By putting in place a comprehensive system to enable the visually-impaired to walk through and appreciate art, the National Museum here will by this month-end join the ranks of the few “blind-friendly” museums in the world.

After the encouraging response to its pilot programmes for the visually impaired, the museum is all set to bring the newly-laid facilities into force.

“This is part of our effort to reach out to more and more sections of society. Disabled people interested in art are left out from such pleasures of knowledge. We have now devised this highly focused system for the visually impaired and mentally challenged to begin with, and later plan to extend it to other marginalised sections like spastics and street children,'' says National Museum administrator C.V. Ananda Bose.

The National Museum Institute (NMI) has installed monograms, signs and Braille inscriptions to make objects in the museum blind-friendly. The main passages, ramps, and galleries have also been reworked so that they are barrier-free.

“Though visually impaired visitors used to come earlier also, they had to take the help of guides and could only listen to the narrations. Now they can feel and learn by touching the objects'' says Dr. Bose, who is also the NMI vice-chancellor.

As part of the art education programme for marginalised children, the Museum and the institute will organise a “tactile exhibition” for the visually impaired this month.

“The exhibition will explore the nature of the perceptual power of the Indian images and gives audience an aesthetic, educational and spiritual experience through touching and feeling. It will give an overview of Indian sculptural art through ages,” says Dr. Bose.

An outline of ancient sculptural art of India to the special audience will be presented through replicas display, supported by bilingual Braille text, self-guided floor path facility and audio guide.

The Department of Museology at NMI recently held two separate pilot projects aimed at the mentally challenged and the street children. These included an art workshop for about 15 mentally challenged students of Anchal School on Kautilya Marg and annual educational workshops for the underprivileged children.

The Hindu, 1st March 2011

A grassroots effort combined with a global initiative by a group of young men to preserve Buddhist heritage and monuments in the country has received a major impetus with a gram panchayat in Haryana's Yamunanagar district poised to donate land and funds to set up a museum dedicated entirely to Emperor Ashoka's pillars and rock edicts.

Topra village where the gram panchayat intends to set up the museum has a proud link to the rich Ashoka legacy; this was where the Ashoka Pillar was originally mounted before it was dismantled and brought to Ferozshah Kotla in Delhi by Ferozshah Tughlak in the 14th Century.

The Buddhist Forum, an NGO working to raise public awareness about the deteriorating condition of Buddhist monuments and the failure to preserve them, is hopeful that the panchayat's move will help enlighten other local communities and democratic institutions on the plight of Buddhist sites in their locality which are in danger of being forgotten or encroached upon.

The Dalai Lama has also appreciated the organisation's efforts including a documentary it made two years ago -- “Dhammachhetra: The lost land of the Buddha”.

Thirty-five-year-old Siddhartha Gauri, who shot the documentary and is one of the young men behind the Buddhist Forum, says that while shooting the documentary he came across several Buddhist sites which were crumbling and were being encroached upon by local people.

“Most sites did not have fencing around them. There were several mounds which remain to be dug. At many places, rural land is getting more expensive making these sites prime candidates for encroachments. We have 300 recorded ancient Buddhist sites in India. Many of these are in danger of being lost. Many more remain to be found,” says Siddhartha as he bemoans the fate of Buddhism in the land of its birth.

This month the Forum has written to nearly 800 Members of Parliament from both Houses seeking their support for identifying and preserving Buddhist monuments in their respective constituencies.
The Foum's website www.thebuddhistforum.com  initiated a global signature campaign two years ago to preserve the monuments and Buddhist heritage. It has elicited 42,000 signatures from even unlikely places like Russia.

The organisation is not impressed with the efforts of the government bodies to preserve Buddhist and Ashoka heritage citing the poor preservation of Ashoka pillars and stupas.

The Hindu, 1st March 2011

Only two of the three entrances of this 500-year-old monument are locked and visitors can easily get a peek inside. A group of young boys is not new to this Tughlaq-period tomb — it has for long served as an extended playground for the neighbourhood kids. Located inside a park in south Delhi's Greater Kailash I, the structure figures prominently on the list of heritage sites to be taken over by the Delhi archaeology department. But so far no conservation work has taken place.

Sources said that the monument's preliminary notification has been completed and it will soon be notified as "protected" under the Delhi Archaeology Sites Act. While conservationists say that the tomb should be preserved for its typical Tughlaq-era architecture , locals argue that it has no historical value and protecting the site would only inconvenience the nearby residents.

A rusted , broken lock hangs on one gate. Inside , there is a wooden bench in a corner. An idol of Saraswati rests on the other side, it has been left behind — the tomb was taken over by a temple trustee who occupied it for years. The structure has been defaced and damaged in several places. Cobwebs and broken plaster are interspersed with traces of typical Tughlaq-era architecture.

Intach officials , who will carry out conservation work , said the tomb has tremendous potential. "A rchitecturally , it's a very striking buiding and the location is prominent. If the monument is conserved and illuminated , it will attract many visitors ,'' said an official.

According to Intach listing , internally the dome is ornamented with intersecting red bands and is rated 'B' in terms of archaeological importance. It has been referred to as Mahavir Library. Sources say the monument in the 1980 s housed offices of the local RWA and was later used as a library by a local trustee.

Locals , however , claimed the monument does not have any historical value. "W hat's the use of picking up every old structure in the city and conserving it. I am all for heritage and preserving it, but this monument does not seem to have any historical significance. It's just a sarai or resting place. Development of houses around it could be hampered if the government decides to protect it since any activity within 100m or 50m will be prohibited ,'' said Rajiv Kakria , a resident of Greater Kailash I and a member of the RWA.

Another resident said , "There was no harm in using the tomb as the RWA office. The same is being done in Defence Colony in a sarai located near the market."

But according to heritage conservationists , the monument deserves to be legally protected. Ratish Nanda , noted conservation architect , said , "The tomb is a unique example of Tughlaq-era architecture. Public activity at may continue at the site but the structure must be preserved."

Times of India, 2nd March 2011

Since 2006, the environment ministry has demarcated and declared 39 'critical tiger habitats' — the core of our tiger reserves. Every one of them, wrote activist C R Bijoy recently, is illegal. This is an extraordinary allegation. To understand it, we need to go back to our most recent "tiger crisis".

In 2005, the country woke up to the news that the national animal had disappeared from Sariska, a well-funded tiger reserve close to Delhi. Public shock and outrage followed, and the government set up a task force to look into why tiger numbers had fallen and what could be done to reverse this.

While the Tiger Task Force tried to understand why India's premier conservation programme, Project Tiger, had failed, some conservationists were busy with another set of debates. These concerned the upcoming Forest Rights Bill, which proposed to confer rights on adivasis and forest dwellers over lands they lived on and the forest resources they used.

The bill ran afoul of conservationists and foresters who feared recognizing people's rights would jeopardize the fragile protection of forests and wildlife. They also felt these rights would worsen the pressure these habitats already experience from firewood harvest, cattle grazing, collection of forest produce and other local livelihood activities.

But, existing forest and wildlife conservation laws such as the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972 (WLPA) already provided for the recognition and settlement of some of the rights of local communities. So, why was a new law being drafted with very similar provisions?

For a rather simple but disturbing reason: while creating most wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, forest departments had not implemented the available provisions to recognize and settle the rights of local people. As a result, for several decades, millions of people in our forests and wildlife reserves have lived in the fear that they could be declared trespassers and removed from their lands anytime.

Seeking to correct this miscarriage of law, adivasi groups campaigned for change and the Forest Rights Act (FRA) came into effect in 2006. This law effectively took away the sweeping powers of government departments to settle rights and greatly empowered the gram sabha.

Several of the concerns that adivasi rights groups raised also figured in the Tiger Task Force report. It noted that people sharing lands and forests with the tiger often suffered because of selective implementation of the laws that protected the tiger. And this eroded local support for the protection of the tiger and its habitat. It said without taking local people's concerns into account, ongoing conservation measures risked failure.

Until this point, conservation in India was enforced from top down. But this had to change — conservation could not remain a middle class concern , with the rural poor paying the price for it. To succeed, local communities not only needed to become partners in conservation, they also needed to benefit from it.

The opportunity to practise conservation democratically has always existed but we have often chosen backdoor means. Instead of involving all people concerned, conservationists have preferred to deal with the people in power. And despite efforts to change things by amending conservation laws, this trend continues, allege activists, among them Bijoy.

The Wild Life Protection Act was amended in 2006 to make conservation more fair to local people. Both WLPA and FRA make it mandatory to recognize and settle the rights of local communities and obtain their written consent before declaring a tiger reserve . Yet, forest departments have declared several new tiger reserves with scant regard for the FRA protocol. Nor has informed consent of rights-holders been obtained, prompting activists to term these reserves "illegal".

This stand-off between conservationists and adivasi rights groups is tragic. It not only undermines their respective goals, but also big opportunities for mutual gain.

For instance, it was not wildlife and conservation laws that stalled Vedanta Aluminium in Orissa's Niyamgiri forests but its failure to satisfy the requirements of the FRA. With such a legal precedent, conservationists have had to grudgingly acknowledge that while FRA is mainly meant to uphold the rights of forest dwelling people, doing so could also help save forests.

Similarly, the amended WLPA has strong provisions for safeguarding local people's rights even while securing the needs of the endangered tiger. Both these laws have been crafted with necessary safeguards for both disempowered people and wildlife. What they need is a sensitive and complete implementation through new and creative partnerships.

Going forward, the rights of forest dwellers must be recognized just as much as the needs of wildlife must be secured. The way we chose to do conservation over the last four decades years is not only undesirable, it is simply illegal today. We have no option but to bring in greater democracy if we want sustainable conservation.

Many conservationists continue to lament that FRA closes the doors on conservation of forests and wildlife. This is perhaps true. But, to be sure, what is closing are the dim back-alleys and backdoors to conservation. Even as the shutters come down on these shortcuts, the front-gates of conservation have opened wider than ever before . The choice is for us to make.

Times of India, 4th March 2011

A two-day census carried out by the state Wildlife Department authorities in Asia’s biggest open black buck sanctuary in the subdivision, concluded here this evening. The census has produced encouraging results for those who are involved in the conservation of wildlife and the environment.

The census result has revealed that the population of black bucks, which was given the honour of the state animal in 1989 and which is the only antelope confined to the Indian subcontinent, has increased manifold in the past about 12 years and thus there is no threat to its existence.

Official sources said the census had revealed that the population of black bucks had gone up to 4,300 as compared to 3,000 counted in this sanctuary in the census carried out in 1998.

Sources said that the census had counted 1,812 black bucks (male), 2,120 (female) and 368 offspring in the sanctuary area spread over Raipur, Dutara Wali, Sardarpur, Khairpur, Sukhchain, Seeto Guno, Mehrana, Bazidpur, Himmatpura, Bishanpura, Rampur, Narainpura and Rajan Wali villages of Abohar subdivision. Sanjeev Tiwari, district forest officer (wildlife), Ferozepur, who supervised the census operations, said that 5,557 blue bulls, another protected animal, were also counted during the census in the sanctuary area. As many as 121 peacocks were also counted during the census.

“Other protected animals, including jackals, black partridges and hare, were also found in large numbers in the sanctuary area,” he said, adding that 428 black bucks, 454 blue bulls and seven peacocks of both sexes were found in Gumjal, Panniwala Haripura and Diwan Khera villages of the subdivision, where the Punjab Government had planned to set up two community reserves for black bucks.

The Tribune, 4th March 2011

The 70-year-old Changi prison forms the centerpiece of the popular Singapore Heritage Tour ! Australia and the US create vaunted tourist attractions out of modestly built monuments barely 200 years old. By comparison we in India — blessed with the magnificent remains of a 3000-yearold civilization strewn around our towns and countryside — seem hardly conscious of our incredible heritage.

Most of us probably have in mind a small list of places we'd like to visit at some stage in life. Typically , the Taj heads the list, followed by Khajuraho , Delhi's trio of the Red Fort , Qutab Minar and Humayun's Tomb with the odd World Heritage Site such as Hampi thrown in . However we tend to be largely oblivious of the many less known but equally stunning examples of architectural heritage that dot the country . Forts such as Chittor , Bundi and Janjira whose mighty walls have withstood attacks for hundreds of years . Or temples such as Gyaraspur in Vidisha and Aihole in Karnataka ... as fascinating as they are unexplored . Within Agra , the incredibly beautiful tomb of Itmad-ud-D aulah which gets a mere fraction of the visitors the Taj gets.

Add to this our uniquely vibrant cultural heritage — the teeming multitudes at a Kumbh mela , the brilliant reds of a Rajasthani pagree shining against the barren desert , the beautifully crafted Ganesh idols awaiting visarjan at Chowpatti , the pyrotechnics of the light panels in a Kolkata puja pandal , the technicolor vibrance of a Rajnikant film poster , the vibgyor of colors at a churi shop ... and the only word that comes close to describing the experience that is India , is 'incredible'.

Times of India, 6th March 2011

First it was insects; now it's rats and scorpions. K.K.S. MURTHY battles to save his old books.

Subsequent to the article ‘When bookworms attack' ( Literary Review December 5, 2010), I find I have more to say on the same topic. During the summer vacation in high school and college, I would invariably travel to my grandmother's village with my mother, sisters and brothers. However, this was not enough companionship.

I would also carry with me several tomes in a small trunk. When I think back about the type of books I carried, I still feel puzzled. For instance, Havelock Ellis' My Confession, William Saroyan's Human Comedy and Correspondence between H. Ellis & Olive Schreiner ... were some that found their way into my trunk. Though these books gave me immense pleasure, often I could make no sense of some of the chapters. But I continued to read and assimilate them as far as possible. However my joy was short-lived. Before I reached satiation point with my books, I was waging a battle against two determined species trying to destroy my tomes: the rat and the scorpion. My grandmother's village abounded in many varieties of scorpions.

In one American journal, S. A. Barnett quoted English zoologists G. E. H Barrett Hinton and M.A.C Hinton on the subject of rats. The quotes reflect as a widespread and partly justified horror of wild rats: “There are many tales, usually mythological, of large-scale movements by the Norvegious”. “In temperate regions, including most of Europe, Rattus is now found almost wholly in ports; in hot countries such as India/ the same is true of Norvegicus.”

A Collins encyclopaedia defines scorpion as a “Carnivorous, nocturnal arachnid of order Scorpionidae of warm and tropical regions. Long narrow segmented tail with venomous sting rarely fatal to man.”

Brittle booklet

When I decided to come back to Bangalore to continue my studies, I noticed a brittle-paged booklet “English Theatre” had been totally destroyed by a brown rat. I felt sad at not having taken better care of it.

Rats, and dead ones at that, have been causing me painful moments while I work in my garage. The room has books stocked all over the walls; many of them with very delicate and brittle pages. If not handled delicately they fall to the floor like powder. So, I take every care to protect them by wrapping them either in butter-paper covers or soft plastic covers while several cardboard boxes serve to preserve loose maps, paper cuttings and postcards.

Such brittle and delicate pages have to be carried in cardboard boxes when we want to display them to our specialist buyers. For instance, we stock a number of German, French Latin and Greek books, which are carried to several book exhibitions.

However the boxes are invariably transported by trucks and face plenty of hurdles on the road.

Moreover, the handlers are mostly illiterate and handle them as they would any other luggage.

Sometimes, if not often, I do get a pleasant surprise. Last year, I made a unique find in my old collection. Hidden among several untouched books was a book titled P.S. Ramulu Chetty Gaudharvakayavalli: Being a Self instructor in Music on South Indian Music, in Telugu published in Madras in 1911 and dedicated to Dewan Bahadar S.Subramanya Iyer. It also had a frontispiece photograph of the author, a harmonium player, and a three-page English introduction. Will we discover such a title in the real or virtual (Internet) Worlds?

The Hindu, 6th March 2011

Ancient coins of the Indo-Greek era and broken pieces of earthenware belonging to the Maurya empire have been found in Naurangabad, near Bhiwani, in Haryana, writes Dev Brat Vashisth

According to historians and archaeologists, in ancient India the hamlet of Naurangabad was a prosperous and flourishing place with a mint of world-class standard, where coins were moulded. Naurangabad was also the capital of the Yodheyas empire. It is strange that neither the Archaeological Department of the Central Government nor of the state government took interest in carrying out a survey and excavating land in the area to know more about the ancient history of Indian culture and social life. Besides Naurangabad, many other hamlets are scattered here and there in the state of Haryana. Naurangabad is situated at a distance of 9 km from Bhiwani on the Rohtak road.

According to some historians and as mentioned in Sanskrit manuscripts, the old name of Naurangabad was Prakatanak. In the past, remains of the Sandheva culture and coins of the Indo- Greek era and broken pieces of earthenware have been found here. Remains of the Sandheva culture and coins of the Maurya empire have also been found in this area. Casting moulds of coins have been found here in the past, too. Names like Kauishka, Huvak and Vasudeva were found inscribed on these coins. Some of these had the word Yodheyanamjaimantri engraved. Nandi (conveyance of Lord Shiva) can also be seen on the coins.

In the past a large number of small and big earthen toys, stone statues, pots and other domestic items were found. On one earthen toy a soldier riding a lion is shown, which symbolises bravery. On some other coins bulls are shown differently. This proves their belief in religion. Engravings of Lord Shiva and goddess of wealth Luxmi are also shown, besides forms of Kamla and Gaja Luxmi. God of fortune and wealth Kubera holding a pot of honey in one hand and a bag of money in the other is shown engraved on another household utensil.

Earthen pots and toys found indicate that there was no impression of Buddhism or Vashnava religion or culture in this part of the country during that period. The earthenware found includes dinner pots, small plates, drinking water wares, vegetable pots, flour farinaceous pans and food-preserving big-size pots.

Many different types of ancient articles like coins, pots, earthenware items and toys found were taken away by villagers. These were later destroyed or thrown away since they didn’t know their value. Bricks found were bigger in size as compared to the present normal size bricks. Such bricks are currently being used for domestic purposes. During the sixties a temple known as Jai Baba Khere Wale Ki was constructed in front of an accident zone, where many fatal accidents took place. This temple is popular among truck and bus drivers. They stop their vehicles at this point to offer prayers at the temple.

People have now started constructing unauthorised structures in this place. Digging of earth has become a routine. It appears that during the Vedic period, in the Ganga-Yamuna belt, there existed prosperous kabilasby the names of Soveer, Shivi, Kath, Yodheya, Agreya, Kaninda, Shudrak, Kalakh and others. The kabilas are also mentioned in the Mahabharata. During that period, these kabilas were governed by the panchayati system in place of the strict Brahmin caste system. Due to this the Brahmins described the inhabitants as degraded. The inhabitants of this region gave priority to Lord Shiva and performed puja of the Linga. The worship of Luxmi, the goddess of wealth, and Yakshpati Kubera was also in practice.

After the great war of Mahabharata was over, the Arya empire became weak and these kabilas became more powerful. According to certain intellectuals, after the fall of the Maurya empire, these kabilas governed the rich belt of Haryana.

Yodheyas Gana was a unique republic in which priority was given to higher castes. Members of reputed families only were elected to parliament. Leaders were elected on the basis of bravery and caste. Prakatanak (at present Naurangabad) was their capital. There were two more administrative units. One was at Rohtak and the other at Sirsa. The armed forces and the judicial system were governed by able leaders. People were prosperous.

Beside coins, many seals of Yodheyas have also been found in Haryana from time to time. In 1936, historian Birbal Sahni discovered a large number of Yodheyas coins moulded in the mint at Khokrakot in Rohtak.

To know about the social background, economy and culture of this region, coins are an authentic source of knowledge. India’s old coins are known as Aahat coins, which were found at Khokrakot, Agroha, Thehpolar, Naurangabad, Sudh, Chaneti, Hansi and Hisar.

The Tribune, 6th March 2011

More than 300 protected historical structures were either damaged or encroached upon in the last year, a query under the Right To Information (RTI) Act has revealed. On one occasion, a man had even encroached upon a portion of the Qutab Minar on June 15 last year.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which maintains historical monuments in the Capital, has lodged 311 FIRs against encroachers and offenders in the same period. Of these, at least 27 cases are against government officials. Two of them, in turn, were registered against officials on Commonwealth Games duty.

About 90 per cent of the encroachments were reported from South Delhi. The RTI disclosure revealed that 10 cases were registered against officials of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) for taking up construction cases in the vicinity of Jantar Mantar in Delhi. According to the ASI, no construction is allowed within 100 metres of a monument under the Centre’s protection.

We deploy personnel whenever we receive a complaint from the ASI. Demolition work is the job of civic agencies, and they should be responsible for it. We provide security as and when required,” a police officer said.

“In the absence of a National Monument Authority Act, any kind of construction within 100 metres of a protected site has to be reported and taken cognizance of. We have to file complaints on every case of norm violation. Even if minor repair work is going on in the vicinity of a protected monument, we have to register a criminal case,” said a senior ASI official.

The official said that once such an Act is brought into existence, they would take a re-look at a number of such cases. “The present rule prohibits us from allowing any kind of construction work, but these problems won’t be there once a new Act is approved,” he added.

The ASI was responding to an RTI query filed by Gopal Prasad, an activist.

The Indian Express, 6th March 2011

Till recently it was a mere conjecture, but now signs of stress and physical distortions on the marble surface are beginning to confirm what everyone has been fearing - the Taj Mahal is in real danger from the dry and polluted Yamuna.

"It's simple, plain and logical to suggest that the Taj Mahal cannot remain in good health for long if its sustaining force, the river Yamuna, is in poor condition," declares R. Nath, whose latest book on the Taj, India's iconic tourist destination and a World Heritage monument, explains the developing scenario in detail.

Experts in the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) have all along been downplaying the threats from the dry and polluted river.

Entry to the chambers in the foundation of the huge edifice has been sealed for years and no independent agency has carried out extensive surveys that could reassure and allay the fears expressed by doomsday forecasters like Nath.

ASI officials refuse to entertain questions about the state of the Taj's foundation. However, a senior ASI official, who preferred not to be named, confided that cracks in the foundation were noticed some years ago and that they had been repaired.

"The cracks were not small, they were big," he said.

Raman, a member of the Supreme Court monitoring committee, said: "I have heard reports about ant-hills and termite colonies in the basement of the Taj Mahal."

The controversial Taj Corridor project - construction of a corridor on the river bed - left the monument in the lurch and the artificially developed park in the rear has permanently distanced the Yamuna from the Taj Mahal, fundamentally altering the physical conditions of the whole complex.

This was against the categorical directive of the S. Varadarajan committee, which said there should be no tinkering with the physical conditions around the monument, an activist said.

Shravan Bharti, a conservationist, said "they (the authorities) are playing with the safety of the Taj Mahal."

R.K. Dixit, the official in charge of the Taj Mahal, confirmed that from the main gate to the central white marble dome the distance is 300 metres. Also, from Mehtab Bagh across the river to the Taj Mahal, the distance is exactly 300 metres."

This means the river was central to the overall design of the whole complex, stressed Rajan Kishore, who has been organising action programmes and fasts for the river Yamuna's protection from pollution.

"If one part of the body is sick and paralysed how can one say the monument is healthy and in good shape?" he asked.

According to Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society, the sand blowing in from the dry Yamuna and tonnes of desert sand coming with the westerlies have been a cause of concern for long.

Both V.K. Shukla of the Central Pollution Control Board and B.B. Awasthi of the UP State Pollution Control Board confirm that the soot and dust in the air around the Taj Mahal continues to remain alarmingly high. The dry river bed could be a contributing factor, they said.

However, "the Agra air is much cleaner and safer now with the sulphur dioxide level gone down significantly," insisted one official.

The level of finer sand particles is much higher than the normal but can be brought down if there is water in the river, scientists of the pollution board said.

Author Nath is particularly concerned about the use of Fuller's Earth to whiten the Taj's marble surface. Fuller's Earth is widely used in Europe as a bleaching agent before the shearing of sheep.

"In the beginning it was once in several years, but lately it's every now and then. They misled public opinion by calling it "Multani Mitti." Only later it was discovered that they were importing Fuller's Earth. The original "Vajra Lep," the polish on the white marble, did not require any further treatment and should have been left undisturbed," Nath told IANS on phone from Ajmer.

The extensive use of saline or brackish water from the Yamuna has also affected the monument's surface, said Vishal, an environmentalist and photographer.

The question to the ASI is simple, says Nath. "Was a dry Yamuna in the original plan of Shah Jahan (the Mughal emperor who built the monument in memory of his wife Noor Jehan). If the river was integrated in the original plan, for the Taj Mahal's safety and for the scenic ambience it provides, is the objective fulfilled by the dry and polluted river?" he asked.

Deccan Herald, 6th March 2011

On February 10, the students of class VI went on a heritage walk to Lodhi Garden. It's the best place to go for a walk or picnic. The mosques of many 15th Century rulers as well as their tombs are situated here. The graves of King Mohammad Shah and his family are located inside the mosque. The doorway to the mosque is very beautiful. It has walls made of fresh lime with beautiful carvings on them. We also visited the tomb of Sikandar Lodi. This tomb, which is octagonal in shape, was designed by experts. The other tomb we visited was Sheesh Gumbad. Sheesh means glass house while gumbad means tomb. It is called so because it is made of beautiful shiny tiles brought from Persia. However, one thing that disappointed me was the graffiti left behind by the public on the walls of the tombs. Instead of indulging in such destructive activities, we should try our best to preserve our heritage.

Aakar Bhardwaj, VI-B

On February 10, we — the students of Class VI of Apeejay School, Saket, went for a walk to Lodhi Garden. The garden, which is well maintained, is a historical garden. We have already heard about this garden, but it was the guide who described its historic value to us. The guide first took us to Md. Shah Tomb, which was built in 1440 by the Persians. We saw the beautiful work covering the tomb, right from the very top. Then we came to Bada Gumbad where — on the left — were small chambers where traders used to rest. On the right were beautiful carvings done by experts. The Shish Gumbad was manufactured with tiles imported from Persia. The bodies of nobles and ministers are buried there. The last was the Sikkender Lodhi Tomb, build by Ibrahim Lodhi, who dedicated this to his father. The floor and the writings were not found to be in a good condition. Finally, after our walk through the garden, we ate our lunch and played funny games. By the end of our trip, we were our usual selves again -- giggling and gossiping while we made our way through it. At the end, we bid goodbye to Lodhi Garden -- taking some good memories with us.

Shibangi Bhattacharya, VI-B

Though I had expected Lodhi Garden to be a place with beautiful flowers and plants, it actually turned out to be a trip where we re-lived history. The walk took us to places where once kings and queens once prayed, and then got buried. The Lodhi Garden was created during the rule of the Lodhi dynasty in 1444. We started off by visiting Muhammad Shah's tomb, a king in the Lodhi dynasty. The room was wide and octagonal in shape. After that, we went into a room, which was probably the entrance to a mosque. The western wall of the mosque, called the 'Bada Gumbad' had beautiful words inscribed in Persian calligraphy. We then headed towards the 'Shish Gumbad' or the glass dome. The first tomb to be made with bluish turquoise tiles, brought from Persia, it was specially built for nobles and ministers. The Muhammad Shah tomb, on the other hand, was reserved for kings and queens. Next, we visited the Sikandar Lodhi tomb, dedicated to the second ruler of the dynasty. His tomb, set in a beautiful garden, had highly decorated walls. It was a magical experience for the entire class.

Shruti Kirti Shrivastava, VI-B

Lodi Garden is a beautiful place of historical importance that not only enables Delhiites as well as tourists to learn more about Indian history, but also gives them immense enjoyment. We, the students of Class VI, went to Lodi Garden. Once there, we saw four tombs — of which the first was the Mohammad Shah tomb, built in 1444. Bodies of kings as well as queens are buried in there. The second one was Bara Gumbad, which is a square structure. It is not exactly a tomb because it's a gateway attached to a mosque. The third tomb was another square structure, called the Shish Gumbad. It houses the bodies of ministers as well as important courtiers. The last and fourth tomb was Sikandar Lodi's tomb, an octagonal tomb made by Ibrahim Lodi for his father, Sikandar Lodi. We had a great time during our outing, and it is a trip that will remain in our minds forever.

Hrishita Goyal, VI-B

The students of Class VI of Apeejay School, Saket, went on a heritage walk to Lodhi Garden on February 10. The walk was organised by The Indian Express, in association with INTACH and ASI. It housed tombs of great rulers of the Lodhi Dynasty, besides that of the great Sayyid dynasty ruler, Mohammad Shah. It also had elegant mosques, made through beautiful techniques. The tombs had gateways too. A fusion of Hindu as well as Islamic architecture, they spread the message of unity and brotherhood. The tombs and mosques were inscribed with Arabic texts from the Quran. Besides this, there was a lake — revealed to be a tributary of the Yamuna — and a bridge, the Atpula, which was built on it much later by Emperor Akbar. The tomb of Sikander Lodhi was set in a garden called Charbagh, as it is divided into four parts. Finally, after our minds were filled with knowledge and respect for our glorious heritage, our teachers announced that it was time to go back. This is a trip I will never forget in my life.

Manal Iqbal, VI-A

Our school, in association with Indian Express, INTACH and ASI, provided us with an opportunity to visit Lodi Garden and arrange a guide for us. The guide told us that this place was earlier known as Lady Willingdon Park. After Independence, it came to be known as Lodi Garden. It has many tombs of the Lodi dynasty (1451-1526), and houses historic figures like Bahlul Lodi, his son Sikandar Lodi and his grandson Ibrahim Lodi. In the garden is a lake, which was earlier a tributary of the Yamuna river. An eight-arched bridge, known as Athpula or Khaipur Ka Pul, stretches over it. This structure was built by Mughal Emperor Akbar 400 years ago. Then we went to Mohammad Shah's Tomb, which is very beautiful and has eight graves. Octagonal in shape, the structure is a fusion of Indian and Islamic architecture. After that, we went to Bara Gumbad Mosque, which was built about 600 years ago. All the mosques face the west, and the writings carved on the walls are messages from the Quran advocating unity and peace. Besides this, the Hindu Kalash and elephants were carved on the wall. Then we went to Sheesh Gumbad, which is a square structure that is open on three sides. Then we went to Sikandar Lodi's octagonal tomb, built over 76 sq metres with walls that are 3.5 metres high. I had a lovely time in Lodi Garden.

Shubhangi Seth, VI-A

We went to Lodhi Garden with our friends and had a lot of fun there. After paying a visit to Badaa Gumbad, we went to the western wall, which had inscriptions in Persian calligraphy. The western wall was nicely decorated, as it was an important place where the faithful used to come and pray. Next, we went to the mosque — where we learnt that the people who maintained it lived in cells or small chambers. After that, we went to the Sheesh Gumbad, which means glass tomb. It was the first time that the ancient people used glass to make a tomb in the Sheesh Gumbad. While Sheesh Gumbad was a square tomb, Mohammad Shah's tomb was octagonal in shape. The Sheesh Gumbad was meant for nobles, ministers and important people. Finally, we went to the Sikandar Lodi's tomb, which was octagonal in shape and made of turquoise blue tiles brought from Persia.

Harshita Sabharwal, VI-B

The Indian Express, 7th March 2011

A glorious past and forgotten in the present — that's the saga of a dargah

It was almost noon as we drove through the dusty bylanes of Sira, looking for a sone kalas ka makaan. I had no idea what to expect, and the locals were not helpful either. “Sona who?” asked one while another wondered if it was an ashram.

As we entered the market street, jostling past cycles, autorickshaws and bullock carts, our queries were met with a blank stare. One local nodded as if he comprehended what we meant, only to take us to another road side vendor who shook his head. Finally, a shopkeeper said: “Oh, that building with chinna (gold), keep going straight, take the third left, go straight again.” And, we still hit a dead end!

Sira, once the capital of the Mughal province, had a rather glorious past and a tryst with various dynasties. A town founded and fortified by Rangappa Nayak more than 400 years ago, it had passed on to Bijapur sultans, the Mughals and the Marathas, besides Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Once a town with 50,000 houses, besides palaces, forts, mosques, dargas and gardens, it is today calling for attention, lost somewhere on the highway beyond Tumkur.

Away from the city's bustle

Our quest for sone kalas ka makaan continued as we drove through narrow village streets, cutting through some wilderness, and finally entered a slum. There were no roads further, but the locals said there was a monument further away, with some chinna in it. We walked through thatched huts and thorny bushes, and saw a dargah that was locked. The sun beat down on us as we finally saw a stone building with a dome and minarets. And, we did spot a gold kalasa or finial in the dome of the dargah. We sat there for a while, looking for the caretaker and found no one around.

On my return to Bangalore, I got a copy of the Mysore Gazetteer and gathered that the makaan was actually a tomb of Faridulla Shah Huseini, a revered fakir who had come to Sira from Bijapur during the Mughal era. He was worshipped by the locals, and it was believed that he had performed penance here as anthills grew around him. The gold in the dome was said to have been gifted by the local governor, and the locals began referring to it as chinnadagori.

A number of grants and deeds given to the makaan from the Mughals, including Aurangzeb and other local rulers were said to have been found here as well. Reading a little more about the town, I tried to put together a picture of the golden past of the province, seen in the ruins of monuments scattered around the place.

The Hindu, 7th March 2011

Victorian architecture in for change

Heritage lovers are irked with the Indian Railways over the changes being made on the façade of over 150-year old Amritsar Railway station.

They feel the Victorian style architecture of the station would become a part of history if the changes were implemented.

Balvinder Singh, Conservation Planner and Head Guru Ramdas School of Planning, GNDU, Amritsar, said as per the guidelines of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the colour, texture, scale and design of heritage buildings should not be changed. These guidelines entail that the originality, traditional material, technique and craftsmanship of over a century-old buildings should be maintained.

The local railway station is of historic importance as it was among the first railway stations constructed by the British in Punjab.

An example of Victorian architecture, the railway station came into being in 1859.

He said its colour was also changed from time to time. “Earlier, it was red, then painted in white and red colour and recently the pink sandstone and granite were fixed,” he said.

In all, 41 concrete pillars were erected in front of the main entrance of the station.

He questioned why the railway authorities did not consult conservation professionals before undertaking any renovation and alteration in design of historic buildings.

Incidentally, the railway authorities, instead of spending on improving the appalling sanitary condition and repairing breaches of boundary walls of the local railway station was spending over half a crore on beautifying it externally.

Vishwesh Chaubey, Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozepur division, Northern Railway zone, which controls parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, said the new design was being made in conformity with the Sikh architecture. He said the architectural designs of the Golden Temple and Khalsa College were taken as models.

The Victorian architecture of the local railway station was not of a grand scale, he said.

He said breaches in the boundary walls of the station would be repaired after receiving the funds under this head. At present Rs 60 lakh was being spent on the façade allocated under the beautification plan, he added.

The Tribune, 7th March 2011

They are neatly arranged in what is reckoned to be a mass grave

Scores of human skulls found here have been termed a ‘rare find' by archaeologists and historians, who have excavated the site and conducted a study. They reckon that it is a mass grave, but what makes it unique is the manner in which the skulls are arranged.

Addressing a press conference here, Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Darpan Jain, Director of the Department of Archaeology and Museums R. Gopal and historian M.S. Krisnamurthy said there was no report on the existence of such a mass grave so far.

Initially, only 50 skulls were found next to a drain after the ground was dug up for clearing the silt. As the finding caused a sensation, the administration cordoned off the area and requested the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums to conduct a study. A team of experts, led by Mr. Gopal and Professor Krishnamurthy, visited the site, but put off excavation because the area was damp. The excavation began on January 12 after the drain was diverted so as to allow the ground to dry.

After the excavation, Mr. Jain said 471 skulls were found on a stretch of 15.6 metres by 1.7 metres. “The human skulls [only the upper portion, with the jaws missing] had been placed neatly facing different directions, and next to them were human bones on the same stretch. There is a missing patch in the arrangement, which experts believe might have been due to the digging for the drain… According to experts, around 600 human skulls might have been buried at the site.”

The experts reckoned that the skulls were those of adults, he said, and the period to which they belonged was yet to be ascertained. After the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, expressed its inability to ascertain the period, the skulls were sent to the Institute of Physics, Bhubaneshwar, where tests were under way to ascertain the period through carbon dating.

Mr. Jain said the next course of action would be decided only after the test results were out, possibly in two to three weeks.

Mr. Gopal and Professor Krishnamurthy said the skulls were of those slain in a massacre. In the past, evidences for massacre and mass burial were found in the country, including those related to the Vijayanagara empire, but nowhere had such a neat arrangement of skulls been reported.

Mr. Gopal said Annigeri boasts a history of more than 1,000 years, and there is a mention of a massacre at Annigeri in an inscription dating to the 12th century.

Professor Krishnamurthy said the skulls were buried just two feet below the top soil, and there were chances of it being a secondary burial. “We are also searching for any mention of a massacre in the local folklore, so that we can relate it to a particular period.”

He said 286 of the skulls were intact, and if the test results were to be unclear, a few of these skulls would be sent again for fresh tests.

Pioneer, 2nd June 2011

MC engages a consultant to prepare a blueprint
To submit report within three months

Keen to preserve the heritage of the Raj days and undertake the beautification of the town, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has engaged a consultant to prepare a blueprint which will taken care of aesthetics as well as resource mobilisation for the cash-strapped body.

A Delhi-based consultancy will suggest ways and means to beautify the town by way of having a uniform facade for all shops in the heritage zone as well as on the Mall. The MC is keen to have some kind of uniformity and symmetry with regard to hoardings so that the town looks beautiful.

“The consultant will submit his report within three months and it is according to his plan that we will undertake the task of heritage conservation and beautification of the “Queen of Hills,” said Sharma. He said another important aspect of the blueprint would be means and ways suggested for resource generation as the MC was facing a deficit of over Rs 6 crore.

With the state government time and again reiterating that the MC will have to generate resources to improve its financial health, the MC is exploring all possible ways to have Sources of income.

“The consultant will identify vantage points and suggest ways and means by which we can allow putting up of hoardings on poles and beautify various sites in the town,” said Sharma.

The MC authorities are keen to utilise the water available in nullahs for creating of parks, which will add to the beauty of the hill town. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has already approved a grant of about Rs 19 crore for the beautification, strengthening and stabilisation of the Ridge and the adjoining sinking zone around it. Money has also been approved by the ADB for undertaking conservation and restoration of the Town Hall building, housing the office of the MC on the Mall.

The MC is also working on the idea of creating a heritage zone around the Gaiety Theatre so that people get a feel of the old-world charm and at the same time the British legacy in terms of architectural heritage can be protected and showcased to attract tourists.

The Tribune, 8th March 2011

The High Court today directed the Chief Minister being the ex officio chairman of the State Board for Wildlife to convene a meeting of all stakeholders (farmers, animal rights organisations, forest officials and other NGOs concerned), including petitioners, and take appropriate action in the interest of farmers and on the monkey menace within six weeks.

While dictating the order in an open court, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Sanjay Karol observed that the Chief Minister should protect the interest of farmers and wildlife.

The court also directed the principal secretary (Wildlife) to appraise the court about the impact of air guns.

Earlier, the court by an interim order had restrained the state government from issuing any permits for hunting of the animal causing threat to crops and property of the citizens and directed the state chief wildlife warden and the authorised officers to use alternative methods of using air guns, air pistols and air rifles for protecting the property.

The Chief Justice, while hearing the case, observed that the court was the guardian of animals, who cannot raise their voice in the court of law. The court said prima facie killing of the animals was not the only solution but the state government must make citizens aware about other methods of protecting their property.

The court passed this order on a petition filed by an NGO of Kasauli and Chandigarh, the People for Animals, for quashing the notification issued by the state on November 3, 2010, allowing the culling of wild animals. The petitioner organisation termed the decision of the state as irrational and against the Mandate of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

In its petition, the NGO stated that the state had allowed the wanton killing of wild animals, especifically the wild bore, neel gai and monkeys, prompting hundreds of farmers to apply for the permit to kill the animals.

The NGO challenged the action of the state on the ground that Section 11 of the Act seeks to balance the protection of wildlife with the interest of the society when there is danger to human life or property, including standing crops.

The Tribune, 9th March 2011

Almost a decade after leading theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking’s visit here brought the spotlight on the issue of accessibility in the country, the Government on Tuesday for the first time allocated funds to make the important heritage sites disabled-friendly.

The `5-crore grant released by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will be used by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake the works for making five World Heritage sites such as Taj Mahal and Sun Temple and 25 other ticketed monuments accessible to persons with disabilities.

Apart from Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and Jama Masjid Champaner-Pavgadh in Gujarat, some other important ticketed monuments, for which such works have been sanctioned, include the Charminar, Golconda Fort (Hyderabad), Nagarjunakonda (in Guntur), Laxman Temple Sirpur (in Chhatisgarh) and temples in Bhubaneswar.

The amount will be used to make the access pathways, ramps, accessible toilets, tactile maps, Braille signage, and modifications in ticket counters among others.

However, the disability sector feels its “too little and too late.”

Javed Abidi, director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) rued that while grand schemes are formulated, in actual not much is being done.

To corroborate his statement he said that it was after Hawking’s visit in 2001 that the ASI had announced making all its monuments accessible to all. “But what has happened after that? Most of the monuments are still out of the reach of persons with disabilities.”

He also felt it was no big deal as the fund was allocated by the Social Welfare Ministry and not by the Culture Ministry which oversees the monuments’ preservation.

Anjli Agarwal from NGO Samarthyam, who is also a disability consultant with the government, said that with the fund at its disposal, the ASI should get user group perspectives and make the monuments accessible as early as possible.

The Pioneer, 9th March 2011

A stunning, rarely seen bejewelled, nearly 150-year-old canopy from India is expected to sell for as much as $5 million when it is auctioned next month, according to Sotheby’s.

The Pearl Canopy of Baroda will go under the hammer on March 24 as part of a larger auction of Indian and Southeast Asian Works of Art in New York. It includes over 500,000 pearls, as well as numerous diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds sewn on silk. Floral “Persian-style” vines made with coloured beads circle the canopy.

“The Maharaja was a great patron of the arts,” said Mary Jo Otsea, the worldwide director of Sotheby’s carpet department. “This piece is a continuation of the golden age of Indian art from the Mughal period, with Persian influences.” The canopy dates from around 1865, when it was commissioned by the Maharaja of Baroda, in the present-day Indian state of Gujarat. It is believed that the piece was intended to be donated as a gift to decorate the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed in Medina, in what is now Saudi Arabia.

The man who commissioned the canopy, Maharaja Khande Rao Gaekwar, was known to be particularly fond of jewels. In 1867, he bought the “Star of the South”, one of the largest diamonds in the world. The canopy is part of a set which included four large rectangular jewel-encrusted carpets, of which only two remain, and the circular canopy. The carpets were sold at an auction in Doha, Qatar in March 2009 for $5.4 million.

Art historians are still unsure exactly how the carpet and the canopy were arranged together, Otsea said.

“One possibility is this, that four pillars held the canopy over the carpet,” Otsea explained. “Another is that it was somehow placed on a camel. But nobody knows, and the Maharajah died a long time ago.”

The canopy had not been seen for more than 100 years until it was included in an exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London last year.

At the time the canopy was created the nominally sovereign state of Baroda was among the most prosperous in British India, with much of its income coming from cotton, rice and sugar.

Baroda state, which was founded in 1721, existed until it was incorporated into newly independent India in 1947.

“All the states of the time were under the Indian Raj. They were titular heads who led the people, and were free to appoint courts and commission workshops,” Otsea said. “This Maharaja, from what I understand, got on very well with the British.”

Deccan Herald, 9th March 2011

Highlighting the urgent need to save wildlife, the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) have brought out a list of 57 critically endangered species of animals in India.

The list includes rare birds, including the white-bellied heron, three species of vultures and the forest owlet which has not been sighted for 113 years and was fortunately rediscovered in 1997.

The Himalyan quail and the pink–headed duck have not been sighted from 1949. Several mammals, such as the pygmy hog and the Nicobar white-tailed are on the verge of extinction due to selective logging, natural disaster and drastic weather changes.

The Malabar civet and the Sumantran rhinoceros, which was found in the Western Ghats and the foothills of the Himalayas, is practically extinct due to massive deforestation.

A secretion from the Malabar civet is rubbed every day on Lord Venkateshwara at Tirupati and the temple trust have agreed to finance a independent programme to breed these civets in captivity, the minister disclosed.

A large number of amphibians such as the amazing Anamalai flying frog and the Shillong bubble-nest frog are also on their way out.

This list of animals prepared by scientists of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) are classified into seven categories, with 57 animals falling under the critically endangered list, 132 in the endangered, 301 in the vulnerable, 301 in the near risk category and 2,468 which fall in the “least concern” section, minister of environment Jairam Ramesh disclosed.

Mr Ramesh warned that populations are some species are down to 250 individuals and less. “As a first step, the MOEF is going to concentrate on recovering eight species which include vultures the chalazoces bubble-nest frog and the different varieties of turtles.” Attempts are also on to protect different mammals that belong to different categories of marine life such as the Pondicherry shark, the Ganges shark, the long comb sawfish and the large-tooth sawfish need to be protected.

Mr Ramesh admitted that major habitat changes, including the construction of dams over rivers, siltation, pollution from industries and mining industries as also rising ocean temperatures were threatening these animals.

The Sumatran rhino is the most endangered of the five species of rhinoceros. Mr Ramesh said, “Preservation of the one-horn rhino has been the most successful preservation effort amongst all animals with more than 2,000 rhinos presently to be found in the forest of India. Integrating the coastal zones forms an integral part of the programme since oceans played a key role in maintaining bio-diversity and sequestration of carbon.”

Asian Age, 10th March 2011

Physical obstacles abound in our public spaces, severely hampering the participation of the disabled. When it comes to our historical monuments, with their steep stairways, narrow corridors and the exclusivist and often imperialist concerns of another century, it’s far worse. The Taj Mahal’s splendid symmetry and numinous romance, for instance, may have got it hundreds of thousands of tourists a year, but until now it didn’t lend itself to be experienced by the physically challenged. It’s a pointer to a gross disregard for the concerns of the disabled while making policies, planning infrastructure and carving tourist destinations that we forgot to put ramps to grant them easy access. We neglected to make our maps and signages tactile for the visually challenged. Now, finally, the government is making amends and attempting to make some of the monuments, including a few World Heritage Sites (WHS), accessible to the disabled.

The Centre has decided to grant Rs. 5 crore to the Archaeological Survey of India to create the necessary infrastructure — wide pathways, ramps, accessible toilets, detailed descriptions and notice boards in Braille, audio devices and modified ticket counters — to make the monuments disabled-friendly. The buildings zeroed in are the WHSs of Fatehpur Sikri, the Agra Fort, the Taj, the Sun Temple at Konark, and 25 other ticketed monuments. It is, though delayed, a move in the best traditions of inclusive and accessible tourism.

A nation’s cultural symbols and architectural heritage are eloquent expressions not just of a glorious past but also of its present preoccupations. And we need to re-adapt our buildings, remove their old barriers, to reflect them. These are indeed welcome signs.

The Tribune, 10th March 2011

The kings’ mausoleum in the city has got a new entrance door, after miscreants had torched the old one on February 22.

The door of the mausoleum of Lingarajendra and Devammaji, constructed in the Indo-Sarcenic style by Lingarajendra in 1820, had been set on fire by miscreants, gutting it almost completely.

Police had arrested four people in this connection.

Work completed
Artisans from Mysore, who worked on the new door for the last one week, completed the job on Wednesday.

The new door has cost about Rs 1.6 lakh. The artisans, who have handled intricate wood work in the Mysore Palace with finesse in the past, have done a good job with the new door at the mausoleum.

The 69 sparrows made of ‘panchaloha’ (an alloy of five metals), which were in the old door, have been incorporated in the new door.

The other ‘panchaloha’ sparrow is with the police.

Security provided
The department of archaeology seems to have woken up after the February 22 incident and has posted security personnel to guard the mausoleum. Police are also keeping vigil on the mausoleum.

Archaeology department director Dr R Gopal has promised that an amount of Rs 20 lakh would be released for the development works at the mausoleum under the 13th finance plan.

There are also plans to install solar lights at the mausoleum with the amount, said B P Rekha, curator of the archaeology department.

Deccan Herald, 10th March 2011

Not bird calls from thick foliage, hundreds of Kuruba tribals of Nagarhole wake up to the silence of a concrete colony these days, attuning themselves to a new livelihood and way of life far from the familiar forests. It is a tentative beginning.

While environmental activists, conservationists and forest bureaucrats battle it out in Delhi over how and why to move people out of national parks and sanctuaries, tribals are being relocated across the country. A healthy compensation package of Rs 10 lakh (up from the earlier Rs 1 lakh) has seen many taking the offer, as in Nagarhole National Park, where tribals are slowly but steadily being relocated to a colony.

For the forest department, it is quite a feat to have convinced some tribal families of the benefits of relocation. It dismisses charges by tribal rights groups that the Forest Rights Act has been violated and therefore, the relocation is illegal, and argues that families have moved out willingly. But what lies ahead for conservation and for the tribals in a new setting is not clear yet.

The struggle in Nagarhole mimics that of tribals in other key protected areas across the country. By law, the forest department is required to determine the rights of each individual who files a claim for their traditional forest lands. They are supposed to encourage the process to educate tribals to do so. They are meant to ensure community rights are also given to tribals such as the Kurubas. The government is required to get the assent of the gram sabhas before they relocate anyone. But the reality seems to be very different.

Tribal leaders and NGOs
say hardly any aspect of Forest Rights Act seems to have been followed while relocating the Jenu Kurubas of Nagarhole. Neither the forest rights committee or the gram sabha was consulted before relocating the residents.

"None of us was consulted before the relocation took place. This has been happening since 1998. Tribals fill the claim forms for settlement of their rights but they are urged to relocate by the forest department even before those rights are settled," said J K Thimma, a forest rights committee member. "Even this time, they relocated these families without consultation. It is in violation of the forest rights act."

The forest department, in turn, claims it was the Rs 10 lakh package that has led to people choosing to move out.

"Their rights were recognized in the forest. The assembly of all elders in these small hamlets was consulted. But if you go by the hadi (tribal village) survey, these few hadis happen to be just 1% of the total eight to nine villages. So we did not consult the main gram sabha. We just asked who was willing to take this package," said deputy conservator of forests Vijay Ranjan Singh.

A new way of life
Shanti J K of the Jenu Kuruba tribe used to live in the Bhogapura hadi inside the tiger reserve. But she preferred a more comfortable life in the relocated colony, free of the fear of being attacked by animals. She shifted to Shettihalli Lokpattna colony recently. "My great grandfathers must have come to live in the forests, I don't know since when. Encounters with wild elephants, leopards were a regular thing. But crops and wild animals can't live together. There is no security for crops inside the forest," she said. Many women in the colony agree they now hope for a better life, and better education for their children.

For the president of the tribal colony, J T Rajappa, the shift has meant empowerment. "Most tribals in the forests go to work in others' estates. We never had any land of our own. No government programme was being implemented inside the park. We thought it was a better idea to accept the Rs 10 lakh package and move out. At least now we have our own land," he said.

Ironically, had the laws been followed, the likes of Rajappa would have got these lands in Nagarhole and wouldn't have had to shift.

The 143 families who were shifted in the end of last year have received a house worth Rs 2 lakh, Rs 1 lakh for development of roads, water supply, electricity, temples and school, Rs 3.5 lakh for a patch of agricultural land and Rs 3 lakh for the settlement of their rights.

These facilities and securities make them happy, at least for the time being. Most tribals worked as daily-wage labourers in neighbouring coffee estates. They would be picked up and dropped back in their hadis after the day's work. Some had small kitchen gardens or worked at others' farms.

Ground zero
The process began in 1999 when 50 families in Nagarhole were relocated. The forest department acknowledges that then, it was not an all-voluntary relocation. "I will not shy away from saying we did force some of them to relocate. Neither was the package so attractive. Now, the families themselves realize it's not worth living in the forest anymore," says deputy conservator of forests Singh.

The turning point came with the increase in compensation. "Earlier, the compensation package used to be Rs 1 lakh but now, it is Rs 10 lakh. The tribals decided to leave based on this. This time, it was all voluntary relocation. Of course, the forest rights act has been respected and the individual rights are also recognized," said principal chief conservator of forests B K Singh.

The forest staff, including the DCF, visited hadis on a regular basis and explained the incentives of moving out to the lot, say officials. Some were even involved in the construction of the colony, says Singh. But he stops short of talking about why the community rights of the Kurubas have not been settled so far.

Year after year, families were moved, taking the total number of the relocated to 491 families or 1,322 people. The department claims these families found their own livelihood opportunities after the department supplied coconut, sapota, mango and other fruit-yielding seedlings for agro-forestry.

Future course
Three months after relocation, the 143 families of Lokpattana are yet to settle down. Shanti and other tribal women complain to the forest department that the men get drunk every afternoon with their newfound money and indulge in drunken brawls. A few go to the estates as daily-wage labourers. They haven't started tilling their land yet. It's difficult to say how or how soon they can adapt to their changed reality.

Some young tribal men ask department officials if they can encash the entire Rs 3 lakh for settlement of their rights at one go. Women retort, saying the men will end up spending it on liquor.

Mara JK recollects that the tribal NGOs had tried hard to stop them from relocating though he cannot quite figure out why. "They had asked us not to move out. But I came because of the Rs 10 lakh package. I don't know anything about project tiger but since the government is giving us an opportunity, I thought we should move."

The Times of India, 11th March 2011

Months after the Commonwealth Games 2010 got over, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is still completing Games projects.

The latest is the beautification of the stretch under the Barapullah elevated road. The land agency, which had elaborate plans to construct cycle tracks, urban plazas, walking trail complete with wooden street furniture along the 4.6km stretch, is starting off with a sundial.

The giant sundial is being constructed in the space where the elevated Barapullah starts with a slip road on the Sarai Kale Khan ISBT side. Scheduled to be completed by next month, the sundial will be the focal point for the entry to the elevated road.

Said DDA spokesperson Neemo Dhar, "The work has already started. We hope that the construction will be completed by mid-April."

The sundial, to be made of steel, has been designed by experts from the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Delhi. Added Dhar, "Since the sundial is a giant structure, we needed to bring in experts from outside who would build an instrument similar to that at Jantar Mantar." The steel dial, measuring 40 feet or 12 metres, is to come up on multiple pillars that will support the structure. DDA officials claim it's the first steel sundial in the country, with others being made of brick and mortar.

The experts from IIT were specially called in to construct the foundation on which such a huge structure would come up, added officials.

Interestingly, the beautification of the stretch, along with the sundial, was originally scheduled as a Games project. The land agency had even set aside Rs 25 crore as funds, and had planned to divide the landscape based on the demography of the colonies the elevated road would be going through. The sundial was to come up as a reflection of India's heritage — modelled on the ancient instruments at Jantar Mantar — and a bridge to today, with the Games logo taking centre stage. Now though, with the Games over, sources in DDA said that the presence of the Games logo was under question. "

There has been a lot of discussion over keeping the logo or doing away with it. No decision has been taken as yet."

This is not the only DDA project that could not meet the CWG deadline. The 2,000-odd flats that were to come up as accommodation for the technical delegates of the Games were completed after the Games. Some of these flats were then made part of the housing scheme, launched in late 2010.

Times of India, 11th March 2011

About 450 km from Nagpur, in a range of hills, a board says, “Welcome to Yaval Sanctuary. Give us the tree that would be planted by both, the feller and the nurturer.”

The 175-sq-km sanctuary needs that prayer. It has been living literally on the edge of an axe, with virtually no forest left end to end.

Environment activists blame new settlers for the denudation. Much of it, they say, happened after the Forest Rights Act (FRA) came into effect, giving residential rights to encroachers beyond a cutoff. Satellite images too show that the destruction has been starkest since 2008, the FRA period.

There are 2,000 residents, the Pawras and the Barelas in three villages besides those in illegal settlements. Forest activists say many arrived in the hope of getting land rights, even though they wouldn’t legally qualify, and are chopping trees to make room for agriculture.

“Activists who campaigned for pattas for the settlers either encouraged the tree-felling or ignored it,” says Rajendra Nannaware, convener of Satpuda Bachav Sangharsha Samiti, a joint forum of NGOs.

Forest officials say the entire belt comprising Jalgaon, Nashik, Nandurbar and Dhule has been affected. “Yes, we have reports from these parts, but it is the duty of the Forest Department and the police to stop it,” says state Tribal Development Commissioner D S Rajurkar.

Head of the Forest Force Alok Joshi, too, acknowledges the damage done. “Satellite images show huge felling, particularly in Yaval and Nandurbar. Our staff get attacked and abused when they try to stop encroachers. We have brought this to Home Minister R R Patil’s notice.”

Joshi said the government has had over 3.40 lakh claims for land, of which 1.10 lakh have been found valid. Pratibha Shinde of Lok Sangharsha Morcha, fighting for pattas to tribals, says: “We are not claiming encroachments haven’t happened after FRA. It is encroachers from Madhya Pradesh who have done it in connivance with officials. But locals have no other means of livelihood than agriculture. You wouldn’t settle their claims early, so this was inevitable.”

“I must ensure that I settle claim cases in a foolproof manner. We are now using satellite images. But I can’t summarily dismiss claims either,” says Collector Niranjankumar Sudhanshu.

Last year, then Chief Secretary had directed quick disposal of cases and bypass measurement at gram sabha level. Later, the N C Saxena Committee, which went into implementation of FRA in the country and compiled the Manthan report, wrote to the state Tribal Secretary that claims shouldn’t be rushed through and measurement done properly. On February 15, the government issued a directive use GPS and satellite imagery with the involvement of Land Records staff.

The Manthan report calls post-FRA encroachments a serious problem across the country, but says only the written submission from Yaval (by Satpura Bachao Kruti Samiti) “gave specific details or evidence”. It cites false FRA claims over standing forests and fresh encroachment in Maharashtra.

“It should be noted that though fresh encroachment has been reported from many areas, often this has origins in political movements of land occupation that pre-date the FRA.... though the FRA was not a cause for these, it did make it difficult to deal with the problem.”

Indian Express, 11th March 2011

The Red Fort’s sound-and-light show has set the India Tourism Development Corporation’s (ITDC) cash registers ringing. For the first time in over 25 years, the show generated a whopping revenue of Rs 9.08 lakh in December last year.

It is said that a strict curtailment of complimentary passes over the last few months has led to the increase in revenue. “Several senior government officials often make requests for complimentary passes on a daily basis. The tickets cost a paltry Rs 80, which is affordable but it has become a habit with the officials to ask for free passes. The show was suffering because of this and started running into losses,” an official told Newsline. “But over the last few months we have strictly cut down on the number of complimentary passes and ask officials to get a letter undersigned from their respective headquarters requesting for such free passes.”

The curtailment has marked a significant increase in the revenue of as much as over lakhs per month. From Rs 8.3 lakh in December 2009, the revenue shot up to Rs 9.08 lakh in December 2011. Officials said that in November last year, the show generated a revenue of Rs. 8.97 lakh whereas in previous years the monthly revenue staggered at Rs 5.71 lakh in 2008 and Rs 6.99 lakh in 2009.

However, despite the restriction, requests for free passes continue to pour in. Recently the ITDC turned down an informal request from the CISF for 75 complimentary passes. Considering that out of a total seating of 150 persons if 75 passes were given out for free, one show would incur huge losses, the ITDC turned down the request until a formal letter from the CISF headquarters insisted on giving the requisite passes.

Even as the ITDC is grappling with such requests, the body has also been trying to promote the show by writing to several cultural and tourism bodies to publicise it. Pradeep Kumar, Manager, Cultural Affairs, ITDC, said, “We offer discounts for bulk bookings, especially for students and cultural trainees. While they need such encouragement, it is expected at least salaried officials will patronise the show.”

Indian Express, 12th March 2011

The state government will prefer to build ropeways in areas where construction of roads involved destruction of forests. This is to help protect the green cover.Stating this during Question Hour, Chief Minister PK Dhumal said at present four ropeways were functional at Parwanoo, Naina Devi, Jabli and Solang Nullah, and another seven were in the pipeline.

These include Palchan-Rohtang, Bhuntar-Bijli Mahadev, Neugal, Shahtalai-Deot Sidh, Dharmakot-Triund, Anandpur-Naina Devi and Jia-Addi Himani Chamunda.

Replying to a question, the CM said the funds collected under green tax could be used for building two ropeways proposed in Kullu, as these would help reduce the movement of vehicles.

The total amount available was about Rs 12 crore. The government proposed to build the ropeways under public-private partnership and BOT (Build Operate and Transfer) modes.

In reply to a question, Dhumal told the House that the income from toll at the 47 toll barriers had increased from Rs 30.84 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 43.19 crore in 2010-11, and for the next financial year the auction of toll barriers had fetched Rs 69 crore.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Sarveen Chaudhary said a statewide survey conducted by her department had detected 41,000 cases of ineligible persons who were sanctioned social security pension. As many as 2,615 such cases were detected in Mandi district alone. Intervening in the matter Dhumal said the individual income limit for social security pension had been raised from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,000 and the government would consider raising it further only after all eligible persons were covered.

The Tribune, 12th March 2011

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has withdrawn forest clearance to high-end night safari near Hyderabad's posh residential colony Jubilee Hills saying as it violated the conditions of the approval granted in 2005. The ministry had approved construction of double storey residential complex and nigh t safari of imported animals at Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Botanical Park in Kothaguda Forest Reserve.

The project is being executed by a state government unit.

“I am dismayed to learn that, for from toning down the construction and making it eco-friendly, the project proponents have actually planned to construct huge concrete structures such as a large hotel with 300 to 400 rooms, a convention centre with a seating capacity of 2,500 people and a multipex having a dozen screens with a multi-level parking lot for about 5,000 vehicles.”

“It will be totally unacceptable in a forest area," Ramesh said in a letter to Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy.

“I am sorry to say that the project proponents intend to take over the general permission given by this ministry with guidelines in order to bring in components, which have not been properly examined or scrutinised,” the minister, who represents Andhra Pradesh in Rajya Sabha, said.

He asked the state government to issue instructions to the project developers to stop all construction till the environment ministry takes full stock of the situation and takes a final decision.

Hindustan Times, 12th March 2011

One of the most horrifying acts of the Taliban was blasting the two magnificent, 1500-year-old Buddha statues in Bamiyan with dynamites, rocket launchers, and tanks. The 10th anniversary of this tragic destruction, which began on March 2, 2011 and took weeks to complete, provides an occasion to reflect on the future of the Afghan heritage. These statues, carved on the face of the Hindu-Kush Mountains, were great representatives of Asian art. The two unique colossi, 55 and 38 meter tall — the first of which was the tallest in the world — synthesised various art styles, including the Gandhara and Greco-Roman. They also represented a wonderfully creative phase of Buddhist history. The Indian government, through the Archaeological Survey of India, played a commendable role in the conservation of the Bamiyan monuments between 1969 and 1977. Although attempts were made in the early 1980s to declare them as World Heritage sites, it was only in 2003 that the effort succeeded. Simultaneously, these heritage structures were placed in the list of sites in danger, which helped mobilise international expertise and financial support for their protection.

UNESCO, which is coordinating the conservation efforts in Afghanistan, deserves the highest praise. Instead of rushing to rebuild the destroyed icons, as desired by some of the heritage experts and funding countries, it opted for a three-phase project to demine the area, strengthen the mountain cliffs, and improve the vicinity. Involving local communities in conservation efforts and building their capacities has been very sensibly made a priority. This sustainable approach, adopted since 2003, has paid dividends and the Bamiyan site is now ready to be removed from the list of World Heritage sites in danger. The demand to rebuild the Bamiyan Buddhas has gained fresh momentum after experts demonstrated the feasibility of reconstructing the smaller of the two statues, using fragments from the original statues. A final decision will be taken after carefully analysing the costs and benefits of the project, including the social gains that would accrue to the local community. The Taliban's barbaric destruction of the Buddhas exposes the limits of international conventions meant to safeguard heritage structures of universal value. In general, these conventions only address the damage caused by conventional war; they are ineffective in dealing with rogue States that vandalise their own cultural properties. There is an urgent need to review these international legal instruments and to make it mandatory for states to protect their cultural diversity and the heritage structures that represent it gloriously.

The Hindu, 12th March 2011

The National Archives of India (NAI), which completed 120 years on Thursday, organised a two-day seminar on “Politics, Philosophy and Aesthetics; Revisiting Gandhi, Tagore and Iqbal” to mark its Foundation Day. Well-known historians and academics, including Varsha Das, Muchkund Dubey, Mridula Mukherjee and scientist-philosopher Ranjan Rai were among those who participated.

Mr. Dubey delved into the philosophical writings of the three personalities and said the major difference among Gandhi, Tagore and Iqbal was that Gandhi guided people through the medium of work while Tagore and Iqbal chose poetry to initiate a movement. Their path was right, else we would have been deprived of their literary and poetic legacies, he said. “What links them is aatmshakti, the will power to alter the course of history.”

Speaking about his plans to make the National Archives more accessible, NAI Director-General Mushirul Hasan said: “We recently organised a seminar on the Dandi March and invited four schools. I was surprised to see that students of classes VII and VIII posed brilliant questions. They were clear about the Khilafat Movement and notions of democracy. We hope one of them will become a researcher and write a book on the future vision of India one day.”

The highlight of the Foundation Day celebrations at the NAI is a display of original exhibits related to the Dandi March. These include the diaries of V. K. Nair, a participant in the march, and Manu Ben, Gandhi's niece. She wrote the discourses of Gandhi during his morning prayers. The exhibition ends on the 18th.

The Hindu, 12th March 2011

The Supreme Court's environment bench, comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia and justices Aftab Alam and K S Radhakrishnan, reacted sharply on Friday to TOI's story on illegal mining in the Aravali in Faridabad.

"What is this going on despite SC orders?" the bench asked, drawing the attention of the central empowered committee (CEC), the court-appointed environment watchdog. CEC promised to look into the report and get back to the court. The comments came during the hearing on a petition filed by Shella Village Action Committee, questioning the environmental clearances given to Lafarge for limestone mining in Meghalaya.

TOI had reported how truck and tractor-loads of stones continue to be removed with impunity from Faridabad even though mining was banned in Faridabad, Gurgaon and Mewat two years ago.

The court had said that no mining was to be allowed in these areas till Haryana government evolved an environment management plan.

Incidentally, the old, closed mines still have piles of unused stones. Locals say even if there is no blasting, mining with mobile equipment does happen on the sly. TOI found signs of fresh earthmover activities at Dhauj, and an enormous pit from which sand-like material was being scooped out and ferried in tractors from Alampur.

Locals say the Dhauj crusher zone, which continues to function and is officially fed by stones from Rajasthan, is the key to flourishing illegal mining activities in Faridabad.

Haryana environment authorities feigned ignorance of the activities in the area. The secretary said that he would look into the matter. The degradation is so blatant that even the ditches, which had been dug up at entrances of the closed mines, have since been filled up and tractors full of stones freely ply through the mines.

The Times of India, 12th March 2011

Mining in Karnataka appears to be a jinxed business

After alleged violation of environment rules by mining companies owned by the Reddy brothers turned into a raging battle between governor H R Bharadwaj and the BJP government headed by B S Yeddyurappa, an ancient temple in Bellary has now led to stoppage of mining in eight mines.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly stayed work in eight mines in Bellary district's Hospet town as a petition filed by one A Guruprasad Rao alleged that digging endangered the ancient Jambu Nageshwar temple.

The bench had asked Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) to inspect the area and give a report.

The Times of India, 12th March 2011

In recent times, the price of silver has skyrocketed to Rs 50,000 a kg, or roughly five crores of rupees a tonne!

Ancient India had a lot of artefacts made of silver. But in those days, the price of silver was very low, as low as one anna or six paisa a gram. In our temples and in the former royal palaces of the maharajas, we have quite a number of silver items weighing several kilos. But, of all these, the most famous and historic items are the three heavy water jugs — weight: 345 kg; height: five feet and three inches; circumference: nearly 15 feet; carrying capacity: 4,091 litres — that are now kept in the city palace of the maharajas of Jaipur. As per the Guinness Book of World Records, these are the heaviest silver artefacts in the world.

The Jaipur state archives reveal that these jugs or huge flasks were made in the year 1894, after two years of labour by the palace silversmiths. It is not known as to why these huge artefacts were made. Today, mere silver required for the three urns would cost Rs 50 million. But, as it turned out, within six years of their creation, the royal family of Jaipur had an occasion to use it, and that too for a journey to the United Kingdom to attend the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902.

Following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, her son, King Edward VII, took over the British Empire. He decided to invite the most important of the Indian maharajas for his coronation and His Highness Maharaja Madho Singh of Jaipur was one of them. But this invitation threw up a religious dilemma for the Indian rulers, for those were the days when orthodox Hindus were not allowed to cross the ocean to reach Europe. The maharaja, as the head of the Hindu community in Jaipur, was told by his priests that he cannot be exempted from this religious diktat.

But, flouting the invitation of his suzerain would mean insolence, and HH Madho Singh did not want to risk the king’s wrath. The worried ruler called a conclave of religious heads and after much discussion they decided that he could go to London for the coronation, provided he travels in a ship in which no beef has ever been cooked or served, he takes the idols of his family deity with him, spreads earth from Jaipur’s hallowed soil below the deity’s throne and his bed everyday to symbolise that they were on Indian soil, eats only the prasad (religious offering) that was offered to his family deity during the prayer sessions, and finally, drinks nothing but Gangajal during his three months away from India. Greatly relieved, the maharaja ordered his court officials to make suitable arrangements to ensure that he is able to observe all these conditions during his travel to and sojourn in Great Britain.

Here, the three huge silver jars kept in the Jaipur treasury were to be of great use as they could hold 900 gallons or 4,091 litres of water each.

Meanwhile, the maharaja’s travel agents were asked to charter a ship in which no beef had ever been cooked or served. Knowing the western world’s taste for beef, this was a tall order. Fortunately for the maharaja, the agents were lucky to get the passenger ship Olympia, which had just been completed and had not yet done a voyage. The to and fro chartering of the ship (including a wait in UK for a month) cost the Jaipur ruler a princely sum of Rs 1.5 million (Rs 750 million by today’s value) and he was to be the sole passenger on the ship!

Six luxurious suites were prepared in the ship. The first and the most lavish one was for the family deity of the Jaipur royal family, Gopalji, whose idols were to accompany the maharaja. The second suite was for the ruler himself, the third one for the royal priest, the fourth suite was for one of maharaja’s close relatives, known as ‘Tazmi’ Sardars, and the other two suites were for different members of the group. Ganga water, piously stored in the jars, was for the exclusive use of the ruler, and for preparing prasad for the family deity, and these 2,700 gallons were supposed to last for the three months’ period that the maharaja would be away from Jaipur. Two days before the departure from Bombay, a group of 25 Hindu priests were sent on board the ship to conduct religious ceremonies that would keep the presiding deity of the ocean, Lord Varuna, happy. During the propitiation, symbolic gifts of pearls, diamonds and gold coins were ceremoniously dropped into the sea. Soon after, the three huge silver jars full of holy water and 75 tonnes of the maharaja’s personal baggage were loaded into the steamer and the whole party started on their voyage to Britain.

A few days after leaving the shores of Bombay, on the Red Sea, the ship encountered heavy storms and the agitated Brahmin priests advised the maharaja to dump one of the three huge silver jars into the sea to calm down Varuna, who was obviously unhappy at seeing such an important Hindu as the maharaja crossing the oceans, in violation of Hindu scriptures. It was done and the seas calmed down.

According to Sahai, the present director of the Sawai Man Singh Museum in Jaipur, the co-ordinates of the place where the treasure was dumped have been recorded.

The voyage ended without any further mishaps and the British were astounded to see such huge silver jars. In fact, according to Jaipur chroniclers, King Edward VII made a personal visit to the maharaja’s camp to see the two jars. Today, these two silver jars are the star exhibits on display at the Sawai Man Singh City Palace Museum in Jaipur.

Deccan Herald, 13th March 2011

Hyderabad’s most famous landmark was in the making for four years. Repairing a tiny patch on it is taking over a month.

Work has started on fixing one of the Charminar’s four minarets after a decorative chunk came off and fell following heavy rain during Ramazan over seven months ago, reinforcing heritage campaigners’ case that vehicular and noise pollution had weakened the 420-year-old structure.

But the build-up to the repair seems as daunting and elaborate as the actual job itself. A 45-foot high scaffolding has been erected by the Archeological Society of India (ASI), responsible for the upkeep of the monument, to reach the third-floor balcony of the 160-feet high minaret.

The actual repair job, said conservation assistant, will not take more than a few days as the damaged portion, part of a stucco floral decoration on the minaret, is only around two-feet wide. But almost a month has been spent just on getting the scaffolding in place.

“It was a hard task carrying the planks and bamboo poles all the way up without damaging the monument’s walls,” said A. Rasheed Khan, the conservation assistant.

The ASI has procured special safety belts for the artisans who will work on the minaret. A Manila rope — made from the leaves of abacá that mostly grows in the Philippines and is known to be very flexible and resistant to water damage — has been used to fasten the scaffolding.

Craftsmen from Thanjavur and Chennai in Tamil Nadu, experts in stucco jobs, have been brought in. When Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built the Charminar in 1591, he had Persian artists and Iranian slaves among the labourers.

But before the craftsmen get on with their job, the authorities are scratching their heads to ensure no one in the congested area is hurt while the repairs are under way.

But that has not been easy. The area is chaotic. Serpentine traffic snarls never seem to end. Hawkers mill around the place round the clock, and tourists keep clicking way. Also, the damaged minaret overlooks a temple and the ASI has had to ensure it is not affected in any way.

ASI’s deputy superintending archaeologist T. Sreelakshmi insisted, like her colleagues had done last year, that despite the fallen stucco portion, the monument was safe.

“The granite block behind the fallen chunk is intact and there is no danger to the monument,” she said.

This isn’t the first time a Charminar minaret is being fixed, though the job has become immeasurably difficult because of the congestion over the years. During 2001, blocks of decorative work had fallen off the terrace but had been repaired in a few days using lime and mortar.

But some believe the iconic monument — which signifies Hyderabad in much the same way as Howrah bridge symbolises Calcutta — is also paying a price for government apathy. Although the ASI is responsible for the upkeep, the Andhra Pradesh government is yet to fulfil a promise for a chemical clean-up of the outer portion despite several studies ringing alarm bells about the corrosion caused by years of pollution.

Deccan Herald, 13th March 2011

A retired railway employee’s initiative has been a labour of love for thousands of the Kanchi Math’s devotees.

An enthralling all-stone monument at Orikkai, four km from Kancheepuram, in memory of the late 68th pontiff of the ‘Kanchi Kamakoti Math’, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi, embodies a unique cultural fusion of ancient temple architecture, philosophy and spirituality.

The ‘Mani Mandapam’, paying homage to the late Acharya, revered by countless devotees across the country and abroad as the ‘Sage of Kanchi’, consecrated recently by the math’s present Sankaracharyas, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi, is a 22-year-old dream come true.

If ennobling cultural waves reappear in a 1000-year cycle, then this all-granite marvel, blending sculpture and temple-building art, is a fitting tribute to the ‘eternal relevance’ of the life and teachings of ‘Mahaswami or Periyavaal’, as the seer was affectionately called, certainly qualifies for one.

“Nearly 1000 years after King Raja Raja Chola had built the Brihadeeshwara (big) Temple in Thanjavur, a massive structure in that spirit has been raised now strictly in accordance with our ancient Shilpa Shaastra,” says S M Ganapathy Sthapathi, the temple’s chief architect.

Driving down the Chennai-Bangalore highway, as one turns into the temple town, Orikkai is a mere 9 km away from that spot. Legend has it that the place was known in Tamil as ‘Oru Iravu Irikkai’ - literally, a place of overnight stay, by none other than Lord Vishnu with two of his most ardent devotees, Thirumazhsai Alwar and Kanikannan. This sanctified place later became ‘Orikkai’ on the Uthiramerur road, where silk looms rustle nearby.

Now on the northern banks of the Palar river in the heart of an ancient civilisation hub of ‘Thondaimandalam’ in North Tamil Nadu, this sublime monument to the ‘Kanchi Seer’ manifests serenity and bliss, stoking the thirst for self-enquiry to pilgrims in search of India’s spiritual traditions.

This site was also apt as Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi used to spend considerable time in Orikkai. The place shot into fame more so after he had anointed Sri Jayendra Saraswathi as his successor, with both ‘Guru’ and ‘Sishya’ performing their first ‘Chaturmasya Vrata’ in 1955 there.

The project, an inspirational initiative by a retired railway employee V Venkatraman Iyer, one of the devout disciples of the 68th seer, has been a sheer labour of love for thousands of the Kanchi Math’s devotees.

The ‘Sri Sri Sri Mahalakshmi Mathrubhutheswarar (SSSMM) Trust was formed by a group of eminent citizens to translate Iyer’s vision into reality, and since then it has been a long and arduous journey to take forward this task with the help of voluntary contributions. “We left the Mani Mandapam to come up on its own, as a miracle driven by divine destiny would unfold,” said the self-effacing K R Athmanathan, steering the project construction.

Classical music genius M S Subbulakshmi and her late husband T Sadasviam, had contributed Rs 30 lakh from her music concerts and royalties from cassette sales, while an Indian lady doctor from Houston, USA, liberally donated $ 20,000, just to mention a few of them.

Combining the ‘glorious’ sculptural traditions of Chera, Chola, Pandya and Pallava monarchs of yore, the ‘Mani Mandapam’ has a 100-foot tall ‘Vimana’ with a 100-pillared hall in front of the sanctum sanctorum. A statue of the ‘Mahaswami’ along with his ‘padukas (sandals) forms it core.

The famous Kailashanatha Temple of the Pallava period in Kancheepuram has a 60-foot high ‘vimana’ in sandstone. “But this one is not only taller than that but made of full granite stone,” Ganapathy Sthapathy told Deccan Herald. No cement and steel were used in the construction and only some lime was used, he said.

“We took a lot of time and went about the construction with great diligence, strictly as per the Shilpa Shaastras,” said Ganapathy Sthapathy. The structure is not raised on any concrete or pile foundation.

“It just simply stands on sand, with stones arranged as per Shaastras,” he said. A splendid stone panel on its eastern face traces the lineage of the ‘Advaita’ tradition including Govinda Bhagavat Pada and Adi Shankara.

With elegant figures carved on the pillars - even the chains have been stone chiseled-- the granite stones for the shrine were sourced from three places. They include Sitthamur and Pattamallikuppam near Kancheepuram, besides Hesaraghatta in Karnataka from where all the white granite was got.

Enriching the South’s ‘spiritual geography’, this temple was planned to co-terminate with the Acharya’s birth centenary in 1994. Hence, the ‘Vimana’ is 100-foot tall, explained the Sthapathy. Land acquisition itself took some time, but meanwhile the Seer attained ‘siddhi’ on Jan 8, 1994.

After several twists and turns, the Rs 20-crore temple was at last completed and consecrated on January 28, 2011. Some more peripheral works including a compound wall etched with stone panels from the Seer’s life and musical pillars are yet to be finished, Ganapathy Sthapathy said.

Deccan Herald, 13th March 2011

It was a bright Monday morning with a sense of freshness in the air. Teaming up with my friends and teacher, we headed towards our destination — the ‘Old Fort’, also known as ‘Purana Qila’. It is a monument that takes us back to the Mughal era, displaying the rich history of our nation. Its old architecture is exceptionally stunning. The Old Fort has three gates, namely ‘Bara Darwaza’, ‘Humayun Darwaza’ and ‘Talaqi Darwaza’ or ‘Forbidden Gate’. The gates were double-storeyed sandstone structures, flanked by two huge semi-circular bastion towers and decorated with white and colored marble inlays as well as blue tiles. They were replete designs such as ornate overhanging balconies, jharokhas, pillared pavilion chhatris reminiscent of Rajasthani architecture as seen in the north and south gates. Despite the grandeur of the exteriors, few of the structures had their interiors intact. Exceptions, however, were the Qila-i Kuhna mosque and Shermandal, both credited to Sher Shah. The trip was a great experience for us, and we look forward to other visits of the kind.

- Shantanu Vats

The Purana Qila, also known as the Old Fort, seems to have survived the test of time. It is a remarkable, majestic monument that grasps the viewer’s imagination. I was fortunate enough to have witnessed such an astonishing building with an ancient architectural style — varying from beautiful arches to exquisite domes. There are five eye-catching doorways and arches, made up of a brilliant combination of red sandstone and marble. I also learned that its architecture was influenced by Mughal, Hindu and Afghan architecture. A glistening lake also provided us with a chance to indulge in boating. This monument represents yet another historic centre of New Delhi, and I am glad to see it preserved till today.

- Mandeep Singh Sidhu

On March 2, our school organised an educational trip to the Old Fort for students of the 12th standard. The Old Fort portrays an account of two great empires in the history of India — the Afghan and the Mughal. The fort has four giant gateways, one of which leads to the Yamuna. It comprises 22 acres of land, which accommodate almost 200 artistically sculpted monuments built by great Indian rulers. The carvings on the entrance pillars are intricate, and the sculptures are flawlessly sculpted. The focal point of the complex is the grand palace, built with pink stones and white marble. The Old Fort is one of the oldest forts in India, built in the 16th Century. It showcases exotic Indian art and heritage. We explored the place for a couple of hours, and captured the scenic beauty of the Old Fort with our cameras.

- Nikita Verma, XII-Rockview

January is a red-letter month for us, because that is usually when our school excursion happens. However, this time, our school planned a visit to the Old Fort, which came as a disappointment to quite a few of us. The reason? Not many of us were overtly interested in history. However, by the end of the trip, our perceptions had gone through a complete transformation. When we reached our destination, we found a huge, magnificent fort — built by Mughal emperor Humayun in 1553 — waiting for us. A tourist guide took us through the entire fort. The fort is octagonal in shape, and has three gates — namely Bara Darwaza, Humayun Dawarza and Talaqi Darwaza, which are marvellous examples of Mughal architecture. Another fine example of Mughal architecture is the Qila Kuhna Masjid, built of marble and red sandstone, which adds to the grace of the fort. We were then shown age-old painted grey pottery, which was unearthed during recent excavations. After the sight-seeing tip, we witnessed another overwhelming experience — a light-and-sound show. The show took us almost 5,000 years back into history. The trip to the Old Fort brought us closer to our glorious past. We will always cherish it as a memorable and enlightening experience.

- Sanjana Ahuja, XII-Riverdale

Old Fort is a monument which takes us back to the Mughal era. Exceptionally stunning in appearance and architecture, it is popularly known as Purana Qila. I got an opportunity to go there with my friends on March 2. We went till Pragati Maidan by Metro, after which we walked. A big lake near the fort made the fort appear even better. Its history dates back to the 15th Century. Purana Qila, situated on the banks of Yamuna, was constructed by Mughal emperor Humayun. It is where Humayun’s capital, Din Panah, was located. Later, it was renovated and named Shergarh by the first Afghan emperor of India, Sher Shah Suri. Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, often referred to as the last Hindu emperor of India, was coronated in this fort after he defeated Akbar’s forces in Delhi on October 7, 1556. We entered a big fort with three arched gateways — the Bara Darwaza (Big Gate) facing the west, the Humayun Gate in the south, and lastly, the ‘Talaqi Gate’ or forbidden gate. All the gates were double-storeyed sandstone structures flanked by two huge semi-circular bastion towers, and decorated with white and coloured marble inlays and blue tiles. A few of the interior structures still stand, except the Qila-i Kuhna mosque and the Shermandal, both credited to Sher Shah. We also got a chance to witness the awesome sound and light shows after sunset, entailing the history of Delhi. Altogether, it was a great experience.

- Jasjot Singh, XII-Rockview

The Purana Qila, also known as the Old Fort, seemed to have survived the onslaught of time. A remarkable building that grabs the viewer’s attention, I felt fortunate to have witnessed such an astonishing building, which represents the architecture of the ancient days. I also got a taste of its enchanting history — from the time of its construction by Sher Shah Suri in 1541 to efforts made for its conservation in the modern era. There are five eye-catching doorways and arches, made of red sandstone and marble. I also learned that its architecture was adopted from Mughal, Hindu and Afghan architecture. This monument represents yet another historic centre of New Delhi and I am glad to see that it has been preserved till today.

- Abhishek Dhyani, XII-Daisydale

The Old Fort, commonly known as Purana Qila, one of the most visited tourist places in Delhi. It is located four km from Connaught Circus, Southeast Delhi. There is no entry fee, and is open from sunrise to sunset. Built in the 18th Century, this fort is believed to standing on the ancient site of Indraprastha.The major attractions of this fort are Sher Mandal and Qila-i-Kuhna Masjid. The fort walls octagonal in shape, and it has three gates. One of the finest examples of architecture, the Qila Kuhna Masjid, is built inside the fort. The use of marble and red sandstone has only added to the grace of the masjid. This combination gives the structure a different look. The inner west wall of the masjid has five arched openings, richly ornamented with white-and-black marble tiles. Light and sound shows — which takes you 5,000 years into history — were conducted in Hindi and English. Also, there was also a shimmering lake of emerald water, where tourists can enjoy afternoon boating session in the shadow of history. The visit to the Old Fort was definitely an overwhelming experience for everyone.

- Shrutika, XII-Riverdale

On March 2, the Class XII students of our school set out on an educational tour to the Old Fort. The monument has great historical significance. Built in the 16th Century, when Mughals ruled over India, it encompasses 22 acres of land. The carvings on the entrance pillar sand-sculpted murtis are intricate and flawlessly designed -- showcasing Indian art, values, wisdom and heritage. The focal point of the entire complex is the grand palace, built in pink sandstone and white marble with 224 magnificently carved pillars, 20 pinnacles and eight domes in total. We will never forget our visit to the Old Fort.

- Rituparna Bhattacharya, XII-Rockview

I remember the first time I saw the Old Fort. As an eight-year-old child, I had crossed its northern watchtower -- which was covered almost fully with foliage -- as I was going to the National Science Center for a science camp. At that time, I was not exactly awestruck by the structure. However, all that changed on the day we went on our first educational trip to the Old Fort. True, I was not as enthusiastic while entering the structure through the 'Lal Darwaza', but the ideas in my mind had taken an about-turn by the time I exited it. But then, that's only natural. Monuments are built to inspire.

- Abhinav Dhar

The Purana Qila is located at Lajpat Nagar in South Delhi. This magnificent fort is situated to the southeast of India Gate, and to the north of Humayun's Tomb. The fort has four giant gateways, one of which leads to the Yamuna. The serene lake inside the fort premises is just what you need to relax after a busy day. The fort also houses a library and an observatory, and gives us a glimpse into the lives of the people during a time when the Mughals and Afghans were in power. Purana Qila, one of the oldest forts in Delhi and a top tourist attraction, could be thrilling for a first-time visitor. We remained there for a couple of hours, explored the site, and took many photographs.

- Nidhi Bhatnagar, XII-Springdale

On March 2, we went on a trip to Old Fort, which showcases a blend of the country's history. We enjoyed the trip very much. It is an archaeological site that tells about our past. Its history of conflict and turmoil is in complete contrast to what it has now become -- an idyllic place that has become a haven for picnickers and couples. Upon visiting the monument, we were filled with images from the past -- the march of triumphant elephants, the blowing of conches, and the victory procession of Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri. The fabled city of Indraprastha is said to have existed here. We also visited Sher Mandal, from where we got a glimpse of the entire cityscape. This was a memorable trip for all of us. In time, I would like to visit the Old Fort again and learn more about it.

- Sanchit Saini, IX-Riverdale

Indian Express, 13th March 2011

While successive rulers have wrested control of the famed fort at Chitradurga, today, the fort has a different story to tell. Now, it is the turn of encroachers, who have moved in and laid siege to the historic fort. At one point, nearly 135 families lived inside the fort. This number has come down to 15, but a lot more needs to be done to ensure that the fort retains its old glory.

This fort has captured popular imagination by way of Kannada movies. The famed Chitradurga's seven-tiered fort is one of the most well-known forts of the State and draws a huge number of tourists. The fort has many stories of valour to tell, of kings and chieftains who ruled from its ramparts.

This historic fort is a veritable open air museum and was the stronghold of the Palegars or the local chieftains. However, today, the fort has been reduced to a poor state, thanks to encroachments, and is now struggling to hold its own. Every passing day sees a new concrete structure raising its head in the fort’s vicinity. This is marring the beauty of the fort. Several pleas made by Chitradurga residents seeking that the encroachments be stopped have fallen on deaf ears.

The Chitradurga fort has a long history. From 1568 AD to 1779 AD (nearly 211 years), the fort has been ruled by fourteen chieftains (palegars). The first palegar was Chitranayaka. Among the other chieftains, the names of Bharamanna Nayaka and Raja Madakari Nayaka stand out.

The seven-tiered fort occupied over a thousand acres of land. Slowly, the many structures in the fort complex were encroached upon, and today, the fort area is on a mere 300 acres of land. If immediate measures are not taken to check illegal encroachments, in a few years, the fort will be a pale shadow of what it once was.

Wall to stem encroachments

The district administration and the Archaeological Department have been making many efforts from the past several years to evict people who have encroached upon the fort area.

A wall has also been constructed at a cost of Rs 80 lakh around the fort to ensure that no one encroaches upon the area. And yet, the departments concerned have found it difficult to evict those inside the fort and provide rehabilitation for them.

Among the 135 families that lived in the fort premises at one point in time, as many as 15 families are still there. To ensure that these families are rehabilitated, the Department of Archaeology has sanctioned a grant to the district administration. But, no concrete rehabilitation plan has been made by the district administration as yet.

The Central government has implemented the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 in order to ensure that no construction work is undertaken in the vicinity of national heritage and protected monuments. According to this law, a 100- metre radius around the fort has been declared a prohibited area, and another 200 metres beyond have been declared a restricted area.

After this Act was implemented, the Archaeological Department has conducted a complete survey of the area and has issued notices to owners of 27 buildings that have come up in the 100 and 200 m area. It has also indicated that no new construction activity can take place in the region. “When it comes to eviction of encroachments, the National Monuments Authority will take action. If any building needs to be torn down, the designated officials of the Central government will take action,” explain Department officials.

Proposals yet to take off

Some proposals and surveys that were chalked out to spruce up the fort premises have not taken off. The sound and light show that was planned as a measure to draw tourists has still not been implemented. The Tourism Department has already sanctioned Rs one crore towards the same, to the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation. The road that leads up to the fort needs attention. The narrow lanes in the town are in poor shape as well.

A survey was conducted in the recent past to examine the possibility of a direct road that links the National Highway 4 and the fort. That has not been implemented, either.

Deccan Herald, 15th March 2011

March 20 is being observed as World House Sparrow Day, to draw attention to the dwindling numbers of the once-ubiquitous House Sparrow. It is the ability of the bird to adapt to and make the most of its proximity to human beings that has perhaps been its strength and its failing today, observes M B Krishna

“Where have all the sparrows gone?” is the most frequently heard question about the sparrow today. Go to the Bangalore International Airport for example. You can see sparrows galore, and often in comic action. Sparrows landing on the smooth floor, slipping and ‘skating’, one leg going one way and the other going another. Well, you might even get addicted to watching them while you wait for your flight!

But to think of it, where have the sparrows come from at all? Our common ubiquitous House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is part of a forty-member family, distributed almost worldwide and closely related to the 140-member Munia family. They are essentially birds of the open country, like savannas and grasslands, and now crop fields.

Our association with the House Sparrow is itself thought to go back to the times when humans started cultivation or agriculture, when we got them closer to us. The association then evolved, and we now have them in our homes making themselves warm and cosy! Fossils of early sparrows (Passer predomesticus) found in a then much wetter Palestine show that our contemporary House Sparrows have evolved a thinner and longer beak. Maybe an adaptation to slightly different conditions with more insects.

Today our House Sparrows continue to be essentially grain eaters, feeding freely on insects, but also adapting to products of our civilisation. In fact, I know of a particular household in Bangalore where the sparrows around developed a taste for Mysore-pak and kesari-bhath for generations (theirs! not ours), almost following the lady of the house and begging for morsels every evening along with much longer addicted generations of Ashy Wren-Warblers (Prinia socialis). This ability to adapt to and make the most of our proximity and resources has perhaps been their strength, and today, the House Sparrow’s failing.

On the drop in sparrow numbers

There have been many theories put forward for the almost worldwide decline of the House Sparrow. The most plausible one says that sparrow chicks, especially for the first few days after hatching, require insect food for their survival. When their parents are not able to find these insects to catch and bring back, disaster ensues. This results in an overall sparrow decline since there would not be any new recruits into the population.

If we look at our own cities where we see this dramatic decline in sparrow populations, it is not too difficult to hypothesise where all the problems could have occurred.

Compared to the times when our parents saw sparrows in abundance, we have altered the cityscape dramatically. Gone are the old houses with courtyards in front and backyards, yes, those quaint backyards, where broken rice would be separated from full rice, and peas would be separated from their pods. These activities gave sparrows an opportunity to pick the fallen bits and morsels. Then again, the architecture itself has changed.

No longer are sparrows able to find the tiny little nooks, crannies and holes where they used to build their nests. And for most hole nesting birds, finding a suitable hole to build a nest in is a major housing nightmare! It is a logical extension of thought to see why insects too are not able to find a home in our cities of today. There is just no greenery they can live on. And even if there are plants around, they are so heavily sprayed or coated by the chemicals we dump into the environment, or the pollution that we cause. And it is no wonder that sparrow parents cannot find insects for their chicks.

Blame it on our urban spaces

Our cities are also becoming increasingly noisy. Scientists and birdwatchers are now reporting that some diurnal birds are even shifting their singing sessions to the night. All to be heard! So if you ever hear your neighbourhood birds shifting their singing to the night, please remember, your noisy neighbourhood and the lights burning in the night have to do with it!

I’ve not heard reports of sparrows chirping in the night, but be warned, if you ever manage to retain the sparrows in your neighbourhood, and they start chirping in the lighted up night, its your kin which is forcing them to do night shift!

Sparrows are known to be quite parochial, often spending all their lifetimes in a local neighbourhood. They are perhaps loath to move and unlike the ever increasing Blue Rock Pigeons (Columba livia), do not move out much to feed either. Pigeons are much larger and fly out great distances to feed, and are not affected by the kind of insect food problems that sparrows face.

They produce a pre-digested slurry called pigeon-milk which they regurgitate for their chicks. Sparrows have not evolved this. If we take the dramatic decline that sparrows show in Bangalore, they are not alone. Many more species have shown dramatic declines in their numbers. Habitat degradation and loss have taken their toll in not only on populations but in the variety of species as well.

Had common-sense prevailed, rather than development based on cash flows into the parallel economy, we would have retained much more greenery and bird-life in Bangalore!

Deccan Herald, 15th March 2011

Raichur district is known for its rich heritage. Maski in Raichur district is home to an inscription dating back to the time of Emperor Ashoka.

The region has been ruled by several dynasties including the Mauryas, Shatavahanas, Kakatiyas, the Rashtrakutas, Vijayanagar kings, Bahmani Sultans and Nizams at different points in history.

Evidence of these glorious dynasties are present in the form of the many forts and temples that dot the district. The Raichur fort has been standing tall ever since the time of the Chalukyas of Badami. Later, it was during the reign of the Chalukyas of Kalyana that the fort was renovated. The Kakatiyas of Warangal sought to strengthen the fort further in 1294 AD. According to a Kakatiya edict, the inner tiers of the fort were built during the administration of Vithalanatha, a commander of the army of a prince Goregannayya Reddy who ruled under Rani Rudramma Devi..

The Vijayanagara King, Krishnadevaraya, built the north entrance in celebration of one of his conquests, according to some historians. Another fort that draws attention in the Raichur region is the Mudgal fort. This fort, it is said was built in 1053, by a landlord called Muddappa Reddy. There is mention of the same in the Nizamshahi Gazette. The Bahmani Sultans, Vijayanagar kings and the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, all went into war with each other over the conquest of this fort. The Mudgal fort has seen many a battle over the centuries.

After the battle of Rakkasatangadi in 1565, the fort fell into the hands of the Adil Shahis. The Mudgal of then, ruled by many dynasties, is now a small town in Lingasugur taluk.

Talk about Lingasugur and one has to mention ‘Jaladurga’ a historic fort in the taluk, that was ruled by Vijayanagar kings, Bijapur’s Adilshahis and Bahmani Sultans. The fort is known to have had a huge vault, where riches were stored. There is mention in historical texts that those who were sentenced for life were known to have been pushed from the top of the fort into the river Krishna flowing nearby.

Ten kilometres away from Raichur is the Maliabad fort, which was strengthened during the time of the Kakatiyas in the 13th century. The outer layer of the fort was built in the 15th century.

Deccan Herald, 15th March 2011

Lake catchment area must survive

It is heartening that the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed all forms of construction activity in the catchment area of Sukhna Lake, including the forest zone and the agricultural area falling in Punjab and Haryana. Housing societies own a large chunk of land lying mostly in the area from the regulator end of the lake up to Saketri. Some residential colonies are also coming up in Kansal village adjoining the lake. Had the court not intervened, they might have presented a fait accompli choking the once-pristine water body even further. Punjab and Haryana have been casual enough to provide permission for construction activity, with HUDA itself developing the Mansa Devi complex, part of which lies in the catchment area. The Town and Country Planning Department of Haryana has now clarified through an affidavit that this particular section has been designated as an open space zone and no construction activity is proposed there.

The states are obviously looking at their own interests rather than viewing the tricity as a single compact unit. One hopes that the well-meaning order would be implemented strictly, because real estate developers have the dubious record of nibbling away land. The lake, which is the pride of Chandigarh, has been choking because of various factors, and rampant construction in the catchment area can sound its death-knell.

Nor should it be seen as a matter concerning Chandigarh alone. Any construction in the catchment area can be a recipe for disaster whenever there is heavy rain. So, it is in the interest of Punjab and Haryana also that the area be preserved well. As the court had earlier said while staying the controversial Tata Camelot housing project proposed near the lake, there is need for Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh to convene meetings of the coordination committee instituted for integration of the respective master plans to ensure harmonious growth plans for the area.

The Tribune, 16th March 2011

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI), the custodian of heritage monuments, plans to carry out commercial activity by way of ‘fish farming’ at the lake outside Purana Qila. The move has drawn flak from heritage activists as no commercial activity is allowed inside or within 100 metres of any protected monument.

On Tuesday, ASI’s Delhi circle floated Expression of Interest for “giving the lake near Purana Qila for fish farming for three years from the date of contract”.

The lake, spread over 6.106 acres, is located on the northwestern edge of the Purana Qila at the junction of Mathura Road and Bhairon Marg. The land and development officer had transferred this to the ASI on October 21, 2003.

A boating facility run by Delhi Tourism is a popular attraction for tourists round the year. The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) runs a sound-and-light show inside the Purana Qila premises. However, these are value addition for tourists. As against that, the ‘fish farming’ is a purely commercial venture.

Said an ASI official involved in the process, “The concept is at a very primary stage and nothing has been finalised as yet. But the whole purpose (for fish farming) is to generate additional revenue so that monuments become self-sustainable.”

Lawyer-activist Usha Kumar lambasted the agency, “How can the ASI carry out any commercial activity in-and-around any protected monument?”

“In the famous case of ‘Wasim Ahmed Saeed versus Union of India 2004’, the Supreme Court had upheld ASI’s plea of not allowing any commercial shops within 100 metres of Fatehpur Sikri, a protected monument near Agra,” Kumar added.

In fact, not just in Fatehpur Sikri or at Agra, the ASI has been removing commercial establishments from near its monuments here in Delhi too.

The agency in 2010 had carried out a massive encroachment removal-cum-demolition drive on the western edge of Red Fort, a World Heritage Site.

Moreover, the Delhi circle of ASI has not kept the headquarters in loop for these plans. BR Mani, the ASI spokesperson, said, “We are not aware of any plans about fishing contract at the Purana Qila lake.”

Hindustan Times, 16th March 2011

Preparations are in full swing for the75th anniversary of Lodhi Garden, which is coming up on April 9, and visitors will now have a clear view of the Bada Gumbad as they enter the garden area. After popular demand from morning walkers, New Delhi Municipal Council has ransplantedfiveMimusopselengior Maulsari trees that were blocking the view of the monument. The area has been given a facelift and these trees have been replanted within the garden.

According to NDMC officials, the transplantation work was taken up around four days ago as part of improving the landscape at Lodhi Garden. The trees which have been transplanted are eight years old. To ensure that their roots do not get damaged, a lot of care was taken while uprooting them. The pit dug around them was about 1.5-m deep. "The area around the trees was dug up manually by our staff. After the digging was over, an earth bowl was created near the roots of the trees. This was wrapped in a jute cloth and tied up with rope to ensure that the earth stays intact around the roots," said an official.

Wooden planks were then placed under the earth bowl to which belts were attached and a wire was tied to the belt. The wire was finally tied to the hook of the hydraulic crane to lift the trees. "Each tree was picked up by the crane and transplanted at another spot which had already been dug up. The wooden planks were removed, along with the jute cloth, etc. Loose earth was then put inside the dug up pit. We are hoping that these trees survive after the transplantation exercise," added an official.

"The trees were blocking the view of Bada Gumbad, which is located right in front as you enter the garden. Around six months ago efforts were made to prune the top of these trees. But we wanted a permanent solution to the problem. NDMC, therefore, decided to transplant these trees scientifically. The aim of this exercise is to ensure that there is harmony between the heritage precinct and the green areas in Lodhi Garden," said Suhas Borker, co-founder of Green Circle, a voluntary group which is also participating in organizing the anniversary celebrations.

Besides this transplantation exercise, NDMC will also be carrying out greening of the boundary areas and will improve the condition of the grounds by planting more grass before the anniversary. "Around 45 new variety of botanical plants have been planted this year," said an official.

According to Borker, as part of the celebrations a tree plantation programme will be organized on April 9 and this will be followed by a heritage walk. "A panel discussion is planned in the evening and several eminent persons will be participating," said Borker. Lodhi Garden was inaugurated on April 9, 1936, as the Lady Willingdon Park. The park was renamed after India's independence in 1947.

Times of India, 17th March 2011

The Punjab and Haryana High Court order staying all construction activity in the catchment area of Sukhna Lake has come as another jolt for the multi-tower high-rise Camelot project of Tata Housing Development Company (THDC). With the map outlining the catchment area of the lake being placed on record, it is now clear that the site of the controversial project falls within the catchment area.

The high court directions, staying all construction activity in the catchment area, were passed on March 14, during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the lake. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Augustine George Masih took on record the map (prepared by the Survey of India) defining the entire catchment area falling in Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana.

As per the map, villages of Kaimbwala and Khuda Alisher in Chandigarh, Nayagaon and part of Kansal in Punjab and parts of Saketri and Mahadevpur in Haryana form part of the catchment area. Since the Camelot site, located in Kansal village, falls in the Sukhna’s catchment area, the project developer, THDC, will not be allowed to go ahead with any construction on the site, till the stay is vacated.

When contacted, Tata Housing officials reiterated that the project land did not fall in the catchment area. In a statement issued to The Tribune, the company said, “We rely on the affidavit filed by the state of Punjab (on September 23, 2010), in the said matter, which clearly states that no part of Punjab falls within the catchment area. The ground situation today has substantially changed from the survey map of 1995 referred to, in the court order. Notwithstanding the above, the Tata Housing is committed to abide by the law of the land and will respect the order of the honourable court.”

Other than the THDC, several other builders, many supported by politicians, have purchased land in the area and were in the process of launching their housing schemes. Interestingly, many top bureaucrats and policemen have also purchased land in these villages. The Haryana Urban Development Authority was also trying to carve a sector and float a residential scheme in the catchment area.

The Tribune has been highlighting how rules were bent to give a go-ahead to the Camelot project by the Punjab Government that has 102 Punjab politicians as its beneficiaries. In January, the Ministry of Environment and Forests had ordered an inquiry into the project. An inspection was conducted by a six-member team of the ministry in January, which verified the distance of the project site from the sanctuary. It found that the Camelot site fell in the catchment area of Sukhna Lake.

Following this, the ministry has also filed an affidavit in the high court, saying the project would get environmental clearance “…subject to their obtaining prior clearance from the forestry and wildlife angle, including clearance from the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife”.

The Tribune, 17th March 2011

Once the centre of power during the Tughlaq era, Adilabad Fort had over the years become a haven for criminals. While Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) started carrying out restoration work at the site in 2009, it will take at least another two years before Adilabad is fully ready to be "marketed".

But over the past three months, a few tourists, mostly foreigners, have been coming to the fort. Visitors are greeted with a sign reading "Antisocial activities are strictly prohibited" . Built in 1327-28, this fort had practically become a criminals' hideout. "Murders used to happen at the back," says Bahadurchand, in-charge of overseeing work, poiting at the green cover between the rear wall and shooting range. The green terrain looks innocuous enough now and there's a spectacular view of it from the fort.

Mohammad Bin Tughlaq moved here with his retinue immediately after he allegedly killed his father, Ghiyas-ud-Din

Tughlaq, in 1325. Adilabad , in fact, is an extension of Tughlaqabad Fort built by his father.

The fort was in a terrible state of disrepair. "People were afraid to go there. Hooligans and vagabonds were inside," says K K Mohammed, superintending archaeologist. The outer fortification was the most damaged part. The outer wall had collapsed, along with the bastions. Those parts have been glued back together with lime, surki (powder brick) and a number of adhesives, including urad dal, jaggery, batasha and gum. Large sections inside the fort were also buried under dirt. The ramp, however, had endured.

The extension to Tughlaqabad was called Muhammadabad till its creator decided he needed an image boost and renamed it Adilabad from "adil" meaning "just" . About a kilometre in length and half as wide, it's far smaller than Tughlaqabad. But since both are of the same period, architecture is similar and materials — basically giant chunks of Delhi quartz — are also the same. Adilabad, too, is perched on a hillock and from its north side offers an impressive view of Tughlaqabad as well as Ghiyas-ud-Din's tomb.

That Tughlaqabad survived in better shape is fortunate — the conservationists of Adilabad have a ready model they can look to for the reconstruction of gates and battlements. Blocks of stone that originally belonged to the walls are now lying about on the ground. ASI will set them back where they belonged. Extra stones will be stored for use later as stone is becoming hard to come by in Delhi, says Mohammed.

The landscaped space within the inner walls is complete with flowerbeds and benches despite the shortage of water. There are doublestoreyed cells along the fortification inside the fort and a cluster of underground cells on the east side for storing grains — they are filled with rubble and are inaccessible. ASI's efforts will fill the crevices, make the fort structurally secure and make it possible to open it to the public. However, large parts of it will remain out-of-bounds till such time as ASI has the funds (they had initially been granted Rs 2 crore) and time to undertake further excavation at the site.

Rich past
Adilabad Fort, built by Mohammad Bin Tughlaq in 1327, is an extension of Tughlaqabad Tughlaqabad-Adilabad formed the third city of Delhi The 14th century fort was in a bad state with criminals routinely using it as a hideout ASI started conservation work in 2009 and was granted Rs 2 crore The outer fortification was badly damaged. Large sections of the wall and bastions had collapsed The joints between stones are being repaired and crevices filled with a 'masala' made of lime, powder brick and adhesives, in a process known as 'pointing'

Times of India, 18th March 2011

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI), the caretaker of Indian heritage monuments, has a new plan for the Purana Qila.

After the much-loved boating ride at the adjoining lake, light shows and band performances at the Qila, there is plan to carry out commercial activity by introducing 'fish farming' at the lake.

"The fish farming will undoubtedly mean a cleaner and fresher lake. The renovation of the lake has also been pending for a long time. In other parts of India, including a couple of places in Bihar and Rajasthan, fish farming has already been introduced. Then why not Delhi?" said ASI Delhi Chapter director KK Muhammad.

ASI's Delhi circle has already floated Expression of Interest to "give the lake near Purana Qila for fish farming for three years from the date of contract". The lake, spread over 6.106 acres, is located on the northwestern edge of the Purana Qila at the junction of Mathura Road and Bhairon Marg. "The activity will further increase the footfall at the Qila and also generate some funds," he added.

However, there are concerns among the heritage activists who opine that introducing fish farming at the Purana Qila lake counters the law that says that no commercial activity is allowed inside or within 100 metres of any protected monument. "Currently, a boating facility is being run by Delhi Tourism which is very popular with the tourists round the year.

The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) also runs a sound-and-light show on the Purana Qila premises. So the fish farming is not anything different," said another leading heritage expert from the city.

"I don't particularly see the need for fish farming. The lake can be kept clean otherwise as well. The activity may remove the focus from the main monument," said GK Menon, convener, INTACH's Delhi Chapter.

The Tribune, 18th March 2011

Some journeys require a little planning ahead. If you want to experience the jaw-dropping surprise of reaching Hampi, then arrive by train in nearby Hospet and reach the World Heritage Site in the early morning light.

Once there, you will see green fields, date and coconut trees. The place looks quaint and ageless in the way of many Indian villages, where bullock carts are still the way to get to market.

Then, at some point, you reach the top of the hill overlooking the ancient ruins of the medieval capital of the Vijayanagara empire and you swear you have just arrived in Bedrock and that Fred and Barney are going to come up the hill in their stone-wheeled vehicle!

Spread as far as the eye can see are ancient stone temples, great plains of boulders that look as if the Gods have used the place for a bowling alley and Kings have had their play.

There are stone-carved elephant stables, temples that sing in the wind and a lazy river winding her way through this surprising landscape like a ribbon on a present about to be unwrapped.

Further back into the reaches of time and history, back to a time when the Gods still moved around the earth, Hampi was known as Kishkinda or the Monkey Kingdom.

You can see the Anjaneya temple atop a very steep hill just outside of the village. This is said to be the birthplace of Hanuman and although the climb is steep, the view once you reach the top is well worth the climb.

Remember to take water and offerings for the many monkeys you will see on your climb.

Once you reach the giddying heights, you will see the entire spread of the ruins of Hampi.

Looking at the ruins from here you would know the reason why they chose this place as their capital.

All around in the horizons are the rugged, rocky mountains, and at one side is the mighty Tungabhadra river.

It was a naturally secluded and almost impenetrable area. So when Rama and Lakshmana arrived in Hampi, in search of Sita who had been abducted to Sri Lanka, Hanuman shows them a set of jewels. Rama identified them as belonging to his wife and it is from here that Hanuman launched his epic rescue of Sita from the clutches of Ravana.

Remember to keep an eye on your belongings and food as the monkeys here are not shy to take what isn’t offered to them!

Deccan Herald, 18th March 2011

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) ambitious plan of running horse-drawn buggies on heritage routes has again been put on the backburner. Though the standing committee passed the proposal to formulate a policy for issuing licence to horse-drawn buggies for commercial/tourist purpose in February 2011, it was referred back to the administrative wing to make certain changes. Sources say that the decision was taken after pressure from buggy owners.

Times of India, 19th March 2011

The Legislative Assembly again witnessed unruly scenes today as legislators of the BJP, Panthers Party and the Jammu State Morcha (JSM) staged a walkout from the House criticising the state government “for leasing out the historic Mubarak Mandi complex to private parties for constructing a five star hotel”.

The Mubarak Mandi complex was the historical seat of power of the Dogra rulers and the people of the Jammu region identify themselves with the heritage monument. The parties were annoyed over the decision of the government to lease out the complex to an NGO for constructing a five star hotel.
During Zero Hour, Panthers Party legislator Balwant Singh Mankotia raised the issue and drew the attention of the government towards a tender floated by an NGO for constructing a five star hotel at the complex. “The complex symbolises the rich heritage and culture of the Dogras and the government, in connivance with some private parties, has been trying to grab the historical building,” Mankotia alleged.

“We won’t allow the selling out of the identity of Dogras in Jammu. We will not allow the hotel to be built by the private party at the complex in the name of promotion of tourism and conservation,” he said.

Ashwani Kumar of the JSM alleged taht, “Some persons have captured the Mubarak Mandi Conservation Committee and in the name of conserving the complex they have been pocketing huge amounts”. Echoing a similar view, BJP legislator Ashok Khajuria sought a clarification from the government over the handing over of the complex to some select persons. “The government has handed over the complex to some persons who indulged in land grabbing,” Khajuria shouted amid the din. Chaman Lal Gupta, Harsh Dev Singh, Yashpal Kundal and other legislators also joined the issue.

As they raked up a ruckus in the Assembly after protests, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Nasir Aslam Wani told the House that in order to conserve the heritage monument, a society was set up, which was looking after its conservation and promotion. However, the protesting legislators were adamant that the government should give a reply to the question about the proposed construction of the five star hotel. Later, the legislators staged a walkout from the House after their demand for a reply was not met.

The Tribune, 19th March 2011

There is much delight in the portraits of the most ordinary of characters picking up the rhythm of life as it must have been lived in the bazaars of Patiala

Whatever little attention has gone to the art of the Punjab Plains in the 19th century", I once wrote, it has "tended to focus on what was happening at the Lahore Court". There were reasons for this. The glitter, the excitement, the ‘savage splendour’ of that court, as recorded by so many foreign visitors to the territories of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was too much to resist; some documentation on the arts had come down in the records of that court; a number of paintings, some of high quality, had survived.

However, in the process what was happening in the field of painting in other parts of Punjab, particularly in the cis-Sutlej states — as the British designated them — was receiving remarkably little notice. To some extent even this was understandable, for the materials for that study were not over-abundant and the general perception was that the ‘Phulkian’ rulers, especially those of Patiala, were interested in little else than leading, personally, lives of luxury and indolence.

Fortunately, much of this has changed with passing years. Some documents have come to light and been published, and a number of remarkable paintings have come to light. To take the example of Patiala alone, one knows now how artists from three different directions — Alwar and Delhi and the Pahari region — converged upon the state and were employed there; in fact, even the names of some artists — Deviditta and Ude Ram Jaipuria and Muhammad Sharif among them — have come down. One can also still see the remnants of some fine murals on the walls of the Qila Mubarak, the Qila Androon, and the Sheesh Mahal. And there is, of course, that magnificent procession scene of Maharaja Narinder Singh on elephant back that is the glory of Patiala painting: the resplendent mounts with the Maharaja and Kunwar Sahib upon them making their way while a whole host of courtiers and soldiers and footmen walk by their side and ahead of them another elephant carrying the sacred book, the Guru Granth Sahib, moves on its stately course.

In the midst of all this, what draws me especially is what intervenes between the ceremonial work of this nature and some late, formal likenesses of the Maharajas and the nobility of Patiala: those informal, sometimes remarkably intimate, portraits of the most ordinary of characters — ‘men of no consequence’, in royal terms — which one also finds in Patiala.

I recall, having chanced upon them years ago, in a dusty pile of papers of varying sizes that formed part of a private collection in that city. In that pile were these brush drawings in black upon paper: many water-stained or bearing marks of mildew, others stuck together or frayed at the edges.

Still later, I happened to see another group of these studies, once again in a state of utter neglect, in the collection of the Sheesh Mahal Art Gallery at Patiala. There is nothing pretentious about these studies but here, in them, one sees a whole gallery of the kind of men whom one would have met in the bazaars of the city in the 19th century: shopkeepers and astrologers, syces and peasants, peons and torch-lighters. There is something moving in the honesty of these studies: a young man, barely out of his teens, and completely unaware of the world, dressed in coarse, rustic apparel; a peasant, wearing a roughly tied turban: open face, uneven eyes, full lips, a touchingly honest set of the mouth; a pandit, tilak mark on the forehead, eyes a little tired, shades of anxiety flitting across the face, withdrawn gaze. And so on.

These are, one needs to emphasise, not photographic likenesses of the kind that had started coming in at that time: these are painters’ notes to themselves, as it were. And seeing them, in all their artlessness, one can sense a whiff of fresh air brushing past the cheek, feel honest grit between the toes and smell the fragrance of the earth.

From the bazaar again come other works, many of them falling into what is generally called ‘Company work’: images of traders and craftsmen and those plying different professions. One series from which a painting was published some years ago — that of a well-fed halwai or sweetmeat seller sitting inside his shop surrounded by platter upon platter of silver leaf-covered delicacies and whisking flies away — had accompanying verses written in Gurmukhi characters on each same page.

Of a higher order in terms of quality, although devoted to similar themes, is the painting that accompanies this piece: that of a kasera — utensil maker/seller — selling his wares seated inside his remarkably well-stocked shop. There is much else going on in the painting at the same time and the work, subtle and delicately finished as it is, deserves being looked at with care. For there is finely observed detail in it and many a hint.

In his open-fronted shop which, to keep the sun out, has a boldly striped awning at the top, the old kaserais occupied with weighing a round metal-pot with a fluted design in a balance which he holds aloft with one hand, elbow resting on raised knee. The pan, with the pot, is being balanced with weights, which lie in a flat basket by his side, metal pieces and other objects. The richly dressed buyer is seated comfortably inside the shop, legs crossed, eyes sharply trained on the balance, while a tall but more simply attired retainer or attendant sits directly behind him. At the back, there is row upon row of brass wares but also among them some that look tarnished, possibly because of the silver content in them. There is concentration on every face: the buyer, the retainer, the old shopkeeper and, even more naturally, the young man, who sits behind him, for he holds an account sheet in hand, ready evidently to make the necessary calculation for the sale.

While this is going on inside the shop, there is much action, and interest, outside. A middle-aged couple approaches the shop, the sparsely dressed bearded man holding an old pot in one hand, possibly to offer it for sale to the kasera, while his wife holds other objects in hand, those that she has probably just used in some ritual. Brought in with uncommon care, and bringing the painting still closer to life, is a madari or ‘monkey man’ — face painted black, long straggly hair, patchwork quilt draped round his shoulders — seated on the ground, begging pan on the floor in front of him and his performing companions, a monkey and a langur, frisking about. There is so much delight in this vignette, the performance, the expressions, the ordinary goings-on picking up the rhythm of life as it must have been lived in the bazaars of Patiala.

While one is going about taking these details in, one must not overlook the two framed paintings that hang from little hooks on the back wall of the shop. For all their minuscule scale, one can almost recognize the themes they treat of: episodes, in typical Pahari manner, from the Gita Govinda that celebrates the love of Radha and Krishna. What is the painter sneaking in here, one wonders? A hint of the shopkeeper’s refinement of taste? Or a reminder of who the present painting is by?

The Tribune, 20th March 2011

Indraprastha Hindu Girls’ Senior Secondary School in Old Delhi has many firsts to its credit

The commemorative stamp issued to observe the centenary of the first girls’ school in Delhi came two years late. The Indraprastha Hindu Girls’ Senior Secondary School completed 100 years in 2004 and the stamp was finally released in 2006. The entrance of the building, as depicted on the stamp, shows a typical Old Delhi haveli gate with some European influence. Finding the school wasn’t tough, the landmark being gate number three of the Jama Masjid. Also, right next to the school is the Delhi Ivory Palace that — till some years ago — had on display an ivory sofa crafted for the British royalty. The school itself is a heritage structure, dating back to 1857. But as one enters the building, it becomes clear that there’s more to its history than just 19th century architecture. I have Jigyasa, the English teacher, as my guide.

In March, 1904, theosophist Dr Annie Besant urged nationalists to promote women’s education in the country. Inspired by her, an executive of the Delhi Tramway Company, Lala Jugal Kishore, established the school in May 1904 with only seven girls. Rai Bahadur Rai Balkrishan Das donated his haveli, Bhajan Bhawan, to house the school. The founding fathers braved opposition from the society, which wasn’t keen on educating its girls. Even finding women teachers proved difficult initially. At the request of Annie Besant, an Australian, Leonora G’meiner, came to Delhi as the first headmistress.

The school did not take long to gain acceptance. In fact, it was an inspiration for many others to open girls’ schools in the city. The school has many firsts to its credit: the first girls’ hostel in Delhi in 1913; first science classes with laboratory facility in 1924; non-formal education for local married women; and within 20 years of its inception, the first women’s college, Indraprastha College, from the upper stories of the building.

As the city geared up for the traditional holika dahan this weekend, Narain Prasad, the chairperson of Indraprastha College, who lives nearby, remembers a different kind of bonfire that took place in the school. “The school was a meeting place of freedom fighters. Gandhiji had started his non-cooperation movement. I remember my sister Sarla and her friends setting afire foreign clothes in the courtyard of the school,” he says. “Kamala Nehru, who was a student here, had sent her donation through her father-in-law Motilal Nehru in 1917,” he adds. Figuring among its alumni are sarod maestro Sharan Rani Backliwal, the first woman instrumentalist, and Kapila Vatsayan.

Among the visitors were Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sarojini Naidu and Aruna Asaf Ali. One of the earliest guests hosted by the school was Rabindranath Tagore, who came here on October 24, 1914. The yellow pages of the visitors’ book boast of a scribbled remark by the Nobel Laureate: “My visit to the Indraprastha Hindu Girls’ School has inspired in me a deep sense of admiration not only for the method and manner of teaching followed in this institution but also for the spirit of devotion and noble self-sacrificing working at the centre of it.”

Built with brick and Jack Arch roofing, the three-storey building is a typical haveli with European arched doorways, stained glass windowpanes and a central hall with a fireplace. The gateways make the structure unique. It has two entrances. The one on the Paiwalan side represents Islamic architecture with pointed arches and intricate floral designs. The one on the Chippiwara Street has a traditional Hindu gate with deities, birds and auspicious symbols.

Inside, there is a well that’s functional. The second-floor view of the Jama Masjid towering over Chandni Chowk completes its old-world charm.

Indian Express, 20th March 2011

As part of the programme

• The forum intends to put up 40 bird boxes in parks and open spaces in Shimla
• Awareness campaign for schoolchildren
• Schoolchildren will be taught to make bird feeders out of plastic bottles
• It will also include formation of eco-clubs, encouraging nature walks, promoting bird activity and bird watching

The town, which remained home to noted ornithologist AO Hume, is finally awakening to the perceivable threat that its bird species faces from the onslaught of mindless urbanisation and modernisation.

“Himachal Birds”, a forum of bird lovers, has taken upon itself the responsibility to awaken the people of the hill state to save and protect birds before it is too late. Studies undertaken by the State Pollution Control Board have indicated that the number of house sparrows and other small birds in Shimla is on a sharp decline. Even though experts point out that the study is inconclusive, it has been linked to the microwave towers that have come up everywhere.

It only seems appropriate to launch a movement to save birds in the “Queen of Hills” which remained home to Hume, founder of the Indian National Congress who is widely respected as “Father of Indian Ornithology.” His home “Rothney Castle” located in the Jahku area had a priceless collection of thousands of bird species, which was later shipped to London and is now a part of the Natural History Museum.

The programme to save and protect bird is the brainchild of a senior IPS officer, Somesh Goyal, under the aegis of “Himachal Birds”, which will be launched tomorrow. As a small beginning, the forum intends putting up 40 bird boxes in parks and open spaces in the state capital. “We will undertake an awareness campaign in schools so that schoolchildren can be educated about birds and the need for protecting them,” says Goyal.

As part of the efforts, he intends teaching schoolchildren to make bird feeders out of plastic bottles, which can go a long way in increasing bird population in the state. “Even though the situation in Himachal is not as bad in most other places, we need to take steps to ensure that the bird population increases by creating habitat and food for them,” he emphasises.

He says that small efforts like providing feed and proper habitat to birds can ensure a considerable increase in their numbers. The “Himachal Birds” proposes to take its message all over the state by having Chapters at the district-level. This initiative will include formation of more and more eco-clubs, encouraging nature walks, promoting bird activity and bird watching, especially among schoolchildren.

Efforts are on to even rope in the Forest Department so that with their help and guidance more such activities can be taken up on a large scale. In certain parts of Shimla, especially on the outskirts, one can spot some of the most beautiful and rare birds.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister PK Dhumal today gave a clarion call to the people of the state to save birds, flora and fauna to maintain ecological balance. He was speaking after inaugurating a three-day long photo exhibition jointly put up by Somesh Goel, Additional Director General of Police, Manjula Mathur, Gobind Bhardwaj and Umang Datt at Gaiety Theatre here today.

The Tribune, 20th March 2011

Perhaps for the first time in the country, researchers of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment have initiated a project to monitor the presence of frogs and toads in the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats to preserve these endangered species serving as indicators of climate change.

The Ashoka Trust is based at the Agasthyamalai community conservation centre at Manimuthar.

The researchers plan to exploit the behaviour of frogs and toads by placing automated sound recorders and climate data loggers in the forests to record the calling of males at night to attract females for breeding. They will analyse the data in relation to climate and the frog species found in an area and discern the patterns after a few years of monitoring.

Among amphibians, frogs and toads are exceptions: they are without tails while being adults. They are collectively called anurans. India is a home to 277 species of anurans, and close to 150 species have been listed as ‘threatened.'

If the predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are to come true, many more anurans may be pushed to the brink of extinction. Sensitive to temperature and moisture in the atmosphere, amphibians also serve as indicators of climate change. This will be the first effort at monitoring the amphibians for long-term population dynamics.

“This study will throw light on the present status of anurans, and we will be able to understand the role of climate in the anuran population,” says K.S. Seshadri, who is heading the study team in the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.

The key components of the study are a pilot survey of anurans and documentation of calls of each species; setting up of equipment for seasonal and long-term monitoring in the mid-elevation evergreen forest of the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve; an intensive study of the habitat of anurans; training of volunteers from urban and rural communities in the use of gadgets for long-term monitoring; and an analysis of the data gathered to predict the impact of climate change on anurans.

“With the backing of modern technology, we will be able to gather baseline data on the amphibian population. Long-term monitoring of the anuran population will help us better understand the drastic changes, which may indicate a decline in amphibian population,” says T. Ganesh, Senior Fellow at the Ashoka Trust and an adviser of the project.

Automated sound recorders, ‘Song Meter,' made by Wildlife Acoustics Inc., U.S., and Kestrel Pocket Weather Tracker, are used to record climate change. These gadgets allow for pre-set programming to record data for specified lengths of time.

Forest canopies experience a harsh environment as they are the first to interact with the atmosphere. There are many anurans living in this harsh environment. For a holistic understanding, sound recorders with climate data loggers will be placed on the forest floor as well as on the forest canopy at an altitude of 900-1,200 metres.

The success of the pilot project conducted by the Ashoka Trust helped its researchers bag the prestigious Future Conservationist Project, which is funded by the Canada-based Conservation Leadership Programme's Rs. 5.75 lakh-worth ‘Save Our Species Campaign.'

They faced a tough competition from more than 150 teams worldwide. Research scholars J. Allwin and M. Mathivanan of the Ashoka Trust will be involved in understanding the perceptions of the local communities of the amphibians and build the stewardship towards amphibian conservation. Mr. Seshadri and P. Mrugank will document the amphibians and the ecological aspects. A database of anuran photographs and calls will also be made available.

“Understanding the perception of the people, living both in and outside of the KMTR, of the amphibians will go a long way towards their conservation. People can easily relate to frogs and toads as they are found even on paddy fields and in cities,” says Mr. Mathivanan, who has a long-standing association with local communities in conservation and now manages the Agasthyamalai community conservation centre.

“The project is well under way, and we have finished one field session during the northeast monsoon and got some interesting insights. We also sighted a rare toad, Duttaphrynus beddomei (Beddome's toad), after a decade. It was last sighted in 2001,” Mr. Seshadri says.

Rare green frog
A rare green frog, Raorchestes chalazodes, was recently rediscovered in the the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve by Dr. Ganesan and Mr. Seshadri, and Dr. S.D. Biju of Delhi University. The frog was not seen for 136 years, they claim, and nothing much is known about it.

This project is a significant step towards filling this gap in the knowledge.

“In the long run, we will be able to better understand the relationships and provide inputs for amphibian conservation,” Dr. Ganesh says.

The Hindu, 21st March 2011

Over 220 years after the fort in the heart of Bangalore (Pete) fell to the British, little remains to remind people of the historic battle at the spot, except for a wall plaque that reads: ''Through this breach the British assault was delivered. March 21, 1791.'' Meera Iyer paints a picture of a major turning point in the City’s history.

Right in the heart of Bangalore city is a monument that was at the centre of dramatic events that helped shape the course of history in this region and hence, in a sense, also determined its future. Exactly 220 years ago, in March 1791, the British Grand Army led by Charles Cornwallis defeated Tipu Sultan after laying siege to and capturing the fort of Bangalore.

In those days, Bangalore was a city of two forts – one that encircled the Pete and contained within it the commercial and residential areas, the other, the adjacent, so-called oval fort that held the Palace, arsenal, stores, treasury and other important state buildings, and also barracks and houses. The British first attacked and captured the Pete fort in a bloody assault on March 7, 1791. After the usual pillaging and plundering, there followed a two-week siege which culminated in the assault on the oval fort on the night of March 21.

Visiting the fort today, it is a little difficult to imagine the events of that battle. In place of the British, the fort now seems besieged by buses and people. Instead of the staccato of gunfire and the clamour of clashing armies, the area around the fort now resounds with the cacophony of cars, commuters, buses, horns, vendors and shoppers.

But enter the fort and you leave the din behind, as the solid and lofty stone walls effectively block out the outside world. Standing on the ramparts, I tried to imagine the scene on that warm moonlit March night two centuries ago. What would the defending Mysorean soldiers have felt when they saw ladders coming up against parts of the breached fort walls and the British troops swarming into the fort? Did the three cheers called out by the enemy troops when they scaled the ramparts – “Hip hip, hurrah! Hip hip, hurrah! Hip hip, hurrah!” – chill the defenders’ hearts or did it spur them into action? Certainly, the Mysore army fought back bravely.

Of brave Bahadur Khan
As the British chronicler Mark Wilks blandly puts it: “Resistance was everywhere respectable.” Several British contemporary accounts of the battle mention the gallant commandant of the fort, Bahadur Khan, who died fighting at the breach to defend the fort. But in a few hours, the resistance was quelled and the fort fell to the British.

Anywhere from 300 to 2,000 Mysoreans are said to have died during the final battle that ended the siege of Bangalore.

One of the immediate results of the Battle of Bangalore was that the British army’s supplies were replenished. Accounts of the wars of the period sometimes read like a never-ending search for supplies: for rice and grain, gold and loot, but also for forage for the thousands of bullocks that were employed to transport guns and other equipment, and without which the army would be quite powerless. So if by capturing Bangalore, British soldiers had a few more days of rations and their bullocks a few more days’ feed, it was no small matter. But Cornwallis was also able to use Bangalore as a convenient base for his subsequent and eventually successful assaults on Tipu’s capital at Srirangapatna.

Loss of morale
Another consequence of the defeat of this important and prestigious fort was the loss of morale among Tipu’s soldiers: In the months following the capture of Bangalore, several forts in his empire were either captured by the British without firing a shot, or in some cases, suddenly gave up resisting them and fell to them rather meekly.

The British occupied Bangalore fort for only a year in the 1700s. In 1792, following Tipu’s defeat at Srirangapatna, according to the terms of the treaty he signed with the British, Bangalore was returned to him. But when Tipu was killed in 1799, the British took over Bangalore Fort and stationed a garrison there. In fact, even though we think of the cantonment as being in the eastern parts of Bangalore, the fort, too, formed a division of the cantonment. It wasn’t until 1888, when the arsenal was shifted out of the fort, that the British relinquished control of the fort and handed it over to civil authorities.

The fort that still stands near Victoria hospital is only a fraction of the stone oval fort that fell to the British on March 21, 1791. In its heydays, this was but a small part of the extensive northern gateway complex that was called Delhi gateway. The southern Mysore gateway stood close to where today’s Makkala Koota circle is.

What remains of the forts?
How did the city go from having two complete, interconnected forts to now having merely two and half bastions and a portion of a gateway?

We do not know much about how the fort that once encircled the Pete fared after it was captured by the British on March 7, 1791. No trace remains of it today. Popular opinion has it that the Pete fort was built by the founder of Bangalore, Kempegowda, while the oval fort was built later by Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar.

But contrary to this view, S K Aruni, Assistant Director of Southern Regional Centre of the Indian Council for Historical Research, believes that both these forts were built by Kempegowda. According to Dr Aruni, there is no evidence for citing Chikkadevaraja as the builder of the oval fort. Further, he says that building two forts, one around the commercial centre of the town and the other forming a citadel, was a popular practice in the 1500s. Aruni reasons that Kempegowda would have been inspired by the layout of modern and important capital cities of the time, such as Bidar, which were built on this pattern.

Fortified by Tipu, Hyder
Regardless of who built it, the oval fort certainly underwent many transformations. It went through a complete overhaul under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, when the duo rebuilt it in stone, strengthening its bastions and redesigning its defences. Some of the fort’s defensive works bear the telltale influence of the French engineers who worked with Tipu.

The whittling down of the stone oval fort began soon after the British took it over. Some buildings within the fort, including parts of Tipu’s palace were demolished when they took over the fort.

The dismantling of the fort continued even as late as the 1930s. Glacis, ramparts and walls made way for roads while arsenals, barracks and the other old buildings quickly made way for colleges, schools, bus stands, and hospitals, among other things.

Today, little remains to remind people of the historic battle that took place here, except for a wall plaque that was put in during the British period. It reads: “Through this breach the British assault was delivered. March 21, 1791.”

Deccan Herald, 22nd March 2011

In India, the tiger has dominated the wildlife conservation discourse for far too long. Its dominance has been so pronounced that even equally charismatic species have not got the attention due to them. Amongst this somewhat neglected lot is the Asiatic lion, writes Ravi Chellam, who has observed lions on several occasions and spent hundreds of hours following and learning from them.

Internationally, conservation is a very peculiar endeavour often driven by passion but equally driven by an incomplete understanding of very complex issues. Conservation debates, at least in India are often dominated by “experts” who more often than not, are self-proclaimed. Unfortunately knowledge, science and global experience are seldom marshalled to inform conservation policy or action. Very often we also make the mistake of focusing on the survival of individual animals rather than focus on the protection of wildlife habitats, retention of their ecological productivity, ensuring the connectivity of habitats and monitoring of populations of endangered species over the long-term.

Charismatic species tend to not only dominate the conservation debate but also hog public, media and government’s attention, and this often results in a highly skewed investment of resources to conserve a very small number of species while other species which probably deserve far more attention are neglected.

This is especially true in India where the tiger has dominated the wildlife conservation discourse for far too long. Its dominance has been so pronounced that even equally charismatic species have not got the attention due to them. Amongst this somewhat neglected lot is the Asiatic lion.

A close brush with extinction
India and especially the state and citizens of Gujarat are justifiably proud of the conservation success that the Asiatic lions represent. This population of lions had a very close brush with extinction in the late 1880s and early 1990s but over the last few decades has recovered very well and currently is thriving in and around Gir forests in Saurashtra. These are the sole surviving wild lions in Asia.

Currently, the major lion-related conservation issue dogging policy makers and conservationists is how best to manage the results of this very successful conservation effort. We have a very unusual situation where an endangered species’ population is in surplus in the context of the available wilderness habitat. This has meant that several lions are more or less permanently living outside the protected area, in forest fragments, plantations and agriculture fields all of which are in a matrix of human-dominated habitats. This situation is akin to having all your eggs in one basket. There is a high risk of the hard won conservation success being wiped out by a catastrophe like disease. My doctoral research in the mid/late 1980s focused on generating knowledge which would inform the survey and selection of suitable sites for translocating lions from Gir to establish one or two more free-ranging lion populations. I view this conservation strategy as being very similar to us purchasing insurance policies. The translocated lions will serve as an insurance against the extinction of free-ranging wild Asiatic lions.

The first sighting...
I still distinctly remember my first sighting of a lion in the wild. It was dusk in late December 1985. I had been selected by Wildlife Institute of India to study the lions and to examine the feasibility of a translocation project. I had never been to Gir and hence went on a five-day reconnaissance trip. I walked extensively and also drove several kilometres to learn about the forest and the lions. During my time in the field I saw lion tracks and scats (droppings) on numerous occasions and also examined remains of kills made by lions and even heard a lion roar at night. It was the last evening of my visit and I had not yet sighted a lion. This had me worried, as I had just joined the lion project and was planning to conduct research for my Ph D. If observing the lions was going to be so difficult then it would complicate my research plans.

As I was walking in the forest and pondering over these issues, I heard some lions growling and out of the bush emerged four lions. These were about 60 metres from me. I froze and stood still on the road. In my broken Hindi I sought guidance from my field guide, a boy from the local village. He just shrugged his shoulders and stood next to me. Armed with nothing more than a lathi, we were pretty vulnerable, more like sitting ducks if the lions decided to attack us.

By the time I gathered my wits and realised that this was a great opportunity to observe and photograph, three of the four lions had disappeared into the dense bush. I did manage to take my first picture of a wild lion, which is a side-on view of the last lion also heading into the bush. With subsequent experience, I figured out that these were four were sub-adult lions and all the growling and running around was play behaviour. I would be lying if I deny that I was a little scared when I first saw the lions. I have over the subsequent years observed lions on several hundred occasions and spent hundreds of hours observing, following and learning from them.

Gir lions are special...
Lions in Gir are unique in many ways. For starters, they are forest dwelling animals largely preying on deer, which is very different from the savannah dwelling lions of East Africa. The even more distinct feature of these lions is their tolerance and peaceful relationship with local communities. Lions do attack people, on an average about a dozen people are attacked every year out of which one person dies. Given the frequency of interactions with people and the opportunity for the lions to attack people, the question to ask is not why there are these attacks but why there are so few attacks. In fact when I have shown my pictures and described my experiences to colleagues in Africa, they just cannot believe the access that these lions allow to people on foot.

The four years I did my field work in Gir are amongst the best years of my career. It was a lot of hard work with very few financial rewards but the thrill of working amongst large cats and observing some very unique behaviour more than made up for all the hardship. It is these experiences and knowledge which have enabled me to conduct and direct research and conservation projects across India.

Lions are as wild as any other wild cat in India. The fact that they can be observed more easily should not be held against them. In fact it is a unique privilege they offer. One hopes that knowledge, science, global experience and good sense will prevail in deciding on the translocation project, which is only about the long-term conservation prospects for the lions and not about any other imagined set of issues.

Deccan Herald, 22nd March 2011

An underground access to the Red Fort ticketing centre, stations that reflect the heritage structures nearby and adequate parking - as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) waits for approval for its Central Secretariat-Red Fort line, these are some of the suggestions made by the competent authority (Delhi circle). Said Vijay Singh, competent authority (Delhi circle), "We will have a discussion with the DMRC about incorporating the suggestions, and it has to give an impact study before I can give a recommendation." Incidentally, the competent authority's recommendation to the project is needed to get the green signal from the National Monuments Authority (NMA) for the project.

The good news though is that Singh says that the alignment follows the guidelines for building near a heritage structure. "Since the line is underground, almost 18m, there isn't any difficulty with the alignment. However, we are looking into the location of the stations. The construction and excavation activity should be beyond 100m," added Singh. This is especially true of the stations coming up nearDelhi Gate and Sunehri Bagh, where the heritage expert has asked that the station location may be slightly realigned.

It is, however, the integration of the metro with the area that it will go through that is the important part of the project, say officials. "It shouldn't just be a transport system but be integrated aesthetically with the local structures, including the heritage buildings that the alignment goes through," added Singh. He has, in fact, asked that the stations integrate the style of the nearby heritage building. The line will be going through Delhi Gate, Sunheri Bagh, Jama Masjid and Red Fort, all heritage structures.

Besides integration with surrounding areas, suggestions have also been made to integrate the metro with existing traffic and pedestrian movement solutions in place. For instance, the Red Fort metro station could be connected to the ticketing centre as well as the subway across the road. Said Singh, "The station, thus, could provide greater accessibility to not only the heritage building but also the existing subway, which will be turned into a major tourist information centre." Other suggestions include the development of surface and underground parking in Purdah Bagh and Angori Bagh, both congested areas. Added Singh, "An adequate parking plan near Lala Lajpat Rai market would address not only the vendor and rickshaw stands that are cropping and ruining the view of Red Fort, but also provide necessary facilities to the local populace."

Said Singh, "Once the suggestions are incorporated and we get the impact study from the DMRC, a decision may be taken by the end of the month." Once the recommendation goes through from the competent authority, an approval from the NMA is expected to come through soon.

Times of India, 24th April 2011

After initial plans to shift road were approved, ASI wants to rework road curve to save water tank, trees

When Barack Obama visited the Humayun’s Tomb, he missed a glimpse of the only monument in the Capital with Persian influence on its tilework — the Nila Gumbad.

The Mughal-era monument, abutting the World Heritage Site, has been in a shambles for years now, and with a lingering stalemate over land transfer between the Railways and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), it is fast losing its tilework.

Despite a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ASI and Railways on December 9, stating that land approximately 42 m on north and south and about 8 m east of Nila Gumbad be transferred to the ASI for integration with the Humayun’s Tomb Complex, there has been no headway.

The ASI and the Railways had earlier decided that the road running between Nila Gumbad and Humayun’s Tomb will be diverted at a sharp perpendicular turn 42 m from the monument and run along the railway tracks. However, to protect an underground water tank and two large trees, the ASI wrote to the Railways on February 3 for a minor change in the plan — giving the road a softer curve at 73.3 m.

The plan now lies with the Railways and officials said it will have to get fresh approvals from the headquarters. Ashwani Lohani, Divisional Railway Manager, Northern Railways, said: “The re-worked proposal will be forwarded to the headquarters by the end of this week and the change is most likely to be incorporated.”

Officials said the ASI could, meanwhile, begin work on the other end of the monument, where 42 m of land has already been allotted to the ASI. The heritage body, however, is awaiting a reply from the Railways on the preferred location to rebuild the offices and a shed that will be demolished on this land. The ASI is also not too keen on undertaking work on piecemeal basis at the site.

The Nila Gumbad was marked for conservation and development ahead of the CWG, but with the stalemate on the land transfer, the plan had to be dropped.

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture has been working on an integrated urban renewal project in the area that includes development of the Humayun’s Tomb and its buffer zone. Ratish Nanda, Project Director, Aga Khan Trust, told Newsline: “The proposed landscape scheme will allow much needed conservation of the Nila Gumbad and improve vehicular access for goods to the railway station. We continue to await formal approval to commence these urgent works.”

Officials said because of the vibrations of trains running on the adjacent railway tracks, the tiles on the monument have been falling off. To address this an England-based consultant has been engaged to advise on the technology of the new road so that the vibrations are either absorbed or repelled, protecting the monument.

The Indian Express, 24th March 2011

In India, forts dominate the countryside, evoking long-forgotten battles — a rallying point for new alliances, towards a new world order. Often there is little didactic information about ancient forts, but local legend and belief hold many to belong to the period of the Ramayana or Mahabharata.

Forts and Palaces of India brings together a unique architectural legacy from ancient forts mentioned in Hindu epics to strongholds built by a succession of rulers, arranged geographically within a historic or aesthetic context.

For over 4,000 years, India has withstood social, political and religious turmoil, each era contributing to the spectacle of empire, testimonial of wealth and power, each building a fortification against the enemy.

This presentation by Amita Baig with brilliant photographs by architect-photographer Joginder Singh is a culmination of a sense of urgency about our disappearing heritage.

The narrative provides glimpses of history enlivened by stirring tales of valour and sacrifice while lavish photographs reflect the cultural heritage.

Asian Age, 25th March 2011

The government's decision to review the safety of nuclear plants across the country, including the one proposed at Jaitapur may prove to be more than precautionary. For, the Union ministry of environment and forests gave an eco-clearance for the 9,900MW nuclear plant at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district on the findings of a report that not only ignored the presence of two major creeks at the proposed site, but also based some of its findings from 22 years ago.

The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report simply assumed that two water bodies — 35km-long Vijaydurg creek and 40km-long Rajapur creek, which flank the proposed plant — were filled up.

The report, submitted by the National Environment Engineering and Research Institute (Neeri) in 2008, did not take into account either inter-tidal activity or the effect of an increase in the temperature of seawater on the rivers. The creeks are rich in marine life and biodiversity and a source of livelihood for 15,000 fishing families.

In an anomaly that officials are unable to explain, maps depicting 'functional' open creeks were published in the report. But for some reason, the key computer-generated two-dimensional simulation study based on which the green clearance was given, did not take the creeks into account. TOI has images of maps depicting land mass where the rivers were meant to be. By way of explanation, the EIA report said: "As no data on the discharges coming through Rajapur (Jaitapur) and Vijaydurg creeks was available, the model boundary at the creeks is assumed to be closed."

The final report that Neeri submitted to the MoEF included findings of many environmental and national organizations, among them the Central Water Power Research Station (CWPRS). The simulated study was prepared by CWPRS after Neeri asked the research institute to conduct two- and three-dimensional models of the proposed plant and its environmental impact. CWPRS did not even submit the 3-D model.

A hydrodynamic study was done to analyze water currents and inter-tidal activity of the sea on the proposed site. Researchers also did a thermodynamics study to analyze the dispersal of hot water discharged from the nuclear reactor into the sea. But it remains silent on the effect the discharges will have on the creeks. "Any modelling that does not take into account the creeks' currents, especially during low tide is inadequate. The report's assumptions that the increase in sea water temperature would be minimal are false," said environmental activist Pradeep Indulkar.

A senior Neeri official on condition of anonymity, said: "We can only comment on this after we look into the details of the simulation model. But it is likely that CWPRS must have based the model on a domain that does not impact the creek. The thermal discharge may not be flowing in this direction."

There are other flaws, too. The readings of sea water currents used for this model is based on information provided by the National Institute of Oceanography in November 1989. "The tidal and current observation of a month in November 1989 was available. About 15 days tidal variation of November 1989 was used. Wind data of December 1989 was available, which was used of simulation of flow,'' the EIA report said.

The Neeri official said: "The old readings will suffice because there will not be much change in current patterns."

Environmentalists and activists insist that using old data is a "major error" in the analysis of the ocean's inter-tidal activities and thermal dispersions at the nuclear site. Indulkar said the readings for the simulated model should have been updated as per the current scenario and taken into account future conditions. "It should have predicted the tidal movements and seawater temperature for 2024, when the plant is scheduled to be operational. A three-dimensional study was not even done," he said.

Times of India, 25th March 2011

It is a little known fact that in roughly a fifth of our country's land area, a different legal system operates. In some of these places, if you are caught with certain items, it is up to you to prove that you are innocent of a crime — and whether you go to jail depends on whether a government official kept proper records years earlier. If you are using some tools or a cart or a vehicle, they can be taken away until you prove your innocence. And woe betide you if you are cultivating some land — whereas in most parts of the country this is a civil dispute, in these areas, you can be evicted, fined and jailed for it. And in some parts in particular, if you are arrested for the second time, you can't get bail, and not only your property but that of your family can be confiscated if you "benefited" from an alleged crime.

No, these are not "disturbed areas", though the laws are only somewhat better than the ones applicable there. These laws apply in India's forest areas, and are centred around the Indian Forest Act of 1927. It is commonly assumed that the purpose of the Indian Forest Act was to protect forests. But this was not the case.

The 1927 Act was passed by the British with the intention of making it easier for them to access the country's timber resources for their use.

The "protection" concern was limited to ensuring that the British did not lose "their" timber, and in practice large areas of natural forest were cleared in order to be replaced with "better" trees. For this reason, the main concern of the Act is with preventing "unauthorized" access to forest produce.
Hence the draconian powers of the forest authorities — to arrest, to search without warrant, to confiscate property, and so on. In practice, on the one hand, the rights of tribals and forest dwellers were almost never recorded at the time of declaration of either reserved or protected forests, with the result that their livelihoods and their very existence were criminalized.

On the other, a forest bureaucracy came into existence with powers over vast areas of land and resources, but with hardly any accountability. This has resulted in extremely severe poverty among these communities, as well as a spiral of environmental destruction and violence in the forests which has benefited a few while increasing the environmental and social costs to us all.

This situation led to the passage of the Forest Rights Act in 2006, which was intended to democratize forest management. It was meant to give back the right of forest dwellers to collect forest produce, cultivate their traditional land holdings, and to control their community forests. But, as with any bureaucracy, the forest bureaucracy does not like to give up its power; and forest dwellers continue to have cases filed against them for doing things that are now their legal right.

Meanwhile, both the bureaucracy and the government as a whole are playing a double game on these rights. In the most recent example, on March 22, the Cabinet approved an amendment to the Indian Forest Act in the name of reducing false cases on forest dwellers. The amendment makes it possible for a forest official to "compound" an offence — essentially to release a person upon payment of a fine — for any offence valued up to Rs 10,000. This will supposedly make it possible for forest dwellers to be let off for minor offences.

But this "benefit" ignores the fact that this amendment actually adds to the powers of forest officials — who now can impose fines as well as threaten people with arrest, jail and confiscation of property. If anything, this will lead to more cases, not less. To actually stop harassment, the amendment should have de-criminalized people's rights and reduced officials' powers; but there's no reference to that.

This has now become a pattern. Since 2006 the government has been proclaiming a new system of forest management while actually strengthening the old one. Much talk of making the system people-friendly is accompanied with a deafening silence on the real issue: the autocratic and colonial nature of this system. It's time we scrapped it and replaced it with one that befits a democracy.

Times of India, 25th March 2011

Archaeologists have discovered India’s oldest stone-age tools, up to 1.5 million years old, at a prehistoric site near Chennai. The discovery may change existing ideas about the earliest arrival of human ancestors from Africa into India.

A team of Indian and French archaeologists has used two dating methods to show that the stone hand-axes and cleavers from Attirampakkam are at least 1.07 million years old, and could date as far back as 1.5 million years.

In nearly 12 years of excavation, archaeologists Shanti Pappu and Kumar Akhilesh from the Sharma Centre for Heritage Education, Chennai, have found 3,528 artefacts that are similar to the prehistoric tools discovered in western Asia and Africa.

Their findings will appear tomorrow in the US journalScience. The tools fall in a class of artefacts called Acheulian that scientists believe were invented by theHomo erectus —ancestors of modern humans — in Africa about 1.6 million years ago.

“This means that soon after early humans invented the Acheulian tools, they crossed formidable geographical barriers to get to southern Asia,” said Michael Petraglia, an archaeologist at the University of Oxford, who is an expert in Asian prehistoric archaeology but was not associated with the Chennai study.

“The suggestion that this occurred 1.5 million years ago is simply staggering,” he said.

Petraglia himself had earlier been involved in excavating the Hunsgi valley in Karnataka, which has yielded 1.27 million-year-old stone tools, regarded as India’s oldest until now. Although earlier excavations had revealed Acheulian tools at a few sites on the Indian subcontinent, including a two million-year-old site in Pakistan, the dates assigned to the artefacts so far have remained under debate.

Pappu and her colleagues assigned dates to the Attirampakkam tools by analysing traces of certain elements embedded in them and by correlating the archaeological layers excavated at the site with changes in the Earth’s magnetic field.

“We adopted two different dating methods and arrived at consistent results,” Pappu told The Telegraph. “We believe this is the strongest evidence so far for an Acheulian industry in India older than one million years.”

The dating studies were carried out by collaborating geophysicists in French academic institutions. Researchers believe the new dates will have major implications for current ideas about who carried the Acheulian culture into India.

In the past, some researchers had attributed the flow of Acheulian tools into southern Asia and Europe to the Homo heidelbergensis, another ancestor of modern humans but one that appeared long after the Homo erectus. But the 1.5 million year date assigned to the Attirampakkam tools suggests that groups of Homo erectus carried the tool-making culture into India.

“This is important as it implies that a smaller-brained form of hominin was able to cross formidable barriers and adapt to the ecological settings of India,” said Petraglia, who has been an advocate for a long chronology of hominin presence in India.

In an independent research study, Petraglia and his colleagues have analysed Acheulian tools in India that appear to be only 120,000 years old. The two findings suggest that the Acheulian toolmakers inhabited India for 1.4 million years — from 1.5 million years ago to 120,000 years ago.
Archaeological evidence from Jwalapuram, another prehistoric site in India, suggests that modern humans — Homo sapiens — arrived in India in another wave out of Africa at least about 80,000 years ago.

The Attirampakkam site, located near a tributary of the Kortallaiyar river, about 60km northwest of Chennai, was discovered in 1863 by British archaeologist Robert Bruce Foote who launched studies of prehistoric sites in India.

The tools in Attirampakkam suggest that the Homo erectus carried the Acheulian culture into India before the Homo heidelbergensis ferried this tool-making culture into Europe, where the earliest sites are about 600,000 years old, said Robin Dennel, a senior archaeologist at the University of Sheffield, in a special scientific commentary in tomorrow’s issue of Science.

The Telegraph, 25th March 2011

While trees with religious significance will be grown around the shrine in the hillock, the entire scrub patch of 856 acres around the hillock which consists of the boulder with thirteen Long-billed vultures will be accorded a protected status. The work for the proposed tree park will begin this year.

“The aim of the project is to conserve the birds and the shrine,” said Kumar Pushkar, Chief Conservator of Forests, Bangalore Circle.

A brainchild of Minister for Forests C H Vijayshankar, the tree parks will be established by the department in almost all the districts in the State. Ramanagara will be one of the first districts along with Chamundi Hills in Mysore and Anthara Gange in Kolar district to implement the project. According to the department, the ‘Daiva Vana,’ will comprise trees of religious importance like ficus, neem, aegil marmelus, red sandalwood and others, while the tree park will be a pool of native species like pteridocarpus, terminola, pongamia, zizipus and others. Planting of trees will be taken up at some of the existing eucalyptus groves. “The growth of native species is slow. However, once it acclitamises to the condition, eucalyptus and other species grown in the grove will be cleared,” said Kumar Pushkar.

As Ramadevara Betta is a much sought after destination for rock climbers, the forest department has made provisions to protect the birds during roosting. A team of officials will visit Ramanagara to discuss the projects with local officers and experts. The work on the project will begin in April 2011.

As part of the conservation programme, the entire region around Ramadevara Betta will be barricaded and protected before planting of trees is taken up. Moreover, the tree park will serve as a lung space for the population in the district, added Kumar Pushkar.

In facts
The Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus) breeds mainly on crags in the hills of Sind in Pakistan, Central and Peninsular India. The birds in the northern part of its range, once considered a sub-species, are now considered a separate species, the Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris. Together they are called Long-billed Vulture. The species breeds mainly on cliffs. Like other vultures it is a scavenger, feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals which it finds by soaring over savannah and around human habitation. They often move in flocks.

The Long-billed Vulture has a bald head, broad wings and short tail feathers. It is smaller and less heavily-built than the Eurasian Griffon, usually weighing between 5.5 and 6.3 kg and measuring 80–100 cm long and 205 to 229 cm across the wings.

Deccan Herald, 25th March 2011

ASI-BSG spar *Lease cancellation for plot near Humayun’s Tomb not arbitrary, rules court

The curtain has come down on the long-drawn legal battle between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Bharat Scouts and Guides (BSG) for over 12 acres of land in front of world heritage monument Humayun’s Tomb, with the Delhi Court on Friday dismissing the petition of the BSG against the ASI, Central government and the Land & Development Office (L&DO) for cancelling its lease.

Justice S Muralidhar turned down the contentions of the BSG that the cancellation of the lease was “arbitrary” and “without following the due process of law”, holding that there was evidence on record that the petitioners had failed to remove breaches of the lease deed, encroachments and misuse of the property.

Underlining the significance of keeping the entire area surrounding Humayun’s Tomb free from encroachment, the court said the actions of the L&DO was to be noted in these terms and hence, their action of cancelling the lease was neither arbitrary nor unreasonable.

The court further observed that the premises called Bharatiyam Complex was sealed in March 2007 by a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee after the BSG was found guilty of misusing the property by running commercial activities within the plot. Hence, the matter had been thoroughly examined by different bodies.

In January last year, the MoUD had handed over the plot to the ASI. The transfer was meant to facilitate the conservation of two Centrally-protected monuments on the premises and their integration with Humayun’s Tomb complex. The BSG had approached the court in March last year, challenging the February 12 order of the Centre permitting the ASI to take over possession.

In February, the L&DO had written to the Monitoring Committee requesting it to de-seal the premises “for transferring the same to ASI”. Accepting the request, the Committee also asked the L&DO to recover the misuse charges from the BSG.

The ASI, in partnership with the Agha Khan Trust, proposes to develop a “Mughal Char Bagh” around the monument and make it an extension of Humayun’s Tomb. It had carried out demolitions on the premises as well.

Indian Express, 26th March 2011

The Delhi high court on Friday cleared the decks for the Archaeological Survey of India to take possession of a piece of land whose lease deed with a registered society was cancelled by the central government over alleged misuse of land.

Justice S Muralidhar dismissed a petition filed by Delhi State Bharat Scout and Guides, which had challenged the urban development ministry's "re-entry" order allotting the land measuring 9.86 acres, near the Humayun's Tomb in Nizamuddin East, in favour of ASI in November 2009.

"This court does not find any merit in the writ petition and it is dismissed," HC noted rejecting the appeal of the society. The Supreme Court Monitoring Committee had sealed the illegal structure in 2008. Soon after it was de-sealed last year when the department of L&DO transferred the land to ASI. The petitioner alleged that this was done without informing it or allowing it to place its side of the story.

The court accepted the ministry's submissions that after repeated inspections it was found that the land has been misused by the society which has erected some structures illegally. Despite warnings, the unauthorized constructions were not removed by the society forcing the ministry to cancel the perpetual lease deed. It was also alleged that the society was subletting the premises to other commercial organizations without the lessor's consent in violation of the terms and conditions of the lease deed.

The court rejected the petitioner's argument that the society has been operating from the premises for more than last four decades and some constructions have been made by it the within the premises.

Times of India, 26th March 2011

For proper restoration, maintenance of water bodies in the Capital

For proper restoration and maintenance of water bodies in the city, a proposal has been mooted to form a Water Bodies Authority that will carry out the work of restitution and upkeep. Also for the revival of the water bodies, a team of inter-disciplinary experts will be set up.

These suggestions came up at a recent meeting, chaired by Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta, to take stock of the water bodies' restoration work. Following suggestions from stakeholders, it was decided to set up a Water Bodies Authority in the city, similar to the Lake Development Authority that exists in Bangalore. The Lake Development Authority is an autonomous regulatory, planning and policy body for protection, conservation, regeneration and integrated development of lakes.

“We have requested the Chief Secretary to direct the agencies involved to ensure that sewage is not allowed to mix with the water fed into the water bodies and lakes. During inspections, we found out that several water bodies had a high biochemical oxygen demand [BOD] level in them owing to the sewage that gets mixed up with the water,” said Vinod Jain of non-government organisation Tapas, who was part of the meeting.

“The Haus Khas lake and the Vasant Kunj water bodies, for instance, have a BOD level of 20 compared to the other water bodies where the level is 10. So, we suggested that the Delhi Development Authority [DDA] and the Delhi Jal Board [DJB], that are responsible for the maintenance of these water bodies respectively, are asked to make sure that the water that goes into them does not have any untreated sewage,” said Mr. Jain.

Pointing out that 900 water bodies across the city were under various stages of maintenance, Mr. Jain said the review committee has been apprised of the need to ensure a policy for their preservation and strict upkeep.

“It has also been decided that the nodal agency for the revival of water bodies should be the Department of Environment and a team of inter-disciplinary experts from the areas of civil, horticulture and forests will be formed to look into their revival and maintenance,” said Mr. Jain.

A Parks and Gardens Society will be asked to work on the development of each water body on a public-private partnership model. In the Ridge Area, water bodies will be maintained by the Forest Department. Geographic Information System will be used to mark each water body, so that their boundaries can be defined and areas used as greens.

“It was also decided that to restore the water bodies less concrete and cement will be used and more stress will be on the greening aspect. It was suggested that water bodies should be treated as greens. The DJB and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will ensure that only water from rain water harvesting be used to revive water bodies, and sewage water be treated before being released into them,” said Mr. Jain.

The Hindu, 27th March 2011

Call for traffic restrictions around the 410-year-old monument has fallen on deaf ears.

Heavy vehicular movement and pollution seem to be taking a toll on some important structures in the country. Now, Charminar in the walled city of Hyderabad has joined the list. The famed structure is in the crowded old city. It has withstood the heavy traffic and high levels of pollution for a long time. Under the impact of incessant rain and
vibrations, stucco work on the 410-year-old monument has started peeling off. The authorities concerned, mainly the Archaelogical Survey of India, ignored the warning of a research institute.

The Uppal-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), which studied the impact of vehicular vibrations on Charminar in 2002 for the ASI, said that the levels of noise pollution and vibrations caused due to the traffic movement in the area were very alarming. “As against the permissible limits of 2.9 millimetre per second, the underground vibrations due to heavy traffic movement in the vicinity of the area often reach a peak particle velocity of over 7.5 millimetre per second,” the report had noted. “This is
extremely hazardous for the existence of the age-old monument as it even violates the British criterion for architectural damage caused by vibration of vehicular traffic, which has been pegged at a maximum level of 5 millimetre per second," experts of the NGRI cautioned.

The report further revealed that the average movement of traffic in the area in 2002 was about 1,000 vehicles per hour during the peak time compared to 500 vehicles per hour in 1997. With an average traffic index of 14, which is considered to be very high, the situation is really alarming. The ground vibration geophysical studies at each minar by powerful seismometers and sensors indicated that during the “quiet period”, the amplitude of vibration is very low as compared during the peak hours. “The impact of the vibration and the noise pollution is such that one can actually feel Charminar literally shaking during peak hours,” the NGRI said. The peak sound level recorded was about 105 decibels, which apart from being detrimental to the human ear was also exacting a heavy toll on the ancient monument.

“Due to the bombardment of signals transmitted by vehicular traffic, the entire structure has weakened considerably and based on mathematical calculations, it can be found out when Charminar actually starts showing creaks and crags,” NGRI director Dr V P Dimri said. He noted that the noise levels prevailing in the area coupled with the incredible traffic movement had a “cascading effect” on Charminar.

Since then environmentalists have been urging the authorities to segregate Charminar from traffic by at least a distance of 500 metres, like the restrictions near the Taj Mahal, so that traffic regulated initially and then totally stopped. However, shop owners around the structure have opposed such a move.

The damage and repair
Repairs were necessitated after an ornamental piece of the minaret fell following torrential rains in August 2010. The ASI has begun repair work on the rain-hit southeast minaret of Charminar and the work is in progress. The very fine stucco work is being done by artisans from Chennai and Thanjavur. However, the ASI, which maintains the most important icon of Nizam’s Hyderabad, took time in taking up the work considering the location of the minaret.

The ASI faced trouble as the minaret is located just on the top of Bhagyalakshmi temple. Considering the sensitive nature of the old city with regard to religious issues, the ASI first wanted to cover the temple with some acrylic sheets and take up the scaffolding work with utmost care. The workers took almost a month to erect the scaffolding around the minaret facing the busy Nizamia Unani hospital. “It was really hard carrying the planks and sticks to the first floor without causing any damage to the inner walls of the monument. From there they have to be shifted to the mosque located in the second floor and scaffolding goes up to an astonishing 30 metres above the mosque,” said A Rasheed Khan, Conservation Assistant at Charminar.

The stucco work, which is nothing but an ornamental plaster work, is being applied on the location from where the piece fell down last year. The ASI started the repair work without waiting further for the results of a study on the impact of vehicular vibrations on Charminar undertaken by Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. “The granite block behind the fallen chunk is intact an there is no danger to it,” says T Sreelakshmi, deputy superintending archaeologist, ASI.

As a practice of restoration, a combination of natural adhesives like lime mortar mixed with jaggery, jute, gallnut water and white yoke of egg is used to repair the two feet portion of the minaret. During 2001 also, blocks of decorative work had fallen from the terrace of Charminar on the south western corner. They were repaired using lime mortar.

Time has taken its toll on Charminar in many ways. During the Mughal period, the southwestern minaret broke into pieces as lightning struck. It was restored by Subedar Dil Khan Bahadur at a cost of Rs 60,000 in those days. Again, during the reign of Asaf Jah III, the entire plastering was redone at a cost of Rs one lakh.

Deccan Herald, 27th March 2011

Our country is like a necklace of pearls, and the pearls are the monuments that make it great. But, due to our negligence, the necklace has been broken and all the pearls shattered.
On February 11, when we went to the Mehrauli Archeological Park, the weather was perfect — bright, breezy and pleasant. As many as 80 classmates accompanied me to the park. This walk was organised by the Indian Express. We started from the gateway to Balban’s tomb. The area behind it was cleared recently during an archaeological excavation to reveal a courtyard, some rooms and grave platforms. Though it is currently in a ruined state and without a roof, it must have initially been covered by a dome. It is based on Indo-Islamic architecture, because it was the first building to use the true arch in construction. The adjacent chamber has a grave that is traditionally believed to be that of Balban’s favourite son, Khan Shaheed. Immediately after the tomb is a large area covered with ruins of small rooms, which may have been residential units. Further ahead is Jamali’s mosque and tomb. The tomb is well-preserved and has verses of Jamali himself is carved in plaster decoration. Opposite to Jamali Kamali mosque is a magnificent stone canopy. Our final stop during this heritage walk was the Rajon ki Baoli, a step-well, now completely dry. Rajon Ki Baoli is a breathtaking structure. The Baoli complex has a tomb and a mosque with some plaster decoration. We ended the walk at Khan Shaheed’s tomb.
*Harkomal Preet Singh, X-F

The hectic pursuits in this life is gradually making Generation Y forget the country's rich heritage and culture. History happens to be the very root of a nation. If we don’t water the roots of a plant, it will die. Similarly, if we don’t nourish our roots — our ancient culture, monuments, values, food and traditions – how will our nation develop? The Indian Express organised a short tour to an archeological park located in Mehrauli, earlier known as Mihirawali, so that we can stay connected with our history. First we visited Balban’s tomb, which belongs to Balban of the slave dynasty. We never knew this tomb was the first Indo-Islamic tomb of India.Then we visited the baoli, which was used to store water, the Jamali Kamali mosque and finally Quli Khan’s tomb. After visiting these places, I realised that history is not that boring after all!
*Sarojini Mahajan, X F

I was fortunate enough to be picked for an educational trip to the Mehrauli Archeological Park. It was a sheer learning experience, through which we got to know more about the history of Delhi. We entered it through a humongous temple-like gate. When we stepped into Balban's Tomb, we couldn't help but notice that it was a masterpiece with four walls. Then we visited Shaheed Khan's tomb, followed up by the remains of houses from that period. The monuments took us from one Century to the other. The guide showed us a mosque where a Sufi saint used to preach. We were also told a very interesting story related to the saint. It is said that one day, Fazulla was waiting eagerly for his beloved one, but she did not turn up. In the dark, the same day, he saw a hooded figure coming towards him. We sprinted forward and hugged the figure, only to realise that it was the figure of a Sufi saint. It was then that Fazulla became Jamali, the acclaimed Sufi saint. Two tombs called 'Jamali-Kamali' are situated very close to this mosque. The five-bay mosque is exquisitely designed with a projection balcony, dome structures and immensely decorated west-facing walls to signify the direction of Mecca-Medina. We also climbed a hillock to see a mock castle built by a Britisher, Thomas Melkof. On the whole, it was an enthralling experience.
*Pamposh Pandita, X-C

On February 11, we, the students of St Mark’s Sr Sec Public School, Meera Bagh, went to the Mehrauli Archeological Park for a heritage walk. To help us get a better idea of the place, we were provided with well-informed guides. We first went to the Gateway of Balban, which had an entrance like that of a temple. After entering another section of the gateway, we came across the tomb of Shahid Khan, the son of Balban. We saw the main area of the mosque, besides the Mihiraps, which faces Mecca Medina (West). We were told that Shaikh Fazulullah, also called Jamali, was a saint. Then we went to one of the most beautiful places in Mehrauli, the Rajon ki Baoli, where people used to wash clothes, feed their cattle and bathe. I can't wait for our next heritage walk.
*Anurag, X-C

The Indian Express organised a heritage walk to an archaeological park in Mehrauli for the students of St Mark’s School. The main purpose of the walk was to know more about our past through monuments, which were excavated five years ago. We went to the first tomb constructed by Balban in Mehrauli, which was built using stones from plundered temples, limestone and brickjeera. The tomb is divided into three parts — namely, dome, drum and plinth. There was a settlement area, which was similar to the Harappan civilisation, with a proper drainage system and water-purification pits. Then we visited Jamali-Kamali’s mosque, which was built during the Mughal era. The mosque faces west and every western wall of the mosque is highly decorated. Though Jamali had started the construction of the mosque, Babur finished it. The concept of the baoli in his tomb came from Rajasthan. It was used to collect rainwater for domestic purposes.
*Nikita Sethi, X-F

Delhi is one of the few cities in the world that have an amazing blend of heritage buildings and modern infrastructure. Whether it be Rajput, Sultans, Mughals or British, Delhi has always been a capital for all. Delhi comprised seven cities and the oldest of all is Mehrauli. This is where the rulers of the slave dynasty had their administrative centre, popularly known as Jamali-Kamali. The area was discovered by an excavation team two decades ago. As we moved into the palace, we came across a tomb with five doors — where Bulban was buried. The tomb is the first piece of architecture in India where the triangular keystone of Rajasthan and tomb of Mughals were used together. Next to this is another tomb where Balban’s son Shaid Khan is buried.
The trip helped me in discover the wonder that is Delhi.
*Hitesh Mandla, 10-A

Mehrauli, earlier known as Mihirawali, was founded by King Mihir Bhoja. The most visible piece of its architecture was the Qutub Complex, initiated by Qutubuddin Aybak and completed by Iltutmish and Alauddin Khilji. The dargah complex houses the graves of successive Mughal emperors. Moti Masjid was a mosque built for private prayer by Bahadur Shah, the son of Aurangzeb. Balban's tomb, constructed in the 13th century, is still in a good condition. The tomb is an important structure as it is the first example of Indo-Islamic architecture. Another tomb, that of Balban's son, is also located in Mehrauli Archeological Park. A baoli or stepwell located in the park was used to store water, but as it is completely dry now, it is now known as Sukhi Baoli. The Jamali Kamali mosque was built in the honour of Sufi saint Dihlawi, and his tomb is located adjacent to the mosque.
*Vibhor Ghosh, X-D

On February 11, the students of Class X went for an excursion to the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, located in Mehrauli — one of the seven ancient cities of Emperor Balban of the slave dynasty. It is a heritage park located close to the Qutub Complex. The park was built during the reign of the Delhi Sultanate. The main attractions of the place are Jamali’s Tomb, Rajon Ki Baoli, Ghiyasuddin Balban’s tomb and Sufi saint Shaikh Hamid bin Fazlullah’s mosque. Rajon Ki Baoli, a stepwell, was constructed in 1506 during Sikander Lodhi’s reign. The Jamali-Kamali mosque was constructed in 1528 in honour of Sufi saint Shaikh Hamid bin Fazlullah, and the saint’s tomb was built in 1536, after his demise.
*Radha Bhola, X-B

It was on February 11 that we got an opportunity to visit the Mehrauli Archeological Park. We were amazed at the way everything was preserved. Our tour guide immense knowledge of the subject. She told us many interesting facts about the Mughal reign and dynasty — their lifestyle,architecture and rich culture. The tomb is a building of historical importance in the development of Indo-Islamic architecture, as it was here that first true arch made its appearance in India and, according to many, the first true dome as well. Built in 1311 AD, Alai Darwaza — near Qutub Complex — happens to be the earliest surviving dome in India. Our guide also told us that his son, Shaheed Khan, who lost his life in the war. His tomb is also located nearby. Overall, the experience was really enlightening as we were accompanied by history teachers who explained everything to us.The complex is huge, and it goes to show that they led a very luxurious life. It was a very memorable experience, and I would love to go there again.
*Manvi Mahajan, X-C

Indian Express, 28th March 2011

Umapura-Laheshwara are twin towns in Basavakalyan taluk, and are home to some of the most exquisite temples, dedicated to Neelakantha, Mahadeva, Parvathi and Ganapathi. These temples that were on the verge of collapse have now been dismantled and rebuilt by the Archaeology Department, without marring their original beauty.

The town of Umapura was earlier known as ‘Uma Maheshwara’ and was full of ponds and craters, with blooming lotuses. It is said that in centuries gone by, the lotuses for the royal palaces were procured from these ponds.

Kalyana was the capital of the Chalukyas during the time of Someshwara I. His second son Vikramaditya, the VI was coronated in 1076, and he ruled for fifty years. It was during his reign that Kalyana reached its peak of glory. Several temples were constructed during Vikramaditya’s period, among them was Umapura’s temples, according to historical records.

The Mahadeva temple that is the shape of a chariot has three mukha mantapas. There are sculptures on the walls of the temple, including those of gods, goddesses, dancers et al. Apart from the Mahadeva temple, is a Parvathi temple, with the deity of Uma-Maheshwara installed.

Then, there is the Neelakantheshwara temple, which had collapsed. Efforts are now on to reconstruct this temple. In the vicinity of this temple is a big well, where it is believed, one can see a reflection of deity Ganesha.

The Ganesha idol installed in the vicinity is eight feet high and five feet wide, and is flanked by 12-feet-high pillars. Try and shake the pillars a bit, and the sound of a series of temple bells ringing resonates. That’s because the two pillars are indeed separated by a row of bells.

It is said that there was a Shiva-Parvathi temple in the town centre. Today, there are only houses there.

One kilometre away from the town is the Padmavathi kere. There’s a statue of deity Padmavathi on top of the hill on the outskirts of the village. It is said to have been a Jain basadi at some point.

One kilometre south of Umapura is a place called Raiwad, where the palace of Bicchala, the ruler of Kalachuri dynasty is said to have been located. Stones from here were carried to Basavakalyan for the construction of the fort there, locals say.

Deccan Herald, 29th March 2011

For the past few weeks, joggers and regular morning walkers have been avoiding the Hauz Khas Lake. Reason: It stinks. The air around is heavy with stench emanating from the water that is now dark with muck and algae. Instead of aquatic birds, the sundry trees around the lake are dotted with crows, while passersby, mostly visitors to the adjacent greens, try to shield themselves from the outrage to their eyes and nostrils.

In all, it's not a very honourable fate for a 13th-century heritage water body that hosted 500 varieties of water birds not so long ago, making it an environmental asset in the heart of south Delhi.

For the 80,000-square meter lake, this should be a déjà vu.

A few years ago, the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), upon a mandate from the Delhi Development Authority, had brought the lake back to life after it fell to similar disuse.
The biological oxygen demand levels of the water had shot upwards of 20, rendering the water useless for all practical purposes.

After months of work, the INTACH had prepared a plan for the lake's resuscitation by installing aerators and channelling fresh water into it from Vasant Kunj.

The project, costing around Rs 20 lakh, had improved the water quality and as a result, the biodiversity of the micro ecosystem.

"We have had nothing to do with the lake since 2007 but we are aware that its condition has been falling to where it was before the restoration," said Manu Bhatnagar of INTACH, who spearheaded the project.

None of the 13 aerators (machines for oxygenating the water) is functional anymore. The solid waste accumulation in the water has also increased beyond redemption.

After the restoration, the DDA was given a list of dos and don'ts as a guideline for maintenance.

"How much of that was followed is evident from the condition of the lake," said Vinod Jain, head of NGO Tapas and the petitioner in the case on Delhi's surface water bodies, wherein the Delhi high court has directed the state agencies to restore several lakes, including the one in Hauz Khas.

"For better maintenance, now a committee of local residents and DDA officials must be made to monitor the quality of the lake. It is an asset for the city," Bhatnagar said.

"It is now easy to mistake the lake for some pit that collects sewage water, which is pretty much what it is," Jain said.

Sitting in its own miasma of muck, the lake now awaits a third shot at life.

Hindustan Times, 30th March 2011

Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Assam figure amongst the top tiger lands in the latest census report. The “roaring” success for Karnataka has been its clearing up the major corridor areas. The conservation strategy of Maharashtra has been to revamp the functioning of the Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMC) and awarding them on the basis of their participation in wildlife conservation.

For Uttarakhand and Assam, the watch word has been to nab poachers. Efforts in rhino conservation in Kaziranga Sanctuary in Assam have also helped in the protection of big cats.

As per the latest census report, while Karnataka boasts of an estimated 300 big cats, which is the highest in the country, Maharashtra with its figure of 169 has the highest percentage rise of 64 per cent. Kaziranga in Assam and Corbett in Uttarakhand figured well in tiger densities ranging from 23-30 big cats per 100 sq kms.

Talking to The Pioneer, CH Vijay Shankar, Karnataka Forest Minister, said, “The secret of our success has been to clear most of our corridor areas, which are essential not only for the passage of tigers but also for the prey base.”

“For instance, a major corridor connecting Nagerhole Tiger Reserve and Brahmagiri sanctuary had been coffee estates; we declared such areas into buffer zones and stepped up patrolling.”

The State’s chief wildlife warden BK Singh pointed out Karnataka has already recruited its Special Tiger Protection Force (SPTF) which is currently undergoing training and would be deployed by year-end.

For Maharashtra, the rhetoric goes, “If the tiger survives, we survive”, said DC Pant, PCCF Wildlife. “The thrust of our strategy has been to drill in confidence amongst the local communities. There is no denying the fact there is tiger population even outside the protected areas because of which chances of human-animal conflicts are very high. Hence, firstly, the department is prompt in dispensing compensation to the local villagers at the earliest when any untoward incident occurs. Secondly, in a bid to provide incentive to the local population the revamped JFMC’s are awarded both at the district and State-level. Further, most importantly 50 per cent of the revenue earned through tourism is diverted to the local villagers, who contribute in various activities.”

Assam, having the highest tiger density in the country, is still in its process of camera trapping its tigers in the various reserves. PCCF wildlife Suresh Chand maintained that Assam is bound to have more tigers than 143 as reported in the census. “We already have photographs of 69 individuals from Kaziranga, 13 in Orang and about 11 in Manas.”

There is round-the-clock physical monitoring through camps and patrolling and stringent measures taken against poachers. Further, conservation strategies of rhinos have also helped the big cats.

Similar stories poured from Corbett. “We have busted notorious poaching gangs in the last six months,” informed Anil Baluni, vice-chairman Forest and Environment Board Advisory Committee. The habitat has also been improved by clearing off weeds like Lantana regarded as one of the worst in Australia because of its invasiveness and protecting grasslands.

The Pioneer, 31st March 2011

Top officers of Faridabad district administration including the deputy commissioner are on ‘mission search water’ on the Aravali hills. The officers including scientists from the Central Ground Water Board visited the Aravali hills towards the Bhadkal area a few days back to study the measures for the revival of the Bhadkal Lake and also to find reasons behind the abrupt drying of the lake a few years ago. The lake had dried up in 2005-06.

“We walked on foot in the Aravali hills area and tried to understand as to what could be done to restore water in Bhadkal Lake,” Deputy commissioner Praveen Kumar said, adding, “We found many natural springs at different places on the hills.”

The scientists who are doing research on the Aravali hills are of the view that they found many ‘fractures’ on the hills which cause wastage of the natural water from the crystal clear springs and other sources.

“We need to identify such fractures, which according to scientists contribute in wastage of natural water in the form of monsoon water and water coming from natural springs in the hills,” Kumar told HT, adding, “It is due to these fractures that the water does not reach the Bhadkal Lake.”

“We are identifying the fractures on the Aravali hills close to Bhadkal Lake and will suggest remedial measures so that water is preserved,” said a scientist from the Central Ground Water Board, requesting anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

“The actual work on the water preservation issue will start from April,” said Anita Yadav, additional deputy commissioner, Faridabad. She also was accompanying the team of scientists and the deputy commissioner to the Aravali hills.

“The water conservation will be taken up at war footing from April 1, when the new financial year begins. We are even in the process of surveying borewells and installation of meters on them,” Yadav said, adding, “even schoolchildren are being involved in the water conservation campaigns from April.”

Until a few years back, Bhadkal Lake used to be a place of great tourist attraction. The lush green forests, its crystal clear water and the serene beauty used to be a place for enjoyment for the people of Delhi-NCR. The lake has dried up completely for the last five years and it has turned into a playground for the local children.

“We are on the job to revive it,” Praveen Kumar assured, adding, “Setting up of overturned dams at places where fractures are found is one of the options for restoration of water.”

“We are even taking help of some professors of Jawaharlal Nehru University in the matter,” Kumar said.

Hindustan Times, 31st March 2011