Twenty years and 300 stepwells later, Richard Cox says his journey is still incomplete. A senior lecturer at Cardiff School of Art and Design in the UK, Cox is a painter and curator with a deep fascination for baolis. “An aberration to the rule, there’s nothing like it in the Western world,” he says. He has created a large collection of digital images and drawings of stepwells, from which he curates an exhibition titled “Subterranean Architecture, Stepwells in Western India”, which has travelled to 13 galleries in the UK, the US and India, since 2008. An exhibition with of new works will be held in several Indian cities in August.

Stepwells are common to Western India and were traditionally used to store groundwater in areas with water scarcity. In various eras and under different rulers, these became grand and scientific in design as well as common meeting places for residents, though now most are dirty, dry or unused. Cox, as he revealed during a recent visit to Chandigarh for the International Art Conclave, organised by the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, came across his first stepwell during a trip to Rajasthan in 1993. He was visiting the state to set up the Wales Rajasthan Visual Artists Exchange, which brought together 35 artists from Wales and Rajasthan.

“The rich visual culture of India, and its traditional architecture made a huge impact on me. When two artists from Rajasthan took me to visit Chand Baori, I was left stunned. It was a spectacular piece of art in its own right, with aspects of the Hindu and Mughal architectures adding to its magnificence. That moment, I knew I had to take a step forward to study, research, document and later exhibit works on the stepwells,’’ adds Cox.

He kept coming back to India to visit more stepwells, thus expanding his touring exhibition. His collection includes more than 300 stepwells from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, and include one built in the 8th century. “As their name suggests, access to the well was by way of a series of steps descending from ground level to the water tank below. The nature of these steps could be simple or complex, of varying size and unusual and distinctive designs. This encouraged me to make drawings of some of these wells and display these alongside photographs,” he says.

The exhibition has extensive data on the construction, structure, style and size of the stepwells as well as the social status of the people who built them. The 18th century Neemrana Ki Baori, constructed by Thakur Lank Singh, is nine-storey deep and the largest Cox has visited. “The last two levels are underwater,” he adds.

He has a special admiration for Chand Baori Abhaneri, one of the largest tanks in Rajasthan, as well as Rani Ki Bami (Queen’s Well) in Bundi, built in 1600 AD, counted as one of the finest. “A few stepwells in Gujarat, including the Sun Temple and Tank in Modhera, and Paten Ki Baori, have undergone major restoration work recently. I photographed many all over again to document the changes, and added to the exhibition, which changes in size every year,’’ says Cox, adding that as he keeps discovering more stepwells, his journey with India’s water architecture keeps flowing.

- The Indian Express, March 1, 2015

History shows that Qawwali was not just a form of performing art but a means to touch the unknown

Mehrauli, Nizamuddin and Old Delhi are the main venues of qawwalis in Delhi, but for some time Yashwant Place in Chanakyapuri began to be counted among them, thanks to Pushpa Dogra, the classical dancer. Unfortunately she died young and Qawwali lost an enthusiastic patron.

Syed Mohammad Irfan of a TV channel recently produced a programme with a view to reviving interest in the new generation in this genre of Sufiana music and Pushpa’s soul must have rejoiced. It was on summer evenings that one got to hear qawwalis at Yashwant Place, with the hostess treating friends to chilled melons and sherbet. Sometimes the danseuse obliged with an elegant “thumka” that added to the “wah, wahs”.

Khushwant Singh once visited the place and enlightened an American on “wah, wahs” by narrating this incident. At a qawwali in London, an English friend asked him “Who’s that little chap who jumps up whenever the singer repeats a line and exclaims, “Bow, wow?” Khushwant told him that the man was the writer Mulkraj Anand and he was uttering “wah, wah” (hear, hear) as an encore. After that the American heard the Chanakyapuri recital with renewed interest, except when Pushpa brushed past him and he couldn’t help giving a sly pinch with Khushwant Singh looking amused and remarking, “That’s the spirit.

In olden days the saqi or cup-bearer used to be pinched so often at soirees in sarais that she had to take time off to nurse herself, while her mother, the innkeeper’s wife, felt elated at the windfall of offerings she anticipated.” Qawwali, which comes from the word “qual”, began as an incantation to the Prophet in Arabia and was popularised and expanded upon by Amir Khusrau (b.1253), the chief disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia. It was the Aulia’s mentor, Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki who had inculcated the love for Qawwali in him. As a matter of fact, the Khwaja and his friend, Qazi Hamiduddin Nagauri, both enjoyed the “sama” or atmosphere created by qawwalis.

It is said that Khwaja Sahib went into ecstasy four days before his death in AD 1236 on hearing this verse by Sheikh Ahmed Jam Chisti of Afghanistan: “Kushtagan-e-khanjar-e-taslim ra/Har zaman az ghaib jane digar ast” (translated by Sadia Dehlvi, it means:

Those who are slain by the dagger of submission/Each moment from the Unseen receive a new life). The Khwaja, successor of Hazrat Moinuddin Chisti, imbibed love for devotional music and the trance it induces from him. After the death of Qutub Sahib, qawwalis were banned at his mazar because of an incident when the hallucinatory verse was being sung and the saint’s hand suddenly slipped out of the grave. The singing, however, takes place in the attached courtyard.

One remembers the “sama” created at the shrine of Hazrat Kalimullah in Jama Masjid’s Azad Park. Among those who went into a trance there on Thursdays was a Brahmin widow who came with a basketful of laddoos from Chandni Chowk. Known as “haal”, the affected women threw off their burqas, pallus or dupattas and started rotating their heads in maenad-like frenzy until the effect of the highly emotional lines wore off.

Qawwal Chunnu’s wife, Accho Bi, a big-built hypochondriac woman with several children, preferred to sit in her shack near the mazar lest she started getting “haal”, offering halwa-puri instead to sympathisers like Mayor Nuruddin’s pretty daughter, Ameena Ahmed. Only once did one see a woman going into a trance at Pushpa Dogra’s qawwali sessions. And believe it or not, she happened to be a student from Australia, who had come to study mysticism.

Going back to Qutub Sahib’s dargah, a day before his urs or death anniversary, an ornamental “chadar” from Ajmer is offered to the resonance of qawwalis while women try to touch it to obtain blessing. At the mazar of Shah Abul Ullah in Laksharpur, Agra, it is offered amidst soulful singing and application ofmehndi (henna).

Something which the Pir Sahib of Hyderabad State, Kasim Rizvi used to do with great pomp in pre-Partition days. Mercias at nearby Kazi Shustri’s shrine however, create a different sama of Shia devotion in which attending pirs go into abandoned ecstasy, akin to the dance of the dervishes. And so what Amir Khusrau introduced 700 years ago continues to grow in universal popularity

- The Hindu, March 2, 2015

Heritage sites and monuments, which fall in areas under the jurisdiction of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), will soon have ‘smart signages’ as part of the ‘smart city’ initiative. A total of 160 signages will be installed at around 40 locations. Specially-designed boards will be used for the purpose, which will bear brief descriptions for the sites, which usually have red sandstone for signages or information boards.

“The detailed information will be available on scanning the Quick Response (QR) codes printed on the signages using smartphones,” said OP Mishra, Director (Projects), NDMC. The civic agency, which is claiming that the present initiative is a first-of-its-kind one, has roped in the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for the project, which will enable the visitors to use their smartphones as a guide.

“We have given the Rs40 lakh project to INTACH, which will be responsible for the designing and installation of the smart signages. A website is being developed which will have detailed information about history, directions to the place and souvenir shops, etc. Whenever a visitor scans the QR code, he or she will be directed to the said website,” he added.

The work for the project is already underway and the signages are likely to be installed by March 15. Till the time the website is ready, the signages will be linked with the INTACH website. “To begin with, we are linking the QR codes with our website as we already have all the information about heritage sites and monuments in Delhi,” said AGK Menon, head of INTACH’s Delhi chapter.

“We have created a specific design for the signages, which has been approved by NDMC. Much like the landscape within which the monument is located, an Integrated Signage System, too, gives the heritage site an identity and character,” he said. INTACH, in association with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), had earlier carried out the designing, fabrication and installation of an Integrated Signage System (ISS) at 15 ASI-protected sites in Delhi.

“The main objective of signage is clarity of communication in order to provide the visitors easy access to monuments and sites and the facilities provided. It will be interesting and helpful for them to know about the heritage, its context and the rules and regulations to be followed during a visit to a place of interest,” Menon said.

“We have designed the signages for few sites such as Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Gandhi Smriti, Dominion Columns, Bada Jain Mandir and Freemasons Lodge, among others. The designs have been approved by NMDC and the installation is in progress,” he said.

- The Hindu, March 2, 2015

As a part of its smart city initiatives, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will soon put in place “smart signages” for heritage sites and buildings under its areas of jurisdiction.

“A total of 160 signages will be installed at around 40 locations. Specially-designed boards will be used for the purpose, which will bear brief descriptions for the sites, which usually have red sandstone for signages or information boards. The detailed information will be available on scanning the quick response (QR) codes printed on the signages using smartphones,” NDMC director (projects) O.P. Mishra said.

The civic agency, which is claiming that the current initiative is a first-of-its-kind one, has roped in the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) for the project, which will enable the visitors to use their smartphones as a guide. “We have given the `40 lakh-project to the Intach, which will be responsible for the designing and installation of the smart signages,” Mr Mishra said.

“A website is being developed, which will have detailed information about history, directions to the place and souvenir shops, etc. About all heritage sites or monuments in the NDMC areas. Whenever a visitor scans the QR code, he or she will be directed to the said website,” he added. The work for the project is already underway and the signages are likely to be installed by March 15. Till the time the website is ready, the signages will be linked with the Intach website.

“To begin with, we are linking the QR codes with our website as we already have all the information about heritage sites and monuments in Delhi,” said A.G.K. Menon, head of Intach’s Delhi chapter. “We have created a specific design for the signages, which has been approved by the NDMC. Much like the landscape within which the monument is located, an integrated signage system, too, gives the heritage site an identity and character,” he said.

The Intach, in association with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), had earlier carried out the designing, fabrication and installation of an integrated signage system at 15 ASI-protected sites in Delhi. “The main objective of signage is clarity of communication in order to provide the visitors easy access to monuments and sites and the facilities provided,” he said.

- The Asian Age, March 2, 2015

As resources for writing history, the corpus of Tamil Inscriptions is heterogeneous and the range of historical and social issues they illuminate tends to be extensive. Nilakanta Sastri, the authority on Chola history, wrote “The language of inscriptions describing the taxes and dues is susceptible of complete or satisfactory interpretation at present, and nothing more can be done than to offer some tentative inferences from the records which will require confirmation or modification in the light of further study”.

For historians, the related endeavours like deciphering them, knowing the language of inscriptions, techniques of retrieving information and perfect understanding of cultural and historical contexts involve subtleties but pose a challenging task.

Efforts using epigraphical records to reconstruct all domains of humanity, with special focus on socio-cultural traditions are a welcome contribution. The book under review is the combination of several articles by the author on 15 topics on many domains of the Chola period. Sabhas, the local administrative set ups, or the local self-governing bodies of the Chola empire, could work harmoniously because of the periodical changes and revisions in the electoral rules and regulations. Nevertheless there were instances where the work was hampered by the rise of factious spirit among the members and hence the Government’s interference and insistence had become necessary.

It is well documented that the presence of communal landholdings in the early Chola period steadily changed into individual land holdings in subsequent periods. The change in pattern of landholding divided the social strata into owners and cultivators, two distinct groups, resulting in suppression, exploitation and unwarranted quarrels in villages. Subsequently, the rulers had to grant concessions to certain communities of the society to appease them such as personal titles for military services and other political reasons. But these became hereditary rights later and finally communal.

In fine, Chola society was not static but witnessed changes in many sections and reflected in the ages that followed. The author disproves the belief that all women attached to the temples performed singing and dancing only and demonstrates that they performed many duties like cleaning, cooking, garland making, husking paddy and they were paid equally like their male counterpart.

One more interesting aspect of Vedic education is that qualified teachers with titles ‘Bhattas’ were appointed with due land grants to teach all sastras on the condition that they should not be natives of the village in which one takes up the profession and that the teacher should provide at least mid day meal for the students.

Drawing our attention to the inscriptions referring to the presence of Kashmir Pandits in Tamil Nadu, she points out their ownership of land in religious places such as Srirangam and Chidambaram. They intermingled with locals and some of them were granted title “Rayan” denoting their official position or designation in the Chola period. In this context, it is worth corroborating them with the biography of Adi Sankara which reiterates his return from Kashmir with a group of Kashmir scholars to establish a pan-Indian religious ethos.

Under “Feudalism in South Indian Context” she reopens the debate on the existence of feudalism in India as advocated by scholars like R.S.Sharma in his magnum opus Indian Feudalism. She analytically argues that in-depth study of land grant records from the 6 CE to the 13 CE, the donors especially, the kings did not abstain from categorically specifying various obligations that the recipient should carry out that were beneficial to the donee and the society. Her conclusion that feudalism of the north is non-existent in the south is found to be well justified.

Under the section “Chola townships” she takes up three lesser known urban places such as Tiruvallam, Bahur and Tribhuvanai in Tondaimandalam. They have grown around the temple which attracted the public not only in the angle of religion, but also in imparting knowledge in various fields of education, and as a source of employment to smiths, craftsmen and others. It served as a regional bank where provisions were made to distribute loans to people at times of natural calamities. The methodology used by her in locating such urban centres through epigraphy is a new domain and many such centres can be traced by research students in future.

Other subjects dealt in the book include constructing history from hero stones, the environs of Tiruvalangadu, tourism in medieval south in medieval context, Manu and justice under the Cholas. Focussing on land measures in the Chola Empire lands were measured by units like ‘ma’, ‘veli’ and ‘Kuzhi’ in Cholamandalam while in Pandya and Chera regions the area of land was known by its capacity to hold the quantity of seeds and hence only grain measures were familiar. This revelation enhances the merit of the book.

Diacritical marks in such important works could have increased the value of the work. Nevertheless the author deserves our admiration on striking out a new methodology and data based conclusions on inscriptional records in the field of historical studies.

Epigraphical Reading in The Chola History. S. Chandnibi; Random Publications, 4376-A/4B Gali Murari Lal, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110002. Rs. 1500.

- The Hindu, March 3, 2015

Say it will recharge groundwater and sustain birds, animals

Dwarka might get a biodiversity park spread over 80 hectares if the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) agrees to the requests of its residents. The residents have been asking the DDA to develop a biodiversity park at Bharat Vandana Udhyaan in Sector 20 saying it would act as a recharge zone to improve the local water table in the area which is water scarce. The Udhyaan has a water body revived by residents and welcomes various birds and animals. When asked about the plans, DDA Vice-Chairman Balvinder Kumar did not say if the land agency had agreed to grant residents their wish but said “anything concerning environment is better than any other development”.

“Biodiversity parks are always far better than anything else...Anything related to environment is good,” said Mr. Kumar without clearly specifying the future of Bharat Vandana Udhyaan. The land use of Bharat Vandana Udhyaan is recreational green, which allows certain construction which the residents are not in favour of. They took up the issue when they got to know that the land is under consideration by the DDA’s architectural division. This could mean some construction over it. A representation with signatures of environmentalists and residents was submitted to Mr. Kumar.

Mr. Kumar did not disagree with the logic given by the residents who wish to see a biodiversity park at the site just like the DDA’s Yamuna biodiversity park near Wazirabad village or Jagatpur village and the Aravalli biodiversity Park near Vasant Vihar in south central ridge. “Dwarka is a water scarcity area. There is need for rainwater harvesting in surface water bodies which not only store water and recharge sub-soil aquifer, but also buffer the local ambient temperature,” said Diwan Singh of the Yamuna Satyagrah and Dwarka Water Bodies Committee.

“A biodiversity park at the site will serve as a habitat for aquatic fauna and flora. The 80 ha plot already has a wetland which receives storm water from its own catchment and from surrounding areas. The storm water from the airport and nearby areas that is being diverted into the water body here, under directions from the Dwarka Water Bodies Committee, has immense potential for improving the local water table,” said Mr. Singh.

Mr. Singh is part of the group which revived the water body in the Bharat Vandana Udhyaan. Not just Dwarka but residents from nearby colonies like Janakpuri, Kakrola Extn, Palam, Uttam Nagar, Nawada and local villages too support the proposal. “We also hope that the existing population of wildlife like neelgai, jackals, peacock, hare, and monitor lizards may survive if the DDA heeds to the request of residents. A biodiversity park would also serve a great value for conservation and nature education,” says Mr. Singh.

He informed that a group of residents also visited “the existing biodiversity parks and discussed their proposal with Manu Bhatnagar (INTACH), Manoj Mishra (Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan), Prof. Vikram Soni, environmentalist and research scientist at Jamia Milia University, Prof. Shashank Shekhar, hydrogeologist at Dept of Geology, Delhi University. All these experts have endorsed the proposal”.

- The Hindu, March 3, 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency — Varanasi — has been the focus of several government initiatives over the past 10 months. In November 2014, it became the focal point for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and when the Obamas came visiting this January, First Lady Michelle Obama was gifted 100 Benarasi saris.

Now, the government has rolled out a plan to pitch Varanasi and India’s “cultural capital”. Under the Tourism Ministry’s Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), the city got Rs 89.31 crore in January, to be spent in next two years for the conservation and development of its heritage properties.

Not only this, there is also a plan to hold light and sound shows at the ghats and organise cultural programmes pertaining to music and dance on a regular basis to attract visitors and tourists. Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma says, “There is a plan afoot to give the city a new shape without spoiling its sanctity and heritage. For this, the tourism and culture ministries will work in consonance.”

On its end, the Ministry of Culture has envisaged a concept wherein schools will be turned into “interpretation centres” for tourists. In collaboration with SPIC MACAY, workshops and lectures will be held after school hours on subjects and themes related to Varanasi. The subjects can range from “famous personalities from Varanasi”, such as Munshi Premchand, Bismillah Khan, Sant Kabir, Sant Ravidas and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, or “the lost arts and crafts of Varanasi”.

Thirty-one schools have already been identified for the project. A workshop will be held on March 5 in this regard, calling in school principals and teachers to work out details of the project. The final action plan has to be submitted by March 15. Besides, a collaboration with the Delhi-based Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts is also in the pipeline to stage an episode from the Ramlila near the ghats, every evening.

Interestingly, over a decade ago, the Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) had prepared a detailed report highlighting rich culture of the city to propose its inclusion in the UNESCO List of World Heritage. But, it is yet to be the part of UNESCO’s list.

- The Pioneer, March 3, 2015

A medieval sculpture of a woman known as “parrot lady” or “parrot woman”, probably stolen from a temple in India, has been found in Canada. A team of three officials — two from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and one from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) — will travel to Canada to inspect the statue and explore the possibility of bringing it back to the country.

The ASI’s Director (Antiquity), D N Dimri, told The Indian Express that Canadian investigators who intercepted the piece noticed similarities with Indian art, and alerted the Indian High Commission. “The picture they have sent us indicates clearly that the sculpture is a piece of Indian art. How the piece was stolen, from where and exactly when, and how it reached Canada, is a matter of investigation,” Dimri said.

The ‘parrot lady’ is a sculpture of a naayika or heroine seen at several medieval temples in central and southern India. The sculpture typically denotes a woman in a dancing or preening pose, talking to a parrot that is perched on her hand or shoulder, with the bird appearing as a friend (sakhaa) or confidant of the naayika.

“The ‘parrot lady’ is a certain representation of a naayika, several examples of which are known to Indian art history. It is often described as a “shukasarika”, a “shuka” being a parrot, and is seen at many early medieval temples. A woman with a parrot is an important motif in Indian literature, poetry, art and architecture,” Dr Parul Pandya Dhar, professor of art history at Delhi University, said.

“In one particular representation, a parrot is shown perched on the lady’s head, with its beak touching her hair. This is inconographically different and unusual,” Dr Dhar said. Naayikas have been represented at Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples, and became especially popular in the medieval period, when they began to be regarded as auspicious. “The naayikas became an object of reverence as well as a celebration of the female body,” Dhar said.

In his book Woman in Indian Sculpture, Manohar Laxman Varadpande writes that depictions of women with birds are common in the temples of Orissa and central India, especially in the Khajuraho complex. “In Indian mythology, the parrot is considered the vehicle of Cupid or Kamadeva, the God of Love,” Varadpande writes.

- The Pioneer, March 3, 2015

The government has identified 50 circuits for development of tourism in the country, covering a mix of culture, heritage, spiritualism and ecotourism. Prominent among these are the Andaman and Nicobar Circuit, Kashmir Circuit, Desert Circuit in Rajasthan, Nature Tourism Circuit in West Bengal, and Beach and Fort Circuit (Mumbai to Goa).

While most of these circuits are categorised state-wise or on the basis of terrain, as many as seven sectors have been identified on the basis of faith. For instance, there is the Hindu Circuit (Haridwar-Kedarnath-Badrinath), Muslim Circuit (Nizamuddin Aulia-Ajmer Sharif-Charar-e-Sharif), Christian Circuit (St Xavier-Vellankani-St Thomas Church), Sikh Circuit (Patna Sahib-Harmandir Sahib-Hemkund Sahib-Nanded Sahib), Jain Circuit (Pawapuri-Mount Abu-Palitana-Shrawanbelgola) and Parsi Circuit (Udvada-Sanjan-Navsari). Besides, there’s also a Ramayana Circuit and a Sufi Circuit.

The Tourism Ministry has also formulated a plan called Swadesh Darshan, for integrated development of tourist circuits around specific themes. The five circuits indentified under this scheme are – Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit and North-East Circuit.

A Ministry official said, “In the Krishna Circuit, the Mathura and Vrindavan belt will be developed, and there will be road and rail projects to connect the region to Dwarka and Kurukshetra. In the Coastal Circuit, which was originally the Ganga Circuit, the plan is to start some short cruises. For instance, there will be a cruise between Allahabad and Varanasi.”

The Ministry provides assistance to states and UTs for various projects that are prioritised every year – subject to availability of funds and adherence to the scheme guidelines. In 2012-13, a total of 136 projects were given the nod, with Rs 929 crore sanctioned for them. In 2013-14, the number of projects sanctioned was 261, at a cost of Rs 1801 crore. In 2014-15 (till December 2014), 53 projects were sanctioned and a sum of Rs 333 crore has been earmarked for the purpose.

- The Indian Express, March 4, 2015

Large scale deforestation in the high latitudes – the boreal regions – could affect rainfall in the monsoonal regions of tropics, new research by the Indian Institute of Science published on Tuesday shows.

Deforestation is known to cause temperature increases in local areas. While releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, deforestation also causes changes in how much light reflects off the earth's surface and the amount of moisture in the atmosphere from plants transpiring.

The impact of mid- and high-latitude deforestation is in fact more than the impact of tropical deforestation. The South Asian monsoon is the worst affected, with an 18% decline in precipitation over India.

Deforestation at high latitudinal and temperate regions causes decrease in precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere monsoonal regions like South Asia, North Africa, North America and East Asia. On the other hand, it causes an increase in precipitation in the Southern Hemisphere monsoonal regions like South America, South Africa and Australia.

The study, led by Govindasamy Bala from the Divecha Centre for Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science and published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, is based on first hand climate modeling. Researchers used a model simulating atmosphere circulation, as well as photosynthesis, transpiration, warming of the ocean surface and ice melt.

The study quantifies the precipitation and the shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in all monsoon regions. The ITCZ appears as a band of clouds, usually thunderstorms, which circles the globe near the equator and drives current rainfall patterns in the tropics.

By the 1750s, humans had deforested approximately 6–7% of the global land surface area for cultivation. Today, croplands and pasturelands make up approximately 35% of the global land area. Such massive deforestation not only results in the increased emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs), but also causes changes in surface characteristics like "albedo" or surface reflectivity and evapotranspiration. "Yet, when a climate effect of deforestation is estimated, only the amount of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere, a biogeochemical effect, and its warming potential is calculated," said Bala.

"The changes to surface characteristics such as reflectivity and plant transpiration (biogeophysical changes) and their effect on climate are not accounted," the professor added. Furthermore, several studies have researched the impact of biogeophysical change on temperature but rainfall has not been studied, he said. "Rainfall is a challenging climate variable because it is not only affected by the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere, but also by converging circulations of moist air."

In the study, the main idea was to understand the effects of land use change on precipitation and rainfall, by analysing the shift in the ITCZ in monsoonal regions. The researchers have used a state-of-the-art, comprehensive 3-dimensional climate model for this work. The model can simulate the atmospheric circulation, land surface processes such as photosynthesis and transpiration, surface-ocean warming and ice melt. "We wanted to get a basic understanding of the effects of large scale deforestation at different locations on monsoon rainfall. So we performed 3 experiments: deforestation in the tropical, temperate and high-latitude areas," said Bala.

To understand the effects of deforestation on precipitation in the two hemispheres, the researchers chose monsoon regions from each hemisphere. N Devaraju, the lead author of the paper, noted that large scale deforestation leads to a decrease in global mean surface air temperature by 1.50 K, 0.90 K, 0.47 K, and 0.04 K in the Global, Boreal, Temperate, and Tropical deforestation simulations, respectively. Correspondingly, the global mean precipitation decreases by 3.21%, 1.70%, 1.01%, and 0.50%. According to the model, large scale deforestation leads to decrease in global-mean temperature as well as decrease in precipitation.

As most of the monsoon regions are located near ITCZ, a shift in ITCZ can affect the monsoonal regions. A southward shift was observed in all cases. "This shift has a huge impact on tropical rainfall. For deforestation in the temperate and high-latitudes, we find that the ITCZ shifts southward and hence all the monsoon regions (South Asia, North Africa, North America and East Asia) in the Northern Hemisphere get reduced rainfall. At the same time, the Southern Hemisphere monsoon regions (Australia, South Africa and South America) receive more rains," said Bala.

Moreover, the high-latitude deforestation displaces the ITCZ southward much more than tropical deforestation -- indicating that the remote effects on rainfall are actually stronger than local effects. In their global deforestation experiment, the SAs monsoon region is affected the most, with a 12% decline in precipitation across the region.

"This study has huge implications for evaluating the climate benefits of afforestation and reforestation programs that are promoted by Kyoto Protocol for reducing climate warming. Our study shows that just estimating carbon sequestration benefits of these programs is not sufficient. We need to also account for the biophysical effects like temperature and rainfall as well since they also have large effects. The need for integrated assessment is more pronounced now to tackle the climate impacts of deforestation," said Bala.

He added that the results from this IISc study can also help scientists to understand monsoon changes in the past and future.

- The Hindustan Times, March 4, 2015

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo motu cognizance of Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) facelift plan for Qutab Golf Course which will involve shifting or transplanting more than 400 trees. The bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar cited a report published in The Times of India on February 23, 2015 "450 trees to be shifted for Qutab Golf Course facelift."

Based on the report, NGT has issued notices to Delhi government through chief secretary, DDA through its vice chairman and to forest department through the environment secretary recently.

NGT in its order says "Obviously, if 450 trees are uprooted, destroyed or fell, it will have a serious impact on environment and ecology of the area. Trees are a source of great benefit to society," and goes on to explain the importance of trees in a couple of more pages.

For instance, it quotes a recent scientific study published last year that found "Chopping down vast swathes of forest is known to have an effect on climate, but what is the impact of cutting down a handful of trees? The study shows that even small-scale land clearance-a few hectares or less-causes a noticeable change in local temperature.

According to climate models, tropical deforestation causes warming, while loss of forest at high latitudes brings about cooling," the order quotes.

- The Times of India, March 4, 2015

Not just the body parts of tigers, elephants and rhinos, but there has been a phenomenal spurt in illegal trade of organs of lesser known species in the country. Alarmed by such reports, Interpol will now partner with Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to probe the trade of species such as pangolins,

sea horses, sea cucumbers, mollusks, besides fresh water turtles and star tortoise. In the first phase, the two agencies would work jointly on “Operation Pangolin” to gather Intelligence inputs and identify syndicates and groups involved in the crime. The second phase would plunge into specific, time-bound operations, including arrests of people concerned. The details are being worked out in this regard, said the sources, not willing to divulge further on the proposed operation.

The estimates by TRAFFIC India, (that works against illegal wildlife trade) indicate that over 20,500 tortoises were seized in Tamil Nadu from 2000 to 2013, as compared to 2,074 between 1990-1999. Similarly, while around 7,00,000 birds become victims of illegal trade about 70,000 tonnes of sharks fins are smuggled out of the country every year. India ranks second after Indonesia in illegal trade of shark fins. As if this was not enough, on an average about 10,000-15,000 star tortoises and fresh water turtles each are smuggled out from the country every year.

Around 3,350 pangolins were poached in India between 2009 and 2013 in which several cases were reported from the North-East alone. According to sources in WCCB, pangolins and sea creatures are smuggled into East Asia and China. While pangolin scales are much sought after for making traditional Chinese medicine, shark fins are used in soup. Though awareness campaigns are being launched to spread knowledge about these species and their large-scale decimation, it is the need of the hour to identify the syndicates and the agencies involved in their smuggling, they added.

The sources added that Interpol would launch the operations after involving the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the World Customs Organisation. In 2013, the UPA Government had announced it would investigate the alleged links between terrorist organisations and wildlife crime (especially in cases of tigers and elephants) with the help of the CBI and the Interpol. However, such probes are yet to be initiated.

- The Pioneer, March 5, 2015

The challenge in increasing crop productivity is more especially in dry areas, where it is a tough task for both farmers and scientists alike. While digging ponds to store rainwater might be advised, the impracticality of doing it by small farmers with less than three acres is still an issue. For such small farmers the krishi vigyan kendra in Bijapur, Karnataka, has developed a method to overcome water scarcity. It is a simple method where farmers are advised to plant their crops with a wider spacing between them.

Bijapur is situated in northern Karnataka and is frequently hit by droughts. This area receives an annual rainfall of 593.3 mm which is insufficient for most of the dry-land crops. Narrow spacing “In general, farmers adopt narrow row spacing for planting the crops. There is a standard procedure with farmers adopting their own measurements according to their choice. By doing so, there tends to be a stiff competition between the plants for moisture as the plant grows. The moisture requirement will be more especially during the peak flowering and grain filling phases, but there will be less soil moisture leftover, thereby affecting the yield of the dry-land crops,” explains Dr. S.S.Nooli, scientist at the Kendra.

In collaboration with the All India Coordinated Project for Dry Land Agriculture and Regional Agricultural Research Station, 34 awareness programmes were conducted for farmers from 80 villages on the need for adopting this method. The Kendra also conducted 108 frontline demonstrations for 270 farmers and suggested they plant the high yielding hybrids of pearl millet (bajra/cumbu) and sunflower provided by the kendra with wider row spacing.

Pearl millet Farmers in Bijapur region started planting their crops with wider row spacing of 120 cm (between rows) x 5-10 cm (between plants) and were able to get 20-25 per cent better yield. Cases of infestations were also noticed to be quite low. “We did a systematic study on pearl millet and sunflower since these two crops are quite common in this region. An additional net profit of Rs.3,910 per hectare was achieved in pearl millet and Rs.8,580 a hectare in sunflower over the conventional method,” says another scientist Dr. S.Y. Wali. This technology is presently being adopted in 15,500 hectares in Bijapur, Bagalkot and Koppal districts of Karnataka.

Production Crop productivity is largely determined by the amount of soil moisture. Crops cultivated with wider row spacing coupled with repeated deep inter cultivation helps to create dust mulch on the soil surface. This dust mulch acts as a barrier from higher evaporation losses, which ultimately leads to better moisture availability and hence better yield. Mr. V.B. Kinagi belongs to Muttagi village, Bagewadi taluk, Bijapur district. He grows onion, bajra, lime, maize and cotton in his seven acres.

“My region is very low in rainfall and I have been finding it difficult to maintain the needed moisture level in the soil for my crop. Digging a new well or sinking a bore well would cost me big money. It was then that the Kendra officials advised me to adopt a little wider spacing for my crops unlike what I was doing all these years. Initially I thought it would make no difference. But after some months I am able to see better crop growth and the moisture retention in my soil,” he says.

Cannot be generalised Farmers should note that this project on pearl millet and sunflower was tested only in Bijapur region, Karnataka. It cannot be generalised for other states, according to the research team.

- The Hindu, March 5, 2015

Much to the delight of the tourists and heritage lovers, historic Radha-Damodar Temple and Brindavan Chandra Temple at Bankura district in West Bengal, Group of Temples at Haradih in Ranchi in Jharkhand, archeological sites and remains at Juni-Kuran in Kutchh in Gujarat, and Ananteshwar Mahadev temple in Cuttak in Odisha have got the status of ancient monuments of national importance.

A senior official from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) said that with the inclusion of these heritage monuments in the list of national importance, steps will soon be taken for their restoration and preservation.

Their addition takes the list of monuments/sites as of national importance to total 3685 till date in the country. The move would ensure restoration of Brindaban Chandra Temple and Radha-Damodar Temple in West Bengal which have been built of stone but are in bad shape. Brindaban Chandra Temple is an outstanding specimen of architecture of Malla dynasty of Bisnupur and is datable to 1638 AD. “A beautiful image of lord Krishna was retrieved from the temple. Facing south, the corridor has beautiful carved pillars with domes in the interior spaces. The temple is of exclusive regional architectural and artistic value deserving protection,” the official said.

On the other hand, nearby Radha-Damodar Temple was built by Pal family in 1855 AD. “This is a navratna (nine towered) temple and has beautiful terracotta ornamentation in its façade and stucco (moulded plasters) ornamental motifs on the curvilinear top part and a partly broken compound wall with an arched opening,”

the official said. Another monument of architecture marvel is Group of Temples at Haradih in Jharkhand’s Ranchi which is datable to later Pala period in 11th-12th Century AD.“These are Rekha duel type representing Orissan temple architecture. A large number of sculptural and architectural fragments are scattered at the site over an acre of land. A number of lingas lying on the ground indicates that the site was dedicated to Saiva sect.

Ancient site at Juni Kurian located 3 km north of village Kuram, on the north-eastern corner of Pascham island surrounded by great Rann of Kuchcha has also made its entry into the list of national importance to be preserved by the ASI. Excavation carried out in 2003-05 has brought to light the settlement pattern and cultural sequence of Harrapan culture along with fortified, ceremonial ground, middle town and lower town.

“The site is very important not only in Gujarat but also in Indian sub-continent for no such Harappan site has yielded structural complex with pillared hall on the citadel fortification. The settlement has revealed interesting features related to burial practices ie secondary urn-burial mostly found outside the house,” the official said adding that the antiquity found at the site belongs to Kushan period.

Ananteshwar Mahadev temple in Bhagwanpur in Odisha is another tourists delight. The temple of archeological value is dedicated to Shiva and built of sandstone. It is dilapidated condition due to collapse of its super structure. The ASI tag hopes to give it a new lease of life.

- The Pioneer, March 5, 2015

India has sent a revised list of monuments and sites across the country for inclusion in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization catalogue of World Heritage Sites.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture Dr Mahesh Sharma on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that the list, which contains 46 monuments and sites, include the Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim; Buddhist sites at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh; Sri Harminder Sahib in Amritsar; and the Chilika Lake in Odisha, among others.

Dr. Sharma further told the House that the list had been sent to UNESCO in April 2014.

- http://www.dnaindia.com/, March 5, 2015

Much to the delight of the tourists and heritage lovers, historic Radha-Damodar Temple and Brindavan Chandra Temple at Bankura district in West Bengal, Group of Temples at Haradih in Ranchi in Jharkhand, archeological sites and remains at Juni-Kuran in Kutchh in Gujarat, and Ananteshwar Mahadev temple in Cuttak in Odisha have got the status of ancient monuments of national importance.

A senior official from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) said that with the inclusion of these heritage monuments in the list of national importance, steps will soon be taken for their restoration and preservation. Their addition takes the list of monuments/sites as of national importance to total 3685 till date in the country.

The move would ensure restoration of Brindaban Chandra Temple and Radha-Damodar Temple in West Bengal which have been built of stone but are in bad shape. Brindaban Chandra Temple is an outstanding specimen of architecture of Malla dynasty of Bisnupur and is datable to 1638 AD. “A beautiful image of lord Krishna was retrieved from the temple. Facing south, the corridor has beautiful carved pillars with domes in the interior spaces. The temple is of exclusive regional architectural and artistic value deserving protection,” the official said.

On the other hand, nearby Radha-Damodar Temple was built by Pal family in 1855 AD. “This is a navratna (nine towered) temple and has beautiful terracotta ornamentation in its façade and stucco (moulded plasters) ornamental motifs on the curvilinear top part and a partly broken compound wall with an arched opening,” the official said. Another monument of architecture marvel is Group of Temples at Haradih in Jharkhand’s Ranchi which is datable to later Pala period in 11th-12th Century AD.“These are Rekha duel type representing Orissan temple architecture. A large number of sculptural and architectural fragments are scattered at the site over an acre of land. A number of lingas lying on the ground indicates that the site was dedicated to Saiva sect.

Ancient site at Juni Kurian located 3 km north of village Kuram, on the north-eastern corner of Pascham island surrounded by great Rann of Kuchcha has also made its entry into the list of national importance to be preserved by the ASI. Excavation carried out in 2003-05 has brought to light the settlement pattern and cultural sequence of Harrapan culture along with fortified, ceremonial ground, middle town and lower town.

“The site is very important not only in Gujarat but also in Indian sub-continent for no such Harappan site has yielded structural complex with pillared hall on the citadel fortification. The settlement has revealed interesting features related to burial practices ie secondary urn-burial mostly found outside the house,” the official said adding that the antiquity found at the site belongs to Kushan period.

Ananteshwar Mahadev temple in Bhagwanpur in Odisha is another tourists delight. The temple of archeological value is dedicated to Shiva and built of sandstone. It is dilapidated condition due to collapse of its super structure. The ASI tag hopes to give it a new lease of life.

- The Pioneer, March 5, 2015

A rescue and rehabilitation centre has opened in Bihar to protect and conserve the Garuda, an endangered species of the stork family. The first-of-its-kind centre opened this week in Bhagalpur district, said Sanjay Sinha, a divisional forest officer.

Nearly eight years after these endangered birds started nesting and breeding in Bhagalpur, their number has increased several fold -- from 78 to 400. "It is a positive development for the conservation of Garuda that a much needed hospital-cum-rescue and rehabilitation centre has started in a small way," Sinha told. At present, three birds are housed for treatment at the centre.

Arvind Mishra, coordinator in Bihar and Jharkhand for the Indian Birds Conservation Network, said the centre would become a role model for other states if it proves successful. Mishra said the centre was opened to provide proper care to chicks that may fall from their nests and also for the care of adult birds that fall ill or sustain injuries.

He said three veterinarians and a paramedic were trained for the treatment of Garuda at the West Bengal-based Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre. "We have created awareness among local people about the bird's conservation and protection," he said.

In Hindu mythology, Garuda is considered the 'vahan' or carrier of Lord Vishnu. Loss of nesting habitat and feeding sites through drainage, pollution and disturbance, together with hunting and egg collection, caused a massive dip in the population of the species. Mishra first spotted the Garuda birds nesting and breeding in 2007 on a silk cotton tree near a village in the Ganga-Diara area in Bhagalpur. Prior to that, the bird was never seen in Bihar during the breeding season.

Mishra said: "The birds are on the verge of extinction. Attempts are being made all over the world to conserve and save them." According to him, there were only 1,100 Garuda birds, which are migratory in nature, around the world.

The Garuda, biologically known as Greater Adjutant, is classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List 2004 of threatened species and listed under Schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. This huge stork has a naked pink head, a very thick yellow bill and a low hanging neck pouch. The neck ruff is white. The bird looks like a vulture. Other than the pale grey edge on each wing, the rest of its body is dark grey.

Juveniles have a narrower bill, thicker down on the head and neck, and entirely dark wings, Mishra said. A Garuda bird measures 145-150 cm (about three feet) in length and four to five feet in height. Mishra said several villagers have been worshipping the birds and the tree on which they have made their nests.

The nesting season is between September and January. The nests, usually built right on the top of the tree canopy, measure 90-110 cm in diameter. "Bhagalpur is the third nesting region of this species in the world," said Mishra, who has been working on a project supported by the Wildlife Trust of India for the protection of the species.

The main threat the birds now face in Bihar is from the nomadic Banpar tribe which collects the eggs and chicks. They also hunt the bird for food. Another threat, according to Mishra, is the anti-inflammatory medicine Diclofenac that is used for cattle by veterinarians.

- One India, March 6, 2015

A bird that was long thought to have gone extinct has been rediscovered in Myanmar after a team of scientists used a recording of the species' distinctive call to track it down.

The Jerdon's Babbler (chrysomma altirostre altirostre) -- a small brown bird similar in size to a house sparrow -- was last spotted in Myanmar in 1941 and was thought to have died out altogether.

But a team of scientists in May 2014 managed to uncover multiple birds nesting in a small area of grassland in Myanmar's central Bago region, according to their report published in the latest edition of Birding Asia. The scientists targeted some of the few remaining patches of wild grassland left along Myanmar's mighty Irrawaddy river, now one of the most heavily cultivated and densely populated regions of the impoverished but emerging southeast Asian nation.

At one small patch of grassland near an abandoned agricultural station, the team heard what they thought could be the babbler's call. They then used a recording of a Jerdon's Babbler from the Indian subcontinent to see if the bird would show itself.

Frank Rheindt, from the National University of Singapore, told AFP he was the first person to spot the bird during the survey, which was also carried out with members of the Wildlife Conservation Society and Myanmar's Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division. "It was unbelievable," he recalled.

"We played the sound recordings and one of the birds came up from the reed beds. Like many song birds in reed beds you hardly ever see them, they only come out to defend their territory when they hear a territorial call." Further searches over the next two days uncovered more birds allowing researchers to obtain blood samples and photographs.

- Still at risk - But researchers warned that the bird's survival is still far from guaranteed given pressure on Myanmar's few remaining grasslands. "This discovery not only proves that the species still exists in Myanmar but that the habitat can still be found as well," Colin Poole, director of Wildlife Conservation Society's regional hub in Singapore, said in a statement.

"Future work is needed to identify remaining pockets of natural grassland and develop systems for local communities to conserve and benefit from them," he added. Rheindt said the area of grassland where the bird was found was very small, "around 50-80 hectares" and that new chicken and fish farms were being built nearby. He added that its plumage and song were significantly different to how it had been described by ornithologists in the early twentieth century -- leading the team to suspect that it may differ from threatened populations found in Nepal, India and Pakistan.

His team now hope to conduct DNA tests to decide if it is a separate species. Myanmar's quasi-civilian government replaced decades of brutal military rule in 2011. It has since embarked on a series of political reforms and shown itself to be far more open to foreign businesses and academic researchers than the country's generals were.

Myanmar has more species of bird than any other country in mainland Southeast Asia, with ornithologists saying this number is could increase if more scientific research is conducted.

- Mail Online, March 7, 2015

India's Delhi Art Gallery will host a "India Modern: Narratives from 20th century Indian Art" exhibition in its first international venture in New York from March 18 to June 6. The exhibition at the new 7,000 square feet gallery in the historic Fuller Building on New York's Madison Avenue, includes rare early works by some of the 42 artists on view.

These include close to a 100 pieces by India's most prominent modernists such as F.N. Souza, M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, Manjit Bawa, S.K. Bakre, Ram Kumar, Akbar Padamsee, Avinash Chandra, G.R. Santosh and many others.

"Indian art has had very little space in America," Delhi Art Gallery's India-based managing director, Ashish Anand, said. "We hope to significantly increase its presence and look forward to sharing Indian modern art with the rest of the world, particularly, New York city. Established in 1993, Delhi Art Gallery is India's largest repository of modern masters representing the gamut of art practice in the twentieth century, according to a media release.

It has established its presence by building what is arguably the largest collection of Indian modern and contemporary art of museum-quality. These parallel or closely follow contemporary movements in the West, placing them in the same context as Pablo Picasso, Matisse, the German Expressionists, the Paris or New York School.

With galleries in New Delhi and Mumbai, and now one in New York, besides annual participation in a number of leading national and international art fairs, Delhi Art Gallery continues to expand the reach of Indian modern art to newer locations and art audience.

- The Business Standard, March 7, 2015

The divided city

It’s been years since I visited Pondicherry. When INTACH Pondicherry and others organised a three-day Pondicherry festival there recently, they gave me the opportunity to discover a new Pondicherry. Ville Blanc had become a tourist town — welcoming the French and other tourists as well as the crowds from Bangalore, with street after street of guest houses, hotels, restaurants and bars, and tourist shops, in all their variety. While all this had changed the character of a sleepy little town, the positive vibes were that old homes and shops had been conserved and converted,

maybe sometimes including additions to the past, into this adaptive re-use. Once again the purists are unlikely to be happy, but to me it was heartening to see so much of the old standing and hear that the Mairie (Miscellany, December 29, 2014) was to be re-built to look exactly like it was and made a museum, the World Bank funding the resurrection. It was also a welcome sign to see an MLA speak positively about the Government’s attitude to heritage in Pondicherry at the inauguration and then sit through and participate actively in a long discussion of heritage the next day. Come and meet me about your requirements, we will find ways to help, he told a roomful of heritage activists.

Three of us from Madras had the previous afternoon spoken on getting the wider community involved in a city’s heritage. Debbie Thiagarajan spoke of a citizens’ signature campaign she had organised when she headed INTACH Madras some years ago and how it had resulted in positive action from Government, even if it had been only for a while. Vincent D’Souza spoke eloquently of the Mylapore Festival he had conceived and how not only had it grown but had also spawned Madras Week.

And your columnist spoke of how Madras Day, with a half-day beginning, had grown through voluntary organisation of events into Madras Week and had events going on for nearly a month. Getting the local communities involved, encouraging volunteer participation, persuading schools to play their part, and reaching out to all parts of the city were what all three stressed. In speaking of Madras Week, they said what had started with a South and Central Madras activity had, in the last couple of years, got some participation in Anna Nagar, Kilpauk, Purasawalkam and George Town but needed much more of it in these areas and an awakening in North Madras areas like Perambur, Royapuram and areas beyond. Trying to catalyse volunteer activities in these parts of the city is now the focus of the coordinators of Madras Week.

This needed to be stressed, this writer felt, in the context that the Pondicherry Festival tended to focus of Ville Blanc and had only a couple of activities in Ville Noire, and even those focused on Ananda Ranga Pillai and ‘what brings people back to Pondicherry,’ both topics in many ways related to the White Town.

Sadly, unlike Madras, a wall — actually a drain — has divided Pondicherry’s White Town and Black Town for decades and even though this year’s programme on Bharati and Bharathidasan tried to literally bridge it, much more has to be done if and when Pondicherry catalyses a Pondicherry Week. One of the problems in Pondicherry is that its heritage activists come from different parts of India or abroad and there are not enough Tamil voices. We look forward to those voices growing in the weeks to come. *****

A man of many parts At the recent release of a book that presents a pictorial glimpse of Chettiar history from the late 19th Century to a little after the mid-20th Century, The Chettiar Album, one of the speakers drew attention to a Chettiar of many parts, well-known in his time but forgotten today, who features in the book, which draws attention to two of his passions. The Chettiar referred to was S.A.A. Annamalai, ‘SA’ to all.

One of those pictures is featured here today and shows an immaculately dressed ‘SA’ presenting a trophy to another Chettiar, as immaculately dressed. These two Nagarathars were the first Nattukottai Chettiars into the ‘Sport of Kings’, Horse Racing, ‘SA’ getting into it first by a length. One of the first Indians into racing in Madras, he went on to become, if I am not wrong, the first Indian Steward and then Chief Steward.

Of him, it used to be said, that the horses would refuse to run if he was not present at the Guindy course. But for all his affinity to the horses, they refused to tell him when they were winning and, in the long run, it cost him dear. His other passion was flying. According to the Madras Flying Club records, Avadaiappa Chettiar and ‘SA’ were the fifth and sixth members of the Club and the first and second Indians to get private pilots’ licences (in 1931).

But ‘SA’ had learnt flying in England sometime before that — some say he was the first Indian to get a licence, preceding J.R.D. Tata — and bought a plane there which he shipped out to Madras. Be that as it may, he was one of the pioneers of aviation in South India and one of those who helped create the Kanadukathan Flying Club, in his eponymously named village in rural Chettinad. Around his village and elsewhere not far from it, he made an arid region bloom. He was a successful landlord-farmer whose advice on agriculture was sought by many. But as much as his interest in agriculture was his interest in industry, a field no Chettiar had got into even as late as the 1920s.

Visiting the Wembley Exhibition in 1924 he looked at the wide range of bicycles on display and thought this was just the means of transport for an impoverished country like India. Tying up with a German company, he began to manufacture the frames in Madras and, with other components from the collaborators, assemble the bicycles in Madras under the brand name ‘Swan’. But when it came to total manufacture, he faced numerous difficulties. Also, he could not compete with imported products. And, so, he threw in the towel. It was about 30 years later that a family who were his kin were to pioneer India’s bicycle industry and develop TI Cycles into what is today known as the Murugappa Group.

‘SA’ and his family lived in a splendid mansion in San Thomé that bordered the beach on which the ugly-as-sin tenements for fishermen came up in, if I remember right, the 1960s. It was on that beach that his children buried me, right up to my neck in the sand one evening and, after playing around me in the dusk, fled as night fell leaving me to be rescued by passing fishermen responding to my screams. One of those children was to become internationally known as Yogi Ramaiah, who spread the knowledge of Kriya Yoga worldwide.

A geologist by qualification, Ramaiah fell seriously ill before he could go to the U.S. for higher studies and was for almost seven years confined to his home. A miraculous resurrection in 1952 had him take the path of a swamiji and preach the gospel of yoga. From 1968 onwards, he did this for thirty years while headquartered in the U.S. Then he began to turn more and more to the village of his birth, Kanadukathan. Today, it is a heritage destination of Tamil Nadu Tourism, but the first influx of visitors from abroad to it were those to gather at Yogi Ramaiah’s shrines and other facilities in and around the village. That album could do with a picture of Yogi Ramaiah holding forth in the U.S. ****** When the postman knocked…

* Referring to my statement that the SIR’s first train ran from Negapatam to Tiruvallur (Miscellany, March 2), G.R. Sampath says I must have meant ‘Tiruvarur’. My source is an official history of the South Indian Railway (1859-1951) published by the Railway Heritage Centre, Tiruchchirappalli (incidentally, that is the correct Survey of India spelling) in 2010. It has in the text recorded it repeatedly as ‘Tiruvallur’. But, curiously, in an SIR map of 1929 in the same book, it says ‘Tiruvarur’ (see portion of map featured here). However, I am told by a Tanjorean that it is not an author’s error or a printer’s devil being at work, but the way old-timers of the region called what we call ‘Tiruvarur’.

* Referring to my statement that Chetput Lake does not exist today (Miscellany, March 2), R. Madhavan of “our locality’s Resident Welfare Association” tells me the Association has “fought tooth and nail and revived the lake”. Well, over the last ten years, I can’t say I’ve seen too much water in it; but I’ve seen a dry lake bed for years. However, Madhavan tells me that all that is changing; the Government has sanctioned Rs. 42 crore for it revival with “pleasure boating, fishing, walker’s track etc.” It’s that etc. I fear most apart from walking on water. Is a lake going to be revived as an entertainment park, with all the pollution that goes with it, or is it going to become again the water body it once was?

* V. Ramnarayan, referring to my suggestion of a Buchi Babu clan cricket team (Miscellany, February 23) writes, “I do not know how many of the clan lived in Luz (which from your columnist’s point of view is the defining factor), but their list of Madras (and Andhra) cricketers may be even longer than those of my family: Of them C. Ramaswami played for India and M. Suryanarayan in unofficial Tests, while Baliah, Bhat, M.M. Kumar and P. Ramesh played for Madras/Tamil Nadu. C. Lakshman Swarup, C. Ram Swarup, who played for Andhra in the Ranji Trophy tournament, M.V. Bobjee and M.V. Prakash all played for the Mylapore Recreation Club.

Ramnarayan adds that I erred about V. Sivaramakrishnan playing for India; he was an India prospect. I have since found that Sivaramakrishnan played for the East and South Zones in the Zonal tournaments and South Zone against England and West Indies and was very much in the running for one of the openers’ slots for the 1977-78 Australian tour, but was beaten to it by Chetan Chauhan.

- The Hindu, March 8, 2015

With the objective of disseminating information on hoolock gibbons, India’s only ape which is endemic to the Northeast, environmental NGO Aaranyak is organizing a series of ‘Training of Forest Guard for the Conservation of Hoolock Gibbon in Assam’.

The species of hoolock gibbons – the western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) and the eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leuconedyes) – are distributed in northeast India. Their distribution in India is limited to the seven States of the Northeast on the southern bank of the Dibang-Brahmaputra river system. The eastern hoolock gibbon is confined to Arunachal Pradesh in the districts of Lohit, Dibang Valley and Changlang. In Assam, the eastern hoolock gibbon is restricted to the reserve forests of Sadiya subdivision only.

Habitat fragmentation and hunting have been the major threats to gibbons in India. Added to this situation is the lack of basic information and poor conservation awareness about the species in different sections of the people, including the frontline staff of the forest department, which is yet another major hindrance in the conservation of the species. The forest guards who actually work in the field are unaware about the various facets of hoolock gibbon conservation strategy.

Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary (commonly known as Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary) in Jorhat district of Assam is the only protected area in India to be named after a primate species. The sanctuary with seven species of primates, including the western hoolock gibbon, is an area with one of the highest primate diversity in the country. The western hoolock gibbon is one of the two apes found in Assam which is distributed only on the southern bank of the Brahamaputra. In 2004, the Gibbon Conservation Centre, a field station of Aaranyak was established with a mission of carrying out research, training and conservation activities in the Northeast for primates research and conservation.

Aaranyak and Gibbon Conservation Centre in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and with financial support from the US Fish & Wildlife Service have organized training programme for the forest guard of Assam in five batches during the year 2015. The training will be imparted to each batch consisting of 20 participants and the duration of the course is weeklong residential. A wide range of related topics, including biodiversity in the Northeast and conservation,

primates conservation in the Northeast with special reference to gibbon, gibbon census or population estimation, gibbon data collection, maintaining and reporting, techniques of floristic study, gibbon habitat characteristic and restoration, population and habitat monitoring, gibbon rescue and rehabilitation, global positioning system and its use in field and legal orientation, wildlife laws and their application will be covered during the training.

This course will provide participants with an initial understanding of the basic principles of primatology, experience with the methods and techniques used in field research, socioeconomic study and visit to the fringe villages. The course consists of daily lectures and field exercises.

- The Assam Tribune, March 8, 2015

Twelve countries are seeking UNESCO's approval to register a new file on Nowruz, the ancient celebration of the Iranian New Year that begins on the first day of spring, on its List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/64/253 of 2010, at the initiative of several countries that share this holiday (Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.

Inscribed in 2009 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a cultural tradition observed by numerous peoples, Nowruz is an ancestral festivity marking the first day of spring and the renewal of nature. It promotes values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families as well as reconciliation and neighbourliness, thus contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and different communities.

The final stage in preparing the file was done in Tehran at a four-day meeting, during which representatives of the countries reached a consensus on the file, the deputy director of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO), Mohammad-Hassan Talebian, said in a press release. The file has been jointly prepared by 12 countries in which Nowruz is celebrated annually.

The countries are Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Iraq. Nowruz was once registered on the UNESCO list as a common element from Iran, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan in 2009. In a meeting held in Tehran in January 2014, the countries agreed to add more countries to the file.

Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Iraq were added to the new file as a result.

- http://www.payvand.com/, March 8, 2015

Proposal mooted to renovate them with latest technologies in Museology

The Puducherry government has proposed to renovate two government museums in the city using the latest technologies in Museology.

The existing Government Museum on Saint Louis Street will be renovated and the building on Romain Rolland Street (presently used as the office of the Department of Art & Culture, Govt. of Puducherry) will be the second one.

These two museums will be developed on international standards using the latest techniques in museology, lighting and contents with the assistance of Indian and French experts.

The Puducherry chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has been entrusted with the task of preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR).

“It will take at least eight to 10 months for preparation of the DPR. INTACH has started work on the first concept and it will be submitted in a week’s time to the government for their response. Once the concept is approved by the government we will work out the final DPR. The project will be funded under a Centrally Sponsored scheme, where the government of Puducherry will bear 20 per cent of the cost and the centre 80 per cent,” said INTACH co-convener Ashok Panda.

The proposal envisages one museum in two different locations. The existing museum on Rue Saint Louis focuses on Urban History and Development while the one at the office of Department of Art and Culture) on Rue Romain Rolland would showcase the South Indian Civilisation and Ancient Culture.

From rare paintings and engravings, exquisite French furniture, bronze pieces and artefacts from Chola and Pallava periods, the museum is a treasure trove of cultural history of South India and its ancient civilisations.

Mr. Panda said that the renovation of the museums thematically interlinked with each other will be done with the twin objectives of protecting the architectural heritage of Puducherry and showcasing the rich history to its inhabitants.

The archaeological finds and sculptures collection (stone and bronze) will be relocated to the proposed new museum.

The new museum will showcase the deep rooted and cultural practices of the local society and how Puducherry has been an important interface of cultures, religion and trade from the 1st millennium B.C. to the 16th century A.D. The existing museum on Rue Saint Louis Street will provide a chronological overview of urban development in Puducherry from the 17th century to 20th century A.D.

It will also showcase the colonial history of the city and will be linked to the new museum on Rue Romain Rolland Street.

A French delegation comprising of archaeologists, historians and museologists studied the artefacts in the museum and suggested significant changes.

The museum has a rich collection of about 539 artefacts of which around 200 need to be restored immediately.

To start with the archaeological artefacts, stone sculptures and bronze statues will be arranged in a chronological manner to ensure continuity in the theme and display of the exhibits.

A large part of the museums will comprise of panels in English, Tamil and French detailing the history of the displays. Models of Puducherry as it evolved from the French period to the present day are also being planned.

The galleries housing the collections will be reorganised with improved lighting facility and an integrated security system would be put in place.

Construction of ticket and luggage counters, toilets and an interpretation centre are the other additions for the convenience of visitors, he added.

- Hindu, March 10, 2015

Bhatikar Model high school recently participated in a music festival at Reis Magos fort and was awarded the 'Best song presentation award' amongst 13 schools of Goa. The theme for the song was based on the sea. The students guided by Pascy Da Costa composed an original song of 6 minutes.

The Indian national trust for art and cultural heritage (INTACH) received support from the 'Helen Hamfyn Trust' based in the United Kingdom to conduct the music festival.

The students of Bhatikar Model high school also participated in the 'Film It' project, wherein three films of a duration of five minutes were prepared.

Two of the films were based on the sea and one film was based on the tradition and culture of Goa. Under the guidance of Sarita Malkarnekar, Lilly Fernandes and Pascy Da Costa, the children produced the films 'A journey from dust to water' which was awarded the 'best message giving' film and the other films named 'Lifeguard' and 'A day in the life of a toddy-tapper' were awarded as the 'Best conceptualization film' award.

March 18 HSSC paper postponed: The higher secondary school certificate (HSSC) examination paper, secretarial practice, scheduled for March 18 has been postponed to March 20 and will be held between 10am and 12.30pm, on account of the zilla panchayat elections in the state. For details call on 2417593, 2413118 or 2415576.

Dustbins donated for Bicholim's cleanliness: Arun Naik, a young industrialist from Bicholim, recently distributed dustbins to four residents of Bicholim, Rajendra Sawaikar, Suryakant Desai, Shyam Matonkar and Malakappa Housamani, who for the last months have voluntarily taken up the task of keeping the town clean. Naik has expressed his willingness to donate as many as 50 dustbins to keep Bicholim clean.

Power shutdown Cunchelim/Siolim (March 11): Between 9.30am and 2.30pm. Areas to be affected are Bamon Vaddo, Saibaba temple, Kadpavaddo, Cunchelim church, Shree Dattatraya temple, Gardenia apartments, Dattaprasad colony, Pilimbi and vicinity.

- Times of India, March 10, 2015

Acquiring art works by big names is a distant dream for most of us. However, Sangbit is making an attempt to turn this dream into a reality. This art show being organised at theIndia Habitat Centre aims to reach out to art buyers and collectors who want to own a work by a celebrated artist but do not want to depend on expensive galleries and auction houses.

Artists like Jogen Choudhury, Suhas Roy, Sanatan Dinda, K.G. Subramanian, Ramananda Bandopadhyay and others have specially contributed works to this show at lower rates so that people are encouraged to buy art. The works are priced between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 80,000.

Satyapriya K., who is from the organisation Nostalgia Colours that is organising the show, says: “There is a slump in the art market right now as many people are not buying art. Hopefully, with reduced rates people will come forward to buy.”

Satyapriya says the artists asked him if it was a charity event, when they approached them to contribute to the art show. However, when they understood the concept, they readily agreed. “We can manage to keep the price low as we do not take a huge cut like other galleries do. We only take a minimum amount that covers our costs,” says Satyapriya.

He further explains that Sangbit means “consciousness” and the works are all trying to reflect the core idea that women are the most beautiful as well as the most powerful creation of nature. The artworks on display though varied in style speak one common language, the language of love, hope and empowerment of women.

The show is on till March 15 at the Open Palm Court, India Habitat Centre.

- The Hindu, March 10, 2015

The Department of Archaeology has recovered artefacts of Megalithic (iron-age) burial site, datable to circa 1000 BC, at Sengamadai village near RS Mangalam in Ramanathapuram district.

Curator of Ramalinga Vilasam Palace K. Sakthivel, and convenor of Tiruppullani Heritage Club V. Rajaguru recovered the artefacts from the deposit site of the temple tank at the village while undertaking a field survey.

Displaying the artefacts – red ware, black ware, red and black ware, parts of burial urns, decorated red ware, potsherds, remnants of ring stand and iron ore – to reporters here recently, Mr. Sakthivel said the recovery revealed that a King of Ramanathapuram had built a fort at the burial site about 300 years ago.

He said the villagers had desilted the tank about three years ago and the artefacts were found scattered on the bank of the tank. “Burial urns are also found inside the tank and this is the first time that parts of burial urns are recovered in the district,” he said.

The tank was located at the centre of the fort built by King Vijaya Ragunatha Sethupathy (1711-1725) at the burial site about 300 years ago.

The king’s other fort was located at Kamudhi and it is now maintained by the Archaeology Department. During the iron-age also, there were separate residential and burial sites and the residential site could be located if the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted an excavation, he said. About 300 metres from the burial site, there was a river and the residential site might be located on the bank of the river, he added.

Mr. Sakthivel said he would send a report to the State Department of Archaeology giving details of the artefacts recovered from the site and suggesting an excavation. The ASI would decide on the excavation after the department sent a detailed profile of the site, he said.

The ASI had conducted excavations at two sites in the district in the past and found that Azhagankulam belonged to the Sangam period and Theriruveli, the Historic period.

An excavation at Sengamadai was worth it as it appeared to belong to the Megalithic or Iron-age period, he added.

- The Hindu, March 10, 2015

A drastic reduction in the budgetary allocation for environment and related sectors has prompted city based NGO Jividha to launch a campaign titled 'Re 1 for environment'. The campaign, which was launched here on Monday, is a protest against the 'anti-environment policies' of the present BJP-led government at the Centre.

"We have asked people who are concerned about these anti-environment actions of the government to donate Re 1 to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) as a mark of protest against the shabby amount the government is spending on the sector. We have also them to write to the Prime Minister's Office voicing these concerns," said Rajeev Pandit, founder president of Jividha.

Pandit said the attitude of the present government is anti-environment. "It has been on a spree of granting environmental clearances without considering the merits or damage that the projects could cause. It also set up the Subramanian committee to review environmental laws. The recommendations of the committee have several problems," he said.

It is not just environment, but government spending on other sectors that are related to it such as agriculture and water resources is also minimum. "This has happened over a period of time, but there were major cuts in the Union Budget presented this year," said campaign coordinator Santosh Shintre.

Shintre pointed out that the interim budget presented by former Union finance minister P Chidambaram in February 2014 had already slashed funding under some of the heads for the ministry of environment and forests. "The revised budget presented by finance minister Arun Jaitley made further cuts to the proposed spending. On comparing those figures with the ones proposed this year, there has been a drastic reduction again," he said.

Moreover, even the allocated funds are not being spent properly with very little work seen on the ground, Shintre added. "A large amount of the funds are being siphoned off to conduct meetings and discussions. Why should Rs 44 lakh be spent on conducting one meeting to discuss the clean Ganga mission," he said.

Shintre said Jividha will collaborate with NGOs working in other states for the campaign and mobilize public opinion across the country on these issues.

On being asked if the organization will approach the Union minister of forests, environment and climate change Prakash Javadekar, who is from the city, Shintre said a copy of the letter to the PM would also be sent to him.

"In our view, Javadekar does not stand up for environment, but only provides lip service. His work is only fulfiling the PM's agenda which is why we are asking people to write directly to the PM's office," he added.

GRAPHIC: Reduction of budgetary allocations in successive budgets:

Budget Allocations for MoEF: 2014-15 Interim Budget2014-15 revised by BJP govt.2015-16 Rs 2256.00 crore Rs1764.60 crore Rs 1681.60 crore Allocation for Project Tiger 2014-15 original 2014-15 revised by BJP govt.2015-16 Rs 161.02 croreRs 161.02 croreRs 136.46 crore Allocation for Afforestation programmes 2014-15 original 2014-15 revised by BJP govt.2015-16 Rs 281.89 croreRs 211.71 croreRs 87.75 crore Write in to protest against

Provisions for wildlife conservation, water resources, farmers and forests are at their minimum. Allocated funds are either not spent or under superficial heads In 1st 100 days, environment clearances for 240 projects given Recommendations of the Subramanian Committee that are deemed anti-environment Target: 50,000 letters Campaign: 30 days

- The Times of India, March 10, 2015

The Aranmula Heritage Trust will hold a national seminar on ‘Aranmula and Tirunizhalmaala’ at Krishnaveni Auditorium in Aranmula on April 20. In a statement issued here on Monday, K.Unnikrishnan, organising committee convener, said the heritage village of Aranmula had found reference in the ancient Tamil text ‘Tirunizhalmaala’ and hence the seminar had national importance. Eminent historians, linguists, cultural leaders, and research students will present papers on Aranmula and Tirnizhalmala at the seminar. For details, contact phone 9747470447, or 0468-2278027, the statement said.

- The Hindu, March 10, 2015

For the first time, the Unesco World Heritage Committee will discuss granting heritage status to 22 sites associated with the freedom struggle in India. Some of the spots include the site of Gandhi's first satyagraha at Champaran in Bihar and Kochrab and Sabarmati ashrams in Gujarat. Also on the list from India is the site of Vaikom satyagraha of Kerala, which is associated with ending discrimination of backwards.

The committee meets once a year to discuss properties on the world heritage list, allocate funds for maintenance and make additions and deletions to the list. This year, the committee will hold its 39th session between June 28 and July 8 in Bonn, Germany .

Most of the sites recommended for the heritage tag are associated with Gandhi and his satyagraha against the British. Many of these sites have easily recognizable buildings but there are also some like Tilak Ghat in Chennai, which is not more than a stretch of sand. The sites were recommended by the culture ministry under the previous UPA-led government in April 2014, just before the general elections.

For the tag of a world heritage status site, the UN body considers "a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history," and is also "directly or tan also "directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of out standing universal significance."

In its document containing the tentative list for con sideration, Unesco sideration, Unesco describes India's non-violent freedom movement as a rare and notable example of political emancipation achieved during the first half of 20th Century CE that became the role model for civil resistances worldwide."

"Gandhiji believed that satyagrahis must undergo spiritual and physical training to ensure discipline and develop non-violent reflexes. For this, he founded ashrams -the Kochrab Ashram; the Sabarmati Ashram; and the Sevagram Ashram near Wardha in Maharashtra to teach satyagraha... The ashrams later acted as grounds for the next level of indoctrination in non-violence," says the document.

Apart from 22 satyagraha sites, the committee will also debate on granting heritage status to Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple, Padmanabhapuram Palace in Kanyakumari district and Srirangapatna near Mysore.

"Listing a site or a monument as a Unesco World Heritage site has an immediate practical impact in that it makes more money available for restoration, conservation and maintenance," said Swarna Rajagopalan of Prajnya Trust, a centre for policy research in peace, justice and security . "To make a positive difference to using these sites as means to remember our history , there should also be better signage and information, trained guides and better infrastructure."

- The Times of India, March 12, 2015

In 2009, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) started Living Traditions, a series that highlighted the Folk traditions across the country. So far, it has put the spotlight on the traditions of Rajasthan, Assam, West Bengal, Kutch and Goa. This edition, the focus is on the Folk forms of Maharashtra, including powada, bharud, gondhal, lavani and other forms associated with day-to-day life of the community.

What’s in store?

As part of the event, on March 13, there will be two documentary screenings — Setu: Selective introduction to the vast and varied heritage of Indian Folk music (1987) and Folk Songs Of Maharashtra (1955), which give a broad perspective of the varied heritage of the state. On March 14, an ensemble led by Dholki player Vijay Chavan will perform various Folk drums of Maharashtra.

Dr Suvarnalata Rao, Head – Programming (Indian Music), NCPA, speaks about the event: “India is one of the most musically diverse countries. Each region has its distinct legacy of artistic and cultural traditions. The regional Folk melodies and rhythms, which are vibrant and thrive among India’s rural masses, have had an influence on the evolution of Indian Classical music.”

Dr Rao adds that Maharashtra is well-known for its diverse Folk traditions that emanated from the agrarian community though urban audiences are not fully aware about them. Some of these traditional art forms are even fading out as little has been done to revive them.

“Performance of these forms is restricted mostly to rural and interior Maharashtra. This festival’s objective is to showcase them to a metropolitan audience,” she shares.

Drum up a storm

Vijay Chavan (55) will take to the stage on day two of the event. He has been playing the dholki for over three decades, and also teaches the art at the Lok Kala Academy, University of Mumbai.

Born into a family with strong traditions of Indian Folk drumming and singing (his mother is Sulochana Chavan, the Marathi singer famous for singing lavanis), he is one of the leading exponents of the dholki, the premiere Folk instrument of Maharashtra.

Interestingly, he is self-taught and practised the art initially by playing on benches and drumming empty dabbas. He has performed with maestros like Zakir Hussain, Trilok Gurtu, George Brooks, Giovanni Hidalgo and Frank Zappa, and has worked extensively with music directors of the Hindi and Tamil film industry.

During the event, Chavan and his group of 10 musicians will perform with a range of instruments such as the dholki, dimdi, sambal, dhol, pakhawaj, chondke, tasha, tal, manjira as well as other instruments like tutari, lezim and ghungroo. “The event will also feature traditional songs or Loksangeet that includes 100-year-old compositions sung to Khandoba of Jejuri, and goddess Tulja Bhavani, compositions by writer Annabhau Sathe, and Eknathi bharud (dramatic poems) which talk of religious harmony. We will also be performing Mumbai Lavani, a non-commercial version of the music, based on the historic theme of the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement,” Chavan reveals.

The artiste rues that nowadays, everyone wants instant fame: “In our time, we were lucky there was no media coverage. So, whenever we were called for recordings, we had to give our best performance in order to get selected. In any field, if you worship Saraswati (knowledge), and not worry about Lakshmi (wealth), your hard work will turn Saraswati into Lakshmi, and you will end up with both,” he philosophises.

- Mid –Day, March 12, 2015

Climate change poses serious threat to island nations like Seychelles as terrorism to the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday as he expressed India's deep commitment to combat global warming.

"The world must come together and talk about climate change as we discuss terror," Modi said during a civic reception accorded to him at the Palais des Sports here. He said people living in small islands do not care about who is making nuclear bomb, but they do bother about theglobal warming as it is linked with their survival. "Today, small small countries which are based on island, they don't think about who is making nuclear bomb but they think about the global warming because if it continues, they apprehend whether they would be alive or not. Whether their island would submerge in water.

"To save the world, not only those who live on island but the entire world will have to discuss and work in this regard. The world have to discuss climate change on the same level as they do discuss terrorism. It poses a serious threat as terrorism," Modi said.

Earlier, the Prime Minister said India was deeply committed to combat the climate change. "We had strong convergence of views on climate change. We are two nations that are vulnerable to its impact," he said after holding talks with Seychelles President James Alix Michel.

Modi, the first Prime Minister to visit Seychelles in 34 years, stressed on India's shared commitment to strong national action to combat climate change. He also called for a strong and ambitious global effort, especially from the developed world, on climate change.

"I reiterated our consistent support to the position of the Small Island Developing States. Equally, I renewed India's strong commitment to our partnership with Africa," he added. Last year in December, negotiators from over 190 countries adopted a compromise draft for national pledges to cut global carbon emissions at marathon UN climate talks in Peruvian capital Lima that paved way for a new ambitious and binding deal to be signed in Paris this year to combat climate change.

- http://www.dnaindia.com, March 12, 2015

Instead of basking in the glory of the history attached to it, the 150-year old Balabrooie guest house on palace road continues to serve the political VVIPs.

After a hue and cry by the civil society and heritage lovers over the Karnataka government move to demolish the heritage guest house to make way for a swanky legislators Club earlier last year, chief minister Siddaramaiah promised to transform the historical edifice into ever pulsating public gallery.

But the government is in no mood to keep up the promise.

''We have no plans to convert Balabrooie into a museum or art gallery as of now. It will continue to be a guesthouse for state guests under the PWD," said T N Chikkarayappa, secretary, PWD.

Built around 1850, Balabrooie was the residence of Sir Mark Cubbon, the then chief commissioner of Bangalore. It remained as the official residence of the Commissioners of Bangalore till the country gained independence in 1947. Today the bungalow serves as a guest house for visiting VIPs.

A delegation of heritage lovers headed by artist S G Vasudev had submitted a proposal to the chief minister Siddaramaiah last year, requesting him to convert the address into a museum or an art gallery.

Asked about the proposal, Vasudev sounded pessimistic. "Nothing has happened so far. How long we can pursue?" he asked. But heritage lovers feel that a threat of an agitation may have forced the government make the promise and shelve the proposal to build a club. At some point of time, they would quietly come out with a renewed proposal.

''Why does government need a guest house when each of their departments has one for VVIPs? Moreover they have a swanky Kumara krupa guest closeby to accommodate special guests. They should shed their ago and ensure the Balabrooie is opened to public activities'' said heritage lover Vaideyi Prasanna.

Sources at Balabrooie guest house said the guest house has turned into a popular adda for politicians in power and officials. ''They have been making use the guest house akin to a majestic lodge. They make a big fuss when we tell them that they cannot provide certain rooms where Tagore and Gandhi stayed,'' they added.

Balabrooie Bungalow spread across an area of 14 acres has six suites along with a common portico, dining room and Kitchen. The large rooms with doors and windows reflect European classical lines of architecture. The rooms have large covered verandahs lined with several columns. The bungalow also has a large impressive portico.

The building is also surrounded by sprawling gardens that contains a large number of trees of diverse species, some of which are more than a century old.

Architect Naresh Narasimhan, who redesigned Manikyavelu Mansion which houses the National Gallery of Modern Art said: ''We need to keep pushing them (government) otherwise it is like pushing an immovable object. I don't think any energy is left in us to wake them up to take up conservation and bring out legislation to regulate heritage structures''.

Satya Prakash Varanasi, a renowned conservation architect and convener of Bangalore chapter The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), a UN-associated conservation body said: ''Knowing that the government ''We had submitted various proposals but the government has no responded,'' he added.

- The Times of India, March 12, 2015

Here's a chance for Bengalureans to pick the best of the old structures in the city. The Indian National Trust for Culture and Heritage (Intach) Bangalore is out to crown two heritage buildings - one government-owned and the other private. It has invited Bengalureans to nominate two buildings of their choice for the Intach Bangalore Heritage Awards.

C Aravind, Intach co-coordinator, said this seeks to recognize and bring attention to Bengaluru's heritage buildings. The buildings chosen can be residential, official or religious or even a market. The only condition: it should have been built before Independence. The best preserved structures, judged by a panel of experts, will receive an award and a citation. For details, visit . The last date for sending nominations is March 15, 2015.

MY CHOICE
* Naresh V Narasimhan, architect:

Though there are a number of beautiful heritage buildings in Bengaluru like Town Hall and St Mark's Cathedral, my choice for the best structures among them would be the Bangalore Club and Seshadri Iyer Memorial Library. The Bangalore Club, which belongs to the British period, is very well preserved. It is built as a club. The Seshadri Iyer Memorial Library is an honour to the great man. It is architecturally excellent and the colour (terracotta red) excellently complements the greenery of Cubbon Park where it is located.

* Mansoor Ali, architect
I would nominate the Attara Kacheri or the High Court building as it is a very good example of colonial architecture. The other point to note is how wonderfully the contractor has executed the work as the building still stands like a monument even after over 100 years. The other great heritage building is the house of Diwan Sir MN Krishna Rao in Basavanagudi. This house is said to be the third oldest in the area. It has many antiques like a 143-year-old Ansonia clock from the US and a Scott's Radiogram.

* CN Kumar, founder, Bygone Bangalore Facebook
I prefer the high court building which is more than 100 years old as my choice for the best. It is very well maintained and also designed. Of course, when it comes to private buildings, there are many, but I feel Bangalore Club is the best of the lot because of its structure.

Poornima Dasharathi, founder, Unhurried Heritage Walks
Bangalore was known to be a manufacturing hub during the Maharaja's rule. I would say it is a good idea to preserve at least one factory and make it into a museum dedicated to showcasing this heritage and the technology, instead of a mall. One of the examples that come to my mind is the Mysore Lamps Factory in Malleswaram. There are many privately owned bungalows still standing today simply because of their owners' love and their resistance to selling. I want the government to set up a proper local heritage preservation policy and save bungalows.

- The Times of India, March 12, 2015

After Capitol Complex, it is now the turn of Sector 17 to get ready for a makeover. The Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC), in a meeting on Thursday, decided to frame an action plan - with the support of traders and businessmen - to bring a semblance of uniformity in the buildings. For this, the committee decided to go back to the city's original character, as conceived by Le Corbusier. Thus, exposed concrete will be restored in the buildings that had gone in for a fresh coat of paint. As the application of fresh paint in different colours on the buildings goes against the grain of Corbusean Chandigarh, the committee has decided not to allow any deviations to the city's 'core concept'.

The meeting, chaired by UT adviser Vijay Kumar Dev, has decided to complete all restoration works in a time-bound manner, with the shape of things getting clearer by the month-end. "We have made a clear-cut plan to restore the glory of Sector 17," emphasized Dev.

"Sector 17 is at the core of what the city stands for, as envisaged by Le Corbusier. We will soon meet the traders of Sector 17 to chalk out a detailed plan for the restoration of the city's commercial hub. It includes providing a uniform look to the central sector, besides the addition of new-age features to enhance its appeal," said UT home secretary Anurag Agarwal. It may be mentioned here that this heart of the city has been losing its charm with the advent of mall culture. Traders in the sector had been complaining frequently in the recent past about the dwindling footfalls there, necessitating the formulation of an action plan to bring back the crowds.

As per information, the UT and MC engineering departments, estate office, and architect office will have to coordinate and play a key role in the plans formulated. All the necessary departments have been given orders to start 'operation restoration' post-haste. In this regard, UT sources revealed that action would be taken to remove all things that made the 'City Beautiful' turn ugly. This includes haphazardly installed advertisement billboards, encroachments in the passageways, generators and air-conditioners in the corridors, and loose hanging electric wires. CHCC was categorical that India's most well-planned city should not be allowed to go to seed, and any move to enhance the city's intrinsic appeal was more than welcome.

Curiously, while the traders of Sector 17 had met senior officers of the Chandigarh Administration several times in the past few years, demanding some crucial steps to restore the beauty of the city's commercial hub, they hardly realize that they too are a part of the problem. Most buildings in the main plaza have been violating numerous norms, giving an ugly look to the place, and spoiling the architectural uniformity conceived by the city's creator. What is worse, many buildings have deteriorated with the passage of time, having weathered several monsoons. Then, around three dozen connecting passages in Sector 17 have been blocked by the traders themselves who dump their junk on the concrete floors. These blockages also prove dangerous for unsuspecting visitors and tourists, who are sometimes shocked by the city's underbelly.

Therefore, the orders for the restoration of Sector 17 could not have come at a more appropriate time. Meanwhile, at the CHCC meeting, the issues pertaining to the Capitol Complex and the progress of the ongoing works there were also discussed in detail. The UT's engineering wing has already kick-started its works in the complex.

- The Times of India, March 13, 2015

It's always the Western Ghats that are in the spotlight and few know that its eastern counterpart has a rich biodiversity. A team from Chennai recently completed a three-year study on birds of the Eastern Ghats and recorded 270 species of birds, of which 15 are rare, endangered or threatened.

In Tamil s Nadu, the East l ern Ghats stretch from Sirumalai and Karanthamalai Hills in the south to Kalrayan Palamalai and Mettur Hills in the north. The study, led by R J Ranjit Daniels of CareEarth, a Chennai-based biodiversity organisation, focused on hills and forests of northern Tamil Nadu across nine districts-Trichy , Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Dhar mapuri, Krishnagiri, Tiruvannama lai, Vellore and Villupuram.

"Most research on birds is done in the Western Ghats and very little is recorded or published about bird life in the Eastern Ghats," said Daniels, who began the study , funded by the ministry of environment, forests and climate change, in May 2012.

Birds were counted on short transects (particular paths along which animals or birds are observed) in the morning and evening to identify crepuscular (active at twilight) and nocturnal birds. The major habitat types in the region are dense forests of the deciduous and semi-evergreen types, open thorn forests, riparian forests, plantations, rocky hillocks with scrub and wetlands. The highest eleva tion in the study area was around 1,500m above sea level and most of the study locations were above 500m.

The research team made 8,455 observations in which 270 species of birds were recorded. Of these, 40 species are be considered common species of birds in the study area.The red-vented bulbul topped the list as the most common bird with 429 observations followed by the redwhiskered bulbul (300).

Other frequently observed birds were the white-browed bulbul, common iora, purple-rumped sunbird, Indian robin, spotted dove, common tailorbird, purple sunbird, rufous treepie and rose-ringed parakeet.Each of these species was observed not less than 140 times during the study, Daniels said.

Birds such as the grey-headed bulbul, lesser fish eagle, white naped tit, spangled drongo and 35 other species were observed only once during the study. "Presumably these are some of the rarest birds recorded in the study area, especially the white-naped tit, a species found in very few parts of the country," he said.

Fifteen species of birds have been recorded as rare, endangered and threatened. None of these species were observed in Trichy , Vellore and Villupuram. Erode had the maximum number of rare species at 11, while Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Namakkal had three each, Salem two and Tiruvannamalai one.

Of the major terrestrial habitats, dense forests supported maximum number of bird species (152).

Open forests and riparian vegetation came in next with 141 spe cies. The agricultural areas had species richness of 100 while plantations and rocky scrub had 82 and 54 respectively , the study revealed.

The study also recommended the establishment of forest bird sanctuaries in Namakkal, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and Salem districts.Bird tourism could be explored as means of creating sustainable livelihoods for tribal communities, Daniels said.

- The Times of India, March 13, 2015

The cryptic silence of the ruins of the forlorn Hampi forts in Karnataka, dating back to 1 CE, is shattered by the clucking cries of a troop of monkeys, fighting arduously with another belligerent group, trying to wrest their territory. As they leap from one cyclopean boulder to another, it’s evident that the fight will last long. After all, there is only that much territory left in the ruins to establish control over, since the rest of it has progressively succumbed to changing weather and changing attitudes towards cultural and natural heritage.

This scene plays out everyday in front of R Gopal, Commissioner, Hampi World Heritage Management Authority, who finds not just inhabitants from the animal kingdom but also human encroachers gnawing at the erstwhile fort’s glory. And, they know exactly when he’s going to come. Sensing his arrival, all the hawkers immediately flee. As he sees them running away in the distance, Gopal knows they’ll be back the next morning. Upon closer inspection of the quadrangle they’ve fled from, he finds a large scribbled patch on one side of the stone chariot of the Vittala Temple in the vicinity. Gopal isn’t surprised, and walks away from the destruction.

This chief trading, art and literature centre that flourished immeasurably during the time of the Vijayanagara Empire has been periodically falling prey to ruthless encroachers and neglect by the successive governments. Although, it was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986, alarmingly, only 58 of the 550 monuments come under protection. Each day, materials from the crumbling structures are picked up for construction of houses and shops in the vicinity. Also, incidents of stone quarrying, pollution and unregulated infringement have left Hampi and many other such sites gasping for survival. Just days after the announcement of the Union Budget 2015, promising resources for the restoration of nine heritage sites, we look at many more, outside the realm of the list, that need urgent attention too.

The Elephanta Caves, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rani ki Vav, Leh Palace, Jallianwala Bagh and others will see restoration work with immediate effect. While these may be priority, there are several others that need funding too, like the Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra (meaning two-and-a-half-day building) in Ajmer. Built upon the orders of the first sultan of Delhi, Qutub-ud-Din-Aibak, it was later beautified by sultan Iltutmish. “It displays beautiful double-depth calligraphic inscriptions, and is the epitome of Mughal architectural style.

Encroachers have been found to dirty the complex, visitors are found to scribble on the walls, and there is little or no clean lavatory facility,” says conservationist and owner of a heritage hotel, Dushyant Singh Masuda, who undertook the restoration work of 100-year-old Bijay Niwas Palace in Rajasthan, built by Rao Bijay Singh, the 16th descendant of the erstwhile Masuda Istimrardari (a category higher than jagirdars of Rajputana). It was going to be tricky to restore a heritage property, but exactly how tricky, he would find out later. Ornated with beautiful stucco motifs, his search for stucco artists took him to many cities, but all in vein. After days of hunting, he finally came across a few artists in Gwalior.

He realised that, along with the building, a rare form of art was also becoming endangered. “While it’s good to know that the government is being proactive in wanting to improve the amenities at some of these popular heritage sites, it’s also required to understand that there are many monuments that don’t come under the purview but require touch-ups nonetheless,” he says, highlighting another such important heritage masterpiece—the Taragarh Fort in Ajmer. A magnificent fort with six gates that is said to be one of the oldest hill forts in the world. It’s an imposing structure that beckons everybody’s attention.

In the capital city, vandalism by slum dwellers has turned heritage facades into large canvases for doodling. The Madhi Masjid in Mehrauli, for instance, is a Lodi era mosque with a full-bodied, architectural structure, adorned with bright blue tiles, but is now lost between high rises and busy highways. Another such lesser-known monument in the vicinity called Jahaz Mahal, which is protected by ASI, needs serious notice. “People scratch, scribble, draw and spit on the walls of these monuments, and over a period of time, the footfall decreases,” says Rakshita Swamy, a third-year student of history at the Delhi University. She points out that Zafar Mahal in Mehrauli, perhaps the last structure built by the Mughals, has become the playground of children from slums.

When in 1977, Aman Nath, historian and the youngest founder-member of INTACH and his business partner late Francis Wacziarg, also a founding member of INTACH, decided to take the erstwhile Neemrana fort-palace under their wings, they couldn’t manage to get the labour required to restore the property. Reason was quite simple—the fort was declared haunted. Nath recalls how, for days, he had to convince masons to stop worrying and start working, but they just wouldn’t oblige. So, in an attempt to prove that there were no ghosts in the fort, Nath decided to spend a night in the deepest precincts of the palace, all alone. Deeper into the night, it all began to make sense. The walls of the fort had understandably developed cracks and holes.

When at night, the wind picked up, the air would get sucked into the holes, making loud, bizarre noises. But one thing was established—there were no ghosts, and work could finally commence. Since then, he’s injected life into several heritage properties. “I’ve, first hand, been involved in plumbing, wiring, repainting etc. for old facades. It requires specific expertise which in turn requires money. That’s where the problem lies,” he says. Nath, personally, would like to see the entrance of the Purana Qila redone.

Dr B R Mani, the Additional Director General at Archaeological Survey of India, believes that while they have enough funds, they don’t really have enough skilled hands to deploy labour. “Till a few years ago, we were taking care of just 200-300 sites, but now we have 700-800 sites under our purview. Working on heritage properties requires a certain amount of expertise,” he says, adding, “Presently, our endeavours extend to not just within India, but also abroad in countries like Afghanistan, Egypt, Bhutan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Nepal and others. That means our masons get divided between projects in India and abroad, and therefore, work back home takes longer to finish.”

When Vikas Dilawari, conservation architect based in Mumbai, woke up from his 10-minute power nap, while restoring Craigie Burn Bungalow in Matheran, he found his tools scattered around the bench. “What the hell just happened?” he thought out aloud. A troop of monkeys were prime suspects, who had earlier broken one of the roofs the team had painstakingly repaired. In another instance, when he was working on the restoration of the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, an eagle, who had just given birth to a baby, would constantly hover over the area, and unpredictably nosedive towards anybody she thought was creating trouble for her baby.

ASI may be doing great work, but it shies away from accepting that it can do a lot more, according to Dilawari, who has worked towards restoring important properties like the Aga Khan Palace in Pune, which was declared unsafe, but was given the Nationally Protected Monument status by ASI, after restoration. “The UNESCO sites are already well looked-after, but the ones outside its realm are hardly cared for. Majority of the funding goes as the salary of the custodians of these properties, but many times the monuments themselves are neglected. Forts are a big example; those that are perched on hilltops are difficult to tend. “Some have been encroached, and bastis have mushroomed all around the vicinity. Jogeshwari Caves in Mumbai is one such structure that’s seen a lot of encroachment,” says Dilawari, the conservationist responsible for giving a fresh lease of life to the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, the Byculla and the Esplanade House, the original residence of J N Tata, all in Mumbai. An ideal case would be when a monument’s health is looked after in a scientific manner, a good example of which is the restoration of Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, by the Aga Khan Foundation that followed a master plan, he says.

The brain behind which was Projects Director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, India, Ratish Nanda, who vehemently supports the government’s decision to allocate funds for the nine listed sites. “It’s only rarely that conservationists have reason to rejoice. This is one such moment,” he says. Leading a team of conservationists, he helped conserve the Humayun’s Tomb. He argues that the government’s efforts shouldn’t be trivialised by focusing on the heritage sites the finance minister hasn’t included in his budget speech.

Looking closely at unprotected heritage is Divya Gupta and a team of experts led by him. Working as the Principal Director, Architectural Heritage Division with the INTACH, he is compiling a ‘State of Built Heritage’ report that will list all the heritage properties state-wise that need to come under the sphere of protection. “The report will submit challenges and develop strategies for conservation. We’re hoping that many of them will acquire World Heritage Site status,” he says.

- The Indian Express, March 14, 2015

A statue of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled on Saturday in London's prestigious Parliament Square, a space packed mostly with monuments to men who served the British Empire that Gandhi helped destroy.

In an ironic twist noted by the Indian government, Gandhi's likeness now shares the same space as a statue of Britain's former leader Winston Churchill, who tried to thwart Indian independence and who despised Gandhi and his aims.

Churchill famously called Gandhi "a seditious Middle Temple lawyer, now posing as a fakir of a type well known in the East, striding half-naked up the steps of the Vice-regal palace."

But almost seven decades after India won independence from Britain in 1947, thanks in large part to Gandhi's peaceful civil disobedience campaign, relations between the two countries are strong with both keen to boost economic ties.

Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled the 9-foot-tall statue opposite the British parliament, marking the 100th anniversary of Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa to start the struggle for self rule.

"It ... marks an important, historic moment celebrating the strong bond between our two nations," Jaitley said.

"India and the UK share the same values and we are a partnership of equals. This lasting friendship is just one of many legacies left by Gandhi."

Prime Minister David Cameron, who looked on as Jaitley removed an orange drape from the statue, said the monument celebrated the special friendship between the world's oldest democracy and its largest.

"This statue is a magnificent tribute to one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics," said Cameron. "Many of his teachings remain as potent today as when he first made them."

Indian film star Amitabh Bachchan spoke, as did Gandhi’s grandson Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

The bronze statue of Gandhi, which shows him standing up wearing a dhoti, was crafted by British sculptor Philip Jackson> It is based on a photograph of Gandhi standing outside the offices of the British prime minister in 1931.

The statue is lower than others on the square, a deliberate decision made by the Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust, which raised money for the monument, to reflect the fact that Gandhi considered himself a man of the people.

Although the square is mostly filled with statues of former British prime ministers, Gandhi has been placed close to monuments of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and South African President Nelson Mandela.

- http://www.reuters.com, March 14, 2015

Indian government agencies fear that over 2,913 antiques have been shipped overseas to dealers and auction houses worldwide. In a curious case, US-based art historian Dr Pratapaditya Pal informed the Indian Embassy in Brussels that he spotted a sculpture he believed was from the Sas Bahu Temple, Nagda in Rajasthan. When ASI officials visited Brussels in January last year to check, they had to return empty-handed since the Belgians were not very forthcoming. ASI again wrote to Pal in May last year to “intimate about the present location of the object to initiate retrieval of the same.” Meanwhile, the statue is still waiting.

DEAL FOR DEAL: In September 2014, visiting Australian Prime Minster Tony Abbot signed a nuclear agreement with India to sell billions of dollars worth of uranium. But what sweetened the deal was Abbot’s return gift—two stolen antique Indian Shiva sculptures handed over to his counterpart Narendra Modi. A 900-year-old bronze Nataraja, bought for $5 million by National Gallery of Australia in 2008, and 1,100-year-old stone sculpture of Shiva with Nandi bought by Art Gallery of New South Wales for Rs 280,000 in 2004 from New York-based art dealer Subhash Kapoor, who is now on trial in Tamil Nadu for theft, marked the return of smuggled Indian art. As part of new-found bonhomie, Australians in January have also shown their willingness to return another 2nd century Buddha sculpture. But these are not the only ones. Through ASI and Indian embassies, the government is trying to get back 10 more “stolen” ancient sculptures lying in six countries.

In 2011, Kapoor, owner of the “Art of the Past” gallery in upscale Manhattan, New York, was arrested in Germany and subsequently extradited to India. It was only after his arrest that many of the buyers came forward to return them. Kapoor emerged as a leading art smuggler from India as he used to commission art thefts after getting orders from intermediaries who preferred to operate in the shadows. He is not the only one. Sanjeevi Ashokan, a native of Kerala had adopted a unique modus operandi of creating metal duplicates of stolen idols to get a handicraft certificates to shipping the real ones to Kapoor. Subsequently illegal export of several idols through separate consignments were made through an export company ‘Ever Star international Services Inc’ in 2006 for Kapoor’s Nimbus Export Inc in New York. The probe further revealed that Ashokan used to target ruined Chola period temples. During 2006-2008, 28 antique idols of Hindu deities were stolen and subsequently smuggled out of India to America using these handicraft certificates.

Similarly, a Dengapura Durga, a piece of sculpture stolen from the Kashmir valley in early 1990, was located in a museum in Germany. “The claim for its retrieval has been presented to the Minister of Science, Research and the Arts of the State Government of Baden-wiirttemberg, Germany by the Consulate General of India, Munich, Germany,” Culture minister Mahesh Sharma told Parliament last Wednesday. ‘Durga’ was also sold by Kapoor to be sold to the Lidden Museum. Another artefact from Kapoor’s haul is the Chola bronze statue, which is now in possession of the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), Singapore. ASI has requested the Singapore High Commissioner to take up the matter with ACM. While the ASI does not put a value of an antiquity unless it is temporarily exported for an exhibition, going by the rates ranging between $2 lakh and $50 lakh at which Kapoor sold three antiquities to Australian museums, the cost of the 11 missing antiquities can be pegged up to $ 55 million. “We are trying hard to get these stolen artefacts back,” said Additional Director General B R Mani.

LAW IN MOTION: Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma told The Sunday Standard that the government was trying to get back art pieces, which belong to India. “We will be framing guidelines to help prevent smuggling of these sculptures,” said he. Culture ministry officials said the government was in the process of drafting a new Antiquities Law to replace the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act of 1972 and Indian Antiquity Art Treasure Act. The work has been assigned to a retired additional secretary in ministry of Law and Justice. The amendments to the Act would be proposed after consultations with stakeholders, which to a large extent may prevent antique smuggling. The new law would encourage the domestic market to deal in antiquities.

HAPHAZARD RECORDS: According to the National Mission for Monument and Antiquities, there are approximately 70 lakh antiquities in India. But till March this year, only 13.03 lakh have been documented. According to the Cultural Ministry, 11 cultural properties have been trafficked from India in the last 10 years. The ministry told Parliament that in the last three years, 16 rare artefacts and idols have been stolen from the country, but only two have been recovered till last year. In 2014, three thefts were reported—a durga sculpture from Panchalingeswara Temple in Govindanahalli in Mandya, a granite Shivalinga from a temple in Thimmalapur, Bellary, Karnataka, and two wooden carved brackets from Vittalbhai Haveli, Kheda in Gujarat. Only the wooden brackets have been recovered so far. Five antique thefts were reported in 2012, of which four were from Karnataka and one in Chhattisgarh. None of them have been recovered so far.

AN UNCOUNTABLE HAUL: While there may be thousands of Indian antiquities in foreign countries going by the collections of museums and art galleries, authorities say they can only act only if it is proven that they are stolen.

Says senior ASI official, “Most museums abroad say they have acquired the art works before 1970s, when the law came into being. Unless, there is a specific case that comes to our notice we cannot act.” ASI officials agree that problem is far more complicated. “Most of the thefts either do not come to light or are not known as all our heritages sites are not in the centrally protected list. Many of them come under the state governments, while many others remain undocumented,” a senior ASI official added. This has been the case with the ‘Khajuraho Parrot Lady,’ and Uma and Ganesh sculptures, where no theft cases or their exact location in India could be traced. “There is obviously a problem. When these articles are taken abroad, at least Indian Customs should know,” he added.

MURKY MALAISE: Of the 3,676 protected monuments, the smugglers usually target artefacts of Gandhara, Chola and Vijayanagara period that fetch more money in the international antique market which is estimated to be around $8-10 billion. Once stolen, the items are shipped to unregistered dealers abroad using the standard cargo route camouflaged as export items. While the dealers are responsible for creating fraudulent provenance of the stolen sculptures, some well known auction houses and galleries are said to be involved in selling stolen Indian antiques, despite having been sensitised on the issue by Interpol and FBI. “Everyone including buyers and sellers are aware that the property is not documented. In most cases, the documentation is cooked up to facilitate the auction,” an antique dealer said.

The world’s largest auction house, Sotheby’s, has faced similar problems, where its executives were accused of smuggling Indian antiques which were subsequently auctioned. Investigations had exposed a high-profile network between Sothebys and Indian antique smuggler Vaman Ghiya. Ghiya was part of a global racket involving art dealers and auction houses. During a search by the Rajasthan Police in 2003, sixty-eight catalogues of Sotheby’s and Christie’s were recovered. A witness admitted to investigators that he had packed thousands of antique sculptures for export abroad, of which some were shown in the catalogs. Surprisingly, even e-commerce website like eBay are selling what they claim are Indian antiques.

The Indian government, however, has not been able to do much. The Comptroller and Audit General in its 2013 report said, “We found that the ASI had never participated or collected information on Indian antiquities put on sale at Sotheby’s and Christie’s as there was no explicit provision in the AAT Act, 1972 for doing so.” The ASI agrees. “It’s only when someone points out that a particular art work was stolen that we can ask our embassies to stop these auctions,” a senior ASI official told The Sunday Standard. Meanwhile, history for sale goes on.

Stolen antiques India is trying to get back

Sculptures from Sas Bahu Temple, Nagda, Rajasthan, now in Belgium.

Dengapura Durga in Germany

Torso of Lord Vishnu located in USA

Sculpture of Gadgach Temple at Atru, Rajasthan, now in USA

Chola bronze statue, likely from Tamil Nadu, now in Asian Civilizations Museum (ACM), Singapore

Khajuraho parrot lady , now in Edmonton, Canada

Female figure from Baroli in the Denver Art Museum, USA

Dancing Ganesha and Vishnu riding on Garuda, now in USA

Bharhut Sculpture; Uma and Ganesha now in from USA

The 65-year-old kingpin of the international racket of antique smuggling, according to the Tamil Nadu police, had widespread network across India, Pakistan, Dubai, Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Combodia and Bangkok.

Born in Delhi, Kapoor migrated to the US in 1974, set up a private museum, ‘Art of the Past’, and another export company ‘Nimbus Import Inc’ in New York. He visited Tamil Nadu whenever he came to India. In September 2005, Kapoor last visited Chennai, stayed at a five-star hotel and met his Indian contact Sanjivi Asokan, from Kerala. Asokan used to purchase new metal idols similar to the stolen one and get a handicraft certificate from Assistant Director, Handicraft Development Office, Ministry of Textiles at Chennai. These were exported from Chennai harbour.

Police traced that Asokan was paid dollars equal to an amount of Rs 1.16 crore from Kapoor’s account in HSBC Bank, New York. Ironically, in many cases, the thefts were noticed after two years. After Asokan’s arrest in 2009, police wrote to CBI-Interpol to recover all the eight stolen idols from New York. Kapoor was detained in Germany in 2011 and extradited to India in 2012. He is currently lodged in Phuzal jail, Chennai. Some of stolen idols were found to have been sold to various museums and art collectors in USA, Brussels, Singapore and Australia.

The Land of Treasures

According to National Mission for Monument and Antiquities, India has approximately 70 lakh antiquities

Till now, only 13.03 lakh antiquities have been documented

3,676 ASI-protected monuments across the country

Major demand for sculptures belonging to Gandhara, Chola and Vijayanagara period

International market of antiques estimated to be around $8-$10 billion.

According to National Crime Records Bureau, 4,408 antique items were stolen from the monuments across the country during 2008-2012 but only 1,493 could be intercepted by the law enforcement agencies

Around 2,913 antique items are feared to be shipped to dealers and auction houses worldwide

- The Indian Express, March 15, 2015

The Dharmasthala trust, along with State govt.,

In a country strapped for cash for the protection of monuments, the public-private partnership (PPP) model of the Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Dharmothana Trust and the State government has emerged as a shining example for restoration of heritage structures to protect it for posterity.

The trust, established in 1991 by Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade, is set to achieve a milestone in its inspiring saga of restoration as the foundation stone for the 200th such initiative will be laid on March 14.

A.H. Hariram Shetty, Director of the trust, told The Hindu that an ancient Shiva temple in a dilapidated state at Srinivasnagar in Chickballapur is being taken up for restoration at a cost of Rs. 39 lakh. “The event holds special significance for the trust as it will be stepping into its 25th year of pursuing this noble objective,” said Mr. Shetty.

The trust has so far completed 132 restoration works across Karnataka under the PPP model. While it has taken up 68 works with its own funding, it recently signed a memorandum of understanding with JSW Foundation for restoration of an ancient temple at Talur village in Sandur taluk of Ballari district, according to Mr. Shetty.

For 2014–15, the trust and the Department of Archaeology and Museums, representing the State, have taken up 16 temples for restoration, spread over 10 districts in the State at a cost of Rs. 4.05 crore. The temples are located at Davangere, Dharwad, Gadag, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Chickballapur and Haveri districts, among others. The Hadinaru Kalu Mantapa on the banks of the Kapila in Nanjangud is one of the monuments to be restored by the trust.

C.G. Betsurmath, Commissioner, Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, said this was a unique model worth emulating as a CSR activity by corporate bodies.

“In Karnataka alone, there are 772 monuments protected by the State Archaeology Department and more than 700 under the Archaeological Survey of India. But, there are hundreds of other important but unprotected monuments that can be taken up for restoration to help conserve the country’s heritage and culture,” said Mr. Betsurmath.

The trust takes up architecturally significant temples or monuments that are more than 200 years old and in a dilapidated condition for restoration.

- The Hindu, March 15, 2015

Kabuki, a highly stylised Japanese theatre form of song, dance and skill, has re-invented and transformed itself over the centuries B. N. Goswamy

There is a great 18th century print that I came upon just the other day at the Sarabhai Foundation in Ahmedabad. I was flipping through a 20-volume set of exquisitely produced books: the Kyoto Shoin’s Art Library of Japanese Textiles. The volume I had in hand was on Kabuki costumes, one dazzling garment after another, and pictures of actors wearing these on stage sprinkled all over its pages. But this print was very special: for it showed an almost chaotic gathering of men and women present — I am not necessarily saying ‘watching’ — inside a theatre where a Kabuki piece was in progress.

One knows the art, one of the three great theatrical forms of Japan, the other two being Noh and Bunraku; one also knows that the name derives possibly from three characters that form the word in Japanese, meaning, respectively, ‘song’, ‘dance’ and ‘skill’. But that it was related, at least at one point of time, to the word kabukimono, which meant persons “who were bizarrely dressed and swaggered on a street”, came across brilliantly in this print.

The enormous covered hall, all made of wood, the roof resting on massive painted wooden columns, and rows of festive paper lanterns hanging from almost equally massive beams, is, in the print, the space where, far at the back, the stage is set up: wooden flooring, typical Japanese sliding paper screens, musicians and characters playing their parts. But they are painted on so small a scale as to be barely noticeable.

The entire attention of the printmaker is on the ‘audience’, a motley mix of men and women, most of them in ordinary dresses, most of them turning away from the stage to look at the viewer as it were: eating out of brought-in meal packets, grappling with each other either out of affection or to get the other person out of the way, many craning their necks, some beckoning the hawkers selling eatables while walking on narrow fence-like barriers that separate the differently ticketed classes. The eyes of a fair number are trained on an actor, face fully painted to represent a character, and dressed in an enormous billowy costume, who is seen swaggering on the traditional walkway, a kind of foot-bridge, that runs all the way from one end of the hall to the stage. It is a riotous, jostling crowd. However, far above it, in the balconies that line the hall, the artist brings in the well-heeled, thinly spread part of the audience: elegantly dressed men and women, looking with barely concealed amusement upon the audience below. They are paying no attention to the stage and the goings-on there. Is it interval time between the acts, one wonders? This 18th century print, somehow, brings vividly to mind a description of old Kabuki that I seem to have read once. At least, in respect of audience participation. Ever so often, in it, the actors used to step out of their character and addressed the audience; they might even articulate their appreciation of another actor’s performance and ask for the response of the audience. Which, of course, would be instantly forthcoming. There would be constant talk, cheering and jeering, and so on. One is almost reminded of nautanki performances in the countryside in our land.

But it was all very energetic, very stylised: a little like Toshiro Mifune, that great actor who was almost a constant in Kuroswara’s films, swaggering on the stage. But, of course, in spite of all its dazzling spectacle, it can, at its best, be very subtle, very moving.

Interestingly, the history of Kabuki is very chequered: despite being spoken of as a ‘traditional’ form of theatre, it kept on transforming, perhaps re-inventing, itself, over a long period of time. It appears to have sprung up in at the very beginning of the 17th century: in fact a precise date is cited — 1603 A.D. — when a free-spirited woman, Izumo no Okuni, began performing “a new style of dance drama in the dry riverbeds of Kyoto”. The performance was lively, even ribald, punctuated by dialogues in double entendre; being performed entirely by women, it became an instant hit with men, mostly commoners. Rumours went around that the performers were women of loose character and were for licentious hire. With time, however, the cloak of respectability was thrown over the form when Okuni was asked to perform before the Imperial court. Kabuki had arrived. It provided entertainment for everyone: tea-houses started clustering around the theatres where the plays were performed; souvenir shops sprang up. A kind of pop culture was beginning to emerge. Performances began to last from morning to sunset, enthusiastic crowds — noisy, hysterical, brawling crowds — taking days off from work only to watch favourite actors and dancers on stage.

Soon, however, under a conservative, elitist regime — the Shogunate, a kind of feudal military governmental authority — Kabuki came under attack. The regime saw it as a source of moral corruption and of potential trouble, considering how the social classes mixed at Kabuki performances. Acting as a censor of public morals, the government of the day banned women from theatre, demanding that only male actors perform all roles, male and female. This changed, however, and both men and women were allowed to perform on the stage eventually. Slowly, a new gravity entered the form: historical events and moral conflicts took centrestage, in a move away from the emphasis on dance. Great artists, like Sharaku, began to celebrate Kabuki through painting images of great actors which started, through reproduction in the form of prints, circulating throughout the land. For centuries, it seems, Kabuki remained on a roller-coaster ride.

It is not easy to describe Kabuki with all its complexities, its noble reticence on the one hand and its extravagant form on the other. The form has its own language, its own vocabulary, and one has to be an insider to be able to ‘decode’ it. In respect of colours that characters wear alone — this is so reminiscent of our own Kathakali dance-dramas — one has to know that yellow is worn by a person of the highly placed daimyo class; pale-blue goes for the young; black is generally worn by a villain; and purple signifies a chaste woman. This apart, as a highly stylised theatre form, alien to outsiders, Kabuki is seen differently by different persons. American humorist Dave Barry, unable to sit through endlessly long and repetitive performances, once famously remarked that “watching kabuki is less enjoyable than eye surgery”, but there are others who are addicted to the form and remain resolutely loyal to it.

Things have a way of turning full circle. In 2002, a public statue was erected to Okuni, the female performer who invented the form in the year 1603. And in 2005, the Unesco registered Kabuki as Intangible Cultural Heritage of the world.

- The Tribune, March 15, 2015

Iran will host the annual conference of the World Crafts Council-Asia Pacific Region in 2016, Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (ICHTHO) announced on Saturday.

Iran’s proposal for hosting the conference was approved at the annual conference of the council, which was held in Chennai, India from February 28 to March 2.

States from Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America are members of the World Crafts Council, which is affiliated with UNESCO.

The WCC was established to promote handicrafts in everyday life.

The council also fosters and assists cultural exchange through conferences, international visits, research study, lectures, workshops and exhibitions.

- The Tehran Times, March 15, 2015

Union Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu has said the foundation stone for the development of a part of the Ibrahimpatnam-Jagadalpur National Highway 221 (new NH 30) passing through Bhadrachalam division of Khammam district will be laid by the Union Transport Minister later this month.
Mr. Venkaiah Naidu was in town on Sunday to campaign for E. Rammohan Rao, the BJP candidate for the Legislative Council election for the Nalgonda-Khammam-Warangal Graduates constituency.
Addressing a meeting held in this connection here, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu said the Central government was committed to revitalising the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for improving road connectivity in rural areas. Warangal has been included in the Heritage City development scheme, he said, adding that a plan was on the anvil to revive the Fertilizer Corporation of India’s Ramagundam unit.

- The Hindu, March 16, 2015

A 14th century monument, Tomb of Khan Shahid, located inside the Mehrauli Archaeological Park was defaced and whitewashed some days ago. The monument, protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, used to be brown in colour. Now it has been painted white. Other smaller monuments in the park have also been encroached upon.

"This monument was notified as 'protected' in 2008-09," said an official with INTACH.

Khan Shahid was the son of Ghiyas-ud-din Balban, the ninth Sultan of the Mamluk dynasty during the Delhi Sultanat period. There are around 60 monuments in the Mehrauli Park, spread over 200 acres. The park's land is owned by Delhi Development Authority but officials say their responsibility is only to maintain the park. "These monuments are ASI's responsibility, not ours," a DDA spokesperson said.

ASI officials were not aware of the monument's status. "We don't know whether ASI, Delhi Wakf Board or DDA is responsible for it," said Deepak Bhardwaj, a surveyor with ASI Delhi.

The tomb could well become a cause of contention between different institutions. As per ASI, DDA is the land-owning agency and even outside the park DDA boards have been put up. However, on the freshly white-painted walls, one could see Delhi Wakf Board written in black. "We didn't send any painter to this site. But if it is Delhi Wakf Board property then we have the right over it and repair work can be carried out," said Rana Siddique, chairperson, Delhi Wakf Board.

The tomb is supported on 12 Delhi quartzite columns and is covered with a vaulted roof of brick and plaster. The enclosure measures 4.85m by 3.85m. Hidden by thick vegetation, it isn't easily accessible. It is easy to miss the turn leading to the tomb as the small plants market on Anuvrat Marg has encroached upon the pavements and the road leading to it.

The structure had undergone conservation work in 1998 as a part of the INTACH Delhi Chapter under the project on 20 monuments within the area. The columns have engraved capitals and the ceiling has inscriptions, geometric and floral motifs in plaster. All this is now hidden under the white coat of paint. Even the tomb is in shambles and needs immediate repair.

"Last week it came to our notice that the tomb and other small monuments in the enclosure are all painted white. It isn't even maintained well," the INTACH official said.

There is a mosque and a graveyard in the same compound. One could see people drying clothes on the roof of another small monument next to the mosque. Some people also live inside the mosque. "We are living here for some years now," said one of them. The encroachers confirmed that last week two painters came and daubed it in white.

- The Times of India, March 17, 2015

The Central government has notified an area of 1,976.125 sqkm in Gondia and Bhandara districts as ecosensitive zone (ESZ) of Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR).

According to official sources, this is the first protected area (PA) in the state for which draft notification was issued a few days ago. "There are 22 more sanctuaries and national parks whose ESZ proposals are in advance stage of processing for draft notifications," they said. Proposals of around eight PAs will be resent with certain clarifications, they added.

The government notified area up to 12km from the boundary of Nagzira, New Nagzira, Koka, Navegaon, and Navegaon National Park, all part of the tiger reserve. The ESZ covers villages in Goregaon, Gondia, Sadak Arjuni, Deoli, Arjuni Morgaon, Bhandara, Sakoli, Lakhni and Mohadi talukas of Gondia and Bhandara districts. The draft notification will be in force for 60 days after which a final notification will be issued. Any complaints or issues that need to be addressed can be sent to the MoEFCC within this period. NNTR was declared a tiger reserve on December 12, 2013.

ESZs were first discussed in National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) meeting on January 21, 2002, deciding to notify them under Section 3 (V) of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986. The National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) 2002-16 indicates that areas outside the PA network are often vital ecological corridor links and must be protected to prevent fragmentation of biodiversity that will not survive in the long run.

Sanctuaries under NNTR are known for rich avifauna with about 312 species of birds including migratory and water birds, a number of territorial birds of Indian origin stay here around the year. Breeding of saras cranes has also been recorded from this region. The area has very high faunal and floral diversity with about 72 species of mammals, 48 species of reptiles and many species of amphibians. The area also supports important species such as tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, bison, cheetal, sambhar and nilgai.

The state government, for effective management of the ESZ, will have to prepare a zonal master plan, within a period of two years from the date of publication of final notification in consultation with locals. "The buffer zone of the NNTR shall form part of the ESZ and the tiger conservation plan (TCP) shall also be taken into consideration during the preparation of zonal master plan (ZMP), which will not impose any restriction on approved existing land use, infrastructure and activities," officials told TOI.

Establishment of new wood-based industries shall not be permitted within the proposed ESZ. Besides, industries causing water, air, soil, noise pollution shall also not be permitted. No brick kilns shall be permitted within one kilometre from the boundary of NNTR.

WHAT ESZ MEANS

* Prohibited Activities: New mining, stone quarrying, saw mills, industries causing water, air, soil or noise pollution, commercial use of firewood, major hydroelectric projects, tourism activities like overflying the park area by aircraft, hot-air balloons.

* Regulated Activities: No new commercial hotels and resorts shall be permitted in one km of the boundary of the parks, planned tourism activities, no new commercial construction of any kind shall be permitted within one kilometre from the PA boundary, laying of new transmission lines within 500 metres from the park boundary, widening and strengthening of existing roads and construction of new roads.

* Promoted Activities: Recycling of treated effluents, non-polluting SSIs, floriculture, horticulture, agriculture practices by local communities along with dairies, dairy farming, aquaculture and fisheries, rain water harvesting, organic farming, adoption of green technology, cottage industries including village artisans, use of renewable energy sources.

- The Times of India, March 17, 2015

Goa's rich avian biodiversity boasts of 463 documented species, but, other than the usual kirkiro (kingfisher), buddo (cormorant), kutturgo (white-cheeked barbet), hollduvo (golden oriole), vayre (Malabar grey hornbill) and some more, the list of birds in Konkani fails to come out in flying colours.

Taking a cue from birders in other states, members of Goan Bird Conservation Network (GBCN) hope to compile a list of Konkani names for locally-recorded species in the near future.

Famed ornithologist, late Salim Ali, veteran birder, Heinz Lainer and other birders have contributed to the list, but, only a miniscule number of birds are known by their local names.

"This is a complex task and may turn out to be a long-term exercise to have a list of standardized names in Konkani," says Parag Rangnekar, GBCN state coordinator.

Agrees Pronoy Baidya, a birder and state coordinator of web portal, e-bird Goa. "This will be a full exercise and modalities will have to be worked out."

Birders realize that local residents on the periphery of the state's wetlands and traditional lakes can be good sources of knowledge. But, academic exercises in the past to source information have been limited.

Arun Heblekar, former principal of Ravi Sitaram Naik college of arts and science, Farmagudi, Ponda, had taken up a project to compile a standard list of common bird names in Konkani a few years ago. "We circulated a note among 15 school managements in Ponda with this objective in mind, but barely two responded," recalls Heblekar.

A list of 100-odd names was nonetheless compiled, but, Heblekar regrets that the project could not be completed. "We prepared a catalogue of over 100 names, but time was a constraint. If somebody takes it up we would like to support the initiative," Heblekar, now retired, says.

Sources say birders in some other states like Tamil Nadu launched their initiatives a few years ago, while the Maharashtra Pakshimitra Sanghatana also complied a list of 550 species in Marathi. "We are still getting suggestions to improve this (Marathi) list," says Raju Kasambe, project manager, IBA Program and IBCN BNHS, Mumbai.

In Kerala, the project proponents charted a different course. "We have been told that prominent literary figures in Kerala were taken onboard to coin names in Malayalam for unknown birds," says Baidya.

Pointing out an issue in Goa, Baidya says the names of birds in Konkani vary from north to south. "We need to standardize, and will have to choose the best ones," he says in conclusion.

Says Ramesh Veluskar, a Konkani writer, "We are getting cut off from nature, as we frequent forest and other bird areas less and less. Fields are fallow and we see birds less. But even so, the elderly know the bird names, but research is needed before the knowledge fades away."

- The Times of India, March 17, 2015

The first phase of the Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) is all set to take off, with the union urban development ministry sanctioning Rs 69 crore for Amritsar city.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley had named Amritsar as part of the HRIDAY project, along with few other cities in India. The district administration will be identifying buildings and also the areas that require the facelift.

Confirming that the sanction order had been received, Amritsar deputy commissioner Ravi Bhagat said, "Since the project is an important one for the city, we are on job to finalise various details and a report about the project will soon be submitted to the government."

The DC added, "Under this project, we aim at the development of the facade of the Dharam Singh Market building, the development of roundabouts (Fuwara Chowk and Ambedkar Chowk), the Jallianwala Bagh and the Sculpture front. The project also includes the overall development of the Town Hall and surrounding areas, horticulture, and landscaping, street illuminations and night illumination of buildings, street amenities, street furniture, and development of adjoining areas."

The administration had invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) and once a broad outline was ready, projects will be allotted, he claimed.

Amritsar municipal Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal also claimed that an EoI had been the selection of firm/architect for development of roads and the facade of buildings from the Town Hall to the Golden Temple.

The DC added that a 'Heritage Park' will also be developed under this project and a couple of areas had been shortlisted where the park could be established.

MC Commissioner Sabharwal added that the project aimed at promoting the tangible and intangible heritage (including the traditional cuisines, arts and crafts) of the city, besides beautifying the areas around the Golden Temple.

He added that while the tangible part would take care of the conservation and beautification of heritage sites and buildings in the city, the intangible part would be dedicated to preserving and upholding the traditional foods as 'Papad-warian', trades as 'Punjabi jutti' as well as the arts and crafts exclusive to the city.

- The Hindustan Times, March 17, 2015

India, the country with unity in diversity, is enriched with the glory of historical monuments across the country.

The Ministry of Culture has released a statistical data that reveals states with more than ten- Archaeological Survey of India (A SI) protected monuments.

The data said that there the total number of monuments is 3,685 with an average distribution area of 892 square kilometres per monument.

Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of historical monuments, as per the data released by the Ministry of Culture.

It says that the state boasts of 743 monuments with the distribution area of 324 square kilometres per monument.

The second state that falls in the list of highest monuments uis Karnataka with 506 monuments, Tamil Nadu, being a small state in terms of area has 413 monuments, Madhya Pradesh- 292, Maharashtra- 285 and Gujarat- 293.

National Capital Delhi has 174 monuments with the distribution area of 9 square kilometres per monument.

Rajasthan, India's largest state by area, has 162 monuments, followed by West Bengal with 136 monuments and Andhra Pradesh with 129 monuments.

Haryana has 91 monuments with the distribution area of 486 square kilometres per monument. Odisha has 79 monuments, Bihar- 70, Jammu and Kashmir- 56, Assam- 55, Chhattisgarh- 47, Uttarakhand- 42, Himachal Pradesh- 40, Punjab-33, Kerala- 27, Goa- 21.

Jharkhand has 13 monuments, but with the highest distribution area of 6,132 square kilometres per monument.

The least number of monuments are located in the Union Territory Daman and Diu with only 12.

- in.newshub.org, March 17, 2015

For Nele Martens, art is an unending romance between light, transparency, inner and outer space. Working with a number of materials like ceramic, flexi glass, wood and metal, she says that the work on display is interactive art that is very relative to the space.

She says, “It is not like that one painting you place above the sofa. These work on light and according to the movement change. I want to channel light and put some focus on it. It gives a different energy to light and adds another element to the house.” Born in Munich, Germany, Nele studied at the Institute ‘de Firenze in Florence in Italy. Coming to India first in the late 70s, she also set up her own studio in Italy. She settled in Auroville almost 20 years ago and has her own studio, where she also teaches art.

Getting deeper into her fascination for light, Nele undertook research on kinetic sculptures and light installations. Adding to it is her admiration for kolams and traditional painted houses in Rajasthan and the works of MF Husain. She adds, “I just create energy or a certain harmony and balance in a space. I love colours and I want them to live and shine in strength.”

Nele doesn’t believe in dividing her dual identities of a painter and sculptor. “It is sculpture and painting, I don’t divide it. Once you start expressing and there is no one identity,” she says.

When she travelled to Pokhran in Rajasthan, almost 20 years ago, little did ceramic artist Rakhee Kane realise that the huge storage jars will bear an impact on her future work almost two decades later. At the ongoing exhibition, Rakhee’s work bears a strong testimonial to her penchant for the vigour and spirit of the Rajasthan potters.

“In the potters’ colony in Pokhran, men make the pots and women decorate it. I liked the vigour and spontaneity a lot. But I didn’t realise that this was going to be the impact of the experience,” she says.

Rakhee, who studied painting in MS University, Baroda and later ceramic design in National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad moved to Auroville in 2001. She initially trained under Jyotsna Bhatt and later Ray Meeker and Deborah Smith of Golden Bridge Pottery in Puducherry.

Participating in workshops and shows, Rakhee has curated ceramic shows in Chennai and Puduchery. Raakhee also sells her ceramic creations out of stores in Auroville.

Apart from the massive storage jars that have influenced her works, the ubiquitous commemorative stones that dot the landscape of India have left a lasting impact on her creations. She says, “They are present everywhere - North, South, East and West. I once saw almost 500 of them and being an emotional person I have been greatly inspired by it. Being a painter as well has made me look at everything in two dimensions. I have worked a lot on it to bring about the third dimension which is integral to the kind of works that I do today,” she says.

As part of Auroville Festival, ‘Moulded Perfection’ is on at Gallery Veda, 4/22 Rutland Gate Road, 1st Floor Nungambakkam till April 20.

- The Indian express, March 18, 2015

The district administration launched ‘Tourism Expo’, a tourism promotion event to introduced Bidar to tour operators from across the country, in Bidar on Tuesday.

Tour operators from New Delhi, Cochin, Hyderabad, Hampi, Vijayapura and Maharashtra participated in a heritage walk around the old town in the morning. History and archaeology experts took them around historical houses.

B.G. Shetkar, president, Bidar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, flagged off the heritage walk. He said local business persons were eager to welcome tour operators and provide them necessary infrastructure benefits and amenities.

The tour started from Choubarah, and passed through the small lanes of the old city lined with heritage houses as well as the Madrassa of Mahamud Gawan and ended at the Bidar Fort.

Govindan Kutty, head of the team that prepared the heritage master plan for the city, said 350 houses that were over 200 years old were identified as heritage houses. At least ten per cent of them can be converted into heritage homestays, he said.

Cooperation

Later at the Zilla Panchayat, senior officials interacted with the tour operators and assured cooperation. M. Sultan from New Delhi pointed out that clean hotels built at low budgets could help tourist stay overnight at Bidar. Now, most tourists come from Hyderabad, stay for a few hours and go back by evening. “We should try and retain them overnight,” he said. He strongly favoured conversion of heritage houses into home stays.

B. Venkatachalam from Hyderabad said the City Municipal Council should construct toilets near public places of tourist potential. Dusan Deak, from Slovakia who is a frequent traveller to India, pointed out that Tourism Department should develop separate circuits for tourists with different tastes. Those interested in forts should be taken to the Fort and related monuments.

Attractions

Others could be taken to spiritual places with Sufi, Datta and Natha Pantha traditions. The rest can be taken to see water structures like the Karez underground aqua ducts, terracotta pipes lines that supply water in heritage structures and the step wells in the nearby farms, he said.

Vinay Malage, coordinator of Team YUVA, a youth association suggested young travellers could be taken on jungle treks.

P.C. Jaffer, Deputy Commissioner, said the district administration was already in talks with some hotel chains. “We are hopeful of starting one soon,” he said.

- The Hindu, March 18, 2015

The environment activists and NGOs from across the city on Tuesday gathered to discuss and formulate plans through which they could make a difference to prevent ecological damages taking place in Vidarbha. According to majority of such NGOs, by setting up power plants in Maharashtra concentrated across Vidarbha, the water resources and forests of the region were being compromised at the cost of supplying power to other parts of the state.

The discussion took place in the meeting organized by RTM Nagpur University Alumni Association (RTMNUAA) at Nagpur University Library, where Advocate Shrihari Aney was guest speaker. NGOs like Vidarbha Environmental Action Group (VEAG), Vidarbha Connect, Shrusti Paryavaran Sanstha and other local organizations took part in the meeting.

Aney said, "Adivasis and farmers, who formed the major human resource of Vidarbha, were being treated absurdly. By creating reserved forests for power plants the government had simply knocked out Adivasis who otherwise used forest for their own livelihood."

Talking about the power plant harming the farming sector, Aney said, "The government instead of creating canal irrigation for farmers to use water is selling the same to power plants." On this, the RTMNUAA secretary Sudhir Paliwal said, "The upcoming Adani Power Plant project undertaken at Pench will basically steal surplus water from Pench river. The river being the artificial reservoir created by early fishermen is still being used for breeding fish. The complete reservoir is going to be ruined to entertain the upcoming project, hence wasting water as well as livelihood of those fishermen."

Another troubling factor discussed was of Koradi Power Plant, which was continuously emitting mercury, thus polluting its lake. He also told, "Koradi has been majorly supplying fish and milk to Nagpur, which are highly infected with mercury."

According to Paliwal, National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been suggesting eco-friendly norms for setting up as well as running the thermal power plants where the radio activity in the ambient air should be measured regularly. "We also suggested instead of investing fresh water of the city in such power plants, treated sewage water be used," he said adding the state government had been openly neglecting these suggestions.

- The Times of India, March 18, 2015

DK Ravi, who became deputy commissioner of Kolar district on August 10, 2013, never imagined he'd win over people so quickly. It was all thanks to revenue adalats and podi adalats to help thousands of farmers update their land records. Revenue minister V Srinivasa Prasad reportedly told Ravi he'd instruct other DCs to emulate the Kolar model. Ravi would spend weekends in Kolar and that helped him understand the problems of the common man. Once, he noticed a crowd at the KSRTC bus stand and vendors parked on the pavement. He immediately summoned the civic authorities and asked them to free up the pavements. However, a couple of traders obtained a court stay from eviction. Ravi asked the civic body to get the stay vacated quickly and then rushed to the spot on October 15 with JCBs and got the illegal constructions razed.

He also took steps to demolish a 50-year-old illegal vegetable market in Ammavarpet. He also freed government land and water bodies of encroachments. He once went to Ranga Mandira where a private institution was conducting coaching classes for KAS and IAS aspirants and helped cleared their doubts. He decided to conduct classes on Sundays and holidays and roped in IAS and KAS officials from other districts to coach the students. He always worked for social justice and decided to have a meal at a dalit's house once a week. The first was at Muniyamma's house in Gandhinagar. Ravi ensured she got, among other benefits, old age pension, a tailoring machine and a bank account under the Jan Dhan scheme. People he visited for a meal celebrated as though it was a festival, said VK Rajesh, former vice-president, CMC. Most of all, he was easily accessible to the aam aadmi. His down-to-earth style of functioning won him lakhs of hearts, not only in Kolar district but elsewhere too.

- The Times of India, March 18, 2015

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has submitted a proposal to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to include Delhi and Chandigarh in their upcoming lists of World Heritage cities, said an ASI official.

The ASI, according to a culture ministry release, had submitted two proposals 'Delhi's Imperial Capital Cities' and 'Victorian & Art Deco ensemble, Mumbai' in January this year. The release added that according to UNESCO guidelines, when a proposal for the inclusion in the World Heritage list is submitted, it is initially sent to the Tentative list for consideration. In India, there are 32 world heritage sites. Around Delhi, Humayun's Tomb, the Red Fort Complex and the Qutab Minar and its monuments are identified as World Heritage sites.

Chandigarh has been in the bid for the honour since 2006, but has not been able to make it due to either a no-clearance from the ministry of culture or UNESCO. The report Chandigarh report focused on its capital complex, apart from buildings designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, and Sukhna Lake and Leisure Valley.

The official added that ASI is routinely in consultation to bodies like Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), in preparing the report.

- http://www.dnaindia.com, March 19, 2015

Mesmerising renditions of classical dance forms like Manipuri, Sattriya and Kathak were showcased during the first day of the 'Jivan Pani' Memorial Festival here.

The twelfth edition of the two-day festival, which began last evening has been conceived by classical dancer Sonal Mansingh, Themed on 'Abhilasha' the festival is dedicated to the Swacchh Bharat campaign.

The invocation of the divine through Vedic chanting of Sama-veda by the scholars, Rishiraj and Muniraj Pathak, was followed by Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma felicitating Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi, a scholar of Odissi dance with Jivan-Ratna award.

Sharma, who was the chief guest for the evening, congratulated Mansingh, for celebrating and preserving the Indian traditions, especially the Guru-Shishya parampara, through the festival.

"I congratulate Sonal Mansingh for preserving the Indian traditions for which we are known for in the world," Sharma said.

Also extending his support to the initiative of cleaning Indiathrough performing arts, Sharma said, "I am pleased to extend my support to this noble initiative. Through this festival, she has shown how swachhata can be manifested through performing arts."

Sharma, said he will be visiting Odisha on March 20 and 21.

"I will be going to Odisha on March 20 and 21. I will be going to Puri and Jagannath temple," he said.

Upholding the importance of keeping one's mind, soul and thoughts clean, dancers Sanjib Bhattacharya, Dipjyoti Das and Quincy Kendell Charles successfully combined classical dance forms with contemporary techniques setting the stage on fire.

The second day of the festival, which will come to an end today, will have a choral singing by children from sitar maestro Pandit Shubhendra Rao's foundation, followed by a classical duet on sitar and cello by the master himself accompanied by his wife Saskia Rao-de Haas.

- The business standard, March 19, 2015

Saudi artist Ghada Da draws from the Shakti cult for her first solo in Dubai as part of Dubai Art Week Programme coinciding with Art Dubai.

Ghada Da has never been to India but her work at Satellite, on Alserkal Avenue in Dubai, is evocative of Indian philosophy and culture. The fragrance of incense imbues the atmosphere, Tibetan bells ring, transporting you to a mystical site. And amidst this setting you find scrolls, yoni sculptures and a video installation in the exhibition titled ‘CunieForm’, her first solo in Dubai. “The whole idea is to understand perception of the body, the sacredness of the body, relationship between body and soul in order to understand the body better,” says Ghada, who has been engaged with the subject of the body ever since she started her art practice.

A Saudi, who recently moved to Dubai from London, Ghada discovered Shaktist fertility festivals of South India during her research. And ‘The Sea Calms Down When’ are a series of her cement yoni sculptures scattered through the space. “So every day I observe different rituals. Sometimes it’s incense, at times it is flowers, indigo, etc....I conceive instinctive rituals. The work is a reflection on the temporality of our physical form. And also if we go back in history, our bodies were not sexualised.”

So, she places offerings in these hollowed out stone sculptures. The material placed will transform over a period of time and a documentation of that change will also take place with performative videos.

Ghada feels her work is rendered more significant due to what is happening around — domestic abuse, rape and violence in general. “I was looking at culture rituals and I found that the female body was a symbol of creation. In ancient times, in Greece, they practised a ritual called ‘Rising of the skirt’. Women would ward off evil by lifting their skirt and protect their family. It was sacred, it was an armour.”

As Ghada puts it, yoni sculptures are her interpretation and understanding of the research. “They are evolving sculptures and with my ongoing research, they would transform.”

Ghada wants to travel to India and create site-specific installations using the material she finds at the sites where these festivals are celebrated.

“And I believe that can happen because the whole show is so organic. One thing led me to another.”

It is evident in her body of work. In ‘November, December, January, March’, she uses her own body and its fluids. These scrolls are actually the vulva prints in which the artist uses her monthly cycle to explore the body as a form. “It is a monthly documentation of writing through the body.”

And it is from here she moves to the study of the female body in culture, which is surrounded by shame and fear in so many belief systems. “The name of the first writing system ‘Cuneiform’, dating back to c.3100 BCE, derives from ‘kunta’, the word for woman, precursor to the word ‘cunt’, now used as a swear word and insult.”

- The Hindu, March 19, 2015

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will collaborate with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to prepare maps showing prohibited / regulated areas of protectedmonuments / sites.

Union Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) Mahesh Sharma, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today said that the ASI had proposed to amend the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 and has started the process of reviewing the act, including provisions on restrictions for construction near the monuments.

The ASI has entrusted the responsbility of preparing the maps showing protected/prohibited/regulated areas of the protected monuments/sites of national importance to the Survey of India.

It has also been decided to collaborate with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for preparation of maps.

The Survey of India will prepare the maps showing prohibited/regulated areas of protected monuments/sites.

- The business standard, March 19, 2015

The BNHS Salim Ali Awards for Nature Conservation felicitated pioneering hands-on work in wildlife research, conservation and nature education. The Awards for 2014 were handed out across three categories at a well attended ceremony yesterday, on the lawns of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (Museum) in south Mumbai.

The Salim Ali Awards for Nature Conservation were instituted in 1996 and since then 10 conservationists and local groups have been awarded across the three categories of International, National and Community Conservation. The recipients of Awards for 2014 were: 1. Salim Ali International Award for Nature Conservation: Prof Ian Newton, United Kingdom.2. Salim Ali National Award for Nature Conservation: Dr Asir Jawahar Thomas Johnsingh, Bengaluru, India. 3. Sandy Beach Youth Group: Lakshadweep, India.

The idea behind giving awards in three categories is to recognize conservation work done at the global, national and local levels. Felicitating and highlighting conservation action from different sections of the society will encourage others to carry out similar work to protect India's rich biodiversity and explore sustainable options.

Prof Ian Newton is a world renowned ornithologist and communicator who has studied a wide range of avian species including finches and sparrowhawks. One of his greatest research projects was on Eurasian Sparrowhawk, spanning 27 years, including its population and nesting study in southern Scotland. He has received many awards including Union Medal of the British Ornithological Union (1988), Gold Medal of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (1991), Fellow of the Royal Society (1993), Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1994), Elliot Cowes Award of the American Ornithologists' Union (1995) and Order of the British Empire (1999).

Dr A J T Johnsingh is best known for his field research on large mammals. As a vertebrate ecologist he has covered species such as Asiatic Elephant, Asiatic Lion, Tiger, Goral, Himalayan Ibex, Nilgiri Tahr, Sloth Bear, Grizzled Giant Squirrel, Nilgiri Langur and Asiatic Wild Dog (Dhole). His other major work includes conservation of Golden and Blue-finned Mahseer and of Western Ghats. He has trained nearly 300 wildlife managers and dozens of masters' and doctoral students. He has worked with organizations such as Smithsonian Institute, USA; BNHS-India and Wildlife Institute of India, from where he retired as the Dean-Faculty of Wildlife Sciences.

Sandy Beach Youth Group from Lakshadweep successfully converted local business into a sustainable livelihood and community-based conservation model. A group of 20-25 youngsters have been running a coffee shop on the beach, which slowly got converted into a hub for nature education. Inspired by BNHS' conservation work on the islands, they started conducting presentations, film screenings and competitions for clients, to strengthen and re-establish their age old ethos of nature conservation.

They are involved in protecting sea turtle eggs and helping the young ones to re-enter the sea after hatching. They also undertake beach and lagoon clean-up activities to remove the trash left behind by careless visitors. Their new glass bottom boat takes nature tourists into the sea for seeing marine life. The next frontier for these enthusiastic youngsters is to expand their conservation activities to the nearby Pitti Island - designated as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) - and Suheli Island.

- The Times of India, March 19, 2015

Mont Saint-Michel, an imposing granite island in the middle of a bay in northwestern France, received Saturday the "tide of the century", which raised Atlantic waters until it isolated even more the medieval village.

The tide grew as high as a four-story building, with an estimated maximum of 14.6 metres, and created a spectacular view of that celebrated tourist attraction.

For the first time in this millennium, the footbridge was completely submerged that connects the French coast with Mont Saint-Michel, designated by UNESCO in 1979 as a world heritage site.

This supertide is repeated approximately every 18 years and will probably not return until sometime in the year 2033. It leaves the village completely at sea, an island crowned by an abbey some 170 metres above sea level.

The monster tide attracted tens of thousands of visitors, but had a tragic side when two men drowned near Ile Grande and Rocher de Saint-Nicolas, apparently swallowed up by the rising ocean on a day of little wind and tranquil waves.

Besides contemplating the magnificent seascape dotted with improvised islets, visitors could enjoy the "tide of the century" by collecting shellfish and crustaceans from the sand along the coast near Normandy's architectural gem.

Clams, shrimp, mussels, turtles...and lobsters for the lucky, were at the mercy of a legion of people with rubber gloves and boots, knives and fishing baskets.

The phenomenon, which also left breathtaking scenes in other places in Normandy and Brittany, is an extra source of income for the Mont Saint-Michel region, visited every year by more than three million people and outdone in France only by Paris and the Palace of Versailles.

"Besides the 'tide of the century' on March 21, there will be four other days when the tide will also be exceptional: April 19, August 31, September 29 and October 28," a spokesperson for Odalys Vacance said in the daily Le Figaro. Mont Saint-Michel, an imposing granite island in the middle of a bay in northwestern France, received Saturday the "tide of the century", which raised Atlantic waters until it isolated even more the medieval village.

The tide grew as high as a four-story building, with an estimated maximum of 14.6 metres, and created a spectacular view of that celebrated tourist attraction.

For the first time in this millennium, the footbridge was completely submerged that connects the French coast with Mont Saint-Michel, designated by UNESCO in 1979 as a world heritage site.

This supertide is repeated approximately every 18 years and will probably not return until sometime in the year 2033. It leaves the village completely at sea, an island crowned by an abbey some 170 metres above sea level.

The monster tide attracted tens of thousands of visitors, but had a tragic side when two men drowned near Ile Grande and Rocher de Saint-Nicolas, apparently swallowed up by the rising ocean on a day of little wind and tranquil waves.

Besides contemplating the magnificent seascape dotted with improvised islets, visitors could enjoy the "tide of the century" by collecting shellfish and crustaceans from the sand along the coast near Normandy's architectural gem.

Clams, shrimp, mussels, turtles...and lobsters for the lucky, were at the mercy of a legion of people with rubber gloves and boots, knives and fishing baskets.

The phenomenon, which also left breathtaking scenes in other places in Normandy and Brittany, is an extra source of income for the Mont Saint-Michel region, visited every year by more than three million people and outdone in France only by Paris and the Palace of Versailles.

"Besides the 'tide of the century' on March 21, there will be four other days when the tide will also be exceptional: April 19, August 31, September 29 and October 28," a spokesperson for Odalys Vacance said in the daily Le Figaro.

- The Times of India, March 22, 2015

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the beautification and landscaping of historic Bassian Kothi located near Raikot town in the district would begin soon.

The CM today visited the Bassian Kothi and reviewed the ongoing restoration work of the over 200-year-old heritage monument, which is being developed into a memorial in remembrance of Late Maharaja Dalip Singh, the last Sikh Maharaja, an official release said.

Also, help of experts from Punjab Agricultural University and other government departments will also be taken for this purpose, Badal said in the statement.

It was at Bassian Kothi where Maharaja Dalip Singh was kept in captivity by the British in 1849 prior to his exile.

It was in the year 2011, when the state government engaged the services of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for the restoration work.

Badal said his government had given nod for setting up Punjab Institute of Management and Technology (PIMT) at the around seven acre piece of land adjoining to Bassian Kothi.

The institute would be set up by Punjab Technical University (PTU).

He said more than Rs 5 crore have already been spent on this project, which includes a museum, an open air theatre and a recreational area, and a statue of the Maharaja has also been installed there.

- The business standard, March 22, 2015

On the occasion of World Water Day, MP from Meerut Rajendra Agarwal, DIG of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) K Satyanarayan and environmentalist Arun Tivari showed their concern over the persistent water crises in the country. More than 50 intellectuals from all sections of society were present in the seminar conducted in collaboration with NEER Foundation and Institute of Engineers of India on Sunday here.

Addressing the gathering about his views on "water and sustainable development", chief guest and MP Rajendra Agarwal, said, "Ishvar Upnishad says that none has the unlimited right to enjoy anything and if one does so, then it would be like a theft and same thing applies on water, too. Today, the industries are dumping their polluted water into ground water. This is such a sin which does not have any atonement. If the practice is not curbed, central government scheme for conservation of rivers, 'Namami Gange', would be a failure. Most of the industries do not set up effluent treatment plants to recycle waste water. It is high time that we take some strict steps and introduce more effective laws to deal with it."

Earlier, DIG of PAC, K Satyanarayan, said, "Today, we are searching for water on Mars while there is no effort on conserving ground water. United Nation's report reveals that at present over one billon (100 crore) people are deprived of potable water. All the industries are located on river banks, including the Ganga, and are polluting them severely. Besides, we are dumping radiocarbon waste in the open sea. ."

Quoting from a report published in the TOI on Sunday, he said, "Global water demand would increase 55% by 2050 while reserve dwindle. UN report warns the world could suffer a 40% of shortfall in water in 15 years if countries don't change the management of their resources."

Arun Tivari said, "Water conservation must be part of holistic development. The first world countries are concerned with water conservation as they have already experienced it. We would have to change the traditional power generation with clean green energy. Government must concentrate on geo thermal plant. We have quite a potential in Andaman and Nicobar islands to set up such power plants there. In the past, on the occasion of Akshya Tritya (third day of second month of Vedic calendar falls in April) we went through a maintenance of ponds and wells while on Devathni Ekadshi (fall in October/November) we constructed a new one. We have to bring our ancient tradition in practice to restore and reconstruct the water bodies like wells and ponds. Today, government wants to build 100 smart cities but what about the 3,900 small towns which don't have even any local bodies. First, we must strengthen them and set up a water management system there. Government should include water bodies in its town plan."

- The Times of India, March 22, 2015

Without better local management, world's most iconic ecosystems are at risk of collapse under climate change, warn researchers.

Protecting places of global environmental importance such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Amazon rainforest from climate change will require reducing pressures like over-fishing, fertiliser pollution and land clearing, they said.

Writing in the journal Science, an international team of researchers warned that localised issues, such as declining water quality from nutrient pollution or deforestation can exacerbate the effects of climatic extremes such as heat waves and droughts.

"We show that managing local pressures can expand the safe operating space" for these ecosystems, they wrote.

"Poor local management makes an ecosystem less tolerant to climate change and erodes its capacity to keep functioning effectively," said the study's lead author Marten Scheffer from the Wageningen University, the Netherlands.

The authors examined three Unesco World Heritage Sites -- Spain's Donana wetlands, the Amazon rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.

While many ecosystems are important to their local people, these ecosystems have a global importance too, hence their designation as World Heritage Sites. For instance, the Amazon rainforest is a globally important climate regulator.

Like coral reefs, rainforests and wetlands around the world, these sites are all under increasing pressure from both climate change and local threats.

For example, the Donana wetlands in southern Spain are Europe's most important wintering site for waterfowl, hosting over half a million birds and home to numerous unique invertebrate and plant species.

A warming climate could encourage more severe blooms, causing losses of native plants and animals, say the researchers.

"Local managers could lessen this risk and therefore boost the wetlands' climate resilience by reducing nutrient runoff," said co-author Andy Green from the Donana Biological Station.

He added that nutrient control measures could include reducing fertiliser use, improving water treatment plants and closing illegal wells that are decreasing inputs of clean water to the wetlands.

"Local management options are well understood and not too expensive," said Scheffer.

- The Hansindia, March 22, 2015

Serampore is fast getting back its old Danish look, thanks to active efforts of the National Museum, Denmark and the state heritage commission.

The prime focus is the riverfront, which used to be the hub of Danish traders when Serampore was a colony of their country from 1755 to 1845. Serampore used to be known as Frederiksnagore then — in honour of Danish king Frederik V, who ruled from 1746 to 1766. But majority of the Danish monuments have been wiped out now, thanks to rapid urbanization across Serampore.

But once restoration is complete, the town in Hooghly is expected to get back much of its old glory as an early Danish settlement in India. The project — christened 'Serampore Initiative' — also aims at better use of the restored buildings.

The most remarkable of Danish architecture has, however, survived in pockets like the compound of Serampore subdivisional court, where the old single-storey Danish Government House (1771) or Governor's House is located. And, there is the town's most significant landmark, St Olav's Church (1806), the Catholic Church (1776) and Serampore College (1823) further down the strand.

Flemming Aalund, a restoration architect with National Museum, Denmark, and a key figure in the Serampore Initiative, said, "The grand structures are slowly being revived to their old beauty. The project will also include Nisan Ghat, which appears in a 1790 painting by Peter Anker. Landscaping of the riverbank, restoration of the Danish cemetery and a tourist master plan are also part of it. An old building has been planned to be converted into a coffee house."

The National Museum of Denmark has allocated Rs 10 crore for the restoration of St Olav's Church and the south gate of the old Government House, said city-based conservation architect Manish Chakraborty. "In my long career as a conservation architect, I have not seen people like the Danes who are so serious and passionate about restoring their monuments. I have had the opportunity of being associated with the French and the Dutch initiative, too, but they did not go beyond project reports," he added.

Restoration of the Government House has been under way since 2009, when the West Bengal Heritage Commission had decided to refurbish it. But the Danes, who have been shuttling back and forth since 2008, have now conceived of a greater plan of having a museum in the building. National Museum, Denmark would provide all expertise and artifacts to develop the museum. The tourism department has also been roped in and all the ownership has been transferred to it.

Aalund underlined the significance of their efforts. "Serampore's jute mills, its government college of textile technology, carpentry, block-printing, all make it commercially very relevant now. The market here is the second largest after Kolkata. Its heritage certainly needs restoration and reuse."

"Serampore already draws a lot of European tourists. But they would return disappointed with the poor condition of its built heritage, said Amlan Bandyopahyay, a local historian.

The aim of Serampore Initiative "is not only to enhance the specific historic identity of Serampore, but also to improve the aesthetic and recreational qualities of the town", said Chakraborty. The truly democratic mindset of the Danes has expedited matters because, apart from the thorough and painstaking research that they have done, and the stress that they lay on documentation, they are eager to ensure that the conservation projects are inclusive and that local people feel they are part of it.

A class of trading middlemen had prospered under Danish rule, and after the Danes were compelled to hand over the entire property to the English for a paltry sum of Rs 1.2 million on October 11, 1845, Serampore became industrialized. It attracted hordes of poor landless workers from the neighbouring states and slums burgeoned all over. This is how the rapid changes happened both at the level of livelihood and architecture of the town, explained Chakraborty.

Restoration of the Government House is on in full swing. A concrete staircase erected at some stage has been removed. The old beams, which had been replaced with steel joists, are being brought back. Some architectural features are being recreated, said conservation architect Gopa Sen.

- The Times of India, March 22, 2015

With about 200 paintings on display, the exhibition of Jamini Roy's artworks is probably the biggest that the city has seen.

Curated by Ella Dutta, a Tagore National Fellow for Cultural Research, the paintings and a few sculptures have been sourced from NGMA Delhi and Bengaluru-based Museum of Art and Photography.

"I started work on the exhibition in 2012 when I first saw a collection of Jamini Roy paintings at NGMA Delhi," says Dutta who feels there is a need to hold an exhibition of such a scale because "today's generation has to look at the deep humanism his paintings conveyed and the enormous dignity he lends his rural, working class characters".

On why this generation needs to know Jamini Roy, Dutta says, "I feel in the strong surge of globalization, it would be good to recall that there were voices of resistance to another kind of cultural invasion over 100 years ago. Globalization is not entirely bad, but at the same time we shouldn't forget the warp and weft of our ethos."

A proficient artist who experimented with subjects, styles, material and medium and painted almost till the end, Roy's story is an interesting one. Born in 1887 in Belliatore village, Bankura district, West Bengal, Roy trained at the Government Art School in Kolkata in 1916. While his initial work reflected the British academic style of painting, he got tired of the European style early, and from the 1920s changed his style, seeking inspiration from sources as diverse as East Asian calligraphy, terracotta temple friezes, objects from folk arts and crafts, etc.

Dutta says, "No other artist has represented indigenous people as strongly as Jamini Roy has through his paintings. Starting with the Santal Women series, Roy gave the adivasis a bold identity through the use of loud strokes and vivid colours."

Besides, Roy believed that art had to be accessible to everybody. In a bid to see a painting in every house, he would price his paintings very minimally. In the 40s and the 50s, you could find a Jamini Roy for Rs 50, an unimaginable thing today where his paintings command lakhs.

Jamini Roy: Journey To The Roots exhibition is on at NGMA, Palace Road, till April 30, 10am-5pm.

- The Times of India, March 22, 2015

With about 200 paintings on display, the ongoing exhibition of the late Jamini Roy's artworks, is the biggest that the city has seen. Curated by Ella Dutta, a Tagore National Fellow for Cultural Research, the paintings and a few sculptures have been sourced from NGMA Delhi and Bengaluru-based Museum of Art and Photography. "I started work on the exhibition in 2012 when I first saw a collection of Jamini Roy paintings at NGMA Delhi," says Dutta who feels there is a need to hold an exhibition of such scale because "today's generation has to look at the deep humanism his paintings conveyed and the enormous dignity he lends his rural, working class characters".

On why today's generation needs to know Jamini Roy, Dutta says, "I feel that in the strong surge of globalization, it would be good to recall that there were voices of resistance to another kind of cultural invasion more than 100 years ago. Globalization is not entirely bad, but at the same time we shouldn't forget the warp and weft of our ethos." A proficient artist who experimented with subjects, styles, material and medium and painted almost till the end, Roy's story is an interesting one. Born in 1887 in Belliatore village, Bankura district, West Bengal, Roy trained at the Government Art School in Kolkata in 1916. While his initial work reflected the British academic style of painting, he got tired of the European style early, and from the 1920s changed his style, seeking inspiration from sources as diverse as East Asian calligraphy, terracotta temple friezes, objects from folk arts and crafts, etc. Dutta says, "No other artist has represented indigenous people as strongly as Jamini Roy has through his paintings. Starting with the Santal Women series, Roy gave the adivasis a bold identity through the use of loud strokes and vivid colours. His fondness for Santals may be explained by the fact that the district he came from had a large population of the tribe." Besides, Roy believed that art had to be accessible to everybody. In a bid to see a painting in every house, he would price his paintings very minimally. In the 40s and the 50s, you could find a Jamini Roy for Rs 50, an unimaginable thing today where his paintings command lakhs. Jamini Roy: Journey To The Roots exhibition is on at NGMA, Palace Road till April 30, 10am-5pm

The Christ Series

"There was nothing religious about Jamini Roy choosing to paint the Christ. Instead, he chose the subject because he wanted to experiment; he also intended to introduce the ordinary Bengali villager to another culture and religion, and in doing that he tried localizing the imagery, like portraying Jesus Christ in a loin cloth for instance."

— Ella Dutta

- The Times of India, March 23, 2015

The plays of octogenarian Thuppettan cannot be slotted as a particular genre despite their apparent simplicity, a Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) seminar on performing arts noted.

Even as they teem with characters who mirror common people from varied walks of Kerala’s village life, their presentation techniques are a far cry from the state’s mainstream theatre culture, said the speakers at the two-day festival organised as part of the performing-arts segment of KMB’14.

The short works of 86-year-old Thuppettan, who stopped writing a quarter century ago, do not directly speak of existentialism or consumerism, yet they have undercurrents of such themes that are all the more relevant now, scholars observed.

The festival was inaugurated on Saturday evening by veteran theatre-person Nelson Fernandes, who felicitated Thuppettan (formally Mamunnu Subrahmanian Namboothiri). Also, three of his short plays— Award , Double Act Athava Kunjambuvinte Chanchattanga l and Swaapaharanam Athava Ellavarum Argentinakku —all by Natyashastra, Kadambazhipuram and directed by Naripatta Raju, were staged. A light-and-sound production on Thuppettan, titled ‘Birjosh’ and conceived by P.P. Ramachandran and cartoonist Sunil Pablo Nambu, was presented.

- The Hindu, March 23, 2015

A three-day workshop of archaeologists, scientists and historians organised by the Kerala Archaeological Department, which concluded here on Sunday, called for the scientific preservation of pre-historic remains, including cave paintings and dolmens spread over a wide area in the eastern parts of the Western Ghats.

Archaeological Department Director G. Premkumar, who attended the valedictory function of the workshop, said the suggestions of the experts would be codified and submitted as a project for action to the government. He said a joint effort by the Archaeological Department, Forest Department and local bodies was needed to protect the cave paintings.

The workshop noted that Anchunadu Valley is the only place in Kerala where the red ochre cave paintings can be found. So far, 18 cave paintings have been found. The team of experts comprised V.Jeyaraj, director, Hepzibah Institute of Heritage Conservation, Chennai, A.P. Pradeep Kumar, geologist, Kerala University, Ajith Kumar and Jeni Peter, archaeological experts and Saby Varghese, Marayur DFO.

-The Hindu, March 23, 2015

‘Promote traditional forms of medicine’

Three-day annual convention and second international conference of Society of Pharmacognosy-2015 concluded here on Sunday with a call to explore fully the scope to promote traditional forms of medicine.

The conference organised by Andhra University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, in association with Society of Pharmacognosy, hailed the NDA Government’s decision to encourage research and development in ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, unani siddha and homeopathy (AYUSH) and promote its products in the country as well as on the foreign soil.

Several experts including 11 from abroad, who attended the conference, felt that the potential in India was not being explored properly. Some of them called for proper regulatory mechanism to ensure genuineness of products.

Vice-Chancellor of KLE University Chandrakanth Kokate, who is regarded as father of Indian pharmacognosy, said India being the botanical garden of the world was known for its rich heritage in traditional system of medicine.

He said ayurveda was a wonderful natural gift and an important branch of biosciences. India occupied fourth rank in pharmaceutical production and 13{+t}{+h}position in turnover.

The growth was predicted at a higher rate with this year’s increase put at 18 to 19 per cent. He said the country’s turnover was Rs.1.42 lakh crore during 2013-14, out of which herbal drugs accounted for Rs.26,000 crore with 42 per cent of products hitting the export market.

Calling for a coordinated approach for popularising herbal medicines, Dr. Kokate said compared to China and Japan, Indian products could find more market if the opportunities were channelled properly.

Expert on pharmacy practice K. Chinnaswamy said more emphasis on research and improvement in quality of education would go a long way in promotion of alternative systems of medicine.

Society of Pharmacognosy president V.K. Dixit, member of the Pharmacy Council of India executive committee M.D. Karvekar, Chairman of the IPA Education Division T.V. Narayana, convener of the conference organising committee B. Ganta Rao, and chairperson of the reception committee J. Vijaya Ratna spoke.

- The Hindu, March 23, 2015

An ancient temple in a Lohardaga village, some 100km from Ranchi, may be holding the key to our ancestors from the early Iron Age who walked on Earth roughly between 1000BC and 200BC.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has granted eminent history digger Harendra Prasad Sinha permission to excavate the megalithic site on Prachin Shiva Mandir premises in Bhasko village. A letter dated February 27 and signed by Dr Syed Jamal Hasan, ASI director (exploration and excavation), says Sinha can carry out digging in collaboration with the state department of archaeology and submit a report within six months of completion of work.

"The temple, which is located some 4km from the office of the (Lohardaga) deputy commissioner, houses ancient stone sculptures of Uma-Maheshwara and Shivalingams dating back to 15th or 16th Century AD. The remains that we may find at this site can throw light on the hitherto unknown history of Jharkhand," Sinha, retired deputy director of archaeology in the state art and culture department, told The Telegraph.

Sinha had stumbled upon the site in 2010 during one of his visits to Lohardaga. "I had been summoned by the district administration to identify a strange stone that labourers digging a well had found. I was excited, but it did not last long because the stone I saw had no historical value. Then, as I strayed into nearby Bhasko village, a circle of stones covered by shrubs caught my eye," the sexagenarian recalled.

And, once the place was cleared of undergrowth, history sprang to life. "These megaliths should date back to the 1st Century AD. I remember similar stone circles being found in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, which yielded a rich cache of pottery, iron spears and tools dating back to 800BC and 600BC. I continued my research on megaliths, which are strewn all over Jharkhand - in Singhbhum, Ranchi, Chatra, Lohardaga, Hazaribagh and many other places. Finally, I am ready to begin digging," he said.

In layman language, a megalith is a memorial of the dead. Excavations at megalithic sites around the world, from Scotland to Karnataka, have revealed that the ancient man created a stone vault deep inside the earth, where the dead were placed on stone slabs. Pots, probably stuffed with food for another life that they believed in, iron tools and weapons, and even hooves of horses and saddles have been found inside theses vault. The burial place was finally covered with earth and marked by either a large standing stone or a number of stones in a circle; or like a tabletop with a giant stone resting on two or more smaller stones.

"Interestingly, no habitation has yet been found near these burial sites anywhere in the world. So, it is presumed that these men were either nomads or mercenaries who fought for ruling clans, buried their dead, marked the sites with giant stones and moved on. Since iron tools have always been found at these sites, it is also presumed that such a type of burial was in vogue during the Iron Age," the archaeologist said.

Surprisingly in Jharkhand, the megalithic form of burial is popular in the Munda tribe. Even today, the tribesmen continue to mark a grave with stones, which makes speculations rife that the Mundas in Jharkhand may be direct descendants of the Stone Age man. "I have applied for permission from the deputy commissioner to carry out excavation on the temple premises. I expect it to be granted any day now. Excavation work shall commence within 10 days from the day I receive the nod. I do not know the end result, but I hope to make a valuable addition to history. After Lohardaga, my next destination will be Chatra," Sinha said.

The eminent archaeologist had retired as the deputy director of archaeology in 2011. Post-retirement, he was on contract with the state government till May 2013. Sinha has been associated with unearthing remains of Nagvanshi rulers at Bero, Ranchi, and archaeological relics dating back to the 12th Century AD at Pithoria on Ranchi-Patratu Road.

- The Telegraph, March 23, 2015

In a brazen display of moral policing, Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers on Sunday protested against a fashion show to be held at the heritage Bhau Daji Lad museum in Byculla on the same day, forcing the organisers to shift the venue at the last-minute fearing law and order problems.

The organisers of the Lakme fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015: Curtain Raiser, in which celebrities like actor Kareena Kapoor were to participate, were forced to move the venue to a hotel in Lower Parel.

A livid Tasneem Mehta, managing trustee and honorary director of the museum, told TOI: "They are trying to intimidate us and behave like the moral police. Fashion shows are held at museums all around the world. This was supposed to be a traditional fashion show, and not provocative."

Mehta added that the organisers paid Rs 2 lakh for the show which would have gone towards museum's upkeep.

"The money goes towards educational programmes, buying artefacts and keeping the museum functioning. This is an autonomous institution managed by the trust. I am fully authorised to hold such fund-raising activities."

An event organiser said the goons claiming to be from the MNS, tore curtains and banners, shouting that the show was an insult and mockery of the museum. "People were terrified. On the spot, we decided not to hold the show here," he said.

Musuem authorities informed the Byculla police, which is a stone's throw away from the museum. "It took nearly 30 minutes for the police to arrive. By the time the accused had fled," the organizer added.

Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjeee had opened the season with an offsite show at Richardson & Cruddas compound near Byculla last week, and Anamika Khanna was to present her Sculpt line at the grand finale show at the museum between 8 pm to 10 pm on Sunday. "Anamika was to show her collection in the backdrop of Indian craftsmanship and museum monuments. How does this disturb the moral or culture of public?" an event organizer said.

In the concluding grand final the programme was to be held inside the hall of the museum without any disturbance to anyone. "We had procured all the required permissions from the BMC, police, traffic police and PWD. Yet we had to shift the venue. It's a shame," said a member.

Senior inspector of Byculla police station Suresh Maghdum said, "We have provided police protection at the museum. And as far as disturbance is concern no one has come to us to lodge a complaint against the protestors."

- The Times of India, March 23, 2015

With about 200 paintings on display, the exhibition of Jamini Roy's artworks is probably the biggest that the city has seen.

Curated by Ella Dutta, a Tagore National Fellow for Cultural Research, the paintings and a few sculptures have been sourced from NGMA Delhi and Bengaluru-based Museum of Art and Photography.

"I started work on the exhibition in 2012 when I first saw a collection of Jamini Roy paintings at NGMA Delhi," says Dutta who feels there is a need to hold an exhibition of such a scale because "today's generation has to look at the deep humanism his paintings conveyed and the enormous dignity he lends his rural, working class characters".

On why this generation needs to know Jamini Roy, Dutta says, "I feel in the strong surge of globalization, it would be good to recall that there were voices of resistance to another kind of cultural invasion over 100 years ago. Globalization is not entirely bad, but at the same time we shouldn't forget the warp and weft of our ethos."

A proficient artist who experimented with subjects, styles, material and medium and painted almost till the end, Roy's story is an interesting one. Born in 1887 in Belliatore village, Bankura district, West Bengal, Roy trained at the Government Art School in Kolkata in 1916. While his initial work reflected the British academic style of painting, he got tired of the European style early, and from the 1920s changed his style, seeking inspiration from sources as diverse as East Asian calligraphy, terracotta temple friezes, objects from folk arts and crafts, etc.

Dutta says, "No other artist has represented indigenous people as strongly as Jamini Roy has through his paintings. Starting with the Santal Women series, Roy gave the adivasis a bold identity through the use of loud strokes and vivid colours."

Besides, Roy believed that art had to be accessible to everybody. In a bid to see a painting in every house, he would price his paintings very minimally. In the 40s and the 50s, you could find a Jamini Roy for Rs 50, an unimaginable thing today where his paintings command lakhs.

Jamini Roy: Journey To The Roots exhibition is on at NGMA, Palace Road, till April 30, 10am-5pm.

- The Times of India, March 23, 2015