The government will organise cultural harmony conclaves to showcase the country's rich culture and arts, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Monday and also pitched for ensuring cultural harmony, which he said, protects people from religious narrow-mindedness.

"The ministry has decided to organise 'Sankritik Sauhard Samagam' (cultural harmony conclave) across the country which will showcase our culture and arts to the people," a statement quoted Naqvi as saying at a cultural event 'Shunyata', organised by India Harmony Foundation.

These conclaves will be organised at Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kolkata, Bengaluru and at other places from next year. Naqvi termed cultural harmony as the "password" of country's social harmony.

"Social harmony cannot be ensured without cultural harmony," he said.

He said India has several languages and its people follow different religious beliefs, lifestyle and food habits. Yet, the country remains united due to its cultural harmony.

"Cultural harmony not only saves us from religious narrow-mindedness and confrontation, but it also strengthens the fabric of social harmony," the Union Minister said.

Naqvi also called for making "honest efforts" to strengthen the "fabric of the nation's unity" and suggested that younger generation be made aware of India's rich cultural heritage.

Shunyata is a dance and music production by Padma Shri awardee Kathak guru Shovana Narayan and Grammy Award winning Buddhist monks of Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat, the statement said.

- http://www.news18.com/news/india/centre-to-organise-cultural-harmony-conclaves-to-counter-religious-narrow-mindedness-1307293.html, November 1, 2016

Heritage structures in Pune Camp, some nearly 200 years old and on the verge of collapse, can now hope for conservation and preservation.

Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) made public the draft of the proposed byelaws for buildings on Tuesday. For the first time, the byelaws have elaborate provisions for identifying and preserving some of the oldest structures in the cantonment, including heritage structures.These byelaws have remained mostly unchanged for the past three decades.

The proposed byelaws, drafted by the defence estates department of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), will also have individual cantonment boards framing one-third of the rules.These will depend on the unique needs of the area for the floor-space index, and other technical requirements. The defence estates department has given the responsibility to PCB to draft most of these rules for the 17 cantonments in the Southern Command's jurisdiction. Pune is as a Class I cantonment, under the Cantonments Act, 2006, and there are five cantonments in the state.

The MoD has also opened the draft byelaws to public consultations for 30 days starting on November 1. PCB officials said they plan to form a committee comprising defence estates and board officials, along with architects and town planners, who will look into suggestions from the general public in adding to or amending the proposed byelaws.

"Come 2017, the Pune Cantonment will be 200 years old. It is one of the largest cantonments in India. Along with Khadki and Dehu Road cantonments, Pune has many structures of immense worth which are culturally important. Hence we have added provisions about compiling a list of the heritage structures, with procedures on how to grade them and ways to preserve them," a se nior PCB official told TOI.

According to the draft, the decision as to whether a building will be brought under a graded heritage list will be decided upon by the chief executive officer (CEO) of the PCB, but not without the advice of a heritage conservation committee. The committee, to be appointed by either the Centre or the state, may have representatives from the state town and country planning department and the defence estates department, representatives from the Archaeological Survey of India, eminent architects, conservationists, environmentalists, historians, officials from adjoining municipal bodies. The secretary of urban development will chair the committee.

The draft states that the preservation of identified heritage buildings not owned by the board or the MoD shall depend upon the owner or lease holder.However, any modifications, including repairs, will require the board's permission and that of the heritage committee, and will be allowed depending on the grade of the structure.

The committee will also have the power to declare a heritage precinct, depending on the history and the architectural harmony of an area. The board will have powers, after public scrutiny , to incorporate separate provisions for these streets or neighbourhoods, and construction of certain kinds, such as high-rises, will be forbidden, to preserve the skyline of the area. All development in these areas has to be approved by the board and the heritage committee.

Preservation of heritage structures in the Cantonment has often been marred by lack of such provisions and red-tape.About a decade ago, at the direction of the board, the heritage preservation body INTACH, with city-based architects and conservationists, compiled a list of such structures which it assessed to be of heritage value and needed preservation. However, the board did not consider the suggestions.

City-based architects said a balance must be struck between preservation and development.

"The authorities have finally taken steps to preserve heritage structures. It is long overdue. Considering the history of the Cantonment, preservation of these structures is as much about the cultural identity of the area as it is for safety. But the authorities should be careful so as to not take polarised stances here. They must be careful to balance the preservation of heritage and yet not affect the development of the area. The fact that there are architects and town planners in this panel, and public views are being sought, will contribute to a healthy debate" architect Niranjan Garde said. He also researches into the Cantonment's architecture.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Cantt-byelaws-focus-on-heritage/articleshow/55195848.cms, November 1, 2016

The Panjab University (PU) Inter-Zonal Youth and Heritage Festival kicked off at the Government College for Girls today.

As many as 2,200 students representing about 150 colleges from Moga, Ferozpur, Fazilka, Muktsar, Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana participated in the fest.

The heritage events introduced by the Panjab University last year, have piqued the interest of students who rediscovered the joy and skill of creating old handicrafts.

The students relived the moments enjoyed by their grandparents when making of these crafts was a part of their everyday lifestyle. “Who knows about eenu, khiddo or chhiku today except for the elderly? But thanks to the introduction of heritage events at youth festivals by the university. Since last year, PU has revived old and traditional crafts when the older generation which is the treasure of the traditional knowledge and crafts, is still around. With the passing away of this older generation, the hard-learnt knowledge and skills would have faded in oblivion,” said Pawandeep Kaur, lecturer at a college, Ferozepur, who herself learnt to make paranda from an elderly woman for further teaching the art to her students.

Harmanpreet Kaur, a student of Ramgarhia Girls College, who participated in the event khiddo-making, said she never knew what khiddo was, before she participated in the youth festival earlier this year. “Only when a teacher asked who would volunteer to participate in khiddo-making event, I first heard about it. But the more I learnt about it, the more I got fascinated with our culture. It feels good to know that earlier women used to make balls for their children, all by themselves,” she said.

Another student said, “It requires skill to make a ball with simple shreds of waste cloth.”

“Though people are organising events for making artifacts from waste to conserve resources, the making of khiddo shows that this was already a part of our households,” said Vishakha Kaushal, a student from DAV College, Hoshiarpur, another student who participated in the event.

Some students said the heritage items reflected socialisation among children and it was surprising to learn that all the creations used to be environment friendly. “Be it rassa, chhiku, tokri, mitti de khidaune and other utility items, everything was made from eco-friendly material. But today, for making these things, we are use plastics and other materials which are detrimental to our environment,” said a student of MA at Government College for Girls.

“It is a shame that we are forgetting our legacy. We all need ropes, baskets and casseroles today. But our roots and the skill of making these items at homes have been forgotten. Going by the environment hazards we are causing nowadays, people will eventually have to bank upon the traditional knowledge and eco-friendly way of life. The sooner we learn from our past, the better it will be. Introduction of these heritage skills and arts at the youth festival is a good step in this direction,” she said.

- http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/crafts-revive-culture-at-pu-inter-zonal-youth-and-heritage-fest/318043.html, November 2, 2016

The Government of India’s bold, new initiative of 100 smart cities has put the need for efficient infrastructure under the scanner for the last year. The Smart Cities Mission (SCM) is nothing less than a challenge given the rapid and chaotic urban growth which has resulted in traffic congestion, air pollution, rising greenhouse gas emissions, and poor public health.

At the rate at which urbanisation is taking place, the country is also about to face substantial increase in energy demand in the next few decades which will translate into higher demand for electricity. Despite making significant strides to meet the energy requirements, the sector encounters a series of concerns like availability of fuel and its environmental impact. All this is nothing but a reflection of the fact that cities are struggling with the growing urban population.

At this stage, the government’s step to seek sustainable development and smart solutions for the future has been quite a relief. The SCM promises an inclusive development to drive economic growth. A key feature of the mission is energy management.

In the Paris Agreement last year, India had also pledged that non-fossil fuels would account for 40% of its total energy generation capacity by 2030. In this regard, utilising energy from cleaner alternatives such as gas can play a crucial role in India’s transition to a smarter future.

The importance of a cleaner fuel at this stage cannot be stressed enough. Natural gas is not only credible and a clean source of energy that can address the growing energy demands of India but it also offers a fuel option that is cheap, safe and much more efficient than other sources.

The price of natural gas at the burner tip is also lower than liquid fuels, and is likely to remain so in future. The advantages of natural gas thus extend to India's quest for energy security and cost reduction, and also its cherished ecological goals.

However, currently, the level of gas utilisation in India is less than 9% of the country’s overall energy requirements, against a world average of 24% of the overall primary energy mix. Even though the gas industry has witnessed reasonable growth in terms of demand, it has remained limited to just a few regions and states whereas large parts of country continue to struggle with basic infrastructure for its distribution.

Thus, extensive fiscal, policy and regulatory actions are required which should encourage gas production and consumption. The overall framework should provide incentives to energy users to make the transition to gas by allowing a reasonable return on investments.

A major challenge is that of taxation. Despite enormous environmental and health benefits associated with use of gas as a fuel, natural gas trade attracts higher tax rates compared to competing fuels. Thus, under the current system, delivered price of gas from the same source of supply varies considerably on account of taxation differences. For instance, the VAT rate on gas in Tamil Nadu is 4% whereas in Uttar Pradesh it is as high as 26%.

Such high tax rates render natural gas an unviable investment option. Interventions sh-ould be made to accord the status of “Goods of Special Importance” to gas under section 14 of CST Act 1956, that limits the power of states to levy tax and other incidence to a maximum of concessional rate of tax under CST, which is currently 2%. Regulatory framework An enabling policy and regulatory framework is also critical for the development of gas infrastructure. However, India unlike other countries, does not have a single Central body that is responsible for energy policy and regulatory affairs. This results in inconsistency for sub-sectors namely coal, oil, electricity and gas. The option in front of the government is to create policies that allow the right balance of fuel mix, which is to say bringing the usage of coal, liquid fuels and natural gas at par in the mix.

India will continue to grow its existing towns and smaller cities into future cities but all of this demands cognisance and inclusion of smart solutions in policy administration. There is also an urgent need to enhance the quality of life of citizens and promote eco balance. In the last two years, the government has launched various projects for urban sector such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Housing for All (Urban), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Smart Cities Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission and Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) etc.

However, ultimately there is a need for integrating these initiatives in a way that they aren’t at loggerheads with one another, making way for more holistic development. For instance, natural gas will not just help India achieve its 2030 pledge but it will also offer a long term solution to the rapidly diminishing air quality in the country.

Thus, the government should reassess how India produces and consumes energy and, toge-ther with its stakeholders, work towards a lower-carbon future. It is imperative that such sustainable solutions be at the core of smart cities development. (The writer is a Fellow at University of Sussex. He was formerly with Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi)

- http://www.deccanherald.com/content/578867/smart-energy-smart-city.html, November 2, 2016

The Bhitarkanika National Park may make it to the list of world heritage sites. The large mangrove eco-system has been nominated as one among the nine natural eco-sites of the country for the coveted tag.

A five-member delegation from International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an international organization working in the field of nature conservation, would visit Bhitarkanika on Friday to assess the eco-site.

The delegation consisting of wildlife scientists, environment specialists and eco-spot experts interacted with senior officers of the state government in presence of chief secretary Aditya Padhi on Thursday before leaving for the place. The team would assess issues relating to protection, conservation, bio-diversity, inclusiveness of the area, peoples participation, tourism potential, livelihood of the people and environmental quality. After assessment, the team would make recommendations to the world union of IUCN about its inclusion, said an officer after the meeting.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Bhitarkanika-may-get-heritage-tag/articleshow/55236380.cms, November 3, 2016

The three-day long cultural festival 'Ganga Mahotsav' celebrating rich cultural heritage of the holy city will commence from November 11 followed by the celebrations of Dev Deepawali on November 14.

According to the regional tourist officer Ravindra Mishra, the cultural extravaganza would begin at Sant Ravidas Ghat from November 11 in the presence of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Noted artists including Sivamani, Hariharan, Rajan Sajan Mishra, Nildri Kumar and Rani Khaman among others are expected to perform during the event which would continue till November 13.

Besides, folk dance performances comprising Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Lavani, Awadhi will be presented by North Central Zone Cultural Centre on the penultimate day of festival while programmes include patangbazi (kite flying competition), nauka race (boat race), marathon race and Jodi gada malkham (which involve sports activities) will begin from November 9 onwards. Along with the Ganga Mahotsav carnival, Gandhi Shilp Bazar, a 10-day national crafts fair, will also be organised from November 12 to showcase the work of craftsman from different parts of the country.

The festival of 'Dev Deepawali,' which is celebrated on the fifteenth day after Diwali, will be dedicated to the Indian Army's surgical strike this year. On this day the ghats along the Ganga will be decorated with earthen lamps.

The ghats will shine with the light of thousands of lamps lit on the ghat steps.

Diyas will also be lit on the banks of ponds and kunds on this day. Tributes will be paid to martyrs on the occasion.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Three-day-Ganga-Mahotsav-begins-from-November-11/articleshow/55215923.cms, November 3, 2016

Geology experts from the city are concerned that developing Vizag as a smart city without taking geological aspects into consideration would backfire and lead to several environmental and civic problems in the future. Therefore, a few significant geological aspects need to be considered for smart city planning.

Given the geology of Vizag, which is a diverse land with environments such as hard rocks (Pre Cambrian), marshy areas, coastal environment with geologically important red beds, ground water and natural springs, four geological aspects including coastal erosion, land use pattern, ground water and vanishing natural drainage of Vizag needs to be considered.

Professor of geology at Andhra University M Jagannadha Rao averred, "The ground water in the city is getting polluted by industries, sewerage and lack of proper infiltration of water. Along the coast from Coastal Battery to Bheemunipatnam, withdrawal of groundwater is done in an unscientific way. With the four lane roads and multi-storied apartments coming up along the coastal stretch, jet pumps are often used to withdraw the water in high magnitude, influx of sea water and contamination with salty water also takes place. Coastal area has a sensitive ecosystem and loss of aquifers would be an irreparable loss."

"What is required is installation of water meters to measure the optimum yield that can be made seasonally and usage and keep a check on wastage. But there's no department, no data, no investigation to delve into these details. It's also needed to increase the infiltration of water through sink holes or rain water harvesting. However, there's still no concrete mechanism to take care of the continuity and effectiveness of the rainwater harvesting programmes to recharge ground water and check the pollution through a proper monitoring system, which needs to be implemented," he added.

Further, land use pattern, especially encroachment of hill slopes backed by local politicians is taking a toll on the environment and ecology. Coastal erosion is another issue triggered by interference of man-made construction such as Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram Ports. Prof Rao stated, "Earlier, despite erosion, deposition of beach sand would take place by the long shore current coming from the south that would nourish the beach. But construction of ports have obstructed the long shore currents and natural replenishment of beach sand. Dredging activities to clear the port channels entails leaving the sand somewhere far off from the shores as dredging vessels can't come very close to the coast. It's here that technology should be used for a smart solution to the problem of coastal erosion and sand deprivation from the shores. Further, for a long range solution, groyne (shoreline structures or perpendicular walls to the coast), should be constructed to trap the blowing sand and enable the sand to settle within the groins and build up a new beach."

Finally, since the natural drainage system of Vizag is vanishing again due to illegal occupation and closing of water bodies, it's making the low lying areas of the city more prone to flooding in case of heavy and continuous rains. "Therefore, the need of the hour is to get hold of old maps of Vizag from the Survey of India office and re-establish the drainage system as it was prior to illegal encroachment. It's unfortunate that there are no such standard maps or record with the district and civic administration offices," added Prof Rao.

It's also recommended that voluntary organisations, NGOs, environmentalists, geoscientists from Andhra University form an official forum to monitor the situations and problems as well as progress of work and accordingly report to the government on these so that work for a smart city is carried out smoothly and without loopholes, suggested Prof Rao.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/Develop-smart-city-considering-geological-aspects/articleshow/55216700.cms, November 3, 2016

He was the dusty, forgotten god of polo, Somi Roy tells me, as we walk up steps carved into a hillside. I didn’t know that polo had a god, but we are on our way to find him and Roy, of Hun-tré!Adventures, is my guide.The shrine is modest, tucked into the hillside overlooking rolling paddy fields. Like most shrines, it smells of incense and offerings of rice and fruit. But unlike other shrines, the wall has calendar art-style photographs of horses, with cheery, inspirational messages like Each Day Be Happy. Manipuri polo is now internationally famous and Marjing, the god of polo, is all spruced up, no longer dusty or forgotten. He sits astride a winged pony surrounded by little white horse figurines. I’m told when his mount’s wings were clipped and it fell to earth, it became the Manipuri pony. In one corner hang red-and-white sticks.

“Ceremonial polo sticks,” says Roy. It turns out there’s not just a god of polo, Manipur is also the birthplace ofmodern polo or, as they call it, sagol kangjei. No wonder that in Imphal, a city devoid of ritzy malls and Western brands, there’s a US Polo Association store, right next to BM Variety Store selling deodorants, razors and chips.

Manipuri polo is now internationally famous and Marjing, the god of polo, is all spruced up, no longer dusty or forgotten. Alas, its polo timeline does not even acknowledge Manipur’s historic claim to the game. But in the sprawling greens of the ruined royal fort of Kangla, from where Manipur’s kings once ruled, I come across the world’s oldest polo ground (the Army went and built a helipad in the middle of it). These days, matches happen in the world’s oldest “living” polo ground instead, the Mapal Kangjeibung, smack in the heart of Imphal, under the watchful eyes of the Kangla-sa, half lion, half dragon, perched on top of the Shahid Minar monument. Team USPA is in town, its women playing alongside local women in the 1st Manipur Statehood Day Women’s Polo Tournament. Fashionable young men, in spotless white turbans and dhotis, hand out sesame snacks to the audience as the tasselled little ponies trot out to the field.

“Polo is from Manipur. That is why I like it,” says player Okram Ashalucky Chanu. “I would like to sacrifice my life for polo.” She’s the first polo player in her family. It was a palace sport, but there are plenty of polo-loving villages here and over 20 clubs. Ordinary people play it and go to watch it. “I’ve never been in a stadium this big, with crowds chanting my name,” marvels the USPA’s Tiamo Hudspeth. Chanu says playing with the USPA women was a dream come true. “They are so perfect, so disciplined.” Hudspeth was nervous about the language barrier, but says they “bonded in a crazy way because we love horses and we love polo”. The Manipuri girls taught her a few things too: lingba (strong), nopa (weak). “So we’d chant lingba, no nopa before our game.”

Until I landed in Imphal, the only things I knew about Manipur were its dancers with their gauzy veils and delicate, wavy movements, the dogged hunger strike of Irom Sharmila and the boxing gloves of Mary Kom. I did not know about polo, the endangered Manipuri pony, or that Manipur is the only place in India with a Japanese war memorial.

- http://www.cntraveller.in/story/wont-see-dont-see-manipur/#s-cust0, November 3, 2016

The remote village of Longwa, with Myanmar's dense forests on one side and India's rich agricultural lands on the other, is home to the fierce Konyak Naga tribe, one of the largest of 16 tribes living in the remote northeastern Indian state of Nagaland. As such, Konyak villages are situated on ridge tops, so they can easily monitor and pre-empt an enemy attack. But with time, things have changed.

A newly constructed Longwa Angh's house was recently inaugurated by Nagaland Governor P B Acharya. Former Nagaland chief minister and parliamentarian from Nagaland Neiphiu Rio who adopted Longwa village on the lines of MP model as per the guidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present on the occasion.

Longwa village is also one of the International Trade Centres set up by the Indian Government.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a guideline. And he says India belongs to the villages. Every MP must visit at least one village in a year and make it a MP model. I congratulate Rio for implementing the guidelines and shown it to the rest of the nation," said Acharya.

The Chief Angh house signifies a tri-junction of Arunachal, Nagaland and Myanmar.

"I feel proud more because the Naga masons, carpenters, they did the work day and night. And you have seen the people how happy they are in the inauguration today. Representative from Myanmar, MLA and the Anghs' and the cultural troupes from Arunachal and host of Angh and leaders have come here to celebrate," added Neiphiu Rio, Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland.

Representatives from Arunachal, Myanmar and other Naga inhabited regions witnessed the inaugural of Longwa Angh house and the guest house.

Dance troupes from Arunachal, Longwa and Myanmar enthralled the audiences.

Their presence signifies the unity amongst the Naga though they are separated by boundaries.

"It is a symbol of unity and the significance of this Angh house is the tri-junction of Arunachal, Nagaland and Myanmar. So I hope this will send a positive message that Nagas known as tribals living in villages are now recognized as the people," Rio added. Various skulls of the ancient battles are beautifully intact in each of the wooden pillar highlighting the rich heritage of ancient Konyak tribe.

Bones of buffaloes, deer, boars, hornbills and mithun-a bovine species found in northeast India and kongs and elephant tusk decorate the walls of Angh house showcasing the prizes from generations of hunting.

The Angh house consists of a huge kitchen with a firewood place in the centre signifying that the family used to gather around the fire place during council and administrative meetings.

The pillars of Angh house also showcase the characteristic of strength and unity of the people.

However, the most stand alone piece is a wooden log with a lion head shape on it that signifies the region's bravery.

Visitors are awestruck by the nature made look alike wild boar at the main entrance.

"Fifty percent of my village is in Burma and another fifty percent is in India so also, half of my house is in India and another half in Burma. However, both sides are under my control. Earlier, my people from both sides used to build my house bringing every material that is needed and cultivate my fields. I am happy that MP Saab has built an RCC house. Now my people don't have to build my house every year and therefore everybody is happy too," said Tonyei Phawang, Chief Angh of Longwa Village.

Such projects will not only help promote the rich culture and heritage of the region but will also boost development.

- http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/rich-heritage-of-nagas-are-well-intact-in-newly-inaugurated-longwa-chief-angh-s-residence-116110300129_1.html, November 3, 2016

Google has tied up with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for 360 degree virtual tour of 280-odd monuments across the country, an official of the tech giant said.

"We have a tie-up with ASI for 360 degrees virtual tour of 280 monuments across the country of which 30 are in West Bengal," Sanket Gupta, programme manager of Google Maps said today.He said ASI had given the permission to Google for creating the virtual tour, which would be available in the maps. Some of the major monuments are Taj Mahal, Victoria Memorial and the ruins of Hampi, he said, adding eight were from Kolkata. He said Google has launched an array of products in India like offline view of maps, live traffic alerts and inclusion of unknown places on the maps by local guides.

Asked about Google Street View, Mr Gupta said that authorities at the central and state levels were denying permission."In India we are trying to work with the state and central levels for allowing Street View," he said, adding neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had allowed the same. Mr Gupta said one billion people across the globe were using Google maps and India was among the top five.

- http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/google-archaeological-survey-of-india-deal-for-virtual-tour-of-280-monuments-1621111, November 3, 2016

Biate is one of the oldest tribe mainly inhabiting East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya and Dima Hasao, Assam and parts of Mizoram. A few speakers are also found in the state of Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. According to the 2001 census of India there were 20,000 speakers of the language in the Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya.

## They have old history with rich culture, literature and language. However, as per the UNESCO deification, the Biate language is put as ‘Definitely Endangered Language.’ Their language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family.

## The term Biate comes from the word Bia-te. The word ‘Bia’ or ‘Biak’ means ‘speak’ or ‘worship’. ‘Te’ is a suffix denoting plurality. Hence, the two words combine to form the word Biate, which means worshipper.

## Other tribes are called by different names. The Thados call them ‘Beite’ the Bengalis and other plain tribes call them ‘Baite’, the Dimasa Kacharis call them ‘Bedesa’ and the Khasis call them Hadem.

## They are believed to have originated from a place called Khurpui or great cave. The ancient home of the Biates is also known as Sinlung (Sinlung means the core of Sin or cave close with stone) supposedly believed to be the Qin dynasty ruled by Qin Shi Huang. According to Rev Remsiama Ngamlai, the Biates are victims of cultural, political and economic marginalization and of globalization and neocolonialism which put them as an ‘Endangered Language. Their language is at risk of failing out of use as its speakers die out or shift to speaking another language. Definitely Endangered: Children not speaking the language.

- http://thenortheasttoday.com/facts-about-the-biate-tribe-of-meghalaya-assam-and-their-endangered-language/, November 4, 2016

In 1984, UNESCO had declared the Sun Temple at Konark in Odisha as a World Heritage Site.

A two-member technical evaluation mission team of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), deputed by UNESCO, visited the Bhitarkanika National Park on Friday.

The visit is to perform field assessment of the unique mangrove ecosystem of the park, which figured on the tentative list of future heritage sites of UNESCO in 2009 and made its way to the final list in 2014. The national park presently figures in the listed of protected wetlands under the Ramsar Convention.

The Odisha government had submitted a dossier, compiled by Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India, recommending to UNESCO that the park be declared a World Heritage Site.

In 1984, UNESCO had declared the Sun Temple at Konark in Odisha as a World Heritage Site.

“We hope Bhitarkanika gets the tag on merit and the visit of IUCN team is a move towards this direction. This will enable the park to get more funding from the government and international agencies and will also attract more tourists,” said Bimal Prasanna Acharya, divisional forest officer, Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division.

Mr. Acharya said the local economy would receive a boost if the park was declared a heritage site.

M. Doak and Remco van Merm, members of the IUCN technical evaluation team, said, “The dossier provided to us by Odisha government has presented graphic details of Bhitarkanika’s rich flora and fauna along with its unique mangrove ecosystem. We are visiting today and would stay here for four days to assess the biodiversity.”

The team interacted with local residents living on the fringes of the forest area. The team plans to tour the core area of the national park and the surrounding water bodies. Wheelers’ Island and the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary are also on the itinerary. The biodiversity, ecosystem and local human habitation and socio-economic condition of locals and their dependence on forest produce will be assessed.

Bhitarkanika is a unique ecosystem, highly dynamic and at the same time fragile. The delta, the river mouth, the sea, mangrove forest, avian fauna, reptiles, amphibians and fauna and flora contribute to the park’s biological diversity.

In 1974, the Ministry of Forests, in collaboration with UNDP, had started a crocodile hatchery project at Dangmal in the park. The crocodile population in the park has increased from 96 in 1974 to 1,665 this January.

- http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/global-conservation-team-visits-odishas-bhitarkanika-park/article9306364.ece, November 4, 2016

Mud huts on the campus of Sanskriti, the regional head office of the Hazaribag chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), are soon going to disappear from public view. The huts, that showcased the exquisite Khovar and Sohrai paintings of the tribals, are being walled off as the property is going under the hammer.

Founder-curator Bulu Imam is running from pillar to post to save the priceless works of art. The paintings were effected by tribal women, who are members of the Tribal Women Artists Cooperative (TWAC). Recently, a part of the property was sold by its owner, Bulu's father Tutu Imam. The new owners have raised a boundary wall screening the huts from public view. Sanskriti, as the name suggests, has on display hundreds of pieces of tribal art, artefacts and a collection of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic tools in the museum. Scholars from all over the world have been visiting the heritage gallery. More than 40 students from foreign universities have completed their doctoral research from this centre.

In an effort to preserve the museum and tribal art, Bulu started a campaign and got more than 350 signatures for an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to save tribal heritage. Leading experts in the field of philosophy, religion, art and culture have expressed their solidarity with the cause. Director, Gossner Mission, Berlin, Christian Reiser, in his letter addressed to chief minister Raghubar Das has reminded him how the GEL Church was one among the first settlers in Chhotanagpur and worked for the uplift of tribals in Jharkhand. He has asked the state government to ensure that Sanskriti is protected. That apart, the Maharaja of Jodhpur and the state convener for INTACH in Rajasthan Gajsingh has written a separate letter to the chief minister. Retired professor of Indian religion, philosophy and history at the University of Sapienza in Rome, has also appealed to the Prime Minister. Noted architect-photographer from Berlin, Deidi Von Schewen, who has worked closely with tribal artists of Hazaribag for her photography project which is being exhibited in Paris currently, has made similar appeals.

MP and Union minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha has assured Bulu the museum would be preserved.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Global-plea-to-save-tribal-heritage/articleshow/55271305.cms, November 4, 2016

The fast shifting of the course of the Ganga and premature death of various water bodies in the city during the last four to five decades would compel most Chhath devotees to dig in makeshift ponds or tanks in their courtyards or on terraces for offering 'arghya' to the setting and rising Sun. Earlier, there were ponds and ditches all over the city, constituting all important water buffer. But, most of the surface water bodies have either been reduced to sewage and waste disposal dumps or overtaken by human settlements. Poor management of these water bodies, increasing population and growing demand for human settlements have pushed these precious devices of maintaining ecological balance to a premature death.

Old-timers recall that Netaji Subhas Park on the southeastern side of Gandhi Maidan, Indira Gandhi Planetarium near the Kotwali police station, Vaishali cinema below the Rajendra Nagar overbridge, AG office near Sultan Palace on Beerchand Patel Path, and the entire Saidpur complex of Patna University behind Moin-ul Haq Stadium are all sites of 'dead water bodies'.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Need-to-revive-dead-water-bodies-for-Chhath-ecobalance/articleshow/55251809.cms, November 5, 2016

The two-day Khandesh Sahitya Sanskruti Mahotsav that began on Thursday offered a treat to citizens speaking the 'Ahirani' dialect of the Marathi language.

Literature, culture and the folk art of the state's 'Khandesh' region were celebrated in the festival organised by the Khandesh Ahirani Kasturi Manch. The event is the first of its kind.

Valmik Mahale Kunzarkar the district president of the organizing committee, said that the festival aimed to spread awareness of the rich history of Khandesh and the literary heritage of the Ahirani dialect.

"It is a major dialect in Marathi and was originally spoken by the Ahirs or cattle herders living in the Khandesh region. Ahirani branches out into region-specific sub-dialects which differ from Chalisgaon, Dhule, Malegaon and Jalgaon. It is also spoken in some parts of Nashik like Baglan, Malegaon and Kalwan tehsils as well as Aurangabad. Apart from Maharashtra, neighbouring states of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh speak the dialect as well."

Deepak Saindane the organising committee's executive president said that research on Ahirani revealed that the dialect is spoken in the Dharni tehsil of the Amravati district, around the Melghat Tiger Reserve forest area. "There are around 35,000 speakers of this dialect in 40 villages of Vidarbha as well. We want to raise awareness about this dialect in such a way that state-level events are organized annually," he said.

The event began with welcome songs in Ahirani, followed by a traditional 'Bhilavu' folk dance. A formal inaugural function was held on Thursday afternoon, where industrialist Umesh Rathi and senior journalist Uttam Kamble were the chief guests. MLA Balasaheb Sanap, Mayor Ashok Murtadak and other speakers made it a point to speak at least few lines in Ahirani during the inaugural function. Ahirani stand-up comedian Vijay Pawar's performance received an overwhelming response the same day.

The latter half of the day was dedicated to folk songs in the Ahirani dialect. "Women artists from various parts of the Khandesh region performed traditional Ahirani folk songs. We also organised a quiz contest on Ahirani idioms and phrases. The audience participated enthusiastically and won many prizes," event coordinator, Prasad Deshmukh, said. An Ahirani poetry summit was later organised in the evening session.

On Friday, artist Pravin Mali presented his popular Ahirani one-act play 'Sakhyan Ayat Poyat'. Theatre artist Sanjay Bhadane also presented an Ahirani play. A panel discussion on the rich culture of Khandesh was organised in the afternoon session. A musical event by Lokshahir Shivaji Patil and a multilingual poetry meet were scheduled in the evening session on Friday. The festival ended with Khandeshi folk dances presented by dance groups from the city.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nashik/Cultural-festival-recalls-rich-heritage-of-Khandesh/articleshow/55256149.cms, November 5, 2016

Bhubaneswar has become the first Indian city selected as one of the finalists to compete for the World Smart City Awards at Barcelona later this month. The Odisha capital had topped among the first batch of 20 cities that were selected to be developed as smart city, which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship programme. According to urban development ministry sources, Bhubaneswar had submitted its proposal to the evaluating committee of the World Smart City Awards organised by Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC). "Any Indian city being finalist is itself a big achievement since the smart city scheme was launched only a year ago. Developing 100 smart cities is a big task. Recognition of the efforts being made by Indian cities at global level will encourage other cities to do better," a ministry official said. He added the Bhubaneswar team will have to make a presentation before the jury for getting an award.

World Smart City Awards were established in order to identify cities, projects and innovative ideas in line with nurturing sustainable urban development. The official portal of the SCEWC said hundreds of proposals are received from key smart city players from around the globe and the aim of these awards is "to recognize, promote and support innovative solutions or strategies that can potentially change citizen's lives by increasing efficiency, generating business and improving quality of life."

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Bhubaneswar-in-race-for-World-Smart-City-awards/articleshow/55266019.cms, November 5, 2016

Tribal women of Hazaribag, who have been traditionally painting their mud houses, have little idea that their day-to-day activity is being acknowledged as a great work of art by the international community.

The Khovar and Sohrai paintings on the mud walls of houses in tribal villages are getting accolades in IE space Callot art gallery in Paris after they were captured by renowned architecture photographer Deidi Von Schaewen, a Germany-born fine arts graduate now settled in Paris.

Deidi, who is a photographic collaborator with Taschen Publishing and has to her credit a series of photographic exhibitions, visited Hazaribag four times in the past few years to photograph tribal wall paintings. During her visit to the tribal villages in Hazaribag, she photographed the mud houses of "Sanskriti"-centre for preservation of tribal art and culture and a museum owned and maintained by BuluImam, convenor of Hazaribag chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach).

Imam said the tribal wall paintings have been photographed several times by different lensmens but Deidi has presented them in a completely new perspective. "All the wall paintings have been reproduced as photographs in their real scale and size, making it a 3-D photographic exhibition," he said explaining that the entire hut has been recreated virtually in the Paris art gallery.

The mud houses in Hazaribag were initially painted by women of the family but it got a huge exposure after Imam copied them on canvas and organised painting exhibitions through Tribal Women Artists Cooperative (TWAC). Later several tribal women from Hazaribag travelled to many countries to participate in the live workshops and exhibitions.

"The Paris exhibition is an amalgamation of age old tribal art and modern photography in which Deidi has highlighted the mud houses of Sanskriti and some of the remote villages as well in real scale," Imam said. The exhibition that began on October 6 is concluding on November 26 and has witnessed a huge footfall including some of the world famous art lovers. On Tuesday Jean Hubert Martin, leading art historian and curator of international exhibitions would be attending the exhibition to participate in a debate titled "Women painters of Hazaribag, painted houses in India and Africa a living tradition".

Deidi said that the idea is to bring to the notice of world that several tribal art forms are indicators of continuity of history, irrespective of geographic boundary. "In course of photography we have noticed that there is similarity in tribal art form across globe and it needs to be studied closely," she said.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Hazaribags-tribal-wall-art-at-Paris-exhibition/articleshow/55271304.cms, November 6, 2016

INLAND Waterways of India has identified three rivers in Nagaland as national waterways and proposed the State government to constitute State Inland Waterways Board.

This was informed by Co-chairman of Kohima District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committees (DDCMC) also known as DISHA Committee and Rajya Sabha MP KG Kenye during its 3rd quarterly meeting on November 4 in the DC’s conference hall in the presence of Social Welfare minister Kiyanilie Peseyie and the Deputy Commissioner, Kohima, Rovilatuo Mor.

Addressing the members, Kenye said under Jal Marg Vikash Project (Inland Water Ways), Inland Waterways of India has identified Tizu, Dhansiri and Doyang rivers in Nagaland as National Waterways. He also informed that Tizu river has been recently identified to be taken up as Super Waterways by the Government of India. In this regard, he said Inland Waterways of India had proposed the State government to constitute State Inland Waterways Board. He expressed optimism that a dedicated Board would be constituted for further necessary actions.

Kenye, who also chaired the meeting, said the district DISHA committee was considered an important committee at the Ministry level, which reviews the progress report of flagship programmes under the Ministry of Rural Development implemented by various development departments in the State.

The house discussed on implementation of flagship programmes by various departments in the district level. The programmes included MGNREGA; Din Dayal Antodhya Yojana Nation Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – GRAMIN under Rural Development Department; National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) under Social Welfare Department; Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Swachh Bharat Mission (GRAMIN) and National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) under PHE Department; Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)- Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) under Land Resource Department; Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) under Power Department; Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Smart City Mission under Urban Development Departmen; Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana under Agriculture Department; Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyan (SSA) and Mid Day Meal Scheme under School Education Department; Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana under district administration; and CRF under PWD (R&B), Kohima.

Meanwhile, the house also decided to ask the following concerned departments to submit status reports at the earliest and also to attend the DISHA meetings for clarifications. They are Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) under Roads and Bridges Department; Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Housing for all-urban) and National Heritage City Development & Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) under Urban Development Department; Digital India- Land Record Modernisation Programme (NLRMP) under Land Records and Survey Department; National Health Mission under Health & Family Welfare Department; Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) under Social Welfare Department; Digital India -Public Internet Access programme-Providing Common Service Centre in Each Gram Panchayat under Information & Technology Department. The meeting also decided to issue strong letter to those members who fails to attend the meeting. Deputy Commissioner and Member Secretary DISHA Committee also requested the concerned departments to submit their quarterly reports in a standard reporting format based on the programme being implemented by the respective departments. He informed that the next quarterly meeting will be held in the third week of January 2017.

- http://www.easternmirrornagaland.com/three-rivers-in-nagaland-identified-as-national-waterways/, November 6, 2016

JAIPUR: Twenty-two-year-old Shankar Saini's pencil sketches might probably be the only proof to the grandeur of the once-popular but now non-existent havelis of Nawalgarh. The post graduate from Nawalgarh, who is gravely concerned about the traditional homes being brought down, has become an artist activist in a way. The 18th and 19th century Marwari frescoed havelis of Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Churu that the merchants built painstakingly over the years, ironically, are giving way for the malls. Shankar has sketched five havelis with the minutest details that were brought down in the last eight months. Looking at the trend, he aims to sketch all the havelis of the region for their architectural idiosyncrasies as a remembrance of the times gone by and create awareness about the invaluable heritage which is a major tourist attraction. "Most of the havelis in the region are giving way to malls as they are becoming white elephants for the merchants who have all migrated to Kolkata and other parts of the country. Looking at the commercial viability of the land, some merchants have sold these architectural marvels. While most of the architectural elements are used for renaissance architectural elsewhere, the land is being used to construct malls. In the recent past, Jhunjhunuwalon ki Haveli, Jaipuriya and Chaar havelis have been brought down. It takes me five minutes to sketch so as soon as I noticed they were being brought down, I sketched theses havelis," said Shankar.

That was just the beginning. Now Shankar plans to sketch all the havelis as a record of what once was the rich heritage of the region, known across the globe as the open art gallery of fascinating frescoed havelis. "Generally they begin demolition inside behind shut gates and keep the front facade for the last. Since, there's not much that can be done to stop the havelis from being brought down, I hope my sketches will create awareness and help us retain our rich heritage," he said.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Frescoed-Shekhawati-Havelis-make-way-for-malls/articleshow/55291858.cms, November 7, 2016

Swell, a six-day exhibition of paintings and sculptures reflecting various moments persuading one to rise above or extend beyond the level of mainstream surrounding and its happenings through the elements of nature, began here today.

The exhibits, by artists Somnath Chakraborty and Chandranath Das, are a union of sculpturing and paintings depicting different aspects and creating wondrous scenes inspired by the beckoning of the hills, its ambiance and people portrayed through paintings as well as sculptures of human figure which play out everyday encounters between man and the world which surrounds him.

Noted film actor and director Rahul Bose and legendary mountaineer Colonel Gulshan Chadha, former principal of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling and present Director of National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (NIMAS), Arunachal Pradesh, will be present at the exhibition on November 11. According to Das, who has a Master and Research degree (AMA) in Cultural Heritage & Restoration from UK and Italy, his paintings have been exhibited at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, National Library in Kolkata, besides various other places in India and abroad.

Chakraborty, who resides in Kolkata, is a renowned sculptor. His collections have also been displayed in India and abroad. He got his degree in fine arts from Govt College of Art, Kolkata. PTI GK AMS

- http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/paintings-sculptures-showcase-nature-at-swell-exhibition/1/804510.html, November 7, 2016

Bird lovers in the city now have a reason to rejoice as migratory birds have kept their winter date with Indore this year.

However, the absence of huge flocks of Rosy starling birds, which usually mark the arrival of other avian species, has become a concern for them.

"Rosy starling birds come in huge flocks. They usually kick start the arrival of other birds in the region. This time they are missing," said Ajar Gadikar, ornithologist. Though the arrival of birds this year till now is lesser and slower than last year, experts are of the opinion that this number will go up in time. "We have had good rains this year, the low temperature is also expected to be suitable for them," Gadikar said while talking to TOI.

Around 30,000 birds are expected to come by December to spend the winter days here till February next year. As temperatures continue to drop and snowfall starts in the Himalayas, the arrival of migratory birds will be more evident. Migratory birds travel thousands of kms from their breeding grounds in huge flocks to escape the harsh temperatures there.

A number of duck species come to shallow ponds and lakes that have abundant floating, emergent and fringing vegetation. They are also attracted to open spaces with a lot of grass, like swampy meadows, flooded fields, and shallow freshwater marshes - which the outskirts of the city has an abundance of.

The number of birds has decreased in the last couple of years due to scanty rainfall and unfavourable weather conditions. While bird lovers can expect to spot birds at small and big water bodies in the city, trends in recent years have shown they prefer water bodies on the outskirts.

Experts say this is due to increased human interference at all natural water bodies.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/Migratory-birds-keep-winter-date-in-Indore/articleshow/55305370.cms, November 7, 2016

Pazhayar, a major river flowing in Kanniyakumari district and source of irrigation for farmers in its vicinity has become polluted due to the draining of sewage and unmindful dumping of garbage.

The worst stretch is between Ozhuginasery flyover and Suchindram as drainage is being let into it. This has resulted growth of weeds such as water Hyacinth and it blocks the free flow of water.

Pollution has prevented people living on its banks from using the river for their personal chores.

The Nagercoil Chapter of INTACH has begun an initiative to clean the river with the cooperation of civil society, said its Convener R.S. Lal Mohan.

Over 30 volunteers from Bhairavi Foundation, Aam Aadmi Party and Consumer Protection Centre have lent a helping hand to clean the river for about a kilometre from Suchindram Bridge to Ozhuginasery flyover, Dr. Lal Mohan said.

He added that the cleaning process would be carried out every Sunday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Protected areas (PA) are important for large animals, including top predators like tiger, and should not be degazetted, a new study has said. Protected areas (PA) are important for large animals, including top predators like tiger, and should not be degazetted, a new study has said. The study, based on transect surveys across four independent sites in the Kameng Protected Area Complex in Arunachal Pradesh, also advocates the significance of community-managed lands which can compliment protected area network. To shed light on the biodiversity value that each PA and community managed land sustains, a team led by field biologist Nandini Velho carried out the surveys in the largest contiguous block of forests in the Eastern Himalaya Global Biodiversity Hotspot.

“Protected areas in general are important for large-bodied species but community-managed lands can play an important role, too, and perhaps compliment the protected area network,” Velho, the lead author, told IANS via email. Velho works with the Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, in Australia. Arunachal Pradesh, in northeast India, harbours two global biodiversity hotspots, and has the second-highest level of biodiversity globally, after the northern Andes. The scientists sampled community-managed lands belonging to four tribes — Nyishi, Aka, Begun and Shertukpen — from August 2011 to April 2014. The work centred on lower and higher reaches of Pakke Tiger Reserve, Sessa Orchid Sanctuary, Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjacent community-managed lands of these four tribes. “Barking deer, porcupines, small carnivores, and pheasants were frequently encountered on transects in community-managed lands. Elephant, sambar, gaur, and barking deer were frequently encountered in Protected Areas sites, except for Sessa Orchid Sanctuary,” the study notes. While drawing comparisons between formally PAs versus adjacent community-managed lands with regards to nurturing biodiversity, the team discovered that on a site-specific basis “community managed lands can be as good as PAs” and hold “great biodiversity potential”. “Their value should be recognised and they should not be converted to less biodiversity friendly land-use types such as promoting monocultures like rubber and oil palm plantations,” Velho suggested. Published in the journal Land in October, the study is co-authored by Rachakonda Sreekar from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, and the James Cook University’s F. Laurance.

Though the decline in important mammal species, such as tiger, is impacted by socioeconomic changes and institutional inadequacies, “the landscape is dotted with hope”, Velho said. Velho points to the degazettement and the challenges protected areas in India are currently facing: the Panna Tiger Reserve where the Ken-Betwa irrigiation project stands to submerge parts of this reserve.

“On the other hand, there is a need for the government to chart out a policy as a start, in at least acknowledging that areas outside PAs are important for biodiversity and changing land-use patterns for monocultures and industrial purposes should be subject to the same rigour and analysis as those of protected areas,” she added.

- http://www.india.com/whatever/protected-areas-important-for-large-animals-says-study-1635617/, November 8, 2016

India is a land known for its countless religious festivals and rites. Unfortunately, a majority of the rituals are proving to be harmful for the environment. There are several photographs making rounds on social media that show the river Yamuna layered by a thick coating of toxic froth. The froth reflects the alarming levels of toxicity present in the water. It’s a result of the untreated sewage and chemical waste that’s discharged from countless industries into the river.

What’s equally disturbing is that during Chhath Puja (a festival that worships the Hindu sun god, Surya), scores of devotees unflinchingly immerse themselves waist-deep into the waters of the Yamuna. Holy bathing in a natural water body (along with fasting and abstaining oneself from drinking water) is among the many rituals performed during the festival. Of late, concerns relating to the rising levels of polluted particles in the Yamuna have made international news. Dipping into the polluted waters is like extending an open invitation to an array of diseases from skin and eye infections to even cancer in extreme cases. Regardless of the health concerns though, worshippers in the Capital continue to make a beeline towards the various Yamuna ghats – some specially constructed for Chhath – to show their undying devotion to the Sun god.

This underlines how deep-rooted our religious practices and belief systems are. That believers would go to extreme lengths to convey the strength of their faith – heedless of the impending harm that such an action may have on their health and even life.

In Varanasi, for example, it is an age-old belief that a Hindu can only attain moksha (liberation from the spiral of birth and death) if he/she is cremated at either Manikarnika ghat or Raja Harish Chandra ghat. The conditions at these open cremation grounds, however, are deplorable. Thousands of corpses are burned there every day amidst a background of discarded bamboo biers, filth, cow dung, abandoned plastic bags and human waste. The ashes from the cremation grounds are then thrown into the ‘holy’ Ganga.

Today, the river is among the top most polluted rivers in the world. Experts claim that its water carries more than 3,000 million litres of sewage. Would that stop you from taking a dip in it? For thousands of locals and pilgrims in Varanasi who religiously bathe in revered waters of the Ganga, the answer is no.

Festivals like Durga Puja and Ganesh Chaturthi are also popular among Hindus. Both festivals involve worshiping idols of Goddess Durga and Ganesha, respectively, for weeks before the idols are immersed into natural water bodies.Many of these idols however, are made of non-biodegradable materials like plaster of Paris. The issue of immersion of these idols which are harmful for the environment, therefore, has been a contentious one, however people continue to submerge idols undaunted.

India is a land known for its countless religious festivals and rites. Unfortunately, a majority of the rituals are proving to be harmful for the environment, which are bound to have a negative impact on us as well. But, who is willing to challenge tradition?

- http://www.india.com/whatever/protected-areas-important-for-large-animals-says-study-1635617/, November 8, 2016

Roping in students to clean monuments offers certain advantages to heritage conservation. Academics and archaeologists discovered this after a decaying fort, two caves and a quaint temple were left fairly spruced up recently.

The state department of archives and archaeology (DAA) has 51 monuments and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has 21 under its charge for conservation. After an intense four-month monsoon season, both organizations find clearing vegetation around heritage sites a tough proposition, sources said. So far, the DAA has restored a few monuments, but help from two units of National Service Scheme (NSS) has further boosted its conservation agenda. DAA officials are hoping it will inspire some of the 20 general stream colleges and 96 higher secondaries in Goa.

"Through each student, we can reach at least three persons in the family. As more people are informed on heritage matters, the impact is greater and will last longer," Varad Sabnis, assistant superintending archaeologist, DAA, said.

Thirty students of the NSS unit of Government College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Khandola, cleaned up the centuries-old man-made caves at Khandepar, another 9th-10th century cave at Ishwarbhat, and the laterite stone Saptakoteshwar temple, all in Ponda taluka recently. In less than two days, they cleared weeds, bushes and plastic litter. The students are happy, as they visited the cave for the first time and received sensitization lesson on heritage matters from DAA officers," said Sitaram Sukhtankar, NSS unit coordinator.

On the other side of the Mandovi catchment, 80 students of NSS unit of St Xavier's higher secondary school, Mapusa, restored the 17th century Corjuem fort.

"Our students had seen only Chapora and Fort Aguada and the visit to Corjuem fort in Aldona was an educative experience for them," said Nirmala Barretto, NSS coordinator.

But conservation is a continuous process. "Tourists often dirty and vandalize heritage sites and we have to carry forward the preservation work," said Sukhtankar.

DAA officials hope students become active protectors of heritage assets. People should also be encouraged to visit restored monuments. "It would be beautiful, for instance, to hold a concert at Corjuem fort," said Barretto.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Students-to-the-rescue-of-unloved-monuments/articleshow/55299984.cms, November 8, 2016

As the capital battles one of its worst ever environmental crises in the recent decades, politicians and policymakers are getting ready for yet another round of climate change talks in far-off Morocco. We will once again hear homilies on the need for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, undertaking mitigation and adaptation measures, technology transfer and additional financial resources for poor countries. While this process has been going on, with all its twists and turns, climate change impacts are being felt in the most vulnerable and ecologically fragile areas like the mountains and coastal areas. The need is to recognise these changes and start taking adaptive measures to help local communities face the vagaries of climate change. The first step towards preparing ourselves for climate change is to recognise the signals of this change which are already being felt. At the global, regional and national levels, various projections have been made about changes in parameters like temperature, sea level and so on. The evidence about such factors is still evolving (building up) and the picture gets clearer with every new research study. In the mountainous regions, which are the most vulnerable to climate change, the micro-level picture is already worrisome. For instance, research has revealed that the average temperature in Almora, Uttarakhand has risen by 0.46 degrees in the past 53 years. Another indicator of climate change is the change in rainfall patterns, particularly winter rains which are crucial for agriculture in the hills. Almora now is receiving 23 per cent less annual rainfall as compared to the average of the past 53 years, and the average rainfall duration is also decreasing, according to data compiled by the Uttarakhand State Council of Science and Technology. Other indicators from the upper Himalayas - shrinking of snow cover area, steadily receding glaciers, glacial-fed rivers not being sourced from glaciers anymore, increasing size of glacial lakes, the shifting of the vegetation line."All these are significant changes being observed in the state, and the time has come for us to prepare our communities for new realities," points out Dr Rajendra Dobhal, director general of the council."These are disruptive changes and we must get ready with solutions for adaptation," feels Dr Pitambar Prasad Dhyani, director of the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development in Almora. The institute is helping communities in the Himalayan states cope with climate change with innovative technologies like cost-effective polyhouses, in which green vegetables can be grown throughout the year, water harvesting and weed composting, that can help farmers withstand vagaries of changing climatic patterns. Besides being climate resilient, such technologies can also add to the income of the poor.Similarly, the Vivekananda Institute for Hill Agriculture Research, also in Almora, is developing farm technologies to help hill farmers withstand climate variability."A combination of traditional knowledge and scientific inputs can provide solutions to the challenge of climate change in the hills," says Dr Arunava Pattanayak, director of the Vivekananda Institute.While climate diplomats and policymakers grapple with the intricacies of treaties and protocols, it is time to wake up to the challenge at local level and start preparing ourselves.

- http://www.dailyo.in/politics/delhi-toxic-smog-pollution-rainfall-climate-change-uttarakhand/story/1/13890.html, November 8, 2016

Udaipur is one of the India’s most beautiful and interesting cities. Known as the City of Lakes and the Venice of the East, the city, in India’s north west state of Rajasthan, is steeped in riveting history and glamour having played host to visits by the Queen and Jackie Onassis as well as being the setting for the James Bond film Octopussy. For the discerning British tourist seeking breath-taking scenery, spell-binding palaces, world-class museums and elegant traces of the British Raj Udaipur ranks with the Taj Mahal as one of India’s must-see destinations. IndiaGBnews.com’s Ben Pinnington visited the city and met with, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, 76th Custodian of the oldest serving royal dynasty in the world, who is carefully curating the City Palace his ancestors built over 400 years, turning it into the ultimate living heritage experience. “Heritage is the pivot of Udaipur’s economic future,” Arvind Singh Mewar, tells IndiaGBnews in an exclusive interview in his study in the Shambu Niwas Palace within the towering City Palace sitting on the edge of Lake Pichola. His voice is deep and sonorous and he chooses his words carefully pausing to give considered answers and expecting thoughtful responses. The Maharana, also known as Shriji, strikes one as a shrewd listener. Over the course of two conversations the Maharana that emerges is serious and business like, it is also possible to detect a guarded passion and drive to leave a legacy, an important consideration when reading the achievements of his ancestors like the energetic Kumbha (r. 1433-1468 AD) who built 32 fortresses including the immense must-see Kumbhalgarh. The Maharana has studied hospitality around the world as he sought to develop Udaipur’s offering from Chicago to Manchester, UK even spending a spell as a ‘struggling opening batsman’ for Lancashire 2nd XI at Old Trafford.

But like the Queen he is effectively the CEO of the Mewar Royal Family, protector of its legacy for future generations. It is a custodian role which demands deep respect from visitors as we learn it is the spiritual duty of the Maharanas of Mewar dating back 1500 years and one which virtually all have had to fight for with foes ranging from the Moghuls and Akbar to Indira Gandhi.

“Heritage and our City Palace Museum can provide a direction and role model for the conservation of India’s iconic architecture, paintings, textiles, photographs, sculpture,” he says. “The potential of the museum is limitless across the arts, education and spirituality.

We are the primary driving force behind Udaipur shaping its development as a city of excellence. We can take it to another level, acting as the tourism entrance point for the city and the area.

We are under continuous development seeking ways to make our experience and collections better. The last 50 years have seen Udaipur firmly place itself as a heritage city on the global map.

We are now reinventing ourselves for the future. The potential of the City Palace Museum is greater than any hospitality or commercial venture, therefore we have to raise awareness of the Museum to bring people to Udaipur.”

Shriji’s vision is working judging from the numbers, with 900,000 visitors in 2015 enabling the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) and HRH Group of Hotels in total to employ 1500 people making it a prime employer.

More widely the City Palace and its awesome museum, which date back to the 16th Century, has become the focal point for the Udaipur economy drawing in tourists from all over the world. And during our stay we see crowds of Indian school children all eager to learn bustling with energy mixed with mainly middle-aged tourists from the USA, Germany, the UK, France and Spain. In addition, many middle class Indian families and young couples on romantic breaks, join us in the restaurants in the evenings making for a wonderfully buoyant cosmopolitan atmosphere. The first sight that hits the visitor emerging from a car at the Fateh Palace hotel, is Lake Pichola and the extraordinary setting of two palaces set in its centre, the Lake Palace, now also a hotel, and Jagmandir, also known as the Lake Garden Palace which also legend has it inspired the Taj Mahal.

Then clustered around the lake are hotels and the city all set against the glorious Aravalli mountain range. However, Udaipur is much more than luxury hotels, this would be to fundamentally misunderstand its history and the mentality of Maharanas who created it and fought for it right up until the present day. And it is this heritage that the Maharana is so keen to conserve and champion to educated tourists from around the world. “We know our target market; they are people who appreciate what we have to offer here. The British are great for us. They understand culture, history and the arts like many of our European and American visitors. We are not like Ibiza. People make a lot of effort to come here to experience the magic of India. We are as far away from the manufactured magic of resorts you can imagine. We offer the original authentic heritage experience. Our hotels are manned by people who care about hospitality we are not a bland hotel, where you could be anywhere in the world. This is about passion – for beauty, architecture, history, our museums, festivals and art collections. For the right person with the right tastes we can offer an unforgettable experience.”As part of the Shriji’s vision he is following the United Nations definition of living heritage and is seeking UN recognition.

This takes the form of detailed planning of events and linking heritage to the sustainable development of society. “This is a stamp of recognition, not something we are trying on our own in our own time frame. We are doing it the right way.” The scope of the Maharana’s cultural operations are huge covering much more than the exhibitions within the palace. There is an abundance of trusts and initiatives that support scholarships and activities across education, healthcare, spirituality and heritage management. Moreover, within the City Palace there is a school, technical institute, a massive Maharana Mewar Special Library and the Maharana Mewar Research Institute.

- http://indiagbnews.com/culture-sport/exclusive-heritage-tourism-udaipurs-future-maharana-mewar-tells-indiagbnews/, November 19, 2016

Sitting on a hillock the Dichpally Ramalayam offers one sweeping view of the quaint little town of Dichpally and is undoubtedly a worthy vantage point to enjoy the early morning breeze. While the steps up the hillock lead you through an entrance typical of a fort complete with a fortification wall all around the temple grounds, which is probably why the locals now call this temple Khilla Ramalayam.Considered to be a fine example of the Kakatiya’s architectural splendor, this stone structure of black and white basalt has sculptures on its pillars that are reminiscent of the ones on the famous Khajuraho temples, bestowing on it the moniker of Indhoor Khajuraho, indicative of a time when Nizamabad was Indhoor, named so after a Rashtrakuta King. Take the NH44 to drive down from Hyderabad to Nizamabad.

Around 15 kilometres before you reach the town of Nizamabad get off the NH7 to reach Dichpally. The Dichpally Ramalayam is about 160 kilometres from Hyderabad and it takes less than 2 and half hours to reach.These carvings based on Vatsayana’s Kamasutra were so remarkable that even the name of this town traces its origins to it. These stone sculptures were called Gicchu Bommalu by the villagers of that time, meaning pictures of Gicchu, the Sanskrit word for romance and beauty. Over time the village of gicchu, Gicchu Palle came to be Dichpally.

Legend has it that in the Treta yuga, right after meeting Hanuman for the first time, Lord Ram was on his way to wage war on Ravan, he stopped here on this hill and stayed a fortnight and to mark this a Ramalayam was built here. In the 13th century when Alauddin Khilji conquered Nizamabad, there began a trend where the building of Hindu temples was not allowed, so the construction of this temple stopped midway and it was only many years later that the idols of Ram, Sita and Hanuman were installed here. The temple as you see it today was only completed in 1949 when steps leading up the hillock and a subway connecting it to another popular temple in Nizamabad were built under the stewardship of Gajavada Chinnaya.The Ramalayam is the biggest and most popular place in town and the wider roads in town leading here are evidence to that. Follow the sign posts and soon you will spot the ‘temple on the hillock’. This also makes it a picturesque location for taking panoramic shots, with an almost submerged ancient mandapam just about visible in a clear lake on one side and little brick houses with red roofs lined along its bank on the other.

- http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Sunday-Hans/2016-11-19/Splendid-sculptures/264762, November 19, 2016

In an attempt to involve students in conservation about heritage structures, over 50 students of BVM school were invited for the inauguration of annual World Heritage Week at Central Museum, Civil Lines, on Saturday. 'History is a discussion between the past and the present,' said MY Kathane, curator, Archaeological Museum, Sindkhed Raja, adding, "There's a treasure of antiquities in Nagpur. People ought to know how their money is being used and on what research." Along with Kathane, Virag Sontakke, curator, Central Museum, Nagpur, Nandini Bhattacharya Sahu, regional director (eastern region), Archeological Survey of India, Prabhash Sahu, associate professor, Nagpur University were also present.

A photo exhibition titled 'World Heritage Museum and Sites of Asia and Pacific Region: A glimpse' was opened. The aim was to inform students about treasures not only in India, but also pacific region. The exhibition is open for public from 11am to 5pm, till November 25. There are different categories of heritage properties, explained Sontakke. "We need to take care that the authenticity of a structure is not disturbed while maintaining it," he said. Kathane also echoed the sentiment and said we must take it as our responsibility to keep structures from being spoiled by human activity.Nandini Sahu, who has conducted several excavations in Nagpur for ASI said, "We ought to take forward the heritage for the future generation. When we see a movie, we want the past story. Museums give us a flashback about our present lives.

It is important to explore our history, because we if aren't informed about our roots, our tree-houses will fall." While we're attempting to preserve our tangible heritage such as forts and structures, our intangible heritage — games like gilli danda, rituals, dialects — must also be documented for future generations before it is lost, said Sahu. "Along with conservation, we also need to collaborate with youngsters," he said.The programme was organized by ASI in collaboration with Central Museum, department of archaeology and museums and government of Maharashtra.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/this-world-heritage-week-focus-is-on-involving-youngsters/articleshow/55516419.cms, November 19, 2016

The British-era building that housed the office of Amritsar deputy commissioner (DC) and was gutted last year will have a new lease of life as Rs 2-crore have been sanctioned for its renovation. The building was left unused since the fire mishap last year, but now the government aims to convert it into a museum or a heritage restaurant. This project comes under the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme for which the union ministry of urban development has sanctioned Rs 2-crore. With this grant, new life will be given to the heritage building that was built by the British in mid-1850s. All Amritsar deputy commissioners ran their offices form here since the construction of the building, but now with the new district administrative complex coming up, the DC office will be shifted there.

The old building that the British colonial rulers built will be preserved by the government. “This 150-year-old British architectural heritage went up in smoke in May 2015 in a massive fire accident that lasted for more than 3 hours. It led to the roof collapsing. The main court room outside the chamber of DC was completely damaged and the chamber used by the DC was extensively damaged,” said former DC Varun Roojam, during whose tenure INTACH team was called to Amritsar and visited the heritage building for a detailed survey. The blaze destroyed century old administrative and revenue records. Currently, the situation is such that the colonial-styled wood work is in a depleted condition and the office has vestiges all over that needs to be renovated and upgraded,” he said. “The renovation and restoration work will be done in such a way that the original glory is retained. And it will take time to do that,” he added. Some officials said that it will take a year for the building to be reconstructed as the damage is huge.

The building was declared unsafe by the municipal corporation so it will now be built by keeping in mind the safety of public and the officials. It will also have proper fire safety equipments. Tendering for the project will be started soon along with renovation and reconstruction.

- http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/british-era-heritage-building-in-amritsar-to-be-restored-to-its-old-glory/story-YtqiXSxWAi5iemz6JZvWQK.html, November 20, 2016

As part of Heritage Week Celebrations, the students of Army Public School, Bolarum who are also a part of INTACH Heritage Club-Hyderabad chapter, presented a nukkad natak to spread the message of saving the heritage of India. Look at Taj Mahal , shrouded with smog, or other heritage monument premises littered with plastic bottles, chips packets or picnic leftovers. The visitors at Golconda Fort were in for a surprise on Saturday morning when they saw a bunch of school kids making a hue and cry about saving heritage in front of the fort entrance.

The students performed the play again on audience' request while some recorded it. And with the play staged twice inside the Fort, the message they took home was even stronger. The visitors at Golconda Fort were in for a surprise on Saturday morning when they saw a bunch of school kids making a hue and cry about saving heritage in front of the fort entrance. As part of Heritage Week Celebrations, the students of Army Public School, Bolarum who are also a part of INTACH Heritage Club-Hyderabad chapter, presented a nukkad natak to spread the message of saving the heritage of India.

"The purpose was to request the tourists to let the heritage monuments live to tell us the history, instead of reading them from the pages of history books. Look at Taj Mahal , shrouded with smog, or other heritage monument premises littered with plastic bottles, chips packets or picnic leftovers. Lovers mindlessly scribble their names on the walls with the names of their sweethearts. All this should stop before the monuments are destroyed," says K Anuradha, a teacher of APS Bolarum.With the gates of Golconda thrown open for the public for free on the occasion of Heritage Week, students flocked in the heritage site as part of their school tours intended to create awareness about world heritage.

- http://www.nyoooz.com/delhi/670460/a-street-play-by-school-kids-kicks-off-heritage-week-celebrations-in-hyderabad, November 20, 2016

How many of us know that the motifs and designs used in making the Bengali alpana today have their parallel in motifs seen on pots and vases of Mohenjodaro and Harappa? Drawn in freehand style and depicting the hopes and wishes of one and all, the beautiful tradition of alpana has educated and bonded communities for at least 40,000 years now. Taking its message beyond the boundaries of Bengal is Rabi Biswas. For about a decade now, this man from Bengal’s Nadia district is conducting workshops across the country in order to revive its fading glory and make it popular. Having learnt a lot about this art from his grandmother Sumitra Mondal, he explains that each alpana is connected to moral stories and broto – a ritual carried out at a specific time of the year to pray for fulfillment of a desire. “For example, hyachra broto alpana is drawn by married women in the family and seeks deliverance from skin diseases.

This ritual and alpana is done in the Bengali month of Falgun (February-March in Gregorian calendar) when time is ripe for ailments like pox and measles in Bengal. Thus, all the motifs drawn in the alpana have medicinal properties –bitter gourd and pumpkin flowers, banana trees, herbs, etc, and show how these are connected to sun, earth and the moon,” explains Biswas soon after concluding one of his workshops at Indian Museum, Kolkata, on September 25. Interestingly, alongside students, many women also attend these workshops to get some easy designing tips and tricks. Done primarily in white, alpana is drawn using the ring finger of the right hand and has a specific set of motifs to be drawn. However, there are no rules about their shape, size, measurements or placement, leaving ample scope for creativity.

While learning how to draw at the workshops, the women find other things the ancient tradition has to offer. Coupled with its ritual, the hyachra broto alpana informs one of how to tackle skin diseases naturally. “Praying to the deity for problem-free life is a symbol of having faith. It keeps the society together. Science cannot answer all questions always,” says Biswas, who is pursuing Masters in History of Art at Kala Bhawan, Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan.

Each design and motif used in drawing a traditional alpana has a meaning, a purpose to serve. Biswas decodes some of these alpanas for us:

Purnipukur broto alpana: Done in the month of Baishakh (April-May), this alpana is drawn by unmarried girls invoking the goddess to keep the lakes and ponds in the community filled with water and keep their soil fertile. It uses supari (betel nuts), paan (betel leaf), etc. Dosh-putul broto: Or, broto of ten children, this alpana depicts 10 dolls holding hands while standing in a circle and reinforces the feeling of harmonious living of a family. Shejuti broto alpana: This alpana involves drawing of 52 motifs that include everyday items such as household utensils and tools used in various professions in a community. Also included are birds, animals and plants among other things. “Even a 5-year-old child draws this alpana. It then becomes an educational tool for the child to know what is what.

Otherwise, this alpana represents all the things needed to live a comfortable happy life,” says Biswas of the alpana which is popular in Neranjan Nagar near Mayapur, West Bengal. Lokkhi broto alpana: Drawn to invite the deity of wealth and prosperity, this alpana is perhaps among the most popular ones being practiced today. It uses motifs such as the owl, lotuses, paddy bins, footprints of the deity and climbers. The alpana invokes the goddess to bless the home with wealth and prosperity. Prithibi broto alpana: This alpana worships nature and makes use of motifs like lotus and conch shells. “Unmarried girls do this ritual and alpana, praying for peace on the planet and a good partner for life,” says Biswas. Nabanno broto alpana: Drawn in Ogrohaeon (November-December) this alpana is made near paddy bins to pray for a good harvest and wealth. Conch shells are primarily used in drawing this alpana.

Aranyo shashti broto alpana: Also called the Jamai Shashti alpana, this alpana has the motif of a cat and invokes the forest goddess and is drawn in the month of Jaishto (May-June). “The mother-in-law draws this alpana in the kitchen and invites her son-in-law for a meal, wishing his family wealth, a prosperous and healthy life,” says Biswas. In case one thinks that drawing an alpana is a woman’s domain, Biswas, who has authored a book based on his research on the subject, says that even men used to perform the rituals and draw alpanas about 60 years ago. “It’s just that with time, they withdrew from the field and women took over.” Traditionally done in the courtyard of mud-houses in villages, alpana is made using rice powder paste on a base of cow dung, water and mud. But since mud-houses have given way to brick and mortar ones, Biswas prepares alpanas on handmade papers processed with cow dung and water. Selling these alpanas at fairs across the country is an important source of livelihood for him alongside the money earned from workshops. His dedicated work in the area has got him attention of organisations like Daricha Foundation and INTACH, which help him get more workshops. On cemented floors, white clay can be used as an alternative to rice powder paste. But Biswas informs that the much-simpler option of ‘alpana stickers’ have made inroads in villages too, curtailing the practice of drawing by the hand to a significant extent. Further, engagement of women in activities such as watching television for long and making bidis and selling supari has taken them away from alpana. Home > Culture > Who We Are Meet Rabi Biswas - The Artist Who's Kept The Ancient Indian Artform Of Alpana Alive Till Today

Suruchi Gupta November 20, 2016 3.4K facebook twitter reddit How many of us know that the motifs and designs used in making the Bengali alpana today have their parallel in motifs seen on pots and vases of Mohenjodaro and Harappa? Drawn in freehand style and depicting the hopes and wishes of one and all, the beautiful tradition of alpana has educated and bonded communities for at least 40,000 years now. Art

Rabi Biswas Taking its message beyond the boundaries of Bengal is Rabi Biswas. For about a decade now, this man from Bengal’s Nadia district is conducting workshops across the country in order to revive its fading glory and make it popular. Having learnt a lot about this art from his grandmother Sumitra Mondal, he explains that each alpana is connected to moral stories and broto – a ritual carried out at a specific time of the year to pray for fulfillment of a desire.

“For example, hyachra broto alpana is drawn by married women in the family and seeks deliverance from skin diseases. This ritual and alpana is done in the Bengali month of Falgun (February-March in Gregorian calendar) when time is ripe for ailments like pox and measles in Bengal. Thus, all the motifs drawn in the alpana have medicinal properties –bitter gourd and pumpkin flowers, banana trees, herbs, etc, and show how these are connected to sun, earth and the moon,” explains Biswas soon after concluding one of his workshops at Indian Museum, Kolkata, on September 25. Interestingly, alongside students, many women also attend these workshops to get some easy designing tips and tricks.

Art Rabi Biswas Done primarily in white, alpana is drawn using the ring finger of the right hand and has a specific set of motifs to be drawn. However, there are no rules about their shape, size, measurements or placement, leaving ample scope for creativity. While learning how to draw at the workshops, the women find other things the ancient tradition has to offer. Coupled with its ritual, the hyachra broto alpana informs one of how to tackle skin diseases naturally. “Praying to the deity for problem-free life is a symbol of having faith. It keeps the society together. Science cannot answer all questions always,” says Biswas, who is pursuing Masters in History of Art at Kala Bhawan, Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan. Each design and motif used in drawing a traditional alpana has a meaning, a purpose to serve. Biswas decodes some of these alpanas for us:

Purnipukur broto alpana: Done in the month of Baishakh (April-May), this alpana is drawn by unmarried girls invoking the goddess to keep the lakes and ponds in the community filled with water and keep their soil fertile. It uses supari (betel nuts), paan (betel leaf), etc. Dosh-putul broto: Or, broto of ten children, this alpana depicts 10 dolls holding hands while standing in a circle and reinforces the feeling of harmonious living of a family. Shejuti broto alpana: This alpana involves drawing of 52 motifs that include everyday items such as household utensils and tools used in various professions in a community. Also included are birds, animals and plants among other things. “Even a 5-year-old child draws this alpana. It then becomes an educational tool for the child to know what is what. Otherwise, this alpana represents all the things needed to live a comfortable happy life,” says Biswas of the alpana which is popular in Neranjan Nagar near Mayapur, West Bengal.

Art Rabi Biswas Lokkhi broto alpana: Drawn to invite the deity of wealth and prosperity, this alpana is perhaps among the most popular ones being practiced today. It uses motifs such as the owl, lotuses, paddy bins, footprints of the deity and climbers. The alpana invokes the goddess to bless the home with wealth and prosperity. Prithibi broto alpana: This alpana worships nature and makes use of motifs like lotus and conch shells. “Unmarried girls do this ritual and alpana, praying for peace on the planet and a good partner for life,” says Biswas. Nabanno broto alpana: Drawn in Ogrohaeon (November-December) this alpana is made near paddy bins to pray for a good harvest and wealth. Conch shells are primarily used in drawing this alpana. Aranyo shashti broto alpana: Also called the Jamai Shashti alpana, this alpana has the motif of a cat and invokes the forest goddess and is drawn in the month of Jaishto (May-June). “The mother-in-law draws this alpana in the kitchen and invites her son-in-law for a meal, wishing his family wealth, a prosperous and healthy life,” says Biswas.

Artist Rabi Biswas In case one thinks that drawing an alpana is a woman’s domain, Biswas, who has authored a book based on his research on the subject, says that even men used to perform the rituals and draw alpanas about 60 years ago. “It’s just that with time, they withdrew from the field and women took over.” Traditionally done in the courtyard of mud-houses in villages, alpana is made using rice powder paste on a base of cow dung, water and mud. But since mud-houses have given way to brick and mortar ones, Biswas prepares alpanas on handmade papers processed with cow dung and water. Selling these alpanas at fairs across the country is an important source of livelihood for him alongside the money earned from workshops.

His dedicated work in the area has got him attention of organisations like Daricha Foundation and INTACH, which help him get more workshops. On cemented floors, white clay can be used as an alternative to rice powder paste. But Biswas informs that the much-simpler option of ‘alpana stickers’ have made inroads in villages too, curtailing the practice of drawing by the hand to a significant extent. Further, engagement of women in activities such as watching television for long and making bidis and selling supari has taken them away from alpana. “Most people do not know that the stickers are only aesthetic designs done on computers. They are bereft of any motifs. It defeats the purpose of the Bengali alpana – bringing together people to draw motifs and observe rituals together and communicate with each other,” says Biswas.

- http://www.indiatimes.com/culture/who-we-are/meet-rabi-biswas-the-artist-who-s-kept-the-ancient-indian-artform-of-alpana-alive-till-today-264929.html, November 20, 2016

The Neemrana Music Foundation is to hold here the festival Heritage 365, bringing together craftsmen and fashion designers under one roof, promoting garments and textiles, gems and jewellery. Taking place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here from Friday, the festival will focus on states Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The exhibition will bring together 130 handpicked participants with the focus on revival of textiles and crafts from nationally honoured craftsmen and weavers. Heritage 365 has also collaborated with the Embassy of Italy in India. The association will promote the exchange of ideas, revival of the arts and crafts and heritage tourism.

It will also take forward the shared interest in the preservation and promotion of culture and heritage.Sharing the platform will be Fashion Design Council Of India’s designers like Sanjay Garg, Gaurav Jai Gupta, Aneeth Arora, Sunita Shanker and Swati Kalsi, who use age-old techniques with a contemporary twist.A designers’ enclosure has been set up for FDCI members to exhibit and sell their garments and accessories. Traditional kundan, polki and silver jewellery will be on display along with contemporary fashion accessories. Also being presented are selected handicrafts, objects d’art, hand tufted carpets, lacquer products, blue pottery, miniature and gond art.

Craftsmen like Nirmal Salvi, famous for Patan patola saris, Abdul Jabbar Khatri and Padamshri Tyab Khan for tie and dye, Abdul Rauf Khatri for Ajarakh block printing, and Vankar Shamji Vishram for handloom weaving, will be exhibiting their work at the show.Craftsmen who practice languishing crafts, local artisans, women entrepreneurs, NGOs, exporters and retailers have been invited to showcase their products.Also on offer at the exhibition would be regional cuisine of the three states.

- http://www.indialivetoday.com/heritage-365-to-start-on-november-25/63139.html, November 20, 2016

The members of Hubballi-Dharwad Action Force (HDAF), who had earlier taken up cleaning up of a bridge on Gokul Road in Hubballi, got to work again on Sunday to beautify the landmark KCD Road in Dharwad. Keeping the cultural essence of the city of Dharwad in mind, the volunteers had decided to give a traditional look to the road that leads to the landmark Karnatak College with Warli paintings. In fact, they had started the preliminary work on Saturday itself. Aided by the municipal staff, around 100 volunteers comprising of persons engaged in different professions and artists led by Kiran Hiremath, Upendra kuknur, P.V.Hiremath, Sunil Nalwade, Amogh Pujar and others cleaned up the entire road stretch and also the compound walls. They subsequently painted the walls with terracotta paint.

On Sunday, they organised a competition of ‘Warli Art’ in which scores of artists and youths took part and drew beautiful Warli art forms on the compound walls that had been painted with terracotta paint. There were also prizes for the best paintings. The first three best paintings received cash prize of Rs. 5,000, Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 2,000 respectively and each participant got a cash prize of Rs. 200. “We got the walls painted keeping in mind the heritage buildings on this Road. The rich tribal art Warli suits them best” , Kiran Hiremath, one of the coordinators told The Hindu. The members of HDAF have plans to take up similar initiative involving people who are committed to contribute towards beautifying the twin cities.

- -http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/Professionals-join-hands-to-beautify-public-spaces-in-Dharwad/article16669015.ece, November 20, 2016

Expressing its displeasure with the AAP government and other authorities over not demarcating the forest area of the Mehrauli Archaeological Park despite its direction one year ago, the Delhi High Court today gave them three weeks time as a final opportunity to carry out the exercise. A bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Jayant Nath asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to initially foot the bill of the demarcation exercise which, as per the land owning agency, was allegedly not being carried out as Delhi government had not cleared past dues of the firm which was to do the work. The court said it wanted the demarcation to be done by total station method, under which an electronic or optical instrument is used for carrying out the survey, and asked DDA to pay the cost so that there would be no further delay.

The bench directed the Waqf Board to provide geo-tagged photographs of the various monuments inside the Mehrauli Archaeological Park before the next date of hearing on December 14. The directions came on a PIL by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) which has sought that the Archaeological Park, spread over 100 acres and having about 80 monuments, be "preserved, protected and maintained". INTACH in its plea has said that the monuments in the park range from grand structures like Quli Khan's tomb, Balban's Tomb, Maulana Jamali's mosque and tomb and Rajon ki Baoli, to several minor monuments that "together constitute a huge cultural asset and potential heritage recreation space for the city". The NGO has said the park had been encroached at several places and was under constant threat of further encroachments.

- http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/3-wks-to-demarcate-forests-in-mehrauli-archaeological-park-hc-116112100941_1.html, November 21, 2016

In connection with the World Heritage Week (November 19-25) proposed by the United Nations, people can visit historical sites under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) free of cost. "The only heritage site under ASI in the state is the Mattancherry Dutch Palace. It will be open to public without any fee," said Kerala tourism information officer Shine K S. Considering the week-long observance, other historical places in the city will also follow the suit, a DTPC official said. In connection with the heritage week, two prime yet unacknowledged historical sites in Kochi are being renovated under the initiative of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). "Chembitta Palli, dating back to 1519, is one of the famous and ancient mosques in Kerala that is being renovated. Hari Shenoy's Bungalow adjacent to TD devaswom temple is the second structure that is under repairs," said K J Sohan, convener of INTACH's Kochi chapter. It is said that the land for the construction of the mosque, which is now protected as a heritage building, was given by the then king of Kochi. "Syed Moulana Bukhari Thangal of Kavaratti in Lakshadweep was the main person behind revamping the mosque," said Shamsuddeen Bakhwi, the `adhaan' caller of the mosque. The 140-year-old Hari Shenoy's Bungalow is protected in memory of Hari Shenoy , who was the administrator of TD Temple. He founded TD High School in Mattancherry , the first Anglo-vernacular school in the area. The primary intent of celebrating the World Heritage Week is to make people aware about the importance of cultural heritages and its preservation.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Free-entry-to-historical-sites-in-Kochi-this-week/articleshow/55534971.cms, November 21, 2016

It was his thesis in 2007 on vav (stepwells) of North Gujarat that set Kapil Thakar, a fresh master of arts in history and archaeology graduate from Banaskantha, on a different path. "Much had been written about a number of stepwells in the region but I got to know that there was much more to explore and document," said Thakar, who set up Historical and Cultural Research Centre (HCRC) in Ahmedabad the next year with a small team. "More than that, it was the dilapidated condition of architectural marvels that made me realize that our legacy is much more than the better known monuments." Thakar said one would be amazed by the history of places such as Mehmdabad, Kapadvanj and Danta.

"The need is to document the monuments with historic and archaeological sources and create a sense of ownership among local residents so that they can take care of them as a community," he said. Giving an example, he said that a team of youngsters started working on a possible monument at Vadgam in North Gujarat.

There was a mound with old bricks peeking out. What eventually emerged was a five-story stepwell. "We not only cleaned it but also performed a puja, reviving the age-old tradition, so that locals start visiting it," he said. Volunteers were also crucial, he said, in finding the ruins of a town, possibly of the 12th century Chandravati, near Danta recently. Volunteers said while a team from a US university visited tribal areas to study traditional tales and tattoos, such initiatives to conserve intangible heritage cannot be found here.

- -http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Discovering-monuments-off-the-beaten-touristy-path/articleshow/55533253.cms, November 21, 2016

Solo Photo Exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, from 16th to 22nd November, 2016, the Pune based eminent artist Vanita tries to trace the missing link of her childhood memories from her native place Wai, a small town in Maharashtra near Pune. This solo Painting exhibition inaugurated by renowned film Actress Madhur Velankar – Satam. After spending a long time abroad Vanita was fascinated by the Indian Sculptures and Temple Architecture which she deiced to capture them into digital format on canvas and decorate it with further magical strokes in her personal visual language. In her images she strikes a dialogue between manmade heritage, its cultural meaning in contemporary context that emerges into innovative form of Artwork. “Creating image is about telling powerful stories. I use Photography as a tool for creating awareness and understanding across cultures, communities, and countries; a tool to make sense of our commonalities in the world we share.

I believe the way to find common ground is by seeing yourself in others.”, says the vetran artist photographer Vanita Jadhav. Through her photographs Vanita brings forth the valued cultural practices, timeless Indian traditions that are fast missing in recent times. She sheds light on the myths of this country of mysterious paradoxes; the land where civilizations and times intermix, a mysterious place which attracts people from all over the world. Vanita has spends a significant amount of time reading ancient Indian Mythology, Manuscripts, Scriptures, such as Vedas, Bhagvad Gita which is also reflected in her art. Vanita has passion for teaching and she has also supported upcoming artist in various ways.

The artist never ceases to learn, “I believe art inspires me to learn every day….” exclaims the artist. Vanita has been internationally recognized for her contribution towards documenting the Cultural images from Wai. She has received a Certificate of appreciation from the former President of India Late Dr. Abdul Kalam for her effort. She was a Convener for INTACH Wai-Pachgani Chapter through which she promotes the conservation and promotion of Indian culture and ethos.

Her artistic journey of past 45 years is also apparent in the way she has handled her various projects while creating meaningful dialogues with her environment. She has also held several significant Solo and Group in India and Abroad including, GE Building, New York, DIAGEO Art Gallery, Satmford, USA and many more. To recognize her contribution to conserve the culture and significance of Wai, she has also been felicitated by ‘Wai Gaurav Puraskar’. Vanita’s journey as a person from a small village in India to the megacity of New York is commendable. It is worth to mention here that Vanita never lets go any opportunity to learn and inculcate new art practices. When she travels to meet her two sons in New York she makes a point to reenergize and broaden her artistic knowledge and vision. She is also a member of the prestigious, ‘Art Students League of India.’

- http://www.justbollywood.in/soul-stone-painting-exhibition-inaugurated-renowned-film-actress-madhur-velankar-satam/, November 22, 2016

Five hundred and eighty-five reinforced concrete beams of one metre in diametre and 50 metre length—that's the height of nearly 15 storeys—are being driven into a five acre site in Vrindavan, the town in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, associated for Hindus with the childhood of Lord Krishna.These beams, called piling in construction terminology, will form the foundation for a 700 feet temple that's coming up on the site. When completed in 2020-2021, the Vrindavan Chadrodaya Mandir (VCM) will be the world's tallest temple—three times taller than the Qutb Minar, nearly a third taller than the St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Construction began in August 2014 on Krishna Janmashtami day. According to Gurgaon-based InGenious Studio, responsible for VCM's architecture and design, it will take another 9-10 months for construction work to be completed up to the plinth level. The cost, estimated to be Rs 300 crore at the time construction started, will entirely be covered from donations from ISKCON bhakts.VCM, conceived by the Bangalore chapter of ISKCON (a collective of Krishna followers with lakhs of followers across the world) is a magnificently ambitious project. Its planned features include a forest theme park spread over 18 acres, a Bhagvad Gita exposition, a Braj heritage village and an indoor Krishna Lila theme park.

The piece de resistence will be a capsule elevator that will take visitors up to a viewing gallery at 700-feet, even as they view a multimedia 3D show on the Vedic idea of the heavens and gods in them—a veritable Disney World experience on Krishna. For all its state-of-the-art technology, however, in design terms, VCM is deeply traditional, governed by the principles laid down in ancient Sanskrit texts such as the Vastu Shastras and Shilpa Shastras. More specifically, it's in the Nagara architectural style that's common to most north Indian temples, informs Vikram Sompura, the architect responsible for designing the carvings, stone-work and other decorative elements on the interior and exterior walls of VCM. Sompura hails from a community of traditional temple architects and stone masons—their name is derived from Somnath, which the Sompuras are said to have built centuries ago.Typically, there are three parts in this style, he explains. "These include a shringar chowki, or the entrance porch; Rangamandapa, the prayer hall with its highly decorated ceilings and walls, and a Garba griha, the sanctum sanctorum in which the idol is placed."The building of a temple also includes many arcane practices with their own symbolical meaning. One such is the belief that the idol in the sanctum sanctorum should be in direct touch with the soil. "Bhusparsh — in touch with the earth.

So the idol of Krishna in VCM is not placed on the ground, it is placed on a shaft of earth that we had to clear in the foundation which has been filled with soil," says Rimpesh Sharma, lead architect of Gurgaon-based InGenious Studio, which is responsible for the architecture and design of VCM. Here, it is a combination of soil from various holy places and river basins around India.Then there was the Anantha Sesh Sthapana ceremony, the burying of a metal statue of a snake in the earth beneath the foundation level, before actual construction began. The snake replica is representative of Seshanag, the snake that is supposed to hold up the world in Hindu cosmology, and the ceremony is a way of invoking the protection of the gods for the temple.

More pertinently, perhaps, for the times we live in, was the seismic study conducted before the VCM plan was finalised and the inclusion of earthquake-proof elements in its structural design.With the best of the scriptures and also the sciences in its service, you can be sure VCM will be quite a landmark.

- http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-lord-krishna-s-abode-to-scale-new-heights-2275650, November 22, 2016

Five hundred and eighty-five reinforced concrete beams of one metre in diametre and 50 metre length—that's the height of nearly 15 storeys—are being driven into a five acre site in Vrindavan, the town in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, associated for Hindus with the childhood of Lord Krishna.These beams, called piling in construction terminology, will form the foundation for a 700 feet temple that's coming up on the site. When completed in 2020-2021, the Vrindavan Chadrodaya Mandir (VCM) will be the world's tallest temple—three times taller than the Qutb Minar, nearly a third taller than the St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

Construction began in August 2014 on Krishna Janmashtami day. According to Gurgaon-based InGenious Studio, responsible for VCM's architecture and design, it will take another 9-10 months for construction work to be completed up to the plinth level. The cost, estimated to be Rs 300 crore at the time construction started, will entirely be covered from donations from ISKCON bhakts.VCM, conceived by the Bangalore chapter of ISKCON (a collective of Krishna followers with lakhs of followers across the world) is a magnificently ambitious project. Its planned features include a forest theme park spread over 18 acres, a Bhagvad Gita exposition, a Braj heritage village and an indoor Krishna Lila theme park.

The piece de resistence will be a capsule elevator that will take visitors up to a viewing gallery at 700-feet, even as they view a multimedia 3D show on the Vedic idea of the heavens and gods in them—a veritable Disney World experience on Krishna. For all its state-of-the-art technology, however, in design terms, VCM is deeply traditional, governed by the principles laid down in ancient Sanskrit texts such as the Vastu Shastras and Shilpa Shastras. More specifically, it's in the Nagara architectural style that's common to most north Indian temples, informs Vikram Sompura, the architect responsible for designing the carvings, stone-work and other decorative elements on the interior and exterior walls of VCM.

Sompura hails from a community of traditional temple architects and stone masons—their name is derived from Somnath, which the Sompuras are said to have built centuries ago.Typically, there are three parts in this style, he explains. "These include a shringar chowki, or the entrance porch; Rangamandapa, the prayer hall with its highly decorated ceilings and walls, and a Garba griha, the sanctum sanctorum in which the idol is placed.

"The building of a temple also includes many arcane practices with their own symbolical meaning. One such is the belief that the idol in the sanctum sanctorum should be in direct touch with the soil. "Bhusparsh — in touch with the earth. So the idol of Krishna in VCM is not placed on the ground, it is placed on a shaft of earth that we had to clear in the foundation which has been filled with soil," says Rimpesh Sharma, lead architect of Gurgaon-based InGenious Studio, which is responsible for the architecture and design of VCM. Here, it is a combination of soil from various holy places and river basins around India.Then there was the Anantha Sesh Sthapana ceremony, the burying of a metal statue of a snake in the earth beneath the foundation level, before actual construction began. The snake replica is representative of Seshanag, the snake that is supposed to hold up the world in Hindu cosmology, and the ceremony is a way of invoking the protection of the gods for the temple. More pertinently, perhaps, for the times we live in, was the seismic study conducted before the VCM plan was finalised and the inclusion of earthquake-proof elements in its structural design.With the best of the scriptures and also the sciences in its service, you can be sure VCM will be quite a landmark.

- http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-lord-krishna-s-abode-to-scale-new-heights-2275650, November 22, 2016

Five hundred and eighty-five reinforced concrete beams of one metre in diametre and 50 metre length—that's the height of nearly 15 storeys—are being driven into a five acre site in Vrindavan, the town in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, associated for Hindus with the childhood of Lord Krishna.These beams, called piling in construction terminology, will form the foundation for a 700 feet temple that's coming up on the site. When completed in 2020-2021, the Vrindavan Chadrodaya Mandir (VCM) will be the world's tallest temple—three times taller than the Qutb Minar, nearly a third taller than the St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Construction began in August 2014 on Krishna Janmashtami day. According to Gurgaon-based InGenious Studio, responsible for VCM's architecture and design, it will take another 9-10 months for construction work to be completed up to the plinth level. The cost, estimated to be Rs 300 crore at the time construction started, will entirely be covered from donations from ISKCON bhakts.VCM, conceived by the Bangalore chapter of ISKCON (a collective of Krishna followers with lakhs of followers across the world) is a magnificently ambitious project. Its planned features include a forest theme park spread over 18 acres, a Bhagvad Gita exposition, a Braj heritage village and an indoor Krishna Lila theme park.

The piece de resistence will be a capsule elevator that will take visitors up to a viewing gallery at 700-feet, even as they view a multimedia 3D show on the Vedic idea of the heavens and gods in them—a veritable Disney World experience on Krishna. For all its state-of-the-art technology, however, in design terms, VCM is deeply traditional, governed by the principles laid down in ancient Sanskrit texts such as the Vastu Shastras and Shilpa Shastras. More specifically, it's in the Nagara architectural style that's common to most north Indian temples, informs Vikram Sompura, the architect responsible for designing the carvings, stone-work and other decorative elements on the interior and exterior walls of VCM. Sompura hails from a community of traditional temple architects and stone masons—their name is derived from Somnath, which the Sompuras are said to have built centuries ago.Typically, there are three parts in this style, he explains. "These include a shringar chowki, or the entrance porch; Rangamandapa, the prayer hall with its highly decorated ceilings and walls, and a Garba griha, the sanctum sanctorum in which the idol is placed."The building of a temple also includes many arcane practices with their own symbolical meaning. One such is the belief that the idol in the sanctum sanctorum should be in direct touch with the soil. "Bhusparsh — in touch with the earth.

So the idol of Krishna in VCM is not placed on the ground, it is placed on a shaft of earth that we had to clear in the foundation which has been filled with soil," says Rimpesh Sharma, lead architect of Gurgaon-based InGenious Studio, which is responsible for the architecture and design of VCM. Here, it is a combination of soil from various holy places and river basins around India.Then there was the Anantha Sesh Sthapana ceremony, the burying of a metal statue of a snake in the earth beneath the foundation level, before actual construction began. The snake replica is representative of Seshanag, the snake that is supposed to hold up the world in Hindu cosmology, and the ceremony is a way of invoking the protection of the gods for the temple.

More pertinently, perhaps, for the times we live in, was the seismic study conducted before the VCM plan was finalised and the inclusion of earthquake-proof elements in its structural design.With the best of the scriptures and also the sciences in its service, you can be sure VCM will be quite a landmark.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/asi-organizes-prehistory-exhibition-cleanliness-drive/articleshow/55550372.cms, November 22, 2016

SEWA-trained women artisans from Ahmedabad and other parts of the state will now showcase heritage crafts on a global platform. AHMEDABAD: Sewa ni Haveli - a heritage house located at Dhalni Pol in the Walled City was restored a couple of years ago and is now a centre that helps preserve, nurture and promote heritage art forms and crafts. Specializing in art forms such as block printing, bandhani, ajrakh print, embroidery, weaving, patchwork, and crochet, among others, the artisans will showcase their crafts at the 'Festival of India' exhibition organized in Ottawa, Canada.

AHMEDABAD: Sewa ni Haveli - a heritage house located at Dhalni Pol in the Walled City was restored a couple of years ago and is now a centre that helps preserve, nurture and promote heritage art forms and crafts. SEWA-trained women artisans from Ahmedabad and other parts of the state will now showcase heritage crafts on a global platform. Specializing in art forms such as block printing, bandhani, ajrakh print, embroidery, weaving, patchwork, and crochet, among others, the artisans will showcase their crafts at the 'Festival of India' exhibition organized in Ottawa, Canada.

- http://www.nyoooz.com/ahmedabad/671919/nurturing-heritage-crafts-at-sewa-ni-haveli, November 23, 2016

Recognising the potential of young craftspersons and encouraging them to continue with their art, five youths were honoured with the Kamaladevi Puraskar 2016 by the Delhi Crafts Council here on Wednesday, an official said. The awardees included 14-year-old Mumal, a practitioner of Jogi patch work craft of Rajasthan and 15-year-old Uddhab Sutrakar, a Chhau dance mask maker from West Bengal, said a release. Besides, Gul Ahmed, a young craftsperson excelling in the traditional bead work from Uttar Pradesh was awarded along with Karan Singh, 20, a terracotta pottery maker from Rajasthan and 16-year-old Selvi P. Deepa, skilled in making brooms from a special type of grass available in the Nilgiri hills. The initiative aims to help keep the multiple traditional art forms of India alive by reaching out to the young artisans practising them.

- http://www.theweekendleader.com/Headlines/8455/delhi-crafts-council-honours-five-craftspersons.html, November 23, 2016

"Alok Kanungo -assistant professor, archaeology department, IIT, Gandhingar, who has studied glass beads of India -shared why the Varanasi glass beads are unique. "President of Banaras beads association Ashok Gupta said more than 5,000 artisan families in Varanasi, parts of Mirzapur and Sonbhadra manufacture 50,000 varieties of glass beads in various shapes and sizes. The GI certificate, awarded on November 10, 2016, will remain valid up to July 2019. A worker may take 5-20 minutes to make a single bead. While it is still hot, the bead may be shaped or given colour.

LUCKNOW: The beautiful bracelets, earrings and necklaces tourists never fail to pick from Varanasi became officially exclusive to the temple town with Geographical Indication Registry of India registering the handicraft.The uniqueness of these beads, known as `kaanch ke moti' (glass beads), could be gauged from the fact that `no two beads can be identical even when they show striking similarity'.An application to this effect was presented in July , 2009 by export promotion commissioner, department of small scale industries and Banaras Glass Beads Association. The GI certificate, awarded on November 10, 2016, will remain valid up to July 2019. Raahul Dutta, counsel for the UP government who is pursuing the case, said, "The GI tag would benefit craftsmen by safeguarding its uniqueness which has been challenged by men and machines in China.The state would also be able to generate revenue from the work."Alok Kanungo -assistant professor, archaeology department, IIT, Gandhingar, who has studied glass beads of India -shared why the Varanasi glass beads are unique.

"India has three major glass bead industries -Papanaidupet (Chitoor, Andhra Pradesh), Puralpur (near Hathras) and Varanasi -which are segregated on the basis of the technique used," he said.Asserting that Banaras glass bead was a pure handicraft, he added, "The technique used in Varanasi, called lamp winding, makes it unique. In this, glass is transformed into rods or sticks known as canes.Workers melt them at a small heat source, usually a lamp (hence the name). The glass is wound around a wire.

- http://www.nyoooz.com/lucknow/672048/bead-jewellery-of-kashi-gets-gi-tag, November 23, 2016

The Ministry of Culture had mooted a project proposal titled Cultural Heritage Youth Leadership Programme (CHYP)". This scheme envisaged enriching awareness of Indian culture and heritage amongst the youth in order to promote, understand and develop fondness for Indias rich cultural heritage, with a view to develop appropriate leadership qualities amongst youth. The focus of the programme was to be on less privileged children residing in backward areas by interacting with them in vernacular languages for their better understanding. However, while initially, the scheme was being run on its own, the Ministry is reworking this proposal and integrating this with Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB)". This information was given by Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) Dr. Mahesh Sharma in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

- http://www.business-standard.com/article/government-press-release/cultural-heritage-youth-leadership-programme-116112300919_1.html, November 23, 2016

Scientists at Yamuna Biodiversity Park in the national capital have claimed that a fully grown male leopard was caught on camera in the sprawling 457-acre park for the first time, media reports said. The elusive feline was captured on camera after scientists reportedly received a frantic call from a villager. Following the call, they conducted several tests, tracking pug marks. They subsequently spotted the big cat while they were on their way to install night-vision cameras.According to Faiyaz A Khudsar, the scientist in-charge at the Yamuna Biodiversity Park, the sighting of the leopard is considered big as there was no such evidence even during the British rule, a report in the Hindustan Times said.

Although there have been claims of people seeing the elusive cats in the capital, the news has certainly captured the imagination of several ecologists and wildlife lovers. The fact that the animal has been sighted several times assures wildlife lovers that it may have made the park its home for the time being. The park, offering a variety of ecosystem services, was set up to reinstate the lost native biodiversity of Delhi. A large number of leopards in India live in zones that are infamous for conflicts between animals and humans.

- http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/ecologists-rejoice-as-leopard-spotted-at-yamuna-biodiversity-park-for-first-time-4391134/, November 23, 2016

Scientists at Yamuna Biodiversity Park in the national capital have claimed that a fully grown male leopard was caught on camera in the sprawling 457-acre park for the first time, media reports said. The elusive feline was captured on camera after scientists reportedly received a frantic call from a villager. Following the call, they conducted several tests, tracking pug marks. They subsequently spotted the big cat while they were on their way to install night-vision cameras.

According to Faiyaz A Khudsar, the scientist in-charge at the Yamuna Biodiversity Park, the sighting of the leopard is considered big as there was no such evidence even during the British rule, a report in the Hindustan Times said.

Although there have been claims of people seeing the elusive cats in the capital, the news has certainly captured the imagination of several ecologists and wildlife lovers. The fact that the animal has been sighted several times assures wildlife lovers that it may have made the park its home for the time being. The park, offering a variety of ecosystem services, was set up to reinstate the lost native biodiversity of Delhi. A large number of leopards in India live in zones that are infamous for conflicts between animals and humans.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Heritage-property-owners-in-Diamond-City-left-out-in-cold/articleshow/55578119.cms, November 23, 2016

Carnatic music maestro Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, who passed away in Chennai on Tuesday, visited the city several times. He had performed at various venues such as the Kalabharathi auditorium and the Vivekananda hall, but one venue that remained close to his heart was the Town Hall, where he had performed in the mid 1960s. Though he was barely in his mid-thirties, he was already an established vocalist and had rendered a scintillating performance, reminisce the old timers. The Town Hall is located on the Beach Road in the Old Town area.Talking to Mr. Velcheti Subrahmanyam, the cultural correspondent of The Hindu a few years ago, Balamurali mentioned that he was awed by the magnificent Gothic edifice.

“I was mesmerised by its sheer beauty and ambience. The blue water of the bay was visible from the stage in the evening when I reached the venue and the wafting cool breeze kept me going,” he had said. Other stalwarts such as M.S. Subbulakshmi and Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu had also performed at the Town Hall. It was in this hall that eminent personalities such as Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, C.V. Raman and Rabindranath Tagore had delivered lectures. But today, the Town Hall is crying for attention. Though INTACH has notified it as a heritage structure, it is crumbling with each passing day. The hall was in a bad shape even before super cyclone Hudhud hit the city in October 2014. “But the officials concerned have turned a blind eye and have not bothered to take up the repairs and restoration of the structure,” said Edward Paul of INTACH.

A senior GVMC official said it would cost about Rs. 2 crore to bring it back to its shape. The fund could be mobilised but there was no initiative, he pointed out. Shabnam Patel of INTACH said it was the only surviving building in the district with a massive wooden floor made of Burma Teak and this building should be restored and preserved. It would be apt if all the pictures of the concerts and meetings were put up inside the hall, she added. According to a few environmental activists, it is a ploy to let the building crumble on its own, to help corporates engaged in shipping business take over the site.The ground floor was earlier given on lease to the Vizagapatam Club, and the members of the club had come forward to renovate the building on the condition that its maintenance be given to them. “But the GVMC has turned down our proposal,” said a senior member of the committee. The club has now moved to a neighbouring building, as the GVMC has sealed the premises and declared it as a dangerous structure. The foundation stone was laid on April 3, 1901, and it was inaugurated on March 8, 1904, by the then District Collector of Vizagapatam, R. H. Campbell. It was built by Rajah of Bobbili, Venkata Svetachalapathi Ranga Rao, and was named as Victoria Diamond Jubilee Town Hall.

- http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/Glorious-Town-Hall-in-Vizag-faces-uncertain future/article16690377.ece?utm_source=RSS_Fee &utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication, November 24, 2016

Two of the major historic buildings of Fort Kochi will soon be brought under the ambit of Heritage Conservation to preserve the glory of a forgone era they represent. The Hari Shenoy Bungalow which was built in 1874 and the age-old Chembittapalli Mosque which was constructed in 1300 AD are the two historic buildings that were undertaken by the Indian National Trust for Arts and Culture Heritage (INTACH) for the restoration works. The renovation work became a reality after the ‘Cultural Mosaic Project’, mooted by architect Professor Ramaswamy Iyer which gave a comprehensive view on the scheme of renovation, was accepted by INTACH. The project is supported by UNESCO and each building will be renovated at an estimated cost of Rs 2.5 crore.

“The project is an addition to the rich heritage value of Fort Kochi, one of the major tourist attractions in Ernakulam. There are about 15 different communities in Kochi all with their diverse cultures and heritage. All of these cultures have contributed to the growth of the city in innumerable ways . So it is a fair and good move to repay them by protecting the testaments of the past,” said former Mayor K J Sohan. The Chembittapalli Mosque, also known as Kochungadi Juma-ath Palli, is located at Mattancherry. The mosque’s construction was sanctioned by the then King of Kochi, Syed Moulana Bukhari Thangal, about 700 years ago. The name ‘Chembittapalli’ was derived because of the copper used on the main hall of the mosque.

- http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2016/nov/24/awaiting-a-monumental-facelift-1541897--1.html, November 24, 2016

Five hundred and eighty-five reinforced concrete beams of one metre in diametre and 50 metre length—that’s the height of nearly 15 storeys—are being driven into a five acre site in Vrindavan, the town in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, associated for Hindus with the childhood of Lord Krishna. These beams, called piling in construction terminology, will form the foundation for a 700 feet temple that’s coming up on the site. When completed in 2020-2021, the Vrindavan Chadrodaya Mandir (VCM) will be the world’s tallest temple—three times taller than the Qutb Minar, nearly a third taller than the St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Construction began in August 2014 on Krishna Janmashtami day. According to Gurgaon-based InGenious Studio, responsible for VCM’s architecture and design, it will take another 9-10 months for construction work to be completed up to the plinth level. The cost, estimated to be Rs 300 crore at the time construction started, will entirely be covered from donations from ISKCON bhakts. VCM, conceived by the Bangalore chapter of ISKCON (a collective of Krishna followers with lakhs of followers across the world) is a magnificently ambitious project.

Its planned features include a forest theme park spread over 18 acres, a Bhagvad Gita exposition, a Braj heritage village and an indoor Krishna Lila theme park. The piece de resistence will be a capsule elevator that will take visitors up to a viewing gallery at 700-feet, even as they view a multimedia 3D show on the Vedic idea of the heavens and gods in them—a veritable Disney World experience on Krishna. For all its state-of-the-art technology, however, in design terms, VCM is deeply traditional, governed by the principles laid down in ancient Sanskrit texts such as the Vastu Shastras and Shilpa Shastras. More specifically, it’s in the Nagara architectural style that’s common to most north Indian temples, informs Vikram Sompura, the architect responsible for designing the carvings, stone-work and other decorative elements on the interior and exterior walls of VCM. Sompura hails from a community of traditional temple architects and stone masons—their name is derived from Somnath, which the Sompuras are said to have built centuries ago.Typically, there are three parts in this style, he explains.

“These include a shringar chowki, or the entrance porch; Rangamandapa, the prayer hall with its highly decorated ceilings and walls, and a Garba griha, the sanctum sanctorum in which the idol is placed.”The building of a temple also includes many arcane practices with their own symbolical meaning. One such is the belief that the idol in the sanctum sanctorum should be in direct touch with the soil. “Bhusparsh — in touch with the earth. So the idol of Krishna in VCM is not placed on the ground, it is placed on a shaft of earth that we had to clear in the foundation which has been filled with soil,” says Rimpesh Sharma, lead architect of Gurgaon-based InGenious Studio, which is responsible for the architecture and design of VCM. Here, it is a combination of soil from various holy places and river basins around India.Then there was the Anantha Sesh Sthapana ceremony, the burying of a metal statue of a snake in the earth beneath the foundation level, before actual construction began. The snake replica is representative of Seshanag, the snake that is supposed to hold up the world in Hindu cosmology, and the ceremony is a way of invoking the protection of the gods for the temple. More pertinently, perhaps, for the times we live in, was the seismic study conducted before the VCM plan was finalised and the inclusion of earthquake-proof elements in its structural design.With the best of the scriptures and also the sciences in its service, you can be sure VCM will be quite a landmark.

- http://www.indialivetoday.com/vrindavan-chandrodaya-mandir-set-tallest-temple-world/64578.html, November 24, 2016

The stone chariot, one of the famous monumentsof the World Heritage Site Hampi, could be on new currency notes. The Reserve Bank of India was sent photographs of the Stone Chariot by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Hampi Mini Circle, a year ago.Initially, RBI decided to use heritage photographs for new notes of various denominations -- Hampi Stone Chariot for Rs 10, Red Fort in Delhi for Rs 20, Sun Temple in Konark for Rs 50, Taj Mahal in Agra for Rs 100, Goa Churches for Rs 500 and the Padmapani Paintings at Ajanta Caves for Rs 1000.

A decision was taken at a joint meeting of the Secretary of the Union finance ministry, chief general manager of the currency management department, Reserve Bank of India, and the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) last year. However, the Red Fort picture is on the new Rs 500 note. Sources expect the Stone Chariot photograph may be used for some other denomination notes. NC Prakash Nayakand, retired deputy superintending officer, ASI, said he had sent Stone Chariot photographs when he was officer in the Hampi Mini Circle. "We sent the DG photographs of the structure taken from different angles," he said. When contacted, Vijay Anand Shatri, deputy superintending archaeologist, mini circle of ASI Hampi, said he's not sure which photograph of the Stone Chariot will be used for which new note. The Stone Chariot is known for its fine carvings and miniature elephants that seem to pull the chariot. It's not clear in which period of the Vijayanagar empire it was sculpted.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Hampi-Stone-Chariot-could-be-on-new-currency-notes/articleshow/55589155.cms, November 24, 2016

Heritage preservation efforts in Bihar's Darbhanga, a place steeped in history and dotted with iconic monuments, is all set to get a boost with INTACH opening its new chapter in the city tomorrow. Local history buffs, architecture experts and enthusiasts had been trying for some time to get a chapter of the Delhi-based non-profit organisation opened in the city as many of its heritage buildings are in a state of decay.

"Darbhanga is a historic city, associated with the legendary Darbhanga Raj, the royal family, generations of which built some of the most fabulous forts and palaces over centuries, lending it a deep layer of history. And, so, it is only fitting that we now have a chapter here as well," Convener of INTACH's Patna Chapter, J K Lall told PTI. The chapter will be formally inaugurated by INTACH Chairman Maj Gen (retd) L K Gupta tomorrow in Darbhanga.

"The chairman is in Patna today to attend an event, where three scholars would present talks on heritage. He would also be taking up a meeting of the Bihar Chapter in Patna, where other conveners would also be present," he said. Patna Chpater is one of the first chapters set up soon after the constitution of INTACH in 1984. The state also has chapters in Vaishali and Bhagalpur. "Darbhnaga has a number of palaces and heritage buildings which are in immediate need of conservation and restoration. And, now we carry out a systematic and formal listing of the historical landmarks and work on preservation plans," Lall said.

Darbhanga is situated in the historic Mithila region and is home to several landmarks, many of which were rebuilt after the devastating 1934 earthquake. Some of the most prominent buildings include Anand Bagh Palace (now a Sanskrit university), the Raj Palace which now houses the Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Nargouna Palace, Zilla School and Hospital and Ram Bagh Qila.

The new chapter brings extra cheer for heritage lovers as the opening day will coinicide with the culmination of the World Heritage Week which began on November 19. Headquartered in New Delhi, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), besides the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), works on protection, conservation and promotion of tangible and intangible heritage, through its nearly 190 chapters spread across the country in various cities.

- http://www.ptinews.com/news/8113509_INTACH-to-get-new-chapter-in-Darbhnaga.html, November 24, 2016

Grande Island with its coral reef and other biota has enriched and boosted the state's tourism profile dominated by beaches, churches and temples. Sadly, the island has not received due protection even as more threats to its marine ecology loom ahead due to increased development activity in its vicinity. The subtidal area around the scenic island has been slowly uncovered through scientific studies as a high-biodiversity site, one comprising natural ecological habitats, corals, submerged rocks encrusted with sponges, seaweeds, sandy bottoms and more than 85 fish species.

"It is an underwater resource and treasure of inestimable value, comprising not only corals, but lots of other biodiversity and three shipwrecks, all belonging to the state and its people," fisheries scientist, National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Baban Ingole says.Studies have shown that the area is an extensive underwater complex of natural heritage and even as scientists are saying that its eco wealth is yet to be fully inventoried, the site is facing exposure to several human stressors - unregulated tourism, fishing, dredging and marine pollution from ships and port activity.

"It is high time that the government takes cognisance of data submitted by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), India and other NGOs to recognize Grande Island as a tourism spot and implement guidelines," Founder of the group Terra Conscious, Puja Mitra said. WWF India has held a series of workshops for stakeholders to sensitize them about various issues. "Our approach has been twofold: train boat operators and, at policy level, try to bring government departments together in participatory approach and provide solutions," Senior programme officer, WWF India, Devanshi Kasana said.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/DEALING-WITH-A-REEF-AT-RISK/articleshow/55589828.cms?, November 24, 2016

In the wake of high air pollution levels that choked the National Capital Region post Diwali, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change plans to debate the issue of an environment protection calendar by January listing measures to be adopted by all states on a monthly basis in Parliament today. “I will also put this point in Parliament today,” environment minister Anil Madhav Dave told InfraCircle. The ongoing winter session of Parliament has been rocked by the issue of demonetisation by the National Democratic Alliance government with opposition parties protesting against the move to discard old 500 and 1,000 banknotes.

Delhi’s pollution level was at its worst in 17 years, with smog and dust engulfing most parts of the city. Taking stock of the situation, the National Green Tribunal has pulled up the environment ministry and the state governments in an ongoing hearing. “We had given 42 points to tackle air pollution in December 2015. If states will stick to those points, there will be no increase in pollution levels,” said Dave. The pollution in the capital was mostly attributed to burning of agriculture waste in five states— Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh—apart from construction activities.

Earlier, while speaking at a conference titled ‘Securing the Forests, Land and Soil for All’ In New Delhi on Wednesday, Dave—who returned recently from the Conference of Parties 22 meet at Marrakech—said the Paris agreement can be saved but it will require finance, high-end technology and sustainability to make it successful. “So, we need to negotiate more,” he added. India had laid its trust that developing countries focus on pre-2020 actions and provide effective finance, technology transfer and capacity building support to developing countries.

The minister pointed out that the laws relating to forest are colonial in nature and need to be changed as they were made by the British. He also laid stress on protection of the indigenous tribes living in forests. Commenting on the uncertainty on Paris agreement post Donald Trump’s presidential victory, Dave said, “He is a successful businessman. He knows how to play the ‘Trump card’. Let’s wait and watch.”

- http://infracircle.vccircle.com/environment-ministry-take-environment-protection-calendar-plan-parliament-today-dave/, November 24, 2016

Like always, this winter too, hundreds of species of rare birds that fly in from higher altitudes in search of food and shelter have made Haryana one of its favourite destinations. The state has a plethora of water bodies where these birds can easily be spotted. However, to have the best look, one will have to search for them in farmers’ waterlogged fields, which are preferred by these birds over deep waters present at sanctuaries. “Waterlogged fields get more birds than any bird sanctuary in Haryana. It’s because these birds can easily search for food in shallow waters,” said Sunder Sambharya, Jhajjar district forest officer. A team of 11 members, led by Sambharya, toured the bird diversity in Dhighal and surrounding 20 waterlogged villages of Jhajjar on Saturday and recorded about 160 species of both resident and migratory birds.

“Winter has just arrived and so has the bird migration. One can easily predict the excellent habitat as per the presence of so many bird species in this area. During peak time of migration, that is during December, January and February, the species number will increase,” said Sambharya. Among the 160 species, the bird-watchers spotted peregrine falcon — the fastest flying bird in the world — whose speed reaches up to 320 km/hr when hunting. Some other rare birds spotted in Haryana, some for the first time, include demoiselle crane, greater flamingos, greylag goose, bar-headed goose, tickell’s blue flycatcher and purple heron. Due to bird samples testing positive for avian flu in Hisar, the bird sanctuaries in the state are finding a dearth of visitors amid avian flu threat. However, authorities have clarified that there’s no such problem. “What happened in Hisar seems to be an internal problem of the lake due to uncleanliness. There is no scare and people and people are encouraged to visit sanctuaries that are open,” Sambharya added.

- http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/haryana-becomes-winter-home-to-160-species-of-migratory-birds/story-SVhhK7AbTJu7RyvQ5DgTbL.html, November 24, 2016

The Museum of Folk and Tribal Musical Instruments showcase at the ‘Echoes of Earth’ Music Festival salutes the country’s rich indigenous culture. While the USP at most music festivals are the headliners, international bands and artistes, what sets this weekend’s ‘Echoes of Earth’ apart is that it is India’s first ecologically-crafted music festival. The festival has tied up with the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), Ministry of Culture’s Vadya Vithika – a museum of folk and tribal musical instruments.The museum will present a glimpse of music from India’s past. Professor Omprakash Bharti, the director of EZCC, Kolkata Ministry of Culture for Vadya Vithika, talks of the museum’s showcase with MetroPlus. “This museum comprises rare stringed, wind and percussion instruments used by the indigenous tribes of India. The fact that Bangalore will witness such a collection for the first time is quite a thrill. We are happy to collaborate with Swordfish Events & Entertainment in Bangalore for this endeavour at the Echoes of Earth Music Festival.” The EZCC is an autonomous organisation and apart from the musical instruments museum, there is also has a museum of performing arts in the offing. The current instruments project is expected to grow with a more divergent display of musical instruments. He adds that the museum’s speciality is folk and tribal instruments of people belonging to different tribes of India. “The instruments are rare as the indigenous tribes are the sole owners and players of these instruments. To give a better idea about how different and unique they are, a performance by the artistes will be showcased with the presentation. Also, traditional artistes will demonstrate how they make these instruments.” The showcase will feature around 40 - 50 instruments from various parts of North Eastern India including Sikkim, Assam, the Himalayan region and more. “Few of the noteworthy mentions are Tengbok, from the Lepcha Community of Sikkim, Roshwem, from Tripura, Sarinda, from Assam, and Gayne Sarangi, which is a common instrument from the Eastern Himalayan Zone, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh,” says the professor. “The instruments are not only a display of tradition, but also a reflection of the community itself. The ideology of tribes, communities and their living can be traced with these tools. Visitors at the festival will witness the wide range of unique art works and also learn about the diverse ethnicity and culture of the tribes and communities of India. This is invariably the most important thing people will experience.” On how the collection came into being, Omprakash says, “The EZCC organises more than 300 festivals every year with the aim to promote folk and tribal arts. Through these festivals, we were able to contact traditional artists and collect their authentic musical instruments. Apart from this, workshops to make various rare musical instruments were conducted. Eminent national awardees in the field of traditional folk and tribal music have also donated their musical instruments for display.”

- http://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/Sounds-from-India%E2%80%99s-heart/article16687150.ece, November 23, 2016

Anupam Sah, Head of Art Conservation- Research and Training CSMVS Museum Art Conservation Centre took art collectors, connoisseurs, aficionados, artists and students through a walk-through of the exhibition Conserving the Collection. This exhibition under the ConservArte: Citi-CSMVS Art Conservation Project, is curated by Anupam Sah and the CSMVS Museum Art Conservation Centre. The first of its kind in India, this exhibition showcases and explains in a flowing narrative, the nuances and principles of art conservation through the medium of 50 iconic and rare objects, many of them displayed for the first time ever, spanning 5000 years of history from the Indus Valley Civilization to contemporary times. It showcases many rare objects including Harappan terracotta, rare Gandhara stucco, an Ashokan edict from Maharashtra, 1400 year-old stone sculptures from Mathura, Pitalkhora, Chola bronzes including a rare standing Narasimha, Indo-Portuguese ivories, painted and woven textiles, a Jain cosmological map, and many more.

- http://asiasociety.org/india/conserving-collection, November 24, 2016

Preparations are afoot to propose the inclusion of the Kailash Mansarovar landscape in the UNESCO World Heritage site list: At discussions held at the ongoing annual co-ordination meeting of UNESCO in the city on, the proposal steered by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, took shape. Experts say that if the proposal comes through, Uttarakhand which is a major transit point of the annual Kailash Mansarovar yatra, will also benefit as communities living along the yatra route can be incorporated in the plan to develop sustainable tourism for the site. Mechtild Rossler, director UNESCO World Heritage Centre told TOI, "Kailash Mansarovar landscape has high potential to make it to the UNESCO World Heritage list simply because there are many sacred sites in this transnational boundary area, shared by three countries, India , China and Nepal. This site will be unique as here boundaries are not dividing people but bringing them together." However she said that it may take approximately five years for the landscape to make it to the list. GS Rawat, dean of WII termed this decision long overdue. "The ancient route to Kailash passes through Uttarakhand yet the state has not been able to project it strongly for promotion of tourism and development. As a result, other states, Ladakh and Sikkim have been able to lure tourists to opt for routes in their states while our state lagged behind. Our state need to respect local culture and the most ancient heritage of this region. However the world reception will add value to it," he said. Dean WII further added. "Nomination dossier in this regard would be prepared by WII and other experts. On parallel, program related to sensitizing and capacity building of the local communities would be held simultaneously, as the endorsement of local people would be necessary for the clearance of the project at UNESCO level." Lokesh Ohri, anthropologist said, that the local communities of Pithoragarh district which otherwise lost trade with Tibet due to Indo-China war and are now dependent on collection of keera-jari herbs for their livelihood would be able to benefit through tourism activity, after Kailash Mansarovar landscape is inscribed in World Heritage site. The state will also benefit as the footfall of international tourists will increase exponentially.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/Kailash-Mansarovar-landscape-likely-to-get-inscribed-as-UNESCO-World-Heritage-site/articleshow/55604043.cms, November 24, 2016

INTACH today opened its new chapter in Bihar's Darbhanga, with its chairman emphasising on systematic listing of heritage buildings, as the first step towards initiating preservation in the historic city. The chapter was inaugurated in Darbhnaga by INTACH Chairman Maj Gen (retd) L K Gupta at the premises of the Lalit Narayan Mithila University, housed in the iconic Raj Palace."Listing of heritage buildings should be taken up as the first step, since to begin preservation, it is important that first we assess the knowledge wealth that we have," INTACH Bihar Chapter Convener, Prem Sharan, quoted Gupta as saying. The chairman, after opening the chapter, took a tour of the LNMU premises, the Laxmivilas Palace or Anand Bagh Palace (now a Sanskrit university), Nargaouna Palace, Ram Bagh Qila and took stock of the state of the buildings.Gupta also pitched for opening heritage clubs in school and colleges, and carry out awareness campaigns to raise the consciousness of children and the youth about history and heritage. "A professor of the LNMU has been made a convener for Darbhanga Chapter. A proposal was also made to make LNMU, an institutional member of INTACH, and its vice-chancellor fully supported the move," Sharan told PTI. The opening of the new chapter, incidentally coincided with the culmination of the World Heritage Week which began on November 19. Darbhanga is situated in the historic Mithila region and is home to several landmarks, many of which were rebuilt after the devastating 1934 earthquake. Other prominent heritage buildings in the city include the Zilla School, Zilla Hospital, Bela Palace, now housing the Postal Training College and the Lakshmiswar Public Libray. Last December, INTACH had opened a chapter in Bhagalpur, Bihar's silk city, after setting up Vaishali Chapter earlier in 2015. Patna Chapter, constituted soon after the creation of INTACH in 1984, is one of the first chapters opened by the Delhi-based non-profit organisation. "Darbhanga has a number of palaces and heritage buildings which are in immediate need of conservation and restoration. And, now we carry out a systematic and formal listing of the historical landmarks and work on preservation plans," Convener of Patna Chapter, J K Lall said. Headquartered in New Delhi, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), besides the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), works on protection, conservation and promotion of tangible and intangible heritage, through its nearly 190 chapters spread across the country in various cities.

- http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/intach-in-darbhanga-listing-of-heritage-buildings-first-step-116112500731_1.html, November 25, 2016

Gautam Bir Tuladhar of Nepal has been using hemp, nettle and bamboo fibres to make fabric, shawls and bags over the years and now he is trying to create magic out of banana stems.He is half way through his goal and now he is in India to look for a machine that will help him transform banana fibres into fine fabric."My family is engaged in natural fibre products by using techniques like knot making, weaving and knitting," he says.Tuladhar, who is one of the participants in the International Craft Exchange programme on Embroidery, Cane & Bamboo and other natural fibre crafts at the ongoing India International Trade Fair here, is now specialising in banana-based fibre and diversifying its products range."After initial processing, the fibre can be used for making decorative items like bags, mats and boxes. But for its use as fabric for clothes, it has to be more refined. Right now I don't have a machine for that purpose," he says."I have got in touch with some people here who can help in this regard. I hope I can achieve my dream of making clothes out banana stems soon," Tuladhar told PTI.Ten national and as many international artisans from Vietnam, Thailand, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal are participating in the international craft exchange programme organised by Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) in the Ministry of Textiles in association with National Centre for Design & Product Development (NCDPD).Other international artisans are showcasing embroidery products (Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Bhutan), water hyacinth and vetiver grass items (Thailand) and bamboo products (Vietnam and Nepal).There is also a thematic exhibition of Indian handicrafts with more than 300 exclusive products in various handicrafts like wood, terracotta, metal, glass, cane and bamboo, natural fibre and embroideries such as Zari/Zardozi, Kantha, Chikankari, Phulkari etc. on display.The artisans from India are showcasing their craft skills in Zari/Zardozi, crewel embroidery, Phulkari, and natural fibre crafts such as bamboo, sikki grass, paddy craft etc.The programme aims at providing thrust to exports of Indian handicrafts besides an opportunity to the craft persons and entrepreneurs to interact with the national and international visitors.

- http://www.ptinews.com/news/8117333_Vetiver-grass--bamboo--banana-fibre-products-at-IITF.html, November 25, 2016

Pre-historic paintings found in the rock shelters of Bhimbetika, a world heritage site in Madhya Pradesh. The State may be housing the “world’s oldest rock art” with the petroglyph at Daraki-Chattan (hillock) near Bhanpura in Mandsaur district being dated by experts as between 2 lakh and 5 lakh years old. They have dated the petrogylph at Daraki-Chattan hillock as between 2 lakh and 5 lakh years old.

The petroglyph rock art at Daraki-Chattan (hillock) near Bhanpura in Mandsaur district is the “world’s oldest rock art” and is almost 2 to 5 lakh years’ old, according to experts.The successful expedition from November 2 to 23 this year for securing scientific dates for the world’s earliest rock art was led by Rock Art Society of India Secretary General Professor Giriraj Kumar along with Australian scientist Robert G. Bednarik. Mr. Bednarik is the topmost rock art scientist in the world and convener of International Federation of Rock Art Organisations (IFRAO), according to Mr. Kumar.

Oldest found so far
“As per our findings, this rock art at Daraki-Chattan in Bhanpur area of Mandsaur district is the world’s oldest so far and is about 2 lakh-5 lakh years old,” claimed Mr. Kumar, who is also Professor in Rock Art Science at Faculty of Arts in Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra.“Some of the over 530 cupules on a wall in Daraki-Chattan cave were found during research in the area which began as early as 2002,” he said. “Besides we have also found hammer stones which were nearly 5 lakh years old during our research in the area,” Mr. Kumar claimed. Giving details about the project, the scientist said, “The field work for the project has just been completed in Mandsaur region of Madhya Pradesh. Its purpose was to secure samples and data to establish the age of the petroglyph rock art at Daraki-Chattan, one of the two Indian sites that feature the oldest rock art known in the world.“To succeed in this complex task, the project involves the participation of several researchers from India, Australia and Europe. It has been known for some years that this rock art, consisting of petroglyphs in a quartzite cave, is among the oldest ever found in the world, but so far the full age of this find has remained elusive to the scientists,” he said.

Need to protect rock art
Stressing the need to protect this ancient art form which is yet to be fully protected, Mr. Kumar has held discussions about the future of the region, that is very rich in early archaeological evidence, with Mandsaur Collector Swatantra Kumar Singh and MLA Chander Singh Sisodia. A tourist centre is being established at Gandhisagar on river Chambal near the small town of Bhanpura.Prof Kumar and Bednarik suggested that to attract international visitors, the tourist centre must have something that is unique to India, if not in the world.

Palaeochannel of its own kind
The Bhanpura region is rich in rock art heritage and has palaeochannel of its own kind and the Daraki-Chattan, hence establishing a stone age museum at this location will become the centre piece of the development.“This museum, certainly unique in India, and in its proposed form unique in the world, would attract considerable international tourists to the region. The museum’s key exhibit would be a precise replica of the cave with the ancient rock art, while the cave itself will never become accessible to the public. This is to protect this irreplaceable cultural heritage for all future,” the two scientists suggested.The project was supported by the Indian Council for Historical Research and the Australia India Council, Canberra.

- http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/Madhya-Pradesh-houses-world%E2%80%99s-oldest-rock-art-experts/article16699668.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed & utm_medium=RSS & utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication, November 25, 2016

Breathtaking brick relics from a Jain centre, remains from the Ganga and Hoysala periods, a sculpture of the Tirthankara on the hill top, foundations, pillars and stone remnants -- all of these and more were recently excavated by the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) from Arthipura in Mandya district. This, after they toiled for two years. However, what worries archaeologists is preservation of such excavated sites from natural and man-made threats. While South India boasts of many such heritage sites, archaeologists and historians expressed concern at a workshop in the city on Thursday about how many of these places are exposed to exploitation.An initiative of ASI in collaboration with National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), the workshop marked the celebration of World Heritage Week and saw around 100 scholars, archaeologists and experts from Bengaluru and Chennai participate. From lack of public interest in preserving these sites, threats from the real estate lobby and contractors to quarrying and rapid urbanization, experts pointed to the many challenges that stare at them. Said A Sundara, an archaeologist and retired professor at Karnataka University, Dharwad, "After a site is excavated, the artifacts are taken to the museum and preserved. However, there is hardly anyone to take care of the exposed sites, which are of immense historical and cultural significance. Early brick foundations and Jain remains of the Ganga period are rare. Ignorant of their worth, locals take away excavated material and bricks from the sites, something that happened in the case of Vadgaon Madhavpura, a 2000-year-old town in Belagavi famous for its early brick architecture.""To prevent this plunder, panchayats and local communities need to be engaged in conservation efforts. They need to realize the importance of such places," he added. "The threat is not just limited to locals taking away excavated material. Quarrying activity and real estate are dangerous too. Not just archaeologists and experts, even the common man should be wary about these weathering remnants and come up with ways to secure them. Following our ancestors, we are trying to emulate the Chola way of classifying bricks based on the period they belong to and converting them into stones which are less perishable. We also plan to educate the local communities about the same," said Sharada Srinivasan, professor, School of Humanities at NIAS.Added KK Mohammad, retired director at the ASI, "Another way of raising the value of these heritage sites is by turning them into tourist spots, for which both private and private sector involvement is a must."

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Preserving-excavated-sites-a-big-challenge-say-archaeologists/articleshow/55608258.cms, November 25, 2016

The Archeological Survey of India(ASI) organised a photo exhibition at Kendriya Vidyalaya 1 here on Thursday. The show was aimed to create awareness among students and the general public about the conservation and preservation of historical monuments.As many as 150 photographs of excavation sites, monuments, conservation initiatives and beatification drives - both in Odisha and outside the state - were displayed in the two-day exhibition. "We want to create awareness of the multidisciplinary approach to the conservation of monuments and heritage sites. Besides, children should also get to know about various career opportunities in diverse areas like archaeology, architecture, chemistry, epigraphy and geology," said Shilpa Raturi, superintending archaeological chemist of the ASI science branch here. Visiting children were taught about the damage caused to heritage sites when walls are written upon or scratched. A drawing competition themed on the conservation of monuments was also held, in which almost 100 children participated. Principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya AT Mishra said, "The photo exhibition is going to inspire young minds to think about heritage conservation. It covered a number of subjects including history, geography, social studies, science, general knowledge, art, culture and sculpture."

The prolonged dry spell has begun to affect sowing patterns of winter crops, namely mustard, masoor, wheat and commercial fruits such as apple etc. The threat of near drought-like conditions is looming large, leaving farmers of the Garhwal region a worried lot. More than 74,000 hectares of agricultural land in nine hill districts of Uttarakhand, which produces half of state’s crop yield, will be affected due to lack of irrigation of fields this season. Sobat Singh Chauhan, a farmer from Bhanswadi village, near Bhawan, in Tehri Garhwal district, says the region could face severe drought-like conditions if it does not rain in the next 10 to 15 days. It has not rained since the end of monsoons and crops such as wheat and mustard that require some moisture are awaiting sowing, adds Sobat Singh. Farmers in the apple belt of Dhanaulti in Uttarkashi district are also a worried lot due to no rain, as the moisture in the air helps in chilling of apple trees, helping in generating high yields in the fruiting season. Social activist Sameer Shukla says if the conditions do not improve the region is sure to face a drought-like situation in the next 10 to 15 days. The government should wake up to the possibility of a drought-like situation and plan relief measures in advance. He adds a prolonged dry season is becoming an annual feature due to climate change in hilly districts and hence the state Agriculture Department should try to educate farmers on growing crops that require less water. A district plan of Rs 729 crore has been submitted to the government under which the projects such as rainwater harvesting, rejuvenation of chal and khals, micro irrigation canal and several irrigation projects will be initiated once funds reach the district.

- http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/uttarakhand/threat-of-drought-like-situation-in-garhwal/327904.html, November 25, 2016

stay policy and heritage tourism policy to encourage community tourism and attract tourists to the state, Principal Secretary, Tourism, AR Bardhan said here today. It would be released in January and is a part of the state government's policy to promote inclusive growth, he added. "A new tourism policy and incentive scheme is already in place with the vision of making West Bengal a world class tourist destination and achieve the stated target of growth rate in tourist arrival in excess of 10 per cent year to year over the next five years," Bardhan said at the 'Travel East-2016'."We seek to enhance branded hotel accommodation in Bengal to 10,000 by 2020. As per our incentive policy, we have disbursed Rs 26 crore to different hotel units in Bengal," he said, adding that the Tourism department planned to organise roadshows in Tier II and III cities to attract more domestic footfall. He said other notable plans included cottages at Tiger Hill in Darjeeling to let the tourists experience the surreal views of the Himalayas and the sunrise. "We are also focusing on hill destinations such as Kalimpong, Kolakham, Lava, Lolegaon etc. As well as working on introducing Swiss cottages at many places," Bardhan said. He said the government was also working on a plan for tourism circuits, including the historical trail of Murshidabad, Plassey, Nadia, the religious trail of Tarapith, Belur, Dakshineshwar and the beach trail of Digha, Mandarmoni, Tajpur, Udaipur.

- http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/travel/news/bengal-tourism-government-to-announce-new-home-stay-heritage-tourism-policy_1953185.htm, November 25, 2016

The Charminar heritage precinct has been assaulted yet again. To be precise, thrice in less than two months. The over 420-year old historic structure, currently in the custody of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), is protected by the Archaeological Monuments and Ancient Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act which protects, prohibits and regulates construction activity corresponding to the distance from the site. The latest incident came to light on Thursday when the archaeology department noticed construction activity in full swing within the 200 metre prohibited zone. The under-construction building is on the west of Gulzar Houz, towards the Sehr-e-Baatil Kamaan. At least three masons were seen working on the topmost storey. The structure, prima facie, bears the semblance of a commercial building.According to ASI sources, details such as property number and owner's name are being sought from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Once this is done, a showcause notice will be sent. Cracking the whip on another unauthorised construction, the ASI has sent a notice to M A Hafeez, proprietor of premises bearing number 23-4-63, on the east of Charminar. The notice invokes section 38 (1) of the AMASR Act of 1959, which instructs the owner to "remove" the newly construction portions.Similarly, two separate notices were sent to one Vishwanath, who owns a structure bearing number 22-5-302 and to a person identified as Srivivas who is the proprietor of 22-5-297 98."The notice to M A Hafeez was sent on October 26. And it was on November 1 that show cause notices were sent to both Vishwanath and Srinivas. So far we have not received any response from the three persons," said Charminar conservation assistant V Gopala Rao.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Construction-in-full-swing-within-prohibited-Charminar-zone/articleshow/55613409.cms?, November 25, 2016

For all these years since 2000, only the State capital – Kohima – got the privilege to host the annual Hornbill Festival. However, unlike the past years, three other districts – Dimapur, Mokokchung and Phek – will be given the opportunity to have a taste of the mega festival this year. The Hornbill International Music Festival (HIMF), till last year, was annually held in Kohima. But this year, Dimapur would be hosting the first three-day event of the HIIMF. Likewise, the HIMF 2016 would be officially launched at DDSC Stadium, Dimapur, with K.K. as the guest artiste. This was informed during a press conference held today at the office of the Tourism directorate. Other than Dimapur, Phek district will also experience the Hornbill Festival, as Khezhakeno will be the final destination point for the 4th Hornbill Riders’ Meet which is scheduled on Day 4 of the festival. The Trail Hounds Mountain Biking event will be held at Mokokchung on the last day of the festival. The day-long event will be organised by Trail Hounds Cycling Club, Mokokchung. Addressing the media here on Friday, Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism C Apok Jamir said the idea to shift some of the events away from Kohima is solely to give equal privilege to people of other districts. He said the government is contemplating on the idea to extend the annual Hornbill festival to other parts of the State. With just five days to go, the State’s Tourism department Friday formally announced the 17th edition of Hornbill Festival, which is all set to be held from December 1-10 at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama. The inaugural celebration on Day 1 will begin at 10 am. The chief guest is yet to be confirmed. Richard Verma, US Ambassador to India and Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Justice Ajit Singh will be the guests of honour for the function. Day 3 of the festival will also have the presence of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal as the chief guest while Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, will be the honoured guest. Another important and interesting event of this year’s Hornbill Festival is the Angami Sports Association’s 50th Anniversary Stone Pulling Ceremony, scheduled for December 3. Chief Minister TR Zeliang will be the chief host of the stone pulling event while Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Allan Gemmell, OBE Minister Cultural Affairs, British Council, India, will also be present as guests of honour. The stone pulling will commence from KMC Parking slot at 11 am and culminate at Phool Bari Y. Junction.Day 4 of the festival will have the presence of MPs Papu Yadav and his wife as special guests. On the fourth day, 3E Nagaland will organise the 6th Hornbill Half Marathon and Great Hornbill Run at New Secretariat. Director of Music Task Force, Gugs Chishi, informed that the Hornbill Rock Contest will begin on December 7, while the grand finale is scheduled on December 9. The MTF director further informed that all the musical events which come under HIMF would be held at Hockey Ground, Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima, including the Hornbill Choral Competition.

-http://www.easternmirrornagaland.com/dimapur-mokokchung-and-phek-to-get-a-taste-of-hornbill-fest-this-year/, November 26, 2016

Fort Lake - situated within the premises of the Belagavi Fort - is not only a major tourist draw in the city, but also a preferred destination for migratory birds in the region. An island, situated at the heart of the lake attracts birds of more than 40 species in the winter season, and is also home to many species of local birds. However, in a move that smacks of scant concern for the environment and biodiversity, the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) has proposed to erect a statue of the Buddha, and a flag pole on the island. The Indian spot billed duck, pond heron, little egret, white throated kingfisher are among the many birds that can be spotted at the lake. The tranquil surroundings, punctuated by the chirps of the many birds, has turned the lake into a major tourist attraction among foreign visitors too. BCC's proposal to erect a statue and a flagpole, costing Rs 1.5 crore each, has been met with stiff opposition from environmentalists, who have pointed out that it could destroy a habitat, which is home to over a thousand birds. The civic body would be using funds from the chief minister's special Rs 100 crore fund, for the proposed venture. Environmentalist and bird photographer Jaideep Siddannavar told TOI that the BCC should look to develop the island as a bird sanctuary. "It is not clear why the BCC is intent on erecting a flag pole and statue of the Buddha on the island. Many birds in North India migrate here during the hatching season. BCC can develop this spot as a micro bird sanctuary, which would increase tourist interest in the place, besides preserving the biodiversity. Also, there is a lot of space beside the lake where the statue and flag pole can come up. I will bring the issue to the notice of tourist minister, Priyank kharge," he said. Veeranna Madiwala, also an avid bird photographer, too stressed on the need to conserve the island as a habitat for birds. "This is the only place in the entire city, where the birds feel safe, since human presence here is restricted. It would be tragic if the home of the birds were to be destroyed for unnecessary projects," he said. Commissioner of BCC, Shahshidhar Kurer said that Rs 3 crore had been earmarked from the chief minister's Rs 100 crore specil fund for the project. "We have not called any tenders for the project yet, and we are still consulting experts on the issue. But, if there are objections to the project, it will be reviewed again," he said.

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubballi/Greens-say-no-to-Buddha-statue-at-Fort-Lake/articleshow/55626799.cms, November 26, 2016

The making of rock idols, sculptures and pillars for the famed Yadadri temple is going on a fast pace in Guntur, Prakasam, Kurnool and Ranga Reddy districts. As the Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao, is firm on completing the renovation of Yadadri temple by next Dasara, the making of sculptures and rock pillars, as per the designs of Sthapathi Ananda Sai, was going on at a brisk pace. Nearly 500 sculptors have been engaged to bring on the sculptures from the black stone, also known as Krishna Shila, which has a unique feature of keeping the surroundings cool apart from being easy to work on. Sculptors at Koheda in Ranga Reddy, Kammavaripalem, Kotappakonda and Marurla in Guntur and Gurujepally in Prakasam are engaged in the work. Structures for Rajagopuram, idols of Lord Sri Lakshminarsimha Swamy, pillars in the design of Simhakruthi and Kujakruthi were getting ready for the main temple and Kalyana Mandapam. They would be shifted to Yadadri immediately after their completion and final touches would be given there. Temple architect Anand Sai has been visiting the places where the sculptures were being prepared. In the study conducted by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) on black stone, it was found that the stone has a long life and will be able to survive natural disasters. Contractor Bala Subramanyam informed that sculptors were working round-the-clock to finish the work in the stipulated time. Trained sculptors from different places, including Tamilnadu, were engaged for the work, he added.

-http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Telangana/2016-11-26/Yadadri-temple-Sculpting-of-idols-goes-at-brisk-pace/265704, November 26, 2016

The department of archives and archaeology (DAA) has decided to declare the 17th century fort at Betul a protected monument. The fort was built by Shivaji at the mouth of the Sal river and overlooks the 25-km Salcete coastline. This will bring the number of monuments maintained by DAA in the state, which includes 11 forts, to 52. The forts at Chapora, Cabo de Rama, Corjuem and Tiracol are among the prominent ones. The iconic Fort Aguada is conserved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). DAA will made the declaration under the Goa, Daman and Diu Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1978, and the public has been allowed a period of two months to submit their objections and suggestions."The fort, commanding a scenic view of the coastline and hill ranges, can be a tourist attraction," former sarpanch of Betul, Sudhakar Joshi, said. The ruins of the fort were in a neglected condition for many years, and Margao-based History Lovers Group (HLG) led by its president, Yogesh Nagvenkar, and villagers cleaned the fort of overgrown vegetation. "The whole fort bastion with a cannon on it became accessible after the cleanup," Nagvenkar said. Since then, the national tricolour is hoisted every year at the fort on Liberation day, Republic Day and Independence Day. In February this year, 120 bikers from Maharashtra visited the fort and interacted with locals as part of their campaign to raise awareness about the strength of Maratha warrior, Shivaji's navy. The fort was built by the Maratha warrior at the strategic location to launch attacks on Portuguese-dominated trade routes.But, heritage lovers are wary of restoration of forts, as lack of maintenance later triggers a slow decay. The St Estevam fort was restored four years ago, but has been vandalized by visitors due to lack of security.

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Betul-Fort-to-be-declared-protected-monument/articleshow/55628330.cms, November 26, 2016

Construction dust is afloat up and down the country. The French quarter of Pondicherry can appear the same on the first look but it isn’t. First of course there’s the powerful sea breeze helpfully blowing all the unpleasant particulate matter away 24/7. People downwind may have reason to complain but in the charmed streets next to the Beach Road the air is absolutely lovely. But the second reason is less of nature’s gift and more of new age man’s vision, because what appears to be cement at first glance is actually a mix of limestone and sand. In other words a pleasant quantity of the construction work is actually restoration work, using traditional materials. Even among the newer constructions, a significant number have façade control so that they look part of the milieu rather than aliens. This is not a neighborhood boasting many monumental buildings. It’s mostly residential structures in the classic French colonial style, many of which have now been converted into boutique hotels without losing their defining architectural features like delightful courtyards and high ceilings. Maintaining continuity here is about a certain quality of life, where you can cycle up for your morning coffee or walk by the Bay of Bengal at midnight feeling completely safe. You can tell how seriously even the government takes this quality of life from the fact that traffic is not allowed on Beach Road from 6pm in the evening to 7.30am the next morning.But photographs can perhaps describe better than words the value of preserving heritage buildings with courage and respect. As was pointed out to me by INTACH coordinator Ashok Panda the hotel I am staying in is a prime example of restoration done right. Twenty years ago it was ready to be pulled down.

-http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/twinkle-twinkle/restoration-success-story-in-the-french-quarter-of-pondicherry/, November 27, 2016

In the mega event, Haryana government is aiming to set a world record with the recitation of “Ashtadash Shaloki Gita” by as many as 18,000 students at one go. Haryana government is organising its first ever International Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra from December 6 to 10 this year. In the mega event, Haryana government is aiming to set a world record with the recitation of “Ashtadash Shaloki Gita” by as many as 18,000 students at one go. It shall also be simultaneously chanted by hundreds of people in countries across the world. President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the Mahotsav on December 6. During the Mahotsav, young men and women from 574 districts will reach Kurukshetra showcasing one shloka each scripted on their traditional dresses. “They would also bring along sand from their respective districts which would be utilised to make an idol of Lord Krishna to symbolise unity and integrity of the country,” said Khattar in New Delhi Saturday. He strongly refuted opposition’s allegations that BJP was promoting Hinduism in the garb of Gita. Khattar said that with a view to spread the eternal message of Gita to the world community, global chanting of Srimadbhgvad Gita would be held from 6 pm to 6:15 pm on Gita Jayanti Day before the final deepdan ceremony at Brahamsarovar in Kurukshetra.Various eminent writers, poets, scientists and other personalities have been invited for the event. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi shall also be invited, added Khattar. The countries where global chanting would be held include India, Canberra-Australia, Bahrain, Vancover-Canada, Paris-France, Hong Kong, Jakarta-Indonesia, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal, Newzealand, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, UAE, UK, California, Arizona, Chicago and New York in USA. “Bhagvad Gita is not confined to any particular region, but it gives an universal message of essence of life to the mankind. International Gita Mahotsav has nothing to do with the issue of promotion of Hinduism,” Khattar said. While talking on the SYL canal issue, Khattar strongly advocated Modi declaring water as a national asset during his address in Bathinda yesterday. He also urged all neighbouring states to contribute in meeting the water requirement of Delhi. President Pranab Mukherjee shall also lay the foundation stone of Rs 97.35 crore Krishna Circuit in Kurukshetra. Meanwhile, on the day of Gita Jayanti on December 10, a dance drama on Draupadi will be held in Kurukshetra and renowned Bollywood actor Hema Malini will perform. The festival will also feature a grand crafts mela and Saras mela on the banks of the sacred Brahamsarover in Kuruksehtra.

-http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/international-gita-mahotsav-haryana-plans-global-mega-event-in-december-4397419/, November 27, 2016

Two Buddhist panels measuring 1.40X 0.55x0.13 metres depicting the worship of the Dharma Chakra were discovered on the river bed of the Gundlakamma River on Thursday at the village of Vennampalli at Tripurantakam Mandal, Prakasam District.

The panels made of Palnadu limestone represent the mature phase of Amaravati art and dates back to the 1st century AD when the area was ruled by the Satavahanas, said Dr Muniratnam Reddy of Archaeological Survey of India and Dr E Sivanagi Reddy, Buddhist Expert and CEO, The Cultural Centre of Vijayawada & Amaravati.

They said that the panels belonged to the Buddhist stupa located on Singarakonda hill at Chandavaram village and were used to encase the brick built stupa.They appealed the state Department of Archaeology & Museums to shift them to the site Museum at Chandavaram for safe custody and proper display.

-http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Andhra-Pradesh/2016-11-27/1st-Century-Buddhist-panels-found-/265796, November 27, 2016

Holding a faint smell of sea in the air, the coastal ruins of the crumbling Bassein Fort, popularly known as Vasai Fort, amidst tall coconut trees may today feel like a trip to a pirate’s cove. But you will be disappointed if you expect to find forgotten treasures or hideouts of buccaneers. For the rotting moss-covered walls of the fort hold not only some long-forgotten stories of war and victory but also of neglect. Around 70 kilometres away from the city, tucked in the suburbs of Vasai, lies this ‘city of ruins’. Visuals from films like Josh and Khamoshi play in your mind as you walk past the site. More recently, British band Coldplay visited the fort to shoot its song — Hymn for the weekend. In its existence of over four centuries, Vasai Fort, as it is better known as today, had seen several rulers. Originally built by the Portuguese in 1536, the 110-acre fort was captured by the Marathas in 1739 and eventually by the British after the First Anglo-Maratha War in 1802. The fort is the standing testimony of India’s diverse history. Before the entry of the foreign powers, Vasai was controlled by Bongle Raja in 1414 who built Nageshwara Temple at the fort premises. Then, Bahadur Shah of Gujarat took over and left his mark in the form of Islamic carvings on the fort walls. While fortifying the area, the Portuguese too had built seven churches within the area. Finally, when the Marathas took control, they took away the church bells as victory symbols and placed them in temples across Maharashtra. Father Francis Correa from Giriz Church in Vasai who had researched about the lost bells for over 26 years found them in temples in different parts of the state. “During Chimaji Appa (Maratha Peshwa Bajirao’s brother)’s conquest of the fort from 1737 to 1739, he awarded the church bells to the military champions as war trophies, who in turn gave them away to temples of their choice. We found 38 church bells in places like Nashik, Jalna and Kolhapur,” he said. During their two-century rule over Bassein, the Portuguese had made the fort a self-contained city with colleges, chapels, churches, restaurants, library, hospital, granary, town hall and an international market, where it is believed slaves were sold. The fort precincts also had a coin mint, an orphanage, separate bathing areas for men and women, a court and a prison. The British, however, commercialised the fort and installed a sugar factory in the precinct. But when the factory failed to yield desired profits they started neglecting the area. In 1990, after the Colonial rule had ended, the locals installed a statue of Chimaji Appa at the entrance of the fort to mark Marathas’ victory in the area. Not many people know the rich history of this ancient fort. Hence, a few have taken up the initiative of raising awareness about the place by conducting walks and drives for tourists. Pascal Lopes, a native of Vasai, is one such person. Lopes has done his masters in Numistatics and Archaeology and had been organising free get-to-know walks in the ruins during weekends. With greater accessibility over the years, Lopes has seen a growing interest among the people to know more about the fort. People from all age groups have begun to join him. While the fort does not see tourists every day, during weekends many groups queue in to explore the area. The fort is also frequented by young couples posing for their pre-wedding shoots, lovers looking for cosy nooks. Many naturalists have also developed a liking for this site to spend some quiet time with the sea or just watch the birds. However, the night brings a different set of visitors to the fort — drunkards, prostitutes and black magic practitioners. For the last five years, the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) has also been bringing the fort to life once a year with its Vasai Vijay Utsav on May 13 — a celebration of Chimaji Appa’s victory over Vasai Fort. But the lack of conservation activities is slowly killing the site. Lopes says that the fort had faced maximum deterioration after it came under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1904. “After ASI took over, the fort was left abandoned for many years. During this time many people plundered the fort for its stones and other treasures. It was also affected by natural causes like lightning and thunder. The many wars also left the fort weakened.” The foundation of the Chimaji Appa statue has already weakened and locals warn that it may fall anytime now.A visitor of the fort for over two decades now, Lopes feels that a lot is lacking from ASI’s side to conserve the fort. “While they are working on the fort, they tend to do more of renovation than conservation. The fort should be made more tourist-friendly and tickets must be applied for visitation. The money could be used to conserve the fort better,” said Lopes, adding, “If things go on like this, in ten years the fort will be entirely in ruins.”

-http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/vasai-fort-from-a-prized-asset-to-the-city-of-ruins-4397270/, November 27, 2016

The Kondapur Archaeological Museum is one of the priceless repositories of exciting finds assembled from rare sites of excavation in India. The beauty of the museum is that it reflects the life and times of the people of ancient Telangana region. Among other things, its exhibits throw light on the roots of Buddhism among the people of the Telangana region during the era of the Satavahana dynasty, which ruled for more than 4 centuries between 2nd century BC and 3rd century AD. The exhibits in the museum include finds retrieved from an ancient mound, locally known as ‘Kotagadda’, which is located close to the museum. The first excavation of the eighty-acre piece of land, where primitive fort/village of the Satavahana kingdom once thrived, was done in the early 19thcentury by the famous archaeologist Henry Cousens. During the Nizam’s rule, it was again excavated a few times, mainly in the 1940s. After the area came under the administrative control of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1952, once again excavation was done. One would be surprised to learn that in the past century, only two acres of land has been excavated out of the vast area. The artifacts retrieved from the two acres include early historic pottery, Buddhist sthupas on rock panels, terracotta figurines made of mud and sandstone, bangles and beads and many other invaluable pieces of art that have amazed tourists from across the globe who throng the museum every year. What one can feel is the Buddhist influence on the people who once lived in the region, which now comprises much of Telangana. Every piece of pottery, terracotta figurines or sculptures retrieved from the excavated site reveals illuminating information about the people who lived during the period; their habits, art, beliefs, architecture and their way of life. Every minute detail, be it a piece of ornament worn by a figurine or the shape of the body, describes something about the person in the figurine or a sculpture. This ancient settlement of the Satavahana Dynasty was situated between the Manjeera and Musi rivers, which have been flowing on this gifted land since time immemorial. This was the period when both Buddhism and Jainism thrived in the Deccan.

-http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Telangana/2016-11-28/Throwback-to-ancient-Telangana/265970, November 28, 2016

Laterite wall, known as Cheraman Kotta, is likely to be the remains of a British redoubt. It is known among local residents of Dharmadam, near Thalassery, as Cheraman Kotta (Cheraman fort), probably to connect it with the legend linking Cheraman Perumal and Dharmadam. However, historians consider the decrepit 2-metre wide laterite brick wall occupying 25 sq. m. area on the campus of Government Brennen College, the ruins of a redoubt constructed during the British rule. The college authorities have now initiated measures for the conservation of the ruins with the support of the State Archaeological Department. They have given a representation in this regard to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in whose Pinarayi Assembly constituency the college campus is located, and Minister for Ports and Archaeology Ramachandran Kadannappally. Archaeology Department Director G. Prem Kumar visited the site a few days ago. “It is very rare that a college campus happens to be the site of a historical monument,” said Principal and history professor A. Valsalan. The laterite wall is likely to be part of a structure constructed by the British over 300 years ago, he said adding that the ruins could not survive rain and shine for long unless it is conserved. Dharmadam is believed to be Dharmapatanam, an ancient port city, and according to legend, the sister of king Cheraman Perumal lived there. The legend says that Cheraman Perumal visited Dharmapatanam to bid adieu to his sister before his trip to Makkah after his conversion to Islam. Mr. Kumar said that the Department would submit its recommendation to the government for conducting a salvage excavation at the site as part of conserving the monument and the area. He also said that a proposal would be submitted to the government for constructing a 2.5-m wide walkway for visitors around the monument. The laterite wall was constructed using mud and lime and the top surface of the wall has spaces to fix cannons. The fact that the wall has unusual width has given rise to speculation among historians that it is the ruins of a structure to stockpile weapons or of a surveillance post. The hillock used to be a strategic place for watching movements of troops and ships at sea, according to historians who refer to William Logan’s Malabar Manuel that gives information about redoubts constructed in the region during the British rule.

-http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/College-to-conserve-a-part-of-history-on-its-campus/article16716916.ece, November 28, 2016

Nestled in a corner of an 18-hole golf course here is an iconic monument to the historic ‘Battle of Delhi’ but authorities are hesitating to popularise it, fearing the sporting facility may be “rendered unmanageable” and put visitors at the risk of being hit by “flying balls”. Locally known as the ‘Battle of Patparganj’, it was fought on September 11, 1803, during the second Anglo-Maratha War between the British troops led by General Gerard Lake and the Scindia Army under French commander Louis Bourquien. The monumental stone-built pillar, commemorating the decisive battle, which lent the British Raj a major hold over India, was raised in 1916 but even after a century, this episode of history remains confined to few books and scholars. “Near this spot was fought on September 11th, 1803, the Battle of Delhi in which forces of the Mahrattas commanded by M. Louis Bourquien were defeated by the British Army under General Gerard Lake,” reads the inscription on a plaque installed on the top of the pillar. Sitting handsomely atop a mound inside the 97-acre Noida Golf Course (NGC), with steps leading to the pillar, many a players have swung their clubs from the site as Tee No 16 is located on it. The sporting establishment, built by the Noida Authority in 1989, has maintained the site well but is hesitating in popularising the monument as a heritage attraction due to certain concomitant constraints. “If the monument is officially declared as a heritage, then we cannot restrict access of people to the site. But, that sudden increase in footfall will bring a lot of problems.

“Walking is limited on golf courses due to the special grass used for it. And, so many people walking on it will damage it. Besides, visitors will run the risk of getting injured from golf balls hit by players. So, overall the place would become unmanageable,” a senior official of NGC told PTI. Former Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Brijendra Sahay, who oversaw the construction of the sprawling course as the then chairman of Noida Authority, recalls the condition of the monument when the layout of the site was being done. “The pillar was all covered in bushes and the place itself was all farmland and jungle. We got the site around the monument cleaned up and the historic landmark has been fairly well maintained since then,” he said. The monument was built by F. Lishman and contractor was Roopram N. Singh, as per inscriptions on the back side. The golf course monument is currently neither protected under the Archaeological Survey of India or the State archaeology department. “It is one of the finest sporting facilities in the country and hosted several big-ticket golf tournaments. The course was to be designed by an Australian expert but we ended up designing it ourselves,” Mr. Sahay, the founder president of NGC, said. The pillar also had at its bottom, a tablet bearing the Urdu version of the battle inscription. A small inscription in Urdu beside it, reads that it was erected in 1916. A small inscription in English signifying the year of erection was also put up in the pillar, but it no more embedded in the monument. The place finds mention in 18th century maps of Delhi as well. Post-independence, the area saw rapid development and by 1990s, many apartment complexes and society apartment blocks came up in the region. The 18-hole par 72 course has a length of 6,989 yards and a water way running across the 8th, 10th, 11th and 17th fairways. Other water bodies, trees, bushes, small wooded areas, and sand filled bunkers are some of its other features, according to NGC. “We have over 5,000 members and more than 1,000 people are on the waiting list. So, while we take pride in the fact a historical monument is situated on the greens, we cannot make it openly accessible, as the course surface is very fragile,” the senior NGC official said.

-http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/Noida-Golf-Course-reserved-about-heritage-tag-for-%E2%80%98Battle-of-Delhi%E2%80%99-monument/article16725960.ece, November 28, 2016

Every year World Heritage Week is celebrated across the world from 19- 25 November with the objective of increasing awareness about the importance of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, and its preservation. The aim is also to encourage people about the preservation and safe upkeep of monuments across the country. With the expansion of cities and shrinking of village areas, the rural heritage of our Indian landscape is under tremendous threat and thus it is very necessary to protect and preserve the variety of priceless cultural heritage and historical monuments. The youth of the country, especially students of schools and colleges, need to be included in this process so that people become aware about our culture and heritage. In this vein, the department of lifelong learning, University of Jammu, organised a one-day workshop on “Rural Heritage” for students of the Master’s in rural development course, in collaboration with Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage in the university campus last week. Hemant Sharma, IAS, secretary of co-operatives, Jammu and Kashmir government was the chief guest for the function while Desh Bandhu Gupta, dean of academic affairs, Jammu University was the guest of honour. Sharma, who elaborated on the importance of rural heritage, underlined the need for its conservation as that promotes the psychological well-being of rural communities. He also underlined the need to create and stimulate awareness among the general public of the richness, variety and importance of India’s rural heritage. Gupta, in his address, said that conservation of tangible or intangible heritage is very important and there is a dire need to assist rural communities in the conservation, sustainability and management of their cultural assets. He said that the students of rural development need to undertake programmes of revival and enhancement of heritage assets in such a way as to foster local economic development; provide improvement in civic and other infrastructure, encourage improvements in education, healthcare and gender equality, and in general, promote the betterment of the concerned communities. Professor Poonam Dhawan, former dean of academic affairs, also focused on the need to take steps for the preservation and conservation of assets in rural areas, and of those in non-rural areas that represent linkage with rural origins, in full cooperation with local communities and stakeholders.During the course of the workshop, CM Seth, former chairman of the State Pollution Control Board, presented a lecture on “Rural natural heritage and rural development”. Mahesh Koul, author and columnist, spoke on the India’s rich heritage while Kirpal Singh, curator, Dogra Art Museum, Mubarak Mandi, deliberated on the importance of Jammu’s rural heritage. On the other hand, Suresh Abrol, owner and curator, Shashwat Art Gallery spoke about the role of individuals in the promotion and conservation of cultural heritage. Altaf Hussain, convenor of Intach Kashmir, spoke about the state’s rich heritage and the conservation efforts being undertaken to preserve it. The students interacted with the resource persons and asked many questions. “In this one-day workshop, students realised that even though the preservation of important natural, cultural and historic sites seems challenging, there are plenty of things that they can do including partner with some organisation and get involved in conservation activities, world heritage promotion, mobilisation of resources and financial support,” said SM Sahni, convenor of Intach, Jammu Chapter. He added that they could also work as volunteers and practice sustainable tourism by respecting local culture and customs and not damaging sites or littering when visiting. “Students can also help in spreading awareness of the importance of preserving these invaluable sites by sharing news and links through social networking sites”, said Shikha, a student. She went on to add that they have to work together to conserve cultural and natural heritage and in turn, preserve our world for ourselves and future generations. Pallavi Sachdeva conducted the programme and Kuldeep Wahi, Intach life member, presented a formal vote of thanks.

-http://www.thestatesman.com/features/youngsters-taking-the-lead-1480373657.html, November 29, 2016

The ancient gateways in Chirag Dilli in south Delhi are finally going to don a new look. In around five months, they will no longer bear the crush of urbanisation, their heritage obscured by commercial signposts and blatant encroachments. The conservation and upkeep of these 17th century monuments will begin this week, marking perhaps the first effort in centuries at arresting the creeping neglect that has already led to the disappearance of one of the four original gateways.The conservation work will be undertaken by Intach's Delhi chapter, with the funding and assistance of the department of archaeology of Delhi government.

Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj inaugurated the conservation work on Monday, with notice of additional beautification activities planned, including on the sewerage and shifting of electric wires underground."Chirag Dilli was originally a fort with four main gates, and for centuries, defined the character of the village," said Bharadwaj. "We hope to revive this character by restoring and beautifying the gates." In additions to funds from the archaeology department, MLA local area development funds will be used for the beautification work. Bharadwaj added, "We have also shown the archaeology department the several ancient wells in the village and want to know whether these can be restored too."The three gateways are on the list of monuments identified for conservation and protection by Intach in the third phase of a project drawn up to renovate unprotected monuments in the capital.

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Facelift-of-Chirag-Dilli-gateways-this-week/articleshow/55675263.cms, November 29, 2016

The century-old lighthouse and Hukitola building in Kendrapara district have been recently included in the State tourism map. This was informed by District Tourist Officer Bijaya Mohanty on Monday.The 179-year-old lighthouse located in the seaside village of Batighar under Mahakalpada block was built by the British during the early 19th century. Sources said ships of the East India Company approaching Calcutta port used to mistake Mahanadi entrance for Hooghly. Therefore, the point near mouths of the river came to be known as False Point. Later, a lighthouse was constructed and it was renamed as False Point Lighthouse. Construction work on the 38-metre high lighthouse was completed on October 16, 1837.Similarly, the century old colonial building at Hukitola Island attracts visitors for its architecture. Hukitola is an hour boat ride from Ramanagar. Recently, the State Government granted `1.2 crore for renovation work of Hukitola building by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) under World Bank sponsored Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project. Renovation work is going on.The size of Hukitola building, including a post office and refuse house, is 6,836 sq feet. While the length of the building is 125 feet, its breadth is 63 feet. Hukitola building has six large rooms and three small chambers.It was constructed in 1888 to store rice brought from Burma and other places following Naanka drought. It was named after Hokkey Walker who served as superintending engineer in irrigation division of Public Works Department (PWD) in Cuttack. Since then, it is being called as Hukitola and it was built with the laterite stones from the Barabati fort in Cuttack.“The magnificent colonial building on the island in the Bay of Bengal is a major tourist attraction. The False Point Lighthouse is situated on the island created by the Mahanadi delta near Ramanagar,” he said. The the nearby mangrove forest and water bodies have the potential of making the district a major tourist destination, Mohanty added.Both the places lack basic civic amenities and need more public conveniences, said Mohanty adding that the State Government is planning to build road to Jamboo and Kharinashi for the tourists to visit both the sites.

-http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2016/nov/29/kendraparas-colonial-structures-find-place-in-state-tourism-map-1543734.html, November 29, 2016

The appearance of a leopard in the Yamuna Biodiversity Park is rewarding news for the many who strove to restore the area into a natural ecosystem. And yet the big cat's presence is troubling because it recalls the killing of another leopard in urban surroundings at Mandawar not far from Gurgaon. Is the Yamuna park's newest inhabitant already at risk of violence from the people it might encounter?

Experts say that there are many areas in Delhi and around NCR where animals live. With humans encroaching into their habitat, they have been forced into the open and often in a conflict situation. Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of NGO Wildlife SOS, says that whenever a wild animal makes its way into a human habitation, people need to leave the animal alone and clear the area instead of taking matters into their own hands, as happened at Mandawar on Thursday. "Crowding the animal may actually aggravate the situation, forcing it to retaliate," says Satyanarayan. The leopard, like many other animals, might have approached human space in search of food, explains Faiyaz Khudsar, scientist in charge at the Yamuna park. Saying that animals rarely harm humans first, Khudsar advises wildlife spotters to try and clear the area of people and call animal rescue officials as soon as possible.

"Animals like leopards or nilgais will try to avoid humans and are not likely to attack them, but ignorance could lead to people making the situation worse," says Khudsar. An awareness drive is being conducted in areas near the Yamuna park to reassure people that the leopard is not a threat. Security measures have also been enhanced and monitoring increased at the park to ensure the leopard stays within the bounds. Khudsar emphasises that it is important people learn about the animals present in the Yamuna floodplain and in Delhi forests. unrestricted explosion of human population is taking heavy toll on other animals... huge risk of the catastrophic damage to eco system balance...eventually human will cause destruction of their own race. Creatures like snakes, civet cats, even nilgais, and on occasion leopards, wandering into human space is not rare in Delhi. Satyanarayan recollects a leopard spotting at a Saket mall in 2003. It had to be shot by the police due to apprehensions it might endanger the crowd milling around. Another case was reported in Faridabad in 2015, where despite Wildlife SOS's efforts, the villagers killed the cat. "We tranquillised the animal, but people overpowered us and attacked the sedated leopard," says Satyanarayan. Sightings of leopards have gone up in the capital in the past few years, with camera traps in the Mangar and Bandhwari areas capturing a hyena and several leopards passing by. Leopard pugmarks were also noted at the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary. With a leopard now in the Yamuna Biodiversity Park, experts believe there is a greater need to sensitise people living in areas near forests that are rich in wildlife to animal appearances.

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Conflict-corridor-in-the-making/articleshow/55675301.cms, November 29, 2016

The appearance of a leopard in the Yamuna Biodiversity Park is rewarding news for the many who strove to restore the area into a natural ecosystem. And yet the big cat's presence is troubling because it recalls the killing of another leopard in urban surroundings at Mandawar not far from Gurgaon. Is the Yamuna park's newest inhabitant already at risk of violence from the people it might encounter?

Experts say that there are many areas in Delhi and around NCR where animals live. With humans encroaching into their habitat, they have been forced into the open and often in a conflict situation. Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of NGO Wildlife SOS, says that whenever a wild animal makes its way into a human habitation, people need to leave the animal alone and clear the area instead of taking matters into their own hands, as happened at Mandawar on Thursday. "Crowding the animal may actually aggravate the situation, forcing it to retaliate," says Satyanarayan. The leopard, like many other animals, might have approached human space in search of food, explains Faiyaz Khudsar, scientist in charge at the Yamuna park. Saying that animals rarely harm humans first, Khudsar advises wildlife spotters to try and clear the area of people and call animal rescue officials as soon as possible.

"Animals like leopards or nilgais will try to avoid humans and are not likely to attack them, but ignorance could lead to people making the situation worse," says Khudsar. An awareness drive is being conducted in areas near the Yamuna park to reassure people that the leopard is not a threat. Security measures have also been enhanced and monitoring increased at the park to ensure the leopard stays within the bounds. Khudsar emphasises that it is important people learn about the animals present in the Yamuna floodplain and in Delhi forests. unrestricted explosion of human population is taking heavy toll on other animals... huge risk of the catastrophic damage to eco system balance...eventually human will cause destruction of their own race. Creatures like snakes, civet cats, even nilgais, and on occasion leopards, wandering into human space is not rare in Delhi. Satyanarayan recollects a leopard spotting at a Saket mall in 2003. It had to be shot by the police due to apprehensions it might endanger the crowd milling around. Another case was reported in Faridabad in 2015, where despite Wildlife SOS's efforts, the villagers killed the cat. "We tranquillised the animal, but people overpowered us and attacked the sedated leopard," says Satyanarayan. Sightings of leopards have gone up in the capital in the past few years, with camera traps in the Mangar and Bandhwari areas capturing a hyena and several leopards passing by. Leopard pugmarks were also noted at the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary. With a leopard now in the Yamuna Biodiversity Park, experts believe there is a greater need to sensitise people living in areas near forests that are rich in wildlife to animal appearances.

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Conflict-corridor-in-the-making/articleshow/55675301.cms, November 29, 2016

Conflict is not unknown when it comes to the question of ownership of water sources. There are many examples, for instance, the major cause of the Six-Day War fought between Israel and neighbouring Arab states resulted from a struggle over water.The threat of future conflict is only growing as we head towards an era of 'hydrological warfare' in which rivers, lakes and aquifers will be securitised. Many countries in the Middle East, Africa, Central and South Asia, eg Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Kenya, Egypt and India, are already feeling the direct consequences of water scarcity. South Asia has four major water basins: the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Meghna and the Indus. Water is a contentious issue between India, and Nepal and Bhutan. As the use of the Ganges and Brahmaputra is disputed by India, Bangladesh and China, India wants a diversion of the river, but Bangladesh warns that any such action will undermine the livelihoods of millions of farmers. Meanwhile, the Indus basin has become a source of conflict between India and Pakistan. Recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gearing up for the Punjab polls next year, once again referred to the Indus Waters Treaty, saying that the water that 'belongs' to India cannot be allowed to flow into Pakistan. Though several analysts believe that any revision of the treaty can be dangerous and even lead to bloodshed, a considerable segment in India appears to favour withdrawing from the water pact which has withstood three wars. Similarly, taking the cover of two attacks, one in Pathankot, the other in Uri in India-held Kashmir, it seems that Modi's administration is working towards revising the Indus Waters Treaty in order to protect multibillion dollar investments related to better water management and the tech industry in India.

In 2010, the then Indian water resources ministry secretary UN Panjiar spoke about the new business opportunities in the water sector in India, including storage, agriculture, industry, home consumption, and hydropower and desalination projects. Approximately, US$22 billion (S$31.3 billion) was invested between 2002 to 2007, and more than US$50 billion between 2007 to 2012. Several American banks and domestic companies will reportedly be investing billions in huge water infrastructure projects, including India's Smart Cities Mission, which will see major new technology for its residents.The OECD reported that 47 per cent of the world's population will be living in areas of high water stress by 2030. Global water consumption has tripled over the last 50 years. There are countless reasons for the scarcity of water and droughts all over the world including climate change, consumer mismanagement of water, pollution and diverting and drilling limited supplies of fresh water. The attempt to control water reminds us of the ways of the international oil cartel and nuclear cartel. William Sarni and Tamin Pechet in their book Water Tech: A Guide to Investment, Innovation and Business Opportunities in the Water Sector discuss the emergence of the water cartel and the alliance for water stewardship.Reports indicate that the water cartel's strength is growing. One evidence of this is the existence of a group of over 500 multinational companies and NGOs, that while introducing 700 innovative water technologies for industrial and agriculture use as well as home consumption, are attempting to control water resources (and prices) in the developing world.India appears to be adopting a similarly disturbing approach in its efforts to secure water for its population by linking water ways and deviating flows.Such moves can only spell doom for the population and fertile land of Pakistan, which as a country with an agricultural base, is hugely dependent on river systems.India's ostensible plans to build dams on the Jhelum, Chenab and Indus are also a clear violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.Pakistan has rights on these rivers as their flow is towards Pakistan and the treaty permits the latter country's control over them.Prime Minister Modi's words in recent days have been disturbing in this regard, and there is a petition in the Indian Supreme Court for scrapping the treaty.The meetings of the treaty commission have been halted and in any case India has plans to secure the waters of the disputed region of Jammu & Kashmir; it may even prepare for aggression on this front.The options for Pakistan are on the table; it should immediately formulate long-term development plans to attract investors to secure the water infrastructure for the coming generations.Secondly, it should call for bilateral or international diplomatic channels to settle matters in accordance with the treaty or a new one. Otherwise, the only option that may be left to us is to go to war. One cannot ignore the gravity of this especially as both rivals are nuclear-armed.

-http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indias-moves-to-control-the-rivers-can-spell-doom-dawn-columnists, November 29, 2016

It might sound callous to calculate the costs of business disruption due to smog when people’s lives are in danger. However, the economic impact of the situation cannot be ignored. While waking up in a gas chamber every day, takes a huge toll on the health of the citizens, it also robs the economy of significant growth potential, including welfare loss. In 2013, welfare costs and costs of lost labour due to air pollution resulted in an 8.5 per cent loss to India’s GDP. That was three years back. The levels of air pollution have swollen since then. Though companies are yet to calculate the actual costs of disruption due to air pollution, an Assocham study estimates losses of Rs 100 crore a day to the National Capital Region (NCR) due to the smog. Several billions of dollars of new investments are also under threat. Another very important aspect is that while most of the companies have TPA alliances with prominent health care companies, health insurance covers might get dearer by 10-15 per cent in the future in context of the city’s rising pollution. A recent study surveyed 150 companies which faced workforce crunch with 5-10 per cent of the staff calling in sick with complaints owing to the smog. The rate of sick leaves jumped to 100 per cent last month at Aspiring Minds, an employability evaluation and certification company, with companies like JLL and ATC encouraging people to work from home. Santhosh Kumar, CEO, Operations and International Director, JLL, says the post-Diwali smog affected the mobility of the officials as well as the logistics. “Operational losses such as reduced input days, time, inability to recruit good talent from outside Delhi and productivity has impacted delivery of output leading to an overall economic loss for several corporates working out of Delhi”, says Ashwajit Singh, MD, IPE Global, an international development consultancy group. In certain cases companies might have to incur discretionary spending if there are any pre-health check-ups or other facilities to be provided to the employees, says Kumar. “Apart from this there is an increase in the overall energy expenditure experienced by offices across Delhi using much stronger air conditioning units with air purifiers, exhausts, etc,” adds Singh.

While it may be difficult to hazard a figure of economic loss, since the exact period of dangerous levels of pollutants would depend on the weather conditions along with administrative measures, there is no doubt that several billions of dollars of fresh investment and GDP loss would occur, according to Assocham Secretary General D. S. Rawat. With Delhi and NCR getting descriptive titles like ‘gas chamber’ and ‘the world’s most polluted city’, the entire area of NCR encompassing not only Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad but also right up to Meerut, Panipat, Bhiwadi and Rohtak is likely to face a crippling economic impact in sectors such as tourism, transport, automobile and real estate. Pointing towards the evidence, Kolluru Krishan, Co-Chairman of FICCI Climate Change Task Force and Chairman, CVC Biorefineries Ltd says, “The direct costs in context of lost man hours and constricted business activities would run into hundreds of crore per day. Indirect, long-term costs linked to health and impact on brand equity would be much larger.”Analysts say automobile, construction and real estate sectors could be the most at risk if the various levels of government are unable to overcome a lack of political coordination and act on air pollution. With people gasping for breath, the dark blanket of smog has hit ‘Brand India’. “Overseas visitors to India have been expressing concerns about the air quality ever since a series of press articles appeared in BBC and other international media,” says Deepa Krishnan of Delhi Magic, a guided tour company, expressing concerns over the rising air pollution and tourism industry. Both transportation and tourism are highly employment-oriented sectors and jobs may be a casualty of the pollution. Even Delhi tourism minister Kapil Mishra termed poor air quality as the “worst-ever setback” for tourism and claimed that a major image makeover campaign will be started only after finding a solution.There is a bigger question to address amongst the series of losses that the economy incurs owing to air pollution in the city. While reports have concluded annual labour income losses, welfare losses, premature deaths resulting in losses of labour, growth potential etc, it is the violation of human rights and the right to breathe which is the ‘bigger cost’ of smog/pollution.

-http://businessworld.in/article/Pollution-Bearing-The-Brunt/29-11-2016-108984/, November 29, 2016

Robots are now used for everything from complicated surgeries to helping customers with banking and even making a pizza. Now, they could even help us take out and recycle trash more efficiently. A team of teenage students from Gurgaon has won the second position at the 13th World Robot Olympiad for designing a robot that can collect recyclable waste from homes. This was the first time that India hosted the World Robot Olympiad, an international competition for students between the ages of 9 and 25, which was held over the weekend in Greater Noida.This year's competition focused the use of robots for reducing, managing and recycling waste under the theme of 'Rap the Scrap'. Over 463 teams from 51 countries participated in the 13th edition of the World Robot Olympiad, representing countries such as China, Russia, Syria, Iran, Ghana and Taiwan. The three award-winning student engineers from India are between the ages of 14 and 15. Jainil Ajmera, Prakhar Mittal and Abhimanyu Deb Singh began working on the project six months ago and named their team, High Voltage. All three are members of the Gurgaon-based Robo Genius Academy and were mentored by their teacher Varun Mayanger. The High Voltage team won the second prize in the Junior High category by completing their task in the fastest time and with the highest score. Their robot identifies and segregates different kinds of waste and transfers it into the garbage bin, making recycling much easier. "Instead of going in for a complicated design, we opted for simple and compact design," Mayanger said. We also concentrated on accuracy and consistency rather than speed."Their robot had to solve a pre-defined challenge, which involved sensing and picking up colourful blocks, denoting different kinds of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, and then dropping them in a bin with the matching colour. The participating robots needed to sense the colour and the location of the bins, which kept on changing. High Voltage's robot was designed using Lego Mindstorms, a robotics tool set for making LEGO robots."Aside from the technical aspects, the challenges require you to think of solving the problem," Ajmera said. "You don't have to stop to working on the idea after this, because it might just change the world." The three spent numerous late nights testing as many as 10 models before the competition, on their strategy and brainstorming on their strategy. "We will try to build a working prototype, and make a functioning robot which can actually help with waste management," Mittal added. The other Indian teams also came up with innovative robotic solutions for reducing and recycling waste. Swaccha Techno Kats, a team from Mumbai's Nehru Science Centre worked on replacing humans with robots for the disposal of infectious bio-medical waste from hospitals. Another Mumbai-based team called Plecostomus made a robot to clean trash, especially floating micro-plastics, from water bodies such as lakes, rivers and seas. Finally, the team behind Project Paper Mate made a robot resembling Wall-E to pick up Tetra Paks from their school for recycling.

-http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/11/28/these-indian-teenagers-won-an-international-prize-for-making-a-r/, November 29, 2016

Union minister for tourism and culture Mahesh Sharma announced a grant of Rs 100 crore for developing Maharana Pratap Heritage Circuit in Udaipur.

Kumbalgarh, Chavand, Gogunda and Udaipur -historical places related to Maharana Pratap's life -will be included in the circuit and developed as places of special interest for tourists.This will help to spread the heroic story and deeds of the great warrior king to people, both nationally and internationally, Sharma said.

"There is an immense potential for developing tourism in Rajasthan. Hence, the Centre will extend all support to the state to explore new avenues of tourism, increase livelihood opportunities in the sector and enhance the living standards of people here," Sharma said while addressing a gathe ring on the occasion of dedicating the Pratap Gaurav Kendra Rashtriya Tirtha at Tiger Hill to the people on Monday.

The minister also said that the Centre has granted Rs 195 crore to Rajasthan for developing the tourism sector. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat inaugurated the kendra, which has been develo ped as a national monument in the memory of Maharana Pratap. The project has been funded by the RSS through contributions and is estimated to have cost Rs 100 crore.

In his address, Bhagwat said Maharana Pratap's heroism would continue to inspire generations to come. The great king and his followers have set an extraordinary example of sacrifice, love for the motherland which needs to reach all corners of the world.

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/udaipur/Udaipur-has-taken-lead-in-preserving-its-heritage/articleshow/55677055.cms, November 29, 2016

State tourism department and Shruti Foundation in collaboration with All Ladies League will be organizing a four-day 'Vedaaeranya Heritage Festival' (VHAH) from December 6-9. The festival, which will be held at Ramgarh Shekhawati in Sikar, will be aiming at recreating the splendour of the region. "The VHAH Fest is an opportunity for the resurgence of our living heritage. The underlying objective is creative, social and economic development of the local artistes of Ramgarh Shekhawati region," said Shruti Nada Poddar who had signed tourism MoU with state government. In order to create awareness about the revival of heritage spaces, some spectacular shows and a plethora of activities have been planned throughout the festival. During the festival, there would be interactive sessions on "The Healing Power of Mantra" by Shruti, 'Genius of Indian Scientific Heritage' by Mathematics genius Prof C K Raju; master classes on 'Gems From Our Spiritual Heritage' by MP Dinesh Trivedi; 'Meditation for Concentration' by Aditya Ahluwalia and 'Ramgarh Ke Deewaron Ki Kahaniyan' by Guru Shovana Narayan on stories painted as frescoes on Ramgarh Shekhawati havelis.

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Vedaaeranya-Festival-to-highlight-heritage/articleshow/55673711.cms, November 29, 2016

The annual Manipur Sangai Festival put on display the vibrant traditional performance art and sportive nature of the inhabitants of the north-eastern state. The Manipur Sangai Festival is taking place since November 21, primarily at Imphal, the capital of Manipur, as well as locations across the state until November 30. Started more than five years ago, this annual festival has evolved from a showcase of the tourism potential of the state to an enthralling cultural display with a wide array of adventure sports in scenic locations. “We are excited to host this festival that brings many travellers to the state and enriches them with knowledge about the customs and cultures of Manipur. The large number of stalls by handicraft artisans and local chefs at the principal venue in Imphal is a great way for both Indians and foreigners to get acquainted with the relatively unknown state,” says N Ashok Kumar, Indian Administrative Services, Special Secretary for Tourism in Manipur. The festival commenced with performances of the traditional Manipuri dance and the folk dance, pung cholom or drum dance. An art gallery with paintings and sculptures, and a mini village have been installed in Imphal, which respectively showcase the independent artists of the region and various types of houses found across the state. “As of now, the venue is a temporary one which is dismantled once the festival gets over. However, we are hoping to install something more permanent so that visitors who come to the state can have a taste of the same throughout the year. We are thinking of placing an ethnic village of sorts to house arts and crafts artisans alongside theatre and dance groups,” shared N Bandana Devi, Director of Tourism, Manipur. The event saw a large attendance by locals and visitors from others state. Many were attracted by the performances that were lined up. “I really look forward to this event. My favourite band is performing tonight and I am here with friends who are equally, if not more, excited than me,” stated a festival attendee, as she made her way through the crowds towards the arena where musical performances took place. Apart from the main event, an international polo tournament was taking place in the nearby polo grounds, which saw visitors from over six countries such as Kenya, Australia and the UK. Manipur prides itself for inventing the sport and has a competitive team representing it.

Overcoming security risks
As Manipur remains a somewhat tensed zone in terms of internal security for India due to the presence of militant groups and separatists, it has been placed under Armed Forces Special Protection Act (AFSPA), which entails large military and paramilitary security forces in place. Despite activists such as Irom Sharmila fighting against the military occupancy, the Indian government has not withdrawn forces.

As Devi points out, however, “There is a need for a change in perception. We do our best to ensure security of visitors and definitely the situation is improving. Even the agitated youth understand that after all tourism is good for the economy and development of the state,” adding, “Manipur has seen an increase in foreign tourists and visitors from Japan and Korea are particularly large in number, most of whom are young and prefer home-stays as accommodation.”

Manipur hopes to rope in more travellers to the state by strengthening the cultural experience of travel, through festival such as the Manipur Sangai Festival, among other initiatives. “We are part of the popular spiritual circuit called the Krishna Circuit and are an important part in the north east circuit. Through growth in home-stays and heritage parks we want travellers to experience the warmth and love that the Manipuri people have for others, although we may seem a little shy by nature just like the sangai deer that is indigenous to the region,” stated Kumar, inviting visitors to come and explore the state that is nicknamed ‘the jewelled land’ for its lush and pristine natural beauty.

-http://mediaindia.eu/art-culture/manipur-sangai-festival-showcases-rich-heritage-of-state/, November 29, 2016

The village panchayat of Bhironda in Sattari taluka has become the state's first local self-governing body to have completed work on the people's biodiversity register (PBR) in keeping with the Biodiversity Act, 2002. As per the Act, PBRs are to be prepared in consultation with locals and must contain comprehensive information on availability and knowledge of local biological resources, their medicinal or other values, or any other knowledge associated with them. The National Biodiversity Authority states that so far, a total of 2,485 PBRs have been prepared by several other states. Bhironda, together with Advoi, Vantem, Padeli and Sarvashe, has abundant agro-horticultural sites and areas that are conserved by the community. The preparation of Bhironda panchayat's PBR was spearheaded by sarpanch and chairperson of the local biodiversity managing committee (BMC), Suvarnamala Desai. Panch member Gokuldas Gaude, who is also a member of the committee gave a PowerPoint presentation of the PBR at Vantem's Brahmachaitanya Ashram. The chairpersons and members of the BMCs of Cotigao, Rachol, Kundaim, Rivona and Keri also participated in the programme. "Since times immemorial, ancestors of tribal and non-tribal communities residing in these areas protected and conserved various elements of biodiversity by establishing the institution of sacred groves and trees. Our BMC, with the help of the local people, will make sincere efforts to enjoy the benefits of this biodiversity through judicious use," Gaude said. Member secretary of the Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB), Pradip Sarmokadam said, "Kerala is the first state in the country to have constituted 1,500 BMCs and completed preparing PBRs. Under the Global Environmental Facility, we have selected 20 BMCs from various parts of Goa. There is an urgent need to have PBRs as a lifetime activity if we are to protect and conserve our natural resources. Also, through community participation, we want to protect oases of biodiversity by declaring biodiversity heritage sites."

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Bhironda-pyat-sets-precedent/articleshow/55714788.cms?, November 30, 2016

If India continues with the current trend of "poorly planned, sprawling and unconnected" pattern of urbanisation, it could impose an estimated cost of up to $ 1.8 trillion by mid-century to the country, a new study today said.The new report 'New Climate Economy on India's urbanisation potential' said that better and smarter urban growth could be an economic opportunity for India worth up to six per cent of GDP by 2050. "Better, smarter urban growth could be an economic opportunity for India worth up to 6 per cent of GDP by 2050," according to the latest research from the New Climate Economy. The New Climate Economy is flagship project of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, which is a major international initiative to examine how countries can achieve economic growth while dealing with the risks posed by climate change. It provides independent and authoritative evidence on the relationship between actions which can strengthen economic performance and those which reduce the risk of dangerous climate change."Continuing the current poorly planned, sprawling, unconnected pattern of urbanisation could impose an estimated cost of between $ 330 billion and $ 1.8 trillion by mid-century. At the household level, this equates to more than 20 per cent of average household incomes," the report said. Analysing satellite data of night-time lights, this report finds that Indian cities that were more compact in 2002 experienced faster economic growth from 2002-2012 and that better, smarter urban growth could be an economic opportunity for India with significant savings at the household level. "On average across a sample of 479 Indian cities, a ten per cent increase in a city's dispersion index in 2002 is associated with a 0.4-0.9 per cent point decrease in economic growth over the subsequent period," it said. It noted that there are a number of negative impacts or costs associated with India's current urbanisation model, ranging from increased costs of providing public infrastructure and services, transportation costs, traffic casualties, traffic congestion, air pollution, and health risks, among other considerations. "The costs of providing public infrastructure and services are likely to be as much as 30 per cent higher in more sprawled, automobile dependent neighbourhoods compared with more compact, connected locations." "14 of the world's 30 most polluted cities are in India, and outdoor air pollution in Indian cities is estimated to cause around 1.1 million premature deaths per year. India also has the largest number of total traffic deaths of any country: 137,572 were officially reported in 2013," it said.

-http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indias-poorly-planned-urbanisation-may-cost-over-trillion-dollars-study-1631909, November 30, 2016

At a time when pollution and the effects of climate change are making headlines almost everywhere in India, this comes as welcome news. The Kamuthi Solar Power Project, completed in Tamil Nadu recently, has been hailed as the world’s largest solar power plant. The plant covers an area of 2,500 acres, which, to put it in perspective, is enough space to organise 476 parallel football matches. It has a capacity of 648 MW of clean, green power, and will provide electricity to 1.5 lakh homes. The cost of building the plant was $679 million (approximately Rs 4,500 crore). The solar power plant contains 25 lakh individual solar panels. These panels are cleaned on a daily basis by a robotic system, which is in turn charged by solar power, thereby making it a self sustaining system. The plant, built by Adani Power, took only eight months to complete, and has now become the world’s largest solar plant. This title previously belonged to the Topaz Solar Farm in California, which has a capacity of 550 MW, reports Al Jazeera.

-https://yourstory.com/2016/11/kamuthi-solar-power-project/, November 30, 2016

The Madhya Pradesh (MP) Tourism is planning to name Ujjain as a heritage destination in the coming months. Ujjain is already a very well-known pilgrim travel destination. The state Tourism Department feels that promoting it as a heritage destination will not only give rise to new tourism products, but will also assist in preservation of the destination’s culture and heritage.

“We have a balanced approach towards promotion as well as preservation of heritage. At the same time, we are also open and scouting for ‘heritage walks’ ideas, which is a great concept. We will be developing tourism without disturbing the ecosystem and by enhancing the experience for tourists,” said Deepika Roy Choudhury, GM (Creative & Publicity), Madhya Pradesh Tourism, while speaking at an event in New Delhi.

She also shared that MP Tourism undertook a detailed workshop with The World Bank in Bhopal few months ago. The World Bank project in Sanchi has recently been assigned. The World Bank officials had come for a survey and work is in progress. MP Tourism has also identified few tourist circuits, but it is just the beginning, she stated. Amongst the upcoming initiatives, MP Tourism will be organising a month-long Jal Mahotsava (water festival) at Hanuwantiya Island in the backwaters of Punasa Dam from December 15, onwards.

-http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com/detailNews.aspx?aid=25712 & sid=1, November 30, 2016

Officials from six cities selected for the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme will visit Puducherry next week to experience the cultural heritage of the town.Launched in 2015, the HRIDAY scheme is being implemented in Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwaraka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal.The three-day visit starting December 6 has been mooted by the Delhi chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). The team would be accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Urban Development.“The visit would be a unique experience for officials to study and know the best practices in various areas related to heritage conservation,” an INTACH official said.The visit would help the team members in successful implementation of heritage conservation and urban revitalisation projects in their respective cities, the official added.“The very fact that they are coming to Puducherry is significant to us. We should take this opportunity and meet the officials and talk to the Ministry and make a push to include Puducherry in the scheme. The HRIDAY scheme is under the Urban Development Ministry. Puducherry will be an example where heritage is an important aspect of development of the smart city,” Ashok Panda, co-convenor of INTACH told The Hindu.The city’s heritage continues to coexist within the growth pressures and transformations. It is an example for other cities to draw from Puducherry’s experience and protect, conserve and sustainably develop their heritage assets.Various initiatives taken by the Puducherry and French Governments, INTACH, institutions and owners of heritage properties and PondyCAN Citizens group in the past few decades have helped the French and Tamil quarters retain their historic heritage character.

-http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/Representatives-from-six-cities-to-visit-town/article16727122.ece, November 30, 2016

The Ashokan pillar at Kotla Ferozeshah isn't the only monument showing signs of decay; its cousin outside Bara Hindu Rao Hospital is also a victim of the vagaries of time. Inscriptions are fast disappearing, there is graffiti, and there are visible cracks on the pillar. There are also obvious signs of the use of cement mortar—a strict no-no when it comes to heritage conservation.

Archaeological Survey of India has restricted the entry to this pillar to stop people from damaging it, but historians say this one always had a turbulent history. "In the early 18th century, a gunpowder explosion had broken the pillar into five pieces. In 1867, the pieces were put back together, presumably with some sort of mortar," said historian and Intach convener Swapna Liddle.

There has been considerable wear and tear ever since. Portions of the original inscription are missing, and one side of the pillar has graffiti etched on it. The authorities aren't sure if these are recent or much older.

ASI officials admitted that there was no documentation or monitoring of the pillar to know its change of status. "With over 3,600 monuments to conserve, it's very difficult to have periodical reviews on every site. All monuments are reviewed from time to time, but documentation done at fixed intervals isn't available," said a senior ASI official. While the flaking on the Kotla pillar appears to be more recent, it would take a separate investigation to find out how things have come to such a pass at the Bara Hindu Rao pillar.

A close look at the pillar shows cement mortar, which conservationists say accelerates the deterioration of ancient monuments. "When cement mortar is used in centuries-old buildings, they react with water or anything in the air and create salts. These salts can be seen on the facade between the joints of two pieces," said a noted conservationist, adding, "This irreplaceable loss was totally avoidable with regular scientific monitoring and preventive conservation. The stone pillars require regular attention to mitigate the effects of pollution. Instead, they seem to have suffered from the use of chemicals and cement—both extremely harmful to them."

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Ashokan-pillar-on-Ridge-too-suffers-monumental-neglect/articleshow/55821295.cms, November 6, 2016

Once a symbol of pride of the Bikaner state, Bikaner House had, over the years, lost its sheen. This was primarily due to the perception that it was just a stop to board a luxury bus to a Rajasthan city. Things changed in 2015 when the building was restored. Now, it's fast becoming a cultural hub. Sumanta Bhowmick, author of Princely Palaces in New Delhi, said, "It is one of the oldest and simplest of the princely palaces of Delhi with its beautiful lamps, high ceiling and tastefully done interiors, jaalis and chajjas. One speciality of this building is that the main door leads directly to the dining hall, as the Maharaja didn't like to keep his guests waiting."

The restoration brief of the Rajasthan government—which had its offices in the building—said the building and its environs had to be modernised without altering its old look. "So we had to make ornamental changes," said Priya Pall, curational director, Bikaner House.

About 4.6 acres of the 7-acre complex were worked on. Before that, all the offices were vacated. Pall said a small portion of the ball room's wooden flooring had to be repaired due to termite damage, walls were painted with lime, and the jaalis were also restored. "The large chandeliers are the original ones, and some new ones had to be put with the same cut glass lamps and steel chains," Pall said. "It has now become the gateway to Rajasthan," Pall added.

The ball room, conference room and rear lawns known as Chandni Bagh, have hosted several events in the past few months—from musical evenings to book launches. On Monday, the iconic themed restaurant chain, Chor Bizarre, opened its outlet at Bikaner House as well. There's also a designer store called Vayu, which is run by designers Vivek Sahani and Dev Chang, and which showcases the best of Rajasthan's crafts.Bikaner House was designed by Charles G Blomfield as a palace befitting a king that Maharaja Ganga Singh was.

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Ashokan-pillar-on-Ridge-too-suffers-monumental-neglect/articleshow/55821295.cms, November 6, 2016

New evidence has come up to show that the 7080km stretch along the banks of Chambal River in Bundi, Kota and Bhilwara was inhabited by the Mesolithic man. Discovered by the Bundi based amateur archaeologist, Om Prakash Sharma popularly known as Kukki, the new `relics' from the stone age marks the 100th rock painting that he has found from the area. After a five-year `hunt' on the left banks of the river in Kholi village, Kukki discovered the hematite stone paintings which appear to narrate the stories of hunter-gatherers.

"I found these rock paintings 55km from Bundi near `Karondi Ki Khaal Naala'. The area has thick vegetation and many rock shelters. These paintings are made on rocks with white clay . The paintings reveal that the ancient man practiced shamanism, wherein a person is regarded as having access to and influence in the world of benevolent and malevolent spirits," said Kukki.

These are in fairly good condition as the area is not exposed to the and not easily accessible by people, he said. The figurines and the inscription on rocks appears to be that of Mesolithic age with paintings relating to hunting weapons that seem like a spear and axe besides hunting or chasing animals. A few days later, Kukki stumbled upon another set of rock paintings in a place called `Mendki Tol' but made with red colour on rock boulders and hanging rocks."These were near the `Ghoda Pachad' river on the river bank which shows that primitive men inhabited this area near the river. Devoid of any vegetation, these paintings have still weathered the ravages of time. Some stone tools were also found in this place earlier. The Bhils and Banjaras still live here," said Kukki, who has been a rock art explorer in the three districts of Bundi, Bhilwara and Tonk from 1995. Hridesh Kumar Sharma, director, department of archaeology , confirmed that the red rock painting shows the existence of Mesolithic people in the area.

"The white rock paintings are from the prehistoric period while the red rock paintings are from the Mesolithic age," he said. "Kukki has done extensive research on the heritage of the area. He has passionately worked for rock art and it's commendable that he has discovered 102 such `sites' in the area. So far, we have not worked on how to preserve them. But, soon we will prepare an action plan," Sharma said.

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Mesolithic-man-lived-near-banks-of-Chambal-in-Rajsthan/articleshow/55825698.cms, November 6, 2016

Concerned about the depleting groundwater level, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has decided to develop six artificial water bodies across the national Capital. The officials said the water bodies will come up in south-west, west and east of the city.

“We have taken a progressive decision to construct six new water bodies in Delhi. Two water bodies of 35 acres will be developed in Dwarka and will add 10-15 MGD to Delhi’s water production. Similarly, four water bodies will be developed in Rithala, Rohini Sector-25, Nilothi and Kondli,” said Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra. “Treated water from the Pappankalan sewage treatment plant (STP) will be diverted to the water bodies in Dwarka. This will not only increase the level of groundwater, but also add to the scenic surroundings,” Mishra said.

According to the DJB sources, the move has come after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, DJB, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and other agencies concerned to take immediate steps to clean and revive 33 water bodies in Dwarka to help utilise the rainwater more judiciously. The green court had earlier directed the government to clean and restore all natural water bodies, after a plea was filed expressing concern over the alarming depletion of the water table in the national Capital.

-http://www.dnaindia.com/delhi/report-delhi-to-get-6-artificial-water-bodies-soon-2280136, November 6, 2016

The concrete-based damaged canopy 'Brahma Sthal' of the century old Tagore Hill still awaits renovation, despite the submission of a detailed project report (DPR) to the to the art and culture department of the Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development (ITRHD) weeks ago."As asked by the department, we had submitted the DPR last month. The canopy is in immediate need of restoration because it may fall any moment. We are eagerly waiting for the green signal from the government to begin restoration work," Shree Deo Singh, state head of ITRHD, said. Meanwhile, art and culture director Ashok Kumar Singh assured to begin the renovation work soon. "The plan to begin the renovation is in process. The canopy is to be conserved with artistic structures," Singh said.

ITHRD had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government for renovating heritage sites the Tagore Hill, Maluti Temples at Dumka and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's residence in Jamtara. However, the remaining part of the Hill was developed eight months ago by the tourism department. The area is covered with cement and railing lines. Guards have been deployed round the clock. Sweepers are hired to ensure cleanliness. Drinking water and snacks facilities are available in the opening hours of the area from 9am to 6 pm.

Dharmendra Sharma, a resident of Kokar, said, "Though the campus has been developed, the canopy requires attention." Presently, the entry to the site is free of cost. Birendra, a sweeper, said, "The government will begin charging from January." Birendra added that officials have been visiting the canopy for inspection but no work has been initiated till date.

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Tagore-Hills-canopy-in-need-of-repairs/articleshow/55821088.cms, November 6, 2016

Famous for its agriculture, horticulture and eco-cultural heritage, the village of Sal is also synonymous for its zatra, where a supernatural phenomenon is witnessed. Sal, in Bicholim taluka, is a village nestled amidst green hillocks with perennial streams and river flowing through. The etymology of the word ‘Sal’ is deeply rooted in a species of paddy variety that may have been cultivated in this village in the past. Sal comprises 1,069.53 hectares of area and shares its boundaries with Pernem taluka and Dodamarg taluka of Maharashtra. From 1962 to 1973, Sal, Mencurem and Dumaxem were under one village panchayat, and in 1963, Haribhau Chandrakant Raut was its first sarpanch. In 1973, Mencurem and Dumaxem were separated from Sal, which got its own panchayat status. The population of Sal is on the rise as families of the submerged villages of the Tillari irrigation project in Maharashtra have been rehabilitated in Kholpe ward in the village.

Even today, Sal has maintained its heritage of agriculture and horticulture, although, it cannot be compared to what was witnessed a quarter century ago, when the village was lush green during the onset of the winter season. As villagers grow horse gram, sesame, black gram, cowpea and have coconut plantations, with the backdrop of the Colvale river and its tributary with water-locked mini-islands, this village has a great potential for ecotourism. During the term of Pandurang Raut as tourism minister of Goa, attempts were made to develop ecotourism in Sal, but the plans did not materialize due to government apathy. The water resources department, though, built the ‘Vasant bandhara’ across the River Colvale, which flows through the village, and this has drawn hundreds of people from Goa and the neighbouring state of Maharashtra, who enjoy a bath in the cool waters during summer.

The mix of tourists has also brought with it undisciplined elements, who litter the area with garbage and non-biodegradable waste, thereby spoiling the natural beauty of the vicinity. The water resources department also built two light vehicular bridges that connect Sal with Ibrampur, known for its agro-diversity, and Alorna, famous for Sawantwadkar Bhosle’s historic fort. In order to cater to drinking water needs of some areas of Bicholim and Bardez, a raw water pumping station for Amthane dam and Assonora water treatment plant has also been built at Madyat.

Ghodgini and Devnyar are the two areas on the banks of the Colvale river which are known for black clams (kale khube). The yield has been reduced due to the construction of the Tillari dam and bandharas. The village also has two perennial springs at Ghavanale and Adyan. Though Sal has a large area under horticulture cultivation, the disrupted supply of irrigation water from the Tillari project has badly affected the morale of agriculturists of the village.

Gade Festival During Shigmo, Sal attracts a large number of devotees for the three-day ‘Gade' festival. The event sees a chosen number of 45-50 devotees called ‘Gade’, who go into a trance, and march in the direction of unseen spirits called ‘Devchar’, who are spotted holding flame torches. The spirits are believed to abduct a few ‘gade’, who are noticed missing from the village. The night of the festival sees the rest of the ‘gade’ and the drumbeater run across the village, to get to the place where the Devchar finally releases a missing ‘Gado’, by lighting a flame torch as a signal. The chase by the ‘Gade’ also sees curious onlookers running behind them, with the entire scenario almost resembling a stampede.

“I visited Sal on many occasions to witness the festival of ‘Gade’. These ‘Gade’ are believed to be under a spell and are guided by a mysterious torch shown by the Devchar. It is the biggest attraction for people, irrespective of caste, religion and nationality. The Devchars named Madyavayalo, Zathar, Ghavanaleshwar, Babreshwar, Taleshwar and Datsakhaleshwar are believed to be supernatural entities and are revered during the festival,” says sociology lecturer Narayan Gawas, who is also a resident of Keri, Sattari. The main temple in Sal is dedicated to Goddess Bhumika and Lord Mahadev, who are connected to most of the festivities. Beside these temples, the villagers also worship Ravalnath, Betal-Vetal, Chavatheshwar, Rashtroli, Mhalkum and Sidhdeshwar. During the tenth month of the lunar calendar, called Paush, the village women take part in the eco-feministic festival of ‘Dhalo’, which is marked by recitation of folk songs followed by folk dances and numerous rituals.

Resident Speaks I started eco-tourism activities here almost a decade ago, and I have been successful in attracting tourists. It has proved profitable as I have maintained a plantation and protected the natural surroundings. There is a need to have a sustainable model for development of ecotourism in Sal and in its vicinity sandeep raut | former zp member and resident Sarpanch Speaks Under the guise of repairs and maintenance every year, during the crucial period, farmers in our area fail to get regular supply of irrigation water which has affected the yield. Though issues have been repeatedly brought to the notice of the government officials concerned, the problem has remained unresolved Ghanashyam Raut | sarpanch

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Mini-islands-flaming-torches-and-Devchars/articleshow/55822045.cms, November 6, 2016

Tourism Minister Azmeera Chandulal stated that government would facelift the existing tourism spots in Yadadri-Bhongir district in next three years. On Monday, he conducted a review meeting with Tourism department’s special secretary B Venkatesham, District Collector Anitha Ramachandran and other officials at Hotel Vivera in Bhongir. The Minister, in his address, said topographically Yadadri-Bhongir district was very close to state capital Hyderabad and had many historical places. In view of developing the Yadadri temple on the lines of Tirumala, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao was committed to develop all the historical places in the district which include Bhongir Fort, Kolanpaka temple and Rachakonda hillocks. Government would like to establish rope way at Bhongir Fort and in this connection it had already sanctioned Rs 5 crore and called for tenders.

A Calcutta-based company tendered its bid with Rs 16 crore to take up the project. Their proposal was sent to Central government for the financial assistance. Once Centre releases their part of funds, immediately works would be rolled on, the Minister added. “With the development of historical places, locals will get direct and in direct employment and businesses also improve,” stated Chandulal. Meanwhile, both Minister and the Collector urged heritage supporting people for the development of Tourism circuit of historic places for the progress of the district.

After the meeting, Chandulal visited the Yadadri temple and had darshan. Meanwhile in a separate meeting, Yadadri temple architect Anandsai and EO Geetha have shown master plan designed for revival of Shivalyam at hillock to Toguta Matam priest Mahananda Swamy and took constructive suggestions from him.

-http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Telangana/2016-12-06/Tourism-spots-in-Bhongir-to-get-facelift/267211, November 6, 2016

Andhra Ikshvaku dynasty was one of the earliest recorded ruling dynasties of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. They ruled the Telugu country along the Godavari and Krishna Rivers during the latter half of the second century AD. Their capital was called Vijayapuri. It was a strong and common belief that Ikshvaku’s were related to the mythological Ikshvakus; they were the successors of Satavahanas. The valley of the hills was known as Nagarjunakonda or the valley of Nagarjuna, who was a great Acharya and a learned Buddhist of the time. The dynasty built numerous monuments and used bricks for construction and also built stupas and universities. A three-day cultural festival at Anupu comprising fifteen events featuring more than 350 distinguished artistes who will present art forms including music, dance, folk art and theatre by Infosys Foundation. The entry is open to all. The event will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu in the presence of Sudha Murty, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation and Binod HR, Executive Vice-President and Global Head – Talent & Technology Operations, Infosys Ltd. Time and date: 3.30pm to 7pm on December 9, 10 & 11

Venue: Amphitheatre, (Archeological Monument Site), Anupu, Near Nagarjuna Sagar. Located to the south of Nagarjuna Sagar town, Anupu is a site of Buddhist excavations reconstructed with extreme care and effort. It is a sleepy village and very few people know of its existence. During the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam in 1960, the ruins of an ancient Buddhist university were excavated along with several monasteries. These were subsequently reconstructed on 80 hectares by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Today, the museum located on an island near Anupu is very popular. There are three main structures at Anupu of great historical significance – the ancient university, an amphitheatre and the Harati Temple. The reconstructed stupas at the university have circular brick or rubble walls, which have cladding of limestone slabs or plaster. The Simhala Vihara has two halls, one encircling a Buddha image.

The Chaitya Halls and monasteries have limestone column as set in brick and stone walls. The Amphitheatre is a magnificent structure with stepped columns on both sides and a big playground in the centre. There are ruins of a Vihara with broken limestone columns on top of the stadium. The temple of Harati, the Buddhist mother Goddess, was one of the important finds during the excavations. The temple is situated before the amphitheatre and it contains a broken statue of the Goddess in a sitting posture. It is believed that men were Kshatriyas and women were Buddhists in the Ikshvaku dynasty. There was good merchant trade with Rome and Greece. Due to lack of visual photography and other such measures, sketches of such amphitheatres from the West were brought to Vijayapuri.

A smaller yet beautiful amphitheatre was created and used most likely for cultural festivals and Buddhist discussions. If you observe keenly, there are small drainage holes in the theatre. There were dressing rooms and VIP seats in a circular format, almost like seats in an opera house. When I went to see Anupu, I sat on one of those seats. Time in my head went 1,700 years ago. I could visualise like the dazzle of the torchlight, the silk robes all around, and the sound of bangles and ornaments. I wondered how many people had danced, sang and discussed matters here and viewed the cultural extravaganza. Alas! After the fall of the Ikshvku dynasty, the place was ignored. Today the place is deserted, left empty and open to the forces of nature and neglected by time and people. That was the moment when I felt that we must conduct one cultural festival as relevant to today’s times. This small thought led to the Anupu Cultural Festival in December 2016. (The writer is Chairperson of Infosys Foundation.)

-http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Andhra-Pradesh/2016-12-05/Resurrecting-cultural-grandeur-of-Anupu/267200, November 6, 2016