Delhi's bird lovers got a New Year's surprise. A pair of red-headed vultures, last documented in the capital over two decades ago and listed as critically endangered, has been spotted at Bhatti Mines.

The birds were seen by Col Pradeep Sandhir, commanding officer of the Eco Task Force that is reviving the degraded eco-system. He had been sighting the birds for almost a week before he was finally able to photograph one and have it identified. "It is a great find for Delhi. The bird had been abundant at one time but there has been no documentation for about 20 years. Meanwhile, some people had reported sighting the bird on a few occasions but there was never a positive identification," said Dr Surya Prakash, a prominent Delhi birder.

Sources said the birds that had been seen near a water body at Bhatti Mines were likely to breed there. When last seen, it had been feasting on the carcass of a jackal.

The bird, earlier found in abundance in the Indian sub-continent, spreading from India toSingapore, witnessed a rapid decline in the past two to three decades due to essentially diclofenac poisoning. In 1994 it was moved from the list of 'least concern' to 'near threatened'. In a little over a decade from then, its dwindling numbers forced its inclusion in the 'critically endangered list' in 2007. Prakash said that the red-headed vulture had been the most severely affected by diclofenac poisoning among the seven species of Indian vultures.

Sources say the bird, found primarily in north India now in cultivated, semi-desert areas and foothills, cannot number more than 10,000 mature individuals.

Bhatti Mines, with over a million saplings planted in the last 10 years, has become one of Delhi's richest eco-systems. Looked after by a battalion of retired army staff commanded by serving officials, the Bhatti Mines area boasts of 36 water bodies, 46 varieties of indigenous plants and over a 100 varieties of birds, butterflies, reptiles and mammals that are difficult to find elsewhere in the city.

"Birds that can be found here include green sandpiper, common sandpiper, crested pied cuckoos, eurasian golden oriole, sirkeer malkoha and painted sandgrouses. Butterflies like blue, plain and striped tigers and pansies, reptiles like monitor lizards, sand and garden lizards, cobras, kraits and saw scaled vipers are a fantastic indication of the eco-system.

Among mammals that can be found here are three species of mongoose, Indian crested porcupines, golden jackal, bluebulls, nlack napped hare and a pack of striped hyenas," said sources.


Times of India, 1st January 2012

Environment experts had been saying it all through, activists had been pointing it out for a long time and Delhiites knew it better as they see the polluted Yamuna day in and day out. The Performance Audit of Water Pollution in India by the Comptroller and Auditor General (Report 21 of 2011-12)
has confirmed it.

None of the projects to control pollution in the Yamuna, which were checked by the CAG audit team, has achieved their objective, the report concluded. The pollution control mechanism was not functional and no details were available for monitoring the projects sanctioned under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) for the control of pollution in the Yamuna for all projects, the report pointed out.

In Delhi, 10 projects, all related to control of pollution in the Yamuna, were tested. The nodal agency for the NRCP is the Delhi government, while the implementing agencies are the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

According to the report, four sewage treatment plants (STPs) were built for a certain capacity, but the actual sewage generated in respective areas was much more, resulting in several million litres of untreated sewage flowing directly into the river.

One STP was constructed for treating 2 MLD (million litres per day), but the plant is shut since 2007, leading to discharge of untreated sewage in Yamuna. One test-checked STP of 135 MLD capacity was sanctioned in June 2006 and was scheduled to be completed in June 2010. But it was incomplete by the time the report was prepared. Delhi STP projects also topped the list of cost overruns and not meeting the list of deadlines.

“It is not about creation of (right) capacity. There is so much of unplanned growth,” said Ramesh Negi, CEO of DJB, defending the low capacity for an STP unit. “Only 60% of Delhi has sewer network, while 40% is un-serviced. The unauthorised colonies are bound to add to sewage at any STP,” he said, adding, “The trunk sewers, too, are almost 40 years old. Work for its rehabilitation is going on.”

Negi assured that the interceptor sewer programme under the Yamuna Action Plan would help in improving the situation.

Delhi generates approximately 600 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage, while it has an installed capacity to treat approximately 512.4 MGD wastewater. DJB is in the final stage of preparing the Delhi Sewerage Masterplan (SMP) 2031.

Hindustan Times, 2nd January 2012

R.V. Smith takes us on a tour of Ghalib's haveli which has now thankfully been acquired for preservation

Before Ghalib's haveli in Qasim Jan street was acquired for preservation, few in the literary circles in New Delhi, who now hold an annual function there on Dec. 27, the poet's birthday, seemed to be interested in his old abode. It was Maikash Akbarabadi who, some 50 years ago, took this scribe along with him one winter afternoon, saying he wanted to show me “something that had missed my attention so far”.

We entered Ballimaran and Maikash was immediately surrounded by the shoe merchants who had business links with their counterparts in Nai Basti, Agra near which he lived, headed by Mohammad Mian Akbar. They insisted on the poet having tea and “khasta kachoris”, despite his protestations that he had already had breakfast at Azad Hind Hotel, where Afzal Peshawari had offered him “nahari” from Karim's, along with a plate of payee (trotters).

It took half an hour for the tea session to be over, after which we walked down to the haveli, past pet goats tied in front of untidy shops. At the Hindustani Dawakhana our progress was held up again as some of the hakims recognised the old man and began asking about the Garhaiya Hakims, still famous in the city of the Taj because of Maulana Mobin-uz-Zaman Qadri, who had a good practice among the Rajas of Awagarh and Badawar, for whom he made Muallam, an invigorating preparation from Murgh (the cock bird), that aided the libido.

DILAPIDATED HOUSE
After this distraction we finally entered the haveli, which was then in the possession of encroachers, who hardly bothered about Ghalib having once been a resident of it. They greeted us with blank faces. Then Maikash started explaining the relevance of the old dilapidated house that was a witness to the 1857 Uprising too, when Ghalib's younger brother died and he had to make arrangements for his funeral despite the curfew-like conditions imposed by the British. But the men of the Maharaja of Patiala's force sent to guard the residence of the father of Hakim Ajmal Khan, the Maharaja's Unani physician, came to his aid and the body was finally laid to rest in the qabristan, with Ghalib weeping all the way.

On his return he was comforted by his wife, Umrao Begum, a kinswoman of the Nawab of Loharu. Maikash then pointed to the courtyard, where Ghalib had once entered with his shoes on his head, saying he had no other option as the Begum had made the entire house a masjid by her piety. It was there also that the poet had come with a man carrying a basket containing bottles of Old Tom whisky after getting his first pay. When Umrao Begum asked him for his pay packet, he remarked, “God has assured us of daily bread but not wine, so man has to make his own arrangements for it”. Despite this poignant remark the Begum kept her cool, though she wondered how they would manage to pull through amidst mounting debts.

Maikash asserted that Ghalib lived most of the time in the top portion of the haveli and looked down some time to time at the bodies of his still-born children from there. He also drew a parallel with the poet's Agra abode in Kala Mahal, where he said Ghalib's “rooh” (spirit) was said to appear from times on moonlit nights.

It was a hectic afternoon and one thanked Maikash for his revelations over tea offered by a kindly shopkeeper. Had he been alive now he would have been happy that the haveli had at last got its due recognition. But he died in 1992. Maikash, no doubt, though he had never tasted a drop of liquor in all the 90 years of his life!

The Hindu, 2nd January 2012

To explore and celebrate the culture of Delhi, art curator Himanshu Verma has started this year with ‘360-degree view of Delhi’, his series of walks titled “1,100 Walks” to discover the diverse cultures of the city.

“The title ‘1,100 Walks’ is derived from the pincode of Delhi. Also, historians regard 11 as the end of classical age and the beginning of Islamic age in Delhi. In numerology, the number 11 represents many positive traits. Also, the day of Ekadasi, the 11th day of the lunar month in the Hindu calendar is considered an auspicious and spiritually beneficial day in both Hinduism and Jainism. Delhi is one of the most historically rich cities of the world and through these walks we would like discover the multi-layer fabric and city’s way of life,” says Himanshu, as his organisation Red Earth plans the walk.

Starting on January 7, the walks cover diverse areas of the city. From nature walks to flower markets of Delhi to food walks in Paharganj and Old Delhi to village walks, the main idea is to traverse through the unexplored areas of the city. There is also special festival walk Sufi Basant Walk to Nizamuddin Dargah, history walks to Hauz Khas, nature Walks to nurseries and nature Walks to rose gardens of Delhi. Walks will also have workshops on Indian culture and arts like cooking and floral decoration.

“This is the third consecutive year and every year through our walks, we explore new places. I think that these walks, not only help tourists explore the city, but take the regular Dilliwalas to the places they have never been to. These walks develop camaraderie among the people who participate and a break through their busy life. I personally like the nature walk and this time we are planning to explore the flower market of Ghazipur,” adds Himanshu.

Anand Bhaskar Rao, a documentary filmmaker, who’s a regular at such walks finds them therapeutic. “These are quaint and quite walks, which are quite educative and well-organised. It’s like a city excursion with family and a good exposure for kids. I really enjoy village walks and those through the lanes of Chandni Chowk,” he shares.

Asian Age, 2nd January 2012

The Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary in Adilabad district — where a new tiger reserve is being established but is opposed by tribals — has lost 27 sq km of dense forest area between 2000 and 2010 due to cutting of trees and encroachments.

In the Jannaram Forest Division, in which Kawal is situated, another 17 sq km of forest has been lost in the same period. In Kaghaznagar Division, where a male tiger was accidentally electrocuted last year, 384 acres of tiger habitat has been lost to encroachments in one year alone.

One of the richest teak and bamboo forests in the country, the entire area is prime habitat for tigers that roam the contiguous terrain connecting the forests of Chandrapur with Gadchirowli in neighbouring Maharashtra, and is under tremendous pressure due to human encroachments, illegal wood felling, and rapid deforestation. The Andhra Pradesh State of Forests 2011 survey published recently revealed that since 1988, the Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary has lost 63 sq km of prime forest.

“In Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary, between 2000 and 2010 the loss of moderately dense forest and open forest is 16.74 sq km and 10.20 sq km, respectively. From 1988 to 2010, there is a loss of 42.42 sq km of moderately dense forest and 20.35 sq km of open forest,” states the survey.

The survey was done by using images provided by the Indian Remote Sensing P6 satellite. However, the data and impact assessment is only till December 2009. Deforestation, encroachment and loss of habitat in 2010 and 2011 is yet to be ascertained.

Forest officials say that illegal felling of bamboo and teak and clandestine sand mining are leading to rapid degradation and loss of forest in the area.

The Forest Department alleges that sand and bamboo smugglers are inciting the tribals who live in Kawal Sanctuary to protest against the establishment of the new tiger reserve which will ensure better protection of the forests.

Based upon the interpretation and comparison of data of IRS P6 of October-December 2008 and October-December 2009, the State of Forest 2011 report has established that Andhra Pradesh has lost 105 sq km of forest area of which 57 sq km was due to encroachments in one year alone — 2009. Further, 22.67 sq km of moderately dense forest cover and 62 sq km of open forest area was lost in 2009. The very dense forest of 950.14 km has remained unchanged.

Encroachments were found in 41 of the 48 forest divisions of the state. Khammam Division, which also has the highest notified forest area of 8,437 sq km, saw the maximum loss of forest cover due to encroachments and tree felling.

The state has 27 protected areas — 21 wildlife sanctuaries, six national parks and one tiger reserve, the Nagarjuna Sagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR), which is the biggest tiger reserve of India.


Indian Express, 2nd January 2012

Should Delhi go vertical? Town planners believe it is a wrong question to begin with. The question we should ask is how best we can house our people and manage population densities within the city, says author and urban studies expert Gautam Bhan, who is currently pursuing a PhD in urban planning at University of California, Berkeley.

While talk of Delhi going vertical - an idea mooted by urban development minister Kamal Nath - conjures up images of gigantic highrises painted across the Delhi skyline, experts in urban design say the best way to solve Delhi's housing woes lies in high-density low-rises . "When we think of Delhi going vertical, why are we thinking of going from three floors to 45 floors? Why don't we think, instead, of going from three to five floors?'' asks Bhan. He believes that the debate about Delhi going vertical has more to do with the image of the city as a worldclass metro likeManhattan and not about filling the gap in Delhi's housing market.

While Manhattan may have ten times the density that Delhi does, New York, unlike Delhi, has the infrastructure to support high-rises, says AGK Menon, convener, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Delhi Chapter).

"Before thinking of going vertical, it's important to look at the carrying capacity of the land. How can we build 200 units per acre when our infrastructure is inadequate, power supply is erratic and water is insufficient ? If you have a building with 200 units filled with people, when they all head out of the house and get into their cars, do we have the roads to support them? If these 200 units were more evenly distributed, wouldn't it be easier for people to access land?'' asks Menon, adding that building a city was not simply about cramming people into spaces, but providing people with a good quality of life.

"It is extremely risky to build skyscrapers in Delhi, which falls in a seismic zone. High-rises will need more reinforcements to make them e a r t h q u a ke - proof, which will, in turn, guzzle more energy,'' says KT Ravindran, prominent architect and former president of the Institute of Urban Designers India. A great deal of energy is used while building such structures and hauling people up to great heights.

While cities like Singapore, Hong Kong and Mumbai have been cited as examples for why Delhi should go vertical, Aromar Revi, director of the Indian Institute for Human Settlement, says that, unlike Delhi, these are island cities with a paucity of space. "Delhi, on the other hand, has a large amount of space. DDA is holding on to a lot of land which has not been developed, resulting in an artificial scarcity of houses,'' says Revi. This has led to the development of highrises on the periphery, in places like Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Faridabad while Lutyens' Delhi continues to have hyper-low densities, he adds.

Recent data shows that Delhi has seen a greater influx of migrants over the past 10 years when compared with any other state in India, proof that there is a need for affordable homes in the city. "But highrises will not result in more houses for the poor. Poor people don't need a flat but a piece of land where they have access to a livelihood,'' says Dr Rajendra Ravi, director, Institute for Democracy and Sustainability.

Both Menon and Ravindran say that high-rises are unsuitable for low-income housing. For starters, Ravindran says that it is very difficult for those with low incomes to pool together money to maintain the lift and lobby area in a high-rise .

"Mumbai, for instance, has ninestorey Slum Rehabilitation Authority houses, where the lift often stops working after a few months, with the result that elderly folk living on the higher floors never step out of their homes,'' says Bhan.

Mumbai-based architect and urban researcher Neera Adarkar says that two identical high-rise apartments, one for the rich and one for the poor, will have very different densities within the building. "In case of the affluent, only one family of four to five people will live in 1000 sq ft, whereas with lower incomes, there would be four tenements in the same place, with 20 people occupying the same area. This puts a lot of pressure on the infrastructure, such as the lifts. The issue is not simply about going vertical but about whether there is enough horizontal space on the land as well as on each floor so that people have a good quality of life and children have place to play,'' she adds.

Times of India, 3rd January 2012

Sage Vyasa's Mahabharata offers enormous material for innumerable studies from ever so many angles. His treatment of women, for instance. So many treatises have been written and yet the subject remains inexhaustible. Kevin McGrath studies some of the man-womanly heroines (he calls them ‘women heroes') and the inter-linkage of nature with their lives — besides, of course, their sexuality and contemporary presence in the feminist discourse, a sure passport to library shelves.

Stri sees woman mainly as wife, daughter-in-law, and mother. How does a Vyasan woman become a wife? ‘Swayamvara' is a favourite method for a Kshatriya girl but time and again it becomes her undoing. Often it is a Draupadi who ends up with five husbands or an Amba who gets none. Not surprisingly, Draupadi gets an entire section for herself. She was born to endure a variety of sorrows in the famous contexts like the Sabha, the forest, the Virata court, and the Kurukshetra.

Miniature
McGrath's telling, entwined with Sanskrit quotes, leaves no important component unsaid; so we have the main Mahabharata tale in miniature. The author rightly says that Draupadi is “a figure of paramount suffering”. But then, by inserting a false note, namely “her sexuality and its potence — for she maintains five husbands”, he brings down the hero-woman to the level of a common courtesan.

Management of words in contexts is a problem with the author, as when he refers to Ulupi as “inhuman” (obviously he means she is a serpent) or “wife's co-wife”. But no matter. He is well read and understands the living spaces of the Mahabharata in Indian culture: “Unlike most of the other epics in the world today which are frozen, insofar as their textual corpus has become fixed and has remained unchanged for centuries if not millennia, the Mahabharata in contemporary India exists not simply as a permanent, critically edited object of literature, it also functions as a scripture, supplying a ritual and mythical ground for modern Hindu religion — particularly in north India — and it is thoroughly multiform in its living non-written manifestations.”

The Mahabharata remains a pan-Indian scripture and continues to be the inspiration for new creations in art and literature. From this legend of ‘women heroes', McGrath brings before us, among others, Savitri, Kunti, Damayanti and Amba. An insightful section is devoted to women who speak the dharmic truth, however harsh it may sound in the circumstances. Gandhari is a perfect example; she is always against Duryodhana's ways that portend the destruction of the clan. “… Duryodhana's wish for war has destroyed all affection that his mother possesses for him; a situation which according to conventional kinship patterns would normally be unthinkable. Gandhari has placed dharma before affection.”

Glory
Such is the glory and the good of the Indian feminine that they never take the easy way out. If it is a question of Kshatriya honour, then according to Kunti, the answer is dandaniti, a legitimate use of violence. All this and more, but what touches the deepest chords in us is the scenario of women “striking their breasts” lamenting the death of their menfolk. A scene flashed through visual media even today when there is a major communal clash involving loss of lives.

McGrath winds up his argument with a return to the sexuality of women, quoting the unnamed stri: “sexual passion binds even strong women.” No wonder the Intimidated Man has ruled that “women do not deserve independence.” Soon we are drawn into the world of Shiva who is “followed by a thousand women,” as also polyandry practised in the Punjab and among the Toda tribe.

The book itself closes on the basic good heart of the Mahabharathan women as they admire Krishna when he enters Hastinapura as an ambassador, for he is bringing peace, not war. Remember, he does open his famous speech with samah syat, may there be peace!

The Hindu, 3rd January 2012

Dancer-choreographer Mrinalini Sarabhai tells UK Banerjee that of all creative Indians in the 20th century, no one was as prolific as the virtuoso littérateur

It is a huge privilege to meet Mrinalini Sarabhai, the nonagenarian founder of Darpana, who is the only surviving dancer-choreographer from Santinektan of the 1930s-end, having earned Tagore’s personal encomium, sitting erect in her delicately-carved office, overlooking Sabarimati River in Ahmedabad. She gently lets one have a glimpse of the seldom-seen note by Victoria Ocampo after having seen her perform in Buenos Aires in 1951. Others there are who can be but slowly known. While to see you dancing in a movement is to see perfect completeness once and forever, signed Chitra, the name Tagore had given to Ocampo way back in 1924. And this is how Mrinalini sums up Tagore in this 150th commemoration year of his birth. “Of all creative people of the country in the 20th century, no one was as prolific as Gurudev, spanning so many genres, languages and forms. No one was such a visionary as to remain prescient about what India will be 125 years later — ‘Where the mind is without fear’, written in the 30s, is a commentary on the bigotry, caste-politics and corruption of the mind that stratifies our society even today.”

Mallika, the brilliant artistic director of Darpana, sitting beside her mother, observes, “When Darpana decided on Tagorenama for its year-end festival Interart in December 2011, we wondered — Had Gurudev been alive, what genre boundaries would he have erased? What about Manganiar folk singers and jazz trumpets interpreting Rabindra Sangeet? Would his letters illustrate his poems? We, therefore, aimed at bringing different strands of Tagore’s personality and work together in hitherto unexplored ways, combining these, bringing together artists from different forms and parts of India and the world for a unique fresh look at his work. We wanted to break the boundaries.”

“Rituchakra has been a team effort with dancers creating movement which has been directed into the piece,” says Liz Lea, its choreographic director from Australia. “We worked with the seasons and looked for ways to create theatrical experience that combines music, dancer, costume, lighting and mood with an ethos that Tagore’s writings have always inspired.”

About her choreographic process, she elaborates further, “I allow the dancers to conceive their own gestures and movements on Tagore’s lyrics, and enmesh these into my own directional elements after drawing their own strength into the lyrics’ space and time. The final product can be either contemporary or non-contemporary, depending on the mood.” Adds Sandeep Pillai, the music composer, “My role was to create only transitional pieces for an already composed music by Tagore. The challenge was to keep in mind the pitch, scale, mood and raga of the preceding and following songs.”

The Street of Voices was devised, written and directed by Symon Macintyre from Scotland. Says a pensive Symon, “This has been a blend of physical theatre, puppets and masks to contain somehow the astonishing breadth of Tagore into a 45-minute thematic treatment. I found hisStreer Patra (The Wife’s Letter) a tale of emancipation and courage that manages to connect Tagore’s social observations to the lives of today’s women.” On his choice of name, responds Symon, “I felt that hidden behind the doors of every street, there are voices that cry to be heard. As the performance has developed, what constantly inspires me about Tagore is that his words are as relevant today as they were when he put pen to paper over 100 years ago.”

With Love..., conceived and choreographed by Mallika, was scripted and directed by her with Steve Mayer Miller from Australia. “We’ve created Tagore as he writes and paints, ponders and battles personal demons face-to-face with a young Tagore. Essentially, it’s about Tagore’s tender relationship with the Argentinean socialite Ocampo when he was 63. We must face the fact that Tagore was as vulnerable and lonely person as any of us are; why should we sweep his advanced-age love-affair under the carpet? I drew the material from Ketaki Kushari Dyson’s In My Blossoming Flower Garden and injected other characters, especially the women in his life,” comments Mallika. Tom Altar, who plays Tagore, describes pithily his acting experience, “A glance at Tagore — catching him almost unaware — bare — there but not there — catching the vast beauty and tragedy of his life in a subtle storm of words, music, dance and drama — for me an uplifting challenge...”

Mallika’s summing up of Tagore is illuminating, “I view him and his works always with cross-connections. His poems impinge on his philosophy, his essays colour his plays, his stories impact on his paintings. There’s much too much looking at Tagore only from one genre’s angle. Again, I’m happy working on him on a global canvas because Tagore himself was a global man. He was not scared to mingle globally, without wearing his Indianness on his shirt’s sleeve!”

The Pioneer, 3rd January 2012

Two bird sanctuaries in Gautam Budha Nagar district are all set to get a makeover in the New Year.

The Okhla Bird Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Noida will, this year, become a true green picnic destination. The Noida authority has approved a draft proposal prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun. The state government has also allocated R60 crore for the development of Surajpur Wetland and Bio-diversity Park in Greater Noida.

Divisional forest officer B Prabhakar told Hindustan Times, “The Noida authority will first clean the park to make room for new plantation. It will build two watch towers. An interpretation centre will be set up to educate and inform visitors about the birds. The project estimated to cost R15 crore will be completed by March.”

Visitors will also be able to have a cup of coffee and snacks at the sanctuary. A food corner is being developed under the new management plan. Besides, introduction of battery powered vehicles inside the campus will reduce pollution.

A designated bird sanctuary, the Okhla bird park is spread over 3.5 sqkm area. It was notified by the state government as a bird sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 in 1990.

The government has also started work on development of the Surajpur park. “The Greater Noida Industrial Development

Authority has started work on the project. It will be Uttar Pradesh’s 13th bird sanctuary to be developed on 330 hectares of forest land near Surajpur,” said Prabhakar.

The authority is working on putting in place green belts. The park has more than 11 lakh trees and 50,000 smaller plants and shrubs.

Of the total area of the park, developed along the Surajpur lake, more than 100 hectares account for wetlands. About a dozen new lakes are being developed. The state government has signed an agreement with various central and international agencies to develop 330 hectares of area into a bird sanctuary. The area was already home to wild animals and birds.

Hindustan Times, 3rd January 2012

For those living near centrally protected monuments, here is some good news at the beginning of 2012.

The authorities have finally taken steps to come up with ‘model heritage byelaws’ for two monuments in Delhi, which will the pave way for other such structures, not just in Delhi but also
across India.

The heritage byelaws include matters relating to heritage controls such as elevations, facades, drainage systems, roads and service infrastructure (including electric poles, water and sewer pipelines) for areas around such monuments.

Delhi has 174 Archeological Survey of India protected monuments, mostly situated in south Delhi areas such as Hauz Khas, Green Park, Nizamuddin, South Extension, Mehrauli and Malviya Nagar.
Scores of citizens residing around the monuments are having a harrowing time as authorities have held up their applications for repairs/renovation (for properties falling within 0-100 metres of monuments) and new constructions (for those in 101-300 metres of monuments) citing absence of heritage byelaws. No new construction is allowed within 100 metres.

Only with the heritage byelaws in place can the National Monument Authority (NMA) clear any proposals for properties within 0-300 metres.

The ASI has finally roped in the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), an NGO in the field of conservation, for preparing heritage byelaws. ASI’s joint director general Dr BR Mani has been appointed as a competent authority under Section 20(e) of the Archeological Act, amended in March, 2010, and would be acting as a coordinator for getting heritage byelaws done.

“We have identified Begumpuri Masjid and Khairul-Manzil for preparing model heritage byelaws on priority basis. A formal agreement between the ASI and INTACH will be signed soon,” said an INTACH official.

But even when the model heritage byelaws are prepared, the process would be fairly time consuming. INTACH will submit it to Delhi’s competent authority, who will submit it to the NMA.

Hindustan Times, 3rd January 2012

A former cantonment and Civil and Military Station after 1881, Bangalore has roads named according to military conventions such as Artillery Road, Brigade Road, Infantry Road, Cavalry Road (now Kamaraj Road), South Parade Road (now MG Road) and Commissariat Road.

The cantonment area was administered by a Resident and his quarters was called the Residency and therefore, Residency Road.

There are at least two roads named after famous battles, Assaye Road and Meanee Avenue Road. Both these roads meet like a fork near the Ulsoor Lake.

Assaye Road, the longer of the two roads, begins near the junction where Wheeler Road, Robertson Road and Buddha Vihar Road meet near Cox Town. It was named after the famous Battle of Assaye. Assaye is a small village in the Jalna district of Maharashtra. The village was the location of the Battle of Assaye in 1803, fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company.

The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company. It took place on September 23, 1803 where an outnumbered Indian and British force under the command of Major General Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) defeated a combined Confederacy army of Daulat Scindia and the Raja of Berar. The battle was the Duke of Wellington’s first major victory and one he later described as his finest accomplishment on the battlefield. Assaye was seen as a decisive battle in the establishment of British influence and power in Central India and established Wellesley’s reputation in India.

Meanee Avenue Road is named after the Battle of Meanee (also spelt Miani). The Battle of Meanee (February 17, 1843) was a battle between British forces under Sir Charles Napier and the Talpur Amirs of Sindh, Pakistan. Sir Charles defeated the Baluchi army.

The British were upset about the local amirs’ stance during the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–42). After Napier initially gained military control of the region by forcing an agreement with the Sindh Amirs, his forces attacked the fortress at Imamgarh. After the attack on Imamgarh, a popular revolt broke out, the Battle of Miani (also known as Meanee by the British) was the decisive victory that led to the British annexation of Sindh (excluding the state of Khairpur).

But why were these two lesser known battles chosen as names for roads in Bangalore? The answer lies in the fact that these battles were associated with the Madras Engineering Group (MEG) or Madras Sappers as they are popularly known. Bangalore Cantonment used to be under Madras Sappers. Even now Assaye Road is surrounded by military vestiges. To this day, the soliders of the Madras Sappers carry the badge of Assaye along with the elephant which symbolises this battle. In the Meanee Battle, the Sappers routed the Muslim Sindh rulers.

The MEG is headquartered close to these roads near Ulsoor Lake. The soldiers of the MEG or ‘thambis’ as they are known accompanied the British Army in their colonial conquest by helping them clear hurdles by building bridges, digging trenches and forming pathways.

Today, this area is largely multicultural and this is reflected in the institutions found on this road, including the Bengali Association and the Sindhi Association. There is also a Sindhi Colony given to Sindhi refugees who had fled empty handed from Pakistan during the partition. At the other end of Assaye Road, close to Ulsoor lake, is a building complex run by the Sree Narayana Samithi established in 1976 in memory of Narayana Guru, a religious leader who preached oneness of mankind. In 1895, when Narayana Guru visited Bangalore as a guest of one of his disciples called Dr Palppu, he was known to go for walks. During one such walk, the Guru would pause and rest at a spot close to the Ulsoor lake. The Samithi’s prayer hall is located at the very spot.

A giant battle tank stands majestically overlooking the Ulsoor Lake, where the Assaye Road and Meanee Avenue Roads join, as a reminder of the MEG participation in the World War II. The MEG Sappers fought for the British in North Africa in World War II. The M5A1 Stuart tank first appeared in combat in North Africa in early 1943. It served as the standard light tank for reconnaissance forces until 1945.

Deccan Herald, 3rd January 2012

A high-level government panel has favoured resuming iron ore mining in eco-sensitive Western Ghats, notwithstanding relentless opposition from environmentalists who consider mining a preposterous proposition in the region.

A committee headed by Steel Secretary P K Mishra has recommended the resumption of iron ore mining in Western Ghats to meet the demand for ore from domestic steel makers. The committee was constituted to make recommendations on steel sector for the 12th Five Year Plan.

The report said since around 10 billion tonnes of Magnetite or natural iron ore (with greater than 60 per cent iron content) reserves were available in Western Ghats, it could be explored if it would meet the demand from steel making companies. Around 8 billion tonnes of this ore deposit is expected to be found in Karnataka.

The Steel Ministry’s suggestion came in the background of strong demand by domestic steel companies to allow iron ore mining in unexplored areas to meet the current requirement after the stoppage of mining in Bellary district in Karnataka following reports of large-scale illegal mining and over exploitation of the resource.

India produced about 208 million tonnes of iron ore in 2010-11, and half of quality ore was exported. In 2011-12, it will require 115 mt of iron ore for the projected production of 73.7 mt of steel. In next five years, around 206 mt of ore is required to produce the projected 125.9 mt of steel. To meet the targeted steel production, the Steel Ministry is of the opinion that allowing mining in unexplored areas is viable.

Iron ore mining was banned in the Western Ghats after the Supreme Court order in 2005 preventing public sector undertaking Kudremukh Iron Ore Company from mining at Kudremukh in Chikmagalur district for environmental reasons.

Deccan Herald, 3rd January 2012

B V Prakash treks along the stretch of sea between Gokarna and Kumta in Karnataka and discovers many pristine, hidden beaches, from the Om beach to the Paradise beach.

For the avid adventurer, there are several opportunities to trek across the mountains of Western Ghats.

The region is varied in terms of topography. But have you ever wondered if you could trek on a terrain that is devoid of steep ascents and descents? Especially along the sea? It sure is possible, what with a coastline of more than 300 km running alongside the western flank of the hills in the State.

It is not only a comfortable and novel way of trekking, but rewards you with the joy of discovering lesser-known and hidden beaches. With the aim of exploring a few unobtrusive beaches and walking along them, I chose a stretch of the sea between Gokarna and Kumta.

Landing in Gokarna, famous for the temple of Mahabaleshwara, I found it bustling yet festive. To escape the crowd, I at once embarked on my beach trek even though it was well into the afternoon.

Heading to Om beach six km away, I strolled southwards. At a kilometre is the spring of Ramteertha, said to be a holy spot. The temple has a unique image of Garuda. Further up a clear wide path took me to the first hidden beach called Kudle. This crescent-shaped beach is not without tourists. In fact, as the Goan beaches get packed with tourists, an increasing number of foreign visitors head to this spot. As I walked beyond a small hillock, the sun went down along the Arabian sea.

Though not well known and heard of till some time ago, the Om beach is a picturesque seaside. It is named so because of its appearance; the twin beaches formed by two semicircular bays look like the symbol of ‘Om’.

A few restaurants have sprung up here, following some tourist interest, but the beach is largely pristine. A few boats can be seen anchored here ready to take visitors on a ride across the sea. I sauntered along the beach and over a moderate elevation to get an aerial view. The path led me further into the woods and landed me into a little bay enclosed by rocky outcrops on either side. The beach looks like a half-moon. It is so well hidden that you can easily pass it by.

The next beach to be discovered on my way was the Paradise beach which justifies its name in every sense of the term. With a rock cliff shielding it on one side and coconut trees on the other, it is indeed a secret beach. A couple of thatched change rooms are available here, convenient for swimmers.

The only way out from here was to climb the hillock which is not very steep and follow a trail into the dense growth of trees to reach the port town of Tadadi on the banks of the River Aghanashini joining the sea. The trek breaks here as one has to cross the river in an open boat for two rupees a person.

On the other side of the river was one very long stretch of the coast. Extending for over nine kilometres, this is aptly called the Long beach! This must be one of the longest stretches along the Arabian. It was one long sustained stroll in blissful solitude with the sea and sand stretching as far as the eye could see. Finally when this trek of over 20 km culminated at Kumta, I carried with me a bit of the sea.

Deccan Herald, 3rd January 2012

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit is going all out to ensure that the national Capital gets to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Cities.

Dikshit called a meeting of all agencies concerned to iron out the issues required for completing the formalities. The Delhi administration has already submitted the documents for inclusion of Delhi in the tentative list.

India has 28 World Heritage Sites, including three — Humayun's Tomb, Qutb Minar and Red Fort — in Delhi but not a single C.

"(Comparing) the guidelines received from the Union Ministry of Culture, there were certain lacunae in what we had projected for the city, including intangible heritage," Dikshit told HT.

"For instance, the Chandni Chowk area under Shahjahanabad," she said.

Chandni Chowk, part of Shahjahanabad, one of the nominated heritage areas, has a mix of places of worship belonging to different religions. "We were headed in one direction, the ministry (needed) something else. It was basically a coordination meet with all agencies," Dikshit added.

Officials of Ministry of Culture (government of India), Archaeological Survey of India, Delhi's own Department of Archaeology, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) and the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the not-for-profit NGO working in the field of conservation, attended the meeting.

DTTDC is the nodal agency while INTACH is to prepare the dossier to be sent to the UNESCO. Meanwhile, the ministry of culture has set up an advisory committee on the matters related to the tentative list of world heritage sites in India and make suitable recommendations.

Said AGK Menon, INTACH's Delhi chapter chief, "We have assured (Dikshit) that we would ensure that our job is done in the best possible way."

The city will have to be first enlisted in the 'tentative list' of World Heritage Cities of the UNESCO, after which the actual procedure for recognition is initiated by the world body.


Hindustan Times, 4th January 2012

EPCH conducts two-day awareness programme on various statutory compliances for handicrafts’ exports

In the face of stiff competition and for sustained exports to USA and European Union, the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) organised a two-day seminar on various statutory compliances for the awareness of handicrafts exporters at Niryat Bhawan recently.

The seminar was a part of the series of awareness-cum-training programme being organised by EPCH at major craft clusters in India to enlighten and educate the producers, exporters and entrepreneurs connected with the handicrafts business on various aspects of statutory compliances required to be fulfilled for exports of handicrafts to various destinations in the world.

Of late, the world market is changing very fast and new standards are being enforced by the importing nations for compliance by the supplying nations. These standards are over and above the ones for quality, presentation, price, design and technology. Importing corporates, large buying houses and big importers have now adopted corporate code of conduct for sense of responsibility with regard to safety, health, environment and labour. There are standards now for certain basic formalities to be completed before purchase of products for sale in USA and European Union.

EPCH has been doing pioneering work in improving the quality, design, manufacturing techniques, presentation and packaging of handicrafts items to suit the international market. EPCH has also set up Common Facility Centres (CFCs) to help the producers and exporters of handicrafts in producing international quality products. Indians are already facing competition from countries like China, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, Turkey and Hong Kong. The compliances to be fulfilled for exports broadly cover occupational health, safety relating to product groups like furniture, wooden items, decorative pieces, ceramics like glass and jewellery. In case, the products exported do not fulfill the standards laid down, the supplies are rejected.

In India, producers and exporters are not fully aware of the stipulations laid down by the importing nations. They are also not aware about the systems and procedures required to be completed in fulfilling the compliances of such standards. As a result, the exports from India are not able to go as fast as it may be possible. EPCH has, therefore, decided to organise the series of awareness-cum-training programmes.

Eminent international organisation like TUV Rheinland India Pvt Ltd is collaborating with EPCH in providing faculties and experts to train the participating companies on the aspect of compliance of International standards. It is expected that as a result of training provided at these programmes, the exporting community will be enlightened on the need for compliance and the methods and procedures required for these purposes. This will help in accelerating the growth of exports.

The seminar was attended by over 52 exporters drawn from the northern region of handicrafts business. SK Pande, retired director general of Forests, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Rana Alok Singh of Ethical Trade Initiative, I Mallikarjuna, Fair Trade Forum, Manoj Shrivastava, lead auditor-URS and Ghanshyam Lal Vyas from TUV Rheinland were the main speakers at the seminar.

The exports of handicrafts which have been rising on a sustained basis till 2006-07 started declining in 2007-08 and 2008-09. However, during 2009-10, the exports started picking up. The trend is now continuing. It is expected that the growth in the year 2011-12 will be good. In eight months of the year (April-November 2011-12), the growth in overall exports of handicrafts has been more than two per cent.


The Pioneer, 5th January 2012

Tamil Nadu and Kerala will submit their suggestions for the construction and management of a new dam at Mullaperiyar over the next few days to the Supreme Court-appointed Empowered Committee examining the issue.

Their responses would be among the various proposals that the Empowered Committee would be considering to resolve the dispute that has led to heated politics in the neighbouring southern states for the past few weeks.

Despite Tamil Nadu's opposition to construction of a new dam, the Empowered Committee, headed by former CJI A S Anand, has asked the two states to come back with their response on the proposed structure.

Kerala sources said the state government was preparing to file its response by Friday. CMOommen Chandy said in Thiruvananthapuram that Kerala was open to a joint control, by the two states and the Centre, of the proposed new dam.

The Empowered Committee's move comes even as its two-member technical panel has said the Mullaperiyar dam is safe, raising the hackles of Kerala government.

The two technical members - former secretary in ministry of water resources C D Thatte and ex-chief engineer in central water commission D K Mehta - submitted their report on Tuesday following their visit to the dam site. They said the tremors in the dam site haven't had any impact on the two days in the catchment area.

Kerala government is pushing ahead with its demand for a new dam, citing the recurring earthquakes in the dam site as well as studies that warn an earthquake measuring over 6 points on Richter scale earthquake could lead to a dam burst. But, the technical panel's report has queered Kerala government's pitch.

The Empowered Committee, also comprising former SC judges K T Thomas and A R Lakshmanan, has asked the Geological Survey of India (GSI) for a report on the number and intensity of recent earthquakes in and around the dam.

The move is prompted by complaints by Kerala that there have been around 25 earthquakes there, while Tamil Nadu claim that they are all mostly mild tremors. The GSI report is expected in a month's time, sources said.

The Empowered Committee plans to submit its report to the SC by mid-February, but the persistent acrimony and new aspects added for consideration, could alter its schedule.

Times of India, 5th January 2012

Hopes of a new railway bridge adjacent to the historic Purana Pul across Yamuna have been raised. In the new plan submitted to the National Monuments Authority, there will be no damage to the Salimgarh Fort and a bit of realignment will facilitate the construction of the much awaited new railway bridge over Yamuna. “After umpteen numbers of objections put by ASI for over a decade, the less than a year old organization, National Monuments Authority (NMA), set up in March 2011, has considered the railways’ new realignment plan.

This new alignment will not at all touch or affect the premises of Salimgarh Fort against the earlier plan when railways had no option except to damage a part of the fort. We are expecting the plan to get approval by February end this year and work will begin in mid-March. The new bridge is targeted to be ready by mid 2014,” said Northern Railway General Manager SK Budhlakoti.

The railways and other agencies involved in execution of the project have expedited it since for the last two monsoon seasons, the bridge had remained the parameter during the floods and prolonged inundation of the piers has further weakened the structure. A new tender will be floated against the existing old tender. “We can only work for three months before the rains begin and then will have to resume in October-November. All other technicalities involved in the construction of bridge have been done. We are only waiting for the positive response from the NMA,” Budhlakoti told The Pioneer.

The bridge was built in 1868 by the East India Railways. Since then it was caught in the multiplicity of authority in Delhi. While the Northern Railways maintained the railway tracks and main structure of the bridge, maintenance of the road was handed over to the MCD. The bridge runs through the 16th Century monument, Salimgarh Fort and the new bridge was to be constructed within the prohibited area, 100 metres of the monument. The bridge, a crucial link connecting the Old Delhi railway station to eastern parts of the country, is used daily by over 150 trains and thousands of motorists everyday.

Over the years, the upgradation of the bridge was stuck due to objections raised by the Archaeological Survey of India as about 1,000 square metres of ASI protected land was required by the railways near the edge of Salimgarh Fort to lay tracks for the new alignment. However, the ASI had completely rejected the proposal of the new bridge via the precincts of Salimgarh Fort and had said it was impossible for them to grant permission. The National Monuments Authority was then set up in March 2011 catering only to monuments and thus railways was quick enough to approach the body. In lieu of this, the Railways have promised to give ASI land occupied by a railway colony inside the fort.

The railways had decided to decommission the old bridge almost a decade ago since it had become vulnerable for both the rail and the road commuters. Sources in the Railways said that the cost of the project may now exceed to Rs 100 crore from the existing budget of about Rs 80 crore. The historic rail-cum-road bridge since then has developed cracks in its concrete and tin sheds of the iron bridge have fallen apart. Even the railings of the walkway are broken at several places.

The Pioneer, 5th January 2012

The BJP Government in Karnataka is opposed to any sort of mining in the Western Ghats, one of the very few biodiversity hotspots in the world.

According to Karnataka Forest Minister CP Yogeshwar, the Government is firm and opposed to any intervention in the critical foliage of Western Ghats. The Minister also made it clear that the State Government would lodge a protest with the Centre in this regard.

Yogeshwar was responding to a report submitted to the Union Government by a committee headed by Steel Secretary PK Mishra, which has recommended resumption of iron ore mining in the ecosensitive Ghats. The committee was constituted to make recommendations on the steel sector for the 12th Five Year Plan.

Yogeshwar said, “The State Government opposes any such move and we will lodge our protests with the Union Ministry.”

A source in the Steel Ministry told The Pioneer that the report also notes that around 10 billion tonnes of magnetite or natural iron ore reserves are available in the Ghats, of which 8 billion tonnes are in the Karnataka Ghats alone.

The Supreme Court had banned iron ore mining in the Ghats in 2005 for environmental reasons in the case of Kudremukh Iron Ore Company.

The Western Ghats are a mountain range along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, separating the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan plateau.

The area is one of the world’s 10 biodiversity hotspots and has over 5,000 species of flowering plants, 139 mammals, 508 bird species, 179 amphibians and many undiscovered ones. At least 325 of them are globally threatened.

The Pioneer, 5th January 2012

The Maharashtra forest department has registered an offence against a company operating a wind power project in Satara for allegedly felling around 400 trees, building an illegal road, and starting a forest fire in the buffer zone of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.

The department has stopped work on the erection of new wind turbines in the forest village of Jinti in Patan taluka. The company also failed to obtain mandatory clearances from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and the National Tiger Conservation Authority to put up windmills, forest officials said.

The company, Chennai-based Pioneer Wincon Private Ltd, has said the work of putting up the windmills had been contracted to a private agency, and it is studying the alleged violations.

The case was registered on December 25 after a forest department team discovered, the day before, a road allegedly built by Pioneer Wincon in Jinti village. They also discovered the fire and tree stumps. Subsequently, some 400 trees were found to have been felled over a 10-acre area of the reserve forest along the border of the Sangli and Satara districts. Forest staff seized logs from the sheds of workers setting up the windmills.

ections under the Wildlife Protection Act and Indian Forest Act pertaining to encroachment, causing exploitation (illegal cutting of trees) and causing fire in prohibited area of forest have been invoked against the company. The reason for starting a fire at the spot, which had spread over a large area of the forest, is also being probed,” said S L Zure, assistant conservator of forests.

Indian Express, 5th January 2012

The iconic Hawa Mahal, one of the landmarks of Jaipur received its maiden bath in its 213-year old history. The monument, built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799, was washed by fire tenders to don a cleaner look for the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas meet being held here.

The clean-up drive might have removed stains deposited on the walls of this pyramid-shaped structure, but water released at high pressure did remove paint coats at some parts. Experts believe that this five-storey heritage building should have been cleaned with sponge soaked in solution of alkaline water and non-ionic soap to preserve its spectacle.

Hawa Mahal was originally conceived with the aim of enabling the ladies of the royal household to watch everyday life and royal processions in the city without being seen by others. It has 953 small casements, each with tiny lattice-worked (Jali) pink windows, small balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices. It remains to be seen how much of pink the palace is able to retain after the wash or did some of it get washed out.

Economic Times, 5th January 2012

A trust chaired by Press Council of India chairperson Justice Markandey Katju has severely criticised a proposed move by Municipal Corporation of Delhi to rename Chandni Chowk after Sachin Tendulkar.

The Dr K.N. Katju Memorial Trust, which is chaired by Markandey Katju, has shot off a letter to Delhi Mayor Rajni Abbi opposing any such proposal.

The letter stated that any move to rename Chandni Chowk was an insult to the cultural heritage of the country.

“In today’s newspapers we have read news that you plan to change the name of Chandni Chowk to Sachin Tendulkar Chowk! This is a most objectionable and ridiculous move of yours,” the letter says.

“Chandni Chowk was built by Shahjehan, the Emperor, and by changing the name you are going to do a great disservice to the history of this great old city,” the letter added.

The MCD had on Tuesday claimed that the civic agency had received several representations from hundreds of people to honour Tendulkar by renaming Chandni Chowk after him.

“Chandni Chowk is a part of the cultural heritage of India. By changing its name you will be insulting our great old cultural heritage,” the letter claimed.

“Hope you will take seriously our letter of dissent and protest and not do the exercise of changing name of Chandni Chowk to Sachin Tendulkar Chowk,” the Trust’s letter written by its secretary general Harish Bhalla said.

The advisory council of Dr K.N. Katju Memorial Trust includes Fali S. Nariman, Ram Jethmalani, Justice B.S. Chauhan, Justice A.K. Patnaik, Justice S.K. Kaul, Justice G.S. Sistani and Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi besides Team Anna member Shanti Bhushan.

Asian Age, 5th January 2012

Three months after the Chandni Mahal building collapse that claimed seven lives, a trial court has asked Delhi Police and MCD to evolve a mechanism for ensuring safety of old buildings that face the risk of collapse due to unauthorized construction or demolition in it or in an adjacent building.

Special CBI Judge A K Mendiratta also asked the MCD and Delhi Police commissioners to hold their officials accountable for any unauthorized constructions or demolitions that take place in the areas under their jurisdiction.

"Irrespective of the investigation in the present case (of Chandni Mahal building collapse), it needs to be ensured by MCD and police that in cases of unauthorized demolition and construction of old structures, some preventive action is immediately taken to ensure the safety of adjacent buildings to avoid loss of precious lives," the court said. "To ensure safety of buildings adjacent to those under unauthorized construction, some modalities and guidelines need to be laid down and followed by the commissioner MCD in consultation with commissioner of Police, Delhi, to ensure timely action where unauthorized demolition and construction of buildings is carried," the court said.

The court's order came while dismissing the bail plea of contractor Jalaluddin, arrested for hi

 criminal culpability in the September 2011 collapse of an old building in the Chandni Mahal area due to ongoing work in the adjacent structure.

The court also sought a probe into the role of local police and MCD officials in the Chandni Mahal building collapse. "The role of the local police, which remained silent till the entire building was demolished, also needs to be looked into to prevent similar incidents wherein precious lives were lost," the court said.

While rejecting Jalaluddin's bail and his contention of getting parity with co-accused Anil who ha

 already been granted bail, the court said, "The case of the applicant cannot be said to be analogous to Anil as the applicant was the contractor and the demolition of the adjacent structure had been carried out without ensuring the structural safety of the other parts of the building."

Times of India, 5th January 2012

Blinding fog, which enveloped the city late on Wednesday night, claimed a BPO employee's life in the wee hours of Thursday. In another freak accident, a businessman's car rammed into the main gate of Safdarjung's tomb, knocking it down. The driver, a resident of Greater Kailash, has been arrested

The incident took place around 10.30pm near Tughlak Road. The accused, identified as Bharat Arora, was coming from Lodhi Colony and heading towards Paschim Vihar area to drop a friend. As the visibility was low, he missed the right turn near the tomb and rammed into the gate. Due to the strong impact, the gate broke

Fortunately, Arora escaped unhurt. But the car was badly damaged in the crash, said cops. Passersby rushed to the driver's rescue and informed the police. Eyewitnesses said that the car was speeding and the driver missed the turn due to the fog

"We received a call around 10.30pm and rushed to the spot. Although the driver was safe, we conducted his medical examination to check for alcohol presence. However, he tested negative. He has been booked for rash and negligent driving and a case has been registered under appropriate sections of IPC," said a senior police officer from New Delhi district.Around three hours later, a 29

year-old BPO employee was killed after his bike was hit by a car in Chirag Delhi area of South Delhi. The deceased was identified as Sujoy Vats, a resident of Vasundhara in Ghaziabad

The incident took place around 1am on Outer Ring Road near Masjid Moth. A resident of Greater Kailash, Umang Aggarwal, was behind the wheels, police said. Blinded by the thick envelope of fog, the accused did not notice the biker on time, said cops. "We received a call around 1am about the incident from a passerby. The victim was rushed to the hospital where he was declared brought dead. The driver has been booked for causing death due to negligence and rash driving and has been arrested. The accident cell will further probe the case," said a senior police officer

Vats was going home after work from his office in Sainik Farms.

Times of India, 6th January 2012

The expert committee on highly controversial Setusamundram project is believed to have favoured diversion in the Palk Strait sea channel route to save the mythological “Ram Setu” from any damage while the Supreme Court on Thursday set a deadline of eight weeks for filing the report by the panel

While stating that whether the “Ram Setu” be declared a national monument would only be decided after the report is received from the committee headed by P.C. Pachauri, a bench of Justices H.L. Dattu and C.K. Prasad asked the panel to adhere to the eight-week deadline

Additional solicitor general Haren Raval informed the bench that the expert committee has submitted “executive summary” of the much-awaited report to the government on December 29, 2011

“I have requested the chairman to clarify whether the report has taken into account the views of all the members of the expert committee. But he has not yet responded and we have written him again,” Mr Raval said without divulge any details about the contents of the summary

However, sources indicated that the expert committee had “veered around the view” that the mythological Ram Setu should not be touched in digging the sea channel for ship in the Palk Strait and it be dug through an alternative route as had been suggested earlier

Even the apex court earlier had asked the government to examine the “viability” of the alternative route in order to save Ram Setu, to which sentiments of millions of Hindus were attached

Meanwhile, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy, one of several petitioners in the case, raised the issue of declaring Ram Setu as national heritage monument but the bench said this would only be considered after receiving the report of the experts

Even the government is yet to file an affidavit in response to Swamy’s plea for declaring Ram Setu as national monument as it was waiting for the report of the expert panel

Though the apex court had reserved its verdict two years ago on a bunch of petition challenging the project through the existing route, which was bound to damage the Ram Setu, believed to have been built by Lord Ram to invade Lanka to fee his wife Sita, the government in order to avoid any “adverse order” had offered to refer the matter to the expert panel at the last moment

Despite fixing of repeated deadlines by the court for submission of the report, the panel has taken its own time to go into the highly controversial issue

The Asian Age, 6th January 2012

When you are a part of the ruling party even a wildlife sanctuary is not out of bounds for holding a political gathering

As loudspeakers blared for hours, over 100 members of the BJP’s Ladli Laxmi Yojana Prakoshta met at Chidikho Sanctuary in Narsinghgarh on Wednesday. The forest department not only looked the other way but also facilitated parking of vehicles, without charging any fee for most of them.

“We were looking for a place close to the nature because we often meet in Bhopal, which is noisy,” said the cell’s state chief Seema Singh, finding nothing wrong in holding a meet in a prohibited place. “How could it be illegal when everybody knew that we were preparing for it for more than a month,” she reasoned when told that no permission had been taken.

“Even if they had asked we would not have given permission,” said DFO (Rajgarh) K P Bangar.
Ladli Laxmi is a pet scheme of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who makes it a point to mention it in all his public meetings.

Singh’s cell has been given the task of enrolling one lakh beneficiaries of the scheme as BJP members.

Beneficiaries of government schemes are persuaded to join the BJP at Hitgrahi Sammelan that are often organised in the state.
The sanctuary meet involved office-bearers of six districts that make Bhopal division and resolved to bring more and more people to the party fold. Besides office-bearers about 50 beneficiaries were also present.

Bioara Congress MLA Purushottam Dangi alleged that no money was charged from any of the vehicles that had BJP flags.

“It was a blatant misuse of power,” he alleged.While the local forest staff admitted that no money was charged, Bangar insisted that the vehicles of only public representatives were let in free because protocol demanded it.

Indian Express, 6th January 2012

This almost 'three centuries old' banyan tree could have been a proud showcase for the national Capital’s natural heritage, similar to the 250-year-old Great Banyan Tree at Kolkata's Botanical Garden. However, thanks to apathy of the government agencies concerned and negligence by the local community, the banyan tree at the T-junction of Tughlaqabad village road and Mehrauli Badarpur road, stands in a pitiable condition today with a poor canopy and diseased trunk

Selling helmets besides this tree, Dharam Pal, a Tughlaqabad villager, recalled, "My grandfather used to tell me the canopy was twice bigger." The tree's girth is 28 feet 7 inches, an indication of the age of the tree

Road agency, the Public Works Department (PWD) has choked it with paved tiles leaving hardly any space for aeration of roots

The tiles were placed ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2010. The tree hardly has any hanging aerial roots, characteristic of banyan trees

Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, a former MLA from Tughlaqabad, said, "We used to play on and around the hanging aerial roots of this tree. These vanished when the present road was widened.

"I wrote to several agencies about its poor condition but no one paid any attention,” pointed out Shikharchand Jain, a property dealer

According to Subhash Chandra, former director (horticulture) of New Delhi Municipal Council, "The tree is deprived of nutrition support and nourishment from the soil due to paving.

PWD's Sudhir Kumar agreed, "There are guidelines that needs to be followed about leaving breathing space for trees. We will look into the matter." He, however, blamed the forest department for the poor health of the tree

"Our concern permission for pruning or tree cutting, when sought. Health of the tree is entirely their (PWD's) responsibility," said DM Shukla, chief conservator of forests

Ajay Mahajan of NGO Kalpavriksha, suggested, "Tiles around the tree trunk need to be removed. Neem oil cakes and neem oil spray can be used to treat termites and other pests.

Hindustan Times, 6th January 2012

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale would be a hub of Indian and international art hitherto unseen in this country — this was the promise when word first spread about India’s first biennale in 2010.

In February 2011, artists Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu officially announced that the biennale would be taking place at various venues in Kochi, Kerala.

India’s art world went into an anticipatory tizzy. Since then, however, the project has run into a series of controversies, though Krishnamachari and Komu, co-founders of the event, say that preparations are on track and the dates and curatorial concept will be announced during the India Art Fair in Delhi later this month.

A group of artists from Kerala has demanded a probe into the manner in which the biennale is being planned. “The government has sanctioned Rs 73.2 crore for the project; this is a huge amount,” says artist Ajit Kumar. Joining him in the protest are CL Porinjukutty, former principal of the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, art historian KC Chithrabhanu and artists KK Rajappan, NN Rimzon, Tensing Joseph and Shibu Natesan. They have called for a “vigilance probe” into the granting of crores of rupees to the Kochi Biennale Foundation by the previous Left Democratic Front government of Kerala. “There seems to be a misappropriation of funds. Funds for the biennale have been given from those sanctioned for the Muziris heritage project,” says Kumar.

In response to questions sent by The Indian Express, the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) issued a statement: “It was never the case that the entire budget was expected to come from government funds, and the government never had any such provision. A split between state, centre and sponsorship was discussed, and a breakdown along those lines seemed likely but it was never demanded or agreed.” The Foundation adds, “Our accounts are independently audited and were submitted to the government on December 27. These account for the full Rs 5 crore received from the government till now, of which Rs 3.5 crore was spent on the renovation of Durbar Hall.”

The century-old Durbar Hall is one of the locations where the biennale will be held. After months of renovation, the Hall was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in November 2011. Impressed, he called it “Asia’s best gallery”, but Lantern, an artist’s association in Kerala, accused KBF of misusing funds allocated for renovation.

“I am told that except for new lighting, false walls and split air conditioners, no fundamental renovation has taken place. It seems unlikely that Rs 3.5 crore was spent on this,” alleges art critic Johny ML.

The Kochi battleground, meanwhile, is complex with locals artists up in arms against KBF. “We are not against the biennale, but we are protesting against irregularities by the government and the Foundation. It is a private trust using public money without any accountability. The project talks about the allotment of Rs 15 crore for 10 sculptures, yet there is no detail about the artwork. The organisers should have discussions and seminars in Kerala, where experts are called in to discuss the biennale,” says NN Rimzon. The Foundation, however, insists that they have had “long, frequent discussions with several artists from Kerala, many of them respected and senior”. “We have also invited some of them, including those who are now criticising us, to join us as advisors,” states the KBF.

All eyes are now on the India Art Fair, and the promised announcement of the biennale’s final plans.

Indian Express, 6th January 2012

At a time when discarding old identities and renaming streets and buildings have almost become a rule, Delhi’s oldest higher education institution has reclaimed a vital link to its past. On January 7, the Zakir Husain College, located opposite the Ramlila Maidan, was formally given back its old name, the Delhi College. It is now called the Zakir Husain Delhi College.

The 300-year-old institution, inextricably associated with the city’s turbulent past as well as its socio-cultural renaissance, has been a perfect ground for myths to be born and nurtured. Legend has it that Mirza Ghalib once came to the institution to be part of its faculty and as the principal did not come to personally escort him inside, he left fuming. Principal Dr M Aslam Parvaiz feels that like all myths, this, too, is not without exaggeration. However, he says, stories such as these are based on facts recorded in the college’s glorious past.

“In the past, it wasn’t perceived as a minority institution. It was known as an institution propagating scientific temperament and women’s empowerment,” he says, citing the example of the Vernacular Society that was set up here in 1832 and translated scientific treatises and classics into Urdu. “Teachers like Master Ramchandra and Maulavi Zakaullah translated 60 treatises on physics and mathematics into Urdu,” he says.

The building where this history was created and that housed the college till the late 80s is a red stone heritage structure outside the Ajmeri Gate with Mughal arches, dalans and lofty ceilings. Old timers still refer to it as the Delhi College and it continues to function as a hostel and school associated with the college.

In the closing years of the 17th century, the madrasa was founded by Ghaziuddin Khan, one of the commanders of Aurangzeb and the father of the first king of Asaf Jahi dynasty of Hyderabad. The building is located close to the dargah of the 13th century Sufi, Hazrat Hafiz Sadullah. Besides a mosque and sprawling garden, the complex also has the tomb of its founder. The weakening of the Mughal empire and lack of funds led to its closer in the 1790s, but soon, it was reopened as an oriental college for literature, science and art. An endowment in 1829 by the wazir of Awadh further strengthened it. By then it was already recognised by the British East India Company government as the Anglo Arabic College. Dr Sprenger, then principal, started the college press and also the first college periodical in 1845. However, after the Revolt of 1857, when the college was located for sometime inside Dara Shikoh’s library at Kashmere Gate, the British authorities temporarily closed it down suspecting the loyalties of its teachers and students.

“ In 1845, of the 460 students, 245 were learning the English language,” says Prof Parvaiz, who himself was a student of the Anglo-Arabic School and Delhi College, besides being part of the faculty for 25 years.

Between 1864 and 1871, intermediate, BA and MA classes were started. The college was famous for the quality of education it imparted, so much so that it was mentioned in the two-volume ‘The Travels of a Hindoo to various parts of Bengal and Upper Indi

The Partition saw the college being attacked with staff members risking their lives to save the library. “The building was declared an evacuee property and Dr Zakir Husain was instrumental in the college getting it back. To commemorate his contribution, it was renamed Zakir Husain College in 1975. However, for those of us associated with the college the change of name was like being robbed of an identity,” says Dr Parvaiz who has been instrumental in convincing the Delhi University and Union Human Resource Development Ministry in renaming the institution. The other major step taken to safeguard its past has been establishing an archive within the college in 2008 with thousands of documents and visuals — a first in the university.

The faculty has boasted of names such as Bhisham Sahni and Safdar Hashmi. The long alumni list has Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Liaqat Ali Khan, Ali Sardar Jafri, Gopi Chand Narang, Sikandar Bakht, J N Dixit, Dr P K Dave and many others.

For those associated with the college, its history is part of a cherished memory. A retired teacher who taught Bengali here for 41 years recalls that during the Republic Day parade in 1962 when the armed forces were posted on the India-China border, the Delhi University contingent was led by Delhi College Principal Mirza Mahmood Begg.

“Renaming the college is thus just another step to revisit its glorious past and build an equally bright future,” says Dr Parvaiz.

Indian Express, 8th January 2012

Artist Sanjay Bhattacharya talks to Ritika Arora about his latest artworks and why he chose to paint Leh-Ladakh and Varanasi

The splendid snow-capped mountains, mesmerising landscapes, cascading waterfalls and historic Buddhist monasteries — he captured them all through his lens when he travelled to Leh and Ladakh. But Sanjay Bhattacharya is no photographer, it’s just a hobby for him. He is an established name in the Indian art circuit, someone who practices realism as a genre of art. The 53-year-old artist is all set to showcase his solo exhibition of newfangled striking artworks based on the theme — Visions In Space 2012 after a gap of five years.

“Not that I was sitting idle during this period. I was travelling and participated in group shows and did a few installations,” says Kolkata-based Bhattacharya. For the exhibition, he has painted the beauty of ghats, river banks, temples and beautiful sunsets of Varanasi. The artist claims his forthcoming show will be as big as it was in 2006, the last time he did a solo. “I’m going to display 30 novel art-pieces — six oil on canvas paintings, eight water colour paintings, 10 still photographs and rest are sketches and figuratives,” he shares.

Bhattacharya says that the success of exhibition in 2006 helped him carve a niche for himself in the art world and he then decided to plan this show. “But as life was becoming boring and monotonous, I needed change so I planned a trip, first to Leh and Ladakh and then Varanasi. After returning, I painted what I saw and captured through my camera.” Sharing details about his maiden journey to Leh-Ladakh by road, Bhattacharya says, “I’ve been there before and was mesmerised by the beauty of the place. On the last trip, in 2008 with a few friends, I clicked a lot of photos, both of the landscapes and the lifestyle of people.”

Recalling an incident from the journey, he narrates, “On way to Ladakh, we stopped our car near adhaba for a break of hot tea and Maggi. It was there that I spotted four white spots on one of the snow-scapped mountains. Soon I realised they were huge waterfalls. As the view was divine, we decided to visit it but the journey took us close to 10 hours. When we reached there, we felt as if we were in heaven. We sat there silently and observed the beauty of the place. We also noticed a few houses located near the waterfalls so we went there only to return impressed by the clean environs, the credit for which goes to the people staying there. After returning, I painted the view on a canvas.”

Bhattacharya next made a journey to Varanasi as it is one of his favourite cities. “During my last trip that lasted three days, I spent most of the time on a boat. I observed nature: sunrise, sunset, the beauty of the ghats, how people, especially the priests worship and the view of floating diyasin the river early in the morning. Whenever I visit the city, I feel the time has stopped. Through my paintings, I try to revive the olden days of Varanasi. Though the city has changed a lot over the years, I’ve read a lot about it in books and have a fair idea as to how it was back then,” says the artist.

On using varied colours in his paintings, Bhattacharya says that he has given special emphasis on white as it signifies peace and tranquility. Asked why he chose these two cities, the artist shares, “Varanasi has always been close to my heart while the trip to Leh-Ladakh was one of my best travel experiences. Also, the two have a lot of similarities but a set of differences too.”

Bhattacharya concludes by saying one must visit these two places and admire their beauty. “Through my artworks, I’ll provide art- lovers a glimpse of the heavenly places. That’s the reason I’ve kept the theme as Visions In Space 2012,” he says. The exhibition, begins January 25 and ends February 28, at Aarushi Arts Gallery Mall.

-The Pioneer, 9th January 2012

Harsh winters are a nightmare for the homeless in Delhi as they spend sleepless nights amongst thugs, vagrants and vagabonds in the night shelters, says R.V. Smith

Like the ancient watchmen waiting for dawn, the shelterless in Delhi's winter also wait with impatience for the night to end. One spent a few hours with them in a Rain Basera near Tehra Bairam Khan some years ago and the experience was a painful revelation. Ram Lakhan was a labourer who pulled carts loaded with grain in the anaj mandi. His wife and children lived in Baghpat. When the sun went down he had dal-roti at a wayside dhaba and then headed for the NGO-run shelter. He had a blanket, half of which he spread on the ground and covered himself with the other half, over which he put his tattered coat and lay down to sleep, using an arm as a pillow.

Near him lay an old man coughing and sneezing. His name was Kanahiya Lal and he had no family. He spent the day in seeking alms at different temples, from which he spent two rupees on his supper. The rest of the money, mostly loose change, he tied to his dhoti lest someone should steal it.

Kishori had once been a tailor but became deranged when he went home one night and found someone in bed with his wife. He walked out of the house and never returned to it. To make ends meet he worked at a dry cleaner's shop doing “rafoo” (darning) work. Sharvan sold bananas for a living and though he spent his nights in the Basera was mortally afraid of losing his earnings to thieves, of whom there were many around.

A STRANGE TALE

Banarsi Das was a drug addict and in a stupor most of the time. The man sitting nearby was an alcoholic. He worked as a mason and had a number of tales to tell. Once he was returning after white-washing a house. It had become late in the evening and his way lay through a dirt patch (where a mall has come up now) when out of the mud emerged a form which soon took the shape of a weird man. The apparition stood up and asked him why he had cut the barghat (banyan) sprig that had sprouted up on a house wall while cleaning it on a Saturday. He replied that the owner wanted it removed. “And you did not refuse?” said the deformed one accosting him. “How could I?” he replied. “Then bear the consequences”, said his tormentor and disappeared. After that, Banarsi Das became ill and did not work for a month. A kind grocer took pity on him and fed him throughout his illness and also took him to a maulvi who exorcised him. One doesn't know if his illness was due to a curse or the effect of strong drink but he insisted that his tale was true.

A young man named Khalid, who was an orphan, said the Rain Basera was a filthy place with mattresses infected with lice and bugs (khatmal). Most of them bore urine, semen, vomit stains and faeces, so he preferred to sit through the night, drinking from a half bottle of rum, which he bought from the money he earned as a signboard painter. His companion was also an orphan, just 12 years old, who too preferred to sit rather than sleep. He said some destitutes were in the habit of assaulting boys his age while they slept. Khalid nodded, saying that he knew this to be true as the men were sex-starved, with wives far away or with no women in their lives.

Once a mad woman took refuge in a Rain Basera and so many pounced on her that the poor wretch nearly died. Khilawan spoke about the misery that winter brought to folks like him. If you lie in the open you might not get up alive in the morning. So many vagrants who went to sleep after consuming liquor were found frozen and their bodies carted away to Irwin (JP) Hospital by a bearded man who came looking for the dead with a wheel barrow. No wonder these people looked to dawn as a saviour. “Raina Beeti Jaye”, the TV musical does not portray their hardships in its out-of-the world songs. So when you pass by a night shelter spare a thought for this unfortunate segment of society.

The Hindu, 9th January 2012

The remembrances of a round at the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) are many but the telltale signs are those of physical struggle. The dense shrubbery along the fairways holds out challenges no other course does, and any act of aggression has bruising repercussions. “The scratches on the body are

not only a source of physical discomfort but also leads to uncomfortable questions. After all, considerable time can be spent explaining to the wife that the bruises are a result of a round of golf and not the culmination of a passionate afternoon,” says Brandon de Souza in mirth.

Like de Souza, a top player of his time, the DGC, which is celebrating its centenary and was once the burial grounds of the 14th century Lodhi Dynasty, has handed out valuable classes to many a notable name down the ages.

If traversing through the main course is a walk through nature, which leaves one awe-struck at the varied flora and fauna, course management and the importance of accuracy (not length) are lessons that Indian Open (synonymous with the DGC and Royal Calcutta Golf Club) champions Payne Stewart and Peter Thompson have come away with.

Like the generous dotting of mausoleums, every inch of this quaint Lodi Course has a tale to tell, each loaded with generous dollops of drama and excitement.

It was here that Ali Sher, a homegrown talent, became the first Indian professional to win the Indian Open in 1991 and he went on to replicate the success in 1993. Ali Baba (as he is fondly known in golfing circles) changed the way the world perceived Indian golf.

Gaurav Ghei, again reared on the greens of the DGC, clinched his maiden Asian Tour title when he chipped in with an eagle to win the Gadgil Western Masters in 1995. The epochal occasion is a source of inspiration and soon after his breakthrough moment on the Asian Tour last year, Anirban Lahiri, standing on the 18th green, the spot where Ghei had rounded off his campaign, spoke on how it motivated him.

But, the story that stands apart is that of SSP Chowrasia. Emerging from the shadows, the diminutive Kolkatan spun a tale well beyond his imagination when the Indian Masters teed off in February 2008. Soaring past a field that had the likes of Ernie Els, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell among others, Chowrasia went on to win the maiden European Tour event to be hosted on Indian soil.

Hindustan Times, 9th January 2012

After concerns were raised about the Haryana government's plan to put a huge patch of forest area in Mangar and its adjoining villages in Faridabad under residential, agricultural and industrial use, the local town and country planning department has proposed that the state government double the forest cover.

Against the department's earlier plan to put only 1,822 hectares under the forest category in the Draft Mangar Development Plan 2031, the new proposal seeks to increase it to approximately 3,800 hectares. This may upset the plans of real estate developers and those eyeing to own a farmhouse in the Aravalis.

The state-level committee is scheduled to hold a review meeting on Thursday in Chandigarh to finalize the plan, which will cover 10,426 hectares across 23 villages, including Mangar, Alampur, Gothra Mohabatabad, Sirohi, Pali, Dhauj and Kabulpur Bangar.

Sources in the state forest department said that about nine villages have substantial forest cover. "It could be to the tune of 4,000 hectares. If we manage to protect 3,800 hectares, it would be a great achievement. The realtors and private entities have been pushing to minimize the forest cover," said an official posted at the state headquarters.

After TOI had first reported about the draft plan that poses threat to the green cover, environment activists took up the issue with government officials. "There is a contiguous patch of forest from Asola in Delhi up to Khot in Faridabad. If we allow farmhouse or any non-forest activity in this corridor, it will have huge adverse impact on wildlife in the region," said a Haryana wildlife department official.

Times of India, 9th January 2012

Amid the Mullaperiyar dam row, a star is on the rise. A PWD office in Madurai is named after him, his statues adorn the district, his photos hang in shops, his birthday is observed by some, and last week, a booklet on him was released by the Madurai district collector. But now that Kerala and Tamil Nadu are fighting over a dam he built against many odds, a bigger honour is set to come English engineer Colonel John Pennycuick’s way.

At a time when Kerala wants the 116-year-old “unsafe” dam demolised, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today announced setting up of a Rs 1-crore, 2,500-sq ft memorial for the engineer. His grandson will be invited to inaugurate it.

A Corps of Royal Engineers major, Pennycuick was picked up in late 19th century to head the Mullaperiyar project to irrigate barren lands in south Tamil Nadu districts. The diversion of river water to a direction opposite its natural flow had never been tried in the country before. A few attempts made to take the west-flowing Mullaperiyar’s waters east had been dropped because of feasibility doubts and, reportedly, “excessive wages demanded by labourers”.

In this scenario entered Pennycuick in May 1882. While the construction began five years later, three years into the work, the half-built structure was washed away in rain. The British government reportedly again developed doubts.
Some accounts say Pennycuick wept at the loss, but soon returned to England, sold his estate and her wife’s jewels to raise the required funds (Rs 42 lakh) and completed construction in 1895.

Indian Express, 9th January 2012

More than a year after Indian expertise was sought by Vietnam to conserve a portion of a world heritage site, My Son Sanctuary, which wears war wounds of the US carpet bombing during the Vietnam war, the work is yet to take off

The team of experts from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which surveyed the site in 2010, say they await clearance from the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to start work that would take atleast five years to get completed. The other major downside of the laxity on part of the ministry, experts say will be on the projections that were made in 2010 for the conservation work

After the survey was done, the ASI had asked for approximately `15 crores for clearance from the MEA. “However, since it has been more than a year now, the expenditure would definitely be much more than the previous projections,” said B.R. Mani, additional director-general, ASI

Recognised as the World Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in 1999, the site has one of the largest collections of Hindu temples and monuments, dating back to 4th Century AD

About 70 odd monuments of the sanctuary got damaged during the bomber raids in August 1969. More than four decades after, only three towers out of 20 are intact. Most others experts say are in the danger of collapse

For several years now, teams from Italy and France have been working on the site which consists red-brick shrines and other structures, mainly built in the Indian architectural style of Shikhara (tapering towers). At present, the third phase of cooperation between the Unesco and Italy to help restore towers are underway. The help from India was sought for one portion of the sanctuary

The temples at the sanctuary were built by the Cham rulers, who established the Champa kingdom towards the end of the 2nd Century AD and soon came under the influence of Hinduism. Most of the shrines are Shiva temples. The earliest is dedicated to Bhadresvara (Shiva), a name that derives from that of the Cham king Bhadravarman

The Asian Age, 9th January 2012

A man who has claimed ownership of the piece of land at Annigeri in Navalgund taluk where a large number of skulls were discovered during an excavation last year has sold it, even as the district administration and the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) are corresponding with international institutions to determine the circumstances in which the skulls were buried.

The deal, struck on the sly without the authorities getting wind of it, has shocked many historians, who have expressed discontent over the district administration and the ASI failing to protect the site where hundreds of skulls were found in a mass grave.

Private sale

The site was sold on January 2 to a private party and the sale deed was registered at the office of the sub-registrar at Navalgund.

Interestingly, the sub-registrar had shown negligence in evaluating the importance of the site and didn’t bring it to the notice of the tahsildar before registering the property.

Deputy Commissioner Darpan Jain had announced that the area was declared protected and steps had been taken to preserve the site by fencing the area.

The Department of Archaeology and Museums, seized of the task of dating the skulls, was busy corresponding with Forensic Science Laboratory, Ahmedabad, for a series of tests and had withheld its final report on the findings as the skulls had not been dated conclusively.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, officials at the Department of Archaeology and Museums have requested Dharwad district administration on Friday to initiate immediate steps to acquire the site, an official refusing to be named said.

“The department is ready to buy the property and protect it. It is a pity that the local officials of the Revenue Department allowed the sale. They should not have allowed the registration of the sale deed,” the official said.

Signboard put up

When his attention was drawn to the department’s announcement last year that the area was protected, the official said a signboard was installed, but the department was not sure about the owner of the property. However, the process of acquisition was done by the Revenue Department. The site was already damaged as drainage was constructed and the area had been dug unscientifically, they added.

Private property

Darpan Jain, who was in Bangalore to attend a meeting, told Deccan Herald over the phone that the land was private property and the sub-registrar had not brought the land transaction to his notice before registering the sale. Moreover, neither the district administration nor the ASI had raised any objection to the registration.

The change of ownership, however, will not pose any problem for its acquisition by the ASI or the government, Jain said.

Deccan Herald, 9th January 2012

Wildlife enthusiast Tina Nobis has compiled a book of her husband’s shots of wildlife in India, and Africa. She talks to Shana Maria Verghis about some of the moments that keep her wanting to go back

Tina Nobis spent the new year with her husband in Bandhavgarh National Park, where the wildlife enthusiasts own a lodge. “Now its back to reality,” remarked the lady, who is based in Kolkatta. She has just helped her husband Babi Nobis compile photographs that record their special encounters with Babi’s favourite animal, over the last twenty years. The tiger. In various environments. India and Africa. Hence the subtitle of the book, On Safari, The Tiger and the Baobab Tree.(By Om Books International).

The baobab she explained “is symbolic of the African wild.” The book also records some of their spottings during safaris and expeditions in India. She said that despite her fondness for the wild, her feet are firmly planted in urban jungles. However, her take is that “unlike humans, the best part about being among animals, is that they don’t have a hidden agenda.”

The book has some beautiful images of the jungle, with rare shots of goings on, such as a tiger leaving its marking on a tree. And leopards doing likewise. The fact of the matter is that, the couple do not consider themselves conservationists. But they do their bit whenever they can to further the cause of their favourite subject.

Tina Nobis also said that her husband was not keen to bring the book out. His question to her was, “what for?” She added, “so we are not doing this for publicity, but I felt it was time we shared some of the pictures with a larger public.”

Nobis also said that one remaining obstacles in wildlife conservation, is to give more teeth to the people interfacing with Forest Departments.

Much has been written about the laxity on the part of Forest Departments. And also relating to the rehabiliation of people living on the borders of game reserves. Some of the projects in this regard, have been successful. Others not so.

The process in ongoing. Hence it constantly needs energy and drive to be invested behind it. Since mindsets take time to change.

Tina Nobis also recounts in the book how she grew up in the sixties, in the town of Bhubaneshwar. It was not far from the Chandaka Reserve. And as a child she would lead ‘expeditions’ into the wild. She had been deeply impacted by her reading of adventure stories.

The wildlife enthusiast also mentioned anecdotes of a woman in a wildlife camp streaking. Because she had just been scared out of her wits, by a curious giraffe poking its eyes at her. And furthermore she mentioned how the “most exciting way to track a tiger within the deep recesses of the jungle,” is to settle down in an elephant howdah, “cameras securely clutched.”

One of her a favourite moments, was when they were tracking the mountain gorillas, “in the heart of Africa,” on the slopes of Virunga Mountains of Rwanda.

She remarked in the introduction, that her favourite lesson from roaming in the African bush is “to be quiet, and to listen, to be in touch with myself.” She added poignantly, it has, “the inevitability of death.”

Her book is a poignant tribute to some of the world’s most beautiful wildernesses. Be it the beautiful sunrises and sunsets of Africa, or finding a lion pugmark at dawn, outside the tent. Also trying to “sleep at night with a herd of elephants munching on the vegetation surrounding our canvas.” It is said whatever ails man, is mainly because of a poor relationship with Nature. This photo book reminds one how much this continues to be true.

The Pioneer, 10th January 2012

A revolution in cognitive neuroscience is changing the kinds of experiments that scientists conduct, the kinds of questions economists ask and, increasingly, the ways that architects, landscape architects and urban designers shape our built environment.

This revolution reveals that thought is less transparent to the thinker than it appears and that the mind is less rational than we believe and more associative than we know. Many of the associations we make emerge from the fact that we live inside bodies, in a concrete world, and we tend to think in metaphors grounded in that embodiment.

This metaphorical, embodied quality shapes how we relate to abstract concepts, emotions and human activity. Across cultures, “important” is big and “unimportant” is small, just as your caretakers were once much larger than you. Sometimes your head is “in the clouds”. You approach a task “step by step”.

Some architects are catching on to human cognition’s embodied nature. A few are especially intrigued by metaphors that express bodily experience in the world. Take the visual metaphor of a tree as shelter. Most people live around, use and look at trees. Children climb them. People gather under them. Nearly everyone at some point uses one to escape the sun.

Recently, architects have deployed tree metaphors in many different settings. At the Kanagawa Institute of Technology in Japan, Junya Ishigami created an elegant “forest” out of slender, white-enameled metal saplings that congregate in clusters and open into clearings of vocational work spaces.

In Seville, Spain, a German architect, Juergen Mayer H., gave definition and shade to the city’s Plaza de la Encarnacion with his Metropol Parasol, a lilting, waffled construction of laminated timbre.

Such projects follow earlier, very different tree-inspired buildings, like Toyo Ito’s well-known Tod’s, a retail store in Tokyo, and the Mediatheque media library, an exhibition space and cinema in Sendai, Japan, which is so well supported by irregular, hollowed-out, sinuous “trunks” (housing elevators and staircases) that it survived the enormous earthquake in March.

Why should tree metaphors appeal to architects? Why should they be useful, even good, for people? In the Seville project, tree imagery helps construct a distinctive public place that offers shelter and areas to congregate. As under spreading trees, the boundaries defining these spaces are permeable; easy to enter and exit, they offer nature’s spatial freedom yet help people to feel more firmly rooted where they are. And tree metaphors, deployed architecturally, simultaneously lament nature’s absence and symbolically insert its presence.

Tree metaphors also refer to the experience of living in a body on earth. Trees are static, stable objects. Someone connected to a community is “rooted” there; a psychologically sturdy friend’s feet are firmly “planted” on the ground. We use trees to describe human bodies and souls: The area from our neck to pelvis is our “trunk”; someone reliable is “solid as an oak”; someone exploring a new area of inquiry is “branching out.”

Buildings aren’t nature, of course. Tree metaphors like the branching-out facade of Ito’s Tod’s surprise people. But because the surprise comes along with the implied reassurance of structural integrity (they’re trees, after all), it prompts us to focus on the built environment, perhaps to reconsider its role in our everyday lives.

Architects may also like tree metaphors because a tree’s overall structure is regular, while its fine-grained composition, its tangles of branches, are irregular, an arrangement conducive to the kind of design experimentation offered by new digital technologies.

But the design opportunities that tree metaphors present fail to explain their appearance in such a diverse range of buildings. Trees are familiar. Tree metaphors allow for an architectural inventiveness that stretches people without estranging them.

Trees are just one of the growing number of embodied metaphors used in contemporary architecture: Zaha Hadid builds riverlike spaces, while the Japanese firm Sanaa offers up a habitable mountainscape of a student centre at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale in Lausanne, Switzerland.

How many designers are clued in to the ongoing cognitive revolution and its potential for the built environment is unclear. But this collection of architects and projects herald more than just another stylistic or pyrotechnic, technology-driven trend. They point toward how the built environment could — and should — be radically reconceptualised around the fundamental workings of the human mind. We need, and are ever more in a position to create, a richer built environment, grounded in the way people actually experience the world around them.

Deccan Chronicle, 10th January 2012

The White Coot — one of the rarest of rare species has made its way into the Okhla Bird Sanctuary. This is for the second time at Okhla and fourth time in the world that a White Coot has been sighted. Coot is a winter migratory bird in India. It is a water bird and has a black body with a white beak. The white colour of the coot is a result of genetic mutation and pigmentation. The White Coot was earlier seen in London 2008 and in America in 2009.

Though the migration of birds to Okhla Bird Sanctuary started much later than the previous years but the rare sight of the White Coot in the sanctuary has given bird watchers a reason to cheer. The bird was spotted for the first time on Saturday amongst the other Coots.

White Coot is a water bird with complete black feathers and a white beak. Experts feel that the White Coot is a result of leucism. “Leucism is an abnormal change in the plumage caused by the process of genetic mutation and pigmentation. Because of the reduction of melanin, the colour giving pigment in their feathers, which varies according to their genetic make up, these birds do not have normal pattern of colour of their feathers. Instead they have abnormally bright white plumage,” explained TK Roy Conversationalist and Delhi Coordinator for Asia Waterbird Census.

White Coot migrates from the northern parts of Asia during the winter months when it is extremely cold in north. “Due to the change in the global climatic condition the migration of the birds took place much later than the previous years. However, we have seen more than 20 species of winter migratory birds so far this season at Okhla Bird Sanctuary,” said bird watcher and photographer Raj Surin.

The sight of the White Coot is rare. This is for the fourth sighting of the White Coot. While this is the fourth sight of the bird all over the world, interestingly this is the second visit at Okhla Bird Sanctuary. The bird was spotted earlier in the winter of 2007 in Okhla. 2007 was also the first ever sighting of the White Coot in the world.

The Pioneer, 10th January 2012

In a measure to improve the sad state of museums, the Centre Monday launched a five-month programme to train museum professionals in the country.

Experts from the British Museum will train some 20 senior and mid-level museum officials from across India, who in turn, will later impart these skills to their colleagues.

The initiative is part of the Culture Ministry’s effort to improve the condition of Indian museums which house some of the rare and most valuable exhibits in the world. The ministry had drawn up a 14-point reform agenda for museums in 2009 and the training programme is one of the reform measures.

The agenda also calls for filling the large number of vacant posts in Indian museums. “There is a high vacancy rate due to the severe shortage of museum professionals,” Culture Minister Kumari Selja said at the launch of the training programme. “And for this reason museums are in a state of neglect, being managed many times by untrained staff.”

Indian Express, 10th January 2012

As part of its new tourism initiatives, the ruling BJP Government in Karnataka is wooing Chinese tourists by opening up Buddhist temples in the State. The State tourism department has signed an Memorandum of Understanding with the Yunnan Province of China recently targeting at attracting tourist from China.

The BJP in the State somehow is quite attracted to China and former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa had sent batches of farmers to China to study the agriculture patron in China. In fact Yeddyurappa visited China during his tenure twice and always appreciated agriculture and infrastructure development in China.

With this newfound initiative Karnataka is planning to lure Chinese tourist to Buddhist temples across the State. K Vishwanatha Reddy, Director, Department of Tourism told The Pioneer that the State wants to attract Chinese tourist to Buddhist temple sites across the State. “We have recently signed an MOU with the Yunnan province. Since the State has temples of both Jainism and Buddhism, this MOU will help us to lure Chinese tourists in large numbers,” said Reddy.

Karnataka Tourism department is also looking at the Chinese growth and banking on increase in Chinese travellers who are visiting other countries more. The State Tourism department is also banking on the direct flight connectivity between Bangalore and Yunnan for their optimism to popularise Buddhist relics.

Karnataka has Tara Bhagavati Temple in Shiralakoppa, Koliwad and Dambal in Gadag Dustrict apart from lot of monuments in historical Aihole in Bijapur District. Many northern districts of Karnataka have many Buddhist monuments, temples inscriptions belonging to Mauryas and Satvahanas.

According to historians, Buddhism had in fact entered Karnataka before the time of the Emperor Ashoka, and that it enjoyed its heyday between the 3rd century BC and the 3rd century AD. Buddhism first emerged during Mauryas times when there was a missionary zeal. Parts of Karnataka were subject to the rule of the Mauryas.

Chandragupta Maurya’s son Bindusara (298-273 BC) and Bindusara’s son Ashoka (269-232 BC) caused some of his edicts to be put up here. Ashoka’s grandson Samprati Chandragupta is believed to have come to Shravanabelagola where he spent his last years. Chinese traveller, Hieun Tsang, visited Banavasi in the 7th century AD and saw 1000 sangharamas and three stupas.

The Pioneer, 10th January 2012

Delhi’s dreams of getting UNESCO’s World Heritage City status is now distant and uncertain as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has shelved its plans to apply for the status. As the ASI is trying to clear its backlog of applications, Qutub Shahi Tomb in Hyderabad, which was turned down due to lacunae in the final dossier last year, is being re-sent this year, taking up the sole slot for nomination of a cultural heritage site.

Every year, a state party can make two nominations — one cultural and one natural heritage site each — and this year ASI has chosen to resend Qutub Shahi Tomb for the cultural heritage site, postponing Delhi’s plan for next year.

Meanwhile, Ahmedabad is also in the fray for World Heritage City status next year and ASI will have to choose between the two.

Ahmedabad has already made it to UNESCO’s tentative nomination list, while Delhi was withdrawn from the tentative listing a couple of months ago when Ministry of Culture pointed out lacunae in the application.

The ASI had already sent the application for the tentative nomination to UNESCO in September 2011. However, following a review by an advisory committee, set up by the Ministry of Culture to oversee all applications made for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites listings, Delhi’s nomination was called back.

Joint Director General, ASI, B R R Mani told Newsline, “We were asked by Ministry of Culture to withdraw Delhi’s nomination. The Ministry insists that since last year we were denied a World Heritage Site status because of issues in the nomination dossier, it should not be repeated. So, an advisory committee has been set up to review all nominations.”

Mani said a meeting is slated for January 20 when Delhi’s tentative nomination will be reviewed. “The tentative listing can be done anytime of the year, but the final dossier has a deadline of February 1. This year, we are nominating Qutub Shahi Tomb for the cultural heritage site, as it was already in the queue. As for Delhi’s final nomination, the dossier needs more time for preparation and we will consider it next year,” he said.

Sources in Delhi Tourism and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) — the agencies are preparing Delhi’s final nomination dossier — said the final draft of the nomination is nearly ready and could have been submitted in time for this year as well. Last week, officials of Delhi Tourism, INTACH and other agencies involved in the nomination met Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to discuss the nomination, and the CM insisted that the nomination be given priority.

Indian Express, 10th January 2012

The new ISBT at Sarai Kale Khan will no longer be a highrise. Sources in the government said the modified plan for the renovated ISBT was approved by the DUAC on Wednesday.

The earlier plan to have a high-rise building, going up to 18 floors, has now been converted to a four-storey building. The official said, "After DUAC expressed reservations over the height of the building, it was decided to expand the building widthwise instead of going up. The modified building plan is now of four floors with several of the offices, which were part of the earlier set-up, to come up as a separate structure now."

The project ran into trouble with Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) after the latter objected to the highrise on main Ring Road because it would completely block the view of Humayun's Tomb, a world heritage site.

Times of India, 11th January 2012

Weeks after it started work on the Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate line, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been asked for clarifications on the corridor by National Monuments Authority (NMA). The corridor will touch several heritage structures, including Dilli Gate and world heritage site Red Fort.

"The clarifications are mostly regarding the instrumentation that will be used for the construction and about the alignment - where the entry and exit points will be," said a senior government official. The distance from the heritage sites is also being looked into, said sources.

Delhi Metro also had a meeting with Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) over their phase III project on Wednesday. DUAC chairperson Raj Rewal said the differences between DUAC and DMRC need to be resolved. "DMRC wants to work in a rapid fashion without taking the requisite permission. But the Arts body's decision cannot be bypassed,'' said Rewal.

DMRC officials, meanwhile, said that the meeting ended on a positive note with the Arts body appreciating how DMRC was completing projects on time. The body also said it would recommend that all future Metro projects go underground.

The heritage corridor - as the Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate line is being dubbed - has raised a series of questions. Delhi Metro had a run-in with ASI several weeks ago on the work it had started near Janpath, which the heritage body claimed fell within the prohibited area. DMRC, however, claims that the they are strictly following the heritage act. The heritage line is only awaiting the NMA clearance, which is expected soon, say sources. All the required information has been made available to the body, added the official.

NMA had recently sought Delhi Metro's explaination on the protective measures that had been incorporated in the proposed route. The body also asked for assessment reports on the impact of existing Metro projects near other protected monuments like Jantar Mantar, Safdarjung Tomb, Qutub Minar. "After DMRC provides these clarifications, we can proceed further,'' said an official. A recommendation by the state-level competent authority for a no-objection certificate will also be considered, though the final call will be taken by NMA.

Times of India, 12th January 2012

In view of the large number of migratory birds coming to the Sultanpur National Bird Sanctuary, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has earmarked a space of 5-km radius around it as an eco-sensitive zone.

A communique from the government on Wednesday quoted a district administration spokesperson as saying that under this zone, the administration has also prepared a zonal masterplan for conserving the environment.

Officials said mining and crushing activity in a radius of 1 km from the boundary of the Sultanpur National Park will not be allowed. Construction of any kind has also been banned up to a distance of 300 metres from the park.

A monitoring committee has also been constituted comprising representatives of MOEF, an NGO working for environment conservation, regional officer of Haryana Pollution Control Board and a senior town planner.

Situated about 15 km from Gurgaon, the sanctuary is frequented by 30,000 birds of nearly 250 species from many foreign countries.

Indian Express, 12th January 2012

The 46th death anniversary of our second prime minister passed by without the country taking notice on Wednesday. There were no commemorative advertisements or large public events for Lal Bahadur Shastri, no string of red-beaconed cars at his memorials next door to 10, Janpath, and at Vijay Ghat. The event seemed to have slipped the government's mind but a 10-line commemorative note placed in TOI by an ardent follower showed that some in the public remembered.

The staff at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial said no government representative had attended the prayer meeting at Vijay Ghat on Wednesday morning. As for the bungalow-turned-museum, they said parking restrictions in the area made it practically out of bounds for the public.

TOI found the property brimming with Shastri memorabilia that offers a glimpse into the daily life of the diminutive leader who derived strength from his integrity and simplicity. Ram Pher, the caretaker, fondly pointed out a white Fiat 1100 that Shastri bought with a Rs 5,000 loan from Punjab National Bank. "When his loan was approved in just a few minutes, Shastri-ji said the common man should have the same privileges," recalled Pher.

The kitchen still has a chulha (earthen stove) and the family's stainless steel utensils reflecting the late PM's love for simple things. A tiny silver vessel by the side of his wife Lalita Shastri's glass bangles is intriguing. "When Shastri-ji was in jail during Satyagraha, he asked his wife to drink milk to remain healthy. She had no money, so she drank milk in this to honour his wish."

PN Malhotra, who placed the tribute in TOI, said his memories of Shastri were from his own teens. "I saw him from a distance when I was 15 or 16," said the former assistant commissioner of police who retired in 2007. Malhotra said he became Shastri's ardent fan after reading his biographies. "He was a great person with a low profile. He played a major role in the resolution of the Indo-Pak war of 1965. Almost everyone knows about his role in our freedom struggle too. I followed him because I liked his humility," said Malhotra, who attended Shastri's funeral in 1966. He has also attended all the prayer meetings on Shastri's death anniversary since then.

Malhotra got some 300 calls and 65 messages from readers on Wednesday. Other followers came down from different parts of the country to pay their respects. "I am a farmer. I started banana cultivation in Punjab, which is predominantly a wheat and maize growing state. These ideas are from Shastri's values. We involve youngsters in crop diversification and tell them about Shastri's works," said Mewa Singh, a member of Lal Bahadur Shastri Social Forum in Punjab, who was accompanied by a few more forum members.

The visitors talked about the relevance of Shastri's ideas in the light of Anna Hazare's recent campaign. "Shastri was responsible for the setting up of CBI. Today, when we are talking about Anna's campaign, he should be remembered for his views on corruption," said Sushil Malhotra, another member.

"It's difficult for me to say why no remembrance notes were published this time. It is very unfortunate. There should a formal remembrance effort. But he has been remembered by people," said Shastri's son and Congress leader Anil Shastri.

Times of India, 12th January 2012

Delhi will soon have the tallest Air Traffic Control tower in the country — a 102-metre-high structure at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The tower, to be operational by 2014, will be the seventh tallest in the world.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the upcoming ATC tower, which will be built adjacent to the present ATC building.

“I am sure that the city of Delhi will be adding this tower to its list of landmarks pretty soon,” Singh said at the function.

The tower will have 21 air traffic controller positions — including 12 positions at operational ground level — and a 360-degree view of the runway positions from the visual control room. It will be taller to Qutab Minar by 40 per cent.

“The new ATC tower will take IGI Airport to a higher level of efficiency. The exemplary skills of the ATC operators can be fully leveraged, utilisation of the three runways can be maximised and we can achieve much higher air traffic movement per hour, from the current count of 65,” said G M Rao, chairman of GMR Group.

To increase the comfort of employees and reduce building sway, tuned mass damper technology will be used in the tower, said Rao.
Keeping in view the disruptions of flight operations during the fog season, Civil Aviation Secretary Naseem Zaidi said all fog-affected airports around Delhi would be upgraded to operate flights using CAT-II instrument landing system.

“India is working in developing infrastructure for future needs and the air navigation system is going from voice-based to digital, traditional navigation to satellite-based and very soon we would have a 100 per cent radar coverage,” Zaidi said.

The tower has been designed by HOK International Ltd and has used the expertise of National Airport Transport System through a subsidiary firm called Aviation Solution. NATS would also be reviewing the ATC tower’s design and equipment philosophy.

Indian Express, 12th January 2012

Manoj Khakhriyal and his friend Aamir Makhrani, both working in a private company, were thrilled to see photographs of illuminated monuments at an exhibition at the Qutub Minar on Wednesday. "The monuments definitely looked better in the evening light than in the day. We would definitely love to visit them at night," said Makhrani.

However, their joy was short-lived when they found that entry to the ASI-protected monuments closes at sunset. "What's the point of illumination if there is no entry after sunset," the duo asked.

More than a year after scores of centrally protected monuments in the city were illuminated ahead of the Commonwealth Games, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has not yet opened these monuments for night viewing. The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) had illuminated as many as 13 monuments in 2010. Apart from these, the ASI has also worked at the three World Heritage Sites.

The ASI officials, moreover, have been keeping lights off at some of these monuments due to various reasons, including increased power bills and breakage.

"The monuments where illumination had some or the other problems include Dadi Poti ka Gumbad near Deer Park in Hauz Khas, Safdarjung Tomb on Aurobindo Marg and some portions of Purana Qila," sources said.

KK Muhammed, ASI's Delhi circle chief, did not respond to calls by HT regarding damage and electricity bills.

Security concerns at night was another major cause why the monuments are still not open for the public after sunset. Explained Jawahar Sircar, secretary ministry of culture, "We have been continuously following up the issue with the police. They are saying no due to security concerns."

"The minister (for culture) is going to call a meeting soon on this issue," he said after inaugurating the exhibition.

The exhibition titled 'Heritage Beyond Sunset' has over 60 panels by photographer Sushil Khandelwal and will continue for about a month, ASI officials said.

Hindustan Times, 12th January 2012

If you like your history with some shopping and hogging on the side, then head to the Mehrauli area this weekend. With one of the city’s most famous historical landmarks — Qutub Minar — as its star attraction, the nearby area has a lot more to offer visitors. From high-end restaurants, to a
flower market with good deals, and an archeological park, here’s a look at what all to expect.

Minar and more
As you enter the Qutub complex, check out the Quwwat-ul-Islam, considered by many as India’s first big mosque. The Iron Pillar at the central courtyard draws the maximum attention of the visitors. Surrounded by an open courtyard, this is where most tourists like to get themselves clicked. A sunny winter afternoon is the best time to visit the complex, followed by a picnic in the parks nearby. The monument also opens for visitors a couple of hours in the evening.

Lessons in archeology
Just adjacent to the Qutub Minar Complex is the Mehrauli Archaeological Park. Spread over 100 acres, the park is a delight for nature and history lovers. From the 70 monuments here, the Jamali Kamali tomb and mosque are the principal attractions. The Lal Kot walls of pre-islamic times, Rajaon Ki Baoli (Delhi’s oldest step-well) and Metcalfe’s Folly (a hilltop canopy), which offers an bird’s eye view of the park, are a must visit. Dada Bari, a modern marble Jain temple with beautiful carvings next door, is also worth a visit.

Flower power
A small lane next to the Mehrauli bus terminal houses a long lane of flower vendors, who used to sit at a big flower mandi in the area until it was shut down. Now, the vendors set up shop early morning along the lane with a variety of flowers like marigolds, Dutch roses, orchids, lilies and chrysanthemums.

Eating options
The roads nearby have a few dhabas that offer a quick meal of dal-roti or rajma chawal. If you’re brave enough for street food, give them a shot. You can also head to Kalkadass Marg next to Qutub Minar, which has a number of restaurants, such as, Circa 1193 (a rooftop restaurant known for its Sunday brunches), Olive Bar and Kitchen (a European-styled eatery), and, Thai High (an eatery famous for Thai curries).

Quick tips
As you get down on the Qutub Minar Metro Station, an auto-rickshaw will take you to the Qutub Complex for Rs 10 (sharing) and Rs 30 (personal) occupancy.

Getting here
What: Qutub Complex
When: Sunrise to sunset
Where: Mehrauli
Timing: 10pm onwards
Entry: Rs 10 per person for Indians; Rs 250 for foreign nationals
Nearest metro station: Qutub Minar on yellow line

Hindustan Times, 13th January 2012

Activists working for the rights of tribes people are concerned about their portrayal in the media in India.

London-headquartered Survival International, which lobbies for the rights of tribal people across the world, said it is concerned about how tribals are viewed in India.

“They are often referred to as ‘primitive’ and ‘backward’, implying that their way of life is in some way inferior and needs to be ‘developed,’” Survival’s South Asia campaigner Sophie Grig, who has been working for the rights of the tribes in Andaman Islands, said.

“Tribal people, living on their own lands, live in a way that is different to the mainstream but in no way less valuable or ‘developed.’ Tribal people in India, as in around the world, need to be respected for that difference, they need their rights to their land and their way of life to be respected,” she said, when asked about the state of tribal people in India.

“The truth is that tribes who live on their own land — controlling their own adaptation to a changing world — are poor in monetary terms, but their quality of life and health is often visibly better than their compatriots and is certainly better than it would be were they to be forced into the mainstream with all the untold misery that brings.”

The organisation, which is also helping the Dongria Kondh tribe in their battle against the Vedanta mine in Orissa, has been trying to get the Indian government to close down the Andaman Trunk Road that runs through the Jarawa reserve area in the Andamans, especially as it has given rise to the degrading “human safaris.”

The campaign group has documented instances where tour companies and cab drivers “attract” the Jarawa with biscuits and sweets in order to lure them out of forests for tourists. Recently, a video showing a group of Jarawa women being ordered to dance for tourists by a policeman, who had reportedly accepted a £200 bribe to take them into the reserve, was revealed.

This has increased concern of the campaigners about the treatment of the Jarawa, the hunter-gatherer tribe, estimated to have been living in the Andaman Islands for 55,000 years.

Survival, which neither advocates the Jarawa tribe’s integration into the mainstream nor their isolation, wants the decision on the amount of contact be in the hands of the Jarawa. “The road allows hundreds of people to go into their forest every day, over which the Jarawa have no control. If the road is closed then the Jarawa can decide how much interaction they want to have with outsiders and can control when and if this occurs,” MS Grig added.

Urging the Indian government to respect the rights of the Jarawa to their land and to make their own decisions about their way of life, Ms Grig said: “History has shown that forcing tribal people off their land and into settlements, in the way that the British did to the Bo and other Great Andamanese tribes, is always disastrous.”

Last year, the Bo Andaman tribe was wiped off with the death of its last member and the tribal campaigners are worried about the Jarawas, who now number about 365.

“Previously isolated tribes who are forcibly settled are usually decimated by disease and rates of depression, addiction and suicide soar. There are still people in the Andamans who are advocating that the Jarawa should be brought into the mainstream - this must be resisted at all costs. The Jarawa’s land and its resources must be protected so that they can continue to live on in their forests and only they must decide and control what, if any, ‘developments’ or changes they want.”

Asian Age, 13th January 2012

The government might have moved slums from the Yamuna riverbed but it has not been able to stop encroachments or large-scale dumping of construction material, rather demolition material, along the Yamuna Pushta in east Delhi. A small water body has almost completely disappeared under mounds of waste and debris and stray dogs roam the area foraging for food.

Farmers living there say hundreds of trucks carrying debris (m a l b a ) having been arriving there at night and dumping tonnes of waste along the road. Plant nursery-owners , too, have staked claim to the land. A stretch of about 80-100 m from the Pushta road has been filled in and raised by a good 6-10 feet.

Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan (YJA) has been raising the matter with the lieutenant governor's office since November 2011 but no action has yet been taken against the offenders. TOI was unable to reach the LG for a comment.

Alisha, whose parents farm a small patch in the river bed, says trucks have been coming regularly at night.

"We have no idea who these people are but they come regularly. I have never seen them during the day," she says.

The area which now houses a couple of nurseries was till a year back being used to grow rice. "During the annual flooding, the entire area would be under water . It used to be occupied by huts that were removed some years back. Then onwards , we were growing rice there. Since last year, the nursery-owners came down and started filling in the land. Now the area they occupy is a good 10 feet higher than our farms. They have also been slowly inching inwards and we had to fight them off from taking over our land, too," said Radhu, a farmer.

Manoj Mishra, convener of YJA, wrote to the LG saying that the Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the public works department be asked to get this "illegality stopped and get this site cleared of the dumped solid waste and restore the natural lake and the river bed" and report whether similar dumping was also taking place at other sites in the riverbed.

"Dumping at this site has been taking place for several months. We happened to chance upon it towards the end of last year. None of the government agencies are bothered. If this continues, we will lose precious land to encroachment. The government has clea rly failed to protect the riverbed though it is a notified area and the LG has issued a moratorium on it," said Mishra.

Economic Times, 13th January 2012

Anup Ranjan Pandey has got together tribal communities from Chhattisgarh to form the Bastar Band and has helped revive the traditional music of the state. I Sankrityayan reports

Bastar may be infamous for being a Naxal-stronghold but it is equally renowned for its folk music, dance and traditional instruments. To help these traditional and rare instruments find a place among urban folk and make them aware of their culture, Anup Ranjan Pandey has been striving hard for years through Bastar Band that he formed in 2007 with the support of local tribal youth and others to protect tribal music from extinction. The band performed in the Capital as part of the Bharat Rang Mahotsav.

Pandey, who hails from a village near Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, formed the band after he came across a few rare musical instruments in Bastar. “My hobby of collecting instruments took off while I was conducting research on how to set up a band. During this phase, I came across the legend of Lingo Dev, also known as the god of music and dance among the Bastar tribals and that various instruments were used during festivals and rituals by them.

As I delved deeper into the subject, I found out some of them were on the verge of extinction so I decided on collecting them,” Pandey shared, adding as he was well-aware of the socio-political aspect of the area, he thought about forming a band as a medium of musical expression of Bastar.
During their performance at Bharat Rang Mahotsav, it was an amazing experience to look at the band’s unique way of presentation as they used 35 different folk instruments with 25 dancers wearing headgears decorated with peacock and cock feathers. Some of them sported headgears made from bison horns.

While women were draped in cotton pata saris, men wore the same but as dhotis. Each of the performers mesmerised the audience with their performance and music, especially the drums. And more charm to the dance was added by the sounds of ghungroos they tied around their waist and ankles.

Pandey revealed that one of the positive results of the formation of this band was that it brought several communities together that were otherwise divided. “It involved dancers from different tribes like Gonds, Marhias, Bisonhorn, Halba, Bhatra, Parja Murias, Dorla, Abujmarhias and Dhurva. Each of them have their unique dance style and musical instruments. Like Biriya dhol is played by Gandami Marias wearing horn headgears during their dance. Then there are instruments like supa played only by women.”

The director went onto add that he had to be particular about the music as it is very specific in this area. “There are thousands of deities worshipped by the Bastar communities using specific music and one needs to follow it within specific sur and taal,” he revealed.
Ask how he was successful in bringing all these tribes together to form a band and Pandey said, “It was tough. I spent hours with each of the communities and even stayed at their places to make them comfortable. Over a period, they agreed. I feel happy that I was able to show right path to them, especially the youth who were once fast moving on the path of violence.”

The Pioneer, 13th January 2012

The government has decided to set up a strategic advice group of experts on 'equity' in climate change negotiations. The group will advice the government on how to fashion its position in the post-Durban climate talks this year.

It will consist of officials and experts from various ministries and also some specialists from outside the officialdom, sources said.

At the Durban talks in last December, India had been able to ensure that the new climate regime envisaged post-2020 would be done under the existing UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Now, preparations are on to ensure that equity is discussed in this year's talks under the Bali Action Plan.

The issue, which was glossed over and got diluted with implicit acceptance from India, found its way back on the table in Durban with New Delhi making it central to its negotiations and BASIC countries along with key developing countries supporting it in various degrees.

With official workshops under the UN aegis planned during the year on equity, India would have to make strategic and detailed interventions to get a resolution on the trenchant subject.

The BASIC countries - China, India, South Africa and Brazil - are expected to meet in mid-February in India to firm up their strategy before the deadline to make submissions to the UN.

By February-end, the countries are required to make their submissions on the contours of the discussions of the Durban Platform, which will lead to a post-2020 global regime. The submissions are crucial as they would set the substratum for the talks over the next three years (ending in 2015) that will culminate in a new global climate deal.

India was one of the most critical players in finalizing the decision for the platform and ensuring that the decision on the 'legal character' of the new regime is not watertight even before the content is finalized. New Delhi is expected to elaborate on this in its submission, but it is also expected to coordinate closely with other three BASIC countries, especially China.

Times of India, 14th January 2012

His grandfather was the loco-pilot for Winston Churchill, whenever he visited South Wales. His son though has never boarded a steam engine-run train, the photos of which adorn his living room back in the UK. Meet Marc Bevan, who has coaxed 11 people, including family members and friends, into buying tickets for the first commercial run of a heavy steam engine by the railways after a gap of 16 years.

If Bevan could finally live his dream of seeing the black beauties chug out of the station, 85-year-old Patram could barely hold back his tears. The senior technician who once maintained steam engines at the Rewari loco shed (now a full-fledged museum ) retired 25 years ago, sulking at the government's decision to phase out steam locomotives. On Saturday, he was given the honour of flagging off the maiden commercial run of Steam Express from the Delhi Cantonment station to Alwar. "I feel so nostalgic, as if I was reborn today," said the man waving the green flag zealously.

Forty such men, women and children undertook the journey in the vintage steam-run on Saturday at 9.15am. Not surprisingly, 32 of them were foreigners-tourists and expatriates-each with their own reason for being on the train. The engine for the run, too, was chosen after much deliberation. "It is a 1965-make WP class engine manufactured by Chittaranjan locomotives and decommissioned even before the Saharanpur loco shed shut down in 1987. A Pacific class model with a 4-6-2 wheel formation, it has 1,460 horsepower. It can touch 110kmph and was used to haul the fastest Express trains during its heyday," said Vikas Arya, senior divisional mechanical engineer (power), Northern Railway, the man behind the entire show.

Arya said the heritage run will take place "at least" twice a month for the next two months. "We will gauge the response before taking the run forward. At present, we are charging Rs 10, 200 per passenger for two days and one night that includes a return journey to Alwar, a stay at Hotel Tiger Den run by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, a Safari at Sariska, and sightseeing," said Arya.

For UK national Mac Bean, whose father served in the British Army and drove trains at Berlin, or David Colenutt-he has been to India five times and taken a ride on almost all famous rail routes in the countrythe trip is not so much for its novelty but getting in touch with their roots. "We are a team of rail enthusiasts from the UK, Australia, the US, and of course, India, who love train journeys and discovering the country . We have formed ourselves into the Darjeeling Tours and keep seeing each other when we come here," said Colenutt.

For the children though it's the sheer grandeur of the engine that has captured their imagination. Tenyear-old Zoe could hardly take his eyes off the steam being spewed by the engine. "It's my first journey on a steam engine-run train. I had heard a great deal about them, but will now ride one," she said. For couple Andrew Cartwright and Saowamas, who arrived at the station almost 70 minutes ahead of departure-even before the railway officials showed upthe trip was to relive the "romance they had experienced while taking a similar heritage trip in Scotland five years ago" .

It was not just the foreigners who soaked in the carnival mood at the Delhi Cantonment railway station. The doctor couple, Amartya Chowdhury and Saurabhi Das Chowdhury, said it was the "uniqueness" of the occasion that spurred them to spend thousands. "We hope it's a weekend we will always remember," said Amartya. The railways, too, hope such rides will become a permanent feature of their calendar. "You can now book the entire train for Rs 4 lakh. We hope the Rewari Steam Locomotive Shed & Rail Museum gets a good response through such runs," added Arya.

Times of India, 15th January 2012

Hampi has been home for me for 17 years now. I have been visiting this pristine land since 1991. The simplicity and purity of the place is stunning. It is like an endless horizon of magic: No scars and very pure. People shared a high sense of trust with each other.

A bookshop on Bazaar Street called Inspirations was a place where natives would leave their things and come at a later time to collect it. Very often, I have seen people buying a book and paying for it later. The owner of the shop was very helpful to anyone who visited, like everybody else in the town. The same man even guided me to Anegundi in Koppal district. To see this high level of trust was delightful.

With the entry of motorboats to cross the river, the tranquility of the place has changed. Something that I really miss patrolling around in are the coracles. We always crossed the river in coracles; they don’t exist anymore. The banks of the river suffered badly in the 1992 floods. The pathways were also very different back in those days. We had to cross the river to go to an STD booth.

But there’s no doubt that the place still is very beautiful and secluded from everything. I am very happy that my daughter is growing up here. I love this place and would love my children to experience the warmth of this land.

I love the Hemakuta Hill, which is a magnificent hill in Hampi. Many years ago, I stayed in an ashram on the hill, seeking the solitude to paint. When there were weddings here, they would ask us to vacate the rooms. Once, a big family came and left sweets outside. The monkeys spotted this, made their way through the jaali and devoured all the mithai. By the time anyone could protect the sweets, they were finished. It is a very funny incident.

The land is like poetry. The river is incredible, but things have changed. The number of tourists has increased. Once, I was travelling in a coracle when a woman selling oranges (five for `25) was cheated by a tourist, who ate the oranges without paying her. Also, intervention from all directions has not been very light on the land. The landscape is very soft. Something I really miss is the pure smell of the soil. I have an organic farm. Today, more chemicals are used, even in organic farms. The land never had these kind of smells before.Hampi is like a paradise. The past has left us something incredible.
Asian Age, 15th January 2012

Indian museums badly need overhauling and who better than the director of British Museum, Neil MacGregor, to help do it. In Delhi recently on an ambitious project in collaboration with the ministry of culture to train Indian professionals, he tells Archana Khare Ghose that exchange between all parts of the world has to go up.

Your team will be training Indian museum professionals. What do you think are the disadvantages that Indian museums suffer from but could improve upon?

Fortunately for India, it has two of the hardest things to acquire in a museum - scholarship and great collections. All you need now is to get people into the museums. I think Indian museums are right now focused on their collections but it would be of immense interest for the public if they were to get opportunities to see collections from say, Mexico, China, Iran, etc., in their own museums through loaned exhibitions. The collection of the British Museum is available to see for free to all those who are "curious or studious, native or foreign" and we could loan them for exhibitions.

When you took over as director of the British Museum, it was reportedly under financial deficit. What has changed in the museum since then?

The British Museum turned 250 years old in 2003 and that's when we went back to the original purpose with which the museum was set up. It was set up to build a resource for understanding the whole world and why our present is the way it is. What we've tried to change is to use the extraordinary treasure of the museum to understand all the corners of the world, to make sense of the world through our collection. We've taken quite a few exhibitions of our important treasures to the places that they came from - like the exhibition of ancient Persian artefacts to Tehran - and brought interesting ones to the British Museum, like The First Emperor, which included Chinese terracotta warriors too. The idea is to increase exchange between all parts of the world.

The Elgin Marbles - classical Greek sculptures in the British Museum removed from the Acropolis of Athens by Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1799 to 1803 - have remained in contention with Greece demanding the sculptures back. The British Museum has treasures from all over the world, including India. How do you deal with demands for return of treasures?

These were acquired in a different set of circumstances and in many cases would have been totally lost to the world had they not been preserved by the British Museum. Housed in the museum, they have become accessible to visitors from all over the world. We have offered to loan these sculptures to Greece for an exhibition but they refused saying they would either take it back as owners or not at all.

Your radio series-turned-book, A History of the World in 100 Objects, is a novel way of looking at the world through objects from various civilizations and how these have shaped up the world we live in. How does it help in understanding history better?

The way we study history right now is ludicrous. We need a new history for the entire world, to take argument out of the European tradition and understand histories of people before they were 'discovered' by the Europeans. For instance, we don't know anything about emperor Ashok though he is so vital to understanding why an Indian thinks the way he does - Gandhi, Nehru and many other thinkers from India can trace the origin of their thoughts to Ashok. That's why Ashoka's pillar is one of the 100 objects in the book. This book is based on a BBC Radio 4 series and is an exhaustive introduction to the world that we don't know about. I hope it will lend new meaning to world history.

Times of India, 15th January 2012

Here, at last, is some good news for our national treasures: the ministry of culture has announced a tie-up with the British Museum for a five-month leadership programme for senior personnel from Indian museums. The first batch of 20 people from 12 institutions across the country are expected to start on their training soon, and hopefully will come back to rejuvenate our museums.

And do they need rejuvenation! In fact, some of them are so moribund that what they need is resuscitation. Go to the Indian Museum in Kolkata and you will see PWD-coloured walls, wonderful paintings displayed in corridors with tube lights. Go to the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai… you probably won't: in a metropolis where contemporary art flourishes in private galleries, NGMA sits like the Sphinx, monumental yes, but dead and gone a long time ago. The depressing roll call of neglected institutions includes the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, the National Museum in Delhi, the Victoria Memorial Museum in Kolkata, to name just a few. Most of them are headless, some with no director to lead them for years.

This new programme, therefore, is most welcome. And thanks should go to the enlightened minister of culture, Kumari Selja, and the ministry's dynamic secretary, Jawahar Sircar. Selja and Sircar will know, though, that this is only the first step in what is a very long walk ahead.

A little reflection, and a bit of personal experience will tell you why. I headed NFDC (National Film Development Corporation) for a while. It's a central government corporation, and not a department, so has greater autonomy. Howeverits board of directors which included eminent filmmakers and other cultural figures, knew where the real power resided: it did so in one of the directors, the joint secretary of the I&B ministry, "Another Jt Secy to educate," we said when yet another new person replaced a transferred official. But educating officials about what constituted good cinema was the pleasant part; the unpleasant part was dealing with the arrogance of the IAS bureaucrat. That arrogance - though not common to all Jt Secys - made them into Mr Know-It-Alls, ready to dictate their 'vision' to people who had been in the field for years.

Think how much worse it must be for the National Museum which is a department of the ministry of culture. Its director will have to report to the ministry's joint secretary. Every major decision, every serious proposal, every new initiative will have to be cleared through the torturous financial procedures of the ministry. The director of an institution like the National Museum will necessarily be at the peak of his professional career, probably with an international reputation. Why would a person like that submit himself to a system that makes him subservient to an official whose only credentials for the job are the letters IAS attached to his name?

And why would he, however dedicated he maybe, accept a salary of Rs 12 lakh per year? That was the figure offered in the ads, and that too for a contract for just one year! Until recently, assistant curators were paid the princely sum of Rs 11,000 per month, now raised to a more 'respectable' figure. But even the new figures compare poorly with even journalistic salaries, and we all know that journalism really doesn't pay. Our museums have priceless works of art, and we are willing to pay people a pittance to look after them! Think of it another way: if these works are neglected, the cost of restoration would be huge, large enough to pay decent salaries to people who would ensure that they are properly looked after in the first place.

How do you overcome these hurdles of autonomy and reward? For the former, there are many models around the world. The British Museum itself is one such model. It is subsidized by the government - as all such institutions perforce have to be - but they have evolved a structure which keeps government control at arm's length. Closer home, there is the Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai whose dynamism is setting the pace for all museums in the country. It belongs to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, but it has worked out a kind of functioning autonomy. This may not be ideal, but it is a start.

However, there is an even more fundamental problem, and this one's a real beast. Many of the people chosen for the British Museum programme will have joined our museums after doing courses in museology from Baroda, Shantiniketan and similar institutions. These might provide a solid foundation, but do they keep up with the demand of a changing world? A museum director nowadays is not just a keeper of the institute's collection, important though that role is. He also has to be a fund raiser, a marketing whiz, a manager and many other things. This is why universities abroad have developed Visual Arts Administration courses which address all these needs. Until you get people thus qualified, programmes like the British Museum collaboration will only remain a starting point.

Times of India, 15th January 2012

To Panipat - that was the route to begin with. So, on January 3, a group of youngsters left Pune on a historical journey. Their destination was the famous battlefield of Haryana. Saddled on motorcycles, these 550 individuals, 34 of them women, roared past the Western Ghats, the Narmada, and the Chambal ravines on their way to Panipat. To call it an adventure trip would have been a travesty of the emotion they were trying to articulate -it was their bid to relive the journey undertaken by their ancestors 252 years ago. It was also an attempt to put the record straight about the Third Battle of Panipat in which forces of the Maratha confederacy had taken on Ahmed Shah Abdali.

Before the battle, the Marathas had begun a 10-month long campaign under the command of Sadashiv Rao Bhau to reach Panipat and take on Abdali's forces. Now, their descendants want the country to hear the story which "hasn't been told properly." "We have participants from Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat. We all wanted to have first-hand experience of what the Marathas under Sadashiv Rao Bhau had experienced two-and-ahalf centuries ago. The story of Panipat needs to be told to our countrymen," says Pandurang Balkawade, a historian who is one of the driving forces behind the Panipat Ranasangram Smruti Samiti that organised the rally which ended in a function attended by President Pratibha Patil and Punjab governor Shivraj Patil at Panipat on January 14.

But retracing the path of the Maratha warriors was not easy. The bikers faced the same problems their ancestors might have in the 18th century. As they entered the Gangetic plains in January, the winter chill froze their bones. "At Agra, about 250 people had to turn back because of the cold," says Dr Sandeep Mahind, who took care of the logistics through the 5,400-km long journey.

The rally entered Delhi on the 10th day of their journey. Back in 1760, it took the Marathas 120 days to reach Delhi from Sindkhed in the Deccan. The Maratha retinue exceeded the number of combatants. Also, the Marathas then were no longer a highly mobile cavalry army that believed in the shoot-andscoot doctrine. They had heavy artillery that slowed down their march.

"The cold definitely played a part in the Maratha debacle at Panipat. The army wasn't sufficiently provisioned to beat the chill. In comparison, the Afghans came from a cooler climate and could easily fight here. But it was the dwindling supplies that seriously impaired the Marathas. The Maratha command structure was faulty, too. While generals like Scindia and Holkar preferred the traditional mode of guerrilla warfare, Bhau himself and Ibrahim Khan Gardi believed in European style combat with effective use of artillery and musketry," says Dr Uday S Kulkarni, the critically acclaimed author of Solstice At Panipat: 14 January 1761.

On October 25, 1760, Abdali crossed the Yamuna at Baghpat, surprising the Marathas. Their route to Delhi blocked, the Marathas dug in at Panipat for two months. "Both sides played a waiting game and decided to starve each other down. On the diplomacy front, too, they failed. After that, it became difficult for the Marathas to sustain. They had to fight," Kulkarni says.

On January 14, 1761, the Marathas came out of their defences and began the attack at 9am; by 3pm, it was all over. Most of the top commanders, including Peshwa's son, Vishwas Rao, and Bhau himself, lay dead.

Considering the importance of this battle in Indian history, very little has been done to preserve its legacy. "It was impossible for us to do anything. Our family was banished to Bithoor after the Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1817-18. Until the 1930s, we were required to obtain permission of the district collectors of Bareilly and Poona before leaving Bithoor and going south. But the other sardars, the so-called rajas (Holkar, Scindia, Gaekwad and Bhonsle), were better off. Nobody, not even the government of India after Independence, did anything to preserve the legacy," rues Uday Sinh Peshwa, a scion of the Peshwa family.

But others realised the importance of this battle. The British studied it keenly and though they understood they could beat the Indian forces, they retained their admiration for the great Maratha generals, including Ibrahim Khan Gardi. "The governor of Bombay would visit my family every year to pay respects to my great ancestor. The practice continued until Independence," says Rehan Abbas Ali Sardar, a direct descendant of Ibrahim Gardi. "My great grandmother had willed it that none of us should ever go to Panipat. She feared some evil might befall us, the way it did on Ibrahim Khan, who was captured by the Afghans and tortured to death. There should be some memorial of all those who perished at Panipat."

How much of the battle do our own universities remember? "As a faculty of defence studies in a couple of civilian institutions, I observed that the element of military history was missing," says Maj Gen (retd) Shashikant Pitre. In most universities in the West, where military history is a separate branch of study, they talk about even lesser known Indian battles. The same is, however, not true of our universities. The general also hoped the government would do something to preserve the legacy. "The memory of Panipat still affects people in Maharashtra. The name itself has become a byword for disaster or great loss," Pitre says.

The bikers from Pune may just have rekindled an interest in the legacy of their great ancestors, revisiting an episode that changed the history of India.

Times of India, 15th January 2012

Baluchari sarees woven on traditional jala looms are making a comeback. Will they survive the challenges of commercialization?

A story usually heard is that of a persistent lady who had got panels of baluchari saree to show to the Naqshabandi of Benares asking them if they can recreate ancient looms or jalas to make these. The lady Prabha Shah who along with Pupul Jayakar was instrumental in reaching the Baluchari saree pieces to the Naqshabandi of Benares. Of the samples handed out, only one man was able to succeed in recreating it and with him is tied the story of revival of weaving Baluchari sari on the traditional jala looms. Today, that is the world of Naseem Ahmad, National Award winner who now is using the same jalas to weave traditional complex Baluchari sarees and panels as it was once done.

Most of us are familiar with the Baluchari sarees of West Bengal with their gorgeous borders and pallav depicting stories or scenes from mythology, modern scenes. These are today's version woven on jacquard looms. Historically the Baluchari sarees were woven using the jala tradition and its origins are usually traced to the mid 18th century. Documentation of the sarees usually refer to Dubraj Das the last known weaver, who died in early 1900. Many of his work beautifully handwoven, at times depicting the social activities of that era, can be still seen at various museums. It is usually said that, with him the brilliant technique of weaving also perished.

Textiles of yore

The tradition of using jala looms to weave the Baluchari was revived in the bed of jalas — Benares and it was Shri Ali Hasan Alias Kalloo Hafiz a famed Naqshaband of Benares who attempted this revival and was successful in recreating the splendorous textiles of yore, weaving it the traditional way. Today, this proud tradition is being carried on by his great grandson Naseem Ahmad of Benares (Kalloo Hafiz is his father's grandfather). A skilled Naqshabandi he successfully learnt the craft of tying and making the jalasexpertly from his grandfather and today weaves Baluchari panels and sarees with much élan, apart from traditional Benares brocades. A National Awardee, he was awarded the Sutrakar Samman by the Delhi Crafts Council for 2011. The Sutrakar Samman started in 2005 by the Council is given for excellence in textile skills in the country. It gives a boost to the practioners of the traditional textile heritage and brings their work to limelight. Naseem's award was for hisjala tying expertise and work on Benares brocades. The family has been carrying on the tradition of recreating jalas for years now.

Jala, as Naseem tells me, is the predecessor to the jacquard technique but what sets it apart is that the great degree of flexibility and the ease with which diversity of patterns can be created on it as opposed to jacquard. As an example he talks of how a pallav of a Baluchari saree can be designed with as many as 10 different motifs or more.

The jala patterning can be tweaked and fiddled around with, but with jacquard large motifs and a variety of patterns on one piece is difficult and works out very expensive. Also once made, changing the jacquard pattern is not possible while it can be played around with in the jala.

Long life!

Also in the jala system one can use more colours and designs. Jala once made lasts almost 100 years. The design is first drawn on paper. Then this is converted into designs on the machan using threads. This becomes the masterpiece or master set of design. The master jala is kept for reference. The design is made using fine threads. A copy of the master jala is made which is taken on to the loom. So even if the jala on the loom gets spoiled, another copy can be made from the master jala. Using this, one can make as many repeats of a design as possible. The same concept has been used for the Baluchari panel. The motifs are from a traditional old Baluchari saree.

Baluchari sarees are characterised by beautiful pallav which have a large panel in the centre with motifs running all around it. What sets apart this piece by Naseem is the fine detailing that has gone into it. The Ambi or stylised paisley motifs are further worked with fine colours akin to painting. The floral motifs around the panel and the beautiful horse rider make up the rest. The alternate colour combination further adds to the beauty.

The making of the jala for such a piece translating the pattern on to the machantakes about four months if worked on continuously, while the weaving takes up to one and a half months. This piece used five jalas totally and was worked on by one weaver, one helper, and two draw boys. The silk used is Bangalore mulberry on the warp and weft. The extra weft decoration or motifs have been made using malda yellow silk, which has its own sheen. Naseem explains saying, “It has no twist and is difficult to weave but is sturdy with wonderful colouration.” The other extra weft silk used is Assam dupion silk. Naseem has also woven a panel displayed at the INA Metro Gallery.

The weaving to recreate the magic of Baluchari sarees of yore has been well received in the market, what though acts as a deterrent is not being able to find people to work on old jala looms. As Naseem says, “The working conditions in a powerloom factory are better. Better lighting, space, neat buildings, while this is not so in most handloom set ups. A similar set up for handlooms can work wonders.” Any takers?

Hindu, 15th January 2012

Thus they went on living in a reality that was slipping away, momentarily captured by words, but that would escape irremediably when they forgot the value of the written letter.”

What was but a passage in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude became a question of hounding importance to curator Avni Doshi, and thus was born the current exhibit at Art Musings titled Loss for Words.

What Marquez described was a bout of amnesia that besets an imaginary village; the villagers, in an attempt to protect their own knowledge, begin to label everything until the activity of archiving every bit of information becomes their sole preoccupation. It was already too late when they realised that the words themselves had begun to look alien, and that the symbols and sounds that once seemed so perfectly entrenched in their memories were beginning to come unhinged. Doshi invited artists to consider such a situation, where the names and notions of things begin to unhinge. What does this mean for history, for memory and for the way we experience objects?

Combining the talents of the likes of Sarnath Banerjee, Tushar Joag, Raghava K.K., Radhika Khimji, Nalini Malani, Chitra Ganesh, Adip Dutta and Tara Kelton, Doshi creates a display that has elements of both personal reactions and political undertones. “This exhibit was an experiment that took off well. While literature and art don’t generally weave well together, there are times when something literary strikes such an impact that the exploration for answers breeds new artistic approaches,” explains Doshi. She adds, “While some artists have used this theme to create almost an archive of dreams, there are others who have questioned the present archives and how history itself is written. In Kelton’s video work, lines that are drawn immediately begin to fade and disappear, exposing the tenuous nature of record keeping and the archival impulse. Dutta’s work is very graceful, and is quite self-explanatory, as it is a juxtaposition of ideas.”

Banerjee, who has explored his own answer to Doshi’s question via his Island series, says, “Since it’s a process of going back and forth between us, it is more about what her question triggered in me rather than a direct answer. I knew it mustn’t become merely an advertisement of her quest than my actual thoughts and reaction to it. So, my first and immediate response was imagining Marquez himself as an island, always appearing to be separate from the mainstream.”

For her part, Doshi says that her interpretation of the Island series was somewhat different, which is why she was immediately on board with the idea. According to her, it could also be a way to look at the archiving that gets lost in the clutter.

One of the paintings of the noted cultural icon, detective Charlie Chan, sitting sipping Long Island Tea in a café highlights Banerjee’s conviction — that as a psychic, Chan can see into things not visible to the naked eye, but that he is also someone who doesn’t like to be settled in the mundane life is as usual; Chan likes to play in the shadows. “The text then weaves into the story and the graphic novel-like work brings in a sense of suspense to it. I am not somebody who focuses on aesthetics to such an extent that my art ultimately turns out to be just a decorative piece. I am more conceptual, and the entire series will resonate that idea — from questioning the anarchist movement to identifying loneliness,” says Banerjee.

Joag, who perhaps explores ideas that are most political in nature, says, “I was very sure about exploring the archiving of history. It just depends which side you are standing on.”

Interestingly though, Doshi points out that no artist had been aware of what the other artist was working on, and so the responses to her quest have been so individual and personal that when they came together in one room, the differentiators ended up being the combining factor and everything comes together.

Asian Age, 16th January 2012

Homai Vyarawalla, India’s first woman photojournalist, passed away at a private hospital here on Sunday afternoon due to respiratory failure. She was 98. Vyarawalla was admitted to the hospital on Friday morning after she collapsed at her Nizampura home and sustained a fracture in her left thigh bone.

She was facing respiratory complications and was suffering from age-related ailments, doctor Shrinivasan Iyengar, who was treating the nonagenarian, said.

“The leg injury aggravated respiratory complications and she breathed her last at around 12 noon,” the doctor said.

Vyarawallas’s biographer and friend Sabeena Gadihoke, who had come to the city a few days ago to meet her, told The Indian Express that the photographer was quite healthy till the day she collapsed. She added that Vyarawalla did not prefer taking allopathic medicines.

Vyarawalla was born on December 13, 1913 in a middle-class Parsi family in Navsari. Her father was an actor with a Parsi-Urdu theatre. She did a diploma in Arts from J J School of Arts, Mumbai, and learnt photography from Maneckshaw Vyarawalla whom she married in 1941. They later shifted to Delhi. She started her photography career in 1938.

Vyarawalla clicked some memorable pictures between 1938 and 1970. The pictures of first tricolour-hoisting after Independence, the death of Mahatma Gandhi, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru releasing a pigeon and others have become part of national archives.

She also worked for British Information Service for many years.

A year after her husband passed away in 1969, Vyarawalla quit photography. In 1973, she moved to Vadodara where she lived alone till her last day. Her only child, Farouq, had died of cancer in 1982 and since then she had been living alone.

She was awarded Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civillian award, last year. She was also conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in 2010.

Paying tribute to Vyarawalla, Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Shaktisinh Gohil and Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhwadia said she had contributed in recording the freedom struggle and other national events.

Indian Express, 16th January 2012

The environment department's agenda for 2012 has several shades of green. After almost 18 years, the department has finally undertaken to demarcate the extent of the southern Ridge. This part of the Ridge is the most encroached upon since its boundary has never been defined. In the next 5-6 months, officials say, its exact area would be known after which plans would be drawn for its protection.

"The 1994 notification classified the Ridge as reserved forest. However, the boundary of the southern Ridge was never defined. We have finally undertaken the exercise and hope to finish the work by mid 2012," said Keshav Chandra, environment secretary.

At present, the central Ridge is being enclosed within a high wall by the forest department to protect it from encroachment. Most of the northern Ridge is also under protection- having being enclosed by both a wall and fencing. No decision had been taken on fate of encroachments already existing within the boundary of the southern ridge, officials said.

Chandra said that five more city forests are to be created by March 2012. Once these forests are in place, the total number of urban forests created and maintained by the forest department in the city will go up to 45. "These will be located along the city's edge as there is not enough place within the city for greening such a large scale area," said Chandra.

Another major green project for 2012, that has already been identified, is the creation of a biodiversity park at Garhi Mandu along the Yamuna.

Times of India, 16th January 2012

The tribals from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pardesh and Maharashtra gathered in huge numbers at Mangarh Dham in tribal-dominated Banswara district and commemorated the massacre known as Mini Jalinwala Bagh, which claimed hundreds of Bhill tribals in 1913 when they revolted against the then British colonial government. A section of tribal leaders also raised a demand for “Bhill Rajya”.

The two-day tribal conclave (Adivasi Mela) ended on Sunday as the gathering raised slogans for tribal unity and pledged to pursue the issue of development in tribal belt on these states. Former Union minister of state for home Manikrao Gavit said the development was needed to ensure peace in the tribal areas. Mangarh Dham, located on Gujarat and Madhya Pardesh border in Banswara district has been developed as a sacred place during the previous Gehlot government between 1998 and 2003. In 1913 the Bhills revolted under the leadership of social reformer Govind Guru and Punjaji, while the then government suppressed them.

Historians say hundreds of Bhills were shot dead at the Mangarh Hillock where they were holding a peaceful meeting. The place is subsequently regarded as a pilgrim centre where tribals gather to pay homage to the martyrs. “It was a gathering of Congress and supporters of legendary tribal leader and socialist Mama Balelshwar Dayal, but the BJP people were not seen there,” said a local social leader.

Asian Age, 16th January 2012

The famed Jaisalmer Fort, which has withstood the ravages of time for nearly 1,000 years, and is today a world famous monument known as Sonar Kella or the Golden Fort, is coming undone due to sewage lines and illegal construction.

Archaeological Survey of India's apathy is underlined by a signage at the base of the fort that does not talk about its history, but warns, "This wall is in a dilapidated state. Please do not go close to it. It can crumble anytime." This sign has been there for over six months, but the conservation proposal for the fort is gathering mould at ASI office.

Hundreds of families live in the unique 'living fort'. The fragility of the walls made a disaster management team organize a meeting to discuss alternate routes for evacuating people in case the walls fall.

In August 2011, a 40x20 feet stretch of the wall collapsed due to rain. ASI Jaipur, sent a Rs 1-crore proposal for repair to headquarters in Delhi. But far from getting a sanction, no official even visited it for an inspection. "Repair work will start after Delhi's approval," said Jamal Hasan, ASI's Rajasthan in-charge.

For eight years, Rs 6.5 crore meant for its conservation is lying with National Culture Fund, the nodal agency. Its representative Yamini Mobarta said the money remains unutilized because there's no "green signal" from ASI.

Times of India, 16th January 2012

The Gujarat Government has decided to promote its various bird watching sites as international tourist destinations.

Keeping this objective in mind, the State is hosting the Global Bird Watchers’ Conference later this week. Disclosing the detailed programme of the bird watchers’ meet near here, State Tourism Minister Jay Narayan Vyas said that global surveys have shown that bird watchers are very high-end spenders and travellers.

The State’s many wetlands being host to as many as 520 species of birds, Gujarat would be an ideal destination for bird watchers from all over the globe, Vyas added. The 2nd Global Bird Watchers’ Conference, being held here from Jan 19-22, would give the delegates an opportunity to explore Gujarat as bird watching spot. Of the nearly 10,000 different bird species in the planet, as many as 1,241 have been recorded in the Indian sub-continent.

The Pioneer, 17th January 2012

Photojournalist Pablo Bartholomew’s shots of 70-80s’ Mumbai depict the city as an urban shelter for dreamers. He talks to Divya Kaushik about a new exhibition based on his personal stories. He had left Delhi for Bombay at 21

Something about the images of tall buildings covered in chipped plaster, dilapidated repair shops, deserted streets and wrinkled faces, hold your attention.

Photojournalist Pablo Bartholomew’s exhibition, Chronicles of A Past Life-Bombay (1970s-80s), at Photoink Gallery in Jhandewalan, reflects the city’s culture and a period now lost to time.

Bartholomew’s perspective is that of an outsider, who was, “conveniently absorbed by the city.”

He commented, “The show is dedicated to a place which gave me, and a thousand others, the opportunity to be cradled and mentored professionally.” Pablo added, “It provided friendship, food, shelter and the chance to be someone.”

From dabbawallahs to a streetside photo studio, and taxi stand, the photos capture various aspects that go into making Mumbai so unique. Pablo Bartholomew is famous for reportage photos like his Time magazine cover of the Bhopal gas tragedy.

The lensman grew up in Delhi, but went to Mumbai at 21, to carve a niche for himself. He soon discovered he was not the only one. As vast rivers of people trickled in to fulfill their dreams. They quickly adapted to the local code. As well as the norms practiced by Mumbaikars.

Pablo commented, “India would not have been same without Mumbai. Not only is there entertainment, advertising, finance. The city embraces cultures and habits.” Having escaped bureaucratic Delhi, leaving behind his troubled teenage life, Bartholomew said he “found acceptance in Mumbai. Not because I was a local son. But because of my talent and skills as a photographer. This allowed me to find myself grow, workwise.

He added, “Now I can look back with warmth and gratitude, at what Mumbai had to offer me. He also said, “With grudging reluctance, I had left it, during the mid 1980s; the death of my father and trouble brewing in the North, took me to journalism.

“Unfortunately, this marked the end of the documentary phase of my work. After I joined journalism and the world of colour, I abandoned my black and white photos.” The photographs present strong images of subcultures, and the urban environment. The idea, said Pablo, was to capture the city’s essence. There is a picture of Amitabh Bachchan relaxing on the sets of Coolie, with fellow crew members. Other images include a Parsi gentleman at a wedding, a family on a scooter, a beggar at Victoria Terminus and the manager of an opium den.

Each image like ragpickers fighting. Or a horse-stable in Mumbai tells a story. Pablo Bartholomew ended, “Often I would wander aimlessly through the streets, hoping to discover the place day by day. I remain amazed by the infinite visual joy of each discovery.”

The Pioneer, 17th January 2012

Apart from its famed scenic beauty, the Shikaripura region in Shimoga district is home to many architectural marvels. From Bandalike to Keladi and Ikkeri, the region was ruled by great dynasties such as the Rashtrakutas and Hoysalas.

Shikaripura in Shimoga district is a treasure house of many inscriptions. There is no dearth of temples that speak of the glory of ancient architecture. Bandalike, a tiny village in the region stands testimony to this glory.

Bandalike is nestled in nature’s lap and brings you a sense of peace and tranquility. This hamlet has been referred to as either ‘Bandalike’ or ‘Bandanike’ in the inscriptions. It is said to have been a major centre of Jainism and Kalamukha Shaiva sect in those days. The original name of Bandalike is ‘Nagarakhanda’. The inscriptions describe Banavasi as the face of the earth and Nagarakhanda as the decorative tilaka (marks) on its face. Bandalike was a key administrative centre during the reigns of the seventh-century Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas of Kalyana, Kalachurya, Hoysala, Sevuna and Vijayanagar kingdoms.
Today, it is a tiny hamlet known for its famed Banashankari temple. This deity has many names including Vanadavva, Banadavva, Banashankari and Banadamma. There have been many debates about whether it is this Bandalike that has been mentioned as Maheshwari Kshetra in the noted Shivalli inscription. There are many similarities between the idol of Banashankari at Bandalike and the sixth-century idol of Maheshwari.

Puranic legends
Bandalike also celebrates Banada Hunnime, a jathre of the goddess here. The festivities add to the celebration of the harvest that happens around this time in the region. There are many mythological legends surrounding the temple of Banashankari. According to one Puranic episode, the gods decide to improve the lives of people on earth. While Shiva decides to send his disciple Prabhudeva to earth, Parvathi, his consort, decides to send Mayadevi to earth.

Mayadevi is born as the daughter of Banavasi’s king. She is an accomplished princess, well-versed in the fine arts, from dance to music. Prabhudeva who is born in a common man’s family is an experted at playing the maddale (an instrument). Mayadevi seeks his hand in marriage, but Prabhudeva chooses instead to lose himself in dhyana or penance. Mayadevi looks for him everywhere, but eventually, a disappointed princess arrives at Bandalike.

It is widely believed in the region that the deity of Banashankari has the power to solve all their troubles. There are special prayers offered on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Apart from the Banashankari temple, the hamlet is also known for the Trimurthi Narayana temple, the Someshwara temple and the Shantinatha basadi. The Jain basadi stands testimony to the fact that Bandalike was home to many religions. The basadi constructed here dates back to the period of the Rashtrakutas. Inscriptions also mention that this basadi received the patronage of Jakkiabbe, the wife of a hero. The Trimurthi Narayana temple is a trikutachala temple, and dates back to the period of the Kalyana Chalukyas. The Someshwara temple, which goes by the name Aanekalu Somaiah and Beppeshwara was built by Boppesetti in 1274.

If you are in Shimoga district, don’t give this hamlet a miss. A treat of architecturally-rich temples, a Jain basadi and scenic beauty all await you there. Bandalike is 30 km from Shikaripura.

Suma B Jogihalli
Discover Shimoga

• Most of Shimoga district is located in the Malnad region of the Western Ghats. The Malnad region is home to many rivers and rich biodiversity. Shimoga is the district headquarters.

* An important tourism spot in the district is the famed Jog Falls. The Jog Falls, also called Gerusoppe Falls, is created by the river Sharavathi.

* Apart from its rich heritage and culture, Shimoga is also known for its many wildlife and bird sanctuaries. Among them are Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and Mandagadde bird sanctuary.

* Shimoga district is also home to Agumbe, known for its great sunsets. The other well-known hilly retreats include Kodachadri, Kundadri and Kavaledurga.

* Shimoga is the land of many rivers. Important among them are the Tungabhadra, the Varada (Varadamoola or source of the river Varada is located six kilometres from the town of Sagar, a key town of Shimoga district. There are many dams too, including the Linganamakki dam, the Lakkavalli dam and the Gajanur dam.

Of Gandaberunda and other tales
Keladi is a small town near Sagar in Shimoga district. Sagar, to most of us, is the nearest town to the famous Jog falls. This region was ruled by the powerful Nayakas whose glory is reflected through the temples they built in Keladi and Ikkeri. There’s also a palace in Shimoga that belonged to Sivappa Nayaka, the dynasty’s most illustrious ruler.

The ASI board in front of the Rameshwara temple explains that the temple is built in Hoysala and Dravida style.

However the stone sculptures, the lion faced columns reminds one of Vijayanagara styled workmanship.

One of the main reasons for me to visit the temple was to see the Gandaberunda, the mythical two headed bird, which was also used by the Mysore kingdom and today is the Karnataka State symbol. The exquisite carving on the roof of the adjacent Veerabhadra temple did not fail my expectations.

Though the Nayakas were Shaivaites, the sculpture in these temples are different from the Shiva temples further south.

Temple tales
While Keladi’s Rameshwara temple looks simple from the outside, the nearby Ikkeri’s Aghoreshwara temple has a more majestic look. I loved the entrance to this huge stone structure. Its exquisite carvings reminded me of Belur.

The Keladi Nayakas ruled over two centuries and through three main capitals – Keladi, Ikkeri and Bednur (Nagara). Two rulers of this region are very popular in the region.

The first is the illustrious Shivappa Nayaka who defeated and ruled the entire coastal region as far as Bekal; the second is Chennamma who braved the huge Mughal army and gave shelter to Rajaram, the son of Shivaji.

Shivappa Nayaka ruled from 1645 to 1660. A powerful chieftain, he was also known as Shistina Shivappa Nayaka for his reforms to the land revenue system (shistu, discipline in Kannada).

With a strong knowledge of agriculture, he classified land into five categories according to their fertility taking into account the average yield over a period of 13 years. It was during his tenure that the entire coastal Karnataka region was subdued and he went as far as Bekal and built a fort there.

Poornima Dasharathi
Balligavi
Balligavi, a town in Shikaripura taluk is today known as Balligame or Balagame. In the past, it went by the names, Dakshina Kedara, Valliggame and Valligrame. Most importantly, the town is known for the great Veershaiva saint Allama Prabhu and Vachana poetess Akka Mahadevi.

Balligavi is also the birthplace of Shantala Devi, queen of Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana.

Balligavi was also home to some of the finest artisans of the period, including great sculptors. The small town is famous its 11th-century Kedaresvara temple and Tripurantakesvara temple. Balligavi is 12 km from Shikaripura town.

Deccan Herald, 17th January 20122

The State government has extended the boundaries of a national park and four wildlife sanctuaries.

The government on December 27, 2011, notified around 1,255.64 sq km of reserve forest land as national park and wildlife sanctuaries. As per the notification, the areas of four wildlife sanctuaries – Dandeli, Mookambika, Cauvery and Someshwara, and one national park – Bannerghatta, have been extended by amalgamating them with reserve forests, thereby bringing a larger area under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The notification states that the additional reserve forests also have better wildlife habitat apart from being corridors for movement of animals. “With adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphologic, natural and zoological significance, it is suited for protecting, propagating and developing wildlife or its environment. These additional areas will act as barriers to the core area and will help in better management of wildlife habitat,” the notification reads..

The decision to alter the limits and boundaries of the sanctuaries and park was taken during the State Wildlife Board meeting chaired by then chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, on July 26, 2011.

The government’s sanction of reorganisation of the forests was seconded by the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife, Ministry of Environment and Forests, which on October 14, 2011, approved rationalisation of boundaries of the forests.

Revenue villages, patta land and land already allotted by the government for non-forestry purpose will not be included. The rights of waters and various other rights as notified earlier for the respective reserved forests will continue, the notification adds.

Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary, Forests, Kaushik Mukherjee said: “The Board has analysed the proposal very critically, and has approved more areas to be reserved under wildlife conservation. A holistic view of sanctuaries has been taken to protect the forests better. Diversion of forest land for development projects will be very little,” said Mukherjee.

He said it would facilitate increased protection for the wildlife and the money utilised by the State for afforestation in the reserve forests would be used for the protection.

“We have sought additional funds from both the Centre and the State,” he added.

Forest dwellers
The officer said about 1,500 forest dwellers are in the forests of Karnataka which included the core and fringe areas. Though the boundaries are rationalised, the forest dwellers will not be evicted forcefully.

“It is for the forest dwellers to decide whether or not they want to stay on in these areas – as the government will definitely not be building schools, colleges or hospitals in these protected areas,” he said..

The Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as sanctuary in 1998; Mookambika in 1974; Cauvery in 1984; Someshwara in 1979; while Bannerghatta was declared and notified as a national park in 1975.

Deccan Herald, 17th January 2012

The bus drive from the airport to Pettah, the bustling commercial district in the heart of Colombo, took an agonising two hours.

The little that I managed to see of Colombo as the bus headed deeper into the city was enough for me to decide that I could easily avoid it. And so, when we got to the main bus terminal at Pettah, I took the first waiting bus out of the city. It was heading south, to the town of Galle, and I hopped on.

Having already travelled to central and northern Sri Lanka, where many of the better-known tourist attractions are located, on a previous visit to the country, I decided to spend my short vacation in southern Sri Lanka, a part of the country that I had not hitherto visited..

The bus passed out of the urban sprawl of Colombo and then onto the highway leading to Galle, a four-hour journey to the south. Along the way, the road ran parallel to the sparkling turquoise waters of the Arabian Sea. Most of the coastline had recently witnessed a feverish spree of construction activity.

Almost every available bit of beach had been gobbled up by expensive hotels, catering mainly to the hundreds of thousands of sun-thirsty western tourists who flock to Sri Lanka every year. Mass tourism meant money for cash-strapped Sri Lanka, but it had definitely taken a heavy toll on its famed natural beauty.

Galle is small enough to cover on foot, uncluttered by the mind-blowing traffic of Colombo.

The town’s Dutch-built fortress, said to be Asia’s largest, juts into the sea, and is surrounded by formidable moss-laden walls. Within the sprawling complex are hundreds of ancient buildings — a neatly white-washed church, a towering lighthouse, Dutch tomb-complexes and numerous pretty bungalows located behind low lying walls, decked with flowering creepers which, though centuries old, are still meticulously maintained.

I headed the next morning to the town of Tissa along a road that trailed along the coast. There was little to see in Tissa but for a massive dagoba, a stupa-shaped Buddhist shrine which, according to local lore, marks the place where the Buddha stayed on one of his supposed visits to Sri Lanka. It is claimed that the structure contains some holy relics of the Buddha.

The friendly head of the local monastery showed me some ancient palm leaf
manuscripts that the shrine possesses. Continuing in this rather spiritual vein, I boarded a bus heading towards the neighbouring town of Kataragama, one of Sri Lanka’s most popular centres of pilgrimage, named after the god of the same name.

The ongoing, decades-long civil war in Sri Lanka between Buddhist Sinhalas and Hindu Tamilians has taken a heavy toll on the community relations in this once idyllic island, but the popularity of the cult of Kataragama among both Sinhalas as well as Tamilians indicates that the bond between the two communities, formed through devotion to shared ritual spaces, still survives.
Kataragama is for Tamilians God Murugan, while some Sinhala Buddhists regard him as a Boddhisattva, or a person on the way to Buddha-hood. Kataragama’s pilgrimage complex consists of numerous shrines set in a massive park on the banks of a river that cascades down densely forested hills. The shrines contain statues of fierce looking Hindu deities as well as that of the supremely serene Buddha, and of the long-haired Kataragama himself astride a peacock.

The next morning, I headed northwards to Ella. The countryside was stunningly lush, and the forests grew thicker as we climbed up Sri Lanka’s famed Central Highlands. Ella, a settlement of just a few dozen houses, had nothing noteworthy to see, but I used it as a base to walk to Ravan Ella, an hour’s hike up in the hills. Another hour’s climb from Ravan Ella was an
enormous cave hidden in a dense forest, where it is said, Ravana, king of Lanka, had kept Sita, wife of Ram, in captivity. Supposing that legend were to be true, the location of the cave, I thought to myself, was just apt for Sita, for it was set in brilliant countryside, surrounded by a sprawling carpet of brilliantly hued wild flowers..

From Ella, I travelled in a delightful mountain train to Nuwara Eliya, the heart of Sri Lanka’s famed tea country. As I passed by, I had a splendid view of high peaks in the distance, with slopes decked with tea plantations and interspersed with villages set in narrow valleys. Far in the distance stood, in awesome majesty, the 2,243-metre-high Adam’s Peak, a cone-shaped mountain that is sacred to local Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Muslims alike. It houses the sri pada, a sacred footprint which Buddhists believe to be that of the Buddha, Hindus that of Shiva, and Muslims and Christians that of Adam, left by his entrance into the world.

The Garden of Eden in Semitic tradition is believed to be in this very part of Sri Lanka. My holiday was now at an end — I needed to get back to Colombo to attend the conference I had come for in the first place. And so, from Nuwara Eliya I boarded a bus for a six-hour drive down winding roads, over thickly clad hills, past little hamlets and placid Buddhist monasteries, till I found myself back in the bustle of Pettah, the heart of Colombo, a place I had fled the day I had arrived in the country.

Deccan Herald, 17th January 2012

The High Court on Monday directed owners of shops and constructions around the world heritage site of Hampi to shift to the site allotted by the State government.Hearing a petition by Kottereshwara Kalyana Kendra, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna directed the owners of shops and constructions to vacate the premises and move to the new place within a month.

Some farmers from Anegundi near Hampi objected to the eviction order, stating they had constructed huts on their private agriculture land and had been offering hospitality in an eco-friendly manner and thus cannot be evicted.

They pointed out that the Hampi World Heritage Site Development Planning Authority had issued a showcause notice to them. They stated that their land was at a distance of 1.5 km from the world heritage site and hence, there is no violation on their part.

They are operating with a permission from the local panchayat, they said. The State said the property is indeed private, but is situated at a distance of 387 meter from Hampi. It submitted that already 314 sites had been allotted to those who had vacated the place as per the directions of the High Court. The division bench directed the farmers to vacate the place and approach the court if there are any problems.

Deccan Herald, 17th January 2012

The migratory birds have found a new winter home in the Capital — the wetlands around the river Yamuna. The wetlands have prospered because for the past two seasons, the river has witnessed floods, which provide clear water and better sustainable conditions for the winter migratory birds.

The birds fly to the main river during the day for food, but come back to the wetlands after the sunset. Flocks of birds including the Black Headed and Brown Headed Gull and Wigeon are among the birds that have been spotted in these wetlands.

Floods in the river Yamuna have been doing wonders to the river, which has been regaining its old charm. First it helped clean the river of several lakh metric tonnes of waste, which had not happened despite crores of public money going down the drain. Second it restarted the age-old farming patterns on the Yamuna bed with banks completely recharged with ground water. And now the small depressions on the Yamuna bed, which have been recharged in the past two years, are fast becoming most cosy homes for the migratory birds.

When the floods first came time two years back, these depressions were created and last year floods recharged them providing clean water to the migratory birds. The birds go to the main river during the day time for food, but come back to the wetlands in the evening. “The water of the wetlands is cleaner than the rivers, where the city sewers leave their discharge. These wetlands are in isolated pockets generally away from the industrial and residential hubs and provide safe habitats for the birds,” said TK Roy of the Asia Waterbird Census..

The birds — including Blackheaded and Brownheaded Gull, Wigeon, Shovlers, Common Teal and Tufted Duck — have been spotted in these wetlands. “It was observed that the number of birds coming to the Yamuna had come down because of the increase in the pollution levels of the river. However, the birds are now being spotted in flocks in the cleaner patches of the river in the various wetlands,” added the conservationist. During the day hours these birds either fly upstream towards Wazirabad or to the Okhla Bird Sanctuary for food, but are back to these wetlands later in the day.

“The wetlands provide good roosting grounds and so the birds prefer to take shelter on these wetlands. However, for food they have spots identified in the main river where they are spotted during the day,” said Ananda Banarjee, a bird watcher and an environmentalist.

The Pioneer, 18th January 2012

A nuclear research centre and a biotechnology lab situated in south Delhi have been held responsible, among others, by the Delhi Jal Board for polluting the medieval Neela Hauz Lake.

In a report submitted to the Delhi high court, to be considered by HC on Wednesday, the DJB says the lake is facing pollution due to unchecked discharge from the Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology ( ICGEB). It states that preliminary inspections have shown that both the institutes - situated in the vicinity of Sanjay Van, have septic tanks from where sewage is discharged into the lake and for the same reason both institutes have been advised to make their own arrangements.

The DJB status report came after HC sought to know what different agencies, including the PWD, have done since its directions last year to clean up and restore the ecologically important lake.

In its report, the DJB also blames nearby industrial area of Bawa Potteries, close to a 1000 adjoining slums in Vasant Kunj, roadside eateries and banquet halls for causing large-scale pollution of the lake due to sewage. The Board has offered to construct a pump house in the area, if the court gives its directions, which will lift the untreated water and send it directly to a nearby water treatment plant and stop further pollution of the water body.

Arraigned by petitioner Malvika Kaul as one of the respondents, the IUAC has also submitted its reply in HC and contested the DJB's claim. IUAC has told HC that no sewage water from the institute flows in to the lake as the institute is very particular about ensuring the lake isn't polluted. IUAC argued it's the recently constructed PWD flyover that is responsible for choking up the lake and clogging of the storm water drain..

The replies come in the wake of HC's renewed interest in restoration of the lake, after Kaul revived her disposed of PIL. She accused DJB, DDA and PWD of sitting on court's deadline for resuscitating the water body and said they merely pass the buck. HC had last year asked the agencies to respond to Kaul's complaint. It had asked these agencies to "work in harmony and stop pollution of the lake". Kaul accused government agencies of being indifferent to piling debris, pointing out how this construction waste endangered the existence of the lake. After the PWD said it had removed the debris and was ready to hand over possession of the lake back to DDA, HC made the latter the nodal agency in charge of overall restoration of the lake. DDA was tasked with ensuring the lake is fully restored to its original glory since the flyover has been opened.

Times of India, 18th January 2012

The Gujarat High Court has reserved its order on the contentious issue of the State Government paying compensation for damage and desecration of religious structures during the post-Godhra riots in 2002.

A division bench of the High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice JB Pardiwala reserved its order following conclusion of arguments in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in 2003.

The Islamic Relief Committee (Gujarat) had filed the PIL in the High Court in 2003 demanding that the State Government should pay compensation for damage to the religious shrines during the violence after the killing of 58 kar sewaks in the Godhra train fire.

The Government counsel told the court that it was not the policy of the State Government to provide funds for such purposes.The Islamic Relief Committee said that it sought the compensation on the basis of a recommendation by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

As many as 297 religions places, mostly mosques, were damaged in the State during the 2002 violence.

Protecting religious structures was the duty of the State Government and the aggrieved people are entitled to seek compensation, the IRC counsel argued.

The Pioneer, 18th January 2012

The Capital’s first monorail corridor project will come up in the Trans-Yamuna area with the Delhi Government giving in-principal approval to a link between Shastri Park Metro station and Trilokpuri via Old Iron Bridge.

The 10.8-kilometre corridor would be on an elevated single rail with 12 stations on its route — >>>Shastri Park Metro Station, Rajaram Kohli Marg, Geeta Colony, Patparganj Road, Nirman Vihar Metro Station on Vikas Marg, Ganesh Nagar, New Patparganj Road and Sanjay Lake to terminate parallel to the proposed Trilokpuri Metro Station. The total cost is estimated at `1,655 crore and the corridor will be completed by January 2017.

A proposal to this effect will be brought before the Cabinet soon. This was decided after a presentation given by RITES on this mode of transport at a high-level meeting, attended by East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, urban development Minister Ashok Kumar Walia, transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, industries Minister Ramakant Goswami, MLAs Anil Choudhury, Deputy Speaker Ambarish Gautam, Chief Secretary Praveen Kumar Tripathi, principal secretary UD, R Chandaramohan, MD, DSIIDC, Chetan B Sanghi and other officers.

The monorail system is in use in Tokyo (Japan) from 1963, Kuala-Lumpur (Malaysia) for the last five years and China for the last three years..

In the monorail system, the train runs on a narrow guideway beam with the wheels gripped laterally on either side of the beam. It is a lightweight system and its cost of execution is less as compared to the Delhi Metro lines.

The monorail requires a 1.00 m wide space (Column Size 0.8 m X 1.5 m) the space of a footpath or a divider and it rests on a single pillar of height 6.5 m without disturbing the existing traffic. Capacity of four cars monorail system is 8,000 to 12,000 peak hour peak direction (PHPD).

Political pandits say monorail corridor project will help east Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit to consolidate his vote bank in trans Yamuna as this is the only corridor which found feasible by RITES while it has rejected two other corridors-Karol Bagh and Chandni Chowk.

Dikshit, who was pursuing this project, said that the route of monorail will integrate with three Delhi Metro Lines - Redline, Blueline and the proposed Mukundpur-Yamuna Vihar under construction line. It would also provide provide inter-change facility.

After the meeting, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that the Delhi Government has given in principal approval to this project and a proposal to this effect will be brought before the Cabinet soon..

It was also stated that monorail service will attract sufficient ridership and will be able to provide an inter-city transport service in congested localities in trans Yamuna in east Delhi where Delhi Metro and even buses are difficult to ply.

It is expected that initially monorail in trans-Yamuna will have daily ridership of around 1.5 lakh. According to the proposal, even DMRC favoured introduction of monorail in such congested area. The proposal further stated that laying of monorail lines is cheaper as compare to Delhi metro lines. As Monorail will be plying above narrow lane in congested locality, straddle type elevated monorail will be able to negotiate sharp curves.

The report by RITES is a detailed one, taking into account logistics involved in the project, and it concludes that it is feasible to construct the link. RITES had first proposed monorail corridors as a feasible transport option in its transport development plan prepared in 2005.

In 2010, it (RITES) renewed the plan and proposed that a monorail corridor could be constructed between Rohini and Kalyanpuri. That project didn’t really take off. Subsequently, RITES proposed a fresh corridor, from Shastri Park metro station to Trilokpuri this time integrating the corridor with the various lines of the Delhi Metro.

The Pioneer, 18th January 2012

Water men Rajinder Singh and Manoj Misra of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan have filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court asking for a review of the 2009 Supreme Court judgment on the Yamuna river.

The Supreme Court had overturned an earlier high court judgment which had asked for an expert committee, led by Dr R.K. Pachauri, to look into the whole issue of a series of constructions on the Yamuna river bed.

The stand taken by these two petitioners is that a series of subsequent events during the last two years, including the 2010 heavy floods which saw the river waters enter the basement of the Commonwealth Games Village (CGV), have only served to reinforce their earlier plaint that the CGV and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation metro depot have indeed been constructed on the flood plain of the Yamuna river.

Their petition quotes extensively from the Shunglu report, chaired by Mr V.K. Shunglu, former comptroller and auditor-general of India, which highlighted that, “the selection of site for the games village in 2003 was a priori and no exercise was undertaken to compare the selected site with alternate sites available with DDA. The high-level committee was informed of the possibility of constructing the village in close proximity to Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex on land belonging to L&DO also remained unexplored,” the petition stated. The Shunglus report highlights that no alternative sites were considered because of an implicit desire to construct next to Akshardham and at no other site.

Asian Age, 18th January 20122

Disturbed by a Delhi Jal Board report that untreated sewage still flows into Neela Hauz lake, Delhi high court on Wednesday termed the situation "very dangerous" and asked the authorities to take immediate steps in this regard.

"That's very dangerous if unchecked water is going into the lake," a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said and ordered Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) to ensure no sewage reaches the lake. "We will open a separate file if the issue is not addressed," the bench added.

On being informed by the PWD that it has handed over the entire area to the DDA, HC gave the authority 15 days to chalk out a restoration plan for the medieval era lake and asked it to inform about long term measures that can be taken to restore the lake. The court will now take up the matter in February..

HC was hearing an application by petitioner Malvika Kaul who accused the civic agencies of ignoring court deadlines for restoring the water body.
 

The Times of India, 19th Jan 2012

A new breeding centre for the Japanese quail will be set up in Rajasthan University of Veterinary Sciences, Bikaner. The centre will come up as part of the network programme on diversified poultry species proposed by the Central Avian Research Centre, Bareilly.

“There is a need to promote quail production programmes in this region. Quail farming in the rural areas of Rajasthan will not only supplement the shortages of animal proteins but also generate additional income for the people,” says Rajasthan University of Veterinary Sciences Vice-Chancellor A. K. Gahlot. “Quail is a pivotal bird for research and education. It will be a unique centre for our University,” he adds.

While quail farming has picked up in a big way at the international level, awareness about the same in the State is low.

“In birds, only poultry chicken is used as meat now, but soon the Japanese quail will prove an alternative. After the ban on local wild quail's hunting, introduction of the Japanese quail is a better option on a conservation point of view as well,” says Prof. Gahlot.

According to him, poultry meat and eggs available in the market are not adequate to meet the increasing demand. Presently poultry eggs are imported into Rajasthan from Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. The proposal is to purchase 5,000 quails initially. Once the centre comes into operation, one-day-old quail chicks will be sold to the farmers. From time to time, training programmes will be organised for quail farmers. The Japanese quail, though called “quail” in common parlance, is a member of the Pheasant species.

“Its maturity period is less than that of the poultry chicken and quail farming is cheaper than poultry farming,” says University Associate Professor R. K. Dhuria. “The pickle made from quail's egg is a delicacy. Quail's manure has high fertilizer efficiency.”

The Japanse quail, which is more resistant to diseases than chicken, has created a big impact in the recent years. Many quail farms have been established throughout the country, both for egg and meat production. The small quail eggs are within the purchasing limit of the small and marginal farmers, landless labours and the rural poor or the common man,” he points out.
The Hindu, 19th Jan 2012

The dismal state of the famed Jaisalmer fort highlighted in TOI on January 16 has caught Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's attention and he has sought a report from culture minister Selja.

The PM has written to Selja asking her to personally look into the matter and said he would like to be apprised of the facts of the case. His concern stems from reports that the historic fort that has survived wars and the elements is being harmed by sewage lines and illegal construction.

A section of the fort wall collapsed in mid-2011 and although the Archeological Survey of India has pasted cautionary notices, the monument is in dire straits. It has hundreds of families living in its precincts and their relocation is an urgent concern given the fragile state of the fort.

A sum of Rs 6.5 crore marked for the fort's conservation is unspent with local ASI officials claiming that they were awaiting instructions from Delhi. The PM has a keen interest in history and culture having backed the strong legislation to protect monuments through the National Monuments Authority.

The Times of India, 19th Jan 2012

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the government’s right to issue notifications to preserve and protect archaeological sites.

It also upheld the New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) order restraining construction of a 75 feet building near the centuries-old Jantar Mantar.

The apex court, however, also upheld part of the high court order which says that a ‘prohibited and regulated area’ should be measured from the outer boundary wall of a protected monument and not the structures within.

A bench of justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly set aside the Delhi High Court order that directed the Centre to review its 1992 notification and asked it to make some relaxations in the prohibition on a case-to-case basis.

As per the 1992 notification, no construction or repair was permitted within the prohibited area of a protected monument. The notification defined the area as 100 metres.

The same notification allowed only those buildings to be repaired that are within 200 metres of the protected monument.

Upholding the concept of coning the prohibited and regulated area, the SC noted that such steps were needed to protect ancient monuments facing threat of extinction. If the steps were not taken, such monuments “may become part of history”, it added.

The bench also lamented the dilapidated state of Jantar Mantar, of which some instruments have become unworkable. This is largely due to the construction of multi-storeyed structures around the monument.

The Hindustan Times, 19th Jan 2012

Forest dept fears the Western Ghats Ecology Authority infringes on its powers

The recommendation of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) for setting up the Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA) has not gone down well with the State Forest department.

It has written to the government opposing the recommendation, stating that the proposal seems almost ‘draconian’ and that the State will have very little say in terms of land and forest, which are ‘state subjects’, if it is implemented.

After the MoEF wrote to Karnataka asking for its comments on the panel’s suggestions, the Forest department formed a sub-committee of senior forest officers, who after studying the report have written back to the government advising that Karnataka should not accept the recommendation for setting up the WGEA.

The department argues that setting up the Authority would be like a ‘double edged sword’ and the State will be forced to vest the overall control with WGEA. Officials said that even laying of a pipeline or constructing a small road, for instance, would become a cumbersome process.

Officials say that the already existing laws are well structured, and if the WGEA comes into existence, these laws would become redundant.

The panel has been proposed to classify the Western Ghats landscapes into three classes - ecologically very sensitive, ecologically sensitive and moderately sensitive, based on the bio-diversity richness and ecological importance of the sites to regulate the development activities.

It has allowed development projects in some areas, which it has termed “Go” areas and others as “No-Go” areas.

The department has stated that as per the directions of the Supreme Court in the Godavarman case (writ petition 202), no change in the legal status of any forest land can be made in the country through new regulations. “Therefore, bringing the forests under any new regulation may not be in accordance with the Supreme Court directions,” it states.

The panel has also recommended new management regimes for different land tenures including forest and non-forest areas.

It has proposed the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in the wildlife areas by recognising the community rights to collect the NTFP.

The department has countered it by saying that FRA is implemented in the wildlife areas as per the Wildlife Act, where relocation of the tribals should be on a voluntary basis.

The recommendations

• WGEA should be a statutory authority appointed by MoEF enjoying powers under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act ,1986.* It will have the final authority for approving eco sensitive zones
• It will be the appellate authority when there are disputes between two states within the Ghats
• It will have powers to issue directions to state govts/agencies/authorities to prohibit, regulate or allow any activity that may have adverse impact on the Ghats
• It will have powers to levy fines and take other punitive measures laid down in Environment Protection Act and other environmental laws
• It can call for records, documents or notes by any authority, agency within state and the Centre in order to arrive at any decision. It will be empowered under the provisions of Civil Procedure Code
• It will develop a Western Ghats-specific master plan for conservation and sustainable development

The looming threat to the world heritage sites of Kaziranga and other national parks in Assam is not from poachers or encroachers. But according to a study conducted by experts it is from the 70 dams and hydro electric power projects that are coming up on River Brahmaputra and its tributaries in the North-East region of the country.

The study was conducted Bibhab K Talukdar, Secretary General of Aaranyak, member organisation of National Board For Wildlife (NBWL) and Partha J Das who heads the Water, Climate & Hazard Programme of the organisation. The 70 large dams proposed by the Government of India are to come up on the basins of the Rivers Siang (20), Lohit (11), Dibang (17) and Subansiri (22).

According to them, these upcoming dams in the region will have serious impacts on the life-sustaining ecosystems and the fragile environment of the region which has the largest forest cover in India. The area includes 24.6 per cent of the country’s total forest area in a relatively small area of 7.76 per cent of the country’s total geographical area. The effects of the dams would also affect the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, which is one of the 34 in the world.

The situation in Kaziranga, is particularly precarious, Talukdar pointed out. It is located in the floodplain of the Brahmaputra and known for its population of the greater one-horned rhino, elephants and tigers as well as many other important species of flora and fauna. “The threat to the sanctuary comes from a number of power projects which are in various stages of development”, he stressed.

These include the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project (2000 MW) on river Subansiri, the Lower Siang HEP (2700 MW) on river Siang (the mainstream of the Brahmaputra that flows from Tibet, the Demwe Lower HEP (1750 MW) on river Lohit and the Dibang Multipurpose Project (3000 MW) on river Dibang, projects.

Das further pointed out that these run of the river projects will create daily variations in the rate of water flow creating a cycle of high flow and low flow cycle on a daily scale rather than the natural seasonal scale.

This daily occurring contrast in flow of water will drastically vary the hydrostatic pressure on the riverine and inner aquatic habitats constantly, putting severe stress specially on the aquatic wildlife of Kaziranga, felt Das.

Further, increase in rate of river bank erosion and uncertainty over anticipating the areas likely to be hit by erosion is commonly observed in alluvial plains downstream of dams, said Talukdar.
Any increase in bank erosion along the riparian stretch of Kaziranga will lead to loss of area of the wildlife habitat. It can also cause excessive sedimentation of inland water bodies and grasslands during annual peak floods.

“Similar impacts are inevitable during those sure but unpredictable cases of release of flood (excess) water during extreme rainfall, landslide or dam outburst floods in upstream of these basins”, pointed out the experts.

According to them, such changes in the local hydrological characteristics of the Brahmaputra which will be caused by the dams will gravely affect the Kaziranga ecosystem reducing their productive and carrying capacity to sustain different species of flora and fauna.

The Pioneer, 20th Jan 2012

Ironical as it may be, DDA has no jurisdiction over a large part of the Yamuna floodplain located within Delhi. Consequently, while tonnes of construction debris is dumped along the Pushta Road in east Delhi, choking water bodies and generally making a mess of the riverbed in the heart of the city, DDA says it cannot take action as the land in question belongs to the UP irrigation department.
In October 2011, the LG office had asked Delhi government to sort out this matter at the earliest. It also sent reminders to DDA when Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan complained about the large-scale debris dumping in December. Sources said that in a letter written to DDA on December 20, the LG had asked the land owning agency to take "immediate action" to stop dumping of debris, especially since once the land is in Delhi's possession, it would be categorized as ecologically sensitive 'Zone O'.

Taking cognizance of a TOI report on debris dumping published on January 13, 2012, the LG has also written to MCD, PWD and Irrigation and Flood Control Department to ensure that none of their construction debris is dumped on the river.

Delhi chief secretary P K Tripathi will soon be filing a petition in the Supreme Court to speed up the transfer of over 15 lakh sqm of land from UP to Delhi and meanwhile stay any modification or construction on the river bed. Some part of the Yamuna flood plain land has been in UP's possession since the early part of the 20th century when the British carved out states. Even for the Akshardham temple and the Commonwealth Games village, land had to be purchased from UP though technically it came well within the capital's boundary.

However, with the river bed being ravaged on a daily basis, DDA officials say their hands are tied. "This is not our land and hence not our jurisdiction. Unless it is formally transferred to us we cannot take any action. It is Uttar Pradesh's responsibility to ensure that dumping of waste in this area stops. Even clearing what has already been dumped there is not our work," said DDA sources.

The issue of land ownership transfer had last arisen in October last year when Noida Authority released plans to build an embankment on the left bank of the Yamuna, stretching from NH-24 to the Chilla Regulator. The Yamuna Standing Committee was told that the Rs 92.10-crore project was a flood-control measure, but senior Noida officials accepted it was a bid to reclaim land. The Authority had demarcated the area under the proposal by setting up a barb wire fence.

The Times of India, 20th Jan 2012

A city court has asked the Delhi government and the Archaeological Survey of India to rid of encroachments the heritage Shahjahanbad Wall in the Walled City for its protection and preservation.

“I restrain the defendants (Delhi government and ASI), through its agency or departments, not to allow any encroachment adjacent to the city wall or Shahjahanbad Wall and not allow police post, milk depot, urinals, transformers, dhalao (dustbin) near it,” senior civil judge Ajay Goel said.

The court came to the rescue of the heritage wall, to which part of Old Delhi owes its name Walled City, on a plea by civil society News Room for Art and Culture, apprising the court of the miserable plight of the historic wall.

Shahjahanbad Wall once surrounded the Walled City, founded as Shahjahanbad by the Mughals in the 17th century. The plea said the Delhi government, ASI and other agencies concerned have failed to protect the Shahjahanbad Wall near Ansari Road which was declared a protected site.

The plea said a portion of the wall is being used for dumping garbage while the MCD has constructed a dhalao and an open urinal alongside. It added while the police has built a post by its side, power distribution firm BSES has installed a transformer near it and a milk depot too is being run near it.

The Asian Age, 20th Jan 2012

Glory of Palamau Fort, built by great Chero ruler, is all set to return with Department of Forest and Environment receiving green signal from the empowered committee of Supreme Court for conducting renovation work.

The go-ahead was received a week ago and would be followed by a proposal in this regard to be sent to the State Government for either arranging its own resources for the overhauling or, seek funds available through Finance Commission.

The breakthrough comes long after the matter gathered dust with the empowered committee. The proposal for renovation reached the apex court way back in 2005 when the Forest Conservation Act became an impediment to the process. The Act specifically says that any extra-forestry activity inside the forested area could be done only by the Forest Department.

“Since the department does not possess expertise in maintaining and restoring historic monuments, it has to involve Archaeological Survey of India into it. That became a bone of contention and the matter reached the Supreme Court and later sent to the empowered committee that hears cases on the behalf of the court.

Since then, no one pursed the matter over there. Now, the go ahead has been given and we are ready with the proposal to be sent to the State Government,” said Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wild Life) AK Malhotra.

The assent has come with some riders, and the ASI would have to take those into consideration while continuing with the renovation exercise. The work would continue only during day time and no littering would be done in or around the fort area, surrounded by thick forest that is a part of Betla Tiger Reserve. Any chopping down of trees would not be permitted without the consent of the Department.

The Pioneer, 20th Jan 2012

The Supreme Court’s decision on upholding Delhi high court’s order to measure the prohibited and regulated area for a Centrally protected monument from its outer boundary and not the structure is likely to affect several infrastructure projects in Delhi. Scores of additional properties —
especially in south Delhi — near Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monuments will also fall within the prohibited area (100 metres) and the regulated area (101-300 metres).

Following an amendment in the archaeological act in 2010, no fresh construction was allowed within 100 metres of a protected monument.

Delhi has a whopping 174 such monuments. Several monuments have a boundary wall while many do not.

“Earlier it was as per the measurement from the notified area. These were often up to the footprint of the monuments. But the implication of the Supreme Court ruling is that now the measurement has to be taken from the boundary of the monument, which could be much further away from the monument,” said AGK Menon, Delhi head, Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage.

For instance, the Red Fort station of the proposed Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s line in phase 3, is beyond 100 metres of the Red Fort monument — a World Heritage Site.

Now, however, when the distance is counted from the boundary wall, it will be less than 50 metres.
ASI officials said that whatever the Supreme Court said was binding on all.

“We would go through the judgment. (But) wherever there are no boundary walls, we would have to go by what the notification for that monument says,” said Dr BR Mani, ASI’s competent authority for ensuring monument-specific heritage bye-laws as per the 2010 amendment.

The reactions are divided — development proponents are going to be cautious while heritage lovers happy.

“The Supreme Court has upheld the law in the way it was meant to be. It ought to be welcomed. Courts have proved to be guardians of monuments,” said Nayanjot Lahiri, archaeological historian, who was upbeat that there is no ambiguity on the 100 metres debate anymore.

Prof Satish Khanna, urban planner and also a member of the Delhi Urban Art Commission said, “We don’t have any choice (as) it is a Supreme Court decision. One has to accept it. But I hope the heritage bye-laws have to be rationalised for each monument, seeing the ground realities.”

The Hindustan Times, 20th Jan 2012

Though the Orissa government is quite prompt in signing a number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with different MNCs and corporate houses for execution of different mega projects in the state, somehow due to the cumbersome procedure of the state administration in acquiring the land as well as handling issues arising out of the working in forest and non-forest land have stalled the progress of many big ticket projects like POSCO, Vedanta and Essar.

Even the companies which have started their project works at selected sites after acquiring land through due legal procedure, construction work has been stopped unnecessarily by the controversy of working in forest as well as non-forest lands.

The Orissa scenario comes as sharp contrast when compared with the industrially developed Gujarat.

The pro-industry attitude of the Gujarat government has been further given a leap forward by the National Green Tribunal through its verdict on January 10, 2012.

Last week, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) allowed the M/s OPG Power Gujarat Pvt Ltd to proceed with its project at its “own risk” to work in their site area which was stopped due to the issue of said working in forest as well as non-forest areas.

As per the para 4.4 of the guideline on Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, if a project’s (both government and non-government) land involves forest and non-forest areas, the concerned party has to get the approval from the Union government even to work in the non-forest area. This guideline was subsequently modified on March 21, 2011.

The modified law, communicated to chief secretaries of all the states, said, “The restrictions imposed regarding working in forest and non-forest area is confined only to the government projects to avoid loss likely to be caused to the public exchequer in the event the required permission is denied and project cancelled. However, the provision cannot be made applicable to the private entrepreneurs who are willing to take a risk at their own cost.”

Due to the same problem, many big tickets projects like Vedanta Aluminium Limited’s refinery project at Lanjigarh in Orissa’s Kalahandi district and Essar’s steel project at Keonjhar have been stopped by the local administration.

Not only Vedanta and Essar, construction work of some other projects have been stopped due to the same, thereby putting the industrialisation process in the state in cold storage.

“However the recent National Green Tribunal’s verdict has raised hopes in our minds that the Orissa government takes a clue from this and acts pro-actively to allow the mega projects to start their work and materialise the dream of putting the state much above on the industrial map of the country,” said a senior official of mega steel project who did not want to be quoted.

The Asian Age, 20th Jan 2012

If the fire that ravaged parts of the 18th century Kalas Mahal in Chennai this week is symptomatic of the callousness with which we treat precious heritage buildings in this country, the eagerness of the Tamil Nadu Minister concerned to demolish what remains of it suggests a disregard for history and aesthetics that is, quite simply, monumental. What is happening in Chennai is indicative of the state of heritage conservation in the country. At a time when the Archaeological Survey of India is celebrating its 150th anniversary, doubts about the protection of the Taj Mahal still persist. Many monuments have gone mysteriously missing as in Delhi. Varanasi, one of India's ancient cities, is yet to be comprehensively conserved. The greatest concern of all is the future of 700,000 unprotected heritage structures spread across many cities. As important as protected monuments, these buildings are the most vulnerable since they are in use and do not have sufficient legal protection.

Home to about 600 heritage structures, Chennai is notorious for losing its historic buildings to mysterious fires. Kalas Mahal is the fifth victim. What lies damaged, if not entirely lost, is an important piece of Indian history. The Kalas Mahal along with its adjoining structure, Humayun Mahal, is an early example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. A hybrid building style that combined Hindu and Saracenic elements originated here, spread across the country to reach Ajmer and Baroda, among other places, and eventually influenced the architecture of New Delhi. When the British took over this palace from the Nawab of Arcot in 1859, they enhanced its architectural importance and creatively used it as a public office. Unfortunately, post-Independence, this nationally significant complex was neglected. Had these buildings been properly retrofitted, much of the damage could have been prevented. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has done well to intervene and stop the Public Works Department from hastily demolishing the Kalas Mahal. The committee she has constituted to study the condition of the building should do a scientific analysis, with nationally respected conservation experts leading the decision-making. It should also look at the entire building complex, and come up with a comprehensive plan to highlight the heritage value of the place. A well-restored Kalas Mahal will set a good precedent and Chennai could show the way for other cities to follow.

The Hindu , 21st Jan 2012

It couldn't get more ironical for the Delhi High Court. The Supreme Court has upheld its 2006 order on 100m prohibited area around ASI-protected monuments, a move that is likely to cause problems for its proposed expansion plans. The apex court has upheld that the distance of 100 metres (prohibited area of 0-100 metres) has to be measured from the outer boundary wall of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected monuments and not from the physical structure.

Located on the Sher Shah Suri Marg, the court complex lies next to the 16th century Sher Shah Gate and Khair-ul-Manazil. Both monuments are ASI-protected.

The Delhi High Court is preparing an expansion plan, which include additional courtrooms, judges' chambers and also chambers for lawyers in buildings taller than existing ones.

In November, the high court had directed the authorities concerned to prepare heritage byelaws for these monuments for new construction in the regulated area (101-300 metres from the protected monument). The Archaeological Act does not permit any new construction within the prohibited area.

At a meeting earlier this week, high court chief justice and five other judges had reviewed the process. Representatives of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA), Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC), ASI, Air Force and conservation experts and urban planners had attended the meeting.

Sources said, the official from Air Force operations unit had objected to the height, stating it can hinder an aircraft's flight path while flying over the India Gate during Republic Day parade. A site inspection was also carried out.

But even before heritage byelaws could be finalised, came the Supreme Court ruling. If the measurement (0-100 metres) has to start from the boundary wall of the monuments, a majority of the high court complex will come under the prohibited area.

But the court authorities are not exactly in agreement with the order. AS Chandiok, HCBA president, said, "The intent of the Supreme Court and the (archaeological) Act is to safeguard monument. Therefore, the 100 metres start from the monument."

"(But) the interpretation of the apex court's ruling has to be clarified by the authorities - either ASI or the National Monument Authority (NMA). Only then can heritage byelaws be finalised," said AGK Menon from the Indian National

Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), a body taken on board by the ASI for preparation of heritage byelaws.

It is the NMA, which will ultimately ratify the monument-specific heritage byelaws. "Wherever there is a boundary wall, measurement will start from that point and not from the monument, which can be somewhere inside," said Pravin Shrivastava, NMA member secretary.

It now remains to be seen as to how the high court authorities and the NMA interpret the Supreme Court ruling.

The Hindustan Times, 21st Jan 2012

As the Archaeological Survey of India begins framing heritage bylaws for protected monuments in the city, the existence of several structures and public projects around these sites may be at stake if they do not meet the set criteria.

ASI plans to declare any construction work within 300m of all 174 protected monuments in the city as unauthorized if due permissions were not granted to these structures after the amendment to the ASI Act in 1992. Sources said a list of such constructions will be compiled and shared with civic and law-enforcing agencies such as MCD and Delhi Police, who would then take appropriate action.

In 1992, ASI's Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1959 added a gazetted notification that prohibited new constructions within a 100m radius of any ASI monument in the country. The act, however, allowed for controlled development within the regulated area of the monument, which was fixed at 200m.

Last year, a new Act for monument protection was passed by the Parliament that proposed setting up of the National Monuments Authority (NMA) to grant permissions for constructions around monuments. The new Act also specified preparation of heritage bylaws for every protected monument, for which ASI has roped in conservation body INTACH. "A survey of protected monuments is underway site plans will be drawn. Survey of India will then submit these plans to INTACH, which will prepare the heritage bylaws for every monument. The bylaws would then be submitted to the competent authority appointed by ASI that would prepare the final draft and submit it to NMA,'' said a source.

The Supreme Court recently upheld the Delhi high court's order to measure the prohibited (100m) and regulated area (200m) for a centrally protected monument from the base of its boundary wall and not the monument structure. Sources said this would result in more structures intruding on the regulated zone. Apart from private properties, a number of infrastructure projects like Delhi Metro constructions and Barapullah Nullah are also likely to feature in the list. ASI joint director-general Dr B R Mani, in charge of heritage bylaws, said the Act passed last year specified that strict action be taken against constructions coming up close to protected monuments. "It will be a long-drawn task to ascertain if constructions in prohibited or regulated zones took place after 1992 or before that date and whether permissions will be granted to them. Land revenue records will have to be checked and permissions verified by several agencies. A final list will have to be drawn of all unauthorized constructions and notices will then be sent,'' he said.

"MCD will have to take action against these constructions and we will also file police complaints,'' said a senior ASI official.

The state-appointed competent authority has been asked to provide field inputs for preparation of heritage bylaws. The mapping by the Survey of India will help NMA decide on the protected area of each monument while preparing the bylaws. While the 2010 Act specifies that no construction be allowed within a 100m radius of all ASI monuments, the regulated zone area has no outer limit prescribed though that also has to be up to 200m at least.

The Times of India, 22nd Jan 2012

Whenever Chehlum comes around one cannot help thinking of its link with the brave Mahabat Khan whose grave is situated in Jorbagh

Chehlum, the 40th day after Moharram, is another occasion for taking out tazias, replicas of the tomb of Hazrat Imam Husain in Iraq. Though the number of tazias is not so much the enthusiasm is just as great. Delhi has always observed this day with great fervour, the pulses and meat dish haleem is distributed on it, though some opt for biryani, sherbet or halwa. This day generally leads to clashes between Shias and Sunnis not only in Iraq but also in some other Islamic countries. In India too clashes are reported in places like Hyderabad, Rampur, Lucknow and Moradabad. This year Delhi too witnessed a violent Chehlum at which Shia mourners clashed with the police at the Jor Bagh Karbala.

Though tension at Moharram and Chehlum was evident even during Moghul times, the tazia processions made it to the historic Jorbagh quite safely. These processions went from Kotla Ferozeshah (since there was no walled city then) and made a de tour of the haveli or mahal of the great General Mahabat Khan in what is now the Indraprastha Estate. Mahabat Khan, who had served Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, had become a Shia in later life.

Many exploits
Hs real name was Zamana Beg and his exploits were many. Whenever Chehlum comes around one cannot help thinking of its link with Mahabat Khan whose grave is situated in Jorbagh near the dargah of Shah-e-Mardan (Hazrat Ali), the prophet's son-in-law and an invincible warrior. Mahabat Khan, the very name brings to mind the din of battle the clash of steel, the neighing of horses, the sound of trumpets, the groans of the vanquished and the full-throated cry of the victors. The General of the imperial Moghul army initiated Shah Jahan into the art of warfare. He taught the young Prince Khurram how to parry and thrust during personal combat, the feint and charge in swordsmanship and the skilful use of spear, dagger and shield, the javelin and the discus. But the irony of it all was that the ustad and the pupil were pitted against each other more than once in real battle because of the scheming Nur Jahan who had poisoned the ears of Jahangir against his son and crown prince.

Khurram was asked to proceed to the north and counter the Persians whose Shah had captured Kandahar, which had for long been part of the Moghul Empire. His defiance of the command made matters worse and climaxed in a virtual rebellion. Eventually Mahabat Khan persuaded his erstwhile pupil to send two of his sons, Dara and Aurangzeb, as hostages to Agra.

Father-son rift
Even after that was done the rift between father and son continued and Khurram had to turn east towards Bengal where he could not get the refuge he sought from the Portuguese. They not only were stubborn but refused to let Mumtaz Mahal be treated by their doctors, suffering as she was from malaria. To add insult to injury the Portuguese kidnapped two of her favourite maids. With Mahabat Khan always on his heels, Shah Jahan could do little against the firangis at that time. Then Mahabat Khan too rebelled against the Emperor and took him captive. But Nur Jahan in a cunning move was able to rescue Jahangir and Mahabat Khan had to eat the humble pie.

Fences were mended but not long afterwards Jahangir fell ill at Kashmir and died on the way back to Lahore. Shah Jahan outwitted the empress and ascended the throne. Mahabat Khan was among those who presented themselves at court and was sent off to attack the Portuguese and teach them a lesson. By sacking ‘Hooghly' Mahabat Khan had re-established himself in the esteem of Shah Jahan. His death meant the snapping of a vital link with Akbar's times. But Mahabat Khan's name survives to this day, and whenever you visit Jorbagh Karbala you are reminded of his exploits.

The present face-off at the famous burial ground is yet another reminder of a medieval saga.
 

The Hindu, 23rd Jan 2012

The Delhi of numerous fallen cities has a new myth, legend or historical fact emerging every day, if you know where to look.

South of the Capital city, resting on a rocky terrain is Jawaharlal Nehru University which has a short history of about 40 years. However, the rocks in the university claim a different legacy.

“The rocks are older than the Mughuls, Prithviraj Chauhan or even the legend of Indraprastha, the fabled city of the Mahabharata that is claimed as one of Delhi's fallen cities. It is older than the Stone Age or even the Ice Age. It is 2,400 million years old, pre-Cambrian rocks actually,” says Glacier specialist and Geography Professor at JNU, Harjit Singh, before proceeding to explain: “Cambrian means dawn of earth's history. The rocks here are metamorphic rocks of the quartzite variety and are part of the Aravalli hills, relic mountains actually, belonging to a period before the dawn of earth's history.”

There are many legends and claims that university scholars have made over the years. In the late 1970s, a group of history students had found tools dating back to the Stone Age. “Some other research scholars had gone on an expedition to Bhimbetka (pre-historic rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh) and had come back with some tools which they abandoned in the university. Then they were found by these history students from whom the Stone Age theory emerged,” he says.

There have also been claims of pre-historic rocks and pictorial engravings that were found by other scholars. “All rocks are pre-historic,” he says, and proceeds to explain the glorious past of the university's rocks.

The desolate rocks did not encourage human settlement but were an important trade route to reach the Walled City of Delhi; there were seven routes through the hills for traders, one of them being through this area. “If you notice, all the villages surrounding the campus end with the word Sarai which means inn, and there are very old, stone structures in these villages. These houses have one single door that leads into a courtyard with small rooms surrounding it. There is hardly any ventilation. These strange houses were built for a very special purpose.”

The stone houses were inns let out to rich traders as protection and as a resting house before they tackled the bustling bazaars of Delhi. The rocky terrain was home to the deadly and legendry dacoits whose only livelihood was robbing these rich traders.

The area was taken over by the university by the early 1970s but was fertile ground for illegal mining the famous red Badarpur sand and stones for a long time. “There used to be depressions in the ground at many places in the university, clear evidences of mining activity, but were filled up with special ash, although a few are remaining.”

The illegal mining also gave birth to a myth of another sort. “There were cave-like structures formed as a result of the mining for which some scholars suggest cavemen antecedents,” says Prof. Singh.

However, refined tools belonging to the late Stone Age and pictorial engravings dating back to around 500 B.C. have been found on the campus, but a final report from the Archaeological Survey of India about the authenticity of these findings is still awaited.
 

The Hindu, 23rd Jan 2012

Monitoring of wildlife habitats with cameras has thrown up images of tigers in several non-protected areas in north India, leading wildlife field operatives to believe that the population of the big cat is on the rise.

In the past three weeks, shots of four individual tigers have been captured in the cameras installed at Uttarakhand’s Nandhor Valley. The area, which once had a sizeable tiger population years ago, was believed to have lost all its tigers to poaching and such human intervention.

Wildlife experts working in the region have found evidence of more tigers but they are waiting to capture the images on camera.

Wildlife group WWF-India, which carries out the monitoring here, are in the process of furnishing a report to the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Any tiger sighting in areas other than protected areas subsequently gets included in the NTCA’s monitoring network.

The Environment Ministry has been mulling a state proposal to award Wildlife Sanctuary status to Nandhor. Last October, forest officials had found signs of poaching of a tiger here. The fresh evidence strengthens the proposal that seeks more protection for this wildlife habitat.

The cameras have also captured shots of a Himalayan black bear from Chakatha and a Serow, both inhabitants of higher altitudes in the Himalayas. This comes close on the heels of cameras catching shots of 15 individual tigers in the Ramnagar forest division outside the protected area of Corbett National Park late last year.

The Pioneer, 24th Jan 2012

Osian’s director Neville Tuli shares details of their upcoming auction with Ila Sankrityayan. He also tells that the collection comprises best works by artists from Delhi and Punjab

Girls, Lovers and Horses were the center of attention at the the Kila in Mehrauli. The titles of famous works by renowned artists MF Husain, Biren De and Dhanraj Bhagat were enough to draw huge crowd at the preview of auction to be held on January 27 by Osian’s.

The present series comprises 126 artworks by about 62 artists from Punjab and Delhi. Works by legends like Husain, Tyeb Mehta and Amitava Das are also a part of the collection. Eighteenth and 19th century miniatures from Punjab and Kangra hills will also form a part of the series.

“We need to know our history to progress in art. Thus this Creative India series looks at the past of Indian art,” shared Neville Tuli, founder of Osian’s art auction house.

SG Thakur’s portrait of a royal lady from the Mayo College of Art and a painting depicting Maharaja Ranjit Singh riding on a horseback with umbrella bearer walking alongside from the Sikh School will be a part of this special collection.

“The paintings that we have here are treasure of Indian art. Husain’s Girl is one of his early works. He did this when he got married in 1941. It is one of the rare pieces,” explained Tuli. He added, “This series focusses on Delhi and Punjab.”

Creative India series one auction, focussed on 200 years of art from Bengal. It fetched around rupees eight crores. Tuli is expecting that the present series will be able to do a business of around 12-14 crores. “Economic condition is improving and there is a better scope for the sale of artworks,” he said and informed that Creative India series will continue this year and will feature artists from Bombay, Baroda and South India.

Tuli says that he appreciates works by young artists, but his focus remains on the masters.

Past few years were “unfortunate” for Tuli. He suffered huge losses, but now “thankfully,” he says, “Things are back on track.”

“Business is not just about profits. Sometimes you do take wrong decisions. I included a lot of non-profitable activities and they were a burden on the auction house. We were back with the auction in 2010 with over 101 artworks. Two paintings by FN Souza sold for Rs1. 74 and Rs1.44 crores respectively.

Akbar Padamse’s work earned a revenue of Rs 2.52 crores. I hope for better business in future and have plans to expand my operations in the coming years,” he concluded.

The Pioneer, 24th Jan 2012

The work by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the 19th Century and the political correctness of the religion helped the revival of Buddhism in India. If British masters found Buddhism a “neutral religion” in the 19th Century India, in the 20th Century Jawaharlal Nehru too treated it with an equal vigour, noted a session on “Rediscovering India's Buddhist Heritage” at the Jaipur Literature Festival over the weekend.

It was only natural that the name of Alexander Cunningham, the founding father of the ASI, came up repeatedly — in fact, he remained the central theme — in the session, supported by The Hindu , in which eminent British author-journalist John Keay was in conversation with archaeologist-historian Nayanjot Lahiri. For it was the discovery of the Mahabodhi site by General Alexander Cunningham (1814-93) that signalled the revival of Buddhism in the country.

Mr. Keay, author of several narrative histories of India and China, said re-emergence of interest in Buddhism — in a period when nobody could connect the name of Buddha to religion, not only in India but also in the neighbourhood — was after the discoveries of the Buddhist sites of Taxila, Gwalior, Khajuraho and Mahabodhi.

“The Buddha was more a historical figure. He was not worshipped in India or in the neighbouring countries. In the first half of the 19th Century all this changed with the extraordinary discoveries by General Cunningham,” Mr. Keay pointed out. “This breakthrough in Buddhist studies restored India's historical identity, the claim of being a classical civilisation.”

Mr. Keay said General Cunningham in his 25 years as the first head of the ASI had done outstanding work in excavation, classification and protection of India's extraordinary architectural heritage, particularly the Buddhist stupas and monasteries.

Prof. Lahiri, however, was not in full agreement with Mr. Keay on some of the observations. “General Cunningham was one of the many explorers, who couldn't look beyond Buddhist stupas. ” Moreover, as sin the case of many archaeologists, he too not only discovered the monuments but also became instrumental in their destruction as well, she noted. “He never got the monuments repaired after discovering them,” she said, citing the case of Amaravati in this context.

General Cunningham had also overlooked other important elements of classical Indian civilisation that were also uncovered. “He was more interested in religious landscape than archaeological aspects. He left out other forms of architecture and went after the stupas ,” Prof. Lahiri argued.

“There was this big fuss about Buddhist sites in the early 19th Century because as far as the British Government was concerned, it was ‘neutral' since the excavations did not privilege either the Hindu or the Islamic cultures,” Mr. Keay noted. As for the next Century, it was for the first Prime Minister of the country to make such a fuss over Buddhist symbols again, he pointed out.

The Hindu, 24th Jan 2012

In just eight years, 2020 will be upon us. By then, our cities will be either areas of more chaos or meaningfully planned. The choice is ours. We are at a crucial junction as far as urbanism goes. The need to work vigorously on our cities and improve them is urgent and critical. Their populations have surged tremendously in the last few decades . Delhi's population increased from12.8m in 2001 to 16.3m in 2011. Bangalore grew from 5.7m to 8.5m during the same period. Our urban planners have perhaps not understood the nature of the modern city, what it takes not just to run them but to make them livable. The two key requirements of a city are: provision of basic services and social infrastructure. These need to be developed together.

So what is a city? It's a dense amalgamation of buildings and people. A city must provide equity and also be sustainable. As an architect who has been closely connected with Delhi and its planning, my wish list is more about the direction we need to take so that future generations don't end up living in chaotic dysfunctional cities.

The first requirement for a city is a pragmatic plan. Many of our cities such as Delhi and Bhubaneswar and even Port Blair in the Andamans have reasonably good master plans. Many also have City Development Plans which have been made an essential requirement to draw funds from the government's Urban Renewal Programme (JNNURM). But they should be updated frequently based on the changing needs of its people.

And let's not forget its citizens - they need to be more pro-actively involved when evolving master plans. But often, there's lack of planning and inadequate implementation systems. This applies to all essential components of a city - streets, public transport system, traffic management , affordable housing, cars and parking , drainage, water supply, sewerage and garbage. Any deficiency in these will lead to poor quality cities which won't be able to handle the pressures of increased population and changing needs.

The second requirement of a good city is good social infrastructure such as parks and places for leisure such as river and sea fronts. It needs to preserve and protect its heritage. We are a nation with a rich diversity in culture, arts and crafts and cities are great platforms for that, given the right facilities. And let's not forget good and affordable educational and healthcare facilities too.

We don't have to look far. There are enough cities worldwide which have managed to radically improve the quality of life of its citizens. Take Singapore. It has managed to limit cars and has a very efficient transport system. Shanghai has wonderful footpaths everywhere. New York is actively developing cycling facilities in large parts while Holland, Denmark and other Scandinavian countries have developed cities around a bicycling infrastructure , creating a complete culture around them which is humane and ecological. There's Tokyo , the world's most populous city, which has a metro system used by 80% of the population.

But a great sustainable and livable city doesn't emerge by accident and its development cannot be taken for granted. It requires hard work, cohesive planning and meticulous implementation. And high management skills.

Perhaps the time has come to have an Indian Urban Service, a body of highly trained professionals who will manage the city. This could be akin to the IAS, IFS, Revenue and Forest services. There's also a need for a top-notch thinktank which develops policy and goals for urbanism. These should include the best people from various areas - town planning, urban designing, transport, energy, environment , public utilities, landscape , housing, etc.

But a start has been made. JNNURM , which is some six years old, has started an ambitious development plan in many cities. The results have been encouraging. But to bring our cities to any basic level of development, many more need to be brought into its fold. More areas need to be addressed. We also need to reinvent and restructure the institutions that served us well in the past such as Town and Country Planning Organization, the DDA in Delhi and the MMRDA in Mumbai. Then, there are also research organizations such as CRRI for roads and transportation and CBRI for buildings. Reinventing them will need political will and administrative vision.

There are some glimmers of hope. I met up young Navdeep Ahuja who along with another colleague , began the innocuously named Graduates Welfare Association Fazilka. They are bringing about change with the mandate of citizens participation in governance and are facilitating the creation of physical and social infrastructure across 22 cities in Punjab. The have put in place a network of cycle rickshaws called Ecocabs which can be booked through a mobile phone. They are also developing car free zones, food and culture streets in these cities. All this is being done very efficiently and at a low cost. We need many such organizations.

However, my ideal of a city in 2020 is not a utopian dream. It is achievable. It has streets where people walk on wide footpaths shaded by leafy trees. Streets are usually one-third of a city's area and its most democratic segment. Public space dedicated to pedestrians reduces inequality and should be accorded priority when developing cities.

Adjoining the streets should be cycle lanes where bicycles and rickshaws can sail past smoothly. It'll have a great public transport system with buses, metro and taxis. Parking will be difficult and expensive so people will use public transport rather than cars. There will be parks and gardens and the air will be clean, as pollution levels will have dropped dramatically.

And then, cities will become areas of graceful living and a charmed way of life.

The Times of India, 25th Jan 2012

Seven new tourist circuits will be developed across the country to facilitate travel to and stay at religious places. Work has already begun to prepare detailed project reports for Sufi, Buddhist & Jain, Christian, Sikh, Hinduism and Sarva Dharma circuits.

The Sufi circuit will include Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Bijapur, Shirdi, Aurangabad, and the Awadh region, besides the dargahs in J&K, Punjab, Haryana and Uttarkahnad. The Christian circuit will have the churches of Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Sarv Dharma Circuit, to promote national integration, will be aligned along Tirupathi-Chennai-Velankanni-Nagoor and Vaishnodevi - Golden Temple-Sacred Heart Church (Delhi)-Nizamuddin.

“India is home to a number of religions and there is a huge scope in terms of boosting tourism to religious places. Our aim is to facilitate a packaged tour like experience to tourists complete with stay and entertainment options. We have already engaged consultants to work on these circuits and hope to engage state governments in the project,” Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay said.

Sahay’s ministry has already held a round of discussions on the Sufi circuit with industry stakeholders and some Sufi exponents, sources confirmed.

The ministry wants projects under this scheme to follow a comprehensive approach incorporating all facilities required by a tourist.

The Ministry of Tourism has already identified 35 destinations for Phase I and will cover another 89 in Phase II. Consultants engaged by the ministry will help identify gaps in infrastructure and amenities, assess investment requirement and possible source of funds and also evolve business models for investment and operations.

The Indian Express, 25th Jan 2012

Shifting of river mouth has eroded the long sandy nesting beach

Shifting of river mouth and erosion have changed the terrain of the nesting beach of Olive Ridley turtles near the Rushikulya rookery in Ganjam district of Odisha.

Forest officials and environmental activists are keeping their fingers crossed over its possible impact on nesting of the turtles this year. Its mating season is almost over and nesting is expected to start from the third week of February.

In the recent months, the Ruhsikulya river mouth has shifted towards the north. This has completely eroded the long sandy nesting beach near Kantiagada village, where most of the turtles laid their eggs last year. At present, no sandy beach remains in the area and the sea is touching the casuarina forest on the coastline. This shifting of the river mouth has also led to the formation of a 500-metre-long sandbar of more than 200 metres inside the sea.

Such changes, however, are not new.

Olive Ridleys are known to change their nesting place. In the past, most turtles used to nest near Purunabandha village towards the south, then they shift to the north, to the coastline near Kantiagada.

“It remains to be seen what impact this recent change will have on the nesting site of the Olive Ridleys,” said A.K. Jena, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Berhampur.

The question is whether these endangered turtles would prefer to nest on the recently formed sandbar or not. “Usually Olive Ridleys do not prefer to nest on sand patches that are not connected to the mainland. In 2009, after the shifting of the Rushikulya river mouth, a large sandbar was formed in the area, but Olive Ridleys did not prefer to lay eggs on it,” Mr. Jena said.

Experts say that before mass nesting takes place, a large numbers of turtles waiting in the sea get information on the state of the coast from some Olive Ridleys that come for sporadic nesting. Based on this information, females decide whether to nest or not.

Following the mating season, a large number of female turtles are waiting for nesting. Males have started to return. Even after mating, female Olive Ridleys at times do not lay eggs if the environment is not conducive for nesting.

While some experts say the turtles can keep the fertilised eggs inside their body for two to three years, others are of the view that the females can keep the sperm in their body and opt for fertilisation of eggs whenever they want, said Mr. Jena.

Zoologists say female Olive Ridleys can also absorb fertilised eggs in their body if the nesting situation is not favourable. However, the nesting habit of Olive Ridleys still remains a mystery. In 2007, there was no mass nesting on the Rushikulya rookery coast, while in 2006, there was mass nesting on two occasions.

The Hindu, 25th Jan 2012

How about turning a 15th century monument into a public library? Or for that matter, can a monument be used as a crèche for children from the area? These and other such suggestions have been received as part of an event to focus on ‘redevelopment’ and ‘reuse’ of heritage monument — Khirki mosque in south Delhi— in urban setting.

The monument from the Firoz Shah Tughlaq era, Khirki, was the theme for a competition titled ‘Khirki Heritage Re-use Design Competition’ for architecture students. Tucked away inside Khirki village, almost choked by houses from all sides, is a showcase of unique architecture.

Organised by Axiom India, a group of architects, there were 32 entries suggesting redevelopment and re-use of the historic building. While the ASI gave permission to hold the event at Khirki monument, Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) supported it as part of its campaign towards nomination of Delhi as World Heritage City.

“It is part of the campaign to involve people in conservation of heritage,” said AGK Menon of INTACH’s Delhi chapter. This was entirely a community effort without direct involvement of government agencies

The Hindustan Times, 27th Jan 2012

Here is a city teeming with contrasts — the Jaipur that was, is and is likely to be…

At times, on the bumpy highway from Delhi to Jaipur, the urban sprawl pauses to allow yellow fields of mustard to flow unfettered to your right and left, and the stench of dust and smoke no longer fills your nostrils as the traffic eases.

Sometimes that happens when the dust cloud blotting the horizon dissolves to reveal an orange evening sky that makes up the backdrop of so many of Bollywood's romantic moments, and it seems the earth and sky have come together to orchestrate a peace that drowns the snarl of traffic, drowns even the clamour of your own thoughts, to enter you like cool water dropping on to a parching tongue to spread right through the body.

That a moment so sublime is possible amid a depressing tableau of smoky-grey shacks and trash lying about in jute bags and the sight of everything on the other side of the car window rendered grainy by the dust kicked up by traffic leaves you shaking your head in disbelief.

It comes, therefore, as no surprise to find Jaipur a city teeming with contrasts. Everyone thinks of Jaipur as historic. But it is, by Indian standards, fairly young, founded by the Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727. Its famous pink walls date back to 1876, when the entire city was painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales.

Maybe because of their comparative youth, many of the old buildings survive. The malls and boulevards in the new part of Jaipur come as a shock after the old city and you find yourself looking around, wondering where the vastu shastraor the ancient Indian science of construction went.

The old and new, however, are not mutually exclusive. A sign for a cybercafé can suddenly flash in a bazaar full of artisans working in Jaipur's traditional crafts of metals and marble. And a barbecue can be served in the food court of a mall to the beats of a dholak played in the Rajasthani mode, with all the fingers being utilised in a tabla fingering style, by a folk musician in traditional garb.

The coming of the malls, multiplexes and global brands is, thankfully, not the only change I found in Jaipur since I last visited in the 1990s. Jaleb Chowk, the courtyard next to the Surya Pol or the Sun Gate in the Amber Fort, is now spotlessly clean with plaques everywhere explaining the historical significance of its features. The yellow walls of the fort, which were visibly cracking, now appear distinguished with their wrinkled façade reminiscent of someone who has aged gracefully. The waters of the Manasagar Lake no longer summon the image of an overflowing gutter. Instead, white buoys sway and the image of the Jal Mahal in the centre of the lake rocks gently in the clear water. And the sandstone in the crown of Krishna depicted in the design of the outer wall of the Hawa Mahal could not be brighter.

Divided opinion
Local opinion, however, remains divided on the way Jaipur has changed in the last decade. Some like Inder, 56, an artisan who works with marble, worry that the city might end up losing its soul as a generation more interested in hopping on to the technology-driven global bandwagon grows up. For others like Arjun, 17, a Class X11 student at St. Xavier's, Jaipur, is not changing fast enough. He can't wait to graduate and go to college in a “more happening place”.

If I were Arjun's age, I'd probably feel the same way. But now what is “happening” in his lexicon no longer appeals to me. Instead, a tingle of excitement races down my back, right down to the heel, as I walk on the ramparts of the Amber Fort gazing down at the moat.

The air pulsates with bygone stories of jealousies, betrayals and clashes between cultures, as I realise how much of the history of eastern Rajasthan is replete with conflict.

The run-ins between the Rajputs and the Mughals in medieval India are the stuff of popular history, as well as that taught in classrooms. But before the Rajputs, there were the Meenas who ruled this part of Rajasthan. They were routed in the 10th century A.D. And then there were the internecine battles between the various Rajput clans.

“If you want to write, you have to have two main things,” the Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell said last year at the Jaipur Literature Festival. “You need to burn to tell the story… to tell it to someone else. There has to be a fire in you to do it.” Contrast and conflict make up the kernel from which imaginative writing comes. And there is enough of both in Jaipur to light a fire in anyone.

The Hindu, 29th Jan 2012

Housing colonies in Delhi are one of the worst protectors of heritage trees in their vicinity

Across many colonies in Delhi that house some of the Capital's very old trees, one can often spot isolated “crying” trees, ruined by human action. Some have their branches mercilessly chopped off, while a few of them are almost reduced to dead structures.

Officials in the forest division admit that many pleas for pruning trees are received during the winter months as residents complain of receiving insufficient sunlight. The Delhi Tree Preservation Act, 1994, however, does not allow cutting of a tree for reasons other than when it poses a threat to life and property, parts of it are dead, diseased, or have been damaged by any natural act such as rain or lightening, or the tree has lived its full life.

In East Kidwai Nagar – one of the prominent government colonies – a tug-of-war has been going on over a few trees for the past many months. While the ground floor residents have received legal permission from the Environment Secretary to prune around six trees in their vicinity, a top floor resident has appealed against the order. “Not getting enough sunlight cannot be a valid reason for pruning a tree. Secondly, the order clearly mentions that only “appropriate pruning” must be done under “expert supervision”, both of which are absent in this case,” the resident says, pointing to the neem tree outside, the branches of which were lopped off just a few days ago.

She adds: “The trees here are ‘heritage trees', some of them even 70 years old, as revealed by an NGO's survey. I don't think any of us who are allotted these houses for a few years have a right to damage them.”

Tree lovers in the city complain that while the Delhi Government has been launching and publicising drives to increase the green cover in the city, government officials themselves are not doing enough to protect the existing trees. “The problem is that most citizens and government officials are unaware of the effect the act of unguided pruning has on trees. Pruning is done to encourage proper growth of a tree and refers to tweaking of dead parts. But if you cut full branches, a tree's health is affected. Trees such as gulmohar may not even grow back,” says Prabhakar Rao of Kalpavriksh, an environment organisation in Delhi.

Strongly recommending expert supervision during such procedures, he explains that unguided pruning may affect a tree's chemistry and its root-shoot ratio. Also, as a tree is home to birds and other creatures, its felling or cutting hits many other cycles in nature.

A senior official in the forest division admits that often such pruning is done in the absence of an expert.

Padmavati Dwivedi who runs Compassionate Living says, “It is actually the residents who take law into their hands. Even when government departments do not sanction permission, residents simply go ahead with lopping off branches, even trees on their own. There is no survey of the place to prevent this because the forest department is reeling under acute shortage of field staff. There is an urgent need to educate the public on the need to preserve trees.”

Environmentalists feel that the one way to deter public and government authorities is by strengthening the Delhi Tree Preservation Act. They also demand better representation of civil society in framing of policies and programmes to protect the green cover.

The Hindu, 29th Jan 2012

A visit to Vijayanagar-era temple built on the spot — as legend has it — where Jatayu fell after being injured by Ravana

The guide whipped out a twig from his shirt pocket with a flourish and said dramatically: “Now I show you best part of Lepakshi temple.” He got down on his knees before the large grey pillar before us. Bending forward, he passed the twig slowly under the pillar. From one end to the other! There was an audible gasp from the group of tourists, mostly Europeans, as the twig emerged from the other side. He repeated the exercise with a page of an old grimy newspaper which he pulled out from another pocket.

This was the famed Hanging Column or Pillar of Lepakshi temple, located in Anantapur district in southern Andhra Pradesh. “This is the pillar which does not rest on the ground fully,” the guide said, rising to stand beside us, and beaming triumphantly, almost as if he were the architect of this marvel. There are about 70 pillars at this fabulous 16th-century temple of stone in Vijayanagar style, but this one is the best known and a tribute to the engineering genius of ancient and medieval India’s temple builders. However, it is a bit dislodged from its original position — it is said that during the British era, a British engineer tried to move it in an unsuccessful attempt to uncover the secret of its support.

Much of the temple is built on a low, rocky hill called Kurmasailam — which translates to tortoise hill in Telugu, after the shape of the hill. The temple dates back to 1583 and was built by the brothers, Virupanna and Veeranna, who were initially in the service of the Vijayangar kings. However, Puranic lore has it that the Veerabhadra temple was built by the sage Agastya. It has idols of Ganesha, Nandi, Veerabhadra, Shiva, Bhadrakali, Vishnu and Lakshmi.

Another legend gives the town a significant place in the Ramayana — this was where the bird Jatayu fell, wounded after a futile battle against Ravana who was carrying away Sita. When Sri Rama reached the spot, he saw the bird and said compassionately, “Le Pakshi” — ‘rise, bird’ in Telugu.

Besides the Hanging Pillar, another draw is the spectacular Nandi, located almost a mile before the main temple — the first structure you will encounter. At 27ft in length and 15ft in height, it is a colossal structure, reputedly India’s biggest monolithic Nandi. Besides the record size, the perfectly proportioned body, finely-carved ornaments, and smooth contours add to its grandeur and make it a popular photo-op with visitors.

Once you reach the temple’s outer enclosure, you will see a mammoth Ganesha — hewn in stone and leaning against a rock. Perpendicular to it is a massive Naga with three coils and seven hoods. It forms a sheltering canopy over a black granite Shivalingam. It’s reckoned by many as the largest Nagalinga in India.

There are two red blotches on the western wall of the inner enclosure, explained by a gory story. Virupanna, the royal treasurer, was accused of drawing funds without the king’s permission from the state treasury to build these shrines. However, he forestalled the enraged king’s punishment by blinding himself, and those maroon spots are said to be the marks left by his bleeding eyes!

The temple’s main deity is Veerabhadra, the fiery god created by Shiva in his rage after the Daksha Yagna and the immolation of Parvathi. There are several forms of Shiva here — a majestic Kankala Murthi, Dakshinamurthi (Guru of Gurus), Tripuranthaka or Tripurasurasamhara (vanquisher of demon Tripura); Ardhanareeshwara (the half-female, half-male form, where Shiva and Parvati are equally represented in one body), etc. Another shrine has the fiery goddess Bhadrakali, though bearing an uncharacteristically serene expression.

The Lepakshi temple also has the finest specimens of mural paintings of the Vijayanagar kings. We were informed that the 24 by 14 ft fresco of Veerabhadra on the ceiling before the main sanctum sanctorum is the largest in India of any single figure. The rest of the frescoes are also beautiful and show an impressive attention to detail with colours strikingly contrasted — black limework against an orange-red background with some green, white, black, and shades of ochre-gold and brown mostly applied to a stucco surface specially treated with lime. The Shiva-Parvathi kalyanam — an enduringly popular subject with traditional Indian artists — finds expression here. However, these frescoes are peeling off in many places and in need of better maintenance and expert restoration.

After the ache in the neck from gazing upwards at these alluring frescoes, we sat down for a while, rubbing our necks, in the splendid Natya Mandapam or dance hall with its superbly sculpted pillars. The Kalyana Mandapam is another hall known for its artistic beauty. Among the many eye-catchers in this temple, the frieze of geese with lotus stalks in their beaks stands out.

The Lepakshi temple is close to the famed pilgrim town of Puttaparthi, where the nearest decent accommodation is available — whether in the ashram or in the Andhra Pradesh government-run Sai Aaramam. From here, it is an hour’s drive to the temple. From Hyderabad it is about 480 km and about 130 km from Bangalore. The climate is hot for most of the year and early mornings are the best time to visit. If you have time, check out nearby Dharmavaram, the well-known silk weaving centre, and Hindupur and surrounding villages where, elegant cottons are woven.

The Hindu, 30th Jan 2012

The Haryana forest department has pushed the demand to bring the hill area including sacred forest in Mangar in Faridabad under the conservation zone. The proposal has been moved even as the state government is giving the final touches to the development plan for 23 Aravali villages which will allow a tourist-cum-entertainment complex in the forest.

Haryana principal chief conservator of forests Chhotu Ram Jotriwal said, "We have placed the proposal before the government and this is based on recommendations of the Faridabad deputy commissioner. It takes time for the government to notify areas under Section 4&5 of Punjab Land and Preservation Act," he said.

The notification under these two sections of the law restricts land use for any non-forestry purpose. The letter written by Faridabad deputy commissioner - accessed through RTI by environment activists - to the town and country planning department states: "I am of the view that the Aravali hilly stretches should be excluded from the agriculture zone and delineated as a water recharge and forest conservation zone in the draft development plan of Mangar 2031."

Forest department officials said they hope the government will exclude this area from development activity while finalizing the development plan. The protection of this huge patch of land is crucial considering the government plan to allow mining in some parts of Mangar. Records available with TOI show that Haryana government has identified 210 hectares in Mangar and Mohabatabad villages for fresh mining.

The Faridabad deputy commissioner had written that curbs on indiscriminate mining under various Supreme Court orders implemented by the state had helped to rejuvenate the natural forest cover and ground water in the area.

Meanwhile, hectic lobbying has begun by real estate giants and major players in the entertainment industry to ensure that government does not come under the pressure of environment activists and forest departments to disallow non-forestry activity in the sacred forest zone. Sources said a major firm in entertainment industry has even started ground survey in the region.

Manger is forest has been widely mentioned in documents as the only original ridge in Aravalis where no artificial plantation has been done.

The Times of India, 30th Jan 2012

Delhi has missed the bus to be in the race for the prestigious world heritage city tag this year. While the culture ministry may have cleared the tentative nomination dossier for submission to Unesco, Delhi will not file its nomination as the deadline for 2012-13 has been missed.

Sources have revealed that the newly formed world heritage advisory committee has finally approved the 92-page dossier submitted by INTACH Delhi Chapter last year in July. Though the dossier clearance has not been notified officially, sources confirmed that the committee has studied the dossier thoroughly and passed it. Several months ago, the ministry of culture had laid down new norms for India's submissions regarding world heritage status to Unesco. Every nomination now has to be cleared by the newly established advisory committee that includes experts, historians, and archaeologists.

"Only after the committee approval, could the tentative nomination dossier be sent to Unesco's headquarters in Paris. We had hoped Delhi would be nominated in 2012-13 as the tentative dossier was ready much before the submission deadline. However, now that a new process for clearance is in place, we have lost out on this year's submission list and can only make the submission next year,'' said an INTACH official.

Sources said the culture ministry decided to set up the committee after a number of its applications for world heritage status like Shantiniketan, Qutub Shahi Tombs, Majuli Island were rejected by Unesco. It was then decided that a new committee was required to evaluated all future applications.

"Either the applications submitted were incomplete or the designs were inadequate or the nomination dossiers not up to the mark. Whatever be the reason, too many applications were being rejected so now the world heritage advisory committee has been established to scrutinize and evaluate all future proposals,'' said a source.

Work on the thick six-volume final nomination dossier is already under way and INTACH is focusing on more awareness campaigns to spread knowledge about Delhi's potential as a world heritage city. Last year, a number of lectures, walks, seminars were held across the city and more such events are being planned. "While it's a positive sign that a process has been initiated by the culture ministry to expedite world heritage nominations and ensure that the nomination applications are up to the mark, it should have been established much earlier. Due to the delay, Delhi has lost out on a precious year,'' said a heritage conservationist.

The Times of India, 30th Jan 2012

The village of Pipli, situated between Puri and Bhubaneswar, is famous for its applique work.

Popular in ancient Orissa, applique is the art of cutting coloured cloth into various shapes and stitching them over a piece of cloth.

These creations are then fabricated into lampshades, handbags, cushion covers and even garden umbrellas. A famous example of Pipli work is the enormous appliqué canopy above the reigning deity of Puri, Lord Jagannath. Patronised by kings in its early phase, the traditional applique work of Pipli has now reached new heights, blending itself with modernity over time.

The method of making this applique work is simple and traditional. Different types of motifs are made from separate pieces of cloth and superimposed on the basic piece of fabric in predetermined layout and design. The edges of the motifs are stitched skillfully on the background material. It is the intelligent combination of vibrant colours, matched with exquisite mirror work, that makes this traditional patchwork undoubtedly exclusive.

The motifs usually vary from flora and fauna to mythical figures. The common ones are the figures of elephants, parrots, peacocks, dancing girls, etc. Very bright colours are chosen to make these motifs striking in appearance.

A master craftsman usually applies six types of stitching patterns — bakhia, ganthi, taropa, chikana, button-hole and run-stitch. Items of daily use, made of applique, are much cheaper as compared to other crafts. Colourful bedspreads, and cushion covers in applique are produced on a large scale to meet the growing demand.

Truly remarkable for its variety of style and design, yet simple in appearance, Pipli has become a treasure trove for souvenir collectors.

The Deccan Herald, 30th Jan 2012

A face-off between forest officials and wildlife experts, who are a part of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), could stall the move to shut down resorts in the crucial Sigur corridor, where elephants use to move between Eastern and Western Ghats through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and provide an open area for the pachyderms for unfettered movement.

While the Board's expert members are almost entirely in favour of a Madras High Court order to shut down dozens of high-end resorts operating in the corridor, the ministry officials want to 'further review' the move that was marked for assessment by the Supreme Court to the Board.

The HC had ordered that the area falling in the corridor be taken over by the forest department, and the resorts be demolished. The HC had in its order said that the guest-house owners had indulged in eco-destruction in the name of eco-tourism.

The resort owners moved a petition against the order in the SC. The petitioners included actor Mithun Chakraborti, who also owns a resort in the wild corridor that connects the largest contiguous population of elephants in the country.

Chakraborty, suggesting that tribals caused more harm to forests than the hotel industry, had claimed in his plea before the apex court that the resort provides employment to locals and it is part of the backbone of eco-tourism in the area. He reasoned that poaching and firewood collection from the forests has declined significantly since the resort has become an alternative source of income for tribals through the year, helping the elephants to roam freely.

The forest department had claimed before the HC that the hotels and resorts were running in violation of the Tamil Nadu Preservation of Private Forests Act

The apex court asked the NBWL to review the HC's expert panel report on the issue and comment on it to aid a decision. The NBWL is the apex authority on wildlife issues and is chaired by the Prime Minister. And, the Union environment and forests minister heads its standing committee.

In the last standing committee meeting, the non-official wildlife experts unanimously agreed with the HC committee and recommended that the corridor should be created. But the member-secretary of the panel and the additional director-general of forests recommended setting up of another committee to make a site visit.

It was pointed out that the apex court had only asked the NBWL to review the HC report, and not start an assessment from scratch. The member-secretary suggested a sub-committee, comprising a senior forest official and two non-official members of the board, visit the site.

This was objected to by the non-official members, pointing out that a long process of investigation under the HC and its appointed experts. They said they were all in agreement on the matter and that nothing new thing would emerge from this proposed sub-committee. But the forest officials insisted that a site visit by the proposed team would "only bring a holistic and impartial picture of the sensitive matter before the standing committee to enable it to take a considered view in the matter".

The environment minister suggested that the government seek time from the SC to respond, while the options are looked at by the board's standing committee.

The Times Of India, 31st Jan 2012

Despite budget cuts and financial difficulties, museums across the world have done well to attract more visitors in the year that has just ended, but what lies ahead? The International Council of Museums, an organisation of museums and museum professionals from 137 countries, has cautioned that the current year would be critical, with no sign of improvement in the global economic situation. More than ever, museums have to urgently innovate ways of remaining relevant to society. This advice and urging, for an entirely different set of reasons, applies unequivocally to India's museums, particularly the government-administered ones. Of the nearly 1,000 museums in the country, over 90 per cent are state-run. The visitor experience they offer is far from enriching and museum practices they adopt are way below global standards. What is of serious concern is the pathetic state of the National Museum, the premier institution in the country. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which looked at its functioning last year, found about a quarter of the galleries closed for more than three years, signage and labels of artefacts poorly designed, hardly 7.5 per cent of its two lakh collections exhibited, and the art acquisition committee defunct for the past 16 years.

Complacency has cost Indian museums the funds they badly need. For example, even the measly Rs. 72.36 crore the Central government allotted in 2009-10, was not fully utilised. This led the parliamentary committee to conclude that “allocation to the museums is enough.” So where, then, does the solution lie? The first step towards a turnaround is to improve the ‘quality, range and relevance' of the exhibits. Simultaneously, programmes to involve and engage people have to be put in place. The recommendations by the B.N. Goswamy Committee (2010) on improving museum infrastructure and administration ought to be implemented without delay. Museums across the world are looking at imaginative ways such as virtual displays to make their collections ‘more publicly available' and ‘show a wider volume of material'. Indian museums will do well to adopt these innovations. The Ministry of Culture has tied up with the British Museum for a modest training programme. This is commendable, but given the urgency, capacity-building should be radically stepped up and India's flagship museums placed in the hands of trained professionals selected from among the best in the world rather than babus and bureaucrats.
The Hindu, 31st Jan 2012

The landmark Fatehpuri Masjid , built by one of Mughal emperor Shahjahan's wives, remains a picture of neglect despite Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) beginning restoration work here last November . Inhabitants of the Fatehpuri area in Chandni Chowk complain the ASI project has not made any visible improvement to the mosque in three months.

Shahi Imam, Dr Mufti M Mukarram Ahmed, who has been with the masjid for the last 42 years, says, "After erecting scaffoldings at the entrance in November, all that ASI has done is pull down a damaged minaret from the top of the structure. Stones and construction material piled on the road outside cause traffic problems. It is very discouraging to see that work has been done at the mosque only for five to six days."

The mosque, a contemporary of Jama Masjid and Red Fort, is still visited at prayer times by hundreds of worshippers every day. However, it is not designated an ASI-protected monument and is the Wakf Board's property . Even the funding for the restoration work comes from Swami Vivekananda Trust in Kolkata. A top ASI official told TOI the Trust has allocated Rs 6 crore for conservation and upkeep of the mosque.

While a lone ASI chowkidar guards the construction material, there are no labourers at the site. "We offered all assistance to ASI when it started work, even offering space for the labourers to stay, and to store the construction material. We want the masjid to get a much needed facelift. But we have rarely seen any actual work take place," says Ahmed.

The locals' disenchantment with the project is understandable. From the moment you alight before the faded, tilting sign announcing 'Masjid-e-Fatehpuri' amidst the clutter of shops and rickshaws, signs of decay greet you. While the mosque's single dome seems fine, its three standing minarets look shaky. The fourth has been dismantled. Single and double-storey apartments, many of them used as shops, surround the stonepaved courtyard.

There are noticeable cracks in the arcade around the courtyard as well as the floor. The minarets are the worst affected and the ones facing Chandni Chowk have been reinforced with wires. The main prayer hall drips during the monsoon and remains damp the year round. Monkeys also damage a lot of the mediaeval carving.

This decay is all the more shocking because Fatehpuri Masjid is counted among the most glorious Mughal mosques after Lahore's Badshahi Masjid and Delhi's Jama Masjid. Some historians consider it as important as Jama Masjid and Red Fort as all three were built in the same period.

The mosque bears the name of Shahjahan's fourth wife Fatehpuri Begum, who built it in 1650 AD. It has been made using the same kind of stone that is found in Jama Masjid. The mosque's three impressive gates are always open to people and it can hold up to 20,000 worshippers during namaz.

The Times of India, 31st Jan 2012