "icons of ugliness with nothing of educative value ."

On Monday at the Raj Bhavan, Sudheendra Kulkarni, chairman of ORF presented the report to governor Vidyasagar Rao along with a grand revival plan. "Do we allow that invaluable heritage associated with the freedom movement to fade away or become victims of neglect by both government and society?" he asked seeking support from the governor in preserving the heritage of these hallowed spots, befitting of its history. Responding to Kulkarni's appeal for a directive to the government for a public-private partnership to resurrect these spaces of national importance, Rao assured: "I'll take up the matter with the chief minister and the prime minister immediately.

There will be need to co-ordinate with a number of parties and do things peacefully. I'm happy with the initiative. Now let us improve its strength." The report both historical and with a strong architectural component lists the desecration of the spaces before proposing a facelift that uses the art and science of "placemaking", a new buzzword in urban renewal. The August Kranti Maidan where Mahatma Gandhi beckoned people to the Quit India movement is hemmed in today by encroachments, filthy public toilets, a garbage depot and drug dens today while Azad Maidan, that earned its name from the country's first war of independence in 1857 and hosted the country's first cricket test match, is dwarfed by rows of slums and garbage around its periphery.

The masterplan for a new Azad Maidan includes an 1857 memorial, reorganising of the protest area, two multi-use green parks, an Azadi Plaza with shops and eateries and a cricket museum. The proposed plan for August Kranti Maidan is meant to set a new paradigm in open space design with a freedom trail including an 1885 museum, Tejpal Plaza, Quit India memorial, recreational spaces and pedestrian bridges. "The freedom trail will help visitors and students live through the years 1857 to 1942, study people and events that shaped the freedom movement," explained Gautam Kirtane of ORF who steered the survey. Kulkarni also demanded that Bal Gangadhar Tilak's residence Sardar Gruha, which has fallen into disrepair over the years, be declared a national memorial.

With the clock ticking away, conservation architect and advisor to ORF, Abha Lambah, reminded the governor: "We have one year and 14 days to go. If we could get started on funds under the state's existing schemes we can start the restoration so that next year when we walk past these spaces we don't have to hang our heads in shame."

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 2, 2016

As the new fishing season began on Monday, the Coast Guard warned the fishermen to be cautious while venturing into the seas as the monsoon seems to be growing vigorous this year. DIG, Coast Guard, M V Baadkar while briefing the media on Monday evening, said, "the CG organizes special community interaction programmes with fishing communities at various fishing villages to brief them about safety guidelines before venturing into the seas."

He added, "The caution will also be applicable to all water sports operators and leisure crafts operating in the seas." The Coast Guard has urged the fishermen to carry adequate life-saving equipment, biometric cards, boat documents, temporary repair kit, extra fuel and ration on board. The fishermen have been asked not to employ any minor at the sea to check the worthiness of boats. They have requested the fishermen to call on toll free No. 1554 for any eventuality in the sea or on seeing any unknown boat/vessel in the sea.

Besides ships, the CG has been operating helicopters for swift response to maritime search and rescue, pollution and maritime reconnaissance capabilities for the coastal security of the state. In this regard the Coast Guard has also requested the directorate of fisheries to re-sensitize the community on various safety aspects this season.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 2, 2016

The 10th edition of India International Textile Machinery Exhibition (India ITME 2016), to be held in Mumbai in December, will focus on clean and green technology. According to Seema Srivastava, Executive Director of India ITME Society, the six-day exhibition at Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, from December 3 will have 950 participants from 93 countries.

With the textile industry, especially units in south India, incurring heavy cost towards pollution control, there is a special pavilion for waste water recycling and technology. Unlike previous editions of the exhibitions, where spinning was the main attraction, this year, participants are occupying two halls to display machinery related to the weaving sector.

Machinery will be displayed under 17 different segments related to the textile industry. New products will be launched in spinning, processing, and weaving segments. There will be an exclusive hall for digital printing, testing and measuring equipment. Carpet machinery from Belgium and Turkey, fibre and yarn from China, Taiwan, Germany and Indonesia, and participation of Turkey in the spinning, weaving, and chemical and dyes segments are some of the special attractions at the expo.

Seminars, workshops, and panel discussions will be held from December 3 to 7. Weavers from Maharashtra will demonstrate weaving and the events as part of the exhibition will include fashion show, display of textile sculptures and ethnic fabric, and photography exhibition.

The exhibition is held once in four years and since the last edition, several overseas companies have opened offices in India. With Central Government’s thrust on Make in India, this business-to-business exhibition will lead to investments and opportunities, she said.

- http://www.thehindu.com/, August 2, 2016

Lack of care adds to shrine damage Jameshwar Temple suffered extensive damage from a lightning strike on Saturday. A deep crack has developed on the 11th century temple's wall and a chunk of its ornate exterior is hanging precariously. Lightning has also burnt the flag of the venerable Anant Vasudev temple in the city. The incident has brought under the spotlight the poor condition of heritage monuments across the state with conservation measures leaving much to be desired.

Local people have been coming to see the damaged temple since yesterday and raising questions on the lackadaisical attitude of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials. "We had asked the ASI to install lightning arresters following lightning strikes over the past few years. But they did nothing. The temple priest had also complained about the waterlogging problems on the premises, but nothing was done on that front as well," said Manmath Swain, who lives close by.

Historians find the temple significant because of its architectural similarities with the Sun Temple at Konark. "This temple is older than the Sun Temple. It is believed that this was one of the inspirations for building the more famous temple," said historian Dilip Sahu. The crown of an auxiliary shrine on the premises of the 11th century Lingaraj Temple was destroyed in a lightning strike a few years ago. Last year, also similar incidents damaged some temples in the city's Old Town area.

Archaeologists have expressed their concern over the lack of adequate protection measures in most historical monuments of the state. There are around 78 protected monuments in the ASI Bhubaneswar Circle. But apart from a few shrines such as Lingaraj, Konark and the Jagannath temple in Puri, most do not have lightning arresters. "There is need for a proper survey by experts, after which a strategy could be formed so that all the temples in the area are covered. Advanced lightning arresters that can cover a wide area are now available.

So, if three or four are fitted on top of a temple, the entire area can be protected against lightning strikes," said eminent archaeologist, K.K. Basa. The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has also expressed its concern over the phenomenon. The association not only rued the negligence of the ASI, but also criticised the lack of co-ordination between the state government and the ASI. "A number of heritage monuments under the ASI's protection have been damaged in the past five years. The number of foreign tourists coming to the state is already low and if the ASI does not ensure protection of the state's historical monuments, we will lose all the major tourist sites and in turn, the number of tourists," said IATO chairman, Odisha chapter, Gagan Sarangi.

Odisha State Archaeology fixes lightning arresters on monuments that are more than 50ft high. There are 218 monuments that the state archaeology manages and in view of the latest incident it has been decided to review the lightning protocol. "We will now take extra care to ensure that lightning conductors are properly designed and maintained. Irrespective of the height of the temples, we will install lightning arresters and also take note of fire prevention measures in some temples," said a senior official from the state archaeology.

The state tourism department has also decided to tie-up with the ASI to develop major tourist locations. "It is high time that a proper roadmap is prepared to conserve the state's monuments. We will sit with tourism stakeholders and ASI officials shortly to create ways for all-round development of important locations," said tourism secretary Gagan Dhal.

The BJP yesterday wrote to Union petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan to intervene in the matter and take steps to facilitate setting up of lightning arresters at popular shrines. Following the incident, a team of five ASI officials visited the affected Jameshwar Temple and assured that proper restoration would be carried out. "We have taken pictures of the site and we will start installing lightning arresters shortly," said surveyor Pradeep Rout.

- http://www.telegraphindia.com/, August 2, 2016

Material collected by Biswajit Sahu will be of much use in refuting the claim of the British to have written the history of the region in all its accuracy. A recent finding made by the Archaeological Survey of India could push back the history of Sunderbans to the Mauryan period in the 3rd century BC. The team of archaeologists, led by Dr Phanikant Mishra (Eastern zone regional director), happened to make the discovery in Sunderbans as an accident rather than a planned scientific search.

“I had gone there with my team for some archaeological work and came across this fisherman by chance. He asked us to visit him at his home, where we found a large number of objects which can easily be dated back to the Mauryan, Gupta and Sunga period,” Mishra told IndianExpress.com. The historical discovery at Sunderbans was carried out by a fisherman named Biswajit Sahu. As per Mishra, Sahu was educated as a young boy on certain aspects of the Harappan civilisation. He did not have any knowledge of archaeology but as part of his interest he started collecting a few objects he found when he went fishing. Incidentally, these objects did not belong to some yet undiscovered dynasties in Sunderbans.

At present, the historicity of the Sunderbans stretches back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, with a significant amount of information available for the Mughal period. The first attempt at mapping the Sunderbans was made in 1764 after the region was brought under the East India Company from the Mughal emperor Alamgir II. The area came under proper government administration only from the 1860s when the forest department was established.

Material collected by Biswajit Sahu will be of much use in refuting the claim of the British to have written the history of the region in all its accuracy. “Up till now whatever we knew about the Sunderbans has been restricted to the flora and fauna there. There has been no proper archaeological discovery. The British used to visit the region and large Gothic buildings present there is good testimony to that. However, they never made a detailed archaeological study of the area,” said Mishra.

Artifacts discovered by Sahu include pottery, terracotta beads, terracotta figurines, figures of Mother Goddesses, large number of human and animal skeletal remnants. Asked about how Mishra was able to trace the history of these objects back to the 3rd century BC, he said that there are certain patterns in archaeological artifacts which can be traced back to specific historical periods. For instance, the Northern Black Polished Ware is a specific kind of pottery that can easily be traced back to the Mauryan period. Mishra went on to explain that now that such artifacts have been discovered the biggest challenge is to excavate them in situ.

“I plan on conducting a proper scientific excavation in Sunderbans in the coming days in order to put together a detailed study on the time period,”said Mishra.

- http://www.assamtribune.com/, August 2, 2016

India, with a richer set of natural attractions than those many other countries have been capitalising on, ought to plan its tourism strategy with care. In the third week of November 2015, our daughter Reshmy and grandson Vihaan went on a short vacation to Hong Kong. My wife Sudha and I had not planned any outing during the Deepavali vacation. I had not visited Lonavala, in Maharashtra, and my ‘awareness’ about that place was limited to just chikkis (for which the place is famous) and its waterfalls. Not being very comfortable with online booking practices, I went and booked a two-day stay at a hotel there, through the nearest travel agent in Bhandup, Mumbai. Also reserved two seats in a bus leaving Chembur at 9 a.m. on November 17.

We reached the hotel by 11.30 a.m. With just 50-odd double rooms, the hotel had a majestic, palace-like look. They served only Gujju/Rajastani/Chinese vegetarian food. The package for two persons for two nights, included all meals, and for Rs. 10,500, at the present level of prices, it looked inexpensive.

Day one, in the afternoon we hired a car and went around. Covered almost the entire Lonavala and some parts of Khandala. Chikki shops were everywhere. Waterfalls were conspicuous by their absence! They say you should visit during rains to enjoy the waterfalls. Did they mean rainfalls?

About tourist spots. We skipped the Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves, as the driver of the car we hired told us, “aap log senior citizens hai. Udhar chadhna mushkil hoga”(you people are elderly. Can’t climb up the steps there). The MTDC Boating Club, another tourist spot, was closed. Skipped Wax Muzeum, as we had seen enough of celebrities in wax formations, some deformed due to heat, in other places. We visited a couple of dams, a lake, a temple (Narayani Dham), a couple of ‘view points’, Sunset Point and Reywood Park. A word about Reywood Park. Several trees, a children’s park and a pathway in a vast area make it a nice spot where one would love to spend some evening time. But, it was shabbily maintained (I should say, there was no maintenance), waiting for someone to buy the area at a throwaway price and convert into a ‘resort of sorts’.

That reminds me our Wayanad tour of 2013. That district had been converted into a nice ‘tourist village’ in Kerala, by developing half a dozen spots including Pookode Lake, Edakkal Caves and Kuruva Dweep with international-standard cleanliness and facilities. When we visited Singapore ten years earlier, I had wondered why India, which has several resource-rich geographical areas with tourist attractions much better compared to what Singapore packaged and served us, was not taking advantage of the rich tourism resources. What we saw in Wayanad convinced me that just one District Collector with government support can do wonders in the tourism sector.

In India, I have had a glance of most of the State capitals in southern, central and northern India. From the tourism angle, I have visited parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Outside India we have visited Dubai, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

I believe India has not exploited even 10 per cent of its potential in the tourism industry. I am not against the private sector or public-private sector partnership in any area. But in the Indian context, the nation has to have a vision about the kind of infrastructure that it needs, priorities about geographical areas that could be made attractive tourism spots, and the extent of support the government can give through guidance and policy support. Conscious government involvement is necessary to protect the interests of the local population and the environment.

Unfortunately, like posh multi-specialty hospitals in India which care more for the comforts of patient-attendants, tourism is being marketed in India as posh stay arrangements and guided visits to certain spots developed with the inflow of tourists in mind, some ‘heritage tourism’, and lately several good and bad practices in the name of ‘health tourism’. There is no holistic approach. Here also Kerala stands out as a model, that can be further improved. Though blessed with a long sea coast, several rivers and waterfalls, backwaters, pleasant weather round the year and a number of spots where tourists from outside the country and many from the other States of India would like to spend their days, the infrastructure available to provide stay and travel arrangements is not very impressive. Guidance from the government as to the standard facilities to be provided in different categories of stay arrangements is conspicuous by its absence at the ground level.

Experience abroad When we go as tourists to other countries, joining conducted tours or reaching there on our own and availing the help of guides, chances are that we will be going to places that have been developed to attract tourists and may not see the places which the host country is not proud of. In India we give the choice to tourists and many of them land in places that are not very attractive or are not maintained with visitors in view. In countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai, tourism is not about staying in big hotels or resorts and swimming or playing games. Though the countries offer good hotel facilities for stay, they ensure that visitors move out and enjoy whatever natural and ‘created’ tourist attractions they can provide. In some of these countries, dead butterflies to tamed elephants and dolphins, all sorts of birds and wild animals, and traditional dances of the respective geographies and large aquariums attract tourists much more than the large shopping malls and long beaches, which continue to be the main attraction in some other countries.

Countries that are dependent on or are aware of the revenue prospects of tourism, market the tourist spots by providing necessary travel linkages, stay arrangements and above all keeping them neat and tidy with all basic facilities around. They provide advance information to the tourists about the options they have to select the kind of places they may like to visit. The Indian media are not very generous in telling you about the history and heritage of neighbouring nations. China is painted in red and described as a ‘communist’ country. But those who have visited China or at least Hong Kong and places in the vicinity of Hong Kong will tell you the respect the local people there have for churches, temples (many of them Buddhist) and heritage spots.

Kerala Model I am an old-timer. Naveen Tandon, who did a project on ‘Developing a branding approach to overcome the negative image perception of Chhattisgarh’ last year, as part of his Post Graduate Programme at IIM Ahmedabad (2016 batch), is all praise for the Kerala Model of tourism development: “When it comes to branding for tourism in India, the runaway success is Kerala and we could learn a few things from the Kerala story to have an idea about how States have rebranded themselves to occupy enviable spots on the tourists’ map. Kerala went from being a budget travel destination to being the biggest tourism brand in the country. Branding has played an important role in this transformation with the tagline ‘Gods Own Country’ and a strong campaign focussed on targeting the affluent. The building of the brand preceded the building of necessary infrastructure. The building of the brand created the necessary demand for good hotels and other facilities for the tourists and other players.”

Within Kerala, there is a need to formally promote ‘Festival Tourism’. The Onam celebrations at the district and State levels, the Thrissur Pooram, the Aattukaal Pongala, Sabarimala pilgrimage, Theyyams in the Malabar area and several other Hindu/Muslim/Christian festivals are examples. If transport and stay arrangements improve, tourists will make it a point to link festivals in their travel plan.

Kerala has some artificial water parks. But we do not have a theme park of international standards. A couple of parks/entertainment areas will be useful additions. Aranmula has all the linkages and resources necessary to grow into a large modern ‘Herbal Tourism Village’. The concept could include participation of major Ayurveda entities. There should be facilities for stay and treatment for different economic classes including the Indian middle class and ‘rich’ outsiders. Development of medicinal plantations in adjacent villages is a possibility. Aranmula has the additional advantage of having two international airports within a distance of 150 km. Kerala could indeed go places — provided a carefully charted out plan is put into place.

- http://www.thehindu.com/, August 2, 2016

Waterlogging in Delhi has got the International Road Federation worried. It's not just the potholes and overflowing drains, water flowing down from overhead metro track is also adding to the mess. "Delhi Metro's elevated tracks are partially adding to the city's drainage problems, as rainwater from the elevated structures flows down with force on roads, creating more problems for choked city drains and causing hazards to pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists," said KK Kapila, chairperson, IRF.

According to Kapila, proper disposal of this water would reduce waterlogging on several stretches in the city. "Delhi Metro, despite having rainwater harvesting system on various routes, needs a separate drainage system to channelise rainwater released from the elevated tracks, as it can save roads from being damaged and also help in water harvesting."

Delhi Metro, though, is not buying this point. "DMRC has provided rainwater harvesting at 464 locations, with a capacity of 8607 cubic metres. But due to limited width of road divider, it is not possible to provide rainwater harvesting system in the middle of the road. Even before construction of metro viaduct, rainwater was going through municipal drainage," said a DMRC spokesperson. The recent waterlogging has, in fact, got the IRF to reiterate the demand for a unified body for infrastructure and maintenance in the city.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 2, 2016

The flood situation in Assam is not showing any signs of improving even though water level in several areas, including World Heritage Site Kaziranga National Park, has receded in last two days. Over 240 animals, including 20 one-horned rhinos and 185 hog deer, have reportedly died within the last seven to ten days due to the heavy floods that hit the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

Over 80 percent of the World Heritage Site has got submerged under water following continuous rainfall since last week. Must Read: Assam witnesses worst flood in a decade “While 13 rhinos died due to drowning and four died of natural death due to old age, hog deer suffered the worst with 152 of them getting drowned and 12 knocked down by vehicles on National Highway 715 that forms the southern boundary”, Subhasis Das, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Kaziranga, was quoted by the Indian Express.

The 200 animals that have been rescued are undergoing treatment at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), India's only wildlife field hospital located in Kaziranga. People living near Kaziranga National Park in Golaghat district of Assam have lost their homes as the area is inundated. The only way to get inside the park, which is closed for visitors in monsoon, is by boats.

The ancient Janardhana and Vishnu temples at Punchavayal, near Panamaram, in Wayanad remain neglected in spite of an announcement by the Union government in 2009 that the two Jain temples would be declared national monuments. The then Union Minister V. Narayanasamy had announced in the Lok Sabha in 2009 that the Centre would declare as national monuments the Vishnu temple (Vishnugudi) and the Janardhana temple (Janardhanagudi), located at a distance of nearly 700 metres from one another.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) declared the Vishnu temple a national monument in September last, and the authorities visited the site as part of it, but the restoration work is yet to be launched. However, there has been no final notification of declaring the Janardhana temple a national monument. A portion of the ‘gopuram’ of the temple had collapsed in rain two years ago and sculptures on the stone walls were destroyed.

Nearly 300 carvings on the huge stone pillars have survived the passage of time. A sculpture of a fishing man, a primitive war scene featuring tuskers, a stone edict in old Kannada script, figures of Jain deities and sculptures of the ‘Dashavathara’ still stand. The intricate and elaborate carvings on the pillars remain in a dilapidated state due to long years of neglect.

The style of the sculptures and a stone edict on a wall of the Janardhana temple in old Kannada script show these temples may have been built during the reign of the Hoysala or the Vijayanagara dynasties in the Deccan plateau from the 12th to the 14th centuries.

When contacted, T. Sreelakshmi, superintending archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, Thrissur circle, told The Hindu that the procedures to declare the temple a national monument were nearing completion and the announcement was expected to be made after the Parliament session. “We are also awaiting the final nod of the Director general of the ASI to start the documentation work, including drawing and designing as part of the restoration works of the Vishnu temple,” Ms. Sreelakshmi said.

- http://www.thehindu.com/, August 6, 2016

WWF-India and Discovery Kids today announced their partnership to host the 2016 edition of the Wild Wisdom Quiz - India's biggest and only national-level wildlife quiz. Focusing on the theme of 'Evolution and Biodiversity', the quiz not only tests children's knowledge about the planet and its various facets but also aims to build awareness and knowledge among children about the constantly evolving biological diversity that makes our planet special.Discovery Kids & WWF-India's Wild Wisdom Quiz 2016, reaching out to more than 15,000 schools and over 40,00,000 children, will be conducted in 13 cities across India,. Supported by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the quiz will be conducted at the primary,middle and senior level. The National Finale will be held in New Delhi in October during the Wildlife Week (Oct 2 nd -8th ).

The top 3 winning teams will be taken on an all-paid trip to a conservation landscape to witness on-ground activities as well as experience wildlife and nature like never before. Commenting on the association, Rajiv Bakshi, vice-president, Discovery South Asia said, "We are proud to associate with WWF India for the Wild Wisdom Quiz 2016. It is the ideal platform to engage young minds to learn about the rich natural heritage of our country.

Our objective is to spread the message of a healthy and sustainable environment and encourage children to participate and take pride in our bio-diversity." "The tremendous response to the quiz is a testament to the growing awareness amongst young minds about the environment. It gives us immense pleasure and reassurance in the kind of work we do, to inspire and empower young minds of India, which might help them in taking action for a better future'', said Radhika Suri, Director, Environment Education, WWF-India. The Discovery Kids & WWF-India's Wild Wisdom Quiz 2016 aims to provide students an opportunity to delve deeper into the evolution and biodiversity of India and to think about our collective responsibility to preserve this legacy.

- http://www.thehindu.com/, August 6, 2016

Water levels in major reservoirs of Maharashtra have increased to 59 per cent of their total capacity after fresh spell of bountiful rains lashed several parts of the state. According to the latest data released by Chief Minister's Office, the state recorded 736 mm rainfall in the first week of August. The total rainfall received so far in this season is 107.5 per cent of the average annual rainfall which was 62 per cent last year in the corresponding period.

Spell of medium to heavy downpour in several parts of the state, including state capital Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Raigad, Kolhapur, had thrown normal life out of gear, while filling major water bodies, which had turned parched due to prolong drought situation in the last few years. "Due to exceptionally good rains and the work done under the 'Jalyukt Shivar' programme, there has been good storage of rain water this year. Thus, in many regions of the state, drinking water problems have come to an end," an official said.

There is enthusiasm among farmers due to good monsoon and the sowing operations for kharif crops is almost completed, the official added. The official said that a good rainfall, coupled with the work done under the 'Jalyukt Shivar' programme has solved water problems of more than 1,000 villages in Maharashtra. "There is also a substantial decrease in the number of villages in Marathwada where water had to be supplied through tankers," the official said.

Meanwhile, according to figures from the CMO, 26 districts, including Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar, Nashik, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Aurangabad, Latur, Jalna, Osmanabad, Parbhani, Nanded, Hingoli, Buldhana, Akola, Washim, Amravati, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Wardha and Gadchiroli have received more than 100 per cent of the average annual rainfall this year.

Likewise, Dhule, Solapur, Kolhapur, Beed, Nagpur and Gondia districts have received in between 76 and 100 per cent of the average annual rainfall. Nandurbar and Bhandara districts have received in between 51 and 75 per cent of the average annual rainfall till now, while the total water stock in major reservoirs is 59 per cent against 41 per cent in the corresponding period last year.

Water stock in reservoirs in districts is as follow: Marathwada 24 per cent against 7 per cent last year, Konkan 89 per cent (72 per cent last year), Nagpur 61 per cent (46 per cent last year), Amravati 67 per cent (41 per cent last year), Nashik 61 per cent (41 per cent last year), Pune 68 per cent (51 per cent last year). MM ARS DBS

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 6, 2016

Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday launched Swachh Survekshan-2017 for 500 cities in the country with an idea to make competitive environment to make the cities clean and expedite the Swachh Bharat Mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the second round of survey to cover 500 cities and towns, including those with a population of one lakh and above, besides capital towns with less than one lakh population and towns known for heritage, tourism and hilly locations.

The first round of survey was conducted among 73 cities with a population of one million and above in which Mysuru achieved the first rank. On this occasion, the Minister also released the Swachh Survekshan guide book, Swachh Survekshan ideas book, Manual of Municipal Solid Waste Management, Self-Assessment Tool, a short film on Swachh Survekshan, toll-free number 1969 and a mobile Swachhta app.

Appealing to the corporate houses to adopt at least one city for cleanliness, he honoured Mahendra and Mahendra for adopting Mohali, Azar Punewala for donating Rs 100 crore for Pune, Tata Chemicals for donating Rs 150 crore for Gujarat, Aziz Mohammad of Cochin and a few others for working for cleanliness in the city.

He also honoured an employee of Coimbatore for donating Rs 60,000 for education of poor children and municipal employees, one each of Guwahati and Greater Hyderabad, for not taking even a single leave in their careers.

- http://www.tribuneindia.com/, August 6, 2016

Art occupies a momentous position in our lives as well as in our hearts. Maybe because it has stood the testimony of time itself. Making a mark since the earliest known human civilization, art has helped us identify our lineage, understand our religion, and, to this day, forms a critical base for our social system in general and our lives in particular. For enthusiasts who understand what art is, and yes, it’s not a ‘few strokes of paint on a canvas’, art has unparalleled potential in various career options. One such glamorous, multifaceted option is that of art restoration and conservation. To state plainly, an art restoration and conservation professional restores, preserves and analyses artefacts and works of art.

A career in this field requires a perfect balance between knowledge of the science and skills in art. Although the field is similar, both these career options entail different things. A conservator may specialise in a particular type of object or material, such as paintings, books, sculptures or textiles.

An art conservator’s primary work involves monitoring and controlling the environment in which collections are stored or displayed to prevent deterioration. They may also restore individual objects directly. Conservators may be involved in conservation science and preventive conservation and may manage laboratories or have individual research interests. It deals with examination, documentation and treatment of the material by getting involved in research.

On the other hand, art restoration involves cleaning up the object of work so as to bring it to its earlier condition. It is a domain which requires specialised knowledge, most importantly of painting and history of art, and also to some extent, of chemistry. If a student has an interest in working on sculptures, old pictures or manuscripts, then understanding these fields is necessary. It is essential to keep in mind that art restoration is a time-taking process which involves going through details minutely.

Where to study To pursue art restoration and conservation professionally, one must have an undergraduate degree (with a decent overall performance) in archaeology, medieval history, ancient history or world history. Some institutes such as the University of Mysore, Kurukshetra University and University of Allahabad and National Museum offer specialised studies in art restoration. One should also be able to back academic degree with deep insights into art ideology, artists, cultural amalgamations, abstracts and different schools of thought. It is highly recommended that one undertakes ground projects, trainings and apprenticeships to attain knowledge and experience. This will help them acquire credibility. Much of the art restoration and conservation in the country takes place at the National Museum Centres (Lucknow, New Delhi and Kolkata) and at INTACH Art Conservation Centre, which also lends its services to private art collectors and connoisseurs.

Art restoration and conservation has always been perceived as an ultra unconventional career choice, and hence only a handful of youngsters take it up. However, with the Indian art industry gaining worldwide acclaim, a lot of students have started showing inclination towards the subjects. There has also been an increase in the number of art galleries in the country, and, hence, in the demand for art restorers and art conservators.

The land which has witnessed the Harappan civilization, where the Mughals ruled for over a century, where numerous battles have been fought, won and lost, the land which has a legacy of its own, calls for someone to uncover a thousand untold stories through its art and architecture. Now that we are in an era where we identify ourselves proudly with our legacy, the day is not far when art conservation and restoration will become one of our top priorities. The writer is founder and CEO, MINDLER.

- http://www.thehindu.com/, August 7, 2016

Two proud examples of 'living heritage' (historic places that continue to be used by people) in the city are on the revival path. While Shahi Masjid, also known as the Juma masjid, which is the first masjid dedicated to Friday prayers is the first, Gol Darwaza, gateway to the oldest market in the city, is the other. A team of officials from the administration, Hussainabad and Allied Trust (HAT) and experts from Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) inspected the two places on Saturday.

District magistrate Raj Shekhar said renovation at Shahi Masjid was initiated about a year ago. Effort is on to complete it in six months so that the place is ready for religious activities at the earliest. He said Rs 7 lakh had been sanctioned to complete pending work. It may be noted that HAT has spent Rs 28 lakh on its restoration.

"INTACH was roped in two weeks ago to ensure that originality of the building is maintained. Steps of the masjid are being restored to provide convenient access to people with special needs and the elderly," the DM told reporters.

The administration is working to develop Gol Darwaza area into a model bazaar. The expert committee noted that encroachment was the biggest roadblock en route. "Many encroachments and illegal construction spoil the facade," said Raj Shekhar who headed the inspection team. He said the team would prepare a report on revival of Gol Darwaza in a month. Even though Gol Darwaza project was still at concept level, it has buoyed heritage enthusiasts and tour operators. Prateek Hira of the UP Tour Operators Association said, "Gol Darwaza is popular among tourists."

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 7, 2016

If one wants to know about Karnataka’s rich heritage and history, the Ranadheera Kanteerava Park located near South End Circle, Jayanagar, is the place to head for. Developed by the BBMP, the park is named after Kanteerava Narasaraja Wadiyar I. It was thrown open to the public on Saturday.

Spread over four acres and 10 guntas, the park has attractive sculptures of famous kings and replicas of the architectural marvels of the state. The highlight of the park is benches that are creatively made in the shapes of watermelon, hibiscus and other flowers. A sum of Rs 3.85 crore has been spent on the park. “The place was earlier a property of the state government and later handed over to the BBMP.

A few land-grabbers had tried to encroach it. It took one year to develop the park. The park gives information about the journey of the state and throws light on important personalities from 300 BC to 1900 AD through sculptures and information panels,” said former councillor from Yediyur ward, N R Ramesh. For the benefit of senior citizens and women, a separate space has been created on the park premises with an open gym facility. A 20-foot-tall sculpture of a child, a replica of a pond in France and plants of all 19 rose varieties available in India are other highlights of the garden. Ramesh said that he had written to the Tourism department to add the park in the list of tourist places in the state. The department had responded positively, he said.

- http://www.deccanherald.com/, August 7, 2016

A group of 16 American secondary school educators visited Kolkata under the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program-2016 from August 1-4. Titled "Sustainable Development and Social Change in India" this dynamic exchange provided in-person opportunities for them to learn about Indian life, society, the education systems and resources available. The program was hosted and administered by the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF).

The program provided a unique opportunity to the American educators to explore issues, challenges and strategies related to India's developmental goals and to better understand the impact of it on local communities and on Indian society at large.

Their Kolkata programs included a panel discussion on "Sustainable Development and Social Change in India" which exposed the educators to the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the country. Apart from this, the participants visited Kolkata Sanved where they interacted with NGO professionals and watched performance by rehabilitated girls through dance therapy. They had a glimpse of the work of NGO CINI on health, nutrition and education. They enjoyed participating in 19th century Calcutta Walk including Kumartuli. They also visited SAFE project sites at Bantala and Chingrighata.

The American educators were excited about the heritage walk and said that the walk was extremely insightful and gave them a glimpse into the architectural history of Kolkata. They also found the innovative approach to therapy during Kolkata Sanved visit very interesting. "Traveling to India has been an eye-opening experience, providing a real-world context of learning that will directly influence my school curricula in the States," said a participant. Besides Kolkata they visited New Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune and Madurai over a period of five weeks. They will also visit Varanasi after Kolkata trip.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 7, 2016

As one of the founders of non-profit Dastkar, Laila Tyabji, 69, has seen the fall and dramatic rise of handloom over the decades. On National Handloom Day, she tells Malini Nair that she is optimistic about its future.

As a crafts activist, are you happy to see the buzz around handlooms? There is a lot of talk on social networks on the subject of getting people to buy handloom. But while it is great to see the many hashtags and government moves, these would be pointless if the weaver was not in a position to produce more.

What needs to be done? You have to look at it as you do any other industry. When you talk of entrepreneurship you talk of a business plan, infrastructure, credit facilities, raw material, transportation, R&D. Those apply to the handloom sector too. Simply because weavers have been around for 5,000 years, we look at them patronizingly like some picturesque part of our past. The promotion and marketing cannot be done in isolation. This is the largest sector for employment in India after agriculture; it needs thorough economic intervention.

For example, the government had in a great initiative taken a bunch of designers to Varanasi to market the weaves at international fashion shows. But the thing is we have to also ensure that we can generate enough woven material for designers to work with. Have we considered the fact that Banarasi weaves are not good for western cuts because they were imagined as drapes? If we have, how do we use textile technology to make the changes needed? Can the weaver create several hundred yards with the shortage of raw material? Most of the silk is being imported from China now. If we start an initiative and run into these walls, there will be complaints that weavers are `inefficient' or 'impractical'.But that isn't fair.

Handlooms are becoming a rich man's product. Does that worry you? I agree, but there are a lot of reasons for this -raw material, transportation, and marketing have all become expensive. Also volumes are lower. For instance, look at natural dyes and why they cost so much. It is the job of the weaver to procure them from some distance, mix them in a bucket and so on. Why can't we invest in dyeing and washing facilities at handloom clusters? Packaging and transporting are other things left to the weaver. A huge problem also is that we are not producing enough silk or cotton locally which pushes up prices. But honestly, I don't think we are going to see a day when local people wear handlooms they locally produce. Polyesters and cheaper material have made deep inroads into their lives. Industrially made products will always be cheaper, no arguing with that.

Are you getting more young people at your outlets now? When we set up Dastkar we used to know everyone who came to shop. The profile was predictable -kolhapuris, jhola etc -and mostly from central and south Delhi. Today, we have thousands on our list and they come from all parts of the city, from all walks of life and across generations. In the late '90s, we thought when our generation died the sari would die too, because handloom had become synonymous with saris and souvenirs. It's great we have been proved wrong. And today, we have the best of both worlds. The handloom revival means we wear western clothes but include many handloom elements -a stole, a kurta.

In the age of e-commerce, do craft haats and bazaars have any relevance? In the old days, the weaver lived alongside his customer. He saw what the king wore, what the common folks wore, and he knew precisely what they wanted. Now, the weaver is miles from his consumers and their lifestyle. He needs to know that she wants less mirror work, more muted colours. Which is why it is important even in this age of ecommerce for the craftsperson to meet and interact with the customer. That is why we keep the haats and bazaars.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 7, 2016

"Words are to a writer what colours are to a painter- they are the bricks that you use to form ideas in your mind". As someone who has spent a significant amount of his life writing - scripts, poems or film songs, Javed Akhtar couldn't have defined the import of words better. The poet-lyricist, whose credentials ensured a full house on Saturday morning at the Bengaluru Poetry Festival, later addressed the media in a free-wheeling press conference where no question was taboo.

"I think there is a resurgence in poetry all over India and I am optimistic about it," Akhtar said, commenting on the popularity that poetry writing and reading is witnessing in the country today. "The priorities of our generation were materialistic. We had abdicated our responsibility towards preserving and promoting our heritage and the loss is there for you to see. But I think, today's generation has somehow realized that it needs to hold on to whatever's left of the gravy train," said Akhtar, who these days loves to interact with college students.

"I love to talk to youngsters because I come out educated!" said the award-winning poet. Needless to say, these interactions with youngsters translate themselves into his writings. "In the 1970s and the 80s, the word that directors would throw around was 'public'. They'd say, 'the public will like this' or 'the public won't accept it'. Today, the word used is 'youth'. I hear producers asking me to write something that would work with the 'youth' but want it to be simple because they think the youth wouldn't understand meaningful lyrics. That's an opinion I don't agree with,"Akhtar said. Youngsters today, according to him, are tired of melodrama and flowery dialogues.

"They want you to say what you really mean; they want you to write from the heart without using bombastic words. They appreciate it when your language is decipherable," he noted. A writer known for his pithy wit, Akhtar had some advice for parents. To a question about whether he'd want his son, Farhan Akhtar, to dabble in Urdu poetry, Akhtar wryly commented, "Parents should stop having expectations from their kids."

About the film industry being ruled by dynasties - whether it is the Kapoors, the Khans, or his own family -Akhtar replied, "Unlike politics or business, I think the film industry is one place where dynasties cannot work. You cannot rig the system. Sure, you can give a chance to your progeny, but at the end of the day, it's the public who decides if they'll go watch them or not."

Citing Shailendra and Sahir Ludhianvi as his favourite poets, Akhtar was quite vocal about poets not getting adequate recognition in the country. "A country like Britain values its poets and preserves their legacy. It honours both Blake and Shakespeare just as much as it does Paul McCartney, who wrote Yesterday. But in India, we suffer from low self-esteem, which is why we refuse to recognize lyricists like Anand Bakshi, Shailendra, Sahir Ludhianvi, Kaifi Azmi and others," he said.

Asked what writing rituals he follows, Akhtar said, "I don't have any such habits. I can write anywhere and at any time. But while writing, I prefer writing on plain, unruled notebook." And his muse? "People ask me where I find inspiration to write love songs? If only they knew that it's the terror of deadlines that drives me to write those," he signed off.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 7, 2016

Around 50 engineers working in various government departments and software companies took part in a workshop organized by amateur theatre group 'Abhiyantararu' in the city. Artiste Suresh Babu has founded the troupe to provide training exclusively for engineers. Karnataka Nataka Academy member B V Rajaram inaugurated the workshop at Kalamandir here on Thursday. Rajaram said that theatre is like a school for those wanting to learn communication and presentation skills.

"Theatre is the only medium which helps people build their personality. Those who have made a mark in films and TV serials are from theatre. So theatre is like a school for artistes who want to make it big in performing arts," he added.

Appreciating the efforts of Suresh in bringing engineers to theatre, Rajaram said: "Of late, theatres are adopting modern technologies to give it a better fell. So brining and motivating engineers towards theatre will enhance the quality of presentation. Innovative methods with modern machines can work wonders," he added. Rajaram also said that engineers can get psychological therapy by getting into theatre.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 7, 2016

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) ordered the state archaeology department to test impact of the light and sound show and vehicular traffic in surrounding areas on Rajwada. These two factors contribute to noise pollution which ASI suspects is a major cause of deterioration of the historical site. It presumes that vibrations emitting from vehicles and speakers of the light and sound show add to the damage on walls of the palace.

"The ASI did not conclude that there is a negative impact of these factors on the collapse of the two-storeyed structure inside the palace last month. However, it did not rule out the possibility of any negative impact," said Ajatshatru Shrivasatva, commissioner, state archaeology department. In a 24-page report submitted by ASI to the state department on the civil conservation of Rajwada, it ordered the department to conduct technical testing of the magnitude of impact of these two factors on the decay of Rajwada.

"We've approached the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore and Shri Govindam Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science (SGSITS) for assistance in the technical testing. We believe they may have more innovative mechanisms to gauge impact of noise pollution on the deterioration of the palace," added Shrivastava.

The state tourism department started the light and sound show inside Rajwada on May 15, 2015 in order to mark the start of the celebration of 2015 as 'Tourism Year''. Though the show received favourable response throughout the last year, the tourists began complaining about the loud sound effects of the show in recent months. Technical experts feared that the intensity of the sound produced had crossed the danger mark, which could prove not only disturbing to the tourists but also harmful to the property around.

Prakash Paranjpe, deputy director, state archaeology department, indefinitely suspended the light and sound show after a two-storied structure inside the palace collapsed on June 4. The structure was situated adjacent to the main entrance gate on the right hand side. "While the light and sound show will remain suspended, we'll conduct the testing of vehicular noise pollution soon," said Shrivastava. As commercial units like small shops and street markets mushroomed in the surrounding areas of Rajwada Palace, it led to a drastic rise in vehicular traffic. Rajwada is the centre of all celebrations of the area so that occasionally adds to noise pollution.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 7, 2016

It's not just the marauding Islamic State which poses a great threat to the heritage sites like Palmyra, but climate change too can wreak havoc in cities like Venice, says Mechtild Rossler, Director of the Unesco World Heritage Centre. Not just that, climate change can also destroy heritage sites like the Statue of Liberty and such other structures that have been part of human history, Rossler said. "Probably in my lifetime many of the natural and cultural world heritage sites would parish or become marine sites. Florida may sink. In Venice, people might not be able to live as they used to," Rossler told IANS.

The Unesco official was in Delhi this week to award Certificates of Inscription to the Khangchendzonga National Park and the Nalanda Mahavihara, two of the three new World Heritage sites from India chosen at the 40th Unesco World Heritage Committee session in Istanbul on July 20.

The third comprises 17 sites, including the Complexe du Capitole in Chandigarh designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier. The event was held by the Wildlife Institute of India, which is a Unesco Category-2 centre on world heritage management and training. Rossler was in Syria recently to see Palmyra, around 30 km from Islamic State territory. "The biggest threat to monuments in the 21st century is the intentional destruction by the terrorists. But globally it's the climate change which will affect our lives."

Unesco recently released the "World Heritage and Tourism report", showing how climate change is quickly becoming one of the most significant risks for natural and cultural heritage sites. "The impact is enormous. If you think of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, we have bleaching all over. The places of indigenous people, in the Pacific or in the Andamans, must be prepared for the upcoming risks," Rossler stressed.

The list of vulnerable sites includes Statue of Liberty and several forests in Peru and Brazil. The list also includes the Yellowstone National Park in the USA. Speaking of the reconstruction attempts in conflict zones, Rossler said: "In Syria, the city of Aleppo is totally destroyed. Last year we held a meeting on its reconstruction." There are a total of 1,052 World Heritage sites globally. Of these, nearly 50 are listed as World Heritage Endangered Sites. Many of them are in conflict zones.

"There are six vulnerable sites in Syria alone. Others are in Iraq, Yemen, Mali and Congo. We have to restore them all. We had already restored Mali's mausoleums and recovered many manuscripts," she said. Some sites like Sukur Cultural Heritage in Nigeria are also reeling under threat due to Boko Haram, she said.

"In Syria, both listed or tentative heritage sites are seen as sources for funding. The so-called Islamic State forces the archaeologists to dig at gunpoint so that they can sell the artefacts in the black market." Unesco is also worried because of the military airstrikes in these areas which may destroy the heritage sites.

"To protect the sites from bombing, we work with the military. We give them the coordinates of the sites which should not be touched at all. I had spoken with the head of NATO generals. I think the military needs to be aware of the cultural heritage and how to protect it better," Rossler said. Referring to India, she said that the country is a source of illicit trafficking of artefacts. India should enforce the provisions of Unesco's 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.

"India requires to reinforce the national laws to stop illegal trafficking. It would require more customs officers and people to watch over the trading in the art market. But above all, it requires ethics in the art market," she said. Rossler said Unesco is working closely with the art markets to stop illegal trading. The recovered artefacts will be returned to the countries from where they were stolen.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/, August 7, 2016

India needs to double its production of pulses by 2050 to be able feed its population at that time and Goa can contribute to that end by cultivating new varieties of green gram (moong) and locally grown cowpea (alsalna).

"Both green gram and cowpea have a lot of potential for growth in Goa. These can be sown soon after the rice crop is harvested," director of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), N P Singh said. "I don't know what to do. I don't think i have the life in. "Despite their high nutritional value, production of pulses is being neglected and they are growing only on marginal lands," said KK Manohara of ICAR - Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CCARI). He added that the country needs to double its annual pulses production from the current 19 metric tonnes to 38 metric tonnes by 2050, else it will not be able to feed its future population.

Manohara was speaking at the Goa science centre during a lecture series on pulses organized in keeping with the 68th UN General Assembly decision declaring 2016 as the International Year of Pulses. He further elaborated that India's current population is 1.21 billion which is expected to go up to 1.69 billion by 2050. At present, the per capita availability of pulses is 37 gram per day, whereas Indian Council for Medical Research's (ICMR) recommendation for a healthy diet stands at 52 gram of pulses per capita per day. At the ideal consumption of 52 gram per capita per day, the present annual demand for pulses stands at 28 metric tons. The figure is expected to rise to 39 metric tons per year by 2050.

Manohara thus insisted that steps have to be taken to rectify the situation in the next three years and said location specific technologies need to be developed to boost the production of pulses. "Strategies to increases pulses production that work in Goa may not be succesful in Karnataka due to differences in climate and soil quality," he explained He further stressed on the need for improvement of seed production, bringing new areas under pulse cultivation, scientific post-harvest handling and storage methods, and the need for water harvesting and use of sprinkler system for irrigation purposes. "Our research priorities should be to find varieties of pulses that mature early, are resistant to diseases and pests, and can tolerate abiotic stress," he also said.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/, August 7, 2016

Two Kos Minars of Maharaja Ranjit Singh era are under threat due to the Bus Rapid Transport System as the administration plans to demolish them for the purpose of the widening the road. The Kos Minars, presently located near the railway station, were built during the Sikh rule from Ajnala to Gobindgarh fort and then to the old city. However, as most of the minars were lost during the years, only two had survived so far.

While Kos Minars of Mughal era built on the original Grand Trunk road built by emperor Sher Shah Suri have been preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India, the relics of Ranjit Singh era have so far been neglected. It was in 1994 that the local administration began the restoration of the two Kos Minars after renowned conservation expert Dr Balwinder Singh had talked about them in a seminar organised on old heritage and conservation. Former head of Sri Guru Ram Das School of Planning at Guru Nanak Dev University, Dr Balwinder Singh, while talking to The Tribune said, “From the heritage point of view, the Kos Minars of Maharaja Ranjit Singh era are very important as only two of them have survived so far.”

He said before planning the BRTS corridor, the authorities should have considered their importance. “Now, the best option is to relocate these Kos Minars to the side of the road. It is also necessary that a plaque explaining importance of these is displayed so that people are made aware. Presently, not many local people know about them,” he said. Dr Singh said he had already made a representation before senior district officials and requested them to save the relics.

- http://www.tribuneindia.com/, August 7, 2016

“During the Quit India Movement, freedom fighters were lodged here, as it was used as police outpost” Kanniyakumari district, blessed with abundant greenery, also has to its credit many heritage buildings. One such building is the ‘Chatram’ in Ozhuginaseri in Nagercoil town. The building is now getting renovated, thanks to the efforts taken by Indian National Trust for Arts and Heritage (INTACH).

Though repeated pleas were made to the authorities concerned regarding the damage caused to the building due to the growth of vegetation on its walls, broken windows and beams, no steps were taken. The walls had been covered with fungus, posing danger to the present occupants. The building is now being occupied by the pffice of the Inspector, Economic Offences Wing, and the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Forensic Department of the District Police.

Concerned with the damage and the need to preserve the heritage value, INTACH decided to renovate the building with the cooperation of the district administration and voluntary contribution of its members, said R.S. Lal Mohan, convener of the Nagercoil Chapter, here on Sunday.

Dr. Lal Mohan said that the historical building was built by the erstwhile King of Travancore Sreemoolam Thirunal during the 19th century for the purpose of allowing its army men to take rest during peace time. Unique architecture The building has unique architecture with domes on both the sides, and a watchtower and a ‘chank’ mark on the front top of the building. The building was raised on strong stone pillars with the ‘Madras Roofing’ and wooden reapers.

“During the Quit India Movement, many freedom fighters were lodged here, as it was used as police outpost then,” said Dr. Lal Mohan. Dr. Lal Mohan thanked INTACH headquarters and the local members for their generous help to renovate the building.

- http://www.thehindu.com/, August 8, 2016

Verve spotlights an exhibition that brings together Raja Ravi Varma’s best lithographs

Menaka Shakuntala Born into an aristocratic family in the former princely state of Travancore, he was exposed to the world of art from his early childhood, and even trained in oil painting under a Dutch portraitist. Soon enough, he became India’s foremost painter, introducing art to ‘ordinary’ homes. And now, viewers get the chance to experience a show which presents 131 never-seen-before lithographs by Raja Ravi Varma, one of the fathers of modern Indian art.

Shakuntala Sakhi Apart from the painter’s prized artworks, curator Ganesh V. Shivaswamy will treat aficionados to paintings, press material, and personal effects rescued by conservator Vijaynath Shenoy — resulting in a whopping 262 exhibits. For those who’ve followed Varma’s works, they’ll be familiar with his vibrant recreations of images from epics and mythological works including the Mahabharata and the Puranas. “Today’s images of gods and mythological figures derive their origin from those on display in this exhibition,” says Shivaswamy. Adds Gitanjali Maini, CEO of The Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation, ‘Our show is a step towards preserving Varma’s vision of welcoming one and all to celebrate artistic excellence.’ Raja Ravi Varma — Royal Lithography and Legacy is on display at National Gallery of Modern Art, Bengaluru until August 14, 2016.

- http://www.vervemagazine.in/, August 8, 2016

Everybody knows her as the girl who played Shalini’s sister from Alaipayuthey or as Jyothika’s best friend from Mozhi. But Swarnamalya Ganesh is much more than that. An accomplished dancer, with almost three decades of experience and an academician, she is now all set to open a research wing in her school of Performing Arts, Rangamandira. The school is 11-years-old now. For someone who made dance a part of her life, it was a great accomplishment.

“I was told by my gurus and mentors that it is important for us to share and spread what we have,” she says. Every dancer or a performer wants to start a school and she knows that it is nothing new. But right when she was going to start a dance school, T S Parthasarathy told her to make it an academy instead. “He asked me to make it a place where my own research can thrive and I can help others create research work,” she recalls.

She says that her life has changed ever since she decided to start the academy. She remembers the time she was a fellow at the UCLA, when she went there after doing her doctoral work. “I never wanted to go abroad to study, but always wanted to be invited to teach. But after I went there, I realised that India has so much to offer in terms of academic context. Especially subjects that are our own specialisation like Indology, sculpture, archaeology, architecture, and epigraphy. Classrooms abroad are teaching these areas.

There are many people who are pursuing all these,” she says. She also sees a need to develop faculties of critical thinking in India and thinks that her academy could help with that. If given a choice, she says, she’ll be happier as a dancer than being an academician. “Dance is not a standalone thing and that’s its beauty. It can’t stand without the support of good academic background, research, historical understanding, and context,” says the academician in her. She also says that the devadasis of yesteryears were absolute scholars who knew music, musicology and had a complete understanding of history and context.

“Dance cannot stay without scholarship. And of course, scholarship cannot thrive without dance. If you ask me personally what do I have to pick, I’ll pick dance because scholarship is already a part of it,” says Swarnamalya. Looking back at her acting career, she says that it was the dance that led to films and acting was nowhere in her plan. “When filmmakers saw me dancing they thought that maybe I should act in films. Of course, I couldn’t give it all my time because I had other things too,” she says.

At the same time, she managed to not give a break to dance during shooting. In some good news for movie buffs, she says that if she comes across the right script, she will be ready to commit to films again. “I’ve done a few good films. But I don’t think a film like Mozhi can be made again. If made, it will be a flop,” remarks Swarnamalya.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/, August 8, 2016

This is taking appreciation of art to another level, for sure. For, if you have always liked paintings and sculptures, you can now wear them. Brush strokes on canvas have been inspiring fashion with clothes, bags and shoes sporting all kinds of art, of late. The fad has also been seen in major fashion weeks abroad. While culture czars Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol have designed dresses themselves, the trend is seeing a host of designers incorporating artwork on their garments, too. Here's more on the interesting inspiration...

What's hot? One of the most popular among these is the 'colour block' design — black, white and yellow lines against yellow, red and blue, a la the paintings of Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian. The catchy lined layout has been seen in bags, shoes, coats and swimsuits, too. It's an A-list favourite, seen on everyone from Julianne Hough to Eva Longoria, Kate Winslet and Sandra Bullock. Other popular inspirations are works of Picasso and Warhol in the way of huge eyes and big, pop art pink lips, on the catwalk. The elements of famous artists' shades of Henri Matisse and Mark Rothko were also big on the runway at London's Fall 2016 collections.

Fyodor Golan had art from the Renaissance that included Botticelli's 'The Birth of Venus' on a ruffled skirt. And the resort 2016 trend also embodied a palette inspired by contemporary art. Bags and shirts seem to be inspired by the 1963 diptych painting 'Wham' by Roy Lichtenstein. Other designers have been inspired by Art Deco, the architecture from the streets and skyline of New York.

5 rules to wear the look This is a bold look with sharp brushstrokes so keep the accessories minimal. Try a plain clutch or heels with it. A dress with a floral painting would do well with a floral or plain headband. If you are wearing an art-inspired jacket or blazer to work, team this with slim pants and a subtle cream of white shirt as well. Also, go with a scarf and jewellery in shades of grey and black.

Graphic print tops match well with denim. For a night out, wear it with a bomber or military-style jacket. Geometric styles go well with pop colour heels and clutch.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/, August 8, 2016

Archaeologists in Pakistan have rejected Indian archaeologists' research stating that Indus Valley Civilisation was 8,000 years old instead of 5,500 and originated from inland proper India proliferated and spread westward from India to the eastern border of Pakistan. The research was conducted by the researchers of Archaeological Survey of India and Indian Institute of Technology and presented through one of prestigious journal 'Nature' with title "Indus valley civilisation much older than thought".

Talking to APP, Archaeology expert and former Director General of Archaeology and Museums, Dr Fazal Dad Kakar termed this research was based on false facts and was an intellectual aggression on the front of Indus valley civilisation. Dr Kakar, candidly refused to accept the age of Indus valley civilisation as 8,000 year old and said that somebody surely twisted the reports of the scientists intentionally to create furor, provoking excessive excitement over an intellectual issues.

Researchers most probably were referring to the dates of antecedents and formative stages of cultures from Mesolithic period through Neolithic (9,000-6,000)in this part of the world which culminated into mature bronze age (300 BC) Indus valley civilisation at a date which might be estimated about (2,500-2,400 BC)termed at the sites of Harappa and Moenjodaro as the "Indus valley civilisation", said Dr Kakar.

He said a method of thermoluminescence was used as a means of dating ancient artifacts, particularly the property of some ceramics and other materials of becoming luminescent when pretreated and heated. This technique was used to date prothery shards of early Harappan time to 6,000 years and early Harappan and Hakra phase as far back as 8,000 years, quoted by Anindya Sarkar of deptt of Geology and Geophysics at IIT-Kharagpur. He said the statement of the researchers that they have recovered perhaps the oldest pottery from the civilisation is misleading.

"They actually recovered pottery from a site but not civilisation as single site which is even not named, do not constitute neither a culture nor civilisation," he said. Indian scientist trying to make believe the world that Indus valley civilisation is originated from inland proper India proliferated and spread westward from India to the eastern border of Pakistan, comprising of Cholistan and Thar Desert which is wrong. Dr Kakar, emphasised that "the basic aim of the Indian team of the scientists had actually set out to prove that the civilisation proliferated to other Indian sites like Bhirrana and Rakhigarrhi in Haryana, apart from the known location of Harappa and Moenjodaro in Pakistan, and Lothal, Dholavira and Kalibangan in India".

He said the Archaeological milieu of the world knows very well that the sites of Balouchistan Plataeu and high land of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, represents all cultural levels such as pastoral, early farming village communities and sedentary urbanised village life.

He added these were the result of process of evolution from the Mesolithic period or stage lasting in this region from about at least 18,000 BC, known from Magdalenian painting and engraving and from some flint tools sites in region, transformed into Neolithic stage (Mehrgarh 9,000-6,000) than Chalecothic and finally to the Mature Bronze Age (3000 BC) stage. Therefore the Balouchistan Plataeu and high land of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is considered as the homeland for the development of various cultural, social and economic experiment that provided the necessary antecedents and formative stages for the rise of civilisation in the Indus valley proper in Pakistan at Harappa and Moenjodro.

While at the later stage of Mature Bronze Age, Indus Civilisation expended eastward beyond Saraswati or Gahkkar-Hakra river as attested at the sites of Lothal, Kalibangan and Dholavira etc, in India, he said.

- http://www.brecorder.com/, August 8, 2016

Waterlogging in the city following incessant rain in the past two days has once again highlighted the fact that impervious surfaces have fundamentally altered the way water moves through the landscape. Experts warned that the city had to learn its lessons or must be ready to face a major flood disaster in the near future.

A majority of the roads were under water following heavy rains in the last two days. Water gushed into housing societies and natural drains were overflowing. The expansion of impervious cover is because of urbanization, states the environment status report (ESR) of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Several housing societies are building cement roads, parking lots and channelizing nullahs with cement concrete, which has changed the city's land use pattern which has affected what happens to rainwater once it reaches the ground.

Just before the monsoon, the PMC carried out concerting of nearly 150 roads, which is still on. The civic body has spent nearly Rs 200 crore on the project. Roads in Shivajinagar, Kothrud, Kalyaninagar, Wadgaonsheri, Peth areas, Bhandarkar Road, Prabhat Road and BMCC Road were made into concrete and many of them were flooded in the last two days. "Under natural forested conditions, only about 10% of precipitation runs off the surface of the site, 50% soaks into the ground and a surprising 40% is taken up by trees and other vegetation and sent back into the atmosphere through the process of evapotranspiration. As roads and houses are built, this ratio starts to change, with runoff increasing as the amount of impervious cover increases.

For example, the total runoff volume for a one-acre parking lot is about 16 times that produced by an undeveloped one-acre meadow," states researcher Peter Flinker in his report 'The Need to Reduce Impervious Cover to Prevent Flooding and Protect Water Quality'. He adds that it's understandable why suburban and urban communities face severe flooding as compared to undeveloped areas. Because the water is spending less time on site, infiltration declines dramatically.

"This is a particular concern in many urban and suburban regions where groundwater has been reduced because there is not enough rainfall soaking into the ground. The increase in runoff that occurs during this process, combined with the loss of recharge to groundwater has dramatic impacts on streams," he added.

In the last 10 years, the PMC has cut more than 17,000 trees and it plans to cut more, especially for road widening. "In fact, all party corporators are vying to build cement roads for the reason they themselves are unaware of," said activist Vivek Velankar. At the same time, the PMC has ignored encroachments on hill tops and hill slopes and the areas earmarked as proposed Biodiversity Park (BDP) stands encroached with slums. In Mumbai, encroachments in Mithi river cause havoc during monsoon, but the municipal corporation has not been able to clear the way for river so far.

Delhi-based associate professor Shalini Saksena, in her research paper on sustainable urban ecology, says that climate change risks include changing local rainfall patterns that can lead to more frequent and higher level of floods from rivers, more intense flash flooding and sea level rise in coastal cities, causing increased flood damage. After the 2005 Mumbai floods, urban floods were recognized as a disaster for which separate guidelines have been laid out by the National Disaster Management Authority in India. While Mumbai faces the additional challenge of coping with coastal flooding, New Delhi faces the threat of flash floods, river flooding and most importantly, urban flooding, which frequently occurs as a result of human activities, including rampant construction in floodplains and haphazard land reclamation.

Experts have found that impervious surfaces such as roads, driveways and parking lots collect a variety of chemical pollutants and hydrocarbons and discharge them to aquatic systems with every heavy rain.

Fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides run off of lawns, and household cleaning products and even pharmaceuticals find their way into groundwater from septic systems. "It is a fact that the civic body has failed to curb haphazard urbanization. The city is becoming a concrete jungle and this has affected not just water flow on ground, but overall quality of life in the city," said Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 8, 2016

Leader of Opposition and Balangir MLA Narasingh Mishra came down heavily on the State Government for not taking any steps to resolve the water crisis in the district. Despite demands from different quarters, the Government has ignored the district by not initiating steps for renovation of traditional water bodies, he said.

Mishra said recently the Ministry of Water Resources had decided to upgrade 760 water bodies under two Central schemes __ Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) and Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies __ in the State. The Centre has sanctioned `361 crore for the purpose under the 12th Five Year Plan. But unfortunately, none of the water bodies of the district has figured in the renovation list due to lack of State Government’s intervention, he said.

Last year, Mishra had visited the Ministry and submitted a proposal for renovation of 100 water bodies in Balangir and Deogaon blocks of the district. Later, in a letter from Union Minister Uma Bharati to Mishra, it was stated that though her Ministry was willing to take up the work, the proposal is yet to be recommended by O d i s h a Government. Balangir, which was known as the town of ponds not long ago, now faces acute water scarcity, thanks to the State Government’s neglect of the water harvesting structures that once catered to the people’s needs round the-year.

The town needs systematic planning for revival of these traditional water harvesting structures. After proper renovation, it will help in mitigating the water crisis, he added. The town has a glorious past of having traditional water bodies which were called Bandh, Sagar, Kataa and Chahalaa. Since the town does not have any perennial river, the ponds served as lifeline of its people who depended on them for their daily needs even during summer. But over the years, as the town expanded and its population increased, the water bodies were exploited for all purposes leading to their pollution. Now, water from none of the ponds is suitable for human use.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/, August 8, 2016

The railways have been an integral part of the lives of Indians, and hence also the arts. Now, the Railways Department is using art to help engage workers.

And the Rail Wheel Factory in Yelahanka is more lively, thanks to this. Sculptures made of railway scrap have been installed, and many of the walls and pedestrian area are covered with paintings by the RWF staffers, their children, and NGOs and well-known artists.

The railways is a reflection of Indian society, says the chief mechanical engineer at the factory. In that sense, it is not that different from art. “The Indian Railways gives you the best glimpse of our lives. Be it the rich or the poor, everyone travels by train,” says S Mani. “The rich use trains because flights do not take them

The axle shop tank; scrap wheels, now a lotus sculpture; abstracts by an NGO; a sculpture before it is painted; railway scrapThe platforms, where they move to board trains, is a canvas, he says. “Art must imitate this. That was the idea behind providing art to the travelling public,” he adds. As a part of the experiment, an art gallery, cartoon and heritage galleries were opened for the first time in the Bangalore division of south western railway in 2011 and 2012. It brought railway staff who enjoyed painting together.

A series of art camps were also organised at the stations. The pillar and wall space were used for painting and murals by participating NGOs, and tribal and folk artists.

Mani adds, “The project here started in January. To introduce art into a very heavy engineering environment was wonderful. It was an experiment to see if art can enrich, build team spirit and help staff take pride in their work. I wouldn’t say this is the reason, but the production of the factory has increased.”

And the experiment was a successful one, he says.

The factory has also opened a gallery on the premises, showcasing works of several artists. It also depicts the history of the factory. The staff also started an art club with 10 core members.

F Arockia Wilson, a RWF staffer, says the idea for the club came after Mani saw his work at the factory.

He says, “I did one on the Make in India campaign with chalkpiece. Mani sir saw it and asked who did the work. Then he called me and asked how it could be developed.”

So he and his co-workers began to wonder how they could make the scrap wheels lying around attractive. “Then, several artists from Chitrakala Parishath and others came and it spread,” he recalls.

It helps him de-stress, he says.

“I was interested in art since childhood,” he says. “Art is creation. We do enamel painting in the factory. We have made about five to seven models. There’s a sculpture on Gandhi’s Dandi yatra too.”

As the factory gates, walls and steel plates became large canvasses, the dead oil tanks also came to life.

These works convey messages on life and environment. They also give you a peek into the life of the workers and the manufacturing process.

It illustrates how railway scrap is melted in a furnace at 1,700 degrees, moulded and split to produce wheels. Workers then step in to clean these through a process called sprue washing, and the product is ready.

Sculptures of men in uniform outline the safety measures the manufacturing unit workers should take.

Peter Shanthaveera J, assistant mechanical engineer, adds, “All of this is soothing. The work will get others thinking. They will also develop a pride in their work, and can also imbibe these philosophies. The colour hands at the metallurgy department have made the place look better.” Nelson, a staffer in the electrical maintenance department, calls the artistic side he and his colleagues discovered as gifts of God. They have had no formal training in art, he reasons.

He says the art club is now working on a new project. It will show the process of making a wheel, one that the RWF compares to birthing a child. “The works will have a 3D effect,” he adds.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com, August 9, 2016

The 24th India Theatre Olympiad will be held in the Millennium City from September 2 to 13.

Theatre groups and artistes from across the country and the globe will participate in the 12-day annual festival organised by Utkal Yuva Sanskrutika Sangha in association with Tourism and Culture Department and Cuttack district administration.

The Theatre Olympiad is the only international festival of its kind in the country offering a plethora of cultural activities in which competitions are held in theatre (drama, comedy, pantomime, puppet, visual), dance (western, modern, folk, classical), music (opera, classical, contemporary, jazz, folk) and other forms of performing arts.

This international event will provide a wonderful platform for countries to strengthen ties with people of India. The theatre festival is also a great way to promote peace, understanding and empathy in an otherwise intolerant world by forging forward national integrity, international amity and universal brotherhood through cross cultural synthesis and social assimilation, said secretary of the Sangha Prof Kartik Chandra Rath.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com, August 9, 2016

Kalikesh Singh Deo, BJD, LS, talks to The Indian Express about India’s heritage and manpower shortage in ASI.

What made you bring up the manpower shortage in ASI?

There are over 3,000 monuments under ASI and 85,000 other notified monuments, a reflection of India’s rich cultural heritage. We have to preserve them… But ASI and the culture ministry are short-staffed — 60 per cent posts filled in ASI and the ministry and 30 per cent in museums. My concern is that because of lack of opportunities for archaeologists — when they come to ASI there is a degrading — our monuments are going to suffer. This government has been taking about the importance of preserving culture. Do you think this has translated into action?

Not at all. Most governments have failed to give our cultural past its due but this government, because of the higher focus on it in their speeches, should have given it a lot more resources, a lot more priority.

What reason did the minister cite for shortage of staff?

He said the government is not getting enough archaeologists. Then he talked about lateral entry and raising salary… These are not government servants… If they don’t come for Rs 5,000, you should give them more.

Is lack of funds a reason?

The government is unwilling to spend on this… It has to advertise India’s cultural heritage beyond Taj Mahal and Qutb Minar.

The Public Accounts Committee recommends renting of well-known sites for social and family events with proper guidelines… Each monument has to be promoted in a way that it makes money, which is the trend worldwide. If you can ensure events of a decent nature happen and the money goes into preserving the monuments, you should promote it.

- http://indianexpress.com, August 9, 2016

The bird count is diminishing day by day in the city and neighbourhood. The main reason behind the vanishing birds is increasing absence of mangrove forests and the water bodies. The depletion of mangrove forest near the Vizag airport and the encroachment of Kapuluppada lake are the major reasons for the fast vanishing bird species.

As the Hudhud cyclone devastated the tree cover, the fruit-bearing plants are seen less in number. Due to this also, the city is witnessing less divergent species which were found earlier in the wildlife sanctuaries.

Speaking to Express, Vivek Rathod, the co-founder of Vizag Bird Watchers Society, said: “Water bodies are seldom seen due to urbanisation. Mostly the birds are found where they find feed but now there is scarcity of water and trees too. They do not find fruit-bearing trees because of the avenue plantations in the city limits.”

“Passerine birds are found in Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary. But their nubers are dwindling. Many water bodies are being affected in the reservoir areas. Some species need wetland and baya weaver and painted stork, which were the common species of Kapuluppada Lake and the mangrove forest near Vizag airport, are becoming rare species. Thanks to the encroachments. Due to loss of mangrove forests, Black Crowned Night Herons are not to be found,” he added.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com, August 9, 2016

Capture memories before they fade. In a nation where folklore has enthralled people for centuries, oral history is marking its presence felt in the corporate world. Indian business houses are archiving stories by recording recollections of employees who were part of historical moments.

Godrej Group and Cipla, for instance, are making attempts to preserve their legacy and of their iconic products which transformed the lives of many Indians, with oral accounts.

"Stories, anecdotes, corporate myths keep floating within the organisation and there is a great amount of this trans-generational knowledge that is informally being passed on to the next generation of employees. We want to keep history alive through oral memoirs so that people can continue to experience our DNA in any work that we take up in the future," said Pheroza Godrej, member, Godrej Archives, who is also an art historian and environmentalist.

There may be extensive written sources about a company but that may sometimes be not enough to reveal the inter-personal aspect of the group. "There cannot be one narrow narrative of any organisation. Only oral histories will do justice to the blood, sweat and tears... that pave the way for the biggest successes of the company," said Prabir Jha, global chief people officer, Cipla.

The oral tradition has faced suspicion and dismissive attitudes from historians until recently, said Robert Perks, the lead curator of oral history at the British Library. But its benefits are clear. "Oral history provides a better historical understanding of how businesses 'tick'," Perks said in a lecture in Mumbai recently.

Gita Piramal, writer and business historian, said: "In India, my experience is that businesses - families or companies - don't archive history, let alone oral history. Of the very, very few printed histories around, the only really interesting ones are autobiographies. They have a particular lens, but at least the lens is authentic. The real challenge is to know and understand enough about the events under archiving to be able to ask the right questions."

Oral history interviews give an archivist the background to a company's milestone or an iconic product through first-hand accounts. Take the case of the Godrej typewriter: Its journey - from 1955 to 2009 -is fascinating and has touched many lives, including that of dealers and those running typing institutes, whose stories form part of the collective memory of the product. For the typewriter book project, the Godrej Group roped in an oral historian. "The typewriter world will soon be disappearing and these oral histories are an attempt to preserve them before they vanish into oblivion," said Pheroza.

Cipla too has undertaken the oral history project. Founded by Dr K A Hamied 80 years ago, the company has a unique place in the Indian pharma industry. "Cipla's story is in many ways the story of Indian pharma - its boom period from 1970 to 2000s, the zeitgeist, that certain sense of venturing bravely into the uncharted," Jha said.

Tata Sons is in the process of recording hundreds of hours of video footage for its Tata Heritage Project, which will celebrate its 150 years. The Bajaj group will soon launch an oral history initiative to archive memories through first-hand accounts, while the Aditya Birla Group has kicked off a project to record corporate folklores. Aditya Birla Group HR head Santrupt Misra said the objective is to capture the legacy of the organization by talking to retired officials. "We realize that there are many moments that have gone by and we need to capture what happened and why. It's important that younger people get a sense of history of the company."

"Archiving is a serious and technical activity. It's best left to professionals. At the same time, the entire business family must be fully engaged in the process. Only they know what really happened. Finally, engaged owners will empower employees, who will then be able to share their knowledge with ease," Piramal added.

My uncle started the Abhyankar Typewriting Institute with just one machine in 1930. But the rush forced him to buy five Remingtons with Devanagari buttons. We shifted to Godrej products once it launched the Prima model in the 1980s. I used to visit Godrej factories to meet manufacturing teams which would incorporate changes in the device based on feedback. At the peak, we had 85 typewriters. Those days, we conducted a two-year course and the required speed of typing for a good job used to be 50 words per minute. Needless to say, the arrival of computers hit us hard. We still continue to run our classes. A typing certificate is still needed for some of the clerical state government jobs. Nearly 3,00,000 students sit for typing exams every year from our institute.

- Ashok of Abhyankar Typewriting Institute, Girgaon, Mumbai
Sometime in 2007, I was at the Mumbai airport, waiting for a flight, and I saw a mother sitting with her two kids. One of them looked ill, and I could see her breathing heavily. The kid had an asthma attack. The mother pulled out a "spacer", an add-on device used to increase the ease of administering aerosolized medication, and a mask from her bag. But the next moment I saw her fumbling to assemble the two parts, both Cipla products. The child's breathing was getting heavier. It was distressing. I was wondering 'how I could be of help'. Well, it led me to think: 'We are already making the spacer and the mask, why can't we make an integrated piece?' That's what led to the production of Huf Puf Kit in 2008, a first ready-to-use transparent unit comprising a spacer and a mask in the country.

Geena Malhotra, head, integrated product development, Cipla

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 9, 2016

A study instituted by the Delhi government has recommended mandatory water-harvesting systems on residential and commercial plots measuring 500 sq metres or above and suggested construction of 44 check dams and 480 new water bodies to recharge ground water level in the capital.

The report has also recommended that existing storm water drains should have soft beds instead of cemented ones and toe weirs at intervals. Delhi Irrigation Minister Gopal Rai had ordered the study on recharge of ground water in the national capital five months ago. His department then assigned INTACH to conduct the study.

Rai has asked all stakeholders to provide their comments within a month so that suggestions can be incorporated in the report for acceptance and implementation.

The study has recommended construction of 44 check dams in forest areas besides 480 new water bodies to increase the depleting ground water level in Delhi.

As per the report, water harvesting should be made mandatory in residential and commercial plots measuring 500 sqm or above. "Government should also ensure 100 per cent collection of solid waste with no dumping in drains, ponds, depressions," said a senior government official.

Apart from that, the report has recommended that all residential and commercial plots measuring 300 sqm should have soft soil in their front and there should be substitute porous paving to counter the preventive effect of highly-concertised surface, the official said.

Other recommendations include implementation of building bylaw on local treatment of wastewater (wherever a premise generates 10,000 litres of water wearer daily). BUN ABH ZMN ABH

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 10, 2016

The ancient Jain temple at Juna, located in land belonging to the forest department about 12 kilometres from the headquarters of Barmer district in Rajasthan, is dated to the 12th century.

However, when visitors visit the spot, they see only rubble. A board at the spot proclaims that this is a protected monument, one on which the government spent a sum of Rs 72.88 lakh for "conservation". The conservation work was undertaken between 2003 and 2005. What that sum was spent on is hard to fathom because all that remains on the sport is a pile of stones.

Barmer district convenor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Yashovardhan Sharma filed an RTI petition on June 27 with the state department of archaeology seeking information about the manner in which the Rs 72.88 lakh was spent.

This notice board at the temple site says Rs 72.88 lakh was spent to restore the ancient structure. (TOI photo) He had also included 12 other points in his RTI application to the department seeking a list of protected monuments in Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jalore districts and the amount spent on the conservation of these. He sought details of the staff working at the department and details of clearances granted to industrial units and windmills in a 5km radius of the monuments in these districts. He has included also a question seeking a list of the state's museums and the budget for these.

A part of the temple complex. (TOI photo) In its response to the RTI application, sent exactly a month later, the state department of archaeology and museums informed Sharma that since the information he sought was "excessively detailed," it was not possible to offer a response.

Citing Section 7 of the RTI Act, 2005, the letter says that information may not be provided if "it would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority or be detrimental to the safety or preservation of the record in question".

Stones from the ruins seen scattered and piled up at the temple complex. (TOI photo) "Under RTI norms, if the questions all pertain to the same department, one can file an application with several questions. There is no reason for the department to turn down such an application," Sharma told TOI.

it is an alarming sign that the state govt is misusing government money. it must be disclosed .

Roli Singh, secretary of the department of archaeology and museums of the state government, said she would need about three days to find out details about the nature of conservation work undertaken at the site.

Attempts to reach district collector Sudhir Kumar Sharma for a response were futile.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 10, 2016

Krishna University V-C Rama Krishna Rao releases souvenir on pushakarams

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) has appealed to the devotees and pilgrims taking bath in the river and performing rituals to keep it clean and pollution-free during the Krishna Pushkarams.

“As part of Swachh Bharat, Intach takes initiative to protect the Krishna from pollution during the pushkarams by creating awareness among the pilgrims to keep the bathing ghats clean,” Intach Chairman Maj. Gen. L.K. Gupta (retd.) has been quoted as saying in Intach’s souvenir.

Krishna University Vice Chancellor S. Rama Krishna Rao released the souvenir on the pushkarams published by Machilipatnam Intach chapter on Wednesday. “The souvenir is a guide for tourists who want to explore beauty of heritage sites and history of the Krishna district,” said Mr. Rao. “Our appeal to the pilgrims and visitors is not to pollute the Krishna waters during the pushkarams,” said C.T. Mishra, Intach New Delhi chapter Member Secretary.

The souvenir has documented all the historical and heritage sites in and around Machilipatnam and Vijayawada. Information about heritage sites and Buddhist places, Hindu temples, churches was provided in the souvenir under the aegis of Krishna District Collector and chief patron of Intach- Krishna district chapter A. Babu. Machilipatnam chapter Intach convener Udattu Srinivasa Rao and historian Mohammed Silar were also present.

- http://www.thehindu.com/, August 11, 2016

Three-dimensional panels will depict glory of bygone era at Delhi Gate, Jama Masjid, Lal Quila and Kashmere Gate Metro stations

The Kashmere Gate Metro Station is going to become the biggest inter-change point of the Delhi Metro once the 5.17-km-long Heritage Line becomes operational.

The station will connect three lines: Violet Line (Escort Mujesar-ITO), Red Line (Dilshad Garden-Rithala) and Yellow Line (Huda City Centre-Samaypur Badli).

However, city dwellers will have to wait till November until they get to take the Heritage Line as trial runs on the corridor, including inspection by the CMRS, is going to take three months.

The underground section will have four stations: ITO (operational), Delhi Gate, Jama Masjid, Lal Quila and Kashmere Gate. The section is called the ‘Heritage Line’ as it passes through various historical landmarks of Old Delhi.

3D artwork
In a first, artwork in the section will have three-dimensional panels depicting the glory of the bygone era. The Lal Quila Metro Station will have two 3D panels. The first panel will show Red Fort in a sequence of spaces that one would experience walking around the monument entering from the Lahori Gate.

The centre of the panel will present Red Fort as an elevation in two halves – one showing the actual picture and the other, a rendition of the night silhouette. A vertically mounted model of the whole complex with reference to scales has also been incorporated to give an idea of the size of the fort.

Various periods in the life of Red Fort have been depicted through lithographs and pictures picked from Mughal, British and early days of independent India. The second panel mainly focuses on ‘Royalty’ - the lifestyle and grandeur of the inhabitants of the fort built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It also gives a peek into the food, clothing, jewellery, warfare, art and education of the Mughal dynasty.

The artwork at Kashmere Gate Station will touch upon the attributes of the city in the later parts of its existence, primarily colonial influences.

Kashmere Gate
“The artwork at Kashmere Gate tries to capture the uniqueness of the transformation of the city from one style to the other. The overlays in the form of gateways and arches will represent the architectural elements as it would have existed then and as it exists today. Structures like the Mutiny Tower, St. James Church, and Nicholas Cemetery are also displayed,” said Anuj Dayal, executive director (corporate communications), DMRC. The installations at Jama Masjid Station will focus on places of worship in the imperial city of Shahjahanabad.

“Panel one is dedicated to Jama Masjid including its architectural elements like arches, minarets,jharokas and domes. The second panel shows other places of worship like the Jain temple, two Sunehri Masjids, Gurudwara Sheesh Ganj Sahib, the Fatehpuri mosque and Akhbarbadi Masjid,” said Mr. Dayal.

Delhi Gate
Artwork at the Delhi Gate Station will give commuters a glimpse of the Walled City. While the first panel is about famous streets of Old Delhi – Chawri Bazaar, Phool Mandi and Paranthe Wali Gali, the second one starts with extruded Nolli plan of the city of Shahjahanabad. It also includes existing and lost landmarks of Old Delhi like Bhagirath Palace (Begum Samru Palace), Chunamal's Haveli and clock tower, which no longer exists. After the commissioning of this section, the entire 9.37-km-long Central Secretariat – Kashmere Gate section will be operational and become a part of the 43.40-km-long Escorts Mujesar – Kashmere Gate (Violet Line) corridor. The corridor is also being extended to Ballabhgarh from Escorts Mujesar (3.2 kilometres).

- http://www.thehindu.com, August 11, 2016

Art workshops for students are also being organised as a part of the showcase to develop an interest in the subject. FROM the mountains of Himachal Pradesh to the caves of France — rocks tell a story through art. At the World of Rock Art, an exhibition, which was inaugurated on Wednesday, images, motifs, creative expressions take the visitors back in time, make them stop, stare and soak in the thought that how art remains a constant of our life, a need to recreate the world in its many manifestations.

On till September 10 at the museum of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Panjab University, the exhibition brings to light the fascinating world of the primitive men, who decorated their abodes – natural caves and shelters with paintings and engravings and in the process, giving us an amazing view of life, through their eyes. An effort of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in collaboration with the department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology (AIHC&A), the exhibition brings exhibits of rock art from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America.

Dr Paru Sidhu of the department said: “Rock art is known from across the world and as a discipline of study and research, is very popular in Europe. Asia boasts of a diverse art heritage, with Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh inscribed by UNESCO as a world heritage site.” Sidhu added that the effort of the exhibition is to introduce people of the region, students and history lovers to this treasure-trove of art and its varied expressions. ×

Art workshops for students are also being organised as a part of the showcase to develop an interest in the subject. Through carving, scraping, polishing, painting and stenciling, many subjects form the basis of the art on rocks, with a representation of wild animals and scenes of hunting being the most common subject.

Geometrical and abstract motifs, battle scenes, hand-prints are also common to rock art from all the five continents.

Some of the art depicts the evolution from hunters and gatherers to a more settled life, with domestication of animals, and growing of plants. Scenes from nature, complex depictions like that of a salmon fish in the form of a sculpture, a man holding an axe for protecting lovers, a delicate panel of horses and rhinos, lovers in a tight embrace, a chariot and charioteer. all take the viewer to varied spaces, indicating the diversity of culture, beliefs, practices, surroundings, as evident in the diversity and complexity of the art.

Rock art from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh can be viewed. The exhibition is a representative collection of the significant and important traditions are displayed continent wise, with the viewer getting

a glimpse and feel of the constantly changing aspects of art, stimulated by the awareness of sights and sounds, myths and beliefs of life of the primitive men.

- http://indianexpress.com, August 11, 2016

More than a year after the devastating earthquakes struck Nepal, some of the countrys famous museums and institutions have once again opened to visitors as a result of combined work of the UNs cultural agency and its partners, a top UN official has said. "The rehabilitation of Nepals museums and historical buildings following the 2015 earthquake has a deep, positive impact on the economic and social development of the country," said Christian Manhart, Director of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Kathmandu. "There is a tremendous sense of identity, determination and hope that comes with the reopening of museums and the restoration of temples," Manhart said.

The April 2015 earthquake and series of aftershocks killed more than 8,700 people, injured more than 22,000, and destroyed or damaged more than 250,000 houses.

The disaster also badly affected the landlocked countrys cultural and natural heritage as 691 historic buildings in 16 districts were damaged, of which 131 fully collapsed.

In the months after the earthquake, UNESCO joined the countrys Department of Archaeology in salvaging, inventorying and ensuring the safe-storage of artefacts and other architectural features in several impacted sites and museums including the capitals Hanumandhoka, Swayambhu and Chhauni National Museum.

The UN agency also worked to ensure that local museum staff were trained in earthquake recovery, safe storage and access of museum collections. In February this year, in collaboration with its partners, UNESCO organised workshops that trained staff from museums in the capital Kathmandu and other cities including Pokhara, Kapilvastu, Nuwakot and Dhangadi on sustainable collection and storage, surface cleaning, stabilisation, labelling and packing of museum objects, participants gained technical, scientific and practical skills to save collections. "However, much still remains to be done and other museums have yet to open their doors. For example, local volunteers have been guarding sites to prevent the looting of objects," UNESCO said.

The agency added that cultural heritage constitutes a source of identity and pride, and its protection is essential for sustainable development and especially for the tourism economy in the country.

The future rebuilding programme is in great need of support, and UNESCO aims to incorporate means for visitors to see, understand and contribute to the restoration process.

UNESCO also noted that the Post Disaster Needs Assessment for Nepal, which outlines short-term recovery and repair needs as well as long-term restoration and rebuilding plans, has proposed the total restoration of the damaged heritage sites within six years, as indicated in the Post Disaster Restoration Framework.

- http://indiatoday.intoday.in, August 11, 2016

The government has underlined the need for an interface on the real problems of the Himalayan region, as it will help in proper planning, an official statement said.

Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave today said the Himalayan range has been suffering from the ill-effects of pollution “the most” even as he discussed various issues including impact of climate change on the range and retreat of glaciers with MPs of the region. Chairing the third meeting with MPs from the Himalayan region last evening, Dave also underlined the need for having an interface on the real problems of the Himalayan region to help proper planning to mitigate them.

“Man, wild animals and forests have been living in harmonious co-existence. No Scheduled Tribe has ever posed a threat to the forests. Himalayas must be seen as a single whole and not in different parts. Himalayan range is one of the areas that has been suffering the ill-effects of pollution the most,” Dave said.

Some of the issues discussed at the meeting included the possibility of disaster risk reduction, climate change impact, retreat of Himalayan glaciers, forest fires and the need to reduce out migration. The government has underlined the need for an interface on the real problems of the Himalayan region, as it will help in proper planning, an official statement said.

× The MPs who took part in the meeting include Ajay Tamta, Shanta Kumar, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Neiphu Rio. Two such meetings have been held earlier. The first meeting was held in September last year in Almora in Uttarakhand.

The meeting discussed the need to bring in a ‘Mountain Perspective’ in national policies and plans and also emphasised the need to find long-term, research based solutions to the issues specific to the region. The second meeting was held in December last year and it had underlined the need for bringing mountain states to the forefront of Sustainable Development Agenda in the country.

- http://indianexpress.com, August 11, 2016

As the fury of rain subsided in Chittorgarh, it wreaked havoc at many places including Pali and other parts of the state. Seven people including five in Jodhpur division and two in Bhilwara died in rain-related mishaps. Many localities in Pali town and several villages in Pali district are inundated.

Meanwhile, the water started receding in Bhilwara and Chittorgarh but thousands of people were still stranded in various camps run by the district administration.

Five deaths have been reported in Jodhpur division due to rain in past 24 hours. Two persons died in Jodhpur whereas one person was reportedly washed away in an overflowing nullah at Sojat Road in Pali district while bathing with his friends on Wednesday.

Two children on Wednesday died in Biliya village of Bhilwara after they drowned in the water collected near their house. Both were siblings and were children of a farmer.

According to police, Dinesh (6) and Meina (4) at Biliya village in Ralayata gram panchayat of Bhilwara went out of their house this morning and found that water had collected in a pool. "Both were playing near the pool. After some time, their bodies were found floating on water," a villager told police.

Army column requisitioned for rescue work in Jodhpur on Wednesday. "A column of 3 officers, 3 JCO and 30 other ranks of Konark Air Defence Missile Regiment and Engineers was rushed to Sultan Nagar and Natbasti area on Banar Road near Army Public School on request of district collector," said a senior officer of Jodhpur. The column reached the affected area and got in touch with civil administration.The task was to flush the water out which had reached a level of 6-8 feet.

Despite heavy flooding and continuous rainfall the team deployed four pumps to flush out the water and gave all possible help to civilians including the civil authorities. Five vehicles for emergency evacuation were also placed in the affected area.The operation is still on and will continue through the night.

Teams of Army, NDRF and SDRF are carrying out rescue works as several thatched houses have collapsed in different parts of Bhilwara district and villages and towns including Mandalgarh have been cut off as the roads are submerged, officials said, adding that train services have also been affected in the region. "Both the disaster relief teams of state and district along with army have been striving to ensure that the people are safely rescued from the troubled areas. We have also arranged to provide food packets for people who have no access to food due to water-logging in their areas," an official said.

Condition in areas like Rani, Falna, Sadri, Bali and Marwar Junction is near critical as the water from overflowing dams apart from rain-fed nullahs has been making its way into these towns.

Meanwhile, Jodhpur on Wednesday experienced drizzling throughout the day after heavy rain on Tuesday, which had thrown life out of gear. Many underbridges and low-lying areas submerged in water and overflowing nullahs of the city broke bridges at a couple of places forcing the administration to swing into action.

Almost all the water bodies of the city were overflowing due to incessant rain on Tuesday, including Ranisar Padamsar, Fateh Sagar, Gulab Sagar etc, the water from which turned the city roads into rivers.

Meanwhile, the railway administration has cancelled 13 trains running or passing through Jodhpur and other areas due to lack of link racks and inundated railway tracks.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 11, 2016

The ruins of Purana Qila, the National Zoo and the World Heritage Site of Humayuns Tomb will be the part of the another archaeological park, proposed by the Delhi Development Authority in its Master Plan of Delhi 2021.

The proposal was made in the DDA Authority Meeting chaired by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung at Raj Niwas yesterday.

"The proposal is for inclusion of an additional archaeological park ?Indraprastha in the existing list of Archaeological Parks under clause 10.4 (Chapter 10.0 Conservation of Built Heritage) of MPD-2021," the DDA said.

The Indraprastha Park is a designated district park as per the zonal development plan. "The park shall include the citadel of Purana Qila, the National Zoological Park on west side, Sunder Nursery (L&DO ownership), Batashewala Complex (L&DO ownership), BSF Mess, World Heritage site of Humanyuns Tomb on south side, and Millennium Park on east side thus including over 50 significant monuments of which at least 20 are protected to be of national significance.

"This green zone shall act as a buffer area to the World Heritage Complex ? Humayuns Tomb thus making it one of the largest archaeological parks," DDA said in a statement.

In the meeting, a suggestion was also made to include both tangible and intangible heritage of the city in the proposed modification of the Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation Regulations 1999.

DUHF was established by DDA with the aim of safeguarding the built heritage of Delhi.

"Over a period of time it was felt to expand the scope of the DUHF as a consequence of dealing with diverse heritage of Delhi and a need arose to amend the regulations by way of broadening the scope of heritage and making it more inclusive," it said.

Mehrauli Archaeological Park is already included in the MPD 2021. PTI KND SMJ

- http://indiatoday.intoday.in, August 11, 2016

Scholar from the University of Chicago has surveyed over 100 temples

Like a film reel rolled out on the walls, paintings on walls and ceilings narrate the epics in temples. These mural paintings of the Nayak period have always drawn art historians.

But, concern for style, structure, technique and depiction also long overshadowed the labour that goes into the making of mural art and access to these. “Who built the temple? What kind of labour was required to haul all the rocks? Art historians do not think much about the labour involved,” says Anna Seastrand, Collegiate Assistant Professor, Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts, the University of Chicago. She spoke to Th

The art historian adds: “To think carefully about whose labour produced the magnificent temples, sculptures and paintings of Tamil Nadu, we need scholars who work on many different aspects of history — including epigraphists and textual historians, economic and labour historians, contemporary practitioners and art historians.”

Her fascination towards mural paintings of Nayak period and use of language in the inscriptions had triggered a quest in understanding the access people had in order to view these paintings, looking beyond the style, technique and structure of the mural paintings and sculptures. “The first thing that troubles me is: who could see the paintings, considering that not everyone can go inside the temples? Even if they can go, they might not be allowed to go after a certain point. Who saw these paintings and who can see them now? Are they able to read these inscriptions anyway? The question of access is very important to think about,” Ms Seastrand says.

Ms. Seastrand adds: “I really think about these things since I cannot go inside some temples and see them. It is true historically, if we think about who the audiences are and to whom these paintings are dedicated. It would be the elite class of people in terms of caste and socio economic conditions. It shows how these paintings were for a restricted audience.”

Though changes have occurred over time, allowing people access to view those paintings, a few temples still follow restrictions. Ms. Seastrand was not allowed into temples in Kerala to study the mural paintings for her doctoral thesis.

Her first brush with the mural paintings happened when she was studying Tamil at American Institute of Indian Studies. After reading Cambridge History of South India on mural paintings, she took a bus to Thirupudaimarudur near Tirunelveli.

What she saw at that moment became a defining factor of her major research work. The paintings on the gopuram, decorations on every surface, beautiful wooden sculptures, pillars, sculpted ceiling and gorgeous paintings on the walls left an indelible impression on her. These were the mural paintings of the Nayak period. “They were so beautiful that I decided to do a PhD on this subject. There are very few texts on mural paintings of that period. People think it is not a good art and it has a bad reputation. I think it is undeserved,” she says. Ms. Seastrand also started learning Telugu to read the inscriptions and translate them. “The inscriptions are both in Tamil and Telugu languages and I made a survey of all of the paintings.”

She has surveyed at least 100 temples across south India and mostly in Tamil Nadu, including Bodinayakkanur, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, Tittakudi, Natham and Ramanathapuram. Like any other art historian, she also expresses her concern for dying art. As an art historian, she says: “Art history allows us to know the past in different ways; it should not be thought of as subordinate to texts or inscriptions. Images give us information about politics, trade, social prestige and power, different kinds of visual and performing arts, literature and religion, just to name a few. Without knowing all these other aspects, we cannot begin to understand the art. And without the art, we cannot reach a full understanding of these other aspects of history. So it is vital to preserve and study the history of art.”

- http://www.thehindu.com, August 12, 2016

An exhibition where 69 artists will tell a year-by-year story of independent India India as a canvas: Rutuja Mali’s work depicts the launch of the EDUSAT satellite in 2004.

The 1962 India-China war can hardly be remembered with a smile. Yet Rituparna Sarkar has given it shape in a lighter vein in her art panel, which is in the form of a graphic novel.

“I picked this topic because my father-in-law is a retired major general, and I’ve heard quite a few insider stories from him since he was based in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, for a fair bit of his work life (though after 1962). What I’ve especially noted in most of his anecdotes is his wry sense of humour in retelling them, and that is something that appeals to me personally, the ability to laugh at your own situation,” says Sarkar, whose work draws inspiration from the red-and-white Communist posters popular in the 1960s-70s.

Mumbai-based Sarkar is among 69 contemporary artists whose works will tell the story of independent India at the seven-day Indianama exhibition, which opens today in New Delhi.

Organized by Delhi-based creative agency Animal to mark 69 years of India’s independence, Indianama will include paintings, graphic novels, installations and sculptures—all created within a map of India. “The brief to the artists, each of whom have one single year to represent in their work, was to highlight what they believed was the most important event of that year,” says Animal’s creative director Kunel Gaur, who will present video art on the death of Congress leader Sanjay Gandhi in 1980.

A few months ago, Gaur, along with the studio’s art director, Sharon Borgoyary, invited artists from across the country to choose a year and the topic they wanted to cover, and create an artwork. They then shortlisted the works on the basis of the visual aesthetic and the artist’s work portfolio.

Delhi-based Pranav Bhardwaj’s installation, for instance, depicts the 1949 hanging of Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. Through his digital print, Hari Krishnan, also from Delhi, symbolizes the start of a cultural movement in 1967 with the printing of Amar Chitra Katha—India’s first comic book series. Ameya Narvankar’s art print shows the White Revolution in 1970, and the 2013 Mars Orbiter mission is the subject of Arushi Kathuria’s digital art print.

“Some of the works are representative of the stir they caused among people,” says Gaur. Furqan Jawed’s graphic print, for example, is based on actor Sharmila Tagore’s famous bikini shoot for the Filmfare magazine in 1966, which led to an uproar in Parliament, while Rohan Jha’s print marks Coca-Cola’s re-entry into India in 1993. “Though people might remember 1993 as the year of the Bombay blasts, I wanted to show something positive. Coke’s re-entry made sense because it showed a happier side and it’s part of my childhood memory,” says Mumbai-based Jha.

A lot has been written about India since its independence. But not much has been documented as far as art is concerned, says Gaur. “We are attempting to tell the story through art.”

Indianama will be on till 18 August, 11am-8pm, at the Kona exhibition space in Jor Bagh Market. Prices, Rs.5,000-65,000. Half of the proceeds from the sale will go to the artists and the rest to Karm Marg, a home for underprivileged children.

- http://www.livemint.com, August 12, 2016

It's rare to come across an individual who's adept with both pen and camera -- more so when photography grew out of a casual remark. Tarun Chopra is one such and what he has managed with "Temples of India - Abode of the Divine", his 12th book, is to also trace the evolution of temple building with major architectural trendsetting examples. To this extent, "Temples of India" (Prakash Books/pp 360/Rs 1,295), with its plethora of photographs, illustrations, ground plans and sections, is a valuable resource for both experts and lay persons to understand the fascinating science of geometry and architecture as temple-building evolved over some 2,000 years.

Ten years in the making and based on painstaking research of the ancient texts of Shilpa Shastra and Vaastu Shastra, as also interactions with temple priests, the effort is quite an eye-opener.

"I visited the temples of varied faiths. It somehow compels you to think if there is a God, He has to be one for all. He cannot be different for each religion. The realisation then dawns that there is one Supreme cosmic power which itself has no religion," Chopra told IANS in an interview. A 48-page introduction makes for a handy primer on subjects like the oral tradition, Vaastu Shastra, Vaastupurushamandala (the metaphysical plan of a building), the legend of Vaastupurusha, temple builders, traditional building rites and rituals, the main architectural features of a Hindu temple, iconography of the temple, proportional measurements of an image, and temples as the markers of energy zones.

This sets the tone for Tripping On the Divine: a visual documentation of the evolution of most prominent temple styles spanning more than 2,000 years.

"Very few places in the world offer this vast a canvas of art and architecture. This book is not based on the temples of religious importance; rather the temples illustrated in it are purely on their architectural merit. Many of them have unique qualifications to be first of their kind in the Indian subcontinent and in the world. Some temples are the stepping stones of architectural styles and initiated temple styles that evolved for the next 1,000 years," Chopra writes.

Most of the 28 temples featured are A-listers -- Sanchi, Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta, Kanchipuram, Shravanabelagola, Khajuraho, Trichy, Madurai and Hampi, to name just a few. There are also some not too well known, at least for readers in North India. Among them are Teli Ka Mandir in Gwalior Fort, Gangaikondacholapuram (a smaller replica of the Brihadeshwara Temple in Tanjore), Darasuram (Tamil Nadu) and Aihole (Karnataka).

The bulk of the temples are located in South India and Chopra explained it thus: "Due to waves and waves of invasions that North India experienced at the hands of idol breakers, the temples in this region bore most of its brunt. Since the temples down south were relatively protected due to geographical distance, there is a wide variety of architectural styles that still exists today."

"Temples..." is a logical extension of Chopra's 11 previous books, most of which have India as their theme. "My bestselling book 'Holy Cow and the Other Indian Stories' contains small chapters answering simple questions about India, why cows are on the road, why we get stamped so many times at the airport, the chaos that exists on the roads.. 'India Exotic Destination' illustrates the places frequented by visitors, while 'Soul of India' is a photo book that illustrates the beauty of the land through portraits, landscapes, street life and the like," Chopra said.

"I am a photographer and writer devoted to making books on India. My endeavour is to take out books that are easy to read and assimilate. As a photographer, I have been commissioned to do various projects both in India and abroad," he added.

All this grew out of a casual remark: "Why don't you start taking pictures since you travel so much?" What is rather unusual about "Temples..." is its standard format rather than the large coffee-table format generally adopted for such books -- and the publisher said this was with a purpose.

"We decided to go with a smaller size to make the book handy for the buyer. Typical coffee tables are larger in size, but the sales of these books are down for the last few years, mainly because of the internet. A lot of images and data is now available on the net, but also because it's hard to carry large books because of weight limitations or the general bulkier nature of the book.

"We wanted the readers to be able to enjoy 'Temples of India' while they travel through India and visit these temples," Megha Parmar of Prakash Books told IANS.

(Vishnu Makhijani can be contacted at [email protected])

- http://www.business-standard.com/, August 12, 2016

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has formed Special Purpose Vehicle, a non-profit company, for the maintenance and development of green zones in the city. The decision, officials say, was taken to develop green areas at par with international parks like London's Hyde Park, New York's Central park etc.

The SPV will be called Biodiversity Mission and DDA Greens, and will be headed by lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung. The SPV will work on four key areas — development of urban parks, biodiversity parks, nature reserves and green circuits. The plan is to develop urban parks as per the international standards.

"The main problem DDA faces is regular maintenance. This new initiative will ensure that the greens are maintained. It will also work on planning new projects for enhancing green areas," said a official.

In another major decision, DDA has designated district Indraprastha park as an archaeological park. "This green zone shall act as a buffer area to the World Heritage Complex, Humayun's Tomb, thus making it one of the largest Archaeological parks," said an official.

The land-owning agency has also modified the Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation Regulations, 1999. In the modified regulation, both tangible and intangible heritage have been included.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 12, 2016

It’s been a long time since I’ve had such an enjoyable evening listening to speakers. The Sanmar Group was celebrating the Golden Jubilee of its association with the Jolly Rovers Cricket Club, quite possibly the longest such connection in the country, and it did it in style with social historian and cricket buff Ramachandra Guha as one speaker and Kapil Dev, the former Indian captain, as the other. Guha, as usual, was loud, enthusiastic, passionate, dramatic and full of anecdotes to illustrate his ‘Five Forms of Partisanship’ when it came to his love for cricket. Kapil was an almost perfect counter-point, measured in his English, calm of manner, rustic in his humour, often at his own expense, anecdotal in his approach and clearly able to think on his feet. While expressing his views on Guha’s five forms of partisanship, he brought the house down and made the evening.

Loyalty to Club, Friends’ Cricket Club in Bangalore, Guha’s first love; loyalty to a State, Karnataka rather than the Tamil Nadu of his forebears; Test cricket to a partial exclusion of the one-day game and a total exclusion of T20; greater admiration for bowlers than batsmen; and a stronger preference for cricketers of his generation than those of later generations were the five forms of partisanship Guha expounded on.

Kapil had much to say in his English that today does not sound anything like that of non-English speaking persons, which made up a large part of the young cricketing crowd that evening. He recalled the Selectors wondering whether a non-English speaking person should be a chosen to lead India (he was the first to do so). He remembered slowly picking up English but having problems with an Aussie cricketer’s enquiry whether he had “arrived todie” (“To play not to die”, he had responded) and a West Indian reporter asking “Wasuppeninmon”, only to discover he was being asked “What’s happening, man?” And to Guha’s statement that he was always smiling on the field, even when he ran in yards to catch Vivian Richards and virtually at that point win India the World Cup, Kapil candidly recalled that far from smiling, he was mentally focussed only on the ball; for his perpetual smile he could thank his buckteeth!

And, he gently pointed out that teams needed both bowlers and batsmen and neither was more important than the other. As for T-20, every form of cricket has different skills and you need to admire those skills in a player and judge the game by those skills; they were just different skills. As a listener, there were two questions I would have liked to have asked. When Guha said that Karnataka more often than not beat Tamil Nadu, had he forgotten that first Ranji Trophy match when Madras beat Mysore in just one day, the first day of a three-day match? And again, could he truly claim he was happier watching Prasanna and Chandrasekhar than Viswanath and Dravid?

What’s happening in Tranquebar?

Referring to my piece on Tranquebar in this column on July 17, Poul Petersen writes from Tranquebar that he and four other Danes in 2002 started the Danish Tranquebar Association “to do something to our former Danish Trade Station on the Coromandel Coast … an important part of our history”. Petersen goes on to write, and I quote verbatim, lest I misinterpret anything, the relevant portions:

“In February we opened the former governors Bungalow for the public with the fine historical exhibition from the Danish national museum… daily during two month we received visitors in the house and we talked to people and also to representatives from touristy ministry and department of archaeology. One day a man from tourist ministry came and after inspecting the building he asked me. “and what are you going to use the building for ?? “ funny, he asked me as a foreigner .. and suddenly it stroke me…. The Indians has never taken ownership to the building… We got permission from The Tamil government to start renovation and after that the Tamil government fulfilled the project.

“Now, 14 years after the Tamil Government has finished renovation project number 2 and they plan to make it a fine historical museum — a museum both people from Tamil Nadu, guests from all India and guests from abroad can be proud of… Suddenly it stroke me ‘now the Indians have taken ownership to that building’, they have taken ownership to the Fort Dansborg and that is the point… it takes time to take ownership to a building.. this has never happened to the Governors bungalow.. It has been fine restored 6 years ago, but what are we going to use it for? The Danes had some plans, the tourist ministry had some plans, the dep. Of archaeology had some plans….. but no one had taken ownership to the building. No one felt the important of running this building and give it a purpose. So,,, the learning process in this must be. First we have to say to our self ‘what are we going to use the building for?’ and then we can restore. Restoring a building without having a purpose is crazy.

“The Danish Tranquebar association has now leased the former Danish commanders house with the aims to restore the building.. not only to restore the building, but from the beginning during the restoration work inside the building make it to a Danish/Indian cultural center. A Center for history and education… a cultural center we can be proud of, both Danes and Indians…. in January 2017 we start to move our two activities into the building namely the Royal Danish Library and Tranquebar Maritime Museum… from the beginning we hope that the locals, the inhabitants of Tharangambadi will be proud of this center and after a short time to take ownership to the ‘Danish/Indian Cultural Center in Tranquebar’ — Poul Petersen, President of the Danish Tranquebar Association.”

All this is very confusing to me. About 10 years ago, Tamil Nadu’s Tourism Department, INTACH Tamil Nadu (when there was no other INTACH chapter in the State) and the Danish Museum drew up plans to restore the Governor’s Bungalow and make it an Indo-Danish Study Centre and Museum. Restoration was done, but whatever happened to the plans for utilisation? Petersen’s letter, if I understand it right, tells a rather different story. Perhaps, Tamil Nadu Tourism and INTACH Tamil Nadu will clear the air and tell us how an Association, which had never figured in the tripartite discussions, suddenly organised an exhibition at the Governor’s Bungalow. With whose permission?

Meanwhile, judging by Petersen’s letters to me (three so far), he does not seem to consider the German contribution to Tranquebar as part of Danish history, despite the fact that the Halle missionaries were sent out by the King of Denmark.

A slip of the keys A typist’s devil last week dropped the word ‘Vice’ and made Radhakrishnan President before his time. He was Vice President at the time my picture of last week was taken.

- http://www.thehindu.com, August 13, 2016

Good news often comes in threes. Nalanda Mahavihara, Bihar; Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim; and Le Corbusier Capitol Complex, Chandigarh—the three Indian sites have been inscribed recently in UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, taking India’s total to 35.

If July 2016 brought this home, December 2015 saw Varanasi and Jaipur inscribed into the UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, under the charter of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), meriting a tweet from the PM himself.

Five UNESCO inscriptions for India in about eight months! Historic! Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma and his ministry deserve our congratulations.

The UNESCO defines ICH as practices, expressions, knowledge, skills, etc. transmitted and inherited over generations—living traditions that define identity, and cultural diversity, a collective cultural memory. In India, every few square kilometres mark deep changes in food, clothing, dialect, customs, etc.—all engaging and enveloping the individual and the society that sustain him. Much of this is handed down orally; vertically through traditions and horizontally through social customs of the village or town that the individual belongs to, thereby making cultural heritage, the warp and weft, the intangible civilisational thread that binds this nation.

With globalisation and movement of communities in search of livelihood, this fragile cultural heritage is slowly fading away as people absorb and partake of global cultures, seeking to blend in even as we forget and disregard our myriad cultural strands.

This is where the UNESCO mission of the ICH, under the Ministry of Culture, mandated to keep alive and safeguard this inheritance through documentation, digitisation, knowledge transfer and transmission, acquires importance.

In December 2015, Varanasi became the first Indian city to join a network of 16 cities, that mean music to the world (Adelaide, Liverpool etc), while Jaipur joined the field of crafts and folk arts. Almost every city in India can stake a claim to the Creative Cities Network. Already the ICH mission is looking at Chennai, Mumbai and Lucknow for music, film and gastronomy, respectively.

What do these inscriptions envisage? A sense of pride of one’s cultural heritage, ownership by stakeholders and civic society, international recognition, inbound cultural tourism and economic inflow, and more importantly a continuation of the cultural traditions, sustaining communities dependent on these skills.

Further, UNESCO’s representative list of the ICH of humanity includes Vedic chanting, Kutiyattam, Ramlila, Navroz, Buddhist chanting etc., while we await results of India’s submissions for yoga and Kumbh Mela.

While the ministry’s future plans include creating a cultural inventory and cultural mapping, it would be prudent to undertake a detailed digitisation and documentation project, to record for posterity, the many nuggets of culture that define us. My own priorities would be non-economic artistry: wedding songs in communities, lullabies, kolam etc., to be shared across platforms as open source to access cultural inheritance. A cultural Wikipedia of our precious oral and living culture is the need of the hour.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com, August 13, 2016

The Punjab Archaeology Department’s decision to display British-era items such as hats, walking sticks and typewriters at Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s ancestral house here has not gone down well with the martyr’s kin. Reason: These objects have nothing to do with Bhagat Singh.

Sources said the department bought about 30 items for Rs 1.5 lakh and placed these recently beside the martyr’s relics.

Prof Jagmohan Singh, Ludhiana-based nephew of Bhagat Singh, said, “Even a broken bowl related to him or other freedom fighters is welcome at the Khatkar Kalan house, but colonial relics are a blot on his legacy. These should be kept elsewhere.”

Jagmohan, who was instrumental in getting the house converted into a protected monument in the 1970s, said it was built in 1858 by Bhagat Singh’s great-grandfather Fateh Singh. “The British tried to get his support during the 1857 revolt, but he refused. The house symbolises the family’s resistance to colonial rule.”

Justifying the department’s move, Director, Archaeology, Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa said the memorabilia belonged to Bhagat Singh’s times. “We also want visitors to have a look at other items of that era,” he said. He said the department was ready to keep more things related to the martyr if people came forward to donate the same.

- http://www.tribuneindia.com, August 13, 2016

NBA and SBBs have been set up in most states but remain inactive.

India is a rich country in terms of immense natural resources it has; so much so that, despite of having just 2.4 percent of the world’s land and 4 percent water, it is one of the 17 mega-biodiversity countries with 7-8% of the recorded species of the world. The country has about 46,000 plant and 91,000 animal species, making the Western Ghats and the Himalayas amongst the world’s 35 biodiversity hotspots.

While the villagers conserve and protect these species, little have not yet benefitted by their yeomen service, although the Government of India has passed the Biodiversity Act (BDA), in 2002 as India was committed to International Convention on Biological Diversity, a 1993 treaty to conserve biodiversity, promote its sustainable use and enable “fair and equitable sharing of benefits” with the local communities, reports Hindustan Times, August 12, 2016.

Local grassroots governing institutions of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) were supposed to prepare people’s biodiversity registers (PBRs) or the records of a region’s biological resources—plants, animals and the traditional knowledge of the locals, but less than 3% PRIs in 15 states have prepared them and its absence have puts several endangered species at the risk of extinction, denies benefits to locals from the commercial use of biological resources and lets industrial projects getaway by not disclosing their destruction in their environment.

PBRs are the base of biodiversity protection and benefits from it to the locals as it forms a network from the local to the national levels—biodiversity management committees (BMCs) at the local level, involving all panchayats, municipalities and city corporations, to the state biodiversity boards (SBBs) and, finally at the top, to the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the Centre,. The BMCs are required to prepare PBRs of bio-resources (both wild and cultivated), work for protecting the resources and charge a fee on their commercial use.

While the NBA and SBBs in most states have been in place, less than 16% local bodies had constituted BMC still April, 2016. Worse, less than 3% local bodies have prepared the PBRs.

And, among these 15 states, Kerala prepared the maximum PBRs and has constituted BMCs in 65% of its local bodies. Little wonder, BDA is not being implemented and many industrial projects are getting environmental clearances in biodiversity-rich regions, although, they destroy biodiversity to a great extent.

Although gram panchayats can levy a fee if an industry uses the bio-resources commercially in its area, but only one panchayat in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand has collected a levy of Rs. 1,285.

Lack of seriousness by the apex body; the NBA, is causing havoc on India’s rich biodiversity and yielding no benefits to locals who are conserving and protecting it since generations.

- http://www.americanbazaaronline.com, August 13, 2016

Stories. Who doesn’t like them? In Mahabharata, throughout their life in jungle, Pandavas are treated to stories by the rishis about the various holy places and legends associated with the region. All ancient civilisations have a huge heritage of stories. In India, they are about the social habits, religiosity and myths surrounding the lives of interesting individuals.

Aithihyamaala – The Great Legends of Kerala (Set of Volume 1 and 2) By: Kottarathil Sankunni Translated by Sreekumari Ramachandran Publisher: Mathrubhumi Books Price: Rs 800 Pages: 560 eachAithihyamaala is an anthology of The Great Legends of Kerala, which have their origin in oral heritage. Chapters from Aithihyamaala used to be part of school syllabus, till secular curriculum revisions chased them out of books. With the collapse of the grandma storytelling sessions, the stories are beginning to be related verbally less and less. With a huge number of Malayalee children growing up without learning the language, the legends ought to be placed in the endangered cultural heritage list.

It is in this context, one must appreciate the efforts of Mathrubhumi Books to bring out English translation of one of the most popular compilations of legends of Kerala by Kottarathil Sankunni. Aithihyamaala is the magnum opus of Sankunni. He started working on the collection in 1909 and completed it in eight volumes in 25 years. They were first published in the 19th century literary magazine Bhashabhoshini. The collection, reprinted several times, has sold nearly 2,00,000 copies. This is the first English translation.

The stories of Aithihyamaala are not dated. The incidents described are largely between 200 and 500 years ago in a vague long past. The story of Kayamkulam Kochunni, who is referred to in daily conversations in Kerala even today, begins by saying he lived 270 years ago.

KK is a thief, a compulsive lawbreaker. But he was not that to begin with.

Muslim by birth he finds employment with a shopkeeper. He learns the traditional martial art in stealth after the Thangal (Muslim teacher) refuses him admission into class. After learning about his mastery, the thangal accepts him. The shopkeeper, impressed by Kochunni’s great prowess in Kalari, relieves him of the job, out of respect. KK, without any means of work, takes to thieving and in no time gains expertise. He is a hypnotiser and a womaniser. After several attempts, he is caught by the police and imprisoned. After only 91 days in jail, KK dies at the age of 41.

The two volumes together have 126 stories. Several of the stories relate to the origin and history of famous temples. The one on the devi temple in Chengannur is fascinating. The presiding deity here menstruates and the annual festivals revolve around this.

The locations of the stories cover the entire geographical spread of Kerala. What would make the stories in Aithihyamaala appeal to every Keralite is that the place names exist even today, bringing in an intimacy to the reader. To a non-Keralite picking up the English version to read, it is a treasure trove of stories. The socio-economic history of Kerala runs parallel to the narration.

A copy of Aithihyamaala is mandatory in an average Kerala household. The translation of that into English, no doubt, will add a contemporary value to it. Sreekumari Ramachandran, renowned author, singer and dancer, has done an excellent job of translation, maintaining the original spirit and flavour.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com, August 13, 2016

In another blow to Delhi's ambitions, the Lotus Temple's world heritage site bid has been withdrawn. The nomination bid was halted by the temple's trustees, National Assembly of Bahais (NAB), as there were concerns that the Unesco inscription might hurt development work in the complex, said sources.

The move came as a setback for the AAP government, which had strongly pitched for Lotus Temple as the fourth world heritage site in the city. While the NAB did not comment on the issue, sources in heritage conservation body Intach, that was preparing the nomination dossiers for the temple, also known as Bahai house of worship, confirmed that the bid would not go through.

"It has been conveyed to us in writing that the NAB doesn't wish to go ahead with the world heritage nomination for Lotus Temple as it would affect development work. We have no option but to stop the process," Intach convener AGK Menon said.

Sources said the decision was taken after a series of meetings with the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) over a proposal to build a meditation centre in the complex. The NAB was concerned that a world heritage inscription could lead to government interference in the temple and become an impediment to its development plans.

The decision was then conveyed to Intach. Tourism minister Kapil Mishra, who had strongly pitched for the bid, said the government would discuss the issue with the temple trustees.

"Lotus Temple is the property of the NAB and we want it to get the world heritage inscription. If there is some concern from their side, we will talk to them and try to resolve it," the minister said. He, however, added that "ultimately it is the decision of the NAB; if it chooses not to go ahead with the world heritage bid, we cannot do anything".

Does it matters and it is the most priority needs of the country? A Lotus seller remains deprived and still it is bargained. But instead of relieving the pain of collecting the real Lotus we worry a... Read More

The NAB had moved a proposal with DUAC last month for some construction work within the complex. "They wanted to build a meditation centre in the temple complex and came to us with a proposal. But we could not accept it, as we felt it would interfere with the composition of the complex," said DUAC chairperson professor PSN Rao.

"We wanted them to change the proposal and move the meditation centre away from the complex so that it doesn't disturb the overall composition. We also suggested that the centre be partially underground and camouflaged with plantation and earth mounds. The temple trustees have now come up with a new proposal and revised drawings," he said.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 14, 2016

Ulihatu in Khunti, the birthplace of Birsa Munda, was abuzz today with the visit of Union home minister Rajnath Singh. In contrast, another site of equal historical importance, if not more, for its association with the country’s most iconic tribal freedom fighter, remains forgotten.

Old Birsa Jail in Ranchi, where Birsa Munda, aged only 25, was incarcerated after being caught fighting the British and died in 1900, is struggling to cope with the ravages of nature and administrative apathy.

Spread over 44 acres, the monumental building, which serves as a temporary base camp of Ranchi police at present, is in a dilapidated state. The barracks are crumbling, plasters have peeled off, huge bushes have grown on the walls and the mammoth iron gates are rusting. Some barracks are used as warehouses.

“We are living in an abysmal condition here. During monsoon, water seeps from the ceiling. Only one thing keeps us going: we are living in a historic building, where Bhagwan Birsa Munda spent the last years of his life. But it is deplorable how the building, which has association with people’s sentiments, is being neglected,” said one of the 150 jawans living on the premises.

Unlike politicians who pay floral tribute to Birsa Munda during special occasions, the policemen start their mornings with prayers to the tribal hero.

One of the jawans showed the barrack on first floor, where Birsa Munda was kept in confinement by the British government. A big portrait of the freedom fighter and a mandar are kept in the room. Policemen offer flowers to the portrait every day.

“We believe that Birsa Munda blesses us. You may call it our temple. This barrack is dedicated to him,” the jawan said.

Cracks have also surfaced on the outer wall of this unit, while rainwater was oozing from the ceiling. “We live under constant threat of snakes creeping inside the barrack as thick wild bushes have grown all over the jail premises. Bushes were never cleaned even once in the past one-and-a-half years,” said a policeman.

Successive state governments took cosmetic attempts in the name of conservation and beautification of the historical site. In 2013, the then Hemant Soren government sanctioned funds for landscaping the premise.

A 10-feet-high boundary wall was raised around the jail with colourful tribal motifs. A beautiful garden along with water sports, statue, lighting facility, fountains and cobbled pathways also came up with an estimated cost of Rs 12 crore.

But today, the park lies unkempt.

While lights and fountain were found defunct, bushes have cropped up everywhere, destroying the beauty of the garden. There are no visitors, except for cattle-rearers bringing their flock to munch on the grass.

“You don’t get such green grass in the heart of the town. My buffalos simply love it here,” said Munna Yadav, a cattle-rearer.

Although a renovation and conservation plan was mooted last year, it never saw the light of the day.

Initially, the art and culture department had hand-picked the building construction department for conservation of the building, which later turned down the proposal.

But director (culture) Ashok Kumar Singh claimed that work would start very soon as they had roped in the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) for the project.

“Earlier, there was some confusion that delayed the venture. The building construction department was pulled out from the job because renovation of historical monuments is altogether a different ball game. Intach will complete the work. A week ago, Intach submitted the detailed project report worth Rs 2 crore. The project will be expedited,” Singh said.

- http://www.telegraphindia.com, August 14, 2016

The Guwahati campus of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) will soon promote traditional crafts of the northeast by venturing into the skill development sector.

The deputy director of TISS's Guwahati campus, DK Srivastava, said the institute was exploring the possibility of joining hands with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) and the Assam government to promote traditional crafts of the region. On the sidelines of a conclave aimed at 'Engaging Youth in Sustainable Development Goals' here on Saturday, Srivastava said, "We have been successful in promoting the handloom sector in Uttar Pradesh, especially chikankari (traditional embroidery work of Lucknow) and Varanasi silk. We want to do something similar in the northeast."

At the conclave, which was organized by TISS and InspireX Centre for Sustainable Development, Srivastava said youngsters should be engaged through innovative methods and they should be made part of every development goal.

About 80 students, youth leaders from colleges and universities, and members of youth clubs of the region took part in the daylong conclave which discussed the United Nation's sustainable development goals (SDGs) to fight poverty, inequality, injustice and climate change by 2030. The goals were adopted at a UN summit on sustainable development on September 25, 2015.

TISS assistant professor Shalini Sharma said the SDGs are 'aspirational' and takes into account the realities of individual countries and the geo-political situations. "We must engage with these aspirational ideas. There has to be institutional means of fulfilling the aspirations of youths," she said.

Associate professor of the Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, Joydeep Barua, said people often mistake the SDGs as being entirely concerned about the environment. "But SDGs have a social dimension, too. Sustainability is not possible without curbing inequalities in society," he said.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 14, 2016

The Centre's call for "widest possible consultations" with MPs and legislators on conserving the Western Ghats' ecology, which is an attempt to seal the draft notification for the ecologically sensitive area (ESAs) in six months, has run into trouble with ecologists.

Madhav Gadgil, the architect of a report on the Western Ghats, has said the government was "sabotaging" a democratic process by not involving gram sabhas and bypassing ward meetings in the decision-making process.

Union minister of state (independent charge) Anil Madhav Dave on Thursday called a meeting of MPs from the Western Ghats region (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Gujarat and Kerala) and senior government officers in Delhi. NCP chief Sharad Pawar represented Maharashtra in the meeting. Dave called for maintaining a balance between ecology and development. "The door is open for all noble ideas," he said, adding that villagers and tribals living in the region must have access to infrastructure like roads, power and drinking water. He emphasized that different states have different problems that have to be addressed.

The draft notification was published on September 4, 2015 to conserve and protect the unique biodiversity of the Western Ghats. The government had identified 56,825 sq km spread across six states for the ESA. The area is earmarked as a 'no-go area' for high polluting human activities like mining, quarrying, huge constructions and setting up of industries. Gadgil, who headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel formed by the ministry of environment in 2010, is unhappy with the Centre's move.

"The electoral system has become so corrupt...elected representatives are getting managed to achieve their goals. Consultations must be held within the constitutional framework and keeping decentralization of power in mind. Through gram sabhas, pople must be involved in the consultation," he said.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 14, 2016

city of Bengaluru in southern India used to be known as the city of a thousand lakes. The lakes were dug in the sixteen century by the city’s founders, and later they were further developed by the British. The lakes were teaming with wildlife, from fish and frogs to snails and water beetles. Every year, numerous migratory birds flew thousands of kilometres to winter in the water-rich city and the lakes provided the vital drinking water required to quench the thirst of the city’s residents.

Tragically, the city of a thousand lakes is now a city of one hundred and fifty lakes, and the vast majority of those which survive are badly polluted.

Some lakes have simply dried up, but many have been filled in and are now hidden under buildings or golf courses. Slums have encroached onto a number of the remaining lakes, and the majority have become toxic cesspits of human and industrial waste.

One of the largest lakes is called Bellandur. It’s situated in the high-tech hub of Bengaluru and it’s severely polluted. For the last decade the lake has taken on a life of its own and every summer a toxic foam has erupted from its depths.

The foam is created in the hot summer weather after a downpour. Sadly, summer is the time of the monsoon, so there are plenty of downpours at this time. The rain mixes with the high content of ammonia and phosphate in the lake and this generates a vast amount of froth. As the foam builds, it begins to spill over the edges of the lake and onto the adjoining roads. If there is any wind at all, the foam will be blown further, into homes and other buildings.

The foam has an unbearable stench, and residents say it irritates the skin and is a breeding ground for diseases. They also claim that they cannot park their cars near the lake, as the toxic foam fades the colour of the paintwork. However, the foam isn’t just unpleasant, it’s highly toxic; researchers at the Indian Institute of Science have discovered that the nitrates in the foam make it carcinogenic.

In an attempt to contain the pollution, authorities installed a fence to prevent the foam from seeping onto the road. This did appear to be working to a certain extent, until part of the fence collapsed and the froth escaped across the road once more. A fence is clearly not the answer. Bellandur Lake isn’t the only lake which releases a toxic foam with an offensive odour. A number of other lakes also have the same issue, but foam isn’t the only problem; Bellandur Lake caught fire last year. There is such a large amount of detergents, oil and grease in the water that it actually became flammable.

Another of the lakes which is still surviving in Bengaluru is Ulsoor Lake, which is situated on the northeast fringe of the city centre. This lake is far less polluted than many of the other lakes and is home to some wildlife. However, even this lake turned into a fish graveyard in March this year, when hundreds of thousands of fish suddenly died, and were spotted floating on the surface of the water. Again, the culprit of this mass death is believed to be industrial waste and the free flow of sewage into the lake.

India is a country which is known to put environmental concerns on a back burner. Successive governments have long argued that their priority was the economy. Even though India is the third largest carbon polluter, they maintain that rich countries like the UK and the US should bear the moral responsibility for climate change and their country should not be denied the chance to grow its economy. However, in taking this stand, it’s the residents of India who suffers.

Rather than point fingers at others, it might be more helpful to learn lessons from history. The UK used to be highly polluted. Until the 1870s, human waste was poured directly into the waterways, including the river Thames, which bisects London. The stench was unbelievable, and a number of outbreaks of cholera and other deadly diseases were directly attributed to the river. A civil engineer named Joseph Bazalgette designed a series of interconnecting sewers to move the sewage outlet eastwards, away from the city, and he is said to have saved more lives than any other official living in the Victorian era.

The Thames is now a far cleaner river, but around the globe there are still a staggering number of deaths which are caused by unclean water. The World Health Organisation estimate that diarrhoea caused by inadequate drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene led to over 800,000 deaths in 2014. It is very evident that clean waterways are essential to a healthy, thriving population. Given the amount of rain that falls in Bengaluru, it is possible to replenish the water in the lakes naturally, but they will only stay clean if the pollution stops. The city shouldn’t wait for a disaster before it cleans up its act, history doesn’t need to be repeated.

- http://www.gulf-times.com, August 14, 2016

The Anakkulam, which is 200-year-old pond, has been renovated and beautified under Operation Anantha after spending two crores. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who inaugrated and dedicated the pond to the public on Saturday, has said the State government was committed to conserve water and it was planning to launch a long-term project to conserve water resources including ponds and other water bodies.

"We have a comprehensive project in pipeline which envisages to develop a new culture among the people to save the water resources and also revive the ones that have been either polluted or abandoned," he said.

The chief minister also said that rain water harvesting would be encouraged in the State and steps would be taken to ensure there is rainwater harvesting system in every household. A policy would be put in place to bring even those old houses which do not have rainwater harvesting, because this way the ground water recharged and the water table could be increased across the State.

Observing that the water bodies are now seen as a landfill, the chief minister said many water bodies have been contaminated because of poor waste management by the public. "Though Keralites have personal hygiene as a priority, when it comes to waste management, they have the habit of throwing household waste on roadsides, rivers and backwaters," he said, adding that the government would initiate steps to raise people's consciousness in this connection.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 14, 2016

50 sited will be selected where rain water gets collected and also it will recharge ground water. With a view to conserve rainwater and utilise it for crop irrigation, Haryana Government has decided to develop 50 new lakes in the state. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at a public here today, an official release said. He said the government is making consistent efforts to conserve rainwater.

“For this purpose, 50 such sites will be selected where rainwater usually gets collected and lakes would be developed at these sites. This will help recharge the groundwater table and this water can be used for irrigation,” Khattar said.

He said old and dried up water sources and ponds will also be restored. Replying to a question, the chief minister said while only 10,000 new government jobs are generated every year, the number of youth is much larger.

× Therefore, the industrialists have been urged to establish their own skill development centres and generate employment opportunities. Greater emphasis is being laid on skill development of youth in Industrial Training Institutes and technical education institutions in the state, Khattar said.

Replying to another query about the questions raised by leaders of other parties over the expenditure on state minister Anil Vij’s tour to Rio for the Olympics, he said the state government is spending Rs 200 crore on development of sports and sportspersons in state every year.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 14, 2016

On India's 70th Independence Day, a list of places that you can put down on your travel bucket list, in case you are interested in visiting places where tales of the days gone by still reverberate.

India is celebrating its 70th Independence Day and preparations for various celebratory events and commemorator y meetings are being made all acorss the country. As we celebrate seven decades of India’s Independence, it is also important to look back and reflect on the history of the struggle of our ancestors. They saw a dream and laid down their lives to make it a reality, so that we- their future generations- could live and breathe in a free land. The Indian landscape is dotted with places that narrate the story of that struggle. Those places and buildings might have lost their sheen, but they are still relevant, having witnessed the story of self-determination of the world’s biggest democracy. Read: Best Independence Day Quotes & Messages This Independence Day, we have compiled a list of monuments and buildings that you can put down on your travel bucket list, in case you are interested in visiting places where stories of the days gone by still reverberate. The places range from the most glamorous and popular ones, to the lesser known and most obscure ones, which are tucked deep inside the pages of history books and probably forgotten. Also Read: Happy Independence Day Wishes in Hindi

Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad(Image: mkgandhi.org)

To see and absorb the idea that shaped one of the greatest stalwarts of India’s struggle for freedom, the Sabarmati Ashram is the best place to visit. In 1915, when Gandhi returned from South Africa, he settled in Gujarat, where he built an Ashram Kochrab area. He later shifted it to the banks of the Sabarmati river. It is here that he started a commune to launch his experiments into an austere lifestyle dependent on farming and animal husbandry. The Ashram also became Mahatma Gandhi’s laboratory for experiments into movements he would launch later, like Satyagraha, Civil Disobedience, Swadeshi movement, etc.ALSO READ: Top 10 Hindi songs for Independence Day 2016: Bollywood patriotic songs that will reignite the fire of patriotism!

Cellular Jail, Andaman & Nicobar Islands(Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray visits Cellular Jail in Port Blair/ File photo: IANS) Popularly known as Kala Pani, the cellular prisons in the Andman and Nicobar Islands have seen the foremost freedom fighters being imprisoned here by the British. Right after India started waking up to its potential to unite and become one nation and establish the rule of its own people, the British started trying to oppress the uprising. They would exile a number of freedom fighters and political prisoners to the prisons here and torture them, trying to break their resolve.

Jallianwala Bagh Martyr’s Memorial, Amritsar

13 April 1919 marks the blackest Baisakhi the Sikh community can remember. It was the day when thousands of people- men, women, children- from the community were butchered on the instruction of Brigadier General Reginald Dyer. The British Indian Army fired 1,600 rounds of bullets at the large group of peacefully protesting Sikhs, who had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh, a garden near the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The death toll ran into thousands, however, some estimates put it to 1,500 people.

Gateway of India, August Kranti Maidan and Mani Bhawan in Mumbai Mumbai, earlier known as Bombay (literally Good Bay) played an important role in India’s freedom struggle. The maximum city is dotted with important placed and monuments marking the Independence struggle. The Gateway of India, which is a popular tourist attraction now, was built to mark the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay. Ironically enough, the monument also marked the return of the last of British troops who sailed out of Mumbai on February 28, 1948.

(Image Credits: mumbaioutdoors.com)

Earlier known as the Gowalia Tank Maidan, the park that stands in South Mumbai, is one of the lesser known places in India’s freedom struggle. It is from this ground that Mahatma Gandhi first made the call to ask the British to Quit India. Gandhi urged people to ‘do or die’ in the struggle to win India its freedom. His speech sparked an uprising that culminated in 60,000 people landing up in jails.

Looking at this inconspicuous two-storey building of the Mani Bhawan, located at Laburnam Road in Gamdevi, Mumbai, that it would have once played such an important role in our Independence struggle. The place belonged to Gandhiji’s friend Shri Revashankar Jagjeevan Jhaveri. He made the place is headquarters, during his seven-year stay in the city. The Mahatma did a lot of work here, from the Satyagraha movement to propagating Hindu-Muslim unity and Swadeshi and Khadi movements.

Red Fort, Delhi

Any list of India’s historical monuments is incomplete without a mention of the Red Fort. This red sandstone building which is one of the most important monuments of India even now, saw the first flag of independent India being unfurled. It was here that the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, hoisted the flag and delivered his now famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech- one of the greatest most renowned speeches delivered by a leader in the world. Successive Prime Ministers have then delivered their Independence Day speeches from here, in keeping with the tradition.

There are numerous other places which are rich with the tales of the glorious ideals which guided our freedom struggle and narrate bloody accounts of sacrificed youth. Places like the Agha Khan Palace in Pune, where many prominent freedom fighters were placed under house arrest, Lucknow Residency, which marks the bloody Seige of Lucknow as well as Dandi in Gujarat, and Champaran in Bihar, which marked individual struggles of farmers against cruelties of the British, also remind us of how difficult the path of freedom has been. It is important that we understand the significance of these places, for it is here that India as it is today, took shape.

- http://www.india.com, August 14, 2016

Why Bishrakh’s heritage should be protected I remember the village of Bishrakh in Uttar Pradesh for a number of reasons. It is a place I first surveyed with my historian-friend Upinder Singh in 1994. This, in fact, was part of the first independent field work I had undertaken and involved a survey of villages in Ballabhgarh in Haryana on the one hand and across the Yamuna, in the adjoining areas of Uttar Pradesh on the other. What made it different from anything I had experienced till then were the memories and observations of its rural inhabitants around ancient relics and mounds, and the generous manner in which these were elucidated to us.

What also made the experience memorable was the presence at Bishrakh of a massive mound, large parts of which were occupied by village homes, with occupation layers that extended back to 1000 BCE, and continuing well into the medieval period. So abundant was the presence of the finely produced painted grey ware whose antiquity goes back to the cusp of the second and first millennium BCE, that for my son who had visited Bishrakh with me, it became a kind of icon of what was worth collecting from old mounds. In later years, when I returned from the field, his first question used to be: Had I found painted grey ware? If the answer was “no”, he was instinctively disdainful of whatever else I may have discovered.

Above all, however, what stayed most vividly with me was neither Bishrakh’s high mound nor its ancient pottery. Instead, it was the charming presence of Ravana, the mythical transgressor of the Ramayana, there. Local legends associated the village with Vishrawas (locally pronounced as Bisheshwar), the father of Ravana. The similarity in the name of the village Bishrakh with Vishrawas was one evidence of it, we were told. In fact, a spot thickly covered with potsherds was pointed out as the spot where Ravana was born. Furthermore, from the mound, a large number of stone Siva lingas had been regularly recovered which could be seen in many parts of the village. Some of these were also kept in an open-air village shrine along with a decapitated Nandi bull sculpture and were regularly worshipped. Since Ravana is popularly represented as a Siva devotee, these Siva-related relics were treated as material evidence for the presence of the mythical “villain” here.

× For me, schooled as I was in the tradition which generally associated Ravana either with Lanka or with the peninsular parts of India, this was an enormous learning experience. In terms of the Brahmanical tradition, Bishrakh would be geographically located in Kuru land and a segment that had very little to do with Rakshasas and their progeny. Unintimidated by such traditions, here were villagers proudly proclaiming a spot in their village as Ravana’s birthplace. As I now realise, this is not an unusual practice. People look at the past the way they like to, in ways that make sense to them. In the process, it is common to see elements of the past being creatively redefined — in this case, around Ravana and his “janmabhoomi”.

Such sculptural fragments and remains that one saw there are important for two other reasons as well, unconnected with their being treated as symbols of Ravana. First, what is so striking about Bishrakh is that by placing them on their shrine and in their mythology, villagers have ensured the survival of ancient antiquities in the vicinity of their settlement. The collections of artifacts, sculpture and architectural pieces in religious places of worship — in and around village shrines and city temples — are sometimes the only clues that have survived about their antique pasts. This practice, thus, needs to be integrated into our understanding and appreciation of the different ways in which ancient paraphernalia has survived in modern India. This is an excellent and, if I may say so, “non-western” conservation practice which has ensured the preservation of artifacts and sculpture close to their original contexts. This is not to suggest that destruction of sites and sculpture does not take place in rural India but only to underline that those images and antiquities which are perceived through and incorporated into a filter of local beliefs and practices, are more likely to be revered and preserved.

Secondly, the Nandi bull and the Siva lingas form our only evidence for the existence of a medieval Saiva establishment there. To put it another way, these archeological remnants of medieval culture have become available as a body of historical evidence because they are preserved in a dramatically visible way in the arena of folk worship. Their worship also speaks volumes for the ground reality and relevance of scriptural sanctions that strictly forbid any worship of broken/mutilated images. Texts dealing with the creation and installation of images (like the Pratimanalakshanam) specifically warn worshippers that “the image of a deity, if it be burnt, worn out, broken or split up, after its establishment or at the time of its enshrinement, will always be harmful. A burnt image brings forth drought, a worn-out one causes loss of wealth, a broken image forebodes death in the family, while one that is split up, war.” Unmindful of such proscriptions, a broken Nandi had been placed on the village shrine here meant to promote habitational bounty. Such beliefs and worship, incidentally, are exceedingly common across India and I have personally documented this in large parts of India — from Gujarat to Bihar and from Haryana to Karnataka.

That it is this nature of practice — in this case, the traditional reverence offered to Ravana in Bishrakh — which is now under threat is evident from the vandalism, reported by The Indian Express (August 11), that was wreaked on a Ravana idol in the temple there, by right-wing activists. This is unlikely to be a one-off incident. It may well mean that the intolerance shown by proactive die-hard Hindu elements towards the food habits of Indians will now be extended to their world of folk beliefs and worship.

- http://indianexpress.com, August 15, 2016

15 August is the day when all the Indians look up to Delhi's Red Fort with more pride every year. On Independence Day, the Prime Minister hoists tricolor at the main gate of this place as a symbol of freedom and peace.

Red Fort is one of the most celebrated monuments of India. Be it architecture or history, Red Fort's rich heritage makes it a must visit place for people from across the globe.

Here are some convincing reasons to visit Red Fort:

* Museum: Red Fort is home to the Freedom Struggle Museum. It showcases all the major highlights of India's freedom struggle. It has also put to display some rare photographs, documents, paintings, lithographs and objects like guns, pistols, swords, shields, badges, medals, dioramas, sculptures etc.

* Tourist shows: Red Fort also conducts regular shows for tourists. These shows bring to light Mughal history to the tourists. The light and sound show is a major hit among visitors of all age groups.

* Structures: Red fort is a huge complex. It consists of several smaller structures which are of great historic importance. Lahori Gate, Diwan-i-Aam, Rang Mahal, Hammam, Baoli, Hira Mahal etc are some of its major attractions

- http://zeenews.india.com, August 15, 2016

Workshop on sketching and painting will be held between August 22 and 31 in Adyar and Nungambakkam. The sessions will be led by Spanish artist Silvia Sanchez Ortega. The workshops, held under the banner 'The Arts of the World', is an initiative of the Phoenix Company, which aims at supporting artists and artisans. For registration write [email protected]. The last date of registration is August 15.

Heritage walk at govt museum: A heritage walk will be organised at the government museum where the public can listen to the stories behind the stone sculptures on display. The 45-minute walk will focus on select sculptures from Tamil Nadu in the ground floor of the main gallery. The walk is being organised with the support of Intach, Chennai chapter. It will be held on August 28 from 10.30am to 11.30am. To register, email [email protected] by August 20.

City police detain 481 people in storming op: In a weekly storming operation conducted by the city police on Saturday, 481 people were detained based on suspicion and six habitual offenders were booked under Sections 109, 110 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Police also detained 89 people for drunk driving during the operation.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 15, 2016

In a landmark decision taken in 2013, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) changed the pattern of Civil Services Mains Examination.

This was a sea-change from the till then existing system where upon an aspirant had to choose two subjects from among a pool of optional subjects.

The change gave General Studies more importance as it carried more weightage marks. Therefore, choosing an optional short in syllabus, easy to grasp and express as well as scoring has become important for scoring well.

Anthropology, which covers social-cultural and biological aspects of man in terms of evolution and variation, is one subject in which those with biology, history and sociology backgrounds will all have sound knowledge about.

Engineers also prefer anthropology as it is social science of scientific nature; and its approach is similar to that of geography and psychology.

What is Anthropology?
Anthropology is the scientific study of the origin, behavior and physical, social, cultural development of humans. It is the study of mankind, past and present, including human culture and human development.

Scope of Anthropology
Anthropology has a broad scope as a discipline. Anthropologists question about everything related to human beings. For example what makes human a social animal? Why are there so many different cultures, food habits and dressing styles in the world? How and why the human civilisations perished and vanished over the centuries?

To be more precise, anthropologists investigate everything about human beings: evolution, genes, emotions, behaviors, living styles, language, and religion etc.

No culture, custom, place, time, skin color escapes the notice of anthropologists. Hence, anthropology is further divided into five sub-fields: archaeology, biological or physical anthropology, anthropological linguistics, and applied anthropology.

Archaeology
Archaeology investigates human remains of a bygone era that are excavated and analysed. The goal of archaeology is the reconstruction of human life ways in the past.

Because it researches the many ways human life has changed over the millennia. Archaeology has much in common with history. It differs, however, in its methods and, to some extent, its goals. Modern archaeology is subdivided into two fields: prehistoric and historic archaeology.

Prehistoric Archaeology is the study of pre-literate cultures of which there are no documented records of their activities, customs and beliefs. Although prehistoric people lacked writing, some information about their way of life can be recovered from tools, pottery, ornaments, bones, plant pollen, charcoal and other materials they left behind.

Through careful excavation and laboratory analysis of such material remains, prehistoric archaeologists reconstruct the way people lived in those days and trace how human cultures have evolved over the centuries.

Historic Archaeology is the study about people of the past who lived in literate societies; historians use written records such as diaries, letters, land records, newspapers, and tax collection documents.

The growing field of historic archaeology supplements such written materials by excavations of houses, stores, plantations, factories, and other historic structures.

Biological Anthropology
Biological anthropology, which is also called as physical anthropology, studies anatomy and behavior of monkeys and apes, the physical variation between different human populations, and the biological evolution of human species.

The specialisation of primatology studies the evolution, anatomy, adaptation, and social behavior of primates, the taxonomic order to which humans belong. Homo Sapiens Sapiens share 98 per cent of genes with chimpanzees.

Biological anthropologists also study how and why human populations vary physically due to hereditary and genetic factors. This subfield is human variation. All humanity belongs to a single species—Homo Sapiens

Sapiens. One of the most important findings of biological anthropology is that physical/genetic similarities among the world’s peoples far outweigh the differences.

Another important goal of biological anthropology is to understand how and why the human species evolved from pre-human, ape-like ancestors.

The specialisation that investigates human biological evolution is known as paleo-anthropology. Paleo-anthropologists have reconstructed the history of how humans evolved anatomically through analysing fossils, comparing DNA sequences and other methods.

Cultural Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology is the study of contemporary and historically recent human societies and cultures. The main focus of cultural anthropology is culture—the customs, beliefs, behavior of some human group.

Cultural anthropology is divided into numerous areas of specialisation including- medical anthropology, psychological anthropology, economic anthropology, political anthropology, business anthropology band so forth.

Cultural anthropology studies about behaviors of a particular human group. It also compares diverse cultures in the search for general principles that might explain human ways of living.

It tries to understand how various dimensions of human life—economics, family life, religion, art, communication relate to one another in particular cultures and in cultures generally.

Anthropological Linguistics
The subfield of Anthropological Linguistics is concerned with the complex relations between language and other aspects of human behavior and thought. For example, anthropological linguists are interested in how language is used in various social contexts

Applied Anthropology
The applied anthropology is for solving problems. Applied anthropologists solve problems drawing upon the cultural context for clues about how to address a problem in ways that will make sense to the people of that culture.

Applied anthropologists can be medical anthropologists, who investigate complex issues pertaining to human health, nutrition, social environment and cultural beliefs and practices.

- http://www.thehansindia.com, August 15, 2016

Getting to know more about the Lodhi Garden and the flora and fauna in it will soon become that much easier.

The New Delhi Municipal Council will make a documentary film on this landmark, the trees in it and the birds, butterflies and bees, which frequent this favourite spot for joggers, revellers and tourists alike. Though the idea is in its initial stages, NDMC officials want to make the film world-class, “like a documentary one sees on an international nature or animal TV channel”.

“The idea is to showcase the natural beauty of this place. The different species of trees which you can find here as well as the many types of birds which take shelter in this oasis in the middle of an urban setting,” NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar said.

The garden was established in 1936 and named as Lady Willingdon Park. It was after Independence that it got its present name. In 1968, further development and beautification was done by architect JA Stein.

Spread over 90 acres, it brings together heritage with rare bird and insect species. Structures protected by Archaeological Survey of India such as Mohammed Shah’s Tomb, Tomb of Sikandar Lodi, Shisha Gumbad and Bara Gumbad are housed here. These monuments (tombs) were built between 1433 and 1533 AD in village Khairpur.

According to the official, the plan is to make a 7-10 minute documentary, which will do justice to the beauty of this place. “We will make it as good as a nature or animal show one sees on TV. With the right professionals and technology, we can properly showcase the beauty of this site,” Kumar said.

The Lodhi Garden has a national bonsai park, herbal garden, bamboo garden, butterfly zone, lotus and lily pond and the tallest (35.5m) tree in Delhi, Buddha Coconut. The rose garden, which has been developed on two acres between gate No. 3 and 4, has around 5,000 plants. The palm corner has been developed on two acres and has Cycas, Fishtail Palm, Dak Palm, Erica Palm, China Palma, Cane and Bottle Palm, among others.

Birders say the move will help document the different avian species frequenting Central Delhi. “Lodhi Garden is famous for old architectural monuments and has emerged as a favourite haunt for morning walkers and picnickers. However, it is also a good birding spot for birdwatchers and nature lovers due to the vast green coverage provided by old trees, bushes and grassland in the heart of Delhi. This short film is an encouraging step,” Ecologist and conservationist TK Roy said.

Birders say this move will help document the different avian species frequenting Central Delhi. “Lodhi Garden is a good ecosystem which was built way back in the Mughal era. This short film is an encouraging step on the part of the authorities. This will help in documentation of the different bird species coming to this green oasis,” wildlife expert and an avid birder Surya Prakash said.

An ecological heaven:
Terrestrial Birds: Black Kite, House Crow, Rufous Treepie, Indian Grey Hornbill, Common Myna, Brahmini Starling, Asia Pied Starling, Black Drongo, Asian Koel, Lesser Goldenback, Common Tailorbird, Spotted Owlet, Red-vented Bulbul, Indian Robin, Magpie Robin, Common Pigeon, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Common Hoopoe, Coppersmith Barbet, Brown-headed Barbet, Jungle Babbler, Eurasian Colored Dove, Laughing Dove, Purple Sunbird

Seasonal migratory Birds: Jacobin Cuckoo, Rosy Starling, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Bluethroat

Water Birds: Spot-billed Duck, Indian Cormorant, Indian Moorhen, White-throated Kingfisher, Red-wattled Lapwing, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron

Seasonal Migratory Water Birds: Common Coot, Common Teal

Trees: Main tree species: Arjun, Champa, Neem, Jamun, Semal, Amaltas, Moulshree, Peepal, Bargad, Kachnar, Kusum, Gulmohar, Sheesham, Putranjiva, Ashok, Shahtoot, Silver oak, Magnolia, Augusta, Karanj, Sirris, Bistendu

- http://www.hindustantimes.com, August 15, 2016

She may belong to one of the country's most illustrious filmi families, but she has chosen to build her own legacy in theatre. Effortlessly, a prominent personality in the performing arts circuit, one can never findSanjna Kapoor essaying a character on stage, though. Instead, she's been tirelessly working to acquaint people with what she believes are the transformative powers of theatre, and make arts an integral part of the society. She recently spent a few days at an ashram in Bengaluru, conducting workshops and a special course on theatre management along with her colleagues Sameera Iyengar, Arundhati Ghosh and a few others. Excerpts from a conversation with her...

Biggest draw of theatre management
Things don't end at putting up a play on stage. Along with a compelling storyline and a set of good actors, we also need a system in place to manage the whole process. My journey so far through Prithvi and Junoon has taught me that in order to ensure a deeper and long-lasting outcome as well as add more value to the art form, we need a structure that is modelled not on western practices, but is built keeping in mind the nuances of our country. We now have Broadway, Globe Theatre and other major international groups that are seeing India as a major theatrical arts hotspot and are taking a keen interest here, which in turn gives a lot of exposure to artistes and enthusiasts as well as opens up opportunities, but we need to carve a niche and have the resources to manage our own arts.

Bengaluru's informal art spaces
The city is thriving with informal art spaces including cafes and private terraces that accommodate innovative and experimental works, as well as help raise a lot of curiosity among people. But such spaces cannot replace venues like Ranga Shankara or Jagriti, where an atmosphere is maintained to nurture and develop arts. We need more infrastructure and access points for the arts to thrive and propel a communal engagement. Apart from the artistic aspects, an enormous amount of backend work needs to be done, and we need finances and a proper system to support such activities.

Major shift in attitude
What I see as a remarkable change in the arts circuit, particularly theatre, is that a lot of young minds are now taking interest in this sector, which was not the case say seven or eight years ago. This is a very encouraging trend that we need to retain and nurture. There are audiences everywhere, we need to reach out to them. Over the past few years, we have also seen a reverse migration, wherein mainstream actors have chosen to spend more time on the stage than in television or films. More innovative projects have emerged from different nooks and corners of the country, and the attitude towards theatre is more serious. Indigenous arts such as mobile theatre and puppetry have found a little more focus. Likewise, the audience and art appreciators also have more young faces coming in. But again, we need a more imagination and systematic approach to sustain our heritage and thrive.

Gypsy-esque spirit
When am not working, I go for wildlife holidays with my husband and son, engage myself with conservation works or simply go scuba-diving.

On the big screen again
Not in this life. Talking of theatre, I have always been more involved in backstage work and don't intend to change that role any time soon. Cut to films, I have only done one film Hero Hiralal, soon after which I realized that I am not meant for movies. Even if I would have worked further, it would have been more of art house or parallel films and not mainstream. Am more inclined towards taking forward my parents' (Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal) passion for theatre.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 16, 2016

Preliminary archaeological excavations in Vangchhia in Mizoram's Champhai district suggests it could be one of the largest necropolis sites in the world, besides providing clues to an ancient civilization. Archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will examine the site at Vangchhia in October again. "It could be a necropolis site, perhaps one of the biggest in the world. We need to establish it scientifically. We also need to examine if there was any human habitation. If there was, we need to know who these people were," Sujeet Nayan, assistant superintending archaeologist, ASI Delhi, and director of excavation at Vangchhia said.

Vangchhia is Mizoram's only ASI-protected site. Vangchhia is close to the Myanmar border. With rolling hills and a natural curtain of thick forests, the excavation was initiated after the director general of ASI visited the site in November last year. The objective was to study the mysterious megalithic structures and menhirs of Vangchhia. The stone structures depict floral, animal and humans. In the earlier excavation, the team had collected charcoal samples and documented over 50 structures. Some samples were sent to specialized laboratories for radio carbon dating. Two charcoal samples were sent to Beta Analytic, a Florida-based laboratory that specializes in radio carbon dating. Two other samples are being carbon dated at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany in Lucknow.

Nayan told TOI on Monday that two of the charcoals samples that were tested at the Florida-based lab were traced to 1500 AD. "We were exposing what lay beneath the bushes and thick foliage. The entire site could hold traces of a lost city or a greater lost civilization. We need more time and research to come to a final conclusion," Nayan said. In the 1970s, P Rohminthanga of INTACH, Mizoram, came across the mysterious structures.

He has played a key role in drawing attention to the Vangchhia site for nearly three decades. "We have high expectations from the upcoming October excavation. As of now, it could be premature to say what Vangchhia might provide clues to. There are many aspects to Vangchhia. A lot needs to be explored or excavated. One aspect that could be focussed on is the ancient roads near Vangchhia. The neighbouring areas should also be explored," said P Rohmingthanga, of INTACH, Mizoram.

Earlier this year, a team of ASI archaeologists, with Nayan at the helm, excavated mysterious megalithic structures at Vangchhia. It had come across burial sites, what seemed like a water pavilion, terraces or retaining walls, remains of what could have been a palatial building, a 20-feet-wide road, among others. According to Nayan, the retaining walls or terraces are made of big stones with the average height of each terrace ranging from 10 to 25 feet. The terrace may have served as burial sites or for other purposes.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 23, 2016

With septuagenarian Paralakhemundi king Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo hospitalized and his caretakers having committed suicide, fate of the 173-year-old royal palace has been pushed into oblivion. Though the king had in the past evinced interest to donate a portion of the vast palace to the state government to promote heritage tourism, his plan ran into rough weathers due to stiff opposition by some of his close family members.

In 2009, the Maharaja had written an article about the palace in Orissa Review, a monthly magazine published by the state government, reflecting his interest to hand over a portion of the palace to the government. TOI has copy of his article. "In the past, the Maharaja wanted to donate the palace to the state government.

But there appears to be a dispute among his family about the property. So his wish did not materialize. If the king and his family members unanimously agree and donate the palace or portion of the palace to the government, we can preserve it," Gajapati district collector Sudhansu Mohan Samal told TOI. Official sources said the palace, built between 1835 and 1843 during the regime of Jagannath Narayan Deo-III, has no access for common public. As the palace often stirred curiosity of tourists and locals to know about its interior and architectural marvel, Gopinath Gajapati's article in the Orissa Review gives a vivid depiction of the royal edifice.

"In May 1835, Rs 4.5 lakh was given to British architect Robert Fellows Chisholm for the design and construction of the palace. The palace is a harmonious blend of Indo-Saracenic style combined with Byzantine and European architectural features. It looks like the famed Buckingham palace of London," the article read.

The sturdy double-storey palace has around 80 well-ventilated rooms with spacious courtyards adding to its beauty. "A large mounted metal bell of foreign origin is situated at the entrance. The palace's centre of attraction is the stately Durbar Hall, consisting two main wings—Raja Mahal and Rani Mahal. Council meetings and royal functions were being celebrated in the Durbar Hall," the article said. The palace, which symbolizes cultural centre of the state, has a min-zoo and a row of garages for Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz and other luxurious cars.

Though it is still a mystery whether the palace's flamboyant features and grandeur are still intact, Maharaja Gopinath in his article said he had fervently appealed to the state government to take up its conservation work and promote heritage tourism in the palace.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 23, 2016

The Centre has accorded top priority to cost-effective, pollution free and import substitute transport. Besides, integrated transportation to reduce logistic cost and increased road safety. Union Minister of Roads, Highways, Ports and Shipping Nitin Gadkari explains the government’s strategy In an interview with Sanjay Jog. Q: What will be the government's approach for integrated transport since transportation is a major part of industry cost?

A: Our effort is for cost effective, pollution free and import substitute transport. This means implementation of roads, highways, railways, ports, waterways, shipping, and airports in a time bound manner. The plan to connect them, integrate them. Shipping industry will be made LNG-based which is pollution-free and cost effective. The ministry will encourage operations of sea planes, catamarans, hover crafts and cruise ships. About 2,000 ports are being developed. Along these ports industry will come up, as will cooling plants, cold storages and thereby our economy will become river oriented. This will be able to reduce the logistics cost to 12% from 18% and our exports will rise by 20-30%.

Secondly, ethanol, bio CNG, and bio diesel will be promoted. The government will put in place necessary standards for it. This apart, the sewage water in the municipal corporation limits will be used to produce methane and from that same water bio CNG will be manufactured after separation of CO2. We have successfully implemented it in Nagpur where water is sold to the state distribution utility MahaVitaran. On Ganga river the government is currently implementing about 50 to 60 projects. The Dholakua to Manesar Matrino electric (cable car facility) will be launched. I strongly feel that mass rapid transport (based) on electric is our future. Therefore, first priority is to waterways, second to railways and third to roads.

Lithium ion battery will be produced in the country which will totally transform the transport sector. I do agree that the road traffic be discouraged but the reality is it is increasing while the traffic on railways in falling. There are five lakh accidents killing 1.50 lakh people (annually) as on date. Besides, there is diesel pollution. I reiterate that import substitute, cost effective and pollution free that is waterways transport is necessary along with mass rapid transport on electric that is future.

Q: What is the experience of hybrid annuity model in the road sector?

A: Projects of over Rs 80,000 crore are currently being developed under this model. When I took over in May 2014 there was little interest from the developers to bid for road projects. There was no response for 17 build operate transfer (BOT) projects. Therefore, the government awarded Rs 60,000 crore worth projects under the engineering procurement and construction (EPC) model. Thereafter, the government came out with hybrid annuity model wherein the appointment letter is not given to the developer unless and unless 80% land is acquired. Land acquisition is done by NHAI. Besides, it is the responsibility of NHAI to procure all clearances including forest and environment, utility shifting, land acquisition to be done by NHAI so also environment clearance, utility shifting. Under this model, the government/NHAI provides 40% grant while 60% to be mobilized by the developer of which 30% will be equity and the balance to be raised through banks. Practically there is no risk involved in it. Moreover, NHAI will collect toll and it will give annuity plus 3% profit annually to the developer.

Q: What is the present status of stranded projects in the road sector?

A: Problems of almost all projects are now resolved. There were 403 projects worth Rs 3,85,000 crore (that0 were stuck due to several reasons when the government assumed power. Banks and lenders were quite worried fearing that the projects may turn NPAs. The government swung into action and about 21 cabinet decisions were taken to help bring those projects on track. I personally held number of meetings with bankers and lenders and in some cases prepared to give money to those developers who have completed 50% work. At present only five to seven of such projects are remained and their issues too will be sorted out. Our policies are time bound, transparent with positive approach and corruption free.

Q: What is the government's plan to promote bus ports across the country?

A: NHAI's mandate includes development of convention centres, bus ports and engage in transport related activities. Prime Minister sent me to Gujarat to see how the state government there has developed bus ports. My ministry will prepare a policy for all states where in NHAI will invest money for the transformation of bus ports, construct them and thereafter profit will be shared 50% between NHAI and respective states. NHAI will do the construction on the state government land. The idea is to make bus ports five star like Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airports at Sahar in north west Mumbai where there will be underground parking, shops and malls will be developed. If states want to develop such bus ports on their own NHAI will provide funds to them. There could be 3,000 to 4,000 such bus ports that can be developed across the country. The ministry is expected to take decision in a fortnight in this regard.

Q: You personally are quite bullish on India's internal waterways sector. What steps are being taken to promote it?

A: I am of the firm view that internal waterways will be a game changer and invite investors to join its development. To boost this sector, all major ports have been asked to set up subsidiaries, which will leverage dollar-denominated billing to raise low-cost funds. My ministry's total budget is Rs 1,800 crore. It is not possible to undertake 20,000 km of the inland waterways projects which will require an investment of over Rs 80,000 crore. The new initiative will start with the largest container port in the country, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT). Inland waterways currently do not have financial credentials. We want to use JNPT's financial credentials for raising foreign loans. Nearly Rs 50,000 crore in low-cost borrowings can be raised by JNPT alone through receivables. The ministry has also written to Union finance ministry to get five per cent of the corpus coming from a cess on petrol and diesel for inland waterways. This apart, a separate company will soon be formed for the implementation of Sagarmala project which envisages total investment of Rs 12 lakh crore. Of this, Rs 4 lakh crore will be spent on modernisation of ports, road and rail network and construction of new ports. Already the Port Railway Connectivity Corporation has been formed to undertake port railway connectivity works. NHAI through a separate division will develop roads to connect ports under the Sagarmala project. The ministry has already awarded mechanisation and modernisation of ports worth Rs 70,000 crore while some more works of the order of Rs 50,000 crore will be undertaken in the near future. Our aim is to complete all these works by 2018. Of the 12 lakh crore, Rs 8 lakh crore will be spent on the development of 27 industrial clusters which will take time.

Q: What is the fate of the new Motor Vehicle Act? A: I had introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha and now it has been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee. There are in all 59 proposals mainly to deal with the road safety. I expect the standing committee's report in next session and hope that the bill will get Parliamentary nod in the same session. The new act is expected to drastically change the transport sector. My highest priority is to save lives and I am really working quite hard on it. The national highways will be increased from the present level of 96,000 km to two lakh km. NHAI will construct all concrete roads which will have 50 year life. The developer will maintain them. Besides, NHAI is spending Rs 11,000 crore to improve 786 black sports where maximum accidents too place with high casualties on national highways. Furthermore, state governments will be entitled for finance from the Central Road Fund for the improvement of black spots and thereby reduce accidents and make road journey safe.

- http://www.business-standard.com/, August 23, 2016

Indian Railways is collaborating with the Google Cultural Institute to exhibit its heritage assets like bridges, steam locomotives, buildings, artefacts and museums over the latter’s platform, reports TechFactsLive. The agreement will help the Railways digitize its assets which can then be accessed online for free. The Railways also plans to launch a dedicated rail heritage website as well, although it does not provide a timeline for it. Other than this, the Railways claims it is in the process of preparing a comprehensive conservation management program to preserve and promote its heritage assets.

The agency will also eventually offer online and virtual tours as ‘tourist attractions’. The GCI project from Google helps digitize historical exhibits, collections, galleries from museums all over the world and display it online in a viewable format. It was launched globally in 2011 and in India in 2012, by initially partnering with the National Museum and the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi. Currently, GCI works with more than 18 Indian institutions.

Advertisement New features and locations: In July this year, GCI updated its website and app to allow users to browse the history and view panoramic imagery of historical sites like the Nalanda University. Additionally the company added new features like scrolling through art using a timeline and browsing painting based on color. It also started allowing features like using VR headsets for virtual tours. GCI partnership with Indian Museum: In May this year, the GCI added 360-degree panoramic format images of artifacts, historical paintings and sculptures from within the galleries of Indian Museum. The company said then that all of the 35 physical galleries across categories like Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, etc. from the Indian Museum in Kolkata will be digitized under the GCI project.

GCI partnership with National Museum: In August last year, the GCI added over 2,000 new images and 70 virtual exhibits from India, in partnership with the National Museum. At that time, GCI said that it will be digitizing material from 10 other partner institutions, namely the Salar Jung Museum, Victoria Memorial Hall Kolkata, Dastkari Haat Samiti, Devi Art Foundation, among others. The GCI project from Google helps digitize historical exhibits, collections, galleries from museums all over the world and display it online in a viewable format. It was launched globally in 2011 and in India in 2012, by initially partnering with the National Museum and the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi. Currently, GCI works with more than 18 Indian institutions.

Other developments: – In March this year, Google added panoramic views of 31 monuments and Indian archaeological sites on Google Maps and the Google Cultural Institute. The ASI had launched a national portal for museums. Collections in all museums under its control and those under the ASI would be digitized and presented on this portal.

– In August last year, Google India extended its partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by adding 360-degree panoramic images of 76 new heritage sites to Google Maps. Additionally, 30 exhibitions of arts and historical institutions and over 1400 cultural objects from India could be viewed via the Google Cultural Institute.

- http://www.medianama.com/, August 23, 2016

It seems that girl students who generally dominate the toppers list of the M S University (MSU) also want to make a mark on the MSU Students' Union (MSUSU) polls. As many as 22 girl students filed nominations for the election to the post of MSUSU vice president (VP), reserved for a female student. After scrutiny of the nomination papers, two forms were found invalid. A clear picture would emerge after the withdrawal of nomination papers, for which the deadline is till Wednesday.

However, only six candidates remained in fray for the post of the MSUSU general secretary (GS). In all, 14 forms were submitted for the post, of which eight were found invalid. The contest for both these posts will be between the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students Union of India (NSUI). Monday was also the last day for filing nominations for the associations of various faculties on the campus. In five faculties - technology and engineering, pharmacy, performing arts, education and psychology as well as social work - candidates were elected uncontested to the posts of faculty general secretaries (FGS). The NSUI claimed that it had bagged one of the FGS seats while the ABVP claimed to have got the remaining four. Faculty representatives (FR) at the faculties of performing arts as well as education and psychology were also elected uncontested.

No nominations were filed for the posts of FRs at the faculties of management studies and fine arts. Similarly, no student came up to contest the FR polls at the Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya. In a setback, the nomination of the NSUI candidate for the post of FGS at the Faculty of Commerce was rejected. The contest at the faculty for the post of FGS remains between smaller outfits like the Krishna Group supported by the ABVP and the Happy Club.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 23, 2016

The crew of Thittam Pottu Thirudura Kootam was shooting a few important fight scenes recently. For this, the art director Remiyan was asked to design a set, at Mani Mahal in Nungambakkam, recreating the magic of Egmore Museum. Actor Chandran tells CE, “We wanted to go to a real museum in Kerala, but didn’t get the permission to shoot because of security reasons. These scenes come for 10 minutes or so on screen. So, we decided that we do something here. The art director designed a huge set which is about 15,000 sqft, for `30 lakh.

We used panchaloha sculptures, which depict India’s rich cultural history.” Chandran adds that everyone was impressed with Remiyan’s art work. “We never thought that he would design this so well. He has already worked in Arinthum Ariyamalum (2005) and Pattiyal (2006). Everyone, who came in for shoot was awestruck.” Nearly 150 people worked and completed the sets in three days.

“Cameraman Martin also did a wonderful job on the lighting. We are busy in our second schedule and will wrap up the shooting by September 2. I didn’t even work this hard for my debut film,” he laughs. Produced by Raghunathan of Two Movie Buffs, Thittam Pottu revolves around the life of an IT professional and has Chandran and Satna Titus in the lead roles. Parthiepan will be seen as Chandran’s paternal uncle. Newbie Sai Sudharshan, who was a part of Kalaignar TV’s Naalaiya Iyakkunar, is directing the film.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/, August 23, 2016

Caroline Casey’s enduring childhood dream was to become Mowgli from The Jungle Book. But as she grew older, she relegated that dream to the cobwebs of memory because an exciting adulthood beckoned. She had her bucket list all planned out. Topping that list was driving a motorcycle wearing a black leather jacket while speeding through the wind. It was when she wanted to apply for her driving licence that a shocking truth revealed itself- she was legally blind and thus barred from a number of activities including driving. An elaborate game Caroline’s parents were invested in granting her a childhood as free from labelling and prejudices as possible.

So they invented an elaborate game that kept her from finding out the truth about her condition. Her sister, who’s three-and-a-half years younger than her, was born with vision impairment even worse than hers. “We have a genetic condition called ocular albinism. It usually occurs in one in 7,000 births. It was easy to get me to the doctor by encouraging me to support my little sister,” she explains. Throughout her childhood visits to the eye doctor were designed to be a game to her to accompany her sister, not knowing that the play-acting where she got her eyes checked was real treatment.

Caroline Casey Caroline spent her childhood believing herself to be like everyone else. Her vision loss is so severe that it means she cannot see beyond a few inches from her eyes. But that was not a deterrent for the rough and tumble of children’s games and she grew up believing everyone’s field of vision was the same as hers. She says, When I discovered I had this visual impairment, which was very quickly called a disability, I didn't want it. I was seventeen years old and wanted to get on with my life. I had seen how people with disability were treated and it wasn't a cool new label. I just wanted to be a normal kid. So I decided I wouldn't tell anybody about it and would go about living as I was before this discovery. I hid it for eleven years.

A 'normal' life For the next decade she did exactly that. “I had a very magical twenties. I travelled a lot. I trained as an archaeologist. I went to business school and went on to work with one of the best consultancy firms in the world. I lived my life really full and really hard. But all the time I was concealing that I couldn't see very well. I was so concerned with how people would treat me differently if they knew that I had a sight problem. I thought it would stop me getting a job, falling in love or having friends. It was only when I was 28 and had been working with Accenture for two-and-a-half years that I had to come out of the closet regarding my disability,” she says. The decision to not let disability hinder her life was easily made. Following through was, as Caroline puts it, “Bloody hard!” She adds, “I look like a fully visual person. Other people have a picture in their head of what a blind person looks like. It was confusing for them to accept me as one when I didn't fit that notion. The physical limitations of low vision are that I can't drive or cycle. I walk into doors. I start talking to strangers. I go to the gent’s toilet. I can't see the clothes I am putting on. I can't see the cutlery or my plate while sitting down to eat. When I am reading, I have to hold the book up to my nose. I can't read the signs at an airport. Sometimes I come across as rude because I am trying so hard to focus with my eyes that I end up ignoring people. The biggest challenge for me is exhaustion. I am always trying to see. The worst thing low vision has given me is extreme chronic back pain. When you have vision like this, you don't have great balance and are quite wobbly. So I have a tendency to fall. I fall under things, over things and into things a lot. With all the falling, my back has got damaged.”

Though her disability prevented her from being a biker chick, she went ahead and did the next best things. “The nearest thing I could find to that adventure was archaeology. So I studied as an archaeologist and read the classics. I love Greek and Roman history. Someone with my level of vision wasn't allowed to go on excavations. I then went travelling around the world with a great friend of mine. We went to Asia, Australia, Mexico and America. Those were adventures of a typical 21-year-old. I had saved up for some time to be able to go scuba diving, but again, someone with my eyesight was not permitted to do that. So I had to settle for snorkelling instead. I drove a truck for a few kilometres across the 'no board plane,' in Australia. It is a very straight road so I couldn't knock anything down. That was great,” she exclaims.

With her thirst for adventure temporarily fulfilled, it was time to decide on a vocation. “When I came back from Australia I still had that need to be outside. So I became a landscape gardener. Then I qualified as a masseuse because being a blind landscape gardener wasn't ideal. I began getting impatient so I decided to go back to college and study business. My father was an entrepreneur and I'd always been fascinated by business. In business school I was honest with my lecturers. I told them I needed to get extra slides. I got enlarged exam papers. By the time the masters exams came around, my vision loss was quite extreme so I answered them orally. After business school I interviewed at Accenture and got the job. But I didn't let them on about my eyesight at the time,” she recounts.

Caroline says that when she started at Accenture, she was quite a hippie and it was an interesting transition going from that into a suited, booted businesswoman. But it was a work hard and play hard kind of environment and she loved it. “A lot of my business principles and work ethics now come from what I learnt there,” she says. But her vision kept getting weaker and she could not continue working at the cut-throat standard she held herself to. Hitting rock bottom Thus came a major turning point in her life: “It was March in 2000.

It's been sixteen years now, but I can still go back to that moment and tell you exactly how I felt then. I had to tell the HR at Accenture about my disability because my vision was getting weaker. They sent me to an eye specialist to find out how they could support me. Until that appointment a part of me had held on to the belief that this vision thing was just in my head. But in the appointment I found out that my vision loss was here to stay. The only thing I could control was the way I looked at things (excuse the pun) and that I had to take responsibility for myself. I had to learn to live completely as myself, not just as bits of myself.

Caroline with Kanchi “After that appointment I was so angry at how much my eyes had started to take over my life. I went for a run to process the news. This particular run that I go on, I had never fallen. That day I fell. I was heartbroken and angry and I didn't know how to get up from this rock that I had fallen on. I had hit rock bottom, literally. “It wasn't just my sight. There were a lot of things shifting in my life and I didn't know what to do anymore. And then I started remembering all the things I loved to do because the doctor had asked me what I had wanted to be as a child and what my dreams were. He basically said there is nothing stopping me from doing what I want except myself. So it was on that rock on that awful day that I thought about doing what I wanted- which was to become Mowgli from The Jungle Book.

“One of my favourite books is Mark Shand's Travels On My Elephant. That day I got up from my rock, as I've come to call it, ran home and took that book off my bookshelf. I made a decision that day that I too would go to India, become a mahout and travel across the country on elephant back.” Becoming Mowgli The way Caroline tells it, making the decision was the hard part. Once she committed to it, everything else began to fall in place, I got in touch with Mark Shand. He had got umpteen number of fan mails over the years and never really replied to anyone. But for some reason, he replied to my crazy idea. He recruited an extraordinary adventurer named Neeraj Pathania. Neeraj helped me map my journey and choose my elephant. My intention was only to rent an elephant. But the moment I saw Kanchi, I fell in love and knew she would be mine for good.

Caroline dedicated her journey to raise money for charity and ultimately was able to raise enough to pay for 600 cataract operations in a hospital in Coimbatore. “I asked Accenture to give me a year off. They did and were the very first to give me money for the charity. I arrived in India on January 13, 2001. The first time my feet touched the soil on Calicut I remember thinking, 'This is the best moment of my life.' This was my adventure. I wasn't watching it in a film. I wasn't reading it in a book. I was creating my own reality,” she says. Caroline remembers the moment she met Kanchi as if it was yesterday. “Kanchi is a funny elephant. She is not the easiest or the most loving. She is complex and complicated. I remember when I was walking towards her, she was swinging her trunk backwards and forward. Elephants have a habit of sucking up dust and putting it on their backs to keep them cool. As I started to walk towards her, she went dead still. The entire village had come out to watch this strange spectacle of a blonde girl approaching this massive elephant with all these cameras trailing her. As I walked up to her, we were both silent and looking at each other. I started crying because this was everything I had ever dreamed of. I touched my forehead to her trunk. I smelled bananas and muck and poo. The heat of her skin seeped into mine and I gave her my heart immediately.”

Caroline trained for months and worked hard to learn to become a mahout the traditional way. “From the north of Kerala we travelled through Karnataka and then went on to Tamil Nadu. We ended our journey in a temple in Coimbatore in mid-May because that's where we were paying for the eye operations. And can I tell you- the heat! It was killing. I was riding bareback.”

Funnily enough her lack of eyesight was the least of Caroline’s problems in India. There was so much I had to do and learn and concentrate on that my preoccupation with my vision went out of my head. My mahout trainer was on the ground giving signals and speaking in Malayalam, not a world of which I could understand. I couldn't see his signals. Another problem was that I was a western woman riding bareback on an elephant, who is an embodiment of Ganesha. A lot of people had problems with that. Navigating situations like this was tricky. Trying to convince my trainers that I was capable, to break the stereotype of this weak-disabled person was the hardest thing I had to deal with.

Mission Caroline maintains that the charity was a by-product of her adventure. The main goal of her quest was to prove her strength to herself. “I needed to prove to myself that I was more than a pair of bad eyes,” she says. When she went back to Ireland, she felt restless and ill at ease. She wanted to generate her newfound fame to create an impact around the discourse on disability, but was at a loss as to how to go about it. She also couldn’t see herself going back to Accenture. So far her efforts had centred on making sure her disability didn’t short change her life experiences. Now she realised she was going about it all wrong.

I had a disability, but so did a billion other people in the world. They were my family and they were my tribe and I had discriminated against them by discriminating against myself. I just wanted to try and see if there was some way we could change the way we understood disability. And, secondly, try and provide some form of solution for inclusion of people with disabilities. For me it was business. I've been sitting on that elephant and thinking about all this and I became totally obsessed with this one thing. There will never be an inclusive society without inclusive business.

So she set up a certification system that measures how inclusive businesses around the world are. “The Ability Awards is an inclusive business certification process. It ran in Ireland, then it went to Spain and now it's going to Singapore. Late last year we closed down the Irish part of the business to focus on its international growth. Though we are headquartered in Ireland, our team comes from all over the world. Our ambition has gone from Ireland and Spain to global and we hope to bring The Ability Awards to several key markets soon. Yes, I am very interested in India.

“We are poised at a collective tipping point to convert the Ability Awards programme into a global standard for inclusive business. My dream is to have every company in the world have certification that says they are inclusive. I don't think I'm going to leave the planet unless that is, in some way, on its way to being achieved,” Caroline says. In a nutshell, Caroline describes the Ability Awards as a combination of marketing, manipulation and business methodology tool. It encompasses national campaigning, data collection and leadership. What that really means is it is a tool or accreditation system like fair trade or ISO. “What we do is identify the best business leadership around inclusiveness over several categories throughout private and public domains. We collect this data to prove that inclusive business works and to give case studies that other companies can follow. We identify the best business brands and leaders to be our greatest advocates, ambassadors and sales people to make that change happen. We work with the prime ministers and presidents of countries around the world because if you want to see national change happen then you got to work across governments and communities and media. So a huge part of it is campaigning and challenging perceptions of how disability is understood in the minds of the public as much as in the minds of the business,” she says. Caroline wholeheartedly believes that inclusiveness in business, and society at large, is not simply a question of ethics.

It makes sound financial sense. She says, “Nobody is doing it because it is cute or good. They're doing it because it is a good business opportunity. The economic arguments for being inclusive has three key returns for a business. One is return on your brand positioning. What does your brand stand for and how is it perceived and understood. Number two is attracting and retaining the best talent. We know that millennials insist that they spend their time and career with companies that are value-driven and stand for something. Thirdly, the 1.3 billion people who have a disability have a collective disposable income of $9 trillion dollars. This is access to a new market. People forget that those with disability are like any other people on the planet. We need to buy things like anybody else and we have family and friends. This is business-driven.”

Advice It’s been a rollercoaster ride of successes and failures for Caroline up to this point, but she wouldn’t change a thing about the past. “The difference between now and many years ago is that everything is the right fit. Everything feels good. I am excited and happier than I've ever been before.” But she does stress on the fact that her failures have been important teachers. “Whenever I listened to my gut, I seemed to make the right decisions. As I grew in business and became unsure of my footing, I started listening to other people. My heart got cut out and my head started to do most of the decision-making and that lead to some really bad outcomes. I made both bad business and personal decisions. Disregarding the voice of my own gut and intuition has been my biggest failure. I started to think other people knew better than I did.

It's not that they didn't have great things to say. But when you're a leader you have to take accountability for your own decision and they need to be your own. Not other people's. So what I learnt is to never hand your power away and the people you hire should have the same integrity that you have.” Caroline-Casey-Article-Image1 Her parting words of advice reflect her hard-won and fierce sense of identity, No failure, no life event, no physical condition and no illness... none of that defines you. You're not one label. You’re a million labels and a million different experiences. So what might feel like the most clueless and frightening time will pass. It all passes.

- https://yourstory.com, August 23, 2016

Few kilometers from the borders of Maharashtra and Karnataka, amidst the greenery of the Western Ghats, lies Keri. It forms a part of the Sattari taluka in North Goa. As the village is situated along the ancient Chorla Ghat connecting Belagavi to Khanapur in Karnataka, it was known to the traders, merchants and warriors of the time. Etymologically, the village gets its name from the Kannada word meaning water tank. This holds true as the village is blessed with rich and perennial sources of water. Over time, with forests being sacrificed for shifting cultivation, locally known as Kumeri, the village began to experience paucity of drinking water. In February1977, the state government had commenced work on the medium-scale Anjunem irrigation project and the creation of the 2.325 sq km artificial reservoir has helped in solving problems of drinking as well as irrigation water to some extent. Today, the village attracts a large number of local tourists during the monsoon as the Chorla Ghat has almost a hundred small and big waterfalls. Ponsuli, which is along the Chorla Ghat-Belagavi route, offers a panoramic view of the Anjunem dam. Keri is blessed not only with natural heritage but also has immense historical and archaeological assets. Since the age of the Kadamba rulers, the Chorla Ghat was used as a trade route after the monsoon. Ranewada boasts ruins of the ancestral house of the Rane Sardesai families of Keri. Pratapsingh Rane, the present opposition leader who has played a prominent role in Goan politics for the last four decades hails from this house whereas Deepaji Rane who achieved success during the Ranes revolts of 1852 too comes from this family. When the Tiger of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, conquered the fort of Sada in Karnataka in 1785, the Desais from Sada took shelter in this house at Keri. Along with the Ranes, some of the villagers of Keri participated in the last revolt that took place in 1912. The Portuguese government had a police outpost at Keri as it sits very close to the borders of Maharashtra and Karnataka which were then part of the British empire On March 23,1955, the freedom fighters associated with the Goa Liberation Army attacked this outpost and terrorized Portuguese soldiers. Sateri and Kelbai are the main deities of this village along with Brahmani, Mhalasa, Belevansh, Kulkar, Khyalyawadkar, Ghadvans, Ramvas, Betal and Mharingan. There is a shrine to the left of the main temple that showcases beautifully carved stone sculptures of these deities. To the right of the temple, is a shrine dedicated to Kalasati which attracts women devotees on Tuesdays. Every Sunday and Wednesday, devotees irrespective of caste and religion, visit the shrine of Ajoba to perform various rituals after the fulfilment of their wishes. Keri has been home to a substantial Muslim settlement since the pre-Portuguese era. Muslim Wada has an old mosque that has been renovated a few years ago. The village has the biggest kabrasthan (burial grounds) in Goa. In Keri, Hindus and Muslims celebrate each others festivals and have maintained communal harmony. Ismail Karol, Usman Sayyad, Azamutullah Karol and many more artistes contributed to the Marathi theatre are from this village. The century-old house of late Raoji Rane Sardesai still has beautiful old tiles that stand testament to the village's religious heritage. The village has shrines of Shree Shankarnath and Parwadeshwar along with Sai Baba. As a major portion of the village lies in the Western Ghats, it is a reservoir of complex plant, animal and bird life biodiversity. The topography, high rainfall, relative inaccessibility and bio-geographical isolation has helped Keri maintain some of this biodiversity. At 726m in height, the Vagheri is Goa's third highest peak. It is known to be an abode to tigers whereas Morlegad is known for its peacocks. Bolericho temb, Vaydongor, Baltyacho dongor, Kaddar, Dhamikhini, Matticho dongor, Bokad sado, Panasdhar are some of the important peaks of the Sahyadri in Keri. The local community has been protecting the forests in the name of its folk deities. Ajobachi Rai, Pishachi Rai, Comachi Rai, Biramanyachi Rai, Baldyachi Rai, are the sacred groves that offer protection to all forms of flora and fauna. As Keri lies in the vicinity of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary notified in 1999, it has tigers, leopards, bison, mouse deer, barking deer, chitals, pangolins, Malabar giant squirrels and other wild animals. In 2007, the Goa caecilian (Gegeneophis Goaensis) was discovered in Ghoteli near Keri. The village offers excellent natural habitat for varied species of birds, butterflies and insects. Sarpanch speak As vehicles from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and other states coming to Goa, pass through Keri, there is a need for a bus stand with toilet and parking facilities. If a nearby area is acquired by the government it can be developed into a bus stand. We are planning to renovate our old panchayat building Ganu Narayan Gawas, Sarpanch People speak There is a lot of scope for tourism in Keri as it is situated between the Kalti and Valvonti rivers, surrounded by hills and is blessed with archaeological, folk culture and biological wealth. Agricultural produce and tuber crops of this village can help locals get a higher income if it gets a proper boost Gopinath Vishnu Gawas, in-charge of Vivekanand High School There is an urgent need to establish a garbage collection centre. The garbage menace has resulted in the choking of gutters and is polluting the streams in our village. The panchayat should build a crematorium for locals at the earliest Vishnu Parwadkar, local resident Jaisinghrao Venkatrao Rane, was a freedom fighter and socialist leader, earlier associated with the National Congress Goa who later on, with other associates, founded the Goa Liberation Army. From 1954 to 1961 they carried out a number of underground sabotage actions. In 1964, he was elected as a member of the Goa legislative assembly. He was a prolific writer in Marathi and worked persistently for the well-being of agricultural communities.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 23, 2016

Over the years, the vast ice cover around the North Pole has shrunk due to global warming. This has led to rise in sea levels which ultimately affects coastal regions like Goa, said Goa Science Centre and Planetarium, director, M M K Balaji. "Due to the melting of the ice caps, the water is denser than the normal sea water, raising the sea level. This ultimately affects coastal regions as they are likely to submerge. Goa will definitely feel the impact," he said.

He further added that from 1950 till date, the average global temperature has been increasing continuously. "Since then, it has increased by 0.9 degrees celsius," said Balaji. He attributed a number of factors that are adding to global warming. "In Goa, there is rampant deforestation and conversion of agricultural land into developmental zones for real estate. Air pollution owing to dense traffic also increases chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). All these factors indirectly impact the arctic region," he said. Explaining this phenomenon, through a series of stunning images of the Norwegian Young Sea Ice Expedition 2015, the centre in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian consulate general has organized an exhibition titled 'On Thin Ice'.

In January 2015, the Norwegian Polar Institute sent its research vessel into the North Pole. On board were researchers who wanted explanations for climate change. These researchers took measurements in the constant polar night and concluded that people living in low-lying coastal areas will be affected as a result of melting glaciers. The exhibition consists of the knowledge gathered from this expedition. The Goa Science Centre is organizing the exhibition till September 22 at its premises in Miramar. From Goa, the exhibition will travel to Delhi and then Norway.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 23, 2016

Pondy Art Foundation (PAF) along with Pondicherry Science Forum, French Institute of Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Alliance Francaise, will hold a biennial art festival, 'Pondy Photo 2016' under the theme 'water' from August 27 to September 11. The festival will serve as a platform where art and education attempt to break social barriers by presenting photography oriented events in in public spaces. The events will focus on social and environmental issues.

The festival will include a host of exhibitions, film shows, performances, lectures, round-table meets and workshops to provide people with an opportunity to engage with some of the most acclaimed documentary and fine-art photographers and other artists from various countries. PAF, as a part of their outreach programme, will organize a series of contests for school children, women, youth and farmers. The foundation will hold three contests for school children - photography contest with the theme, 'water body of your neighbourhood', drawing contest on water and a group contest on community action around water and sanitation. Interested students can mail soft copies of entries with photographs to the email id: [email protected] with 'competition for schools' in the subject line.

The foundation will hold photography contest for women under the theme, 'Gender and water' highlighting how they were affected by poor sanitation facilities and lack of maintenance of water bodies. Self-help groups and individuals can mail up to three images in jpg format to [email protected] with 'Gender and water' in subject line. The participants must furnish details including name, location, address, phone number, camera make and model.

The foundation will hold contest for youth aged 18 years and above under the theme 'youth for water'. The participants must mail photographic documentation on action research project on water and sanitation to [email protected] with 'Youth for water' in subject line and furnish complete details about them. The documentation must include identification of a local community based issue and finding solutions in a participatory manner which the community comes forward to execute the project. The foundation will hold contest for farmers on innovative water-saving sustainable agriculture practices. Farmers can mail photo-documents and photographs to [email protected] with their complete details.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 23, 2016

The Indian-American community across the US turned out in large numbers and enthusiastically celebrated the country’s 70th Independence Day by unfurling the tricolor and organizing a series of event. In Tri-state thousands of Indians in traditional finery celebrated India’s 70th Independence Day here at one of the largest parades outside the country with the iconic Empire State Building lighting up in Indian tricolor.

The Grand Marshal of the India Day Parade in New York was Bollywood Star Abhishek Bachchan. Chief Guests were Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, Jain Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni, South Indian Superstar Chiyaan Vikram and Priyanka Kothari. It was graced by eminent people from India.

This is one of the largest of the events marking India’s Independence in the US at New York where thousands of people lined up on both sides of the road as a colourful parade pass. It began from 39th Street, went down to Madison Avenue and culminate near 26th Street where several food and other stalls were put up and as well as cultural event was presented. The 36th India Day Parade by the Federation of Indian Associations – New York, New Jersey, Connecticut yesterday ran through about 13 streets in Madison avenue in Manhattan and featured tableaux by various Indian-American groups, marching bands, police contingents and cultural performances by young Indian-Americans.

Chief Guest at the event Yoga guru Baba Ramdev said India represents the glory of the past, the present moment’s strength and is moving forward with hopes and dreams of a brighter future. “India has made its mark through its strength, culture, heritage and honesty,” he said, expressing hope that the Indian tricolor continues to fly high around the world. “Combining its spirituality and modernism, the country is moving forward,” he said and called on Indians living in the US and abroad to work together to take the nation, its cultural heritage and “Indianness” to greater glory.Amid loud cheers and applause, Ramdev, speaking in Hindi, said the world now recognizes India’s strength and its tremendous contribution to health, education, political and spiritual system.

India’s over a billion-strong population and its diaspora spread across the world are working for the country and contributing to its growth and glory from wherever they are, Ramdev said. Underscoring the importance of Yoga, he said it is not just a physical exercise but a “complete medical science, life science and way of living” and promotes non-violence and harmony. “Ayurveda, non-violence, truth, harmony, co-existence and brotherhood are India’s culture and heritage,” Ramdev said, adding that the people of India have to take this ancient practise forward. Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, the Grand Marshal of the parade, said it felt “wonderful” to be the part of India’s Independence Day celebrations in New York.

He recalled that the last time he had attended the parade was in 1997 when his father, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan was the Grand Marshal. The senior Bachchan had participated in the 50th anniversary of India’s Independence Day 19 years ago. “It is a huge honor to be here and represent the beautiful nation of ours,” Abhishek said, waiving out to the crowd from a stage, as people thronged to click pictures with him and shake his hand. Congratulating Indian-American community on 70th anniversary of India’s independence, Jain Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni said that India and US are the two largest democracies of the world that share common values of plurality, secularism, justice to all. US and India are examples for the entire world, as both countries have complete freedom to practice and propagate their culture and religion. Both are a tolerant society since their existence. Both countries give freedom to its people to practice their respective religions with instruments for the protection of religious minorities.

Acharya Lokesh Muni further said that Indian Diaspora is one of the largest in US and they have contributed to America’s progress, but US also played a key role as it gave opportunities to the deserving. Now under Make in India, Digital India, Startup India, India is now emerging as the land of opportunity for US companies. This collaboration will take both countries far ahead.

- http://indiatribune.com/, August 23, 2016

Okra or Abelmoschus esculentusis is in the same family as cotton, hollyhocks and hibiscus. The okra plant can be a striking ornamental specimen, and its blooms resemble hibiscus flowers. In addition, okra pods are good to eat. Since the 12th and 13th centuries, this tropical plant has been grown as an annual or perennial vegetable in the Arabian and eastern Mediterranean areas as well as in Egypt, Greece, north Africa and west Asia.

It spread to Brazil in the 1600s and arrived in North America in the 1700s. Thomas Jefferson was growing okra in Virginia in 1781. It is popular not only in the Mediterranean and the United States, but also in Japan, India and Pakistan. Fresh okra seedpods are a favorite fried or in gumbos, soups and stews. They also act as a thickener. Dried, they are great in floral arrangements. Okra plants are drought tolerant, heat resistant and pest free, making okra a popular vegetable in many countries with difficult growing conditions. Okra likes sunshine. It does best in rich, well-drained soil but won’t thrive in heavy, soggy soils.

Okra can be started by directly sowing seeds or transplanting started plants. This plant is a heat lover and really kicks into gear when the temperature hits the 80s to 90s. It is best to water the plants well at least every seven to 10 days. Okra plants can reach about 4 feet tall or they can be topped and will grow shorter. If allowed, they can spread to about 3 feet wide.

As with most vegetables, okra is at its peak when freshly picked. Okra pods can grow in the blink of an eye and usually reach harvest size within six days of flowering. As okra pods get larger, they become stringy and tough. Then the pods can be collected for use in floral designs. Gloves, long sleeves and pruners are suggested for harvesting. For information, call 909-798-9384.

-http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/, August 23, 2016

'King' Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo had once wanted to donate a portion of his palace to the state government for promotion of heritage tourism. His idea was strongly opposed by some of his close family members. In 2009, he had written an article in Orissa Review, a monthly magazine published by the state government, expressing his desire to hand over a part of the palace to the government. "If the king and his family agree to donate the palace or a portion of it, we can preserve it," Gajapati collector Sudhansu Mohan Samal told TOI.

Official sources said the palace, built between 1835 and 1843 during the rule of Jagannath Narayan Deo-III, is not accessible to the common people. In May 1835, Rs 4.5 lakh was given to British architect Robert Fellows Chisholm to design and build the palace. The palace is a blend of Indo-Saracenic style combined with Byzantine and European architectural features. It looks like the famed Buckingham Palace of London, the Gajapati 'king' had written in his article.

The palace has around 80 well-ventilated rooms with spacious courtyards adding to its beauty.

A large mounted metal bell of foreign origin is situated at the entrance. The palaces centre of attraction is the stately Durbar Hall, consisting two main wingsRaja Mahal and Rani Mahal. Council meetings and royal functions were being celebrated in the Durbar Hall, the article said. The palace, which symbolizes cultural centre of the state, has a min-zoo and a row of garages for Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz and other luxurious cars. Though it is still a mystery whether the palaces flamboyant features and grandeur are still intact, Maharaja Gopinath in his article said he had fervently appealed to the state government to take up its conservation work and promote heritage tourism in the palace.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 23, 2016

Suicides are bundled out to entirely being an outcome of 'retrograde' practices, unhinged by economic aspects. "How many deaths does it take to know that too many people have died?" - Bob Dylan, singer and songwriter. Farmer suicides in India crossed the 8,000 mark in 2015. Compared with 2014, it is roughly an increase of 40 per cent. The situation shows no signs of abating as the current year has witnessed more than 400 suicides in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra alone. Fields have been a persistent site of killing for more than a decade now. In fact, since 1997, the time from when official records are available, the numbers have increased, unabated. The majority of them have happened in five peninsular states, namely - Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Farmer suicides in India crossed 3,00,000 in 2014, out of which more than 63,000 happened in the prosperous state of Maharashtra, especially in the perennially poor regions of Marathwada and Vidarbha. The data is terrifying to say the least.

As we continue to bask in the glory of 25 years of economic independence, one sector that continues to remain out of the success story is agriculture. The data set for farmer suicides is enough to make us realise that the economic reforms have largely failed the farmers. It can be said that suicides failed to garner public attention in the early period of the opening up of the economy. In the present day, they are largely being perceived as a "public phenomenon", which is drastically different from the individualised nature of the act in the previous times.

Fields are used to make the killing site visible for the larger public. The act, more often than not, is laced with a political message directly hinting at the lackadaisical government policies of both the Centre and the state. Unfortunately, even after a perceptible increase in the information of the deceased, building awareness about the agrarian distress over the years and a partial acknowledgement of the callous disregard of the plight of the farmers by government officials, the issue at hand fails to be understood in its entirety. AR Vasavi, one of India's leading social anthropologists, has assiduously dissected the myriad reasons behind the spurt in farmer suicides in her book Shadow Space: Suicides and the predicament of Rural India. The term "Shadow Space" is poignant in so far as it captures the wanton invisibilisation of the helplessness and the destitution of our farmers. She makes an evocative case for looking beyond the simplistic reasoning behind suicides like indebtedness in order to take a panoramic view of their rapidly changing agrarian social and cultural practices. The knowledge dissonance of the farmer, which mounts the debt burden in the long run alone cannot suffice the reasoning behind such an act.

The whole distress engulfing the sector has to be seen in the wider framework of being incumbent to follow the guidelines of the neoliberal institutional frameworks, which has led to rampant commercialisation and individualisation in agriculture. Land is no longer a mere site attached to the primitive notions of production practices. It is largely a marketised commodity being usurped by the corporate elite under the garb of "development".

The marginalisation of the farmers is rendered a blind eye, the government bodies continue to drag their feet in awarding adequate compensation and the conclusion is their eviction from the lands. "Resettlement" is really a euphemism for "displacement" and makes a complete mockery of a farmer's life and dignity. David Harvey's concept of "accumulation with dispossession" has been a widespread practice in India. Jaideep Hardikar's A village awaits doomsday is one such book of the recent past that documents the agony and gruesome consequences of displacements and the mental scars they leave behind forever.

Other equally critical reasons like changing crop patterns, increasing fragmentation of land, decrease in acreage productivity and the declining credit facilities have exacerbated the existing misery of farmers' lives. Much of the naturalisation of the suicides has also got to do with the urban perception of rural areas in general and rural lifestyles in particular. The oriental imagination still does not cease to colonise our minds in terms of perceiving the rural as a stagnant and unchanging space characterised by the divisive notions of caste-consciousness. A village in the 21st century is reduced to being a site of such primordial tendencies at one extreme and the repository of all the acceptable cultural and civilisational practices by the majority on the other. This retrograde outlook is more perceived than real.

At the same time, the change has been sought only in the economic realm at the cost of making sense of the dynamism of the local socio-cultural practices of everyday village life. Suicides are bundled out to entirely being an outcome of these "retrograde" practices, unhinged by the economic aspects. Whereas it is the priorities of the government, big farmers and the multinational corporations that have changed and suppressed the marginal farmers by pushing them even further to the peripheries of our democracy. The spurt in farmer suicides can never be understood sans contextualising it among these motley factors of local, national and international levels. At a time when profits are seen as legitimate goals for enhancing the overall growth in the country, the farmer fails to get the bare necessities of life. The cravings and desire for basic requirements like electricity, water, road connectivity and freedom from rapacious moneylenders still seem a largely distant dream.

A failure to get each and every one of these necessities can be huge and leads the farmer one step closer to death. A loss of crop is nothing, but a loss of the self. The most seething life stories of everyday farmers is captured brilliantly by P Sainath in his book Everybody Loves a Good Drought. In 2015, he was among the first observers to point out the tweaking of the methodology adopted by the National Crime Records Bureau to register suicides in India. As is well known, the NCRB merely collects the figures sent to it by the state level bodies. The drastic fall in the suicides seen in 2014 as compared to 2013 ( coming down from 11,772 to 5,650 ) was accompanied by a rise in the category of "Others ", courtesy the new methodology.

Interestingly, the numbers in the case of Karnataka have shot back to 1,130 after it had seen a precipitous decline to 321 in 2014. What is now being followed is a similar method that makes dubious distinctions between terms like "cultivator", "agricultural farmer", "tenant" and "labourer/peasant". All those who do not own a piece of land are not considered actual farmers and, thereby, the family of the deceased fails to find the farmer's name in the final list. Women as farmers are another community that cease to get their rightful recognition even in the midst of the phenomenon of "feminisation of agriculture". A two-year drought is surely one of the crucial factors for their worsening conditions. Like household work, their strenuous labour in the fields fails to get the attention of the concerned authorities.

With all these flaws, and states like Chhattisgarh even coming up with the audacious claim of having "nil" suicides in 2014, the truth about the situation at hand is anybody's guess. If Karnataka has been some sort of a mess and Chhattisgarh exercising a politically expedient ploy to maintain its "clean image", Maharashtra has persistently wronged the agricultural sector at large. It finds itself in a paradoxical state of having only 18 per cent of irrigated land along with having the largest number of dams in the entire country. However, the latter has not come to their rescue as it is primarily a rain-dependent state where primary succour has always been provided in the form of "cure" and not a holistic and inclusive idea of improving their working conditions.

The conditions are reminiscent of what Shalini Randeria calls the Shamiana State that throws crumbs of governance in times of distress. The recent beef ban has compounded their predicaments even further as the selling of non-lactating cattle to slaughter houses has become a more arduous task. They now act as an economic burden, which they purportedly should bear to satiate the upper caste cultural sentiments. A two-year drought is surely one of the crucial factors for their worsening conditions. However, a blatantly anti-farmer policy as this has surely added to their existing pool of worries. Talks about a second Green Revolution loom large on the horizon, where envious figures are being quoted from across the quarters, if the existing structure is put to good effect. It is, perhaps, adequate for the present to keep the government data of more than 8,000 suicides in 2015 fresh in our minds, at a time when gargantuan figures are acting as a benchmark to measure greatness. The division roughly comes to 21 suicides per day. Is it enough to answer Bob Dylan's question?

- http://www.dailyo.in/, August 23, 2016

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has not been able to implement its own order of providing premium services to high value ticket visitors at its monuments. Replying to an RTI query filed by TOI to know about additional facilities to be given to foreign tourists buying premium tickets worth Rs 750, ASI headquarters said free water bottle, mementos and CDs with pictures of monuments would be given to them. However, as the archaeological body has so far failed to make any budgetary allocation for this initiative, neither the high value tickets nor are the facilities being provided to tourists at any monuments.

When contacted, ASI superintending archaeologist Bhuvan Vikrama said, "We have sent a budget proposal to the headquarters for its approval. Without money allocation, extra facilities free distribution of CDs and mementos cannot be done."

Replying to the RTI query, the department said, "Purchase of high value tickets by the visitors for visiting the ticketed monuments under ASI is optional in nature. However, provisions are made with purchase of high value ticket holders for on spot facilities like free bottled water, mementos, CDs with pictures of monuments by the ASI." The announcement to provide additional facilities was made in April when the department hiked the entry fee to monuments.

On March 31 this year, the ASI had issued a notification, doubling the fee for visitors from abroad to its monuments, from Rs 250 to Rs 500 from April 1. For domestic tourists it was raised to Rs 30 from Rs 10 for visiting the 'A' category monuments, which include world heritage sites like the Taj and Qutub Minar. For category 'B' monuments, the rates were increased from Rs 5 to Rs 15 for Indians and from Rs 100 to Rs 200 for foreigners. Interestingly, ASI had introduced a new class for foreigners visiting 'A' and 'B' category monuments and for this they would have to pay Rs 750 and Rs 300 respectively. According to the notification, they were optional and those who buy them would be provided with additional facilities specified by the director-general of the body from time to time.

Tourism leaders of Agra complained that they have been getting enquiries about this new service, but are not able to give satisfactory reply in want of clarity over the matter. Yogesh sharma, general secretary of Approved Guides Association, had earlier told TOI, "It is a shortcoming of ASI. Many foreigners who come here are ready to pay extra for availing better facilities. If there is any such provision, it should be implemented at the earliest."

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 23, 2016

A 68-year-old woman from Baran city in Rajasthan has been engaged in preserving and conserving the traditional white chalk on red background Mandana drawings, seen on the walls and floors of rural houses in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Koshilaya Devi has till now painted over 100 designs in the Mandana style on hardboard using oil paints. The artist says she intends to document and preserve the traditional folk art form, which is on the verge of disappearance due to rising number of concrete houses in rural areas.

Famed for warding off evil and acting as a good luck charm, the tribal paintings are derived from the word 'Mandan' referring to decoration and beautification and comprises simple geometric forms like triangles, squares and circles to decorate houses. "The art is typically passed on from mother to daughter and uses white khariya or chalk solution and geru or red ochre. They use twigs to draw on the floors and walls of their houses, which are first plastered with clay mixed with cowdung," says Devi. Other than conserving, the artist is also engaged in globalising the local art. Recently, she gave a seven-day training to a visitor from Germany who is now imparting the training of the same in her country.

Devi's son Jitendra Kumar, who is also convener of Intach, Baran chapter says apart from the traditional designs she has also developed 40 fresh designs. "Tawaya, Tailghani, Tangi Khan Gavya are among those 40 forms that she has developed. She has also applied for a copyright last month," says Kumar. "The Delhi chapter of Intach in recognition of Devi's creativity awarded her Rs 10,000 which she spent in conservation works of Mandana," says Kumar. Devi, who to her credit has so far developed one hundred designs of Mandana forms on hard boards with oil paint and claims to know drawing of at least 600 Mandana forms.

"She has separately developed 40 other fresh Mandana forms apart from those drowned traditionally for centuries in rural culture of Rajasthan," said her son Jitendra Kumar Sharma who is also convener of Intach Baran chapter. Though Mandana art has seen a drastic drop in visibility, and has less of takers among villagers due to rise in number of concrete houses, the art still holds the rustic charm, and its paintings adorn walls of patrons. According to experts in the Mandana art form, the traditionally drawn designs bear architectural and scientific significance.

In his book titled 'Mandana: A Folk Art of Rajasthan' author Jogendra Saxena besides narrating the relevance of Mandana drawn on the occasion of religious festivals and fasts and also during any auspicious ceremony at home concerning birth and marriage or a specially organised religious worship, also explores the architectural and scientific significance. "Architectural and scientific significance exists in Mandana art forms and it needs to be studied," says Madan Meena, a Kota based freelance artist. "It is more significant that Koshalya Devi has individually drawn Mandana forms on rustic cultural features and practices which have gone outdated," he says.

- http://www.business-standard.com/, August 24, 2016

Touted as Odisha's Buckingham Palace, the iconic Gajapati palace located in the sleepy town of Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district, is staring at an uncertain future. With the septuagenarian Paralakhemundi king Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo in hospital and his caretakers having committed suicide, many apprehend the 173-year-old palace may fall into oblivion.

"The Gajapati palace is a royal insignia of our rich heritage. It may not be the oldest palace in Odisha, but its historical significance and architectural grandeur stands apart. The state government should think of its preservation by consulting the ailing king and his family, who are believed to have settled in Chennai," said A B Tripathy, state convenor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH-Odisha chapter). "There is a growing demand among locals too to convert the palace into a museum and a tourist hub. The Maharaja had earlier evinced interest to turn a portion of the palace into a museum. Since there in nobody left now to look after the royal palace, the tourism department should take the permission of the Maharaja and convert it into a heritage hotel," said Baikuntha Das, a local resident.

Official sources said the palace, built between 1835 and 1843 during the reign of Jagannath Narayan Deo-III, has no access for the general public. The palace often stirred curiosity among tourists and locals and Gopinath Gajapati's 2009 article in the Orissa Review heightened that level. The sturdy double-storey palace has around 80 well-ventilated rooms with spacious courtyards adding to its beauty. A large mounted metal bell of foreign origin is situated at the entrance. The palace's centre of attraction is the stately Durbar Hall, consisting two main wings - Raja Mahal and Rani Mahal. Council meetings and royal functions were held in the Durbar Hall, the article said. The palace, which symbolized the state's cultural nerve centre, has a min-zoo and a row of garages for Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz and other luxurious cars.

In May 1835, Rs 4.5 lakh was given to British architect Robert Fellows Chisholm for the design and construction of the palace. The palace is a harmonious blend of Indo-Saracenic style combined with Byzantine and European architectural features. It looks like the famed Buckingham Palace of London, the article read. While it is still a mystery whether the palace retains its grandeur, Maharaja Gopinath in his article had expressed concern over the building's decadence. "The palace has been lamenting silently for its restoration. Though several dignitaries, including governors and chief ministers of different states had visited the palace, they expressed only lip sympathy," the article read. The Maharaja, a former Congress MP from Berhampur, apprehended that heritage once lost, is lost forever. Maybe the churning of the past few weeks could throw fresh light into an otherwise glorious past.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 24, 2016

Close to 100 paintings, all dating back to over a century, of renowned artist Damerla Rama Rao are in a sorry state and need immediate restoration before they are lost forever for art enthusiasts and lovers of art in Rajamahendravaram and other parts of India. The paintings are invaluable for the quality of work and intensity. The government sanctioned Rs 12.34 lakh to restore two oil paintings and 22 water colours that are eight decades old, but the administrative sanction is yet to be given. AP State Co-convener, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), Seshu Kumari, observed that mere restoration of some of the valuable paintings is not enough and said that all the paintings should be restored which my cost around Rs 1 crore. She lamented that the government as well as the people’s representatives were not showing enough interest to restore these paintings. She wondered why the MPLads funds were not being allocated for this work.

She said the local artists may be given opportunity to restore the paintings along with the artists from New Delhi of Intach. B R B Achary, principal, Damerla Rama Rao Government Art Gallery, said that some of the paintings are in dilapidated condition as the canvas used is a century-old and needs restoration. Damerla Rama Rao is counted as one of the most famous painters the country has produced probably after Raja Ravi Varma. He is one of the first Indian artists to paint nudes at a time when orthodoxy was at its peak in society. He played a crucial role developing painting during the time of revival of art in India.

He broke the shackles of contemporary orthodox society of the country at that time by painting nudes. His revolutionary nude paintings were on a lady named Nakula. He depicted the freedom of women, important events in mythology, serenity and artistic glory of India, inevitable event in human’s life like death, innocence and historical events in his painting.

Though Damerla Rama Rao died young at the age of 28, his paintings are considered of high quality. Such was his proficiency that Rao with his father went to Sisil N Burns, who was the Dean of JJ School of Arts in Mumbai in 1916. The sketches of an untrained, unexposed Rama Rao surprised and impressed Burns which resulted in his admission directly into the third year of fine arts course. His works were composed, decorative in nature and always compared to those of Puvs de Chavannes, the post-impressionist artist of Paris. Rama Rao was spotted by Sir O J Couldrey, principal of the Government Arts College, Rajamahendravaram, who took him to Ajanta and Ellora for sketching the frescos and sculptures. It is said that Viceroy Lord Reading was so impressed with Rama Rao’s works that he purchased the painting Godavari of Eastern Ghats. After purchasing the painting, Lord Reading said in a lighter vein, “See I am purchasing a Swadeshi painting when Swadeshi movement is in full swing”.

Rama Rao was intensely inclined towards the art of painting and sketching since childhood. In 1923, Rama Rao started Rajahmundry Chitra Kalashala and trained many youngsters. Some of his world-renowned paintings like Siddartha Ragodayam, Pushpaalankarana, Kaartika Pournami were exhibited and won prizes not only in Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta as well as London and Toronto. He sent his paintings, Rushya Srunga Bhangam and Turpu Kanumallo Godavari to the exhibition organised by the Oriental Society. The Viceroy of India award was conferred on Rama Rao for his former painting and the latter was purchased by the then Viceroy of India Rufus Daniel Isaacs.

The Damerla Rama Rao Memorial Art Gallery established in Rajamahendravaram contains many of his pieces that were found or donated, including his 14 oil paintings, 76 water colour paintings and 442 pencil sketches along with 134 painting made by his wife Satyavathi, 378 paintings created by his contemporary Varada Venkata Ratnam and 34 other paintings. He created a painting called ‘Death’ on the train on way back to Rajamahendravaram from Tirupati. At that point of time, he was affected with smallpox and died in 1925 without completing his last painting, Deat’.

- http://www.thehansindia.com/, August 24, 2016

Swanky malls, state of the art residential townships and commercial spaces are mushrooming in the business hub that Ahmedabad is, inching closer towards becoming a metro city. While all this development is focused on the periphery, at the heart of the city is its centuries-old heritage that lives and breathes to tell the tale of community living and impeccable town planning. We take a look at Ahmedabad as a nominee for the prestigious label of world heritage city.

A heritage treasure trove Apart from a beautiful exterior design and intricate wooden carvings, the pols of the walled city depict impressive town planning. "The houses are earthquake resistant, have rain-water harvesting, are vaastu-compliant and very systematic. All pols have a chabutro (bird feeder) and a blackboard," says Debashish Nayak, director of Centre for Heritage Management. "It is important to hold on to the community assets, so engaging the local people is the best way to protect and restore the old city. Ahmedabad is huge compared to other world heritage cities - and it is a living, changing, developing city. So, it has become a lab of sorts for other cities to study and base their heritage management upon. It is a process," he adds.

The process Being nominated does not mean it is a contest where you win or lose. Unesco offers guidance and feedback so a city can improve and make progress continuously. P K Ghosh, the chairman of Ahmedabad's Heritage Conservation Committee, explains that the impending Unesco visit is for them to verify whether the claims made by us are fully sustained in reality. "We have presented what we think make us worthy of being a contender. For instance, harmonic community living gives the people a sense of identity and belonging. There is also the intangible heritage of city's connect with Mahatma Gandhi. So the dossier has been prepared with these points. Whether this resonates with the visiting authorities and whether they agree with it or not is a different matter," he says.

Work in progress Ahmedabad has been on Unesco's tentative list since 2011. Rajiv Patel, co-founder of a community-based resource centre that promotes cultural heritage, says we have all the raw materials that make for a great case and there is no dearth of talented people who can spearhead these operations. "There are many positives - ours is a city with maximum heritage regulations and we have a heritage department in the municipal corporation. The necessary ground work is being done to the best of the system's capacity but what I think can be improved is the method. Right now it is a make-fix method; what we need is a top down approach. The city has executed more complicated projects, so this is definitely doable and it does not require huge investment. The only thing required is clear-cut directions from the central government to the state government," he opines.

Recognition with responsibility Despite all the good things that make the city a strong contender, there is always something more that needs to be done. "It is great to see that everyone has high enthusiasm about this tag. That being said, we have a long road ahead. It is good to be optimistic, but cautiously so. I think the two civic issues that require attention are environmental pollution and management of traffic within the walled city," says Saswat Bandyopadhyay, academician. One other primary concern in the walled city is the illegal encroachments. Umang Hutheesing, who runs a heritage foundation says "The 'world heritage city' tag comes only with 'world' standards. Proper infrastructure with basic amenities for people who want to visit a 'potential' world heritage city is a pre-requisite. The kind of economic benefits that such an honour can bring in the long run are spectacular," he says. He adds that heritage management is executed well by professionals, as has been evident in Champaner among other instances. To that end, privatization can prove to be effective.

What is the 'World Heritage City' tag? Every year, Unesco calls for nominations to add to its list of world heritage cities, one entry is allowed per country. Interested states prepare a pitch (dossier) and send them to the culture ministry. The ministry chooses one city and sends it to UNESCO as its official nomination - this year, it's Old Ahmedabad. The world heritage city tag adds greatly to a city's brand value across the globe, thereby increasing tourism.

There are over 250 heritage cities in the world, but India, despite its rich heritage, has none recognised by Unesco TIMELINE 2011: Ahmedabad was on Unesco's tentative list since 2011; Ahmedabad was the first city in India to have a dedicated heritage cell in the municipal corporation. 2015: Delhi was the official nomination in 2015, but it was put on hold after the Urban Development Ministry cited objections 2016: In January the Ministry of Culture nominated Ahmedabad September 25-October 1, 2016: International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) team representing Unesco's World Heritage Centre is set to visit Ahmedabad during this period June 2017: Results will be announced

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 24, 2016

The unearthing of a 1000-year-old sculpture of Mohini, the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, in Madhabgaon village of Dinajpur's Kaharol upazila has archaeologists excited. Not only is the discovery of Mohini unexpected, but the temple itself is designed in navaratha, nine-projection style, an architectural form commonly associated with the Kalinga temples of Odisha as well as temples in Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, rather than Bengal.

According to Professor Claudine Bautze Picron, an expert on South Asian iconography and art history, the depiction of Vishnu in feminine Mohini form is the rarest avatar to be observed in eastern India. She has identified the Madhabgaon temple site as a centre for the Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism, with the temple dating from about the 11th to 12th centuries CE. “We found such a rare, brick-built structure,” says Swadhin Sen, an archaeology professor from Jahangirnagar University and head of the excavation team. “It's a first for Bangladesh.”

“A navaratha style temple has never before been discovered in Bangladesh,” says another professor from Jahangirnagar's archaeology department. The temple was discovered in 2014 underneath a 7 metre high earth mound in the village. Excavation began in mid-April this year. “We have completed the excavation work with the help of 27 local-hired workers, said Swadhin Sen. The Dinajpur temple, when it was intact, resembled this impressive temple in Odisha of India.

The temple's foundations reach almost 8 metres underground, with a 2 metre high structure above land level. The “rathas” consist of different sized vertical projections along the temple's north, south and west sides. There is also a square sanctum which the experts believe was used for worship and a four-pillared room that is suggested to be an assembly hall. The temple's entrance is along the eastern edge of the site. “The sanctum was a superstructure featuring a curvilinear tower,” says Professor Seema Haque of the team. “This too is a very rare feature among the ancient brick temples that have been found anywhere in both parts of Bengal.” According to retired professor of ancient Indian architecture from the University of Kolkata, Dipak Ranjan Das, the site does have some similarity with the similarly unusual Siddheshwar Temple of Bahulara in West Bengal's Bankura.

During excavation, experts have uncovered shards of stone sculptures and pottery as well as decorated bricks and other stone objects. “We presume many of these pieces are part of a chakra disc, conch, mace and parts of legs with garlands. These are all iconographic attributes of Vishnu,” says Swadhin Sen, noting that these are separate to the Mohini image discovered. The team believes the temple was probably used until as late as the 16th century, after which it was abandoned for unknown reasons. “We assume multiple deities were worshipped in this edifice,” says Sen.

The temple's discovery has not only thrilled the archaeologists but generated great local interest as well. “I have seen that heap of dirt there since my childhood,” says centenarian Satyaram Roy of the area. “The site's land measures 49 decimals. I never thought there could be a 1000-year-old temple there!” He hopes the government will take good care of the site. As news of the temple's discovery has spread visitors from near and far have converged to see it. At the current time the site attracts around 500 sightseers per day. “This temple is a very good addition to our research in north Bengal over the past 15 years,” says expert team member Professor Syed Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan.

- http://www.thedailystar.net/, August 24, 2016

Feeding birds at traffic islands may be your way of seeking a staircase to heaven, but what you end up doing is ensuring the proliferation of blue rock pigeons to the detriment of other species, once common such as the house sparrow and the Brahminy mynah. To add to such worries of ornithologists, health experts also say that pigeon droppings and feathers are associated with respiratory disorders.

"There are a lot of foraging points across the city that are helping pigeons grow in numbers," said Faiyaz Khudsar, scientist in charge at the Yamuna Biodiversity Park. "They can feed on many types of grain and are very flexible about nesting. They also congregate in many areas, which means there is less space available for sparrows or smaller birds to nest in." Khudsar added that people should realise feeding pigeons does not guarantee them a spot in heaven, but actually leaves them at risk of respiratory disorders. "People regularly present in areas where pigeons feed can contract diseases through their droppings and feathers," he said.

Studies have that found bird droppings and feathers can lead to diseases such as histoplasmosis, candidiasis and cryptococcosis, which can be fatal in some cases. The birds are also carriers of ectoparasites, including bed bugs and yellow mealworms. Pigeons are considered an invasive species. They are quick breeders, hatching chicks up to six times a year. Zoologist Surya Prakash feels "human interference" has added to the problem of proliferation. "Not only are birds very adaptable, but they need to find food. The fact that humans are providing the pigeons food is disturbing the natural balance," said Dr Prakash.

Due to pollution,birds like sparrows, parrots,Vultures etc vanished. Pigeons are multiplying. Any scientific reason? The increase in pigeons has seen an accompanying depletion in sparrow populations. Birder Nikhil Devasar feels the pigeon's capacity to adapt has allowed it to nest and breed in spaces where other birds cannot. "Be it under a window AC, in crevices or on shelves, pigeons can nest anywhere," Devasar pointed out. "Therefore, they have easily taken over spaces where once only sparrows could be found. Naturally sparrows are now rare in urban areas."

Agreeing that pigeons, more than the sparrows, have been able to adapt to changes in urban conditions, Neeraj Khera, senior advisor at GIZ, a sustainable development service provider, said this ecological balance was clearly a sign that the pigeon population had to be controlled.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 24, 2016

When we think about the Appalachian Mountains, what often comes to mind for many Americans is their natural beauty, their small towns, huge forests, their dueling banjos and the unique locals that pick away at them – whatever it is that comes to mind, it’s the product of a distinct culture and heritage, all its own—and for the last thirteen years, a private non-profit in Western North Carolina has worked to preserve just those things, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.

Since 2003, the organization has acted as a public charity by funding projects and organizations throughout the state’s 25 westernmost counties. The Heritage Area seeks to “protect, preserve, interpret and develop the unique natural, historical, and cultural resources of Western North Carolina for the benefit of present and future generation, and in so doing to stimulate improved economic opportunity in the region.”

“We have provided 133 grants in Western North Carolina over the past 13 years. Some of those grants help our natural heritage,” says Angie Chandler, executive director of the Heritage Area. “Everything from developing infrastructure around trail development, to educational programs for kids, to promoting the fact that we have these wonderful resources here to be enjoyed, and to help people get out in nature.” In short, the Heritage Area supports all things quintessentially Appalachian—be it in arts and crafts, music, agriculture, history, or cuisine—and it has to date, gotten behind a whole slew of events and projects throughout the region since it was founded.

“Interpretation and education programs, and through our promotional activities, to help our own communities and our citizens of this region, understand what a wonderful area that we live in and how it needs to be treasured.” In 2013, the Heritage Area found that Appalachian culture and heritage contribute to the economic vitality of the region, estimating some $2.39 billion was contributed to its economy. That same year, it awarded a total of 22 grants totaling $170,000 to initiatives across the region—such as the Clay County Historical and Arts Council in downtown Hayesville. Since 1974, the council has run the county’s local museum out of its old county jailhouse, circa 1912. And after recently receiving a $6,000 grant from the Heritage Area to install a native plant garden, the museum has seen an upsurge in visitors, according to museum docent Molly Seaver.

“Some museums are funded by the county. We are not. We’re funded by the local people, and by grants, and anything like that is helpful to us, to keep us here, because the economic crunch of course the first things that get cut are libraries, museums, the arts. This museum is history and the arts.” Part of the BRNHA's Heritage Trail is this recreation of a Cherokee village, located outside the Clay County Historical Museum in Hayesville. CREDIT EVAN KLATT And at a time when austerity can stifle organizations like the Historical and Arts Council, its co-president Reba Beck, a former art teacher, says that the Heritage Area provides the community with much-needed financial relief: “That’s an invaluable treasure for us, just to have that connection with them, and to know that we have that support.”

Some eighty miles away, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian has also received funding from the Heritage Area. Two years ago, it was granted $10,000 to help the museum train tour guides. A map of the BRNHA's Heritage Trail, which includes regional landmarks and historic sites throughout Western North Carolina. CREDIT BLUE RIDGE NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA PARTNERSHIP “There’s a lot of this that you won’t find in the history books,” that’s Mike Crow, museum tour guide and manager. Crow says that the work of the museum is important, as it tells the story of the Cherokee to visitors from near and far, and helps to not only preserve local history, but export is as well. “We’re providing a great deal of insight to a great number of people, largely I’d say. I feel a great sense of reward in having that privilege to share our history. But also, to let them know that we were here for thousands of years, and we are a strong, resilient people. And even through time, we have always been as such, and we’re still here today.”

For WCQS News, I’m Davin Eldridge.

- http://wcqs.org/, August 24, 2016

Water, water everywhere, not a to drink! This old adage applies perfectly to Punjab, the land of five rivers. While the state is criss-crossed by major rivers and their tributaries, the state feels the pinch when it comes to the elixir of life. But in a contradiction of sorts, Punjab faces the problem of waterlogging, even after a brief spell of rain. Bathinda is one city of Punjab that faces the problem of waterlogging, especially in the Sirki Bazaar area. This issue of Hard Talk by Gurdeep Singh Mann discusses threadbare the issue with shopkeeper Sunil Gora and tries to find solutions to it from Joint Municipal Commissioner Kamal Kant Goyal

Sunil Gora, Shopkeeper How will you describe the problem of waterlogging in the low-lying localities in and around Sirki Bazar during the rains? The four letter word—Hell—- is the only answer to this question. Also the five letter words— smell and filth— are accompanied by complete disorder which converts into diseases. For how long have the people of this area been suffering from this problem? It’s been almost 22 years.

So, there was no waterlogging before that? Earlier, there was a huge pond which has now been replaced by Multania Flyover, Khalsa School and encroachments by influential people. The huge pond used to contain polluted or rain water of the entire area but with the the passage of time, encroachments have come up on the pond. Now, a four-feet wide nullah (water channel) is used to drain out the water of Sirki Bazar and localities situated across the railway line. But this nullah too has been encroached upon by the shopkeepers who have not only made cemented ramps on its on the front, but also extended the rear walls too close to the nullah. Why didn’t you complain about the encroachments to the Mayor or other senior officials of the Municipal Corporation? Mayor sahib’s family too has a shop there — Nath Tent House—- which has the maximum encroached area towards the nullah. What role do such encroachments play during the rains?

Earlier, a tractor with trailer used to move alongside the nullah but encroachments blocked such movements permanently. Now, there is no space left to dump the silt alongside the nullah. Moreover, shops have added permanently cemented ramps which restrict manouvering inside to remove the blockade under such structures. If encroachments are removed and the nullah is desilted properly after every three or six months, then the problem of waterlogging can be reduced to a great extent. This nullah is nearly 5-feet deep and carries water up to Sanjay Nagar pond from where it is taken towards Sangat Mandi. But due to lack of desilting, silt, up to 4 feet, has accumulated in it. So, what’s the solution? First, people should understand what’s the problem. Corruption has overpowered officials and politicians so much that a solution lies only in making tall claims and only on paper, but nothing is done practically. But they always say that money to the tune of crores is spent on quick disposal of rainwater? Practically, it is just the opposite. The actual money goes into the deep pockets of the corrupt politicians and officers and hardly a penny is spent on any work, which actually brings respite. The leaders distort the facts to such an extent that a common man is left baffled. The authorities converted a very simple thing into utter chaos.

Sirki Bazar residents are upset with the chronic problem of waterlogging. They allege that despite spending crores over a period of over two decades, nothing has improved. Your take on the issue. It is indeed a chronic problem but a solution has been achieved to a great extent. We are working hard on it and will soon achieve the target. Can you explain a bit more rather than this stock reply? See, money is never wasted. It is indeed utilised in one way or the other. The problem is not only in Sirki Bazar but also at Power House Road, Mall Road and in other low-lying areas. The geographic situation cannot be altered, so we are reducing the time of allowing water to stay accumulated on road. What is the government’s achievement in reducing this time period? Actually, answering such queries is not my cup of tea. Either the Commissioner Sahib or the private company which has been given the contract to lay the sewer line would be able to throw more light on this problem. But I can assure one thing—- that the MCB is committed to reducing the time taken to drain out water during the rains for which water pumps have been installed everywhere.

Sirki Bazar residents say that a nullah has been encroached upon by the influential people and is not desilted! We are in the process of removing encroachments and desilting is done as per the schedule. The problem here is lack of a storm sewer. Draining out water is delayed as we double up sewerage pipes for this purpose. Also, the blocked nullah is a result of throwing at least two quintals of waste vegetables by the roadside vegetable vendors everyday. Moreover, there is no gravitational force which drains out water from our city and we have to lift every drop of it. At times, we lift water thrice— first from the Power House Road or Sirki Bazar, then from Sanjay Nagar and then again from the Sullage Carrier. We are battling numerous problems everyday. We are also residents of the city and we want it to be as good as the others.

- http://www.tribuneindia.com/, August 24, 2016

DK to seek Rs 5,987 cr under PMKSY

A district-level committee on irrigation on Tuesday approved the District Irrigation Plan (DIP) for Dakshina Kannada, which will be submitted to the central government for consideration under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).

As per the consolidated DIP prepared by the minor irrigation, agriculture and horticulture, forest departments, Dakshina Kannada district will require Rs 5,987.39 crore to implement 2,08,791 works under PMKSY in five years, commencing from 2017-18. While the present water requirement of the district for various sectors is 0.39510 BCM (billion cubic meters), the projected water demand in 2020 will be 0.4870 BCM. Accordingly there will be a deficit of 0.0549 BCM of water in the district in 2020. To fill this gap between the future demand and availability, a five-year DIP that aims to increase water potential to 1.08176 BCM has been approved by the district-level committee meet. Agriculture department joint director Kempe Gowda presented the DIP in the meet attended by district in-charge and minister for forest, environment and ecology B Ramanath Rai, deputy commissioner K G Jagadeesha and additional deputy commissioner Kumar.

Kempe Gowda said DIP approved at the district-level will be submitted to the state government soon and later the state government will submit a cumulative State Irrigation Plan to the centre. The DIP has been prepared based on various aspects of the district, including population, biomass and livestocks, soil profile, area wise - crop wise irrigation status, status of water availability, groundwater availability, domestic water demand in rural and urban areas, crop water requirement, livestock water demand, industrial water demand, and so on. The DIP of Dakshina Kannada district includes construction of vented dams, improvement of tanks, lift irrigation and repairs and improvements of dams, construction of farm ponds, revetment, forest and horticulture plants, rainwater harvesting, rejuvenation of water harvesting structure to be farm pond, lakes, open well etc to increase the water potential through PMKSY, the officer added.

While the total estimate of DIP is Rs 5,987.39 crore, major works are planned through minor irrigation department at an estimated cost of Rs 4,222.47 crore. The department has plans to take up 1,029 works including vented dams, improvement of vented dams, tanks and lift irrigation, he said.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 24, 2016

It's a birthday gift for the Bangiya Sahitya Parishat. The Minsitry of culture has sanctioned a fund of Rs 10 crore to the Parishat for restoration of manuscripts, rare books and punthis preserved here. The funds were sanctioned following the instructions of President Pranab Mukherjee, who inaugurated the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of the literary society on Tuesday.

The birthday celebrations started at the Bangiya Sahitya Parishat on Tuesday with none less than President Pranab Mukherjee, taking time off to be part of the inaugural. What's more, he got the Centre to gift a booty! The money, that has come from the ministry of culture, under the insistence of the President, will be spent on restoration and conservation of the . In 1893, The Bengal Academy of Literature was started on the sprawling campus of the Sovabazar Rajbari. Binoy Krishna Deb appreciated arts and letters and was excited to allow intellectuals like L Leotard and Kshetrapal Chakraborty to start a literary society in his house.

Within a year, the initiative caught the attention of leading Bengali intellectuals, who felt that the society should be given an indigenous name. Soon, it was renamed as Bangiya Sahitya Parishat. From the palace it moved to a rented premises on Cornwallis Street for some time. Later, it moved to its present address on APC Road - courtesy a seven-cottah plot donated to the Parishat by Raja Manishchandra Nandy. The first president and vice president of the Parishat were none less than Romesh Chunder Dutt and Rabindranath Tagore respectively. Among the members were luminaries like Satyendranath Tagore and Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar. The idea was to help propagate Bengali literature and linguistics in particular and Indology. Among the 12,000-odd original manuscripts and 100,000 rare books and publications preserved here are Sri Krishna Kirtan - the oldest surviving Bengali punthi - and several original Tibetan and Persian manuscripts, making the Parishat a haven for researchers from across the world.

"The Parishat is a rare resource where some of the greatest tomes in Bengali literature were published. The library is a treasure trove of thousands of research publications, manuscripts and original punthis that remain the rarest heritage material. We need to protect it for the future generations, because once gone, you can never bring it back," reminded the President, who was a member of the board of trustees of the Parishat the day he relinquished the post. He urged that the grants be used to preserve the manuscripts and books.

The Parishat has also received a grant of Rs 5.34 crore from an individual donor. Non-resident Bengali journalist, Nemai Chattopadhyay, has given this grant to the Parishat. For the past 125 years the Parishat has been publishing it journal Sahitya Parishat Patrika; there are plans to make it more voluminous and get more scholars involved in it.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 24, 2016

The emergence of hill stations in India has some interesting stories behind it There are scores of fascinating literature on the history of Indian hill stations. They are an intellectual feast. There are four parallel, organised and yet distinct processes of how hill towns evolved as a centre of politico-cultural events and strategic-economic dynamics mostly in India during the 19th century.

Four processes First, many of the hill towns in India were developed for geo-political and strategic reasons. War has a definite link to the emergence of these towns because they were mostly developed as cantonment and sanatoria. The present day Cherrapunji came into the picture only after First Anglo-Burmese war (1824-26); it provided a dominating position for the East India Company. David Scott, the Agent to the Governor General in the north east frontier, chose to station European troops there in 1829. However, within the next two decades, Shillong was found to be more suitable and by 1864 it was made the district headquarters. The Anglo-Gorkha War created a similar cantonment in Dehradun and the Anglo-Bhutan war (1864-65) in and around Darjeeling. Cantonment brought in civilians, tourists, pilgrims, markets, traders and local settlements. Municipal Acts were brought into operations. For the first time, a particular class of traders and merchants like Marwaris emerged in the hill towns. And thus, trade and commerce started becoming major activities in the towns.

Second, trading across the border was an important factor behind the development of hill towns. It was the Indo-Tibetan trade that partly inspired the British to annex Kumaon and Garhwal. In Ladakh, right since the rule of Namgyal Rajas starting from 1532 till it lost its independence in 1834 at the hands of Wazir Zotawra Singh of Jammu, trade with Tibet and some Central Asian countries remained a core theme. The Younghusband Mission of 1903 was again primarily meant to reinforce the cause of Sikkim-Tibet trade via the Nathu la pass. Third, these hill towns served as major producing grounds of very specific crops like tea and cinchona. In order to run these various economic systems, electricity was needed. This is how the traditional Ghatta or gharat system was reemphasised both as sources of energy and revenue. Against this backdrop, the Sidrapong power house known as Asia’s first hydel power plant was built in 1897 in Darjeeling. Finally, since most of the hill towns are located in the region with a rich bio-diversity, they attracted both researchers and corporations. They soon became a cradle of scientific knowledge and an incessant source of commercial ventures.

Education and tourism Many of the hill towns got significant economic and socio-cultural boosting during their establishment. What was striking was the use of education and tourism by the British India government to advance their consolidation. The zeal and dedication with which missionaries came to the Eastern Himalayan towns from Scotland to Canada possibly has no parallel. A majority of them breathed their last while spreading modern education in the hills. They set up St Joseph’s, Turnbull and St Pauls in Darjeeling, St Edmund’s in Shillong, and Anglo-Vernacular Middle School in Tehri- Garhwal. By the end of the 19th century, there were 95 schools run by the missionaries in the Eastern Himalayan region—Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, the Duars and Sikkim. Along with that, the students arrived, a new culture flourished and food habits changed. As the message of enchanting beauty, salubrious climate and quality education spread, more and more parents started sending their children to these schools. Students came from Bhutan, Nepal, South East Asian nations and even from far-off countries like Canada and the United States. Tourists from across the world came, too. This is how these hill towns became tourist hubs without any modern means of advertisement. Tourism in turn promoted development of basic infrastructures and put in place more effective governance. Hill stations thus became more and more cosmopolitan and outward looking. Darjeeling, the Queen of Hills, became a brand.

Hill towns were also used for political agreements like the Tripartite Convention among Great Britain, China and Tibet held in Shimla in 1913. It was held under the presidency of Sir Henry McMahon, the man behind the controversial McMahon line in the Sino-India border dispute. They built exclusive roads for very specific purposes and established several communication systems. The Stilwell road, which connects Assam with Kunming in China through Myanmar, was built exclusively for military purposes during the Second World War. The Hill Cart Road in 1869 and the construction of the Himalayan Railway in 1881 in Darjeeling by Gilanders Arbuthnot and Company under the stewardship of Franklin Prestage were mainly used for transporting tea, timber and quinine to major ports. They built Nathu la and Jelep la road in Sikkim and Hindustan-Tibet road in present day Himachal Pradesh for trade exchange with Tibet and China and further to Mongolia and Russia. They identified the passes frequented by the traders and pilgrims across the Himalayan regions. This is how the passes like Shipki la in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, Mana Pass and Niti Pass in Garhwal, Kungri Bingri, Dana and Lipu Lekh Pass in Kumaon came into prominence. Hill towns soon served as supply bases.

Food and drink In our childhood, whenever we were unwell, our great grandmother prepared a special dish called “fis-fash” with great interest. It was rice quickly boiled with chicken, ginger and onions. She asked us to eat this for quick recovery. Later, our grandparents and our parents inherited this “fis-fash” culture. Once I was in Chittagong Hill Tracts and found some people talking about “fis-fash”. Amazing! I told them we also eat the same in Darjeeling. An old man sitting next to us intervened to say it was actually “feast-fast”, a dish prepared as a quick meal mainly by the British soldiers. This is how an inherited food culture had become a part of our own indigenous hill culture. The popular Tongba came to be commercialised for various reasons. One major reason was an array of mouth-watering literature written by travellers like Waddel, Pemberton, Freshfield, and even Rahul Sankrityana. Waddel wrote in the context of Sikkim “after our three hours’ walk we were not sorry to find on entering the house, that Achoom, who had preceded us with the commissariat, had ready waiting for us a hot lunch, to which we did full justice.

For drink we had a large bamboo jugful of the refreshing beer, that the Lepchas brew from a millet seed called Murwa. The fermented grain is put into a jug formed by cutting off a joint of the giant bamboo and this jug is then filled up with hot water. The liquor is imbibed by sipping it up through a thin reed like straw. It tastes like weak whiskey-toddy or rum-punch with a pleasant acidity, and it is milder than the mildest English beer. It is the wine of the country and is a food as much as a drink. The men, women, and children delight to sip it at all times from morning till night...Indeed one of the commonest sights is to see a monk going his round sipping a jug of this beer as a solace to his pessimistic dogma that ‘all life is misery,’ for he then is able to contemplate the world with full approval.” Lama, former member of National Security Advisory Board, Government of India, is a professor of South Asian Economies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and a member of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) from India

- http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/, August 24, 2016

A language gets extinct every 14 days, at twice the extinction rate of endangered mammals and birds, said J R Lobo, MLA, Mangaluru City South. Delivering a keynote address at the inauguration of a two-day national seminar on 'Konkani speaking people of coastal Karnataka and their Anglo-Portuguese connection', Lobo said, "According to a UNESCO report, if nothing is done, half of the 7,000 plus languages spoken today across the globe will vanish by end of 2100. This, in turn, will kill the rich heritage and culture associated with these languages.

Citing an indigenous tribe of Australia and how government acted swiftly to preserve their language and tradition, Lobo said, "Australian government came forward to save the Australian aboriginal languages but no such effort has been taken up so far in our country," he criticised, adding that Sanskrit is dying a slow death due to such neglect. He also gave examples of revival of centuries old Hebrew language spoken in Israel and Palestine. "Language can survive only with the support of people," he said. Basti Vaman Shenoy, director, Vishwa Konkani Kendra, Mangaluru, said, "There are records to prove that Konkanis were involved in foreign trade, public administration and education thousands of years ago. But the Portuguese assaulted the language and its culture in Goa,"

"People of Tulunadu provided shelter and love for the migrated Konkanis. Tulunadu has given scope for development of Konkanis by helping them establish trade, educational institutions, temples, churches and banks. The languages like Konkani, Pali and Sanskrit are to be preserved. Scholars from many communities and backgrounds are needed to do this. It is not a job of one institution or one generation alone," he added. The seminar was organised by Besant Evening College, in association with Besant Women's College, Karnataka Sahitya Academy and Konkani Study Chair, Mangalore University. The two-day seminar ends on Wednesday.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 24, 2016

The residents of Kazigadi have been leaving on the edge for years. And the wait for safety is getting only longer though the hillock found a place in the list of National Heritage Monuments list of the state a few years ago.

The hillock, which has a slum of around 300 houses and is prone to landslides, was supposed to be conserved and maintained by the archaeological department. Situated along the banks of the Godavari, Kazigadi was declared one of the 285 National Heritage Monuments in the state in the early 2000s.

Recently, social activist Devang Jani lodged a complaint at the Union government's portal about the plight of Kazigadi's residents. In its reply, the cultural ministry said the issue was with the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) Aurangabad circle and would soon be followed up. "Conservation and maintenance of Kazigadi are pending for years together. The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) and the district administration wasted much time over the ownership of the hillock,' said Jani.

The alarm bell first went ringing around 11.30pm on November 21, 2013, when the mud atop the hillock began sliding and destroyed 24 houses. Around 60 of the 300 odd houses atop the hillock are still in the danger zone. And despite repeated notices from the NMC, the residents refused to shift from there unless they were assured rehabilitation.

"The NMC can't relocate them as the hillock is private land. The residents want a retaining wall be constructed, so that the hillock is protected from landslide. But the civic body insists on soil testing to know if the retaining wall will serve the purpose," a civic official said.

He added that the 100-m retaining wall behind Gadge Maharaj Dharamshala cost Rs 2 crore in the 1990s. "Now if we are to construct a 300-m wall at Kazigadi, it will cost around Rs 15-20 crore," said the official. And amid all this, the civic administration is trying its luck with tenders for soil testing.

Before the floods in August, the residents were repeatedly asked to shift to safer places. They abided by the order after initial resistance. On August 14, 2013, Rajya Sabha member D P Tripathi had asked Union cultural minister Chandreshkumari Katoch about the Protected Monuments in Maharashtra. She had replied in writing that 285 monuments were declared of national importance. Kazigadi, which is made of old mud, was at the 154th position on the list, the document stated, adding that the ASI will conserve it. A copy of the document is TOI's possession.

"I registered a complaint with the Union cultural ministry through the India Public Grievance Portal on August 14 for conservation and security of Kazigadi, earlier known as Old Matichi Gadi, that is made of old mud. The ministry in its response said the issue was sent to ASI (Aurangabad circle) superintending archaeologist AMV Subramaniam for further action," added Jani. Subramanyam told TOI over phone, "This issue is with one of my assistants. He is on leave at present. I will follow it up with him."

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 25, 2016

Madras Week celebrations are in progress. As is usual in such events, we have a plethora of mourners, in whose view, even nostalgia is no longer as good as what it was. Listening to them, you would imagine that the city was a kind of paradise till a few decades back. From what little I have read of Chennai’s history, I would disagree.

It was beset with enormous problems — drainage, sanitation, disease, poverty, and overcrowding, at all times. Just showing a few black-and-white photographs of empty streets and stately homes does not make for heaven. We can blame only ourselves for degradation. If at all any stakeholder is entitled to cry over what is lost, it would be the wildlife that was once abundant in Chennai.

Theodore Baskaran, in ‘A Squandered Heritage – The Wildlife of Madras’, written as part of the INTACH guide Madras: The Architectural Heritage by K. Kalpana and Frank Schiffer, notes that in the early 17th Century, a tropical evergreen forest, where antelopes roamed, covered the area. According to him, “The Quibble Island, with its expanses of swamp and marshes, attracted a horde of waterfowl and was a favourite hunting ground for the British”. But till the 1850s, there are several reports of tigers at places such as Pallavaram, Vandalur, Adyar and St. Thomas Mount. A probably apocryphal tale is of Edward Winter, Governor of Madras in the 1600s, grappling with a tiger on the beach and ‘crushing it to death’. That, at least, was the story he circulated on his return to England. His memorial, in St. Mary’s Church, Battersea, has a panel depicting the incident.

Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff, Governor in the late 1800s and who gave the Marina beach its name, was a wildlife enthusiast, and his journal is full of jottings on the animal life of the city. Government House, later Omandurar Estate and now the Assembly-turned multi-speciality hospital, was where he lived and he documented the snakes, birds and insects that resided in the gardens. He also writes of a member of the Madras Club (then on land where Express Avenue now is) opening a door in the building to see a jackal wandering in the corridor! The patriot Ambujammal writes of jackals disturbing the sleep of the residents of Luz Church Road. In her book, Sir C.P. Remembered, Shakunthala Jagannathan notes that the family home, The Grove, and surrounding Alwarpet/Teynampet had deer, jackal, palm civet, peacock and even leopard, “the last seen on quite a few occasions”.

It would appear that in our attempt at building the paradise that we never got around to completing, we chased away those who could have made it one. The last Cooum crocodile is, after all, a stuffed exhibit in the museum. But then, creatures like it do not speak at symposiums or find space in columns.

- http://news.webindia123.com, August 26, 2016

Cutting-edge textiles can emerge from a dialogue between weavers and buyers Discussion about India’s handloom heritage swings between extremes. Some influential minds would have us believe that handloom fabric is doomed to extinction, given the versatility, speed and economy of computerized production on power-looms. A contrasting conviction is of the millions dependent on India’s second largest source of livelihood, serving a huge market at home and abroad, and creating what for some is “the world’s greatest fabric”.

There is a third argument, less heard yet probably of greatest import. It regards handloom as symbolic of an alternative paradigm of human development, placing human and planetary well-being at the centre of concern. In this perspective, the Indian handloom is more than a tool. It emerges as a composite world view, a culture, and as a resource of wisdom and innovation that can respond to contemporary challenges with extraordinary creativity.

A middle path must find its way through the debate and into the marketplace, where the user is judge and jury. So who needs or demands handmade fabric? Can demand be built over competition from mass-produced imitations and alternatives? What does “handmade” actually mean in this age of mixed skills, materials and technologies?

The answers should come from the buyer and the weaver, yet both voices are stifled. The extinction argument is the one proclaimed loudest by lobbies claiming to speak for the consumer, though without any mandate from him/her. Their political clout is not matched by activists and aesthetes inspired by the “charkha century”, or by the discipline of mainstream economics that is largely unaware of the crafts sector as an antidote to jobless growth.

Research-backed, demand-driven handloom strategies are nowhere in sight. The sector’s last marketing genius was Mahatma Gandhi. He changed the tastes of a nation through a handloom revolution that gave the 20th century its grandest design story. That message echoed after independence. Pioneers like Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and Pupul Jayakar made the handmade indispensable to defining who we are and who we want to be—until globalization and “liberalization” cloned Indian dreams into Shanghai and Silicon Valley fantasies. The handloom became an embarrassment when technology could deliver facsimiles at a fraction of the cost, and to uniform, mass-market standards. In shops stacked with mass-produced imitations, few could discern the difference. So why care? It was time for heritage to move off the body and into museums.

In 2012, these arguments led to an outrageous decision (fuelled by pressure from the power-loom lobby to scrap the Handlooms Reservation Act, 1985) to fix electric motors on handlooms. The announced intention was to reduce drudgery, increase earnings and liberate the poor weaver. At one stroke, millions of handlooms would become power-looms and heritage skills could be lost, perhaps forever. Protests across the country finally led to an assurance from the Prime Minister’s Office that the definition of handloom would “remain in the purest form”. Soon, a handloom blitz was to be launched from Varanasi—a new Prime Minister’s constituency and home to the ultimate symbol of India’s craft genius. Fashion galas have followed, all with the objective of “lifting global handloom demand”. Politics has forced the doomsday scenario into the wings. There, however, its whispers continue unabated.

Market demand is and will remain at the heart of this issue. Given the scale of the handloom industry and the market, the absence of serious research over almost seven decades is truly astounding. A fabric some consider the finest and others regard as terminally ill has been produced, sold, imitated, dumped, defended and promoted at the highest level without clear “demand evidence or supply response”.

At a mega event in Mumbai, a design icon demanded to know what all the fuss was about. There was, she claimed, no lack of demand for quality handloom, either at home or overseas. “There is zero resistance on price. Buyers pay for quality. I can sell whatever I make, and I can sell it all at home. I don’t bother about exports.” Her constraints were all in the supply chain, and in the appalling poverty that claims most Indian artisans. Bottlenecks in yarn delivery, transportation, poor market knowledge leading to confusion about consumer preferences, inadequate access (to credit, design, intellectual property rights and technical services), a reservation law that is seldom implemented, dumping from East Asia, dreadful conditions of work and living—all offered testimony to decades of schemes that have failed to deliver. The need was management, not five-star hoopla.

If the future is a land we cannot visit, another generation of weavers must resolve the argument. Some are indeed exercising the option of exiting from a hereditary profession. So are their peers elsewhere. Others long to remain in the tradition of their ancestors, but with hope and dignity. Both demand new knowledge and access to its sources. Investment in entrepreneurship is a first essential. Professionalism could end the dreadful tradition of handloom fabric promoted as a rebate opportunity, signalling a product to be bargained down and treated as charity, not as “the world’s greatest fabric”, with USPs that youth can recognize as simultaneously economic, social, political, environmental, cultural, even spiritual. And not just at the high end: The humble gamchha has a hugely profitable local market.

Even as jobless growth stares India in the face, cynics continue to suggest that anything the hand can do, technology can do better. Should this argument be used to dismiss other advantages of the hand, eye and mind? Indigenous knowledge is being increasingly respected as India’s priceless intellectual capital in areas such as agriculture, water, health, well-being, education, housing, combating climate change, and in the arts. If technological and managerial advances do not torpedo other sectors of Indian creativity, why should they do so in the case of weavers? They have welcomed change, innovated technologies and served global demand for centuries. Why assume that the great textiles of the future will not emerge from those who created the greatest 20th century fabric? If cutting-edge indications are needed, listen to former Infosys chief executive officer Nandan Nilekani: “Our mental models are dated. Export-led growth, ‘Make in India’ and big firms are yesterday’s stories. The future lies in our domestic market…. In the new world order, everything is micro, millions of small procedures aggregating their capability by using technology.”

That is a truth young weavers across the country recognize. It is the opportunity they are demanding. It should be theirs.

The writer, a veteran crafts and design expert, has been executive director of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, and president of the Crafts Council of India.



- http://www.livemint.com/, August 26, 2016

Cambridge Public School, Bengaluru, hosted Tiranga 2016, interschool Independence Day cultural fest. In all 292 students from eight schools across the city participated.

It was held to celebrate India’s rich culture and heritage with the theme ‘India’s visual and performing arts’.

The event, which is organised every year on the occasion of Independence Day, provides a fun inter-school platform for the children to compete and exhibit their range of skills within their respective age groups.

- http://www.thehindu.com, August 26, 2016

About 14 kilometres away from Nandigama in Krishna district is Gudimetta, a nondescript village on the banks of river Krishna. The village where the residents now predominantly depend on agriculture has a historical significance. But much to the chagrin of historians and heritage conservators, the area has been at the receiving end of utter neglect of the officials.

The village once served as the capital of Chagi dynasty during 11th and 13th centuries, a fact which many of the residents are unaware of. Not just the remains of Chagis, those of Kakatiyas and Vijayanagara dynasties which date back to 13th and 16th centuries respectively are also a common sight.

It is said that Chagi Potaraju (1150-1182 AD) fortified Gudimetta and fought in the Palnadu war. After the Chagis, the area was annexed by the Kakatiyas as attested by the Visweswara temple built in typical Kakatiya style, which was dismantled and reconstructed recently.

Explorations in the area have often revealed interesting information pertaining to the historicity of the place. "Most of the villages in Nandigama region are replete with ancient temples, sculptures, inscriptions and other heritage structures which are at least a 1,000-year-old," said E Sivanagi Reddy, archaeologist and sculptor.

In an exploration held on Thursday too, Sivanagi Reddy, who is also chief executive officer of Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati (CCAV), spotted stone sculptures and inscrptions belonging to Chagi chiefs and Kakatiyas on the outskirts of the village.

"We identified Kakatiya sculptures called 'Saptamatrika' and 'Bhairava'. While the former is carved on black granite, the latter is carved on a temple model in a 'tribhanga' pose. Both these sculptures testify the Kakatiya occupation of this area," Sivanagi Reddy explained.

These sculptures are also attested by inscription found in a local mosque which dates back 1268 AD during the regnal period of Rudramadevi. The inscription recorded donations made by the rulers to the Viswanatha temple.

A total of two temples, 25 sculptures, including Mahishasuramardini, Ganesa, Shanmuka, Nagadevatas, Anjaneya and three inscriptions were spotted in neglect in the exploration. All these date back to period between 11th and 18th centuries.

Another interesting fact pertaining to the village is that the British had documented the presence of the sculptures and inscriptions in 1870s. It is said that Robert Sewell, who was a civil servant and historian during Madras colonial rule, visited the place and reported the presence of the historical relics. Later, when Gordon McKenzie, the collector of Krishna district during 1880s, documented the history of Krishna district, he included the details in the manual he drafted.

When enquired with the locals, they said they were unaware of the fact that their village played an important role in the history. "Even though we often read that relics are often found in the village in newspapers, we are not aware of the significance of our village," said P Nageswara Rao, a retired lecturer.

Historians claimed that the historicity of the village dates back to 11th to 18th century AD, but has been neglected. "Even though the government and archaeology department area aware of the presence of the historical elements, they have been neglected. That is the reason we held the exploration so that the contemporary generations, which are completely unaware of the heritage, will know its importance," Sivanagi Reddy said.

He called for the protection and preservation of the heritage structures.

Interestingly, the exploration of CCAV has resulted in the discovery of a copper coin belonging to Qutb Shahi dating back to the period between to 11th - 13th century, attesting the fact that the region was under the rule of Qutb Shahis.

Sivanagi Reddy along with secretary of Vijayawada Buddha Vihara Subhakar Medasani, under 'preserve the heritage for posterity' campaign, interacted with the villagers and sensitised them about the heritage of the village.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 26, 2016

Proto-historic rock art of dancing images was discovered inside a rockdwelling in Teppampatti, a remote village near Andipatti in Theni district. It was while conducting a survey as part of his PhD research that P Jothiswaran found the ancient piece of art depicting figurines of humans and birds painted in white and red ochre. The human figurines are shown in a group dance, as pairs and in a solo dance. Couples standing and images with upraised hands are also illustrated. Some of the human heads resemble a bird's head, which bears close similarity to the Palarpatty and Erasakkanaickkanur rock-paintings of proto-historic period (period between historic and prehistoric) found in Theni district.

Teppampatti is an obscure hamlet situated in a valley in the Western Ghats. Jothiswaran had to trek more than eight km through a dense forest to reach the site. "I am doing my thesis on the archaeology of Theni district. A villager in Teppampatti told me that he found some 'pictures' inside a rock dwelling. Since the site and its surrounding areas have been frequented by wild animals, it was really a challenge reaching there," said Jothiswaran, after documenting the ancient pieces of art. The dancing images inside the dwelling collectively convey the celebratory mood of the people, perhaps after a successful hunt or a cattle raid or a ceremonial celebration, said P D Balaji, professor and head of the department of ancient history and archaeology, University of Madras. "The human figures with birds' heads could be a ritualistic act followed by certain communities of those days," he said.

A study of the paintings show that they were done in two different periods, one over the other, said Balaji. "The underlying painting was in red ochre, but due to climactic conditions, it now looks pale orange. Above this layer, one more layer of painting seems to have been done at a later period in white ochre. They are both dated to protohistoric period based on the stylistic features of rock painting," he said. Similar rock paintings with bird's head dated to proto-historic period had been recorded in Theni district and in few other places like Kilvalai and Settavarai in Tamil Nadu.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 26, 2016

The Chicalim bay, with its marine biodiversity specially its oysters has been more affected by the ecotoxicological impacts of industrial and other human activities along the river as compared to Nerul creek, while the Chapora bay is still pristine, a study by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) revealed. The study, titled 'Evaluation of surface water and sediment quality in Chicalim bay, Nerul creek and Chapora bay', conducted by PS Shenai-Tirodkar, MU Gauns, and Dr ZA Ansari, sampled the surface water and sediments of the three sites.

Results indicated a marked dominance of nutrients, phaeopigments, particulate organic carbon and total suspended solids at the Chicalim bay and the Nerul creek. With its clayey soil, the Chicalim bay has the capacity to absorb metals from the water column. This phenomenon is not prevalent in the Nerul creek and Chapora bay owing to their sandy soil, the report stated. "With mining-related activities being prominent in Chicalim and its soil's potential to retain the metals, the contamination in the bay is magnified," senior scientist, Dr Mangesh Gauns told TOI.

He explained that fine sediment particles that remain suspended in the water column, are filtered by grazers in the aquatic system. In the process of filtering, some matter gets accumulated in the grazers, making them poisonous for consumption. Chicalim bay, being a grazer belt, is therefore most vulnerable. "The Chicalim bay is highly impacted by anthropogenic activities like barge-building and ore transportation. This poses a risk to its rich marine biodiversity. Consuming these grazers is a health hazard for humans," he added.

The commonly found grazers here are oysters, clams and green mussels. "Post-monsoon, oysters are harvested in Chicalim, which locals subsequently consume on a daily basis. This can have hazardous effects on their health and could also cause neurological problems," said PhD student, Prachi Shenai-Tirodkar. Researchers further added that other aquatic life could also be affected by the contaminated water if the bay's environment became toxic. This could, in turn, even impact the fisheries sector.

The different physio-chemical parameters measured in the study also revealed that increasing anthropogenic activities along the banks of River Mandovi and River Zuari introduce domestic and anthropogenic metals and cause contamination in their estuarine regions. The study suggested monitoring heavy metal concentrations in water, sediments and associated biota, specially oysters, to create a comprehensive pollution database.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 26, 2016

As the manufacture of Ganesha idols shifts into top gear with Ganesh Chathurti round the corner, rules are being given the boot for banned ingredients are being used to prepare the idols. This has raised concerns over the possibility of water bodies being polluted during the idol immersion at the end of the festival.

Adding to the woes is a short staffed Tamil Nadu pollution control board in Trichy that was found to be clueless over how to handle the issue. The lack of facility to check idols before immersion make the water bodies more vulnerable.

Idol makers say that plaster of Paris (POP) is necessary to provide strength to the idol but its usage has been banned by the Tamil Nadu pollution control board. Additionally, paints containing heavy metals like chromium and mercury are used to make the idol attractive but it kills aquatic life as it reduces the oxygen level in the water.

The lack of steady flow in the Cauvery river, however, is seen as a good sign by environmentalist as there will be less scope for further pollution during the festival.

A total 982 statues were immersed in the river last year. This includes 301 idols from the city and 681 from rural parts of the district. Though permission was given to only 178 idols in the city, more idols were immersed in the last minute.

"Paints mixed with chemicals are being widely used for giving the idols a good look," said city based ecologist Q Ashoka Chakkaravarthy, who visited a couple of places in the city where idol production was at full swing.

These chemicals will also have serious implications on the groundwater.

"We have been causing irreparable damage to the ecosystem in the name of religion. Since religion and festival are vulnerable subjects, the district administration ought to make compromise in terms of pollution and nature conservation," he said.

Meanwhile, an idol maker in the city said say that the demand has reduced to just 80 idols while it was 150 last year. It has been reducing over years. "Eco friendly paint for paper mache doesn't make the idol look attractive. We are left with no option but to market the idols using chemical paints. Usage of POP becomes pivotal especially in idols over 6 ft height to provide strength," he said.

Police officials though say that idols are checked for pollutants but strict enforcement could not be ensured as it would likely lead to a law and order issue if the idol is stopped from immersion. Moreover, there is no mechanism in check pollutants as TNPCB is restricted to test the quality of water before and after immersion.

Trichy district environmental engineer V Nalina said that idol makers would be fined if they were found to be flouting norms. Asked on the preventive measures, she said that most of the offenders are seasonal manufacturers which make it difficult to trace them. "However, we will carry surprise inspections in such places and send the list of offenders to the district administration for necessary action," she said.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 26, 2016

The palm tree, known for its usefulness from top to bottom, is rapidly diminishing in numbers. Once thousands of people survived on the produce of this tree. To safeguard the trees and maintain diversity, a group of people in the city have started to sow palm seeds along the bunds of water bodies to strengthen tank bunds across the district. In the past two months they have sowed more than 120 palm seeds.

Environmentalists say the tree can survive any weather condition and is ever green.

The practice of planting palm trees was followed in the ancient times also. The idea was to prevent water bodies breaching in the rainy season and also to safeguard the trees which have a unique drought-resistant quality, said K C Neelamegam, secretary of 'Thanneer', an NGO functioning from the city.

"We began the project on July 24, 2016. We have so far collected 300 seeds for this purpose and 120 seeds have been planted on the bunds of the Mavadi Kulam in the city with the help of college students and like minded people. We have named this mission 'Vidhaigalai Thedi' (in search of seeds)," he said.

According to available data, there are five crore palm trees in Tamil Nadu, half of them in Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Ramanathapuram districts, followed by Salem, Chengalpattu and Sivaganga. Trichy has the least number of palm trees among the southern districts.

And the number is decreasing drastically, Neelamegam said. "Once a large number of palm trees could be seen around Sathanur, Thuvakudi, Olaiyur and Suriyur."

A farmer can extract 13,500 litres of juice from one acre of sugar cane, whereas it was 50,000 liters in the case of palm trees, he said adding that every part of the tree was useful. Palm products has medicinal value and have been used in the Indian systems of medicine such as ayurveda and sidddha. Thousands of people survived on the produce of this tree. Experts say that, however, extensive planting of palm trees can cause an adverse effect on the environment as it has the capacity to turn the land into a desert. Trees eliminate pollution, purify the air, provide oxygen, consume carbon dioxide, reduce heat and dust on the ground, regulate suspended particulate matter, reduce wind velocity, noise and global warming. But planting palm trees alone will not solve this purpose. Monoculture of trees is not advisable as there should be diversity, they say.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 26, 2016

Rural and cultural tourism can enhance the economic growth of the state and also safeguard cultural heritage, said experts. They were speaking at the ongoing South Asia sub regional meeting of NGOs on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage for sustainable development held in Panaji on Thursday.

They opined that the prominent features of each village/community in the state should be recognized and learned natives of that village can impart knowledge to visitors.

Vinod Nambiar of the Vayali folklore group said, "The change should be in the mindset of people creating the policy. Beaches are only one form of attraction, but other aspects should also be marketed to people. There are many other traditions and cultures that can get them interested," For this, he suggested that certain belts in Goa can be identified where community cultures are prominent. When people visit, they can engage in activities what that particular community is known for; like cuisine, folk art or craft.

"These small belts can have community-initiated exercises instead of the government identifying the space, the community forms the activity and runs it. This is sustainable development which benefits the community." he said.

Nambiar also stressed on the need for inclusion of youth in community activities to retain the traditions and cultural practices of indigenous Goa. "We can create new opportunities where the youth can learn traditional craft and modernize them. They can make these products contemporary and tap the market to sell them. This method of social inclusion can prove to be a good medium of income generation," he said. Sharing his thoughts on the same, Amitava Bhattacharya of Bangalnatak Dot Com, said that prominent landmarks or activities of each village should be identified and a resident can guide visitors around.

"Village festivals, for instance, are informative for tourists as they learn about a new culture while locals celebrate their heritage. This creates a spirit of local aspiration." he added.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, August 26, 2016

PondyPHOTO 2016, a photo festival themed on water, transforms Puducherry’s Old Port into public art space, finds S. SENTHALIR

As many as 400 photographs by around 50 photographers from 10 different countries are displayed for public view, in Puducherry at the Old Port. Focussed on the theme water, the exhibition PondyPHOTO 2016 is being organised by PondyART Foundation. The event gives a platform for people to interact, debate, experience the stories on water from different places through the photographs. Kasha Vande, coordinator, PondyPHOTO 2016, and trustee of PondyART Foundation, says that the team has been working since last August to offer a quality cultural event in Puducherry.

Photographer and art director Yannick Cormier, advisory board, PondyPHOTO 2016, says, “Water as a topic is very relevant now, especially after the Chennai floods. India faces huge shortage of water during summer. It is very important to protect the natural resource and it is time that everyone is aware of the resource. That is why we wanted to talk about it and we are trying to find a line between awareness and art. We use art as a tool to create awareness. We were amazed by people’s reception towards the previous PondyPHOTO exhibitions.” Through exhibitions, presentations, roundtable conferences to film screenings and more, PondyPHOTO 2016 aims to drive home the message about foods, water bodies and the issues that need attention.

As part of the festival, photo exhibition ‘Water’ will bring south India’s photographers to share their water stories, both of the past and the present, The Kitchen Sink – curated by Cheryl Newman, former Photography Director of the Telegraph magazine, London, will be a “reflection on the human encounter and relationship with water”. Just a few meters away from the Old Port, PhotoINK also holds two exhibitions as part of the festival. ‘Water Towers’ by Randhir Singh, an architectural photographer based in New Delhi, and ‘Everyday Baroque’ by Rajesh Vora. showcases a unique series on water storage tanks in villages in Punjab.

In addition to this, the French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP) will exhibit several old and new photographs of IFP researchers on water related studies. You can get involved in a community project ‘Let’s Build a Reef’ with Temple Adventures or take a cycle tour organised by Pondy Cycle Tour and Sita Cultural Centre and participate in the workshop to understand documentary storytelling by James Whitlow Delano and Senthil Kumaran and experience underwater macro photography by Umeed Mistry. Celebrated theatre personalities and musicians will also bring to the audience their plays on water. The festival is also supported by the Pondicherry Science Forum, French Institute of Pondicherry, the Alliance Francaise in Puducherry and Toxic Links and Heritage Commons.

List of Photographers

Mustafah Abdulaziz, Ravi Agarwal, Clare Arni, Corey Arnold, Arun, Pablo Bartholomew, Atul Bhalla, Antoine Bruy, Nicolas Chorier, Pankaj Dutta Bharti, Marcus Bleasdale, Solmaz Daryani, Arko Datto, Mitch Epstein, Rose Lynn Fisher, Stephen Gill, Noemie Goudal, Tom Hunter, Nadav Kander, Subodh Kerkar, Tasneem Khan, Seema Krishnakumar, Zishaan Akbar Latif, Gideon Mendel, Umeed Mistry, Joydeep Mukherjee, Swastik Pal, Max Pinckers, Yan Preston, Madhu Gopal Rao, Simon Roberts, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Nigel Shafran, Cop Shiva, Bharat Sikka, Alec Soth, Prasiit Sthapit, Karthik Subramaniam, Harish Tyagi, Maurice Van Es, Nelson Viji, Vasantha Yogananthan

- http://www.thehindu.com/, August 27, 2016

Going beyond mainstream art, an exhibition in the national capital displays the indigenous artworks of 14 Mithila-Madhubani artists. Titled, Satrangi: An Exhibition of Mithila-Madhubani Art, it brings out India’s heritage and culture. On display are works by artists such as Santosh Das, Mahalaxmi and Shantanu Das. With over 50 paintings, the themes depict folklore, mythology and anecdotes on life.

Read: Why is folk art not treated on a par with contemporary art? Anubhav Nath, director of Ojas Art Gallery, says, “The idea behind this series is to promote tribal and traditional art. This is our second edition, and every year, we have a different genre.” He believes that Indian art is so diverse and different, that it is unfair to club it under one genre. “Each genre of art needs its own breathing space, status and recognition. We needed a medium to represent specific genres. Hence, this exhibition,” he says.

Mithila-Madhubani paintings are highly decorative, giving artists a chance to experiment with patterns and styles. Santosh Das, who will be showcasing paintings from his Krishna and Buddha series, says, “This art is highly decorative and you can play around with various patterns. Artists should not shy away from experimenting with new subjects as it opens new dimensions for art.”

Finding and bringing together such art in a gallery setup is very encouraging to the artists. “Most of these artists have had zero exposure. They are content with what they are doing, without worrying about getting a channel to showcase their work. In a way, it was a challenge to put everything together, logistically,” adds Nath. Catch It Live

What: Satrangi: An Exhibition of Mithila- Madhubani Art
Where: Ojas Art, 1 AQ, Qutab Minar Roundabout, Mehrauli
On till: September 8
Timing: 11am to 7pm
Nearest Metro Station: Qutub Minar on Yellow Line

- http://www.hindustantimes.com/, August 27, 2016

Folklore of Khajuraho, the bustling tourist hub of Madhya Pradesh, are replete with story of the “Queen of Khajuraho”, the majestic “Abhisarika” or cupid-struck lady, conversing with the shuka, the parrot, in an erotic but elegant posture, to while away the time till her lover meets her at the appointed place. The voluptuous “Nayeeka”, a leading female role in the romantic sculptural narratives depicted in the 12th century architectural marvel — Khajuraho temple — has hitherto remained in folklores till the intricately carved erotic stone lady appeared in Canada in April last year, prompting the historians and archaeologists to speculate if the regal artefact was the “Abhisarika” of the local folktales.

But for its mention in folklores, the marvellous art piece restored from a private art collector in Canada by the agency of that country monitoring antiquities reaching from foreign soils provides no clues to justify “her” restitution in the majestic Khajuraho temple. “There is no report of theft of the sculpture from Khajuraho temple. But, the architectural style and the material (sandstone) of the artefact clearly suggests that the statue, famously known as “Parrot Lady” belongs to Khajuraho group of monuments in the area”, D.N. Dimri, director (antiquity), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), New Delhi, told this newspaper on phone.

According to him, the idol may belong to any of the temples surrounding the Khajuraho shrine. Historical records say Khajuraho temple site had 85 temples by 12th century, spread over 20 sq.km. Of these only 20 temples, spread over 6 sq.km., survived ravages of nature. Of the surviving monuments, the Kandaria Mahadev temple is decorated with a profusion of sculptures with intricate details, symbolism and expressiveness of ancient Indian art. The “existential crisis” facing the art piece has left no options for the ASI but to preserve it in its museum in Khajuraho.

The three-foot high idol was seized from a private art collector in Canada under Cultural Property Export and Import Act which controls antiquities and other cultural objects being brought to that country from foreign countries. The prized sculpture was returned to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper at the Library of Parliament in Ottawa in April, 2015. “The Parrot Lady is currently in our custody,” Mr Dimri added. “We are in the process of insuring the sculpture for its smooth passage to ASI’s Khajuraho museum,” a senior officer of ASI, Bhopal, disclosed. Ironically, the journey of “Queen of Khajuraho” to Canada is still shrouded in mystery. “We are still in dark about the passage of Parrot Lady from Khajuraho to Canada. All we know is that the idol was trafficked from Delhi to Toronto and then to Ottawa in Canada in 2011. We do not know who sold it to whom and for whom and at what price as the Canadian law protects identities of the antiquity traffickers,” Mr Dimri said.

“In fact, the idol is the only artefact among the stolen antiquities restored to us, which has no record to throw light on its trafficking from India to the foreign country. We have detail records of trafficking of all other stolen antiquities restored to us,” he added. “We do not act if there is no report of theft of antiquities. But, our antiquity trafficking crack team has taken note of this particular case since it not only involved famed Khajuraho temple but also turned high profile because of its restoration to India through our Prime Minister”, a senior police officer of CID branch told this newspaper. We hope to make some headway in the case soon, he added.

- http://www.asianage.com/, August 27, 2016

The state government, after conducting a workshop with Unesco, is in the process of documenting the cultural heritage of Goa in a bid to conserve them. Speaking at the 2016 South Asia sub-regional meeting of NGOs on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage for sustainable development, director of art and culture, Prasad Lolayekar said that the government is undertaking the initiative taluka-wise.

"We had one workshop with Unesco six months ago and thereafter started a project to conserve the entire cultural heritage of Goa. We have undertaken audio visual documentation of cultural heritage sites in Sattari and Cancona talukas. Sattari has already been completed and Cancona is on the verge of completion," Lolayeker said. The two-day meeting, organized by the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage, in the Asia Pacific Region (ICHCAP) - a Unesco centre based in South Korea, Unesco New Delhi, directorate of art and culture, government of Goa and banglanatak.com, saw representatives from these organizations. NGOs from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives introduced the new UN agenda 2030 for sustainable development goals and exchange working practices.

"The UN agenda 2030 was adopted in November, 2015. These is a list of 17 sustainable development goals, replacing the millennium development goals, which were to be adopted by countries by 2015. These include social inclusion, diversity, zero hunger and affordable clean energy among others. The question was how to incorporate culture into these goals. This meeting has helped in pooling ideas from NGOs across South Asia, who are working on ground zero in this field," Moe Chiba, programme specialist for culture at Unesco, New Delhi, explained.

The Unesco officials, while informing the organizations' initiatives to conserve cultural heritage in 169 countries at a policy making level, conceded that working in India is a challenge due to the subject being undertaken by both state as well as central government. "India, being a vast and diverse state, is a challenge. We were initially working just with the central government. The Goa government is among the firsts to work with us," Unesco chief for intangible culture heritage, Susanne Schnuttgen said

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 27, 2016

Kirloskar industries, in association with city-based Kalamaharashi Baburao Painter Film Society, will host the seventh Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival from September 22. The theme for this year's festival to be held at Shahu Smarak Bhavan will be Smart City. According to the organisers, screening of over 50 short films, a photography competition and heritage walk along with other activities are planned during the festival. Dilip Bapat, secretary of Kalamaharashi Baburao Painter Film Society, said, "Waste is lying on the city streets. Moreover, there are neglected heritage places in the city, traffic jams, noise pollution and vulgar dancing during immersion processions. The activities have been organised to find possible solutions to such issues as well as plan the execution of the Smart City goal."

Bapat said the short film competition has not been organised this year and the focus is on the photography competition instead. "The hurdles in the making of a Smart City can be portrayed beautifully by the medium of photography only. Hence, we have decided to do away with the short film competition," he said. He said interested photographers can submit their pictures by September 10, while those who want to participate in the essay writing, and elocution competitions can also submit their names by the same date. Bapat said the festival has received a rousing response in other cities in the past. "We are expecting an even greater participation by the citizens of Kolhapur. Those seeking more information about the festival can visit Kalamaharashi Baburao Painter Film Society's Kolhapur office between 4pm and 8pm," he added.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 30, 2016

The art installation is to be unveiled by the India Design Forum at the event scheduled for late-September
India Design Forum (IDF), a platform to explore and educate others about the power of design, will unveil their installation ‘Chakraview’ at the London Design Biennale this year being held at Somerset House, UK from 7 to 27 September.

Chakraview poignantly portrays the multiple utopias that India emulates. Weaving together ancient myth and modern design innovations, it captures a sense of the country’s past and current definitions of design and presents a unique blend that the social, political and religious climate of India has always been characteristic of. Rajshree Pathy founder of IDF says, “mythological stories are a foundation for utopia because they represent how ancient communities tried to reach a perfect ideal. Like the seven chakras, our visions of utopia are simultaneously spiritual and progressive.”

A Padmashri awardee, the Coimbatore-born and bred Ms. Pathy says, “We hope the audience will pause for a while in wonderment at the abundance of India, the myriad emotions that are conveyed through this work and then be startled and perhaps leave with a bit of the soul of India in their hearts forever.” Collaborating with New Delhi-based scenographer Sumant Jayakrishnan, ‘Chakraview’ includes fabrics made by Aadyam, the weaver’s initiative of the Aditya Birla Group. It brings together a multitude of facets that capture India’s design landscape ranging from celebrating the country’s unique cultural heritage, capturing the sustainability of rural crafts and innovation. Circular forms, traditional textiles and ancient mythology are beautifully interwoven to display a sense of modern India in the installation that will be part of the event themed ‘Utopia by Design’ that would feature installations by architects, designers, scientists, writers and artists from over 30 countries exploring their definitions of how ‘The World Reimagines the World’.

The installation also features the work of Avinash Kumar, a design strategist and co-founder of creative consulting firm Quicksand and that of Hanif Kureshi, an artist working with street and typography and Rutva Trivedi, who along with Kureshi runs ‘Guerrilla’, an underground art and design studio in Delhi. IDF was created in 2012 and it has had a long-standing partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Government of India. IDF conferences and Design Weeks, curated by IDF co-founder, Aishwarya Pathy, have played host to large audiences for the last four years in New Delhi and Mumbai. Their most recent event was held during the prestigious “Make in India” week held in Mumbai in February, 2016 where 1600 participants joined IDF in it’s vision to highlight India as being ready for a design led growth economy.

- http://www.thehindu.com/, August 30, 2016

A South Korean think tank on freshwater organisms and biodiversity conservation agreed on Tuesday with India's Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) to make preparations toward initialing joint research on the exploration and use of bioresources, the think tank said. The state-run Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources (NNIBR) and the Indian research center signed a business pact on the agreement in Imphal, a city in India's northeast province of Manipur.

The IBSD, based in the Indo-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot, is carrying out a study on the biodiversity of the biogeographic junction of the Indian and oriental landmasses under the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology. Under the pact, the two think tanks will conduct a joint study on exploring freshwater bioresources and preserving the biodiversity in northeastern India.

The South Korean research body will also push ahead with a plan to conduct joint research with the IBSD on the development of technologies for the cultivation and conservation of microbes and the utilization of information on bioresources. The NNIBR-IBSD tie-up is expected to boost the South Korean institute's efforts to find unique bioresources useful for agriculture and other industries, as the northeastern Indian region offers biodiversity as a tropical zone. Information on biota in a tropical climate can be utilized to forecast climate change in South Korea and forestall it, the NNIBR said.

-http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/, August 30, 2016

It’s a humid July afternoon and I’m in a rickshaw heading to the outskirts of Gurgaon for the inaugural performance of the week-long Delhi yatra (tour). The yatra is organised by Relaa – a pan-Indian collective of musicians from across the country’s anti-caste and Left movements, who have come together in the name of cultural resistance. As we near the venue, we get a frantic call from the organisers. Police have shut down the performance, ten minutes after it started. They’re shifting the action to a public park a few kilometres away. By the time I get there, the musicians are in a circle and a crowd of onlookers has formed. A short, wiry man with an intense gaze and the voice of a seasoned troubadour is addressing the crowd. This is Kaladas Dehariya, a poet and balladeer who is a veteran of Chhattisgarh’s worker and farmer movements. "Relaa, my dear friends," he says, "is a cry against casteism, against capitalism, against the atrocities committed on Dalits and adivasis [tribal people]."

The crowd, a mix of working-class people enjoying some downtime and middle-class retirees out for their evening walks, look on in confusion. With the light running out, the collective runs through a couple of songs before members of the Yalgaar collective from Maharashtra perform a street play on the controversial topic of "anti-¬nationals". They mercilessly lampoon the state of Indian public discourse, where every act of dissent is met with cries of "treason" and "send them to Pakistan". The children sitting next to me laugh at every punchline, oblivious to the tension building in the rest of the crowd.

Halfway through their performance, a man accuses the group of taking money from Indian National Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi. When the play ends, he’s joined by a handful of other men who accuse the group of, ironically, being anti-nationals and start shouting slogans about patriotism and prime minister Narendra Modi. The instigator has by now moved on to abuse and threats. As the performers quickly pack up their gear, another section of the crowd defends them. "We liked what they have to say," one Sikh man says. "They also have a right to speak," adds another. The shouting match teeters on the edge of violence. The instigators, realising they’re outnumbered, slink away.

As we walk away from the park, the members of Relaa are already laughing about the incident. For this group of protest musicians and artists, it’s just another day on the job. These same fault lines – upper caste, upper class, Hindutva vs Dalits, workers and minorities – are playing out in politics and debates all over the country. Just last week, South Indian actress and Ramya faced sedition charges for saying "Pakistan is not hell". The politics of cow protection has led to attacks and lynchings against Dalits and Muslims across the country. Anger and intolerance are at an all time high.

It is these differences that Relaa aims to bridge with their music and street theatre. The Relaa story goes back to 2014, when Ekta Mittal and Angarika Guha of the Bangalore-¬based arts collective Maraa started looking into the role of music in India’s culture of protest. "We have attended and co-organised a number of protests, and in each, we found the protest song/singer either missing or then, used instrumentally," says Guha. "Protest music and poetry has gotten locked into specific functions – to gather crowds, appease tired minds, as a ‘break’ between speeches, as a vessel to contain and convey political messages. It got us thinking about the role and relevance of the protest song, about how creative expression could be radical without being reduced only to its political function."

- http://www.thenational.ae/, August 31, 2016

Country's first carbon neutral zoo, proposed to be built in Haldwani, is set to include a fort that will portray the valour of the Chand dynasty kings, who ruled the Kumaon region. The zoo will also have an artificial lake spanning in two hectares of land, which will house aquatic flora and fauna. "We are planning to rope in architectures and sculptures from Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The fort will be an amalgamation of architecture style of Shivaji's fort in Maharashtra and forts built by Chand dynasty in Kumaon," said Parag Madhukar Dhakate, director of the proposed zoo.

He said the fort will also have a section titled 'Stone Animal Family' with stone statues of animals like elephant, tiger, and lion. 'Back to College' campaign for India's youth Dhakate said that the artificial lake in the 400 acre complex of the zoo-cum-safari will become home to numerous aquatic plants and animals, including migratory birds like Siberian crane. "The idea behind developing the water body is to provide another space to migratory birds and add to the beauty of the zoo. It will be the first artificial lake in the whole of the Terai area," he said.

The officials are also planning to plant trees to retain the water in the lake, which will be filled by tube-wells and natural drains in the region. The zoo-cum-safari will be an independent one, unlike the earlier decision to make it a satellite of GB Pant High Altitude Zoo in Nainital town. The zoo will have 19 segments, including a botanical garden and biodiversity park, according to officials. Moreover, construction materials will include wood and other 'green' components, with less use of bricks and other substances whose manufacture generates more carbon.

Work on the zoo has already begun and is likely to be completed in the next two years. The project has been approved by the Central Zoo Authority and will have 'immersion exhibits', under which bars, cages and buildings, housing the animals will have as less visibility as possible and the animals' natural environments will be recreated, said officials.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, August 31, 2016

The water purifiers market in India is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 21% during 2016-2021. The RO water purifiers segment was the fastest growing segment in the India water purifiers market during 2011-2015, and the trend is expected to continue over the next five years. The majority of the population in India relies on water supplied from underground sources and water bodies for drinking purposes. Expansion of the industrial sector in India over the last couple of decades and the resulting increase in disposal of waste materials into rivers has rendered river water unfit for drinking. In addition, underground water in several regions of the country contains high TDS levels.

Deteriorating quality of water in India is the principal factor for the surging water purifiers demand in the country. Rising awareness regarding the worsening quality of water, coupled with increasing penetration of water purifiers in the country, has made India one of the fastest growing markets for water purifiers across the world. In addition, the government of India has launched various programs such as National Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Program to improve quality of drinking water and increase awareness about water borne diseases. In addition, the central government has directed states to use 20% of allocated Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) funds to improve the quality of water supplied to the households.

Poor quality of available water in India has prompted a large part of the population in India to switch to high end water purifiers with RO technology that are capable of treating the impurities present in water. Over the last five years, direct sales emerged as the most preferred mode of sales channel in the country's water purifier market. India Water Purifiers Market discusses the following aspects of India water purifiers market:

• India Water Purifiers Market Size, Share & Forecast
• Segmental Analysis - By Technology (RO, Gravity and UV), By Sales Channel (Direct Vs. Retail)
• Policy & Regulatory Landscape
• Changing Market Trends & Emerging Opportunities
• Competitive Landscape & Strategic Recommendations
Market Trends & Developments
• Growing Adoption of Online Retail Channels
• Emergence of Portable Water Purifiers
• Increasing Technological Advancements
• Increasing Presence of International Players
• Surging Demand for Combination Systems

Companies Mentioned • Eureka Forbes
• Hindustan Unilever
• Ion Exchange
• Kent RO Systems
• LG Electronics India Limited
• Luminous Water Technologies
• Okaya Power Limited
• Panasonic India Pvt. Ltd.
• Tata Chemicals
• Whirlpool of India Ltd

For more information about this report
visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/zsztfb/india_water

- http://www.businesswire.com/, August 31, 2016

On the morning of January 5, 2011, as the body of slain Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was placed in the grounds of the palatial Governor's House in the heart of Lahore, there was much confusion over who would offer his funeral prayers. Earlier, the federal government led by the Pakistan People's Party, with whom Taseer was associated, had requested the Badshahi Mosque's khateeb - one who delivers the sermon during Friday and Eid prayers - to lead the prayer. At the last minute however, the khateeb, who happens to be a government employee, refused. Another khateeb from the mosque within the Governor's House was eventually brought in.

Even though he didn't say as much, the khateeb of the Badshahi Mosque was likely responding to the calls of the leading ulema (scholars of Islam), to boycott the funeral procession terming Taseer a blasphemer and his Namaz-i-janaza, or funeral prayers, un-Islamic. In this way, the Badshahi Mosque, through its khateeb, decided to side with Mumtaz Qadri, Taseer's killer and the face of a new kind of religious extremism in the country. Qadri, Taseer's body guard, had assassinated the governor for opposing the country's blasphemy law. History was repeating itself. For, centuries ago, it was this very mosque that had become a symbol of rising intolerance and religious fanaticism across the peninsula of undivided India.

Laying the ground Facing the Lahore Fort, the mosque, with its tall minarets and bulbous dome, is a major tourist attraction. The adjacent food street with rooftop restaurants overlooking the courtyard of the mosque is a must-visit. Unaware of its historical context, many visitors consider it a symbol of Lahore and its Mughal past. However, the mosque is also linked to the gruesome and blood history of the subcontinent. Towards the end of his stint as the Lahore governor from 1646 to 1657, Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and the crown prince, summoned red bricks from Jaipur. He sought to build a pathway from the Lahore Fort, the bastion of the Mughal empire, which would lead halfway across the city to the shrine of the Sufi saint Mian Mir who had died in 1635. Mian Mir had a special place in the prince's heart because Dara Shikoh's spiritual master, Mullah Shah, was a disciple of the saint.

Embracing diversity Like the Sufi saint, the prince also represented a syncretistic Islam, diabolically opposed to the literal and puritanical form of the religion that was to be espoused by his younger brother Aurangzeb - who would eventually defeat him to the throne and go on to become Emperor of India. In his lifetime, Dara Shikoh translated about 50 Upanishads - sacred Hindu texts - from Sanskrit to Persian, making them accessible to Muslim scholars. In his famous work, Majma-ul-Bahrain, he talks about the similarities between Sufi and Vedantic philosophies. He is also believed to be a close friend of seventh guru of Sikhism, Guru Har Rai, who had promised him military assistance against brother Aurangzeb in the impending war of succession. Mian Mir, on the other hand, was a close friend of Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh guru, and came to his rescue when he was being persecuted by Mughal authorities. Under Dara Shikoh, one can argue that the Mughal throne was heading towards embracing not only religious tolerance but also religious pluralism, which had been shunned by both Shahjahan and before that, Jahangir, at various points for political expediency.

Now protected by a fortress-like wall the shrine of Mian Mir is a modest structure, standing in a spacious courtyard, brimming with pilgrims through the day. The wall seems to be a recent addition, given the security threats that Sufi shrines face from the onslaught of militant Islamism. Facing the wall of the shrine on a vacant plot is the mausoleum of Nadira Begum, the consort of Dara Shikoh. The alignment of the two mausoleums is such that the grave of the princess begins from where that of Mian Mir ends - symbolic of her head being at his feet. Another Lahore icon associated with Dara Shikoh is the Naulakha bazaar, which falls between the Railway station and the historic Walled City or Old City of Lahore. Now a congested locality dominated by ironsmiths and wholesale traders, this was once a spacious garden - one of the many built in the Mughal era that gave Lahore its epithet, "city of gardens".

Dara Shikoh is believed to have constructed a pavilion at the centre of this garden at the cost of Rs9 lakh - thereby giving the locality its name. The pathway that never was As Lahore governor, Dara Shikoh once again brought funds into the city and embellished it even though the Mughal capital had shifted from Lahore to Shahjahanabad in Delhi during his father's rule. Lahore, at this point, stood the risk of becoming a Mughal outpost, but it was due to the efforts of Dara Shikoh that it remained in the political imagination. It is this love and loyalty of their prince that the people of Lahore repaid after his assassination. Before Dara Shikoh could complete his pathway from Lahore to the shrine of Mian Mir, he was captured and killed by Aurangzeb's men.

Aurangzeb ordered that a mosque be constructed out of the pile of red stones that Dara Shikoh had summoned for the task. The act itself symbolises the political and religious realignment of the city - whereas a Sufi shrine symbolised syncretism, the mosque was symbolic of religious orthodoxy. This is how the iconic Badshahi mosque of Lahore came into existence. This was a portent of what was to come under the rule of the new emperor, who did not have much patience for the diverse religious traditions of India. However according to folklore in the oral tradition, many Lahoris refused to offer their prayers here, saying the mosque was constructed on the body of their prince, Dara Shikoh.

These stories have now been forgotten and Badshahi mosque has been wholeheartedly embraced by the people of Lahore. However, in 2011, the mosque was at the forefront of another controversy regarding the murder of another governor of Lahore, who, like his Mughal predecessor, was one of the few remaining progressive politicians in the country. Just like Dara Shikoh's death at the hands of Aurangzeb was a watershed event in the history of Mughal India, representing the death of a syncretistic Mughal culture, the death of Taseer too represents the end of secular progressive politics. With the way people came out in support of Mumtaz Qadri it became clear that the country had undergone a paradigm shift, in which the myth of the silent tolerant majority had been busted. Much has changed between the deaths of these governors. But the role of Badshahi Mosque remains the same.

- http://www.huffingtonpost.in/, August 31, 2016