Khimsar Fort in Rajasthan is more than just a heritage destination; it exudes the charm and warmth of true Marwari hospitality as enjoyed by its rulers.Navneet Mendiratta tells us more about the place

Treat the guest as your God and you’d never go wrong...” So said the king to his staff when he decided to turn his “property” into a hotel. The property was no less than a fort in a thikana called Kheewsar (now called Khimsar) and located some 40 kms from Jodhpur in Rajasthan. And the hotel was as big as nine rooms. Needless to say his loyal praja followed their hukam’s word and the feedback book of the now over 60 rooms fort is full of praises for the service here. “Exemplary”, says one. The others compete with each other for some really happy superlatives.

There was much pride in Hari Singh’s voice as he recalled the words of his Thakur. But, then, this is how the people of this little kingdom feel for the royal family. Their generations have been attached to the family in some form or the other and never in their wildest dreams did they ever consider moving away. Not till lately, when the younger generation got ambitious and chose to migrate to other cities in search of more challenging prospects of employment.

However, it is not the employment opportunities that were on my mind as I sat at the rooftop restaurant of Khimsar Fort. Thought I’d much rather enjoy the famed Marwari hospitality, the golden sun and the era gone by.

Laidback holiday destination
Never wonder what to do if you wish to enjoy your offbeat destination. Instead, let it choose what to do with you — this is what a mad-nomad friend had said to me years ago, much before the travel bug bit me. The mantra has worked well with me for years now and as I sat figuring how to plan my day, I was suddenly reminded of my friend. Khimsar is one such destination. Planned in a way that the guests get to spend as much time with themselves, the focus is on what a guest would like to do. Now, this throws open a lot of choices and I wasn’t wasting any time weighing mine.

I didn’t have to hunt for someone to take me on a guided tour. Dilip Rao, manager of the fort, happily volunteered to show me around. The property has just about everything that one would need to hold on to the place. To begin with, there is a swimming pool, a fetching spa, a gym fitted with the latest equipment, a cozy home theatre, indoor and outdoor games options, shopping stops and lovely restaurants to feed you the wonderful food. I was quite impressed by the affordability of the services at the spa (Mirage, as it is called). And I would have certainly given in to the temptation had Rao not suggested me to take a safari into the village and watch sunset at the dunes. The dunes? I wondered, now here was my surprise.

On a wild buck chase
My driver was very discreet, politely answering my queries but never speaking out of turn. This was very unlike the guides showing me around the wildlife at any other destination. He reminded me of a tiger who knew his territory well. And here were no disappointments as the promised wildlife sighting was only blackbucks and Nilgai, both of which I saw in plenty. Now, whether this was because he’s been chauffeuring the royal family in the days when it was legal to hunt, I had no ways of knowing. As he steered the four-wheel drive through the dry desert terrain, I was impressed by the smattering of green every few miles. “That’s the desi jeera (cumin seeds) crop,” he told me, warming up to the topic of agriculture in the region. “We also grow mustard here and some wheat. The water of the land is sweet and the gods have been generous with rainfall in the previous season. We should be lucky to get a good harvest,” he said. To my left, a colourful Rajasthani scarecrow in a field caught my eye. “Would you like to visit a dhaani, sa?” he asked me. I nodded immediately.

Dhaani is a cluster of hutments that makes for a single unit of dwelling. Hukmi, a young girl of 12 years, was grinding some fresh grain when we stopped by. She happily led me on a guided tour, showing me their guest room, the kitchen, the store-room and the bedroom. Each of the units was equipped with the very basic of amenities and neatly coated in mud. The walls were devoid of colour and motifs with mirror work filled in for decoration. In a corner, I noticed a much smaller “model dhaani”. It looked like child’s play. On enquiring, Hukmi shyly smiled.

The sun was beginning to come down, my driver now seemed a bit restless. “Shall we head for the dunes?” We soon moved on.

Sands of time
This had to be the most beautiful patch of dunes, after Jaisalmer’s Sam, I thought to myself. I could be wrong in making comparisons, but I certainly could not hold my thoughts back. I could see the sun softening its glow, playing with the colours red and orange. I climbed up the camel cart that was waiting to take me up the dunes. “I’d be waiting here, sa. You please take your time,” said my escort as the restless camel began to pull me away from the parked vehicle. This is one place that makes you realise that the traditional transport still scored over the modern machine, that there are still places where technology cannot hold its own. At a distance, I could see a small shack, where I figured I’d be served my evening tea. Tired, I looked forward to a hot cuppa.

Atop the dunes, one of the most amazing sights awaited me. Hidden behind this curtain of sand was a small “village” with a mirage of a water body. This was the Khimsar Sand Dunes Village, a cluster of some 16 cottages spread over an area of about 60 acres. Rustic in appearance, these huts have been deliberately designed to be eco-friendly. “These dunes are called Alka and there are seven of these,” another attendant told me as he served me tea. The sun gently bid its golden goodbye. Next to me, a foreigner couple held hands sighing at the beautiful end to an active day. I couldn’t help but agree more.

Back at the fort, it was an evening of more magic what with folk singers regaling the guests with the raw desert strains near the old ruins which have now been converted into a dining space. Somewhere along, a magician surprised his audience with his “haath ki safaai” and a puppeteer shared his craft notes. It really is difficult to pull reason out of magic or should that be vice versa?

Heritage weds modernity
It was only natural that we discussed the tales from the past when I met up with Bhanwar Dhananjai Singh over high tea the following day. A really young prince (he is all of 25 years), he looked every bit involved with the property. “With my father, Kunwar Gajendra Singh, being busy with his political assignment (he’s the elected representative from Nagaur district), the responsibility of the fort has fallen on me. All of which I am enjoying immensely,” he shared.

But first some family history: Founded in the early 16th century, the Karamsot dynasty has a long lineage of capable rulers who fought hard battles but “lived with grace and dignity”. Rao Karamsiji was the eighth son of Rao Jodhaji who was the founder of Jodhpur. He established his kingdom between his brothers — the Maharajas of Jodhpur and Bikaner. The construction of the fort commenced in 1523 AD in the fairytale land of majestic forts and palaces. Thus began the dynasty of the Karamsot Rathores.

And this viraasat is something Bhanwar Dhananjai Singh is keen to preserve. “Dunes hold a special place in my heart. I am looking at converting some of the area into a boutique experience that is very basic and yet luxurious at the same time. Here you are really close to nature minus the technical trappings like a TV or a mobile and yet something that does not compromise on hospitality. I plan to host a world music fest combined with vintage car rally this year. God willing, I should be able to convert it into an annual affair,” he shared.

For a very brief while, his mother, Preeti Kumari, joined us. She was on her way to the dunes with some guests. “These are the people I grew up with. I am meeting them after years. Happy memories are all worth this time spent together,” she said. I nodded in agreement. Soon, it was time for me to make a move. I wish my host luck as I bid adieu.

Yores from the past
I walked back the pathways that led to the turrets, ruins, stables, guns and cannons. I stopped by an ancient Shiva temple and sought blessings. It is said this temple was established after Rao Karamsi dreamt of the Lord. Further up are the figurines of ninth century Jain gods and goddesses carved in sandstone and defaced by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.

The ruins, as I referred to them, make for Fateh Mahal — named after Fateh Pir Baba, a great sufi saint who blessed the family. It is said that after his death, the saint was buried adjoining the fort walls. Fateh Mahal was under construction as a personal residence next to his tomb. The ruling chief died during the phase. Superstition had it that the saint’s spirit was not in peace. Hence, the building was left incomplete. Today these ruins provide an exquisite experience — a glimpse of the bygone era.

Another story that caught my fancy was pertaining to one of the ancestors of the ruling family. The Thakur, it is said, had a unique way of delivering justice. The accused would be taken to the jails where the Thakur would beat him black and blue and later, when the accused showed genuine signs of remorse, he’d be fed with ghee and nursed back to health. So much for royal eccentricities.

Getting there
By Air The nearest airport from Khimsar is Jodhpur, around 92 km away. Most domestic carriers connect Jodhpur with Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai through regular flights. The airport is located around 6 km off the city centre.

By Rail The nearest railhead is Jodhpur on the Western Railway broad-gauge network. Jodhpur is linked to various centres in the region by express and passenger trains. New Delhi, Agra, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Udaipur and Ahmedabad are some of the important cities that are linked with Jodhpur through rail.

By Road Khimsar is situated around 92 km from the Jodhpur-Nagaur-Bikaner Highway. State transport corporation buses and private buses connect Khimsar with other centres in the region. Local Transport Buses, taxis and jeeps are available on hire to enable tourists to visit the places around Khimsar.

The Pioneer, 1st May 2011

Several monuments built by the Mughals are dedicated to women.

Taj Mahal, the most famous of them all, was built by Shah Jahan for his queen Mumtaz in Agra. Azam Shah, son of Aurangzeb, built Bibi ka Maqbara in Aurangabad as a tribute to his mother, Dilras Bano Begum. Baz Bahadur built a pavilion for his Hindu queen Roopmati in Mandu. And Ghiyasuddin Khilji built the Jahaz Mahal, also in Mandu, for his countless paramours.

The character of Ghiyasuddin Khilji has always intrigued me. The eldest son and right hand man of Mahmud Khilji, he did not lack courage. But having spent most of his time in battlefields, he refused to touch the sword after he was crowned king. Instead, he authorised his eldest son Nasir-uddin, the heir-apparent, to reign on his behalf.

Ghiyasuddin was ardently religious and never missed his prayers. He even prayed at midnight and ordered his attendents to throw him out of bed if he did not wake up!

He also had great affection for animals and birds. One day, he discovered a mouse in his bedroom. But, instead of ordering it to be killed, he told the attendents to feed it regularly. He treated the pigeons and parrots who strayed into the palace the same way.

Unlike other kings, Ghiyasuddin never touched wine or any other intoxicant. There are many amusing stories in the Wakiat-I-Mushtaki about it. Once when Ghiyasuddin fell ill, the royal physician made up a special medicine for him. But Ghiyasuddin refused to touch it without knowing what the ingredients were. So the physician read out the entire list comprising 300 components which included poppy seeds. A shocked Ghiyasuddin ordered the medicine to be thrown away immediately.

“But the ingredients cost me almost a lakh of rupees” cried the royal physician.“That cannot be helped” said Ghiyasuddin, “I cannot forsake my principle for the sake of money.” “Then please allow me to give it to other patients who cannot afford it,” pleaded the physician. “Never!” cried Ghiyasuddin, “What the king cannot have will not be given to another living soul!”

The biggest passion in Ghiyasuddin’s life, however, were women. All biographers agree that he was practically obsessed with the fair sex. He had countless beautiful women in his harem for whom he built the Jahaz Mahal and the Hindola Mahal. Thousands among them were “in his service”. This is how historian Firishta describes it: “Among them (women) were school teachers, musicians, dancers, embroiderers, women to read prayers and women of all trades and professions. 500 young turkish girls in uniform, armed with bows and arrows which they could use, stood on his right. On his left stood 500 Abyssinian girls with fire arms.”

Jahangir also writes in his Memoirs: “He (Ghiyasuddin) had a whole city of women comprising soldiers, magistrates, qazis, kotwals and whatever else is necessary for the administration of a town. He taught the women all kinds of arts and crafts including hunting and took some of them along when he went to hunt deer.”

Ghiyasuddin reigned for 31 years. His death is one of the most brutal and pathetic episodes in the history of Mandu. Although Nasiruddin enjoyed all the powers of a king, he bitterly resented the presence of his father, now getting on in years. Crazy to sit on his father’s throne, he tried to poison him twice. But his attempt failed because Ghiyasuddin always carried a zahar muhra (poison antidote). Moreover, Nasir’s hatred was so obvious that Ghiyasuddin realised what he was after and threw away the poisoned sherbet on both occasions. Finally, Nasir-ud-din decided to take destiny into his own hands and carried the cup of poison himself and ordered him to drink it.

Ghiyasuddin looked at his son and read the greed and ambition in his eyes. He took the cup from him and took off the zahar muhra from his arm and threw it on the floor. He knelt down for the last time and breathed his last prayer to God: “Oh Lord Almighty! My time has arrived and I have passed my years in prosperity and happiness rarely attained by any king. Now, since this is my last prayer, I beg on my knees that thou shalt not blame my son Nasir as my murderer; that thou shalt take my death as something destined by thee.”

Then he drank the poisoned cup of sherbet at a gulp and delivered his soul to his creator. This episode occurs in the Memoirs of Jahangir who keenly felt the pathos of the situation. He also writes about how Sher Afghan felt about it: “When Sher Afghan came to the tomb of Nasir-ud-din during his reign, he ordered the tomb to be beaten up with sticks because of what Nasir did to his father.” Jahangir, who loved his own father dearly, adds: “When I went to Nasir’s tomb, I too gave it several kicks.”

Nasir-ud-din is said to have had a miserable time attending to domestic feuds galore and finally died of a painful disease.

Jahaz Mahal, Ghiyasuddin’s magnificent creation, remains as beautiful as ever, attracting tourists throughout the year.

Deccan Herald, 1st May 2011

A lock of salt-and-pepper hair said to have been clipped from the flowing beard of Rabindranath Tagore after his death in 1941 is on exhibition here, near the town of Totnes, to observe the 150th birth anniversary of the first non-white and the only Indian Nobel laureate for literature.

"To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time this is being exhibited," said Andy Christian, curator of Dartington Hall Trust, whose creation as a venture in rural regeneration was inspired by Tagore.

The hair, dug out of the archives and not as white as photographs of the poet suggest, is inside a small, transparent plastic packet, with "Sir Rabindranath" (he relinquished his title after the Jallianwala massacre in 1919) hand-written in ink on a white slip of paper.

Last year, Dartington bosses had auctioned 12 of Tagore's paintings and had decided to hold the clipped hair for this year.

According to Christian, the 1913 Nobel winner's son, Rathindranath, sent the hair to Tagore's close friend Leonard Elmhirst, who, with his American heiress wife, Dorothy, acquired Dartington Hall.

Prior to sending a portion of Tagore's beard to Elmhirst, Rathindranath had cabled the latter informing him of his father's death; and this is also a part of the exhibition. The telegram apparently took a few days to arrive, for this was only received on August 9, 1941. It said: ELMHIRST DARTINGTON HALL TOTNES FATHER PASSED AWAY THURSDAY NOON. RATHI. Tagore had died on July 30.

Elmhirst was from Barnsley in north-east England. He was smitten by Tagore when he met him while studying at Cornell University in the United States as an agricultural economist. Between 1921 and 1924 he worked in Santiniketan as the poet's private secretary as well as to establish a rural farm school at neighbouring Sriniketan. He also travelled with Tagore on goodwill missions to China and South America.

Tagore, who had invited Elmhirst to join him in India, was clearly pleased that he accepted. He telegrammed from Santiniketan on September 10, 1921: ELMHIRST BARNSLEY DELIGHTED COME INVITATION HOLDS RABINDRA-NATH TAGORE.

In a letter to the Dartington Hall Trust in 1976 when she was prime minister, Indira Gandhi (a Santiniketan alumnus) wrote: "There was a beautiful friendship between Tagore and Leonard Elmhirst. Tagore's Viswa Bharati owes much to Elmhirst's understanding and generosity." Elmhirst addressed Tagore as Gurudev, who conferred him the title of 'Desika'.

The glimpse of a piece of Tagore's beard has aroused curiosity in a section of British media. The exhibition runs until 28 of June.

Times of India, 2nd May 2011

News of financial approval for the Delhi Metro’s phase 3 by the Delhi government has prompted the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) to register its objection with the DMRC for the latter not following the statutory procedure. In April, the Delhi cabinet had given its nod to the Metro’s proposal for phase 3.

While the state government has already earmarked R1,071crore for phase 3, the Centre has made provision for R580 crore in Budget 2011-12.

DUAC is a regulatory body for maintaining urban aesthetics, in view of the many heritage monuments in the city. As per established procedure, the financial sanction for a project is accorded only after it has received all mandatory clearances, including DUAC nod.

Sources said the DUAC was planning a public workshop on Metro phase III, considering that the alignment has both the underground segment (running through the heritage corridor) and elevated stretches (that could have a direct bearing on urban aesthetics).

One of the lines of phase 3, joining Central Secretariat to Kashmiri Gate via Mandi House, ITO, Delhi Gate and Red Fort, passes through a heritage corridor with over 24 monuments.

There are 67 stations proposed under the third phase and around 41 km of the line would be underground, while the remaining 67 km is planned as elevated. “But it (the public workshop) can’t be held till the DMRC gives documents to us,” the sources added.

The DUAC’s annual report for the year 2009-10, presented in Parliament, had also pointed out violations. In its chapter on ‘Transport Proposals’, the DUAC is critical of sanctions for Metro proposals, brought to it after more than half the construction was over.

The report said, “It is unfortunate that the aforesaid DMRC proposals (constructed without the statutory clearances) were accorded financial sanction. Such practice needs to be checked to discourage project proponents from violating the established statutory provisions laid down for approval of projects.”

The report further pointed out, “It has been observed that the DMRC has been constantly violating the DUAC Act, which, as per the law of the land, is a mandatory requirement for all agencies, including Delhi Metro.”

KT Ravindran, DUAC chairperson, agreed that the commission wrote to the Delhi Metro last week, following media reports. “The law says that before financial clearance is given to any project, all statutory clearances are required,” Ravindran said.

DMRC confirmed the receipt of the letter. Its spokesperson said, “We don’t need their (DUAC’s) approval for it.”

Hindustan Times, 2nd May 2011

The book, unmistakably a labour of love for the author, is a detailed study of the biodiversity of two national parks, Nagarahole and Bandipur, in Karnataka. The floral and faunal distribution, ecological setting, and the similarities and variations between the two are well documented and highlighted through tables, photographs, and satellite imagery. All of this covers 150 pages. But a chunk of the book — the first 92 pages — is, sadly, a hackneyed narration of the global climate change crisis interspersed with activist rhetoric like “Greening the Earth to Prevent Red”.

Going by the way climate change and biodiversity conservation have been treated, the title is somewhat misleading. Although the author, Basappanavar, asserts that the two are intertwined — which, in fact, they are — there is little attempt to examine how climate change would affect, or has already affected, the country's biodiversity in general and the two study areas in particular. More importantly, how conservation of biodiversity will help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change has not been gone into in any scientific detail. Thus, the two parts of the book stand disjointedly, and this deficiency perhaps may be addressed in a revised edition. Enough published material is available — on the impact of climate change on India's forests over the last hundred years, on what may happen to them as a result of rising temperatures, and on global initiatives like REDD (Reduction in Deforestation and Degradation) and India's REDD+ (REDD PLUS) proposal — for the author to draw from.

WEALTH OF INFORMATION
These shortcomings and sweeping statements aside, the book provides a wealth of information on Nagarahole and Bandipur. The two parks forming a contiguous geographical area in the southern part of the Western Ghats are an interesting study at once in similarity and in contrast. The average annual rainfall of Nagarahole is 1,389 mm, whereas Bandipur receives 400 mm less. Mean annual temperatures are, however, the same (22.67ºC). These two factors may well explain the differing relative extents of forest ecotypes in the two parks.

The higher rainfall of Nagarahole accounts for its higher percentage of Moist Deciduous Forest (44 per cent) compared to only 10.66 per cent in Bandipur. In consequence, the Dry Deciduous forest area is much more (67.05 per cent) in Bandipur than in Nagarahole (41 per cent). The higher rainfall, as the author says, also accounts for the floristic richness of Nagarahole, which, in turn, may explain its higher densities of large herbivores and their predators. This establishes the “eco-biological” relationship of rainfall regime governing total bio-volume and the herbaceous biomass, which, in turn, determines herbivorous prey base and predator populations.

OPTIMAL HABITATS
An interesting conclusion Basappanavar draws is that the two parks are in a near “bio-equilibrium” state and may well be described as “optimal habitats” for large herbivores. That this is so despite heavy human pressures renders it all the more important to keep them in that state. This, indeed, is a challenge to the authorities manning the two parks. It emerges that the utilisation of the “carrying capacity” is already at its maximum in both parks. Hence practices like grazing by cattle from outside and diversion of land for non-forest purposes have to be curbed severely.

Promotion of tourism (in today's parlance “eco-tourism”) has to be consistent with these imperatives. As the author observes, “Eco-tourism in India has become almost synonymous with overcrowding, polluting, littering…” Overemphasis on eco-tourism in these two parks — in any nature reserve, for that matter — is bound to be counterproductive. Also, issues related to the settling of the so-called “forest dwellers” permanently in areas rich in wildlife should be subjected to a critical appraisal.

Basappanavar may well include in his study the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, which is contiguous to what has been covered, so that one could have a grand picture of the fascinating forest ecosystems of the southern part of the Western Ghats. With his knowledge and vast experience, he should be able to do it. India's forests and national parks deserve a lot of scientific nurturing for all the goods, services, and aesthetic pleasure they provide for its people and foreign visitors alike.

The Hindu, 3rd May 2011

A sound-and-light show on the history of the princely state of Mysore will premiere in the City of Palaces somewhere in the third week of May, the organisers said.

The programme will debut in Kannada, and later in Hindi and English languages. The ‘son et lumiere’ show, one of the ambitious projects of the Mysore Palace Board, will depict the rich history of Mysore — the life and times of Yaduraya, his successors, and the reign of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, the last ruler of the Wadiyar dynasty.

The programme did have its share of hiccups and controversies, leading to its delay. With the hurdles now removed, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysore royal family, has approved the script.

The 50-minute capsule will add to the beauty of the majestic Amba Vilas Palace built in the Indo-Saracenic style, P V Avaradi, Deputy Director of the Palace Board, told Deccan Herald.

Several noted personalities like Kannada actors Jayanthi, the late Vishnuvardhan, C H Ambareesh and Master Hiranaiah have rendered their voices to the show that will be organised in front of the palace two days a week from 7 pm to 8 pm, he said.

The show has been scripted in such a way that no artistes are involved in it. People will only listen to the commentary on the history of Mysore, and witness lighting skills on the imposing palace, Avaradi said.

The entry fee is likely to be Rs 50 per head. The show will not be held on Saturdays and Sundays because of the illumination of the palace.

Avaradi said Krishnakumar, the brain behind the show, will arrive in the city this week to give it the final touches. The deputy commissioner, also the member-secretary of the Palace Board, has given the green signal for the launch of the show which is expected to kick off on May 15, according to Avaradi.

The Hindi and the English versions of the show will be launched after June. The whole idea behind the show is to explain to tourists the rich history of the Wadiyar dynasty that ruled the princely State of Mysore for four centuries and also made remarkable contributions for the overall development of the erstwhile Mysore State in general, and Mysore City in particular, Avaradi said.

Deccan Herald, 3rd May 2011

The Bisale forest and Manjarabad Fort in Sakleshpur taluk are two must-visit spots on every traveller’s itinerary. But, what is unfortunate is that the walls of the fort, and the watch tower at Bisale are marred by ugly graffiti. Also, plastic covers and empty bottles are strewn all over the place, ruining the natural beauty of the region, reports Shyam Sundar Vattam

Rare flora and fauna, rivulets and the breathtaking view of Brahmagiri, Pushpagiri and Kumara Parvatha peaks...We are talking about the beautiful Bisale forest and Manjarabad Fort, close to Sakleshpur and nestled in the biodiversity hub, the Western Ghats.

Entering the Bisale forest and standing at the highest point here, you can see green mountains touching the sky. Watching the clouds kiss the peak of the Brahmagiri Parvatha is a visual treat. The Department of Forests has constructed a watch tower for visitors to feast on the serene beauty of the region. This spot is situated just by the side of the State Highway (from Sakleshpur to Subrahmanya. The famous Kukke Subrahmanya is hardly 24 km from this place). During the rainy season, the tiny streams and rivulets add to the drama of the place.

This spot is just 13 km from Vanagooru village and it takes at least 45 minutes to one hour to reach it because of a bad connecting road. There are countless number of potholes because of which no private bus operates on this road. The KSRTC operates five buses from Subrahmanya to various destinations daily.

Locals depend on private jeeps and KSRTC buses for their daily commute. A project for the improvement of this road was shelved following a change in the government some years back. The bad road is one of the reasons why tourists do not want to take the risk of visiting the Bisale point. If the road is developed, more people will definitely visit this spot, points out Goddu Umesh, a resident of Vanagooru who is part of a forum engaged in the ‘Save the Western Ghats’ agitation.

Writing on the wall...
Typical of all tourist spots in the country, the permanent structure at the highest point is full of graffiti. Tourists who visit this spot write their names, mobile numbers and messages on the walls, stone chairs and pillars, thus making the whole area look ugly.

Besides, plastic covers and empty bottles are strewn all over the place and the spot, it seems, is not cleaned regularly. Posting of security personnel and a strict ban on plastic items inside the place will further enhance the beauty of the spot.

Manjarabad Fort
Situated just five km from the town, Manjarabad Fort is definitely worth a visit. It is 3,240 ft above sea level. Trek up to the summit of the fort and you can see tea plantations and vast paddy fields stretching up to 40 km in the distance. One has to trek about a half km from Donigal to reach the fort.

There are 253 steps to reach the top. The fort is more than 200 years old and is a protected monument. The Archeological Survey of India is responsible for the maintenance of this fort.

It is constructed in the shape of a star. In the middle of the fort, there is a pond with steps on all the four sides. Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore, built this fort more than two centuries ago. It has withstood the vagaries of nature for all these years. The fort is open for visitors between 8 am and 6 pm.

But the graffiti on the walls of this historic fort tells a sorry story. Not a wall in the fort has been spared the ugliness of graffiti. The small rooms inside the forest have been converted into toilets by miscreants. The lights installed near the steps have been damaged. There is dirt and filth everywhere. One hopes the ASI takes steps to clean up the fort, and restore it to its original glory.

A pond in the middle of the fort may have been constructed for the benefit of soldiers. Now the pond is choking with weeds. An excavation by the ASI may help in ascertaining the source of water.

The need of the hour is to conserve this fort for the coming generations. It would be of interest to find out how Tipu selected this spot because it is situated in the midst of forests and hidden from the outside world.

‘No projects please’
Local people have urged the government not to allow any hydel project in the taluk as it would cause irreparable damage to the environment.

Already, enough damage has been done to the flora and fauna in the region and it is high time that the remaining forest be conserved.

Sakleshpur has something to offer for all kinds of visitors, predominantly nature lovers.

Evergreen forests for trekkers, rivulets and small streams for rafting, temples and heritage structures for research buffs. All these are tucked away in this small taluk in Hassan district.

Sakleshpur is situated on the Bangalore-Mangalore National Highway. Traditionally a coffee-growing area, it has tea and spice plantations all along the highway. Assured rainfall every year has made this area resemble a green carpet. In spite of the large-scale destruction of forests in the name of power generation, Sakleshpur taluk still has something in its kitty to offer for nature lovers.

A trip to this taluk is incomplete without visiting Bisale forest, Manjarabad Fort, Mookanamane Abbi and umpteen number of small natural falls.

Deccan Herald, 3rd May 2011

I was confused as I looked at the museum building in front of the Gol Gumbaz, which is similar to the Gol Gumbaz. As soon as I entered the mausoleum a deafening sound greeted me. Visitors were clapping, whistling, shouting, singing and making strange sounds just to be noticed. The dome has wonderful acoustics that reflects even the tiniest sound several times back and forth. Unfortunately there is no bar on visitors making all sorts of sounds that takes away the pleasure of being in one of the largest domed buildings in the world built in the year 1659 AD by the famous architect, Yaqut of Dabul. Most visitors forget that it is a mausoleum built to inter the body of Adil Shah dynasty ruler Muhammad Adil Shah and a few members of the royal family.

The structure consists of a massive square chamber measuring nearly 50 meters on each side and covered by a huge dome 38 meters in diameter making it among one of the largest dome structures in world. It covers one of the biggest single chamber spaces in the world over an area of 1,703 square meters.

The acoustics of the enclosed place make it a whispering gallery where even the smallest sound is heard across the other side of the Gumbaz. However, if you want to experience the echo effect, it would be a rare day when there are very few visitors. Each tower consists of seven storeys and the upper floor of each opens on to a round gallery, which surrounds the dome.

The view from each of these galleries is interesting. In the centre of the chamber is a square raised podium approached by steps in the centre of each side. In the centre of the podium are the tombs of Muhammad Adil Shah II, his two queens, son, daughter and court-dancer Rambha. The actual graves lie in the cellar beneath the podium. Bijapur is about 580 km from Bangalore and is well connected by road and rail. One can walk or hire a taxi/auto-rickshaw to reach the site of the Gol Gumbaz.

Nurturing classical dance forms
Nrityagrama is a unique place where classical dance is nurtured. The centre is located at Hesaraghatta, about 35 km from Bangalore, and is the brainchild of legendary classical dancer Protima Gauri who famously said, “Either you dance or die.”

The sprawling campus of 10 acres has a beautiful landscape and is based on the traditional Gurukul model of teaching.

At Nrityagrama, students are expected to grow vegetables, fruits , cook, and serve their gurus.

Vasantahabba is an annual dance festival celebrated here during February. People from across the globe attend the celebration along with legendary artists. More than 40,000 people gather to witness the Vasantahabba.

This township of dance is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday (from 10 am to 2 pm) and is closed on Mondays and government holidays. There are plenty of BMTC buses from Bangalore to Hesaraghatta.

From Hesaraghatta, you can hop into an auto and reach Nrityagrama. There is no accommodation for visitors but visitors can avail the services of nearby hotels. Nrityagrama is an interesting weekend getaway for those in Bangalore.

Deccan Herald, 3rd May 2011

Short-circuit may be the reason
Station master’s residence, office, machinery and crucial records burnt
Probe begins; report within 10 days

The 108-year-old Kandaghat railway station, which is part of the Kalka-Shimla heritage railway track, was burnt in a devastating fire which broke out past midnight around 1.15 am.

Though the exact cause of the fire was not known, officials said a short-circuit was likely to be the reason as the entire station was burnt.

Kandaghat SDM Raman Sharma, who was among the first officials to reach there, said fire tenders were requisitioned from Solan and fire was doused around 5:30 am this morning.

With the Railways facing a shortage of staff, night duty had been discontinued for the past few days. So the fire could not be reported in time. The station master lost cash, valuables and furniture worth Rs 10 lakh as his son had recently got married.

Locals revealed that the son of the station master, who was sleeping in the official residence located on the campus, was the first to sense that some fire had broken out as he saw smoke rising. He then informed the officials and fire tenders were summoned from Solan.

The tenders, however, took one-and-a-half hour to reach the spot, thus leaving enough time for the fire to spread. As the station did not have adequate water to douse the fire, it soon spread and engulfed the entire station, including the canteen, station master’s residence, the office, machinery as well as crucial records.

Two cylinders present in the canteen also blasted due to the fire.

Senior officials of the Railways, including DRM Pradeep Kumar from Ambala and senior officials from Shimla, arrived here early this morning to take stock of the situation.

The DRM told mediapersons that a committee comprising the assistant operations manager, assistant engineer, assistant electrical engineer and assistant commissioner, security, had started enquiring into the incident and they would submit a report within 10 days.

With inadequate water, precious time was lost as tenders had to be refilled from Solan and this delayed the fire-fighting operations.

The railway traffic was, however, running as usual as there was no loss to the track, said officials. The communication system was, however, disrupted after the incident, but it was restored by the afternoon.

The fire has exposed the lack of inept handling of fire incidences as it was only after the station master’s son felt suffocated that he ventured out to discover its cause. No employee was present on duty who could have detected the fire in the initial stage.

Though occurrence of fires was a common feature on this track, the Railways appears to be ill-equipped to handle such situations thus leading to losses.

The Tribune, 4th May 2011

Despite being home to several important historical buildings, it seems Delhi does not take pride in its heritage monuments. Whether it is the widespread instance of grafitti on age-old structures or cases in which heritage buildings have been encroached upon, the city is not exactly friendly towards its heritage. And now there’s proof of this.

According to data released by the government on Tuesday, there are more than 1,000 unprotected monuments in Delhi. These are apart from 174 heritage monuments and structures under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India. According to the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities — established to prepare a national database on monuments from secondary sources — Delhi has as many as 1,180 unprotected monuments.

There are approximately 3,650 monuments and remains of archaeological sites under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) across the country, a number far lower than the actual wealth of tangible heritage.

The National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) was launched in March 2007 to document this heritage.

Around a decade ago, conservation NGO, Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage had come up with a listing of 1,200-odd heritage buildings, monuments, structures and remains across the Capital. These included 174 under ASI.

It's the first time that the government has officially acknowledged that there are 1,000 unprotected monuments in the national capital.

"It is a good thing,” said AGK Menon, Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Delhi chapter head. “They (the government) are beginning to recognise the importance of understanding the dimensions of heritage in the country," Menon added.

"The Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) has been identified as the documentation resource centre (DRC) for NMMA in Delhi,” said a senior Delhi government official.

“It will carry out various outreach programmes such as heritage walks, photo exhibitions and multimedia publicity programmes," the official added. Rajasthan, with 5,220 unprotected sites tops the list, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 3,653 sites and West Bengal with 3,627 sites.

The total number of unprotected monuments across the country, so far, is 33,826.

Hindustan Times, 4th May 2011

New structure to be built as per original design: Officials

With the exact cause of the fire which damaged the Kandaghat railway station on Monday night yet to be confirmed, a four-member team of officials has started an inquiry into the incident.

The restoration work was, however, begun to put in place a temporary structure which would house a rest room and a ticketing system for passengers. Since the section yielded a revenue of almost Rs 1.5 lakh per month, the railway authorities had begun the work on a priority.

A visit to the site revealed that officials of the engineering wing comprising assistant engineer and works inspector were preparing drawings of the new structure after selecting a new site.

As an immediate measure, a tent and some chairs were arranged at the site to facilitate the passengers. Since this was the peak tourist season, the number of passengers had grown by almost 20 to 25 per cent.

The officials revealed that since the buildings which were razed in the fire were constructed during the British era, their restoration would be done on the same lines using wood and bricks.

They added that since the original drawings were available with them, they would reconstruct the new structure as per its original design. A final plan would be drawn up once the inquiry was complete.

Interestingly, doors and windows of the railway station would be painted dark blue like the remaining part of the station, while the building would be given crèam colour as it was an age-old tradition to match the colours of the trains with the buildings, revealed an official.

The ancient communication and track-control system, called the Neals Token Instrument System, which had been destroyed in the fire, had been replaced with a similar system.

Workers were seen removing the gutted portions of the canteen and main office so that the restoration work could begin. The officials said they were awaiting instructions from the DRM, Ambala, and proceeding as per the directions.

The rail traffic was plying as usual and the authorities had to reschedule a few trains yesterday morning. It was, however, restored by yesterday afternoon and trains were plying as per their usual schedule today.

In 1903, the rail line was opened to traffic by Indian Viceroy Lord Curzon and only Europeans were allowed to avail the facility.

The Tribune, 5th May 2011

Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh has urged Minister of Defence AK Antony to ensure that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) abides by the clearance conditions which were imposed by the MoEF.

“I request for your personal intervention to ensure that DRDO complies with the conditions stipulated when given approval for use of the Wheeler Island in 1993 and for taking extra measures suggested by the State Forest Department in protecting and conserving the Wheeler Island ecosystem as well,” said Ramesh in a recent letter to Antony

Operation Kachhapa applauds the recent initiative of Ramesh in writing to the Union Defence Minister to abide by the clearance conditions. These conditions were imposed by the MoEF while allowing the use of the Wheeler Island for missile testing in 1993. The MoEF had barred testing of missiles from Wheeler Island during the breeding and nesting season of sea turtles said Coordinator, Operation Kachhapa, Biswajit Mohanty.

The turtle mass nesting islands at Nasi are perilously close to Wheeler Island, which is used by DRDO for testing of missiles. However, every year, bright illumination and firing of missiles during the turtle breeding and nesting season affects the turtles. This year, more than 2.5 lakh turtles nested here.

In spite of consistent requests by the State Government to stop such activities during the nesting season from November to March, the DRDO continues with such activities. Sea turtles are extremely sensitive to illumination and bright lights. Similarly, the vibrations caused by missile firing could possible impact the fragile egg shells of lakhs of eggs, which are buried in the sand in the nesting beach.

The Pioneer, 5th May 2011

An expert committee will now determine the habitats

Stung by the criticism of forest rights activists, wildlife activists and scientists regarding its initial draft guidelines for determining critical wildlife habitats issued in February, the Environment Ministry has now come out with a revised version.

The Ministry was forced to withdraw the earlier guidelines on March 4 after protests that they would facilitate the forced relocation of forest dwellers and tribal communities from wildlife parks and sanctuaries.

Critical wildlife habitats (CWH) are defined under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, as the “areas of national parks and sanctuaries where it has been specifically and clearly established, case by case, on the basis of scientific and objective criteria, that such areas are required to be kept as inviolate for the purposes of wildlife conservation…”

In its preamble to the guidelines, the Ministry emphasised that it “is in no way intended to cause or force resettlement or relocation of Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers from National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries,” in a bid to ease the concerns of activists.

The new guidelines envisage a bigger role for the gram sabha, whose free informed consent must be given before any relocation is carried out. It also seems to ensure that forest rights are settled under the FRA before a CWH can be declared in an area.

An expert committee – which includes members of the gram sabha, an ecologist, a tribal welfare NGO and a social scientist apart from the Forest Department's officers – will now take the main responsibility for determining the habitats. Under the earlier guidelines, the process was to be initiated by the park manager, with a token committee only involved in consultations with forest rights holders.

The new guidelines also provide for a National Steering Committee to take a final call on the notification of such habitats.

The Ministry has invited comments and suggestions from the public over the next 30 days before it finalises the guidelines.

The Hindu, 6th May 2011

After a long wait, the area around 16th century Nila Gumbad monument in Nizamuddin will finally bear a new look. Northern Railways approved the proposed road layout planned by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC).

Officials said the landscape and conservation plans aimed at re-intergrating Nila Gumbad with the world heritage site Humayun’s Tomb can finally commence. Heritage conservationists said Nila Gumbad is the earliest Mughal-era structure in Delhi and originally stood in the riverbed and was accessible only through the Humayun’s Tomb complex.

ASI had relocated 400 squatters from this area in 2002 and since 2007, AKTC and ASI have been requesting for permission to shift a road segregating the site from Humayun’s tomb.

AKTC project manager Ratish Nanda said: “We are delighted that urgently needed conservation works can now be coupled with restoring portions of the original garde setting.’’

The railways own some land behind the Nila Gumbad monument and ASI for years had been asking permission to use 1 acre of it to realign a road — which divides Nila Gumbad from the Humayun’s Tomb complex — so that the two structures can be connected.

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The Times of India, 6th May 2011

Restoration work under way; expected to be complete in two years

Passing through Tughlaqabad on the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road in the Capital, it is easy to miss the Adilabad Fort, tucked away on a hillock on the south-eastern side of the better known Tughlaqabad Fort.

Built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq's son Muhammad bin Tughlaq in the 14 {+t} {+h} Century, the Adilabad Fort forms the missing piece in the Tughlaqabad Fort-Ghiyas-ud-din tomb jigsaw. The fort has been restored from a state of complete ruin by the Archaeological Survey of India over the past two years.

“Work began on the fort about two years ago as part of the preparations for the Commonwealth Games,” says ASI conservation assistant Bhadur Chand who oversees work at the fort.

The restoration work involved gluing together big chunks that had fallen off the outer fortification wall and raising portions of the bastions inside. The inside boundary of the fort is lined with arches. Traditional materials like lime, surki, sand (Badarpur), urad daal and jaggery were used for reconstruction.

“Almost all of the palace area inside the fortification wall had collapsed,” says Bahadur Chand. “Many portions have been excavated and raised to a higher level.” Originally called Muhammadabad, the fort was later renamed Adilabad, with Adil meaning just. Architecturally Adilabad Fort is very similar to Tughlaqabad Fort, and has two gates overlooking the city on its south-east and south-western sides. The Tughlaqabad Fort, built by Ghiyas-ud-din, was connected with Ghiyas-ud-din's tomb through a causeway and with the Adilabad Fort through an embankment in its south-eastern corner. While the causeway has since given way to M. B. Road, the embankment land is now owned by the Delhi Development Authority.

One problem faced during the restoration work was lack of water in the area. “We checked the entire area around the fort, but there is almost no water available to be pulled up from the ground. We had to make do with a tanker of water from a nearby garden,” says Bahadur Chand.

According to Superintending Archaeologist (Delhi Circle) K. K. Muhammed, the ASI plans to restore as much of the original plan of the area as possible, including the causeways and water body. “If the DDA agrees to hand over the land, the ASI can plan integrated development,” he says. The next step is to illuminate the fort and Ghiyas-ud-din's Tomb, and eventually promote “eco-tourism” in the area.

Nearly Rs.2 crore has been spent on restoring Adilabad Fort in the past two years and complete restoration would require another Rs.3 crore, says Mr. Muhammed.

According to him, it would take another two years before restoration work at Adilabad Fort is complete. Once that is done, ASI plans to promote the area through cultural activities, much like what has been done at Old Fort.

The Hindu, 7th May 2011

More than a museum operation

Heritage is a word that rolls easily off the tongue these days. The Railways have not lagged behind, securing UNESCO World Heritage status for its mountain systems, setting up museums featuring old locomotives and carriages, coming up with replications of the royal saloons of yesteryear in the shape of the Palace on Wheels tourist train. Even reviving some steam loco-sheds (for instance, Rewari in Haryana) to re-create the magic of the coal-fired “puffer Billy”. Alas, it has come up short in preserving the aura of historic systems still in operational service. Articulating that most painfully is the destruction of the 108-year-old Kandaghat station on the Kalka-Simla hill line in a devastating fire a few nights ago. True it was an accident, but most accidents are really the result of negligence. A feeling confirmed by initial reports that an electric short-circuit provided the “spark” ~ short-circuits are often the result of poorly maintained wiring, and it is not difficult to imagine that scant attention had been paid to that aspect of the old, mainly wooden structure that reflected traditional local architectural norms. Suspicions of negligence are confirmed; in an effort to overcome a staff shortage there were no personnel on night duty ~ it was quite some time before the fire was noticed by people living in the station master’s residence. The fire-fighting arrangements were primitive, by the time fire-tenders from Solan reached Kandaghat the building was a charred ruin. Northern Railway may pride itself that operations were not disrupted, alternative arrangements for ticket sales etc were quickly made, but that does not compensate for what was lost ~ nothing ever will.

It is so apparent that “concerns” with heritage are superficial, top-heavy, for the record-book only. Having secured UNESCO recognition for the hill railway, was it not imperative for the authorities to be extra-sensitive to the threat from fire, landslides and so on? Efficient fire-fighting systems ought to have been in place ~ it is myth that modern facilities are taboo, or militate against “heritage”, they must be installed with sensitivity. Heritage conservation is a specialist business, it does require expertise to keep old systems operationally efficient without succumbing to a “museum mindset.” Clearly the Railways have a lot to do. Not just in “declared” heritage sites but elsewhere too, the organisation does have a glorious past. Even if the less said about the present the better.

The Statemsn, 8th May 2011

Jaipur's Jal Mahal has been resurrected by conservationists and guarantees a high definition digital experience of the 16th century. Next time you are in town, drop everything else as the best of Jaipur's heritage is finally under one roof. Or should we say on the waters? Divya Kaushik reports

A palace sits in the middle of the lake, cupolas lit by earthen lamps, like a floating ship of twinkling lights. The water shimmers, fuzzing out the chimera of a fire-spouting dragon under water. Rajput princesses make merry on the windy pavilions, while the Manganiyar flautist sits on a silent perch to make the most soul-stirring music against a setting sun. Meanwhile, the ageing maharaja, still classical and purist in his taste, watches a Kalbelia dancer silhouetted against the cherry red sky and the rugged hills, she swirling with emotions, he contemplating their depths in the dark waters around the gazebo. Oarsmen dressed in white Rajasthani regalia and orange turbans slosh up the water to bring in the musicians. The night is young...

Circa 1600 could easily be transposed on Circa 2011 as the Jal Mahal, the pleasure palace of the Jaipur royals sitting on the Mansagar lake, has been lovingly restored. The waters sparkle, the migratory birds hum overhead and greenery abounds as the painted exteriors bring the brilliance of the Mughal architecture alive. The huge corridors echo with the sounds of dholaks and Manganiyar music bands. Splendid terrace gardens air out your senses with the fragrance of jasmine that wafts up all the way to the Amber and Jaigarh forts, where the maharanis walked around for their evening stroll. During special occasions, people assembled on the promenade, particularly when the royals hosted duck-hunting parties, lavish picnics, glittering firework displays and elaborate music and dance performances. Though there are no documented references that give a clear picture and details about this palace built around 1734 by Jaipur’s visionary founder, the great ruler Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (1688–1743), miniature paintings and some other historical sources clearly indicate that Jal Mahal was constructed for a ceremonial outing and was never intended as a living palace.

Almost a missionary zeal
Had Jai Singh II been alive today, he would have fallen in love with his creation all over again. Thanks to five years of lengthy research, amazing planning involving the best brains from across the globe, the conservation initiative by Rajasthan Tourism and the Jal Mahal Resorts development team has borne fruit. Says project director Rajeev Lunkad, “We had to start from scratch as both the lake and the palace had fallen into disuse. But the picturesque location was a great advantage and could easily be converted into a hub of the tourist city, where walkers could breathe, where visitors could just sit and relax, where artists could soak in the culture and get their muse. So, we planned to work on each and every element of the palace. All materials used on the monument are traditional: The plaster is a natural mix of lime, sand and surkhi. A team of skilled craftsmen was assembled to recreate the splendour of an 18th century Rajasthani court with its distinctive chhatri towers and pavilions, combining intricately-carved white marble or sandstone walls with adornments like murals, decorative brass and mirror work. The results speak for themselves. The Jal Mahal is once again one of the best monuments in Jaipur. Besides, it is also a confluence of various arts and crafts of India.”

More than 50 artists from in and around Jaipur were brought together to recreate the frescoes, blue pottery work, jaalis and other important components of the palace. The research and conceptualisation were done by architect Vibhuti Sachdev and art historian Mitchell AK Crites, who has devoted the last 30 years in discovering, saving and revitalising traditional forms of craftsmanship such as Islamic calligraphy, mosque design and decoration.

Coming Back to life
Nothing can be more pleasant than watching the sunrise from the shores of the Mansagar lake. The early morning rays startle the birds and they take flight, setting off diamond-like ripples in the water. The bells chime at the Kanak Vrindavan temple behind the Jal Mahal, giving a ritualistic start to a new day. And the trees sway gently, like a performer sensing the audience.

There is a lot of human effort behind this divine experience. Some native trees have been re-planted on the shores of the lake. “We hope to create a green canopy, planting more than 100,000 trees, including Rajasthan’s state tree, the Rohida, and trees rescued from road-building sites across India,” informs Lunkad.

“Two million tonnes of toxic silt were dredged from the bottom of the lake, increasing its depth by over a metre. An eco-friendly water treatment system was developed that dramatically improved the quality of the lake. We re-introduced local vegetation and fish. As a result, the wetlands have been regenerated, attracting birds like grey heron, sandpipers and black-winged stilts. It is now completely a man-made lake and every effort is being made to make it crystal clear. Patrol boats maintain the cleanliness,” he adds. You wouldn’t realise that men are at work because these boats look like barges. And since there were no trained boatmakers in Jaipur, carvers came in from Mathura to create huge wooden boats with the faces of elephants, tigers and swans. “If you study miniature paintings closely, you will notice that animals were used liberally. Even royal palanquins are inspired by animal figures,” says Lunkad.

The Jal Mahal project includes the creation of Jal Tarang, a green leisure destination for visitors and locals that will include environmental-friendly accommodation, independent galleries, art boutiques and lakeside dining along a tree-lined promenade, all in keeping with Jaipur’s heritage.

The grand palace
As one approaches the east-facing entrance of the palace, past the series of intricate trellis, neo-Mughal pavements and painted arches and domes, you will be momentarily struck by the clang of the metal landing strip as you alight from the boat. But the dhaatu or metal has a lot to do with vaastu, which is the basis of the structure.

The flooring has been done in white marble, cascading smoothly from the pillars, seasoned to withstand all weather conditions. Though the pavilions and the corridors originally did not have any frescoes or paintings, they have been liberally daubed with coloured murals depicting the royal celebrations in Jaipur or the raas leela, Krishna being somewhat of a patron God of the royal house of Amber.

Art is not just about display. It is also about participation by local artists and craftsmen. Inspired by the miniature tradition, these paintings will be displayed in five themes in different galleries. The Monsoon Unfolding series features a specially commissioned 34-ft mural of the Jal Mahal and its surrounding landscape at the onset of monsoon. Paintings with water as a recurring motif will be put up at pleasure pavilions, an allusion to energy flow with nature. Baramasa paintings depict seasonal festivities, while those celebrating the arboreal splendour of the royal gardens have been put up near the stairway to the terrace.

The Ittra Mahal (The scented chamber) is an exquisitely decorated room where visitors sample the traditional perfumes of courtly Rajasthan. “Music will be an additional feature at the palace. None of the monuments in Jaipur has that,” says Lunkad. And with romantic passages and nooks, you know this one is all about the indulgence of passion.

A visitor’s delight
The terrace garden has been cleared of unwieldy clumps of bushes and is now a landscaped delight with four pergolas at the corners and a raised central stage for performing arts, in the manner of courtly social evenings. Keeping with the tradition of Mughal gardens, the fountains and lights have been arranged in a layered formation. With the floor done in opaque and transparent marble, the terrace blooms on a full moon night as the milky beams light up the contours of the lotus motif. It flickers like a glow worm at night and blazes a pure white in the summer sun. Never doubt that stones want to live, indeed want to become something.

It was here that queens basked in the sun during winter, overlooking panoramic vistas, and listened to music during summer. If you want Jaipur in miniature, just step into Jal Mahal. For, it combines all Rajput styles used in separate structures across the city. The Gulabi Tibari will feature festive pink and white decorative stucco inspired by the Sarvatobhadra Pavilion in Jaipur City Palace. The Badal Mahal, with its dark clouds swirling across the ceiling, raindrops patterning the walls and lily pools blossoming in the panels, will bring the colours of monsoon to life. The Chini Burj will feature the rare technique of blue glazed finish. The Pitli Burj will use the complex techniques of Jaipuri brass work such as embossing, cutting, enamelling, and filigree, dedicated as it is to the Sun God. The Aina Burj will draw its inspiration from the glittering mirror-work in Amber, while the Shobha Burj will reflect the opulent jewelled interior of the Shobha Niwas in Jaipur City Palace.

What began as a natural reservoir where rainwater accumulated to stave off famine, turned into a black-and-white sepia photograph in between, has today become a burst of colour and art. Indeed, age hasn’t withered her, nor custom staled her infinite variety.

The Pioneer, 8th May 2011

When Tagore entered the world of painting seriously in 1923, there seemed to be a harsh edge to nearly everything he painted

"The phantoms of faces,
Come unbidden into my
vacant hours."

"Fondly indulgent is my
Mistress of the
Line to the errant in the poet."

— Rabindranath Tagore

It was at the insistence of Jawaharlal Nehru that, in 1961 — the year in which the centenary of Rabindranath Tagore’s birth was being celebrated — Satyajit Ray was asked to make a film on the poet. I remember seeing the film. Interestingly, however, nearly all of it I have forgotten, except the very last part. In that, as if winding up Tagore’s rich and crowded life, the great filmmaker dwelt on the rising, swirling disquiet in the poet’s mind in his last years — he died, one recalls, in 1941 — about what was happening all around him: the world was at war again; carnage on a scale undreamt of before was being witnessed; it was as if humanity had completely lost its hold upon sanity. He cited Tagore’s own words, quoted excerpts from his letters, showed him pacing up and down agitatedly in the balcony of his Jorasanko home. And then, suddenly, he moved on to flashing upon the screen the poet’s own paintings and drawings; no commentary, just soft melancholic music in the background, and one disturbing, haunting image piling upon another in leisured succession. Clearly, the selection of works was arbitrary, being Satyajit Ray’s own, but the images printed themselves upon the viewer’s mind: birds with long, predatory beaks, anguished faces tortured by thought, eyes smouldering ember-like with pain, dark presences.

In nearly every other mind, Rabindranath remains a writer — more than 1000 poems; nearly two dozen plays and playlets; eight novels; eight or more volumes of short stories; and a mass of prose on diverse topics — even though he was no stranger to painting. And yet in many eyes, it is his paintings and drawings, more than his great literary output that broke completely fresh ground in the Indian context. There are casual references in his writings to his childhood interest in painting but then he did not pursue it with any seriousness. And it was not till as late as the early twenties of the last century, when he was more than 60 years old, that he returned to this art.

What touched it all off is a matter of speculation. In some part, one knows, it grew out of his doodles, his erasures, in fact. Pages of his manuscripts have survived, especially of his Purabi, which he was working on then, in which one sees him correcting or revising some lines or words in black ink and then, at some point of time, beginning to join those erasures and shaping them into strange, mysterious forms: crouching figures, fantastic animals, agitated limbs.

"When the scratches in my manuscript cried, like sinners for salvation", he wrote once in an introduction to an exhibition of his paintings, "and assailed my eyes with the ugliness of their irrelevance, I often took time in rescuing them into a merciful finality of rhythm...." This is beautifully said: a poet’s honest and evocative words.

The question only is what it was that lay embedded in the lower strata of his mind that surfaced and took these mysterious, often disturbing, shapes. Without any doubt, Rabindranath was a citizen of the world — meaningfully, the institution he founded at Santiniketan was named Visvabharati — and as one he seems to have soaked in elements of other cultures. The enormous status he gained from the Nobel Prize that was conferred upon him in 1913 opened the world to him in many ways. He travelled extensively and in the process saw art everywhere. At the Chicago Art Institute, he encountered an astonishing number of works of modern painters, from the Impressionists to those by the German Expressionists like Kirchner and Pechstein.

In 1920, he attended lectures by distinguished scholar and art historian, Stella Kramrisch, whom he later invited to come to teach at Santiniketan and from whom he heard all about the art of Europe from the Gothic to Dada. In 1921, he went on what can only be called a triumphant tour of Germany, meeting artists, visiting museums. At the British Museum, he saw the art of the primitives of Ireland and Indonesia and North America. Everything left an impression upon him, and when he visited Japan, it is from there that he wrote to Abanindranath, admonishing him not to keep "squatting in the south verandah of his home", but to soak in the art of that ancient land "so that our own art may revive and flourish".

There is a reaching out in all this, and the desire to transcend boundaries. But was it only acquaintance with the art of other cultures that started it all, one wonders, or was there some dark bedrock inside himself that he was beginning to explore?

There are no easy answers. But it is clear that when he entered the world of painting seriously in 1923, everything started pouring forth in a furious rush as it were: those brilliantly rendered, haunting phantoms of the imagination, faces riven by fear and anxiety, Sphinx-like visages of women ravished by injustice, cheerless landscapes. There seemed to be a harsh edge to nearly everything he painted. It was, as Prithwish Neogy wrote, like the ‘eruption of a volcano’, the lava of thought sliding down and taking everything over.

The first exhibition of Rabindranath’s paintings and drawings was held in 1930: ironically however, not anywhere in India but in Paris. The show then travelled all over the world, from Berlin and Dresden to Copenhagen and Boston, opening to reviews that often bordered on the ecstatic.

To an audience in Moscow, Rabindranath said, "My most intimate gifts to you are my pictures ...." Stella Kramrisch wrote about his work with calm maturity. "That Rabindranath Tagore is a great poet", she said, "may stand in the way of acknowledging him as a great artist. But few, since time immemorial, were the masters, who gave dynamic form to their most personal vision. If this vision has for its background the depth of the poet’s mind, it is not difficult to know what place his work occupies in the world of art".

By now, a great deal has been written about Rabindranath’s paintings, both in India and abroad. Some of the most perceptive words came, however, from Rani Chanda, a close associate, who often saw the poet at work on his paintings. The impetuosity, the speed at which he sometimes worked, the fearful intensity with which he used to look out of his window at trees in which he discovered fanciful shapes and faces, the manner in which he often ‘talked to his pictures", especially to the portraits of his melancholy women, offering them colours as if to cheer them up, all tell of something that was constantly happening in his mind.

One almost senses that there were two different Tagores, the one of painting quite different from that of poetry. At any rate, there were two very different contrasting images of him: the one painted by his friend and admirer, William Rothenstein, which showed him as a saint and a poet-prophet, and the other that he painted of himself in 1935: a dark, brooding face against a backdrop of chrome yellow, ‘resembling the evening sky’, sombre with a sad gaze as if reflecting a disturbed mind.

But then, as Tagore himself said in the context of his art: "There are two kinds of reality in the world. One of them is true and the other truer. I seek to occupy myself with the truer."

The Tribune, 8th May 2011

River Prachi and its valley can stake claim to fame alongside the best of historical splendours of the State, writes Lipipuspa Nayak

Prachi, the mythical Saraswati river, flows down the tapering Eastern Ghats almost as a frail drain. The tiny stream, however, has hogged headlines in recent times, with its antiquity and relevance being weighed anew against a nondescript village — Kendubilwa — on one of its banks. Kendubilwa is the sylvan hamlet where poet Jayadeva of Odisha was born and had composed his celebrated 15th century classic, Gitagovinda.

Another lesser known tale of the river is the historical splendour of its valley — a whole wealth of architectural and aesthetic heritage along the course of this river. River Prachi and its valley can stake claim to fame alongside other historical splendours of Odisha: The rock-cut caves and stone edicts of Kalinga by the first century Oriya King Kharavela, as remnants of Utkala-Kalinga civilisation. The Utkala-Kalinga-Kangada-Koshala civilisation, apart from its kings and wars, had always been evaluated by its economy, which included a flourishing maritime trade. If historical facts are to be believed, about 2,500 years ago, Prachi fed a much civilised way of life along its banks.

The immediate object of interest for an outsider, however, is a chain of exquisite temples hemming the banks of this river at a distance of about two miles each. The temples have been built at the shrines of the mythical ‘Ashtashambhus’ — the eight ‘self-manifested’ pantheon of deities of the Prachi valley — situated in innocuous villages along both sides of the river. In modern-day topography, this can be located along the Kolkata-Chennai National Highway No 5, on which you take a left turn about 15 km from Cuttack, the ex-capital town of Odisha. The temples carry scriptural sanction; they are mentioned in the Padma Purana. The deities are named Laksheswara, Dakshineswara, Kapileswara, Amareswara, Gokarneswara, Shobhaneswara, Rameswara and Angeswara. Later additions are Siddheswara, Natyeswara, Mukteswara and Bhimeswara. It’s at the Natyeswara temple that Prachi merges with river Chandrabhaga in the sun city of Konark.

The archaeological splendour of Prachi valley manifests itself in these temples, some of which are built as late as 300 years ago (like Laksheswara and Dakshineswara in Bagalpur village). Others, such as Akhandeswara (in Prataparudrapur) and Shobhaneswara (in Nuagaon village), seem quite ancient, though in the absence of systematic research, they are best left to guess. These temples, going by their architectural and sculptural nuances, are credited to the patronage of the Keshari dynasty; they share platform with the famous Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, built by the Kesharis.

The Madhab temple is built by Anangabhima Deb-II, the patron of the temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri. It houses Lord Vishnu in its sanctum sanctorum, in an obvious contrast with other temples where Lord Shiva is the presiding deity. A rare idol of Durgamadhab is worshipped here, and in line with the worship practices of the Jagannath temple, the deity is offered cooked food as prasad. In fact, in many ways than one, the temple humbly emits the ambience of its famed ‘cousin’ in Puri. In architecture, too, the Madhab temple approximates its massive cousin.

The other famous temples of Prachi valley are Siddheswara (in Kuranga village), Gokarneswara (in Kantapada), Angeswara (in Pitapada) and Amareswara (in Amareswara). The Barahi temple in Chauraasi village, between Angeswara and Amareswara, excels with its exquisite sculptural and aesthetic singularity. Not among the Ashtashambhus and with shades of a highly evolved temple architectural aesthetics, it has a quiet folklore: It is a labour of love of the sculptors of the Konark temple who, on their way back home, stopped here to erect this edifice.

Myriad festivals are celebrated on grand scales at these shrines. Shivaratri is the loudest festival, followed by Bhouma Ekadashi (the 11th day of the waxing lunar phase in the Hindu month of Magha). This latter festival propitiates lord Durgamadhab at Madhab temple. Akshaya Tritiya, the festival of harvest rituals, is the next eminent festivity, in honour of Lord Dakshineswara.

The Archaeological Survey of India has taken over the preservation of some of these invaluable monuments, besides the excavation of this ancient river valley. The river ostensibly betrays its present condition of narrow trails and dry patches.

Rich folklore of the region blends temporality with timelessness. So, the villagers, still unsullied in their earthiness, show you the place where Pandavas lived during their exile. Or, the footprints of Lord Rama in Dakshineswara! But, then, the stories must travel wider.

The Pioneer, 8th May 2011

Thanjavur. The very name brings to mind the image of a city of temples, art, music, dance, sculptures and paintings.

With a history dating back to nearly 2,000 years, this ancient city is situated in one of the most fertile areas in South India, the delta of River Cauvery. Thanjavur has had a chequered past, being ruled by the Cholas, the Nayaks and the Maratha rulers, before coming under the British rule. Legend has it that Thanjavur, also known as Thanjapuri, is named after a demon Tanjan, who was a menace and was therefore annihilated by Goddess Anandavalli Amman and Lord Neelamegaperumal. The dying wish of the demon was that the city should bear his name, which was granted.

Like all ancient cities of historical significance, Thanjavur and its surrounding areas are home to many temples and monuments. The best example, which perhaps, symbolises the zenith of artistic endeavour is the Brihadeeswara Temple built by the Chola king Rajaraja. Also known as the Big Temple or the Periya Kovil in Tamil, this poetry in stone compels one to search for superlatives to describe its awe-inspiring magnificence.

Enclosed within the walls of a fort, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva (Brihadeeswara). The entrance is through a massive tower or gopuram. The first thing to strike the eye is the colossal, monolith stone Nandi (sacred bull), housed in its own enclosure and facing the main deity. Right in the centre of this vast expanse of land is the shrine of Brihadeeshwara.

Typical of Chola architecture, the main sanctum is enclosed within three outer structures, the ardha mandapam, the mukha mandapam and the maha mandapam, each adorned with exquisite stucco sculptures and carved pillars. The various manifestations of Lord Shiva, all the 108 Bharatanatyam dance postures, find expression here. Proceeding through the darkened halls, one’s sense of breathless expectations are not belied as the gigantic lingam of Lord Brihadeeswara comes into view in the soft glow of the oil lamps. Such a contrast to the puny man!

The exterior of the temple carries inscriptions detailing the conquests and donations of the king. But the crowning glory of this temple is the stupendous gopuram or vimanam. Towering to a height of 200 feet, this glorious structure is an amazing example of not only artistic perfection but of engineering skill also. Surmounted by an octagonal dome resting on a single granite block weighing 81 tons, it is believed that this block was hoisted up an inclined plane, especially built for this purpose, from a spot six km away.

The gopuram is embellished with a metal kalasham, nearly four metres in height. Innumerable stucco carvings adorn the gopuram, making it a rivetting sight. Abutting the southern face of the tower and reached by a flight of 21 steps is the tiny alcove shrine of Lord Dakshinamurthi.

The entire outermost passage (prakaram) on all the three sides of the complex houses 108 Shivalingams with beautiful mural paintings depicting incidents from the lives of the shaivaite saints. To the right of the Nandi is the temple of Goddess Brihannayaki, the consort of Lord Shiva. Situated within the same precincts are temples to Lord Ganapati, Lord Chandikeshwara and Lord Subrahmanya. Coming out of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, one’s mind goes back to an age where artistic sensibilities created edifices that have stood the test of time.

Deccan Herald, 8th May 2011

Barely noticeable amidst the welter of ugly shop fronts and the squalor of chaotic traffic, the facade of Seth Chhunna Mal’s haveli at Katra Neel in the 350-year-old vintage selling street of Chandni Chawk, looks on benignly as a mute spectator of history since the time of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

According to The Punjab Gazette of July 26, 1865, Seth Chhunna Mal was the raees-e-azam (richest man) of Shahjahanabad, the walled city of Delhi. His forefathers had migrated from Lahore and Rawalpindi somewhere at the end of the 16th Century. At one time in the not too distant past, all roads in Chandni Chowk led to Seth Chhunna Mal ki haveli. It was in this haveli that the first motor car was brought in Shahjahanabad. The credit for installing the first telephone too goes to Seth Chhunna Mal.

Now, finding your way through the colourful confusion of Chandni Chowk — rickshaws, three wheelers, scooters, cars battling for space in the narrow lanes, hawkers on the sidewalks, people jostling along the pavements, vendors shouting themselves hoarse — is a little more difficult. A flight to stairs sandwiched between the textile shops and some halwais (sweets mart) lead via the tiled sidewalls and a brass banister to the main courtyard.

The main entrance doorway with white deft English tiles along with shining handrails and Victorian iron grill is in itself a preview of the excellent treat of heritage and nostalgia, that one is going to see later in the haveli. To the right and the left are grand as well as graceful drawing rooms with gilt framed mirrors and painted plaster work so typical of the bygone Mughal era.

Seth Chhunna Mal purchased this haveli built earlier by a Maratha chieftain Rai Brij Bahar. It has 128 rooms, most of them in their original form. This Khatri family of businessmen flourished in the cloth trade specialising in shawls and costly brocades for the Mughal court.

With their headquarters in Delhi, they had offices in Farrukhabad and Calcutta where the actual trade was conducted on board ship, directly with the captain. According to Anil Parshad, the occupant of the main portion of the haveli, once there also used to be a tunnel between the haveli and the apartments of the emperor in Red Fort. Later, this underground tunnel was filled for water percolated into it.

Mirza Fakhru, the son and the heir apparent of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was indebted to Seth Chhunna Mal, for he borrowed more than he could pay back, therefore releasing all his assets to Seth Chhunna Mal who became very rich after that.

It was from here that the additional business of lending money began. Seth Chhunna Mal’s best time was in 1857, during the time of Sepoy Mutiny when the British had been expelled from the city.

But, Seth Chhunna Mal remained loyal to the English at a time when the slightest lurking partiality for the British meant death. As history revealed, the revolt failed and the British were hand-in-glove with him afterwards, for they were on the look out for new native allies.

The typical haveli plan of Seth Chhunna Mal’s mansion is eminently sensible for Indian conditions, affording privacy from the street and plenty of light and air to the living quarters. Traditional Indian families did not allow the European practice of separate drawing and dining rooms, but there is a magnificent baithak (sitting-room) for the guests and formal visitors to the left of the front staircase.

An inscribed marble tablet in Urdu states that this hall was renovated in 1868. Magnificently carved, gilt framed mirrors reflect pendant glass lamps hanging from a cloth-covered ceiling.

Besides, an exquisite Adam style frieze with border, Greek vases and garlands painted in deep red and blue and touched with pure gold leaf, adorn the ceiling line. Paintings of ancestors enjoy the pride of place between the mirrors. Carved marble topped consoles are ranged along the walls and Persian carpets provide comfort underfoot.

To the left of the main staircase, across the open courtyard, and facing the street is the large bedroom of Anil Parshad. Bohemian glass chandeliers are suspended from a painted plaster work ceiling and great marble topped carved tables were purchased from the house of Colonel Skinner of Skinner’s Horse Regiment in Kashmiri Gate. His haveli was a rendezvous of all the rich and famous in Delhi. Even Mirza Ghalib refers to it in one of his letters. In 1864, Seth Chhunna Mal was also made the Honorary Magistrate of Delhi, a great honour. He was also awarded a Khillat, a testimonial, and elevated to the status of Rai Bahadur.

Since the members of the family were strict Vaishnava vegetarians, the munim’s (clerk’s) record of 1858 represents eggs as safed aaloo and chicken as chalti phirti tarkari (mobile vegetable)!

Seth Chhunna Mal had given enough evidence of his loyal activism and public charity to merit these honours. He was also one of the founder members of the Anglo-Sanskrit School. His contributions to famine relief and public work were exceptionally generous, as his income could sustain such benevolence. In Delhi in 1869, he became the richest man as his yearly income crossed one lakh rupees!

After Seth Chhunna Mal died in 1870, his nephews and sons kept up the commercial and social status of the family. Now, there are two branches of the family — the Parshads and the Mohans and there are 70 signing members in the family. The family closed its traditional business before 1936, according to Vinod Parshad.

“Our name was big in the real estate and money lending business, but with banks coming in, we lost our business,” reveals Anil Parshad. “Besides, the rent from the shops below the haveli has not been revised for years. It is as low as 12 rupees per month, per shop. There are about 100 shops in all,” he adds.

The connoisseurs of art and architecture rate this dusky mansion very highly. But, of late, slowly and gradually, the haveli is losing its glamour. Regretfully, the later additions of the ugly iron bridges, staircases and protective grids over courtyards, sheet iron windows and many other haphazard additions mar the elegance of the otherwise graceful structure.

“If the government will not help us with its restoration, we’ll turn it into a hotel. But, let me tell you, we love this place,” adds Anil.

Deccan Herald, 8th May 2011

This is a compilation of some already published writings on Indian Numismatics by A.K. Bhattacharyya, who had been the Director of Indian Museum in Kolkata, for almost a decade from 1965. During this period, he had the distinction of bringing a large collection of Indian coins to that Museum from the old Mint where they had been kept in safe custody during the World Wars. Prior to that, he had an opportunity to examine the collection of early Indian coins in the Musee Guimet in Paris in the late 1950s.

Disparate
Numismatics apart, Bhattacharyya has, during his long career spanning half-a-century and more, written prolifically on such diverse subjects as art and iconography (of the Buddhists, Jains, Vaishnavas, Shaivas and other religious groups), epigraphy, painting, and textiles.

The bunch of 10 essays under review is somewhat disparate, both chronologically and thematically. The chronological spectrum stretches from the earliest coins of India to those of the Mughals. While some chapters are devoted to mere descriptions of individual coins (for example, in chapter III, we read about typological descriptions of stray coins of Kaushambi, Chandragupta II, Shahjahan, and Muhammad Shah and coins of the ‘Turko-Afghans'), some throw interesting light on the cultural aspects of coins (Ch. VII on “Art in Islamic Numismatics of India” and Ch. VIII on “Poems as coin legends in India”).

Some others are useful compendia of important museum collections such as those in the Indian Museum, Kolkata, (Ch.IV) and Musee Guimet (Appendix) — these two represent a major exercise in documentation and as such merit a distinctive place in the historiography of Indian numismatics.
The titles of other chapters are indicative of the contents, nature, scope and orientation of those contributions: “Indian coins — A Succinct Survey”; “Bilingual Coins of Mahmud of Ghazni — A re-study”; ‘Hindu Elements in Early Muslim Coinage in India”; “Coins and their Issuers in Muslim Numismatics of India”; and “A Study of the History of the Yadavas and their Coins”. Of these, the one on coins and their issuers in Muslim numismatics of India is particularly noticeable for its accent on demonstrating the role of coins as markers of sovereignty of the concerned issuers.

Coins of Sultans
Starting with “sporadic issues of Mahmud of Ghazni”,” this chapter discusses coins issued by all the sultans up to the Lodis and the Sayyids and goes on to include the issues of the Mughals. It devotes considerable space to coins of the ‘Provincial Sultanates' of Bengal, Kashmir, Malabar, Jaunpur, Gujarat, Malwa, Golconda, Bijapur, and so on, and concludes with a brief note on Ek pai Sikkah of the East India Company issued under Shah Alam's suzerainty.

What is of major concern in this volume is the kind of vocabulary used to designate the different periods discussed and the various coin types. Much of that smacks strongly of communalised terminology. Witness these: “for purposes of numismatics, medieval Muslim period in India starts with Mahmud of Ghazni” (p.97); “Later Hindu Coinage” for the coinage of the period between c.500 and 1200 CE (p.3); “ Hindu elements in early Muslim Coinage in India” (title of chapter VI); “ Islamic/ Muslim numismatics of India” (pp.68 and 94) [emphasis added]

Apparently, the essays in this collection have been published over a very long period — the year of original publication is not given. Stylistic inconsistencies apart, they are disappointing in that they do not address the economics of numismatics. Surely, by the time these essays were written, D.D. Kosambi's understanding of coins being “stamps of society” was well established. Further, it was well understood that primarily these tiny metal pieces were supposed to serve as a medium of exchange. One looks in vain for any notice thereof.

The production side, including editing, leaves much to be desired, and the price is quite prohibitive, perhaps because of the use art paper for the text too, not just the plates.

The Hindu, 10th May 2011

Backed with more than 1,000-odd heritage monuments, including three World Heritage Sites, and an uninterrupted history of continuous habitation for more then 1,000 years, Delhi has staked claim for inclusion in the Unesco's tentative listing for the World Heritage City tag. Ahmedabad in Gujarat is a lso in the race for the title, which as and when earned by either of the city, would make it India's first World Heritage City.

With sites dating back to even Harappan era and around 1,200 heritage monuments and structures, including World Heritage Sites of Red Fort, Qutub Minar and Humayun's Tomb, Delhi has far better stake than any other city in the country to be a World Heritage City.

The Delhi Transport and Tourism Development Corporation (DTTDC), the nodal agency for carrying out related procedures, has submitted the tentative document to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

'Tentative document' is a set of formal papers that help the stake holder's claim for qualification.

OP Mishra, DTTDC general manager, told HT: "The tentative document was submitted to the ASI in the last week of April and we are waiting to hear from them."

"We will evaluate the proposal for tentative listing. If required, make some additions/ alterations in consultation with the Delhi government and forward it to the Unesco when it is complete in all respects," said BR Mani, spokesperson, ASI.

But the wait for the title is not going to be easy for Delhi. First, it has competition from Ahmedabad and second, the procedure for the final notification is tough and lengthy.

ASI has already forwarded Ahmedabad's tentative document. In the same way, the ASI can send Delhi's nomination for the 'tentative list'.

But to inscribe the same in the final notification is a long drawn process.

Once any site is included in the 'tentative list', a detailed dossier needs to be prepared. January 31 is the deadline every year for sending this dossier and the Unesco generally takes 18 months before it considers it in its annual meeting in June.

Hindustan Times, 10th May 2011

As a part of Tagore's 150th birth anniversary celebrations, an exhibition by the West Bengal Archives Department throws light on the colonial surveillance of the poet.

Being in Kolkata at the time of Rabindranath Tagore's 150 {+t} {+h} birth centenary celebrations is interesting. Tagore is being revisited and re-imagined through different lens by a cross section of people: intellectuals, artistes, theatre professionals and admirers of the poet-philosopher whose birth anniversary was on May 7.

But one historically significant exhibition has uncovered relatively unknown aspects of Tagore: a Tagore being scrutinised by the British government's watchful Intelligence Branch based on their suspicion that Tagore was close to the “Communists” and that the institution he founded, Santiniketan, could be a “terrorist” organisation and “tainted with Communism”. Fascinating also is to find my home state, Hyderabad's, connection to Tagore's Santiniketan!

The Directorate of State Archives of West Bengal celebrated the Archives Week (April 6-12) with an exhibition; “The Evolution of State Archives (1910-2010) and Rabindranath Tagore in Government Records”. The exhibition was put together from sources such as the confidential files of the Intelligence Branch, which includes informers' reports, intercepted letters of the dwellers of Santiniketan and Sriniketan (the rural development centre near Santiniketan) and rare photographs. The Report on the Native Papers in Bengal, Report on the Political Situation and Labour Unrest in Bengal (IB, CID), District Gazetteers were also consulted.

Exhibition

The Hyderabad connection to Tagore's Santiniketan was remarkably new for me; the Nizam of Hyderabad was the largest donor of all to Santiniketan, having given Rs. 100,000. The letter from Tagore seeking support and revealing the donations given and more needed, is displayed: IB 285 / 1925.

The Intelligence files reveal a British administration highly suspicious of Tagore's anti-colonial network and keeping close watch on all the activities at Santiniketan. The “Extract from the report of an IB officer dated Chandernagore, February 11 1931” for instance, reads: “There are two Japanese teachers at present there. One of them is Mr. Takagaki about whom I have already reported. He is the Ju-Jutsu teacher and lives in Santi Niketan with his wife Mrs. Takagaki. The name of the other Japanese teacher is Mr. Konosan. He teaches carpentry but he also himself manufactures and sells furniture. He lives at Surul (Sri Niketan) with family (wife).” This has a handwritten note: “Inform SP he is supposed to report movements of foreigners. Sd. F. James, dated 12.2.31”Another typed letter (from a local informer) addressed “To the Chief Secretary, Government of India” reads: “Dear Sir, Santiniketan Visvabharati is an organ of terrorist movement of India greatly supporter of Subhash Chandra Bose Party (sic). All inmates of this ashram are pro-Japanese. They create panic all over the world to support terrorist movement of India”.

The Hindu, 15th May 2011

They were once majestic homes unique to Pune. But wadas are slowly fading out of the cityscape

Hemchandra Date takes a long, pensive look at a wooden door that has “Hari Bhavan Est 1858” written on it. He examines the fading blue paint, the rusted bolts, the creaking latch, and the small “chor darwaza” built within it. In the days of yore, at night, this little door would be kept unlocked, for any member who would be coming home late.

All Date can hope for is that these memories remain vivid in his mind long after Hari Bhavan ceases to exist. In a few weeks from now, the stone walls of the 150-year old house will be pounded to dust.

Hari Bhavan is a wada, one of many such houses that used to be a symbol of pride for their residents, mostly administrators and businessmen, during the reign of the Peshwas, who ruled from 1749 to 1818. Wadas have been unique to the history and culture of Pune. They are mostly made of wood, have red sloping brick tiles, narrow passages, ornate carvings on wall edges and are divided into courtyards. The men of the family would gather in the central courtyard to discuss business and politics, while the women and children would huddle inside the rooms.

Historian Mandar Lavate says,“Probably the best examples left now of wadas are the Mujumdar Wada in Kasba Peth, the Raste Wada in Rasta Peth and the Vishrambaug Wada behind Shaniwar Peth — all in the old city. The major wadas were named after the members who built them. Raste Wada, for instance, was named after Sardar Raste who built it. The 232-year-old Mujumdar Wada is nothing if not a fine example of the architecture of those times with its ornate wooden windows, exquisitely-carved furniture and antique chandeliers.”

Date’s grandfather, Gajanan Hari Date, a businessman, had built three wadas — Hari Bhavan, Date Wada, and Janki Bhavan — within the same compound in Narayan Peth. Located off the bustling Laxmi road, in the old city, Narayan Peth has been a central hub of activity for old-time businessmen. “Hari Bhavan was not where we just lived. We also did business here, for example, by renting out a small marriage hall within the wada,” says Date of his large six-room, two-storeyed house. It stands in contrast to a shining, new six-storeyed glass-and-cement building next to it. Soon, Hari Bhavan too will give way to a multi-storeyed apartment building, following the fate of Janaki Bhavan, on whose place also stands a similar edifice.

First, the main gate of the compound was broken down, then a road was laid by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) between Hari Bhavan on one side and Janaki Bhavan and Date Wada on the other. “We will commission a builder to construct a multi-storeyed building in which each family within our large family will have a flat of its own, instead of wrangling over one large, single property. At least my grandfather’s land will still stay,” says Date.

There are many reasons why wadas, despite their historical value, are slowly fading out of the cityscape. Built as large single-storeyed structures close to the road, they have fallen prey to shrinking urban spaces, the breakdown of the joint family system, property disputes, and widening of roads. There is also the issue of safety. Having been constructed primarily with wood, the wadas weren’t well-ventilated. Hanging wires and non-concealed electrical circuits pose a fire hazard, especially in the congested, almost claustrophobic old city area of Pune, where most of them are located. This has led the PMC to embark on annual drives to determine the stability of these structures, and identify which of them need to be demolished.

Photographer Sandesh Bhandare, whose book Pune: Queen of the Deccan is about the city’s wadas, says “the rot had already set in when I was shooting the wadas way back in 1988”. “Wonderful specimens of the erstwhile Peshwa culture like the Natu Wada in Shaniwar Peth no longer exist, except in photographic books and journals,” he says.

Restoration architect Kiran Kalamdani says wadas are impractical today. “A courtyard of 20 feet by 20 feet would then be home to around 40 people. Today, even an average person requires a room which is at least 10 feet by 10 feet.” But some wadas have been lucky enough to have found favour with contemporary living. The 20,000-sq feet Vishrambaug Wada is now home to a post office and offices of the municipal corporation. It has been restored under the PMC’s Heritage Corridor Plan, retaining the original design, including red tiles, and sloping brick roofs, wooden and stone pillars, wooden staircases, high-and-narrow windows, and ornate carvings on the edges of the walls.

Kalamdani, who helped restore Vishrambaug Wada, says restoring wadas is an uphill and expensive, but not impossible, task. “About a century-and-a-half ago, the old city was the hub of all socio-economic, cultural and political activity. All businesses allied to wada-building like carving and brick-making were concentrated there. To rebuild them in the original style would mean replacing certain materials, like lime with cement for binding, old decayed wood with treated wooden panels and so on. It’s an expensive proposition but the results are pretty similar to the original designs.”

A hint of modernity has transformed the Sai Krupa Wada, owned by the Tarawade family, in Somwar Peth, into a monument that has stood the test of time. Built in the early 1900s by social worker and freedom fighter Bandoba Malharrao Tarawade, the wada has been renovated twice over the turn of the century. The family members have used stone in place of wood so that the the walls and the floors last. Instead of using lime as a binder, they have used cement and mortar. But the design remains the same, with small doors and windows, and a small courtyard, complete with a secret passage for servants to enter and exit from. The 1,600-sq-ft wada has three families living in it. Chandrakant Tarawade, a retired government servant, who stays there with his brothers Sanjay and Vijay and their families, says, “ We cannot make any changes to the room sizes without breaking down the structure. That would mean building a new house altogether. Over the years, builders have approached us with lucrative proposals but we have not accepted them. These houses symbolise everyone being together. Of course, you can always get a private life in high-rises. But we are happy being close-knit.” The Tarawades are an exception. As Date’s 24-year-old nephew, Shashank, says wistfully, pointing out to an open space that has now become a multi-storeyed parking lot near his old house, “That area behind the wada used to be an open ground where we would play. At least I got a chance to live in the old house and play in the open. What will the next generation have?” Folk tales and memories of a forgotten past, perhaps.

Indian Express, 15th May 2011

Despite cancellation of the Government accommodation allotted to him at Safdarjung Lane in 1980, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Gaekwad of Baroda has continued to be in unauthorised possession of the centrally located property. The 7, Safdarjung Lane bungalow was allotted to him from the Lok Sabha pool when he became an MP in 1980 and was subsequently cancelled in 1989 after the dissolution of the 8th Lok Sabha.

The Maharaja at present resides at the palatial 700-acre Laxmi Vilas palace in Baroda and stays in Delhi for a few days in a year. Staff posted at the bungalow told The Pioneer that the Maharaja and his wife stay at the house for a few days in a year. The property remains otherwise unutilised throughout the year as neither his children nor any other visitors stay there.

When he was served an eviction notice in 2000, the Maharaja approached the Urban Development Minister stating that he had met the then Prime Minister VP Singh in January 1990, who had issued instructions that no proceeding should be initiated against the Gaekwads and that they should not be vacated from 7 Safdarjung Lane. He requested that they should not be evicted till an alternate land in a prime location of Delhi was given to him in lieu of Baroda House. The representation by the Maharaja did not mention anything about the letter dated 1951, wherein the issue of Baroda House and Nazarbagh Palace was settled.

The Maharaja then approached the Delhi High Court in 2002 seeking a stay on the eviction. He claimed that he was never given an alternate accommodation in exchange for Baroda House which was handed over by his family to the Centre. He has submitted that he was occupying the property in lieu of allotment of another plot in Delhi for his personal accommodation. In its order dated September 2002, the High Court granted a stay on the Maharaja’s eviction subject to his making a payment of license fee.

In addition, according to a document dated July 2007, the Directorate of Estates filed a counter affidavit stating Gaekwad was not eligible for allotment of the bungalow and that his request for allotment of alternate accommodation in lieu of Baroda House should be delinked from retention of the bungalow.

A letter dated January 2007 written by the Directorate of Estates to the L&DO also suggests that the unauthorised occupation of the bungalow cannot be linked with an alternate plot requested by the Gaekwads from the L&DO. The letter also states that the bungalow belongs to the Lok Sabha pool and there is a pressing need for it to be vacated.

In addition, there is an outstanding amount of Rs 8.13 lakh up to December 2006. The rent and hiring of the furniture cost around Rs 52,000 per month.

Disputing the Maharaja’s claim, the Centre has filed a detailed affidavit with supporting documents in May 2011 before Justice S Muralidhar. Documents detailing the history of Baroda House have been attached to substantiate the Centre’s claim.

According to the affidavit, the question of title and ownership of Baroda House and Sirmur plot was settled between the Maharaja of Baroda and the Union of India in terms of the Instrument of Merger executed between the two parties. There was a private party agreement for the exchange of the Baroda House for Nazarbagh Palace in Baroda.

Nazarbagh Palace was a property owned by the Centre, which was handed over to the Maharaja in exchange for Baroda House that was required by the Government for housing its offices in New Delhi. The exchange stood completed in 1951. Baroda House was subsequently purchased by Northern Railways and is at present being used as its headquarters. Even if one argues that the Centre retained the private property of the Maharaja, even then the petition was filed only in 2002, an inordinate and unexplained delay of almost five decades.

It is now up to the Delhi High Court to decide whether the claim made by the Maharaja of Baroda on the property at India Gate is valid or not and whether he should be evicted from the Safdarjung lane bungalow.

The Pioneer, 15th May 2011

Jammu, gateway to the sprawling mountain regions of Kashmir and Ladakh, is currently being developed as a heritage city, reports Suraj Saraf

Five prestigious heritage projects are presently under execution in Jammu city to help boost tourism. Jammu constitutes the doorway to the Kashmir valley and Ladakh.

The first one is the Mubarak Mandi project. There is a huge complex of palaces of the old Dogra ruling dynasty spread over 120 kanals. The palaces are designed on Rajput, Mughal and European styles. The project involves an expenditure of Rs 200 crore.

The second one is the Raghunath Bazar heritage project named after high-profile Raghunath temples. The bazaar, business hub of the city, offers a captivating sight of numerous large and small composite statues.

The third project involves the ancient Bahu fort-cum-palace that is proposed to be linked with Mubarak Mandi through a ropeway spanning the Tawi.

The fourth project would result in the beautification of the ancient Shiva shrine, located charmingly in the wild environs above the right bank of the Tawi.

Under the fifth one, old historical records dating back to the early 18th century would be digitalised. According to J&K Tourism and Cultural Minister Nawan Rizgin Jora, the government has sanctioned Rs 5 crore to improve the archive repositories in Jammu, Srinagar and Ladakh.

The repository at Jammu, established in 1928, is one of the oldest archives in the subcontinent. Its records date back to the Mughal times. These have been classified into Persian, English and Urdu. The repository also has a library with 30,000 books and manuscripts.

A sum of Rs 3.5 crore has been sanctioned for the development of the Pir Kho cave Shiva shrine. The cave is an ancient one and connected both with Ramayana and Mahabharta.

Popularly known as Jamwant cave, it is linked with Jamwant, the boar chief of Lord Rama’s armies in his fight against Ravana. Later, Lord Rama is said to have ordered him to reside in this cave. Lord Krishna is said to have won over him in fight and married his daughter Jamawanti. Historically, Guru Gorakh Nath is said to have visited it. An exquisite statue of Gorakh Nath in white marble is installed in a temple at the well-known Shiva shrine of Sudh Mahadev, about 125 km north of Jammy city.

To develop Pir Kho as a tourism-cum-pilgrimage centre, crores of rupees are proposed to be spent on the construction of a reception centre, a landscape park, a gymnasium, an amphitheatre, bath ghats and footpaths, besides gateways. Bahu fort, lying on a hillock besides the Tawi and facing Mubarak Mandi, is an ancient sturdy structure.

"The fort and the town of Bahu stand east of Jammu city on the left bank of the Tawi. The fort still bears appearance of great strength and was famous in former times", say renowned archaeologist J. P. Bogel and Kutchison in their History of the Punjab Hill States.

It is said to have been renovated and re-structured by Maharaja Gulab Singh, who founded Jammu and Kashmir state in the mid-19th century. The fort is now being renovated as a heritage structure by restoration of the rampart walls, viewpoints, royal residence, water tank and construction of pathways and improvement of the light and sound system. The fort also has an old Kali goddess temple, which is visited by devotees, especially in large numbers, on each Tuesday and other auspicious occasions.

The fort is known as Bahu fort because it was originally believed to have been founded by Bahu Lochan, whose younger brother Jambu Lochan founded the city of Jammu. There is reference to Jammu inMahabharta as Jambu.

The Tribune, 15th May 2011

Have you ever noticed the liberal sprinkling of bright lemon yellow dotting the city’s streets and parks this time of the year? No points for guessing that it’s Amaltas. And for that matter, have bunches of Gulmohar colouring the summer sky in hues of crimson, red and even light orange caught your eye?

Mind you, Amaltas and Gulmohar are just two of the swathes of colour that can be witnessed around this time of the year. Contrary to general perception about summer being a dry and hot season, this is the season when nearly every area of the Capital witnesses a range of flowering trees in full bloom. Subhash Chandra, former director (horticulture) of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), says, “Summer flowering of trees in Delhi is very special with Amaltas, Gulmohar, Jarul (Pride of India), Barna, Plumerias, Kanakchampa, Sita Ashok and Ashok competing with each other in adding colour and joy to an otherwise dull, hot summer.”

But have you noticed?
Even if you are not someone who cares about the carbon footprint, cycling on the city’s road, especially early in the morning can be a good opportunity to observe these trees. Says Nalin Sinha, founder of the Delhi Cycling Club, “While cycling, you discover lots of things which otherwise you might miss.”

If you don’t want to cycle, you can enjoy these blooming beauties while waiting for the traffic signal to turn green. If you are lucky to have a driver — or are in a bus — just look around to spot this abundance of colour in nature.

Nandita Das, who travels seven km daily to work, says, “I capture flowering trees often in my mobile phone and share it with my friends on Facebook. I feel, we Delhiites are lucky as compared to other big cities.”

The wide roads and parks in the NDMC area throw up colourful surprises every few metres. The roads and parks maintained by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), too, have ample colour at this time of the year.

Pradip Krishen, the author of Trees of Delhi, a wonderful field guide about the Capital’s green wealth, says, “Like canaries in a mineshaft, one had expected the city’s trees to become early casualties in this dreadful unfolding of cause and effect. That this did not happen is a tribute to Delhi’s civic authorities. This is no small achievement in the face of an intense hunger for land.”

Hindustan Times, 16th May 2011

Ladakh High in the mountains, it is a place where the very forces of nature have conjured to create a breathtaking landscape, notes URVASHI SARKAR

Snow-capped towering mountain peaks, brilliant azure skies, vast stretches of silent winding roads and a mesmerising mixture of snow, sparkling blue rivers and sand dunes make up the enigma that is Ladakh.

While a week long holiday in Ladakh was challenging owing to the high altitudes, we scaled in a short period of time the stunning vistas during the journeys and at the end of it every spell of nausea or breathlessness encountered was worth it.

Tourist season in Ladakh is usually from June till October. However, a group of us decided to risk it and visit Ladakh in April and we were not disappointed. Though we missed out on water sports and the carnivalesque feel of Leh which is a mark of tourist season, the varied hues of Ladakh's landscapes which we had mostly to ourselves were more than a compensation.

Leh is at an altitude of about 11000 feet above sea level. On the first day we were advised to stay indoors and acclimatise ourselves. The next day we set out for Nimu, 27 kilometres from Leh. Pretty views of the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers can be seen here. Pathar Sahib Gurudwara and Magnetic Hill are other sites of interest enroute.

Likir monastery

The high point of the visit to Likir monastery, two hours from Nimu, was the sudden light snowfall. I was delighted as it was my first experience of snowfall and for a person from the plains, witnessing snowfall in an April summer seemed incredible.

The journey to Pangong Lake at an altitude of about 14000 feet proved to be the most challenging since we had travel through winding roads at very high altitudes. Expansive sheets of snow covered both sides of the roads and streaks of gradually melting snow crisscrossed brown mountains.

The Indian Army has outposts at various strategic points where tea and medical aid is thoughtfully provided to one and all free of cost. Chang La at a height of about 17500 feet is one such outpost. At the pass, a temple flanked by colourful flags with Buddhist chants in the backdrop of snow capped mountains made for a picturesque sight.

We discovered during our travels that most shops were shut owing to cold weather and lean tourist season; and to buy even one meal to eat along the way was challenging. Had our stay not been arranged by some Army officers we knew, we might have been in for a tough time.

Thus our food, accommodation and travel within Ladakh was taken care of.

The Pangong Lake extending up to the India China border offers stunning views owing to its sheer expanse and its contrast with surrounding brown mountains. Though mostly frozen, in parts where the lake was fluid, we spotted sparkling blue waters. Severe cold prevented us from stopping there long. During our night halt at a mess in Durbuk, we were glad of the giant “bukharis” which can warm up a room in jiffy.

After a day's rest we set out for Nubra Valley which took us ten hours to reach owing to a damaged snow tractor in the middle of the road causing many vehicles to get stuck. Cooperation among drivers in these roads is to a remarkable extent. The difficult terrain and weather seem to be in part responsible for it. We also crossed Khardung La at a height of about 17500 feet which is one of the highest motorable passes in the world pass enroute to Nubra Valley.

Some of our pleasantest moments were in Nubra Valley owing to the moderate weather and some green relief in the terrain. The rolling sand dunes in which we played and buried our feet with warm sand were a welcome change from the icy snow. An impressive sight in the valley is the new Buddha temple. “The old Buddha sits cross legged while the new Buddha sits with the legs down,” our driver, a Ladakhi local told us.

Following a night halt at Partapur, we returned to Leh to see the Shanti stupa which is worth a visit for sculptures of the Buddha. Going to the Leh market nearby, at the only German bakery we found open, we tried yak cheese which tasted just like regular cheese, only a tad saltier.

Though many shops were closed, turquoise jewellery was being sold, albeit at exorbitant rates. “I love Tibet” bags and Tibetan literature were on sale at some shops since Tibetan refugees constitute some part of the population. Returning to Delhi on an early morning flight the next day, as the mountains which had been our constant companion for a week disappeared from sight, we solemnly resolved to return to Ladakh.

The Hindu, 16th May 2011

Young blood
Dr Amit Banerjee, Lok Nayak Hospital’s longstanding Medical Superintendent, put in his papers last week, citing personal grounds. Sources in the Delhi government’s Health department say this is the first of many changes at the the helm of government hospitals. Leading facilities such as DDU and Guru Gobind Singh hospitals will soon see new doctors at the top. This will be followed by transfers of doctors at the Directorate of Health Services, including a possible shift in the Director’s post as well. While many officials cited these changes as routine, hospital sources said these administrative changes would be followed by much junior doctors making it to the top posts — a move that is raising many an eyebrow in government hospitals.

All in the family
Several senior bureaucrats are slated to retire this year, including Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta, who retires in March. Food and Civil Supplies Commissioner Jayshree Raghuraman and Finance Secretary J P Singh are other prominent names. The Delhi government wanted to nominate Raghuraman as member of the NDMC council, but since she was retiring on January 31, the government decided to give the post to her sister Rita Kumar.

Binding order
Despite being very utilitarian, cycle-rickshaws are increasingly deemed a menace, particularly in the Chandni Chowk area. So much so, that the market associaion of the Walled City has been constantly writing to the Lieutenant-Governor, the Traffic department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to exercise a cap on their numbers that are permitted in any given area. Interestingly, all three offices express absolute powerlessness over the matter, citing a High Court order which states that neither the MCD nor the Traffic department can impound or challan rickshaws. The fast developing city is also struggling with an increased number of migrants, resulting in many more rickshaws in any given area than actually required. A senior government official said there are close to 10 lakh rickshaws in the city, and not even two per cent of the rickshaw-pullers had permits — only a handful were familiar with traffic rules. “The High Court order, however, restricts us from taking any action,” a senior official said.

Glory days long past
Discontentment among Congress legislators in Delhi seems to be simmering relentlessly. A legislator, who is in his third term and is deemed to be close to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, was chatting with journalists at a Cabinet minister’s room last week about rampant corruption across departments. While speaking about the development work done for the Commonwealth Games, the legislator admitted that corruption is the biggest threat to the government at present. Even legislators are finding it tough to get officials to execute work without indulging in corrupt practices. At a meeting with Dikshit this month, a senior Congress legislator had demanded that all Cabinet ministers resign on account of poor performance.

Division of labour
The Ghaziabad police is notorious for its ineffectiveness in beat policing, evident in the city’s growing crime figures. Ghaziabad SSP Raghubir Lal is now trying to seek help from civilian counterparts whose job profile comes closest to the beat constabulary — the chowkidaars employed by local colonies. The police recently undertook a PR exercise to reach out to these watchmen by distributing torches and whistles to them. Help was also sought from them to curb crime in their respective areas.

Damage control
With the MCD elections slated for next year, councillors who have been doing a lousy job are being subjected to tough interrogation by BJP leaders. On Saturday, Venkaiah Naidu called a meeting of BJP councillors at his residence and told them to behave themselves if they hoped to win the next elections. Those who have been found indulging in corruption have been warned. “Naidu said those who have corruption charges against them may not be given a ticket at all if they do not change themselves,” said a councillor.

Loud and clear
The Indian Medical Association is on a modernisation spree. The country’s nodal association of medical practitioners has hired a new PR agency to manage their communications. The decision comes just before nation- wide protests begin against the proposed undergraduate rural medicine course. The IMA’s own PRO apart, the agency has been specially instructed to follow “aggressive” PR measures. Repeated mails were sent to different media organisations on how such a course will promote quackery by endorsing ‘half-baked’ doctors. Medical education should not be compromised on the basis of settings, whether urban and rural, IMA officials believe. “We felt our view was not being projected strongly enough,” said a senior office-bearer. The organisation felt that after the judiciary’s nod, the political backing for the proposal was the last straw. “We are the largest association of qualified and practising doctors in the country. We felt we must do more to project our view,” he added.

Dial M for match
A cricket match provided the West Delhi police a lead into the murder of a 20-year-old vegetable vendor in Southwest Delhi’s Kakraula village. The accused, who was out to ‘defend’ his honour by preventing the victim, his tenant, from befriending his 16-year-old daughter, was missing for three days after the victim’s body was found on January 13. The police zeroed in on him after investigations revealed that the man, who despised cricket, had reportedly invited the victim and his friends for a party at his residence to watch the India-South Africa match the day of the incident.

Indian Express, 16th May 2011

In India, we have a propensity to treat our heritage as part of a flowing river. In a better mood I call it the votive figure syndrome, or when I am miffed about it, the shaadi shamiyana syndrome. With all love and respect, we instal pandals, place the deities in them, chant the correct mantras to invoke prana prathishtha and finally bid a tearful adieu before immersing the votive figure into a river or the ocean. These occasions are so many that it has become an intrinsic part of our psyche. These are such important aspects of our cultural moorings that they are virtually inseparable with notions of culture.

In such a scenario, virtually everything which is not part of here and now or damaged (khandit) in any way, must find itself at the bottom of the river or the sea. One has to just drag the sea and riverbeds and the booty, which is found will fill up many museums.

The recent report that Mamata Banerjee is unable to gather funds to set up railway museums, despite the buildings being ready at two locations, set off a train of thoughts (pun totally intended) about how we treat heritage. Many officials who were too scared to be quoted said that the Railways should be running trains not setting up museums. This is logical from their point of view. However, this is like saying why should we go nuclear, when we have so many empty stomachs to fill? These are obviously people with no sense of history, heritage or imagination.

Railways in India has such a vibrant history, which if not preserved, will just be lost forever. Babus should realise that these museums will recover the costs sooner than we think. Just a thought: Many steam engines are going to phase out soon; maybe these can become part of the exhibits of the mooted museums? By any stretch, UK takes the “bakery” when it comes to museums. You think of a subject, they have museum for it. It may be a small one-room place, but it is there, replete with printed history and documentation. Some of the unusual ones I can off hand recall are: fan museum, maritime museum, theatre museum, museum of textiles, museum of footwear, museum for kimonos, museum of porcelain, museum of Sherlock Holmes, museum of war etc.

In India, I can think of so many areas where we need to preserve for posterity, so many things and so many historical objects. When Sushma Swaraj was the minister of information and broadcasting, she had mooted the idea of a media museum. Considering we have so many firsts to our credit historically and such fast changing technology, the museum of media would have been a splendid idea. Media houses could have donated old machines and other exhibits and maybe even some land for the museum. But myopic media barons did not take it up. Similarly, we don’t have museum for cinema, theatre, dance and music. There could be a museum for beauty, capturing traditional objects and ingredients used in beautification.

Food is such a big deal in India and there is no museum of food, its traditional preparations, utensils, ovens, stoves, et al. Crafts museum should be the norm in regions especially in places where there are crafts pockets, like terracotta, paper mache, (Bihar and Kashmir have two diametrically distinct styles), metal crafts, folk and regional styles of painting, carpets, paper crafts, designs across the board. The list is indeed endless.

Shops attached to museums should sell replicas and create a niche for themselves. In fact we are still in a position to offer “replicas” that are “originals” rather than “copies”. As we in India live concurrently on so many planes and soon these things will be of times past and then we might wake up and start looking to preserve. And the time to recognize the urgency and capture them is now before it is too late. Private partners should be involved along with public enterprise and it should be mandatory for them to preserve and nurture crafts in regional centres.

Movements should be started for voluntary donations of objects and recognition of donors should be the norm. It should become a matter of pride for people to donate to museums.

These museums should not be dead and boring repositories, but instead they must be vibrant and living interactive centres, where the young and old can find something of interest. The idea is not to mummify culture but to preserve it. It is our bounden duty to make these repositories for future generations.

Hecklers will invariably try to shoot down the idea saying there is no museum culture in our country. If there are not enough museums, where will the culture develop? Let us not take it for granted all that is flowing in front of our eyes, but will be history soon.

The Asian Age, 16th May 2011

These days when Delhi is preparing for the 100th year of the Coronation Durbar, not all are enthused, says R.V. SMITH

It is that time of the year when people in the Walled City particularly relive the dire events of 1857. So was it this past week on May 11 when members of the old families of Delhi offered fateha for those who laid down their lives during the Uprising, which had broken out a day earlier in Meerut. Few indeed are such residents now though 45 years ago there were some whose grandfathers had witnessed those days of mayhem.

There is a difference, however, this year which marks the centenary of the Coronation Durbar of George V and Queen Mary. Haji Zahuruddin Qureshi's son recalls that his father was ten years old when the Durbar was held and he was taken to the steps of the Jama Masjid by his maternal grandfather (nana) to watch the spectacle. It happened to be a cold, misty December morning but that did not deter the people of the area from occupying the stands facing the Red Fort. Just when the sun peeped out, the royal procession emerged from the fort but to native eyes all the horsemen appeared the same goras with deadpan faces. It was difficult for them to identify the king who too appeared to them like the rest. There was no halo round his head, no flag-bearer preceding him and there was no crown on his head either.

Sore disappointment

This was a sore disappointment as they expected the British monarch to be as conspicuous as the Moghul emperors, Bahadur Shah Zafar, and before him Akbar Shah Sani and Shah Alam nobody had to point them out to the onlookers, for they could be identified even from a distance. Not so when the scars of the Great Uprising had not fully healed. Ahmed Ali author of “Twilight in Delhi”, and scion of an old and revered family of the Capital himself, has written about a fakir known as Bahadur Shah, who only sang of ghazals of the ill-starred emperor. He has also mentioned Mirza Nasirul Mulk, Zafar's youngest son, who used to beg on the streets of Delhi and looked with dismay at the tamasha being staged by the firangis in 1911. Many of his kin were also beggars or cooks, masalchis, tonga and ekka drivers or sellers of cut fruit. Their women still observed purdah in dingy houses with gunny bag curtains on the doors. Their plight was not hidden from the then residents of Delhi many of whom seethed with rage at the pomp and show of the coronation which was akin to rubbing salt on old wounds.

The Tommies parading the roads or trying to instil order among the assembled crown were the butt of many a joke. They were described as red-faced monkeys or hoosh.

The rajas, maharajas and nawabs who had congregated for the show also did not escape censure and ridicule as they were considered stooges of the British, whose support to their foreign masters had resulted in the failure of the First War of Independence.

These days when Delhi is preparing for the 100th year of the Coronation Durbar, not all are enthused about the re-enactment of a show that was supposed to bring home the fact that the good old days of the Moghuls were over and the throne was now occupied by a King-Emperor who lived overseas.

Who was it who said that though things change they remain very much the same? The antagonistic feeling of a century ago is still very much alive. You just have to scratch the skin and see for yourself. Hurt feelings keep smouldering in the heart long after the deed is done.

The Hindu, 16th May 2011

It's a tussle between preserving heritage and fast-tracking development. Though the law prohibits construction within 300 metres of monuments, it hasn't deterred residents from seeking permission to build. And with the National Monuments Authority (NMA) headless, the queue for getting no-objection certificates is getting longer. Delhi tops the list with over 250 applications piling up with the authority, awaiting no-objection certificates (NOCs).

Member-secretary, NMA, Praveen Srivastava told TOI that field surveys had been undertaken in 50 per cent of applications awaiting NOCs. They were proposing a category wherein the state-level competent authority will be empowered to issue permission for minor repairs or urgent work. "It will take some time for people to become familiar with the process. We have asked superintending archaeologists from various circles to accept applications from those living in prohibited or regulated zones. These can then be forwarded to the authority,'' said Srivastava.

The challenge is to strike a balance between conservation and development. But experts say the law is stringent and doesn't allow much flexibility. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010, does not allow regulated zones to be within less than 200 metres of a monument. There is a blanket ban on construction within 100 metres. "There is a provision to expand the regulated zone, but we cannot make it less than 200 metres, no matter what the size, location or significance of the monument. Construction is prohibited within a radius of 300 metres of an ASI-protected monument,'' said Srivastava. Earlier, he was the additional director-general in ASI.

Srivastava admitted there's a growing restlessness among those affected by the new law as all permissions have been cancelled for over a year. "As applications are piling up, we have sent a proposal that the authority's member-secretary and ASI director-general can give permission in the absence of a head. But we are yet to get a response. The appointment has to be made with a lot of care and that's why the process is being delayed. Then applications can be disposed of within three months,'' said Srivastava.

Times of India, 16th May 2011

Hidden on the road from Chamrajnagar to Bangalore is a Chola town called Yelandur that was once home to a confidante of Tipu Sultan

We had no idea how we landed on the road leading to Yelandur. There was no scheduled stop planned here either .We were on the road, driving from Chamrajnagar to Bangalore, when the man at the wheel suddenly swerved to the right instead of heading straight and lo, Yelandur interrupted us on the way, with a burst of energy.

It was a Sunday and the farmers' day out. We caught the town, colourful and chaotic, in the midst of its weekly “santhe”. Heady bargains reached high decibel levels, as all the local produce were out on display. Cattle vendors jostled their way through. The sea of humanity flowed and ebbed as loads of plastic ware, household needs and knick-knacks completed the picture. The locals were happy to be photographed, but they had no time for conversations.

As I cut through the noise and stepped out of the market, I came face to face with a huge bungalow, looking rather resplendent in its white-washed glory. It was in the middle of a makeover. This was the old bungalow of Dewan Purnaiya, the man who rose from writing accounts for a grocer to becoming the first Dewan of the princely state of Mysore. A close confidante of Tipu Sultan, Dewan Purnaiya had also served under Hyder Ali and later on the Wodeyars. The bungalow was not opened to visitors, but I heard that it will soon house a museum. Locals whispered how treasures were found here. Later I learnt that several manuscripts and even antique coins had been found. Locals remember the town as a jagir or territory granted to the Dewan in the early 19th century, but the town has a history that dates back to the Later Cholas. According to the Mysore Gazetteer compiled by Hayavadana Rao, it was referred to as “Illaimaradur or the Young Maradur” in a Tamil inscription which also mentions an agrahara here. The Cholas called it Cholendrasimha Chaturvedi Mangalam.

No town is complete without an ancient temple and we discovered a couple – one near the market and the other adjacent to the Dewan's bungalow. The entrance of the latter was rather inviting, with an ornamental mandapa carved with sculptures of gods and goddesses on the pillars, panels, ceiling and the outer walls. This was a 16th century Gaurishwara temple built by the chieftains of the Padinadu or Hadinadu dynasty, feudatories under the Vijaynagar Empire.

We walked past the entrance to the many shrines of the temple which have been restored. The temple had unearthed a few inscriptions too. One of them mentions that it was originally built in 1500 by Singedepa and that the Mahadwara – the entrance – was added by Muddaraja, another chieftain, in 1654. Another inscription refers to it as “Eleyindur or the town of young moon” and compares it to “the eye or centre of a lotus surrounded by eight petals which are the eight hills.” Today, Yelandur connects you to one of them, the Billi Giri Rangan Hills, if you are heading from Bangalore.

I stood near an old well and looked around. Some men were fast asleep under the trees, while a few others were gossiping. Meanwhile at the market, the bargaining had reached an all-time frenzy. It was just another day for these locals lost in their own little world.

The Hindu, 16th May 2011

With rare art pieces collected during his travels across the world, fashion designer JJ Valaya’s The Home of the Traveler represents various ancient dynasties resplendent in history. Team Viva reports

It wasn’t easy to acquire the paper-mache young Buddha of the early 20th century from Burma, but for fashion designer J J Valaya it was a question of passion for art. And soon after the designer set his eyes on it, the Shan-style Buddhist art got delivered to his Delhi home.

A few other masterpieces like Singhas, a pair of mythological lions from 19th century Thailand and a Cambodian sandstone sculpture also have similar stories related to their journey to Valaya’s home. “The more I travelled, the more I found myself inspired by the culture, art and architecture of different countries and my desire to bring back the most exquisite offerings grew stronger,” says Valaya who recently launched The Home of The Traveler (THT), a concept born out of the designer’s affinity to fine living.

THT conjures up romantic visions of a bygone time in Asia: of royal ceremonies hosted by great Kings, fabulously ornamented temples, the brooding majesty of a ruined monument, scenic glimpses of busy waterways and tropical luxuriance. Reveals the designer, “It is a place where kingliness and priesthood are intricately linked, as the King is the highest upholder of the Buddhist faith as well as constitutionally the head of the country. Starting with our first show SIAM - The Monk and The Monarch, I have attempted to bring together artistic nuances that traverse time and bind both these aspects ethereally. The artifacts represent various ancient dynasties resplendent in history, with each one speaking the distinct language of the civilization it once belonged to.”

Ask him about his favourite pieces and the designer is quick to reply, “Each one of them has been very carefully selected. Some of the interesting pieces are Buddha in Boyhood, a torso in paper-mache of young Buddha, found at the border to Burma, Monks with Begging Bowls — a set of five young monks in sandstone from the kilns of Mengrai and Throne of Buddha — traditional carved seat in Mandalay style from Myanmar, from early 20th Century, Burma.”

The designer wants to eventually amalgamate pieces of the past with modern day philosophies of art and architecture and create contemporary designs for a fine living. “If I had not been a fashion designer, perhaps I would have been an architect. All places of heritage and culture touch my heart no matter how diverse their stylistic offering,” he said, adding that places like Turkey, Russia and China are now on his list for future collections.

“It has to be those places that are untouched by mass commercialisation and have an element of mystery and lost history to them. The world is my oyster!” comes his philosophical reply.

The Pioneer, 16th May 2011

Union Minister for Forests and Environment Jairam Ramesh has said the Centre is planning a bigger project for the protection and restoration of Wular Lake, Asia’s largest fresh water lake situated in north Kashmir.

“The cleaning of Dal Lake project is on progress and the Union government is committed to a much bigger project for the protection and restoration of Wular Lake,” Ramesh said at the inaugural function of 3rd International Buyer-Seller meet here.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister for Forests and Environment highlighted the initiative taken by him as the Minister of State for Industries and Commerce for the launch of buyer-seller meet in the state.

Lauding the young and energetic leadership of Omar Abdullah in steering the state out of the difficulties on development and other fronts, Ramesh said his personal and the support of his ministry would always be available to the state wherever and whenever required.

Ramesh also referred to the role of the Institute of Handicrafts Development, Entrepreneurship Development Institute and Carpet Development Centre in upgrading the skills in various fields, including handicraft sector.

The event was organised by the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir Bank. More than 40 stalls have been established in the three-day buyer-seller meet.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah appreciated the efforts of the Union Minister in the development of handicrafts sector in the state and has said his good offices will be utilised to resolve the issues in the Union Forest and Environment Ministry pertaining to the handicraft and other sectors.

The Tribune, 16th May 2011

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) came in for some sharp criticism from the High Court as it censured the government body for its “typically bureaucratic” approach in denying information to a historian and failing to post information on its website for use by academicians.

Justice S Muralidhar, while hearing a petition by Professor R Nath, pulled up the ASI for its laxity in falling in line with the Right To Information (RTI) Act, which obligates every public body to upload necessary information on its website within 120 days of the transparency law coming into force.

The petition was filed through RTI lawyer Girija K Verma in 2008 but the ASI, especially its Agra circle, had failed to upload data on its website. Despite several reminders, the heritage body had failed to explain why information pertaining to the different circles of the ASI, including Agra, was not there on the website. Infuriated by the lapses, Justice Muralidhar summoned ASI Director General Gautam Sen Gupta.

Even as Gupta presented himself at the hearing, the ASI counsel admitted “negligence” on the part of the Agra Circle and submitted that all the circles have now been directed to put the information on the website so a hyperlink could be activated for visitors.

The counsel further handed over the documents, which contained information that Nath, a retired professor of history from Rajasthan University who has been studying Moghul monuments of Agra and Fatehpur Sikri for nearly half a century, had sought from the Agra circle in 2007.

Justice Muralidhar then enquired from the counsel whether any time limit was prescribed for uploading the information, the answer for which came in the negative.

“This is very serious. It is a statutory requirement. People keep running around, not knowing from where they can get the information. Don’t be so lax. Let me make it clear that the court is cracking the whip whereas the DG should have done it. The information is locked up for no reason,” remarked the judge.

Advocate Verma also stated that there must be a time limit for posting information on the website, to which the court agreed. “Historians and professors need valuable information for carry out their research, but you (ASI) have disentitled it to them. I am not satisfied with your overall general attitude,” Justice Muralidhar told the ASI counsel and added that it was “unfortunate” that they did not consider the advent of the RTI Act as an opportunity to disseminate information.

On a plea by Verma that a penalty should be imposed on the ASI for not providing information within the stipulated time, the court said it would consider it at a subsequent stage and the petition must be kept alive so the ASI commits itself to the task. “Actually, it is a culture of functionality. Kill scholarship, kill researches is the attitude. It is nothing but typical bureaucracy, but as far as the High Court is concerned, this will have to change and we will make it change,” said Justice Muralidhar.

The court then asked DG Gupta to issue further instructions, indicating time limits within which the circle-wise websites — with hyperlinks — will be set up. “He will also issue detailed instructions on the procedures to be followed and the time limits within which certified printed copies of the information sought under the RTI will be provided to the applicants,” the court directed, adding that adequate publicity will also given to the said procedures.

Fixing the next hearing for July, the court asked the ASI to file an affidavit on compliance in four weeks.

Indian Express, 18th May 2011

As Ahmedabad celebrates 600 years of existence, Raksha Bharadia discovers an up-to-date perspective on the city in this book.

A comprehensive and much-awaited chronicle of Gujarat’s leading city since the 18th century, Ahmedabad can be seen as a tribute by authors Achyut Yagnik and Suchitra Sheth that commemorates 600 years of the founding of the city.

The book provides an up-to-date perspective on the city that held nationwide importance by becoming one of the central points as Mahatma Gandhi’s karmabhumi during India’s freedom movement.

From Royal City to Megacity: The introductory chapters elaborate on Ahmedabad’s royal past history that began with its founding in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah and progresses into the significant literary and religious influences and political swings it was subject to.

We also get a fair idea of the everyday life and the natural calamities that affected it, time and again. The authors scrutinise the momentous periods in Ahmedabad’s history and there is no dearth of information on each and every aspect that the book deals with.

It throws a flood of light on the development of the city’s renowned crafts and textiles, and architecture (the jalis and jharokas) which was a ‘synthesis and symbiosis’ of various influences. It is rather fascinating to learn about the modification of the simple jhoola (swing) into intricately carved and ornamented ones, which found a place in most traditional paintings and became an integral item of export.

The establishment of the distinctive pols (colonies along narrow streets) and parabdis (shelter where grain and water was kept for birds) was a truly noteworthy development. Apart from presenting a complete analysis of the structured trade association that existed in Gujarat even in the 11th century, one of the notable aspects of the book is its extensive study of the introduction of modern education in India, which received a lot of attention in the early 19th century, with the objective of restoring literature and backing up the sciences.

As the authors examine the educational development, we learn about how education had affected the different sections of the population. This analysis is particularly meaningful in the context of the turmoil which the multi-religious society and a society that was fast becoming more industrialised, was faced with. It is interesting to note the emphasis laid on education for girls, higher education and growth of the vernacular, which eventually culminated in the setting up of printing presses (1845) to print school text books and in time newspapers.

Amedabant, Amedavat, Ahmadabath, Ahmdavad, Karnavati and finally Ahmedabad — A city with several names and numerous facets, which in spite of being ‘Gandhi’s karmabhumi’ was not free of riots, disorder and religious anarchy. The city went through catastrophic transformations from the mid-19th century. Gradually, the ground for each disaster became more religious than economic.

Notwithstanding the efforts of Gandhi who persevered to exemplify that the people could live together peacefully despite religious differences, the long-established value systems were eventually undermined and by the end of the 20th century, we had a communally divided Ahmedabad.

Achyut Yagnik and Suchitra Sheth, who have also co-authored The Shaping of Modern Gujarat: Plurality, Hindutva and Beyond, have presented an adequate coverage of this illustrious city, which is attested by the extensive bibliography of the sources. Apart from being rich in information about the contours of the growth, development and the tribulations of the city, we have bits of forgotten facts in spurts which are novel and valuable, for example, the tomb of the great Urdu poet Wali Gujarati which was destroyed by a furious crowd during the communal violence of 2002.

The next day the government eradicated the site by extending the road over it. There is no doubt that the book has the potential to reach a high watermark of success, but it does show certain limitations. A vast amount of data has been put together, but there are repetitions especially in the initial part, omission of which could have cemented the book and made it comprehensive, yet concise. The overall language is lucid and articulate, but the style of narration is somewhat humdrum and rather pedagogic because of which, it does not hold the interest of the reader throughout the book.

Putting in bits of attention-grabbing trivia and incidents, could have made it a more enjoyable read. In all fairness however, it cannot be ignored that, the book belongs to the factual and historical genre, which leaves limited scope for creative ingenuity.

The preceding observations are only to suggest further possible enrichment of the book, hence, the lack of these by no means, diminish its intrinsic importance which is a prominent addition to the list of the very best biographies. It covers almost the entire spectrum of what one would want to know about the city and its journey from a royal city to a mega city. The Pioneer, 19th May 2011

Now, you can see masterpieces of the country's art under one roof. On the occasion of international museum day, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) inaugurated a new gallery in the children's museum at Siri Fort which boasts of life-size replicas of art work like Didarganj Yakshi, Gudimallam Siva, Preaching Buddha, Mahishamardini, Mahabalipuram, Rudra Siva, Jain Statue Gomateshwar, Jesus Christ on Cross etc.

At present there are 22 pieces of art on display with elaborate description but ASI Delhi circle chief KK Mohammed, who conceived the project, said they were planning to bring the number to about a hundred in the coming months. "We proposed to bring these masterpieces under a single umbrella, which we thought would be a great opportunity especially for children. They will not have to go to various states to see them. These size replicas are just like the original. The new gallery will soon become a huge hit with visitors,'' said Mohammed.

The day was also celebrated at the children's museum at a function organized jointly by Archaeological Survey of India, Delhi circle and the Northern Branch Museum of the ASI. Social activist Ajeet Cour was the chief guest and a painting competition was organized in which students of various schools participated. The winners were given away prizes at the end of the function. The competition was open to children of class VIII and IX. The ASI has been celebrating the day since 1977.

Times of India, 19th May 2011

Charandeep Singh takes a look at some family forts of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, which continue to maintain their royal customs and traditions

Undivided Punjab’s martial history and cultural heritage is chronicled in many forts that dot various parts of the state. Luckily, most of those who have inherited these stellar monuments are strong willed to preserve these heritage buildings. Gurjitinder Singh Virk (64) runs a fish farm at Sri Chamkaur Sahib. "The only unaccomplished task I have in my life is to resurrect the Kandhola Fort, which was bequeathed to me. The fort is in a state of dilapidation. I have got the blueprints ready, on how to reconstruct this majestic old structure. I would be using the same ‘Nanakshahi brick’, which was used in the original structure," informs Gurjitinder. Kandhola Fort is spread over one acre and the reconstruction would cost nearly Rs 6 crore.

Is it an act of obsession? "No, it is the preservation of my family heritage, which, if not preserved, will soon go into oblivion. I have to restore my fort so that my family name continues," observes Gurjitinder. `A0

To maintain these forts in their puritanical form is a Herculean task. But it also gives an insight to the coming generations about the life and times of their forefathers. "I have maintained the structure in its original form. Even the wallpapers remain the same as when my grandfather renovated it in 1940. I have also preserved the Gobelin tapestries and cabinets from Doge’s Palace in Venice. You can find these only here or in some old British mansions in England. I have maintained the same lifestyle and use the same old silverware belonging to my grandfather in which the tea is still served, and even the distinct style with which the food is served and table is laid, still continues. This continuance of the old royal lifestyle is the intangible heritage which I have preserved and passed on to my son and grandson," says a beaming Kanwar Ratanjit Singh of Chapslee House, Shimla, which was the summer residence of Maharaja of Kapurthala.

With many original owners still residing in forts, many of which are away from the urban landscape and culture, life can be a bit secluded and monotonous. There are no neighbours around. Even the urban centres are far away and to commute everyday can be cumbersome. "I was born and brought up in Chandigarh. After marriage, I had to live in the Bharatgarh fort where my in-laws resided. It was a cultural shock for me. At times, loneliness used to catch up. But I adjusted and now I feel proud of myself, since I am preserving a legacy with my family," expresses Maninder Kaur who is married to a descendent of Singhpuria Misl and owner of Bharatgarh Fort, near Anandpur Sahib.

These forts have special significance in their family folklore also. "We have the samadhs of all our ancestors right on the entrance of our fort. On Diwali we light candles on these samadhs. All our family marriages also take place in the fort only. We take pride in calling ourselves as the Kathgarh family," says Rajpal Singh Mahal (87), oldest member of the Kathgarh family. This fort is near Nawanshahr.

The maintenance of these forts takes quite a toll on the finances of the owners. But some enterprising minds have converted their property into heritage stays so that these properties become sustainable. "These forts as such are white elephants. It is easier to maintain a new structure with similar dimensions, rather than maintaining these ancient structures. Since the size is very big, it becomes a bit easy to encash the vacant area and convert them into heritage stays so that they become self sustainable," adds Amar Chandel, who has converted his Ramgarh Fort into a heritage hotel.

On the issue of commercialising the heritage properties Kanwar Ratanjit Singh of Chapslee has an interesting anecdote, "When I shifted to Chapslee House in the early 1970s, we started a school there. To fund the expenses of the school, I was toying with the idea of converting Chapslee House into a guesthouse. Then a friend of mine gifted me a book, written by Lord Bedford, titled How to be a snob? He wrote that if the royalty opens up their residences, the commoners will have a privilege to see these residences and they will even pay for it. I, too, opened up Chapslee Palace for people. Now people come to see Chapslee House for which they pay me," informs Kanwar Ratanjit.

The owners of Bharatgarh Fort also plan to convert a secluded portion of the fort into a heritage resort. "We spend around Rs 7 lakh annually on the maintenance of the fort. We thought of converting a portion into a heritage stay, so that the fort becomes self sustainable", says Deepinder Singh of Bharatgarh Fort.`A0

This concept of having a brush with the royalty and enjoying a stay in the environs of these forts has gone down very well with the public at large. Most of these forts have some customs and traditions, endemic to them. For example, the Ramgarh royal family is of strict vegetarians and the same trend continues in their heritage stay also.

Most of these heritage stays or resorts are individual efforts by the owners. A light push from the state government can make these heritage stays a hit with tourists. If these heritage stays are promoted at a national level — as is being done in Rajasthan and even in some European nations, who are promoting their castles.

Since the maintenance of these properties a costly affair, doesn’t it make sense to dispose them off? `A0"This is my heritage. It is priceless. I cannot even put a price on it,’ observes Kanwar Ratanjit. "These ancient structures are the hallmark of our existence. I am the ninth successive generation living in this fort, I cannot even think of selling it up," winds up Deepinder Singh of Bharatgarh, with pride in his eyes.

The Tribune, 21st May 2011

A sombre-looking earthen Grecian face stared down at us as we waited in the foyer of art-patron Dr Harikishore Kejriwal’s home in Bangalore. The door alongside opened into a room where framed letters covered an entire wall.

Kejriwal entered. A sprightly octogenarian with a childlike smile and infectious enthusiasm, he ushered us inside. And walked us, very energetically, through his awesome home. Sculptures, paintings, coins, porcelainware, manuscripts, scrolls, carpets, metalware and also stuccos dating back to the 3rd century BC, and very rare specimens… the house was a stunning private museum. Many of the exquisite objets d’art took our breath away. Three hours into our visit and we had barely managed brief glimpses of this amazing private art collection — such was the vast quantity and variety on display.

The collection was built by him from 1948 onwards — the love for art instilled by his father Ramkishore Kejriwal, a well-known art promoter of then Calcutta. Visitors to their home included some best known artists of that time — Jamini Roy, Nandalal Bose, etc. And Kejriwal’s education at Hindu School — the hotbed of culture — and association with the Tagore family, and other cultural stalwarts and art patrons further reinforced this passion.

Right beside the front door were earthen stuccos excavated in Bengal dating back to 3rd century BC when Alexander invaded India. The adjacent room had walls filled with framed letters from stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore (including his last letter), Subhash Chandra Bose, etc.

Walking further into the home, we encountered more gems. Every shelf, wall and tabletop held treasures. A metal knife from the Harappan civilisation, a handwritten Quran from 13th century AD; European candelabras from the time of Louis the 15th; a sixth century AD Shiva Linga and bust; a Buddha from the Mauryan period; 12th century Jain Kalpasutras; a richly detailed 15th century wooden panel from Tamil Nadu depicting Girija Kalyanam (Shiva-Parvathi’s marriage); figures in bricks from the 18th century Bishnupur terracotta temples; and gorgeous Tibetan tankhas, and rare Persian jamavars and carpets... “Some carpets have 3,500 knots per square inch. The one with the Jahangir figure in wool and silk is from 1612 AD,” he revealed.

The corners of the drawing rooms in all his flats and their entrances had large statues mounted on pedestals. In the rooms, magnificent statues of Vishnu, Chola bronzes, and seated and standing Buddhas (from Burma and Indonesia) jostled for space beside Kangra and Mughal era paintings and the more modern ones by Jamini Roy, Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Svetoslav Roerich, etc.

Every object evoked a memory — either associated with its acquisition or about the artist himself. Kejriwal regaled us with those stories. And some recalled poetry — a stunning Mughal era carpet had him breaking into Mirza Ghalib’s poetry; European sculptures had him quoting John Keats and Robert Browning; Jamini Roy paintings made him recall Tagore’s poems...

And all objects were aesthetically displayed. But then, Kejriwal has visited some of the world’s best art galleries and in India, he is vice-president of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat; trustee, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, etc.

He has donated a substantial part of his collection of art and artefacts to Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat where they are displayed in several galleries. He gave away about 350 paintings and drawings, and 250 sculptures from India as well as artworks by the great masters of Europe. It was a magnificent gesture. Very few Indian collectors have done this. In the West, however, many art collectors donate their collections readily to museums.

We paused for a drink of water at the dining table. Above, there was another eye-catcher — a 12th-century dancing Ganesha flanked by 17th century Rajasthani paintings depicting Krishna Leela. Alongside was a shelf dotted with more priceless objects — mostly busts — found in excavations in Andhra Pradesh, including a metal Saraswati from the 19th century. And, on either side of this (and other dining tables) were shelves lined with exquisite porcelain-ware — crockery, flower vases, lamps, figurines, etc. They were made in factories in Germany, France, and England; sport famous brand names; and many date back to 17th and 18th centuries.

The collection grew over decades and from many sources. Many items were bought from dealers and brokers who brought the items to him or were purchased directly from shops. “As an art collector I instantly recognised a precious piece,” he revealed.

With this unerring eye for the perfect antique, he picked up invaluable objects including fabulous stone statues of Shiva and Parvathi from Tamil Nadu (12th century) and a magnificent 9th century Vishnu statue from Mysore. “Some objects were bought from families who wanted to sell off their artefacts. A few items were bought from old palaces.”

He pointed to ornate gilded mirrors made in France. “These, for example, were bought from Cooch Behar Palace. The Tagore letters were gifted to me by his daughter-in-law Pratima Thakur.” But Kejriwal was wise enough to insist that Pratima also hand over a letter saying they were gifted to him by her. “Above all, the collection grew because I felt a love and respect for our heritage and a great desire to preserve it for posterity,” he says.

From young art students to Nobel laureates, the director of the British Museum, London, and of Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, business barons, legendary Indian artistes and famous art connoisseurs, they have all visited this art-rich home and left with glowing praise, much of it recorded in the visitors’ books.

Our visit had us requesting, at the end, another walk-through at another time. Actually, several more, we corrected ourselves. It is a home whose treasures need weeks to explore and understand, we said. Kejriwal, who is as modest about his collection as he is fond of it, smiled: “I understand. Even as someone living with this collection, I am discovering new facets about it everyday!”

Deccan Herald, 22nd May 2011

Maharaja Fateh Bahadur Sahi, a contemporary of Tipu Sultan, waged a guerrilla war against the British for about 30 years to oust them. His rebellion surpassed almost all uprisings before and after him. Remembering the obscure, but evergreen hero….

The British kept Fateh in good humour, fearing his disruptive activities. The district collector recommended his pardon for the murder, and he was allowed to return home at Huseypur.

This is a semi-wild terrain on the UP-Bihar border hemmed by the two tributaries of the Ganga — the Ghaghara and the Gandak. Though remote and backward, its environment is enticing. Kushinagar, where the Buddha breathed his last, is situated on its west, and Balmiki Nagar, the abode of Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana, in the east. In between the two, one may hear of great yogis Gorakhnath and Bhartharihari. Move on and hints of history wobble out everywhere. To add to the romance of the ambiance, you may hear folklores admiring an obscure but conspicuous hero of the region — Maharaja Fateh Bahadur Sahi. Historians do not talk of him; but the locals remember him for his valour and love for freedom.

Who is this mysterious hero?
Fateh Bahadur Sahi was an independent ruler of this region whose territory spread across the Bihar-UP border. He belonged to the erstwhile Huseypur estate of the old Saran district of Bihar, from which descended the later-day Tamkuhi Raj of the Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh and the Hathwa Raj of Gapalganj district in Bihar.

Among his successors, Kalyan Mal was an illustrious king and a contemporary of Akbar. The latter decorated him with the title of “Maharaja Bahadur”, which Jahangir reconfirmed with an additional title of “Shahi”, on the 87 {+t} {+h} raja, Kshemkaran. Kalyan Mal founded his capital at Kalyanpur (named after him) near Gopalganj, which was later on shifted to Huseypur. It was here that Fateh was born a son to Sardar Sahi, and was crowned as the 99 {+t} {+h} king in 1750 — seven years before the battle of Plassey.

Fateh Sahi's estate spread into the territories of Awadh and Bengal. So, when the East India Company gained control over these areas after the battle of Buxur in 1765, it demanded revenue from him. But he refused to oblige, challenging their legitimacy, and mobilised his supporters against them in 1767. He could be dislodged only when the British troops were sent in from Patna, after which he fled into the jungles of Gorakhpur.

Raids from the jungle
Although dislodged from Huseypur, Fateh Sahi continued to obstruct the collection of revenue in his former territory by launching raids from the jungle. In 1772, he marched into Huseypur and killed the Company's district revenue farmer. Yet, the British kept Fateh in good humour, fearing his disruptive activities. The district collector recommended his pardon for the murder, and he was allowed to return home at Huseypur. He was offered pension with a promise to stop any military action against him; additionally, he was advised to get full autonomy within his territory in lieu of a payment of Rs. 25 lakh and permission for the circulation of British currency in his estate. But Sahi did not agree; instead, he chose to be on war forever. Two months later, he left home and returned to his Gorakhpur hideout in the Bagjogni jungle. The British then designated Mir Jamal as their superintendent of the Huseypur revenue and the estate was farmed out to Basant Sahi, a pro-British cousin of Fateh Sahi.

Taking lead from Fateh, several local chiefs challenged the British authority during 1773-74 and refused to pay taxes. Biding his time, Fateh again marched into Saran in 1775. On May 3, on intelligence about the enemy camping at Jadopur near Huseypur, he dashed through darkness with a 1000-strong cavalry to reach the enemy camp just before dawn. In the bloody skirmish that followed, he killed cousin Basant Sahi and Mir Jamal, and escaped with the booty to his forest fastness. Hundreds were left behind dead and wounded. This happened in spite of the vigil of two companies of sepoys stationed in the neighbourhood to contain him. Basant Sahi's head was cut off and sent to his widow, who committed sati along with 13 aides whose husbands too were killed in the battle. The 14 stupas containing their ashes at Huseypur are worshiped till date.

During his rebellion in August 1781, Raja Chait Singh of Banaras tried to take advantage of the anti-British uprisings in Bihar. He financed Fateh Sahi, a relation, and encouraged him to kill the British and their sepoys. A formidable alliance was forged among the rajas of Huseypur and Majhauli, and the Padrauna and Narrowneys zamindars. Several zamindars from Saran supported Sahi secretly. In October, they assembled a force of 20,000 men at Munjoora and plundered and captured the Company's military station (established to suppress Fateh) at Baragaon. Panicked and helpless, the Saran Collector Grome approached, for help, the anti-Fateh clique of the royal family headed by Dhujju Singh, a family friend and guardian of Basant's minor son. Together, they fought a bloody war with Fateh and compelled him to retreat to the jungle. His Huseypur fort was razed to ground. In reward, Dhujju was called for by Warren Hastings at Banaras and decorated with a khelat of gold cloth. The British, however, did not dare punish any of the supporters of Fateh, fearing a mass revolt against the British in the region.

Fateh did not launch any major attack after that, except periodic incursions. His last raid to Champaran occurred in 1795. There is little information about his life thereafter. According to the Hathwa Raj chronicle, he became an ascetic in 1808. Definitely, he was not caught or killed by the British. Had it been so, they would surely have trumpeted the capture of their dreaded enemy.

Generations later
In fact, the British were so haunted by Fateh that his confiscated estate of Huseypur was conferred, by Cornwallis, on Chattardhari Sahi of the pro-British branch of the family, much later in 1791 and the title of “Maharaja Bahadur” not until 1837 (there could not be two rulers — Fateh being the original — of the same estate). After the demolition of the Huseypur fort, Fateh had established his capital at Tamkuhi where the 114 th generation of his dynasty lives today; the descendents of Basant Sahi moved to Hathwa. The remnants of the Huseypur fort are still extant with numerous memorial spots in the surroundings.

Fateh Sahi was probably the first Indian ruler to revolt against the British on such a scale. He waged a guerrilla war against them for about 30 years, without any wavering in his goal to oust them. The British countered him with all their strength and resources. The hectic correspondence among the Company officials, however, vividly describes their frustration and travels, as they were unable to rein him in. They also declared a reward of Rs. 20,000 on his head, but in vain. Frustrated and distraught, they stooped to nasty tricks. Presuming that Fateh would participate in the marriage of his daughter, they surrounded the fort with the British forces and intelligence, waiting for the kill. But they could know of him only after he had left. He dressed as a pundit and walked on the traditional wooden sandals ( kharaun) well in front of the waiting soldiers!

During the hostilities, Fateh Sahi is believed to have collaborated with the king of Banaras, Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, nawabs of Awadh and Bengal, and many chieftains and zamindars of UP and Bihar. He received wide and sustained support from the common people and his subject who paid him taxes even in exile. His war against the British may probably be considered as India's First War of Independence and he as its hero. He was a contemporary of Tipu Sultan whom the British defeated and killed brutally; but Sahi was never caught or surrendered to them. He rose against them before Tipu and almost a century before the Revolt of 1857 — India's First War of Independence. In terms of determination, and intensity and duration of aggression, Sahi's rebellion surpassed almost all uprisings before and after him. Sadly, no historian has worked on him seriously. Of late, there is a sudden surge of interest in him, however. The locals have produced tracts, novels, plays, even an epic on him.

(Help received from Vaidurya Pratap Sahi, a 114th generation scion of Fateh Bahadur Sahi, his family, and Prof. Rai Murari of Patna University is acknowledged gratefully.)

The Hindu, 22nd May 2011

The famously neutral Swiss are involved, this time, in a transcontinental rescue mission to free a forgotten people. The works of great artists of India are on show till August 20 at the Museum Rietberg, Zurich.

Why are so many early Indian paintings so small as to be labelled miniatures? Would a large canvas not free up the artist, the way the novel liberates the writer to deepen plot and characters in greater detail? Why would an entire colony of authors, for instance, opt to slave over the short story? The artist Purkhu — one of our foremost photojournalists, active between 1780 and 1820 — provides an answer through a painting with an exhaustively explanatory title, Maharaja Sansar Chand of Kangra Contemplates Paintings with his Courtiers. The king and his cohorts hold in their hands illustrations of women, and the painter himself stands at a corner, clutching a striped cover that possibly contained the pictures being passed around, the way we returned from vacations and huddled with family and handed out photographs before the digital camera transformed that warm image into isolated individuals ghostlit by laptop screens at 2.00 a.m.

Closer view
This, Purkhu says, was how paintings were once viewed in courts – not by standing five feet away from a large canvas but by sitting down and poring over detail in a picture clasped in the palm. Eventually, when paintings grew bigger, a new set of questions arose. How did painters, hitherto masters of compression, grapple with the expanse of real estate in front of them? Did they anticipate the photographic technologies of the zoom and the blowup and enhance the central object without losing focus? Or did their techniques evolve? The Udaipur artist Tara provides an answer through a newfound elaborateness in the palace scenes, with facades that protrude and recede with increased vigour and perspective, and with a fresh gaze that incorporated the aerial view in addition to the frontal. In Maharana Sarup Singh Playing Holi, exuberant bands of colours (leaping across the frame like small, single-hued rainbow arcs) contrast with orderly rows of onlookers, courtly etiquette uncompromised by festivity.

For centuries, Indian art was dominated not by Purkhu or Tara but a painter also found in numerous volumes of poetry – that self-effacing gent who called himself Anonymous. The committed art scholar and the keen-eyed connoisseur might hold forth on Tara's experiments with European techniques or Sahibuddin's attempts to suggest movement within the frame, but these names were barely known to the man on the street, the way a Michelangelo or a Rembrandt is familiar to eyes and ears around the world. Indian artists left behind no records, no diaries; their art was their autobiography. But now, thanks to Eberhard Fischer, Jorrit Britschgi and their team from Museum Rietberg, Zürich, these artists are no longer anonymous. They have been resurrected in an exhibition that opened the weekend after Easter, the day that saw the resurrection of a different kind of creator, a carpenter.

The exhibition, titled The Way of the Master — The Great Artists of India, 1100–1900, resides in the museum's basement, and the descent from the brightly lit entrance above – home to the gift shop and the information desk and other accoutrements of the business of art in the present day – carries the impression of navigating a wormhole to a land that time forgot. Fittingly, the painting that greets the visitor is a reminder. Titled Self-Portrait and Portraits of Artists, its margins feature miniature portraits of the painter (Daulat) along with some of the best-known artists of his time – and in a swashbucklingly romantic gesture, Daulat's image has been isolated and enhanced into separate portrait. (The original painting, far smaller in size, hangs alongside in shame, a rebuke to any culture that fails to remember its creators.) The unheralded painter has been rescued, in other words, from the margins he was confined to, and he is now the subject of a breathtaking show that celebrates him and many others like him who toiled away at the margins of courts, in the margins of history.

The display spans from the book cover and folios from a Pala-period Pancharaksha manuscript — eighth to late twelfth century; these Buddhist palm-leaf manuscripts are among the earliest examples of Indian painting, and an early instance of art that was held in the hand and inspected — to the ethnographic portraits commissioned by Scottish brothers William and James Fraser, both civil servants with the British East India Company, fascinated by the infinite dimensions of a new country and its people. The numbers are so formidable — 800 years of Indian painting; 200 masterpieces; more than 40 artists — that the only sane recourse, on a given day, is to duck into a corner and dwell on its treasures. The corner I pick is devoted to the Kota Master C — an anonymous artist designated only by alphabet, like his compatriots A and B. The name of the painting reveals its contents, Rama, Lakshmana, and the Army of Monkeys and Bears Besiege Lanka, but not the bold colours in its form, an orange battleground bordered by red splashes of bloodshed.

Old records
Why are these artists being recognised and revered in a country so far away from the one they belonged to and in whose kings they found generous patrons? Why isn't India the largest lender of paintings to this exhibition? Why, with the exception of the distinguished art historian BN Goswamy, hasn't any Indian expert donated his time and services? Forget not originating in India, why is this exhibition not even stopping by the country, so that its people can finally claim their own Renoirs and Raphaels? These, finally, are questions that find no answers in the exhibition, which runs May 1 through August 21, 2011, after which it will travel to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A press release boasts, rightfully, “Never before has it been possible in the West to acquaint oneself with the entire history of Indian painting at a single exhibition.” They might have added, “And never, alas, in the East.”

The Hindu, 22nd May 2011

Chhau dance originated in the Purulia district of West Bengal and spread to the neighbouring areas of Patkun in Ranchi, Saraikella in Bihar and Mayurbhanj in Orissa.

Although the dance was patronised by the local rajas, it was never an exclusive royal ‘preserve’ . In fact, many of the performers are drawn from the ‘economically deprived classes’ and the dance is enjoyed by princes and paupers alike.

In Purulia, the land of its origin, Chhau dances are performed by the people, for the people — without the patronage of any particular family or individual. However, in the other areas, with the fall of the royal families, the popularity of this excellent dance form has, to an extent, declined.

Chhau is primarily a mask dance, a kind of dance-drama performed without dialogue. The masks used for the dance are made of pulp and clay by mask-makers known as sutradhars hailing from Charida, a village in Purulia district.

Like Kathakali of Kerala and Manipuri of Assam, Chhau dance is probably an ancient cultural tradition which incorporates tribal, folk and classical elements. The main characteristic of this dance is the use of masks denoting tribal gods. Folk songs like jhumur or tusu or jaoya, and episodes from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the puranas are an integral part of this dance form.

This dance is performed in the open air with the audience sitting around the performers in a circle. Generally, the performance starts at ten in the night and continues till the next morning. First, each group of musicians enters the stage, plays their instruments, sings and dances. Then the vocalists come with folded hands and sing a brief invocation to Ganesha. Finally, drummers begin to beat their drums in a frenzy and the dance begins with the appearance of Ganesha who is followed by other dancers wearing suitable masks.

Earlier, Chhau dances were performed without props. However, present day dancers use swords, shields, bows, arrows, and even mechanical devices. Colourful and attractive, it sure is a dance form that leaves the audience spellbound. Deccan Herald, 22nd May 2011

The Mandya district administration is making efforts to get a place for the temple town of Melkote in the 'World Heritage Site' list, which is recognised by Unesco.

The State government constituted the Melkote Development Authority two months ago for the overall development and conservation of the 12th century historic town, which houses two major temples and nearly 20 small temples.

The Authority, comprising 12 members including Mandya Deputy Commissioner Dr P C Jaffer, held its first meeting recently to chalk out an action plan. It was here that the idea of a place for Melkote in the 'World Heritage Site' list was conceptualised.

While Rs two crore was allocated in the previous year's budget, the government has announced an additional budget of Rs 10 crore this year, to be spent by the Authority on development work in the town.

Jaffer said presently, Rs one crore was being spent on repair works at the main temples - Cheluvanarayanaswamy temple at the foot of the hillock and Yoganarasimha temple atop the hillock. Use of plastic has already been banned in Melkote, while underground drainage work has been taken up, said Jaffer. He added that a blueprint would be prepared soon.

Historian Thailoor Venkatakrishna, who is also a member of the Authority, said the idea was to bring back the natural beauty of Melkote, for which a afforestation project has been undertaken. "Saint Ramanujacharya named the main temple Cheluvanarayanaswamy Devalaya, because of the surrounding natural beauty of Melkote. The Authority wants to recreate this environment. Efforts are on to ensure that any new house that comes up is in sync with the existing structures, so that the heritage status is maintained," said Venkatakrishna.

The historian said it was also important to protect the rocks in the town, some of which have line drawings belonging to ancient times. Archaeologists have even unearthed pots and pans which are said to be 3,000 years old. Venkatakrishna said Melkote's cultural and traditional practices, which have a heritage status, were also in need of revival. Melkote has around 76 'mantapas' and 29 'kalyanis' (tanks). The district administration has begun work on desilting these man-made ponds or tanks.

Deputy Conservator of Forests of Mandya, Vinay Kumar, said the forest department was in the process of creating various 'daivavanas' which will go by the names like 'Dharmikavana', 'Smrithivana', 'Navagrahavana' and 'Saptarishivana'. Re-plantation would be taken up on about 200 hectares in and around Melkote, where the department had identified over 200 rare and endangered floral species, some of which date back to the pre-historic times.

He said that the naked seed plants called Cycas Circinalis, endangered species like Gardenia Gummifera and the commonly used medicinal plant Boswellia Sarreta were being destroyed by constant grazing and human interference. The department will engage in natural regeneration by sowing seeds of these plants, at the same time trying to protect the soil moisture of the region.

Deccan Herald, 22nd May 2011

As we zipped down from Chennai to Puducherry on the super, high-tech East Coast Road, we passed by a mélange of eclectic tourist attractions like Artists’ Village, the Crocodile Bank, Dakshinachitra, the world renowned 'Pallava' temples of Mahabalipuram, and the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation's Boating Centres at the backwaters of Muttukkadu and Mudaliar Kuppam.

The surf breaking on endless coastline, interspersed with stretches of casuarinas groves, was a welcome relief from the amusement park and food courts along the road. Just 50 km before Puducherry, a green signboard beckoned us to the unobtrusive fishing hamlet of Kadapakkam. From the main road, we took a 3 km detour and stumbled upon Alambara Fort, an unknown treasure bequeathed by the Mughals along the Coromandel Coast.

As we reached the portals of the fort, an eerie silence greeted us for there was not a soul in sight. Images and sounds of gunshots, artillery and soldiers of a bygone era flashed across our minds, filling us with a sense of fear and wonder. The splash of the sea added to the mystery and awe of the crumbling edifice. Overlooking the breathtaking backdrop of the sea and the backwaters of many beaches that run through Mahabalipuram, the ruins of the brick and lime mortar fort are splendid to behold, with their earthy colour. The intricate steps and watch-towers conjured visions of intriguing battles fought for the supremacy of trade.

The place resonates with history and abounds in several scattered ruins of the imposing historical monuments that transport one to the glorious past, to a time when Alambara was a busy outpost for the Arcot Nawabs, before they shifted their operations to Puducherry. It was an important trading centre on the Coromandel Coast for the spice trade, enticing enterprising voyagers, seafarers, and traders from the world. It also finds a mention in Tamil literary works. We could visualise how the waterfront would have been. During 1760, the English had destroyed the 100-metre-long dockyard in front of the fort, where silk, salt, ghee and condiments were exported.

An Archeological Survey of India (ASI) board mentions that the Alambara Fort was built by the Mughals in the 18th century and served as a port in ancient Tamil Nadu. The Nawab of Carnatic, Dost Ali Khan, had commissioned its construction. The Mughals subsequently bequeathed the fort to the French, who were under the commandership of Dupleix, the Governor General of the French establishment in India during the 18th century. In 1760, the British destroyed a major portion of the fort. The tsunami of 2004 further ravaged the fort. Now, a few cannons still survive.

As I clambered the intricate steps leading to the watchtower of the fort, I thought of how majestic it appeared, with its red bricks and limestone coating, typical aspects of Mughal architecture. The view from the top of the watchtower was stunning. We could see the backwaters, fishing boats, palm trees, and other little beaches in the distance, on our left. The remnants of the fort looked like laterite cliffs with deep fissures in some, protruding into the sea. Gnarled trunks and roots of trees clung to the fort’s crumbling walls.

The vast expanse encircling the fort was beguiling and spectacular. This picturesque place is also a popular filming location. We hopped onto a fishing boat and the boatman ferried us to a shallow stretch of water where we tried our hand at some net fishing. Soon, we approached a small stretch of sand in the middle of the waters. The men docked the boat on its shores. At low tide, one can dally in knee-deep waters for hours on end and wade across to this stretch of land. We returned after spending blissful hours watching the waves playing hide-and-seek with the shore. I was tempted to run along the glistening white beach, which is uncontaminated by madding crowds. There are no shops or vendors to hassle us and the absolute solitude it guarantees is the beach’s main charm.

We watched the fishermen heading out on their boats and turning into tiny silhouettes on the horizon, their nets flying over the water. On the way back, we stopped by the fish market to buy some prawns and crabs which are sold very cheap.

The nearest airport and railway station are at Chennai to reach Alambara Fort. But the best bet is by road, 100 km from Chennai, and 50 km from Pudducherry, near Kadapakkam. One can take the East Coast Road from Chennai after driving past Mahabalipuram and look for a small green sign for ‘Kadapakkam’ on the left. From Kadapakkam, take a narrow road to the left and keep going straight till you reach the Alambara Fort.

Deccan Herald, 22nd May 2011

Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation Ltd has become the latest heritage body to help in conservation of ancient structures by deciding to hold heritage walks in the archaeologically rich zones in nine districts, including old Delhi, Mehrauli and Lodi Gardens.

One such walk was held on Saturday under the guidance of heritage consultant Dr Navina Jafa, who took visitors on a two-hour tour to explore the rich heritage of the Mehrauli Archaeological Park.

Saturday's participation was not too large because of the bad weather but some poeple turned up. The walk started at Mehrauli's flower market and then went through several historical sites like Jamali-Kamali, Balban's Tomb, Rajon ki baoli, the tomb summer house of British resident Metcalfe etc. Throughout, Dr Jafa was explaining the significance of these sites and what they represent.

The enthralled visitors had a gala time learning more about the historical sites and the rich archaeology of the park. "I've come here after 10 to 15 years and then this place was just like a jhuggi settlement. I would not have guessed there were so many important historical monuments in the park," said entrepreneur Priya Paul, one of the participants.

The walk was advertised through emails, word of mouth and social networking sites. "The Mehrauli landscape in Delhi is one of the oldest lived area of the city. Spectacular monuments and buildings index and catalogue the lived history of different communities in different times. As one of the oldest lived areas of Delhi, the space reverberates with the presence of Sufis to opulent decadent English officers, from Lodis to Mughals, from rich contemporary citizens to slum-dwellers," said an official.

According to Jafa, the way to involve people more in heritage conservation and get them to participate more in walks is all about presentation. "You have to know how to captivate the audience and understand their perspective on what would interest them in the walks. Although SRDC is relatively a new organization, we are working towards making more and more people involved in this campaign. We recently trained 165 school teachers from 200 schools to involve children more in spreading awareness."

He added: "Our second walk will now be with the locals and residents of Mehrauli. We will bring them to the Mehrauli Archaeological Park and tell them about the rich history of the place."

Times of India, 22nd May 2011

Violations

• The “Memoradum of Agreement” has no mention of the total allotted area, leave aside the details of land
• Private parties have occupied huge forest areas and built big structures, opened restaurants, bars and spa in blatant violation of the state eco-tourism policy
• The Kasauli-Shimla belt does not qualify for eco-tourism projects and 5 out of the 10 eco-tourism locations are between Shoghi and Kasuali, close to the national highway

An agreement which vaguely indicates location and does not mention the size and details of land can be at best describe as a ‘bogus document’, indicating a deep conspiracy to give away the state’s precious assets. With such a benevolent government in place there is no need to enter ‘benami’ land deals

 - Revenue Official The allotment of forest land to private parties for the 10 eco-tourism projects in violation of the Forest Conservation Act and state’s own policy is turning out to be a major scam with startling ambiguities and shortcomings in the “Memorandum of Agreement” in which even the total allotted area, leave aside the details of land as per the revenue records, has not been specified.

With no mention of land details in the agreement the private parties have occupied huge forest areas and built big structures, opened restaurants, bars and spa in blatant violation of the state eco-tourism policy.

Revenue officials maintain, “An agreement which vaguely indicates location and does not mention the size and details of land can be at best described as a ‘bogus document’, indicating a deep conspiracy to give away the state’s precious assets. With such a benevolent government in place there is no need to enter ‘benami’ land deals.”

In the “Expression of Interest” an area of approximately one hectare was mentioned, but at the Shoghi location, close to the national highway, the promoter had occupied over 2.5 hectare. Enquiries by The Tribune reveal that the land had been allotted for a meagre Rs 1.22 lakh per annum. In fact, the annual amount for the 10 projects varies from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh per annum, which is peanuts when compared to the Potter Hill project, allotted earlier, which is fetching over Rs 16 lakh. Even in the remote village of Kareri in Kangra, visited only by nomadic shepherds and trekkers, the local eco-society is earning annual revenue of Rs 48,000. Intriguingly, no reserve price for awarding the projects was fixed. One party from Nagpur bagged six out of the 10 projects.

There is an uncanny similarity in the pattern allotment of eco-tourism projects and private universities, most of which have come up in Solan district. Five out of the 10 eco-tourism locations are between Shoghi and Kasuali, close to the national highway, where the value of land is quite high. A 25,000 sq m piece of land for developing a tourist resort will cost several crores of rupees.

This is entirely against the eco-tourism policy which provides for constitution of eco-tourism societies under the divisional forest officers to promote environment-friendly activities like trekking, nature walks and mountaineering by involving the local community in the interior areas of the state where no tourism infrastructure is available. There is no mention of activities like bars, spa and restaurants and the arrangement for the stay of tourists has to be made in tents and other temporary structures. Further, the Kasauli-Shimla belt which already has hundreds of hotels, does not qualify for eco-tourism projects the objective of which is to open the unexplored inner areas to tourism without harming the environment.

In the case of Kangra Forest Rest House site, the allottee has raised ugly structures in violation of policy, whereas at the Ala site in Dalhousie the old inspection hut has been transformed into a restaurant.

The Tribune, 23rd May 2011

Controversy has flared up in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan over canal construction dividing the National Park and Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary. The construction work permitted by the State Government despite the rejection by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has now been temporarily put on hold following the intervention of Chief Secretary under pressure of the green lobby. The NBWL had twice rejected the State Government’s proposal to allow construction on the site.

This has, however, put the villagers on war path in the water-starved State. The villagers are agitating for the resumption of the work. State Chief Wildlife warden UM Sahai said, “The situation is under control and the district administration is trying to pacify the villagers”. “We have held meeting with the water resources department to discuss the issue,” he added.

But that has not pacified some members of the NBWL and wildlife experts. “In what circumstances was construction allowed in the first place despite the fact that the standing committee of National Board for Wildlife rejected the proposal twice during 2005-06 after site inspection?” They wonder.

Construction had been on April 19 after the foundation laying stone ceremony by the local MP Namo Narayan Meena, who is also Minister of State for Finance.

Expressing concern over the development, eminent tiger conservationist PK Sen based on his site visit said, “Hills on both sides form a vital corridor for movement of wild animals — with the construction of this canal entire 3-km long vital corridor will be completely lost”.

Further, when the present standing committee has not given clearance, it is gross violation of Wildlife Protection Act and Forest Conservation Act, he pointed out.

The land requirement for the proposed structure is two hectares. It is approximately 3 km long 10-12 meters in width and depth varying from 5 feet-20 feet. The NBWL members alleged that the State Government had managed to get sanction from the MoEF by wrongly referring it under the provisions of Forest Conservation Act, when the area is bordering the tiger reserve and sanctuary. “The sanction of NBWL was absolutely necessary”, they pointed out.

A senior State forest official on the condition of anonymity pointed out much hue and cry is being raised over the issue. It is not even a canal but nallah for diversion of rain water. “We had got sanction from the Regional office of the MoEF in 2008 itself. Almost 25-27 villages are expected to benefit,” he added. Member Secretary National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Dr Rajesh Gopal refused to comment on the issue.

According to conservation biologist Dharmendra Khandal working in the area, “The approval was granted by twisting the proposal and getting it cleared under Forest Appraisal Committee (FAC) when it was mandatory to bring it before the standing committee of NBWL.

:How the forest officials have given a go-ahead for this project without consulting the legal provisions and the National Tiger Conservation Authority happens to be a million dollar question,” he asks.

A member of NBWL on the condition of anonymity said, Ranthambhore National Park and Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary are crossed by large number of herbivores animals in all the seasons. Going by the depth of the canal, no animal will be able to cross the structure which may cause more deaths. “Further, it is reported that a tiger (T-30) has made its home range in Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary,” the member said.

The Pioneer, 23rd May 2011

The stone alignment at Vibhutihalli in Yadgir district was used to track annual events like solstices and equinoxes. Meera Iyer visits the site and marvels at the ingenuity of our ancestors.

As you drive down the highway from Shahpur towards Bangalore, about half a kilometre past a town called Vibhutihalli in Yadgir district, you will notice the arid brown landscape suddenly broken by a patch of green. A small and unusual grove of tamarind trees stands here. Unusual because interspersed amongst the trees are row upon row of stones, each a metre or more high. Some are right under the trees, others stand in neat lines between rows of trees. This stone grid, now hidden under the trees, once served as a calendar for the ancients.

The modern history of the Vibhutihalli stone alignment dates back to the 1850s when Capt Meadows Taylor, an administrator with the Nizam’s government, discovered this ‘curious spot’. He describes how the ground has been marked out in parallel or diagonal lines to form squares, the points of the squares being formed of large granite boulders. He presumes these boulders were rolled down from the neighbouring hills, but, “at what expense of labour, and with what patience!” Taylor speculated that the stone grid was eventually meant to hold cairns and burials, an idea strengthened by his finding of some cairns within the alignment.

But we owe our understanding of the site to N Kameswara Rao, who recently retired from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. In between publishing cutting-edge research on stellar spectra and buckyballs in space, Rao has also devoted much time to studying astronomy in ancient India.

Rao and his colleagues who investigated this stone alignment believe that Vibhutihalli’s rows of stones were used to track annual events such as solstices and equinoxes. Rao explains how if you stand facing east at dawn around an equinox, either March 21 or September 22, you will find that the rows of stones running east-west point directly to where the sun rises. You can also find positions in the alignment from where you can look along diagonal stones to predict where the sun will rise and set during the summer solstice. A point I found most interesting: during the equinox, the sun sets exactly in the dip between two hillocks that stand just across the road.

Carefully planned site

This implies that the people who set up Vibhutihalli’s alignment chose the site very carefully indeed. Rao agrees: “An enormous amount of planning and previous experience was needed to establish this site.” He believes that this was probably not the first attempt at establishing a site to monitor annual events. Corroborating this view is the fact that other alignment sites have been found in the region around north Karnataka and parts of Andhra Pradesh, many of them much smaller than Vibhutihalli. Presumably, some of these were pilot projects.

But what was the purpose of monitoring events such as solstices and equinoxes? “Tracking something that repeats, like seasons, was the basis of ancient civilisations. Survival often depended on being able to predict when the seasons would change…and it all came from keeping an eye on the sky,” explains Rao. Harvesting, sowing, hunting, moving to better pastures, moving for shelter – much of ancient humans’ lifecycles was closely tied to the changing seasons.

As he spoke, I recalled long-forgotten lessons from my school geography and biology classes. On the vernal equinox in March, day and night are about equal. Days get longer till the summer solstice in June when we have the longest day. Day length decreases once again till day and night are equal during the September equinox and then decreases some more till the winter solstice in December, when we have the shortest day. And day length matters a lot to many plants. Panicles in some varieties of sorghum, for example, form on or around the autumn equinox in September. Barley plants produce leaves at different rates depending on whether it is before or after an equinox. Clearly, the ancients had an eye on the sky but also one on the ground to observe how these changes were inter-related.

Other markers on the horizon

There are other markers on Vibhutihalli’s horizon that probably contributed to the site. Just south of the alignment site is a hillock with two distinctive pillar-shaped rocks. Stand facing these and you will find that the north-south rows of stones line up perfectly with the taller of the pillar rocks. Rao thinks it is probable that this rock was used to help line up some of the stone rows.

Perhaps there are other markers on the horizon that would help mark and monitor calendric events here. Investigating this would require a clear view of the horizon.

Unfortunately, at Vibhutihalli, the horizon can scarcely be seen because of the trees that were planted here by the Forest Department sometime in the 1970s. I couldn’t help but wonder why they chose this particular spot for afforestation. Some of the stones seem to have been moved during the planting while others have been slightly dislodged by the trees growing next to them.

‘This is how it has always been’

The ancient site is now under the aegis of the Archaeological Survey of India, which recently put up a fence around the alignment. But a Forest Department nursery continues to function inside. I chatted with some of the workers there, asking them if they knew anything about the stone grid. “We have no idea,” was the response, a view echoed by a farmer, Hanumanthappa, who added, “I just know that this is how it has always been, even in my father’s times.”

Of course, the Vibhutihalli stone alignment has been around for much longer than Hanumanthappa’s father’s times. Rao thinks it might have been established 3,400 to 3,800 years ago, during the time when our ancestors began depending more on agriculture and less on foraging for food.

As I stood looking along the rows of stones, I wondered how people would have gone about planning for this calendar in stone so many thousands of years ago. How did they organise the labour for establishing the alignment with such great care and with such staggering effort? How long did it take them? And who ‘read’ the calendars? There are no inscriptions to guide us here but perhaps archaeologists will one day uncover the secrets of the stones. Till then, I can only marvel at the ingenuity of our ancestors.

Deccan Herald, 24th May 2011

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) recently shortlisted the Western Ghats for inclusion in the World Heritage list, taking this biodiversity rich area a step closer to protection from landuse change and other developmental activities.

The 39 serial sites in the Unesco shortlist include four sites in Maharashtra (Sahyadri)—Kas Plateau, Koyna wildlife sanctuary, Chandoli national park and Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary. All the sites are rich in biodiversity and need conservation. The 39 serial sites are spread across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and TN. Jagdish Krishnaswamy, senior fellow, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment, and member of the Western Ghats natural heritage management committee constituted by the ministry of environment, told TOI the shortlisting takes these 39 sites a step closer to their inscription in the World Heritage list.

Times of India, 24th May 2011

The State is full of historical monuments, beautiful lakes, hills, jungles and beaches. The district of Kolar is no exception, even though it became smaller after the creation of Chikkaballapur district on the northern part. Kolar is a sleepy town, famous for the Sahasrashringi range of hills.

The Avani hill is about 30 km from the town on Kolar-Mulbagal route and is famous for its temples.

The main attraction of Avani is the ancient Ramalingeswara temple, built by the Cholas in the 11th century and subsequently renovated by later-day rulers. In the 16th century, it was renovated by the Vijayanagara rulers. The principal deity is that of Goddess Kamakshi. It is accompanied by a Shiva linga known as Ramalingeswara. The beautiful mantapas are added attractions of the temple. The other shrines are Lakshmaneswara, Bharateswara, Shatrughneswara, Hanumantheswara, Ganesha and Subrahmanya. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Jambubana, who was a devotee of Lord Rama. The images of ashtadikpalas (eight sentries) and saptamatrikas (seven mothers) along with Uma maheswara can be seen on the walls and the ceiling of the temple.

The 500-year-old Sharada Math was built as a branch of the famed Sringeri Sharada Peetha, established by Adi Shankara in Sringeri. The hill is a major draw for tourists. After reaching the mid-point of the hill, I saw the flat surface, smaller shrines, a beautiful mantapa and a small water body full of crystal clear water. Many trees surround those structures. The mantapas were probably built by the royalty as a place for relaxation during their tours and pilgrimages. The inscriptions on the stones narrate the history of the place, but authorities should pay serious thought to preserve these records before they are destroyed by forces of nature. Some of the inscriptions were damaged owing to quarrying undertaken in the region. The Ekantha Ramaswamy temple and the Pancha Pandava temple are also located in the vicinity. According to mythology, Pandavas visited these parts during their exile and worshipped Lord Shiva here. Mythology has it that the great epic poet Valmiki also stayed here and offered shelter to Sita in a cave and that her twins Lava and Kusha were born here. The hill here is called Valmiki parvatha. There is a Parvathi temple atop the hill. There are beautiful rock formations and depressions in the area. The myth is that these depressions were caused by the vessels used by Sita for cooking. One giant rock is called the Thottilu Gundu which is close to the Ekantha Rama temple. Other rocks here go by the names of Kuduregundu and Horalu gundu. Avani can be a major tourist destination, but the Tourism Department and the Archaeological Departments should work together to preserve the monuments and post security personnel at the place.

How to get there

Avani hill is about 95 km from Bangalore and 30 km from Kolar town. Lots of buses are available from Bangalore to Kolar and Mulbagal. The place is just 10 km before Mulbagal.

Accommodation is available only in Kolar. Mulbagal, which is nearby, is famous for its Anjaneya temple and Narasimha tirtha. Kurudamale, famous for the Ganesha temple, is also close to Avani.

Deccan Herald, 24th May 2011

In its 10 years of existence, Wikipedia, the global online encyclopedia, has amassed an archive of 18 million entries in 279 languages. It is one of the 10 most popular Web sites on the Internet.

But is the volunteer-driven data depository an endangered world cultural treasure worthy of protection, like French cuisine, the Argentine tango or the Grand Canyon?

That is the long-shot bet being made by Wikipedia, which plans to begin a global petition drive Tuesday to earn a spot on one of the world heritage lists of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

The bid, the first by a digital entity for a place on a Unesco list, will no doubt be controversial among heritage professionals advising Unesco, who tend to view online innovation as lacking the necessary effect or maturity for listing.

“Heritage professionals tend to be rather conservative types, or they wouldn’t choose this kind of occupation,” said Britta Rudolff, a heritage consultant who teaches on the subject at the Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus, Germany. “They like to play with the past, and something only a decade old is going to face challenges.”

The idea of landing Wikipedia on a Unesco world heritage list came out of Germany, where volunteers have produced 1.2 million entries, second only to the number in English. Wikipedia’s German overseer, a Berlin nonprofit called Wikimedia, proposed the idea in March to Wikipedia chapters at a global conference in the German capital.

The reception was enthusiastic, said a Wikipedia co-founder, Jimmy Wales.

“The basic idea is to recognise that Wikipedia is this amazing global cultural phenomena that has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people,” Wales said in an interview. He said the online encyclopedia had helped educate people around the world, providing a wealth of basic facts, background information and key context.

“I think Wikipedia is playing a significant role in spreading information in Iranian society at the moment,” said one Iranian college student in Germany, who is a regular contributor to Wikipedia’s Farsi content, which includes 128,000 entries. The student, who did not want to be identified for fear of government reprisal against his family, said that about 100 students accounted for the bulk of Wikipedia Farsi entries.

Similarly, in South Africa, Wikipedia is playing a role in providing free information and learning materials in schools, many of which lack the money to buy books and maintain libraries, said Charlene Foster, an organiser of Wikipedia South Africa. The group in March began generating entries in Afrikaans and Northern Sotho and will do so eventually in the country’s nine other official languages.

“South Africa and the African continent has been marginalised in terms of information and cultural value,” Foster said. “But Wikipedia is helping us with access to information for education not found in libraries.”

On a practical level, Wikipedia will have to do more than just gather signatures on a petition. Under Unesco rules, Wikipedia must find a country to sponsor its nomination to either the World Heritage or Intangible Cultural Heritage List. In the interview, Wales said he hoped that Germany would sponsor Wikipedia’s bid for the World Heritage list.

Getting nominated for the Intangible Cultural Heritage list will be more difficult. The United States and Germany are not signatories to the 2003 convention that created this list and cannot act as sponsors. But South Africa did sign on, and Foster, who lives in Johannesburg, said she was in the early stages of asking officials in the government to discuss the country’s making a bid on behalf of Wikipedia for one of the lists.

Even if Wikipedia’s South African supporters can persuade their government to nominate Wikipedia, getting selected is by no means guaranteed. Winners are selected by an intergovernmental committee of 24 countries. For the intangible heritage list, those members include Iran and Cuba.

Wikipedia is hoping to earn a place on Unesco’s most prestigious list, the World Heritage List, which so far includes only historic monuments and natural sites like the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Wall of China. Failing that, Wikipedia could aim for Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, a lesser-known directory that includes endangered traditions and practices, like flamenco.

Getting Wikipedia on either list will be an uphill battle. It will have to negotiate a complicated approval process and overcome the skeptical regard of Unesco and heritage consultants to be considered for recognition. Susan Williams, the head of external media relations at Unesco in Paris, said a bid by a digital entity like Wikipedia would be unprecedented.

“Anyone can apply,” said Williams, who added that she was not aware of Wikipedia’s plans. “But it may have difficulty fulfilling the criteria.” One of the criteria for inclusion, she said, is that the culture or practice be endangered.

She said that Wikipedia might consider applying for a third, even less known honor, the Unesco Memory of the World Register list, which recognizes valuable archive holdings and library collections. That list, however, lacks the prestige of the others, which are funded more generously and promoted more assiduously by Unesco and its member countries.

Deccan Herald, 25th May 2011

A growing glacial lake near Mt Everest is again ringing the alarm bells on melting ice in the high Himalayas that potentially threatens the water resources of several countries, including India.
The Imja glacier, close to the Mt Everest base camp in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, is a hot discussion subject among glaciologists. While satellite images confirm many glaciers in the region are retreating, Imja's story is particularly interesting.

In the archival photos of the 1950s, there was no lake, but recent photographs show a large glacial lake that's increasing in size every year. Trekking maps of the '50s too don't show the Imja glacial lake at all.