The year is 2025. You are on a visit to the Maluti temples, a World Heritage site in Jharkhand. The temple complex and the village adjoining it are a magnificent example of sustainable development. There are no touts or beggars in the area. Tourists get a holistic experience of the temples and can savour the living legacy of the region.

What's more, this is not the only place where such a heritage experience is possible. All across the country, in each state, there are thousands of places where a concurrent model is replicated, providing communities with work and sustaining monuments. Because of the unique combination of tangible and living culture, Indian heritage sites are attracting hordes of international and domestic tourists and are top-of-the-line contributors to the country's foreign exchange and GDP.

Sounds like a utopian dream? Not if a recent report by a global heritage organization is to be believed. According to the report, developing countries like India can tap a $100 billion-a-year opportunity by 2025, if they make a sincere attempt to preserve and responsibly develop their heritage sites. The report estimates that heritage, thus tapped, can even help meet the UN Millennium Development Goal of eliminating poverty by the next decade. This may seem a bit far-fetched, but it does raise a pertinent question: can heritage be the driving force of our economy?

"It would seem so," says Jeff Morgan of the Global Heritage Fund, that has published the report. Morgan points out that an estimated one-third of all international travel is cultural heritage-related. "Tourism is now increasingly viewed as a core economic growth strategy for many countries, and should be embraced as a core component of international development. Countries' investment in the protection of their heritage sites is highly correlated with economic growth and improved standards of living."

However, it may not be as simple as that, more so for a country like India where conservation remains a huge challenge, especially as monuments abound in every nook and corner. Add to that a lack of conservation ethos and bureaucratic apathy and the problem gets compounded. "Ours is a country where 'culture' and 'heritage' are words that are often over-used, but when it comes to implementation, little gets done," laments O P Jain, founder of the Delhi-based Sanskriti Foundation.

Jain points out that problems often arise because of lack of consistency. "Even if a heritage site has been successful, it is not used as a model for similar sites elsewhere. Instead, decisions are taken arbitrarily, without involving experts. In the process, a lot of money is wasted. For instance, there are many structures in Delhi for which grand plans were made, but still, people are openly defecating there."

Even in popular heritage sites which see a lot of tourist traffic, the delicate balance between footfalls and conservation has been difficult to achieve. "It's a Catch-22 situation," admits an official with the Archaeological Survey of India. "Places like the Taj Mahal or the historic civic centre of Shimla, which receive a huge tourist inflow, have to be constantly safeguarded against degradation. Increased tourist flow has put pressure on many fragile sites."

Then, there is the question of political will. Jain says that culture is often considered a soft subject and that shows in the bundling of the portfolio with other ministries like youth or sports affairs. "The government's schemes are often well-intentioned, but there is rarely any follow-through. For instance, under the public-private partnership, the adopt-a-monument project was a good idea for corporates to do their bit for conservation, but it fell through, because of red tape."

Considering a scenario like this, is correlating heritage and tourism with rapid economic growth really a practical proposition in India? There are many who believe that hinging the nation's future economy on tourism is, in itself, a fragile notion for development. Heritage consultant Amita Baig points out that tourism is essentially a service industry that cannot possibly be sustained unless the basics in education and health are achieved. "Protection of heritage can only be achieved with the local community. A good example is the Taj Mahal, India's most iconic site, which is situated in Agra, one of the most dismal destinations in the world. Because of the closure of industry to ensure the Taj Mahal is protected, the city economy is in decline, and its people have paid a very high price," she says.

Inclusive development, therefore, is the key. Morgan agrees that "empowering local communities, focusing expert aid and funding on the most endangered sites can help build a strong infrastructure and ensure long-term stewardship of heritage sites, thereby boosting the economy."

Education has an important role to play in sensitizing people. Baig says that the valorization of our heritage must be a part of core curriculum. "Things can be much easier, once there is an educated populace who respect their heritage as a legacy of their forefathers. "Another idea is to learn from success stories. Jain points at the success of heritage palaces in Rajasthan, most of whom have reinvented themselves as hotels. "These places are a microcosm of what heritage tourism in India stands for - a complete value-added experience."

In essence, cultural heritage should remain infused with life and energy or else it ceases to be relevant. Baig concurs that this is especially true in India where we still have a colonial mindset in how we manage our sites. "The western notion of heritage preservation is based on the fact that once it is catalogued and archived, its future is secure. But we also need to take into account the wisdom that made it possible. We require to think beyond the magnificence of stone to make creative use of our sites. If we can moderate this sensibly, then there will be serious economic base for the future of our heritage."

Times of India, 2nd January 2011

You may have seen museums preserving articles of historic importance for posterity, but in a unique initiative, the Chief Khalsa Diwan here has got the weapons of the times of Guru Gobind Singh made afresh on the basis of their description in “Shastar Naam Mala” compiled in “Dasam Granth” and showcased them in a museum.

When The Tribune team stepped into the museum, located on the premises of Central Khalsa Orphanage here on Thursday, it was pleasantly surprised to see shimmering weapons tastefully displayed in glass cabinets with each weapon having its name mentioned in Punjabi and English. At the centre of the museum is a huge portrait of Guru Gobind Singh and below it is a picture frame displaying a few verses of “Shastar Naam Mala”, a composition mentioning the names of weapons used during his lifetime. On either side of the Guru’s photograph are two huge spears — Wada Sela and Naagni Wadi.

While Wada Sela was used to tear apart shields sitting atop an elephant on the battleground, Naagni Wadi is a type of spear with its head in serpentine shape, with which Bhai Bachitter Singh took on a drunken elephant during the second battle of Anandpur.

The museum till now has succeeded in procuring 75 weapons mentioned in the “Shastar Naam Mala”. These include shamsheer, marthi, sela barchha, baaghnakha, faadi guraj, saithi, kadara, safajang, bugda, kirch, karauti, khanda, wadkari, kattas, shikarga, badamcha to name a few. On the one hand, you have baaghnakha, a claw-like weapon designed to fit over the knuckles and on the other you have jamdaadh, two-blade dagger which looks like demon tooth. Then there is sarohi (a special sword), bichhua (crooked dagger), asi (curved sword), and different types of arrows. The museum also boasts of microfilms of 67 hukamnamas (edicts) of various Sikh gurus, which include 24 of Guru Gobind Singh, 28 of Guru Teg Bahadur, six of Guru Hargobind and eight of Mata Sundari. Surprisingly, not many people are aware about the museum which came up about a couple of years back. Orphanage official Daljeet Singh Bedi and Superintendent BS Saini said the museum was a treasure trove of knowledge for the new generation. Though the Diwan authorities say it is open to all, no effort seems to have been made to draw the visitors. Not even a board has been put up outside the orphanage’s main entrance highlighting the museum.

Dwelling on the genesis of the idea, the Chief Khalsa Diwan’s honorary secretary and orphanage in charge Bhaag Singh Ankhi said he would often read the names of weapons, while reciting gurbaani and would wonder how they would have been. “One day I decided to raise a museum in which we can put on display all such weapons so that the next generation not only reads about them but can also see them. First I zeroed in on an expert who could guide me in this job. Then I travelled to Maharasthra, Agra , Patiala and Damdama Sahib in search of these weapons. Sikligars of Maharashtra were a great help in reproducing these weapons while the Nihangs also chipped in with their effort,” he averred. On publicising the museum, he said they would take the necessary measures in this regard very soon so that the people, including non-Sikhs, can be sensitised on Sikh history.

The “Shastar Naam Mala” is made of 1,318 verses spread over five chapters in 98 pages in the “Dasam Granth”. The opening chapter of 27 verses is an invocation to Bhagauti (sword) for assistance and contains the names of 30 weapons. Here the sword is personified as God. In the list that follows, the weapons of the day are presented under fanciful names, such as “Baaghnakha”, “Toofani Gola”, “Naagani Wadi” and “Aradh Chandar Teer”. Many of the weapons are listed in the form of riddles. The second chapter, having 47 verses, revolves around “chakra” (spears and quoit) though it also mentions about sword, “jamdadh” and “sehthi”. There are 178 verses which dwell on different names of arrow, while another 858 verses name modern weapons like the gun.

The Tribune, 2nd January 2011

Inscriptions in Kudimiyanmalai are testimony to the mingling of the Desi tradition with local music. T.M.KRISHNA traces the contours of the synthesis.

Kudimiyanmalai is a small hill situated in the Tamizh heartland near Pudukottai. On a rock face behind the Shikhanathaswamy temple, on the hill we find the earliest source of notation in Indian classical music history. These inscriptions, dated to the 7th -8th century AD during the reign of the Pallavas, are in Pallava grantha script. There is mention of a Rudracharya and historians believe that this refers to the Pallava king Mahendravarman I.

Notations
The music notated is related to the Desi tradition and it is believed that the notations were used to teach music. Seven gramaragas have been notated and these ragas represent the form that was in vogue before the classification of gramaragas into suddha, bhinna etc. had arrived. The colophon also mentions the parivardhini (a type of veena) and scholars associate this inscription to instrumental playing of these ragas.

The rock face has 38 horizontal lines of musical notation. Each line has 64 svaras split into four sets each with each set having four svaras. There does not seem to be any variation of duration in the svaras. We find that a svara never repeats itself immediately and the last svara in each set of four svaras is the same in each line. For the first time consonants S,R,G,M,P,D,N are used to denote the seven svaras. Secondly and more importantly we find that these svaras are followed by four vowels u,e,a,i. For e.g., we find that for svara G the use of a(Ga),i(Gi),u(Gu),e(Ge). We also find the presence of two vikrita svaras antara gandhara ( A) and kakali nishada ( K). Both these svaras are weak in nature, meaning not used very often and used only as leading svaras to M and S respectively. In the case of these two svaras the vowel ending i is never used. The functionality of these vowel endings have led to various explanations.

Explanations for the usage of the vowels given by scholars have varied from associating them to techniques of instrumental playing to trying to associate them to the 22 srutis but they are all found wanting for various reasons which I shall not elaborate here. Dr Richard Widdess gives an explanation that seems to be the most accurate when we analyse the notation and his interpretation. Without going into details, here are the observations. Vowel usage in the notation indicates the relative svarasthana level between two svaras. The vowels are ranked as u,e,a,i with u denoting the least relative interval and i the largest relative interval. We know for example that S – N is a larger rising seven note interval as compared to S – G which would be a three note rising one. This is exactly what these vowels seem to indicate. Therefore in the above example we could use Su – Ni to denote S - N and Su – Ge for S - G. Of course the vowels are also used in relation to all the four svaras in each set. We must understand that since there are only four vowels for seven notes their usage is spread sometimes arbitrarily .We need to understand the same in each context. Dr Widdess has corroborated his explanation with various other references from grantha script to the Sangita ratnakara.

These inscriptions are important and definite proof of Desi music in Tamizh land. When we also look at the treatises from the same period including the commentators of the Silapadhigaaram we find a lot of commonality with Sanskrit treatises. Therefore it is safe to assume that there was interplay between Desi music and local music of the Tamizh region without going into which came first.

The Tirumurai are about 11000 Saivaite Hymns by 27 authors, which constitute the works of all the great saivaite saints of the period 7th – 12th century in 12 parts. The first seven Thirumurai composed by the three saints Tirugnanasambandar (7th century AD), Thirunavukarasar (6th /7th century AD) and Sundarar (8th century AD) are generically known together as the Thevaram. The Thirumurai originally consisted only of the works of the three saints; later Sivaneeshachelvar added four more Tirumurais of other saints, which included the Thiruvachakam of Mannikavachakar.

Between the times of the three saints and the 12th century the singing tradition of these Thevarams seem to have disappeared and the manuscripts were locked in a vault in the Chidambaram Nataraja temple. In the 12th century the Chola king Raja Raja Chola found and revived the Thevarams, and with the help of Nambiandar Nambi. Nambiandar Nambi added the last Tirumurai namely, the Periya-puranam of Sekkizhaar, giving an account of the sixty-three Nayanmars.

Pann classifications
In Tamizh treatises we find the reference to 103 panns. Of these 103, only 23 are found in Thevarams. There is one more pann called Yazhmuri pann (with an interesting anecdote to it), which is not found in the 103 panns. The 23 panns are divided into three groups: Pagalpan (those that can be sung during the day), Iravu pann (for singing in the night) and podupann (those that can be sung at any time). The music of these Thevarams is attributed to a lady belonging to the Tirunilakantayazhpaanar family. She was approached by Nambiandar Nambi, as nobody knew how to sing the hymns when they were found.

The singing tradition of Thevarams belongs completely to the Odhuvars of Tamizh Nadu. They were officially appointed and paid to sing these hymns in the Saivaite temples by Raja Raja Chola in the 12th century, a tradition that still continues. Most of the Odhuvars learnt thevarams in oral tradition while some of them have learnt Carnatic classical music formally. Odhuvars perform Panniru Tirumurai inside the sanctum of the temple very strictly following the panns as handed down without liberties of improvisations etc, accompanied by cymbals but are allowed to sing the same Thevarams with far more flexibility and improvisation and even change panns while singing outside the sanctum in the temple. Outside the sanctum over the ages many instruments like Yazh, flute, mrudangam, sarangi, clarinet, violin, and harmonium have accompanied the renditions.

From 1949 the Tamizh Isai Sangam has been trying to find raga equivalents to the panns. This has been done on the basis of the singing of the Thevarams by traditional schools of Thevara Isai. The 23 panns have been equated to 15 ragas meaning that there are multiple panns for the same raga. The obvious question now arises: how can we be sure that the tunes have not changed in the last 1000 years of rendition? The explanations are that the Odhuvars even today do not include panns other than the 23 in their renditions and that they did not practice any other form of music. Both these reasons may not be airtight as we do find differences in panns being used in different temples and even in the conclusions made by the Tamizh Isai Sangam. For example the pann Indhalam is believed to be equivalent to Mayamalavagowla though the Odhuvars sing it as Nadanamakriya but some scholars believe it is Hindolam.

It's also a fact that the temple was a hub of music and dance. It is very likely that the music of the Thevarams did change with the times, as the Odhuvars would have been exposed to Carnatic ragas. It is possible that the panns they were using were close to some raga melodies and later they completely merged into the raga identity. All that we can confidently conclude is that panns as they are sung in the 20th century are similar to certain ragas of the modern era and sometimes even the same pann is sung as two different ragas in different traditions.

The Hindu, 2nd January 2011

A year and several frantic letters to the Prime Minister and senior Railways officials later, a plot of land surrounding the Nila Gumbad has been handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). With this, the Mughal-era monument abutting the World Heritage Site of Humayun’s Tomb will finally be integrated with the Tomb Complex.

Following a three-year long standoff between the ASI and Railways, the two bodies have finally resolved the issue of land transfer. Sources said that the move came after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervened and sought a status report on the issue following newspaper reports and letters from ministers and conservationists seeking his intervention.

“A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the ASI and Railways about two weeks ago. Land approximately 42 m on north and south and about 8 m east of Nila Gumbad has been transferred to the ASI for integration with the Humayun’s Tomb and development of the monument,” said a senior Railways official.

The ASI and Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which is working on the Humayun’s Tomb Complex as part of its urban renewal plan in the area, will now be able to integrate the Nila Gumbad with the Complex. The Mughal-era monument is said to be originally linked to the Humayun’s Tomb but was separated in the 1970s when a sewer line and a road cut through the plot. The integration, now, is expected to facilitate easy visitor access to the Nila Gumbad and also in re-develop the buffer zone of the World Heritage Site.

Ratish Nanda, Project Director, Aga Khan Trust for Culture, said, “Once the road layout is finalised, we will be able to carry out conservation and landscaping at Nila Gumbad aimed at making the monument accessible to the millions visiting Humayun’s Tomb. The patch of land on either side of monument that has been transferred will facilitate in restoring a part of the original charbagh.”

While the 42-m land north and south of the monument will be used for restoring the gardens, the 8 m of land on the east will accommodate the diverted road. Nanda said that the diversion of road will ensure that the thoroughfare can still be used and, at the same time, it will no longer cut across Nila Gumbad and the Humayun’s Tomb.

“The exact road layout will be agreed upon by ASI and Railway officials on the ground, keeping in mind the presence of structures such as underground tanks and large trees that cannot be sacrificed,” Nanda said

Earlier, Newsline had reported on the rampant illegal construction by the Railways within the prohibited area of the Centrally protected monument of Nila Gumbad and the dumping of railways material next to the monument.

Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, M S Gill, and Chairman of Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC), KT Ravindran, had thereafter written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking his intervention to resolve the deadlock early last year.

Indian Express, 2nd January 2011

On the chilly but clear morning of December 12,1911, Delhiites made a beeline for a maidan near Burari to witness the biggest tamasha of the British Raj — the Delhi Durbar. Before 1911, Delhi had hosted two durbars, in 1877 and 1903, to commemorate the coronation of ruling British monarchs. The first time a reigning King attended the coronation durbar was in 1911. The event, however, became historic for another important reason. It was here that King George V announced the shifting of the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi, a decision known only in the top echelons of the British regime till then.

Back then, Delhi was a modest commercial provincial town. It had been gifted to Punjab by the British for the latter’s support during the 1857 mutiny, its glorious Mughal past forgotten. The shifting of the capital put Delhi back on India’s political map and changed the course of its history. British India’s imperial capital today remains the political nerve centre of the country.

The Durbar : The durbar arrangements started a year in advance. The site for the durbar was in northwest Delhi— where the previous two durbars had been held. A city of tents came up across 25 square miles, sprawling from present day Civil Lines to Timarpur, Jahangirpuri, Shalimar Bagh, Ashok Vihar, Model Town and Shakurpur.

At the centre of the camp was the King’s pavilion, spread over 85 acres. Camps of officials and Indian princes were located in order of precedence. The camp had its own railway, connecting it to the amphitheatre where the durbar was held. Sixty four kms of new roads and 80 kms long water mains were constructed.

On December 12, the royal couple reached the amphitheatre in an open carriage and were seated inside an elaborate two-tier shamiana. The ceremonies included a 101-gun salute, parades, obeisance by rulers of princely states, distribution of medals to military officials and the proclamation.

The long task of building an imperial city from scratch began after the King left. Twenty years of frenetic construction later, New Delhi was unveiled.

Coronation Park to cricket pitch
As parks go, the Coronation Park in Delhi has a unique history to it—a history not known to the city’s common man, yet entrenched in the stone statutes that dot the park.

On December 11, 1911, the coronation ceremony of King George V and Queen Mary took place here amid much fanfare and was witnessed by thousands.

Today, the same park in north Delhi’s Burari has become a cricket playground for children blissfully unaware that this was where the King had announced at the elaborate durbar the plan to shift India’s capital from Calcutta to Delhi. Four days later, on December 15, he had laid the new capital’s foundation stone.

“Although they (British) intended to build the capital city there, the site was later rejected. A major reason was that the place was swampy, malaria-infested,” says AGK Menon, Delhi chapter head, Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

The park was recently in the news for the fact that during the Congress plenary session at Burari, PM Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s helicopters had landed at the spot where thousands had witnessed the coronation ceremony.

For years after Independence, the place was occupied by paramilitary forces and later used for political/religious congregations. Sometime in the early 1970s, King George V’s statue was brought here from India Gate. A coronation pillar, too, was built later.

All that remains today is a tall obelisk atop a crumbling platform near an enclosed shabbily maintained garden with broken statues on pedestals.

But thankfully, ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Delhi Durbar, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), in charge of the park, has roped in INTACH for the park’s redevelopment.

The development plan includes: conservation and rearrangement of the statues at the commemorative zone, an interpretation centre amid landscaped garden and a forest area. “The park will be refurbished before December 2011,” said a senior DDA official.

A throne for the King
The thrones used by King George V and Queen Mary during the 1911 Delhi Durbar are on display separately at Marble Hall Gallery and the Gifts’ museum at Rashtrapati Bhavan. While the King’s chair, made of silver, weighs about 640 kg, that of the queen, also made of silver, weighs about 540 kg. These chairs were designed specially for the durbar by Calcutta-based firm H.M. Mint. The company’s name is inscribed on the throne of George V.

The thrones also have the names of both the King and the Queen and date of Delhi Durbar inscribed on them. “The art section of the President’s Secretariat has a professional conservator who preserves the chairs. Their original colours have been retained,” says Archana Datta, OSD (PR) to President of India.

But the conservation of these thrones is quite a task. “Every time we need to take these chairs to the conservation laboratory at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, we need a dozen people to lift them. We also have a special trolley to carry them,” says KK Sharma, deputy director, arts, president’s secretariat. Sharma says these chair were used by Indian Presidents till the 1960 at ceremonies held to receive credentials of foreign envoys. “But the queen’s chair has never been used,” adds Sharma.

Apart from the Thrones, the Marble hall Gallery also has a model of the Crown of King George V that dates back to 1930. It was made by Nannai Mall Contractor as inscribed on crown with date 10. 10. 1930. “Made of brass, it weighs about 200 kgs,” says Sharma.

Hindustan Times, 3rd January 2011

A few hours after the installation of Ghalib's bust at the haveli where the poet used to stay in Ballimaran, one happened to have a look around and was reminded of Kipling's famous lines “The tumult and the shouting dies/The captains and the kings depart”. The haveli, or the portion of it reclaimed for the museum, was enveloped in the winter twilight and hardly anyone was around, except for a crow seated atop the portion still in private possession. The bird was peering down, perhaps in search of something to eat before retiring to its nest in a nearby tree.

Outside the haveli an old man sat with his stick, after a long walk from his house. Known as Khan Sahib, he had lived all his life in the area; and in childhood used to run about bare-chest through Gali Qasim Jan on summer afternoons while playing with other street Arabs. He had heard stories about Ghalib from his father and grandfather. Since Khan Sahib looks like an octogenarian, his father must have been born 25 years earlier, probably in 1875, less than six years after Ghalib's death in early 1869.

According to what Khan Sahib had heard, his great grandfather had witnessed the tumultuous days of the 1857 Uprising and as such also seen Ghalib, an old man then, living in the haveli and venturing out little. The youths of those days were not actually aware of his greatness and thought him to be an eccentric “shair”, who had earlier not been seen much in the neighbouring mosque but was sometimes spotted in Chawri Bazar, on the way to the kotha of a dark dancing girl.

Khan Sahib even now did not think much of Ghalib since he was not a literary man but a retired mechanic, who had hardly any time to attend mushairas or get interested in the lives of local poets. But one thing that he said was remarkable: Why make such a fuss about a poet who had died in poor circumstances, without any authority bothering about him in his old age, deprived of patronage of a royalty (Shahi Kunba) that had been ousted by the British? The old timer felt that instead of making a museum for someone whose fame was not going to die even centuries hence, why didn't the high and mighty of Delhi concentrate on making Gali Qasim Jan and its environs more habitable. “The streets are dirty, the drains full of filth. People live here in congested surroundings and unhygienic conditions and it is on the unswept lanes leading to the haveli that the poet's admirers come twice or thrice a year with candles and what not, and then depart just as quickly as they had come.” Wagging a finger he added; “Mind you the bust that they have put up goes against the very tenets of our religion, and Ghalib must be ruing it too, for Islam does not allow creation of statues of the living or the dead.”

Another old man whom Khan Sahib addressed as Ustadji after listening to the conversation, observed that the “rich people”, whom he had seen earlier in the day at the haveli looked like show-offs who were trying to gain popularity by marching in from the Town Hall for an annual “tamasha”. It would have been better, he said, if they had built a school for the area's poor boys or a charitable dispensary in memory of Ghalib. That he thought would have been an ever-living monument to the poet. One felt like agreeing with these two men, steeped in natural wisdom, while walking some yards to buy biryani from a man sitting with a “degh”.

Ghalib must have bought biryani like this and kababs too from the roadside before making his way to the haveli he shared with wife Umrao Begum, his beloved nephew, Arif, and the children who did not survive infancy. The haveli must have looked very lonely to him without them. It still continues to be so despite the beautiful marble bust.

The Hindu, 3rd January 2011

Visva-Bharati is working on a four-volume, 1,600-page compilation of Rabindranath Tagore’s paintings as part of his 150th birth anniversary celebrations.

The large-format book of “international standards”, funded by the culture ministry and a private publisher, is expected to make it to the racks in May.

“The idea of bringing out Rabindra Chitrabali emerged during a visit to Visva-Bharati by a team of experts in April 2009. The university was entrusted with the project because nearly 85 per cent of Tagore’s works are in its collection. The book will be a collector’s item. A digital version may follow,” said Union culture secretary Jawhar Sircar.

Tagore’s paintings were lavishly praised when they were first shown in the US, Russia, the UK and other parts of Europe, in 1930-31. Over the years, the interest has only increased in what Tagore had described as “verses in lines”.

“The reproductions of not more than 350 Tagore paintings are in circulation. The book will contain at least 1,800 paintings,” said Visva-Bharati pro vice-chancellor Udaya Narayana Singh, the co-ordinator of the project.

He expects the book to impress in terms of quality as well. “Tagore’s works are of different sizes and some are on the two sides of a sheet of paper, so a lot of care is needed. Moreover, Tagore used a wide range of colours in his paintings. There are many subtle variations even in the blacks.”
Digital images of the paintings have been recorded under special lights, “taking care that the colours match the readings of the X-Rite Digital Colour Checker Bar we procured from Germany”, explained Singh.

“Pragathi Press in Hyderabad will print the book on Italian Natural Evolution paper of 145gsm — the best available in the international market.”

The paintings that have been photographed are from various collections, including those of Rabindra Bhavan Archive (1,582 works), Kala Bhavan (109 works), National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi (86), National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore (15), Rabindra Bharati University (45) and Indian Museum (2).

More paintings could have been included in the book had the authorities of the Academy of Fine Arts allowed the Tagore paintings in its collections to be photographed.

Singh told Metro that despite repeated pleas the academy management did not allow them to even see the paintings. He said he had “approached Sircar with the problem and got in touch with Union minister Pranab Mukherjee”.

“Some say the academy has 34 paintings of Tagore. Others put the number at 17. We could not get permission to shoot any of the paintings. In response to several messages from us, they only said they would create digital images of the paintings on their own. They don’t realise that their digital images will not be of the standard we will be able to achieve,” said Singh.

Ashok Mukherjee, the chairman of the academy’s board of trustees, said: “We are unable to allow anyone into the museum because we are in the process of creating an inventory. We have 35 original paintings of Tagore and over 2,000 other objects. The museum cannot be accessed now as the galleries are closed because of labour problems.”

Visva-Bharati is not including Tagore paintings with private collectors either because “there are a large number of fakes and this would be too tempting an offer for collectors to get their buys authenticated”.

The book will have commentary by Raman Shivakumar, a Visva-Bharati faculty member.

Some of Tagore’s doodles will also be included in the book. “There can be an entire book just on Tagore’s doodles, most of which are very small and finely drawn…. Here we have reproduced only one or two while explaining the beginning of Tagore’s paintings,” said Singh.

More than Rs 8 crore has already been spent on the book. The ministry will pay Rs 5 crore for the project. The rest will come from co-publisher Pratikshan and advance bookings.

According to the plan, 12,000 copies of the book will be printed. Each copy will cost Rs 25,000 but thanks to government subsidy, will be available for Rs 12,000. “There is no immediate plan of reprints, though there is provision for it,” said Singh.

The Telegraph, 3rd January 2011

The Belgaum Fort, located at the foothills of Sahyadri Range and marking the entrance to the city, may soon become part of history if the State Government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) do not take urgent steps for its conservation.

Built in Indo-Saracenic and Deccan style with stones and mud, with a wide moat around it during the 13th century, the fort survived many attacks during its eight centuries of existence. But the fort may soon give in, if the government and the ASI do not pay attention to its revival.

The Territorial Army, located in the premises of the fort, has conserved artefacts and monuments in its premises. The government and ASI, though, haven’t bothered to take a leaf out of the Territorial Army’s book.

The walls of the fort have begun to give in at some places, with weeds growing all over them. Residents say that immediate steps are needed to bring the walls back to their original condition. Built by Jaya Raya, also called Bichi Raja, an ally of the Ratta Dynasty, in 1204 AD, the fort underwent several renovations over the centuries under different rulers. It is one of the oldest forts in the state with fortifications designed to repel attacks of invading armies.

Located in an undulating plain land, the fort is oval in shape and is surrounded by a deep and wide moat of soft red stone. The outside of the fort is a broad esplanade with bastions rising to about 32 feet from the bottom of the moat.

Inside, the fort is 1,000 yards in length and 800 yards in width. Two massive bastions flanked by a large gate, which was originally an entry gate through a bridge, have since been blocked. The gate now in use is considered a fine specimen of Indian architecture.

It has a guard chamber, a "groined roof once ornamented with pendants".

The exterior of the gate is decorated with large motifs of animals and birds. The gateway is covered by massive doors made of iron and designed for defence. An inscription on the top of the arch of the gate, in Persian, ascribes its construction to Jakub Ali Khan. It reads: Jakub Ali Khan, who is a joy to the heart, by whose benevolence the world is prosperous, built the wall of the fort from its base as strong as the barrier of Sicardis.

It was in 1631 AD that the main gate of the fort was built. The western gate, with an archway, is guarded only by a chain stretched across two old cannons and provides access from a sloping road crossed by a causeway over the moat.

Architectural influence
The fort has Hindu, Jain and Muslim architectural influence with temples and mosques located within its limits, indicating cultural syncretism. The architectural styles seen in the mosques are of the Indo-Saracenic and Deccan type.

The fort's history is traced to the Ratta Dynasty with lineage to the Rashtrakuta Dynasty (earlier chieftains of Savadatti who later shifted their capital to Belgaum), Vijayanagar emperors, Bijapur Sultans or Bahamanis, Marathas (Shivaji and Peshwas) and finally to the British in that order. Prior to Rattas, Shatavahanas, Chalukyas and Kadambas from Goa had ruled the region.

Recently, when people took to the streets against the move to construct offices and residential quarters by the Income Tax Department on the periphery of the fort, ASI stalled the construction. The protestors had condemned the Cantonment Board for selling off the land adjacent to the monument to the IT Department.

Perhaps, it will take more protests for the government and ASI to take towards the fort’s conservation.

The Hindu, 2nd January 2011

The British hated Calcutta’s sultry climate. Every summer, the administration would move to Shimla. The real push came after the government’s decision to divide Bengal in 1905. This led to protests and hostility. Calcutta had become too unstable politically.

Why Delhi?
When the British decided to shift the capital, one of the first choices was Shimla, from where the government anyway functioned in the summers. A permanent capital, however, required better accommodation and ample space to house some 43 odd government offices. Given Shimla’s topography and lack of space, it was not possible.

The new capital had to be centrally located like at Nagpur. Plans to create a new city from scratch in central India were also floated. However, no other provincial town proved good enough and creating a new one meant creating railway lines, telecommunications and other infrastructure from scratch.
This is where Delhi won. It was an important commercial centre and was connected by railway and other means of communication. It was also just 12 hours away from Shimla. Unlike Calcutta, the British found Delhi’s weather suitable for at least seven months of the year. It was also surrounded by the northern princely states loyal to the government.

Most important, however, was Delhi’s perception in the average Indian’s mind as the seat of power. This is where the Mughals had ruled from and this was why all three Imperial durbars—in 1877, 1903 and 1911—were held in Delhi.

Where in Delhi?
The foundation stone of the new capital was laid at Kingsway Camp by King George V in 1911. North Delhi, beyond Kashmere Gate, was where the British lived and worked. The new city was expected to come up there. An ‘expert committee’, comprising architects like Edwin Lutyens, however, decided otherwise. The committee found the site unsuitable as it was swampy and low lying, making it vulnerable to flooding. It was also found to be too ‘flat and boring’.

Lutyens and his team roamed around the Delhi countryside for days and finalised the area near Raisina hills. The undulating terrain meant that buildings like the Government house (Rashtrapati Bhavan) and Secretariat will be at a height, making them imposing.

The area was also largely uninhabited except for the village of Malcha, making the land cheap unlike the Civil Lines area. There was also ample land available in south Delhi, making room for future expansion.

British revenge on Calcutta
If the Bengali gentry in Calcutta didn’t care much about the separation of a few zonal areas from the Bengal Province in 1905, Delhi would probably have still been a medieval walled city basking in the lost glory of its Mughal heydays and “New Delhi” would never have happened.

But as history would have it, the Partition of Bengal—which took away Assam and the Muslim-dominated East Bengal from the Bengal Province and merged them into a new state—unleashed an era of tremendous political unrest in Calcutta between 1905 and 1911, and sealed the fate of this once bustling metropolis.

And that, consequently, paved the way for New Delhi.

The political reason—to divide Bengal among communal lines—was not hidden from anyone. Viceroy Lord George Curzon, in his letter to Secretary of State John Brodrick explained: “Calcutta is the centre from which the Congress Party is manipulated throughout the whole of Bengal, and indeed the whole of India. Its best wire pullers and its most frothy orators all reside here. They dominate public opinion in Calcutta…affect the High Court… frighten the local Government… their activity is directed to creating an agency so powerful that they may one day be able to force a weak government to give them what they desire.”

On the day of Partition in 1905, English newspaper Amrita Bazar Patrika carried a news item titled “Calcutta in Mourning-A Unique Sight”. Large processions from various parts of Bengal gheraoed the Viceroy House for over a week even as the police resorted to violence. Such influential intellectuals as Rabindranath Tagore took to the streets in support.

The unrest ensured that Curzon was forced out of office in 1905 but Partition remained. The Swadeshi Movement took shape leading to mass boycott of British-made goods.

Secret armed societies sprang up in Calcutta and Dhaka. Sporadic guerrilla operations like bombings of centres of administration, murder and attempts of assassination of British bureaucrats made life hell for the machinery of governance in Bengal for half a decade.

The British had their revenge soon. In 1911, they reunited Bengal but shifted the Capital of the country from Calcutta to Delhi.

20 years of ‘Temporary Delhi’
Delhi was declared as the new capital of British India in 1911. The city, with its imposing buildings, was still two decades away.

In the 20 long years between the announcement by King George V on December 11, 1911, and the unveiling of New Delhi, the Imperial government of India managed its functions from buildings that were far less grand in north Delhi.

The area was known as ‘Temporary Delhi’. The present old Secretariat, constructed in 1912, is from where the government machinery functioned. The adjacent Council Chamber (now Delhi Vidhan Sabha) is where the Legislative Council was held, before construction of Council House (now Parliament House) in 1927.

The walled city and its suburbs like Karol Bagh were administered by a Municipal Committee, headed by a Chief Commissioner. The larger Delhi province was part of Punjab and was governed by a Lieutenant Governor sitting in Lahore. Civil Lines and adjacent areas, where the British lived, was part of the Municipality till 1911.

Once the Imperial government shifted here, 500 acres in north Delhi were added to the area and was governed by a notified area committee.

The site for New Delhi, under construction for many years, was looked after by an Imperial Delhi Committee, which had complete say over the construction and administration of the area.

With objections both in India and England over the amount of money spent on building New Delhi, the British were deterred from spending lavishly on the temporary capital. To set an example, the Viceroy himself stayed in a modest ‘circuit house’.

Over the next few years, Imperial Delhi or the ‘Delhi Enclave’ expanded to 1,290 sq miles, comprising the present day National Capital Territory. The move was fought tooth-and-nail by the Punjab government, whose land it was, over the inclusion of then far flung areas like Mehrauli and Najafgarh in the Imperial territory.

Delhi’s ‘Garden City’
The British wanted their Imperial capital in Delhi to be as magnificent as Imperial Rome. They also wanted it to be spacious, airy and green. The pollution and ‘smoke problem’ in Calcutta was already a serious issue and the British wanted a controlled and planned growth for Delhi.

The land east of Yamuna was acquired from United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) to be developed as a ‘garden city’ and become the lungs of New Delhi. There were plans to house government employees in the ‘Garden City’ on the site, what is now Shahdara.

Plans were also floated to dam Yamuna and create lakes on either side, lined by wide boulevards. That plan, however, didn’t fructify and later government housing too came up mostly in south Delhi.
The planned garden city is now an urban sprawl and the only planned housing in the area would only come up in the 1970s with the development of Mayur Vihar and Patparganj.

Henry Vaughan Lanchester, an architect hired as consultant by the Town planning committee, wanted the Yamuna to be an integral part of New Delhi. His report said the river should be linked to New Delhi through a ceremonial avenue.

Lanchester also suggested that Shahjehanabad should be integrated with the new political capital, to bring the vitality and soul of the existing city to New Delhi. These plans too didn’t see the light of the day.

Hindustan Times, 4th January 2011

A marvel of creativity and a work of massive magnificence, the Brahadisvara temple at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu has evoked awe and admiration for the past 1000 years. It has inspired books, articles, and research papers by historians, archaeologists, sociologists, and art experts from India and abroad.

We now have a splendid pictorial tribute to the edifice — a 150-page book,Vibrant at 1000: Big Temple, Thanjavur, India. It contains some 160 photographs taken at different times of day and night, capturing the majesty and the varied brilliance of the temple's art, architecture, structural engineering, and sculpture, as well as the reverence and religiosity of the devotees.

Surprisingly, the man behind this gently luminous photo book is an icon of commercial wizardry, famous for automobile and advertising photography. Iqbal Mohamed is a product of the Brooks Institute of Photography, California, and founder of India's first professional photography institute, the Light and Life Academy at Lovedale, Ooty. His book Portrait and function photographyhas been published in nine languages. But Iqbal has, in recent years, switched to nature, wildlife, and the fine arts, and has photographed several temples in Kancheepuram district. He loves places of worship for their “beauty, peace, sanctity” and their energy. “Advertising photography seeks to make the ordinary look extraordinary. But documentary photography must show the subject as it is. In any case, we can't add anything to something as awesome as the Big Temple. In fact, trying to do so would be to insult its creators,” says Iqbal's wife Anuradha, who has written the sensitive text that supplements the photographs. She says the Big Temple is “exquisite but does not tax the senses. It is mathematically precise yet creatively dynamic.”

Iqbal spent two days in reconnaissance and 21 days for the photography — in several sessions spread over a year and more. He immortalises some rare moments. Turn the cover, and you see a striking two-page image: birds in flight on the left, a close-up of the Vimana, or the imposing temple tower, on the right. A few pages later: a mass of devotees, reverence personified, gopurambackdrop.

Visual walkthrough
You are then taken on a “visual walkthrough” of the temple and its “cornucopial visual delights.” Iqbal and Anuradha show how the temple “reinvents itself over different times of the day and night, under varying light conditions, across seasons.” There are wide-sweeping outdoor shots; close-ups of detail; glimpses into worshippers.

Uniquely interesting for photographers, the book presents a diagram that shows the position from which every shot was taken and the equipment used. For any shot, only a single camera and lens were used, Iqbal says. Simple portable flash units or torch lights were used to illuminate the interiors, since strobes were not allowed by the temple authorities. The technique of “light painting” was deployed for some shots. Example: the picture of bas-relief Siva sculptures illustrating many dance poses (karanas) of sage Bharata. “There was hardly five feet between the tripod-mounted camera on one corner and the large-size sculptures. I used an 8-second exposure while two assistants kept running and aiming two flash units on the wall.”

Images
Some of the most remarkable or intriguing images show people crowding around a priest performing Arti (a painting-like effect); the Ajanta wall frescoes (a wavy-fuzzy effect); the Darasuram temple (for which Iqbal used a combination of moonlight and flashlights to illuminate not merely the front face of the sculpture but also the detail on the ceiling); and ants in sharp focus in the foreground against the temple backdrop (for which Iqbal did a macro shot with a wide-angle lens, but used a high shutter speed and crawled sideways on the floor to follow the ants).

However, the photography “works within an aesthetic of restraint,” as N. Ram points out in his eloquent foreword to the book. He describes the book as a tour de force and Iqbal's photography as “joyous, admiring, rich in art and historical whispers and intimations.” Whether your subject is history, archaeology, architecture, religion, or photography, this book would make a delightful acquisition.

The Hindu, 4th January 2011

Ironically, Delhi has all but forgotten the poet

In an age when popular culture is defined by ever-declining standards set by Bollywood chartbusters, it is laudable that there are people who remember the legendary poet Mirza Ghalib. Celebrated filmmaker and writer Gulzar deserves three cheers and more for having commissioned a statue of arguably the greatest Urdu poet the world has seen. Now that the bust has been installed at Ghalib’s Old Delhi residence, one hopes it will not end with that, but that more and more people will get involved in resurrecting the poet and his poetry. It’s a disgrace that the city Ghalib lived in and loved so dearly should have all but forgotten him and done everything to obliterate his memory. Hishaveli had been turned into a ‘wedding hall’, with filth littering the place. A public toilet was constructed in its vicinity. It took the intervention of the Delhi High Court for the State Government to restore the dilapidated residence. Beyond that, the Congress regime has done precious little. What has prevented it from beautifying the location and promoting the residence as a tourist spot? Look at the commendable manner in which successive British Governments have projected Stratford-upon-Avon. The English town has become synonymous with Shakespeare. How many people in our country — let alone the world — know of Ghalib’s address? It is ironical that while Delhi is full of carefully preserved monuments built by the Mughals and the British, its own legendary son should remain unacknowledged and disowned.

There is no point in blaming the people for the apathy. It is the responsibility of the Government and non-government organisations to kindle interest in the poet among the people. Organisations like the Ghalib Memorial Movement have been doing a great job in that direction, but more is needed. If the State Government could host the Commonwealth Games, it can surely think of a major event to promote Ghalib and his poetry. And, why just the State, the Union Government too is responsible to keep Ghalib’s works and memories of the poet alive. The promotion of Ghalib is not merely a celebration of the poet but that of Urdu as well. We must not forget that Mirza Ghalib originally wrote in Persian — the language of the court and the elite — but switched to Urdu that was more popular with all sections of the people cutting across faith and community. He was a people’s poet and secular to the core, and lived for nothing more than his poetry. It’s a shame and a pity that a country and a society that unabashedly celebrate the fleeting successes of Indians writing in English have neither the time nor the inclination for a writer who was driven by passion and not pelf. Ghalib lives, but not because we remember him.

The Pioneer, 4th January 2011

The forest department’s exclusive control over Indian forests may end with the government’s acceptance of a key recommendation of a committee to allow people participation in forest management. The National Committee on Forest Rights Act (FRA), headed by National Advisory Council member NC Saxena, has recommended a three-tier forest management system where some part of the forest will be under exclusive control of people living there— some under joint community-government management and remaining with the forest departments.

“No longer we can continue with the government-controlled forest management,” environment minister Jairam Ramesh said after Saxena’s presentation on major findings of the report. “FRA is an opportunity to bring out change in the forest government structure”.

The new structure is being considered following a finding of the 20-member committee constituted in April 2009, that key clause of the act on ensuring community rights has not been implemented.

Of the total 4 crore hectares of forestland, community rights have been granted in only 20,000 hectares. “Except in Orissa and Chhattisgarh, people’s participation in forests is limited,” Saxena said.

This has happened primarily as state governments have failed to understand what community rights mean. As per FRA, community rights means allowing access to minor forest produce to those who have been living on forestland for three generations prior to 2005.

The biggest stumbling blocking in granting community rights has been Indian Forest Act of 1927, which gave powers to the forest department to book anyone accessing forest produce.

As a first step to grant community rights, the environment ministry will introduce an amendment to Indian Forest Act of 1927 to allow forest dwellers and tribals to exercise rights over minor forest produce and resources.

Hindustan Times, 4th January 2011

Scattered villages in and around a rocky, dusty ridge populated by jackals, leopards and peacocks— outside the Walled City, this was the Delhi where the British planned to build their new capital from scratch 100 years ago. The heart of the city then was in the North, within the lanes of Civil

Lines, Chandni Chowk, Alipur and Kashmere Gate areas where trade and commerce flourished like it did in provincial towns.

The motley villages—some no more than hamlets—Malcha, Raisina, Todapur, Aliganj, Pillanji, Jaisinghpura, Kushak and others in the present New Delhi areas, had a mix of communities like Jats, Gujjars, Muslims Brahmins and even Christians, who either engaged in agriculture, rearing of animals, or sourced livelihood in Shahjahanabad, almost a half-day journey away. The Ancient Hanuman temple, a few Jain temples and Gurudwara Bangla Sahib drew crowds from the Walled City.

“The hills needed to be cut, the dense jungles had to be cleared and almost all the village land had to be acquired either by force or by compensation,” says historian RV Smith.

In the end, these villages gave way to tree-lined avenues, symmetrical neighbourhoods and architectural marvels like the Viceroy’s House, the Secretariat and the Council House (Parliament), which made New Delhi famous.

Old-timers say the name “New Delhi” was merely incidental. “Someone suggested the name ‘Georgeabad’ after the King Emperor on the lines of Shahjahanabad. The new city was never named. It was only by popular usage that the area beyond the Ajmeri Gate became known as ‘New Delhi’,” says jeweler-cum-art seller Sultan Singh Backliwal, 84, who was among the first lot of traders to move into Connaught Place soon after New Delhi’s inauguration.

Today’s burgeoning suburbs, South and East Delhi were “mango groves and graveyards” writes author Ranjana Sengupta in her book Delhi Metropolitan: The Making of an Unlikely City.

“Across the river in East Delhi, Shahadara was a small settlement in the middle of fields and scattered villages. New Delhi… had great swathes of empty spaces…,” she writes. In the middle of this setting, the imperial town planners firmed up a grand design.

Maps drawn up for the consideration of Secretary of State Lord Robert Crewe suggested curving out vast lakes from the “glacier fed waters of the Jumna” in North Delhi. They wanted government quarters, on the lines of Sarojini Nagar in trans-Yamuna areas. The new township was supposed to be buffered by gardens and green spaces to, as per the map’s index, keep the “very questionable air of native Delhi” away from the new town. But as fate would have it, the British eventually could get only around a decade and a half to rule from this modern seat of power after taking 20 long years to make it.

New Malcha’s 100-yr-old loss
Around 50 kilometers from the Capital, in a small village in Haryana, a different lore of the making of New Delhi has been handed down from generation to generation for 100 years. People in Harsana Malcha, a hamlet of around 300 Jat families, have all along believed they were wronged when the new Capital was built at Raisina Hill.

The family elders have always told the younger lot that they once lived in a village called Malcha which stood on prime lands in New Delhi, where now stands Chanakyapuri and parts of Rashtrapati Bhawan; that the British drove the Jats away from there by force in 1911 and that they never got a dime for the land they left behind for the British to build their precious Capital.

“The British killed families and friends of our forefathers to acquire our land and build New Delhi,” says Ajit Singh, 67, the quintessential Jat patriarch of a farmer family.

Legend has it that most Jat families refused to budge from the area around Malcha Mahal, Feroze Shah Tughluk’s Hunting Lodge in Central Ridge and parts of Raisina Hill, even as other communities like Brahmins, Muslims and others left after getting their compensation amounts.

“Our grandparents told us that one morning the British started bombing the Village with cannon balls. Several were killed,” said Satish Kumar, former of village head of Harsana Malcha. The village may have vanished from New Delhi but its name has remained in Malcha Marg, Malcha Mandir, Malcha Mahal in the Central Ridge and now in Harsana Malcha in Haryana.

Perched on a charpoy and puffing a hukka, Ajit Singh and others spread out sheaves of documents which they believe to be official records dug out by paying bribes before the age of Right to Information Act. “The British paid R85 for each acre of cultivable land and R15 for non-cultivable land as compensation. We want either a compensation based on those rates after adjusting inflation or the land’s current market rate,” he says.

A couple of years ago, after a failed attempt, a few families got together and managed to file a petition in the court seeking compensation for their lost village in 1911. “At a conservative estimate of R1 lakh per square yard, we are entitled to get R50 crore per acre. Families here owned 1,792 acres in Malcha village,” he says as villagers gather around him and listen with marked intentness although they have heard it all before.

“We have no reason to celebrate 100 years of New Delhi,” he says.

Land taken away, yet not uprooted
Till about eight decades ago, this was a quaint little village with people staying in no-frills houses made of stones with thatched roofs in the middle of their farmland.

On the southeastern side of Todapur was the ridge and about 3 km to the northeast was the Walled City. Today, it stands between Inderpuri and New Rajender Nagar, facing Indian Agricultural Research Institute. While Todapur was a Yadav village, the neighbouring Dasghara was a Jat bastion. The villages had very cordial relation but there was no roti-beti ka rishta (loosely translated, neither marriages nor trade was allowed between the two).

“Todapur and Dasghara were among the villages from where the British acquired land after Delhi was declared as the new imperial capital in 1911,” remembers Raghuvir Singh Yadav, 76, a resident whose family has been living here for almost 400 years.

The land was acquired on paper but the villagers were not asked to leave. “After Todapur was merged in the ridge (then called southern ridge), each house that counted as ‘one chulha per family’ was put on a list. All such people had to pay tax — the chulha (traditional Indian stove) tax,” Yadav recalls.

This tax was imposed despite the fact that before acquisition, the land belonged to the Yadavs. Changes started soon after construction began for the new capital. “Earlier, ours was a farming community. Slowly, children began going to schools,” says Yadav, who went to Naraina village and then to Karol Bagh and later became an SDM for the Delhi government.

This quaint urbanised village continues to pays a very nominal amount for the chulha tax. Today, Todapur is nobody’s baby as it falls neither under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) nor the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). “I have been fighting to get permanent lease papers in my name. My name is in the list of chulha tax payers and still the authorities don’t recognise me as a legal descendent,” Yadav says.

Hindustan Times, 5th January 2011

After ensuring the successful implementation of guidelines prohibiting noise and other types of pollution in resorts bordering the Corbett National Park during the New Year's celebration, the State authorities are confident that they will be able to prevent such violations throughout the year to ensure that the wildlife is not disturbed by tourism activities.

During the first fortnight of December 2010, the Corbett National Park administration had issued guidelines to owners of resorts around the national park asking them to desist from organizing activities which create noise, light and other types of pollution which might disturb the wildlife. There are up to 80 hotels and resorts bordering the Corbett National Park in Dhela, Marchula, Mohaan and Dhekuli areas among others. The indiscriminate recreational activities of tourists like late night parties with DJs and loud sound systems in these resorts are known to disturb the wildlife.

As per the guidelines issued by the park director, recreational parties should not be held in the resorts, resorts should not encroach on riverside areas, not use generators which create noise pollution, no bright lights should be used in the resorts to prevent light pollution, visitors should not be allowed to move near forest areas after sunset, vehicles of the guests should be parked within the compounds of the resorts and the garbage should not be dumped in the open area but should be in stead disposed off scientifically.

In order to check the observance of the guidelines, the authorities took the assistance of the State Pollution Control Board, police and district administration and checked the activities held in resorts on

Christmas night. It was found that 10 resorts violated the guidelines and generated noise much above the permissible level due to which the owners were penalized.

The national park administration wrote letters to all the resort owners warning them that action would be taken against them under the Environment Protection Act if they create noise pollution or violate other guidelines issued by the authorities.

According to the Uttarakhand Forest and Environment Advisory Committee vice chairman Anil Baluni, following the successful implementation of the guidelines during the New Year celebrations, the authorities will now attempt to ensure that the guidelines are observed by the resort owners throughout the year and not only on special occasions so that the wildlife is not adversely affected by the tourism activities.

The Pioneer, 5th January 2011

Tanushree Podder thoroughly enjoyed the eight-day trip through a fairytale land of forts, palaces, sand dunes and colourful people aboard the Maharajas Express

Falling over each other we giggled and joked as the camel cart lurched on the sand track towards the dunes. The camel seemed bored by our antics, but for the five firangis seated with me,it was a unique experience. Forget travelling in a camel cart, they had never seen a camel at close range. Ten minutes later, we sat on cushions enjoying barbecue and Champagne even as the Kalbeliyas regaled us with their pulsating music and dance. We were partying on the sand dunes near Bikaner. It was a scene straight out of the Arabian Nights.

For the 42 passengers on the Maharajas Express, it had been an unending series of magical experiences for the past three days and there was promise of more to come. The saga began at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and would end at the Safdarjung Station eight days later. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, I have learnt to believe. So, when the gift of travelling in the super luxurious Maharajas Express came my way, I held on to that belief. The train stood, crested and gleaming on the isolated platform in Mumbai, flanked by turbaned staff as I traipsed over the red carpet alongwith foreigners eager to begin an eight-day long journey through three princely states.

Even as I sipped on my mocktail in the plush settings of the Safari Bar, the train began its majestic roll towards Gujarat. The next morning we alighted to the sound of local music and the sight of marigold garlands looped over every available beam on a small station called Vishwamitri, near Vadodara. It was time for a tour through the ruins at the World Heritage site of Champaner Pavagarh absorbing the beauty of the Jami Masjid and the oldest rock formations in India.

As I wandered through the Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum with its priceless collection of Raja Ravi Verma paintings, I was aware that I was in the erstwhile kingdom of the Gaekwads who were honoured by 21 gun salute during their rule. Outside, under a shed stood a miniature private train, a replica of the Flying Scotsman, bought by the Maharaja to take his son to the school. The highlight of the evening was a feast in the Durbar Hall of the Laxmi Vilas Palace where we mingled with the royalty over our seekh kababs. My slumber was punctuated with dreams of princes and princesses that night, as the train crossed the border and trundled into Rajasthan. The next morning we had crossed into the royal state of Udaipur. With its dazzling lakes, lovely gardens and the majestic City Fort, it is a city of wondrous pleasures. The Mor Chowk, with its lavish mosaics of peacocks and the mirror work of the Moti Mahal, had me gawking. I happily blew up my money at the old market of Udaipur and returned to the train, my arms laden with yards of block-printed material and silver jewellery.

The Blue City of Jodhpur with its imposing Mehrangarh Fort and Old Clock Tower market welcomed us with open arms, the next morning. We toured through the mahals with their ornate jharokas and mirror-studded palaces drawing sharp breath at the sight of the glittering Phool Mahal, opulent Sheesh Mahal, and the incongruously fabulous Moti Mahal. The sprawling bazaar under the famous Clock Tower turned out to be an irresistible place to empty our pockets at.

Feeling like a princess, I drifted through the Usta art adorned Junagadh palace, drank in the beauty of the Gajner Hunting Lodge and enjoyed a camel cart ride into the sand dunes for an evening of barbecue and champagne under a sky littered with a million sparkling stars while Kalbeliyas danced around us. Luxurious living can be highly addictive. There should be a statutory warning attached to the tickets of the Maharajas Express!

The Pink City of Jaipur had lined some more surprises and treats for the guests. Decked as the city was in garlands and streamers of bulbs and paint for the festival of Diwali, it provided a sensory experience for most travellers. We were dying to explore the city but that was not to be because the elephants were waiting for us.

Adorned in finery of gilded velvet and vivid body paint, the elephants trumpeted their greetings as we arrived there to play Elephant Polo. The sound of their trumpets matched the bagpipes and bass drums of the Jaipur Terriers as we walked towards the makeshift stalls that tied turbans around the male guests and hennaed the hands of the ladies.

After a banquet on the lawns of the Jai Vilas Hotel, we drove towards the majestic Amber Fort in the Aravalli. Surrounded by the rugged landscape the fort looked like an oasis of comfort. Nurturing images of the exciting polo match and the colourful bazaars of Jaipur, we made our way to the train for a night of dreamless slumber.

Morning saw us at the dusty station of Sawai Madhopur. We drove towards Ranthambore, prepared for a tryst with the tiger. We saw the sambhars, langurs, deers, antelopes and monkeys but the king of the jungle eluded us. Dejected, we took pictures of the elegant peacocks and consoled ourselves with purchases from the shop outside. That night, feasting over a sumptuous platter of Ham Roulade and Duck ala Orange, I mulled over the prospects of taking up a job on Maharajas Express. It was our last dinner on board.

A sunrise viewing of a rose-tinted Taj Mahal brought out the romantic side of my persona. As I posed for a Kodak moment, solo amid the dozen couples vying for a spot on the marble bench with the mausoleum in the background, I wondered if it was the chill that moistened my eyes or was I going soft. The champagne breakfast at the Taj Khema with the eighth wonder of the world dazzling before me was truly the most romantic thing ever.

A thousand memories and all of them good, a million moments of happiness and romance and some exotic purchases were all that I brought back from my journey. It would take a long time to come to terms with reality.

Economic Times, 6th January 2011

When the British started building New Delhi, the city witnessed its biggest construction endeavour since Shahjahan built the Red Fort and Walled City. The new city with its grand office and residential buildings, wide avenues and gardens was an architectural, engineering and logistical challenge.

Chief architect Edwin Lutyens wanted to build an imperial city in neo-classical style. Eventually, with Viceroy Hardinge's goading, more Indian elements were included to create an Indo Saracenic marvel. Though the shifting of the capital was announced in 1911, work started only in 1918, after World War I ended.

The layout of the new city consisted of hexagonal lines, to connect New Delhi to Safdarjung Tomb, Purana Quila, Connaught Place and Jama Masjid. At the apex was the Government House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan), joined by North and South blocks and a grand vista culminating at the All-India War Memorial (now India Gate).

Thousands of workers were brought in the city, mainly of Bagariya community from Rajasthan and others from Punjab. Nearly 29,000 were working on the Government House alone. Skilled stonecutters, numbering 2,500, were brought from Makrana, Alwar, Jaisalmer and Ajmer. The tools and machinery, like the architects, were brought exclusively from Europe. State-of-the-art cranes were also brought to speed up the work and a small railway system hauled stones and other material.

A 22-acre stonecutting yard was built, biggest in the world at that time. Stone for the plinth was cut from the ridge. Red and buff sandstone was brought from Dholpur and gravel was sourced from nearby Badarpur.

With the grand buildings — the Government House, Secretariat and Council House (now Parliament House) — coming up, the architects didn't know how to fill the space along the Central Vista. Herbert Baker, the other main architect, preferred government houses or residences of Indian princes to be built there. Lutyens, however, preferred to plant trees. A nursery came up near Safdarjung Tomb to provide saplings for New Delhi's wide avenues. Long-time friends Lutyens and Baker differed on another issue.

Lutyens wanted the Government House to tower above New Delhi but Baker wanted the Secretariat at the same level. Lutyens agreed, only to realise later that only the dome of the building would be visible from the Great Place (Vijay Chowk) as you drive up the gradient. The two never talked again.

Huge help from railways
Railways brought in the first touch of modernity to the barren lands of Raisina Hill in 1911, much before anything was built in the name of new Delhi.

Narrow gauge railway tracks crisscrossed the rocky plains to haul every construction material needed to erect a Capital city for two decades. It must have been a gigantic task considering the Viceregal House (Rashtrapati Bhawan) alone used up 700 million bricks and 3.5 million cubic-feet of stones.

A railway line circled the under-construction Council House (Parliament) to continuously move men and material, while a temporary rail workshop did the repair and maintenance of trains 24X7. "The Imperial Delhi Railway" pulled in resources from all zonal railways —in the hills, the East, the West and the smaller zones operating within North India — to meet the huge demand for locomotives and hauling rakes.

"The smaller zonal railways and some private rail companies operating in north India converged at the Old Delhi station. New Delhi was just a roadside station of sorts that came up much later," said Vinoo Narain Mathur, former Member (Traffic) Indian Railways, who has authored the book: 'Bridges, Buildings and Black Beauties of Northern Railway'.

The new Capital city needed a railway station of its own. The Viceroy himself required a railway point to make a grand entry to the brand new Capital. "The engineers built a road especially for his entry from the station and called it the State Entry Road, which still exists," Mathur said. Records show that the East Indian Railway Board set up a "Delhi Lines Committee" which selected the area for the New Delhi railway station in 1918.

Architects we forgot
Edwin Lutyens' is perhaps the only name that comes to mind when one talks of the making of New Delhi. So much so that the city is also referred to as 'Lutyens' Delhi'.

Other architects who got some credit are Herbert Baker, who designed the iconic North and South blocks and several bungalows across the city, Robert Tor Russell, who designed Connaught Place, Teen Murti House, Eastern and Western Courts, National Stadium, etc.

But not many have heard of architects such as WH Nicholls, Walter Sykes George, Henry Medd, Arthur Gordon Shoosmith — all of whom were closely associated with the creation of a new Delhi. Medd, a young architect, was Baker's man on the spot in India. Though he came to India in 1919 as the latter's representative to help interpret and adapt his drawings, he is said to have helped Baker a great deal in finalizing the finer details of the Council House (now Parliament) and Secretariat buildings (North and South blocks).

Russian-born English architect Shoosmith supervised the building of Viceroy's House in New Delhi as Lutyens' representative.

George was another British architect who helped both Lutyens and Baker in their Delhi project. He played a key role in landscaping Mughal Garden.

Then there was W.H. Nicholls, who, not many know, helped Russell design Connaught Place and FB Blomfield, a contemporary of Lutyens who designed what used to Jinnah's grand residence on Aurangzeb Road.

Hindustan Times, 6th January 2011

"‘Indian Art Summit-2011' opens at Pragati Maidan on January 20

Art Alive Gallery will showcase the works of prolific Indian artists at “Indian Art Summit-2011” that opens at Pragati Maidan here on January 20.

The four-day exhibition has been conceived as an interesting blend of genres. While seminal easel works by internationally acclaimed artists like S. H. Raza, Thota Vaikuntam, Sakti Burman and Yusuf Arakkal will draw the attention of art connoisseurs, contemporary creations of Sharmi Chowdhury and Kiyomi Talaulicar are intended to reach out to the younger generation.

One of Raza's large canvases, Om Shanti Shanti Shanti, brings to the collection a tranquil charm. Burman's canvas introduces a delightfully bucolic simplicity. In contrast, Sharmi's installation paintings, constructed out of neatly sliced sewage pipes fitted with her canvas works, are marked by a sharp, urban rigour.

A variety of Laxma Goud's latest black-and-white renditions will also be on display. Artist Paresh Maity's new installation, The Journey, has been crafted out of an upturned boat and rural lanterns. “I have made a gold-plated boat on which there are lanterns or hurricane lamps. This is a tribute to the fishermen of West Bengal who use these lanterns while fishing. I have also made a painting that has been inspired from the life and works of Picasso. It talks about relationships between people.”

Ceramicist P. R. Daroz's breathtaking installation, Sea-Bed in Moonlight, has been made from ceramics. “It took me about three months to complete the 6 feet x 10 feet long mural,” he says.

Artist Jayasri Burman's new oil work rounds up the multifarious exhibits.

In addition, Art Alive Gallery is also screening a special animation film, Art in Motion: The Making of Liverpool, made by Britain-based artists Singh Twins. Written, directed and produced by Amrit and Rabindra Singh, better known as the Singh Twins, The Making of Liverpool brings 800 years of Liverpool's history to life through an animated exploration of one of the artists' best known public commission paintings.

The twins are on the verge of releasing the film on DVD. The London-born twin sisters Amrit and Rabindra are artists of international standing whose award-winning paintings have been acknowledged as constituting a unique genre in British art and for initiating a new movement in the revival of the Indian miniature tradition within modern art practice.

Described as past-modern, as opposed to post-modern, their work engages with important areas of critical debate. They challenge the existing stereotypes and redefine generally accepted narrow perceptions of heritage and identity in art and society. This will be the twins' first outing at the Indian Art Summit.

A special highlight at this year's Art Summit will be an interactive session, “ In conversation with Raza”.

This exclusive rendezvous with Syed Haider Raza will be a standalone event celebrating the master's return to the country after decades of staying abroad.

In dialogue with him will be art academician Yashodhara Dalmia.

The Hindu, 6th January 2011

On February 10, 1931, a sunny day after three days of rain and cloudy weather, Viceroy of India Lord Irwin formally inaugurated New Delhi at 11am. Nearly 20 years after King George V had announced the shifting of India's capital from Calcutta to Delhi, the grand new capital was finally complete.

To mark the event, Irwin inaugurated the four dominion columns - four red stone columns with gilded galleons, gifts by the Empire's four dominions Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand and designed by architect Herbert Baker.

The decision to shift the capital changed the course of Delhi's history. But in the two decades it took to build the new capital, the fate of the British Empire itself had changed. While it was an all-powerful empire in 1911, by 1931 it was pretty much clear that a transition of power was imminent.
The Delhi that we know today had its beginning in the 1910s itself. With the British Raj relocating to Delhi, it brought along officials and employees from all parts of the country. None of them were Dilliwallahs in the old sense but all of them made Delhi their own, creating the multi-ethnic Delhi of 2011.

Till the 1920s, Delhi meant the walled city with a few suburbs like Karol Bagh and a small area in north Delhi where the Europeans lived. The influx of migrants since then triggered its expansion, beginning with government employees. The population trebled after Partition when refugees started pouring in. Since then, the capital has attracted millions, looking for better opportunities and a better life from across the nation.

The British had anticipated the city's expansion early on and acquired 1,290 square miles as 'Delhi enclave' to accommodate later growth. Till the 1940s, New Delhi would turn into a ghost town after sunset and on holidays. Apart from houses for the top ranking officials and Princes, residences were not built in New Delhi. Those who came to work here would return to their homes in the Walled City or suburbs.

The tide changed when, unable to cope with the congestion in 'old Delhi', its residents started moving south towards New Delhi. Those who came after Partition populated areas like Rajinder Nagar and Lajpat Nagar.

New Delhi, one of the country's richest cities, is now much more than just its country's seat of power. Delhi is not limited by the boundaries created by the British either. The once far flung areas like Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad are also very much a part of the metropolis.

Hindustan Times, 7th January 2011

‘Ishq-E-Dilli’ To Give Glimpse into Delhi’s 1000-Yr History, Public Opening From Next Week

New Delhi: Visitors to Purana Qila will have a new attraction in store for them from next week. The much talked about sound-andlight-show, which depicts Delhi through the history of its 10 cities, beginning from 11th century AD during the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan to present day Delhi.

The show ‘Ishq-e-Dilli’ was inaugurated by vicepresident M Hamid Ansari on Thursday evening and has been conceived, financed and produced by the Ministry of Tourism and executed by India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). Officials said it would be opened for the public from next week, and there would be two shows every evening – Hindi and English. The show was initially scheduled to start by the Commonwealth Games last year but ran into delays.

The one-hour-long show depicts the spirit of Delhi through a lively narration of the 10 cities of Delhi – the formation and resurrection of the city with its phoenix. The narration begins from 11th century during the reign of Prithvi Raj Chauhan to the more recent and contemporary inclusion of the NCR and arrival of the Metro.

The narration also traces the city’s connection with the mythology of Mahabharata and Indraprastha. However, sources said that the script was yet to get the final approval of the Archaeological Survey of India, which is unhappy with some elements in the present script like the narration of the Mahabharata placed very abruptly in the middle or some of the dance and music in the show, which experts say do not belong to the era they are shown from.

The highlight of this show is the technology. Officials said that it was India’s first permanent projection art installation son et lumiere. “The show recreates Delhi’s exciting history using cutting-edge projection and laser technology with a remarkable story line – all depicted on the grand ramparts of Purana Qila. The Humayun Gate – with its alcoves, parapets and stairs – has been digitally mapped in such a way that projection through Christie 20K video projectors creates real life images.

“Against this backdrop, computer graphics, laser, audio video, light and sound effects complement the narration and accentuate the ever-pulsating spirit of Delhi,” said tourism ministry officials. Added Himanshu Sabharwal, the artistic director of the show: “We use 3D effects for certain scenes like when we show Emperor Humayun falling from the stairs or an illusion of the palace collapsing.”

Times of India, 7th January 2011

With uncontrolled tourism posing a threat to the wildlife habitats, particularly tiger reserves, the Government has constituted a seven-member panel to suggest guidelines to regulate forest and wildlife eco-tourism in the country.

The Environment Ministry-constituted committee, headed by ex-tourism secretary Sujit Banerjee and prominent wildlife experts as its members, will also make an appraisal of ecological issues, tourist visitation and suggest measures for carrying capacity of the reserves.

The panel will firm up the guidelines for forest and wildlife eco-tourism in the context of advisories issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the Forest (Conservation) Act, said an official from Tourism Ministry.

The panel, which would submit its report mid-February, included NTCA chief Rajesh Gopal, wildlife experts including AJT Johnsingh, Divyabhanusingh Chavda and Bittu Sehgal besides, an official from the Tourism Ministry, Prabhakar Dubey.

The official said that while tourism cannot be totally banned in wildlife habitats given that it is a main source of revenue generation for the States, however, if unchecked, it can also be one of the causes of pollution which pose enormous pressure on the forests and natural habitat.

Hence, the panel would also evaluate the studies conducted by the Tourism Ministry on lodges and resorts around the tiger reserves and the guidelines when framed would ensure that they are ecologically sustainable in keeping with the environment interest as laid down in the National Tourism Policy 2002, the official added.

The panel has been set up in the wake of concerns expressed by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh regarding the dangers posed by mushrooming tourist lodges around tiger reserves, especially the Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.

Pointing out that tourism is essential, Ramesh had recently said: “The revenues from tourism must flow back directly into the management of each of the tiger reserves so that local communities can benefit. The advantages of tourism should be felt by these local communities. The communities should be encouraged to develop a stake in the protection of these tiger reserves.”

The Pioneer, 7th January 2011

On February 10, 1931, a sunny day after three days of rain and cloudy weather, Viceroy of India Lord Irwin formally inaugurated New Delhi at 11am. Nearly 20 years after King George V had announced the shifting of India's capital from Calcutta to Delhi, the grand new capital was finally complete.

To mark the event, Irwin inaugurated the four dominion columns - four red stone columns with gilded galleons, gifts by the Empire's four dominions Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand and designed by architect Herbert Baker.

The decision to shift the capital changed the course of Delhi's history. But in the two decades it took to build the new capital, the fate of the British Empire itself had changed. While it was an all - powerful empire in 1911, by 1931 it was pretty much clear that a transition of power was imminent.

The Delhi that we know today had its beginning in the 1910s itself. With the British Raj relocating to Delhi, it brought along officials and employees from all parts of the country. None of them were Dilliwallahs in the old sense but all of them made Delhi their own, creating the multi-ethnic Delhi of 2011.

Till the 1920s, Delhi meant the walled city with a few suburbs like Karol Bagh and a small area in north Delhi where the Europeans lived. The influx of migrants since then triggered its expansion, beginning with government employees. The population trebled after Partition when refugees started pouring in. Since then, the capital has attracted millions, looking for better opportunities and a better life from across the nation.

The British had anticipated the city's expansion early on and acquired 1,290 square miles as 'Delhi enclave' to accommodate later growth. Till the 1940s, New Delhi would turn into a ghost town after sunset and on holidays. Apart from houses for the top ranking officials and Princes, residences were not built in New Delhi. Those who came to work here would return to their homes in the Walled City or suburbs.

The tide changed when, unable to cope with the congestion in 'old Delhi', its residents started moving south towards New Delhi. Those who came after Partition populated areas like Rajinder Nagar and Lajpat Nagar.

New Delhi, one of the country's richest cities, is now much more than just its country's seat of power. Delhi is not limited by the boundaries created by the British either. The once far flung areas like Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad are also very much a part of the metropolis.

Hindustan Times, 7th January 2011

‘Ishq-E-Dilli’ To Give Glimpse into Delhi’s 1000-Yr History, Public Opening From Next Week
New Delhi: Visitors to Purana Qila will have a new attraction in store for them from next week. The much talked about sound-and light-show, which depicts Delhi through the history of its 10 cities, beginning from 11th century AD during the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan to present day Delhi.

The show ‘Ishq-e-Dilli’ was inaugurated by vice president M Hamid Ansari on Thursday evening and has been conceived, financed and produced by the Ministry of Tourism and executed by India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). Officials said it would be opened for the public from next week, and there would be two shows every evening – Hindi and English. The show was initially scheduled to start by the Commonwealth Games last year but ran into delays.

The one-hour-long show depicts the spirit of Delhi through a lively narration of the 10 cities of Delhi – the formation and resurrection of the city with its phoenix. The narration begins from 11th century during the reign of Prithvi Raj Chauhan to the more recent and contemporary inclusion of the NCR and arrival of the Metro.

The narration also traces the city’s connection with the mythology of Mahabharata and Indraprastha. However, sources said that the script was yet to get the final approval of the Archaeological Survey of India, which is unhappy with some elements in the present script like the narration of the Mahabharata placed very abruptly in the middle or some of the dance and music in the show, which experts say do not belong to the era they are shown from.

The highlight of this show is the technology. Officials said that it was India’s first permanent projection art installation son et lumiere. “The show recreates Delhi’s exciting history using cutting-edge projection and laser technology with a remarkable story line – all depicted on the grand ramparts of Purana Qila. The Humayun Gate – with its alcoves, parapets and stairs – has been digitally mapped in such a way that projection through Christie 20K video projectors creates real life images.

“Against this backdrop, computer graphics, laser, audio video, light and sound effects complement the narration and accentuate the ever-pulsating spirit of Delhi,” said tourism ministry officials. Added Himanshu Sabharwal, the artistic director of the show: “We use 3D effects for certain scenes like when we show Emperor Humayun falling from the stairs or an illusion of the palace collapsing.”

Times of India, 7th January 2011

Nature at its pristine best and the crystal clear water of the Cauvery quietly flowing by the rocks.
That’s not all. There’s more to Gosai Ghat’s beauty, but it is to be seen to be believed.

The famous picnic spot is in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district, but is closer to Mysore.

Not just its serenity, the place has some tales from history to tell too, given its association with the Wadiyars of Mysore and the Tiger of Mysore, Tipu Sultan.

But what pains a nature lover visiting the place is the utter contempt on the part of tourists towards cleanliness, with plastic waste and other garbage being thrown around by them, thereby polluting the river water.

What is spoiling the place more, though, is the practice by people to immerse the ashes of their loved ones in the river, right in front of the Ghats. The instructions against the practice, on the boards put up by the authorities all over the place, are followed more in the breach. The instructions say that people can take boats to the middle of the river and immerse the ashes there. But few follow them.

Just two kilometres from Gosai Ghat is another scenic spot, ‘Paschima Vahini,’ which is home to a few heritage buildings and bathing ghats of the Wadiyars. The heritage buildings and the bathing ghats are in a dilapidated condition and cry for attention from the authorities, to repair them and restore their past glory.

Locals say that politicians promise works to give the place a facelift, when they come to seek votes during the elections and forget all about it once the polls are over.

One wonders whether places of such calm and which are far from the maddening city crowd should be allowed to die a slow death. The answer is not far to seek. All it takes is a bit of commitment and resolution on the part of the people who visit these places often, not to discard items like polythene bags, beer bottles and leftovers of food brought by them in the river. Or is it asking too much in the effort to protect the environment?

Deccan Herald, 8th January 2011

Massive landslides in the Tibetan Buddhist-dominated Tawang area and West Kameng areas of Arunachal Pradesh has triggered a scare that the 400-year-old monastery that's perched on a hilltop could be threatened.

Since the landslides, monks who live in the vicinity of one of Asia's largest and most venerated monasteries have been praying and lighting butter lamps to seek divine protection of the shrine. Monks have also erected a stupa on the landslide area to placate nature gods. Guru Tulku Rinpoche, abbot of Twang monastery, said the Dalai Lama has suggested pujas and a massive plantation drive around the monastery.

What has worried the region is that landslides, usually seen during the monsoon season, has occurred in winter, which is traditionally a dry season. T G Rinpoche, a spiritual leader and legislator in Arunachal Pradesh, said the state and central government had already started work on preventing more landslides in the area. ''Along with our prayers, steps being taken by the state and central government will definitely help in stopping any further landslides,'' he added.

CM Dorjee Khandu visited the area soon after the major landslide at Tawang in November. Khandu has instructed the district administration and the public works department to deploy men and machines to contain the damage and erosion. A Geological Survey of India team is scheduled to visit the area. The monastery, also known as Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, was founded by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso in 1680-1681 on the wishes of the fifth Dalai Lama. It stands on the spur of a hill, about 10,000 feet above sea level and has ravines in the south and west, a narrow ridge on the north and gradual slope on the east. It belongs to the Gelugpa sect of Buddhism and has a religious association with Drepung Monastery in Lhasa. The monastery has the capacity for housing about 700 monks and is currently home to more than 450 lamas.

Ever since 42-year-old Tsering Dhandup came to know about landslide close to Tawang monastery, he has been restive. Dhandup, who lives in a remote village in West Kameng district of the state, hasn't been able to concentrate on his work and is having nightmares.

The Times of India, 8th January 2011

A Special Leave Petition has been filed in the Supreme Court claiming that a Buddhist monastery (Baudh Vihar) existed at the site of Babari mosque and hence the disputed land at Ayodhya should be handed over to followers of the faith.

The SLP was filed by Mr Udit Raj, chairman of Buddha Education Foundation and All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations yesterday against the judgment of Allahabad High Court's Lucknow Bench in the Ayodhya title suits.

Giving the information at a Press conference today, Mr Raj told reporters: “The Budhists in India challenge the legality and constitutionality of the judgment. Not only the disputed land but even the construction before the existence of Babari mosque belong to Baudh Vihar.”

Former Union minister and Bhartiya Janshakti party leader Ms Sanghpriya Gautam, who accompanied Mr Raj, quoted from Allahabad High Court judgment to support the argument.

“Mr Justice Sudhir Agrawal held that Kasauti pillars of disputed structures, strongly resemble Buddhist pillars of those seen at Varanasi. Mr Justice SU Khan held that Carnegy (British Archeologist) has mentioned that the Kasauti pillars, were used in the construction of mosque, that strongly resembed Buddhist pillars which he had seen in Varanasi,” Ms Gautam said.

“Accordingly, it is also possible that there were also ruins of some Buddhist religious place in and around the land on which the mosque was constructed and some material was thereof used in the construction of the mosque,” he said.

Mr Raj said that the ASI in its report submitted in 2003 had found that there was a circular shrine beneath the disputed structure after which Allahahad High Court ordered further collection of evidences.

“So far it has not been done. It is most likely that this shrine is of Buddhists. The mosque is made on the ruins of Baudh Vihar and hence should be given to Buddhists,” Mr Raj said.

He said that the ASI had maintained that pillar bases in association of huge structure are indicative of remains which are distinctive features found associated with temples of Northern India.

This itself supports that it could be a Buddhist place because temples of North India connote to Hindus, Jains and Buddhists all...Temples of North India are not necessarily Hindu temples. To conclude them as Hindu temples is not correct,” he said.

Both Ms Gautam and Mr Raj at the same time maintained that they could consider withdrawing their demand if both Hindus and Muslims accepted the Allahabad HC verdict and refrained from further appeals into the matter.

“Had Hindus and Muslims brought an end to the dispute and accepted the judgement, we would have not made this move. We are the real claimants but in the larger interest of nation, we would have foregone our claim. But now since both parties have appealed in the Supreme Court, why should we, who are real claimants, remain silent,” Ms Gautam said.

Mr Raj agreed with the contention saying this can still be considered if both parties come to an agreement and stop further litigations.

The Statesman, 8th January 201111

The ministry of overseas Indian affairs (MOIA), with support from the West Bengal government and the ministry of shipping, is all set to unveil a memorial monument, dedicated to the people who were sent as indentured labour to various countries around the world, during the British colonial period in India.

Symbolically, the memorial is being unveiled at Kolkata port - from where thousands of men and women set sail for various destinations around the world to work as indentured labour at British plantations - on January 11.

The Global Indo Diaspora Heritage Society (GIDHS), which was set up to establish the memorial at a location which has emotional and physical connect for the descendants of the indentured workers, now plans to establish a museum and resource centre of emigration records, writings, films and other memorabilia from the colonial emigration period in the 19th and 20th centuries.

"Our long-term goal has been to establish the commemorative memorial in Kolkata followed by a museum and a resource centre that will connect the descendants of indentured workers with the history of their ancestors who left India from 1834 and 1920. This will be a lasting legacy to present and future generations of their descendants," says Ashook Ramsaran, an US-based engineer who is the executive vice-president of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO).

He was born in Guyana where his great-grandfather had gone to work as an indentured labourer in 1853. Many other PIOs with similar background from countries such as Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, South Africa, Fiji, Mauritius and Malaysia have been involved with the project. They include Mahendra Chaudhry, former Prime Minister of Fiji; Yesu Persaud, an industrialist from Guyana and Kumar Mahabir, an anthropologist from Trinidad..

The Hindu, 8th January 20111

The Bombay High Court on Friday gave an extension of one week to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to pass its final order on whether the planned hill-city Lavasa near Pune has violated any environmental regulations. The Ministry will now pass the final order by January 17.

Additional Solicitor-General Darius Khambatta told The Hindu: “The MoEF applied for and was granted an extension to pass the final order in the matter.”

An expert team from the Ministry was on a three-day visit to Lavasa from January 5-7 to inspect the site and see if the Lavasa Corporation Limited (LCL) had violated any environmental norms.

The Ministry submitted to the court that it would be difficult to write the final order over the weekend. Earlier, the court had instructed the MoEF to pass the order by January 10.

It had also instructed that the expert team visit the site and carry out a thorough inspection before passing the final order.

After the MoEF submits its report, the court is slated to give a final hearing on the matter on January 27.

The MoEF had issued show cause and status quo notices to the LCL on November 25 last asking it why mandatory environmental clearances had not been taken before starting the work.

The Ministry had asked the Corporation to stop work at the site till it responded to the show cause notice..

The Hindu, 8th January 2011

From the cacophony of the heavy traffic on National Highway 1, when you turn for Burari, the sprawling expanse called the Coronation Park strikes you as an empty — well, almost — and dusty open space. This was the place where the three Delhi Durbars were held in 1877, 1903 and 1911 — in the last one King George V announced the shift of imperial capital from Calcutta to Delhi.

Now, there is a flicker of hope for the park in the centenary year of the 1911 Durbar..

Nearly two years after Delhi Development Authority (DDA) signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2009 with Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the Delhi Urban Arts Commission approved DDA’s proposal two weeks ago, paving way for the park’s re-development.

Spread over 57 acres, the park has a huge tourism potential. However, sheer lack of awareness about its historical significance has reduced the park to a neighbourhood playground.

The re-development plan includes creation of an interpretation centre, landscaping a substantial area, complete with walkways and refurbishing pedestals and garden..

“The theme, as proposed, will not only enhance the historic importance (of the park), but it will also provide a significant usable space for this part of Delhi,” said Ratish Nanda, a member of the commission.

The park’s historical significance can be seen in the several statues atop pedestals in an enclosure, which are poorly kept. The most important statue among these is that of King George V, which was shifted here from the canopy at India Gate, sometime after Independence.

The other statues, too, were brought here from other parts of the city, including the Parliament lawns. However, most of the statues have gone missing.

Even the Coronation Pillar — erected to commemorate the 1911 Durbar — stands on a huge platform with crumbling steps.

INTACH’s AGK Menon said: “We plan to conserve the Coronation Pillar, refurbish the platform. The statues, too, would be re-arranged.”

AK Nigah, chief engineer (north zone) of the landowning agency DDA, said the estimated cost, at present, is pegged at about R13 crore.

“But it would increase. The work has already started and we plan to complete it before the anniversary month of December.”

Hindustan Times, 8th January 2011

Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s precious heritage, ravaged and ignored till now, has been given a fresh lease of life. Nonika Singh takes a look

It is not the honour that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind.

— Branch Rickey

We Indians are so good at cherishing memories. Yet when it comes to living memory that we inherit by way of heritage; we simply turn a blind eye and let it be ravaged. Not surprising then that we may idolise Maharaja Ranjit Singh, but have ignored his precious heritage — Rambagh Palace complex, Rambagh Gate, Gobindgarh Fort and the Sham Singh Attariwala Samadhi complex, besides Pul Kanjri.

Today as winds of restoration are blowing across Amritsar, the beauty of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s legacy lying within the labyrinths of priceless architectural buildings is being re-constructed.

The Punjab Government’s Department of Tourism had envisaged an ambitious project to conserve and revitalise this complex. With the two heritage sites, Pul Kanjri and the samadhi all but complete and the first phase of the other project nearing completion, it is time to take stock of what has been done.

Indeed, on the surface much appears incomplete. As one gazes across the long kutcha road to Rambagh Palace, also known as Summer Palace, all one can see are the dust and the dug-up places. This whole restoration process, the damage done to flora and fauna and the inconvenience caused to people, peeves MLA Anil Joshi.

But get talking to Gurmeet Rai, India’s leading conservation architect, whose company is the consultant to the Rambagh complex, the Gobindgarh Fort and the Rambagh Gate, and many layers of past begin to peel off to unravel the original. Quips Rai, "One must understand that while plants can be grown back, heritage buildings are non-renewable resources. And the buildings of Maharaja Ranjit Singh much of whose legacy is in Lahore, even more so."

She elaborates on the challenges involved, "To begin with, one has to recover before restoring." So at the Rambagh complex, the western deodhi, which used to be Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s darbar of sorts, the office of civil defence had to be moved out. Similarly, Gobindgarh Fort, though not a protected monument, had to be taken back from the Army, which had even transferred the title to the Punjab Government. Rambagh Gate, too, housed a police station, which had to be relocated.

Moreover, it’s not just the onslaught of time that has ravaged heritage but changes in subsequent periods in history like the British era, too, water down the authenticity of previous ones. Rambagh, an 84-acre of sprawling site declared protected by the ASI, is known only as company bagh among people, perhaps as a legacy of the East India Company.

But Gurmeet can’t be easily deterred. Since details as well authenticity are important to her, she had to find the original blueprint. The only reference point she had was an archival painting of Rambagh of the early 19th century from Gulgashat-e-Punjab by Raja Ram Tota. Nevertheless, as she dug deep not only did she discover the original limestone lining but "water channels of the Sikh period were also revealed."

She claims, "What a marvel of engineering it was — the scientific management of water and horticultural practices." Today, the same feat cannot be recreated but they do intend to make the public aware of its import.

Also, wherever she found original material after scrapping off layers, which couldn’t be integrated with the restoration work, she and her team intend to use geotextile non-degradable material to cover it up so that in future if archaeologists dig they can find the material of the Sikh period."

Dr Sukhjot Singh Behal, professor of architecture, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amitsar, can find little fault in the way the restoration work is being handled. Though others like Dr Sukhdev Singh, state convener of Intach, Punjab, opine that the work is progressing slowly thus endangering what has been achieved, but Dr Behal feels otherwise. Says he, "You can’t compare restoration with modern-day construction since the originality is at stake. The intrinsic essence of conservation cannot be compromised with." Undeniably, conservation is not just painting the doors, ornamentation, piecing things together or faking it but capturing the original spirit.

So Gurmeet has gone to great lengths to replicate the original brick pattern and find the right paint finish on the walls. Besides getting the architectural details of the building right, there is also the question of art conservation. For instance, Rambagh or Summer Palace housed exquisite ceilings done in Khatamband technique, which is native to Kashmir but had been eaten away by termite as also damaged by over paint. Maninder Gill, an art conservator, whose company has restored paintings at Pul Kanjri, is busy breathing life back into the Khatamband ceilings of the Summer Palace. He says, "Restoring these ceilings hasn’t been easy. For one, the wooden panels are very small. Taking off the ceiling has been arduous. After restoration on them is finished, putting them back will be equally onerous."

Among challenges involved in art conservation are getting the right kind of manpower, more so for projects like Pul Kanjri, where the remoteness of the site it self presented an impediment. Interestingly, since both the Pul and Sham Singh Attariwala Samadhi complex are situated far away from the city, the relevance of restoration, which is almost complete, assumes another dimension — what to do now. More so, since at the samadhi complex, as Bhai Sawinder Singh shares that except for the shaheedi diwas mela in February hardly anyone visits the site.

Though samadhi is a private trust and there is little the government can do beyond repairing it, says Geetika Kalha, Principal Secretary, Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Punjab, "Monuments are not museum pieces to be locked away." Actually, the tourism department has an ambitious media plan to put all these on the tourism circuit, Adds Kalha, "Tourists are already thronging Amritsar. We have to make them stay longer by offering them a bouquet of various destinations."

For Gobindgarh Fort, they are even toying with public-private partnership. Once the restoration work is over, three museums, including the one on Ranjit Singh’s military history, and another on the Sikh regiment tracing its history back to Khalsa Fauj, will be ready. A boutique kind of hotel is also being envisaged to offer people an authentic experience.

Similarly, for Pul Kanjri talks are on with an NGO Springdale, which will take care of its upkeep on a no-profit basis.

But says Kalha "However, we can’t hand over the monument just like that. There has to be a memorandum of understanding."

So while Rambagh Palace will become a museum, the master plan also includes an open-air theatre and an art gallery.

So, while Kalha asserts the need to make a building come alive, Rai too, says that heritage spaces will have a meaning only if these are converted into vibrant cultural nuclei. Neeta Mohindra, a visual and performing artist of the city, agrees that there is ample scope for art activities, including art workshops, within and against the backdrop of the fort and the palace. The opinion is unanimous — architecture must come into public domain but in a planned way.

The use of space can’t be detrimental to the site as is happening in Rambagh Gate, which has been restored yet looks like a monstrosity because of encroachments and shops jutting out from the edges of its walls. Says Rai, "What conservation needs more than anything else is political will and a legally enabling regime. One has to begin with public assets before moving on to the private and for public spaces there has to be a proper policy."

Kalhashares that they have already asked Unesco to give them a cultural management plan.

Clearly, more than a beginning has been made in earnest and in the right direction to reveal once again Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s contribution to history.

A HERITAGE IN STONE

GOBINDGARH FORT of Gujjar Singh Bhangi, one of the most striking edifices of the city, was consolidated by Ranjit Singh and had three lines of defence, several bastions and interesting European feature like ravelins. It is believed that the treasury of Ranjit Singh was kept here.

After the British took over, a large cantonment was built around the fort and numerous living quarters, including a six-bed hospital, came up. A museum is being built that will house the military artefacts of Ranjit Singh.

The construction of Rambagh Fort was started by Ranjit Singh in 1819 AD. In the middle of Charbagh lies his Summer Palace that was originally constructed at a cost of Rs 1,25,000. In the first phase, the platform encircling the palace and the road leading to the palace will get ready. Summer Palace will house artefacts belonging to Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s times.

Rambagh Gate, the only surviving gate built during Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s time, was beautifully designed by architects from Delhi under the supervision of Faqir Azizuddin. Today, on its edges stand shops yet within the gate, especially on its first floor the ambience of yesteryear pulsates. The tourism department is thinking of setting up a caf`E9 here.

PulKanjri, near the Wagah border, as legend goes, was the recreation site of the Sikh monarch, where he was entertained by one of his favourite dancers. Set amid picturesque fields, this heritage site has been restored to its old glory.

Yet another heritage site is the Sardar Sham Singh Attariwala Samadhi complex in Attari village. Sham Singh Attariwala was a brave general in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

The Tribune, 8th January 2011

The renovation and restoration work at Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur has not only brought back the royal sheen to the Rajputana palaces, but also returned the glory to the blue city. DIVYA KAUSHIK reports

Small jharokhas, with intricate jaali work, give a glimpse of the entire city of Jodhpur from the top of the hill. They have remained jammed for years and the intricate fresco work and carpet pattern were facing the wrath of time.

Today, however, everything that forms part of the Queen’s Palace at Mehrangarh Fort bears a royal sheen. After the renovation of Takhat Vilas and Phool Mahal, two important period rooms of the fort, it is the turn of the Queen’s Palace to get renovated.

Though this fort in Jodhpur has always remained the best example of the Rajputana brilliance, its walls, murals, paintings and many other precious things were getting dilapidated with the passage of time. It was only in 1996 that the Mehrangarh Art Conservation Centre was set up, in collaboration with Mehrangarh Museum Trust and the conservation division of INTACH (The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage).

The restoration work has been going on for long and special care is being taken so that each corner is completed to maintain the interest of both Indian as well as foreign tourists visiting the fort.....

Thousands of tourists come here everyday and a visit to Mehrangarh Fort remains an integral part of the itinerary of any tourist coming to Jodhpur. More than that, we must keep in mind the fact that the forts in Rajasthan are the only place where one can witness Rajputana splendour and know more about the history and culture of Rajasthan. So, due to these reasons, it was important that the restoration and conservation of the fort go under responsible hands,” informs Karni Jasol, director of Mehrangarh Museum. He adds that the wall murals at the fort were damaged by water seepage, dust and light. “The seepage problem has been successfully tackled. Also, the wooden ceilings in Takhat Vilas and Moti Mahal were badly damaged by termites. Thankfully, that has been sorted out, and measures are being taken to prevent it from happening again,” he says.

Located in the middle of Jodhpur city, the fort is spread over an area of five km atop a hill. The 36 metre high and 21 metre wide walls of the fort were built in the 14th century by the Rathore rulers. Some parts of the fort — the Chokelao Palace, Hall of Mirrors, Hall of Flowers, Janana Mahal (Queen’s Palace) and Takhat Vilas — are particularly sought-after. So, special attention has been paid to the renovation and conservation of these parts.

“In the Chokelao Palace, there was a water seepage problem, due to which the corners of the walls and the ceilings were facing a huge damage. The Hall of Mirrors is the most difficult one to maintain: Ornate polishing has to be done again, and ‘meenakari’, the art of enamelling, has to be maintained to keep the original look. These are the kind of work that one would never have an opportunity to look at. Also, these are of great interest to foreigners as they depict the royal taste and tradition of Indians,” says Jasol.

Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace) is one such period room in the fort where gold-leaves woven in the designs on the ceilings were discovered after the renovation. “Built by Raja Sur Singh (1595-1619), Moti Mahal is the largest of Mehrangarh’s period rooms.

Within the zenana or the ladies’ section of the palace complex, it is believed that Moti Mahal was used as an exclusive durbar hall, accessible only to those close to the ruler.

“With a wooden ceiling, rich in gold-leaf and mirror, Moti Mahal is surely one of the biggest attractions at the fort,” says Jasol. The other important part of the fort is the museum that introduces one to royal palanquins, weapons and even rajgaddis used by the maharajas and maharanis.

“The Mehrangarh museum is known worldwide for its huge and well-displayed collection. Each gallery that puts on display various objects that were used by the royal members, is connected by a narrow staircase that leads you to different layers of the fort,” informs Jasol. Be it the gallery that displays elephant howdas, paintings, cradles or turbans of the maharajas, everything placed in the museum has a small description in Hindi and English to give visitors necessary information.

“The most popular galleries are those of elephant howdas, turbans and palanquins. Most people, even Indians, don’t know what howdas are. Howdas are a kind of two-compartment wooden seat (mostly covered with gold and silver-embossed sheets), which is fastened on the elephant back. The front compartment with more leg space and raised protective metal sheet was meant for royalty, while the rear one was built for a bodyguard disguised as a fly-whisk attendant,” says Jasol.

“Similarly, in the case of the palanquins, which used to be the sawari of the queens, there are some which were imported from England by the maharajas. “These palanquins of interesting shape bring out the mastery of our craftsmen and artisans. We take care that all the palanquins are closely seen by the visitors at the gallery. Also, we take care of their repair from time to time,” Jasol says.

The restoration work of other rooms and places will be undertaken once the renovation of these important period rooms is completed. Also, the courtyards, doors and windows at the fort are under renovation. “With the renovation work, some restaurants are added to the fort to give visitors a wholesome experience. Open-air restaurant Café Mehran and an indoor dining restaurant at the fort are a huge draw among the visitors. We are hoping that these features of the fort will let us maintain a high standard,” concludes Jasol..

The Pioneer, 9th January 2011

We had heard about the beauty of the Hoysala architecture and we were looking forward to a trip to Belur-Halebid to see the star-shaped temples characteristic of the Hoysala construction. So, in August 2009 we finally made the trip.

Belur is located at a distance of 17 km from Halebid, 224 km from Bengaluru and 155 km from Mysore. Belur and Halebid can be visited throughout the year and the climate is mild.

Halebid and later Belur were the centres of the Hoysala dynasty, from 1,006 AD to 1,310 AD. Frequent attacks on the Hoysala territory by the Delhi sultanate under Mallik Kafur and levy of heavy fines on the last king Ballala had weakened the Hoysala kingdom, which collapsed and Ballala was subsequently killed. Belur and Halebid are both centres where beautifully carved temples and the deities exist today as standing proof of workmanship...

The Chennakesava Perumal temple at Belur is a living showpiece of the unique Hoysala architecture. This temple construction was completed in 1,117 AD by Vishnuvardhana and Vijaya Narayana. The temple is at a raised height and is approached by flights of steps on three sides of the temple.

Halebid, also known as Dwarasamudra, houses the Kedareswara temple and two Jain basadis (temples). The Kedareswara temple has two huge monolithic Nandis housed in two separate raised structures on one side of the main temple. They are beautifully carved and the structures housing them have massive stone pillars exquisitely made and supporting the roof. You are tempted to believe that the pillars are machine turned and polished.

The Halebid temple and surrounding gardens and areas are slowly becoming ruins. Yes, within 200-300 years of construction the temple and the capital city of the Hoysala kings, Halebid was attacked by marauders and ruined. Though I do consider myself lucky that my family and I could see this historical place before it gets obliterated completely.

I wonder how they looked in the 12th-13th century soon after the Kumbhabhishekam of the temple. If the town and the temple as we see are ruins, and we marvel at their beauty, just imagine, how they must have looked at their prime time. Isn’t it amazing that these structures built by Indians still stand today as examples of our forefathers’ capabilities. Kudos to them!

Let us take a pledge that we will strive to maintain what we have inherited and hand them over to our descendants in a better shape.

Deccan Chronicle, 9th January 2011

Some of the oldest hospitals in the city have stories to tell — of intrigue, royalty and revolutionaries

About two years ago, the Rajan Babu TB Hospital made it to the MCD’s list of heritage buildings when the administration realised that the main building was originally a railway station constructed to receive King George V. So that’s the story behind the white structure with Gothic pillars, which urgently needs to be restored to its original character.

The hospital at Kingsway Camp is not the only medical centre in the city that has a heritage to safeguard. A few kilometres away is the Bara Hindu Rao hospital with a history that is both medieval and modern. If the baoli at one end of the hospital — opposite to the CCU and next to the doctors’ parking — looks very 14th Century with its Tughlaq-style double pillars and conical arches, inside the hospital complex is an early 19th Century house that had witnessed political intrigue and rapid changes in power.

First, the baoli: the stepwell was mentioned in a 1916 Archaeological Survey of India report that highlighted an opening that led to a tunnel with as many as eight shafts. The tunnel turned out to be a ‘mystery’, as it seemed to lead to nowhere. There’s a board outside mentioning that the monument is ‘protected’. The house or bara of Hindu Rao, a Maratha nobleman, originally belonged to Colebrooke, the Resident of Delhi who was sacked for being corrupt in 1827. The house was then bought by British officer William Fraser who stayed here till his murder in 1835. It was then that Hindu Rao, an influential aristocrat who was the brother-in-law of Maratha ruler Daulat Rao Scindia, bought the house. It was after 1857 that the building started functioning as a hospital.

War and long-drawn battles led to the establishment of hospitals during the British Raj. Like the Safdarjung Hospital, which started as an American base hospital during the Second World War.
Last year, as Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital decided to go in for a complete makeover, historians were worried that it would lead to the wiping out of its colonial past, when the building served as a prison.

Maulana Azad Medical College on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg is located at a site which was once a jail where 14 freedom fighters were hanged between 1915 and 1945. A martyrs’ memorial mentioning the names of all the freedom fighters was later constructed next to the pathology department. From Master Amir Chand, Basant Kumar Biswas, Bhai Bal Mukund and Master Avadh Behari—all of whom were hanged for hurling a bomb at Viceroy Hardinge at Chandni Chowk — Mansa Singh of the Hindustan Socialist Party, who was hanged in 1931, to seven members of the Indian National Army who went to gallows in 1944-45, the place was a witness to revolutionaries attaining martyrdom.

Indian Express, 9th January 2011

As many as 100 historical forts located in various parts of the state will be renovated in a phased manner to restore their pristine glory. Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora stated this here on Saturday while taking stock of the renovation and restoration work of the Samba Fort. Jora directed the officers and the executing agencies to take up the restoration and renovation work of the outer portion of the fort only after completing the interior works. He asked the Deputy Commissioner to ensure the early shifting of the school housed on its premises.

The Tribune, 9th January 2011

By the 15th century, the basis of classical music had undergone major changes. T.M. KRISHNA traces the contributions of the Haridasas and Annamacharya to the evolution of Carnatic music as we know it today.

A significant change that took place from the Sangita Ratnakara period was the move from shifting tonic and fixed svara interval system of music to that of a fixed tonic and variable svara interval system. The seeds of change were sown even in the Ratnakara but we cannot be sure when the complete transformation happened. We find, in many treatises, a sense of confusion about this change, but by the 15th century the basis of Indian classical music had changed forever.

From the early 1400s, the contribution of the Haridasas of the Kannada speaking region towards musical changes was invaluable and it's important for us to understand their work. Like the Tamizh Saivite saints from the 7th or 8th century, the Haridasas used music as a vehicle to spread the message of dvaita philosophy in Kannada. The music of the Haridasa was born out of the Desi Tradition (discussed earlier) and we will see the connection and analyse the same.

What were the ragas used by the Haridasas? Most manuscripts available mention modern ragas, which did not exist at that time to the compositions. Therefore we need to look at the theoretical texts of the same period to get our answers.

At the time of the Haridasa movement, some important treatises included the Svaramela Kalanidhi by Ramamatya, Pundarika Vittala's Sandragachandrodaya and other treatises. We also find a mention of a Sangitasara of Vidyaranya through the later work of Govinda Dikshita's Sangita Sudha. Therefore an analysis of the ragas in these treatises gives us an idea of the ragas that were possibly used in the compositions. Many of these ragas are still used in Carnatic music.

Tala system
An important contribution of the Haridasas is the regularising of the tala system. From the numerous Desi talas, they reorganised the tala system into the seven major talas, each with fixed counts: suladi sapta tala i.e. jampa (10), matya (14), dhruva (10), triputa (7), atta (14), eka (4) and rupaka (6). Though these seem similar to those used in Carnatic music today, there are some aspects we need to understand. First, laghu and druta were only time units and independent of the actions that were used to show the tala. The laghu was one matra duration (a notional duration to utter four short syllables) and the dhruta was half that. There was also an extension to each of these called a viraama, which measured to quarter duration of a laghu; although according to some, the viraama augmented the value of the time-unit to which it was attached by half its value. The Viraama probably transformed into the anudhruta. Today, all these are angas to a tala, which are divisions with certain counts. Secondly we are not sure about how these were actually demonstrated in terms of actions or movements. Two other talas used by the Haridasas are jhompata (a desi tala) and Raganamatya.

The Suladi was a unique musical form composed only by the Haridasa saints, which evolved from the Salaga Suda (prabandha). The suladi has verses where each is in one of the seven suladi talas. Not all the talas need to be in every suladi but at least five are found in each suladi. Even Raganmatya tala is used occasionally. Starting from Sripadaraya, all the Haridasas composed in this form. Sometimes ragas and even talas are not prescribed to the rendition of Suladis. Interestingly the only available notated Suladis (composed by Purandara Dasa) are the three available in the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini (1904). From this notation we find that these compositions are more structured on the basis of the talas.

Another form that was used by the Haridasas was the vrittanama, which again seems to have evolved from the prabandhas of Desi music. This is the form that alternates between verses sung without tala and those sung with a tala structure.

Similarly ugabhogas, which were verses sung to ragas, are like vrithams. The difference being that they are not set to any metre and each line can be of variable length. Most ugabogas don't have prescribed ragas.

Tamizh origins
Scholars believe that the Haridasas were the pioneers of the pada form. The pada form had a structure of a pallavi and multiple charanas or in the pallavi anupallavi charana structure. This nomenclature of Pallavi, Anupallavi, charana comes from the later use and is not given in any treatise or manuscript of the period under discussion. The pallavi is usually a two-line structure followed by verses of four lines, which we call charana. Sometimes there is an anupallavi. The only way to decipher the anupallavi from poetry is by the presence of dvitiakshara prasa, which is the sound concordance of the second syllable of the first line of the pallavi with the second syllable of the first line of the Anupallavi. While this seems a logical method we cannot be completely sure whether it was sung as an anupallavi or as multiple charanas. The very concept of dvitiakshara prasa is also related to Tamizh poetry, as this is not found in older Sanskrit/Kannada/Telugu literature. It does seem that the Haridasas also used the same pada form for shringara texts, which were called gopigitas.

The Haridasa Pada is sometimes linked to the salaga suda (prabandha) form. The pallavi, anupallavi and charana structure is associated with the parts of the prabandha namely udgraha, melapaka and dhruva structure and the last line associated with the Abhoga. Since there is no prasa structure in Prabandha or any other relationship between the pada and the prabandha this probably requires more serious research and analysis. It is possible that the pada form independently evolved.

Other musical forms of compositions used by the Haridasas were dandaka, koravanji, gadya etc. The main musical contributors among the Haridasas were Shripadaraya, Vyasaraya, Vadiraja, Purandaradasa and Kanakadasa.

At the same time, in the region of Tirupati, we find an enormous musical contribution from Annamacharya and later poets. Annamacharya is said to have composed 32,000 sankirtanas. His son Peda Tirumalacharya got them inscribed in copper plates in the Tirupati temple but some of the copper plates are said to have gone to Ahobila and to Thanjavur. Today, including the sankirtanas of Peda Tirumalacharya and his son Cina Tirumalacharya, we have a total of 14,523 sankirtanas by Tallapakam poets. Annamacharya has also composed the Venkatachalamahaatmya in Sanskrit and Ramayana in dvipada metre in Telugu. Ragas are mentioned for the sankirtanas in the copper plates in Tirupati.

The sankirtanas again were either in the pallavi/anupallavi/charana structure or a pallavi/charana structure to use today's nomenclature. As mentioned earlier, the understanding of an anupallavi's presence is only on the basis of dvitiakshara prasa. Some scholars believe Annamacharya was the pioneer in giving the pallavi a structured form of two lines of equal magnitude.

The terms pada and keertana seem to be used synonymously in this period and it's only later that we have come to associate the shringara content with Padam and Bhakthi content with Keertana. Some also attribute the pada/keertana form to Narayana Theertha and Muthu Tandavar, but other sources link the Narayana Theertha tarangams to the prabandha tradition and we also cannot be sure about the period of Muthuthandavar. Irrespective of these differences in views we can conclude that there must have been lot of movement of musical and poetic forms in the land of the Vijayanagara Empire.

The Hindu, 9th January 2011

Vijayanagara rulers built a pillared mantapa in front of it killing forever the cascade effect

On December 6 and 7, 2010, Mamallapuram, 50 km from Chennai, famed for its Pallava period rock-cut sculptures, recorded 20 cm of rain. It was the kind of rainfall that could have brought to life one of the famous bas-relief panels there, adjacent to the popular Arjuna's Penance bas-relief: Krishna lifting Govardhana hill to protect the cowherds, their wives, children, cows and bulls from a deluge caused by the wrath of Indra.

The pounding rain would have created a dramatic cascade down the rock and all around the bas-relief of Krishna and the community of cowherds just as the Pallava sculptors of the 7th century C.E. intended, says S. Balusami, Associate Professor of Tamil at the Madras Christian College, Tambaram.

The Pallava sculptors had conjured up the Mamallapuram rock as Govardhana hill and created a splendid row of sculptures depicting the life of cowherds and a majestic Krishna nonchalantly lifting the hill with his left hand.

Art historian C. Sivaramamurti, in his short book, Mahabalipuram, first published by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1952, asserts that: “This representation of the Govardhana scene is probably the best in India, even the one at Ellora coming nowhere near this.”

But, Dr. Balusami says, the Vijayanagara rulers of the 14th/15th century C.E. built a pillared mantapa in front of this bas-relief, killing forever the cascade effect. In fact, with the pillared mantapa in front, the sculptures are no longer an open-air bas-relief, which is now merely called the Krishna Mantapa. In a sense it amounts to vandalism. Says Sivaramamurti: “Vandalism has not caused much damage, except for the later Vaishnavite mark incised on the forehead of the couchant bull and the erection of the modern pillared hall which destroys the view of the original façade.”
Dr. Balusami, a scholar on Mamallapuram sculptures, has found tell-tale evidence of 26 furrows cut on the rock above the line of bas-relief sculptures to channel the rain water and create a picture of verisimilitude.

Pallava artisans had also excavated terraced steps and narrow channels on the sloping rock above for water to gush down the “Govardhanagiri.” But the Vijayanagara chieftains cut a trench high up on rock and raised a one-foot high wall to drain the water on either side of the bas-relief.

In defence of his argument, Dr. Balusamy points out that the central cleft in the adjacent sculptures of Arjuna's Penance represents the Ganga coursing down the Himalayas. He quotes from A.H. Longhurst's Pallava Architecture, part II, Intermediate or Mamalla Period, published by the ASI, to support his argument. Mr. Longhurst says: “If the visitor will take the trouble of climbing to the top of the rock…he will find a number of rock-cut channels or footings immediately above the cleft [in Arjuna's Penance], showing that a brick or masonry cistern was once built on this spot… It would appear that on certain festival occasions, this cistern was filled and the water allowed to flow down the cleft in the form of a cascade into the tank below, simulating the descent of a mountain torrent… There can be little doubt that the whole scene is a symbolical representation of the Ganges flowing down the Himalayas.”

“DYNAMIC, LIFE-LIKE”
Dr. Balusami has proposed that the central theme of the “dynamic, life-like” sculptures in the bas-relief of Krishna lifting Govardhanagiri is “safety” or “protection.” Everybody is feeling safe because Krishna has protected them from the deluge. A cowherd has a child on his shoulders and his wife holds the hand of another child while she carries on her head pots of milk and curd; a royal lady is looking up in amazement at Krishna holding aloft the hill; tall Balarama has his hand around an elderly cowherd, in a gesture of protection; a cowherd plays the flute and cows sway their heads to the tune; his wife is feeding their infant; another cowherd is milking a cow, which is licking her calf; nearby a bull and a cow are walking close to each other; a woman is carrying pots in a rope-sling; and a young couple, hands held together, is dancing with gay abandon. Everywhere there is relief that the danger has passed.

All these events, Dr. Balusami proposes, have a remarkable similarity to the descriptions in the poems of Mullai Thinai in Tamil Sangam literature, datable between third century B.C.E. and third century C.E.

The Hindu, 9th January 2011

Cityscape: the new edition of Purana Quila's sound and light show is sure to attract more people because of additions to the saga of the Old Fort, says R.V. SMITH

The New Year brings good tidings for Purana Quila — a new son et lumiere script, Ishk-e-Dilli, which is claimed to be more interesting than the earlier one, though the latter too was engrossing enough for tourists and others. The Purana Quila is the original fort of Delhi, for it marks the site of the fort built by the Pandavas in their Indraprastha. It later became the site for Humayun's Dinpanah and subsequent adoption by Sher Shah Suri. However, excavations have revealed many basic features of Mahabharat times that confirm that it's a pre-historic site. One attraction of the Purana Quila is the temple said to have been built by Kunti Devi, the mother of the five Pandava brothers, though few people visit it.

The earlier son et lumiere was started long after the one at the Red Fort. Since it dealt mainly with the Moghul period ending in 1857, the ITDC felt that there was a need to have another son et lumiere to cover the Capital's history prior to the Moghuls and stretching back to ancient times. Some of the features were mystical no doubt, but the sound and light effects made them realistic, so that the Mahabharat era came alive. Now the new edition (the one at the Red Fort was revised earlier) is sure to attract more people because of additions to the saga of Purana Quila.

After the Red Fort it was the turn of Hauz Khas. One spent an evening there and the nip in the air added to the enjoyment of dance, music and of course, dinner. For those sitting near the L-shaped monument, built around the Hauz Khas of Alauddin Khilji, the Slave dynasty did not seem all that distant. In such situations one has to give a free rein to fancy and enjoy the fun, an escapist experience though it may be in present-day circumstances when life throws up so many problems. Not that the days of Alauddin were problem-free. There were wars, massacres, cloak-and-dagger mysteries and suffering. But at least there was no pollution. The air was pure and so was the water, and there were no congested localities and roads where death now rides in pomp on rashly driven vehicles. It was horses all the way then, and bullock carts and camel carts for families on an outing.

Medieval times
Contemporary historian Ziauddin Barani goes on to add that the emperor, despite the fact that he was busy with military campaigns and conquests, did manage to find the time to keep an eye on traders so that life did not become unbearable for his subjects. As one watched the illuminations, one was reminded of those medieval times when the hall of 1000 pillars stood in all its majesty. After Alauddin's death his general, Malik Kafur, tried to set up a child on the throne with tragic consequences. Then followed the sham reign of Mubarak Khan, a depraved son of Alauddin. He, however, met his end at the hands of his favourite Khusrau Khan, a convert, who staged a bloody midnight coup. But a dashing young courtier, Fakhruddin Mohammed Juna escaped the massacre and helped his father to slay the usurper and lay the foundations of the Tughlak dynasty. Taimur the lame, even more ferocious than Alauddin, saw the Hauz Khas complex and thought it grand. Would Taimur have been able to conquer Delhi had he come during the reign of Alauddin, who had beaten back the Mongol hordes so many times?

As one wondered the monument glittered in patches, belying its six centuries of existence and coming alive, but for the voices of the Slave boys and the teachers of the madrasa, many of whom rest in unmarked graves. They were all part of the sound and light dream that now extends to Purana Quila.

The Hindu, 10th January 2011

There's nothing quite like Thattekad's feathered residents flitting around you

“Madam, this is where the elephant chased me,” says Sudha Chandran, her thin frame and high energy hiding all of her 55 years.

Sudha, the guide, is way ahead of me, climbing up a steep slope and crossing a huge tree that has fallen on the ground. I look around and realise I'm in the middle of nowhere. It's New Year Eve, and I am amidst dense forests with isolated rubber plantations scattered around. Even if an elephant charges at us at this moment, we'll probably have nowhere to run...

And, it begins!
“Come fast,” whispers Sudha, unable to contain her excitement. She stands on a small hillock, and looks upwards towards a tree, squinting through her small binoculars. I quickly join her as she murmurs with a grin: “You are lucky. There's a crested goshawk up in the branches.”

To my uninitiated eye, there's only a maze of branches. And, then I spot it. The large bird of prey glares at me with its bright eyes, the rufous streaks and bars visible on its chest.

I am in Thattekad. It means flat forest, but that's almost a misnomer. In 25 sq.km. of tropical evergreen and deciduous forest lies a hidden getaway, popular with birders from all over the world. Watered by Periyar river, this bird sanctuary located near Kochi was discovered by the legendary Salim Ali way back in 1930, and is named after him. It is home to more than 250 rare and endemic species, and we hope for a few glimpses of them.

Soon, we are joined by Girish, Sudha's advocate son who takes over as the bird guide.

And, then our session starts. We gaze into the trees with our binoculars, watching every moment. The silence is broken by the occasional excitement of having spotted a rare bird. And, without warning, the forest breaks into a dash of colour and music as birds flit around us and the branches become alive. They call out to their mates. We spot the Asian fairy bluebird, Malabar trogon, Malabar grey hornbill, golden fronted leafbird, scarlet minivet, black baza, varieties of orioles, sun birds, drongos, parakeets, woodpeckers, bulbuls and Pompadour green pigeon among others. We lose sense of time as the sun sets, waking up nocturnal owls and nightjars. As dusk turns into darkness, we walk back, realising that a year has almost ended.

The Hindu, 10th January 2011

A drive along the city's outskirts often makes one wonder how villages such as Bawana, Narela, Kapashera and Gadaipur came about and from where they got names. A visit to Sadar Kanungo (headquarters of records) branch of the state revenue department in one corner of the crowdedTees Hazari Court Complex unravels the evolution of Delhi. The state is now exploring possibilities of bringing these records and maps into the public domain to give Delhiites an opportunity to go back to their roots and trace their family tree.

Records at Sadar Kanungo tell fascinating tales and spell out the vanshavali (family tree) of all 365 villages through maps and records dating back to the 1840s. This treasure trove also has on offer priceless maps of united India and stamp papers from a completely different era when even ten naya paisa carried much weight. The solid iron zarib introduced by Todar Mal during emperor Akbar's period to mark out land can also be seen here. It is presumed to have been used in the last bandobast of the capital way back around 1908-09 when the official declaration of what constituted each village was made.

Racks are stacked with vanshavali dastavez, which are etched out in Urdu and wrapped nicely in white cloth. The calligrapher's art is a visual treat. Each vanshavali runs into metres of cloth and tells the story of a village from its very beginning.

The vanshavali of Gadaipur village — located off the Mehrauli-Badarpur road on the way to Gurgaon — goes back to the 1880s. As an Urdu translator at the record room reads out the contents one finds that Gadaipur was a small katra (lane) in Ballabhgarh tehsil during Shahjahan's rule. The katra was gifted by the Mughal emperor to a man called Chand, a brahmin who lived in Chhattarpur.

Bawana village in northwest Delhi, earlier called Bawani, got its name as it was spread across fifty-two (' bawan' in hindi) hundred bighas of land. Here, the family tree talks of two men — Kala and Thakur — who came from Bengal. The story has many twists and turns with the family tree seeing much transition in its size. When the British came, Bawani appears to have become Bawana in pronunciation.

Narela's is a fascinating tale. A young man fell in love with a girl from a different caste and angry villagers threw him out. He went and married the girl in his maternal grandparents' village. A male grandchild was called 'nabira' and the village got its name from here.

The old maps 1842 onwards help you trace the ownership of land in different parts of the nine revenue districts of Delhi. Sadar Kanungo also has locks and keys with safes from the British period. Antique stamp machines besides financial instruments (hundi), treasury exchange bills and old stamp papers take you through the economic journey of Delhi. One also finds weighing instruments of earlier times like tola, seer and tarazu. Revenue minister Raj Kumar Chauhan said the government may set up a revenue museum where these valuable documents could be displayed.

"We have made a presentation before chief minister Sheila Dikshit and the matter is under deliberation," he added. As per the proposal, not only will the records be on display, but duplicate copies and souvenirs replicating old financial instruments, weights and measures will also be put up for sale. The Times of India, 10th January 2011

In a bid to accelerate the conservation process of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) in Gujarat, the State Government is planning to convert about 3,000 hectares of revenue land, near the Bustard Sanctuary in Kutch district, into forest land but the issue is hanging fire pending approval.

“We have written to the revenue department to convert the revenue land adjoining the Bustard Sanctuary (in Naliya taluka of Kutch) to forest land which could be used for conservation of the GIB. We are yet to get any reply from revenue department with regard to the letter,” Chief Conservator of Forests, Kutch DK Sharma said.

District Forest officer (DFO), incharge of the Bustard Sanctuary, DT Vasavda said that they have asked for the 3,000 hectare grassland, as it is a prime breeding ground for the GIB, an endangered species listed in Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act.

“The land which we have asked for is in Naliya and was previously with the Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA), who had done plantation in some part, but most of it is still grassland,” Vasavada said.

He said declaring the grassland as protected area would help in conservation of the GIB which is a shy creature and hard to spot. Also, the conservation was essential as GIB lays only an egg at a time during the breeding season in June-July.

Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had also written to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to convert the revenue land to forest land for conservation of the GIB and thereby prevent its extinction from Gujarat.

“The letter from Jairam Ramesh to the Gujarat Chief Minister for conservation of GIB has given a boost to our efforts to get the grassland from the revenue department,” Vasavada said, adding he was hopeful of positive outcome.

Ramesh had said in the letter to Modi in June last year that conversationalist and researchers working in Kutch have brought to his attention about the opening of area in Abdasa grassland in Naliya, a prime breeding ground for GIB, for agriculture.

“I am writing to request you to immediately intervene and prevent the diversion of revenue gauchar land to agriculture, and to ensure that the district officials support the Naliya conservation activities,” Ramesh wrote.

“If we do not intervene, the possibility of the GIB going extinct in Gujarat is very high and real,” the Union Minister had added.

According to Vasavada there are 47 GIB, as per last census of 2007, in the Bustard Sanctuary.

The sanctuary that was notified in 1992 is currently spread over 202 hectares of land.

Indian Bustard (ardeotis nigriceps) is found in India and the adjoining regions of Pakistan. It is a large bird with a horizontal body and long bare legs giving it an ostrich like appearance. This bird is among the heaviest of the flying birds. The GIB, is a shy bird living in arid and semi-arid grasslands and scrubs containing scattered bushes and some cultivation.

Their highest living number is found in Rajasthan, followed by Gujarat.

The Desert National Park (DNP), Rajasthan is the biggest of GIB sanctuaries. The second main protected hotspot of their survival is the Bustard Sanctuary in Naliya, Kutch.

Listed in Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (India), the GIB is classified as ‘endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List 2002.

The Pioneer, 11th January 2011

Connaught Place traders on Monday met with NDMC officials to sort out issues related to starting work on the CP redevelopment plan. While the civic agency has agreed to allow parking in the Middle Circle, it is unwilling to compromise on its plan to construct more subways in the area, according to officials. The work of barricading the area is likely to begin by Monday night with some work already having started in CP.

"We had a meeting with senior officials in NDMC to sort out issues and went around CP to work out the best alternatives to avoid any traffic mess in the area. Some of our suggestions, including allowing parking in the Middle Circle, have been agreed to. NDMC will also look into providing one slot of parking in the Radial area. Initially, work will begin in six blocks - A, B, C, G, H and K - and the Regal and P-blocks. This work is likely to finish in eight months after which work will start in the other six blocks - D, E, F, L, M and N. We have also asked NDMC to reconsider its plans of constructing more subways. The existing five subways are hardly used and are not properly maintained,'' said president of New Delhi Traders Association, Atul Bharghav. The traders have asked NDMC to hire an independent agency to assess if there is any requirement for more subways in CP.

According to NDMC officials, however, while the agency is willing to look into all suggestions made by NDTA, it will go ahead with construction of eight more subways. "We are willing to explore all options to avoid any inconvenience but will go ahead with our original plan of constructing subways in CP,'' said an NDMC official. The civic body has already started work of opening the Panchkuian Radial Road.

NTDA said the new barricading plan will leave 50% space for traffic in the Middle Circle as opposed to the earlier plan under which almost 80% of the space would have been taken up.

In phase-I NDMC will start work on four subways at Panchkuian Road and Barakhamba Road. Work of constructing the service corridor will also begin in Middle Circle and at four radial roads. All the radial roads will be partially open at all times. In phase-II the civic agency will take up work of constructing four more subways and service corridor work will be taken up along three more radial roads. General beautification and remaining façade restoration work will also be taken up.

Times of India, 11th January 2011

A local resident's enthusiasm to go for a morning walk in a chilling Monday morning came out to be a saviour for a peacock that had been attacked by a stray canine at the East of Kailash Park. Sanjay Verma, a regular morning walker, went to the park around 7.00 am and noticed that a stray dog had
attacked a peacock and bitten off a huge chunk of meat off the national bird's back.

"I immediately took the bird to a vet in Saket. Dr S Kumar of Saket Pet Clinic put 40 stitches on the bird during the operation that went on for almost two hours 30 minutes," Verma, who is a power project consultant, said.

Verma then called in his friend Deepak Tanwar and they took the peacock to the Delhi zoo. Tanwar said they waited at the National Zoological Park's gate for almost an hour but in vein.

"The guards at the gate kept on talking to a person who called the zoo director's personal secretary. We were neither allowed to talk to any official nor were let inside," said Tanwar.

National Zoological Park director AK Agnihotri said, "We sometimes do help on humanitarian grounds but we have our own limitations. However, this case has not come to my knowledge."

The peacock was later taken to Charity Bird Hospital located within the Jain temple premises in Chandni Chowk area opposite the Red Fort.

The bird has been kept in a room with a heater and fed properly.

"The bird is not yet fully recovered. We have fed paneer (cottage cheese) today and would give it soaked lentils (chana daal) tomorrow," said hospital manager Pramod Jain.

Dog lovers are, however, not perturbed with the incident. Gautam Barat, co-founder of NGO Frendicos, said, "Generally stray dogs do not attack birds. There has to be a reason for the attack. Possibly, it was the peacock that strayed into the dog's territory."

Hindustan Times, 11th January 2011

In the 18th century, Tipu Sultan had, among other crafts, patronised the craft of wood inlay. The family of Mirza Zainulla Abidi who had migrated to Srirangapatna from Persia during Tipu’s reign, brought the craft to this region. Abidi’s son Yusuf Ali opened the first inlay workshop, Yusuf Ali & Sons, at Mandi Mohalla in Mysore, in 1870. The legacy lives on, writes Geetha Rao

The city of Mysore is home to some 1,500 artisans engaged in the craft of wood inlay and marquetry, the majority of them working in factories in Mandi Mohalla, the city’s largest craft pocket. Mysore is one of the very few places left in the world, where there is a large community of craftspersons practising this craft, using techniques that have been handed down over centuries.

Wood inlay is an ancient craft, in which a solid body of a material, like a rosewood plank is scooped out to receive sections of natural, multihued wood pieces, to form a decorative surface pattern. In marquetry, pieces of wood are assembled and then pressed onto a frame, like a jigsaw puzzle. A three-dimensional effect is created by the artist craftsperson, when portraits, landscapes, exotic birds and animals are reproduced in their natural colours.

“My products are mainly birds, animals and flowers in the relief marquetry style,” says craftsperson Mahboob Khan. “We sell to larger wholesalers who market through Cauvery and other emporia. Our sales have been badly hit by the recession and is just picking up,” he added.

The main markets today for inlay products are the Indian diasporas, mainly in the US and Europe.

Large units of furniture, like dining tables and chairs, chests, swings, mantapas (pavilions) and large wall plaques carved in inlaid dark rosewood, find pride of place in large mansions. Common themes are Geetopadesha, Dasara procession and Omar Khayyam. Iskcon temples all over the world are major buyers of panels depicting the Krishna theme. Islamic calligraphy is also popular.

“The export market for wood inlay items is around Rs four crore today,” says Devaramani, Deputy Director of the Handicraft Marketing and Service Extension Centre. “Domestic sales are much larger,” the deputy director adds.

Exhibitions and government emporia cater to domestic tourists and buyers, where smaller panels and plaques with images of Hindu gods and goddesses like Gajalakshmi and Ganesha are sold. There is clearly a need for new design development and intervention.

Devaramani says a wood seasoning plant has been started in Mysore to provide seasoned raw material right through the year. Also wood inlay is one of the five crafts of Mysore selected for registration at the Geographical Index Registry, a concept similar to the registration of patents.

Yusuf Ali’s workshop, Tipu’s legacy
In the 18th century Tipu Sultan, had, among other crafts, patronised the craft of wood inlay. The family of Mirza Zainulla Abidi who had migrated to Srirangapatna from Persia during his reign, brought the craft to this region.

After the demise of Tipu, artisan activity shifted to Mysore, which became the royal city of the Wodeyars. Abidi’s son Yusuf Ali opened the first inlay workshop, Yusuf Ali and Sons, in 1870 in Mandi Mohalla and trained a number of artisans, mainly from the Muslim community, in the intricate skills of inlay.

With the patronage of the Mysore Palace, the workshop started producing decorative embellishments to objects like musical instruments, photo frames, rose wood doors and furniture for the palace and rich local patrons. The fine doors inlaid with ivory at the Mysore Palace are attributed to their workmanship.

The now defunct Elephant Cigarette Co. placed bulk orders for rosewood cigarette boxes with an ivory inlay motif of wild elephants and palm trees, which provided sustained business for inlay artisans.

The Chamarajendra Technical Institute was specifically created in 1914 to provide formal training in traditional arts and crafts like wood inlay which, up to that time, had been entirely family based. Inlay artistes like Mir Shaukat took the art of pictorial marquetry to another level, incorporating contemporary themes, his works becoming collectors’ items.
Contemporary marquetry artist R Puttaraju, a graduate of Chamarajendra Technical Institute, is a contemporary marquetry artiste, who pioneered the relief technique in wood collage.

Hailing from the village of Mulloor near Kollegal, Puttaraju was inspired by the art in the St. Francis Assisi Church at Kollegal and began to sketch Biblical stories. The German priest, father Handy Kohrt, recognised his talent, took him to Mysore with him and had him admitted at the Chamarajendra Technical Institute, where he learnt painting and the art of wood inlay and marquetry. He experimented widely with wood collage, being the first to make human portraits in this medium. Marquetry is much less flexible than painting, where instead of oils, modulations of colour can only be produced by contrasting selected pieces of wood.

In 1968 he created a panel “submission with devotion”, the first ever relief work in wood collage, for which he won the prestigious first prize at the Mysore Dasara Exhibition. Puttaraju then moved on to Chennai where he worked as an assistant art director and ran an inlay unit that supplied products to VTI.

Inspired by Ravi Varma, Puttaraju started making wood collage paintings based on his work, mainly portraits. “Ravi Varma is an icon when it comes to the Indian art scene. It was challenging for me to base my works on the art of such a great master. His 100th birth century in 2006 was a milestone, that provided an opportunity and inspiration,” says R Puttaraju.

Some of Puttaraju’s notable works in this series are the portraits of Chamarajendra Wodeyar, Krishna Raja Wodeyar, Ravi Varma himself, Mohini Rukmangada, Kadambari, Yashoda Krishna and the Mysore stables.

Puttaraju was honoured with Rotary Ramsons Kala Pratishtana Award in June 2005. In 2008, he received the coveted Rajyotsava Award from the State government.

Deccan Herald, 11th January 2011

A year-long process of translocation of rhinos from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary to Manas National Park in Assam was completed recently. The programme provides a roadmap for long-term conservation of the Indian rhino in Assam, writes Subhash Chandra N S

In what is considered a great success for Indian rhino conservation, the Assam Forest Department along with World Wildlife Fund on December 29 completed the year-long process of translocation of rhinos from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS) to Manas National Park (MNP).

Procuring tranquilising drugs, radio-collars and other equipment and many meetings at various levels finally met with success by the end of December. Two female Indian rhinoceros (rhinoceros unicornis), a mother and a juvenile, were translocated to MNP on December 29 from PWS in Assam, under the aegis of the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV 2020) programme.

A specially-trained team released the two rhinos in the Basbari range in the central part of MNP. These were captured through chemical immobilisation in Pobitora on December 28 and transported in specially designed crates in two different trucks to Manas, under strict security and veterinary assistance. They will be observed very closely for the next few months. The Indian rhinoceros is currently listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The IRV 2020 is a joint programme of the Department of Environment and Forests-Government of Assam, WWF-India and the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) with support from the Bodoland Territorial Council, US Fish and Wildlife Service and local communities.

Target 3,000 by 2020
The programme’s vision is to increase Assam’s rhino population to 3,000 by 2020, which will be done by wild-to-wild translocations from Kaziranga National Park and PWS to Manas and Dibru Saikhowa National Parks as well as Laokhowa and Burachopari Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Assam accounts for the largest population of Indian rhinoceros. Though rhino numbers in the state have grown from 2,000 in 2005 to over 2,200 in 2009, more than 90 per cent of these live in just one Protected Area, which is the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). The IRV 2020 programme aims to secure the long-term survival of wild rhinos in Assam by expanding their distribution to reduce risks like disease, in-breeding depression and mass mortality.

Under this programme, the first phase of wild-to-wild translocations was carried out in April 2008 when two male rhinos were re-introduced into MNP from PWS. The current translocations that ended on December 29 and started on December 27, are part of two phases of the translocations. During this second phase, a total of eighteen rhinos are proposed to be translocated. The sanctuary was closed for visitors to ensure minimal disturbance to the animals and the entire operation was carried out under strict vigilance.

Like the rhinos translocated earlier, the adult female has been fitted with a radio-collar, and along with the juvenile, it will be monitored continuously through the next year by the staff of Manas NP with support from WWF-India.WWF-India has been preparing the ground for this second phase of translocation from the past year and assisted the Department of Environment and Forests - Government of Assam. WWF-India’s field teams at Manas National Park have been monitoring the rhinos there and have been working with the Park authorities to increase security to ensure protection to the released rhinos.

According to D M Singh (IFS), Chief Conservator of Forests - Wildlife, Government of Assam, who is also the Chief Operating Officer of the Rhino Translocation Core Committee, the tranquilisations were done by the capture team lead by Prof. K K Sarma of the College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara. Other members of the capture team included Bijoy Dutta, Associate Professor of the College of Veterinary Science; M L Smith, Forest Veterinary Officer of Assam State Zoo and Anjan Talukdar of Aaranyak.

The captured rhinos were transported under the supervision of C R Bhobra (IFS), Deputy Director of Manas Tiger Reserve and the transportation team included Anupam Sarmah, Senior Coordinator of WWF-India’s North Bank and Kaziranga Karbi-Anglong Landscapes.

The programme provides a roadmap for long-term conservation of the Indian rhino in Assam, charted in June 2005 by the Task Force for Translocation of Rhinos within Assam, commonly referred to as the Rhino Task Force (constituted by the Assam government).

According to Dipankar Ghose, Head, Eastern Himalayas Programme, WWF-India, “The rhino translocation being carried out at present is very important to initiate the next round of translocations in Assam. It has strengthened the confidence of all teams involved. Given the excellent support received from the state Forest Department and the administration, this is also a landmark achievement for active management of species involving different stakeholders.”

The unicorn
* The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is also called Greater one-horned rhinoceros and Asian one-horned rhinoceros and belongs to the rhinocerotidae family.

* Listed as a highly vulnerable species, the large mammal is primarily found in parts of north-eastern India and in protected areas in the Terai of Nepal, where populations are confined to the riverine grasslands at the foothills of the Himalayas.

* Weighing between 2,260 kg and 3,000 kg, it is the fourth largest land animal and has a single horn, which measures 20 to 57 cm (7.9 to 22 in) in length.

* The Indian rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic plain, but excessive hunting has reduced their natural habitat drastically.

It has a single horn, which like human fingernails, is pure keratin and starts to show after the young rhino attains the age of six.

Deccan Herald, 11th January 2011

Talk about the State’s hill stations and the association is almost always with Kemmanagundi, Kudremukh or Nandi Hills. But there are others, equally charming in terms of beauty and serenity.

In fact, because they are not on the tourist circuit, these places are less crowded and retain a certain charm. Chikballapur, the recently carved district from Kolar has a fair share of such hill spots. One such is a lovely hill spot called Avalabetta. Often referred to as Avalakonda (in Telugu), this place is at best known to the people of surrounding villages.

But for explorers and adventurers, the place offers enough opportunities for climbing, bird watching or simply learning about its mythology. A well-laid road to the peak is indeed a boon for the less adventurous . At about 90 kms from Bangalore off the Bellary road, Avalabetta is an enjoyable destination.

About five years ago, the only way to scale the hill was to take a trail covered in bushes. Now, however, there’s a good road that goes all the way to the top. Finding a cave temple of Lakshmi Narasimha at the top is a nice revelation. Rangaraju, the priest, explains the mythological significance of the place.

“Ages ago, when the ocean was churned by the gods and demons, many creations both good and bad surfaced. One of them was the holy cow and it is believed to have landed here. The hoof marks of the cow can be found on a rock. In later years large numbers of cows frequented this hill which gave the place the name Dhenugiri (Dhenu: cow & giri: hill),” he explains. The nearby villagers make it a point to offer the first milk of their cows to the lord. Herds of cattle grazing here makes for a nice pastoral scene. The cave temple has a small image of Lakshmi Narasimha. Adjacent to the cave is another shrine of Hanuman.

There are steps behind the cave that lead to the summit of the hill and it is from here that the most stupendous views can be seen in all directions.

Avalabetta has a wide plateau full of trees and shrubs. A good population of monkeys too live in the vicinity. To the east, a tall mantapa stands like a sentinel. On the way is a circular pond.

The subterranean water which flows from the temple is venerated and it is believed by people here that a dip in it ensures fulfillment of one’s wishes..

Apart from the legends and deities, Avalabetta has much more to offer, especially for nature lovers and bird watchers.

Steep drops in every direction serve as natural vantage points to savour the beauty of the valley. A paragola has also been built for tourists. With a lake guarded by rocky outcrops and the horizon marked with a band of blue hills the panoramic vistas are a treat to the eyes. The State Forest Department which has taken the initiative to develop and maintain this place has also built a rest house here.

Getting there
Driving on Bellary road (NH7) from Bangalore, at 14 kms after Chikballapur (52 kms) look out for a road on the left and proceed to Mandikal (11kms). From Mandikal, the hilltop is at a distance of 11 kms. Mandikal is connected by buses from Bangalore/Chikballapur. Deccan Herald, 11th January 2011

Mysore is home to a famous church dedicated to Saint Bartholomew, martyred in the first century AD. Believed to be one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus, the saint is venerated by the followers of Anglican, Roman Catholic and other churches all over.

In 1906, during his official visit to Mysore, the Prince of Wales, later crowned King George V, is known to have offered prayers at the historic Bartholomew’s Church. According to church records, the junior Prince of Wales (Edward VIII) also offered prayers here when he visited Mysore in the year 1921.

Located near the landmark Mysore bus stand, the St. Bartholomew’s Church was built in the year 1832, during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, who graciously gifted the land needed for construction of the church that was built at a “cost of Rs.3500” shared by Christian soldiers and the civilians forming the local congregation. When the centenary of the church was held in 1930, it is said to have been renovated with stained glass windows gifted by Maharaja of Mysore. The 175th anniversary of the church was celebrated on a grand scale in 2005.

St. Bartholomew’s Church runs a school called Sunday School and also maintains the community cemeteries in and around Mysore. The European Cemetery on Mysore-Bangalore road, the Garrison Cemetery in Srirangapatna and the Benson Cemetery on Mysore-Nanjangud road are the three cemeteries attached to St. Bartholomew’s Church.

Deccan Herald, 11th January 2011

Kannur's spotlight on Kerala's stage remains a little dim, but only because its tourism hasn't actively kicked in. I find the place as historic, artistic and attractive as its bigger, louder neighbours. I also find it has come well recommended. Marco Polo, the intrepid traveller, christened Kannur many centuries ago: "The great emporium of the spice trade." No wonder this scenic coastal town, serving time as major port and maritime centre, was lustily eyed by the usual colonial suspects: the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British.

Many who came, stayed, and left behind substantial evidence of their presence. Take the Portuguese who built the St Angelo Fort in 1505. Today this enormous red laterite stone edifice, constructed on a rocky promontory, still provides refuge and sanctuary. If only for the couples that visit to stroll amid its serene gardens and be photographed against the backdrop of the fishing harbour and the palm-fringed beaches it overlooks. Meanwhile their historian friends scrutinise the canons, horse stables and chapel that are restored and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

I leave feeling humbled by the grandeur, only to be elevated at our next halt, which exudes the bliss of a great and joyful piece of music. We stroll down what may well be Kerala's only drive-in beach, where you can motor along an entire length of 4 kilometres of sandy strip by an exotic, lovely sunset. Local lads play football at one end of the sands and burst into Shakira's Waka Waka, with variations all their own, as they see us approach. The black rocks glisten. The water is safe for swimmers as the rocks protect the beach from strong currents. Everything appears smiled upon by Mother Nature. The beach is heaven on earth.

Another highlight of Kannur, perhaps even more compelling than the Portuguese architecture, the natural fishing harbour of Mopilla Bay and the historic forts, is the experience of theyyam for the novelty it holds. Theyyam is Kerala's spectacular dance ritual aimed at appeasing ancient village deities -- the mother goddess, ancestors and spirits. The season for theyyam is usually between December and May, but the Parassinkadavu Temple, just 20 kms north of Kannur, hosts a performance daily. It is more than worth visiting this striking religious structure situated before an oasis of water and coconut palms. Inside the temple, authorities separate the men from the women for the performance which finally begins with the singing of a thottam, in praise of the deity. Song is followed by an impassioned dance-display -- in which the dancer really appears to have become the dance. Apart from being vital, the performance showcases the strong influence of Kerala's martial art tradition of kalaripayattu. The masks, body paint and headgear sometimes rise to a staggering height of more than seven feet. But what really has me do a double-take of delight and wonder, is the collective devotion of the people who've come from miles for the ritual. Faith manifest at a time when it is perhaps the scarcest commodity available, is a pleasure to behold.

Hindustan Times, 12th January 2011

A Supreme Court judgment projects the historical thesis that India is largely a country of old immigrants and that pre-Dravidian aborigines, ancestors of the present Adivasis, rather than Dravidians, were the original inhabitants of India.

If North America is predominantly made up of new immigrants, India is largely a country of old immigrants, which explains its tremendous diversity. It follows that tolerance and equal respect for all communities and sects are an absolute imperative if we wish to keep India united. If it was believed at one time that Dravidians were the original inhabitants of India, that view has since been considerably modified. Now the generally accepted belief is that the pre-Dravidian aborigines, that is, the ancestors of the present tribals or Adivasis (Scheduled Tribes), were the original inhabitants. This is the thesis put forward in a judgment delivered on January 5, 2011 by a Supreme Court of India Bench comprising Justice Markandey Katju and Justice Gyan Sudha Misra. This historical disquisition came in Criminal Appeal No. 11 of 2011, arising out of Special Leave Petition No. 10367 of 2010 in Kailas & Others versus State of Maharashtra TR. Taluka P.S.

The appeal was filed against a judgment and order passed by the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court. The Supreme Court Bench saw in the appeal a typical instance of how many Indians treat the Scheduled Tribes, or Adivasis. The case related to Nandabai, 25, belonging to the Bhil tribe, a Scheduled Tribe in Maharashtra. She was beaten, kicked and stripped, and then paraded naked on the village road, over an alleged illicit relationship with a man from an upper caste. The four accused were convicted by the Additional Sessions Judge, Ahmednagar, under different Sections of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for six months, one year and three months in three instances and to pay a fine in each. They were convicted under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for one year and a fine. But the High Court acquitted them of the charges under the SC/ST Act, while confirming the convictions under the IPC provisions. Each was directed to pay Rs. 5,000 to the victim.

The Bhils are probably the descendants of some of the original inhabitants of India known as the ‘aborigines' or Scheduled Tribes (Adivasis), who now comprise only about eight per cent of the population of India. The rest, 92 per cent, consists of descendants of immigrants. Thus India is broadly a country of immigrants, like North America.

While North America (USA and Canada) has new immigrants who came mainly from Europe over the last four or five centuries, India is a country of old immigrants in which people have been coming in over the last ten thousand years or so. Probably about 92 per cent of the people living in India today are descendants of immigrants, who came mainly from the North-West, and to a lesser extent from the North-East. Since this is a point of great importance for the understanding of our country, it is necessary to go into it in some detail.

People migrate from uncomfortable areas to comfortable areas. This is natural because everyone wants to live in comfort. Before the coming of modern industry there were agricultural societies everywhere, and India was a paradise for these because agriculture requires level land, fertile soil, plenty of water for irrigation and so on, which were in abundance in India. Why should anybody living in India migrate to, say, Afghanistan, which has a harsh terrain, rocky and mountainous and covered with snow for several months in a year when one cannot grow any crop? Hence almost all immigrations and invasions came from outside into India (except those Indians who were sent out during British rule as indentured labour, and the recent migration of a few million Indians to the developed countries for job opportunities). There is perhaps not a single instance of an invasion from India to outside India.

India was a veritable paradise for pastoral and agricultural societies because it has level and fertile land, with hundreds of rivers, forests, etc., and is rich in natural resources. Hence for thousands of years people kept pouring into India because they found a comfortable life here in a country which was gifted by nature.

As the great Urdu poet Firaq Gorakhpuri wrote: Sar Zamin-e-hind par aqwaam-e-alam ke firaq/ Kafile guzarte gae Hindustan banta gaya (“In the land of Hind, the caravans of the peoples of the world kept coming in and India kept getting formed”).

Who were the original inhabitants of India? At one time it was believed that the Dravidians were the original inhabitants. However, this view has been considerably modified subsequently, and now the generally accepted belief is that the original inhabitants of India were the pre-Dravidian aborigines, that is, the ancestors of the present tribals or Adivasis (Scheduled Tribes).

The Cambridge History of India (Volume I), Ancient India, says:

“It must be remembered, however, that, when the term ‘Dravidian' is thus used ethnographically, it is nothing more than a convenient label. It must not be assumed that the speakers of the Dravidian languages are aborigines. In Southern India, as in the North, the same general distinction exists between the more primitive tribes of the hills and jungles and the civilised inhabitants of the fertile tracts; and some ethnologists hold that the difference is racial and not merely the result of culture…
“It would seem probable, then, that the original speakers of the Dravidian languages were outsiders, and that the ethnographical Dravidians are a mixed race. In the more habitable regions the two elements have fused, while representatives of the aborigines are still in the fastnesses (in hills and forests) to which they retired before the encroachments of the newcomers. If this view be correct, we must suppose that these aborigines have, in the course of long ages, lost their ancient languages and adopted those of their conquerors. The process of linguistic transformation, which may still be observed in other parts of India, would seem to have been carried out more completely in the South than elsewhere.

“The theory that the Dravidian element is the most ancient which we can discover in the population of Northern India, must also be modified by what we now know of the Munda languages, the Indian representatives of the Austric family of speech, and the mixed languages in which their influence has been traced. Here, according to the evidence now available, it would seem that the Austric element is the oldest, and that it has been overlaid in different regions by successive waves of Dravidian and Indo-European on the one hand, and by Tibeto-Chinese on the other…

“At the same time, there can be little doubt that Dravidian languages were actually flourishing in the western regions of Northern India at the period when languages of the Indo-European type were introduced by the Aryan invasions from the north-west. Dravidian characteristics have been traced alike in Vedic and Classical Sanskrit, in the Prakrits, or early popular dialects, and in the modern vernaculars derived from them. The linguistic strata would thus appear to be arranged in the order-Austric, Dravidian, Indo-European.“There is good ground, then, for supposing that, before the coming of the Indo-Aryans speakers the Dravidian languages predominated both in Northern and in Southern India; but, as we have seen, older elements are discoverable in the populations of both regions, and therefore the assumption that the Dravidians are aboriginal is no longer tenable. Is there any evidence to show whence they came into India?

“No theory of their origin can be maintained which does not account for the existence of Brahui, the large island of Dravidian speech in the mountainous regions of distant Baluchistan which lie near the western routes into India. Is Brahui a surviving trace of the immigration of Dravidian-speaking peoples into India from the West? Or does it mark the limits of an overflow form India into Baluchistan? Both theories have been held; but as all the great movements of peoples have been into India and not out of India, and as a remote mountainous district may be expected to retain the survivals of ancient races while it is not likely to have been colonised, the former view would a priori seem to be by far the more probable.”

Thus the generally accepted view now is that the original inhabitants of India were not the Dravidians but the pre-Dravidian Munda aborigines whose descendants now live in parts of Chotanagpur (Jharkhand), Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal, etc., the Todas of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, the tribals in the Andaman Islands, the Adivasis in various parts of India (especially in the forests and hills), for example the Gonds, Santhals, Bhils, etc.

These facts lend support to the view that about 92 per cent of the people living in India are descendants of immigrants (though more research is required).

It is for this reason that there is such tremendous diversity in India. This diversity is a significant feature of our country, and the only way to explain it is to accept that India is largely a country of immigrants.

There are a large number of religions, castes, languages, ethnic groups, cultures etc., in our country, which is due to the fact that India is a country of immigrants. Somebody is tall, somebody is short, some are dark, some are fair complexioned, with all kinds of shades in between, someone has Caucasian features, someone has Mongoloid features, someone has Negroid features, etc. There are differences in dress, food habits and various other matters.

We may compare India with China, which is larger both in population and in land area than India. China has a population of about 1.3 billion whereas our population is roughly 1.1 billion. Also, China has more than twice our land area. However, all Chinese have Mongoloid features; they have a common written script (Mandarin Chinese), and 95 per cent of them belong to one ethnic group, called the Han Chinese. Hence there is a broad (though not absolute) homogeneity in China.

On the other hand, India has tremendous diversity and this is due to the large-scale migrations and invasions into India over thousands of years. The various immigrants/invaders who came into India brought with them their different cultures, languages, religions, etc., which accounts for the tremendous diversity in India.

Since India is a country of great diversity, it is absolutely essential if we wish to keep our country united to have tolerance and equal respect for all communities and sects. It was due to the wisdom of our founding fathers that we have a Constitution which is secular in character, and which caters to the tremendous diversity in our country.

Thus it is the Constitution of India which is keeping us together despite all our tremendous diversity, because the Constitution gives equal respect to all communities, sects, lingual and ethnic groups, etc. The Constitution guarantees to all citizens freedom of speech (Article 19), freedom of religion (Article 25), equality (Articles 14 to 17), liberty (Article 21), etc.

However, giving formal equality to all groups or communities in India would not result in genuine equality. The historically disadvantaged groups must be given special protection and help so that they can be uplifted from their poverty and low social status. It is for this reason that special provisions have been made in our Constitution in Articles 15(4), 15(5), 16(4), 16(4A), 46, etc., for the uplift of these groups. Among these disadvantaged groups, the most disadvantaged and marginalised in India are the Adivasis (STs), who, as already mentioned, are the descendants of the original inhabitants of India, and are the most marginalised and living in terrible poverty with high rates of illiteracy, disease, early mortality etc. Their plight has been described by this Court in Samatha vs. State of Andhra Pradesh and Ors. (AIR 1997 SC 3297, Para 12 to 15). Hence, it is the duty of all people who love our country to see that no harm is done to the Scheduled Tribes and that they are given all help to bring them up in their economic and social status, since they have been victimised for thousands of years by terrible oppression and atrocities. The mentality of our countrymen towards these tribals must change, and they must be given the respect they deserve as the original inhabitants of India.

The bravery of the Bhils was accepted by that great Indian warrior Rana Pratap, who held a high opinion of Bhils as part of his army.

The injustice done to the tribal people of India is a shameful chapter in our country's history. The tribals were called ‘rakshas' (demons), ‘asuras', and what not. They were slaughtered in large numbers, and the survivors and their descendants were degraded, humiliated, and all kinds of atrocities inflicted on them for centuries. They were deprived of their lands, and pushed into forests and hills where they eke out a miserable existence of poverty, illiteracy, disease, etc. And now efforts are being made by some people to deprive them even of their forest and hill land where they are living, and the forest produce on which they survive.

The well-known example of injustice to tribals is the story of Eklavya in the Adiparva of the Mahabharata. Eklavya wanted to learn archery, but Dronacharya refused to teach him, regarding him as lowborn. Eklavya then built a statue of Dronacharya and practised archery before the statue. He would have perhaps become a better archer than Arjun, but since Arjun was Dronacharya's favourite pupil Dronacharya told Eklavya to cut off his right thumb and give it to him as guru dakshina (gift to the teacher given traditionally by the student after his study is complete). In his simplicity Eklavya did what he was told.

This was a shameful act on the part of Dronacharya. He had not even taught Eklavya, so what right had he to demand guru dakshina, and that too of the right thumb of Eklavya so that the latter may not become a better archer than his favourite pupil Arjun?

Despite this horrible oppression on them, the tribals of India have generally (though not invariably) retained a higher level of ethics than the non-tribals. They normally do not cheat or tell lies, or commit other misdeeds, which many non-tribals do. They are generally superior in character to non-tribals.

It is time now to undo the historical injustice to them.

Instances like the one with which we are concerned in this case deserve total condemnation and harsh punishment. The Hindu, 12th January 2011

To mark the 100 years of New Delhi (1911-2011), Hindustan Times has started a year-long celebration from the 1st of January. Many readers have sent their own memories and impressions of New Delhi as they have seen it over the years. Here are some of them. If you want to share yours as well, mail

them to us at: [email protected]

Readers reaction | Note of appreciation

I would like to applaud HT for their commendable effort for carrying out a complete series - New Delhi 100 years, celebrating the Capital's centenary. The series has poised me to investigate further about the city's rich cultural past!

Since the last 15 years, I have seen Delhi blossom into a beautiful city. It has not only expanded in area, it has striven against all odds and has taken great strides to become a buzzing metropolis. The city's eclectic mix of people vivifies the city. Delhi's rich culture enraptures me. Who had ever wondered that the British government's decision to shift the capital from Calcutta to Delhi would one day dazzle the world by hosting a spectacular C'wealth Games, thus silencing the naysayers?
Agam Dhingra,
Student, Dwarka

I convey my appreciation for your feature celebrating the hundred years of New Delhi. The city's history has been of both personal and professional interest to me.

US Jolly, retired principal
commissioner of DDA

It is a good attempt that Hindustan Times is writing about New Delhi on its completing 100 years after shifting capital from Calcutta to New Delhi. These pieces of write-ups are a good knowledge for us as well as for our children. Some of the facts and figures even we didn't know about making of the Viceroy's House (now Rashtrapati Bhawan).
N Mathur

It was a real pleasure to read your articles about the making of New Delhi in the Hindustan Times dated January 3 to 6 and I believe there are couple of more write-ups to follow up on the same topic.
Alka Jaspal.

Spend all my life in Delhi and never knew these things about the city. If only you could put all these articles under one head and made easily accessible from the Internet.
Shijo George

I enjoyed reading your article on the architects and contractors of New Delhi in the Hindustan Times. It made for enjoyable and informative reading, to say the least. What was a tad disappointing was your lack-of-mention of the most prominent and wealthiest amongst the contractors, Sardar Dharam Singh.

This man grew to become the wealthiest and largest builder in modern India, by any account. He was the single and sole provider for all the Dholpur stone that was used for India gate and Rastrapati Bhawan. His stone quarry was, in its time, the single largest in the world.

Perhaps his greatest quality was that in his Will, of which, I have a copy as I am his great-grand son, he left about 90 percent of his estate to charity - a fact which stunned many, including his own family members.

Hindustan Times, 12th January 2011

At the beginning of the second decade of the 20th century, the empire of Britain comprehended the most civilized portion of mankind. Delhi was its principal possession. The Coronation Park in the north of the city is the remnant of that empire.

In 1877, Queen Victoria was proclaimed the

Empress of India at this site. In 1903, the coronation of her son Edward VII was celebrated here. Both occasions called for the summoning of Delhi Durbar, a gold-and-silk extravaganza in which princes from Imperial India’s small and big principalities were obliged to greet the new masters. On December 11, 1911, the 57-acre venue witnessed the third and final Delhi Durbar. The sovereign himself attended. Sitting on a golden throne, under a golden umbrella, King George V declared the transfer of “the seat of the Government of India from Calcutta to the ancient capital of Delhi.”

A hundred years later, one freezing January afternoon, we are at the same spot on which George V and his wife, Mary, sat. The view is spectacularly unspectacular: grey sky and muddy-brown ground. The Coronation Memorial is a sandstone obelisk built on a square plinth, which is reached from all four sides by a flight of stairs. It overlooks a marshy flatland; bushes here, puddles there. Boys from the neighbourhood play cricket, a game inherited from the British. The eyes follow a kachori vendor as he cycles from one makeshift cricket pitch to another, hawking kachoris.

The chief attraction is in a side enclosure, west of the obelisk. The gate is usually locked but you can slip through the gap. Inside, it is like being transported into the pages of Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The power is lost; the relics remain. White marble statues of the British nobility lie abandoned in a wilderness of green. The crescent-shaped garden, overgrown with trees and bushes, was a dump yard of colonial-era statues that India no longer needed after its independence in 1947.

There are 16 red stone plinths — eight on each side — but only five have statues. The centrepiece is the 60- feet tall figure of King George V, complete with a crown, orb and sceptre. Designed by Edwin Lutyens, the architect of New Delhi, it originally stood in front of New Delhi’s India Gate. Brought here in the 60s, the statue, with its sculptured robe, looks luxurious in this desolate durbar. A peepal tree grows from the king’s feet.

Elsewhere, camel thorn shrubs have established their own barbaric empire. Plants grow on statue-less plinths. One unknown statue is defaced with a Hindi swearword. Another has a crow perched on its head. Come in the evening, when the sun is setting.

Where: Bhai Parmanand Marg (popularly known as Burari Road), near Kingsway Camp, north Delhi

Nearest Metro Station: Vishwavidyalaya (ask any autowalla at the Metro stop to take you to ‘Laat Park’ on Burari Road; he should not charge more than Rs50)

Hindustan Times, 12th January 2011

Naresar is a small rural settlement north of Gwalior. I am deliberately refraining from using the word ‘village’ as I do not think a place with six houses – all one can see for a considerable distance – qualifies for that title. Ok, call it a rural hamlet, undecided about what to be, or not to be....

A traveller to the place needs to go for a certain distance on a dirt road flanked by green fields. There Naresar stands with its back to a gently sloping hill. This story, however, is about what lies on the other side of that hill.

Four years ago, I wrote in ET Travel about stunning millennium-old temples lying in complete obscurity in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh. A district which is better known (infamous?) for having been a haven for dacoits in the past.

In that story, four sets of temples were mentioned – specifically those in the villages of Mitaoli, Padhawali, Bateshwar and Kakanmath. While the first three were located close to each other within a 5 km radius, Kakanmath was several hours away. Access to all four was difficult with pot-holed roads and ignorant locals making the journey tougher.

While visiting those four places, a fifth had been on the radar. This was Naresar, whose name was mentioned in the Archaeological Survey of India’s list right alongside the other places. It was spoken off as being near Bateshwar but that was not so.

No one near Mitaoli, Padhwali or Bateshwar could pin down the location of Naresar. The ASI caretakers at the sites visited gave vague directions. Some villagers expressed doubts about Naresar being in Morena speculating that it lay in the neighbouring Bhind district or possibly even further away, across the Chambal in Uttar Pradesh.

The question about Naresar’s location came up a couple of years later when I met Mr. Gupta, a long term resident of Gwalior. Despite his obvious understanding of the region’s geography and his enthusiasm for travelling, he too was unable to pin the place down.

The search for the elusive Naresar intensified. A simple Google search showed it to be 25 km north of Gwalior but that did not solve the question of which district it lay in: Morena or Bhind.The next search was on ground. Enlightenment was finally reached in a conversation with an elderly postman at Malanpur post office, north of Gwalior.

This gentleman described the settlement of Naresar as being close to the village of Baretha. It took some more time, several pointed questions to village folk and driving up and down the highway a few times for the turn off point to Naresar to be identified. The 3 km long dirt road to the village was lined with mustard fields. The vehicle was abandoned at the hill behind the settlement and from that point, it was a walk down a cattle track.

On the ledge

So, as I then finally gathered, Naresar is exactly 24.5 km north of Gwalior. I drove north from Gwalior crossing Malanpur. Some 20 km from Gwalior is the village of Baretha, which is the turn off for Naresar. It is on the left of the road just beyond this village.

From that point it is a 3 km drive on a dirt track and then a 1.5 km walk across rough terrain to reach the temples. And it’s well worth all the effort! Especially if you also have a dekko of the neighbouring temples in the villages of Mitaoli, Padhwali and Bateshwar, further north.

Anyway, getting back to the journey....At the top of the hill was a small temple, its white painted exterior declared it to be a recent construction. The hill, however, offered an excellent view for miles around, including of the landing strip of the Indian Air Force’s fighter base nearby.

On the other side of the hill seemed to be a thick forest. A path paved with stones dabbed in white paint seemed to point to the forest so that was the direction I followed. Just over the crest of the hill, my destination became visible in the form of a small temple, distinctly exuding the charm of a bygone era. This was just the first glimpse of the heritage site of Naresar.

The Archaeological Survey of India lists 22 temples at Naresar. These magnificent monuments are believed to have been built between the 8th and 12th centuries AD in the Pratihara style popular in central India at that time.

I found that the temples are Naresar are built across two levels of elevation. What I got to see first were a set of relatively simple temples in terms of style, which were built at the higher level. Three of these were located in what appeared to be ditches. These were actually excavated sites, though. Archaeologists uncovered the temples from the mound of soil that had covered them over centuries.

Some other temples are set around a small pond. Alongside the pond are the remains of the base of other temples now long gone.

A few steps beyond the pond and the forest spreads out like a carpet below. However, just before the forest begins is a large ledge on which there are more temples. And these are far more interesting in design and decoration than the set built on the higher level.

Getting to the ledge means walking gingerly down a very shaky set of rock steps, in which the boulders have been loosened by the passage of cascading water. A large broad rock is then used like a bridge to reach the temples. Even this makeshift bridge looks a few hundred years old.

The temples on the ledge make the arduous journey worth every bit of effort out in. The shrines are small in structure with square-shaped sanctums and spires rising above. The doorways of each of the temples are richly decorated with rock cuts of gods and goddesses, some of whom are easy to recognize while some look defaced.Ganesha is perched on one lintel while Parvati blesses you from another.

There are two functional temples among those present, one dedicated to the goddess Shakti and the other bearing a life-size statue of Hanuman.

The temples, hidden between the hill and the thick forest, actually lie in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh but the site is just over the district line from Gwalior.

The place where I left my vehicle before the hill is actually on the Gwalior side.It is an odd feeling to be there, to see millennium old heritage site full of ancient temples and have fighter jets of the twenty first century taking off and landing right next door.

But then that is just a metaphor for India itself isn’t it – where the ancient and the modern coexist in perfect harmony?

Economic Times, 13th January 2011

Lalit Kala Akademi is hosting an important fortnight-long exhibition of Indian contemporary art at its Ferozeshah Road premises here beginning this Thursday, examining the process of archiving and collecting.

Titled “Against All Odds: A Contemporary Response to the Historiography of Archiving Collecting and Museums in India”, the exhibition emphasises the fact that the relationship between the artist and the museum has always been a special one.

For the group exhibition, two-dozen artists including Vivan Sundaram, Bose Krishnamachari, Mithu Sen, Subodh Gupta, Surekha, Dayanita Singh, Pushpamala N. and Sudarshan Shetty have been invited to critique, imagine, construct their own museums, articulate the history of collecting or draw on their own collections to reflect on issues of identity, history and memory from a personal or social standpoint.

“We at the Akademi are involving young curators. We recently involved curator Johnny ML for an exhibition and have now roped in curator Arshiya Lokhandwala, who has come with the largest titles of exhibition we have ever had. For a number of years I have been visiting her gallery in Mumbai and have been impressed with the fact that she has been showcasing the works of young emerging artists. She is someone who has eyes on the ground. We are excited about the new venture that gives a certain degree of relevance to art,” said Akademi Chairman Ashok Vajpeyi here on Wednesday. Noting that the country has had a long history of visual culture, Arshiya said the worrying fact was that there is no reference point for artists, who need to push their agenda forward. So in this exhibition we are questioning lack of institutions or public spaces. The exhibition is a repository of critical responses, questions and dialogues that highlight the dynamic relationship between the artist and the museum and the production and collection of knowledge.

Later, examining a work by Sudarshan Shetty, Arshiya said the “Gateway” is a critique on our institutions. “While the framework on the entrance is enticing, the sword dangling at the centre is intimidating. So there is a lurking danger in our institutions.”

Vivan Sundaram said it was a unique moment for him to be a part of the exhibition. “I am satisfied with the curatorial intervention and the fact that the Akademi has opened its doors to radical ideas like hosting this particular exhibition. The participating artists are engaged in different interpretation to art that is different from run-of-the-mill thing. The project is a collaborative one.”

Bose, who has come with an unusual work, said his exhibit – bookshelves with a wide array of books on art, architecture and design – is also a critique on institutions. “I have exhibited 1,500 DVDs and 5,000 books that I have collected while globetrotting over the years. It points out the fact that there is dearth of libraries in our country.”

The Hindu, 13th January 2011

The Delhi Government is likely to ban the movement of elephants in the national Capital. The conservator of forests and wildlife warden, D M Shukla, has moved a note to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit seeking a ban on movement of elephants on Capital’s roads.

There are 22 elephants in Delhi and their owners have been given licenses to domesticate the pachyderms for life. It would be pertinent to mention here that looking the sensitivity of the matter due to wildlife issue, the Government is also considering relocation of the elephants from the Capital. But it is subjected to sanction from the Union Environment Ministry.

The elephant in the city are often employed and used for social and religious functions, which is the only source of income and livelihood for the mahouts and elephants, too.

Talking to The Pioneer, Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta said that the Government is finding it difficult to relocate or ban the movement of elephants on the Capital’s roads. Mehta further stated that relocation would not be an easy task. “They have been living on the banks of Yamuna for decades. Relocation or change in habitat is not easy as they would require huge land space,” Mehta said.

Keeping in view of the Meerut incident where elephant went berserk and created havoc at a marriage last year, Conservator of Forests and Wildlife D M Shukla raised this issue to the Delhi Government pointing the hazards if the animal goes berserk in a metro like Delhi.

Taking a cue from Mumbai, it has been also proposed if the civic body of Mumbai can ban entry and movement of elephants in Mumbai, then why not the Government take a step in this regard in Delhi. “Both Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) should be directed to ban the entry of elephants in their respective areas,” it said.

The elephants in Delhi belong to individuals who traditionally use them to earn a living. The elephants face health hazards from walking on tar roads for long hours carrying heavy loads which cause their foot pads to crack and blisters. The upkeep of these elephants are poor and in bad conditions. “Also, elephants require a constant supply of food, which is not catered for in their captive existence where they are fed twice or thrice a day,” it said.

Recently, one-day camp was held in collaboration with the NGO Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) in the national capital on January 7. During the health check-up camp, it was revealed that all the captive elephants face health hazards from walking on tar roads and use of polluted water among other unnatural conditions, including traffic that they face in the cities.

The Pioneer, 14th January 2011

Train journeys can be adventurous, enigmatic, romantic and exciting. I definitely prefer them to zipping to a destination by air. And if the journey is a royal treat like the one on Maharajas’ Express, one wouldn’t mind if it went on forever.

With these thoughts in mind, I embarked on an extravagant journey one October morning to drink in the beauties of our erstwhile princely states for a full eight days. The train stood, on an isolated platform in Mumbai, crested and resplendent in its maroon avatar. The turbaned staff flanked us as I traipsed on the red carpet to board the train along with 42 foreigners. It would take us through Baroda to Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaipur, Ranthambore and Agra, ending in New Delhi. That each of these places would turn out to be a feast for the senses was a foregone conclusion.
As the train chugged along, sleep came easily as I lay in the comfortable bed of the Junior Suite. A gentle knock woke me up the next morning and I took a moment to realise where I was. Helped by a cup of invigorating tea, I was ready for my first day of fiesta.

A tour through the ruins at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Champaner–Pavagadh at Baroda, Gujarat, with the astoundingly beautiful Jami Masjid and the oldest rock formations in India, set the pace for the day. It ended with an energeticdandiya by the local dancers at the Durbar hall of Laxmi Vilas Palace in Baroda as we reclined against cushions under scintillating chandeliers and gorged onkebabs.

We returned to the Maharajas’ Express to call it a day. The next morning we were in Udaipur. The city has been an all time favourite of mine. The shimmering lakes, ancient gardens and majestic forts make Udaipur an incredible city. I posed in front of the lavish mosaics of peacocks at the Mor Chowk and gawked at the mirror work of the Moti Mahal. After having shot a hole through my wallet in the old market of Udaipur, I joined the fellow travellers in the Durbar Hall of Fateh Prakash Palace, laden with yards of block-printed fabric and silver jewellery. A feast of provolone-stuffed chicken breast, pancetta-wrapped scallops, and chocolate pistachio mousse followed.

Even as I got drunk on my cocktail that evening at the Safari Bar on the train, we hurtled towards the Blue City of Jodhpur. The imposing Mehrangarh Fort with its umpteen mahals took our breath away. The ornate jharokas and mirror-studded palaces left us in wonder. The glittering Phool Mahal, the opulent Sheesh Mahal, and the incongruously fabulous Moti Mahal — the royalty of Jodhpur sure knew a thing or two about luxurious living.

The train ran through the desert that night to take us to Bikaner. Caparisoned camels stood to welcome the guests even as folk dancers performed their invigorating numbers. I made my way through the city, enchanted by the lively bazaars, sand dunes and simple folks with a feeling of déjà vu — I used to live in this city. As I sauntered through the Usta Art-adorned Junagadh palace, I realised that this was a charmed hour that I didn’t want to end.

I made a quick trip to the famous Deshnoke Temple, popularly known as the “Rat Temple”. That evening, we lurched on the sand tracks in camel carts to venture into the sand dunes for an evening of barbecue and champagne under a sky glittering with a million sparkling stars. Watching the Kalbeliyas dance to the lilting notes of Palloo latke, I mulled over the possibility of getting addicted to the luxurious and leisurely life I had been leading for the past few days.

The Pink City of Jaipur had some more surprises for us the next day. The city was decked in lights and colours for Diwali. Excitement throbbed in the streets as people rushed around for their shopping. Pulsating with sheer energy, Jaipur took our breath away.

Adorned in finery, gilded velvet and vivid body paint, a row of elephants greeted us with trumpets as we arrived at the Jai Vilas Hotel for a session of Elephant Polo. The sound of their trumpets matched the bagpipes and bass drums of the Jaipur Terriers. Stalls had been set up to tie colourful turbans for male guests, while the women could get their hands adorned with henna. The exciting polo match drew enough spectators to spice up the victory as the yellow turbans scored a goal.

The drive to the majestic Amber Fort through the busy Tripolia Bazaar and winding our way up the steep ramp of the fort through a sea of peddlers was an uphill task. However, we were amply rewarded for the effort by its beautiful frescos and opulentmahals that were an amalgamation of Hindu and Islamic architecture.

Disembarking at the dusty Sawai Madhopur station the next morning, we braved the early morning chill as we drove towards Ranthambore, hoping for a tryst with the tiger. Spotting sambhars, langurs, deers, antelopes and monkeys was easy but the elusive king of the jungle was determined to disappoint us. Two and a half hours of driving through the wilderness brought no sight of the tiger. We indulged in the large buffet breakfast telling ourselves that the dwindling numbers of tigers made it next to impossible for one to spot them at Ranthambore.

The highlight of the journey was watching the sun rise over a rose-tinted Taj Mahal next morning. We stood wondering as the monument stood in its pristine glory in the early winter mist. An hour later, I was at the Taj Khema hotel with a champagne flute in my hand as live sitar music lent an ethereal touch to the experience.

Travelling towards New Delhi I sat silent in the magnificent dining car, Mayur Mahal, of the Maharajas’ Express, going over the journey in my mind. It would take me some time to return to reality.

READY RECKONER

Pocket pinch: For the Princely/ Royal India Journey, prices range from $7,160 (Rs 3.24 lakh) to $20,000 (Rs 9.07 lakh) per person. For the Classical Journey, prices range from $6,265 (Rs 2.84 lakh) to $17,500 (Rs 7.94 lakh) per person.

The Telegraph, 15th January 2011

The forces of the Marathas clashed with those of Ahmed Shah Abdali 250 years ago in a historic encounter. The warring parties had no doubt about the prize to be had by the victor — the throne of Delhi

On the 14th January 1761, with the Third Battle of Panipat, the Maratha effort to rule over India came to an end. It had begun in 1720, when the newly appointed Peshwa Baji Rao, all of 20 years of age, had shown his compatriots the vision for a Maratha conquest of Hindustan. He offered to share all the newly-accrued power with his able military commanders thus earning tremendous loyalty from Holkar, Gaikwar, Bhonsale and Shinde. We can see the remnants of these families in control of large tracts of land in Indore, Baroda, Nagpur and Gwalior respectively even today.

The Marathas set up a new kind of civil administration and effectively began to replace the now defunct Mughal imperial system. Their empire began to touch the borders of Delhi by the time of the death of Baji Rao in 1740. In the meanwhile the Marathas began to set up a system of stable administration much akin to that of the Mughals. This included charging Hindu traders double the transit duty that was charged from Muslim traders. However, the opportunity to expand the Maratha Empire further north into the Punjab came only when the Mughal governors of Punjab were rattled by invasions from Afghanistan and internally weakened by the continuous rebellion of the Sikh peasantry who refused to pay their taxes.

Matching the Maratha desire to control Delhi was a similar desire on the part of Ahmed Shah of the Abdali tribe. Ahmed Shah had been a slave of Shah Nadir of Iran and his chief of palace security. After Nadir's assassination in 1747 Ahmed Shah looted the palace treasures and fled to Kandahar. Here he persuaded other Pakhtun chiefs to join him in setting up an Afghan kingdom in the mountains that would be free from Iranian control. He also changed the name of his tribe from Abdali to Durrani (pearl), using a title that had been bestowed upon him by Shah Nadir.

Historically, the typical way for any Afghan chieftain to make himself popular with the other tribes of the region was to lead them into a military expedition to the plains of Hindustan and bring back loot that would impress everyone back home. Ahmed Shah lost no time in launching a similar attack on Lahore.

In the 20 years of his rule, Ahmed Shah would come down the mountains nine times. Each time he would leave his nominee to rule over some territory within India in the hope that there would be at least a modicum of Afghan control over some parts of India. When that control was challenged, he would come down again, plunder a fresh part of the subcontinent and return with even more loot.

By 1757 it was the turn of the region around Delhi and further south to be looted. Before returning he appointed his son Timur Shah the governor of Punjab. Timur proved incapable of managing the rebellious Punjab. On seeing him weakening the Mughal governor of Jallandhar doab, Adina Beg, invited the Marathas to launch an attack on Lahore. It is said that to help Adina Beg the Marathas charged Rs. 1 lakh for each day's march and Rs. 50,000 for each day's halt.

Raghunath Rao, the Maratha general in-charge of Delhi, defeated Ahmed Shah's son on April 20, 1758, and set up a brief Maratha rule over Punjab with Adina Beg as the Maratha governor. A small contingent of Maratha troops was left at Attock and Multan. An enraged Ahmed Shah once again began to march into the plains of India.

The Battle: facts and implications

• The most important Abdali gun was named the Zamzama. It was immortalised as 'Kims' Gun'. It is on display at the Lahore Museum.
• The Maratha army camp also included some 1,50,000 pilgrims who wanted to visit Mathura and other religious places.
• Ahmed Shah tried to set up a rule at Delhi with the help of the Rohillas. However, the summer heat and internal squabbling proved his undoing and he retreated back to Afghanistan appointing Shah Alam II, a Mughal prince as the ruler of Delhi.
• The Marathas regrouped their armies and planned to attack Delhi, but before that could happen, Ahmed Shah had withdrawn his army.
• The Marathas had brought Shah Alam under their control.

The conflict this time, however, was being couched in religious terms. Ahmed Shah declared that he was on a jihad to India. After all, his son had been kicked out of Punjab. Moreover, Ahmed Shah had been invited by Shah Waliullah (1703-62), one of the leading Islamic clerics in India based at the Rahimiya Madarssa in Delhi. Waliullah, one of the early proponents of a war-like Islam, wrote to Ahmed Shah that it was obligatory upon him "to wage an Indian campaign, break the sway of the unbelieving Marathas and Jats, and rescue the weaknesses of the Muslism who are captive in the land of the unbelievers."

The Marathas on their part stated that it was their holy duty to punish the invading Afghans for having desecrated the Golden Temple at Amritsar.

It was quite usual in those times to call upon differences in religion to justify pre-existing rivalries. It was just as usual for the combatants to call upon support from those of the other religion without bothering about the prima facie contradiction between religious assertion and ground reality. Thus one of the most important military commanders in the Maratha army was a Muslim general who controlled the Maratha artillery. His name was Ibrahim Khan Gardi and he refused to be wooed in the name of religion to side with the Afghans. None of the warring parties had any doubt about the prize to be had by the victor: the throne of Delhi.

Ahmed Shah crossed the Indus at Attock, then moving across north Punjab he crossed the Yamuna near Saharanpur into the territories of the Rohilla Afghans who sought his support against the Marathas.

On the march from Saharanpur to Delhi Ahmed Shah encountered a troop under the command of Dataji Shinde and then another under the command of Malhar Rao Holkar. Both were defeated.

Ahmed Shah over took Delhi, left a small contingent in the town and moved further south with the rest of his forces to Anupshahr, over a 100 kms south.

In the meanwhile the Marathas, under the command of Sadashiv Rao Bhau, having amassed a huge army of 70,000, retook Delhi from the Afghans and moved up north to attack Kunjpura, some 90 km away.

Ahmed Shah tried to save his garrison at Kunjpura but could not. He was on the eastern banks of the Yamuna and his position was extremely vulnerable. The Marathas, however, confident about their strength and numbers entrenched themselves at Panipat and let the Afghan forces cross the river and settle down facing them across the fields. The Marathas blocked the pathway of Ahmed Shah to Afghanistan just as Ahmed Shah blocked their supply routes from the Deccan.

Thus the two forces remained entrenched for two and a half months. In these two and a half months the two armies snatched provisions from the locals thus destroying the land in and around Panipat almost entirely even before any battle had been fought. It was only when it was not possible to keep the army in camp any longer that the Marathas decided to join battle.

Both sides had almost the same number of soldiers. Half of Ahmed Shah's forces were made up of his Indian allies. Almost half of the Maratha forces were made of mercenaries who were in the war for booty that the victorious Marathas always provided. And the Maratha track record in getting a victory on the battle field was quite good. This battle has been one of the most studied battles of Indian history. It lasted from sunrise to just before sunset.

For most of the day the Marathas had an upper hand and pulverized Ahmed Shah and his allies. But by 4 pm, the tide of battle began to turn. All the Maratha troops had become engaged in battle while Ahmed Shah still had a few troops in reserve. These fresh reserves were brought forth and the Maratha rout began. To make matters worse the prisoners taken at Kunjpura by the Marathas too began to attack the Marathas from behind. By sunset both sides decided to stop the battle. Most of the people on the battle field had either died or lay dying by then.

At night the Marathas decided to leave the battle field and escaped back towards Delhi. Sadashivrao Bhau's wife, who had been in-charge of the camp administration, too managed to flee along with her bodyguards.

The Tribune, 15th January 2011

Be it the city or the Lake Palace, its gardens or handicrafts, the mystique and beauty of Udaipur have attracted many tourists. Tanushree Podder stands captivated.

There was a scramble for space before the mosaic beauties for digibytes. After a lot of jostling and elbowing, I stood preening before the beautiful peacocks set in the open square of the City Palace for my share of pictures. It was just as I remembered. Eons back, as a child on a vacation with my parents, I had posed before the peacocks for a picture. The Mor Chowk in the City Palace of Udaipur, with its exquisite glass mosaics of peacocks, still remains a favourite spot for the camera-wielding tourists.

The other spot that drew hordes of tourists was the tiny jharokha from where the pristine marble palace, sitting like a swan in the Pichola Lake, was visible. Some more jostling and I peeked at the palace built by Maharana Jai Singh II in 1746, where he had secreted the rebellious prince Khurram from an irate father, Emperor Jahangir.

Local guides will tell you that this was the palace that inspired Shah Jahan to build the Taj Mahal. They will also tell you that this is the palace where many European families were secreted during the violent uprising in 1857 by the then Maharana.

For the moment, however, such episodes were far from my mind. Poised on the banks of the lovely Pichola Lake, the Udaipur City Palace demands unwavering attention to its grandeur. The magnificence of its beautiful pavilions, ornate domes, umpteen mirror studded palaces and gilded interiors have a stunning effect on one’s senses. An array of eleven palaces, most of them adorned with mosaic, glass work, exquisite tiles and paintings, speak of the opulent lives of the rulers of this beautiful city of lakes. The sparkle of mirrors in the ubiquitous Sheesh Mahal springs no surprise to my eyes that are already dazzled with the beautiful miniature paintings on the Bhim Vilas walls. The artiste in me is already enamoured with the murals in the Dilkusha Mahal.

In the Chini Chitrashala, Chinese tiles interspersed with the Dutch ones appear a bit incongruous after the intense dazzle of the other palaces. The Russian group behind me is clearly out of depth as they chatter excitedly in their language, pointing at the pigeons that roost in the cornices of the courtyard. Tourists of all nations mingle with each other, staring goggle-eyed at the magnificent vista spread before them. They peep from the balconies and aim their cameras at the breathtaking view of the lake. All the towers and balconies seem to offer a view of the Pichola Lake.

Luxurious spot

Later, I loll on the comfortable cushions of the cruise boat that takes me to the Lake Palace. Captivated by the beauty of the palace, I saunter through the terraces with the fluted columns surrounded by frothing fountains, a picture of romance and beauty, and it is easy to understand why the ruler had built this refuge away from the bustle and intrigue of the main City Palace. It is a haven of peace set in an island and I willingly loosen my purse strings for a luxurious cup of tea in the idyllic surroundings.

Far away, my eyes pick out another garden sitting on the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake. About 48 maids had been sent to provide company to the newly wedded queen and the ‘Saheliyon Ki Bari’ was specially built by Maharana Sangram Singh for the queen and her attendants.

The marble pavilions, marble elephants, lotus pools, sculpted fountains and exotic sculptures make it a cocoon of leisure. Strolling along its manicured lawns, I started to feel like a queen. I remembered the movie Mera Saaya, which was shot extensively at the Lake Palace and the ‘Saheliyon Ki Bari’.

The mystique and beauty of Udaipur has attracted many filmmakers. Hollywood movies like Octopussy, Heat and Dust and many Bollywood movies too were shot in the city. The tiny and overcrowded bylanes of the old city didn’t deter me from my shopping plans.

Arming myself with a city map, I ventured into them. Puppets, artefacts, block printed clothes, glass bangles, mojris, lac jewellery, the lanes turned out to be a treasure trove of handicrafts.

While shopping brought a sense of well- being to my tired self, it also brought in hunger pangs. Udaipur, like most Rajasthan cities, has an appetising repertoire of delectable food — dal-baati and churma, gatte-ki-sabzi, kachori, mirchi bada cooked with desert grown kair sangri. Pair them with bajra roti and dollops of fresh butter and you have a winning combo. I drooled at the thought of it all.

Later, it was time to sample some of the city’s famous offerings. I was in the Delhi Gate area and the nearest point was the Bawarchi Hotel, which was highly recommended by local shopkeepers, who had loaded me with their ware. Looking around, I spotted some people ordering dosas and noodles, but for me, it was going to be a Rajasthani thal, which turned out to be the wisest decision. The first floor serves Rajasthani fare and that is where I went. The large glass of fresh chaach was as appetising as the kachori that came with it. The modest bill was a pleasant surprise.

Travel tips

How to get there: Udaipur is well connected by air, rail and road. The Maharana Pratap Airport is located about 22 km from the city. Luxury trains like the Maharaja Express and Palace on Wheels offer a royal journey to Udaipur. Autorickshaws are the best bet to negotiate the narrow and winding lanes of the old city, but if you have the energy, I would recommend walking as the best form of taking in the city.

Shopping: An amazing variety of block printed material and a stunning array of local jewellery is bound to blow you away. Also, pick up local handicrafts like wall hangings, puppets, miniature paintings, mirror work artefacts and decorations. Lac and glass bangles are also a must-have.

Deccan Herald, 16th January 2011

Patachitra, a unique folk art form of Bengal, is facing the threat of extinction. However, efforts are on to revive its glory, writes Amitava Chakrabarty

As I disembarked from the bus at Pingla, little did I knowthat my eyes would be in for a feast. Mud walls supported thatched roofs. Bamboo stakes wedged firmly on the ground to support the roof upon the extended verandah where I saw an artist engrossed in his painting.

A closer look revealed that he was drawing a series of frames to bring out known figures from mythological stories upon an unknown canvas. Unknown, because the other end was rolled, dithering to divulge its actual length and also, the semi-glossy material was very different from the canvas we all know. He was actually painting the patachitra, a unique folk art of Bengal. He was not the only soul delving in his drawings. The entire village was buzzing with vivacity and verve of myriad colours. The buzz was feasible, visible but rarely noisy.

The village was Naya, a self-effacing village at Pingla in the West Midnapore district of Bengal. It had come alive with this bubbly display of patachitra to attract visitors from all over India and overseas. For decades, the artisans visited Kolkata and other metros in different exhibitions to display their craft. This time around, the table has turned. The crafts were displayed to the urban audience, not in the dazzles of art galleries or suave trade fairs in cities, but on the lawns of secluded village hutments beneath the Chatim tree, where wet saris or lungis fluttered upon ropes and smoke evolved from the open air kitchen of the chitrakars or artisans.

As I walked into the village, it was coming alive. Villagers worked overtime to splash the ambience with colours. The walls, the timber studs, or the boards of the common workshop were decorated with sketches of different hues. Actually, colours ran through their veins. Little Tumpa was seen sitting beside her mother and wielding the paint brush with aplomb. She went to Madhya Pradesh to train artists twice her age. Some of the artists went overseas to display their art, like Gurupada Chitrakar, who went to England to display and sing. He was accompanied by Ruby Pal Chowdhury, executive director of the Crafts Council of West Bengal, who translated the verse.

As my eyes roved, I saw elders, kids, youths, and the middle-aged — all sitting in the precincts of their houses, engrossed in this industrious illustration. Frames after frames evolved from the canvas, which was just a long cloth treated with special soil (dug out from lake beds) and glue extract from tamarind seeds. The colours were all natural, and the process, age-old. Every colour was sourced from various unique raw materials. The yellow colour was extracted from raw turmeric, green from kidney-bean leaves, blue from aparajita (Clitoria Ternatea), Segun Pata (leaves of teak), etc. Each colour was dispersed in glue, extracted from tamarind seeds, and then kept in coconut cups, while some were strewn around on the lawns.

Patta in Sanskrit meant cloth and Chitra meant painting. This form of cloth painting has been handed down from generation to generation in the families of chitrakars or artisans. Arguably, 300 years ago, Raja Balaram Sen of the famous Sen Dynasty was instrumental in its nourishment and sustenance.

From time immemorial, artists composed a song (Pater Gaan), and based on its content, drew a series of pictures to complement the story. Both must be in sync, and performed with accuracy.

The most interesting part was that this art was practiced by the Muslims too. Anwar Chitrakar said, “Though we paint on Hindu mythology, we, as Muslims, suffer from no psychological hitch. These paintings are a way of our life and it doesn’t come in the way of our religion. We have no objections to singing the folklores of Hindu dev-devis”.

Foreigners who visited the fair sat on the lawns to try their hand at the patachitra, learning some tricks of the brushes from youngsters.

All this was the result of the efforts of Amitava Bhattacharya, the founder of a group of social entrepreneurs called banglanatok.com, engaged in social development.

Collaborating with the European Union, they had brought funds for the social upliftment of the artist community and were instrumental in their international exposure. A resource centre was built in the village where artifacts of almost every chitrakar was displayed for sale. If one wished, they could even stay there in the adjoining guest rooms.

As I was returning from the village, I was left wondering how simple efforts can transform an almost extinct art form and re-establish it, so that it is able to fly high in the sky, like a phoenix does from the rubble of ashes.

Deccan Herald, 16th January 2011

The ruins of Hampi are a veritable open air museum comprising broken down palaces and complex aquatic structures

It was our long desire to drive down to Hampi, but from Delhi the distance was daunting so the next best option was to fly either to Hyderabad, Goa or Bangalore and then hit the road. So we started off at 7 a.m. from Hyderabad on a four-wheel drive and drove for seven long hours with tea breaks to stay energised.

Despite the wet weather, we could navigate the 367 km ride, passing towns and hamlets of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka without much of a problem. As we got closer, the once glorious capital of Vijayanagar Empire, Hampi, was pretty subdued with very little habitation. However the “bundles of boulders” along the way were bewilderingly balanced over one another in the rustic locale. Located in Hospet of Bellary district in Karnataka State, Hampi was declared a World Heritage site in 1986. After Taj Mahal and Goa, it is regarded as one of the leading tourist destination preferred by foreigners. Yet it is not so popular with Indian tourists.

There was a slight drizzle as we settled in one of the cozy cottages built by Karnataka Tourism in a spacious location not very far from the expansive ruins. Surrounded by plenty of greenery, the serene surroundings were soothing and we were waiting impatiently for dawn to arrive so that we could explore the area.

The name of Hampi is derived from Pampa the old name of Tungabhadra river. Bounded by a meandering river on one side and the rolling hills on the other three sides, the lavish landscape is significant historically and architecturally. The bulky boulders and the bizarre background provided ample raw material to satisfy the appetite of the men who made stunning sculptures in the yesteryears. For over 200 years 30-odd rulers continuously built this vast empire diligently to make it one of richest in the world.

Today, of the 1000 edifices in the ruins, are nearly 65 important monuments that are appetisingly incredible and it is difficult not to get temporally perplexed in the 30-sq.km. area of Hampi. Huge courtyards, colonnaded marketplaces, domed stables, palace remnants, underground secret passages, small and big temples, miniature and mammoth statues are noticed at every nook and corner.

Stunning view

One can start by visiting the Mahanavami Dibba a massive elevated square stone stage in three layers with two stairways from the east and the west reaching the top. The entire walls of this giant structure are embellished with carvings of elephants, dancing troupes, men and women on horseback, and other ritualistic processions. One can see grand views of the sprawling ruins, literally an open museum comprising broken down palaces, remains of aquatic structures, platforms reflecting and reminding the language of nature's beauty coupled with the glory of Vijayanagar Empire. It is said that the kings used this platform to watch army march-pasts, war games, aquatic sports, dance and music performances. During sunrises and sunsets the boulders glow like gold.

The geometrically designed Stepped Water tank near Mahanavami Dibba which was exclusively used by the royal family for religious purposes is an example of the complex hydraulic system that prevailed during that period including aqueducts, storage tanks, wells and a huge trough. Other places of interest are two statues of Lord Ganesh carved out from monolith boulders popularly known as Kadekalu (gram seed) Ganesh and Sasivekalu (mustard seed) Ganesh.

As we walked up, there is a spot marked as Sunset Point that offers a picturesque view of Hampi monuments. This vantage point is also a perfect spot to see the river Tungabhadra taking twists and turns owing to the rocky terrain creating tiny islands. We walked down the high hill to enter the five-storied gopuram (entrance gate) of the Vittala temple that has numerous sculptures carved on its four sides. The rulers fondly fostered the development of art, literature, architecture, sculpture and paintings, hence Hampi was patronised by many travellers from across the globe.

What truly boggles the mind is the enormous scale and the artistic architecture on which everything has been built, carved and sculpted, whether it is the famous Chariot, the Ugra-Narasimha seated on the seven-hooded snake Adisesha, the monolithic Linga, The Lotus Mahal, the Queen's bath, the Hazararama temple, the shrine with musical pillars, huge stone door with actual bolts and sockets, the Elephant Stables, the Hampi bazaar, etc. The year 2010 commemorated the 500 {+t} {+h} anniversary of coronation of Krishnadevaraya, the Great Emperor of Vijayanagar Kingdom with Hampi as its capital.

The Hindu, 17th January 2011

For migratory birds that once bestowed upon Keoladeo National Park (KNP) in Bharatpur (Rajasthan) the status of a ‘World Heritage Site’, the park no longer figures in the list of their favourite winter destinations in the face of an acute water crisis.

Instead, these winged guests — in their quest for alternative sites for nesting, breeding and feeding — are now shifting to lesser known sites as Keetham Jheel in Agra, wetlands in Dholpur and other such areas in about 90-km radius from the erstwhile avian paradise. “KNP will never be the same again. While in the past, over 1 lakh birds from nearly 375 species arrived at the park, the number of these winged visitors has today been reduced to a mere 8-10 per cent of that figure,” said KNP director Anup KR.

The park is strategically located almost at the middle of the Central Asian Flyway for migratory birds from Siberia, Central Asia, China, Mongolia and Himalayan states, offering a rich mosaic of habitats that comprise an ideal mix of woodlands, scrublands, grasslands and wetlands.

“Unfortunately, water crisis is keeping away the birds away,” the director added.

The park needs at least 550 Million Cubic Feet (MCF) of water and release of water from the Panchna dam — built on river Gambhir, about 130 km from Bharatpur — is the sole source of aqua for the park. After an acute dry spell in 2009, when the park received no water, 276 MCF were released as late as in September 2010, of which about 200 MCF actually managed to reach here.

“This release of water was only a quick stopgap measure after the threat of de-recognition of the prestigious World Heritage Site status. There is no guarantee of regular release of water from the dam next year,” lamented Col Shyam Singh, Honorary Wildlife warden, KNP. As a result, most of the early breeders have already migrated elsewhere, he said.

With this, nearly 200 species of migratory birds, for which the park had so far been the chosen destination, are seen shifting to Sur Sarovar Lake or Keetham Jheel in Agra — about 70 km from Bharatpur — on the Agra-Mathura Road.

Spread over 713.09 hectare, the lake has Yamuna waters and flaunts winged species like the pelican, Black-neck stork, Open-bill stork, Woolly neck stork, Grey lag goose, Spoon bill, Painted Stork, Shovler, Pin tail, Grey Heron, Bar-headed Goose, Egrets, Cormorants and Ruddy Shelduck among others, whose flocks were otherwise common sights in KNP.

“Heronries (breeding grounds) of these species have begun coming up in the patches of islands bearing trees and vegetation within the lake,” said Bholu Abrar Khan, bird expert and close associate of eminent ornithologist Dr Salim Ali. Khan, who is a ranger in KNP, added that this wetland was no match for the kind of habitats found in KNP, but birds were being compelled to nest here simply due to presence of water.

Yet another fast emerging hotspot of these migratory birds is the wetlands in Dholpur, about 85 km from Bharatpur, near the Chambal river. The major lakes include Vishonda, Urmilla Sagar, Talab-e-Shahi and Ramsagar, among others.

The nearly six-km continuing stretch of water body from Talab-e-Shahi (built during the reign of Shahjahan) and Ramsagar is supporting a diverse variety of avian species which even include the Bronze winged jacana, Pond heron, Darter or snake bird, Comb duck, Coot, Red shank and the Indian Saras crane.

“The vegetation and habitat of Talab-e-Shahi and Ramnagar are quite similar to that of KNP, with varieties of floating weeds, which form good feeds for these birds,” Khan said. “These wetlands are, however, feeding sites and unsuitable for nesting colonies, unlike Keetham lake,” said Islam Khan, the forest guard from Dholpur who had first sighted the arrival of the migratory birds in Dholpur wetlands.

The gorgeous species of Great white Pelican and Dalmatian Pelican, that were once the pride of KNP, are now seen wafting in Keetham lake, as the water there is deep in sharp contrast to the barely one-foot-deep water in KNP. Similarly, a number of Siberian, Central Asian and Chinese birds — like the Bar headed goose, Pintail, Grey lag goose, Shovler, Red crested pochard, Common pochard and Coot — are also trying to make inroads into Dholpur and Keetham. “These diving ducks need plenty of water and prefer open water bodies,” Khan pointed out.

“We are tracking down such satellite wetlands in the vicinity of KNP and getting surveys done that may have good prospects for nesting and feeding of these migratory birds,” Anup KR said. Nearly 27 of such wetlands have been identified. He, however, felt that most of these wetlands certainly do not have the same tourist value as KNP, where birds can be sighted from barely 200 to 300 metres away and where numerous species can co-exist in the rich mosaic of habitats.

However, under the given circumstances, the forest department is trying to develop these as alternative sites by maintaining their scientific monitoring with biodiversity plans and training of youths as naturalists for bird sighting.

The Pioneer, 17th January 2011

Dedicated to the memory of Satish Saberwal, anthropologist, this book has two objectives. The first is to understand the sustainable subsistence systems in two villages of eastern Gujarat, inhabited by people known as ‘Rathwa', ‘Naikda', and ‘Dhanak'. The second is to discuss, in the light of this study, the issues affecting the survival of tribes in general.

The history of tribespersons, classified into about 650 communities and comprising 8.2 per cent of India's population, is a veritable saga of marginalisation and depression into the strata of landless agricultural workers and urban proletariat. Much of their impoverishment can be checked if the alienation of their land — whether by non-tribal land-grabbers or in the name of state-sponsored development projects — is put an end to.

The book argues convincingly that “modest land allocations” should be made to tribal households so that they could eke out their livelihood by adopting their time-tested traditional methods of cultivation. As Verrier Elwin said, the tribes should be left alone rather than the government imposing on them development schemes that bear no relevance to or are out of sync with the ground reality. Tribes should progress, Jawaharlal Nehru said, according to their own genius. Today these ideas constitute the design of endogenous, holistic, and culturally rooted development, which is sustainable and fulfilling.

Unfortunately, the protagonists of planned and directed change (the ‘development-walas', as the author calls them) are neither sympathetic to the concerns of the people nor do they have a sound knowledge of the diverse ways of life in rural and tribal contexts. The assumption is that their knowledge is superior to that of the local populace. So, when an externally crafted innovation meets with a lukewarm response, the urban-bred planners tend to see it as a consequence of the target group's “inherent backwardness,” because of which it fails to appreciate the benefits that would flow from the initiative. Therefore, for them, educating the ‘passive' villagers becomes the primary duty.

In most cases, the external experts decide what is good for the people instead of working through their cultures and visions of life. Since habitats and cultures vary from one society to another, development models have necessarily to be different. The book endeavours to dispel the notion that the same model can be uniformly applied across different societies. What we need is micro-level planning, which takes due note of the ground reality with all its socio-cultural nuances.

Fallacy

Many fallacies about tribal people are making the rounds. One is that they adopt a certain type of farming practice, called ‘shifting (or slash-and-burn) cultivation', which is considered regressive because it entailed massive destruction of forests. The colonial rulers thought the ‘wild men' indulging in this practice need to be goaded to take the route to civilisation by training them, even if forcibly, in plough cultivation. The British administrators strictly prohibited ‘shifting cultivation'. The forest, which was the very soul of life for the communities living therein, became a public property, subject to state control. The result is that, over time, the people's hold over, and access to, their lifeline resources got substantially reduced, thanks to an array of forest-related enactments and government policies. ‘Masters' became ‘serfs' and the forests, a commercial property.

This work demolishes the myth that ‘shifting cultivation' is “essential to being tribal.” Just 25 per cent of tribespersons practice it and a majority of them are settled agriculturists. In many cases, both the methods of cultivation go together. And, productivity from a slash-and-burnt field is not lower. From the myth about ‘shifting cultivation' emerged several notions about tribes — for instance, they are unfit to wield the plough; they cannot keep the livestock; they are ‘primitive'; and they do not store or save, or produce a surplus. These erroneous conceptions have persisted over generations of scholars.

The book argues persuasively that people, tribal or non-tribal, go by the quality and nature of the habitat in choosing the method of cultivation and they are equally concerned about regenerating natural resources.

Historically evolved

In a chapter that provides a sensitive account of the institutions and practices of the people, the author rebuts several typecasts and shows that tribes have historically evolved ‘safety nets'. Kinship and marriage ties are among them. Neighbours join hands and form informal groups to help a person in carrying out a task, and the recipient reciprocates by pitching in with his effort on a different occasion. This makes for solidarity among the people. This, however, does not mean that the world of tribes is closed. They do interact with the market, but do not acquire from there objects they need for their living. Their economy is not oriented towards ‘producing for the market', and this gives the tribespersons autonomy and robustness. The book is aptly titled and, refreshingly, it not only acknowledges its key respondent profusely but also carries his photograph.

The Hindu, 18th January 2011

Ancient icons of the Indian sub-continent invariably catch the fancy of art historians across the world for their creativity and intricate craftsmanship. Studying their origin and evolution and coordinating them with the available texts in different languages is a real intellectual challenge. Diligent search will reveal that the theology of the Vedas metamorphosed into many branches in the form of Puranas and Agamas. They also speak of several deities and contain myths surrounding their origin that were current in many societies in different parts of the sub-continent. What rendered the task of understanding the spiritual reality behind the icons even more complex is that a bewildering variety of images are associated with one and the same god.

The first such diligent search was made by T.A. Gopinatha Rao in the beginning of 20th century and the outcome was the publication, Elements of Hindu Iconography. Since then plenty of materials have been unearthed, warranting a revised approach.

In the Hindu Pantheon, Siva and Skanda occupy a unique place. A study of the evolution of Kumara, the son of Agni — as mentioned in the Vedas — into Skanda-Kartikeya itself is a complex exercise. Further, the syncretism of these forms with Tamil ‘Muruga' — a concept that is deep-rooted in the socio-ecological framework of the five Thinais of the Sangam literature, with possible roots in the tribal religion that preceded the Sangam period — is altogether a different dimension. The author of this book has endeavoured to unravel the complex phenomenon and succeeded in establishing that the ‘War God' of North India synchronised with Muruga, one of the five early deities of the Tamil country.

ETYMOLOGY

Haripriya Rangarajan begins her exploration of the Skanda-Murugan cult by looking at the etymology of several terms denoting the god in the Rig Veda and in the later works, particularly the Puranas. In elucidating the mythological evolution of different forms, as mentioned in the Puranas and epics, she presents all the published versions. She draws evidential support from the coins of Kushana king, Huvishka and others while discussing Skanda-Kartikeya from a historical perspective.

No less significant is the evidence available in the Nagarjuna valley (Andhra Pradesh) in the form of a temple dedicated to Kartikeya and the images depicting him with his distinctive ‘cock' banner. Until the end of the Gupta period, Kartikeya was adored as the ‘god of war' since the legend speaks of him as the generalissimo of the forces of the celestials (devas). No doubt, he was the tutelary god of the dynasties like Chalukyas.

From this, she moves on to discuss the more complex evolution of the cult of Murugan-Skanda in the south. The cult of Skanda struck roots and came to be patronised more in Tamil Nadu and its adjoining areas than in northern India. In fact, the passion for the cult is often reflected in the violent forms of worship adopted by devotees of this region. She explains the esoteric significance of the birth of Skanda by alluding to the ‘Vel' being regarded as the symbol of ‘True Knowledge'.

The lucidity of Haripriya Rangarajan's account of the cult in the Sangam age and the way she has brought out the significance of the six faces of Skanda testify to the depth of her knowledge in socio-cultural history of early Tamil culture.

She provides a wealth of information about many of the abodes of Muruga-Skanda in the South, along with their mythological background. However, one felt the recently unearthed temple in Saluvankuppam (near Mamallapuram) could have been included. The chapter giving a synoptical account of the contents, the appendices, and the illustrations are thoughtful additions and serve to enhance the value of the work. Researchers are sure to find it a valuable resource.

In a sense, the author makes an attempt at placing the Skanda-Muruga cult, which is hugely popular in the South and widely seen as a typically southern cult, in a pan-Indian context. This indeed is the strong point of her work, for the other scholars who have written on the subject either rooted themselves exclusively in the Puranic traditions or dissected only the Muruga cult.

The Hindu, 18th January 2011

The dry landscape along NH4 between Bangalore and Tumkur makes way for rich greenery and a perennial spring at Namada Chilume. Nearby is Devarayanadurga, a hill with a 150-year-old temple at the top. Thirty minutes away is the Madhugiri hill, the second largest monolith in Asia. Arun Bhat finds many surprises on this journey.

In the seemingly arid landscape along the National Highway 4 between Bangalore and Tumkur, there lies a stretch of thick forest and a series of hills that sometimes reminds one of the rich greenery and the slopes of Sahyadris.

Moving off the highway near Tumkur towards the temple atop the hill at Devarayanadurga, I was surprised to see the boring and wide open highway make way to a leafy stretch of road with dense packs of trees on both sides. The winding road took me to a small perennial spring—Namada Chilume—in the heart of the forest.

The spring water trickles from a depression on a big rock and flows down to fill a pond just below. Legends attribute the spring’s origin to Lord Rama. Rama needed drops of water to smear a nama on his forehead and decided to extract it by shooting an arrow into the rock. A spring emerged from the rock and was called Namada Chilume.

The area around Namada Chilume is a leafy stretch with an enclosure that serves as a deer park. Across the park is a small rocky hillock with a mantapa, which offers views of the forest and the hills around the spring.

In the view from the mantapa are hills covered with shrub vegetation at their base and tall boulders higher up. In the early days of January, when the trees are ready to shed leaves, the landscape occasionally sees a dazzle of yellow and red – as good that the fall colours can get in the tropics. To the east is Devarayanadurga, the tallest hill in the view with a 150-years old temple at the top.

The foundation of Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Devarayanadurga is credited to Hoysala kings. Its current structure is attributed to the Wodeyar Kings of Mysore. Our road from Namada Chilume to Devarayanadurga meandered through a thick shrub forest as we drove through some steep climbs and switch-backs before arriving at Durgadahalli village just below the temple.

Climbing further to the peak and standing atop Devarayanadurga, nothing blocked my view all the way to the horizon as I looked at the villages on the plains to the east. The northern side of my view had a range of hills that tapered away gently into the plains.

Lakes of various sizes glittered in the early morning sun all along the plains, standing out amidst the thin winter fog that hid the details of the landscapes. To the south, a sharp rocky ledge jutted out in the hazy weather as the sun rays filtered through the fog and selectively brightened its half-dome-like peak an unusually sharp summit pointing towards the sky.

Asia’s second largest monolith

A series of hills decorate the landscape around Devarayanadurga. A thirty-minute drive further north took me to Madhugiri town dominated by a tall rocky hill, whose slopes are criss-crossed by several layers of fort walls.

Madhugiri hill is at an elevation of 3,930 feet and is the second largest monolith in Asia. The first work on Madhugiri fort dates back to Ganga kings, while the walls remaining today are credited to a local chieftain named Heere Gowda, a feudal of the Vijayanagar Empire. Since the collapse of the empire, the fort was administered by Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and later by the Mysore Wodeyars. It is currently managed by Archaeological Survey of India.

Having made an impulsive decision to go up the hill, I climbed slow and easy. I paused to look at a bastion that offered vista of the town, observed a waterway that filled up a tank in the fort, and stopped to take a good look at the fort walls and store-houses built along the way.

Deceptively easy to scale

The initial climb is through grassy slopes that soon changes into steep rocky surface with nothing more than small etchings on the rock that served as supporting footsteps. Although the climb cannot be called an activity that needs climbing skills, it was steep enough that I was occasionally forced to crawl up through slippery sections.

Standing at the foothill earlier, the climb to the peak appeared like an easy affair that may take no more than thirty minutes at the most. But the deceptive fort walls built along the slopes hide the actual peak from the view, making it look like an easy climb. Several times, I expected the peak to appear just across the next layer of fort wall, only to realise when I reached there, that it is a long way further.

As I climbed the slope, I also became aware of the landscape around the fort, with hills dotting the surroundings and wide sprawl of lakes between them. Assisted by patches of clouds that blocked the sun, light and shadow alternated on the peaks, selectively highlighting some and subduing their neighbours. It must have taken me more than two hours to reach the top and go through the last of the fort wall.

Located on the top are shelters built of stone that could house a few hundred people, perhaps meant to house the soldiers who guarded the fort. Standing on top of one of those shelters, I was blessed with the views that made up for the effort of the climb.

A series of hills marked the western landscape, dominated by a narrow and rocky peak projecting nearly as high as my platform. A thin road bisected through the hills leading somewhere into their heart and beyond. The afternoon haze limited my views but the contour of the distant hills looked beautiful enough for me to make a note to come back here again for an early morning visit. These hills along the Bangalore-Tumkur highway have many surprises, a lot of greenery and a rich history waiting to be explored.

Getting there

To reach Devarayanadurga, take NH4 out of Bangalore and drive till you exit through the toll gate near Tumkur. Turn right a little ahead of the toll gate the drive for another 20km to get to Devarayanadurga. This road takes you through Namada Chilume. Madhugiri Fort is another 30-minute drive from Devarayanadurga.

Deccan Herald, 18th January 2011

Much before even a brick was laid at the site that is now New Delhi, the architects of the new city had to fight an interesting bureaucratic battle with the railways to secure two crucial things, without which the new Capital would not have been a reality. Firstly, they needed a host of new lines

to be laid on the rocky ridges of Raisina Hill to transport men and material for 20 years. And secondly, they needed the railways to remove the crucial Delhi-Agra Chord line, which then ran across the site earmarked for the hexagonal All-India War Memorial (India Gate), Kingsway (which later became Rajpath), and much of the present Lutyens' Bunglow Zone area.

The first was an engineering feat considering the rocky terrain, and it was achieved over a long period as construction work expanded. A special railway line, called the 'Imperial Delhi Railway', was built to transport construction material and workers. A circular track ran around the entire length of the Council House (now Parliament House). But it was the second task that proved to be a bit of a stumbling block in the initial years.

Correspondences between the architects and officials of East Indian Railway Board reveal that the railway brass came up with every reason, technical or otherwise, they could find to keep the Delhi-Agra Chord line where it was.

The Delhi Lines Committee set up after World War I to advise the government on the pace and nature of growth of the railways in the new Capital, proposed a grand scheme to this effect, suggesting even the location of a new railway station for the city.

The Board in its reply said while it "generally agreed" with the scheme proposed, it favoured a "gradual" pace of investment "based on requirement and experience" and that it would be "necessary to modify the scheme from time to time".

The prevailing theory was that since (Old) Delhi already worked as a busy junction in the area, hosting four zonal railways, the new capital city did not need to overhaul the whole network around it.

"The line was of course realigned after a few years, but initially the Board appeared a bit cautious in its response to the whole plan," said Vinoo Narain Mathur, former Member Traffic, Indian Railways, and author of Bridges, Buildings and Black Beauties of Northern Railway.

The Minto and Hardinge rail bridges came up for this realigned line, which was shifted along Yamuna and was open in 1924. It stays that way even today.

Hindustan Times, 19th January 2011

Even though Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur (Rajasthan) may have just managed to scrape through the threat to derecognise its “World Heritage Site” status recently, regional politics over water continues to wreak havoc on the drying Ramsar site.

Major proposals for redeeming the sanctuary of the crisis are also in limbo, embroiled in various official and legal disputes, compounding the uncertainty over availability of water in the park.

The UN deadline to make arrangements of water in the park by February 2011 has somehow been met with the temporary availability of about 276 Million Cubic Feet (MCF) water to the park. “But unless some long-term measures are taken to solve the water crisis and ensure availability of at least 550 MCF of water, it may be difficult to save the park from looming threat of de-recognition,” said KNP director Anup KR.

An erstwhile shooting preserve of Bharatpur royalty, Keoladeo National Park originally received water from the river Gambhir from the Karauli Hills, South of Bharatpur, and Banganga from the foothills of Aravalis in Jaipur.

The area was initially in the form of a natural depression which got flooded after the then ruler of Bharatpur constructed Ajan Bund in 1760 at the confluence of the two rivers. From then on it has been a haven for migratory birds due to its rich and diverse habitat. However, Banganga became extinct in 1985 and the river Gambhir was left as the sole source of water for the park.

Sources said the problem started in 2001 when the construction of sluice gates on the Panchna dam built over the river Gambhir was completed. Panchna with a capacity of 2,100 million cubic feet (MCF) was the largest of the 36 water harvesting dams built along the upstream side of the Gambhir, about 100 km from Bharatpur.

What really aggravated the situation further was the construction of 25 km canal from Panchna dam towards South-West to Karauli and Sewai Madhupur, pointed out the sources. “This became the bone of contention, as the canal from the dam catered to about 30 villages with 15,000-18,000 population, belonging to the powerful Meena tribe of Rajasthan, ignoring the nearly 15 lakh Gujjar and Jat population spread over 400 villages downstream and also spelling trouble for KNP,” they said.

With the water from Panchna dam going to these Meena villages, there was no water for the park from 2002. In 2004, the Meenas, led by a powerful community leader (then a State Minister), staged violent protests after the then CM Vasundhara Raje ordered release of water from the Panchna dam, downstream for the Gujjar villages and the park. The Meenas managed to get away with this “partisan favour” following their presence in bureaucracy and the State Government, sources added.

However, in 2006 there was an uprising by the local Gujjar community, which facing severe water crisis, refused to let water run out from the Panchna dam into the canal to the Meena villages. “The stalemate continued and the water in the dam got eventually dried but not released, deteriorating the crisis for the park,” said the sources.

In 2008 there was good rain and KNP returned back to its former glory for a year, but tussle over water between the two communities continued in 2009, and with it continued the dry spell for the park.

In 2010, to save the sanctuary of the World Heritage site status, 276 MCF water was released for the park from Panchna dam. “About 200 MCF water reached the park from the dam and of the five blocks that cover 11 sqkm of the wetland in the park, only D and E blocks got water. One of the two heronries (breeding grounds) at B block could not get water”, said Anup.

According to the director, this is nominal in comparison to the needs of the park. Apart from 550 MCF of water required for filling up the blocks, more water is necessary for flushing out the excess salinity of the soil, which is detrimental to the growth of healthy vegetation in the park.

Further, a permanent solution to water crisis eludes the park for want of initiatives from the State Government.

The plan that is regarded as the most feasible is the Rs.56 crore project to lay down 18 kms of pipelines for diverting the flood waters of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana from Govardhan drain to the park. Govardhan sub-division in UP is about 25 kms from Bharatpur. “But the project continues to be locked in a number of legal and official disputes, since 2008,” pointed out the director.

The latest proposal mooted to resolve the water crisis in the park in December 2010 was recycling of about 80 lakh litres of waste water from Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). The plant has been proposed near Giriraj canal about 2kms from KNP, for which land has been acquired. However, since the concept has not gone well with the scientists, it may be experimented on one block in the park, felt the sources.

The functioning of the project is also remote, considering that it will take about 31 months after the commencement of STP which is yet to come up.

The third proposal to get about 125 MCF water from the Chambal River at Dholpur through construction of 84-km pipeline that started in 2000 is nearly 90 per cent complete. However, the last stretch of 10 kms, passing over the protected area of Chambal sanctuary is pending clearance from the National Board of Wildlife.

However, even if the park does manage to get water through any of the above means, bird experts pointed out that water from the pipelines would obviously be not as biologically rich as the river water.

The river Gambhir brings with it from the hills a number of vegetation, algae with about 45 species of fish that can flourish in the water. The water is a rich source of food to different species of birds. The pipe water which would be deficient of dissolved oxygen can not have such rich properties. “There may be some amount of induction of biological properties, but at best only 25 percent can be made possible”, they added.

The Pioneer, 19th January 2011

Green ministry ready to consider project if conditions are met

Providing a ray of hope for Lavasa, the Environment Ministry today said it was prepared to consider the project being constructed near Pune on “merits” subject to fulfillment of certain conditions even as it ordered that no further construction should be undertaken for now.

The ministry held that the construction is ‘unauthorised” involving "environmental degradation" and hence status quo should be maintained on construction on the Rs 3,000 crore hill project in accordance with the ministry’s November 25, 2010, order prohibiting any work at the site.

At the same time, the ministry, in an order, said it is “prepared to consider the project on merits with the imposition of various terms and conditions”. It expressed readiness to consider the project “taking into account all the facts and circumstances of the case, particularly the submissions made with regard to the investments already incurred, third party rights which are accrued, the various steps taken for establishment of a comprehensive hill station development, the employment generated and the claimed upliftment of the area under consideration.”

The terms and conditions included payment of “substantial penalty” for the violation of environmental laws, which is “incontrovertible”.

Besides the penalty, Lavasa Corporation Limited will have to create Environmental Restoration Fund (ERF) with “sufficiently large corpus” to be managed by an independent body with various stakeholders under the overall supervision of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the order said.

The Tribune, 19th January 2011

Another theory was today put forward to solve the mystery behind origins of the Masrur temples.

In a seminar organised by the department of tourism that was presided over by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal here, NK Singh, former chairman of the Airports Authority of India, claimed that the temples were most likely built by a Hindu emperor.

The Hindu emperors from Afghanistan after attacks from foreign rulers kept their treasure in Kangra fort. Since they accumulated their treasures in the areas, most likely they constructed the temple, located just 25 km from Kangra, NK Singh claimed.

NK Singh claimed that the temple was dedicated to coronation of lord Shiva in which all Hindu gods are participating.

He claimed that most likely a Hindu ruler Jayapal got the temples constructed hiring the services of craftsmen from central Asia.

NK Singh has also written a book “Coronation of Shiva Rediscovering Masrur temples”. He offered the book to the Himachal government for promoting the temples from tourist point of view.

BS Malhan, convener of the Himachal Pradesh chapter of INTACH, said it seemed that the temples were half-built.

The Masrur temples are one of the four monolithic rock-cut temples in the country. Two of these, including Kailash of Ellora and Mamlapuram in Deccan, are famous across the world. The third is Dhamnar located in Rajasthan and fourth is Masrur temples located in Kangra district of Himachal.
While the other three temples are in a pit or on the ground, Masrur is unique due to the fact that is located on hill top at a height of about 2500 feet from the sea level.

NK Singh, in his book, has opined that the temples are built likely during 6th to 8th century AD. He has based his opinion on the fact that before this period, there was no evidence of rock-cut temples in the country. Most of the rock-cut temples in the country were build during this period. After 8th century, there was chaos in the region and the rulers did not have resources or time to take up such a huge project.

He has studied various kings who ruled the area during 6th to 8th century AD, including Harshvardhan who ruled Jalandher state during 6th century, Yashoverdhan, Lalitaditya ruler of Kashmir, Jayapal and Prithvi Chand. By deliberating on the fact that the king who built the temple was a Lord Shiva devotee and had huge resources, NK Singh has concluded that most likely it was Jayapal who got the Masrur temples built.

He, however, said the issue was still open for research by the historians and archeologists.

The Tribune, 19th January 2011

It took 20 years to build New Delhi and a few more years for its new residents to warm up to the Capital. Between 1911 — when Delhi was officially made the country’s Capital — and 1931, when it was inaugurated, the imperial government functioned from an area called ‘Temporary Delhi’. While the

government machinery functioned from the present Civil Lines area, the social life of the nascent Capital revolved around Kashmere Gate from 1910s to the 1940s. “Kashmere Gate was India’s Piccadilly Circus, where the elite of the city went for shopping,” said Sydney Rebeiro, first Dean, Culture of Delhi University. Rebeiro, whose family moved from Calcutta to Delhi in 1909, said the present New Delhi was a fairly dense forest area with graveyards scattered across it.

“It was the original Connaught Place with famous shops like Blue Bird and Spencers,” he said. “The elite lived at houses in Nicholson Road and Hamilton Road and the staff who had just moved from Calcutta, were put up in barracks at Timarpur and Khyber Pass.”

“The social life of the elite revolved around the Delhi Club in Ludlow Castle, where dances and tambola were organised in weekly get-togethers,” said historian RV Smith. “Ritz near Kashmere Gate was the popular cinema and the area had famous shops like Carltons for confectionery and Keventers for milk products.”

“Most of the lower rung staff who moved to Delhi comprised Bengalis who first settled in the Walled City and then moved to the Kashmere Gate,” Smith said. “Later, more people shifted to Delhi and started living in Timarpur, Rouse Avenue and Minto Road areas.”

The family of Indra Bhushan Roy (90), a retired government official, moved to Delhi in the 1920s.

“Even after New Delhi was inaugurated, not many people wanted to move there because things of daily need like milk and vegetables were not available,” he said.

“Connaught Place was still a forest where jackals roamed.” Cars in 1920s were few and tongas were the most-popular means of transport. “We used to pay five annas for a tonga ride to Chandni Chowk from the Gol Dak Khana area, where I stayed with my uncle Satish Roy, who worked in the military finance department,” Roy said.

There were a few buses, too, run by the Gwalior Northern India Transport. Special bus services were later started, called the Delhi Motor Service, to ferry babus from the Secretariat to Kashmere Gate and Walled City, where they lived.

“We would pay two annas to hitch a ride on the two rickety buses that plied between Gol Dak Khana and Kashmere Gate,” Roy said.

“Even in the 1930s, New Delhi would become a ghost town after the office hours,” he said. “Street lights were run by gas and a man had the job of lighting them up every evening.”

Hindustan Times, 20th January 2011

After Delhi was declared the new Capital of India in December 1911 by King George V at the Delhi Durbar, viceroy Lord Hardinge wasted no time in shifting his base from Calcutta. By March 1912, he arrived in Delhi with all the paraphernalia of the viceroyalty. His immediate concern was to put in

place a temporary Capital and choosing the site, where the new Capital would be built. He made the Circuit House, a not-so-impressive building, north of the Ridge, his official residence.

In 1912, Delhi saw major administrative changes. Delhi Municipality’s area and authority were reduced and the Civil Lines, to which 500 acres were added to the north, was declared as a notified area — maintained as a temporary Capital. A Notified Area Committee was formed to govern the temporary Capital. It had five members — a President (a civil servant), Commander-in-Chief, the Civil Surgeon, a representative of the Punjab Chamber of Commerce, and an Indian member.

The Notified Area Committee got major imperial grants till 1922 at the expense of the Municipal Committee. It also collected house tax and water tax.

In the meanwhile, the Circuit House, south of the Ridge, which was known to be in existence since 1903, was completely refurbished to serve as the Viceregal Lodge.

From being a desolate, non-descript building in the wilderness, the Circuit House suddenly became the seat of authority that governed India. From 1912 to 1929, it was the venue for several grand state functions, meetings, ceremonies and parties.

A temporary Secretariat, with a council chamber (now Delhi Vidhan Sabha at Sham Nath Marg) was constructed in a few months’ time in 1912 at the site of Old Chandrawal village. Designed by E Montague Thomas, the temporary Secretariat, a semi-circular, cream-coloured building, with a long frontline and two lateral structures had the privilege of housing the central legislative council from 1913 to 1926. This building set a style for the bunglows in New Delhi.

Further south on Alipur Road, a temporary office for the Commandeer-in-Chief (now Indraprastha College for Women) was also built.

With Civil Lines serving as the temporary Capital, civil servants scrambled for big houses, leading to a huge spike in rents in the area.

As historian Narayani Gupta puts it in her book, Delhi Between Two Empires, “The senior civil servants, who clamoured for large and expensive houses in the Civil Lines even as the Viceroy was satisfied with the Circuit House, were accused of increasing the cost of the temporary Capital. The Imperial Government, afraid of the soaring rents, wished to ‘acquire’ the Civil Lines houses. The Indian owners protested… In deference to their wishes, the Viceroy decided that the Government would only lease these houses, thus becoming not only the chief landlord (by virtue of the nazul properties), but also the chief tenant in the Civil Lines. Many landowners found it more profitable to lease out their houses than to live in

them.”

Being the temporary Capital, Civil Lines remained the best residential area till New Delhi was built.
In 1920, Metcalfe House (which now houses the Defence Scientific Information and Documentation Centre) was used to hold sessions of the Council of State after the Central Legislature became bi-cameral, while the Legislative Assembly continued to meet in the Chamber at the temporary Secretariat.

By 1926, the new Council House in New Delhi was ready, and the government allotted the central portion of the old Secretariat, comprising the Assembly Hall and the adjacent rooms, to the Delhi University on rent.

By 1931, most government buildings in New Delhi were ready. Finally, after 20 long years, New Delhi was inaugurated — marking the shift of the Government from the temporary to permanent Capital of India.

Hindustan Times, 20th January 2011

Neela Hauz, the ancient water body on Aruna Asif Ali Marg near Vasant Kunj, which was edging towards extinction due to construction of a flyover near it, will soon return to life.

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court told the civic bodies to complete their work and restore the medieval-era lake by May this year.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna ordered the government, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Public Works Department (PWD) to ensure restoration, and later maintenance of the lake. The Delhi Jal Board was asked to keep a check on pollutants in the lake.

“All the authorities are directed to stop pollution and maintain Neela Hauz in a proper manner. The DDA must complete its work and restore it by May,” said Justice Misra.

Standing counsel for Delhi government Najmi Waziri told the Bench that the DDA was responsible for the restoration of the water body and the government was ready to deposit the money for its revival. “We will ensure that the lake does not die,” he said.

The Bench also questioned the DDA counsel, Ajay Verma, on the debris near the lake and the time required to remove it. Verma said the land was handed over to the PWD for construction of the flyover and the officials have been apprised of the previous court order to clean-up the area. “Let the land come back to us and we will do the needful,” he said.

“Let the land be handed over to you within four weeks from now and you will then restore the lake as per the time fixed by us,” ordered the Bench.

Verma submitted that the department will comply with the court order and complete the work by May.

The court was hearing the PIL filed by a resident of Vasant Kunj Malvika Kaul, through her lawyer Bankey Bihari. Kaul had had alleged that the government was indifferent towards the endangered water body. The PIL had also raised concern over ecological imbalance caused by construction of the flyover across the lake.

“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) constructions will keep on depleting it unless lakes like Neela Hauz are fiercely protected,” the PIL had contended.

Indian Express, 20th January 2011

Faced with an acute shortage of attendants, protected monuments across the Capital — including three prominent world heritage sites — have fallen prey to rampant vandalism. While people out on morning walks pluck flowers and break off branches with gay abandon, other visitors etch their names on monuments’ walls.

In the absence of security personnel, these sites have become hotspots for drug peddlers, too.

If one goes by official figures, most ‘protected’ monuments in the Capital do not have even one attendant round the clock. While there are around 174 protected monuments, the authorities have deputed only 148 attendants to look after them. And with prominent historical structures like Humayun’s Tomb and Qutab Minar demanding more attention, a significant number of the lesser-known ‘protected’ monuments are left with no attendants at all.

Recently, officials at Humayun’s Tomb received complaints of drug peddling and eve-teasing on the monument premises. As this world heritage site is in the process of being redeveloped and integrated with the Nila Gumbad, officials have felt the need to beef up security.

Though the Red Fort enjoys CISF deployment, the security personnel are responsible only for checking visitors who pass through the gate. The walls of the Qutab Minar, which underwent heavy restoration work recently, have been defaced with graffiti again.

Officials said incidents of vandalism have been on the rise, and even world heritage sites such as Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort and Qutab Minar have not been spared. While admitting that there has been an acute shortage of monument attendants, senior ASI officials maintained that it was not humanly possible to stand guard at every monument. “A better option would be to sensitise visitors against defacing or destroying heritage structures.”

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was pulled up last year, when a Parliamentary Estimates Committee raised the issue of shortage of attendants. The committee pointed out that as the ASI was facing a shortfall of 5,000 monument attendants across the country, it was forced to depend on police and paramilitary personnel — leading to huge expenditure.

According to a Ministry of Culture estimate, the ASI requires 10,000 additional monument attendants, mostly drawn from the pool of ex-servicemen, for effective implementation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010, which fixes the prohibited area to 200 metres of the monuments and provides for two years’ punishment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh for violation.

However, there has been little movement on augmenting the security force. At a time when the ASI has claimed to carry out extensive conservation works on the monuments to give the crumbling heritage structures a facelift, little has been done to protect them from vandals.

ASI Director General Gautam Sengupta refused to comment on the issue.

Indian Express, 20th January 2011

The experience of visiting the holiest Sikh shrine in the world is set to change for the better with the state government finalising a design consultant for the prestigious Golden Temple Entrance Plaza project.

Sri Harmandar Sahib attracts over 1 lakh visitors on week days alone and is the premier destination for NRIs, international tourists and pilgrims. Giving details of the final design to The Tribune here today, Amritsar Deputy Commissioner KS Pannu, said: “There are several points of high congregation around the shrine and the selected design will provide safe and convenient access to congregation spaces, ultramodern facilities and ensure smooth pedestrian movement.”

Elaborating on the amenities at the plaza, Pannu, who was part of the jury that evaluated design entries, said that apart from a spacious ‘jora ghar’, all amenities will be underground, including a state-of-the-art interpretation and information centre for tourists.

“Foreigners who visit the shrine have little or no idea about Sikh history and culture. The interpretation centre would sensitise them on the aspects of Sikhism through audio-visual media,” he said, adding that a bank, ATM, airport and railway inquiry will also be set up.

Since there is a lot of VVIP movement at the Golden Temple, the design provides for a separate lounge at the plaza to accommodate dignitaries and their entourage. An auditorium with a seating capacity of 100-150 persons would be built so that a visiting dignitary could address the media.

“At present, there is no designated place in the Golden Temple Complex for VIPs to interact with mediapersons,” said Pannu. Other facilities to be incorporated in the plaza are a multipurpose hall, security and services area, toilets and other public conveniences.

When asked whether the open space in front of the entrance will have marble flooring, Pannu said that the experts would have to be consulted for the flooring keeping in mind the harsh summer. “The idea is that devotees shouldn’t have to face any inconvenience while walking up to the shrine,” he said. “Tree species that offer a green canopy would be planted so that pilgrims could rest in the shadows during the harsh summer,” Pannu said.

Interestingly, the 1.75 acres of land over which the plaza would come up could also serve as an evacuation space in case of an emergency. “The plaza will complement the glory and grandeur of Sri Harmandar Sahib and be a befitting entrance to the internationally-acclaimed monument of faith,” Pannu said. The design of the plaza was finalised after an international design competition for which 21 entries were received. Design Associates Inc. Noida won the first prize of Rs 5 lakh followed by Design Cell, Gurgaon, and L&D Studio, New Delhi.

The Tribune, 20th January 2011

Ancient texts reveal how scholars of music influenced its development. T.M. Krishna continues his series.

From the 15th century many treatises have documented and explained various aspects of music that give us a perspective of changes and developments. Below are some of them. Svaramela Kalanidhi of Ramamatya (1550), Sadragachandrodaya of Pundarikavittala (1583 approx), Ragavibhoda of Somanatha (1609) and Sangita Sudha authored by Govinda Dikshita (1614). Govinda Dikshita was a musician, scholar and a very important minister in the court of the Nayaks of Thanjavur.

Even today we have many towns that are named after him like Ayyampettai and Govindapuram. Govinda Dikshita held Vidyaranya, a scholar of the 15th century (Vijayanagara region) in great esteem and through Govinda Dikshita we learn about the treatise Sangita Sara attributed to Vidyaranya. Govinda Dikshita's son Venkatamakhin authored the Chaturdandi Prakashika, which is probably the most important treatise in the Mela era. Following Venkatamakhin, his descendant Muddu Venkatamakhin is attributed to have authored the Ragalakshana (early 18th century).The Maratha rulers of Thanjavur were also major contributors to musicology including Shahaji who authored the Ragalakshanamu (1684 – 1711) and Thulaja who authored the Sangita Saramruta (1729 – 1735).

All the above texts deal with various developments in music including the nature of svaras, the features of each raga in practice, the various classifications of ragas, the Vina etc. Some treatises deal with presentation aspects like Alapa, Thaya, gita and Prabandha. Many authors refer to older aspects of music even though the music they were discussing was far removed. The differences in opinion between various authors also leads to very sharp critiques like Venkatamakhin's very harsh criticism of Ramamatya. One constant fact remains that all the above texts do have a historical connection.

Finally we have the Sangraha Choodamani (approx 1800) attributed to Govinda. Interestingly we do not have any information about this author or the source of this treatise. In fact this treatise never refers to older works and seems totally devoid of historical references even though the author mentions all the older ragas that have a history.

Ragas are described through the ages based on various aspects, like Graha (starting note of the melody), Amsa (tonic), Nyasa (ending svara of melody). After a while the word Graha starts referring to the tonic. Ramamatya talks about Uttama raga (raga with a lot of scope), Madhyama (relatively less scope) and Adhama (limited). The Ragalakshanamu of Shahaji gives us a new classification called Ghana (ragas which were probably sung faster with tight movements), naya (which had more glides and slower), Desi (which were foreign). The most commonly used classification is Upanga and Bhashanga. Originally Upanga and Bhashanga refer to the sources from which they were derived but, for the first time in the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini (1904), Upanga raga is defined as one that does not have a foreign note (Anya svara) and Bhashanga raga is one that has an Anya svara. Even in this treatise some Bhashanga ragas don't fulfil the definition.

Naming ragas

Treating ragas in terms of a Mela was possibly the most game changing approach in musical history and therefore it is important for us to understand its original intent and present state.

The idea of the Mela can be traced to the Svaramelakalanidhi of Ramamatya. Mela refers to a collection of seven svarasthanas (svara postions). All ragas are Janya ragas, and janya ragas that have a common set of svarasthanas are placed in the same mela. The name of the Mela was given to the raga among the group that was most popular. At this stage the raga that held the title for the mela did not need to possess all the seven svaras and though the mela was referred by its name, it was still a janya raga. The Svaramela Kalanidhi mentions 20 melas. Through the references in the Sangita Sudha we find that the Sangitasara seems to be the first work that uses the Mela-janya nomenclature with 15 melas and 50 janya ragas. The intention of the Mela system was to organise existing ragas that were in practice.

Later scholars started computing the maximum number of seven svara combinations they could derive (melaprasthara) based on the number of svara positions. Here each author computed a different number of Melas based on the number of svarasthanas they had theorised. For example the Sadragachandrodaya mentions a possible 90 melas while in the Raga Vibhoda there are 960 possible melas. Even though they come up with this computation they find that only a limited number of these were actually used in the form of a raga therefore for eg., Somanatha feels that 23 melas will suffice to classify the 67 ragas then in practice.

In the Chaturdandi Prakashika, Venkatamakhin comes up with a possible 72 melas based on 12 svaras and 16 svara names (as sometimes the same svarasthana can take two svara names depending on the raga). But he only mentions 19 melas, which occupy respective positions in the possible 72 melas. Of the 19, 18 are older ragas and one (Simharava) was his creation. Therefore all the above scholars computed a possible number of melas but considered them non-functional, as there were no ragas that fit in. The ragas mentioned were only those that were functional and evolved through the natural process of practice with the exception of Simharava.

There is also a battle about whether the mela name must be taken from the raga that has all the seven svaras (sampurna) and this does get established. This only means that seven svaras must be present in the raga but does not refer to the order of the svaras or arohana/avarohana. In fact this idea of arohana-avarohana had not even entered the raga concept.

In the Ragalakshanamu of Shahaji, we come across the term Melakartha given to the janya raga that is given the name of the mela. Even if a raga is called the melakartha it is still considered one of the janya ragas of the mela. A raga is still being considered a janya of a mela and not of another raga.

Later in the Ragalakshana of Muddu Venkatamakhin a drastic shift in the concept of Mela takes place. Muddu Venkatamakhin synthetically creates janya ragas for the remaining 53 non-functional Melas (19 out of the 72 already existed). Here for the first time a raga is created purely on svarasthanas. It is also at this stage that we first come across the terms arohana and avarohana to describe the characteristic of a raga. This might have been the result of the very synthetic process of trying to create a raga from the arrangement of svaras.

Here two schools of thought emerge. The Muddu Venkatamakhin tradition, which uses the terms Raganga raga (equivalent term to melakartha) and janya raga, adopts the opinion that the Raganga raga needs to be Sampurna in either arohana or avarohana but non-linear. Muthusvami Dikshitar gave form to most of these ragas through his compositions.

The other school established by the Sangraha Choodamani adopts the view that all the meladhikara (equivalent term to melakartha) has to be Sampurana in arohana and avarohana and importantly the svaras have to be in linear order.

Here 66 ragas were synthetically created and made functional as only 6 were older ragas. Thyagaraja seems to have given form to many of these ragas. The subtle but important difference in both schools regarding the linearity and non-linearity of the svaras in arohana and avarohana is a very important distinction.

Finally the Mela–janyaraga classification is replaced with janakaraga-janya raga.

Therefore Mela started out as a way to organise existing ragas but moved to creating scales as ragas using the mela structure. Probably for the first time in musical history theory influenced practice. This is probably why many ragas in performance even today are only svara structures sans features that give a raga an organic form.

The Hindu, 23rd January 2011

Delhi is a historical maze with unlimited history to be explored. On November 26, 2010, we set out on a heritage walk to experience yet another historic wonder with 100 students. Our first stop was the Mutiny Memorial, built to commemorate the soldiers who died fighting for the Britishers during the uprising of 1857. The names of 2,163 soldiers are inscribed on the wall. Our next destination was the Flagstaff Tower, barely a few minutes away. It was basically a watch tower situated in the ridge area, which let Britishers monitor movements in the Red Fort. It was strategically located at an elevation and many women and children were offered shelter inside the dome during the war. Though the above-mentioned structures are among the lesser known monuments of Delhi, we thank The Indian Express and our school management for taking our students back in time to experience a tiny glimpse of the British rule.

Mithu Ghosh Paul, senior teacher

On November 26, 2010, our school took us for a ‘heritage walk’. We visited two places -- the Mutiny Memorial and the Flagstaff Tower. We left our school at 9 am and reached the Mutiny Memorial at 11 am. The Mutiny Memorial was a church-like structure built on a hill. The names of all the British soldiers, who lost their lives in the 1857 revolt, were engraved on it. It was a 50-metre-high structure, housing a spiral staircase. We left the place at 11.30 am and reached the Flagstaff Tower at 12.15 pm. It was a single-storey structure built on an elevated road. It was used as a watch tower during the 18th century by the British to keep an eye on the ridge. One of Delhi’s oldest trees, seen in old paintings of the Flagstaff Tower, was also seen there. Now, the place is surrounded by forests inhabited by monkeys. We left the Tower at 1 pm and reached our school at 1.45 pm.Arsh

Agarwal, Class IX

I got an opportunity to visit the Mutiny Memorial and the Flagstaff Tower late last month. The Mutiny Memorial was built in 1863 AD by the Britishers to honour the Indian soldiers who had died fighting for them during the 1857 uprising. The building was built in a Gothic fashion, with reed and stone. The other place we went that day was the Flagstaff Tower, also built by Britishers. It had doubled up as a shelter for women and children when their men went to fight the war. I loved both the places, learnt a lot from the trips and wish to go back again soon. Also, I want to visit similar historical places in Delhi, which have remained unknown to me until now.

Urja Chhabra, VII-A

On November 26, we went to North Delhi for a heritage walk. It was organised by the Indian Express, and the guides were provided by INTACH. I boarded the school bus at 9.00 am with my friends. After a long and confusing journey (we got lost mid-way at Model Town) we reached the gothic Mutiny Memorial. Many of us were previously unaware of the monument's importance and architectural splendor. The monument has an octagonal perimeter and various trabate arches. We couldn't help but notice that the monument was constructed with an underlining influence of Mughal architecture. The Mutiny Memorial was built in 1863 to commemorate British officials, who had laid down their lives during the revolt of 1857. All around the tower, there were plaques bearing the names of dead soldiers. The monument is also known as Ajitgarh Memorial. After being briefed by our two resourceful guides, we boarded the bus again and took off for Flagstaff Tower. En route, we saw a peacock frolicking on the ridge. When we reached the Flagstaff Tower, we were greeted by cheerful monkeys. The actual monument was a short walk from the parking space and when we reached it, we weren't quite impressed. However, it was when we learnt about its history that we got truly hooked. The Flagstaff Tower was meant to be a lookout place during the British raj. Back then, the ridge was a barren piece of land suffering from acute scarcity of water, with a few Keekar trees serving as the only exception. Near the Flagstaff Tower, we found one of the oldest trees in the country. Due to the tower's elevation, one could catch a view of the entire landscape -- all the way to the Red Fort. During the revolt, it also acted as a port where bodies were carted to. All in all, the Flagstaff Tower was quite a curious monument. I would like to thank the Indian Express for organising such a delightful trip, INTACH for their helpful guides and, of course, the Indian School for expanding our horizons of knowledge. These are places I would like to return to, someday.

Sanchari Banerjee, IX-B

For a long time, I had been waiting for November 26 when we, the students of Class VII and IX, would be taken for a heritage walk. That morning, we boarded the bus from school. After a long and tiring journey, we reached Mutiny Memorial, also known as Ajitgarh. It was built in the memory of Indian soldiers in the British army, who had died in the revolt of 1857. It is a piece of Gothic architecture, with an octagonal structure. After admiring its beauty, we left for the Flagstaff Tower, which is located on Kamla Nehru Ridge. It is a dome-like structure where women and kids were housed during the revolt of 1857. We enjoyed the trip thoroughly. It was an enriching experience for all of us, and I would like to give special thanks to the Indian Express for organising the trip and INTACH for its support and guidance.

Isha Vajpeyi, IX-B

On November 26, which happened to fall on a Friday, students of Classes VII and IX went to see the Mutiny Memorial and Flagstaff Tower on a heritage walk organised by The Indian Express and INTACT. First, we were taken to the Mutiny Memorial, also known as Ajitgarh. It was built in the memory of soldiers who were killed during the first war of Indian Independence in 1857. Constructed in Gothic style, it has an octagonal perimeter. Around the building, there are several plaques bearing the names of soldiers killed in battle. Next, we were taken to the Flagstaff Tower. It is located on the highest point of Kamla Nehru Ridge (Northern Ridge). During the British era, the Union Jack used to flutter proudly from the flagpost there. It was here that British women and children had gathered during the 1857 revolt, before escaping to Karnal. It is also the place where freedom fighters made their last stand against the British, before they were finally defeated. The entrance of the tower has been closed to the public, but one can still take a look around the structure. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and gained a lot of knowledge. We would be highly obliged if more trips of the kind are organised.

Geetika Sehgal, IX-B

I waited eagerly for November 26, the day we were supposed to go for a heritage walk. Extremely curious to see how the heritage walk would turn out to be, my classmates and I boarded the bus around 9 am.After a long, somewhat tiring but curious bus journey, we finally arrived at the Mutiny Memorial. Many of us were unaware of the monument and the architectural splendor we were about to witness. Also known as Ajitgarh, it is a monument built in the memory of British soldiers who were killed during the first war of independence, or the Sepoy Mutiny. The sight was truly enamouring. Built in pure Gothic fashion, it had an octagonal perimeter. Around the building were several plaques bearing the names of soldiers killed in battle. We had been provided with two resource guides. We boarded the bus again, this time for the famous Flagstaff Tower. Located on the civil lines, the tower is placed on the highest point of the Kamala Nehru ridge. The tower, however, no longer has a flagstaff. The British built the tower to mark the site where British women and children were sheltered during the first war of independence on May 11, 1857, before escaping to Karnal. It is also the same place where Indian freedom fighters made their last stand against the British, before they were finally defeated. The tower is believed to be a part of the military cantonment, which lies to the west of the ridge. It was a great experience. A big 'Thank You' to The Indian Express, INTACH and, of course, my school for organising such a wonderful trip.

Anubha Saggar, IX-B

A school's initiative from The Indian express

Students of Indian School, Sadiq Nagar, went for a heritage walk to Mutiny Memorial and Flagstaff Tower. The event, organised by The Indian Express in collaboration with INTACH and ASI, provided the students with an insight into an era when the country was still ruled by the British, and freedom fighters had taken up arms to gain independence.

School - Notes

Navy Children School holds annual athletic meet

The Navy Children School, Chanakyapuri has held its Annual Athletic Sports Meet, 2010, for which Captain Rohtas Singh, Director of Naval Education and Vice Chairman of Navy Children School, Delhi, was the chief guest. The event witnessed many enthusiastic and energetic students participating wholeheartedly in track events. Various recreational competitions, such as sack race and three-legged race were also held. Himgiri House was declared the winner while Udaigiri House lifted the Best Marching Trophy.

St Mark’s School, Meera Bagh, wins Celesta International ‘10

A talented 10-member team comprising Sonika Vyas (XI), Samarth Rai Sethi (XI), Shibika Suresh (XI), Divyani Pahwa(XI), Disha Sethi (XI), Pamposh Pandita (X), Nimrit Ahluwalia (X), Vanshree Garg (X), Shubhankar Jain (X), and Samarpit Kalra ( X), led by team leaders Lakshmi Srinivas and Ashish Kenneth Lal made St Mark’s Senior Secondary Public School, Meera Bagh, proud by bagging the overall championship trophy at Celesta International-2010 after winning the first prize in dramatics, second prize in orchestra by playing mesmerising fusion music, consolation prizes in traditional group dance and an enchanting choreographic presentation on the theme ‘Innovation’. The event, a competition among multi-talented children, provided the students with a platform to showcase their skills in front of an international audience. About 41 teams, including as many as 13 from Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh, participated in various events. The St Mark’s team stood out a head and shoulder above the rest through sheer willpower and determination. Their performances were appreciated by all at the City Montessori School, Lucknow.

Mayank Rawal of Class VII-F won the third prize at the national level in the all-India general knowledge test conducted by EMATS, Belgaum. He was awarded a cash prize of Rs 300 for securing the third highest percentile (>99) in his category. Congratulations, Mayank !

St Mark’s , Meera Bagh, saw another triumphant day when it won the VI Delhi State Super Seven Cricket Championship. It was indeed a proud moment for the prestigious educational institution when its young budding cricketers won the championship, held at Laxmibai College, Ashok Vihar.

Led by Neelesh Bither, the team comprising Manik Khattar, Nikhil Goyal, Sahil Bhatara, Kartik Masand Rai, Mayank Rajpal and Puru Kawatra. They won in all the cricket matches, held against Salwan Public School, Amity International School and GD Goenka School. It was a day when the Meera Bagh cricket team made the institution proud!

‘War against terrorism’ at GD Salwan, Rajinder Nagar

GD Salwan Public School, Rajinder Nagar, initiated a project titled ‘A peace initiative: War against terrorism’ under the International School Programme. The students of Class IX researched the concept of non-violence and its unifying role in society, and made project files on the subject. The students of Class X highlighted the factors promoting terrorism through case studies of UK , USA , Afghanistan, etc. They also organised a community awareness programme, aimed at instilling an interactive and reflective pedagogy in their project. The students organised a rally in and around Rajinder Nagar, and leaflets were distributed to spread awareness on peace and non-violence. In order to inculcate the values of peace, love and brotherhood, students organised special assemblies to celebrate Peace Day and Human Rights Day in the school campus. The head boy organised a peace pledge ceremony, in which the whole school took an oath to promote non-violence. Many events such as peace talk, peace poems, peace quotes, on-the-spot peace card-making competition and a signature campaign were also organised.

Meanwhile, as part of the school’s International School Award Project, students from Classes VI to VIII exhibited their project ‘Language Confluence’, which included the creation of a Sanskrit-English-French dictionary, picture dictionary, scrap books and translations. Students created a word dictionary by choosing common words from their textbooks and writing them in an alphabetical order. English was maintained as the connecting language between Sanskrit and French, as it is known to all. For the picture dictionary, cuttings from old books and magazines were used. For the scrap books, they drew pictures and coloured them. This integrated language skills with art and creativity. The scrap book, which had pictures of animals in it, was exchanged with students of Peak School, Derbyshire, which added an international dimension to the project. Elocution gave them confidence to communicate and express their views in a language other than English. Singing ‘Vive le temps d’hiver’, the French version of ‘Jingle Bells’ gave them further confidence to speak French, something that they were previously hesitant about.

Exhibition held at Apeejay School, Saket

As part of the International School Award ( ISA) of the British Council, students of Class X of Apeejay School, Saket, organised an exhibition for parents to showcase the work they had undertaken for a project titled ‘Become a water harvester’. They made an impressive PowerPoint presentation on the need for water harvesting and various the techniques adopted in arid, semi-arid, mountainous and urban areas around the world. The exhibition also included working models of traditional water-harvesting systems. The special guests for the morning were members of a Japanese delegation, who were on a visit to India to explore teaching aids for the visually-impaired in Japan.

The students of Class VII undertook a comparative study on child labour in various countries across Asia and held an exhibition for the parents. Speaking to the students, the chief guest, Dr Rajeev Sharma, Project Director, Building and Wood Workers International, said that it was laudable that the students were able to compile and present information so effectively at such a tender age.

Gita Jayanti observed at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, KG Marg, observed ‘Gita Jayanti’ to promote creative writing in Sanskrit. Bhavan has instituted three awards, for which entries were invited in September, 2010, from places across the country. In recognition of the high-quality writing done by Professor Satya Vrat Shastri, a great scholar and a savant, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan conferred upon him the Bhavan’s ‘Sanskrit Kaustubha Sammana’ with a scroll, a shawl, a sum of Rs 50,000/- and a memento in the form of a replica of the river Ganga .

Indian Express, 24th January 2011

The Delhi Government’s Department of Archaeology is planning to set up a Delhi City Museum at the neglected and dilapidated but historic Dara Shikoh Library building near Kashmere Gate. Currently, the building is being used as the office of the Department of Archaeology.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and other senior officials including Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta last week took a round of the Dara Shikoh Library. A presentation was made before Dikshit by the Special Secretary to CM, Keshav Chandra, who is also director of Department of Archaeology. Chandra told The Pioneer that Delhi Government is planning to set up a museum showcasing the history of the national Capital.

A two-member committee comprising INTACH Delhi chapter convener AGK Menon and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University’s Vice-Chancellor Shyam Menon has been constituted by the Government to prepare a detailed report on the renovation and upgrade of Dara Shikoh Library and setting up a museum.

Heritage buildings and structures such as Delhi Gate, Mutiny Memorial, Dara Shikoh Library building, Maqbara Park, Bijri Khan’s Tomb, Munda Gumbad, Mir Taqi’s Tomb, Barakhamba and the Begam’s Bagh are among the 92 monuments, which will be conserved and developed by INTACH.

The Delhi Government and INTACH had signed a MoU for the purpose. Most of the 92 identified structures are located on the route of the stadium of the Commonwealth Games.

There is a sculpture gallery at Dara Shikoh building showcasing various sculptures, artifacts and antiquities belonging to the ancient and medieval periods which were transferred from Delhi Maalkhana Tis Hazari.

There is also a prehistoric gallery displaying selected antiquities unearthed during archaeological excavations carried out by the department at Mandoli and Bhorgarh pertaining to the late Harappan period. There is also a proposal to move the exhibition to the Dara Shikoh building by heritage activist and INTACH advisor OP Jain.

Other, less complicated but equally challenging, issues abound. “The monkey menace is a big problem at the Dara Shikoh building,” said an official of the department of archaeology on condition of anonymity.

The library is located on the grounds of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University near the General Post Office. Conservationists say the building is of immense historical importance as it was built by Shah Jahan’s liberal and intellectual son and chosen successor Dara Shikoh . It was later used as a residence by Sir David Ochterlony, the first British resident of Delhi. Ochterlony renovated the original building of

Dara Shikoh and added pillars and a verandah to the older structure.

“In fact, the room where the present library is situated was used by Dara Shikoh and if one looks carefully enough, one can actually make out the difference between the architectural designs of the interior (Mughal) and the exterior (British) of the building. Even though the building was greatly damaged during the 1857 war of Independence, one can still imagine the grandeur and opulence in which the first British Resident lived in Delhi, by taking a tour of the majestic building,” Chandra said.

The Pioneer, 24th January 2011

Violence in Kashmir valley since the past 20 years has ressulted in massive loss and damage to the cultural and religious property of displaced ethnic Kashmiri Pandit minority. The lastest incident in this regard has surfaced at the historic shrine of Nara Nag in Kashmir valley.

Nara Nag, a temple complex constructed by Lalitaditya Muktapida, eighth century King of Kashmir, in tehsil Kangan of Ganderbal district of Kashmir valley, evokes awe and is a devotee's delight. The King Avantivarman had donated a pedestal for Lord Shiva with a silver conduct for bathing at Bhutsher. These temples are built of grayish granite found in abundance in neighborhood and their different architectural entities as evidently prove that they are of a different era. In Nilamata Purana, it is referred among the scared tiratha in Kashmir Valley.

With the alleged nexus of various agencies including that of Archeological Survey of India and land mafia in Kashmir valley,the land of the historical shrine at Naran Nag which has been declared as National monument has now been encroached upon.

Mr Arun Kandroo, general secretary,All Parties Migrant Coordination Committee, J&K, a premier organisation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, who recent sought information regarding this encroachement from the Centre government's Archeological Survey of India (ASI) department, informed that ASI has conceded the points raised by the APMCC leaders in a letter submitted to authorities.

Mr Kandroo said that Deputy Superintending, ASI, J&K Circle, Srinagar, in response a letter written to him by the Director General, Archeological Survey of India, New Delhi regarding this issue, directed him to furnish information about the said shrine in a letter dated 27.12.2010.

“The ASI, in its reply has conceded that the land attached with Naran Nag Shrine which was declared as a National Monument in the year of 1958, has been encroached by the four number of people and one Government agency namely PWD Department, J&K Government. According to the ASI, the names of encroachers have also been given which include Hanif Kalash, R/O Naran Nag, Abdul Rashid Akram, Shaukat Ahmed Jaggal Ismail Jaggal, R/O Naran Nag, Mohd. Dar, Haji Gulam Rasool Dar, R/O Nagbal, Ganderbal and the fifth was PWD Department J&K Government,” said Mr Kandroo adding the ASI authorities, J&K Circle have admitted that to remove the encroachments they had sent number of times reminders to J&K Government for making demarcation of land attached with Naran Nag Shrine. Apparently, nothing has been done by the state government in this regard.

In order to save the historical shrine of Naran Nag from land mafia, the APMCC leaders, on their own have already taken up this issue at the highest forum of the country i.e. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.The APMCC leader are in the process of approaching to the maximum strength of the MPs from the various corners of the country in order to get the justice.

“We would request the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs to raise the matter of encroachment of the lands attached with various temple of Kashmir valley and would request them to pressurise the State Government for the passage of Kashmiri Hindu Shrine Bill which is pending in the State Assembly for the last two Assembly sessions”, said Mr Kandroo. Besides, the APMCC has also raised fingers on the role played by the authorities of ASI, J&K Circle Srinagar under whose very nose, enchroachers encroached upon the land while the staff of ASI, JK Circle remained on duty for 24 hours. The Statesman, 24th January 2011

A major conservation project at the World Heritage Site

To enable domestic as well as foreign tourists to get more information about the second Mughal emperor Humayun's character, his exile and re-capture of the empire, an important site exhibition was inaugurated at the World Heritage Site of Humayun's Tomb here on Monday evening.

The permanent exhibition assumes significance in view of the fact that the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India and with co-funding from the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust is presently engaged in a major conservation project at the World Heritage Site of Humayun's Tomb.

As part of the project, the lower cells of the principal gateway have been conserved and an appropriate space created to house an exhibit explaining salient features of the Humayun's Tomb complex and the ongoing not-for-profit public private partnership project.

The site exhibit has been conceptualised to evoke interest among visitors, especially numerous school children who enthusiastically visit the Humayun's Tomb on a monthly basis to acclimatise themselves with the Mughal emperor and marvel at the rich architecture of the bygone era.

“Mostly graphic in nature with minimal bilingual text, the exhibit gives an insight into Emperor Humayun's life. Visitors will now be in a position to understand the significance of Humayun's Tomb as a precursor of the Taj Mahal. The salient features of the char-bagh, also restored by us, will also be known,'' says a spokesperson of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

Graphic panels

“With the help of architectural models and graphic panels the exhibit allows visitors to understand the locational context of Humayun's Tomb, built in close proximity to the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya,” he adds.

Photographs by eminent photographers, Ram Rahman and Amit Pascricha, and sketches by Himanish Das bring alive the exhibit designed by Archana Saad Akhtar and curated by eminent historian Dr. Narayani Gupta.

The installation of the exhibit in the restored cells of the West Gate has allowed an appropriate reuse of this monumental building.

The conservation work included removal of 20th Century cement and replacement with lime plaster; opening blocked openings and restoring hand crafted sandstone screens to them and providing new sandstone flooring.

One section of the exhibit is devoted to explaining the major urban renewal project being implemented at Humayun's Tomb, Sunder Nursery and Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti with the Central Public Works Department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi as the partner agencies.

The Hindu, 25th January 2011

Qanati masjid, a wall mosque outside the eastern gate of the Karbala ground in Jor Bagh is in the eye of a storm over attempts at alterations to the structure. Located inside BK Dutt Colony and listed as a heritage structure under the NDMC area, it has been in a dilapidated state for many

years now.

In 2005, Anjuman-e-Haideri, an organisation under the Shia Wakf Board, had filed a case in the Delhi High Court, following a dispute over ownership of the land on which the Mughal-era structure stands.

Claiming that the small park to the south of the Karbala ground is Wakf property and that they wanted to join the two grounds, devotees, under the banner of Anjuman-e-Haideri broke down a wall to the south of the Karbala ground last month.

"We need the additional portion beyond this — a small park — for women. And for Qanati Masjid, we plan to consolidate the flooring and construct a tin-shed, apart from the boundary wall. We do not want to alter the structure," said Anjuman secretary Syed Bahadur Abbas Naqvi.

"Following the earlier court order, when we tried to start construction, residents hampered our work and called in the police. The police detained 85 men, 13 women and some children," Naqvi alleged.

RP Nagar, general secretary, BK Dutt Colony residents' welfare association said, "Both the Qanati Masjid and the park on south of Karbala belong to the government. All we want is that law and order should be maintained. They should maintain the status quo till the final court order."

There is heavy police presence at the site ahead of the Chehlum (the 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain at the Karbala) on Tuesday. However, on Monday, the High Court did not give any final orders. The Mughal-era structure has been rated as being of architectural value II in a notification dated October 1, 2009.

This rating is based on the architectural significance and heritage importance of the structure. For alterations or repairs to any heritage structure or monument mentioned in the October 2009 notification, the procedure is clear. First, the person or organisation concerned applies to the NDMC, which, in turn, sends it for approval to the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC). Finally, only when the Delhi Urban Arts Commission approves it, can any alterations be carried out. AGK Menon, member, HCC said, "The NDMC should first refer the proposal to the HCC before giving permission."

Meanwhile, Amit Prasad, NDMC's director, public relations said, "The permission was given on January 19 but it was immediately withdrawn on January 20.” Currently, the wait is on for the next court hearing on February 23.

Hindustan Times, 25th January 2011

Manjit Singh Chug never thought that Bade Khan and Chhote Khan would make his life miserable. He doesn’t have anything against the two men, nor does he know who they are. But thanks to the tombs of the duo right across his residence in South Extension-I, Chug can’t even move a brick from the wall of his own house.

Chug’s two-storey house, built in 1959, is barely 50 feet away from the boundary wall of the ASI-protected monuments — tombs of Bade Khan and Chhote Khan. “This parapet wall needs immediate repairs. In fact, not just this, our entire house needs repairs. But we cannot do any kind of emergency repair work,” Chug said, showing the corroded iron rods jutting out of the wall.

“Why should a common man suffer because of the change in law brought about due to a mistake of some officials?”

Chug’s not alone in his battle. Delhi has 174 small and big monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Barring the exception of a few, the rest are situated in densely populated area. Since the amendment in heritage law in March 2010, the ASI has been sending away applications for granting permission for construction/repair for property near a protected monument. Even though a competent authority was appointed for Delhi in December 2010, in absence of the National Monument Authority (NMA), the monument-specific heritage byelaws and rules for the functioning of the authorities, no permission for repairs/construction can be given.

Officials said the NMA, mandatory under the Ancient Monuments and Ancient Sites & Remains Act (Amendment & Validation) Act 2010, is taking shape.

Jawahar Sircar, secretary, ministry of culture, said: “We have already appointed competent authorities and the NMA’s member secretary.” Rough draft rules are also in place. By January-end, five full- time and five part time members would be selected.

But the main task would follow after this.

“Ground survey for every single monument would have to be carried out before coming up with the monument-specific byelaws so that any application even for repairs could be considered,” Sircar added. Hindustan Times, 26th January 2011

An aqueduct built in 1560, during the period of Ali Adil Shah I, has been unearthed in the city.

The six-km long aqueduct was discovered by a team of staff and officers of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) during their ongoing excavations at the Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Roza monuments. The exercise, in association with Navarasa Trust of Kerala, has been on for the past four months.

The six-km long aqueduct ensured uninterrupted water supply to the City from the Toravi catchment area during the 16th century, according to historical records discovered by historian Dr Daddi. Water was being supplied from the Begum Talab, Ramalinga tank and the Bhat Bawadi near Toravi, through the aqueduct.

Lack of a map showing the water supply system has made the excavation a challenge. The team is following the path of the rock canal during the excavation exercise. Pits that are four-foot wide, 10-foot long and several feet deep are being dug to help identify the canal network. Wells, canals, chambers and fountains were discovered in the process, said ASI sources. “The water was stored in gunjs, tanks and more than 100 ponds built in and around the City to ensure water supply to the people throughout the year,” says Daddi.

The whole apparatus is made of pot clay and the design itself is based on the structure of pots. These clay structures have stone constructions built around them as a protective lining. That the water supply infrastructure is intact to this day makes it an engineering marvel. The aqueduct used to carry water to Sangeet Mahal reservoir and later to Surang Bawadi, situated at Sath Kabar through a masonry pipeline with intervening control towers. From Surang Bawadi, the canal passes through Ibrahim Roza and Taj Bawadi.

Although people living along the route of the now-buried aqueduct had noticed damaged air-shafts and conduits along its length, no one knew its exact course, says Daddi. Water, which flowed with gravity, was used for drinking, for the fountains, besides gardening and air-conditioning purposes, he explains. The canal had been laid 60 feet below the surface at some places to maintain the water flow downstream. The vertical air-shafts in the canal ensured adequate and regular water supply to the city, which, according to historians had a population of 10 lakh during the Adil Shahi period.

Starting point
The canal had been closed at the starting point by owners of the land at Toravi, Daddi said. However, the inspection holes along the course of the canal had remained intact at some places, including the district civil hospital.

All other chambers had been closed owing to construction of buildings along the canal from Takke to the City. The permission given by the Bijapur Development Authority for residential layouts had also contributed to damaging this natural water supply system, he says. Daddi stresses the need to revive this water supply system in order to address the drinking water shortage in the City.

Deccan Herald, 27th January 2011

Is it a case of fence eating the crop? Green activists say the government is the biggest culprit for the depletion of mangrove forests in India. The forest department has little manpower to spare for protecting mangroves and where campaigns have been successful, public support has played a crucial role.

A natural breeding ground for several species, mangrove forests act as natural lungs and kidneys of the ecosystem. They absorbs heavy metals and reduce harm to human habitat. It plays a major mitigating role in the changing climatic scenario and time and again, its importance has been highlighted in buffering natural hazards such as cyclones, storm surges and erosion.

"All you need is political will to protect mangroves. There is no consistency in government approach," says Debi Goenka, executive trustee of Conservation Action Trust, Mumbai. "There are no strong measures to ensure protection for mangroves. Also, popular support plays a crucial role. (But) a major chunk of the population is still unaware of the importance of mangroves in balancing the ecosystem."

The threat to mangroves is, in fact, more in coastal metros where land prices are high.

"It was only recently that the Bombay High Court had declared mangroves as protected forest. If it is private land, encroachment is easy. Occupying forest land is difficult. Also, the satellite imaging of mangrove forests, which is essential to identify the geographical area of the ecosystem, is not done properly. Some states have always treated mangroves as forests," says Goenka who played a pivotal role in getting protected forest status for mangroves in Maharashtra.

Unmindful of the vital role they have in maintaining aquatic as well as avian fauna, mangroves are being destroyed at an alarming rate in India. For instance, mangrove forests that once adorned Kerala's entire coastal area are now reduced to just 17sqkm, of which only 2sqkm comes under the government. The Kerala forest ministry identifies human encroachment as the major reason behind the depletion of the mangrove layer. Also, the popular misconception that plant species in mangrove forests are of no use has added to its slow death.

"Interdepartmental coordination is essential for protecting mangroves. The department of fisheries, forest and environment should work together towards this cause. First and foremost, community participation should be encouraged and awareness programmes held," says N Nandini, head of the department of environmental science, Bangalore University.

Research worldwide has established that mangroves are effective carbon sinks. One research inFlorida says mangrove forests, that cover less than 0.1 per cent of the global land surface, account for a tenth of the dissolved organic carbon flowing from land to ocean. German researchers analysed the carbon output from a large mangrove forest in Brazil and suggested that the plants are one of the main sources of dissolved organic matter in the ocean. Dissolved organic matter is an important player in the global carbon cycle that regulates atmospheric carbon dioxide and therefore, climate.

Globally, mangroves span some 150,000sqkm, half the area of the Philippines, and are disappearing faster than any other kind of forest on earth.

"Growing industrial and residential areas along the coastlines and discharge of waste to water bodies also harm mangroves. Declaring mangroves as protected forest will go a long way in protecting them," says Deepak Apte of Bombay Natural History Society.

Times of India, 28th January 2011

That includes 14 endemic and 2 critically endangered species

The Malabar Ornithological Survey 2010-11, the first ever comprehensive study on avifauna in north Kerala, has proved that the Wayanad part of the Western Ghats is a critical habitat for endemic as well as endangered birds. The team sighted 200 species, including 14 of the 16 endemic species and two critically endangered species, during the two-month survey in Wayanad district.

C. Sasikumar, ornithologist and the team's principal investigator, told TheHindu on Tuesday that the Vellarimala-Chembra regions were of high conservation value because of its unique biodiversity.

“We found an excellent population of black-chinned laughing thrush, an endemic and endangered bird species, whose presence is mostly confined to the Vellarimala and Brahmagiri mountains of Wayanad region,” he said.

The residents
Other endemic birds reported from the region include the Black-and-Orange Flycatcher, Rufous-bellied Shortwing, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Wayanad laughing thrush, Small Sunbird, Malabar Grey Hornbill and White-bellied Blue Flycatcher. Among them, the Black-and-Orange Flycatcher, the Nilgiri Flycatcher and the Shortwing were strictly confined to the high altitude region, especially the shola forests, according to C.K. Vishnudas, team member. The team sighted some rare species, including the Scaly Thrush, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, Olive-backed Tree Pipit, Speckled Piculet, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Mountain Hawk-Eagle and Jerdon's Baza.

The team also found Brown-rock Pipit on the Chembra mountain, the first record of the species from north of the Palghat Gap, P.A. Vinayan, another team member said. Rufous-bellied Shortwing, a sister species of the White-bellied Shortwing, a species seen south of the Palghat Gap, was a candidate to be labelled new species, based on some recent DNA studies, he said.

The region had become a critical habitat of the highly endemic and threatened bird species of northern Kerala, Mr. Sasikumar said. The team intended to suggest in their report that the government declare the Vellarimala and Chembra regions as a national park to conserve the birds. A few months ago, a team of scientists of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Kalpetta, discovered 14 new species of plants in the region

Unique habitat
Mr. Sasikumar said the mountain ranges, situated 3,000 to 7,000 feet above the sea level and spread over 200 sq. km., were unique and incomparable to any other part of the Western Ghats.

Phase III may bring curtain down on Bahawalpur House, National School of Drama

As it prepares for its next phase of expansion, the Delhi Metro railway may cause irreparable loss to a grand old heritage building in the heart of Lutyens' city, Bahawalpur House, and claim a substantial part of the National School of Drama (NSD) whose campus at Mandi House is fast emerging as a hub of cultural creativity.

In the upcoming Phase III, the Delhi Metro, which starts from Badarpur and is intended to link up to the Red Fort, may pass through Mandi House and may well eat up Bahawalpur House and almost two acres of NSD space out of the eight acres it is built on.

Bahawalpur House contains a huge storage area for Lalit Kala Akademi's valuable art works, a library called Tulsi Sadan containing over 100,000 precious books, and a guest house for outstation artists. The line will demolish a total of 2,471 square metres of Bahawalpur House, which means virtually the entire building. Though the Lalit Kala Akademi authorities still haven't got an official notice, the NSD received notice to vacate a part of its premises last week. Says NSD Chairperson Amaal Allana: “We have been asked to vacate around 20-25 per cent of our space for almost two years -- at a time when we are in the middle of re-developing and re-designing the entire campus. Moreover, as the metro line would pass below the NSD, we would not be able to build the foundation for more than one floor, while our new design involves four to five floors. These floors would have housed Abhimanch, the main auditorium that we plan to shift up, a teaching area, studio classes, three flexible open air stages, hostels and a canteen”.

Ms. Allana said that while the NSD was planning its own re-design, its architect, K. T. Ravindran, who is on the Delhi Urban Art Commission, took great care to ensure not even a brick of the adjacent Bahawalpur House was affected because of its heritage status. Bahawalpur House contains “rare, single and painstaking works of artists of repute like M. F. Husain, Akbar Padamsee, F. N. Souza, K. K Hebbar, V. S. Gaitonde, Shanti Dave,” according to an official. Says another official requesting anonymity: “We are also on the verge of expansion. To preserve this heritage site, we have, just recently, renovated this storage space on a war footing and it has cost us crores of rupees.”

During Phase II of the metro line that crossed Mandi House, Kathak Kendra, which is a part of Sangeet Natak Akademi, also came under the digging plan. The DMRC bailed them out by giving them space in Chanakyapuri and that is why the NSD and Lalit Kala Akademi are hoping that DMRC would bail them out too.

“We are not at loggerheads with the government as we have to work in sync with them and the metro is the best thing to happen to Delhi, so we hope that an amicable solution is worked out. Our officials are talking to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, the Ministry of Culture, Urban Development and DMRC”, says the official. Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal told The Hindu: “We have opened the tender in the market for construction companies to bid. We will not waste any time once we get a suitable bidder. Though we are at a primary stage of the construction plan now, there is no going back on the fact that we will dig a portion of Mandi House anyway. But we will talk to the concerned authorities and do it in a manner that doesn't cause inconvenience to anyone.”

G. K. Menon, Convenor INTACH, Delhi chapter and Member Heritage Conservation Committee, is irked by DMRC's “arbitrary” way of functioning.

“This entire drama happens each year. DMRC always violates rules left and right because it has the goodwill of the people, or may be because without violating rules, development in the country cannot happen. I am in the conservation committee and I don't have any information about this plan. First they (DMRC) make a plan and when we tell them the rules, they tell us that we are coming in the way of development! Apparently, they have to seek permission only from the Railway Ministry as they work in sync with them. But I am very disappointed at the development and will protest in case the construction is taken ahead to the heritage site,” he says.

The Hindu, 29th January 2011

Exciting vistas open when one tries to find the broad distinction between different approaches to Indian portraits

I desire you would use all your skill to paint my picture truly like me, and not flatter me at all; but remark all these roughnesses, pimples, warts, and everything as you see me, otherwise I will never pay a farthing for it.

- Oliver Cromwell to the painter Peter Lely (ca. 1650)

The true portrait of a man is a fusion of what he thinks he is, what others think he is, what he really is and what he tries to be.

- Dore Schary, filmmaker

A fine exhibition of Indian portraits that went up not long ago at the National Portrait Gallery in London once again brought the thought to the fore of my mind about how does one see portraits: with what eyes, what mind?

In the Indian tradition, there are at least two — seemingly opposed — ways of approaching portraiture. The most celebrated of portraits come clearly from the Mughal period, especially that of the emperor Jahangir whose artists were capable of looking unblinkingly at a person when they wanted to take a likeness. Within the limits of their own style and its conventions, they came remarkably close to naturalism. In contrast, most of the painters working at the Rajput courts, alike in Rajasthan and the Pahari region, stood aloof from this approach, dipping far back into the past of their own culture, into their reservoir of received authority so to speak, for rendering ‘likenesses’. There is fascination in following these trails up.

Consider thus, this description of his father, Akbar, by Jahangir himself that occurs almost at the beginning of his own Memoirs.

"In his august personal appearance, he (Akbar) was of middle height, but inclining to be tall; he was of the hue of wheat; his eyes and eyebrows were black, and his complexion dark than fair; he was lion-bodied, with a broad chest, and his hands and arms long. On the left side of his nose, he had a fleshy mole, very agreeable in appearance, of the size of half a pea. Those skilled in the science of physiognomy considered this mole a sign of great prosperity and exceeding good fortune. His august voice was very loud and in speaking and explaining had a peculiar richness. In his actions and movements, he was not like the people of the world, and the glory of God manifested in him."

There are references to conventions here, hints of what was considered auspicious as also discreet and flattering details, but one derives, at least, some idea of what the great Akbar looked like.

Compare this, however, with the 7th century description of the emperor Harshavardhana, as given by Bana, his court poet, in the Harshacharita, in which we come as close as possible to the opportunity that a poet and chronicler might have had to describe his patron. From his observation of Harsha at close quarters, Bana gives us only this kind of picture, however: when he saw him for the first time "in an open pavilion, in front of a pavilion where he used to give audience after eating", he writes, "(Harsha) seemed made as it were out of the pure atoms of light".

Following this, over the next 10 pages or so of Bana’s text, are scattered ‘observations’ of this kind: The king’s toenails were "like the 10 directions of space incarnate", and spread rays "white like fine linen"; he shone with his broad chest "like Kailasha with a cliff of crystal"; "his two thighs were two ruby pillars set to bear the weight of the earth which rested on his heart, like two sandalwood trees with their roots shining with the rays from crest jewels of the serpents clustered around them"; his ‘broad forehead’ was "reddened by the pink of his crest ornaments, as if it were the lac-dye of Lakshmi’s feet which had clung to it ....". And so on.

It is evident that here we are in the area of ‘iconography’ and what appear, at first sight, in these descriptions to be individual characteristics — broad forehead, sharp nose, flashing teeth, full lips, broad chest, long arms, shiny hair, glistening toenails, and the like — are features that one comes across again and again in early Indian texts dealing with the lakshanas of the gods and of great men like the Chakravartin, the wheel-turning master, a prime example being the Buddha.

This approach towards non-specific description comes very close to what is associated with sadrishya — roughly speaking, resemblance or correspondence — which essentially was a matter of analogies and similitude through which the essence rather than the accident of appearance of a person was meant to be caught in a likeness.

This is putting it too baldly perhaps. In any event, it is an over-simplification, and it is not difficult to point out that the lines between naturalistic and idealised renderings — between Mughal and Rajput works, if one so likes — were not as sharply drawn. For one can cite the deference paid to convention and stylisation in Mughal portraits as easily as to sharply observed, ‘true’ portraits that were also done at the Rajput courts.

But the broad distinction between different approaches remains useful to bear in mind even if the issues concerned are subtle and complex. It is equally useful to remember that the range of Indian portraits — as brought out in the book that accompanied the exhibition in London by distinguished scholars, including Robert Skelton, Susan Stronge, J.P. Losty and Rosemary Crill — is singularly wide, and one should be prepared for a surprise at every turn. For, in these works, closeness to subject can be followed by respectful distance, playfulness by gravity, casualness by passion. A whole and exciting vista opens.

The three portraits that accompany this piece are not brought in by me to prove anything. But it is fascinating to juxtapose the superb observation of the Mughal painter, who rendered the portrait of Jahangir holding up a portrait of his late father with the simple but elegant dignity of a stylised princely figure from Mandi as rendered by his Rajput painter, and then go on to the avid ‘realism’ of a Company soldier that almost anticipates the coming of photography, as an art-historian colleague sharply remarked once.

The Tribune, 30th January 2011

Wildlife experts want rapid response teams set up in sensitive areas across the country to deal with human-leopard conflicts. After three leopards were killed last week, experts said the environment ministry must frame an action plan to swiftly rescue the big cats when they stray into towns and villages. The killings took place within five days in separate regions. In each case, the cat had strayed into an inhabited areas and could not find a way out.

On the afternoon of January 9, a policeman shot dead a rampaging leopard to stop it from mauling a man who had stepped out of a bar in Maharashtra's Karad city. Three days later, a male leopard strayed into Kheri Gujran village near the Aravalis in Haryana's Faridabad district and attacked a woman. An angry mob broke tranquilizer guns brought by rescue teams and beat the animal to death. There was a rerun of the scene a day later on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, Orissa, when villagers killed a leopard.

Big cat specialists say these incidents indicate India's leopards are coming under increasing stress. "It is high time the Centre formulated guidelines to deal with these situations," said Qamar Qureshi of Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India. "We need trained people to reach stranded leopards before the mob does."

Qureshi said it is possible to set up rapid response teams in all problem areas without spending a lot of money. "All you need to do is train three to five local forest officials for the job, have a veterinary care unit, a vehicle and some basic equipment. This would save lives and protect the animals," the big cat expert said.

He said despite leopard encounters being by far the most commonly occurring human-carnivore conflict in India, it has not got the attention it deserves. "Sadly, the leopard is not an iconic animal like the tiger. Its numbers are relatively high and so its killings do not make big news."

Qureshi has a point. Leopard poaching has reached alarming levels. The Wildlife Protection Society of India recorded 3,552 killings since 1994. Other reports say one leopard is killed every day in the country.

"Poaching and forced translocation of leopards are probably among the main reasons for human-leopard conflicts," said Vidya Athreya, a wildlife biologist working specifically on the problem.

Citing her own research on leopard conflicts in Maharashtra, Athreya said removals through poaching and translocation lead to other leopards occupying the 'vacated' territories. "These leopards are new to the area and are more liable to come into contact with human beings or prey on livestock." Vidya said there was a sharp fall in leopard attacks in Borivili and Jhunnar – two conflict hotspots in Maharashtra – since translocation of trapped animals to other places was stopped. "Now, the trapped leopards are released in the same area and seldom cause trouble," she said.

Shrinking habitats is the most cited cause of conflict. "Leopards are great survivors," said co-founder of Wildlife SOS Kartick Satyanarayan, whose team members were almost beaten up trying to rescue the leopard at Kheri Gujran.

"They have traditionally lived at the edge of human habitations. Now, more and more unused land where leopards usually live unseen by humans is being developed."

Athreya said the government needs to study all aspects of this complex problem if the majestic feline is to co-exist peacefully with humans – as is still the case in many parts of the country.

Times of India, 31st January 2011

Reproductions of Lord Edwin Week’s lush oil paintings of India travel to the country

In 1892, celebrated American orientalist and painter, Lord Edwin Week, came to India on horse back and ship. More than a century later, archival giclee — digital inkjet — prints of his paintings have found their way on the walls of the American Center. This is the first exhibition of his works in India.

While the originals are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and various collections in the US and Europe, Gautam Srivastav, founder of The Hubris Foundation, has made a viewing of the works possible by collecting prints. “One would have loved to show the original works, but since they are worth over eight to 10 crores, and part of the permanent collection at the Museum, it would have taken a lifetime of negotiations to get them down to India. It is ironic that a man who painted India and Persia so extensively has never been shown in the country,” says Srivastav.

A slightly built man, Week was known for his adventurous spirit. He travelled to Persia on horse-back, till the Kotal Mountains, reaching a peak that was 2250 meters high, and boarded a steamer called the Occidental to reach Indian shores.

“Lord Week’s work is unique. His vision was not a colonial one, like the British painters before him. He criticised the monarchy and was never welcomed by the British. His paintings were of barbers, nautch girls and the common man. He never extolled British rule, instead glorified Indian monuments like the Jama Masjid and the Amir Fort,” says Srivastav, who will continue his research on the American painter and has a book planned on him. The publication will comprise writing by art critics published in the New York Times in 1800s, Harper’s 1980s publications and writing from Sotheby’s and Christie’s auction catalogues.

Indian Express, 31st January 2011