You say to the brick, “What do you want, brick?” Brick says to you, “I like an arch.” If you say to a brick, “Arches are expensive and I can use a concrete lintel over an opening. What do you think of that, brick?” Brick says: “I like an arch.” — Louis Kahn This odd imaginary conversation with a brick was often used by American architect Louis Kahn to explain to students how they must use material around them to find inspiration. So the irony was not lost on anyone when Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) director Errol D’Souza proposed the destruction of the Kahn-designed campus by describing the bricks as “second class” and having an “inbuilt efflorescence” (salt deposit on masonry).

D’Souza also cited structural damage by 2001 earthquake, water seepage and the growing needs of students as a reason to demolish 14 dormitories. The move met with public outcry, and this week, IIM-A withdrew the proposal. Kahn’s IIM campus is not the only modernist building to face a threat in India today. Architecture historians say there is little understanding of modern heritage. In April 2017, the Hall of Nations in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan was demolished to construct a new convention centre. In 2016, the demolition of the canteen designed by veteran architect B V Doshi at Ahmedabad’s CEPT University sparked an outcry from students and alumni. A decade earlier, the iconic Chanakya Cinema, designed by former dean of the School of Planning and Architecture P N Mathur, was bulldozed to make way for a multiplex. In 2019, Panaji’s Kala Academy, an arts centre designed by Charles Correa was also threatened with demolition. Among the reasons that are put forward in favour of demolition are maintenance costs and the ability to construct a climate-friendly building. For instance, the government has cited Rs 1,000 crore as the annual maintenance cost for upgrading and repairing the bhawans and buildings that will be demolished for the Central Vista project. There are also concerns over structural safety.

Former urban development secretary M Ramachandran points out that houses in Delhi’s Kidwai Nagar and Moti Bagh had become decrepit. “If any structure had collapsed, the government would have been questioned on why it had not done enough for safety,” he says. But Moulshri Joshi, architect and representative of the International Committee for Conservation of Industrial Heritage in India, disagrees: “We have established practices for retrofitting against earthquakes but it appears to suit everyone to destroy the old and build the new. Would you abandon your grandmother because she is ill and requires care? Then how can we ignore the cultural value of a building,” she says.

When you think of demolishing a building like Kahn’s, says architectural historian William Whitaker, what is at risk is our collective connection with the past. “The IIM campus represents the high idealism of a newly independent India and how a civic minded group of industrial leaders supported the establishment of forward looking institutions upon which the economic prosperity of the country could be developed. They recognised that good design and inspiring places were essential ingredients to the success of this project,” he says. India’s modern architectural heritage is especially vulnerable because there is no legal protection for buildings that are less than 100 years old.

Conservation architect A G K Menon recalls how the Intach Delhi initiated a PIL to object to demolition of the 45-year-old Hall of Nations, but the Heritage Conservation Committee said that only buildings that were 60 years old could be considered for protection. “The background for this act in my opinion was that the Trade Fair Authority was under tremendous political pressure to demolish the Nehruvian legacy and construct new buildings,” says Menon. However, there are some initiatives in the country to conserve buildings that are part of the modernist movement. In Chandigarh, Panjab University, funded by the Getty Foundation’s “Keeping it Modern” project, has prepared a conservation plan for Gandhi Bhawan designed by Pierre Jeanneret. Conservation architect Shikha Jain says, “There is an understanding in the administration that we need to preserve these iconic buildings that have made the city famous across the world.” Ahmedabad’s Calico museum, once the residence of the Sarabhai family, has been adapted to house a museum, and the Golconde dormitory at Puducherry’s Sri Aurobindo Ashram, designed by Antonin Raymond and George Nakashima, are well-preserved examples of modern architecture. Veteran architect Raj Rewal, who had designed the Hall of Nations, suggests another way of conserving our built heritage. He cites the example of the Barcelona Pavilion which was torn down and reconstructed permanently by a group of architects in the 1980s.

Since then, architects and artists are regularly invited to create temporary installations in the pavilion, which has inspired many modernist buildings. “I hoped that we could have that,” he says. “Buildings which have a value for the next generation must be preserved.” Architect Gautam Bhatia says there is a need for a blueprint for conservation rather than responding in a piecemeal manner.

“In India conservation means preservation — we think of heritage in terms of historical buildings surrounded by high walls where tourists line up to enter,” he says. “In Italy, you can have a restaurant in a 5th-century palace in a commercial district. Our idea of conservation still doesn’t link historical ideas to today’s life.” Bhatia says India can borrow from building bylaws in Sri Lanka, or the ongoing efforts to preserve Nepal’s indigenous timber architecture. There is also a need to think about conservation not just in architectural terms but also environmental ones, including the waste and carbon footprint. “We are one of the most overbuilt countries in the world, and we must conserve that we already have,” he says.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/how-indias-push-to-modernise-threatens-its-signature-buildings/articleshow/80075722.cms, January 1, 2021

Archaelogist dates it to period between 4000-2000 BC

A Neolithic celt made out of solaris stone was discovered at Somasila village in Kollapur Mandal of Nagarkurnool district. The discovery was made by E. Sivanagireddy, archaeologist and CEO of Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati. While Dr Reddy was on a survey of archaeological remains in and around Somasila village, located on the left bank of river Krishna, he chanced upon a Neolithic tool (axe) measuring 4x2x1 inches with a very sharp cutting edge derived out of grinding and polishing.

Dumped in pit
The celt is coated with patina of lime and ash denoting that it was dumped in a pit after usage, Dr.Reddy said. “After analysing similar evidence found at a nearby village Chinnamarur where Neolithic habitation was excavated by the Department of Archaeology and Museums in the early 1980s and the features of the stone tool noticed at Somalia village, we dated it to the period between 4000-2000 BC during which domestication of animals, intensifying of agriculture and settling at one place began,” he said.

Kept in museum
He said that the celt was found in an agricultural field of Telugu Pentaiah from where Neolithic tools like discoids, pestles and grinding stones were recovered two decades ago, and are now kept at a local museum.

http://thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/neolithic-celt-discovered-in-a-nagarkurnool-village/article33432593.ece, January 1, 2021

Arittapatti, a cluster of seven hillocks near Melur in Madurai district which home to rare birds including 20 species of birds of prey, raptors and a variety of flora and fauna, is likely to be declared a bioheritage site. A member of Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board said the process has been initiated for the declaration. Dr S Nagarathinam, head of the department of communications and co-organiser of the regional Eco-Next Media lab, said they had identified threats to the natural eco heritage site, and organized awareness programmes along with National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) in the site for three years.

We unofficially declared it a bio-heritage site to create awareness and it would be a huge leap if this is done through an official announcement,’’ he said. A Ravichandran, founder of Arittapatti Biodiversity Centre and secretary of Ezhumalai Pathukappu Iyakkam, said these hillocks, which were about 300 to 500 feet high, are home to rare birds including legger falcon, which have been sighted for the first time in the region apart from northwest India. The formidable Peregrine falcon, its resident subspecies Shahseen falcon, are found to be breeding in the hillocks. What makes biodiversity thrive in these hillocks are the 72 water bodies, including natural springs which supply the water.

Ornithologist Dr T Badri Narayanan said though renowned ornithologist Salim Ali had stated in one of his books that Shahseen falcon was endemic to Western Ghats, the fact that they were thriving in these hillocks, which were not connected to Western Ghats, was a matter of great interest. Raptors like Bonelli’s eagle and migrant species like booted eagle were also a feast to the eyes in these hillocks. Director/Scientist F, Eco Next, NCSTC, DST, Govt of India (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Govt-of-India), Dr Pamposh Kumar, who has been a part of the awareness campaigns in these hillocks, said that science could go a long way in self preservation of biodiversity and heritage. Local people’s knowledge when augmented with technical knowledge and inputs contribute to preservation. Local people say they did not give much importance to these birds till the organised programmes were conducted. K Selvaraj of Kambur says they are seeing more birds in recent times after quarrying activities in the vicinity of the hillocks came to a standstill thanks to court orders.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/arittapatti-hillocks-to-be-declared-biodiversity-heritage-site/articleshow/80065275.cms, January 1, 2021

INTACH Madurai launches replicas of a Pandya coin as souvenirs, to promote understanding and learning of ancient Tamil life, culture and people. Think of coins and what comes to mind are the flat round pieces of metal. But in some Madurai homes — those with children and adults interested in history — the replica of a fancy Pandya coin stands like a decorative plaque. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Madurai chapter is trying to generate academic interest in the significance of ancient Tamil coinage among the people here. “Antiquated coins contain a lot of history and are a means to understand how civilisations flourished in the past. But due to the lack of a widely understood script, we tend to ignore the importance,” says Rajesh Kanna, an executive member who came up with the idea of using the replica of a coin as a teaching tool. Coin replicas are usually done by collectors, out of commercial interests.

This is perhaps the first time that an INTACH chapter has replicated a coin, in the size of a tablet that also makes a nice souvenir for locals and tourists alike. Kanna’s interest in coins is motivated by his interest in Tamil lifestyle and culture. And the INTACH has also sponsored the souvenir for 30 Government schools where they will be used in classroom teaching. Kanna was first drawn to the coins of Tamil Nadu after meeting Thanjavur-based numismatist Arumuga Sitaraman. For the replica model, he chose a square-shaped copper coin weighing 10.6 grams that was traded under the rule of the Pandya kings in Madurai during 1 BC. According to Sitaraman, there is no clear explanation of the value of each coin. But what can be broadly understood is that the bigger the coin, the more value it has. Kanna says he got curious about the six symbols along with an elephant, a trident and the divine carved on one side and a stylised fish symbol, the royal insignia of the Pandya’s, on the other.

The particular characteristics, as interpreted in various books, have been compiled in a small note that comes with the souvenir. The elephant had a place of honour in ancient Tamil life, and the trident was a prominent weapon of the times.

Auspicious symbols lined on top include a fenced tree and a lucky four-leaf plant, and the inference is drawn from the literary work Agananooru, that mentions a clay wall built around a banyan tree was the temple. The crescent symbolises the knowledge of the Tamils, who studied the impact of phases of the moon on nature and the human body. The musical instrument drum was widely used to make important announcements; the seafarers held the conch as a sacred object in rituals; the women loved to wear anklets in the shape of a golden tube embedded with pearls and semi-precious stones. “The Tamils divided the land into kurinji (mountain), mullai (forest), marutham (agriculture), neythal (sea) and paalai (dry and sandy). Each type had its own occupation, flora and fauna and the produce was shared by all creating a self-sufficient society. This coin is, therefore, a symbol of prosperity of the Sangam Age, and a lesson in learning, “ explains Kanna.

What currency tells us
The numismatics of Tamil Nadu are as vast as an ocean. But not everybody is a numismatist. “To keep a replica as a souvenir at home will at least have some capacity to evoke and preserve for us the image of a world that is now past,” says Kanna and adds, “Items of antiquity have a lot to do with people of that era. Knowing and learning a bit of history is important for all.” During the lockdown everybody took to pursuing different interests. So it was with Kanna, who attended online lectures and read books on the Sangam Age, associated with the period from 300 BC to 300 AD, marking the southern dynasties of the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas.

"The life of Sangam Age man in harmony with nature fascinated me and I shortlisted few items that could be made by artists as gift items. The launch of the Pandya coin replica is the first step in this direction,” he says. It is also a way to promote artists during the difficult pandemic months. Madurai artist P Gunasekaran fulfilled this vision, by making the plaques in fibre glass with the sculpted features and painting it to an antique finish. In the last two months since its launch, INTACH has sold 100 of these pieces priced at ₹450 each. Individual and bulk orders can be placed on 9443332292.

https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/replicas-of-a-pandya-coin-as-souvenirs-to-promote-understanding-of-ancient-tamil-life-and-culture/article33502903.ece, January 7, 2021

Here’s an overview of some significant developments in the heritage sector across different regions in India.
Visakhapatnam
The year 2021 will give a fresh lease of life to one of the most significant iconic heritage structures of Visakhapatnam: the 120-year-old Town Hall. After years of neglect that reduced the grand edifice to a shadow of its glorious past, the Town Hall restoration project was finally taken up in 2019 by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) and executed by Savani Heritage Conservation. Being carried out at a cost of ₹3.4 crores, the project is nearing completion and will be ready by February.

The project will be a classic example of how scientific restoration of heritage sites can help preserve the basic character of such ancient structures," says Mayank Kumari Deo, Convener of INTACH - Visakhapatnam Chapter. Work on Town Hall demanded a lot of expertise.

“The Gothic structure has two tiled conical roofs and the core support material is made of Burma teakwood. Even the flooring is made of wood,” says Edward Paul, a history expert who has extensively researched the history of Visakhapatnam. The Burma teak wooden flooring has been restored with utmost care, using similar material only in sections where the wood has decayed. The restoration project also includes landscaping work around the Town Hall, an amphitheatre and a parking space. Built by the Maharaja of Bobbili in 1901, in memory of Queen Victoria, the Town Hall was originally called the Victoria Diamond Jubilee Town Hall, and was handed over to the municipality in 1904. Years of neglect endangered the stability of the structure with the roots of vegetation growing through walls, resulting in cracks and mortar loss. The Town Hall has been witness to fiery speeches delivered by freedom fighters, including Mahatma Gandhi, who addressed a gathering here in 1929.

It also saw eminent personalities such as C Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, CV Raman, Rabindranath Tagore and MS Subbulakshmi speak and perform here. It is the only surviving building in the district with a massive wooden floor made of Burma teak. “Conservators are not adding anything new. Going forward, the authorities now need to preserve the structure and make it a cultural hub for activities like art shows and literary activities,” says Deo.

Chennai
At the mention of the word ‘heritage’, decrepit monuments and structures ravaged by time come to mind. But, what comprises intangible heritage is sometimes shadowed. INTACH’s Chennai chapter (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) aims to bring the focus back to this aspect, for the New Year. “Most of heritage stems from geography. Be it, rivers, lakes, streams, mangroves, swamps...they are all part of natural heritage,” says Sujatha Shankar, architect and convener, INTACH, Chennai Chapter. She adds: “Folk art and music, oral traditions, tribal rituals and local practices [specific to a region] fall under this.” In 2021, INTACH is looking to document and bring that folk artform of shadow puppetry or tholpaavaikoothu into mainstream performances in Tamil Nadu. “[In this artform], the artists work as a unit. While the husband makes the puppet, sons and daughters sing or wives/cousins take care of the leather work on the puppets… it’s all a network.
But, now with urban occupation, people are staying away from being involved in the artform,” says Sujatha. In Tamil Nadu, the artform has been more for a limited audience, mostly in temple festivals and village squares. In 2020, INTACH raised funds to support shadow puppeteers who are going through a financial crunch during COVID-19, in Kanyakumari, Salem, Thirunelveli and Nagercoil. This year, they hope that the Bharat Insurance building (built in 1897 and originally known as Kardyl Building) situated at Mount Road (opposite to Higginbotham’s bookstore) will be taken up for conservation. “Bharat Insurance is one of the most beautiful, eclectic buildings that has taken the Indo-Saracenic architecture of Madras to a different level,” adds Sujatha. Apart from that, Victoria Hall situated inside the Government Museum, Egmore, too has been undergoing restoration under the efforts of Greater Chennai Corporation,” adds Sujatha. According to her, heritage tourism had taken a major blow last year. “However, virtual tours and events do keep the spirits up,” says Sujatha.

Kerala
“All renovation and conservation projects should be carried out in strict adherence to the rules formulated by the Archaeological Survey of India,” says Dr S Hemachandran, former director of Archaeology, Kerala. Right from the material to be used and the method of construction, lighting and wiring to the colour and design, everything has been laid down in great detail in the ASI regulations. “In Kerala, conservation of heritage buildings even in the public sector, some more than a 100 years old, come under different departments such as the Public Works Department, the Tourism Department and so on. Unless the Government takes a decision to formulate comprehensive guidelines for all conservation activities, the work will continue to be haphazardly done,” he asserts. “For instance, the roof of the 100-plus-year-old Women and Children’s Hospital in Thycaud, the first of its kind in Kerala, is now covered with a tarpaulin. I suspect the authorities plan to replace tiles with sheets, completely spoiling the design of the building,” he says.

“Once the Government formulates a policy that heritage buildings or sites, irrespective of whether it be in the public or private domain, be conserved in accordance with the rules, it will save several buildings, including schools, colleges, ancient public offices, from destruction and wrong conservation methods,” he says. Special rates would have to be accounted for since conservation takes time and is an expensive process. The Cheraman Juma Masjid, considered the oldest mosque in India, is one he commends for the way in which the conservation is currently being carried out under the guidance of architect Benny Kuriakose. “This will give a new direction to conservation efforts in Kerala. Although the original building remained untouched, additions were made around it. The Cheraman Juma Masjid Mahal general body (usually entrusted with the administration of the mosque) unanimously decided to revive its original structure, took the necessary permissions and work is going on the basis of an old photograph of the mosque as it existed before the alterations and a model has been made of it,” he says. However, he rules that all over Kerala several ancient churches are demolished to build new ones or are tied in legal tussles. Of the many projects completed recently, he highlights the conservation of the nearly 120-year-old Thrissur Ramanilayam (which is being used as a Government guest house) and Vadakumnathan temple and the Koothambalam at Guruvayoor, which won the Asia-Pacific Award of UNESCO. All the three were carried under the leadership of architect MM Vinodkumar. The first phase of the ambitious Alappuzha Heritage Project was completed on November 3, 2019. It included several initiatives such as the renovation of the 150-year-old sea-bridge and development of 20 new museums in conserved warehouses and buildings belonging to the Port Trust and also different communities that had made Alappuzha their home. Once known as the Venice of the East, the ₹208.25-crore AHP includes developing museums devoted to yarn, coir, the labour movement and so on. Another project he highlights is the Travancore Heritage Project, which covers heritage sites from Padmanabhapuram Palace in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu to Aranmula Parthasarathy temple in Aranmula in Kerala. It includes the Attingal Palace too. Among the buildings in Kerala that are in dire need of conservation he lists the Secretariat building in Thiruvananthapuram, the residencies in the capital city and Kollam, University College, heritage schools in Kerala and certain places of worship.

https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/how-the-new-year-has-brought-the-focus-back-on-heritage-conservation/article33520527.ece, January 7, 2021

Nayak said the present day temple of Goddess Ramachandi is being built over the ruins of an older temple. An archaeological survey team of INTACH stumbled upon the ruins of a possible Bhoumakara-era temple that could have been constructed about 1,100 years ago. A three-member team comprising project assistant Deepak Kumar Nayak, Rabindra Kumar Rana and Manas Ranjan Sahoo documented the ancient site at Tentulia village under Banki sub-division in Cuttack district. Nayak said the present day temple of Goddess Ramachandi is being built over the ruins of an older temple. Though the original temple had crumbled, two subsidiary temples are still to be found. The architectures of the two temples indicate their construction period in between 8th and 10th Century AD, he said. There are no pasting materials found to bind the stones used in the temples and the two have been built in ‘pathara bandhei’ technique which is generally seen in early era temples.

"The region used to be the Airabata Mandala where the Kings of Nandodvaba dynasty used to rule during the period. The Nandodvabas were the feudatory kings of the Bhaumakaras and the temple might have been built by the kings of this dynasty,” he said. Describing the iconographical features of Ramachandi shrine, Rana said the sculpture is actually a classic Chamunda image of Bhoumakara era. The Goddess is remarkably fashioned with display of complete human anatomy. Such Chamunda images are also found in places like Maa Dhakulei Pitha of Pratapa Nagari, Cuttack and in the State museum (recovered from Dharmasala area of Jajpur district), he added. Villagers have demanded earliest revival and preservation of the ancient ruined heritage. They alleged that neither the State archaeology department nor the ASI has shown any interest in conservation of the heritage structures. The documentation was a part of INTACH’s mega project ‘Mahanadi Valley Heritage Sites Documentation’ headed by Historian Anil Dhir. The project report is likely to be released later this year in multiple volumes.

http://newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2021/jan/04/ruins-of-bhoumakara-era-temple-found-2245178.html, January 4, 2021

The state government has made elaborate conservation plans to preserve the monastic structure. The first hilltop Buddhist monastery of the Gangetic Valley has been found at Lal Pahari in Lakhisarai district of the state, said its excavation team director Anil Kumar. Excavated during a joint collaboration of the Bihar Heritage Development Society, a part of the department of art, culture and youth affairs and the Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal, this finding is believed to be a great centre of Mahayana Buddhism. “Monasteries have been discovered at many locations in this area. But this is the first set up located at the top of a hill.

Seems the Mahayani Buddhists set up the monastery far from the hustle and bustle of the human population to practise Mahayana rituals in isolation,” said Dr Anil Kumar from Visva Bharati University. It was a Vihara, named as Srimaddharmaviharik aryabhiksusanghasya. This can be translated as ‘this is the sealing of the council of monks of Srimaddharma Vihara’. Two burnt clay seals carrying the name of the monastery have also been discovered at the site,” he said. The Visva-Bharati University teacher said the discovery of the monastery has proved what the Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang had written in his travel account. He had mentioned that the area had numbers of monasteries and caves and that even Lord Buddha used to stay here. “This area was known as Krimila.

This name is mentioned in Buddhist literature also,” Kumar said. During the Pala period this area turned into a great trade point and was the administrative centre of the Pala rulers, he added. “Importantly the great archaeologist Alexander Cunningham too had discovered many monasteries and temples in the area and had discussed it in his book. But excavation was not conducted here,” he said. The state government has made elaborate conservation plans to preserve the monastic structure. To stop Natural decay of the excavated structures because of exposure to extreme weather conditions and weathering, the state archaeology has planned to erect a shed over the remains of the monastery. While a pathway will be created to reach to the hilltop, the area around the monastic remains will be barricaded to stop unwanted movement at the excavated site.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/first-hilltop-buddhist-monastery-found-in-bihar-s-lakhisarai/story-mbgH6ZPvDvDV76H27Ho6rI.html, January 4, 2021

Monuments of Iron Age were found in Mallavaram village in Rentachintala Mandal Guntur district. Noted archaeologist Dr E Sivanagi Reddy confirmed the unearthing of historical monuments after inspecting the area on Wednesday. He said that he found several historical structures datable to 1000 BCE. He noticed more than 100 monuments (burial structures) of the Iron Age people in the forested zone towards the west of the Mallavaram village in Palnadu region of the district.

Speaking to media, Dr Sivanagireddy said that the burials called cairn circles built of Palnadu limestone slabs were planted vertically all around measure two to three feet in height and width with a thickness of 3 inches, and the core filled with Cairn (small stones and pebbles) at the centre. “Another variety of burials known as dolmens in the form of huge slabs measuring 4 to 5 feet in length, 3 feet in width and 3 inches in thickness are planted vertically on all the four sides, rectangular on plan and covered by a huge cap stone on the top side. “The dead people of the Iron age were interred at the center of the burials on which these monuments were erected as per the custom of the period.

The burials are spread to an extent of 20 acres on either side of the cart tract leading to the forest and krishna river side. Dr Reddy said that he had chanced upon to visit the area following information provided by local farmers Battula Adinarayana and Vodithe Samba Naik. He said that locals told him that treasure hunters vandalize the age-old structures during night times. “The historical slabs were found broken and removed carelessly causing damage to the very existence of these archaeologically significant monuments,” said Dr.Sivanagi Reddy. He appealed to the department of archaeology and Museums to safeguard such structures from human vandalism. He revealed that these burials were originally reported by Robert Sewell, a civil servant of Madras in his Lists of the Antiquarian Remains in Madras Presidency for the Archaeological Survey of Southern India. CCVA gallery executive Yadlapalli Amarnath and heritage activist P. Srinath Reddy was also present.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amaravati/andhra-pradesh-iron-age-burial-structures-found-in-guntur-district/articleshow/80137838.cms, January 6, 2021

The Indian National Trust for Art and Heritage Culture (INTACH), Vadodara chapter, has offered assistance to the government authorities for converting the Sundarpura forests into a black buck sanctuary. The organization on Monday wrote to the government and insisted that the big piece of land should be conserved and designated as a wildlife conservation park. “We have such rich biodiversity adjacent to our city. With efforts from the concerned government departments, we can easily conserve it and even turn it into a black buck sanctuary.

So we decided to offer our help by bringing in other stakeholders and expertise,” said Sanjeev Joshi, convenor, INTACH, Vadodara. TOI had on December 10 reported about how the city couldn’t be the second home to the black bucks due to the bureaucratic delays over the last three decades. “It is reported that in the 70’s & 80’s, almost 300-400 Black Buck (Antilope Cervicapra) were thriving in the vicinity of this SunderpuraDhaniavi area.

We can still turn back the wheels very easily since the 102 hectares land for the deemed conservation park- is very much available there under your jurisdiction-which is over 1 sq km of land area/space,” the letter written by INTACH to the PMO, CMO and district collector read.

"This is a large area and there is an urgent need to protect the area by fencing it first to prevent encroachments. Later the forest department can be roped in as custodians of the land even if the revenue department wants to retain the ownership of the land. Remote sensing can also be done,” Joshi told TOI. The forest department has been writing to the revenue department seeking possession of Sundarpura forests that is located about 20 km from the city. The forest that was once home to hundreds of black bucks apart from rich flora and fauna is now losing its rich biodiversity due to lack of any protection.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/intach-offers-to-support-sanctuary/articleshow/80237543.cms, January 13, 2021

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has called upon the district administration to frame regulations and guidelines to preserve the heritage and art of Thanjavur town. A resolution was adopted at the meeting of INTACH members chaired by the organiser, Prince C. Babaji Rajah Bhonsle Chattrapathy, at Sangeetha Mahal in Thanjavur Palace complex recently. The need to frame city heritage regulations and guidelines to preserve the heritage of the town was stressed in the resolution. By another resolution, INTACH urged Thanjavur Corporation to implement infrastructure development and other projects under the smart cities scheme without damaging or tampering the heritage value of the town.

http://thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/plea-to-frame-heritage-guidelines/article33560052.ece, January 12, 2021

M Saleem Beg

The efforts towards preservation of cultural heritage by INTACH, Kashmir have been highly acclaimed by the UNESCO Asia Pacific office and awarded certificate of merit by UNESCO Asia Pacific region along with two other projects at Shanxi , China and Mumbai. The citation of Amar Singh College describes the award winning project as under; ‘The restoration of the Amar Singh College brought back one of the most prominent institutional buildings in Kashmir to its former glory. Undertaken with a high level of technical proficiency, the project reversed major deterioration resulting from years of inappropriate additions, poor maintenance, and catastrophic events such as the unprecedented flooding in 2014. The project team’s meticulous attention to original building design and materials involved training a new generation of building artisans in brick and stone masonry. Competently led by INTACH Kashmir Chapter with support from the local government and a group of community stakeholders, the project serves as a noteworthy model for safeguarding a unique 20th -century architectural asset in the Victorian neighborhood of the old city of Srinagar

Historical backdrop of the college
The first decade of the 20th century is heralded as the decade when Kashmir marched from medieval period madrassas and patshallas into the modern knowledge systems and processes. This momentous shift took place during the reign of third Dogra Maharaja, Shri Pratap singh(R 1885-1925AD ) who was alive to the newer demands of the changing world and for the need to introduce modern education for his people. Kashmir had remained outside of the formal education system that had made reasonable progress in the rest of the subcontinent. This shift seems to have been triggered by Miss Annie Besant, one of the founders of Banaras Hindu University, president of Theosophical society and an ardent member of Indian national congress, who it is believed, persuaded Maharaja Pratap Singh to donate land for a suitable college building and a playground within the city. The Maharaja granted an endowment of land for the purpose on July 7, 1906 and on the same date the foundation stone for Shri Pratap Singh Hindu College building was laid by him.

The College was affiliated at that time with Banaras Hindu Central College, thus intending to commence a modern system of education and welcoming pupils from all sections of society. However, the subjects taught primarily focused on languages and arithmetic and lacked any technical training support. Since a significant section of the Kashmiri population was related to the arts and crafts and building industry, therefore a pressing need for training younger generations in skills pertaining to carpentry, black smithy and pottery and other technical vocations was felt. To address this need, about a mile away from SPS College, the Amar Singh Technical Institute was established in 1913.

However, it was formally opened by Maharaja Partap Singh on 29th May 1914. Mr. F. H. Andrews, formerly Headmaster of Battersea Polytechnic School, London was appointed as its first Principal. Thus it started as a Technical Institute to teach students art, culture and basic skills like masonry, carpentry etc. This Technical Institute was progressively upgraded as Amar Singh College in June 1942 with many additional streams added to its curriculum commemorating the name of the father of Maharaja Hari Singh, the then Maharaja of Kashmir. The college after its initial operational issues went from strength to strength and became a major driver in imparting high-quality education to the Kashmiri society. The grandeur of the building is suggestive enough that the institution was established with the objective of being noticed in architectural terms as well as in its high academic standards. The main building conforms to the classic colonial style of architecture with exquisite brick work, impressive main foyer and a regal entrance. The building has an unmatched imposing presence in the civil lines area of the city that was evolving into a high end residential area. It has served as undergraduate Arts and Science College and several other streams have also been made available here since and it has also now been expanded as a Cluster University.

The main heritage building which occupies the central position in the campus was facing several issues of maintenance and the Kashmir floods of 2014 only amplified the problems with major issues surfacing both in the open space and the building. In these devastating floods the college library also lost a collection of 40,000 books some of which were rare publications. The College campus is home to a large number of trees, many of which are the enormous Chinars which may be as old as the building itself.

Yet, the most striking landscape feature is the poplar avenue at the entrance that creates a formal vista to and from the building. INTACH Kashmir initiated documentation of the building as part of its mandate of preservation of built heritage. This process was hampered due to the disastrous flood of 2014 that swept Kashmir in September 2014. This documentation was restarted and a comprehensive post-flood assessment of the building was undertaken leading to a fresh proposal for its restoration. Since the damage to the historic building from the flood was a cause of concern for the college authorities and members of public at large, the project proposal was received by the government favourably.

However, it still took about three more years for the college to seek approvals for the project and in February 2018 the restoration of the building commenced with INTACH, Kashmir Chapter acting as both the advisors and implementing agency for the works. Interestingly, there are some wall murals inside the building of approximately the same age as the building; the project envisaged restoration of these unique murals as well. Therefore, while the building itself has been fully restored as of today, we are currently working on the restoration of these wall murals under the guidance from IGNCA art conservation experts.

The process of restoration
The objective of conserving the building was to restore the former glory of the building and to repair the damages caused by floods of 2014 and earthquake of 2006 and also those damages that were a result of lack of attention. The highly ornamental building is essentially an exposed brick building, stylistically influenced by the prevailing colonial trend in the region. The ornamental gauged bricks used in the building are handmade ‘rubber’ bricks and therefore very soft and predisposed to erosion and defacement. One of the challenges was to train the craftsmen to restore these ornamental bricks and to prepare new bricks to fill-in the missing ones in the walls.

A sustainability issue to be addressed was the site’s low-lying circumstance which made it very vulnerable to water-logging and moisture ingress. The building was facing surface erosion, material degradation, vegetative growth and cracks in its towers. The project involved skills, expertise, and understanding of conservation issues of the historic structures and the behaviour of local materials over time. INTACH has over the years, been able to set up in house expertise with a dedicated group of young and qualified conservation architects who have developed a deep understanding of issues of preservation of built and natural heritage. Broadly the whole project entailed research and documentation, architectural and structural appraisal of the building material and construction technology, all of which entailed measured drawings, archival research and photography. The civil works and Artwork conservation was carried by the local artisans and workers.

The whole project was supervised by Saima Iqbal, senior conservation specialist assisted by Anjum Rafiq, architect and other members of the team.The local artisan team was accessed by Waseem Kathwari, a local building specialist. The mural work was restored under the supervision of Jetendra Singh of IGNCA and Imran Ali Bhat and his team at INTACH Conservation Centre Srinagar The Department of Higher Education, Commissioner/Secretary Asghar Samoon backed the project all through. The principal of the College, Yasmeen Ashai supported the project and provided unrelenting support and assistance at all the stages along with her colleagues and the team of teachers constituted for the project.

While this award is a recognition of the commitment and professionalism that has emerged over time, the state of built heritage in J&K is desperately in need of attention. A widely acclaimed style, the repository of the built traditions as depicted in the vernacular architecture of Kashmir evolved over the centuries of leanings about the materials, the response to disasters like earthquakes and sympathetic use of decorative arts, is now gasping for survival. Likewise the buildings, public and private, created during the Dogra period depicting a unique and agreeable mix of colonial style, decorative arts of Kashmir and Rajasthan, the murals whose imageries have been taken from the glorious pahari arts are now facing an existential threat due to lack of focus by the stakeholders.

It is hoped that the attention given by UNESCO to the efforts of conservation also leads to awareness about the treasures left behind by our past generations giving an identity and dignity to our communities. (The writer is Convener INTACH, Jammu & Kashmir, former Director General Tourism and Member and Chairman National Monuments Authority, Government of India)

https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/amar-singh-college-regaining-past-glory/, January 10, 2021

Despite having a treasure trove of history, Delhi witnessed authorities’ apathy towards its monuments over the years. But with private agencies stepping in, these structures got a new lease. In 1598, nearly 50 years before Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khanan, a poet and commander-in-chief of Akbar’s army, built a tomb in Delhi in memory of his wife, Mah Banu. Known as Rahim’s Tomb, the mausoleum stood in ruins with a risk of collapse until 2014 when the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), in partnership with InterGlobe Foundation and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), began conservation efforts. After nearly six years of restoration work, the tomb opened to the public in December. Similarly, after lying abandoned for decades, in 2007, a memorandum to redevelop Sunder Nursery — a 16th-century heritage park complex adjacent to the Humayun’s Tomb — was signed by the AKTC, Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the ASI and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (MCD). A decade of work has resulted in a 90-acre park dotted with historical monuments, 300 tree species, 36 butterfly species, two amphitheatres, a bonsai enclosure and a peafowl zone. It was thrown open to the public in 2018.

The redevelopment projects of these two tombs are among the recent examples of how outsourcing of conservation of heritage sites helped in carrying out quality work and bring about urban rejuvenation and generation of employment opportunities. But till two decades ago, despite having vast and unparalleled built heritage repositories in Delhi, the conservation scenario in the city had been obtuse, with several of them — notified and unprotected — were encroached and decaying to a wretched state. Some are still under ‘illegal’ occupation. Majority of historical sites remained untapped and less-explored in the absence of a budget, vision, and innovative planning. Overloaded the ASI would generally focus on ‘prominent’ buildings of national importance.

The State Archaeology Department (SAD) even doesn’t have a count of historically important structures in the national capital. While more than 170 buildings — forts, tombs, mosques, stepwells, towers, and hunting lodges — were under the jurisdiction of the premiere watchdog of monuments, only five heritage edifices, were in the list of SAD. The ASI would execute obligatory repair at some buildings according to the availability of budget. Disregard for the built legacy can be gauged by the fact that the ASI was not able to reclaim Lal Quila (Red Fort) — the main landmark of Independence Day celebrations and symbol of India’s freedom struggle — completely for nearly 50 years as its major portion was under the occupation of Indian Army. The Mughal garrison was desecrated. About 400 buildings — shops, barracks, residential quarters, and toilet blocks were built over the years on its campus since 1947. In 2003, Union tourism minister Jagmohan’s intervention facilitated the departure of the Army after which the conservation began to revive the old glory of the fort-palace.

Similarly, Mehrauli Archaeological Park (MAP), a historic site spreading over 200 acres containing a cluster of 70 ancient structures built between the 12th century (Chauhan period) and 19th century (British era), was lying in utter neglect, inaccessible and encroached. The breakthrough happened in 1997, when the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) took on the onus of improving and preservation of ruins around Balban’s Tomb in the MAP with financial assistance from the Delhi Tourism department. At the same time, the AKTC partnered with the ASI to restore the Humayun’s Tomb gardens on the occasion of golden jubilee anniversary of India’s independence. “Though no major success was achieved for the next 10 years (till 2007) these partnerships with non-government organisations showed the way, and the rest is history. In a related development, a listing of Delhi’s heritage buildings and efforts were initiated to count unaccounted tangible heritage in the city,” says Ajay Kumar, director project, INTACH (Delhi chapter).

In 2000, the INTACH revised listing the monuments in Delhi, which was previously prepared by Maulvi Zafar Hasan around the 1920s for the ASI. As per the three-volume catalogue, there are 1,208 significant buildings in the capital. In between, the Delhi government had also started thinking about the redevelopment of the Walled City area, also known as Shahjahanabad, around 2003-04. The project, commenced in December 2018, is nearing completion.

The SAD completed a survey and identified 238 structures which were not part of any list of protected buildings, either of the ASI or the department. The department signed a memorandum with the INTACH in October 2008 and in November 2012. So far, the collaboration has led to the safeguarding of 65 buildings, including historic significance and nationally important monuments. Another MoU was signed by the AKTC in July 2007 and the ASI. The other partners were the CPWD and the MCD, which marked the commencement of renewal of surroundings of Humayun’s Tomb and Nizamuddin Basti. “Over 60 individual monuments have been conserved within the 300-acre project area over the past decade. The latest is the Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khana Tomb. Footfall at Humayun’s Tomb has increased by 1,000 per cent. When we had started, 1.60 lakh visitors would come annually and the number has gone to 20 lakh in the pre-Covid period. We have created a new destination Sunder Nursery, which has been made possible by removing encroachment from 30 acres,” says CEO of the AKTC Ratish Nanda.

"Heritage is our economic resource. We are trying to demonstrate that heritage conservation can be through financial sustainability. We have created employment opportunities — 15 lakh man-days of master craftsmen,” says Nanda. Strongly supporting the idea of private participation for heritage conservation, Kumar says the emergence of private entities has proved to be a game-changer. However, Sayyed Jamal Hasan, former director of the ASI, differs. “In many cases, I have seen private conservators have caused further damage to the remains. I, on several occasions, wrote to the higher authorities with photographic evidence about the ‘renovation’ done at protected sites by private agencies. Non-government agencies recreate and wipe out original features,” says Hasan.

Ancient structures in the city
173 Sites under the ASI, 13 of them, including Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, Safdar Jung’s Tomb, Purana Quila, and Hauz Khas, have paid entry

Most visited sites
Red Fort, Qutub Minar, and Humayun’s Tomb, among others as they receive approximately 10-12000 visitors every day. The footfall increases on weekends and holidays 238 monuments and heritage structures in the city are not part of any list of protected buildings, either of the ASI or the State Archaeology Department (SAD)

Successful preservation projects
Bada Lao Ka Gumbad in Vasant Kunj, Mutiny Memorial in Kamala Nehru ridge, Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal in Central ridge near Jhandewalan Metro station, Gol Gumbad (Lodi Road) and the tomb of Quli Khan in Mehrauli. The conservation was carried out by the SAD in association with the INTACH. 19 notified protected structures in the SAD list. Till 2008, it had only 5 structures. After conservation, 14 more were added in the last 12 years. 200 Buildings such as tombs, mosques and residential properties of historical importance in the city are protected by the Delhi Waqf Board. They need immediate attention. Delhi also has a large repository of 1,300 notified built heritage sites such as towers, bridges, temples, gateways, mansions, residential dwellings, graveyards and step-wells

Beautification
Joint efforts
Determined and collaborative efforts worked wonders for heritage conservation in the national capital, particularly in the last decade. The ongoing Chandni Chowk beautification project, recently conserved tomb of Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khana, redevelopment of Sunder Nursery Park, restoration of Bada Lao Ka Gumbad and protection of monuments in Mehrauli Archaeological Park bear testimony to the fact. While the government agencies took up initiatives for careful preservation and maintenance of rich tangible inheritance, several private individuals toiled simultaneously to popularise the city’s legacy academically and through social media to ensure heritage preservation remains on the priority list of the authorities

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)
The trust took up its first job in Delhi in 1997 when it partnered with the ASI to restore the Humayun’s Tomb gardens on the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. Since then, it is the only private agency carrying out conservation on national monuments in the country. In the last 23 years, it has conserved over 60 monuments and structures, including Humayun’s Tomb, in the Nizamuddin area and its vicinity which were built between the 14th century and early 20th century.

Nitin Panigrahi, DGM (project & administration), SRDC
The Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation was set up in 2008 for restoration, conservation, and promotion of the built and cultural heritage of Shahjahanabad.One of a kind, Chandni Chowk pedestrianisation and beautification project, inching towards completion, is the sole ‘achievement’ of the agency. Panigrahi sailed through all constraints and legal hassles with support of the Delhi High Court.

Swapna Liddle: Author and historian
She is also the convener of INTACH (Delhi chapter) and authored three books on history and cultural heritage -- Delhi: 14 Historic Walks, Chandni Chowk: The Mughal City of Old Delhi, and Connaught Place and the making of New Delhi. Her writings have helped in raising awareness about the city’s historic neighbourhoods and buildings. Liddle has led more than 150 heritage walks covering almost all major sites in the city.

Ajay Kumar, project director, INTACH (Delhi chapter)
An alumnus of Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management, Kumar has supervised or led the successful resurrection of about 60 historical buildings, which were away from public glare and government’s attention. Kumar is especially credited for reinstatement of about 600-year-old Bada Lao Ka Gumbad and several structures in Mehrauli Archaeological Park including Rajon Ki Baoli.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2021/jan/11/monumental-efforts-preserving-our-past-2248407.html, January 10, 2021

Nearly 50 archaeological sites have been found in Prayagraj by a team from the department of Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology in the Ishwar Saran PG College. Nearly 50 archaeological sites have been found in Prayagraj by a team from the Department of Ancient History, Culture, and Archaeology in the Ishwar Saran PG College. The team conducted an archaeological village-to-village survey on foot in the vicinity of the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers of Prayagraj, from Jhunsi to Shringverpur and from Daraganj to Kali Paltan in Kaushambhi district on both sides of the Ganga river. The survey stretched for 70 km on the ground surface and 3 to 5 km (in width) on both sides of the river. It was carried out under the direction of principal of the college and head of the department and project director, Professor Anand Shankar Singh and the project deputy director and Assistant Professor Jamil Ahmad, along with his team. This was, perhaps, the first time that an archaeological survey was taken up in this area on such a large scale. Professor Singh said: "The survey was conducted in more than 80 villages on both the shores of the river Ganga which fall under the Phoolpur, Sadar and Soraon tehsils of Prayagraj district and the Chail tehsil of Kaushambhi district.

Nearly 50 sites of archaeological importance have been marked and documented, from where, a large number of archaeological remains from the Chalcolithic period (around 3,000 to 2,000 BC when copper was the dominant metal) to the Mughal period and later, have been found." These remains consist of various types of pottery, terracotta and semi-precious stones, microlith (1cm to 8cm long stone tools), beads and tools of stone and iron and materials made of bone and ivory are important. A detailed report of the survey has recently been sent to Indian Archaeological Survey, New Delhi for publication in their annual journal, 'Indian Archaeology - a Review'. The college is working on sending a proposal for further excavation of selected archaeological sites near Kaurihar to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), New Delhi. These antiquities obtained from the Gangetic area have been kept for study by the researchers in the newly built Archaeological Centre of the College.

The vast majority of cultural materials excavated from this region clearly indicates the continuous and rich habitats of this region from the distant past. The availability of antiquarian and artistic antiquities comes from almost all the antiquarian sites and provides valuable and useful information about the artistic tastes and everyday use of life and cultural stock of the people here. It is noteworthy that the ASI, New Delhi, has licensed Ishwar Saran P.G. College for archaeological survey in this area.

https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/prayagraj-50-archaeological-sites-fou nd-678079, January 14, 2021

More durable than conventional paper, Mon Shugu holds a special place in the history of Arunachal Pradesh’s Monpa tribe. By RINCHEN NORBU WANGCHUK

In February 2020, Maling Gombu, a Tawang-based social worker and lawyer, wrote to the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) — a statutory body dedicated to the development of village industries, about the potential of a 1,000-year-old paper-making craft of the Monpa tribe in Arunachal Pradesh that was languishing. Taking note of his letter, the KVIC took appropriate actions. Following months of planning, which was abruptly halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the KVIC launched a Monpa handmade paper making unit on 25 December at an erstwhile abandoned government building in Tawang. Called ‘Mon Shugu’,this fine-textured handmade paper is an integral part of Monpa history. To make Mon Shugu, the inner fibrous bark of the Shugu Sheng shrub (Daphne papyracea) is dried, boiled with a solution of ash, made into pulp and then cut into sheets of paper. The process of making this paper is entirely organic with no chemical additives. This naturally processed paper possesses strong tensile strength and is durable as well. “It has been observed that the harvesting of the bark starts from March to April and continues till December before flowering and fruiting. During the reproductive stage, people do not harvest it, keeping in mind that there should be no disturbance in natural regeneration and also because there are other alternate resources. Bark harvested during the earlier part of a year is used for paper-making the rest of the year. To make 1-1.5 kilo of bark about four to five plants are required but it varies with the size of the plant. It has been estimated that about 20 to 30 minutes is required to harvest the same amount of bark. At least two sheets of paper (62cm long and 51cm wide) can be made from the bark of one plant,” notes a March 2006 paper titled — A Traditional Source of Paper Making in Arunachal Pradesh.

A canvas for Buddhist scripts
Mon Shugu has long been an integral part of Tawang’s vibrant tribal culture. Its historical significance is undeniable. In centuries past, this fine-textured handmade paper was used for writing Buddhist scriptures and manuscripts in monasteries, among other texts, while the shrub from which it is sourced, Shugu Sheng, also possesses medicinal value. “The hand made paper is strong with its visible natural fibres and a unique texture. In ancient times the paper was used for writing Mantras, Sutras and Buddhist epics; it is still used for the contents of prayer wheels, but at present it is also used for artistic purposes and for making exquisite gift items,” notes the 2006 paper. “Back then, such was the scale of production that Monpas used to sell these papers to countries like Tibet, Bhutan, Thailand and Japan as no paper making industry existed in these countries at that time. However, the local industry gradually began declining and the indigenous handmade paper was taken over by inferior Chinese paper,” notes a release issued by the Press Information Bureau of the Government of India on 26 December 2020. Mon Shugu is no ordinary kind of paper. Compared to conventional paper, it’s lifespan and durability is much longer. Maling also notes that it’s 80 percent stronger in tensile strength. “The value of reviving Mon Shugu centers on the preservation of our traditional culture and Buddhist heritage. There is a local market for this paper since we employ it for our daily prayers, packaging special items like butter and other uses. But there is also an international market for it in countries like China and Japan where it’s used for writing scriptures and calligraphy. Japanese artists, particularly, use this paper to write calligraphy. But we will have to properly explore those markets before taking any major steps. Meanwhile, KVIC is also buying this paper and marketing it,” adds Maling, speaking to The Better India.

Past Attempts at Reviving Mon Shugu

The traditional way of making Mon Shugu is time consuming, as its raw materials are not easy to source. Besides, its process of boiling, beating, drying and cutting of paper by hand is a very time consuming process as well. Just to generate a sheet of paper, one would require a day. Therefore, the practice was restricted to a few families in villages like Mukto in Tawang district, which is perched at 10,800 ft above sea level. By the late 1990s, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and KVIC came together to modernise the process from its manual roots. “In 2003, a common facility was set up in Mukto village in Tawang district, where machines like boilers, beaters and dryers were brought to speed up the different processes at play. The KVIC even sent a group of artisans to Jaipur for a training programme on how to utilise these machines at the Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI). The new machinery was expected to reduce the time required to make it.

For example, the final process of drying was earlier dependent on the sun. But now there is a drier. The boilers, meanwhile, boil larger quantities of up to 20 kilos. However, for this initiative to work, it required a group effort. But the traditional paper makers, comprising six to seven families in Mukto, could not come together and use it,” notes Maling Gombu, speaking to The Better India. Maling believes that these families found it more convenient to use the traditional method because they were producing only small quantities for domestic use. “Using the plant needed a coordinated group effort. They had even registered a society under the chairmanship of the Mukto Circle Officer, but even then it did not take off. Last year, we shifted the equipment from Mukto to Tawang since it wasn’t damaged. My NGO, Youth Action for Social Welfare, joined the revival effort. It has been almost a decade since I reached out to the KVIC for the relocation of the plant from Mukto to Tawang,” he adds. But, there are villages inhabited by the Monpa people that do not permit taking forest produce outside their villages. “Getting access to a long supply of Shugu Sheng will be difficult.

Producing Mon Shugu at a larger scale will be a real challenge because Shugu Sheng is not easily available. It is available in the Mon region, particularly in the Tawang area, Mukto village and Kalaktang town and Morshing village of West Kameng district in a scattered manner. Collecting it at these altitudes is also a challenge. It is currently being produced for the local market, revival of traditional knowledge and preservation of our culture. We are in talks with the forest department about establishing a plantation of the Shugu Sheng shrub to see long term prospects as it takes about three to five years to harvest it,” says Maling. Another challenge is to encourage the local community to pick up the practice of making Mon Shugu again. “Not many Mon tribal families took up this practice. It was primarily families in Mukto village and its surrounding areas who were popular for producing this paper. To encourage the younger generation to take up this practice will be a challenge. However, if we take it up, it will generate additional employment. Villagers will collect the raw material from the forest and we can buy it from them. Moreover, the Shugu Sheng shrub has medicinal value, is not eaten by insects and possesses aromatic qualities as well,” says Maling.

Local product, with global potential’
The revival of Mon Shugu in Tawang was also taken up in earnest by the KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena. On his instruction, a team of scientists and officials at Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI) were sent to Tawang to establish the paper making unit and train locals. After six months of extensive work, a unit was set up. Employing nine local artisans, who earn a daily wage of Rs 400, to make 500-600 sheets of Mon Shugu a day, this is a first step towards reviving this ancient practice of the Monpa people. To begin with, 12 women and 2 men from local villages have been trained to make this paper. A key objective for Saxena is enhancing Mon Shugu’s commercial potential.

“Owing to its peculiarity, this handmade paper has high commercial value that can be harnessed to create local employment in Arunachal. By increasing production of Monpa handmade paper, it can be exported again to other countries and regain the space occupied by China in the last few decades. This is a local product with great global potential, which is aligned with the Mantra of Local to Global given by the Prime Minister,” Saxena said. Meanwhile, he went onto laud the Arunachal Pradesh government’s support in this endeavour. As the PIB press release also goes onto state: The Monpa handmade paper unit will also serve as a training center for the local youths. KVIC will provide marketing support and explore markets for the locally manufactured handmade paper.

KVIC plans to set up more such units in different parts of the country. Saxena said KVIC will also begin production of innovative plastic-mixed handmade paper in Tawang that will be crucial for reducing plastic waste in the region. Beyond economics, it’s about the preservation of a 1,000-year-old heritage. In incentivising today’s generations of Monpas, there is hope that the people of the hills will finally receive the recognition they deserve for reviving this legacy. (Edited by Yoshita Rao).

http://thebetterindia.com/247143/arunachal-pradesh-mon-shugu-ancient-papermaking-technique-tawang-monpa-tribe-kvic-india-nor41/, January 14, 2021

Partition confined Lohri to north India, yet a handful of cultural enthusiasts in Islamic Pakistan have kept the Hindu festival alive in Lahore with bonfire, sesame sweets, and ballads of Punjabi Robinhood Dulla Bhatti. Babar Jalandhari, general secretary of Punjabi Parchar, Lahore’s organisation of Punjabi intellectuals, told TOI from Pakistan on Thursday: "Our Lohri celebrations on Wednesday night had a large attendance of poets, intellectuals, and youth. Many see it as a Sikh or Hindu festival but it is Punjabi.

We want to revive its pre-Partition spirit for the knowledge of the present generation.” Social activist Diep Saeeda said: “We sung the folk tales of the bravery of medieval Punjab’s legendary Muslim hero Dulla Bhatti, of how he rescued Hindu girls Sundri and Mundri and married them off on Lohri. We served traditional Lohri sweets of gachak, reori, and popcorn.” She said Punjabi Parchar promoted Punjabi language, art, and culture. Organisation’s convener, Ahmad Raza, said: “Lohri and Vaisakhi were celebrated in Pakistan for some time after Partition in 1947 but then it stopped. Later, intellectuals decided to revive this tradition, rising above religious considerations. Dulla Bhatti is humanity’s hero. Our multi-religious society needed this small effort for harmony. Partition was a British plot to divide the sons of the soil. We should understand their designs at least now. Lohri is a good way of promoting secularism and love for all."

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/lohri-in-lahore-after-70-years/articleshow/80275349.cms, January 15, 2021

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose museum was reopened on his 124th birth anniversary celebrations today. . Janakinath Bose Bhavan , the paternal house of Netaji located alongside the Saradadebi adjacent to district judge court was transformed into a museum at a cost of Rs four in 2019 by the state culture department. The state culture department on public demand had taken over the property, preserved the structure and transformed the house into a museum . INTACH has developed the project. Museum showcases many articles used by Netaji and his family members. Because of legal wrangles and pandemic it remained closed to the public, said Choudhury Arabind Das, the district culture officer. Mr Das said Visitors were allowed to enter the museum adhering to Covid-19 guidelines. This apart many officials and institutes offered floral tribute to the statue of Netaji at Armstrong road. In another such event residents observed the 199th birth anniversary of Chandan Hajuri popularly known as Chakhi Khuntia the hero of 1857 freedom struggle. His family members along with noted citizens gathered at the PKDA office and garlanded his statue. Additional district magistrate PK Sahu, sub collector Bhabataran Sahu temple administrator AK Jena and Krushna chandra Mahapatra were present besides the culture officer.

https://www.uniindia.com/netaji-subhash-chandra-bose-museum-at-puri-reopened-for-visitors-on-his-birth-anniversary-today/east/news/2299921.html, January, 2021

Odisha's traditional art form 'Pattachitra', which dates back to 5 BC, continues to live on in India's first heritage village Raghurajpur. Bijay Bariki, a National Awardee from Raghurajpur said, "We are preserving this Heritage Art which we received from our ancestors, following the traditional way. There is a need for more promotion of the art form nationally and internationally." One of the oldest and most popular art forms of Odisha, the name 'Pattachitra' has evolved from the Sanskrit words 'patta' (canvas) and 'chitra' (picture). Thus, it refers to a painting done on canvas and is manifested by rich colorful applications, creative motifs, and designs, and portrayal of simple themes, mostly mythological in depiction. All colours used in the paintings are natural and with Pattachitra being a disciplined art form, the chitrakars maintain rigidity in their use of colors and patterns. The tassar cloth Pattachitra is also quite popular. The one etched on dried palm leaves is more often picked up by tourists as souvenirs. Other forms of Pattachitra include paper mache masks, paintings on coconut and betel nut. Apart from these, artists also engage in making toys out of stone and wood and painting them. Interestingly, the Raghurajpur village is also known for Gotipua dance (a traditional dance form that is the precursor to Odissi classical dance) and happens to be the birthplace of the doyen of Odissi dance, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. In 2000, after a two-year research and documentation project by INTACH, starting in 1998, the village was chosen to be developed as the state's first heritage village after which it was developed as a crafts village. "Our Traditional Art, Crafts and Handloom are a priority for the State Government. To promote them, we regularly organise national-level trade fairs. This provides the Odiya artists a platform to directly promote the art outside the state as well as through the state government," added Vishal Dev, Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism. (ANI)

http://www.businessworld.in/article/Odisha-s-oldest-most-popular-art-form-Pattachitra-preserved-in-Raghurajpur/18-01-2021-366822/, January 18, 2021

After months of waiting, heritage lovers finally got permission to construct a gate at the foothills of the 2000-year-old Pavuralakonda Buddhist heritage site on Monday. Earlier, heritage enthusiasts had complained that the site had become a hub of unruly bikers, boozers and anti-social elements that were littering the area. According to a section of heritage enthusiasts, the archaeology department had remained nonchalant about their repeated complaints. So they decided to raise funds to build the gate to protect the site. Earlier in January, a temporary barricade made of boulders was placed at the site on the insistence of heritage enthusiasts. But the barricade was removed and trespassing continued. At the time, the commissioner of archaeology and museums had said that if anyone was interested to pool in funds, she would grant permission for a gate. Finally, on Monday, the archaeology department accorded permission to ‘erect the gate and signage boards at Pavuralakonda Buddhist site with the support of Jayshree Hatangdi and a group of heritage enthusiasts of Visakhapatnam’. Heritage narrator and Intach member Jayshree Hatangdi, who has taken up the initiative said, “Several heritage enthusiasts including many naval personnel recently visited the site and expressed interest in contributing financially towards heritage conservation of Visakhapatnam district. With the permission given today, we will take up construction work immediately.”

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/heritage-enthusiasts-to-build-gate-to-protect-2000-year-old-buddhist-site/articleshow/80334638.cms, January 19, 2021

Fatehpur Sikri was known for its mansions, gardens, pavilions, stables and caravansaries. The Baradari has survived in a recognizable shape. A water tank, with a fountain in the center, dating back to the 16th-century Mughal era, has been found by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Fatehpur Sikri. During the conservation work of the Todarmal Baradari, an area around it was being excavated when the discovery took place. A baradari or Bara Dari is a building or pavilion with twelve doors designed to allow free flow of air. Superintending archaeologist of ASI (Agra circle) Vasant Swarankar, said “During excavation, a square tank, with arms measuring 8.7 m and depth of 1.1 m, was discovered. The floor of the fountain tank is lime plastered, containing embellished patterns in lime as well. It must have been constructed along with the Baradari at that time.” The ASI is now mulling further excavations in the area. Raja Todar Mal was the finance minister of the Mughal empire during Emperor Akbar’s reign. He was one of the ‘Navratnas’ in Akbar’s court and introduced a new system of taxation. Fatehpur Sikri was known for its mansions, gardens, pavilions, stables and caravansaries. The Baradari has survived in a recognizable shape.

https://www.india.com/viral/water-tank-from-16th-century-mughal-era-found-in-fatehpur-sikri-asi-to-undertake-more-excavations-4346344/, January 21, 2021

Findings from the excavation further strengthen the government’s efforts to resurrect a long-forgotten, prosperous city called Krimila. A recent discovery of two burnt clay sealings on the ‘Lal Pahari’ hilltop, 125 km east of Patna city has left researchers startled.. The sealing unearthed had carved on it in Sanskrit ``śrīmaddharmahāvihārik āryabhikṣusaṅghasya” that means this is a sealing of monks council at Srimaddhama vihara. The script used dates around the 8-9th century. Archaeologists suggest that the finding bears testimony to a Buddhist monastery of the early medieval period being located here. If these findings hold true then it would be the first such hilltop monastery to be excavated in the entire Gangetic valley. . The artefact found further suggests that the monastery was managed by a woman monk named Vijayshree Bhadra. Findings from the excavation further strengthen the government’s efforts to resurrect a long-forgotten, prosperous city called Krimila that is believed to have been situated somewhere around present Lakhisarai.

Everything about the ancient town of Krimila

Krimila is believed to be a religious and administrative centre in Eastern India found during the early medieval times. It was famous for its stone sculptures and was frequently visited by travellers, ancient scholars and even the British. The region got the attention of Major General Sir Alexander Cunningham, a British Army engineer who later founded the Archeological Survey of India. Cunnigham visited the place twice in the 1880s and recorded the presence of stupas, ancient temples in the site that was the confluence of River Kiul, old Ganges and Harohar. Accounts of Hiuen Tsang, the famous Chinese Buddhist monk-traveller was also cited in their record. Hwen Thsang noted that the place had a stupa of Asoka, monastery and had a special description of a place called Rajaona. Images of Lord Buddha seated under the Bodhi tree, an image of Bodhisattva Padmapani, where other findings of Cunningham. Several other British explorers including J D Beglar and Buchanan explored the nearby villages of Valgudar, Rajaona, Chowki and Jaynagar for more insight about Buddhist dwellings in the place. Anil Kumar, Professor and Head of the Department of Indian History Culture and Archaeology at the Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan contradicting British archaeologists' explorations said they were focused on Tsang’s account, reported Indian Express. Findings of Indian archaeologists like D.C Sircar and R.K Choudhary brought important clues and the location of the important city there. Some such clues that had significance were an inscription in Valgudar that mentioned Krimila Visaya (an administrative unit) of Gupta period, Bihar inscription of Gupta period, two inscriptions from Valgudar and its adjacent areas, Nalanda plate of Samudragupta, Naulagarh inscription of Pala period, finds Kumar.

Excavation work since 2009

Exploration works by the government agencies to unearth the lost city started in 2009. An area of 72 sq km has been earmarked as the tentative territorial boundary of the city. A total of 60 sites will be excavated by the research team in due course out of which Lal Pahari, Bicchwe Hillm Ghoshikundu Hill, Sarsanda hill are state-protected. So far the excavation team has found a large number of finished and unfinished sculptures of Brahmanical and Buddhist Gods such as that of Lord Parvati, Ganesh, Bramha, Durga and Buddha. Objects of ritualistic use and daily use items were also unearthed here. Discovery of the two burnt clay sealings confirms that the site had a vihara with a significant woman or with a mixed population. The inscriptions on another sculpture of Singhnadavalokeshvara excavated earlier read that Vijayashri Bhadra, an elderly nun used to get donations from a certain Mallika Devi, who is believed to be a Pala queen, wife to Sura Pala, asserts Kumar. In 2018, authorities temporarily halted excavation at the Lal Pahari after rumours of gold coins being found made rounds making the local rush to the site.

https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/travel-tourism/lost-city-of-krimila-discovery-of-clay-sealings-in-bihars-lakshisari-holds-major-clues/2176615/, January 22, 2021

The seventh edition of the Pondicherry Heritage Festival (PHF) kicks off on Friday with a series of offline and online events to celebrate the signature Franco-Tamil confluence unique to the city. Though the fete, that is on till February 21, is being hosted under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, the larger reach of live-streamed events to an audience beyond the bounds of the city presents the brighter side to the whittling down of programmes with physical attendance. The PHF theme for the year is “Talking Streets of Pondicherry'', with several events designed to tap into the rich vernacular architecture of the Tamil Quarter, Satish Nallam, president of Alliance Francaise, told press persons on Thursday. This built heritage is fading as more Tamil houses get razed down to make way for modern structures. One of the principal aims of the festival would be to highlight the dire need to safeguard and preserve the Tamil precinct. Apart from online events, the theme will also feature walks and bicycle rides to imbibe the idea of “talking streets” outside the Boulevard precincts. The celebration of the town’s architectural legacy forms only one part of the festival, with various events designed to showcase the cultural heritage as well, said Kakoli Banerjee of People for Pondicherry’s Heritage (PPH). The month-long festival is an occasion as much to celebrate the confluence of French and Tamil cultures as the friendship between France and India, said Lila Kernoua, director of Alliance Francaise, which is one of several organisations supporting the PHF.

Online conversations

One of the high points of the festival would be online conversations featuring urban planning experts on the path for Puducherry to attain the UNESCO World Heritage City status, said Arul, architect and co-convenor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Among the experts hosted by the PHF are Saswat Bandyopadhyay, a key architect of Ahmedabad’s UNESCO application and Shikha Jain, INTACH convenor in Haryana. A hands-on workshop about structural elements in the heritage buildings would sensitise the city’s builders and architects. The French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP), another partnering institution, is hosting an exhibition of the work of historian Jean Deloche, a Wetlands Photography contest and local food system workshop, said Cecile Hoorelbeke and Helene Guetat-Bernard of IFP. Bitasta Samantaray of PPH said the creativity and entrepreneurship of craftsmen in the city and Auroville would be showcased as part of the “Made in Pondy” segment. This year, participants would be taken in small groups to the shops of the entrepreneurs.Since its inception in 2015, the PHF, as a collective, has only grown as a volunteer-driven, people’s movement and the flock of partner institutions pitching in to keep the festival going has kept increasing down the years, said Sunaina Mandeen from PPH.Apart from the Tourism Department, the French Consulate, Alliance Francaise and IFP, the INTACH, PondyCan and local businesses are also supporting the festival.The thrust on online events has helped expand the scope of programming. PHF 2021 has packed in 35 heritage-themed events for schoolchildren and another 30 for college students, she added. All events will be live streamed on the website of PHF and its social media accounts.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/pondicherry-heritage-festival-to-celebrate-franco-tamil-confluence/article33630526.ece, January 22, 2021

AP Legislative Council's Committee on Telugu language and Culture felicitated Kathanilayam founder and veteran writer Kalipatnam Ramarao here on Friday. Committee Chairman Mohemmed Ahemed Shariff, committee member P.V.N. Madhav and others recalled his great contribution to Telugu literature with the establishment of Kathanilayam where one could find Telugu stories published since 1930. INTACH convenor K.V.J. Radha Prasad, Kathanilayam secretary Dasari Ramachandra Rao, members Attada Appala Naidu, Kalipatnam Subbarao and others were present. The committee promised to recommend to the government for further development of Kathanilayam, a unique library established in the State.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/kalipatnam-ramarao-felicitated/article33638873.ece, January 23, 2021

"We have found different stone tools, which were in use during the stone age, in the small hill located on the bank of the Malaprabha river,” said Ramesh Mulimani, superintending archaeologist. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed a 2.5 lakh-year-old palaeolithic (old stone age) stone tools production unit at a hillock located in Taminaal village near Badami in the district. A four-member team of the Prehistoric Branch from Nagpur is working at Ranganatha Betta (hill) located between Taminaal and Katharaki village. “We have found different stone tools, which were in use during the stone age, in the small hill located on the bank of the Malaprabha river,” said Ramesh Mulimani, superintending archaeologist. Detailing the findings, Mulimani said, “Numerous scholars in the past including the father of Indian prehistory and geologist Robert Bruce Foote, who conducted geological surveys of prehistoric locations in India in the mid-19th century, have found out 2 lakh-year-old stone tools in Kyada, Katharaki and other villages of Badami. However, they had failed to identify the location of the palaeolithic stone tool industry. Now, we have found out about the industry, which is estimated to be about 2.5 lakh-years-old.” The stone tools include bruins, choppers, scrapers, hand axe and cleaver in the Ranganatha Hill. After the excavation, the officials have decided to write a letter to the District Administration seeking permission for more exploration, excavation and documentation of the findings. “These are unique and rare stone tools production industries that were characterized by the high precision in manufacturing that these human groups used in their daily life. The profusion of stone tools discovered from this site indicates the numerical density of prehistoric communities that lived in this region. We will make proper documentation of this finding,” added Mulimani. Stressing on the requirement of more research and excavation in and around Badami, Manjunath Sulloli, an archaeology expert, pointed that, “There are several more such old-age stone tool production units in the hillocks located in this region. It is the need of the hour to explore all the palaeolithic stone tool industries. Apart from this, there are hundreds of caves and shelters, which were used by the ancient people, in the hills located in Badami.” "However, there is no exact timeline of human evolution in this region. The entire hillock is made up of sedimentary rocks and the entire hill station is palaeolithic strata. If the authorities concerned conduct proper excavation and documentation, we can introduce the rich heritage of this region to the current generation,” stated Sulloli, who is also Assistant Director of the Department of Information Public Relations in Bagalkot. The other ASI officials who were part of the exploration are Dr Gajanan K, Devendra K and Narsilal M.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2021/jan/23/25-lakh-year-old-palaeolithic-stone-tool-unit-discovered-near-badami-in-karnataka-2254113.html, January 23, 2021

The paternal house of Netaji is located by Saradadebi road, adjacent to the district judge court complex. Janakinath Bose Bhavan, now converted into a museum, was reopened marking the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of the revolutionary freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on Saturday. The paternal house of Netaji is located by Saradadebi road, adjacent to the district judge court complex. It was taken over by the State Culture department following heavy public demand in 2019, which preserved the structure and transformed the house into a museum. INTACH has developed the project. The museum showcases many articles used by Netaji and his family members.

"Because of legal hassles and the pandemic, the museum remained closed to the public. Visitors are now allowed to enter after strictly adhering to Covid-19 guidelines,” said Choudhury Arabind Das, district culture officer. Apart from this, the statue of Netaji at Armstrong Road was decorated with garlands by many officials and institutions. Regular gathering of school students to celebrate the day has been cancelled because of the pandemic. In another such event, residents observed the 199th birth anniversary of Chandan Hajuri, popularly known as Chakhi Khuntia, the hero of the 1857 uprising, India’s first war of Independence. His descendants, along with eminent citizens, gathered at PKDA office and garlanded his statue. Along with Das, additional district magistrate PK Sahu, Sub Collector Bhabataran Sahu, temple administrators AK Jena and Krushna Chandra Mahapatra were also present.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2021/jan/24/netaji-museum-at-puri-reopened-for-visitors-on-birth-anniversary-2254416.html, January 24, 2021

Art Kanara Trust in association with S-Cube Art Gallery will present an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by a group of 12 artists at Kodial Guthu Center for Art and Culture, Ballal Bagh, here from January 30 to February 6. The participating artists are Anil Devadiga, Deepak Guddadakeri, Kuppanna Kandgal, Rajendra Kedige, Shridhar Kulkarni, Sampath Kumar, Basavaraj Kutni, Sharath Palimar, Praveen Punchithaya, Santhosh Rathod, Ramakrishna Nayak and Nemiraj Shetty.

The exhibition will be formally inaugurated on Saturday January 30 at 5 pm in the presence of Captain Pradeep Shetty (Retd) former group captain of the Indian Air Force and Dr Ravishankar Rao, professor of English, former director of N G Pavanje chair in Fine Arts, Mangalore University. The exhibition will remain open to viewers till February 6 between 11 am and 7 pm. The exhibition will showcase a broad range of experimentation by 12 artists who are from Mangaluru, Udupi, Bengaluru, Gadag, Kasaragod, Hyderabad and Mumbai. There are canvases, stone carvings, wood and terracotta works included in the exhibition.

About Art Kanara Trust
Art Kanara Trust is a registered non-profit organization founded to impart arts and cultural activities and educational programmes in and around the erstwhile South Canara districts - Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasaragod. It promotes self-directed, small-scale research projects through documentation of the local arts and heritage that explores people, places, histories and practices within these regions. The trust focuses on art education through innovative methodologies of teaching arts and design to support through capacity building and the applicability of the subject for multiple learning outcomes. Based in Mangaluru, Art Kanara Trust in collaboration with INTACH Mangaluru Chapter works closely with arts practitioners, young arts enthusiasts, students, cultural organizations, as well as public and private institutions locally and globally; and reaches out to the public through curatorial projects, exhibitions and publications. The trust is a collective thought by a group of artists and architects with the motto that art plays an essential role in the forming of future generations.
Contact: +91 9480014812 / 9986366355
Email: [email protected]

https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=795804, January 28, 2021

What started as a movement to conserve Pondicherry’s age-old traditions by the People for Pondicherry’s Heritage (PPH) has now led to a yearly festival of cultural celebration. Pondicherry Heritage Festival 2021 is back on January 22 until February 21, with the theme ‘The Talking Streets of Pondicherry: Preserving our Cultural Heritage’. The seventh edition, organized by PPH, INTACH and PondyCan, is set to bring together a mix of online and offline events that revive the nature of street life. “Pondicherry was on a pilgrimage route in the old times. Travellers would rest and refresh themselves on thinnais (porticos) of houses before leaving. The streets were alive with kids playing and women chatting. Today, the life of those streets has been taken away from the streets, and the thinnais are gone,” says Sunaina Mandeen, an organizer. She adds, “So, the theme highlights this architecture and these beautiful moments."
Made in Pondy
Another hallmark of the Pondicherry Heritage Festival is the ‘Made in Pondy’ event that hosts 41 stores that sell products made in Pondicherry. The list includes bookstores, boutiques, art stores and food joints, and is a showcase of creative entrepreneurship at its finest. Adding to the list, this year, there has been an addition of locations that sell only fair trade products, like the Kriti Boutique. “We find that there is a link between fair trade and Pondicherry because that’s what Pondicherry aims to become since it was an ancient trading port,” said Mandeen. While ‘Made in Pondy’ was usually organized under one roof, this year’s edition would see participants exploring numerous locations as they visit the outlets where they are located. Previously, one of the main restrictions was the sale of unpackaged food inside the previous venue of Craft Bazaar. “People exploring Pondicherry and going to these outlets is more interesting now because there are people making gelato, smoothies and jams. These people can be a part of it, too,” said Mandeen. She also hinted that there might be small events hosted by these outlets the following year when COVID-19 restrictions may be fewer.
Moving Online
Several events have gone online, including a virtual exploration of the streets of Pondicherry through the eyes of residents. This walkthrough gives us an insight into the neighbourhoods of the French boulevard town. Another online event is a conference by Prof. Saswat Bandhopadhyay about Ahmedabad’s UNESCO heritage site nomination in 2017. The conference will be exploring heritage conservation and will see participation from government officials and experts across the country. An online discussion titled ‘Thinnai Transpositions: When an architectural element became a virtual platform’ explores the idea of the ‘thinnai’ in Tamil architecture as a place of virtual interaction.
Walks, Exhibitions and Workshops
Walks and bicycle rides are also part of the festival’s mix of events. Additionally, in recognition of the World Wetlands Day on February 2, an online photo exhibition of local wetlands will be held. A full-day hands-on workshop will also be conducted specifically for civil engineering students. This workshop will tune into the ancient practices of indigenous engineering and will help increase awareness of Indian building practices, according to Mandeen. Another event, a photo-walk, will explore the fishing villages of Kurichi Pakkam-Vaithikuppam along the beachfront. Furthermore, on February 20, starting from Ashram Post Office, a bio-regional tour to explore Auroville and Pondicherry’s landscapes including rock carvings about 4,000 years old, mangroves and backwaters, and the remains of the Buckingham Canal, will also take place. Besides this, the third edition of the Local Food Systems Workshop, 2021 will shed light on food sovereignty and local food systems.

https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/2021/jan/27/pondicherry-heritage-festival-2021-aims-to-revive-its-streets-and-their-thinnai-culture-31227.html, January 28, 2021

For more than a century this august premises built character in early childhood, but now it’s set to nurture health. ‘Shala Number Ek’ located in Raopura — believed to be the first vernacular school in the city — served as a school before being used by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) for some key offices. Now, it will house a hospital.While there is no clarity regarding the exact date of construction of the school, experts say that it is almost 150-years-old, a fact revealed in maps too. Architect and convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Vadodara Sanjiv Joshi said that the building was marked as vernacular school on the map of the 1884 survey. “It is denoted as vernacular school and could be the first formal school built in the city. While this school was in Gujarati medium, those that came up near Sursagar were called Anglo vernacular schools implying that they were bilingual,” he said. Explaining the significance of the building Joshi said that the school building had come up even before the Raopura Tower. He said that during the reign of Sayajirao Gaekwad III, education institutes served as grand urban edifices in the cityscape. While apprehensions were rife regarding the fate of the school after the plan was drawn to make an urban community health centre at the site, it has come to light that the plan was to use the same building for the hospital. VMC’s medical officer (health) Dr Devesh Patel said that the hospital would come up in the existing building that had very large rooms. The hospital will be sponsored by the Baroda Medical College Alumni Association (BMCAA). Patel said that the project would have been finalised by now, but there were no developments due to Covid-19. “The building is a heritage building and will be spruced up as a part of the project,” he said.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/150-year-old-school-to-lend-a-healing-touch/articleshow/80437979.cms, January 25, 2021

As the renovation of the Town Hall nears completion, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is taking up cleaning and renovation work at the Regimental Lines Cemetery at Jagadamba junction while work on the European Cemetery in Old Town will follow next. Burials had stopped in the two cemeteries in 1818 and 1880, respectively, and the properties remain heritage graveyards. Both cemeteries are overgrown with weeds, while debris and garbage are often dumped in the Old Town cemetery by residents from apartments. Recently, the GVMC commissioner and other officials visited the Regimental Lines cemetery. Speaking to TOI, chief city planner of GVMC R J Vidyullatha said, “We have decided to restore the key heritage structures of Vizag one by one, especially the Old Town area that comes under GVMC. Already, Town Hall renovation is nearing completion and next we are going to clean up and renovate the Regimental Lines cemetery and also construct parking nearby. “The other Old Town European cemetery has some access problems but we will nevertheless clean that up and restore it as part of heritage conservation. We will consult local heritage enthusiasts and experts who were associated with the Town Hall renovation. All the conservation projects will be funded by GVMC,” she added. The Regimental Lines cemetery (Mors Janua Vitae) belongs to the Christian Cemeteries Board and houses 125 graves dating between 1802 and 1880. The European cemetery, the oldest in the Port City, has 50 graves, with some dating as far back as 1699 and up to 1818. Welcoming the move, heritage enthusiast and Intach member Sohan Hatangadi said, “Sometimes, foreigners or those with roots in Vizag used to come from Europe and visit these cemeteries where their ancestors were buried during the Dutch and British colonial era. For such visitors and for preserving the history and heritage of the city, these graveyards should be cleaned, restored and renovated maintaining the sanctity of the structures and without damaging the graves."

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/heritage-cemeteries-in-vizag-to-get-a-facelift/articleshow/80437220.cms, January 25, 2021

In celebration of India's Republic Day, today's doodle artwork reflects the range of vibrant cultures that bring the colorful nation to life, Google India said. The illustration has been done by Mumbai-based guest artist Onkar Fondekar. Marking the 72nd anniversary of India's Republic Day, internet search giant Google captured the vibrant art, architecture, culture and heritage of the country in a fascinating doodle noting it as "bringing the nation to life'. The illustration has been done by Mumbai-based guest artist Onkar Fondekar. Displaying the colours of the Indian flag, old buildings in the pattern of Havelis have been sketched in the background in a light saffron hue. Meanwhile, underlining the diversity of India, people coming from various religious, cultural backgrounds and timezones- from a mahout - elephant rider to motorbike owner in the recent decades - adorns the front part of the drawing in the shade of green. While letters 'G' and 'O' stand towards the left of a caparisoned elephant, the last three letters of 'Google', are positioned to its right. The majestic pachyderm itself represents the second 'O' in the technology bellwether's name.

The company in its release said, "Home to approximately one-sixth of the global population, India is among the most diverse countries in the world. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Mumbai-based guest artist Onkar Fondekar, honors the day 72 years ago when the Indian Constitution took effect and made official the country’s full transition to a sovereign republic." It further added: In celebration of India's Republic Day, today's doodle artwork reflects the range of vibrant cultures that bring the colorful nation to life. "With origins that stretch back hundreds of years, musical instruments such as the dholak (a two-headed hand drum) and the sitar (a long-necked stringed instrument), both featured in the doodle artwork, are just a few examples of India's rich heritage," the note by Google said. Google has a tradition of making iconic doodles to mark significant and historic events and this particular artwork was done keeping in mind the importance of India's Republic Day, which marks the adoption of the Constitution by India and came into effect on January 26, 1950. Several times in the previous years, Google has done a doodle to mark the occasion.

"From its distinctive architectural styles to the Bollywood film industry, India's cultural impact is felt across the world, and today, there is much to celebrate. Happy Republic Day, India!," it said. Artist Fondekar, who made the illustration, said: He was ecstatic to be part of this art project with Google, and hoped the message of unity in diversity will reach the masses when they see the artwork online. "I drew inspiration from the people of India -- the culture, traditions, history, and architecture," he was quoted as saying in the statement.
(With inputs from agencies)

https://www.livemint.com/, January 29, 2021

Between 1950 and 1952, Lal excavated a number of sites associated with the Mahabharata. Consequently, he discovered a number of Painted Grey Ware sites in the Indo-Gangetic divide and upper Yamuna-Ganga Doab. Archaeologist Braj Basi Lal who led an excavation at the Ramjanmabhoomi site in the mid-1970s is among those honoured with the Padma Vibhushan this Republic Day. Lal was the director general of the Archaeological Survey of India between 1968 and 1972, and has worked extensively on archaeological sites associated with the Harappan civilisation and the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He has also served on several UNESCO committees and was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the president of India in 2000. He is best known for his theory of a temple-like structure underneath the now demolished Babri mosque.
Who is B B Lal? Lal was born in 1921 at Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh and is currently a resident of New Delhi. He developed an interest in archaeology after completion of his Masters degree in Sanskrit from Allahabad University. In 1943, he served as a trainee in the excavation under the renowned British archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler and began his career as an archaeologist from the site of Taxila. In the course of over 50 years, Lal worked on over 50 books and 150 research papers published in national and international journals.

Some of his most notable books include, ‘The Saraswati flows on: The continuity of Indian culture’ published in 2002 and ‘Rama, his historicity, mandir and setu: Evidence of Literature, Archaeology and other Sciences’ published in 2008. In his book, ‘The Saraswati flows on’, Lal criticised the argument held by historian of ancient India R S Sharma of the Aryan invasion or immigration theory. Lal’s view that the Rig Vedic people were the same as those who were part of the Harappan civilisation is largely controversial and has attracted a lot of criticism from historians. Between 1950 and 1952, Lal excavated a number of sites associated with the Mahabharata. Consequently, he discovered a number of Painted Grey Ware sites in the Indo-Gangetic divide and upper Yamuna-Ganga Doab.

In a paper he wrote about twenty years later in 1975 titled, ‘In search of India’s traditional past: Light from the excavations at Hastinapura and Ayodhya’, he summarised his findings as “the available archaeological evidence tends to indicate there did exist a basis for the Mahabharata story which no doubt got immensely inflated during the course of time." What were his findings in the Ramjanmabhoomi site in Ayodhya?
On the lines of the investigations carried out in the Mahabharata sites, Lal commenced on another project in 1975 titled, ‘Archaeology of the Ramayana sites’. The project was funded by the ASI, Jiwaji University, Gwalior and the Department of Archaeology in the government of Uttar Pradesh. The project was inaugurated at Ayodhya on March 31, 1975. It excavated five Ramayana related sites including, Ayodhya, Bharadwaj Ashram, Nandigram, Chitrakoot and Shringaverapura. In his 1975 paper, Lal wrote about the ongoing excavation at Ayodhya: “the excavations so far conducted at Ayodhya do not indicate the beginning of the site before 8th century BC."
While he mentioned the discovery of coins and pottery at Ayodhya in this paper, no mention was made of the temple remains then. However, in 1990, Lal wrote of the ‘pillar-base theory’ on the basis of his excavations. He claimed to have found temple-like pillars which would have formed the foundation of the Babri Masjid. Lal’s findings were carried in the BJP-affiliated magazine, Manthan. In his 2008 book titled, ‘Rāma, His Historicity, Mandir and Setu: Evidence of Literature, Archaeology and Other Sciences,’ he wrote, “attached to the piers of the Babri Masjid, there were twelve stone pillars, which carried not only typical Hindu motifs and mouldings, but also figures of Hindu deities. It was self-evident that these pillars were not an integral part of the Masjid, but were foreign to it.” His theory of the temple-like pillars was recognised as the interpretive framework of the court appointed excavation team in 2002.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-archaeologist-b-b-lal-padma-vibhushan-awardee-excavation-at-ramjanmabhoomi-site-7164054/, January 29, 2021

The paternal house of Netaji is located by Saradadebi road, adjacent to the district judge court complex. Janakinath Bose Bhavan, now converted into a museum, was reopened marking the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of the revolutionary freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on Saturday. The paternal house of Netaji is located by Saradadebi road, adjacent to the district judge court complex. It was taken over by the State Culture department following heavy public demand in 2019, which preserved the structure and transformed the house into a museum. INTACH has developed the project. The museum showcases many articles used by Netaji and his family members. “Because of legal hassles and the pandemic, the museum remained closed to the public. Visitors are now allowed to enter after strictly adhering to Covid-19 guidelines,” said Choudhury Arabind Das, district culture officer. Apart from this, the statue of Netaji at Armstrong Road was decorated with garlands by many officials and institutions. Regular gathering of school students to celebrate the day has been cancelled because of the pandemic. In another such event, residents observed the 199th birth anniversary of Chandan Hajuri, popularly known as Chakhi Khuntia, the hero of the 1857 uprising, India’s first war of Independence. His descendants, along with eminent citizens, gathered at PKDA office and garlanded his statue. Along with Das, additional district magistrate PK Sahu, Sub Collector Bhabataran Sahu, temple administrators AK Jena and Krushna Chandra Mahapatra were also present.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2021/jan/24/netaji-museum-at-puri-reopened-for-visitors-on-birth-anniversary-2254416.html, January 25, 2021

Art Kanara Trust in association with S-Cube Art Gallery will present an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by a group of 12 artists at Kodial Guthu Center for Art and Culture, Ballal Bagh, here from January 30 to February 6. The participating artists are Anil Devadiga, Deepak Guddadakeri, Kuppanna Kandgal, Rajendra Kedige, Shridhar Kulkarni, Sampath Kumar, Basavaraj Kutni, Sharath Palimar, Praveen Punchithaya, Santhosh Rathod, Ramakrishna Nayak and Nemiraj Shetty. The exhibition will be formally inaugurated on Saturday January 30 at 5 pm in the presence of Captain Pradeep Shetty (Retd) former group captain of the Indian Air Force and Dr Ravishankar Rao, professor of English, former director of N G Pavanje chair in Fine Arts, Mangalore University. The exhibition will remain open to viewers till February 6 between 11 am and 7 pm. The exhibition will showcase a broad range of experimentation by 12 artists who are from Mangaluru, Udupi, Bengaluru, Gadag, Kasaragod, Hyderabad and Mumbai. There are canvases, stone carvings, wood and terracotta works included in the exhibition.

About Art Kanara Trust
Art Kanara Trust is a registered non-profit organization founded to impart arts and cultural activities and educational programmes in and around the erstwhile South Canara districts - Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasaragod. It promotes self-directed, small-scale research projects through documentation of the local arts and heritage that explores people, places, histories and practices within these regions. The trust focuses on art education through innovative methodologies of teaching arts and design to support through capacity building and the applicability of the subject for multiple learning outcomes. Based in Mangaluru, Art Kanara Trust in collaboration with INTACH Mangaluru Chapter works closely with arts practitioners, young arts enthusiasts, students, cultural organizations, as well as public and private institutions locally and globally; and reaches out to the public through curatorial projects, exhibitions and publications. The trust is a collective thought by a group of artists and architects with the motto that art plays an essential role in the forming of future generations.

Contact: +91 9480014812 / 9986366355
Email: [email protected]

https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=795804, January 25, 2021

What started as a movement to conserve Pondicherry’s age-old traditions by the People for Pondicherry’s Heritage (PPH) has now led to a yearly festival of cultural celebration. Pondicherry Heritage Festival 2021 is back on January 22 until February 21, with the theme ‘The Talking Streets of Pondicherry: Preserving our Cultural Heritage’. The seventh edition, organized by PPH, INTACH and PondyCan, is set to bring together a mix of online and offline events that revive the nature of street life. “Pondicherry was on a pilgrimage route in the old times. Travellers would rest and refresh themselves on thinnais (porticos) of houses before leaving. The streets were alive with kids playing and women chatting. Today, the life of those streets has been taken away from the streets, and the thinnais are gone,” says Sunaina Mandeen, an organizer. She adds, “So, the theme highlights this architecture and these beautiful moments.

Made in Pondy
Another hallmark of the Pondicherry Heritage Festival is the ‘Made in Pondy’ event that hosts 41 stores that sell products made in Pondicherry. The list includes bookstores, boutiques, art stores and food joints, and is a showcase of creative entrepreneurship at its finest. Adding to the list, this year, there has been an addition of locations that sell only fair trade products, like the Kriti Boutique. “We find that there is a link between fair trade and Pondicherry because that’s what Pondicherry aims to become since it was an ancient trading port,” said Mandeen. While ‘Made in Pondy’ was usually organized under one roof, this year’s edition would see participants exploring numerous locations as they visit the outlets where they are located. Previously, one of the main restrictions was the sale of unpackaged food inside the previous venue of Craft Bazaar. “People exploring Pondicherry and going to these outlets is more interesting now because there are people making gelato, smoothies and jams. These people can be a part of it, too,” said Mandeen. She also hinted that there might be small events hosted by these outlets the following year when COVID-19 restrictions may be fewer.

Moving Online
Several events have gone online, including a virtual exploration of the streets of Pondicherry through the eyes of residents. This walkthrough gives us an insight into the neighbourhoods of the French boulevard town. Another online event is a conference by Prof. Saswat Bandhopadhyay about Ahmedabad’s UNESCO heritage site nomination in 2017. The conference will be exploring heritage conservation and will see participation from government officials and experts across the country. An online discussion titled ‘Thinnai Transpositions: When an architectural element became a virtual platform’ explores the idea of the ‘thinnai’ in Tamil architecture as a place of virtual interaction.

Walks, Exhibitions and Workshops
Walks and bicycle rides are also part of the festival’s mix of events. Additionally, in recognition of the World Wetlands Day on February 2, an online photo exhibition of local wetlands will be held. A full-day hands-on workshop will also be conducted specifically for civil engineering students. This workshop will tune into the ancient practices of indigenous engineering and will help increase awareness of Indian building practices, according to Mandeen. Another event, a photo-walk, will explore the fishing villages of Kurichi Pakkam-Vaithikuppam along the beachfront. Furthermore, on February 20, starting from Ashram Post Office, a bio-regional tour to explore Auroville and Pondicherry’s landscapes including rock carvings about 4,000 years old, mangroves and backwaters, and the remains of the Buckingham Canal, will also take place. Besides this, the third edition of the Local Food Systems Workshop, 2021 will shed light on food sovereignty and local food systems.

https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/2021/jan/27/pondicherry-heritage-festival-2021-aims-to-revive-its-streets-and-their-thinnai-culture-31227.html, January 25, 2021

For more than a century this august premises built character in early childhood, but now it’s set to nurture health. ‘Shala Number Ek’ located in Raopura — believed to be the first vernacular school in the city — served as a school before being used by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) for some key offices. Now, it will house a hospital.While there is no clarity regarding the exact date of construction of the school, experts say that it is almost 150-years-old, a fact revealed in maps too. Architect and convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Vadodara Sanjiv Joshi said that the building was marked as vernacular school on the map of the 1884 survey. “It is denoted as vernacular school and could be the first formal school built in the city.

While this school was in Gujarati medium, those that came up near Sursagar were called Anglo vernacular schools implying that they were bilingual,” he said. Explaining the significance of the building Joshi said that the school building had come up even before the Raopura Tower. He said that during the reign of Sayajirao Gaekwad III, education institutes served as grand urban edifices in the cityscape. While apprehensions were rife regarding the fate of the school after the plan was drawn to make an urban community health centre at the site, it has come to light that the plan was to use the same building for the hospital. VMC’s medical officer (health) Dr Devesh Patel said that the hospital would come up in the existing building that had very large rooms. The hospital will be sponsored by the Baroda Medical College Alumni Association (BMCAA). Patel said that the project would have been finalised by now, but there were no developments due to Covid-19. “The building is a heritage building and will be spruced up as a part of the project,” he said.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/150-year-old-school-to-lend-a-healing-touch/articleshow/80437979.cms, January 27, 2021

As the renovation of the Town Hall nears completion, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is taking up cleaning and renovation work at the Regimental Lines Cemetery at Jagadamba junction while work on the European Cemetery in Old Town will follow next. Burials had stopped in the two cemeteries in 1818 and 1880, respectively, and the properties remain heritage graveyards. Both cemeteries are overgrown with weeds, while debris and garbage are often dumped in the Old Town cemetery by residents from apartments. Recently, the GVMC commissioner and other officials visited the Regimental Lines cemetery. Speaking to TOI, chief city planner of GVMC R J Vidyullatha said, “We have decided to restore the key heritage structures of Vizag one by one, especially the Old Town area that comes under GVMC.

Already, Town Hall renovation is nearing completion and next we are going to clean up and renovate the Regimental Lines cemetery and also construct parking nearby. “The other Old Town European cemetery has some access problems but we will nevertheless clean that up and restore it as part of heritage conservation. We will consult local heritage enthusiasts and experts who were associated with the Town Hall renovation. All the conservation projects will be funded by GVMC,” she added. The Regimental Lines cemetery (Mors Janua Vitae) belongs to the Christian Cemeteries Board and houses 125 graves dating between 1802 and 1880. The European cemetery, the oldest in the Port City, has 50 graves, with some dating as far back as 1699 and up to 1818. Welcoming the move, heritage enthusiast and Intach member Sohan Hatangadi said, “Sometimes, foreigners or those with roots in Vizag used to come from Europe and visit these cemeteries where their ancestors were buried during the Dutch and British colonial era. For such visitors and for preserving the history and heritage of the city, these graveyards should be cleaned, restored and renovated maintaining the sanctity of the structures and without damaging the graves."

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/heritage-cemeteries-in-vizag-to-get-a-facelift/articleshow/80437220.cms, January 28, 2021

In celebration of India's Republic Day, today's doodle artwork reflects the range of vibrant cultures that bring the colorful nation to life, Google India said. The illustration has been done by Mumbai-based guest artist Onkar Fondekar. Marking the 72nd anniversary of India's Republic Day, internet search giant Google captured the vibrant art, architecture, culture and heritage of the country in a fascinating doodle noting it as "bringing the nation to life'. The illustration has been done by Mumbai-based guest artist Onkar Fondekar. Displaying the colours of the Indian flag, old buildings in the pattern of Havelis have been sketched in the background in a light saffron hue.

Meanwhile, underlining the diversity of India, people coming from various religious, cultural backgrounds and timezones- from a mahout - elephant rider to motorbike owner in the recent decades - adorns the front part of the drawing in the shade of green. While letters 'G' and 'O' stand towards the left of a caparisoned elephant, the last three letters of 'Google', are positioned to its right. The majestic pachyderm itself represents the second 'O' in the technology bellwether's name.

The company in its release said, "Home to approximately one-sixth of the global population, India is among the most diverse countries in the world. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Mumbai-based guest artist Onkar Fondekar, honors the day 72 years ago when the Indian Constitution took effect and made official the country’s full transition to a sovereign republic." It further added: In celebration of India's Republic Day, today's doodle artwork reflects the range of vibrant cultures that bring the colorful nation to life. "With origins that stretch back hundreds of years, musical instruments such as the dholak (a two-headed hand drum) and the sitar (a long-necked stringed instrument), both featured in the doodle artwork, are just a few examples of India's rich heritage," the note by Google said. Google has a tradition of making iconic doodles to mark significant and historic events and this particular artwork was done keeping in mind the importance of India's Republic Day, which marks the adoption of the Constitution by India and came into effect on January 26, 1950.

Several times in the previous years, Google has done a doodle to mark the occasion. "From its distinctive architectural styles to the Bollywood film industry, India's cultural impact is felt across the world, and today, there is much to celebrate. Happy Republic Day, India!," it said. Artist Fondekar, who made the illustration, said: He was ecstatic to be part of this art project with Google, and hoped the message of unity in diversity will reach the masses when they see the artwork online. "I drew inspiration from the people of India -- the culture, traditions, history, and architecture," he was quoted as saying in the statement.

https://www.livemint.com/, January 28, 2021

Between 1950 and 1952, Lal excavated a number of sites associated with the Mahabharata. Consequently, he discovered a number of Painted Grey Ware sites in the Indo-Gangetic divide and upper Yamuna-Ganga Doab. Archaeologist Braj Basi Lal who led an excavation at the Ramjanmabhoomi site in the mid-1970s is among those honoured with the Padma Vibhushan this Republic Day. Lal was the director general of the Archaeological Survey of India between 1968 and 1972, and has worked extensively on archaeological sites associated with the Harappan civilisation and the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He has also served on several UNESCO committees and was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the president of India in 2000. He is best known for his theory of a temple-like structure underneath the now demolished Babri mosque.

Who is B B Lal?
Lal was born in 1921 at Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh and is currently a resident of New Delhi. He developed an interest in archaeology after completion of his Masters degree in Sanskrit from Allahabad University. In 1943, he served as a trainee in the excavation under the renowned British archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler and began his career as an archaeologist from the site of Taxila. In the course of over 50 years, Lal worked on over 50 books and 150 research papers published in national and international journals. Some of his most notable books include, ‘The Saraswati flows on: The continuity of Indian culture’ published in 2002 and ‘Rama, his historicity, mandir and setu: Evidence of Literature, Archaeology and other Sciences’ published in 2008. In his book, ‘The Saraswati flows on’, Lal criticised the argument held by historian of ancient India R S Sharma of the Aryan invasion or immigration theory. Lal’s view that the Rig Vedic people were the same as those who were part of the Harappan civilisation is largely controversial and has attracted a lot of criticism from historians. Between 1950 and 1952, Lal excavated a number of sites associated with the Mahabharata.

Consequently, he discovered a number of Painted Grey Ware sites in the Indo-Gangetic divide and upper Yamuna-Ganga Doab. In a paper he wrote about twenty years later in 1975 titled, ‘In search of India’s traditional past: Light from the excavations at Hastinapura and Ayodhya’, he summarised his findings as “the available archaeological evidence tends to indicate there did exist a basis for the Mahabharata story which no doubt got immensely inflated during the course of time."

What were his findings in the Ramjanmabhoomi site in Ayodhya?
On the lines of the investigations carried out in the Mahabharata sites, Lal commenced on another project in 1975 titled, ‘Archaeology of the Ramayana sites’. The project was funded by the ASI, Jiwaji University, Gwalior and the Department of Archaeology in the government of Uttar Pradesh. The project was inaugurated at Ayodhya on March 31, 1975. It excavated five Ramayana related sites including, Ayodhya, Bharadwaj Ashram, Nandigram, Chitrakoot and Shringaverapura. In his 1975 paper, Lal wrote about the ongoing excavation at Ayodhya: “the excavations so far conducted at Ayodhya do not indicate the beginning of the site before 8th century BC.” While he mentioned the discovery of coins and pottery at Ayodhya in this paper, no mention was made of the temple remains then. However, in 1990, Lal wrote of the ‘pillar-base theory’ on the basis of his excavations. He claimed to have found temple-like pillars which would have formed the foundation of the Babri Masjid. Lal’s findings were carried in the BJP-affiliated magazine, Manthan. In his 2008 book titled, ‘Rāma, His Historicity, Mandir and Setu: Evidence of Literature, Archaeology and Other Sciences,’ he wrote, “attached to the piers of the Babri Masjid, there were twelve stone pillars, which carried not only typical Hindu motifs and mouldings, but also figures of Hindu deities. It was self-evident that these pillars were not an integral part of the Masjid, but were foreign to it.” His theory of the temple-like pillars was recognised as the interpretive framework of the court appointed excavation team in 2002.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-archaeologist-b-b-lal-padma-vibhushan-awardee-excavation-at-ramjanmabhoomi-site-7164054/, January 28, 2021

One of the fondest childhood memories for Korattur homemaker Rajalakshmi S is spending a lazy afternoon enjoying a game of pallankuzhi with her mother and grandmother. "I could never count as fast as my grandma. She always won," she recalls. Rajalakshmi, who grew up in Attur, Salem, hasn't played the game since moving to Chennai. "Had I continued, my kids may have picked it up," says the 48-year-old homemaker. As pallankuzhi, the traditional mancala game that finds its roots in south India, struggles to remain relevant today, a traditional Turkish strategy and intelligence game 'mangala', which also follows similar principles, recently made it to Unesco's representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

According to Ramanujam R, professor at Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Taramani, the cultural significance of mancala games differs from society to society. "In some African tribes, the chieftain is always someone who is undefeated in mancala. If he loses a game, his power is questioned," says the professor, who has written research papers on pallankuzhi. Ramanujam, who has analyzed pallankuzhi's mathematical complexities and possibilities, believes the game has vanished from mainstream entertainment due to its absence in formal education. Jayasree S, a researcher and educator affiliated with the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, says a reason for the game's waning popularity is also its low availability.

"Our culturally-rooted games hardly make it to the shelves of a store. We only purchase what we see," says Jayasree. Pallankuzhi, from south India, is a two-row, seven-pit game that is intertwined with mythological traditions. "The game was supposedly given as a dowry for child brides in the past. There are also mythological links of Sita playing it in Ashoka Vana," says Jayasree, who incorporates pallankuzhi in her mathematical research. However, organizations such as Kreeda games, have been making an effort to renew this traditional game. "These games started disappearing when the idea of entertainment shifted to cinema, television, computers, and phones," says Vinita Sidhartha, founder of Kreeda. "When the adults in our communities stopped playing these games, they were rarely passed on to the next generation," says Vinita. The traditional games' enthusiast has been documenting pallankuzhi's presence globally.

"The first time I found a temple with a pallankuzhi inscription was in Palmyra, Syria," she says, adding that she made similar observations of a furrow pallankuzhi inscription at the Mamallapuram Shore Temple. There are several types of mancala games played across West Asia, Africa, parts of Europe and South Asia. "The number of pits, players and rules may vary according to the version played," she says. The stones used also vary according to the geographical location. In coastal areas for instance, shells are used. While we can still spot mancala games being played at cafes in West Asian countries, there are not many takers for our game of pallankuzhi. "Though there is a resurgence of some traditional games, they will sustain only if more families start playing them," she says.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/pallankuzhi-a-traditional-mancala-game-lost-in-time/articleshow/80473309.cms, January 29, 2021