Built in the 17th century, Red Fort is arguably one of the best known heritage addresses in the city. Come May and the Mughal era marvel is getting a 21st century neighbour - the Metro

Delhi Metro's ambitious heritage line - Central Secretariat to Kashmere Gate - will be getting its first "heritage" station at the Red Fort site. From elaborate jaali-work and floral motifs to entrances that are built like arches with minarets, the facade of the station will reflect the aesthetics of the monument, say Delhi Metro Rail Corporation officials

Red sandstone will be used extensively on the facade and ancillary buildings. "Key elements of the Mughal architecture are also going to be incorporated in the station," said Kumar Keshav, director (projects). Display banners and pictograms of the fort's history will line the walls and ceiling of the station

Located below Netaji Subhash Marg, the station will have four entry and exit points - two on the sides of the existing subway, the third near Angoori Bagh and another in front of More Sarai Road (next to Presentation Convent school)

The Red Fort Metro station, which will be the sixth one on the heritage line, will be 250m in length and will go down three levels: station top, concourse and platform. Set to be built top down - construction will start from the roof of the station and go downwards - the station will be located 120m from Red Fort. However, the entry on the side of the fort, adjacent to the existing subway's entry, will be only 100.3m from the monument. The station will cater to the Chandni Chowk area, the Red Fort area and surrounding localities like Meena Bazaar and Old Delhi Railway station. The ridership of the station is estimated to be 20,000, said Keshav. Like the Jama Masjid Metro station, the Red Fort station will also have a "floating" track. A type of elastomer will be placed between the concrete on the ground and the track, which will absorb the vibration. The mass spring system absorbs the vibration and sounds from the train almost up to 30 per cent, stopping it from travelling to neighbouring buildings. In fact, the entire heritage line has been divided into zones, where the elastomer pad is being applied to absorb any ambient noise or vibration. During construction of the station, the Teh Bazaari stretch will be relocated while the parking in front of the Lala Lajpat Rai market will be closed down, said DMRC officials. "The idea is to integrate the station with the Red Fort as much as possible. The historical narrative inside the station will also add to the experience of the tourists coming to the station," added Keshav. Red uncut bedstone slabs will line walls while a false ceiling matching the red stone walls will be installed inside the station, added officials. The only other station where the insides of the station reflect the aesthetics of a structure nearby is the Metro station near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the official said.Construction of the station to be top

down, as in the ITO Metro station Inside station, display banners depicting the story of the Red Fort and its history will be put up in the form of pictograms

During construction, a mass spring system will be put into place, which will prevent vibrations from reaching the heritage structures

Floating track to cushion shocks near heritage structures

Teh Bazaari stretch along Angoori Bagh will be relocated during the construction phase

Left side of carriageway on Netaji Subhash Marg will be closed during construction along with the Lala Lajpat Rai Market parking The Red Fort Metro station to come up in front of the Lala Lajpat Rai Market, opposite the Red Fort The station will have four entry/exit points The entry from the subway will connect to the concourse level of the statio

The mass spring system (MSS)

MSS elastically separates the tracks slabs in the tunnels from the supporting structure The material used for isolation is a microcellular Polyurethane Elastomer (eg. Sylomer from Getzner- Austria) Use of MSS helps in minimizing the transmission of vibrations (structure-borne noise) to buildings in vicinity of tracks. It also effectively reduces the audible secondary airborne noise, which is caused by vibration of buildings and other infrastructure components The elastomer stretch is usually 20mm thick and can absorb vibrations up to several levels


The Times of India, 11th Feb 2012

The National Art Gallery, one of the most beautiful buildings in Chennai, has been the victim of government apathy. Swati Das tells us more about it

The exquisitely ornate pink sandstone Mughal-style building stands stately among the heritage monuments within the museum complex on Pantheon Road in Chennai’s Egmore area, no doubt an eye-catcher for any visitor and a pride of the city. Yet, it stands in a stately silence, woefully in disuse, precariously poised for the last one decade and sinfully ignored

The Victoria Memorial Hall or the National Art Gallery, one of the most beautiful buildings in this southern metropolis, is becoming a case of national shame. What one cannot fathom is that despite repeated public outcry, successive Governments of Tamil Nadu have done little to save this monument

Built between 1906 and 1909 by contractor T Namberumal Chetty, the building was designed by Henry Irwin. It was built in the memory of Queen Victoria, who died in 1901. Heavily ornate with Mughal motifs and Indo-Saracenic sculptures, the Victoria Memorial Hall was renamed the National Art Gallery by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951

The foundation for the Victoria Memorial Hall was laid by Prince of Wales George Frederick Ernest Albert (later King George V) on January 24, 1906. It was opened on March 23, 1909, by Governor of Fort St George (Madras) Sir Arthur Lawley by laying a commemoration stone. It has a huge doorway resembling Akbar’s Fatehpur Sikri palace. Inside the flooring is done in marble and typically gleaming Madras plaster walls. The ceiling, too, is ornate with festooned relief work. The building is true to what the architects call “consistently picturesque”

The National Art Gallery stands beside three other heritage buildings of the Indo-Saracenic style — the Madras Museum (1851), Connemara Public Library (1890) and Museum Theatre (1896). There are also the Contemporary Art Gallery (collections dating from 1898) and the Children’s Museum within the museum complex. The whole complex is spread over 16.25 acres of land with six independent buildings comprising 46 galleries

The compound wall around the complex is of Jaipuri sandstone. Canons captured by the British Army adorn the complex. Tall trees and trimmed garden surround this group of heritage buildings. The entire cultural complex — once called ‘The Pantheon’ — displays architectural unity while depicting various stages of Indo-Saracenic styles from Gothic-Byzantine to Rajput-Mughal and South Indian Hindu Deccani

Drawing its history in a recent article, Chennai’s celebrated historian S Muthiah observed that the building’s concept evolved from the necessity to affirm Madras citizens’ loyalty towards the British crown and mark the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1887. First, the Victoria Public Hall at People’s Park came up in 1887; and, then the same year the Victoria Technical Institute (VTI) was established

The VTI, which exhibits and sells products of local craftspersons even to this day, wanted a building of its own. But the real initiative was taken only after the death of the Queen in 1901, when the VTI decided to raise funds to build a magnificent hall in her memory. The result was the Victoria Memorial Hall where the VTI moved in 1909 even before the building was completed. However, it had to reluctantly move out to make way for the British Army. The VTI took on rent a site at a prime location on Mount Road (currently Anna Salai) and in 1952 it bought the site and built its own building in 1956 with compensation money from Government. It still functions from this building

Dipped in history and grandeur, the doors of the National Art Gallery have remained closed since 2002. Hundreds of artefacts and paintings remain locked up as there is no space to exhibit them. Cracks and leakages were detected in 2001 and the building was declared unsafe

Yet, till date no restoration work has even begun in the gallery, one of its kinds in the State and a landmark heritage of Chennai

Interestingly, however, while this building remains untouched, the museum (first Government-sponsored museum in the country) and the theatre have seen renovation works. Even the old-wing of the Connemara Library went through some restoration work and was opened to public for a while (though closed later). In fact, the State Government even took efforts to restore the compound wall

But no plan has been drawn to save the gallery, which would perhaps have been easier to restore than the older buildings in the complex. It is but natural to get attracted to this beautiful building while visiting the museum complex. But the warning hanging on the door says that if you sit on the steps, you sit at your own risk

Till the gallery building was declared unsafe, it exhibited medieval handicrafts, sculptures, metal ware and paintings belonging to various schools of art from the past. On entering the huge doorway on the ground floor, there are two square galleries on the either side of the foyer — to the right is the Decorative Art Gallery and to the left is the Tanjore Painting Gallery. Then, there is the long rectangular hall at the centre that housed the Indian Traditional Art Gallery. This hall ends in a triangular room — the Ravi Verma Painting Gallery

Among the exhibits were paintings dating back to the 10th century AD, the same age as the bronze and panchaloka (five metals) statues displayed at the gallery. The statues included the dancing Nataraja and Parvati. Included in the displays were also Indian handicrafts from the 11th and the 12th century and Deccan paintings from the 17th century

There were also the 17th and the 18th century paintings of Lord Krishna and other mythological and historical characters. One of the highlights of the National Art Gallery was the Tanjore painting section, displaying Thanjavur’s famous glass-and-mica paintings, apart from the metal foil and colour paintings on glass and reverse painting on glass

The Mughal styling of the building was complemented with exquisite miniatures of the Mughal period, including paintings of Akbar and Jahangir. Other attractions of the gallery were the Rajput paintings belonging to the 18th and the 19th century. An antique carriage — a gift from the Governor of Madras Presidency — also stood as a major attraction. Some of the Raja Ravi Verma paintings have moved to the Contemporary Art Gallery and some artefacts have been shifted to the museum.
The leakage, detected a decade ago, was the result of neglect. Muthiah points out that the neglect had probably began with the use of the building by the British Army. But once the building was renamed the National Art Gallery, it became the responsibility of the Tamil Nadu Government take care of it

However, the State Government has given scant respect to the heritage building, despite hue and cry from both conservationists and public at large. No wonder, the year 2011 went by without the celebration of the diamond jubilee of the National Art Gallery

The Pioneer, 12th Feb 2012

How a devastated patch of land was turned into the bountiful Yamuna Biodiversity Park in Delhi

Way back in 2002 or 2003, when I first visited the area that the Centre for the Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE) of Delhi University had been given by the DDA to develop into a biodiversity park, north of Wazirabad, I thought it was one of the most harebrained ideas of the new millennium. The area — 157 acres — was not degraded — it was devastated, the sort of place where you would test to destruction battle tanks. Huge mounds of sandy earth and mud, a few spindly bushes and trees, that’s it. Here, they wanted to develop a park which, according to their mission statement, was “to serve as a repository of biodiversity of the Yamuna river basin, with ecological, cultural and education benefits for the urban society and having conservation values.” Talk about being ambitious

What I hadn’t taken into consideration, was that a deviously cunning and scientifically clinical battle plan was going to be put into action, devised by Professor CR Babu of Delhi University and his team. Ironically their first major enemy was the soil itself, ferociously saline, sandy and hostile. But then there were plants they knew about, grasses and legumes, which leach salt from the soil. Eventually, the soil was made more amenable to supporting flora. Now the rest of the plan could be put into place. The various ecosystems prevailing in the Yamuna river basin had been researched and studied and what they now did was to replicate these in various modules in the park. Today there are 20 such modules ranging from grasslands and acacia woodlands to wetland communities and tropical thorn forests. Two rain-fed water bodies were created, a winding shallow water body and a large deep water body

Word must have got around the animal kingdom: Here at last was a place, where there was food, water and shelter. Good food too. In the large water body for example, a menu of aquatic plants, which ducks thrive on was provided, so the ducks came in droves every winter (over 5,000 this winter)

Back in 2002, there were four species of mammals, going up to 18 last year, including the civet (which, it is thought may be earmarking its territory), wild boar, and porcupine. In the beginning, there were 27 species of birds; last year, the tally was 189. Insect species shot up from 39 to 298. A free-flying butterfly conservatory was set up and as many as 60 species of butterflies have been recorded

It’s a two-way street because the presence or absence of a particular species is often an indicator of the prevailing environmental conditions. For example, the jewel in the crown of the park as far as migratory ducks go, is the flamboyant red-crested pochard; a bird that is particular about clean water. Over 200 have come this year and this is the only water body around Delhi that they visit. The presence of the dark-and-light-blue pied paddy skimmer dragonfly is another such indication

Apart from conservation, education is high on the park’s priorities. Groups of schoolchildren (more than 5,000 last year) and college students are regularly taken around the park by members of the staff. The interpretation centre itself is a place you can spend an hour or more easily. Certainly, the park is a wonderful place to introduce children to migratory birds; you can stand at a vantage point at the edge of the large water body and pick off the species one by one right in front of you. A hide for photography and observation has also been set up, but you will need a minimum of two mouse-quiet hours there to reap the benefits. It takes the ducks about half an hour to forget that they saw you creep into the hide and not creep out. But then they’ll drift up close, dozing and murmuring and you can appreciate their colours and conversations properly. The park is not open to the general public, but if you’re dead keen, you can call them up and ask when it is convenient to visit, so they can arrange for someone to show you around

Some birds, of course, have come to stay. (There are around 350 types of fruit-yielding plants after all!) The wild grasses provide seed-feed for flocks of squeaking red munias and silverbills, which will nest in thorn bushes. Cormorants and darters (five pairs, this year) raise their young on trees growing on the islands in the water body, and there are many nesting sites for locals such as bulbuls, babblers, white-eyes, green pigeons, sunbirds, barbets and parakeets, amongst others. The shikra is probably the most common raptor here and the natty black-shouldered kite can be encountered quite often.A tour through the medicinal garden can be an eye-opener as plant

 (some quite common) that can cure everything from heart-disease to baldness are pointed out to you. It makes you realise what a big debt the pharmaceutical industry owes to flora. Also, it makes you tread warily while out in the wilderness, lest you step on something that can save you from a heart attack

To an untrained urban eye, a walk through the park may be like a walk through a wilderness full of wild tangled high grass, untrimmed bushes, often thorny, wayward bamboos and scraggly trees. But everything has been planted with a purpose; for a scientific reason. And once nature takes root, it is allowed to flourish

Of course, there have been problems. The neighbours have been noisy, especially during the wedding season and Diwali, scaring away the birds with loudspeakers and crackers. Construction is rampant around the park, closing in on it from all sides. A couple of years ago, after a heavy monsoon, there was a water-logging problem

Even so, the park is still a work in progress. To get an updated brief, I shanghaied Dr Faiyaz Khudsar, its director and an old friend. Enthusiastic and ebullient as ever, he took me around, showing me new schemes that were being implemented and telling me about plans. They are already improving and broadening the “shallow” water body, giving it a more natural and less landscaped look. Phase two of the project, which involves 300 acres adjoining the Yamuna (and which will be connected by a corridor to the current site) is to have a much larger water body, for larger waterbirds, such as geese and cranes

Dr Khudsar said, even bureaucrats were beginning to appreciate what had been done here. It was, I thought, the same story as the Metro, put the right people in the right place, don’t interfere and they’ll get the job done

Now if they can replicate this for the National Zoological Park, Sanjay Van, the Hauz Khas lake (which, was stinking the last time I visited) and the filthy ponds on the Ridge and other water bodies around Delhi; that would really be something.

The Indian Express, 12th Feb 2012

In the razzmatazz of the success of modern Indian art in the past one decade, there is one story that got left by the way side. That's the story of Bengal Art, the school that gave birth to modern Indian art more than a century before it went bullish

Bengal Art has remained in the shadows due to multiple reasons, but all that may just be changing. There is a surge in interest in it right now with three exhibitions and a book talking about it. One of the best illustrated books on the subject , The Art of Bengal, has just been released by the Delhi Art Gallery with a show in the capital covering nearly two centuries of the Bengal School through 200 works; it will open at the Harrington Street Arts Centre in Kolkata in April. The National Gallery of Modern Art is then hosting a retrospective of one of the school's stalwarts, Ram Kinkar Baij (1906-1980 ), and Apparao Galleries has launched a retrospective of the school's later outcrop, Paris-based Sakti Burman, at the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. That will travel to Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, in March and Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata, in April-May

The beginnings of the Bengal School can be traced to the arrival of European painters in the state in the late 18th century. Local artists couldn't remain unaffected by the techniques introduced by these painters, giving birth to an interesting fusion. However , within a century, the school started questioning western influences and aligned itself with national political activity in the subcontinent. Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951 ) laid the foundation of this national school, triggering a modern Indian art idiom. It's a different story, though, that the Progressive Artists Group in Mumbai, featuring names like FN Souza, MF Husain and SH Raza, was to reject the ideals of this school as they took modern Indian art to the next level. Kishore Singh, who headed Delhi Art Gallery's Bengal Art project, analyses the reasons for the overshadowing of the Bengal School by the Progressives. "When Calcutta ceased to be the capital of India, everything , including art, experienced a loss of patronage. The centre of art shifted to Bombay which had big money, collectors and critics," he says. Though some of the Bengal masters like Jamini Roy, Nandlal Bose and Rabindranath Tagore continue to be hot on the auction circuit, the school never matched the fame and price tags of the Progressives. Sonal Singh of Christie's South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art department, reasons, "As many Bengal artists are national treasures, their works are non-exportable and those sold internationally are from western collections of the 30s and 40s." The market availability of high quality Bengal Art, therefore, has been rare. Kolkata's reluctance, apparent or otherwise , to take the lead in promoting the Bengal School is also an interesting cog in the story. Even though the school's influence spread far beyond Bengal, it was, after all, born and nurtured in this city. Art commentator Ina Puri says, "Though some initiatives have been taken in Kolkata, there is general sluggishness . What more can you say when a book on the celebrated photographer Nemai Ghosh is brought out by Delhi's Art Alive gallery, and another on Kolkata's Raj Bhavan (which Puri edited) is also published in Delhi?" Sanjoy Mallik, associate professor in the department of history of art, Kala Bhavan, Viswa Bharti (Santiniketan), adds that it is a reflection of the changed economic situation of the country. "Delhi and Mumbai are far more in tandem with global changes which reflects in the art they promote." With discerning collectors having their fill of the Progressives, experts feel that they should turn to Bengal Art next and give it its due in the market place

The Times of India, 12th Feb 2012

The use of perfumes and fragrances added a nice whiff to life during the Moghul times, writes R.V. SMITH, citing many example

The second Itr and Sungandhi Festival in Delhi unfolded the whole magic of perfumes. Much has been written about this unique festival but the historical aspect has not been properly explored. One misconception is that rooh gulab itr was discovered by Nur Jahan. Actually it was the discovery of her mother Asmat Begum. According to Dr. R. Nath, Jahangir noted in his diary as follows: “I have regret for the Jahangiri itr (named after him) that my father (Akbar's) nostrils were not gratified with such essences. This is a discovery which was made during my reign through the efforts of the mother of Nur Jahan Begum. When she was making rose-water, a scum formed on the dishes into which the hot rose-water was poured from the jugs…. She collected the scum little by little. It is of such strength in perfume that if one drop is rubbed on the palm of the hand, it scents a whole assembly and it appears as if many such rose-buds had bloomed at once. There is no other scent of equal excellence to it. It restores hearts that have gone (broken), and brings back withered souls. In reward for that invention, I presented a string of pearls to the inventress.

DEPARTMENT OF PERFUMERY

There you have it straight from the horse's mouth as it were. The historian goes on to say that Akbar the Great had a whole department of perfumery so that he and his successors could keep their bodies (and minds) well scented in a country where the hot climate (and its ill-effects) that lasted nearly eight months in a year could be countered effectively

One has to keep in mind that sweating irked the Great Moghuls, who inherited their ancestors' love for the cold regions, where men and women did not perspire so much. The big harems of these emperors meant that they had to engage with many women and to make their bodies fresh again constant use of scents became necessary. The same held good for the ladies, who also had to take several baths during the months of May and June, unless the emperor and his entourage were in places like Kashmir. Perfumes were brought not only from Kannauj and other parts of India but also from West Asia

To go back to Dr. Nath's interesting findings, scents were not only used on the body but also burnt in the mahals to embalm the air. “Incense was daily burnt in the harem in gold and silver censors of various beautiful shapes and designs. Besides these, sweet-smelling flowers were used in large quantities. Araqs, itrs and oils were extracted from the flowers.” When Shah Jahan was being initiated into the mysteries of sex, it is said that his body was massaged by female attendants with exotic oils. Before Mumtaz Mahal's marriage to him, Arjumand Bano Begum, as she was known then, was anointed with scents similarly. If gossip be true, there was a Mir Attar in Bahadur Shah Zafar's time, to spread fragrance in the harem. It is a fact that beauty alone does not attract a person if the object of his desire perspires with a bad odour

The Moghuls who excelled in nearly everything that they did made perfumery into a fine art. Chameli, mogra, champa, molshri, juhi, nargis, harsinghar, gul-e-zafran, gulab, kamal, kamalini (lily), tasbih-e-gulal, hina and malti were some of the fragrant flowers that were cultivated in Moghul gardens and their scents extracted. Ambar-e-Ashab, says Dr. Nath, cost one to three gold mohurs per tola in Akbar's reign. Zabad (civet scent) up to one gold mohur per tola. Mush-e-Muskh up to Rs.4.5 per tola (at a time when the rupee was 500 times its present value). Then there were araq-e-gulab, araq-e-muskh, arq-e-bahar, arq-e-chameli and loban. The sugandhis (perfumes) of Chandni Chowk were greatly patronised by the latter Moghul emperors and made a fortune that way. Some of their shops still exist with fancy bottles of perfumes that waft you back to Moghul times


The Hindu, 13th Feb 2012

The Edakkal caves, situated about 4,000 feet above mean sea level in the Ambukuthi hillock in Wayanad district of Kerala, have yielded a hitherto unnoticed inscription engraved in the early Brahmi characters.

A former Professor of Epigraphy, Calicut University, Dr M R Raghava Varier, who discovered the inscription, recently read this record as 'Sri Vazhumi'.

While all the records reported earlier at Edakkal are at a distance from the rock, carvings without any reference to them, the newly discovered one appears to be a label attached to a human figure, he said.

The inscription seems to be engraved exactly in the Edakkal style of drawing and is the human figure is shown as having a huge phallus. It probably denotes the idea of fertility, and suggests Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, Varier said in an email interview.

The term Vazhumi could be the Tamil rendering of the sanskrit name Brahma and the sound 'zhu' in the name of the figure is written in the Tamil Brahmi script, he said. The rest of the letters take the forms of the northern variety of the alphabet, Varier, now editor of Kerala Archaeological Series, a publication of the Department of Archaeology, said.

Further, the cursive letter 'zha' represents a later stage of evolution. The text as a whole denotes a merger of the sanskrit and the Dravidian language and script, he said.

The Asian Age, 13th Feb 2012

The canvas of spring in the national capital has been set ablaze by the colours of Ramkinkar Baij, the founding father of modern Indian sculpture, at a mega retrospective at the National Gallery of Modern Art

Featuring 350 art works by the Shantiniketan-based maverick genius, the showcase was inaugurated by culture minister Kumari Selja earlier this week. The exhibition will close on March 31

Selja, an admirer of Ramkinkar’s experimental sculptors and art depicting social realities of the Indian countryside, said the “culture ministry has sanctioned money to Visvabharati in Shantini-ketan to cast his sculptures in bronze to preserve them for posterity”

Ramkinkar, a village bohemian at heart, painted the landscape and the people around him in Bengal, capturing their strife and struggle for existence in pre-Independence and post-Independence India

He shared a special rapport with the backward ethnic people whom he brought into his art. Born in West Bengal’s Bankura district in 1905 into little social and economic standing, Ramkinkar watched local craftspeople and artisans as a boy. He began to craft small clay figures and was soon noticed by the nationalists with whom he was associated

A recurring motif in his art is the “tall, well-built woman” winnowing and thrashing paddy, symbolising the “mother goddess of abundance”

“Ramkinkar was a modernist with his themes well grounded in the local and the present. His work was a unique assimilation of what he took away from European art and his deep-rooted Indian sensibilities,” the minister said, adding that “the range of human suffering that Ramkinkar saw around him led him to transform facts into allegorical, symbolic and occasionally even didactic images”

The exhibition covers nearly five decades of Ramkinkar’s life and has been curated by K.S. Radhakrishnan, one of the artist’s students at Kala Bhavan in Shantiniketan. Divided into segments, the exhibition attempts to thread a visual narrative of Ramkinkar’s journey as a “modernist painter, sculptor and social realist” within the canvas of early contemporary Indian art

The exhibits include his early studies in nude and the human figure, water colour compositions, tempera landscapes, oil paintings on canvas and his smaller sculptures of “yaksha-yakshi” — sets of rugged concrete and stylised bronze heads

The monumental human abstractions in concrete like the Santhal Family and Harvester, Ramkink-ar’s signature art, have been displayed in life-size digital blowups because of transportation problems

A section of the exhibition has been dedicated to black and white photographs and documents Ramkinkar’s days as an “artist, orator and theatre personality”. “It took me four years to curate the exhibition... I had to locate the works, photograph them and digitise them,” Radhakrishnan said

He said he had to go from door-to-door of collectors in Mumbai, Kolkata, Baroda and Chennai to locate the art and digitise those he could not bring to the exhibition. He lamented the fact that several of the artist’s canvas and paper art were destroyed during his lifetime because of poor storage

The curator, who trained under Ramkinkar between 1974-1980, the last six years of the artist’s life before he died at 70, said he learnt “passion and commitment from the sculptor”

NGMA director Rajiv Lochan said the exhibition, which is the 10th retrospective showcase of Ramkinkar’s art, stands out for its diversity of content and innovation

“It chronicles the evolution of modernism in art in this country — how the unconventional can be made meaningful,” Lochan said.

The Asian Age, 13th Feb 2012

Heritage lovers and fossil experts’ date with priceless items from the Cretaceous period of Rajmahal seems to be nearing

The forest department of Jharkhand has found a solution to land acquisition issues and is on its way to set up a fossil park and biodiversity heritage site in Sahebjang district.

The biodiversity an wildlife section of the department has sent the final proposal to Principal Chief Conservator of Forest AK Singh on January 7. A senior official said the entire area carries precious materials of historic importance and has been divided into two segments, based on its ownership

“There are two types of land available, GM land under the possession of the Government and raiyati (private) land. Earlier villagers, who were reluctant to give the land to the Government for developing the heritage site, were resisting the plan. In view of the resistance, we found a solution and proposed to develop the site under the Biodiversity Act 2002 in which acquiring the land is not a necessity,” the senior official said

The biodiversity site will come up at Tara Pahar area of the Mandro block of the district

Earlier several efforts of the department to acquire the land under the Forest Act proved futile and the Government had to backtrack leaving the entire project in limbo. Rajmahal is considered a treasure trove of fossils dating back to the Cretaceous period, Jurassic age and the Mesozoic era that also includes rich plant fossils

“About 37.75 hectares of GM land, which do not involve much problems, has been finalised to be developed as fossil park at Gurmi Pahar of Mandro block. The land will be demarcated under the Forest Act and Wild Life Protection Act,” said AK Malhotra, PCCF, Wild Life and Biodiversity. Proposal has been sent for final approval of the Government in October last year for the fossil park.

Although the idea to set fossil park was first conceived back in 2002 but it got stuck midway due to various issue. “With the biodiversity heritage site coming up, the locals will be roped-in as eco-tourists and get job opportunities as guides and caretakers. It will attach them with the project to cooperate better in completion of the work,” added Malhotra

Officials of the department worked hard in bringing the twin project to a win-win situation for the department and locals by involving them directly into it without hurting the sentimental aspects of the people related to land acquisition. A proposal for allowing their land to be utilised for the heritage site will be approved by the Gram Sabha of the area before being initiated formally

“Ownership of the land belonging to raiyats would remain with them. This clause of the Act made the deal. Involving the locals was very important as their lands carry more fossil than the Government land. After getting final approval of the State Government, fencing and development of the area would take place,” said a senior official of the forest department

2 March 2012, Times Of India

The next time you stop along the Yamuna to buy those fresh leafy vegetables, think twice. A study carried out by The Energy Research Institute (TERI) has found that the continuous dumping of untreated industrial effluent and sewage into the river has contaminated the riverbed soil, and several vegetables, specifically the green leafy ones, contain high levels of toxic metals

The report, titled 'Living in a cleaner environment in India: A strategic analysis and assessment', says that levels of nickel, manganese and lead in Yamuna's water were found to be higher than the international aquatic water quality criteria for fresh water. Meena Sehgal, a consultant with TERI who worked extensively on the report, says that their focus was on heavy metals found in the environment and through what means they enter the human body. "Our findings made it clear that it is essentially green leafy vegetables that contain the highest amount of metals. This is because such vegetables have a high tendency to accumulate metals. Levels were significantly lower in other vegetables and practically negligible in drinking water samples," she said

The study took 13 samples at a 2km distance along the 22km stretch of Yamuna that flows through Delhi. Samples were also collected from Dayalpur and Chandawali villages in Ballabhgarh district of Haryana, about 25km away from Delhi, to compare with those collected from the urban sector. "Levels of nickel, manganese, lead and mercury were above the permissible international standards in agricultural soil along the river. While moderately high levels of contamination were recorded in urban areas, the rural areas showed negligible levels. High levels of these pollutants in the floodplains can be associated with treated and untreated effluents or with sewage flowing into the river," says the report

The study identified Wazirabad and Okhla barrage as the hotspots for soil contamination. This, says the team, is possibly due to the discharge of huge amounts of industrial effluents at the two locations from the Najafgarh and Shahdara drains

"Vegetables grown in the floodplain of the Yamuna area show higher levels of heavy metal contamination than those cultivated in rural areas, thus, acting as the point of entry for toxic metals into human food chain. Bio-monitoring of women and children in the study area showed significantly higher levels of heavy metals in urine and blood samples taken in urban areas compared to rural areas," said Sehgal

The report says that soil samples exceed the limit for nickel and copper at most sites, and less often for zinc, manganese and lead. The quantity of lead varied from below-detection levels to 114.6 mg/kg, with some locations recording a prevalence more than 40 times the lowest level along the 22km stretch. The hexavalent chromium levels in soil samples at different locations ranged from 4.52 mg/kg to 35.29 mg/kg. Levels of more than 25 mg/kg have been found to be have adverse effects on health. Soil concentrations of mercury largely ranged between 0.43 mg/kg and 82.06 mg/kg. These levels were much higher than the 1 mg/kg stipulation at all the locations

Lead has been known to impair motor skills and result in hypertension. Cadmium leads to renal damage, osteomalacia and loss in sense of smell. International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified cadmium as a human carcinogen

The Times of India, 14th Feb 2012

We owe so many of our most cherished spaces and buildings to Richard Sankey: Bangalore’s largest park, a museum, a reservoir, a church and a government building. But far from being a celebrated name, this man lies almost unseen beneath the veil of history, writes Meera Iyer

Of the many people who have contributed to making Bangalore the city it is today, I have alway been in awe of one particular person. Awe because we owe so many of our most cherished spaces and buildings to him: Bangalore’s largest park, a museum, a reservoir, a church and a government building. But far from being a celebrated name, this man lies almost unseen beneath the veil of history, for apart from the reservoir, none bears his name: Richard Hieram Sankey.

An Irishman from far-away Tipperary, Sankey embarked on what was to be a distinguished military career when he was just 16, when he enrolled in the East India Company’s military college. And here is another reason I was always impressed by Sankey: From an early age, it was clear Sankey was no one-dimensional soldier but was prodigiously talented in many other fields. While at college, he already displayed considerable skill in painting and even won prizes for some of his artwork.

In 1848, after three years at the college, he arrived in India and went straight to Madikeri, his first posting as a Second Lieutenant in the Madras Engineers. Two years later, Sankey was posted as Superintending Engineer at Nagpur. In 1851, at the ripe old age of 22, he designed the first of his many buildings, Nagpur’s Anglican Cathedral of All Saints.

It was during his stint at Nagpur that we get a glimpse of Sankey’s other wide-ranging interests. While stationed here, Sankey published a paper on the geology of the Nagpur region, discovered the coalfields of the Kanhan Valley, and also found 250-million-year-old plant fossils. He was also intensely interested in the flora of the places he was posted in: many observations on Indian trees in books written at that time are credited to Sankey.

Perhaps it was this love of all things natural that drew him to Sophia Mary, whom he married in 1859. She was the daughter of the reputed amateur malacologist, William Benson, who studied and described many molluscs in the Indian sub-continent.

In 1857, Sankey was transferred to Calcutta and appointed under-secretary of the Public Works Department (PWD). But within a few weeks, the First War of Independence, also called the Mutiny, broke out. Sankey served in Kanpur, Allahabad and Lucknow during this time. As part of his duties, he reconnoitred several rivers, erected defences and built bridges for the British troops at short notice. Sankey received many commendations for his role during the Mutiny. After the Mutiny, Sankey served in Burma (where he found time to collect shells for his father-in-law, Mr Benson), Calcutta and the Nilgiris

It was only in 1861 that he came to serve in the erstwhile Mysore Stat where he served for 1 years, beginning as assistant to the Chief Engineer, then Chief Engineer and finally, as secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Mysore.

Survey of tanks

One of Sankey’s first projects here was to carry out a systematic survey of the old tanks and map the catchment area of each. He then got several of the old channels, bunds and tanks repaired including, for example, the pristine-looking Sulekere tank near Maddur.

The engineer in Sankey recognised and admired the genius of the tank system. In a report written in 1866, he says, “thanks to the patient industry of its inhabitants,” 60 per cent of Mysore State was under tank irrigation. In fact, he adds, “it would now require some ingenuity to discover a site within this great area suitable for a new tank.”

But this is precisely what Sankey did in Bangalore. Then (as now!) a section of Bangaloreans continually bemoaned the state of their water supply. The cantonment depended largely on the Ulsoor tank and wells near it, and people fretted both about the quality and quantity of the water. In the 1860s, Sankey designed a project to collect and store water to supplement the needs of the Bangalore cantonment. The plan was not sanctioned until 1874, and then, partly because of a terrible famine that intervened, was only completed in 1882.

Building and designing

Apart from the tank, Sankey did a frenetic amount of building and designing in the 1860s. In 1864, he converted the fields between the Bangalore pete and the cantonment into the sprawling and charming 120-ha Cubbon Park. Sankey seems to have recreated on the ground the romantic landscapes that he painted on canvas, with winding paths and picturesque waterways. Incidentally, this was not the only park Sankey worked on: later, he beautified the botanical gardens in Madras and helped establish a park in his native Ireland.

In November that same year, Sankey worked on his second church when he helped build the St Andrew’s Kirk in Bangalore. The gothic structure was completed exactly two years later at a cost of Rs 40,000.

It was also in 1864 that Sankey began working on a new office building for the government’s administrators.

The site, chosen by Sir Mark Cubbon, Commissioner of Mysore, faced the parade grounds of the cantonment and its main road, today’s MG Road. Sankey writes that construction was made particularly difficult by the nature of the site, since it was partly dissected by deep water channels and partly filled with boulders. Nonetheless, with the able assistance of the contractors Narayanswamy Mudaliar, Bansilal Abhirchand and Messrs.

Wallace and Co., by 1868, he had designed and built the iconic Attara Kacheri, now called the High Court.

In the 1870s, Sankey designed Bangalore’s Mayo Hall (completed only in 1883) and another imposing structure in Cubbon Park, the Government Museum, which was completed in 1877.

It was around this time that a devastating famine hit Mysore, which proved to be a difficult time for Sankey, too. Sankey and the then Viceroy, Lord Lytton, had sharply differing views on how best to provide relief during the famine. The result was that a displeased Lytton summarily transferred Sankey to Shimla in 1877. For the next two years, Sankey served in Shimla and in the Afghanistan war.

Five years later, he was summoned back to south India when he was made secretary of the PWD in Madras. It was then that Sankey helped lay out Marina beach and beautified the botanical gardens.

Sankey retired and returned to England in 1884. He died in 1908 by which time he had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General and also knighted.

According to an obituary in the Royal Engineers Journal published in 1909, Sankey was a born leader of men who “deserved and obtained the confidence and affection” of the officers and men who worked with him. I could certainly see this reflected in the many reports and papers that quoted Sankey or referred to him in glowing terms.

What is less easy to gauge is his attitude towards the ‘natives’ and theirs to him. While he clearly admired their skills in irrigation management and was keenly interested in their culture and history, he also did say he was ‘confounded’ by them sometimes.

No doubt Sankey was a part of the colonial establishment. But in our postcolonial fervour, perhaps we could refrain from undervaluing the many positive contributions to our country made by Europeans like Sankey.

The Deccan Herald, 14th Feb 2012

Residents who live in the proximity of protected monuments can now breathe a sigh of relief. The National Monuments Authority (NMA) has started granting no-objection certificates to those who want to carry out construction in their houses

Over 30 permissions have been given so far and more are expected shortly. The NOCs are subject to details provided by the Survey of India that the said residence is outside the 100m prohibited zone and a detailed report submitted by the state-appointed Competent Authority

Senior NMA officials said that no permission has been denied to-date, but approval for public projects like Delhi Metro's Red Fort line and NDMC's Kasturba Gandhi Marg parking lot is still pending. "DMRC held a presentation for us several weeks ago on their Red Fort Metro line project. We had asked for certain clarifications, which are yet to be provided. Unless we get them, DMRC's application cannot be processed. We have also requested clarifications from NDMC on their parking lot and are waiting for the same,'' said a senior NMA official. Both these projects are on the priority list and the DMRC project has been waiting for clearance for over a year now

"It will take a long time to clear the backlog as there are several hundred applications pending not just from Delhi, but from all over India,'' said the official

The Authority has also asked the Archaeological Survey of India to expedite the process for drafting heritage bylaws. Once the bylaws fix the prohibited and regulated zones for each monument, it would become easier to grant NOCs. "We are monitoring the process for framing heritage bylaws very closely and have asked that they be drafted as soon as possible. The monuments for which bylaws are being prepared are based on a priority list. We are hoping that the process will be completed within a year or two,'' said an official

Sources said Survey of India had been roped in to help with the documentation and mapping of a 300-m radius of all protected monuments, which will be considered as the base index for future years. It is expected to be a time-consuming process as every construction, house, building, will be recorded in the new mapping so that heritage bylaws can be prepared for each monument

The Times of India, 14th Feb 2012

The conservation of the ancient ‘stupa’ at Sannathi is in progress and pains have been taken to restore it as scientifically as possible. Laksmi Sharath travels to the Buddhist site on the banks of the Bheem

It is a beautiful morning as the clouds descend close to the horizon and gather around the distant ridges of the mountains and wrap them around in their fold. In the fields below, women pick fresh and fluffy cotton, which looks like it is in close competition with the clouds above. Our car stops behind one of the trucks into which the cotton has been loaded. I take a handful and feel the softness on my skin, as the men grin and watch me.

There is something special about rustic India, where almost every experience is a romance in itself. You never tire of looking at herds of goats, women carrying sacks of groundnuts, a sea of yellow sunflower fields, curious men at local tea shops, the mud roads, the many detours and of course the landscape, stark and endless, stretching out in front of you. The lake then puts a brake on the landscape that seems to stretch forever. The lotuses shelter the birds that are suddenly aflutter and I watch them for a while, before moving on.

I am travelling down from Yadgiri, a small town in North Karnataka, towards Kanaganahalli in Sannathi, a nondescript village on the banks of the River Bheema. You will not find it on any map, let alone a tourist map. However, my interest in the small hamlet is courtesy Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty, who had left his mark here several centuries ago. It is believed that the king sent his son Mahindra and daughter Sanghamitra as his emissaries to spread Buddhism in this region. The remains of a Buddhist stupa were excavated here by the ASI almost two decades ago

The edict

The story here begins with the discovery of an edict belonging to Ashoka. Kailash Rao, Associate Professor and conservation architect from Manipal University, who is consulting the ASI in restoring the stupa, tells me that the edict was found in the neighbouring Chandralamba temple when the roof collapsed and the old idol of the deity broke. S V P Halakatti, Superintendent Archaeologist of the Dharwad Circle, adds that the inscription slab was used initially as a pedestal for the deity.

I see the edict placed right at the entrance in Sannathi. Written in Brahmi script, the Prakrit language edict speaks about religious tolerance. Looking around, I find many panels of sculptures, carved in limestone, strewn around the place. The sun’s rays fall directly on the drums and the larger-than-life panels are arranged circularly around.

A group of school students are walking around, trying to be disciplined even as the teachers force them to stand in single file. I walk up to the ASI board to get some information. The maha stupa, it says, was referred to as ‘Adholoka Maha Chaitya’ or the ‘Great Stupa of the Netherworlds’ and was dated anywhere between the third century BC and third century AD.It is fascinating to hear fro

 these historians about how the story unfolded here. Professor Kailash Rao tells me that the discovery of the edict led to further inscriptions that were found in the area, which eventually got the ASI to excavate the mounds here. The site is a treasure trove and the most priceless treasure belongs to Ashoka himself and that is the first piece of carving that I see in Sannathi. I am excited as I see a broken portrait of a king with his queens gently pieced together.

It is slightly far away from the main stupa under the shelter of a tree. This, am told, is the very firs inscribed panel of King Ashoka to be discovered in India. “We wouldn’t know if there were any before, but this is the first when we saw something with an inscription that says Ashoka,” says the Professor adding that this would probably help them discover more of his portraits.

I am awe-struck as I see the larger-than-life panels. Stories and events from Buddha’s life, his birth and his first sermon, portraits of more kings and queens from the Shatavahana period, vignettes from Jataka tales, mythical creatures, ancient cities and stupas like Varanasi and Sanchi are carved in both the drum and dome panels made of limestone. Kailash Rao says it was like a jigsaw puzzle, putting them altogether, as more than hundred such slabs were discovered in pieces. Halkatti tells me that several life-size statues of Buddha were discovered, including the four that are normally placed on ayaka platforms and represent the cardinal directions.

I become a student all over again, remembering my class V textbooks that taught me about Hinayana and Mahayana forms of Buddhism. This stupa was built largely in the Mahayana period, where Buddha was depicted in the human form, unlike the Hinayana era, when he was symbolically shown. However, even here, you can see symbolic images such as the Bodhi tree, his feet and an empty throne.

The original stupa, says Halkatti, would have probably been built during the Ashokan period as some pottery shards were discovered here as well. I learn that during his time, stupas were normally built as earthern domes. Some parts of the Ashokan stupa are still intact, while the architecture of the later Shatavahana period stands out distinctly. The Professor explains that the stupa is the missing link connecting all the other stupas, especially with respect to the iconography.

Heaps of discoveries

There is more to this ancient site than just Ashoka. Professor Kailash Rao says that there were several discoveries here dating back to prehistoric times. Besides the stupa, bangles, beads, pottery, bricks, tiles, stone heads and earthen vessels were found here

Even as the conservation of the stupa is in progress, pains have been taken to restore it as scientifically as possible. The challenge, says the Professor, is to maintain a balance between recreating it and still retain the authenticity. Empirical evidence has been collected to understand the way the stupa would have originally been created.

“Now we have drafted a conservation policy which we will discuss with scholars, conservationists and historians,” says Halakatti. In the meanwhile, a shelter has been proposed to protect these carvings from nature with a multimedia panel that will explain the Jataka tales.

As policies and documentation are being discussed, I stand here and gaze at the peaceful face of are Buddha statue lying in the rubble, smiling at me. I wonder how many more Buddhas are lying under our earth in various parts of the country waiting to be discovered.

The Deccan Herald, 14th Feb 2012

For historians and research scholars, the ‘Hastaprati Bhandar’, a treasure trove of manuscripts, at the Institute of Kannada Studies of Gulbarga University is a paradise of sorts

Housing over 6,000 manuscripts including the rarest ones, called ‘Uddharani’, each one of them tells its own story.

'Uddharani’ is a form of pictorial manuscript explaining different philosophies. It is four to five meters long and can be conveniently rolled, like a scroll. It is very difficult to decipher the language in which the works are scripted. Colourful handdrawn pictures are pasted on a cloth. According to experts, most of the ‘uddharanis’ are connected to ‘kaalajnana’ (futurology).

The laborious drawings in original colours are stunning. Traditional palm leaf manuscripts are the other important components of the collections. The earliest palm leaf manuscript is the work ‘Shivayoganga Bhushana’ and ‘Sadguru Rahasya’ by unknown authors (dated 22.2.1799). The works may be of an earlier period, but the manuscript is at least 210 years old.

Palm leaf manuscripts are said to have a longer shelf life, lasting even up to 600 years. The collection also contains some of the works of poet Nagavarma of the ninth-tenth century. Another important possession of the Institute is ‘Namalinganushasana’, popularly known as ‘Amarakosha’, written by Amara Simha of the 13th century. There are 180 palm leaf manuscripts running in to tens and hundreds of pages. The Institute also has over 4,000 paper manuscripts with the earliest one dating back to the 18th century.

All these manuscripts including the ‘uddharanis’ have been collected mostly from the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. They usually pertain to Veerashaiva philosophy, Sharana Sahitya and Vachana Sahitya. They are found in different literary forms including prose, poetry, drama, folk songs, folk tales, astrology, futurology, philosophy, bayalata (a form of performing theatre unique to North Karnataka), and medical literature. Though Kannada manuscripts outnumber the others, there are also scripts in Sanskrit and Telugu. The University has so far published two books from among the manuscripts

They are ‘Kumar Vijaya Vilasa’, a work written in the 17th century, and ‘Yayathi’, a rare work on folk drama of bayalata form. The University is planning to bring out two more works based on these manuscripts as part of the ongoing Kannada Language Development Scheme of the State government.

It is only from the last one year that the priceless manuscripts, dumped in a room, have been opened and stored scientifically. K G Narayan Prasad, formerly with the Osmania University and now visiting professor of Gulbarga University, is busy giving a definite shape to the manuscripts. Cataloguing has also been going on. Prasad said the first volume will be ready in a couple of months.

All the manuscripts are being scanned and will be stored electronically, said Chairman of Institute of Kannada Studies D Nagabai Bulla.

The collection of manuscripts was undertaken in 1985-86 under a scheme sanctioned by the National Archives for five years. It was discontinued after three years as the University failed to submit proper accounts to the National Archives. “There is a dire need to collect the archives and establish an Archives of Manuscripts which can be made use of by scholars from all over India,’’ suggests Narayana Prasad.

The Deccan Herald, 14th Feb 2012

A sleepy quaint town tucked away among the hills around Bage-palli of Chikballapur taluk certainly deserves an exploration.

The place is called Gummanayakana Palya, GN Palya for short. Though this town has remained unknown and not spoken about, it sure has some interesting sights for the discerning traveller. A strong fort that is still in good shape, a lovely lake at its base and an ancient temple across the bridge all make it a charming destination.

As I drove to this place from Bagepalli, the moderately high hill fort was obscured from view by lesser hillocks and rocky outcrops.

The village with a few huts does not impress one. But if you are on the look out for something interesting, you will find a fine temple with well-carved pillars on the left. It is a pity that it has been neglected as a place of worship and is instead being used by the villagers as a cowshed. Giving it a quick glance, I went ahead to scale the rocky hill crowned with a fort.

The hill is about 200 ft high but the town itself is protected by a ring of taller hills except on the astern side. A thin trail led to the base of the hill. Along the way is a small shrine of Maramma, revered by the local people. The approach to the fort is rather tricky with tall barricades on all the sides.

The exact path with steps being covered in bushes, the only way to climb, was along the rocky surface on which a solid round bastion stands on the left.

Gaining access through a breach in the wall, I came to a little enclosure with a temple. From here steps led me through a hidden passage to the second entrance. At the top, a couple of tall boulders stand stuck together like a tower.

The few clefts in the rock have clear water. As I ambled along the wall, I passed by as many as ten strong bastions on different sides. Some of them are circular and some squarish in appearance. The views from the top are superb. Soaring hills on all sides (but for the east) seem to guard this little hillock. Down below, to the south west, is an enchanting green lake.

Stepping down to the base I found a very artistic structure, in ruins, though. The tiny chambers adorned with intricate trellis work and arches seemed to be the abode of the queens. The structure has suffered damage because of its exposure to the elements and needs to be protected.

As I wondered who had lived in this beautiful fort and what its history was, I met a local, Rajanna Nayak who shared his knowledge with me. Long time ago, the Nayakas of Srisailam in Andhra landed here, during their wanderings. They decided to settle down here and earn their livelihood doing odd jobs.
Legend has it that one day, a boy lying in the sun was seen protected by the hood of a cobra. The local rulers realised he would become a ruler some day. The boy did grow up to become Vasantha Nayaka, who ruled the small territory around.

One of the chief ’s descendants was Gumma Nayaka who named the place after him.

Rajanna who also claims to be a later descendant feels proud to show the three swords of the erstwhile rulers that he still preserves. One of the houses here still reminds you of palace architecture of old times.

The lake on the western side of the hill is charming too. Once upon a time, boating was the pastime here. Recently the forest department has developed the place as Nisargadhama with a park and children’s play area. They have also built a forest rest house here.

A bridge across the lake leads to the temple of Sethu Narasimhaswamy. The temple of Srirama and Hanuman has huge idols. A choultry is also available for devotees to stay overnight.

Getting there

GN Palya can be reached from Bagepalli (102km from Bangalore on Hyderabad road-NH 7 ). Drive on Chelur road for 16 km and go left to travel another seven km. Autorickshaws can be hired from Bagepalli. For stay at the forest rest house, contact the RFO at Bagepalli/Chikballapur.


The Deccan Herald, 14th Feb 2012

World over, the seven wonders of the world have always been a lure for holidaymakers. This trend, though, might be reversing. With new and varied foreign destinations promoting their tourism and air travel getting relatively cheaper, the wonders could have dropped low on a traveller's priority list.

According to a survey conducted by a hotel booking portal, travellers across the globe are ditching the wonders for other locations.

The survey findings show that one in three travellers has never visited any of the seven wonders of the world. In fact, a good 20% of the travellers from across the globe had never even heard of all these. The survey said that some wonders remain more popular than the others.

Rome's ancient amphitheatre, the Colosseum, emerged as the most popular wonder of the world with 33% travellers saying they have visited it at least once. It is followed by the Great Wall of China, which 17% of the sample travelers had visited. Other wonders such as the Christ the redeemer of Brazil and Taj Mahal were visited by only 9% of the travellers. Peru's Machu Pichu and Jordan's Petra were way down the list with only 5% and 6% visitors.

According to the survey conduced by Hotels.com with 2,500 respondents, most Indians had visited the Taj Mahal. The Great Wall of China was also one of the more popular wonders among the Indians; 45% of Indians said they had been to the Great Wall. Almost 28% Indians had also visited the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Though the survey said that the attraction for the seven wonders was gradually diminishing, travel agents based in Mumbai said that these destinations remained popular. "Egypt and China are very popular among Indian travellers. Rome, too, attracts travelers for its Colosseum,'' said Rajesh Rateria, MD, Cirrus Travels.

"However, Indian travelers are still to open up to a place like Peru. Since traveling to Peru is still very expensive, it is not on the Indian holidaymaker's list yet." A Fort-based agent said that evenJordan has been attracting several Indian tourists, particularly in the past two years. "Jordan has managed to grow as a travel destination,'' the agent said. "For Indian travellers, wonders of the world still hold a charm," he added.

The Times of India, 15th Feb 2012

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday fixed February 28, 2013, as the deadline for the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to restore Neela Hauz, the ancient water body on Aruna Asif Ali Marg near Vasant Kunj, which was edging towards extinction due to the construction of a flyover

A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri also asked the Delhi government to provide Rs 3.25 crore, required for restoration of the water body, to the DDA in a month’s time. The court, however, asked the DDA to not wait for monetary sanction from the government and start work as soon as possible

“The DDA must start work immediately, so it can be completed within 12 months. We hope that strict compliance with the time schedule will be adhered to, and no laxity will be shown by the civic body. Let the DDA complete the necessary formalities within two weeks and complete the restoration work by February 28, 2013,” said the bench

DDA counsel Ajay Verma told the court that the land was given to the DDA by the Delhi government only on Tuesday, and they will start the work as per the schedule

The court was hearing a PIL filed by Malvika Kaul, a resident of Vasant Kunj, through her lawyer Bankey Bihari. Kaul had alleged that the government was being indifferent to the endangered water body. The PIL had also raised concerns over ecological imbalance caused by the construction of the flyover. “Preserving this lake is important because it is the only natural source of recharging the groundwater in Vasant Kunj. The water level in the area is already very low... (and) construction activities will keep on depleting it unless protected,” the PIL contended

The Indian Express, 16th Feb 2012

A recent survey by a hotel booking portal suggests tourists across the globe are increasingly sidestepping the "wonders of the world" - sites like Peru's Machu Pichu, China's Great Wall and even India's Taj Mahal - in favour of new attractions. Such a shift is understandable, considering the idea and scope of tourism itself has evolved

The conventional notion of tourism involves people hopping from place to place, camera in tow, as part of a ritualised culture of visiting heritage monuments like Rome's Colosseum or Jordan's pink Petra. This sees them as passive consumers, often shepherded by tour operators, reverentially paying obeisance to world-famous sites. Today, the idea of the way places can be experienced has changed for many. Tourists frequently immerse themselves within the culture and vibe of a place. That includes learning about its history, but also emphasises partaking of its cuisine, music, sport and customs. Many travel experiences are tailored to fit the need to participate rather than to just marvel. Thus, a visit to Brazil won't focus solely on taking in the marvellous statue of Christ towering over Rio de Janeiro; it'll also include experiencing the city's carnivals, watching football or seeing fabulous wildlife

Some tourists go further. In their desire to actively feel a new way of life, some live on French farms through summer participating in wine-making and cheese production, take art lessons in Prague or jostle through a Spanish bull-run. In India, tourists can embrace its age-old culture by joining meditation and yoga classes. Why, its sacred rivers too are experienced not just by visits to their banks but through thrilling adventure sports like white-water rafting. Such experiences add colour and heft to holidays. That's important in a world where travel must increasingly be geared to busy schedules, different budgets and people's need for rejuvenation.

When over the weekend the Mumbai police announced that they had recovered Franciso Goya's 'Saturn Devouring His Son' (1819-1823) from the residence of real estate agent Majeed Sultan Khan, neither the Museo del Prado,Madrid, nor the Art Loss Register, an international database of lost and stolen art, batted an eyelid

Goya painted the nineteenth-century masterpiece on to the walls of his house. Following the artist's death, the work was transferred to canvas and has since been one of the most prized artworks in the Prado collection; certainly a painting whose absence would not go unnoticed

Oblivious to this, however, the Mumbai police continue to 'investigate' whether the painting is an original Goya. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which was approached by the police for the verification, said on Tuesday that they had examined the painting and were not sure whether it was an original Goya but said that it was over 75 years old. "We made this observation after examining the material used in the painting and its style," said M S Chauhan, superintending archaeologist at ASI. "However, this is just an initial observation; we are yet to reach a final conclusion. We have called a meeting of experts to discuss this.

The police, on their part, said they had studied most of the material related to the painting and had not found any report stating that it was missing or stolen from Spain. On Tuesday they were still waiting for information from Spain.

The artist community is amused by the developments. "What can one say except that this sort of jumping the gun is part of our everyday culture?" said artist Sanjeev Khandekar. "It just shows our complete disregard for the facts and fact-checking. If the authorities had only so much as considered an online search, it would have been clear that the painting is still housed at the Prado.

To recap the bizarre case of the Goya in a Mumbai broker's home, the Oshiwara police had sent ASI the painting which they seized from Khan's home when they raided his home on the suspicion that he was in possession of illegal weapons. During the search, they noticed the painting titled 'Saturn Devouring His Son', which Khan claimed was an original Goya and was given to him by a developer friend who owed him Rs 40 lakh. The cops seized it after Khan failed to provide any documents to establish how he had come to be in possession of it

(Inputs from Vijay V Singh

One of Goya's 14 Black Paintings, Saturn Devouring His Son (left) depicts the bleak Greek myth of Titan Cronus (Saturn in Roman mythology), who feared that he would be dethroned by his progeny and to avoid any such fate he ate them upon their birth

The Times of India, 16th Feb 2012

With an aim to promote wildlife and tourism in the district, the Noida Authority has decided to name a Metro station on the proposed Noida-Kalindi Kunj Line after the Okhla Bird Sanctuary

The station was earlier to be named as ‘Amity University’ as the station is located in close proximity of the campus. According to Noida Authority officials, naming the Metro station after the bird sanctuary will help in promoting wildlife and it will also attract large number of tourists. The station will fall between the Botanical Garden and Kalindi Kunj Metro stations

A senior Noida Authority official said, “Changing the name of the Metro station is not a big issue. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has given us the privilege to decide the name of the station. The Okhla Bird Sanctuary Metro station will feature on the Metro rail map. The new station is around one km from Kalindi Kunj station. The idea to select this name was that it is in the best interest of all in the area. Naming the station after the bird sanctuary would help us promote it as a tourist destination. We have written to DMRC, to mention the new name in its detailed project report (DPR) of Phase III”

An official of DMRC said, “We are not the one to decide about the station’s name. It is entirely the authority’s decision to decide the name and we do not have any problem in renaming the station. After the authority’s decision, we will implement the changes and will mention the new name in DPR.” Moreover, the Forest Department also believes that this move will help in the sanctuary’s promotion. It will also help in increasing the number of visitors and in promoting it as a tourist destination

The authority had written to DMRC about changing the station name near sector 125 on the proposed 3.9 km Phase III stretch from ‘Amity Noida’ to ‘Okhla Bird Sanctuary’. The extended route is expected to be completed by 2016. It will cost around Rs 874 crore. The new line will bring West Delhi and Indira Gandhi International Airport closer to the city. It will provide commuters connectivity from Noida with the city and areas of Gurgaon and Faridabad.

The Pioneer, 16th Feb 2012

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, a Central team arrived in the State capital on Wednesday to prepare a report for renovating historic sites associated with Rabindranath Tagore during his stay here

"India is commemorating 150th birth anniversary of Tagore in a big way in the country and the Ministry of Culture wanted to renovate sites associated with him especially in Shillong," the head of the team, Director of Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation, Kolkata, K K Banerjee, said.

Banerjee visited the state government owned Brookside Bungalow and Jeet Bhumi, a nearby bungalow which is now privately owned. Tagore had stayed in these places during his visits to Shillong.

Tagore stayed at Brookside for about a month when he visited the hill city in 1919. His finest tribute to Shillong is his celebrated novel Shesher Kabita, which he wrote here in 1928. Tagore composed the play, Raktakarabi while staying at Jeet Bhumi, according to available records

Banerjee met Chief Secretary W M S Pariat and is scheduled to meet representatives from social and cultural circles during his three-day stay here

The team's visit followed repeated request by writer and researcher Malabika Bisharad to set up a library and a Tagore Research Institute at the Brookside campus

Last year, Sidli House, another house where Tagore stayed was brought down by its new owner

The Pioneer, 16th Feb 2012