A three-member delegation of Bezbaroa Smruti Committee from Assam met Tourism and Culture Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi and Tourism Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev here on Thursday. The Assam Government has agreed to extend a helping hand to renovate and preserve the residence of Assamese litterateur Lakshminath Bezbaroa in Sambalpur.

A three-member delegation of Bezbaroa Smruti Committee from Assam met Tourism and Culture Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi and Tourism Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev here on Thursday. They discussed about the ongoing renovation work being undertaken by INTACH following the direction of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The delegation informed that Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has announced to provide Rs 50 lakh for the renovation work. Earlier, the Odisha CM had sanctioned Rs 50 lakh and directed to INTACH to take up renovation work of the memorial house. Born in 1868, Bezbaroa, popularly known as Rasharaaj for his satirical writings, had enriched Assamese literature with his essays, fiction, poetry and plays.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2019/aug/02/assam-government-help-for-bezbaroa-residence-in-sambalpur-2012951.html, August 1, 2019

The WHO headquarters was built by Padma Bhushan recipient architect Habib Rahman, who was a senior architect with the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) at the time. In June, an M F Husain mural, dated 1963, which adorned the walls of a conference hall inside the World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters in Delhi, was "rescued" by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). This was done days before the demolition of the iconic office began on June 20, being carried out by the National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd (NBCC).

The WHO headquarters was built by Padma Bhushan recipient architect Habib Rahman, who was a senior architect with the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) at the time. The three-year project was completed in 1962 and inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru. A year later, the modernist Husain painted the mural on the walls of the conference room."The artwork by Husain belongs to WHO and it was rescued by the specialised agency before demolition work began. The rescue has been carried out systematically and safely by INTACH," an official at NBCC said. The mural by the Padma Vibhushan artist, in his typical bold brushstrokes, depicts Lord Hanuman holding a mountain and progresses to show the evolution of the country.

It is undersigned at two places, in Hindi and English, with the 1963 dateline. The NBCC official added that "the mural will be placed inside the new office". The new office, expected to be finished in two years, has a budget of Rs 228 crore, said an NBCC official. He added, "Around 80 per cent of the demolition is complete and the rest will be done in the next two-three days. The building was very old and fell under the seismic zone 4. The WHO was apprehensive about this and it was decided that the NBCC will demolish it and a new one will be built in its place." The WHO headquarters comprised two blocks — one was a six-storey structure while the other was a low-rise building with a conference hall and an auditorium. The NBCC official said the new building “will have 17 floors."

For decades, the blue and white WHO headquarters were a city landmark, known best for the "Rahman touch" with clean horizontal and vertical lines. Rahman’s son Ram, a photographer and curator, said, “I received a call from the WHO last year about the impending demolition of the building as it wasn’t earthquake-compliant. I laughed because it was one of the strongest building in the 1960s." Ram recalled his father jokingly calling it the “who building instead of the WHO building every time he crossed it. He was very proud of it."

He told The Indian Express, “I was very young when the building was completed and remember my father telling me that a WHO representative, a Mr Unger, was deployed especially for this project. Since it was a building being done for the UN, it was very important. He said, ‘I ensure quality by daily visits’." Rahman graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was greatly influenced by German architect Walter Gropius. He is credited with building the National Zoological Park, Rabindra Bhawan, Indraprastha Bhawan, the 21-storey Vikas Minar, and the mazaar of Maulana Azad, among other structures. In 1974, Rahman was made the first secretary of Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC). He passed away in December 1995.

- https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/iconic-who-building-from-1962-razed-to-make-way-for-new-design-m-f-husain-mural-inside-is-saved-5865161/, August 1, 2019

Delay in issuance of NOC by the officials of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) is further delaying the takeover of the heritage site of rock art paintings at Parivarai forest area near Karikaiyur in Kilkotagiri in the district by the archaeology department. The rock art, dating back to 10,000 BC, believed to be of the local tribals depicting their lifestyle. The ancient rock paintings were found in a partly vandalized state. Based on a representation by the INTACH (Nilgiris chapter), Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya wrote to the archaeological department to inspect the site. In the meantime, temporary measures were taken by the district administration to safeguard the rock paintings by banning entry to the site. Though Parivarai forest falls within the purview of the Nilgiris district, the forest range falls under the Sathyamangalam reserve forest.

Hence, a NOC is required from the DFO of the Sathyamangalam forest division to take over the site at Parivarai. Recently, a team of 12 people, including five officials from the archaeological department and locals, cleaned the graffiti as part of preserving the rock paintings. "Work of preserving the ancient art was completed by the archaeology department. We are waiting for the NOC from the district forest officer (DFO) of STR to proceed further," Innocent Divya told TOI.

DFO of STR P G Arunlal said, "The rock art site is located at the divisional boundary. We need to ensure protection to the forest area." He said, "Inspection is underway at the location. Only after the inspection report, we could arrive at a conclusion whether to issue NOC or not." The official was not sure about the time involved in the procedure. The rock painting comprises some 500 images of humans and animals. The style, using red and white in wet colour technique, is like that found in Madhya Pradesh, one of the oldest rock paintings in the country. There are theories that right from the Stone Age.

- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/archaeology-department-yet-to-take-over-rock-art-at-parivarai-forest/articleshow/70461781.cms, August 1, 2019

Delay in issuance of NOC by the officials of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) is further delaying the takeover of the heritage site of rock art paintings at Parivarai forest area near Karikaiyur in Kilkotagiri in the district by the archaeology department. The rock art, dating back to 10,000 BC, believed to be of the local tribals depicting their lifestyle. The ancient rock paintings were found in a partly vandalized state. Based on a representation by the INTACH (Nilgiris chapter), Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya wrote to the archaeological department to inspect the site. In the meantime, temporary measures were taken by the district administration to safeguard the rock paintings by banning entry to the site. Though Parivarai forest falls within the purview of the Nilgiris district, the forest range falls under the Sathyamangalam reserve forest.

Hence, a NOC is required from the DFO of the Sathyamangalam forest division to take over the site at Parivarai. Recently, a team of 12 people, including five officials from the archaeological department and locals, cleaned the graffiti as part of preserving the rock paintings. "Work of preserving the ancient art was completed by the archaeology department. We are waiting for the NOC from the district forest officer (DFO) of STR to proceed further," Innocent Divya told TOI.

DFO of STR P G Arunlal said, "The rock art site is located at the divisional boundary. We need to ensure protection to the forest area." He said, "Inspection is underway at the location. Only after the inspection report, we could arrive at a conclusion whether to issue NOC or not." The official was not sure about the time involved in the procedure. The rock painting comprises some 500 images of humans and animals. The style, using red and white in wet colour technique, is like that found in Madhya Pradesh, one of the oldest rock paintings in the country. There are theories that right from the Stone Age.

- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/archaeology-department-yet-to-take-over-rock-art-at-parivarai-forest/articleshow/70461781.cms, August 1, 2019

Throwing more light on prehistoric times, stone memorials likely from the Megalithic Age were discovered near Santhanparai in Kerala's Idukki district. Many tall upright stones (menhirs) were found on a 10-acre area on a hill slope. An array of pre-historic stones of varying sizes were also found in the nearby hills. The menhirs are nearly 20 feet tall and seven feet wide with a thickness of ve feet. The invaluable nds were discovered by Rajeev Puliyoor, a History researcher and principal incharge of Nedumkandam B.Ed College.

Rajeev said that the menhirs and stone memorials discovered in Idukki is the largest found in the state. "The size, shape and arrangement may be a reection of the human society that lived here about 3,000 years ago," he said. Most of the megaliths in India belong to the Iron Age (1500 BC to 500 BC), though some predate the Iron Age, probably up to 2000 BC. This place, from where these stones were found, in Idukki. The base stones had square artworks on them. After the oods last year, ancient terracotta artefacts were found on the banks of Pamba River near Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district. Later, the archaeological department undertook excavation activities in the area in January.

A couple of months ago too, megalithic cists were discovered in a place called Poonthangara, a few kilometres from Aranmula. Almost a decade ago, another burial cist was discovered near Konni, which is also less than 20 km from Aranmula. Rajeev opined that more study should be conducted on the latest ndings from Idukki.

According to Dr P Rajendran, an expert in Archaeology, "The memorial stones such as umbrella stones, dolmens, cists and urns found in Kerala are signs of memorials for the death. Memorial stones measuring from three feet to 20 feet were found at different places in Kerala. Red stones were found in plains and granites in hilly regions." "The size and the arrangement of the stones indicate the importance of the dead person. But there are no indications that a dead person was buried at the place where the stones were found. Only bones and other remains were buried. These memorials showcase the people who lived in prehistoric times and worked hard with cohesiveness."

- https://english.manoramaonline.com/districts/idukki/2019/07/31/stone-age-monuments-found-in-idukki.html, August 1, 2019

Kongthong village, popularly known as a whistling or singing village in Meghalaya is located around 56km away from the main capital. This village has caught the attention of many with its extraordinary tune, as the mothers here have composed a unique tune, locally called jingrwai ïawbei, for each child. DID YOU KNOW This place in Northeast India ‘Whistles’ to communicate?

For the first time in Rajya Sabha during a zero hour discussion on Tuesday, the uniqueness of this village in Meghalaya was mentioned by Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha of BJP. Sinha, asked the government to ensure the inclusion of this unique village in UNESCO’s list list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Fearing that the unique practice could disappear, Sinha had called for the creation of a Heritage Library to safeguard the practice. Kongthong, is a remote Khasi village in Meghalaya of the Indian sub-continent is characterized by a unique age-old practice of communication through whistling. It is located in Khatarshnong Laitkroh Tehsil of East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya, India.

It is perhaps the only place in India where people communicate among themselves through whistling and using different tunes to call each other. When a child is born in Kongthong, the mother or the aunt composes a tune — they call it sur — for the child. Sometimes other members of the family may also suggest these “caller" tunes that are roughly one minute long. But the mother has the final say in selecting the tune. In 2017, Unesco had inscribed Turkey’s Whistled Language on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.

According to Unesco, the whistled language is a method of communication that uses whistling to simulate and articulate words. The practice developed as a result of the steep mountains and rugged topography of the region, which required the local population to find an alternative way to communicate across long distances. The practitioners are mainly agricultural communities who spend most of their lives outdoors. Unesco has noted that one of the key threats to the practice is use of mobile phones.

- https://thenortheasttoday.com/meghalayas-whistling-village-inclusion-demanded-in-unesco-list/, August 1, 2019

The six monuments inside the Delhi Golf Club premises were part of the 19 monuments that had been taken up for conservation by the department of state archaeology in collaboration with Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in 2017. A year after Delhi’s department of archaeology was given the go-ahead from the Delhi government to restore six monuments at the Delhi Golf Club premises, work has been delayed since club authorities stopped the state government body from starting with the conservation task. “We had completed the detailed project report (DPR), got approval from the technical and financial committees and were about to start with the project when the Golf Club disallowed us from going ahead," said an official with the department of state archaeology.

The club authorities, on the other hand, said they had reached out to the department of urban development, which handed over the restoration project to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), a central government body. “It has been decided that ASI will carry out the technical assessment and guidance of the work, which will be undertaken under the supervision of CPWD," said Raghav Chandra, a member of the governing body of the Delhi Golf Club at Dr. Zakir Hussain Road.

“These monuments are not listed under us, but we have taken up their restoration and CPWD will start work in the next couple of months," a senior official from ASI said. Expressing concern, the official with the state archaeology department said “conservation work generally done by bodies with archaeological expertise is now being carried out by CPWD, which is responsible for modern works and not archaeological works.

The six monuments inside the club were part of the 19 monuments that had been taken up for conservation by the department of state archaeology in collaboration with Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in 2017. “Conservation work in most other monuments have already started. Others are about to start soon. We are just waiting to hear from the Golf Club to begin work there," Ajay Kumar, director of projects, INTACH, said. The monuments inside the club includes the tomb of Mir Taqi, Bagichi tomb, tomb of Sayyid Abid, two unknown tombs and one unknown mosque. The structures have to be cleared of vegetation growth and the damage caused to them due to environmental factors and age has to be fixed. The monuments are also broken and disfigured at many places, which will have to be repaired during its restoration.

- https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/restoration-of-golf-club-monuments-delayed/story-WCFIGkWFksKWXcPVe7stcI.html, August 2, 2019

The urban legend about Majnu ka Tilla being named after star-crossed lovers Laila-Majnu, historians say, is not true. A Sufi mystic, a Sikh guru and now a bustling Tibetan settlement — the story of North Delhi’s Majnu ka Tilla spans several centuries and faiths. Located close to Delhi University in North Delhi, the area includes New Aruna Nagar and Magazine Road, borrows its name from Majnu ka Tilla gurdwara. Legend goes that Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, visited the area during the reign of Sikander Lodi in 1505.

Here, he met a Sufi mystic from Iran, Abdulla, popularly known as Majnu by locals for his eccentricity. "Majnu was a simple man who meditated and ferried people across the Yamuna. Guru Nanak blessed him and at that spot, the gurdwara exists. Most gurdwaras have been built at places where a Sikh guru visited," said Dr Swapna Liddle, convener of INTACH. Since the mystic lived atop a mound or a hillock (tilla) near the Yamuna, the area came to be called Majnu ka Tilla.

At the Majnu ka Tilla gurdwara, a “history" board talks about how Guru Nanak and Majnu “heard loud cries one day and found out that a mahout was crying about the death of the emperor’s elephant… Then Guru Nanak ji made the elephant come alive".

According to Bhai Baljinder Singh Ji, head granthi of the gurdwara, “Sikh military leader Baghel Singh built the gurdwara in 1783 to commemorate Guru Nanak’s stay". City chronicler and author Rana Safvi shared an archival ASI image of a “tomb and a minar at Majnu ka Tila" dated 1935-41. The head granthi said that in the 1950s, a new gurdwara building was constructed by the sangat. The urban legend about Majnu ka Tilla being named after star-crossed lovers Laila-Majnu, historians say, is not true. For decades, Majnu ka Tilla, or MKT as its colloquially known, has been synonymous with the Tibetan settlement near the gurdwara.

Popular among college students and tourists, it boasts a range of Tibetan restaurants, a monastery and tiny garment shops. Its lanes are home to over 365 Tibetan families who have been settled here since the early 1960s. RWA president Kara Dorje said, “Earlier people sold rice beer or chhang here, so the area was also called Chhang Basti, Chhangistan and then Majnu ka Tilla.

When Sheila Dikshit was CM, she named it New Aruna Nagar. It felt nice that a Tibetan resettlement colony was given a name but people still call it Majnu ka Tilla. We don’t mind." Close to New Aruna Nagar is Aruna Nagar, a Punjabi colony of Partition refugees.

- https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/street-wise-how-intersection-of-faiths-gave-manju-ka-tilla-its-name-5873990/, August 2, 2019

It was demolished last year despite INTACH declaring it as ‘structurally fit’. It has come to the fore that a 104-year-old building in the YMCA Narayanguda complex, deemed as a heritage structure, has been demolished despite the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage declaring it as “structurally fit". The building, which functioned as the YMCA hostel and guest house, was razed last year. However, the demolition came to the fore after INTACH official Anuradha Reddy visited the site recently. “There is nothing there now," Reddy said.

The structure was built in 1915 for a Hyderabadi Nawab and was subsequently taken over by the YMCA after the accession of Hyderabad State to the Indian Union. The two-storeyed building had stone masonry supporting load-bearing walls made up of red burnt bricks and lime mortar. Speaking to Express, general secretary of YMCA, Hyderabad, Priestly Gaius, said: “The building was torn down last year after a portion of it fell during monsoon. We had received a notice for the demolition from the GHMC."

Gaius also claimed that they had been receiving notifications from the GHMC regarding the demolition since 2006 and that the numerous repairs on the building were proving futile. He added, “There is going to be a swanky 14-floor building here. An indoor stadium for children will also be constructed." However, his claims were refuted by Anuradha Reddy, who said that the portion of the building had not fallen and the building was demolished for the metro line. She also said that it was structurally fit and that it could have easily been repaired.

‘Building could’ve regained past glory’
An inspection of the 104-year-old YMCA Narayanguda building by INTACH revealed that the building was structurally sound and that with “minor and medium rehabilitation", it could have regained its lost glory.

In its report, INTACH wrote: “It is found that the foundation and other substructure-level elements are sound and requires minor attention, whereas the superstructure, consisting of a wall, beams, pillars, roof and so on, require special attention." The report underlined that the heritage building was in poor condition due to negligence. It also highlighted the heritage value of the building.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2019/aug/06/104-year-old-heritage-structure-in-hyderabads-ymca-narayanguda-complex-razed-2014684.html, August 5, 2019

The Kunjan Nambiar memorial at Killikkurissimangalam, near Ottappalam, witnessed a gathering of 38 sketching enthusiasts on Saturday. The event named Varyo Vara was organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Among the participants were students, professionals and senior citizens. The topic each participant chose to sketch reflected the diversity of the group. When students of architecture had a natural propensity for the elegant structures of Killikkurissimangalam, which included the ancestral home of the 18th century Malayalam poet Kunjan Nambiar, many others sketched the vibrant life of the village and its verdant landscape. Anyone can do “People’s sketching skills are different. Everyone can sketch as long as they don’t burden themselves with the pressure of comparing their works with that of others," said Keshav Gangadhar, director of Nehru College of Architecture (NCA). The college was a partner for the event.

"The great thing about sketching is that it makes you look closely at things you would otherwise skim past. This reveals so many wonderful details of the world around us," he said. Arun Narayanan, INTACH convener in Palakkad, said that anyone could pick up sketching in a relatively short time. Sketch-walks are widely being organised across the world, and the INTACH is spearheading the movement in India. The INTACH started the first edition of its Varayo Vara at Tipu’s Fort, Palakkad, sometime ago under the guidance of cartoonist E.P. Unny. “We held sketch walks in historic locations so that it would become a means for greater awareness of local heritage and the need for its conservation," said Mr. Narayanan. The sketching enthusiasts held their valedictory session at Maani Kala Kendram.

Koodiyattam maestro P.K. Narayanan Nambiar spoke about the artistic legacy of the village. Mr. Narayanan said that the group would hold more such events at different heritage locations in the district.

- https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/sketching-the-legacy-of-nambiars-village/article28815781.ece, August 5, 2019

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)–Mangaluru Chapter conducted a workshop on the theme titled ‘Discover Your Heritage’ for students on the famous ancient form of art called Kavikala art. Nine schools with fifty-one participants in and around Dakshina Kannada participated in the workshop. Janardhan Hawanje, assistant professor, Srinivas School of Architect, Mangaluru, who is an eminent artist was the resource person for the day.

Subhas Chandra Basu convenor of the programme, and William Pais, director, Orchid Art Gallery, Mangaluru, were the dignitaries present. The workshop commenced with an introduction by Jacintha D’Costa, vice principal of St Aloysius Gonzaga School. Aparna Suresh welcomed the gathering. While addressing the participants, Subhash encouraged the students to acquire skills apart from regular academics and gain knowledge of Kavi Art.

William Pais spoke on Kavi Art, to consider life as a celebration, by connecting with the past followed by an insight by Janardhan, resource person on Kavi art through his talk. The participants engaged themselves in hands on activities of Kavi patterns followed by distribution of participation certificates. The workshop concluded with the vote of thanks rendered Aparna Suresh.

- https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=612058, August 5, 2019

It was in 2018 that the Puducherry government notified the regulatory norms for the conservation of heritage sites and precincts by amending the Puducherry Town and Country Planning Act. Puducherry is one of the few cities in India, besides Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Ahmedabad, to have regulations for the protection of heritage buildings and precincts. However, more than 10 months after the rules were notified, the delay in constituting the heritage committee by the government has held back several proposals pertaining to conservation of heritage buildings in the city.

"Normally, the committee should have been constituted within a month of notifying the rules. However, nothing of this sort has happened and the delay is only making things worse," sources said.

Statutory powers
The Heritage Conservation Committee would have the statutory powers to notify heritage buildings and precincts, and after heritage buildings are notified, they cannot be demolished or modified without the approval of the Committee. New buildings in the heritage precinct would also have to follow certain urban design guidelines, especially for maintaining the exterior façade.

The committee would normally include the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department; representatives from the Departments of Local Administration, Tourism, and Art and Culture; experts such as a structural engineer, an architect, an urban designer, a historian, an environmentalist, a conservation architect; and representatives from the State Department of Archaeology, as its members.

Legislation needed
According to Sunaina Mandeen of the non-profit PondyCan, “The need for legislation is the most important factor. Pondy has been talking about it for the longest time but has been the slowest to pass this [law]. Other towns have already done this. There’s no hope of saving Puducherry’s heritage, whether French colonial or Tamil or even much older, if this is not done. Also, there is no chance of securing the UNESCO World Heritage tag if this is delayed further."

"The second step involves activating a heritage advisory committee and having the right set of members, including government officials and experts, for it. Once this is done, they need to meet regularly and their advice needs to be taken forward, or it [the initiative] will remain only an eyewash," Ms. Mandeen said. According to Ashok Panda, co-convenor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), “The committee will enable INTACH, along with the Government of Puducherry, to preserve many heritage buildings in the Tamil and French parts of the boulevard town.

INTACH has already prepared a detailed list of all heritage buildings and a copy has been submitted to the government." They have proposed that, as a first step, institutional buildings may be notified. ‘Knee-jerk reaction’ According to Kakoli Banerjee of the People for Pondicherry’s Heritage, “When the historic Marie building collapsed, there was a knee-jerk reaction and three government schools functioning out of heritage buildings were immediately vacated on grounds that they may be unsafe and thus endanger lives. At that time, a team from Indian Institute of Technology-Madras conducted an analysis and gave a report that the buildings could be definitely restored. However, nothing has happened so far." “We feel that it is a deliberate ploy to allow trees to grow inside the walls of abandoned buildings because it is a slow and sure process of demolition, something which the government cannot do outright. The government wants the contractors who restore to ‘take responsibility for the safety of a restored building’. This is ridiculous. The Public Works Department should be held responsible for the quality of restoration and its maintenance," Ms. Banerjee said. Falling numbers In 1995, a broad study by INTACH had declared 1,807 buildings in the boulevard area of the city as heritage structures. In 2005, this number fell to 1,173. However, in 2008, a few more buildings were added to the list, increasing the total to 1,184. In 2010, after changing the listing classification in line with the recommendations of the Ministry of Urban Development, the number was pruned to 980 buildings. In 2013, an INTACH survey updated the listings of all heritage buildings in the boulevard town. The number of heritage buildings was only 488 then, Mr. Panda said. ‘World Hertitage City’ He added that INTACH, along with the government of Puducherry, would start work on preparing an exhaustive dossier for Puducherry, for it to be listed under UNESCO as a World Heritage City. Currently, only Ahmedabad, and very recently Jaipur, have secured the distinction.

- https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/lack-of-committee-hits-heritage-conservation/article28816450.ece, August 5, 2019

Ponds built over 130 years have been filled up to construct buildings. They were mops that soaked water when it rained heavily, but were wiped of the face of the city. If the old city areas face problem of water logging, it could well be because the ponds there were engulfed by the growing city. The core area of the city that includes places that have been inhabited since decades now had 30 ponds 130 years back. Of these, 13 vanished by 2008 and the area of other ponds was reduced significantly. A map of the city drawn in between 1884 and 1886 showed 30 water bodies across the town.

These details had emerged in a study conducted by architect and co-convener of state unit of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Sanjeev Joshi. The study ‘Vanishing Water Scapes’ was conducted in 2008 and had revealed alarming details regarding the state of the ponds in the city. Joshi’s study also reveals the 13 waterbodies that vanished from the city’s surface had an area of approximately 25 acres. Barring two cases of Sursagar and Siddnath ponds, the surface area of the remaining 17 waterbodies had shrunk as compared to 1886.

The study says that when the city moved away from Vadpatraka to the present walled city, one of the major reasons besides a secure elevation was the string of waterbodies that existed in the area. It adds that these waterbodies became an integral of the city fabric. Joshi said the ponds serve dual purpose of rainwater harvesting and flood control. “The water from the surrounding areas flows into them and also percolates rapidly.

A case in point is Gotri percolated from the pond," he said. As a part of the study, each of the 30 ponds were examined physically by visiting them. “It had come to light that constructions had come up on 12 of the 13 ponds in the city while Deepak open air theatre had come up where Madan Talav existed. Joshi said the study had taken into consideration only the ponds in the core area of the city. “The situation could be much similar in the peripheral areas that developed later. The city has historically been prone to floods in Vishwamitri river, but the situation of severe waterlogging due to rains is a recent phenomenon. We have interfered with waterbodies without understanding the repercussions," he said.

- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/destruction-of-ponds-aggravated-flooding/articleshow/70564964.cms, August 6, 2019

At present, there is no countrywide law exists that protects India's considerable geological wealth from human exploitation. In the absence of significant laws to protect India’s geological sites and fossils from being exploited, a group of scientists will on Tuesday present a draft bill to legislators, requesting for a national agency that will designate and safeguard such sites in the country. The science journal Nature reported that Delhi’s Indian National Science Academy and Lucknow’s Society of Earth Scientists will begin the concerted process of lobbying for the first such law in India to conserve its significant resources and protect them from mining and related misuse.

The proposed bill is called the Geoheritage (Conservation and Promotion Bill), 2019. The journal quoted Satish Tripathi, a geologist with the Lucknow Society who advised on the bill, as having said that while a few sites of geological significance are protected by local laws, most have no such advantage. This legal vacuum exposes India’s “couple of hundred(s)" of geological locations to rampant human manipulation. The journal also quoted INTACH adviser and sedimentologist Rajasekhara Reddy Dhanireddy as vouching for the necessity of such a law. In 2013, INTACH had attempted to get a geoheritage conservation law passed, but no politicians reportedly took it up. India has, according to the journal, a “significant dinosaur nest and a formal marker for a geologic age".

In 2017, an almost complete fossil of the ancient ichthyosaur (a fish-shaped marine reptile) was found in the Kutch region of Gujarat, shedding light on the species which was hitherto believed to have roamed western Europe, western Russia, and North and South America. Guntupalli Prasad, a Delhi University palaeontologist who was one of the authors of the study describing the discovery, had then told The Wire that the find was 152 million years old. As a mark of how fascinating such discoveries can be, he had reminded that the Kutch is now a dry area but had then been an ocean supporting what turned out to be diverse marine life.

Nature mentions a six-cm layer of soil in Spiti Valley which marks an extinction event that took place 252 million years ago and a stalagmite in a cave in Meghalaya which marks the Meghalayan Age which began 4,250 years ago. Several sites, noted the journal, which the Geological Survey of India declared National Geological Heritage Monument Sites enjoy no protection other than the designation. As noted by geodynamics professor C.P. Rajendran in an article on The Wire, published in 2018, palaeontological sites in India which are known for their rich cache of fossils have either been shut down by land owners or obliterated in the name of development. Rajendran’s article furthers the cause for streamlining the march of ‘development’ which causes undue harm to such significant markers. It pins the onus of the degradation of such sites to unplanned real estate growth, destructive stone mining and the export cycle. That India, he said, accounts for more than 30% of the world’s stone production reflects the degree to which stone quarrying and heedless excavation takes place in the country.

A 2017 article on The Wire by journalist Sreelatha Menon pins the roots of the problem to an overall ignorance in India, even in its academic circles, to the necessity of studies on palaeontology. Many universities which have geology departments in the country, noted Menon, do not offer courses in the subject, essentially weakening a pressure group which could have been formed to argue with the government on behalf of the safeguarding of such sites. There is no place to preserve notable finds either, Menon’s interviewees pointed out.

- https://thewire.in/the-sciences/geoheritage-conservation-india-bill, August 6, 2019

From north to south, east to west, India has rich handlooms and traditions defining the country’s cultural capital, woven with organic deftness. With #SareeTwitter taking the internet by storm to exhibitions highlighting the diversity of handspun weaves, it becomes imperative to observe National Handloom Day, which aims at celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit of artisans. Marking the onset of the Swadeshi Movement on August 7, 1905, the main event will be held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha (PIB), the state known for its rich legacy of crafts and looms. National Handloom Day (August 7), launched in 2015, celebrates the pluralistic traditions of the country.

From north to south, east to west, India has rich handlooms and traditions defining the country’s cultural capital, woven with organic deftness. They also act as an important source of income for the rural poor, contributing to objectives of sustainable consumption and production under the aegis of Sustainable Development Goal #12. According to Handloom Export Promotion Council of India, there are 4.33 million handloom weavers in the country with 2.38 million handlooms installed in India.

Moreover, there are more than 500 specialised handloom weaving clusters in the country (HEPC). From Champa in Chattisgarh, Sualkuchi in Assam, Patan in Gujarat, Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh, Paithani in Maharashtra, Sambhalpur in Odisha, to Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu with many other clusters, act as epicentres of livelihoods and sustainability to scores of women, artisans, small scale entrepreneurs and craftsmen.

Popular weaves ranging from Banarasi weaves; Muga and Eri silks; Madurai Sungudi, Pochampally, Kasavu sarees; Kosa silks, Pashmina and many more are just some of the fine handlooms that have kept our cultural ethos alive through these living traditions of handicrafts and handlooms.

In this piece, we take a glimpse of some of the rare yet exquisite weaves, fabrics, and handiworks from the country (this is not an exhaustive list): Baluchari silk sarees, traditionally woven in Baluchar, Murshidabad district of West Bengal district in the state, are typically known for their beautiful mythological designs.

These sarees known for intricate and meticulous motifs derive inspiration from historical narratives, mythology and architecture. This saree has the Geographical Indication (GI) tag i.e. products native to a particular geographical area, which are protected. The most peculiar quality of these sarees is the intricate palluwork on them.

Bomkai sarees, Odisha
Hailing from the coastal district of Ganjam, Bomkai also has the GI tag and are woven by Bhulia weavers of the Subarnapur district in the state, according to secondary literature. Bomkai looms from Odisha are in cotton or silks and deploy thread work embroidered with Ikat techniques. These have nature-inspired designs, flowers, fish, traditional Rudraksh motifs, and other inspirations from nature. These weaves have been a quintessential part of traditional Goan attire, especially for women working on farms (paddy fields). Historically and popularly existing in beautiful shades of red with checkered designs of yellow or white, these cotton weaves, however, have very few weavers left practicing the art.

There is an urgent need to revive the markets for these weaves, as has also been undertaken by designers, recently. One of the oldest craft forms from the Kanihama area of Kashmir valley is the Kani shawl, which borrows its name from Kani, the wooden sticks deployed in weaving these shawls. Woven intricately with pashmina wool, the process of making these shawls is very intensive, making these very expensive and the work, elaborate. Kani shawls also have the GI status.

Moirang Phee textiles, Manipur
Hailing originally from Moirang village in Manipur, Moirang phee weaves get their name from a particular design ‘Moirang pheejin’, according to secondary sources. Moirang phee looms are important source of rural livelihoods to communities in the state. Beautiful borders and longitudinally carved patterns are a feature, with Moirang phee also having the GI tag from the state. Karvati Kati sarees, Maharashtra Karvati Kati silk sarees come from the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. These are mostly woven in cottons or silk yarns; the tusser variant of which is very popular.

The border designs of these sarees resemble the edges of a saw-tool. According to Sahapedia, the designs on these sarees take inspiration from the famous Ramtek Temple in Nagpur; and also have the GI tag.

Surat Zari crafts, Gujarat
Surat zari crafts are made with golden, silver zari threads, intricately used for embroidery on silk and cotton fabrics. Surat zaris are used elaborately and extensively in the textiles, apparel, handloom industries, and also has the GI tag.

Thirubhuvanam weaves, Tamil Nadu
Thirubuvanam sarees recently got the GI tag in 2019. These weaves are traditionally woven in zari and boast of an eclectic handiwork using filature silks, according to sources. These sarees are very heavy and don elaborate motifs and patterns. Way forward.The above are just a few of the various handloom works India boasts of. Campaigns such as #Iwearhandloom, promotion of the ‘India Handloom Brand’, cultural diplomatic engagements involving usage of handlooms, crafts like the saree diplomacy, and indigenous artworks are important steps toward promoting this industry.

Similarly, effective implementation of schemes such as the Make in India to promote handlooms and crafts, Mudra scheme for women entrereneurs, the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, and mobilising SHGs are other bottom-up approaches. Additionally, popular cultural tools such as the 2018 release ‘Sui Dhaga’ are other ways to constructively change consumer preferences and help instill sensitivity and empathy toward our humble artisans. In order to cement these efforts contemporarily, efforts should be undertaken by online market places to augment the demand for these fabrics during days of such national importance, cultural significance, and festivals.

A masterstroke would be to brand indigenous sarees and textiles at international platforms such as film festivals, encourage celebrities to further the cultural quotients at global pavilions, so as to provide a further impetus and make these products more globally visible, and contribute to development via forward and backward linkages.

Lastly and most important, in addition to existing capacity building programmes of artisans which the central and state governments undertake — increasing visibility to artists and their exposure to an urban interface especially women artists, is important. Dialogues and engagements with artists from these talent laden geographies as described above should be promoted in urban geographies, where the demand for these products is concentrated.

These initiatives will be important confidence building measures, minimising the gap between urban consumers and rural producers, thereby promoting bottom-up principles of decentralised development, as envisaged during the Swadeshi movement.

- https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/revisiting-some-rare-weaves-this-national-handloom-day-5884962/, August 8, 2019

The southern state of Tamil Nadu has recently declared Tamil Yeoman (Cirrochroa thais) as its state butterfly to symbolise its rich natural and cultural heritage, in a move aimed at boosting the conservation efforts of the attractive insects. Locally known as Tamil Maravan meaning ‘Tamilian Warrior’, the canopy butterfly, usually sized between 60 and 75mm, belongs to the family of brush-footed butterflies or the Nymphalid.

This is the latest addition to Tamil Nadu’s existing symbols from the natural world – palmyra as the state tree, gloriosa lily as the state flower, emerald dove as the state bird, jackfruit as the state fruit and Nilgiri tahr as the state animal. The winged wonder, with its natural zigzag patterns near its bright orange-coloured wings and its aesthetic dots, has always been a fascination for local nature enthusiasts.

A tawny-coloured insect with dark brown highlights at the border of its wings, Tamil Yeoman was chosen by the state authorities after a protracted process which lasted for a few years to decide on which butterfly should get the state honour.

Tamil Yeoman was finally chosen for its cultural identity linking the state through its name and is abundance in hilly areas. Tamil lacewing was another species which gave a tough competition to Tamil Yeoman but authorities chose the latter for it is to be found in large numbers though found in only a few regions of Tamil Nadu. Endemic to the biodiversity hotspot of Western Ghats, Tamil Yeoman is usually seen at the foothills and moist evergreen forests of the state’s mountainous regions. Known to have a straight flight with few wing beats and long glide, the butterfly is actively spotted in forest streams too.

Why Tamil Yeoman?
Tamil Nadu has a total of 32 species of butterflies endemic to the state. With the latest policy initiative, it has become the fifth India state after Maharashtra (Blue Mormon), Uttarakhand (Common peacock), Karnataka (Southern birdwings) and Kerala (Malabar banded peacock) to bestow a state emblem status to one of its colourful insects. Incidentally, both southern birdwings, which is the largest butterfly species found in India, and Malabar banded peacocks are, like the Tamil Yeoman, endemic to the Western Ghats as well.

Butterflies are great bio-indicators of an ecosystem as they are highly sensitive to environmental conditions such as temperature, sunlight, humidity and rainfall patterns. Their presence, patterns and migration assist in mapping the climatic health of a region and are they are perhaps the most studied insect group across the world. Tamil Nadu’s naturally elongated geographical placement combined with the presence of Eastern and the Western Ghats generate a variety of habitats with diverse ecological conditions allowing plenty of ‘butterfly hotspots’.

The state has as many as 32 butterfly hotspots – designated as a place where at least 25% of all the available species found in the state – while experts are on track to identify more such zones. The larger question, however, remains whether such policy initiatives of various governments help in wildlife conservation, which is the aim of such initiatives, or do they end up a mere publicity exercise to attract attention. At least, some environmentalists are optimistic about the ongoing efforts.

Awareness to butterfly conservation
"First, we have to create awareness among the public about the importance of butterflies. For example, Maharashtra declared the blue mormon, which was originally considered a pest by farmers, as the state butterfly. Farmers used to employ pesticides against them. But, now that has come down due to awareness," said Mohan Prasath, who runs the organisation Act for Butterflies and was part of the expert team which recommended the state declaration. Prasath added that such steps will first create awareness among the common public to recognise that butterflies are an integral and important part of nature’s ecosystem. “Once the species is declared as a state butterfly, this will help channelising government funds towards a particular environmental cause.

For example, now the survey to study the butterflies can be initiated under this banner," said Prasath and conceded that more active steps need to be taken from all the stakeholders as well. In the past few years in Tamil Nadu, the interest of butterfly conservation has sprung to sudden existence, thanks to various non-governmental bodies and enthusiasts, who closely study the migratory patterns and document their habits. Tamil Nadu Forest Department, with the help of experts, published a book compiling the 326 species of butterflies found in the state along with photographers. The last such compilation of butterflies was only in the British era. In 2015, the state government inaugurated the ‘tropical butterfly conservatory' – a 27-acre facility located in a reserve forest zone near Trichy – as a marked step to examine and impart the biodiversity in the region. Pavendan Appavu, the founder of the NGO Tamil Nadu Butterfly Society, said it is usually the larger animals like elephants and tigers which attract people’s attention when it comes to conservation. "Butterflies are not only great pollinators but also play a crucial role in the food chain.

Creatures like chameleons, birds, frogs and even monkeys eat butterflies. They help maintain the balance of the ecosystem," added Appavu. Smaller creatures like insects, beetles and amphibians also have equal importance in the ecosystem and this often goes unnoticed, he said, adding that through such efforts, this will bring back necessary attention to butterflies and its vital role in the ecosystem. Under this initiative, more data and studies can be commenced towards larger conservation efforts.

"We need more follow-up measures, of course. The government can introduce lessons on insects and butterflies. Smaller administrative zones can study and record ecological health through the status of butterflies. Even schools can set up gardens which attract butterflies offering the students to learn about nature. These are some efforts which could bring limelight on butterflies," said Appavu.

- https://india.mongabay.com/2019/08/the-tamilian-warrior-butterfly-becomes-a-state-symbol/, August 8, 2019

Bombay high court on Thursday directed all stakeholders including the state, BMC and heritage committee, Mhada, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and the landlord of the landmark Esplanade Mansion in the Fort area to state by August 21 whether it was structurally possible to restore it and if so, at what cost.

Janak Dwarkadas, counsel for INTACH, said if the state’s view is that the UNESCO listed building ought to be restored, it must take necessary steps. Intach had made a case for the restoration of the iconic building which originally housed the Watson’s hotel. Counsel for BMC Anil Sakhare said the heritage panel had passed a resolution that court should appoint experts to assess if restoration can be done.

- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/hc-tells-maharashtra-intach-to-decide-if-esplanade-mansion-can-be-saved/articleshow/70598205.cms, August 9, 2019

The technical team of experts from Tuning Fork Films includes Ankit Pogula, Pulkita Parsai and Vinod Sreedhar who are renowned filmmakers will be supported by Shreya Kakria, Neha Kandalgaokar, Sanjana Chopra and Aditya Verma. They will train the students about the technicality involved in making a short film. They would also give impetus on the latest technology used in editing films to the students on August14. The programme flagged off in the form of content workshop in Delhi on the July 26 and the technical workshop on July 29.

This will be followed by workshops in Vadodara (31st July), Ahmedabad (1st August), Varanasi (1st August), Kolkata (August 2), Jaipur (August 2), Chandigarh (August 7), Mumbai (August 8), Goa (August 9), Chennai (August 13), Hyderabad (August 14) and Kochi (August 21). Films have been made on saving water, saving animals, caring for monuments, living heritage, customs, traditions, endangered traditional games, heritage homes and peace and harmony. INTACH's Heritage Education and Communication Services (HECS), INTACH-New Delhi, along with The Helen Hamlyn Trust, UK, has been encouraging students to make films based on heritage for 12 years now. The project started with a group of schools in Delhi in 2008. Ever since, the numbers have been increasing steadily. Today, more than 150 schools are a part of the project from all over the country.

Filmit is an exciting multi-cultural project which helps students make short films on their city's heritage across various cities of India including Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad, Varanasi and Kochi. Vadodara, Palakkad and Port Blair are the new cities being added this year. A total of more than 4000 films have been made by young students on the heritage of their city. Interested persons may contact Purnima Datt of Intach on Ph: +91-11- 24621035; Mob: +91-9971612236 or via email: [email protected]

- https://www.thehansindia.com/news/cities/hyderabad/intach-to-train-youth-to-make-short-films-554082, August 13, 2019

The inspection was conducted in May this year by INTACH members P Anuradha Reddy, ER Anchuri and AR Praveen, who found that there were numerous cracks on the terrace of the college. An inspection conducted by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) at the Osmania University Arts College has revealed that the structure was damaged from rainwater that seeped through the roof. The report on the inspection also stated that the building suffered from a lack of maintenance. The inspection was conducted in May this year by INTACH members P Anuradha Reddy, ER Anchuri and AR Praveen, who found that there were numerous cracks on the terrace of the college, which further deteriorated the condition of the structure. It also found that there was “spalling of concrete", which happens because of moisture and salt in the concrete.

“Moisture and salt push outward from the inside. It can eventually cause the crumbling and destruction of a structure." “In due course, numerous cracks have developed in the lime terrace. Water is penetrating through these cracks to the RCC below. Due to shrinkage of cement mortar, lots of cracks have formed on the plaster of parapet walls... Once the water reaches RCC slab, it easily seeps inside and corrodes the reinforcement, thus weakening the structure itself," a part of the report said. The situation is such that water has started dripping from the ceiling. This, in turn, leaves damp patches on the ceiling and walls and paints peel off, said the report.

"To avoid leakage of water through the terrace, often tar felting is done. Same is the case with the OU Arts College terrace. But due to weathering, the tar felt cracked within a couple of years and water started to penetrate through these cracks and come down to the ceiling," it added. The INTACH recommended various waterproofing systems for the terrace, keeping in consideration the environmental conditions which cause a building (concrete) to expand or contract seasonally.

Recommendations made by INTACH
Brick bat coba treatment
Mud phuska treatment
Bitumen coating with sand sprinkling
Bitumen felt treatment and glass fibre felt treatment
China mosaic treatment
Indian waterproofing method.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2019/aug/14/intach-finds-damage-from-rainwater-in-ou-arts-college-building-2018638.html, August 14, 2019

Street theatre was a fascinating part of the Tamil acting tradition. It is now in serious decline and needs to spread awareness for a grand revival. There have been leading film actors like Vijay Sethupathi who were once a part of Therukoothu before entering the film industry. Therukoothu is the traditional art of staging street plays that reached its peak quite a while ago. Today, in most regions of the world, many forms of folk art are no more a part of the ethnic tradition of the people and present generations are not aware of those forms of folk art.

Therukoothu (Street play) was one such ethnic folk art indigenous to India. It is now virtually a dying art form. This is because of the popularity of cinema and other forms of entertainment. Therukoothu is usually performed during temple festivals in the villages of Tamil Nadu. It is mostly performed in the open. "Nowadays, the art form of Therukoothu is not being encouraged as it was in the past. Cinemas and formal theatre play have seen to it that Therukoothu is not being encouraged", explains Rajan Babu, who was initiated into Therukoothuat at the age of 17. It's been over 40 years now.

He owns a Therukoothu troupe called "Sri RenugambalNadagaMandram" in Thiruvannamalai. "Today we present up to 100 performances every year. In a day we can earn Rs1, 000 or maybe even less depending on the audience. But we are more importantly concerned about the response from the public after they watch our performance," he added. "In today's generation, there is music that is available and which is played as a piece of background music.

But in earlier times that wasn't the case. Each artiste had to sing while performing his role which was very difficult. But even now we follow the same tradition and with only a few musical instruments like kanjira and harmonium," says Rajan. It was unique in the olden days that all Therukoothu artistes were males and even the female characters were performed by males, except in a few instances. Most of the stories enacted were mythological stories already familiar to the villagers. The themes are usually drawn from Mahabharata. "Therukoothu is not getting extinct.

I personally feel that it is just changing forms. City people don't have time in their busy lifestyle" says Sugitha, former theatre artist. "People are going for things that are less time consuming and more sophisticated" added Sugitha. Students and activists have also started to perform Therukoothu based on themes that create social awareness and which are easily understood by the public. This act is purely based on society's welfare. Sugumar, research scholar at the department of Performing Arts and a Therukoothu artiste says, "The reason why the traditional Therukoothu artists do not go to any other place apart from their villages is that their performances are usually within the villages of Tamil Nadu". Sugumar is planning to bring a modern theatre form by which the other state people will also have a clear idea of what Therukoothu is all about. Theru koothu is generally performed late at night after 10 p.m. till about 5 a.m. Around 12 - 14 people are part of a troupe. Theru koothu artistes were treated with great respect for their talent and artistry a century ago. They were invited by the village elders for entertaining the village people. Through their performance, people learned about their history and the culture of Tamil Nadu. This form was very easy and useful for them to learn.

The performers wore large, voluminous and bright colour dresses. The dresses are decorated with designs, beads and artificial ornaments. All performers appeared with heavy, dazzling makeup. The dance, songs, music, story and dialogue are delivered orally and not scribbled down on paper. This is one of the special features of the Therukoothu artistes. More awareness may be needed among the people to preserve Therukoothu as a living art form.

- https://www.asianage.com/life/art/130819/dying-art-of-therukoothu.html, August 13, 2019

Decision taken after CM, Deputy CM and INTACH delegation discussed UNESCO recognition. Four years on, Delhi can again hope for the coveted tag of a UNESCO World Heritage city. The Delhi government has decided to initiate the nomination process for the heritage status, which was abruptly withdrawn in May 2015 by the Centre without citing any reason. The development came after a meeting between Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and representatives of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) that took place on Wednesday morning.

Officials at the CMO said that an INTACH delegation had discussed the nomination of Delhi to the UNESCO's list of world heritage cities with Kejriwal at the Delhi secretariat. "Representatives of INTACH held a discussion on the heritage city status with the CM today. They briefed him about the history of nomination and how it was withdrawn in 2015. It has been resolved that the government will move a formal proposal before to the Centre recommending to start the process for sending the nomination once again," said an official. Swapna Liddle, convener of INTACH, with Annabel Lopez, consultant of the trust, met Kejriwal and urged him to re-initiate the nomination for the prestigious recognition. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was also present in the meeting, said the official.

The INTACH, which is associated with conservation and protection of historic buildings, had prepared the dossier on Delhi, which was a part of the formal application to UNESCO sent in January 2014. Two cities under the title 'Delhi's Imperial Capital Cities' — Shahjahanabad, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1639-48), and British colonial government's capital — New Delhi (1911-31), were proposed for the heritage badge. Kailash Nath Dixit, former joint director general of ASI, said he was not in favour of New Delhi but Shahjahanabad should be considered for the inscription. "Cities like Rajgiri and Puducherry must get that status. They are the old towns. They should be preserved because they still have old architectures. New Delhi does not even have 100 years to talk about. Old cities such as Shahjahanabad and Mehrauli area must be preserved."

He suggested that the dossier to be submitted with the nomination should be prepared carefully to present the case. "The dossier should be pitted in such a way so that all important factors should be known to them (UNESCO)," Dixit said. Vikramjit Singh Rooprai, a heritage activist, said the city must get the tag as that will help Delhiites to understand its rich cultural heritage. "Delhi is the heritage capital of India and a melting pot of religious and cultural inheritance." Rooprai asserted that the status comes with a responsibility. "The biggest challenge is that we, residents of the city, are still unaware of importance in our history. We will need to work hard to maintain the tag," he asserted.

Neighbouring Jaipur already in the heritage list
The prestigious badge was accorded to Jaipur in July, making it the second Indian city to be bestowed the honour after Ahmedabad. The 15th-century city of Ahmedabad, founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah, was declared a 'World Heritage City' in July 2017, three years after Delhi opted out of the race. Mumbai's cluster of Victorian and Art Deco buildings and Marine Drive was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2018. The INTACH delegation reportedly told Kejriwal that after Jaipur, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad were already on the heritage list, Delhi's nomination should not be an issue.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2019/aug/15/delhis-second-shot-at-unesco-world-heritage-tag--2019296.html, August 14, 2019

India's struggle for freedom from the British may have started with the war of 1857, but one can find its precursor four decades earlier in 1815, in the princely state of Hyderabad. The fight against the foreign rule was, in fact, first taken up by none other than prince Mubariz-ud-Dowla, son of Sikandar Jah, the Nizam III of Hyderabad state. Later, two nobles, Noor-ul-Umara and Rao Rambha Nimbalkar revolted against the British in 1818.

According to historian and author Syed Naseer Ahmad, unlike freedom fighters in other parts of India, those in Hyderabad had to take on two mighty regimes — the Asaf Jahi dynasty and the British. The Nizams of the Asaf Jahi dynasty were the faithful ally of the British. They prevented any sort of negative action against the British. However, the freedom fighters took on both and waged several armed revolts, the first being in 1857.

There was a lull until the mid-1940s, when the Communists and the Congress aided by Arya Samaj intensified the freedom movement bringing pressure on Mir Osman Ali Khan, Nizam VII, to accede to Indian Union. The Nizam did not join the Indian Union on August 15, 1947. Journalist Shoebullah Khan, who edited the Urdu daily Imroze, was attacked and his hands chopped off by Razakars on August 21, 1948 after he wrote a series of articles demanding that the Nizam joined the Indian Union.

Shoebullah Khan, who was also shot at, succumbed to the wounds the next day. Swami Ramanand Teertha, Makhdoom Mohiuddin, Ravi Narayana Reddy, Shaik Bandagi, Burugula Ramakrishna Rao and PV Narasimha Rao were among the freedom fighters, who sought the merger of Hyderabad with the Union of India.

Hyderabad state was finally merged with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948. Naseer Ahmad, who authored over two dozen books on Indian freedom movement, told TOI that the period between 1815 and 1857 was interspersed by movements against the English rule leading to the attack on the British Residency in Hyderabad by Turrebaz Khan and Moulvi Alauddin on June 17, 1857. Later, on August 8, 1858 Venkatappa Nayak, Raja of Sorapur, too revolted against the British.

City historian and INTACH Hyderabad convener, P Anuradha Reddy, said while Mubariz-ud-Dowla was imprisoned twice, Noorul-Umara and Rao Rambha Nimbalkar lost their jagir and jobs. Venkatappa Nayak, who was sentenced to life, died under mysterious circumstances while being taken away from Hyderabad by the British forces. Moulvi Alauddin was sentenced to life and lodged in the infamous cellular jail in Andamans on June 28, 1859, where he died in 1884.

Turrebaz Khan was shot dead and his body hanged from a lamp post in Sultan Bazar in the city. To Hyderabad also goes the credit of the slogan, Jai Hind. It was a Hyderabadi, Abid Hasan Safrani, a close aide of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who coined the slogan.

- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/unsung-heroes-the-forgotten-freedom-fighters-of-hyderabad/articleshow/70683347.cms, August 14, 2019

The move comes after the Centre withdrew Delhi's nomination for the tag in 2015 amid concerns that the title might affect infrastructure development of city. An increased number of protected buildings and a precedence of other Indian cities getting the World Heritage City tag are two of the reasons that INTACH has cited while pushing for the coveted ‘Heritage City' tag for Delhi. The move comes after the central government withdrew Delhi's nomination for the tag in 2015 amid concerns that the title might affect the infrastructure development of the city.

"One of the main issues back then was that it had not happened before that a part of the city was being nominated. So, there were some reservations about it. Now, however, we have seen three other such nominations," said Swapna Liddle, convener of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), while referring to Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Mumbai. "Earlier the objection arose out of a lack of knowledge of what implications this might have. That has changed now," she said. While Ahmedabad and Jaipur were accorded the badge for the World Heritage City in 2017 and 2019, Mumbai's cluster of Victorian and Art Deco buildings in the Fort precinct and Marine Drive were declared Unesco World Heritage sites in 2018.

"We have more listed buildings now since 2015. In the past two years, over 600 additional buildings have come under the category of protected buildings. Most of these are old havelis, major residential and public buildings in old Delhi," said Ajay Kumar, director of projects at INTACH Delhi Chapter. "Additionally, there is a lot of work happening towards protection of heritage in Delhi. The Shahjahanabad area, for instance, is being revamped. INTACH keeps pushing for this," said Liddle. On Wednesday, Liddle, along with with Annabel Lopez, consultant of INTACH, met chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to discuss Delhi's nomination to Unesco's list of World Heritage Cities.

An official of the Delhi government said a proposal would be sent to the Centre as soon as it is finalised, recommending to start the process for sending the nomination. The World Heritage City tag is likely to boost tourism in the capital. In 2014, Shahjahanabad and New Delhi (the Lutyens' Bungalow Zone) were the two precincts included in Delhi's proposal.

- https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/intach-makes-fresh-push-for-world-heritage-city-tag-for-delhi/story-ImXcDkVvBCKzkS9r2Tt5pK.html, August 16, 2019

The Chennai Heritage Auto Show will display over 140 vintage cars and 50 bikes from motor enthusiasts in the city, which includes cars owned by former CM MGR. The annual flagship event of the Madras Heritage Motoring Club is a chance for car and bike enthusiasts to see vintage cars and bikes from the 1920s to 1980s. The prestigious Chennai Heritage Auto Show will take place on Sunday and will showcase cars such as Rolls Royce, Jaguar, MG, Dodge Brothers, Chevrolet, Ford, Peugeot, Austin and Mercedes Benz presented in the glory they would have been produced in. Vehicles will be judged by experts for authenticity, restoration, and mechanical systems and prizes will be distributed in several categories to the owners. “There are over 140 vintage cars and 50 bikes that will be on display at the show," said Kannan Kumar, secretary of the Madras Heritage Motoring Club.

"This year, for the first time, we have participants from Bengaluru, which is one of the main highlights this year. This is the 18th year of the club’s existence and with every passing year, the number of cars and bikes on display is rising. We have 120 members and many do restoration services and add new cars to their collection every year." A 1957 model Dodge Kingsway owned by the late chief minister MG Ramachandran, a 1938 model Vauxhall owned by the founder of AVM Studios AV Meiyappan and a 1956 model Vauxhall Velox owned by SS Vasan, the founder of Gemini Studios are the highlights of the show.

The event will be inaugurated by actress Revathi at 9 am. V Sumantran, chairman, Celeris Technologies, will give a talk on ‘A historical view of automobiles and transportation in Chennai’, in association with INTACH Chennai Chapter as part of the Madras Week Celebrations at 11 am while Vinod Dasari, CEO, Royal Enfield will distribute prizes at 12.30 pm. The event is being sponsored by TAFE Motors and Tractors, Sundaram Motors, Timelinks and Devendra. Visitors can also see a good collection of cars which have been featured on celluloid. The event will be judged by Raha Mookerjee and Partha Banik, who have judged a number of vintage auto shows including the renowned The Statesman Vintage and Class Car rally in Kolkata. The event is taking place at Sri Ramachandra Convention Centre, 1/31, South Avenue, Vasudevan Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur and the display will go on from 9 am to 1 pm. For details, call 8939643969.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2019/aug/17/old-motors-and-machines-for-all-to-witness-in-chennai-2019965.html, August 16, 2019

A team of experts, which had worked on the restoration of the 155-year-old Flora Fountain in Mumbai, has offered a "set of recommendations" to the civic body for its upkeep. INTACH''s Nilabh Sinha, a material heritage expert, said monsoon and subsequent waterlogging are "major concerns" for the maintenance of the ornamental fountain that is a veritable city landmark. "We restored the fountain painstakingly, fixed the broken fingers and chipped stones in the structure. Now, it is restored and under the BMC and they will have to ensure that its glory is maintained," he said. Sinha, Principal Director, Art & Material Heritage Division of INTACH and INTACH Conservation Institutes, recently gave a talk on its restoration at the INTACH headquarters here. Asked about the modern interventions that had been introduced to the structure over the decades, he said, "Cement and enamel."

"We had to remove layers and layers of those, plus white washing had also been done over its Portland stone surface, so we had to remove all of that very carefully before doing the main work," he told. Flora Fountain, built in 1864, is situated at the Fort in the heart of South Mumbai. It is a fusion of water, architecture and sculpture depicting the Roman goddess Flora.

The experts recommended proper cleaning of the fountain structure after waterlogging as sedimentation will affect the Portland stone surface. They also advised against use of cement or enamel or paint on the surface as was found during the restoration process. The INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) Mumbai chapter was awarded the work of restoring the sculptures of the Flora Fountain by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The restored fountain was opened to the public early this year. "We have given a set of recommendations to the corporation on maintenance of this iconic structure, especially during and after the monsoon as waterlogging will spell trouble for its surface," he said. During his illustrated talk, Sinha covered the stage-wise progression of the restoration process, and how the challenging task of removing "25 layers of paint, vegetation and bio-deterioration" was undertaken at the site without causing any harm to the original Portland stone of the UK.

The fountain was originally to be built at the Victoria Zoo Gardens in Mumbai but was placed in the heart of the city in the open, and featured in many films and magazines and TV shows. In 1860, the then Bombay Governor, Sir Bartle Frere demolished the Old Fort as part of his efforts to improve civic sanitation and the urban space requirements of the growing city. The Bombay Fort was built between 1686 and 1743 by the British East India Company with three gates - the Apollo Gate, the Church gate and the Bazaar Gate, a moat, an esplanade, level open space on its western fringe and residences, according to INTACH.

Consequent to the demolition of the Fort, the Flora Fountain was "erected at the exact place where the Church Gate stood before its demolition," Sinha said. Mumbai-based architect Vikas Dilawari, who was the main consultant for the project, said Porbandar stone was used to repair broken parts of the structure built of Portland stone. "This is the closest, we could get in India, to the Portland stone of the England. Moulds were made first very carefully for fixing broken fingers of figures depicted in the fountain," Sinha said. KND SMN SMN.

- https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/recommendations-given-to-mumbai-civic-body-on-upkeep-of-flora-fountain-intach-expert/1598685, August 19, 2019

Of late water conservation has been a buzzword in Delhi with the Delhi government exploring various ways and means of water conservation. Residents of Anangpur village in Faridabad tell tales of the ruins of a stone masonry dam near their houses. It was built by the first monarchs of Delhi, the Tomar Rajputs, to provide water to their city, they claim. “This dam has a grand history. Raja Anangpal, who built our village also built this and it used to provide water up to Surajkund," says a villager.

“Constructed in order to block upstream rainwater for irrigation, it is about 50 metres wide and 7 metres high and has sluices for controlling the water flow," writes historian Upinder Singh in her book ‘Ancient Delhi’. Until a decade back, Anangpur residents depended on the dam for their daily water needs. “Even 10-12 years back the dam was filled with water.

We would use it for farming and domestic purposes," says 63- year- old Santram Bhadana. Running dry and covered by thick vegetation, the Anangpur dam today is just meant for the eager history student or the enthusiastic sightseer. Of late water conservation has been a buzzword in Delhi with the Delhi government exploring various ways and means of water conservation. But it is certainly not a new buzzword. Heritage buildings in Delhi present fine examples of conservation and mobilisation of rain water to quench the city’s thirst. Historians say that water has been the driving force behind many administrative decisions by the successive rulers of Delhi through the centuries. Dinesh Mohaniya, vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), says that revival of these structures can help recharge the dropping groundwater levels in the city.

“But they do not prove enough to meet the city’s demands since the population has grown multifold," Mohaniya said. Manu Bhatnagar, principal director of the Natural Heritage division in INTACH, believes that rejuvenating the dying man-made and natural reservoirs and stepwells in the city can have multiple benefits. “They will help recharge groundwater, moderate local climate, act as carbon sinks and become habitats to support urban biodiversity besides being sources of recreation and aesthetics," Bhatnagar says.

Anang Tal
Medieval Delhi experimented with many innovative solutions to deal with the problem of water scarcity. “The Tomar Rajputs, coming to Delhi from a water scarce area, must have had an especially keen interest in water management and conservation strategies," says Singh. The first rulers of the city, the Tomar Rajputs who ruled between the 9th and 12th centuries AD, also built the Anang Tal, the remains of which is believed to be located inside Sanjay Van in Mehrauli.

Singh, in her book, says that during the construction of Alauddin Khilji’s minar inside the Qutub complex, the water for the mortar was brought from the tank. At present though, the tank is hidden underneath thick vegetation, and visitors are discouraged from going near it during the monsoon months, for the fear of insects and snakes inhabiting the area.

Shamsi talab
When the Delhi Sultanate was established at Mehrauli in the 13th century, water supply remained a major problem since the population had increased. The Yamuna was far away, and the rocky terrain of the Aravallis made it difficult to dig wells at most places. Iltutmish, the thirteenth-century ruler of the Mamluk dynasty, built a large tank — Hauz-i-Sultani or Hauz-i-Shamsi (Shamsi talab ) — from where the citizens could fetch water. Historian M Athar Ali in his article ‘Capital of the Sultans: Delhi during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries’, notes that the Hauz-i-Shamsi “received rainwater drained off from the larger, higher, fairly level catchment area to its west." The tank is believed to have been about 200 metres long and 125 metres wide, and consisted of an ornate cupola in the middle of it, which was built during the Lodi period.

The cupola has since disappeared, and so has more than half the water body. “Today this lake is just a pond. Half of the lake has been encroached upon. I have seen this happen in the last 40-50 years," says heritage enthusiast Sohail Hashmi. By the time the 14th century ruler, Alauddin Khilji shifted his capital to Siri (the area near the Siri Fort complex), the Shamsi talab was no longer sufficient to meet the requirements of the city. Siri was a wasteland, and so Khilji built the Hauz-i-Alai or Hauz Khas. The Hauz Khas, which is currently filled with water, has become a popular tourist destination. During Khilji’s rule, the tank was hailed as one of the finest structures providing water to the city. Sharifuddin Yazdi, a 15th century court historian, described the Hauz Khas as “so large that an arrow cannot be shot from one side to the other."

“It is filled by rainwater during rains and all the people of Delhi obtain water from it all the year around," Yazdi says. Located between hillocks on its east, south and west, Hauz Khas was probably a natural depression filled up by runoff from these hillocks. By the 1960s, however, the lake had completely dried up as a result of the fall in the water table and concretisation of its surroundings. It was revived by the Indian Natural Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in the early 2000s, and started attracting rare birds. However, a re-examination, conducted by INTACH in 2012, revealed that the water quality had deteriorated, resulting in the fall in number of migratory birds there.

The Yamuna
The Tughlaqs who started ruling Delhi from 1320 made several new water structures in the city and modified the existing ones. “The Tughlaqs were more ambitious and had far more resources than the previous sultans so the water works built by them were also bigger and grander," says Sunil Kumar, who teaches medieval history at Delhi University. The most ambitious among them was Firoz Shah Tughlaq who made large scale infrastructural interventions for water supply. He was the first ruler to build his capital near the Yamuna river. The 14th century political thinker, Ziauddin Barani, wrote of the establishment of Firozabad on the banks of the Yamuna and prophesied that “in course of time it would be the envy of the great cities".

Interestingly though, despite building the capital near the Yamuna, he built a canal to divert water from Haryana for supply to the city. “The Haiderpur water works is built on the same network of canal," says Hashmi. The Yamuna is never known to have been a source of drinking water to the city. Hashmi explains that when the river entered the rocky terrain of the Aravallis, the quartzite content in it made it unsuitable for drinking.

Water from the Yamuna was diverted to flow through the moats, and then later the gardens which were of prime importance in the architectural inventions of the Mughals. “Usually the Mughals were building gardens on the hillside, like in Afghanistan and Iran. The Humayun’s tomb was the first attempt at building a garden on the plains. So they built it on the river itself," says Ratish Nanda, CEO, Aga Khan trust. When the trust began restoration of the tomb in 2007, they found evidence of river water being lifted for the fountains through underground terracotta pipes.

“We found evidence of excess water from the channels being taken to specially built wells to go back to the aquifers. So as early as the 16th century, the Mughals were ensuring that not one drop of water is wasted," says Nanda. As part of the grand restoration project of the tomb, the organization dug up several wells inside the premises which are now being used, both for rainwater harvesting and for horticulture. Further, the trust is also currently involved in the restoration of a stepwell found inside the garden.

Stepwells or baolis
The stepwells or baolis were one of the most popular sources of drinking water in the city, apart from the wells and man-made reservoirs. Conservationists and heritage experts maintain that at the turn of the century there were about 100 baolis in Delhi. About 12 exist now, of which five are still in use. In his recent book, ‘Top ten baolis of Delhi’, heritage activist Vikramjit Singh Rooprai writes that “Baolis and wells work on the simple process of sedimentation. While the well penetrates the confined aquifer, the walls of the well/baoli/tank also allow seepage of water through small gaps between the stones." While the Gandhak ki baoli and Rajon ki baoli in Mehrauli are in good condition and contain some water, the Agrasen ki baoli on Hailey Road and the two stepwells inside the Tughlaqabad fort have dried up completely. Among those that have disappeared over time are the Qadam Sharif baoli in Paharganj, the Lado Sarai baoli and the Kharera baoli inside the Hauz Khas enclave. Speaking about the possibility of reviving the stepwells for contemporary requiriements, director of projects in INTACH, Ajay Kumar says that “it is possible to get water.

All we need to do is remove the silt, excavate the structure and properly conserve it." The baolis inside Red Fort, Purana Quila, Ferozshah Kotla and the Nizamuddin Dargah are some examples. However, considering the drop in groundwater levels across the city, conservationists also believe that it might take several monsoons for many of them to be revived. Historians and conservationists believe that reviving the ancient and medieval era waterworks can lead to several benefits. “None of these rulers altered the environment.

They just ensured the resources of their region were used most efficiently. This is what the government needs to understand," says Kumar. “Our medieval and ancient engineers developed a way to identify the underground fresh water channels. All our wells & stepwells penetrate these streams and if we can restore them, we will save ourselves the effort of identifying appropriate spots for groundwater harvesting pits," says Rooprai. Demonstrating his belief in the historical methods of water conservation, Nanda says, “What we have done at Humayun’s tomb has ensured that the water table has risen up to approximately 20 feet. So at a micro level one can make a lot of difference."

- https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/total-recall-water-conservation-tips-from-delhi-s-past/story-hVpXqpDpmBN4bKB8Zx7FVL.html, August 19, 2019

Of late water conservation has been a buzzword in Delhi with the Delhi government exploring various ways and means of water conservation. Residents of Anangpur village in Faridabad tell tales of the ruins of a stone masonry dam near their houses. It was built by the first monarchs of Delhi, the Tomar Rajputs, to provide water to their city, they claim. “This dam has a grand history. Raja Anangpal, who built our village also built this and it used to provide water up to Surajkund," says a villager.

“Constructed in order to block upstream rainwater for irrigation, it is about 50 metres wide and 7 metres high and has sluices for controlling the water flow," writes historian Upinder Singh in her book ‘Ancient Delhi’. Until a decade back, Anangpur residents depended on the dam for their daily water needs. “Even 10-12 years back the dam was filled with water.

We would use it for farming and domestic purposes," says 63- year- old Santram Bhadana. Running dry and covered by thick vegetation, the Anangpur dam today is just meant for the eager history student or the enthusiastic sightseer. Of late water conservation has been a buzzword in Delhi with the Delhi government exploring various ways and means of water conservation. But it is certainly not a new buzzword. Heritage buildings in Delhi present fine examples of conservation and mobilisation of rain water to quench the city’s thirst. Historians say that water has been the driving force behind many administrative decisions by the successive rulers of Delhi through the centuries. Dinesh Mohaniya, vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), says that revival of these structures can help recharge the dropping groundwater levels in the city.

“But they do not prove enough to meet the city’s demands since the population has grown multifold," Mohaniya said. Manu Bhatnagar, principal director of the Natural Heritage division in INTACH, believes that rejuvenating the dying man-made and natural reservoirs and stepwells in the city can have multiple benefits. "They will help recharge groundwater, moderate local climate, act as carbon sinks and become habitats to support urban biodiversity besides being sources of recreation and aesthetics," Bhatnagar says.

Anang Tal
Medieval Delhi experimented with many innovative solutions to deal with the problem of water scarcity. "The Tomar Rajputs, coming to Delhi from a water scarce area, must have had an especially keen interest in water management and conservation strategies," says Singh. The first rulers of the city, the Tomar Rajputs who ruled between the 9th and 12th centuries AD, also built the Anang Tal, the remains of which is believed to be located inside Sanjay Van in Mehrauli.

Singh, in her book, says that during the construction of Alauddin Khilji’s minar inside the Qutub complex, the water for the mortar was brought from the tank. At present though, the tank is hidden underneath thick vegetation, and visitors are discouraged from going near it during the monsoon months, for the fear of insects and snakes inhabiting the area.

Shamsi talab
When the Delhi Sultanate was established at Mehrauli in the 13th century, water supply remained a major problem since the population had increased. The Yamuna was far away, and the rocky terrain of the Aravallis made it difficult to dig wells at most places. Iltutmish, the thirteenth-century ruler of the Mamluk dynasty, built a large tank — Hauz-i-Sultani or Hauz-i-Shamsi (Shamsi talab ) — from where the citizens could fetch water. Historian M Athar Ali in his article ‘Capital of the Sultans: Delhi during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries’, notes that the Hauz-i-Shamsi "received rainwater drained off from the larger, higher, fairly level catchment area to its west." The tank is believed to have been about 200 metres long and 125 metres wide, and consisted of an ornate cupola in the middle of it, which was built during the Lodi period.

The cupola has since disappeared, and so has more than half the water body. "Today this lake is just a pond. Half of the lake has been encroached upon. I have seen this happen in the last 40-50 years," says heritage enthusiast Sohail Hashmi. By the time the 14th century ruler, Alauddin Khilji shifted his capital to Siri (the area near the Siri Fort complex), the Shamsi talab was no longer sufficient to meet the requirements of the city. Siri was a wasteland, and so Khilji built the Hauz-i-Alai or Hauz Khas. The Hauz Khas, which is currently filled with water, has become a popular tourist destination. During Khilji’s rule, the tank was hailed as one of the finest structures providing water to the city. Sharifuddin Yazdi, a 15th century court historian, described the Hauz Khas as "so large that an arrow cannot be shot from one side to the other."

"It is filled by rainwater during rains and all the people of Delhi obtain water from it all the year around," Yazdi says. Located between hillocks on its east, south and west, Hauz Khas was probably a natural depression filled up by runoff from these hillocks. By the 1960s, however, the lake had completely dried up as a result of the fall in the water table and concretisation of its surroundings. It was revived by the Indian Natural Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in the early 2000s, and started attracting rare birds. However, a re-examination, conducted by INTACH in 2012, revealed that the water quality had deteriorated, resulting in the fall in number of migratory birds there.

The Yamuna
The Tughlaqs who started ruling Delhi from 1320 made several new water structures in the city and modified the existing ones. "The Tughlaqs were more ambitious and had far more resources than the previous sultans so the water works built by them were also bigger and grander," says Sunil Kumar, who teaches medieval history at Delhi University. The most ambitious among them was Firoz Shah Tughlaq who made large scale infrastructural interventions for water supply. He was the first ruler to build his capital near the Yamuna river. The 14th century political thinker, Ziauddin Barani, wrote of the establishment of Firozabad on the banks of the Yamuna and prophesied that "in course of time it would be the envy of the great cities".

Interestingly though, despite building the capital near the Yamuna, he built a canal to divert water from Haryana for supply to the city. "The Haiderpur water works is built on the same network of canal," says Hashmi. The Yamuna is never known to have been a source of drinking water to the city. Hashmi explains that when the river entered the rocky terrain of the Aravallis, the quartzite content in it made it unsuitable for drinking.

Water from the Yamuna was diverted to flow through the moats, and then later the gardens which were of prime importance in the architectural inventions of the Mughals. "Usually the Mughals were building gardens on the hillside, like in Afghanistan and Iran. The Humayun’s tomb was the first attempt at building a garden on the plains. So they built it on the river itself," says Ratish Nanda, CEO, Aga Khan trust. When the trust began restoration of the tomb in 2007, they found evidence of river water being lifted for the fountains through underground terracotta pipes.

"We found evidence of excess water from the channels being taken to specially built wells to go back to the aquifers. So as early as the 16th century, the Mughals were ensuring that not one drop of water is wasted," says Nanda. As part of the grand restoration project of the tomb, the organization dug up several wells inside the premises which are now being used, both for rainwater harvesting and for horticulture. Further, the trust is also currently involved in the restoration of a stepwell found inside the garden.

Stepwells or baolis
The stepwells or baolis were one of the most popular sources of drinking water in the city, apart from the wells and man-made reservoirs. Conservationists and heritage experts maintain that at the turn of the century there were about 100 baolis in Delhi. About 12 exist now, of which five are still in use. In his recent book, ‘Top ten baolis of Delhi’, heritage activist Vikramjit Singh Rooprai writes that "Baolis and wells work on the simple process of sedimentation. While the well penetrates the confined aquifer, the walls of the well/baoli/tank also allow seepage of water through small gaps between the stones." While the Gandhak ki baoli and Rajon ki baoli in Mehrauli are in good condition and contain some water, the Agrasen ki baoli on Hailey Road and the two stepwells inside the Tughlaqabad fort have dried up completely. Among those that have disappeared over time are the Qadam Sharif baoli in Paharganj, the Lado Sarai baoli and the Kharera baoli inside the Hauz Khas enclave. Speaking about the possibility of reviving the stepwells for contemporary requiriements, director of projects in INTACH, Ajay Kumar says that "it is possible to get water.

All we need to do is remove the silt, excavate the structure and properly conserve it." The baolis inside Red Fort, Purana Quila, Ferozshah Kotla and the Nizamuddin Dargah are some examples. However, considering the drop in groundwater levels across the city, conservationists also believe that it might take several monsoons for many of them to be revived. Historians and conservationists believe that reviving the ancient and medieval era waterworks can lead to several benefits. "None of these rulers altered the environment.

They just ensured the resources of their region were used most efficiently. This is what the government needs to understand," says Kumar. "Our medieval and ancient engineers developed a way to identify the underground fresh water channels. All our wells & stepwells penetrate these streams and if we can restore them, we will save ourselves the effort of identifying appropriate spots for groundwater harvesting pits," says Rooprai. Demonstrating his belief in the historical methods of water conservation, Nanda says, "What we have done at Humayun’s tomb has ensured that the water table has risen up to approximately 20 feet. So at a micro level one can make a lot of difference."

- https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/total-recall-water-conservation-tips-from-delhi-s-past/story-hVpXqpDpmBN4bKB8Zx7FVL.html, August 19, 2019

In an unprecedented move, the ruling BJP and opposition Congress leaders, besides the state government, on Monday separately celebrated the 111th birth anniversary of Tripura's last king Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya (1923-1947). At the end of the 1,355-year rule by 184 kings, the erstwhile princely state of Tripura came under the control of the Indian government on October 15, 1949, after a merger agreement was signed between the regent Maharani Kanchan Prabha Devi and the Indian Governor General. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, along with the state Bharatiya Janata Party President, and Tripura Pradesh Congress President Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman, a scion of the royal family, described Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya as the "architect of modern Tripura". Addressing an event organised by the BJP at the state party headquarters here, Deb said that the Maharaja showcased Tripura's history, life, culture and literature for the entire world.

"The BJP-led government would make Tripura a model state following the dream of the last king. We should all follow the vision of Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya," the Chief Minister said. At a separate cevent, Congress leader Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman said that Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya is the first important personality in India who visited the Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan in West Bengal and conferred the title of 'Bharat Bhaskar' on the Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore.

The celebrations held at the royal palace complex was organised by the Tripura chapter of thye Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) headed by Maharaj Kumari Pragya Deb Burman, eleder sister of Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman. The Tripura Chief Minister's wife, Niti Deb, in her address at the INTACH function described Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya as an open-minded visionary king. Agartala airport, which was built in 1942 by the then Tripura king Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, was renamed last year as a tribute to the last ruler. The BJP-led government has organised many events over Sunday and Monday to celebrate the 111th birth anniversary of the former ruler. The previous Left Front government set up a state university named after the last king, who contributed a lot to enlarge the educational facilities in Tripura. IANS

- http://www.theweekendleader.com/Headlines/35062/bjp-congress-mark-last-tripura-king-s-111th-birth-anniversary.html, August 20, 2019

The Bangalore City Police will have the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) restore a dilapidated heritage structure in the city -- the Bangalore Gate situated inside the City Armed Reserves (CAR) premises in Chamrajpet. City police commissioner Bhaskar Rao will chair a meeting with INTACH oicials on Thursday to discuss and plan the restoration work. "We have written to the government through appropriate channels for permission from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and other stakeholders for restoration of this heritage structure," Rao told DH. According to a senior oicial, the plan is to have the early 18th century structure restored with a library, a reading room and a park around it. Rao, on August 18, tweeted a photograph of the Bangalore Gate: "Can anyone recommend a Heritage Architect who can help me restore this early 18 Century Bangalore Gate located in our City Armed Reserve (CAR) Compound in Chamrajpet...,"

which went viral on social media. Thereaer, INTACH stepped in. The area where the CAR headquarters is located in Chamrajpet was founded in 1892 and was christened Chamarajendrapete in 1894 aer the King of Mysore Chamarajendra Wadiyar X. This is one of the oldest parts of Bengaluru built by the Mysore royals. Historians claim Bangalore Gate used to be a check-post before one could enter the city where British soldiers used to track people movements. The dilapidated structure has several doors and windows with a big dome on the roof in the centre.

- https://www.deccanherald.com/city/bengaluru-infrastructure/police-rope-in-intach-to-revive-bangalore-gate-756037.html, August 21, 2019

A huge hall nearly 100 feet in length is stacked with books running into lakhs on wooden racks. Cooled by ceiling fans on the high Madras ceiling, people of all ages are seen reading journals at the adjoining Behanan’s Reference Library. The building retains the old world charm with wide stairs and thick walls. It houses an auditorium on the ground floor where educational and cultural programmes happen throughout the year. The newly-renovated Children’s library is full of children running around and taking their books for interacting in friendly spaces. This is the Indian Institute of World Culture (IIWC), offering free programmes and activities to the public for more than seven decades now.

A model institution run by a strong volunteer-base, IIWC, which stepped into its 75th year in August, was founded with a promise of creating an arena for cultural exchange. August 1945, Bahman Pestonji Wadia, the founder-president of the institute and a well-known Thesophist, was extra jubilant as the inauguration event coincided with the message of the World War II coming to an end.

"Under this double joy we flag off the Institute of World Culture and we shall move from darkness to light, illumined by culture and knowledge," Wadia had said, as he launched one of the biggest institutes at Basavanagudi in South Bengaluru. The road named after Wadia after his death in 1958, is now an INTACH-listed heritage building. Born in 1881, BP Wadia belonged to the famous Wadia family of shipbuilders from a village near Surat. Inspired by the Theosophical movement, Wadia had envisioned IIWC as a cosmopolitan cultural centre where books, arts and service thrived. Wadia’s involvement is said to have been so deep that people had often joked, "if North Bengaluru has the Tata Institute (IISc.,) the South has the Wadia Institute," says Honorary Secretary Arakali Venkatesh.

"IIWC regularly had literary giants as DV Gundappa, VK Gokak, Masti Venkatesh Iyengar and MV Krishna Rao as part of their cultural events and the library during the 1950s and 60s. Its rich history is being preserved for people. And we plan to have a year-long programme of events to mark its Platinum jubilee," adds Venkatesh. The institute’s huge 4000 sq.ft. public library houses nearly 1.5 lakh books which are lent out free of charge, apart from a reading room called Behanan’s Reference Library (named after Dr. KT Behanan who handed a huge collection of classics in 1963) that extends 400 periodicals in various languages. The auditorium hosts public lectures, art exhibitions, film shows, and music and dance recitals. "We have had 150 programmes in a year without a break almost since the inception," adds Venkatesh. Former Justice MN Venkatachalaiah, past president of the IIWC Executive Committee, had wished to update the infrastructure to suit contemporary needs. "He wanted an auditorium that holds nearly 750 people.

It is on our cards," says the present president VJ Prasad adding that IIWC’s first renovation was the Children’s library. "We have ergonomically designed reading stations created for children to enjoy the near 4000 titles we have, apart from reference books and encyclopedias," adds Prasad. From the IIWC library that started off in 1947 with 4,200 books and hundreds of people visiting, today the number has increased to nearly 40 times more. Public donations take care of the operating costs. "We have a modest budget of ?1.5 lakh a month, but work with higher ideals that the founder believed in," says Venkatesh. Speaking about the nostalgia the institute is associated with, paediatric surgeon Dr. Vijayalakshmi Balekundri, Vice President of the committee says, from governors and presidents to Nobel laureates as CV Raman, Ralph Bunche and Julian Huxley, nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha, scientist Vikram Sarabhai, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and the erstwhile royals Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar and Travancore Marthanda Varma had visited IIWC.

"The institute has been an epitome of economical functioning, but is generous in imparting culture," adds Vijayalakshmi. Reminiscing about his childhood who spent borrowing books from IIWC children’s library, businessman Ashish Krishnaswamy, a member of the executive committee says, "As a seven-year-old in the 1980’s I had the thrill of borrowing my first book with a library card. From all comics to Ruskin Bond and Jim Corbett’s amazing tales, the library not just offered books but had fun events to offer.

We plan to get this going permanently," says Ashish who has taken a keen interest in contributing funds and having the children’s library renovated.

The influence
BP Wadia joined the Bombay branch of the Theosophical Society in 1904, and shifted to its Madras branch in 1907. Wadia later worked in the Home Rule Movement along with Dr Annie Besant and George Arundale, which led him towards starting the first labour union in Indian history. Apart from attending conferences on trade union movement, he came into contact with United Lodge of Theosophists (ULT) founded by Robert Crosbie at the United States and worked for it. Thereafter he founded several ULTs in India and abroad along with his wife Sophia Wadia. "The institute shall remain a non-sectarian, non-governmental, private voluntary body to mainly promote inter-cultural exchanges," Wadia had declared.

- https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/indian-institute-of-world-culture/article29194573.ece, August 21, 2019

In an unprecedented move, the ruling BJP and opposition Congress leaders, besides the state government, on Monday separately celebrated the 111th birth anniversary of Tripura’s last king Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya (1923-1947). At the end of the 1,355-year rule by 184 kings, the erstwhile princely state of Tripura came under the control of the Indian government on October 15, 1949, after a merger agreement was signed between the regent Maharani Kanchan Prabha Devi and the Indian Governor General. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, along with the state Bharatiya Janata Party President, and Tripura Pradesh Congress President Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman, a scion of the royal family, described Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya as the "architect of modern Tripura".

Addressing an event organised by the BJP at the state party headquarters here, Deb said that the Maharaja showcased Tripura’s history, life, culture and literature for the entire world. "The BJP-led government would make Tripura a model state following the dream of the last king. We should all follow the vision of Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya," the Chief Minister said. At a separate cevent, Congress leader Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman said that Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya is the first important personality in India who visited the Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan in West Bengal and conferred the title of ‘Bharat Bhaskar’ on the Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore.

The celebrations held at the royal palace complex was organised by the Tripura chapter of thye Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) headed by Rajkumari Pragya Deb Burman, elder sister of Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman. The Tripura Chief Minister’s wife, Niti Deb, in her address at the INTACH function described Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya as an open-minded visionary king.

Agartala airport, which was built in 1942 by the then Tripura king Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, was renamed last year as a tribute to the the last ruler. The BJP-led government has organised many events over Sunday and Monday to celebrate the 111th birth anniversary of the former ruler. The previous Left Front government set up a state university named after the last king, who contributed a lot to enlarge the educational facilities in Tripura.

- https://thenortheasttoday.com/bjp-congress-mark-last-tripura-kings-111th-birth-anniversary/, August 21, 2019

The management and the staff of the Harvest Public School in Khammam felicitated the students who secured first place in State-level quiz competitions here on Thursday. At a programme conducted on school premises, School Correspondent Ravi Maruth congratulated the Class X students K Srikruthi and V Deekshitha who got first prize in State-level quiz competitions. The competitions were conducted in Hyderabad by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. Principal of the school Parvathi Reddy and other staff congratulated the students.

-https://thehansindia.com/telangana/harvest-students-secure-first-prize-in-intach-quiz-in-khammam-557281, August 22, 2019

While Dalit groups maintain that the Ravidas temple in Tughlaqabad was at least 500 years old, DDA vice-chairman Tarun Kapoor has said it was less than 70 years old. "The temple was built in the 1950s," he said. Ravidas was a mystic saint-poet of the Bhakti movement in the 15th-16th Century. At a protest on Wednesday against the demolition of the temple, Dalit groups said the temple was built in the 16th Century when Sikander Lodi, who ruled Delhi at the time, gifted the land to Sant Ravidas. An official from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) said that "there’s a possibility that Lodi gifted this land to Ravidas, but that does not mean the temple is from that century."

Historian Sohail Hashmi said that "if Lodi did gift the land, there would be a farman and that needs to be checked". He added, "There are several temples on government land, a whole village has encroached upon a protected monument, that is, Tughlaqabad Fort… why has no action been taken in those cases?" An Archaeological Survey of India official meanwhile said that the temple "was not an ASI-protected monument… the main clause of being an ASI-protected monument is the age of the structure". Vikas Maloo, head of office, Department of Archaeology, said, "The temple was not listed as a heritage site and is not protected by this department." As per a member of INTACH, "the temple was not a part of the listing of heritage structures done by INTACH".

- https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/just-how-old-is-the-ravidas-temple-devotees-and-dda-differ-5928766/, August 22, 2019

France and the United Nations called Thursday for the protection of the fire-plagued Amazon rainforest as Brazil's right-wing president blamed NGOs for promoting an "environmental psychosis" to damage the country's interests. "In the midst of the global climate crisis, we cannot afford more damage to a major source of oxygen and biodiversity," he said on Twitter.

"The Amazon must be protected." France's President Emmanuel Macron said the wildfires were "an international crisis" and called on the globe's most industrialized nations to address it at their summit this weekend. Official figures show nearly 73,000 forest fires were recorded in Brazil in the first eight months of the year -- the highest number for any year since 2013.

Most were in the Amazon. The extent of the area damaged by fires has yet to be determined, but smoke has choked Sao Paulo and several other Brazilian cities in the past week. "Our house is on fire. Literally. The Amazon, the lung of our planet which produces 20 percent of our oxygen is burning," Macron said on Twitter. "It is an international crisis. Members of the G7, let's talk in two days about this emergency."

Neighboring Peru, which contains much of the Amazon basin, announced it was "on alert" for wildfires spreading from the rainforest in Brazil and Bolivia. Paraguay and Bolivia are battling separate wildfires that have devastated large areas of their rainforests. Environmental specialists say the fires have accompanied a rapid rate of deforestation in the Amazon region, which in July quadrupled compared to the same month in 2018, according to data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

President Jair Bolsonaro instead attributes the fires to increased drought, and accuses environmental groups and NGOs of whipping up an "environmental psychosis" to harm Brazil's economic interests. "This environmental psychosis lets you do nothing," the president lamented, adding that it was hampering the country's development. "I don't want to finish the environment, I want to save Brazil," said Bolsonaro, a climate change skeptic who had advocated opening up tribal lands and protected areas to farming and mining interests since assuming office in January. Bolsonaro's comments come as Brazil hosts a UN regional meeting on climate change in the northeastern city of Salvador ahead of December's summit in Chile. A senior Brazilian official defended Brazil's environmental policy at the conference and said it complied with the Paris Agreement against global warming. "We are teaching the world how to produce. In only 29 percent of our territory we produce food for everyone. "Worldwide, the average land use for agriculture exceeds 50 percent -- we only use 29 percent," said Roberto Castelo, an environment ministry official who was roundly booed by greens at the conference.

"I do not defend the burnings, because there always was and always will be burnings. Unfortunately, this has always happened in the Amazon," Bolsonaro said, referring to dry season, land-clearing fires. "But accusing me of being a Captain Nero setting fire to things is irresponsible. It is campaigning against Brazil," the president told reporters outside his Brasilia residence. The reference to Captain Nero appeared to be to the Roman emperor said to have fiddled while Rome burned. Bolsonaro is a former army captain. Forest fires tend to intensify during the dry season, which usually ends in late October or early November, as land is cleared to make way for crops or Grazing.

"Just think, if the world begins imposing trade barriers, our agribusiness will fall, we will start to go backwards, the economy will start to get worse – your life, the lives of newspaper editors, television owners, the lives of all Brazilians will be complicated, without exception. The press is committing suicide," Bolsonaro said.

However, there are signs of growing concern from within the powerful agribusiness sector over Bolsonaro's environmental isolationism. The governors of Brazil's Amazon states have also criticized the government for recent decisions by Germany and Norway to suspend Amazon aid projects. "This week two big German media outlets expressed the idea that it was time to start boycotting Brazilian products. It's only a matter of time," Marcello Brito, head of the Brazilian Agribusiness Association, told the Valor daily. "The question is, who is interested in transforming Brazil into an environmental pariah," he asked. "We cannot change the president of the republic. What our sector can do is work, in a unified way, to try to reverse the damage as much as possible".

- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/amazon-wildfires-represent-an-international-crisis-macron/articleshow/70797153.cms, August 23, 2019

The district-level INTACH Heritage Quiz-2019 was conducted at SV Engineering College in Suryapet for schoolchildren on theme "Indian Arts and Cultural Heritage" on Monday. The quiz was conducted by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Telangana chapter in Suryapet with the support of heritage activists of Suryapet district. INTACH co-convener P Anuradha Reddy explained the theme of the quiz to the participants. As many as 150 enthusiastic students from 15 schools participated, of which, three teams have been shortlisted for the State-level quiz to be held in Hyderabad soon. KRR Government Degree College Associate Professor in History Nomula Venkateswarlu acted as quiz master. The students of Teja Vidyalaya, Pavan and Vishnu, secured first place, followed by Balanitya and Sahiti. Prizes were given away by Anuradha Reddy and V Somi Reddy. The organisers have informed that the selected students would participate in the State-level competitions at Salarjung Museum in Hyderabad to be held soon. National-level competitions would be held at INTACH headquarters in New Delhi at a later date.

- https://www.thehansindia.com/telangana/intach-quiz-in-suryapet-concludes-558449, August 26, 2019

District level quiz competitions for school students in Indian Arts , history and cultural heritage is conducted at NG College , Nalgonda on Saturday INTACH Telanagana Chapter hosted the competition with the help of NG College History Department,Telangana Retired Schools Management Association and various NGOs. The programme was presided by M V Gona Reddy. ZP chairman Banda Narender Reddy attended the programme as chief guest. INTACH Telanagana Chapter co-convenor Anuradha Reddy told the gathering about their activities.The quiz programme was conducted innovatively by V Somireddy, heritage activist. Prizes were distributed to all who answered questions, including audience. The winning team was offered cycles by the Excise superintendent Shanker Naik, whereas books were presented by Gona Reddy. In this programme college lecturers Muneer, Durgaprasad, TRSMA leaders Ananta Reddy and Prabhaker Reddy participated. As many as 120 students from 30 schools participated in the competition, out which 6 teams were selected for the quiz contest. St Alphonsus Team stood first , followed by Mount Litera Zee School in 2nd position and Vidya Peeth , Narketpally in 3rd position. Students, teachers and parents have expressed their utmost satisfaction about the conduct of the Quiz.

- https://thehansindia.com/telangana/120-students-participate-in-quize-contest-on-history-art-557975, August 26, 2019

In order to renovate and protect the heritage property of Assamese writer Sahityarthi Lakshminath Bezbaruah at Sambalpur, the Government of Assam has agreed to bear the entire cost of the project while releasing Rs 50 lakh as the first instalment. The Bezbaruah Kothi, now a dilapidated house on the banks of river Mahanadi in Sambalpur city where Bezbaruah had stayed from 1917 to 1932, needs total repair and maintenance. Assam Culture Affairs Secretary Preetom Saikia has informed the Odisha Department of Culture about the latest decision of the Assam Government t hat it will bear the entire cost of renovation of the property. Notably, when the Sambalpur district administration had made a move to demolish the property to allow a new road in the area, a hue and cry was raised by the Sahityarthi Lakshminath Bezbaruah Smriti Raksha Samiti and other cultural organisations. Members of the Samiti in a delegation met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the State Government decided to preserve the property. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal talked to Patnaik and appreciated the Odisha Government’s decision. Patnaik has asked the INTACH to undertake the preservation assignment, to which the latter has agreed. The INTACH would come up with a detailed project report (DPR) for the purpose.

- https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/state-editions/assam-to-meet-bezbaruah-kothi-repair-cost.html, August 26, 2019

In the past four decades, Pallavaram, one of the oldest Paleolithic sites in Asia, has shed the tag of a quiet little locality, predominantly comprising farmland. It is now a bustling neighbourhood with many restaurants and shops. Originally known as Pallava Puram, the locality comprised Isa Pallavaram, Cantonment, Zamin Pallavaram and Old Pallavaram. According to residents, even four decades ago, the locality was more developed than Tambaram, thanks to the Cantonment area. Old-timers recall an era when the locality was known for its greenery. "Both sides of the GST Road were dotted with trees. People used to sell mangoes, tamarind and buttermilk, set up cycle repair shops under the shade. It was a pleasant experience to walk on the road. It was very easy to cross the road as there were very few vehicles and no median," reminiscences V. Santhanam, a social activist. The Friday Market or the Sandhai, a feature since the 1800s, is still famous in the locality. "It was initially Maatu Sandhai and lot of people used to come here. Over 3,000 vendors set up shop. It is held in the Cantonment limits," explains an official from the Pallavaram Muncipality.Pallavaram was also known for its large Anglo-Indian population, with many members working in the Railways. Walton Narcis, an 85-year-old Anglo-Indian who came to Tambaram in 1940, says that he used to visit his friends in Veteran Lines, an Anglo-Indian colony in Pallavaram."There used to be bungalows and it used to be lively with music and parties. Now many from the community have moved away. Pallavaram mostly comprised empty land. I remember seeing the Pammal-Pozhichalur route," he recalls.

Better connectivity

The locality began witnessing development, especially in the real estate sector, with the improvement in connectivity in the mid-70s. "There were a lot of farmlands till the 1970s, even along GST Road. Now a majority of them have disappeared. The pace of development picked up after 1980s when GST Road was made four-lane," adds Mr. Santhanam.Residents also recall how there were over half a dozen waterbodies in the locality. "The water from the Pallavaram Eri used to touch the tracks. Now most of them have been wiped out due to encroachments. The Pallavaram Eri has been cut across by the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Road," says Mr. Santhanam.Glenn Daniels of Mariamman Koil Street, whose family has been living in Pallavaram for more than a century, says there has been a boom in residential colonies in the last two decades. "This is mainly due to the improvement in water supply. In the late 90s it was difficult to get water," he says.

Long struggle

However, basic amenities did not come to Pallavaram easily. Till 1968, there were no residents' welfare associations in the locality. After many petitions and struggle they managed to get underground drainage, MIT Bridge, Palar drinking water and educational institutions."In 1986, local body elections were held to Pallavaram Muncipality. After this amenities started improving. We now have a foot overbridge with escalators, schools, colleges and hospitals that were not present earlier. However, we have lost the greenery and waterbodies," adds Mr. Santhanam. Civic officials claim that a lot more development is in store for Pallavaram. "Shopping complexes are coming up. We are also desilting the lakes and will introduce boating in a few of them," says an official. On their part, residents remain hopeful of a merger with Chennai Corporation and extension of the Metro to the locality. I have been living in Pallavaram since 1931. The place holds a special place in my heart. As a the retired railway employee, I have seen the locality change from an area full of fields to a bustling commercial area like T. Nagar, especially in the last five years.As far as my memory goes, Pallavaram was the only place that had some form of development after one left Saidapet in the city. Chromepet grew after Chrome Leather Factory was set up. Beyond this there was nothing in the early days.The pace of development increased from the 60s after connectivity improved. Initially, we had one private bus operating till Broadway. The first Pallavan transport bus, present day MTC, to be introduced was route 52A. In the early 80s, the number of buses increased and there was rapid development. Earlier, there used to be a waterbody called Neteri, near the Pallavaram hill. It was 6-ft. deep. While returning from work, I used to walk past the waterbody until a few decades ago. It has now disappeared.The locality was peaceful. Crime was not common here. The village munsif was everything. People used to respect him a lot. There were also very few schools in the area. I went to Saidapet for my schooling during those days. Now there are many schools.I guess more changes will come in the future.

Today's Picks

Chennai Heritage: Madras Musings Lecture - Vikram Doctor on Ten Iconic Food Books from Madras, Radisson Blu, 6.30 p.m. British Council Chennai Library: Human Library, Anna Salai, 11.30 a.m.

INTACH: Heritage Walk of Dhenupurishwarar Temple, Madambakkam, 6.45 a.m. Madrasafactinam: XQuizit Madras quiz programme, Foundzone, Kasi Arcade, T. Nagar, 2 p.m. Chennai Storytelling Association: 10th Annual Living Statues of Marina Beach, Kannagi Statue, Kamarajar Salai, 7.30 a.m

- https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/from-a-paleolithic-site-to-a-bustling-locality/article29266309.ece, August 26, 2019

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has made a sort of record by declaring as many as 10 monuments of national importance in the last one year itself. These include four important temples-one each in Jammu and Kashmir and Odisha and two in Uttarakhand, taking the total tally of monuments under its protection umbrella to 3,697. The "national importance" tag puts the sites on the world tourism map, and ensure them regular fund for conservation, preservation and maintenance by the ASI on priority basis, as per archaeological norms. Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have the highest number of sites maintained by the country’s premier conservation body, an autonomous organization under the Union Culture Ministry. Excavated by the ASI way back in 1950s, Jagatgram village, the 2,000-year-old site in Dehradun is associated with the ancient practice of horse sacrifice or the ritual of Ashvamedha. It been now declared a monument of ‘national importance’. An official in the ASI said the site known as Jagatgram has remains of three fire altars where the horse sacrifices were presumably conducted. The excavated remains of the three fire altars here reveal that they were built in the eagle-shaped Syena Chiti form, where the bird is depicted with its wings spread. According to experts, such altars are extremely rare. Similarly, the 12th-century old Janardhanagudi temple in Kerala’s Wayanad has been recently been given national tag. An artist’s delight, the temple’s huge stone pillars have nearly 300 intricate and elaborate carvings, 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’. Yet another monument is an ancient complex housing ruins of over 52 temples in the twin villages of Ranipur-Jharial in Odisha’s Balangir district. The site has a famous shrine known as Chausathi Yogini temple showcasing 64 yoginis in various dancing poses, which is already a centrally protected monument. Dating back to the 9th/10th century AD, pertaining to the reign of Somavanshi Keshari kings, the plethora of temples showcase cults such as Shaivism, Buddhism, Vaisnavism and Tantrism. Two Mughal-era structures - Haveli of Agah Khan and Hathi Khana, both located on the eastern side of Taj Mahal- have been declared as ‘monuments of national importance.’ Largely in a state of dilapidation, the 11th-12th Century old Buddhist monastery Wanla Gompa housing 16-feet-high statue of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva (prospective or future Buddha) on lotus pedestal, in the cold deserts of Ladakh’s Wanla village too have been brought under the ASI fold. The Ministry has notified these structures as protected monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR), 1958.

- https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/india/asi-lists-10-monuments-of-national-importance.html, August 26, 2019

The renovation of the century-old Victoria Town Hall in the city has missed the deadline of March ostensibly due to delay in release of funds though the work was taken up in 2017. Following decision to renovate the structure of British era, the Tourism department sanctioned Rs 1.44 crore and the amount deposited with the office of Sambalpur Collector. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) started the work in May, 2017. While INTACH’s Sambalpur Chapter member Deepak Panda blamed the delay in release of funds for the slow progress, Project Director, DRDA Sukant Tripathy said the amount could not be released by the Collector’s office due to the elections this year.However, a bill submitted in February was cleared recently. Panda said they have now set a target to complete the work by December this year. The roof of the historical building has been repaired and plastering of the inner wall completed. "The interior designing of the building is underway. A museum will be developed in the hall after the renovation. INTACH will provide support for development of the museum where tradition and history of the region will be exhibited," Panda said. The foundation stone of Victoria Town Hall was laid in 1902 and the then Chief Commissioner of Central Province JP Hewety had inaugurated the building in 1904. The then Superintendent Engineer of Central Province JB Leven Thorpey had prepared the design of the building. The British Government had decided to construct buildings in the memory of Queen Victoria after she died in 1901 and name those in her name in all district headquarters of India including Sambalpur. An amount of Rs 9,417 had been contributed by the kings, zamindars and businessmen of the region for construction of the building.

WORK DELAY

Renovation delayed due to release of funds even though the work was taken up in 2017 Tourism department sanctioned Rs 1.44 crore for the work but a bill submitted for the work was cleared recently

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2019/aug/27/sambalpurs-victoria-hall-gets-new-deadline-for-renovation-2024920.html, August 27, 2019

As part of generating awareness and driving home the importance of conservation of heritage structures in the city, the Hyderabad Heritage Trust (HHT) has decided to take up clean up drive of the heritage sites, particularly those which are facing neglect. Initially, the volunteers who received permission from the State government will be taking up the programme at Hillfort palace located at Naubat Pahad and owned by the State government. Speaking to The Hans India, Deepak Kant Gir, Founder and Managing Trustee of HHT, said that following continues efforts and constant connect with the government officials in this endeavor, the first of its kind initiative by the HHT received permission. "It has taken for a while, but it's the first step for new beginning and Chief Secretary was progressive on this front and he did not hesitate to provide access. Clean up is the first step and later the Trust aims to carryout efforts for comprehensive conservation of the entire palace, which is expensive and time-consuming assignment," he said. The magnificent European style palace was built by Sir Nizamat Jung, one of the Ministers under Nizam in 1915, on five acres of land. Later, the property was sold to Nizam and was allotted to Prince Moazzam Jah. From 1997 the building remained completely under government control, different proposals came forward for restoring the past glory, but none of them materialized. Advertise With Us About cleaning programme Deepak Gir informed that that there was lot of wild growth of vegetation in the forecourt and lot of debris inside. "We will do as much as in a day. But the idea remains that the effort has to start somewhere, and Hyderabad's citizens have to step forward and volunteer to do this. Otherwise there is steady deterioration of these buildings." He feels that the unified efforts from denizens can prompt the State government to prioritize about the conservation of heritage structures like this, so that it can contribute to tourism. "Once we effectively demonstrate that Civic society can do something along with the government, then it can pave way for us to get even more opportunities in terms of conserving the palace and eventually turning into something which is worthwhile and connect with the people of Hyderabad. We would hope that this palace is turned up into a 'cultural hub of Hyderabad' and should be open to general public," he added. As part of these efforts, the HHT is also seeking crowd funding and requested the general public to support the cause through donations to enable the volunteers execute the cleanup drive.

- https://www.thehansindia.com/news/cities/hyderabad/hyderabad-heritage-trust-initiates-clean-up-drive-of-heritage-sites-558919, August 27, 2019

The Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) conducted a quiz test on the topic of "Culture and Heritage" here on Wednesday at MGN Adharsh Nagar. A total of 230 students from 29 schools of the city participated. Diparva Lakra, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, who is also member of the INTACH, was the chief guest on the occasion. He said such competitions should be conducted regularly to make students familiar with their rich heritage and culture. Maj-Gen Balwinder Singh, VSM (retd), convener, Jalandhar INTACH, and Member of Governing council of India briefed the participants about the purpose of quiz contest.

- https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jalandhar/3-restaurants-challaned/824511.html, August 28, 2019

Himalaya Public School, Sector-7, Rohini organised a mega inter-school event titled Futurama. Many schools took part in the event on the theme of futuristic development. The school wore a festive look. An array of contests was organised concerning the fields of Psychology, Stem education and 3 Dexter. These contests were further subdivided into various segments viz. psycho hub consisting of psychic fables, poster making, rhetoric junction, computational thinking, artificial intelligence. A street play contest was also held. The contestants from different schools participated in this event enthusiastically. Students displayed models at an exhibition. Principals of area schools and deputy director of education (NW B) Shashi Bala Saini also graced the occasion. She congratulated the students and teachers on their efforts. She appreciated the intellectual endeavour of the school. The occasion was also graced by chairperson Pushpa Gupta and academic director Ritu Bansal. Bansal appreciated the efforts of the school and emphasised that the endeavours were directed towards building a promising future. HOS Aruna Sivaraj and school director Capt VK Verma highlighted the need of developing scientific temper among students and said Futurama was a step in this direction.

Investiture Ceremony

Jain Bharati Mrigavati Vidyalaya, GTK Road, entrusted responsibilities to the newly appointed prefectorial board at an investiture ceremony. A green welcome was accorded to NK Jain, Vidyalaya chairman; DK Jain Vidyalaya co-chairman; and SK Jain, IPS, retired DGP Meghalaya; Devika Dutt, principal, DAV Public School, Khera Khurd and Budhpur; Kavita Jain and alumni Niharika and Rushali. The lighting of lamp was followed by Namokar Mahamantra, classical dance and the sash and flag ceremony. Vidyalaya principal Anupma Bhardwaj administered oaths to the prefectorial body. Meritorious students were felicitated with scholarships. In his address, SK Jain exhorted students to take inspiration from those who were being felicitated. The newly appointed head boy Rudra proposed the vote of thanks.

Helping Others

Arvind Gupta DAV Centenary Public School, Model Town, donated clothes, old books, stationery, toys and shoes to school helpers and underprivileged people. To inculcate the feeling of sharing and giving and making others happy, children were asked earlier to bring old clothes in good condition. The day started with the distribution of old clothes and other materials to school helpers. The maids, security guards and gardeners blessed the students. The teachers then accompanied them to a nearby slum area where they distributed clothes to the underprivileged. Teachers had told students that old and unused clothes in their wardrobes could be useful to someone. The clothes donated by them could save people from the scorching sun and chilling winters. The clothes could make someone happy. The little ones shared their experiences with family members. Principal Mala Sood and supervisory head Sonu Sahni appreciated the efforts of the children and the staff.

Mission Green

Darshan Academy, Kirpal Bagh, celebrated Mission Green on its premises. It was part of the Van Mahotsava, which started as a movement to save mother earth. The title Van Mahotsava means "the festival of trees." It is rightly said that trees are the kindest things we grow. The student brought saplings. Students of primary and secondary sections put up posters and conducted activities at morning assemblies. All the students from pre-primary, primary and secondary wings took part in the tree plantation programme. The principal appealed to students to plant trees and nurture them. He said, "Today we have such greenery around us because we planted them and took care of them. If it is not maintained and more trees are not planted in and around our place, our future generations will suffer. So let us contribute to society by planting plants and trees."

Academic Achievers Honoured

Abhinav Public School, CU-Block, Pitampura, honoured academic achievers at its annual prize distribution ceremony. The ceremony began with the lightning of lamp by chief guest Narendra Passi, development department, govt of India and school chairman Amar Aggarwal. The chief guest, the principal and the director gave away certificates and trophies to meritorious students. It was an endeavour to award students for their achievements in scholastic and co-scholastic areas. The chief guest also sang a song which motivated the students. The parents, teachers and the students encouraged the winners with applause as they walked up to the stage to collect prizes. Cultural items such as dance performances, skits, choir performances were key attractions. The chief guest applauded the efforts of the prize winners and urged students to follow the path of righteousness and work diligently.

Inter House Hindi Extempore

DAV Public School, NTPC Faridabad, organised an inter-house Hindi extempore competition to provide students a platform for self-expression. Students of all the four houses participated in the competition. They students were judged on the basis of content, pronunciation and confidence. Lakshmi of Class 10 and Anu of Class 9 expressed their views on Bastey Ke Bhari Bojh (the burden of heavy school bags) and Chandrayaan respectively. Principal Alka Arora praised the efforts of the organiser senior Hindi teacher Jitender Dutt and congratulated the students on their performances. Samveda house emerged as the winner.

Way To The Stage

The students of DL DAV Model School, Shalimar Bagh, participated in a programme titled Way To The Stage. Students presented songs and dances. They also presented street plays on the Pulwama attack and Return of Wing Commander Abhinandan from Pakistan. The progamme left everyone spellbound. Principal Reena Rajpal motivated children to become confident orators.

Investiture Ceremony

The Mann School, Delhi, held an investiture ceremony. Deserving students were given the responsibility of leading the school. The principal, housemasters and wardens pinned badges on the new appointees. The oath of office was administered to the new school captain Mrinank Prashar and other appointees. The principal congratulated the new office-bearers and urged them to be impartial and honest in discharging their duties. He also exhorted them to be true sportspersons and uphold the values of the school. Rukmini Devi Public School, Pitampura, organised an inter-school IT symposium Digilogous 6.0 to provide students with a platform to exhibit their technical skills. It was attended by more than 1,000 students from over 50 schools. The ceremony began with Ganesh Vandana by the school choir. Principal Anjali Kotnala emphasised that technology is the bedrock of modern civilisation. The event encompassed 15 different competitions for different age groups. All the competitions, viz, senior and junior quiz, Cinephonic, robotics, gaming, debate, to name a few, got an enthusiastic response. The competitions were fierce and fair. Another noteworthy feature was the junior and senior school quiz hosted by the Kunal Savarkar from Xpress Minds Edutainment, which has conducted the INTACH India Heritage Quiz and the Sweden-India Nobel Memorial Quiz. The director and the principal handed over the rolling trophy to the winners, DPS, Rohini. The chief guest congratulated the participants for displaying exceptional aptitudes and encouraged them to consider pursuing careers in IT. He appreciated the school for organising a competition that allowed students to brainstorm and innovate.

- https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/himalaya-public-school-delhi-hosts-inter-school-futurama/story-6CULuou8EnLjeETwaj7r8I.html, August 28, 2019

The site has been dated between 400 and 800 BC. The excavation was carried out by the ASI’s Nagpur branch. The Archaeological Survey of India has unearthed traces of a 2,500-year-old settlement in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha district, dating back to early Iron Age. As part of the findings, a bead manufacturing unit, iron equipment, pottery, hearths, storage bins and carbonised fruits and animal remains have been unearthed. What makes the findings significant is that this is the first indication of any habitation in Western Vidarbha. The site has been dated between 400 and 800BC, and samples for AMS charcoal dating have been sent to laboratories in Delhi. The excavation was carried out by the ASI’s Nagpur branch, by a team led by superintending archaeologist D Nihildas N. Initial explorations at the site started in 2018. Nihildas says that earlier excavations at various sites at Eastern Vidarbha have conclusively proved habitation during the Iron Age. "This excavation at Vidarbha’s Phupgaon in the Western region along the Poorna river, a tributary of the Tapti river, has provided possible answers to whether there were settlement in the Eastern side of the Poorna Valley," he said

CRUCIAL ANSWERS

This also provides answers to the question whether early settlers along the Poorna river crossed it to live on the other side, a search that has piqued the interest of several archaeologists, geologists, and even Palaeontologists, he said. Excavations in Vidarbha had been carried out since the 1960s. The site is situated about 20 metre above the river bed and is a spot where frequent erosions took place earlier. The total area of 770 square meters was excavated during 2018-19 and nine trenches were excavated. "The ancient mound at Phupgaon is of 150 m in North-South and 130 m in East and West direction. This site is represented with microliths and middle Palaeolithic tools on the virgin deposit, above which Iron Age habitation was exposed," a report prepared by the ASI states. Among the findings are beads of shell, steatite and semi-precious stones like agate, jasper, quartz, sodalite and carnelian found in a variety of materials and shapes. Apart from this few microliths, bone objects like combs, stone objects like pestle and quern, as well as bead polishers and skin rubbers have been found. "In all, 400 finished and unfinished beads have been unearthed, with evidence of procurement, processing and shaping of these beads. This indicates that the area had a bead-manufacturing unit," said Nihaldas. Beads of semi-precious stones like carnelians, quartz, chalcedony, chert, agate and lapis-lazuli were found at the site.

LATER STAGE IRON AGE

A deposit of later stage Iron Age objects, such as glass bangles, moulds and querns belonging to the Early Historic period. Iron equipments like pestles, chisels, sickles, nails, axes, daggers, knives; copper objects such as bangles, rings, blade and terracotta spindles whorls and hopscotches have been found. Different floors with storage bin platforms with a thick plastering of burnt clay with grass and straw impressions, seven cooking hearths, and circular structures with postholes have also been found. Nihaldas says that unlike other Iron Age sites such as Hastinapur and Harappa, Phupgaon points at a homogenous cultural sequence of Early Iron Age period. Pottery consisting of bowls, dishes and small, globular pots made of red slipped ware, red burnished ware, black-and-red ware, black burnished ware and micaceous redware have been unearthed. In addition to that, charred macro-remains, including wood charcoal, fruits and seeds and animals remains have been found. The animal remains point at the existence of animals like cow, buffalo, sheep, goat, pig, dog, Nilgai, spotted deer, Sambar, blackbuck, wild pig, hare, porcupine, mongoose, field rat, peafowl, common crane, common teal, duck, three species of turtles and freshwater molluscan shells.

- https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/archaeologists-find-2-500-year-old-iron-age-bead-making-unit-in-vidarbha/story-SOO08eWzVbEsQgPdBSW3BI.html, August 28, 2019

Wahengbam Pathou

Contd from previous issue

11. The geomorphology of the Manipur valley profile shows gradual sloping in elevation from west to east direction on one hand and north to south direction on the other. And there is credible evidence to arrive at an understanding that abandoned river course/channel runs from Singda to Sugnoo. The abandoned river channel found running extending from Singda to Sugnoo, though there is intermittent breaks, indicates that there was a river course (probably of the Imphal river) at the western foothills of the valley before shifting its course to the present nearer to the eastern side of the valley due to the tectonic effect uplifting the southwestern and western hills. The present cross-sectional and longitudinal profile of the valley shows slopping west to east as well as north to south with an exception at the south-western corner being more elevated resulting to the centrifugal drainage pattern of the Khuga river system also suggests the above tectonic effect. 12. Napachik corded ware is dated 1450 B.C. which is about the time of late Harappa phase. By implication, the state of human advancement in Manipur was still in Neolithic age while Bronze age was had reached zenith and decline in the Indus valley. Corded ware is defined as potsherd having the impression of cords which, in turn, mean thread or rope made from fibre derived from vine creepers or bark of plant, on the surface. Corded ware is handmade pottery which was, in use, before the invention of potter’s wheel. Evolution or development of culture of one region may not be simultaneous with another region, so the Napachik site of Neolithic culture was of Stone Age and while Indus Valley civilization was of Metal Age, though these are of almost the same time depth. And Napachik site pottery was handmade corded ware, in the Indus valley wheel made pots were found.

13. Because Manipur is located in active seismic zone, it is quite possible that the course of Manipur river shifted from west to east direction in due course of time and Neolithic people of Napachik might not have resided at a river bank when its Neolithic culture flourished. Because of the eastward shift of the Manipur river, the Neolithic dwellers of the place might have abandoned the site to move northwards to Laimanai area then to Phunan. When Neolithic people of Napachik inhabited at the site, it appears as though the present Manipur river might not have existed at the present site in question. In all likelihood, it seems probable that the abandonment of the Neolithic site of Napachik by the people might have been due to the sudden shifting the Manipur river towards the site. The stratigraphic soil profile of the Napachik Neolithic site particularly of the top three layers which are of riverine environment suggests the probability of shifting the present Imphal river after the settlement by the Neolithic people at the site and thereafter the people abandoned the site probably towards north.

14. Porcelain finds were reported at Luwangching, Sekta, Mongjam and Kangla. A winged horse encrypted in the porcelain was discovered in Kangla 2007 and Sekta 1994. Is there a need for further study whether it is comparable to Samudon Ayangba of Meitei lore? (Added for reader’s knowledge, not originally part of the question - one needs to bear in mind porcelains were invented by the Chinese and porcelain technology remained known to them for a long period of time and parts of Southeast Asia like today’s Manipur and South India like mainland India did not have an inkling of porcelain technology for a pretty long time because there was no transmission or to crudely speaking, there was no smuggling of technology.) The porcelain decorated with the picture of flying or running horse from Kangla and Sekta archeological sites reveal interesting problem to study further to correlate with the Samudon Ayangba of Meitei lore.

15. How does O.K. Singh’s projection differ from that of A.K. Sharma with respect to Sekta archaeological finds? Admittedly, Sekta was said to be not within the fold of the Meiteis. As you yourselg emphasized during the corse of the interview earlier, burial or disposal of the death can never be beyond the religious faith embraced by a community the people who resided in the site. The main differences of opinion between A.K.Sharma and my self (O.K.Singh) are on two points: the first is regarding the wheel made pottery and the second one is on the orientation of the skull in the burial.

According to Sharma wheel made pottery was used by the Sekta people earlier and this technique disappeared later. But he failed to illustration support of his view; the mark as he claimed to be of wheel made is quite similar to the marks produced by the modern potters in Manipur in making handmade pottery. Rather, wheel made pottery appeared later in the historic period of Manipur as evident from the archaeological finds from Kangla and Kanchipur sites. Regarding the orientation of the skull, Sharma said that the skull faces always south-west in the burial at Sekta, but it is not so as evident from my excavation of the site in 1994 (A Report on the 1994 excavation of Sekta, Manipur, published in 1997 by the State Archaeology, Govt, of Manipur).

16. Dutch linguist George van Driem writing in the Journal of Indo Pacific Prehistory suggests of an entry of Western Tibeto-Burman people from Sichuan of China towards Northeast India introducing the Neolithic technology. Given that the Kashmir Neolithic culture is comparable with that of Chinese Neolithic in and around 2000 B.C., please elaborate on this account. It is generally accepted that majority of the indigenous population in northeast India speak a language of the Tibeto-Burman. George van Driem, a renowned linguist, suggested that Sichuan of China was the homeland of the Tibeto-Burman languages and Western Tibeto-Burman was the first branch splitted from there and introduced early Neolithic technologies into northeastern India. Supporting to this hypothesis the Neolithic culture in northeast India, particularly of Manipur has close affinity to the late Chinese neolithic culture. Tripod ware in particular found at Napachik and Laimanai Neolithic sites of Manipur must be the Chinese origin. Besides the tripod ware, the ground and polished stone tools having rectilinear section also had similarity with the Chinese tool type. Tripod ware was never an artifact component of Indian Neolithic culture, this is an exception in Manipur.

17. Tripod ware culture is of Chinese origin during the Neolithic age present in Yangshao culture, Lungshanoid culture among others. One does not come across evidence of tripod ware culture during the Neolithic age in India except Manipur. In some parts of India tripod ware was found during the late cultural phase probably during metal age. Does this suggest introduction of tripod ware culture into Manipur from China?

It is the same as above.

18. Destruction of Kangla pottery in 2007 by sending heavy machinery such as earth movers and diggers will be recorded as one of deplorable and lamentable loss of archaeological heritage. How much of the Kangla still remain undisturbed at present which can be excavated? Kangla is a very important archaeological site, considering its importance the Government of Manipur declared the site as protected under the Manipur Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1976. Unfortunate part is that while development works had taken up in this protected site by the State Government no body in the authority seems to have considered the do’s and don’ts provisions enshrined in the Act under which the site is protected. Under such circumstances the Kangla is now miserably damaged. The archaeological relics unearthed by using the heavy machine had destroyed the archaeological evidences beyond repairable leading to a great lost to our past cultural heritage. This site is one of the best archaeological sites for the reconstruction of Manipur’s Proto-history. Now in my opinion there is no place remained undisturbed inside Kangla.

- https://www.thesangaiexpress.com/Encyc/2019/8/28/11-The-geomorphology-of-the-Manipur-valley-profile-shows-gradual-sloping-in-elevation-from-west-to-east-direction-on-one-hand-and-north-to-south-direction-on-the-other-And-there-is-credible-evidenc.html, August 28, 2019

The INTACH Heritage Quiz 2019, which is said to be the nation’s biggest quiz competition for school children, was organized by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Nagaland Chapter on August 29 at Don Bosco Institute for Development and Leadership, River belt Colony, Dimapur. A press release issued by Sentila Yanger, State Convener, INTACH Nagaland chapter stated that thirty one teams from the following schools: Christian Higher Secondary School; Ram Janki Higher Secondary School; Delhi Public School; The Maple Tree School; Charis High Academy; Hollotoli School and Cornerstone Higher Secondary School participated in the Quiz competition. The Winning team that emerged from the two levels of competition held on written and oral rounds were Ikusa Yeptho and Shlok Mundhra both Class 10 students of Hollotoli School, Purana Bazaar, Dimapur. "The Team will represent Nagaland and their school at the Regional Round in Guwahati and if successful to the Nationals at New Delhi," the release said.

- https://www.morungexpress.com/intach-nagaland-organizes-quiz-competition, August 29, 2019

A new book series on multiple Indian cities created by INTACH and Speaking Tiger hopes to discuss heritage with young readers. Here's how the Mumbai version fared with a fourth-grader we invited for review. What’s so special about Mumbai?" Raju asks his elder brother Raghu Dada. "Everything! ... It is jhakaas," he replies. Raju was led to the question because on his first day in class 4, his teacher Miss Pinto asked if any student had visited the Elephanta Caves. None had. And when she asked if anyone had been to Horniman Gardens, she received the same answer. So, Miss Pinto’s next project for the class was to get them to visit as many places in the city as possible. Fortunately for Raju, Raghu Dada was a tour guide who not only knew Dharavi, where they lived, but the city as a whole. And thus begins the adventure in Off We Go! To Mumbai, To Mumbai, part of a series released this month, created by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Speaking Tiger. Versions for Delhi and Kolkata are available, too. Authored by Arthy Muthanna Singh and Mamta Nainy, the title carries illustrations by Zainab Tambawalla. Eager to discover the city and an avid reader herself, we got nine-year-old Rishona Banerjea who studies in class 4 at Bombay Scottish School to review it. "I read books for at least two hours a day and can’t sleep without reading. My favourite authors are Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton," she shares. After reading the nearly 50-pager over two nights after school, she says that the primary aim of the book is to educate children about the city of Mumbai in an interesting way. "I haven’t come across anything like this and have been wanting to read something that talks about Indian cities in a child-friendly manner," she adds. Through the young protagonist Raju, the book explores not just the history of Mumbai but also its idiosyncrasies like Bambaiyya Hindi, which Banerjea thoroughly enjoyed —jhakaas, ulta-pulta, dhinchak —and captures the essence of communities that this city harbours. While Raghu Dada takes his brother from Malabar Hill to Mahalaxmi’s Dhobi Ghat, Freny Aunty (Miss Pinto’s friend) invites the class to her home in Dadar Parsi Colony. As much as it was an adventure for Raju, it was also one for Banerjea. "I only knew about limited places like Juhu Beach and Mount Mary’s (the basilica). After reading this, I feel like there is so much more to know and so many places to visit in Mumbai. I was shocked to learn about Ranwar village in the middle of Bandra and I have been staying in Bandra for over five years," she says, adding that the colourful illustrations were a plus point. When asked if she wishes there was anything done differently, she sums up her whole experience with a thumbs-up, saying, "There’s nothing that I didn’t like. I have already told my friends in school about it and they expressed their keenness to read it sometime soon."

- https://www.mid-day.com/articles/a-city-for-children/21636183, August 29, 2019

The Jahaaz Mahal will host musical concerts, while heritage and ecological walks and painting/sculpting workshops will be held at Jharna. The Mehrauli Monsoon Festival, organised by Delhi Travel and Tourism Development Corporation (DTTDC) in association with the Government of Delhi, begins today. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will inaugurate it at 6:30pm. Cultural events will be held at three venues in Mehrauli park – Aam Bagh, Jahaaz Mahal and Jharna. Aam Bagh will showcase local and folk-art forms and also host a vibrant mela with stalls serving dishes native to the capital and surrounding states. The Jahaaz Mahal will host musical concerts, while heritage and ecological walks and painting/sculpting workshops will be held at Jharna. Through five walks, you can explore the village and its traditional water bodies. These will be conducted by Delhi-based startup Darwesh, Delhi by Foot and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. "Mehrauli is a historically and architecturally rich area. A large number of big and small monuments are scattered all over the park. Through this festival we aim to bring forth the uniqueness of this place," says DTTDC chief manager Sudhir Sobti. "We hope we are able to revive the ancient tradition of visiting Mehrauli during the monsoon season," he adds. The three-day festival will witness a stellar line-up of artistes, including Kathak exponent Rani Khanam, sufi and ghazal singer Indira Nayak, Bollywood playback singer Javed Ali, Qawwals Qutbi Brothers, Hindustani classical music vocalist Shashwati Mondal and classical singer Kashish Mittal "Along with the performances, workshops on painting, sculptures and ecology will also be held on each of the days to engage visitors and enable a better understanding of our rich artistic lineage. To facilitate visitors, a free shuttle service is being provided from Chhattarpur Metro Station to the venue and back," says Sobti. The oldest of the seven cities, Mehrauli has retained its individual identity through the ages. It is the place where well-known astronomer Varahamihira once lived.

It was a place where members of royal families frequently visited during the monsoon to enjoy its lush green beauty and mango orchards. The greenery still remains, though the patronage it once enjoyed no more exists.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/2019/aug/30/delhis-mehrauli-monsoon-festival-2019-celebrating-culture-and-heritage-2026461.html, August 30, 2019