Bengaluru-based professional-welder-turned-artist finds beauty in junk material and turns them into beautiful display pieces; functionality and unique finishing are his USP

A pair of deer with huge antlers are stationed just outside an exit of a popular mall at Lower Parel. A closer look reveals they are a piece of art made out of nuts, bolts, silencer pieces, gears, spark plugs, chains and other such discarded automobile parts and you wonder how it’s all standing together.

Ilyas Ahmed, nonchalantly, pulls out one of the heavy antlers to show us how easy it is to manage his sculptures or ‘scraptures’. “The beauty of my work is that it’s easily portable.

All my sculptures can be dismantled. You can pull out the head only by twisting it, the legs too, pack it all in a box and transport it. It’s very easy. And any lay person can fix them back,” says the Bangalore-based professional-welder-turned-artist who finds beauty in junk material and turns them into beautiful display pieces. Functionality and unique finishing are his USP.

The deer are part of the Resurrection series currently on display along with other animals like horses, camels and an American Pitbull. When one sees the end product, it is difficult to believe it all started with material that the artist buys for Rs 22 a kilo from scrap dealers. Asked if he works with a mould for his sculptures, the artist replies in the negative. The sculptures would take around three months before, but frequent practice has now brought that down to 15 days.

Explaining his creative process, Ahmed says, “There is no mould for my artwork. There are also no replicas. Once a piece is made, the second one cannot be the same. It’s very difficult as it’s free hand. Initially I make a skeleton that has around 8-16 reference points and then I just keep building on it. My concept is putting the right material at the right place.

” The parts used in the sculptures are not converted or changed and artificial parts like gears, auto scrap, sparklers, nuts and bolts are used as they are. The artist passionately describes his love for scrap parts and lamented the lack of media to practice his art around 20 years ago. He worked on an oil field and was familiar with the junk generated.

“When I worked with Maersk Oil as a welder, there was a lack of media to work using metal, to mould and make something worthwhile out of it. Finally, the itch for art dragged me towards scrap that is available in plenty on the rigs. I found this material to be ideal for the work I wanted to do. Later I started using automobile scrap and machinery that was dismantled at the rig and was set to be discarded.

I converted that waste into miniature sculptures of around 6 inches.” Ahmed has made over 270 sculptures using such material, miniatures and life size. And, there has been no looking back. Next he has set his eyes on kinetic sculptures that would use the power natural wind to attain the desired visual effect. One such sculpture called the Windmill is installed in Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

The circular plates arranged in the shape of a windmill, chime as the wind blows to create a pleasant sound that could bring any place alive. The artistic finishing, Ahmed’s USP, makes it a visual pleasure. Another kinetic sculpture underway is the Face, which is made up of stainless steel plates that move with the breeze to create an illusion of a 3D face.

Among other themes Ahmed’s oeuvre includes aliens, predators, Star Wars characters, mechanical motorcycles, trees and abstracts. He has also made a larger-than-life superhero Hulk, compete with the face creases and angry expression for a UK client. The tallest of his creation, a 50-feet King Kong is on display in Dubai. Ahmed has also made the Make In India brand ambassador lion, using gears for the body and sheets of metal for the mane.

While Ahmed has been consistently working with discarded material for the past 20 years, he talks about the sea change for artists and sculptures with respect to making their work accessible. “Close to 15 years ago, we had to spend Rs 3-5 lakh to display our work at a mall. It’s the opposite now as we are paid to display our work. Earlier we used to struggle to show our work.” He credits awareness about art for this change. “Nowadays people are aware, they start liking your work and they promote it too.

They push you to a platform where everybody can see it. There was a time people mistook my sculptures to be those of Arzan Khambatta’s (renowned sculptor). But now it’s different as people recognise my work. The feel and finish that my artwork has is not done by anyone in India,” he claims.

Ahmed’s passion leaves him little time to do anything else, but he loves to paint in his free time. Even his paintings have 3D elements that are made using layers of processed fabric. As a parting message for upcoming artists, Ahmed says it’s important to do something different and recognition comes eventually. Much like his own art story.

- The Asian Age, October 1, 2015

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) today signed an MoU to develop the Green Park and Jor Bagh Metro stations of Yellow Line as a hub of art and culture.

The MoU said that the DMRC would allocate prominent locations of the concourse area of Green Park and Jor Bagh station for the exhibition panels.

- The Tribune, October 1, 2015

On October 2, the ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhyan (SBA) launched across India will complete its one year, but Jammu, the winter capital of J&K, continues to be at the bottom of the list of clean cities.

Poor civic sense among the residents and slow implementation of the campaign by the government failed to produce the desired results. With 427th rank, Jammu is among the dirtiest cities in India. Though the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has been launching cleanness drive from time to time, but participation of residents is minimal, while NGOs and inhabitants of residential colonies are looking towards civic bodies to do the needful.

It is estimated that the city of 15 lakh population alone generate 400 tonnes of solid waste daily, which is dumped in deep trenches created in forested areas around the city or at Bhagwati Nagar, close to the Tawi. There is no proper landfill site, which further aggravates the problem.

Heaps of garbage, potholes in roads, stagnant water and blocked drains tell the tale of indifferent attitude of the authorities and residents who dump the waste on roads without giving any consideration to the cleanliness of the city. The shortage of garbage bins and manpower to lift the solid waste and lack of urban planning have also made the campaign a non-starter.

“We as citizens criticise the system, but there is no involvement of people in the campaign. The shortage of safai karamcharies and garbage bins is another issue. There is no awareness among the masses and no effort has been made to involve citizens,” said Rajat Sharma, a management student.

A senior Municipal Corporation official said the Swachh Bharat Abhyan would only be successful when the whole lot of urban infrastructure was functional. “It is not only about picking up garbage and dumping it in water bodies or open fields, Jammu is still without a proper landfill and sewerage treatment plant,” said a senior official in the Urban Development Department.

Till the year 2000, the city was having an area of just 32 sq km and in 2003 the government approved the city limits to 117 sq km. The old city, comprising of 23 wards, was divided into 48 wards and 23 new wards were added thus raising the total number of wards to 71. The wards are being managed by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), while major projects are being looked after the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA).

However, Municipal Commissioner Mandeep Kour said they were making efforts to have greater participation of people. “We have to reach out to masses so that we are able to pinpoint the problems. We will ensure prompt action in all the issues citizens are facing,” Mandeep Kour said.

Recently the JMC has launched a major drive to clean the city, but its success will depend on the attitude of the people. But whatever the reasons, the solid waste scattered across the city is creating a major health hazard for the residents.

- The Tribune, October 1, 2015

City hotels might spoil their guests with comfort, but many of them waste have not invested on rain water harvesting, a survey by a voluntary organisation has revealed.

To sensitise them about harnessing rain water, recycling and saving water in their daily use, the voluntary organisation Rain Centre has planned to launch an awareness programme on water conservation and rainwater harvesting.

The survey showed some hotels were still depending on tankers for daily water supply and had not invested on recharging rainwater runoff around the premises during the monsoon. The organisation will shortlist hotels in the city and write to them about initiatives and approach them about water conservation.

Though many hotels are harnessing rainwater from rooftop, they ignore the driveway runoff and are forced to purchase tanker water. Harnessing 60 per cent of rainwater around the premises measuring 2,400 sq.ft can lead to recharge of nearly 50 litres per head per day.

Responding to the Centre’s survey, T. Natarajan, secretary, South India Hotels and Restaurants Association said the association would welcome such a move for judicious use of water in hotels.

- The Tribune, October 1, 2015

To project the three heritage arc destinations on a national and global platform, UP will host a writers' conclave on October 5-6. More than 50 writers, bloggers, photographers and travel writing experts associated with national and international publications will share their views and experiences at the concave. The conclave is being organised by UP tourism department.

Sharing details about the programme on Wednesday, chief secretary Alok Ranjan said, "This is one of its kind effort and is expected to drastically fuel popularity of the three destinations." He added that chief minister Akhilesh Yadav would interact with the participants at a programme scheduled at Janeshwar Mishra Park.

Director general, tourism, Amrit Abhijat said the writers would first be taken to tourist spots in Agra, Lucknow and Varanasi so that they get inspiration to write about the best of their experiences. "The writers have chosen the places of their interests and would be allowed to explore them in their unique way to get the best out of their writing," he said.

The tourism department has also planned an itinerary for the participants which includes the highlights of each city. Early morning view of the Taj Mahal in Agra, Ganga aarti in Varanasi and Sham-e-Avadh in Lucknow would be showcased. The stoppages also include best of crafts and cuisine hotspots.

- The Times of India, October 1, 2015

New constructions are coming up barely a few meters from Khirki Masjid - a beautiful Tughlaq era-monument in south Delhi - and its guardian, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) can only stand and watch. The mosque is already boxed in by rampantly-built houses in its neighbourhood - Khirki village. It has to be accessed from a narrow alleyway and is hardly visible from the main road - Press Enclave Marg - which is only 50 meters away.

Now, a fourth floor is coming up on a building that is just about 40 meters away from the mosque. It will eclipse the mosque's domes and towers in totality once completed. The ASI Delhi Circle has already shot off a letter to the Delhi Police and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Either is yet to take any action.

The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 2010, clearly prohibits private construction within 100 metres of a protected heritage structure or area. For constructions between 100-300 metres area, prior permission has to be sought from relevant authorities. However, constructions are going on without care around Khirki Masjid.

An ASI official told MAIL TODAY on the condition of anonymity, "We wrote the first letter to the police on August 30. A reminder was sent on September 12. The problem is that DDA owned some of the land around the mosque and sold it off some years back. We are still trying to find out how the DDA sold the land when it is in the vicinity of an ASI-protected monument. We have sent a notice to the house-owner as well."

A guard at the 14th century mosque lamented, "We get 10-15 visitors on good days and on bad days, none. This is when Khirki Masjid is a gem in terms of its history and architecture. But how would anyone know of even its existence when it is completely swallowed by the village around." Another guard recollected, "There was a time when Khirki Masjid was visible even from Qutab Minar. Now it cannot be seen from the main road."

A local resident, Feroze Khan, said: "The mosque has at least got a fence now after some youth tried to forcefully offer namaaz here during Eid last year. Otherwise, people would park their cars just outside it and dump garbage around."

Khirki Masjid is believed to have been built by Khan-i-Jahan Junan Shah, the Prime Minister of Feroz Shah Tughlaq around 1351. It has a beautiful maze of 'jaali' or lattice-work khirkis (windows) lending it the name 'Khirki masjid'. It was built as a fortress with an unusual fusion of Islamic and traditional Hindu architecture. It is said to be the only mosque in North India, which is mostly covered.

- http://indiatoday.intoday.in/, October 1, 2015

Only three original copies of the version are available now

The world celebrated September 30 as the International Translation Day to commemorate the feast of St. Jerome, who was the first to translate the Bible from Hebrew to Latin.

Coming to translation, Vizagapatam (Visakhapatnam as then called by the British) has a page in the history of this crafty art. It is in this once sleepy fishing town that the Greek version of the New Testament of Bible was first translated into ‘Teloogoo’ (Telugu, as then spelt by the Englishmen) in the early part of the 19th century.

History records that Rev. Benjamin Schulz was the first to translate parts of the Bible into the native Telugu language in the early part of the 18th century, and the manuscripts were sent to Halle in Germany for printing. It is unclear as to what had happened to the manuscripts, but they were not printed. Later, in 1805, two missionaries from the London Missionary Society, George Cran and Augustus de Granges, landed in Vizagapatam, with the task of providing English education to native children and to reproduce the Bible in the native tongue.

They first started a school within a fortnight of their arrival. Their subsequent efforts resulted in starting of an Anglo Vernacular School in 1836, which is still in existence by the name CBM High School. For accomplishing the second goal, the missionaries took up learning Telugu and in two years mastered the language. But it was in 1808 that a Maratha Brahmin by name Subba Rayer, who worked as accountant in Tippu Sultan’s army, joined them.

Subba Rayer, a native of Tranquebar (now called Tarangambadi in Tamil Nadu), converted to Christianity and changed his name to Anand Rayer. An exponent in Telugu and Tamil, Anand Rayer moved to Vizagapatam to assist the missionaries. In 1808, George Cran passed away and in 1810 Augustus de Granges too died. But Anand Rayer did not lose hope. By that time, three gospels, namely Matthew, Mark, and Luke, had been completed and were ready for printing.

He took the manuscripts to William Carey at Seerampore in Bengal, who had by then translated the Bible into Bengali. Though it was only part of the New Testament, the first-ever printed version of the Bible in Telugu was printed in 1812. Later, Anand Rayer was joined by Rev. Edward Pritchett in Vizagapatam in 1812, and both took up translating the full version of the New Testament. And the first full print of the New Testament in Telugu came out in 1818.

The full version was printed in Madras. According to Mr. Edward Paul of INTACH, who researched on this subject, only three original copies of the first printed Telugu Bible are available now. While one is in the British Library in London, the other two are in United Theological College, Bengaluru, and with a seller of old books in the U.S. Basing on the contribution made by Anand Rayer, the Bell at London Mission Memorial Church in Visakhapatnam is named after him as ‘Ananda Sunadam’

History records that Rev. Benjamin Schulz was the first to translate parts of the Bible into the native Telugu language in the early part of the 18th century History records that Rev. Benjamin Schulz was the first to translate parts of the Bible into the native Telugu language in the early part of the 18th century

- The Hindu, October 1, 2015

Experts from Gandhi Heritage Site Mission scan Hriday Kunj using laser tech to store digital data that could help recreate structure in future

AHMEDABAD: The devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Nepal in April this year left behind a trail of destruction. Landmark heritage sites were in a shambles, several beyond repair. To ensure our legacy is safe and can be replicated in the future should the need arise, a team of experts is using advanced LiDAR technology to scan, save, store, preserve and conserve select number of heritage buildings.

Hriday Kunj — Mahatma Gandhi's residence at Sabarmati Ashram — is the pilot project for the Gandhi Heritage Site Mission (GHSM) that has undertaken the responsibility of digitally saving 40 core heritage sites across the country. "LiDAR technology is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by illuminating a building with laser and storing the digital data permanently," said Virat Kothari, the information technology head of GHSM.

A TREASURE FOR THE FUTURE "With the help of this, heritage buildings can be reconstructed down to the minutest detail. This would be especially helpful for the future. What if a natural calamity hits the city and the structure is destroyed? The data collected through 3- dimensional scanning will help the future generation recreate the structure," Kothari explained. The project, he added, is being implemented under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture.

"The ministry has identified 40 core heritage sites for detailed architectural documentation through the remote sensing technology and Hriday Kunj is the pilot project," said BS Bhatia, project director of GHSM, who was part of the team that worked for two months to scan Hriday Kunj. The team also has Kochrab Ashram, Gujarat Vidyapith and Sabarmati Central Jail on its list of sites to be scanned and stored. DIGITISING SABARMATI ASHRAM

Interestingly, GHSM plans to take digitisation of the Sabarmati Ashram to the next level with virtual tours and mobile applications. Bhatia, who has been working on developing IT, said the idea is to increase global presence of the heritage sites. Kothari elaborated, "An English mobile app will be ready for launch in another month; accessible to people across the world, it will give information about the ashram. The ashram's website will be updated with content in six languages recognised by the United Nations to ensure better connectivity with global citizens."

A recent update at the ashram campus, meanwhile, has been a kiosk for visitors that allow them to access a virtual tour, a digital guide, a heritage portal on Mahatma Gandhi and the ashram's website. HRIDAY KUNJ IS THE PILOT PROJECT

Historical records indicate that Mahatma Gandhi started his experiments of non-violent demonstrations as part of his Satyagraha for freedom at Hriday Kunj. "A primary residence, it was the heart of the ashram. The most important site in the Sabarmati Ashram campus, this is the spot from where Bapu began the Dandi March in 1930," said Bhatia while Kothari pointed out that Gandhi was a resident of Kunj from 1918 to 1930.

- http://www.punemirror.in/, October 1, 2015

Rabindranath Tagore may be the most celebrated author at home and abroad, but Jorasanko Thakurbari, the building that stands witness to the bard's formative years, is in dire straits. So much so that a group of heritage-conscious citizens have pledged to restore the house to its old glory.

Vignettes of neglect are strewn all over the compound. The famous sickroom is falling apart, the akhara (the wrestling arena) has turned into a dumpyard and seepage has left the walls withering.

The house, which was originally a mudhouse, was built by Nilmoni Tagore way back in 1784. The house saw addition and alterations over the years. Gradually came up blocks like Maharshi Bhawan, Ram Bhawan and Bichitra Bhawan. Tagore himself oversaw the construction of Bichitra in 1887. The house once hosted luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi, Chittaranjan Das, Dinabandhu Andrews and others. But going by the present condition, it's hard to believe that the building has such an illustrious past.

"The restoration should have been done long ago, at least before the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore in 2011. But that did not happen. This is the house where Tagore was not only born but also died in 1941. 2016 is the 75th year of his demise. So we want to restore it without further delay," said Rabindra Bharati University vice-chancellor Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, who took the initiative to form a new committee for its restoration and conservation. The committee which has eminent painter and MP Jogen Choudhury and ASI regional director (east) P K Mishra as its member.

During the team visit to the Thakurbari on Wednesday, Choudhury was found deeply anxious over the condition of the building. He was furious to see numerous AC units with their ducts fixed on the walls. "Immediately remove them. You have spoilt the sanctity of this historic place," he urged the caretaker of the building. But more shocks were in store for him. The land below, which was the wresting arena once, has turned into a garbage dump. "It is criminal," he shuddered.

According to sources, the collective indifference of RBU and ASI resulted into protracted delay. "The ministry of culture had allocated Rs 8 core before the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore. But there was not enough initiative by either of these agencies to use it," said a RBU officer. "The underground sewerage is choked. Even a moderate rain results in water-logging. This is endangering the building. The capillary action (water seepage) has worsened the situation," said Mishra.

The ASI boss was disgusted over the technique of using modern mortar (sand, lime and cement) to restore the 'shurki' structure. "This has accelerated the decay as cement completely left the structure breathless, disallowing the damp to escape. Such technique is banned in archaeological conservation because modern mortar and the traditional mix are incompatible. The acidic reaction of the mortar harms the old structure," he explained.

A part of Maharshi Bhavan, where the museum is located, is still intact. But you cannot look beyond it because you are deftly guided out and told that certain parts of the building are out of bounds. Scary sights greet you if you step beyond the charted zone. Dark alleys, damaged ceilings, heaps of rubble and unbearable stench make the three-storey mansion feel like a haunted house.

"It seems I have come to a slum," said Chowdhury standing at 'andarmahal' of Thakurbari, meant for ladies of the zamindari household. Ram Bhavan, which is in its worst state, used to look over a big pond, which was the favourite haunt of a variety of birds. Today, that pond has given way to the six-storey administrative building of RBU, which too lies in disuse since classes were shifted to the BT Road campus five years ago. ASI will start its project with Ram Bhavan and move on to Maharshi Bhavan, where signs of damage are clear.

- The Times of India, October 1, 2015

Giving a boost of life to the Thathera community in Jandiala Guru through sustainable development by financial and cultural support, the Sangeet Natak Academi is reviewing its other project on reviving the traditional folk community of Bhands and Marasis.

The project, led by theatre director Rajendra Singh, has completed the documentation of the community in and around Amritsar and is now waiting for the second grant release for the next phase. The popular medieval folk art form in Punjab is fighting for survival with dwindling numbers of artists and migration problems due to lack of public support.

“The Sangeet Natak Academi had earlier released two lakh rupees for documentation and identification of the community of artists. We had identified sixteen groups of artists in Amritsar, Jalandhar and peripheries, who are still continuing with the traditional art of musical satires and social commentary and also did a performance review of the eight groups. We also engaged them in workshops and recorded the changes in art form over the period of time,” said Rajendra Singh.

The Sangeet Natak Academy has joined hands with Unesco and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to push for a revival of one of the oldest community of folk artists in Punjab and also promote it to be included in the Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage projects list in India. Working on the project and interacting with the community for past two years, Rajendra has observed that the community has been forced to live as ‘outcasts’ due to their loud lifestyle and meager earnings.

“Most bhands and marasis, who once used to earn their living by singing in religious ceremonies or weddings, are now considered ‘beggars’ and not artists. They find their origins from Bhai Mardana, one of the followers of Guru Nanak Dev and the community excels in social commentary through music and songs.

It was believed that Bhands used to give human analysis of every culture or community through their singing. Today, most of the families, barely survive by migrating to other states like Madhya Pradesh or Bihar to perform. Lack of education, income source and being a closed community with its own set rules and principles; they are living a life of ambiguity, with no future in sight.”

The research work on the project now aims at reviving the artists through organized workshops and bridging the gap between the younger audience and the traditional art form. “Since, it’s a satirical art genre, with loud references and music, we have conducted a few workshops with the artists to improvise their style to suit the younger audience. We are also trying to infuse the bhand style of art with contemporary theatre to expand their target audience," says Singh, an NSD alumni and noted theater director.

Recently, Suman Kumar, deputy secretary, Drama and Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), Sangeet Natak Academi also visited and met the artist from community to know about their conditions. He too stressed on more research and revival projects for the folk traditions that are losing their identity in contemporary world.

- The Tribune, October 8, 2015

At the recently-held "Tourism Expo Japan" in Tokyo, exhibitors from over 150 countries and 47 prefectures of Japan showcased their travel and business potential.

The expo provided an open place for networking with the world's travel professionals to build the concrete tourism related business as well as directly interact with general public.

Japan's bullet train, popularly known as Shinkansen, will start service to Hokkaido by linking the northern main island with Tokyo scheduled on March next year. Visitors were thrilled with the service.

Evbuomwan Cambell Blessing, a Nigerian student, said, "I will be writing something about Hokkaido, so I want to go to Hokkaido and see how it looks like. So when I'm going, maybe I will use the Shinkansen." The Shinkansen bullet train has started operations to the Hokuriku area, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan.

Known for ancient houses, traditional handicrafts and performing arts the region attracts some 8 million tourists every year. Yasuhiro Yamaguchi, an official of the Nanto City Tourism Bureau, said, "This is a musical instrument used to play "Kokiriko", which is regarded as the Japan's oldest folk music.

The music and dance has developed as a musical accompaniment to rice planting and was celebrated for rice planting performed by villagers. The instrument has roots in farming tools. The Hokuriku Shinkansen started operating to Kanazawa and the further increase in the number of foreign sightseers is expected in Takayama and Shirakawa area. International visitors are increased also in guest houses in Okayama village."

Huis Ten Bosch Park is a popular tourist spot in Kyushu area. Noruyuki Kurokawa, a marketing official with Huis Ten Bosch Co,.Ltd, said, "Huis Ten Bosch Park is located in Sasebo city of Nagasaki Prefecture. It is spread in 1,520,000 square meters. Visitors can enjoy flower garden in all four seasons. We operate various events, such as the Kingdom of Illumination, which will start from October.

Now H.I.S. company management, with the concept of "Only One, Number One", is organising various events. The numbers of the illuminations has increased to 13,000,000 bulbs this year. We have the largest numbers of the illumination bulbs in the world's theme parks. Almost the whole Huis Ten Bosch Park will be illuminated." Henna hotel has been using robots to welcome guests.

Kurokawa further said, "As you see, the dinosaur will welcome the guest at hotel reception. There are also women android robots and three small robots that will assist the guest at the counter. The Porter Robot will autonomously guide the hotel guest to their rooms. Recently, there are increasing visitors from South East Asia, especially from Thailand and Indonesia."

The World heritage sites of Kumano and Koyasan at Wakayama prefecture attract more visitors. Toshio Shima, an official of the Wakayama Tourism Bureau, said, "Wakayama has rich history and beautiful sea. There are many beautiful sites such as Koyasan in the north and Shirahama, Katsuura in the South.

The sacred sites and pilgrimage routes in the Kii Mountain Range are the most popular destinations after they have been registered to UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004. Wakayama has plenty of history, nature and great food such as seafood and fruits." The Southern Island of Japan, Okinawa prefecture, also showcased its unique culture and the charm of beautiful seas.

- http://www.newkerala.com/, October 8, 2015

Untouched for over 100 years, the heritage land of Kasturchand Park is facing threat from Metro Rail.

The Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) has asked the district administration to allot 2,538.28 sq.ft, which is as big as a residential plot in a middle-class locality, space in KP for metro station works. Activists have opposed the NMRCL's proposal and threatened to launch an agitation against the district administration.

The district administration has now sought the permission of the state government as well as the heritage conservation committee. The playground is owned by the government and its access is controlled by the district administration.

The heritage conservation committee will meet on Friday to take a decision. It has sought a presentation from the NMRCL. Managing director of NMRCL Brajesh Dixit told TOI that no pillars of metro rail corridor or any major construction will come in KP. "A metro station has been planned between RBI Square and LIC Square.

The pillars and station's main structure will be on the road. We need some land for the construction of approaches like escalators which can come up only if we get a small part of KP," he said. It is likely that the compound wall of KP between RBI Square to LIC Square will be razed for this purpose.

The Metro rail project's north-south corridor will pass through close to KP. The corridor will start from Automotive Square on Kamptee Road and will touch RBI Square after crossing LIC Square and then head towards zero mile. Between RBI square and LIC square, the metro rail will be on the second level as the NHAI is constructing a flyover on this stretch.

Activist Dinesh Naidu, who has been taking a lot of effort for a long time for KP's conservation and beautification, told TOI that he would launch an agitation if any construction is allowed on the ground.

"We have been demanding space for the construction of a public toilet at KP. But the district administration has always turned the proposal down. Considering the historical status of the ground, we did not protest," he said. Naidu also said that the district administration should take public opinion before taking any decision on the NMRCL proposal.

"KP is a valuable property. There is lot of space around KP for works related to Metro Rail. The NMRCL could construct a metro station near the Satkar guesthouse as there is a lot of place available," he said.

- The Times of India, October 8, 2015

US ambassador to India Richard Verma on Thursday batted for people-to-people cooperation in dealing with global environmental challenges even as he underscored the "important" role films and technology can play in spreading awareness in this regard.

Addressing a gathering at a curtain raiser event for 8th CMS Vatavaran, an Environment and Wildlife Film Festival and Forum, which was also attended by activist Rajendra Singh and filmmaker Krishnendu Bose, Verma maintained that climate is a big area for cooperation between India and the US.

"To solve these (environment and climate) challenges, it's not just government-to-government (cooperation), it's also society, people at all level, need everyone to come together, research community, businesses (to solve these problems).

"...this notion of bringing film and technology and popular culture together is really, really important (for spreading awareness amongst people in this regard)," Verma said. On his part, Singh, popularly called 'waterman', stressed that films can play a crucial role in creating awareness amongst people and urged movie makers to come up with new ideas with the help of those working for reviving water bodies, especially Ganga as he stressed the river can be revived only with the help of people.

"Our government is showing big dreams to clean Ganga, but Ganga is becoming filthier. Why it is becoming so? 90 per cent of Ganga water goes to sugarcane cultivation. Sugarcane can be cultivated if we give treated water from cities for it. The river can't be restored to its glory if we don't respect right of the nature," he said.

The Raman Magsaysay award winner added, "So, filmmakers should seat with those working at ground to make movies on new issues, which can tell governments that the (Ganga) river won't be restored to its glory by seeking funds from World Bank but with the help of people. If anyone is going to make such a film, then I will devote my time for the same."

He insisted that in order to spread awareness amongst local people in an effective way about Ganga rejuvenation, a film needs to be made in Hindi language.

- The Times of India, October 8, 2015

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has announced that 211 new species have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas. The area includes parts of India, Myanmar, Nepal and Tibet.

Between 2009 and 2014, approximately 34 new species a year were discovered in this region: 133 plants, ten amphibians, 39 invertebrates, 26 fish, one reptile, one bird, and one mammal. The WWF documented and described the discoveries of the past six years in the report Hidden Himalayas: Asia’s Wonderland. The organization calls the Himalayas “one of the biologically rich areas on earth.”

Some of the newest members of the officially recognized animal kingdom are the blue-eyed frog, the walking snakehead fish, the snub-nosed monkey, and the lance-headed pit viper. Each of these animals is incredibly unique.

The snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri) has, so far, been the most popular on social media. The little black and white monkey, lovingly named Snubby, has an upturned nose that causes it to sneeze every time it rains. Snubby is one of the most critically endangered species of monkey. -http://www.morningticker.com/, October 8, 2015

India ‘disappointed’ at draft Paris climate change agreement India on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the first draft text of the Paris climate change agreement, which was presented to the governments two days ago, and said the country would oppose it during the next round of negotiations at Bonn.

In his first reaction to the draft text that completely ignores the crucial issue of 'equity' and transparency of action, environment and climate change minister Prakash Javadekar said, "I would like to underline that the first draft text of the Paris agreement is quite disappointing. It does not inspire."

He told the TOI that he was "not at all happy" with the text and the Indian negotiators would certainly oppose it during the next round of negotiations in run-up to the Paris conference. The draft agreement is a concise basis for negotiations for the next session from October 19-23 in Bonn. Co-Chairs Ahmed Djoghlaf of Algeria and Daniel Reifsnyder of the US prepared the draft in response to a request from countries to have a better basis from which to negotiate.

Without going into the details of the text and India's specific objections, Javadekar said, "We should certainly have a different text for the Paris meet to become a success. Our negotiators will submit India's suggestions. Other countries will also come out with their suggestions.

"This is, after all, not a final text. I hope that there will be more moderated and justifiable text on table after Bonn and other pre-COP (conference of parties) negotiations. I wish the things will improve in the run-up to Paris." Countries are committed to reaching the new agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris in December this year.

It is learnt that besides its strong objection to an apparent attempt by the co-chairs to dilute the element of 'equity', India is also not happy with the review of greenhouse gas emission every five years. India has consistently been demanding that the Paris agreement must be equitable so that it can deliver justice.

Many nations, including developing countries like India, want reviews only once every decade, or only for developed countries.

The draft text has also not clearly dealt with the renewable energy issues nor does it specifically mention of a key deforestation mitigation program under REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) plus scheme which creates financial value for carbon stored in trees as an incentive for developing countries to reduce emissions.

- The Times of India, October 8, 2015

It is interesting to note that beef was part of food habits from Vedic times.

Just over a decade ago (2002) in Dulina village of Jhajjar in Haryana, a mob of over a thousand people lynched five Dalits who were skinning a dead cow to sell the hide. A few months ago in Malegaon, Mahahrashtra, police arrested three Muslims on the charge of storing beef. On the back of this comes the news from Bisara that a Muslim was killed and his son injured seriously on charges of storing and eating beef.

In the context of the Dulina lynching, VHP’s Acharya Giriraj Kishore at a press conference stated that “the life of a cow is more precious than that of a human being.” The recent incidents may be a sample of what is happening, this is becoming a ‘new normal’ after the new Government at the Centre has taken charge.

BJP-ruled states beginning with Maharashtra have been bringing in legislation to ban the storage of beef. For Hindu nationalist politics, identity issues have been the hallmark and they pursue it to divide society and polarize communities along religious lines. Today the insecurity amongst minorities is growing every day, making their lives very difficult.

Thus far, the Ram temple issue was the core one. Now the Holy cow, ‘cow as mother’ is the major tool. As such ‘cow as mother’ was the ploy used by Hindu communalism all through from late nineteenth century. At that time, there was a matching slogan of ‘pig as an object of hate’ from Muslim communalism.

The TV serial Tamas (Bhism Sanhi) showed a pig being thrown into a mosque to instigate the riots, a parallel to beef in the temple and such incidents leading to communal violence. After independence, the ‘pig in the mosque’ is heard of less often. Occasionally one did hear of beef in the temple being put in by Bajrang Dal elements. At a subconscious level, the issue of beef has been kept very much alive and now this issue has become more important as far as communal polarization is concerned keeping in mind the electoral arithmetic.

It has added to the worsening scenario as far as communal harmony is concerned. It is remarkable that in our country to begin with, cow could be presented as ‘mother’ and then used as a tool of communal propaganda and action. Talking at an economic level, cow has been an important part of the agricultural economy. The old bullocks and cows being used for food by large sections of society has been the norm. Apart from Adivasis, large sections of Dalits, Muslims, Christians and even upper caste Hindus consumed beef, as a cheap and rich source of protein.

Being a large country with big cattle strength, India is also the major exporter of beef. Historically; it is interesting to note that beef was part of food habits from Vedic times. Cow got transformed into mother hood and a major tool of identity politics later. Bhimrao Ambedkar in his celebrated essay “Did Hindus never eat beef?” demonstrates this very well.

At popular level, Swami Vivekananda confirms the findings of historians like Prof D.N.Jha, who traces the history of beef consumption in Vedic times. Swamiji points out, “You will be astonished if I tell you that, according to old ceremonials, he is not a good Hindu who does not eat beef.

On certain occasions, he must sacrifice a bull and eat it.” [Vivekananda speaking at the Shakespeare Club, Pasadena, California, USA (2 February 1900) on the theme of ‘Buddhistic India’, cited in Swami Vivekananda, The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol 3 (Calcutta: Advaita Ashram, 1997), p. 536.] This is corroborated by other research works sponsored by the Ramakrishna Mission established by Swami Vivekananda himself.

One of these reads: “The Vedic Aryans, including the Brahmans, ate fish, meat and even beef. A distinguished guest was honoured with beef served at a meal. Although the Vedic Aryans ate beef, milch cows were not killed. One of the words that designated cow was aghnya (what shall not be killed). But a guest was a goghna (one for whom a cow is killed).

It is only bulls, barren cows and calves that were killed.” [C. Kunhan Raja, ‘Vedic Culture’, cited in the series, Suniti Kumar Chatterji and others (eds.), The Cultural Heritage of India, Vol 1 (Calcutta: The Ramakrishna Mission, 1993), 217.] It is not that society cannot resolve the issue of contrasting food habits and faith in an amicable way. Gandhi shows the way and one wishes that we he has to say on the issue of beef eating, “…beef is not their (Muslims, added) ordinary food.

Their ordinary food is the same as that of the millions. What is true is that there are very few Muslims who are vegetarians from religious motive. Therefore, they will take meat, including beef, when they can get it. But during the greater part of the years, millions of Muslims, owing to poverty, go without meat of any kind. These are facts. But the theoretical question demands a clear answer.

As a Hindu, a confirmed vegetarian, and a worshipper of the cow whom I regard with the same veneration as I regard my mother (alas, no more on this earth!) I maintain that Muslims should have full freedom to slaughter cows, if they wish, subject of course to hygienic restrictions and in a manner not to wound the susceptibilities of their Hindu neighbours. Fullest recognition of freedom to the Muslims to slaughter cows is indispensable of communal harmony, and is the only way of saving cow.

By now, the Muslim as the ‘cow killer’ has been propagated so much by communal forces that yeoman efforts by those; wanting peace, tolerance and pluralism; are needed to overcome the hate built around this propaganda. The writer, formerly with IIT, Mumbai, is associated with various human rights groups.

- The Indian express, October 8, 2015

Historical monuments are symbolic of a country's rich culture and past. Ambient air quality that is conducive to the delicate monuments, must be ensured in order to preserve them and protect our national identity

The damage inflicted by increasing levels of pollution is no longer limited to human health, the environment or the economy. Besides creating innumerable challenges for the coming generations, air pollution is threatening to obliterate the illustrious historical monuments in India.

Recently, an RTI query revealed that it would take nine long years for the Archaeological Survey of India to complete the mudpack therapy on the outer marble surface of the Taj Mahal to remove yellowness caused due to air pollution. The sheer intensity of the pollution will require the therapy to be repeated every six to seven years in order to save the monument from certain ruin.

The seriousness of the issue has prompted the Parliamentary Standing Committee on environment to direct the ASI to submit an interim action plan for the restoration of the Taj. The Taj is not alone in facing the pollution predicament. The white-marbled Lotus Temple in Delhi, an architectural feat of the Baha’i faith, is wilting under the onslaught of pollution.

The temple, built in 1986, attracts nearly 4,00,000 visitors every month. But the pristine marble has been fading, despite regular maintenance. The 400-year-old landmark Charminar monument in Hyderabad is facing a similar fate. Incredible quantities of dust, grime and pollution have transformed the once radiant exterior to a sooty appearance.

Unregulated sources of pollution, such as vehicular emissions, burning of trash, rubber and plastic, besides fly ash, a residue of coal combustion are combining together in form of suspended particulate matter to form a complex challenge to the fitness of the monuments.

This threat is even more pronounced in the case of marble structures, as the air pollutants react with marble by masking the original colour and lending a yellow hue to the surface. The ASI currently uses the clay-pack method to remove harmful deposits from the marble surface.

This method is considered safe as it involves minimal use of chemicals and almost no mechanical efforts, but it is a painstakingly slow process that is now unable to keep up with the pace of pollution. In order to contain and reverse the harmful impact of pollution on monuments, the Government must ensure that the restoration and preservation efforts for the monuments are technology-based and have a faster implementation period.

For instance, the laser technology based restoration project of the temples of the Acropolis in Athens is an apt example. The temples surrounded by the city of Athens, with a population of four million people, had fallen prey to a film of black crust from car-exhaust fumes, industrial pollution, acid rain and fires.A team of Greek engineers and restorers used an innovative laser technology system to clean the surface of the ancient monuments and in the process were able to uncover colours and ornamentation hidden for decades.

The marble sensitive technology was able to remove the black pollutant layer without discoloring the surface. The technology also enabled the restorers to scan the marble surface with ultra-sound and an infra-red imaging followed by spectroscopy. This helped in providing a clear picture of what art forms lay beneath the black pollutant layer, thereby helping to preserve them.

Besides technology-based conservation efforts, timely intervention is also crucial in achieving early success in the fight against pollution. Various State Government authorities, especially the Government of Uttar Pradesh, can derive inspiration from the initiative taken by the Punjab Government to preserve and protect the Golden Temple in Amritsar from getting irreversibly damaged by pollution.

Heavy industries have signified the growth and development of Punjab, but they have also caused a rapid increase in pollution levels. Recognising the latent threat posed by pollution, the Punjab Government moved quickly to protect the Golden Temple by commissioning a study conducted jointly by the Punjab Pollution Control Board and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

The study concluded that vehicular pollution combined with industrial emissions had discoloured the main building’s facade and the golden plates affixed on the shrine at the Golden Temple. Moving fast on the findings, the Government created a monitoring station at the temple to measure and report high levels of pollution. Steps were also initiated to ban cars older than 15 years old in the direct radius of the templebesides shutting down polluting units in the temple vicinity.

Historical monuments are symbolic of a country’s rich culture and heritage. Ambient air quality that is conducive to the delicate monuments must be ensured in order to preserve them and protect our national identity.

- The Pioneer, October 8, 2015

“What else is a lake,” asked the NGT bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) pulled up the Haryana government on Wednesday after the latter claimed that the Najafgarh lake was “not a lake but a low-lying area where rainwater and overflow from the Sahibi river collected”. “What else is a lake,” asked the NGT bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar.

The submission was made on a petition filed by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural heritage (INTACH) seeking orders to preserve the lake, believed to have been one of the largest water bodies in Delhi once. INTACH has alleged that the large-scale construction work done in the floodplain of the Najafgarh nallah and the lake itself had drained the area.

The Haryana government — which has allowed the carving out of some sectors in the areas adjacent to the lake — claimed that there is no naturally occurring lake there, and only a “low-lying area” is left. INTACH, through its counsel advocate Jayant Tripathi, submitted pictures showing that the water body still existed in the area, but recent construction would destroy it.

The photographs indicate a large number of aquatic plants in the “lake” area. The bench has now directed officials from the Delhi government, the Haryana government and the Groundwater Authority of India to inspect the site on Saturday and file a report on Monday. “If there is water in the non-rainy season, then it is a water body.

If there is water, then preserve it,” observed the bench. The NGT has also indicated that it may instruct authorities to stop construction in the area if the water body is there. “It’s a low-lying area that gets water…just prohibit construction and the water body will be revived,” observed the bench. The NGT bench added that it will issue directions after the inspection report is filed on Monday.

INTACH has claimed that sectors 106, 107,108 of Gurgaon are being constructed in the “high flood level” area of the lake, while there is some construction going on in the Delhi side of the lake. -

- The Indian express, October 8, 2015

Visitors taken down memory lane as four-day international symposium on Le Corbusier begins

In the backdrop of the Shivalik Hills, illuminated imposing architectural creations of the great master architect, Le Corbusier, at the Capitol Complex came alive as a four-day international symposium, “50 years after the master”, kicked off here today.

Over five decades after the French architect created the architectural marvels, hundreds of national and international visitors were “virtually taken down memory lane” to the days when the facade of these masterpieces was being built. The illumination showcased the Capitol Complex as a “crown of the City Beautiful” as Le Corbusier had planned.

Several visitors got a chance to be part of this prestigious event as they coincidentally turned up at the information centre to have a heritage walk at the Capitol Complex. As the piazza in front of the main facade of the HC building welcomed the visitors with the Open Hand monument in the backdrop, the area echoed with words of appreciation from eminent personalities of national and international fame in the field of architecture.

UT Administrator Kaptan Singh Solanki appreciated the efforts of officials of the Administration “because of whom the Capitol Complex was open to the public”. UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev said the Administration was trying to maintain the prestigious heritage in its original form.

William JR Curtis, an international expert on Le Corbusier, architect Raj Rewal, architect Jacques Sbriglio, architect John Bass, architect Sumit Kaur, Michele Richard, founder of the Le Corbusier Foundation, the Swiss Ambassador, Dr Linus von Castelmur, and Madame Francois Gardies were present on the occasion. A couple from Colombia — Carlosu Urrego, an architect, and his wife Sara, a designer — had made a casual plan to visit the Capitol Complex and have a heritage walk.

They were pleasantly surprised to be part of the “big show”. Three friends from Surat, who travelled for 24 hours to attend the symposium, were astonished to see the stunning view of the structures about which they had studied in their books. Ian Christian from Surat was thrilled to be able to touch the monument constructed by Le Corbusier.

A detailed presentation on the Capitol Complex, “Chandigarh’s crowning glory restored”, was presented at the complex by Kavita Singh, Director, Tourism, Chandigarh. The event is being organised by the UT Administration, the Chandigarh College of Architecture and the departments of Tourism and Urban Planning.

- The Tribune, October 9, 2015

Seventy-one artists from across the city will be displaying their artworks on the theme 'Statuettes and Trinkets' at M S University here. Faculty of Fine Arts in association with Professor Mahendra Pandya Foundation for Sculpture and Hub will host an exhibition of miniature sculptures and toy works. Faculty teachers will also be participating in the workshop that will kick start from Friday.

"Based on the theme, those artworks ranging between one inches and two feet will be on display. Few works will have a 3D effect whereas some artists have developed toy replicas," said Rahul Mukherjee, one of the participating artists.

"Majority of the works to be depicted at the fine arts campus will give away messages in a satirical manner," added Mukherjee, who is a visual artist. The exhibition is hosted in dedication to two veteran teachers from the faculty - Girish Bhatt and Rajnikant Panchal- known for toy-like miniature sculptures.

Very few Indian artists have explored humour as a tool of expression. Remarkably, some of Baroda artists like K G Subramanyan, Jyoti Bhatt, Mahendra Pandya, V R Patel and Panchal have incorporated it cleverly with their own brand of humour.

- The Times of India, October 9, 2015

Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board has sent a report to the state forest department, detailing the work of 743 biodiversity management committees (BMCs). Under the Biodiversity Act, 2002, villagers have been given ownership of natural resources in their area, irrespective of whether these lands are classified as revenue or forest land.

The villagers exercise their authority through the BMC, and each gram sabha in the state is expected to have one of these. Biodiversity registers that document that local flora and fauna are also part of this exercise - so far, 100 such documents, people's biodiversity registers (PBRs) have been prepared.

Each gram sabha comprises several villages. This sabha is responsible for holding elections to decide on which seven members will comprise the committee. Rakesh Shah, chairman of the Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board, told TOI, "All the biological resources, species of vegetation or animals, insects, rivers will be documented by this committee. Technical help for the documentation procedure will be provided by the board, which will form a panel of technical experts from diverse fields such as taxonomy, entomology, ichthyology (study of fish) forestry and sociology."

Shah said on average it takes a year to finish documentation of the biodiversity of a gram sabha area. Rs1.5 lakh is submitted to the committee for the purpose. The Centre makes provision of Rs60,000 for the formation of the committee. He said that in five years, Uttarakhand will have 8,000 BMCs. At present, 743 have been formed. And of these, 100 have PBRs ready. Dehradun: Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board has sent a report to the state forest department, detailing the work of 743 biodiversity management committees (BMCs).

Under the Biodiversity Act, 2002, villagers have been given ownership of natural resources in their area, irrespective of whether these lands are classified as revenue or forest land. The villagers exercise their authority through the BMC, and each gram sabha in the state is expected to have one of these. Biodiversity registers that document that local flora and fauna are also part of this exercise - so far, 100 such documents, people's biodiversity registers (PBRs) have been prepared.

Each gram sabha comprises several villages. This sabha is responsible for holding elections to decide on which seven members will comprise the committee. Rakesh Shah, chairman of the Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board, told TOI, "All the biological resources, species of vegetation or animals, insects, rivers will be documented by this committee. Technical help for the documentation procedure will be provided by the board, which will form a panel of technical experts from diverse fields such as taxonomy, entomology, ichthyology (study of fish) forestry and sociology."

Shah said on average it takes a year to finish documentation of the biodiversity of a gram sabha area. Rs1.5 lakh is submitted to the committee for the purpose. The Centre makes provision of Rs60,000 for the formation of the committee. He said that in five years, Uttarakhand will have 8,000 BMCs. At present, 743 have been formed. And of these, 100 have PBRs ready. Shah said the BMC would decide how biological resources are to be conserved and utilised. The Biodiversity

Act also makes provision for benefit-sharing from natural resources. The committee, in keeping with this provision of the Act, has been entrusted the right to decide if they want to permit natural resources to be used commercially. The interested company will have to sign Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT) with the committee, which will share profits earned by the company.

"Even if the natural resources exist in a reserve forest, BMC will exercise all rights over it. The forest department too will have to take permission from the BMC before making any commercial use of resources and share profits with the BMC.

This way, villagers have been given direct ownership and will be financially strengthened through the concept of the revenue sharing on natural resources. This is a demand the people of the state have been raising," Shah said, adding that the share in profits of commercial ventures could be used for conservation and related tasks

- The Times of India, October 9, 2015

Shanti Kushwaha waits anxiously for the water tanker to reach the slums of Seelampur in India's capital New Delhi, bringing a scarce and fought-over essential. Many of India’s urban slums have no piped water, only getting a delivery by public tanker on alternate days. So as soon as the tanker arrives, people rush with buckets and other containers to grab their share.

“This struggle is now part of our life,” said Kushwaha. “The water supplied through tankers by the municipal body in our area is not enough.” Frequent quarrels erupt between neighbours trying to get water from the tanker, with everyone wanting as much as possible. Those who lose out have to fetch water from far-off public hand-pumps, overhead tanks or wells. Others get their water from friends and relatives who have a piped supply.

Residents in many other parts of the country face the same problem, including in Bhopal, capital of the central state of Madhya Pradesh, where slum dwellers wait hours for tankers. “We really have to struggle daily for water,” said Ramzan Khan, who lives in Bhopal's Banganga area, explaining that each family tries to fill up four or five buckets. Independent environmentalist Anupam Mishra said India’s cities have a much greater need for potable water than acknowledged by the government, which cannot supply enough.

“A large number of people in cities depend on groundwater, and this has led to a sharp decline in the water table in a number of places,” he added. India plans to develop 100 "smart" cities, creating modern satellite towns around existing cities. The aim is to create urban spaces where green, high-tech initiatives bring more efficient management of resources, including water and energy, and better services to citizens.

Experts predict the number of people living in Indian cities will touch almost 850 million by 2050, up from 350 million now. A key question is how well equipped these "smart" cities will be to handle a bigger inflow of citizens from rural to urban areas – not least when it comes to water. GROWING WATER GAP?

According to data from India’s Urban Development Ministry, at least 30 of 35 big cities have much less water than they need, leaving their inhabitants to deal with daily shortages. The government has said it will be in a position to meet water demand by 2021, Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ram Kripal Yadav told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. But experts don’t believe the government can meet this promise, saying the gap will likely increase in the coming years.

In a 2012 report looking at water needs for the next five years, the Planning Commission of India said that, in cities with a population of over 100,000, only 73 percent of people were getting sufficient water. Nearly half the water supply was lost in distribution, as old, rusty water pipes fractured and broke, it added.

“The paradigm for water supply is to grab as much from wherever possible, while laying insufficient, leaky pipeline networks and not monitoring usage or billing,” said Nitya Jacob, head of policy for WaterAid India. “This must change to maximise supply from local resources such as surface water, rainwater and groundwater,” he added.

Members of an expert panel set up by the government to suggest ways to improve urban drinking water supplies have called for clear and effective policy, arguing that official agencies rarely try to preserve precious water sources. In a report, the panel said city officials, planners, builders and developers had ruthlessly destroyed water bodies in and around cities, despite their important role in re-charging groundwater and ensuring water security.

Protecting and restoring those water bodies was crucial to meet rising demand, the panel concluded. DRINKING SEWAGE In India, water is often regarded as a mere input for other activities rather than a resource to be used wisely and sustainably, experts say. Hence water management is inefficient and plagued by corruption, they argue.

In addition, around three quarters of India's surface water is polluted by domestic sewage, and the rest is unfit for human use without treatment, Jacob noted. “Cities never plan to collect and treat sewage from unplanned colonies, slums and poor localities,” he said.

Sewage treatment must be universal and high-quality, he explained, otherwise untreated sewage seeps into groundwater which is then pumped up for human consumption. “Increasingly we will be drinking our own sewage,” he warned. India's "smart" cities will clearly need better planning for water and sanitation than is the case now. “It is important for the government to think out of the box,” said Jacob. INCREASED INVESTMENT

Minister Kripal Yadav said individual state governments are responsible for the supply of drinking water, with funding from the central government. Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, which ran from 2005 to 2014, the government approved infrastructure development schemes worth around Rs 466 billion ($7.8 billion), including for drinking water, sewage and drainage.

Yet while public investment in drinking water projects has increased nine-fold over the last decade compared to the preceding two, India's cities are still thirsty. Experts say more money is needed, but this alone will not resolve water shortages since corruption in the sector is rife.

“Transparency is necessary so that the desired results can be achieved (on the ground),” Jacob said. One major barrier to the people of Seelampur getting a better water supply is the apathy of government officials towards impoverished slum dwellers. “They are the ones who suffer the most (yet) officials treat them as someone who should be given the least priority,” Jacob said.

- http://in.reuters.com/, October 9, 2015

Two majestic brick towers that support the 120-year-old hanging bridge in Kallar have been demolished by the National Highways department to create space for the construction of a new concrete bridge.

Historians are crying foul over this demolition, stating that it was a heritage structure and that it was demolished without informing the public or heritage conservationists.

The massive red towers on either side of the river, which now lies vandalized and surrounded by thicket, is the first indication that you are on the right track to Ooty. "The construction of the two massive arches began in 1891 and was completed in 1894," says INTACH member, R Jagadeesan. "It was built to commemorate the construction of the Coonoor Ghat Road by Colonel Law.

It also has three tombstones erected in memory of three men who died during its construction," said Jagadeesan. These two arches were used to support a hanging bridge for many decades, till it was closed down.

Jegadeesan, who is also part of the Vanavarayar Foundation, says the bridge was built at a cost of Rs56,000. "Initially, tribals used to trek up to Ooty via Sirumugai. It was only in 1823 that the Kotagiri Ghat Road came up. In 1894 that they completed construction of the Coonoor Ghat Road," said Jagadeesan.

The highways department officials at Mettupalayam admitted to demolishing the two towers, stating that they were building a new two-lane concrete bridge across the Kallar River. "The existing iron bridge allows for one-lane traffic, leading to traffic jams during the two tourist seasons in the hill station," said a senior highways engineer in the district. The project, which would take a year to complete, would not affect traffic because the iron bridge would remain, said officials.

Historians are upset because the towers, built in British style, was demolished without getting public opinion. "This is an important part of Ooty's history because it concerns the Coonoor Ghat Road and is a monument to the British influence in the hill station," said Jegadeesan. "It is shocking that they demolished it without informing anyone," said chairperson of INTACH, Udhagamandalam chapter, Geetha Srinivas.

- Times of India, October 10, 2015

While a tourism project comprising a floating jetty, cycle track, cafeteria and other amenities, falling partly in the CRZ of a Chapora creek, has been approved by the Goa coastal zone management authority (GCZMA) on certain conditions, the clearing of mangroves and reclamation of the low-lying area at Khind for the purpose are likely to alter the scenic landscape in the backwaters of the Chapora river.

The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has proposed the 12,233sq m project as part of an integrated coastal circuit development in the Pernem taluka. But, a source said that while it does come across as an ideal tourism spot, mangroves would have to be sacrificed for the amenities. Components include drainage and illumination systems, an entrance plaza, toilet facilities for tourists, temporary kiosks, an anti-erosion wall for the creek bank, and a floating jetty to cater to traditional fishermen and water sports.

A yogashala has also been proposed at the foot of the hill, a religious place for local Hindus and a landmark of geological heritage for its rocky strata. "The statue of Devi Morzai was placed atop the hill when it was first brought to Morjim," a devasthan committee member said.

Ragunath Dhume, a GCZMA expert member who inspected the site, has recommended a cautious approach. "No cutting, dressing or beautification is to be allowed. There is white and grey stone (of religious value), which to be protected," he maintained in his report. The parcel of land in survey numbers 45, 48 and 56 belongs to the Shri Devi Morzai Devasthan, from whom the GTDC has sought approval for development.

At its 120th meeting, the GCZMA had decided to approve the project on the condition that no permanent constructions are carried out in no-development zone (NDZ) of the creek. But, a 100-metre NDZ would mean that reclamation itself would be a questionable activity.

"The approval itself was given hurriedly during the last few minutes of the meeting," Antonio Mascarenhas, a GCZMA expert member said.

Mascarenhas pointed out that the rock batholiths are not only a unique geological feature but also have heritage value. "The site should be designated as a geologically important heritage site after a proper study," he said while speaking to TOI.

The former NIO scientist further said that the creek bank is stable due to mangroves lining it, rendering the construction of an anti-erosion wall unnecessary. "The wave activity in the creek is negligible, and there is no evidence of any kind of erosion," he had said at the meet.

Dhume, on the other hand, suggested that mangroves cut for the retaining wall be planted on the bank, thereby raising questions over the real need for cutting them. He also suggested that the wall be built of laterite stone, pavers be used to the minimum and the floating jetty be anchored to the wall without piles in the creek bed.

Tourism officials maintained that the project will provide several amenities to tourists visiting the area. "The (devasthan) committee has approved it for this reason. We will now put it up before the general body. We are considering a lease but will not surrender ownership rights," a source in the devasthan committee said.

On their part, the biodiversity management committee of the Morjim panchayat has asked the science and technology department to ensure that the project doesn't disturb the heritage aspects of the site. "The site has religious importance. Sanctity must be maintained," Nivruti Shirodkar, a member said.

- Times of India, October 10, 2015

The City Beautiful known for its green cover and gardens can very well be known for its museums that offer knowledge on a wide array of subjects.

The UT administration has not only failed to create awareness about these museums but has been unable to secure items at one of its most significant museums at the Le Corbusier centre in Sector 19. The authorities concerned have failed to highlight the importance of the museum in the Punjab and Haryana high court which offers the visitors a peep into the past.

Owing to lack of security, thieves managed to decamp Le Corbusier’s designed chairs and tables last month. Even though a set budget is earmarked for the maintenance of museums, the authorities are suggesting an increase in the entry fee for the museums.

As the visitor steps in the Le Corbusier Centre, Sector 19, the pictures of the French architect placed on both sides of the corridor welcome you. In the centre, there are images that track the excavation progress of the ancient Harappan civilisation in Sector 17 along with Harappan findings.

The centre also displays Le Corbusiers communications exchanged between him and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. There is a letter regarding open hand monument sent to the former chief commissioner MS Randhawa in 1964.

The centre also exhibits paintings by Le Corbusier and the furniture designed by him. The sources in the UT tourism department claim that the number of visitors isn’t constant per day, some days there are 50 visitors and other days it plumments to five or not even a single visitor. The visitors coming to the centre are largely architecture students or foreigners.

The centre which was set up in 2009, at the old Sector 19 office of the city’s architect Le Corbusier provides a glimpse into the making of Chandigarh. Swiss-French architect Corbusier had used the office while conceptualising the city.

The main aim of the Centre is preservation, interpretation, research and the display of the works and legacy of Le Corbusier. The centre also has the memorabilia, including letters and works of the architect. These include architectural models and designs of Corbusier which were an emminent part of the planning of Chandigarh. The UT administration is also considering some structural changes and renovations for the maintenance of the building.

The building now has over 200 photographs, documents and paintings showcasing the making of the city. The UT administration has failed to make the sector 19 centre secure even after 15 days of the theft.

There is just one guard present to keep a vigil at the centre and so far no CCTV cameras have been installed at the Sector 19 Le Carbusier Centre. The museum at the Punjab and Haryana high court, Sector 1, is a must visit for all those curious of how the Punjab and Haryana high court came into being. Vistors also get to see unique trial orders of freedom fighters.

The museum at the very entrance has pictures of former chief justices of Punjab and Haryana high court since 1950 and of the inaugural function of the high court in March 1955 in which former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru can also be seen. The journey of the high court is depicted through its buildings in Lahore, Shimla and Chandigarh. The museum inaugurated in 2006 showcases an antique collection of brass pens, ink, pencils, bows and arrows.

The richest collection is the trial judgement from 1930 of renowned freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh, freedom fighter Kartar Singh Sarabha trial judgment in 1915, murder trial of former Punjab chief minister Partap Singh Kairon and Nathu Ram Godse’s handcuffs. There is also a copy of the original Constitution of India signed by the historic Constituent Assembly.

An old court room with antique equipment like stamps, heaters, sofas, pen stands, typewriters and calendars has been re-created in the premises to give the onlooker an illustration on how court rooms of that era looked. The museum gets around 15 to 20 visitors per day, most of whom are litigants who come to the high court for their cases. The museum is yet to catch the fancy of city residents and school students.

THE VISITORS BOOK The book kept at the museums revealed people admiring the collection withwords like ‘Fascinating’, ‘Great Collection’ , ‘Excellent’. The visitors from over the country and globe said visiting the museums in Chandigarh were one of the best they have visted in India.

For the dolls Museum, the visitors said they had never seen such a huge collection of dolls at one place. For the Punjab and Haryana high court museum the visitors said the visit provided them knowledge about historic moments and visit to Le Corbusier’s centre helped them understand the magnificence of the architect.

- The Hindustan Times, October 11, 2015

Vidyun Singh, the Director of Programmes at India Habitat Centre, never shies away from giving credit where it’s due. It’s the simplest way of keeping people happy, which in turn goes a long way in guaranteeing greater professional returns, just like it’s been in the case of the ongoing Old World Theatre Festival at India Habitat Centre and Epicentre.

The annual event calls for plenty of attentive planning, skillful research and painstaking trouble shooting, at which her motivated team is always ahead of their game. Due credit should is also in line for the genuine passion they all share for the performing arts. The show this year opens with actor Kalki Koechlin’s directorial debut called The Living Room, a 90-minute English play that conceives a world where time is inconsequential.

“I admire Kalki’s creative energy as an actor, both on screen and stage. She has a fearless, intelligent, irreverent, individualistic and wacky oeuvre, and I am sure her directorial debut will not disappoint,” says Singh. The other interesting play could be Deepal Doshi’s masked humour called It’s Not Waht You Tihnk, a 75-minute English play that attempts at displaying various archetypes dominant in the world we live.

“The festival celebrates theatre in its myriad genres and expression and is not tailored for the the festive season per se, beyond providing an opportunity to enjoy the festive season watching some good plays. The selection combines the old with the new; mainstream and experimental; comedy and contemporary commentary; current social and historical reality, and surreal fantasy.

The plays span an eclectic gamut,” says the curator, who has made sure to include God of Carnage, an 80-minute English play by Nadir Khan, in the line-up. It’s about two sets of parents, one of whose child has hurt the other at a public park. They decide to meet and resolve the issue in a dignified manner, but it’s far from what actually transpires.

Singh, who had watched the play earlier this year at Kamani, was extremely keen to be able to bring it to Habitat’s theatre audiences. “It is a powerful play that engrosses and engages you in the true tradition of theatre. A strong script, powerful performances and skillful direction. A most satisfying theatre experience,” she says, sounding truly happy with what her team and she have put together this year.

One On One-Part II Don’t miss the workshop on October 15, exploring the theme, exile and refugees, by Corinne Jaber. It’ll be an interactive session wherein all will be expected to come with a story related to one of the themes. With the help of your creative competence, experimentation, and various methods of storytelling, raw material will be converted into theatrical acts. Prior experience in theatre required. Fee is Rs 1,000.

- The Indian Express, October 11, 2015

Having been out of station for a few months, I eagerly looked forward to checking out the saplings that were planted in the city, especially on the beach, in the aftermath of Cyclone Hudhud. True, the much promised tree guards came late, and most of the saplings perished due to neglect and freely wandering cattle. Those on the beach, however, fared better.

The reason: it is a place much frequented by the (so called) VIPs; hence the administration lavished much care on them; the best tree guards went to them and the sapling were watered liberally through the torrid summer months even as the city struggled to get drinking water.

Thanks to their efforts, the trees grew to considerable height and showed tremendous promise. As the city received copious rains in the intervening months, I was confident the trees would have put out healthy crowns by now. It was with such happy thoughts that we drove to the beach.

Imagine my dismay when I found the beach devoid of all greenery. The healthy saplings I expected to see were missing. Instead, all we saw were a few skeletal plants, stuck in large cement tubs. Moreover, the sundry plants and lawn on the dividers were gone! The beach was dug up everywhere and was in shambles. In a matter of one year, we had uprooted what we planted less than a year ago. Effortlessly we put the clock back by a year, taking us to where we started in October last.

Enquiries revealed that the beach was going through yet another makeover, for the International Fleet Review this time, apart from cable laying by a private company, all of which could have been anticipated well in advance. The process of beautifying and re-beautifying our beach reminds me of the mythological character, Penelope, of the Greek epic Odyssey.

Penelope was the wife of King Odysseus of Ithaca. When the king was away for 20 years, his faithful and beautiful wife, Penelope was seized by a host of suitors, who camped at her door, pressuring her to marry one of them, since her husband was considered dead. To keep aggressive suitors at bay and await the return of her beloved husband, Penelope devised a brilliant ploy.

She told the men that she would marry one of them as soon as she finished weaving the shroud she was working on. As the naive suitors watched her in a drunken stupor, she weaved the shroud every day in their presence and each night undid what she wove during the day. Her intention was to never complete the shroud; it was just a trick to mislead and put off the suitors till her husband came home.

Vizag's beach reminds one of Penelope's trick -- to mislead the naive citizens into thinking that the work of beautifying the beach will end one day. It is not the intention of the authorities to end the process, ever. Elements of beautification will be introduced one year only to be ripped apart the next year. There is a vital difference between Penelope and Vizag's beaches, though. Penelope had a timeframe in mind. She intended to weave and un-weave the shroud only till her husband came home.

Not so for our beaches. Ours is an endless process that will go on for an eternity. Some of us who walk on the beach are regularly witness to this phenomenon. If there is one place in the city that attracts the attention of our political and bureaucratic masters, it is our beach. So smitten are they by our beauteous beach (like beautiful Penelope) that each one of them wants to have a hand in beautifying it.

What one worthy does is not acceptable to the other. Even before the finishing touches are given to the previous set of decorations, the next set of adornments are readied. So the spiel goes on. The result? Our beach will remain in a permanent state of beatification, with no end in sight.

Some 11 years ago, when we arrived in the city, there were wooden benches and old fashioned lamp posts all along the beach. The parapet was painted a dull blue and decorated with blue and white wavy lines. The beach looked OK, not great, but there was nothing to complain about. Soon we noticed that the benches along the waterfront were torn apart and carried away. Then whole benches vanished, leaving holes in the cement paving from where they were rudely gouged. We watched with lively interest as all the benches disappeared, leaving a stray iron leg here or a twisted handle there.

Be that as it may. The parapet walls served as seats, albeit without back rests. Imagine our surprise and consternation when, in the next six months, the beach came to be bestowed with, hold your breath, chromium plated benches!! If wood and iron could be wrenched out of cemented paving, would the chromium coated metallic benches survive?

We kept a close academic eye on the benches and as expected, one by one the glistening benches disappeared. Where they did survive, the salt breeze got to them! They turned a dirty brown within days and wary citizens avoided sitting on them.

While that soap opera was unfolding with all its twists and turns, in a flash of stunning brilliance, someone in GVMC hit upon the novel idea of providing our lucky beach with chromium tinted dustbins! The flashy dustbins either vanished, or turned a turbid brown, and stand defiantly today, painted green! Same is the case with the lamp posts on the beach. There were a reasonably good set of lamps standing in the middle of the road, only to be replaced by those on the sides.

Even as we were trying to figure out the mystery of the 'shifting lamps,' a brand new set arrived to stand in the middle of the road! I expect that all the present lamp posts will be tossed aside very soon to be replaced by yet another set!!

Cash rich cities like New York and Paris go for old fashioned and serviceable lamps while we, the lucky ones, get state-of-the-art lamp posts! It is a different matter that the lights are regularly switched off when the beach is thick with walkers and the beach is undergoing heavy renovation. The story repeats itself with greenery, cement concrete decorations, sculptures, pavements, the list goes on. If all the efforts to beautify the beach were done in a focused and systematic manner and money spent prudently, we would have had a showpiece of a beach by now.

Instead we are stuck with a jumble of wild animals with their paint peeling, sculptures dwarfed between oversized buildings, babies and toddlers in rompers jutting out of the most unlikely spaces and dinosaurs and mermaids jostling for space, as relics of the half-baked beautification projects gone awfully awry.

The process is not complete. New and exotic plants continue to be planted as the beach is in for yet another makeover in the name of IFR, only to be overturned six months later when yet another event overtakes us! Penelope did what she did on her own strength. Our beach is prettied up at the tax payer's expense. The poor woman, however, could have learnt a thing or two from us, in never completing a job, that is. (The writer is a heritage and environmental activist. She can be reached at [email protected])

- The Times of India, October 11, 2015

Emphasizing that children's health and education were the top priorities of his government, chief minister Raman Singh said only healthy children can only make a healthy Chhattisgarh.

Addressing the people of the state during his monthly radio talk show, "Raman Ke Goth", the chief minister said his government had implemented the National Child Programme to ensure proper health of the children, who he said were the true future of the state. Giving a call for "Healthy Chhattisgarh-Clean India", the chief minister said Chhattisgarh is among the top six states in the country to implement the National Cleanliness Scheme.

He said village panchayats achieving the target of ending open defecation would be honoured on Oct 31, the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, which is being observed as Shakti Divas.

Expressing concern over unemployment in the state, Singh said his government is in the process of implementing schemes that would provide the people an opportunity to earn their livelihoods in his close proximity on their homes rather than migrating to other places. He however, did not elaborate about the schemes and the time frame for their implementation.

Responding to letters received from some listeners, the chief minister informed that his government has sent proposal to the union government for laying a railway line from Ambikapur to Baruadih in Jharkhand. While answering the query of Kamlesh Singh from Ambikapur, Singh mentioned about the development of road infrastructure in Surguja.

Talking about National Highway 78, he informed that 353 kilometres of this highway, between Katni to Gumla, would run through the state, benefitting the local population. He said Rs 105 crores have also been received for road work between Ambikapur to Jashpur.

Replying to another letter from Dinesh Verma from Charama, who expressed concern over the safety of archaeological heritage in Kanker district, Singh said his government was taking all steps to preserve it.

He said pre-historic rock paintings made by the cave dwellers that date more than ten thousand years back are present in deep and remote forests of Kanker and the Directorate of Archaeology of the state has been instructed for initiating necessary action to preserve them. He however said people too should have to contribute to it.

In his address, the chief minister also referred to schemes implemented by his government to tackle drought in 93 tehsils of the state. He said besides stopping revenue collected in the affected tehsils, farmer would be given diesel grant up to a maximum of Rs 4000 and Rs 22.68 crores had been approved for providing electric connections.

The chief minister reiterated that the government has cancelled Rajyotsav celebrations in view of the drought. He said instead of the elaborate celebrations, only an award function would be held.

- The Times of India, October 11, 2015

The mayor of London’s Diwali event in Trafalgar Square attracts thousands of people, but this year’s edition on Sunday has raised hackles among a section of the Hindu community because it is being held during ‘shraadha’, considered an inauspicious period.

Several organisations are part of the mayor’s Diwali committee, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (UK), Chinmaya Mission, Brahma Kumaris, Art of Living, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, ISKCON and the Metropolitan Police Hindu Association.

London mayor Boris Johnson and the Indian high commissioner Ranjan Mathai are scheduled to participate in the event that features a range of activities related to Diwali and Indian culture. The Kerala government is a major partner this year.

However, Rashmikant Joshi, president of the National Council of Hindu Temples (NCHTUK) condemned the alleged “lack of sensitivity and respect for ancient Hindu traditions” and criticised the organisers for holding the event on the penultimate day of ‘shraadha’.

“The prayers and atmosphere of reverence which is cultivated over the period of Shraadha has never been adulterated by any festive celebrations and it is truly a tragedy that Diwali, the festival of light and wisdom, should be brought into this sacrosanct period of remembrance”, Joshi said in a statement.

He added: “If this were India, such an action would be unthinkable…That this should have been organised by Hindu organisations…fills me with outrage that the memory of our ancestors should be taken so lightly”.

NCHTUK general secretary Satish Sharma said: “I couldn’t help but note that this year there are even more Bollywood dance elements than last year. I am sure that no-one would wish for the event, which is a wonderful and important part of the British Hindu calendar, to be seen as exploitation of the spiritual and religious message of Diwali, to simply hold a Bollywood Dance extravaganza – balance is everything”.

A display of variety of products from Kerala will be a major attraction of the event. State tourism minister AP Anil Kumar said the participation would be part of Visit Kerala—a joint initiative by the Kerala Tourism and the state’s tourism industry.

“We consider this opportunity as an ideal platform to market our state by exhibiting our unique products including performing arts and culture, cuisine, natural splendour, Ayurveda and backwaters,” he said.

- The Hindustan Times, October 11, 2015

A team of historians has discovered a rare petroglyph or rock carving of a yogi in a self-realization posture dating to the 13th century AD in a cave in Tamil Nadu State in India. This is the first such rock carving of a sadakan or yoga aspirant of its kind found in Tamil Nadu.

Below the yogi is a carving of an altar, according to an article in The New Indian Express News made available to Ancient Origins by T.L. Subash Chandira Bose, an archaeo-symbolist who was involved in the project. Others on the team were Balakrishnan of the Arivom-Arivipom Center, and researchers Kannan and Arun.

Kudakumalai Cave, where the petroglyph was found, is near Pudukottai. The cave is near Narthamalai Temple in Narthamalai village. The temple is a shrine to the Hindu God Shiva, considered the greatest ascetic of them all.

Bose describes just one type of yoga. Other types include the Bakhti yoga of love and devotion, the Karma yoga of selfless work, and the Jnana yoga of knowledge and discernment. These and other yoga disciplines or schools are considered paths to enlightenment. Yoga is employed by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs.

The HinduWebsite.com article on yoga calls it “the direct perception of the ultimate truth.” Religion, on the other hand, is a companion to yoga but is concerned with values, beliefs, cultures and rituals.

Historians believe some yoga depictions discovered in India may date back 6,000 or 7,000 years to the Indus Valley Civilization, says HinduWebsite.com. The earliest written material about yoga is in the Rig Veda, which was first written down between 1500 and 1200 BC. The Rig Veda, one of the oldest of Hindu scripture books, was transmitted orally for at least 1,000 years, the site says.

Another Hindu scripture that speaks of yoga is the Bhagavad Gita, in which the God Krishna says to Arjuna in Chapter 6: When the yogi, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in transcendence—devoid of all material desires—he is said to be well established in yoga.

As a lamp in a windless place does not waver, so the transcendentalist, whose mind is controlled, remains always steady in his meditation on the transcendent self. Krishna.com says the word yoga, which mean union or a yoking, refers to “linking with God.”

- http://www.ancient-origins.net/, October 11, 2015

The second day of the ongoing PU Zonal Youth and Heritage festival of Colleges of Education (Zone-A) brought up contemporary issues like environment conservation, media, communal bigotry through theatre performances by students.

At the host Dev Samaj College of Education in Sector 36, the topic for the elocution on Saturday was 'Power of Social Media'. Many speakers shunned the negative impact on time and energy of youth when they keep forwarding messages. Some speakers also criticised that in case of a road accident, instead of extending a helping hand, people start making a video on their smart phones.

A debate on the topic "2-year BEd Course Will Raise the Standard of Education" saw 22 participants. Those speaking against the motion said that it would only add to the financial burden of the parents and everyone will eventually land up at 'Matka Chowk Dharnas'.

A skit 'Aaj Kal Te Parson' delivered the message of water conservation and another play 'Media Kranti' was presented in a hilarious manner conveying the scramble among electronic channels for news.

The message of communal harmony, abuse of cell phones and ill-effects of pollution were conveyed through different mimes enacted at the festival. A play 'Chidiyan' depicting the plight of women post Partition was also staged.

- The Times of India, October 11, 2015

“This heritage structure on the Mettupalayam road at Kallar is being demolished just now. Can we please save it?” Samantha Iyanna, a resident of Coonoor, put up this plea on her Facebook page. There was an outcry of outrage. But, nothing came of it and the old bridge was razed.

Convener of INTACH, Nilgiris, Geeta Srinivasan was distressed to hear of this. “We work so hard to preserve it, but somehow we continue to be laid back about heritage. Citizens, officials everyone has to be sensitised to this,” she said.

The present steel bridge that is used to go up the hills via Mettupalayam was built by Jessop and Company in 1925. But what is bothering heritage lovers is the remains of an even older masonry bridge alongside that has been knocked down.

R. Jegadeesan, member, INTACH, Coimbatore, and Co-ordinator for Vanavarayar Foundation that works on spreading awareness of heritage, said, “I rushed to the spot and spoke to the contractors who said that this was part of the road widening project. There is a lot of history to this road and to this bridge. A wooden bridge that was there earlier was washed away in 1891 floods. A masonry bridge was completed in 1894 at Rs. 56,000.

“In 1925, a steel bridge was built alongside to accommodate more vehicles. The older bridge unfortunately was nothing more than a crumbling ruin and now it is gone. The Kallar bridge is older than the 1899 Nilgiri mountain railway.” Not maintained

A National Highways official said that not much of the old stone masonry was left and it was not maintained. The steel bridge with a capacity of 10-tonnes was corroded. Hence, another bridge was going to be built and the old stone masonry was demolished.

Ms. Geeta Srinivasan conceded that public safety was paramount.Two stones recovered at the spot of the bridge has the names Ignatius, Richardson, Mustapha (Engine drivers) and engineering student Venkatramana Iyer engraved on it who died of illness during the bridge construction in 1894. Other stone commemorates the opening of the bridge the same year. .

Shankar Vanavarayar, Convener INTACH, Coimbatore Chapter, is saddened. “It brings to mind another incident when the Tanjore Vennar Bridge was demolished. There are no laws in Tamil Nadu protecting old structures such as this,” he said.

- The Hindu, October 12, 2015

The toilet set built a few months ago was demolished for Rs 192 crore ambitious project

A public toilet set on way to the Golden Temple, which was constructed recently, has been demolished to pave way for beautification of the area. Amanpreet Singh, a local resident, said it was a sheer wastage of public money that was spent on building the toilet set a few months ago and razed to the ground in the last two days. He added that he favoured congestion free approach road to the most revered Sikh shrine. He said the government must ensure that the public money was not wasted.

Meanwhile, sources in the Municipal Corporation said the toilet set was demolished to pave way for the work on the Rs 192 crore ambitious project, which ought to make the main road leading to the Golden Temple as the world’s best street. It will be a no-vehicle zone from Phuwara Chowk to the Golden Temple. A plaza for the pedestrians will also be constructed there.

In a bid to restore the heritage of the holy city, the areas surrounding the Golden Temple and the Jallianwala Bagh will be spruced up to international standards. The detailed project report is ready and work will commence on it shortly after completing tendering and allocation formalities.

The consultants present in the house said the project would be completed within a year. Phuwara Chowk will house a statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, besides a huge fountain will also be built. This fountain will showcase artificial waterfalls, water animations and a computerised water show. This will be coupled with façade development and beautification of buildings in the area, including Dharam Singh Market, with red sand stone under a uniform theme and signage.

There will be ample plantation in the earmarked area. Punjab-heritage related sculptures will be erected in front of Dharam Singh Market, besides a tall sculpture related to the freedom struggle near the Jallianwala Bagh.

Another main highlight of the project will be the transformation of the façade of the Saragarhi parking area into an electronic signage equipped with LED video screens on the pattern of Times Square, New York. The demolished toilet set was situated next to the Saragarhi parking area.

- The Tribune, October 12, 2015

Sunday was perhaps the best day to take a step forward and blend walking (as an exercise) with health care as it coincided with World Arthritis Day. Despite the excitement over the one day international to begin in a short while, nearly 200 persons from different walks of life took part in the Heritage Walk that began from the historic Chhattar Manzil and after passing through various locations in Old City, culminated where it started it from.

The Lucknow Heritage Walk-Kaiserbagh and Lucknow on Cycle (LOC), organised by the UP government's department of tourism along with The Times of India and NBT was supported by NGO Itihas and saw many youngsters assembling at the historic Chhattar Manzil to learn a lesson about Lucknow's rich cultural history and heritage.

The heritage lovers walked down to various historical monuments located in and around Kaiserbagh area. Excitement was clearly visible among youngsters, busy taking selfies with the huge building of the monument in the backdrop. Apart from this, people also took photographs and selfies at various other buildings of historical importance.

As soon as the heritage walk culminated, walkers preferred to leave for home, to catch up with the latest on the India- South Africa ODI match. "I came here rather early, so that after the walk, I could sprint back to my home, and watch live the first ODI match between India & South Africa being played in Kanpur," said Himanshu, a resident of Aliganj, who took part in the heritage walk.

- The Times of India, October 12, 2015

Heritage expert Gurmit Rai, associated with the preservation of the holy city's Gobindgarh fort, said the city has been divided in five heritage zones to implement the Union Government's Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY). The Union Government sanctioned Rs 69.31 crore for the development of Amritsar under HRIDAY in the beginning of this year.

The holy city is the second city that has been sanctioned the maximum finance after Varanasi that has been sanctioned Rs 89.31 crore under the scheme. Besides, Amritsar is one of the 12 heritage cities that have been identified by the Union Urban Development Ministry for development.

Addressing a programme organised by Amritsar Vikas Manch, an NGO, she said the walled city has been placed in the first zone, Ram Bagh, housing summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, has been placed in the second category, Gobindgarh fort and Durgiana temple in the third, external circular road along the wall around the old city and Chheharta Sahib, Challih khoo and Upper Bari Doab canal in the fifth zone. All these zones will be developed. Among others, SGPC member Kiranjot Kaur, Kulwant Singh Ankhi, Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, Manmohan Singh addressed the participants.

- The Tribune, October 12, 2015

In a two-day workshop organised by Archade Foundation, experts and architecture students from across India gathered to exchange ideas on restoring abandoned havelis and their cultural significance for heritage conservation. Where there once stood majestic havelis, today there lie ruins. This part of the city of Shahajahanbad is reminiscent of the Mughal era and replete with century-old havelis, some abandoned while some encroached by squatters.

Since most of these could not be maintained due to lack of funds, the Delhi government has taken upon itself to restore them to their former glory. In a two-day workshop organised over the weekend by Archade Foundation, an NGO that works on Architecture research conservation habitat and design education in Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat, experts and students of architecture from across India gathered to exchange ideas on the restoration of abandoned havelis and their cultural significance for heritage conservation.

In detailed interactive discussions between students and experts from the field of heritage conservation, one of the questions raised was why do most owners abandon their havelis? The owners wish to live in big cities, they leave behind care takers to guard the havelis. In many cities, living in havelis is also seen as a sign of poverty," said Antoine Kruger, a French anthropologist who has written a thesis on the havelis in Fatehpur in India.

Certain havelis also come under property disputes. “Havelis are not ‘touristy’ anymore, they only become so when a stranger visits it,” said Antoine. Another reason that havelis are seldom restored is that the locals are not particularly interested in conserving them and do not see the ancient architecture as a cultural responsibility. In India, most preservation has been linked to religious aspects. He also pointed out that the idea of conservation and exhibitions in havelis is completely western concept. In India, INTACH as well as international organisations like UNESCO are bringing restoration to turn these into prospective tourist attractions.

The case in Shahajahanabad is a stark contrast. Since the whole area is in the centre of Delhi, land is a priced possession. Haveli owners are not seen as mere caretakers. The Shahajahanabad Redevelopment Corporation as so far identified 526 havelis in the Walled city area. “These havelis need to be documented. The SRDC does not have those kind of resources as it is a huge task,” said Mohit Varma, founder of Archade Foundation. The NGO plans to engage students and architects to come forward and identify such lost heritage structures.

“These havelis cannot be restored unless areas around them are also planned. The whole idea should encompass an urban planning project with sewer lines, power and water supply for the residents living around the heritage work of art,” said Manav Mahajan, a student of architecture from Panipat.

According to SRDC, heritage buildings have not been maintained due to lack of funds. Out of the 525 havelis, 25 are open to starting work on an immediate basis. The SRDC has announced a capital grant of Rs 2 crore and a loan of up to Rs 5 crore to the owners of such structures to convert them into restaurants, eateries, cultural guesthouses, galleries and museums. The owners will also be offered benefits such as third party tax exemptions for maintenance of the property.

- http://www.iamin.in/, October 13, 2015

The history of the Walled City will be on show at the landmark Town Hall in Chandni Chowk and will detail the evolution of Old Delhi and its tangible and intangible heritage. If everything goes as planned, the six-month-long exhibition, proposed by the Shahjanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) and mooted by the state government, will begin in November and could even end up becoming a permanent feature.

The iconic Town Hall, built by the British in the mid-19th century, has been vacant after it ceased being the seat of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in 2012. "In a recent meeting, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that the Town Hall should be developed into a museum on Old Delhi," said the SRDC's Nitin Panigrahi. "An exhibition there would celebrate the cultural ethos and legacy of the Walled City, and also give outsiders a view of life in Old Delhi."

SRDC wrote to the North Corporation last month to allocate appropriate space in the Town Hall for the proposed show. Exhibits are likely to include colourful dioramas of life in the Walled City that showcase the traditional costumes worn by the people and their activities such as traditional mithai-making or garment manufacturing.

The exhibition can also give conservation body INTACH the opportunity to move sections of its popular 2011 exhibition called "Delhi: A Living Heritage" to Town Hall. "Since 2011, the various exhibits, dioramas and models that we had created have been lying packed away boxes because our attempts to display them at a permanent exhibition did not materialize," said an INTACH official. "We can move the entire section on Old Delhi to the SRDC exhibition."

In addition to the existing displays on Old Delhi, SRDC officials said that a new segment on a contemporary vision of Old Delhi will also be put up. "This section will focus on the government's vision for Old Delhi," explained an official. "Projects like the Chandni Chowk redevelopment plan, Jama Masjid redevelopment plan and the proposal for a tram line there can be explained to the public in an easy manner."

There are plans to offer other attractions during the exhibition. These could include a food and crafts bazaar, a festival of the performing arts, musical evenings, heritage walks and other activities, all to remain open throughout the four months straddling the winter season. "We also want to invite famous personalities who either lived in or have links with Old Delhi for cultural performances or lectures," said officials.

- The Times of India, October 13, 2015

Andhra Pradesh has always been the front-runner in attracting maximum visitors, inland, and foreign. Not just naturally and culturally, but ecologically and religiously rich tourist destinations open doors to visitors in Andhra Pradesh. With treasures of visual treat in stock, the state allows multiple vents of delightful experiences for visitor gratification.

The state of Andhra Pradesh is a symbolic evidence of abundantly visible natural resources. With longest eastern coastline and a strong trail of Buddha’s glory, the state speaks volumes with pristine splendor, citadels, forts, and architectural masterpieces. The late emperors built monuments, tombs, palaces and memorials. All of this reflects the craftsmanship and the architecture that found its inception on this land. The tourism here opens up to hills, ridges and valleys. If that’s not all, it also offers meadows, beach waves, hill stations, virgin forests, and caves. Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala

The temple is a Vaishnavite temple located in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to god Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu. It is believed that he appeared here to save mankind from trials and troubles of Kaliyuga, therefore, the spot is also known as Kaliyuga Vaikuntham and the deity here is alluded to as Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Daivam.

The temple is also known by many other names, namely, Tirumala temple, Tirupati Balaji temple and Tirupati temple. Kanaka Durga Temple The temple is a well-known Hindu holy space of Goddess Durga. It is situated in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. The temple is located on the Indrakeeladri hill, on the banks of river Krishna. Durgaa Sapthashati, Kaalika puraana, and other Vedic literature speak of goddess Kanaka Durga on the Indrakeelaadri and they have described the deity as Swayambhu, (self-manifested) in Triteeya kalpa.

In accordance with the legend, the now verdant Vijayawada was once upon a time a rocky-hilly region that obstructed the flow of River Krishna. Consequently, the land was rendered unfit for habitation or cultivation. Lord Shiva was invoked for divine intervention so that the passage for the river could be managed. With Shiva’s blessings, the river started flowing unimpeded with all its might, through the tunnels or ‘Bejjam’. This is how the place got its name Bezawada. Simhachalam Temple Simhadri or Simhachalam is a Hindu temple located in Visakhapatnam. It is dedicated to Narasimha (the man-lion god), a lord Vishnu incarnation. The architectural style of the central shrine is Kalinga.

In Odia, Simha means lion and Anchala means hill. The temple is situated at the top of a hill; hence the temple is called Simhachalam. Lion-man incarnation Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy is the temple’s presiding deity. The temple is one of the 18 Narasimha Kshetras in India. Kailasagiri It is a hilltop park in Visakhapatnam which was developed by Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) comprising of 380 acres of land. The area is covered with a lot of flora. At a height of 360 feet, it also witnesses beaches and forests. On an average, around three lakh Indian and foreign tourists visit this place annually.

Golkonda Also known as Golla konda (shepherd’s hill), it is a fort of Southern India and capital of the medieval sultanate of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. The site is located 11 km west of Hyderabad. The place is known for the mines that have produced some of the world’s most famous gems, including the Koh-i-Noor, the Hope Diamond and the Nassak Diamond.

In Incredible Andhra, temples and shrines are important destinations that draw tourist traffic and act as a big source of revenue flow. With museums, archaeological treasures, weaponry and an array of objects that symbolize the culture and marvels of the territory, the city never turns a blind eye towards culture aficionados.

- http://www.newsgram.com/, October 13, 2015

Crimson Curves’, the exhibition of paintings and sculptures going on at Durbar Hall Art Gallery, is aptly titled, for it screams femininity.

It covers every facet of womanhood - there is divinity, blossoming love and cry against atrocities - and artist Sandhya A R says it is her innate feelings that has found an expression here. “I am not a feminist and feminism is not my core belief or area of activity, but my strokes express my angst as an artist to the treatment meted out to people here,” says Sandhya, a staffer at State Bank of India.

Her multi-layered works are bright hued and celebrates womanhood, even in a divine form, evident through the artist’s interpretation of Buddha as a feminine figure in deep meditation.

Sandhya feels her series, obviously, wouldn’t be complete without a voice of protest and she expresses this through a work which features a woman letting out a lament when skies above her darkens. “No woman is safe after dusk. It has ceased to be a shocking news,” she says. Another work of a blind-folded woman too points in the same direction. ‘Crimson Curves’ also pays an ode to motherhood through a image of a mother and baby while her terracotta sculptures, moulded with utmost perfection, exhorts the renaissance of woman, how she breaks barriers to free herself. Her sculptures are a melody of tradition and creativity.

Sandhya, however, doesn’t forget to see the silver lining when she weaves in hues of spring in her pictures. The artist who was trained by Chakrapani of Chitralaya at Tripunithura, picked up her first lessons from her artist mother. The expo will conclude today.

- The Indian Express, October 13, 2015

Does a relatively unknown and obscure Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh get more tourist footfalls than famous Taj Mahal or Goa? At least, state's official figures claim so.

According to state tourism department's annual administrative report of 2014, about 2.44 crore tourists visited Chhattisgarh during 2014. This figure is almost close to state's population of 2.55 crore as per 2011 census.

Surprisingly, the tourist footfall figures is higher compared to world famous tourist destination of Taj Mahal that recorded 60 lakh tourist footfalls, according to a reply given by Union tourism minister Mahesh Sharma in the Lok Sabha recently while Goa Tourism website states the coastal state recorded nearly 40 lakh tourists in 2014.

Chhattisgarh's report indicates highest number of 80 lakh tourists visited Rajnandgaon district which houses the famous Bambleshwari temple at Dongargarh. Bilaspur and Mungeli districts follow with more than 45.2 lakh and 22.6 lakh tourist footfall annually. Of the total 2.44 core tourists, 7,777 were foreigners.

Many eyebrows are being raised over this statistics. Famous all-season tourist destinations of Shimla, Manali and nearby areas in Himachal Pradesh had recorded nearly one crore tourist footfall in 2014, according to director, information and public relation, Himachal Pradesh.

Chhattisgarh Aam Aadmi Party state co-ordinator for research and RTI, Uchit Sharma, alleged by no stretch of imagination one could believe these figures. "The figure seems to be either deliberately inflated or the methodology of calculation is faulty", he told TOI.

Sharma alleged this could also be part of an attempt to secure more funds from Centre by showcasing magnificence of tourist places by inflating data. He pointed out even a tourist-friendly state like Rajasthan, which ranked tenth in number of tourists in the country recorded a footfall of 3.33 crore in 2014. When contacted, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board (CTB) general manager Sanjay Singh admitted there was no proper mechanism in place across the country to assess actual number of tourist footfall.

"Department has collected data from forest department, archaeology department and temple trusts." However, he said data can't be accurate as there's no ticket system at religious places, and Chhattisgarh attracts most tourists to religious spots.

"A register is maintained at parking stands that takes out an average number of people visiting on vehicles parked at religious spots like Dongargarh in Rajnandgaon. Data from places like Kanger valley national park are sourced from forest department," he said. According to state tourism department's annual administrative report of 2014, about 2.44 crore tourists visited Chhattisgarh during 2014

- The Times of India, October 13, 2015

Urban India is witnessing a rapid growth with more than 300 million Indians already living in cities and towns. In the coming 20-25 years, another 300 million people will get added to the urban population. If not managed properly, Indian cities will turn into ecological disaster zones. In a hurry to expand, cities have already eaten into their local water bodies, the so-called sponges, which not only help in flood control, but also contribute towards groundwater recharge.

Take the case of New Delhi, where a survey conducted last year by the Delhi Parks and Gardens Society revealed that out of the 611 water bodies in Delhi, 274 have already dried up and as many as 190 cannot be revived anymore. A number of lakes at the outskirts of Delhi have disappeared too. Rewla Khanpur village in South West Delhi once had seven water bodies, but none exist today. Experts point out that these water bodies in peri-urban villages were filled up when the city expanded and land prices shot up.

This destruction of urban water bodies has been reported across the Indian landscape. A 2012 study, Urban Flood Management – A Case Study of Chennai City, has reported that Chennai had about 650 small and big water bodies, but these are reduced to less than 30 now. As per the records of the Water Resources Department, the area of 19 major lakes in the city has shrunk from a total of 1,130 hectares (ha) to 645 ha. Hyderabad, too, has lost 3,245 ha area of its water bodies in the last 15 years. In 1960s, Bengaluru had 280 interlinked tanks, which reduced to less than 80 in 1993. A recent audit check of 10 lakes in Bengaluru has revealed large-scale encroachment, dumping of debris, release of untreated sewage, delay in restoration work and other lapses.

What is killing our lakes? The New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) carried out a study and found that in 2001, 137 lakes were listed in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. But, by 2012, 65 were already destroyed and built upon. Residents of the city are fighting legal battles to protect their water bodies. A PIL was filed in the high court in 2000 to protect Chandola Lake.

Recently, another PIL has been filed to stop encroachment and dumping of waste in water bodies in Thaltej area of the city. There are several threats to the urban water bodies. These include pollution, encroachment, construction activities, illegal-mining activities and ungoverned tourism. In its 7th State of India’s Environment report titled, Excreta Matters, CSE has calculated that almost 80 per cent (30,004 million litres daily) of the total sewage generated in class I and II cities is released directly into the water bodies without any treatment. For instance, 500 million litres of untreated sewage is discharged daily into Varthur, Bellandur and Challaghatta lakes of Bengaluru.

Other causes for the destruction of urban water bodies is the encroachment and haphazard construction activities, legal and illegal. In Bengaluru, Akkithimmanhalli Lake is now a hockey stadium; Dharmanbudhi Lake is Kempegowda Bus Station; Sampangi Lake is Kanteerava Sports Complex; and the Koramangala Lake is National Games Complex. The Bengaluru Development Authority has already submitted a report to the Upalokayukta informing that 14 layouts have been developed on the City lakes.

Urban water bodies have also become waste dumping grounds. Deepor Beel, a famous wetland and Ramsar site in Guwahati, Assam is facing acute pollution due to dumping of garbage by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation. Similarly, Pallikaranai swamp in Chennai is threatened due to dumping of garbage by the civic authority. This is not only destroying the water source (including groundwater), but also spreading diseases among the local residents.

A direct impact of destruction of these water bodies is increased urban flooding. Cities are also losing out on other important ecosystem services that lakes offer in the form of drinking water, supporting biodiversity, recharging aquifers, and providing recreational space. As groundwater levels are dipping, cities are sourcing their water from hundreds of kilometres away. Jodhpur’s water supply comes from Indira Gandhi Canal, which is 205 km away.

Balsamand Lake, which was once the only source of drinking water for Jodhpur, has been destroyed due to illegal mining for building materials. Mumbai’s water supply comes from dams and lakes over 120 km away; Chennai’s water is sourced from Veeranam Lake, some 200 km away; and Hyderabad gets its water supply from Krishna River 116 km away. No wonder the municipalities today spend around 30-50 per cent of their money on electricity to pump water, while almost 30-50 per cent of the water is ‘lost’ in leakages.

Protecting urban water bodies It was only in 2001 that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests developed a separate programme called National Lake Conservation Plan to conserve urban water bodies. However, only a few states have developed state-level conservation plans. In spite of releasing Rs 351 crore till March 2011, only 18 lakes have been revived.

Sector experts are demanding more teeth for laws to protect urban water bodies. CSE has prepared a model draft regulation for the protection of inland water bodies in South Asia. The draft stresses on empowering local communities to participate in management, conservation and restoration of wetlands. It also calls for creation of a Central Wetland Management and Conservation Authority. States such as Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir have already set up an apex body for lake conservation.

There are examples of citizens coming together to revive lakes. Kaikondrahalli Lake and Jakkur Lake in Bengaluru have been restored by the local residents and authorities. Scientists with the Indian Institute of Science claim that using the integrated wetlands ecosystem model, which was adopted to revive Jakkur Lake, all the lakes in Bengaluru can be rejuvenated within a year or two.

Protection of urban lakes will be incomplete unless the city planning authorities ensure that the rainwater flows freely into the water bodies. Rather than putting a monetary value on the land occupied by the water bodies, it is time urban India recognised the ecosystem services provided by these shrinking water sources. Else the smart cities will only end up digging their watery graves

- The Deccan Herald, October 13, 2015

The shoddy 'renovation' being undertaken at early Chola age temples where idols are made to go through reckless sand and water blasting, has worried Madras high court, which ordered the government to stop renovation work without proper supervision.

"The photographs produced before us reflect the actual position before and after the renovation. It is a matter of concern. This is the position of early Chola age temples," the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam said on Monday.

Referring to the apprehension of Heritage Conservation Committee represented by its secretary S Sivakumar, whose public interest litigation on the subject is being heard by the first bench along with a PIL filed on the basis of various media reports, the bench said: "The apprehension of the petitioner is that such a shoddy work should not continue to somehow exhaust the funds which have been made available."

"We are in prima facie agreement with the aforesaid view and thus, direct that no renovation work should be carried out unless it is technologically and properly supervised. The claim is that after sand and water blasting, immense damage has been caused to the statues," the first bench said. The bench has already appointed senior advocate P S Raman as amicus curiae to lead a team of experts, to study ancient temples and the damage caused to them in the name of renovation.

The committee visited Mamallapuram and three other temples including the 1,600-year-old Vadivudai Amman temple in Tiruvottriyur and, on the basis of its observations, filed a damning interim report on August 31 in which it listed violations of conservation rules and spiritual practices carried out by government agencies in the name of renovations.

Sivakumar, an implead petition, too had submitted photographic evidence of damage caused by water and sand blasting. As 'renovation' continued despite the matter pending before the court, he filed the present miscellaneous petition to halt the work.

- The Times of India, October 13, 2015

French delegation visits city, agrees to provide assistance in areas for preparation of viable projects

A FRENCH delegation on urban infrastructure development, led by Francois Richier, Ambassador of France to India, visited Chandigarh on Monday. During the visit, it was decided that India and France would cooperate and work together in making Chandigarh a smart city. It was also decided that France would help in the upgradation of railway tracks between New Delhi and Chandigarh.

The visit of the French delegation is an outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France in April this year. The French delegation agreed to provide technical assistance in certain listed areas for preparation of viable projects. It was decided that representatives of the French companies in these areas would contact the respective heads of departments in the Chandigarh Administration to prepare projects.

“The cooperation will not only limit itself to provision of technical assistance but will also extend to providing loans etc to the Government of India for implementation of viable projects,” said Francois Richier. “The France and Chandigarh Administration will cooperate with each other in this new leap of converting garden city, Chandigarh, into a smart city,” he added. The two administrations also decided to work together to conserve heritage sites in the city.

The delegation held a meeting at the UT Guest House on Monday, under the chairmanship of UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev. The meet focused on areas relating to urban development, renewable energy, urban security, smart cities and urban transport. After the meeting, the French delegation headed to the valedictory function of international symposium on Le Corbusier, which was organised by the UT Tourism Department, to mark the 50th death anniversary of the master architect of Chandigarh. Water supply system After detailed discussions, the French delegation agreed to offer assistance in implementing smart solutions for reducing non-revenue and unaccounted water in Chandigarh.

They also agreed on helping the city achieve a 24X7 water supply, along with distribution of tertiary water for conservation of available water. Management of waste The French delegation also offered to help Chandigarh in improving the sewage processing and treatment facilities by introducing newer technologies. Deliberations were also held for scientific management of solid waste disposal in the city to prevent ill-effects on the environment.

Urban transportation The delegation stressed creating an intelligent public transportation system in the city, and explored possibilities of alternatives to provide a sustainable public transportation system in Chandigarh. Suggestions to fast-track the implementation of metros in the city were also put forward, as the delegation offered to help the city with newer technologies for the same. Urban security and traffic management system “There is a need for a smart traffic management system in Chandigarh to ensure security and to solve the problem of parking. We also need to work towards improvement of the public infrastructure in the city,” Francois Richier said.

The delegation suggested that provision of surveillance solutions like CCTVs with face detection and number plate reading solutions could help in better management of traffic. During the day, sectoral meetings with the officials of the administration were also organised at the UT Guest House on various issues: urban transport (with the Transport Department regarding intelligent bus system, ropeways and integrated plan with the city tram way integration), urban security (with the Police Department & Home Department officials regarding surveillance solutions and computerised department) and street furniture.

- The Indian Express, October 13, 2015

With brooms in hand, Sambalpur denizens on Sunday swept clean Raja Bakhri, a historical monument in the city. Members of several social outfits reached the sport early in the morning to take part in the cleanliness drive. "King Chhatra Sai built the two-storey palace with 40 rooms in the beginning of the 17th century. The first floor has been destroyed in the absence of proper upkeep. The ground floor is in a dilapidated condition," said city-based writer Deepak Panda.

Freedom fighter Surendra Sai too stayed in the palace for a few days. "The freedom fighter reached Sambalpur with 1,500 supporters on October 7, 1857. The British didn't dare to stop him. He even hoisted the Tricolour at the palace," Panda said. Over the years, the monument has turned into a dumping yard, he added.

The residents spent four hours clearing garbage and cleaning the palace. "It was an attempt to make people of the city aware of their responsibility to conserve historical monuments. These are assets of the city and throw light on its rich past," said Surya Panigrahi, member of a social outfit.

The Sambalpur Municipal Corporation too chipped in with men and vehicles. "Twenty safai karamcharis and several vehicles were pressed into service to pick garbage from Raja Bakhri. We have decided to clean Rani Bakhri (Queen's Palace), the other historical monument in the city, soon," said health officer of the corporation Mahendra Nanda.

-The Times of India, October 13, 2015 France to help India develop semi-high speed on Delhi-Chd track The French government will sign a pact with the Union government in November to develop a semi-high speed train track between New Delhi and Chandigarh. The project is expected to be completed within five years, after which the distance between the two cities will come down to just two hours.

So far, the Shatabdi Express takes around three hours and 25 minutes to complete the journey. European nation to assist UT in getting ‘smart’ too France will also assist the UT administration in preparing a detailed project report for the Smart City project besides partner with the local authorities to push for the heritage status for the city.

The announcement was made following a meeting between UT officials and the French delegation on urban infrastructure development, led by ambassador Francois Richier, which arrived in the city on Monday. The visit was an outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France in April this year, during which it was decided that the Indian and French sides will cooperate in different areas that are of relevance to Chandigarh.

UT adviser Vijay Dev said the two sides decided to cooperate on various projects, such as water supply, waste management, urban transportation and traffic management. The French agreed to provide technical assistance in these areas to plan viable projects besides providing loans to the Centre for their implementation. Ambassador Francois Richier said it was an exploratory trip and by the next visit, expected by the end of this year, concrete proposals would be worked out by close interaction between the French and UT officials. He said they would also work towards suggesting non-motorised transport, so that there are lowest possible carbon emissions in the city.

French delegation meets Solanki The French delegation called on UT administrator Kaptan Singh Solanki at Haryana Raj Bhavan. Solanki said he hoped the interaction between the UT and French delegation would give a new direction to the relationship between Chandigarh and France. Survey conducted last month

The French railway’s representatives Michel Testard and Phillipe Lorand, part of the delegation on Monday, had visited the city railway station last month. The two had collected data on number of platforms, passenger footfall and services at the station, as part of the survey to find the estimated cost and time span in which the semi-high speed project could be completed. The officials said the city railway station was the cleanest among all stations they had seen in India. They said a workshop is also expected to be held in November this year to discuss the feasibility of metro or tramway in the city. Other areas of cooperation

Round-the-clock water supply Distribution of tertiary water to conserve water Mechanical, automated management of solid waste Better sewage processing

Intelligent public transportation system Smart traffic management integrated with security system Conservation and preservation of heritage sites

- The Hindustan Times, October 13, 2015

The history of the Walled City will be on show at the landmark Town Hall in Chandni Chowk and will detail the evolution of Old Delhi and its tangible and intangible heritage. If everything goes as planned, the six-month-long exhibition, proposed by the Shahjanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) and mooted by the state government, will begin in November and could even end up becoming a permanent feature. The iconic Town Hall, built by the British in the mid-19th century, has been vacant after it ceased being the seat of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in 2012.

"In a recent meeting, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that the Town Hall should be developed into a museum on Old Delhi," said the SRDC's Nitin Panigrahi. "An exhibition there would celebrate the cultural ethos and legacy of the Walled City, and also give outsiders a view of life in Old Delhi.

" SRDC wrote to the North Corporation last month to allocate appropriate space in the Town Hall for the proposed show. Exhibits are likely to include colourful dioramas of life in the Walled City that showcase the traditional costumes worn by the people and their activities such as traditional mithai-making or garment manufacturing.

The exhibition can also give conservation body INTACH the opportunity to move sections of its popular 2011 exhibition called "Delhi: A Living Heritage" to Town Hall. "Since 2011, the various exhibits, dioramas and models that we had created have been lying packed away boxes because our attempts to display them at a permanent exhibition did not materialize," said an INTACH official.

"We can move the entire section on Old Delhi to the SRDC exhibition." In addition to the existing displays on Old Delhi, SRDC officials said that a new segment on a contemporary vision of Old Delhi will also be put up. "This section will focus on the government's vision for Old Delhi," explained an official. "Projects like the Chandni Chowk redevelopment plan, Jama Masjid redevelopment plan and the proposal for a tram line there can be explained to the public in an easy manner.

" There are plans to offer other attractions during the exhibition. These could include a food and crafts bazaar, a festival of the performing arts, musical evenings, heritage walks and other activities, all to remain open throughout the four months straddling the winter season. "We also want to invite famous personalities who either lived in or have links with Old Delhi for cultural performances or lectures," said officials.

- http://www.nyoooz.com/, October 13, 2015

More than 100 school children and 50 teachers, scholars and art lovers attended a workshop at Heritage Village Raghurajpur and got a feel of its pulse on Sunday last. The event was organised by the Bhubaneswar chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Famous artist and author Dr Dinanath Pathi addressed the students and taught them about the history of Pata Chitra art, its evolution through the past 50-60 years and the importance of the younger generation gaining knowledge about it. Later, the students were divided into groups and observed the A to Z of the indigenous painting, from the raw material preparation stage to the final product.

The workshop was followed by an excellent performance of Gotipua dance by eight children of the village. In this dance form, young boys dressed up as girls perform classical dance with intricate formations, to the accompaniment of Odishi music. The themes are generally mythological. Before the performance, eminent danseuse Dr Ileana Citaristi addressed the students and explained the evolution of modern Odishi from its roots in the Mahari and Gotipua schools of dancing. She also gave a brief account of how her Guruji had to struggle in the early years before he bloomed as the foremost exponent of Odishi dance, which went far and wide all over the world with him and his troupes.

After this extensive but packed exposure, the children were treated to a sumptuous lunch of ethnic cuisine before leaving for their homes. Chapter convenor H Balakrishnan informed the media that this is the first phase of a three-stage heritage education project on Raghurajpur taken up by the Bhubaneswar chapter. Next phase will be intensive 3-day training for 10 to 15 selected students, right in the village if possible. The final phase will be a seminar-cum-workshop on the heritage village in Bhubaneswar either in December of January next.

- The Pioneer, October 14, 2015

After fervently spearheading the campaign to put Hyderabad on Unesco's heritage list, albeit without success, the Telangana government has now redirected its focus on the districts surrounding the twin cities, which they agree have been a neglected lot.

Warangal, the second largest city in Telangana, has been identified as a 'spiritual' and religious destination and several theme-based tourism circuits will soon be developed to promote the Kakatiya style of architecture and sculpture, distinguished by rock-cut elephants and structures made of black basalt, found in many parts of the district. Brochures recently released by the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (TSTDC) feature pictures and brief descriptions of the stunning temples and lakes of a city steeped in a wealth of architecture.

Sources in the state tourism department ascertain that the government, which has until now restricted its efforts to the Qutub Shahi monuments of Hyderabad, will now aggressively push for World Heritage Site tag for the 'keerthi thoranas' of Warangal fort, the Rudreswara temple (Thousand Pillar temple) at Hanamkonda and Rudreswara (Ramappa) temple at Palampet, all of which have already made it to the tentative list of the Unesco's World Heritage sites.

"In the race to make Hyderabad a tourist destination, the other districts have been overlooked. In fact, we have found that every district in Telangana has something unique to offer tourists. Medaram, a small village in Warangal, for instance, is the site of one of the largest tribal religious confluences in the country - the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara," said TSTDC managing director Christina Z Chongthu.

Telangana tourism has hence chalked out plans to develop a tribal circuit at a cost of more than Rs 90 crore, which promises tourists a journey through the dense forests of Mulugu, Laknavaram, Medaram, Tadvai and Eturnagaram. However, the state government's grandiose schemes to develop these spots into prime tourist attractions have faced a lot of flak.

"The tourism department's ambitious plans have no long-term perspective. Culture shouldn't be used as merely a merchandise. Plans to develop a tribal circuit around Medaram do not offer tourists any real insights into the local sentiments or give them a feel of the tranquil charm of the village," said GSV Suryanarayana Moorthy, conservation architect and tourism consultant, adding, "All they get are a few printed brochures and pamphlets promising luxury hotels and the best of comforts."

If the tourism department's data on the number of tourists visiting Hyderabad and Warangal is any indication, the decision to tap into the tourist appeal of Warangal could not have come at a better time. The year 2014 recorded 2,32,27,277 tourists in Warangal, more than double that of Hyderabad which managed to draw only 92,97,426 tourists. Until June this year, Warangal has again left Hyderabad lagging far behind by 5,80,867 tourists.

The tourism department, in addition to introducing a new two-day package tour, the itinerary of which includes visits to the Narasimhaswamy temple at Yadagirigutta, Jain temple at Kolanupaka, and the Thousand Pillar temple and Bhadrakali temple at Warangal, is keen on developing a `spiritual tourism circuit' along the Kolanupaka, Palakurthi, Bhadrakali and Padmakshi temples in Warangal.

The restoration works, of the Natya Mandapam (dance hall) at Thousand Pillars temple, which began six years ago is still underway. Several arrangements have also been for the 10-day Navratri festival at Bhadrakali temple this year, which is expected to attract more than 30,000 pilgrims each day.

D Vinay Bhaskar, legislator of Warangal (West), earlier this week, announced that the state government has already released Rs 10 lakh for laying a concrete approach road to the temple and Rs 15 crore has been sanctioned for strengthening the Bhadrakali lake bund under the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme.

The 600-year-old Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy temple and the Kanakadurga temple at Medak and the Anjaneya Swamy, Shiva temples and the run-down remains of the Main Trikutalaya temple in Kondagattu are among the other temples in the state that will be promoted as `tourist friendly' destinations. (With inputs from Shiva Kumar Pinna)

- The Times of India, October 14, 2015

When the noted Hindi writer Uday Prakash returned the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award late last month to protest the silence of the government and the Akademi following the broad daylight murder of eminent Kannada litterateur and intellectual M.M. Kalburgi, himself a winner of the award,

and prior to that the similarly executed killing of rationalist-activists Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar by Hindu Right fanatics, it appeared to be a one-off gesture — the hurt response of a sensitive literary figure. Since then relinquishing the major Indian literary prize has become a sizzling trend, and this is shredding the prestige of the government in a manner that few protests by Opposition politicians or street demonstrations can. Important writers who are on the Akademi council have quit their positions.

Salman Rushdie has chipped in, announcing his support for the community of Indian writers and their cause. If the protest of the creative community gains an international dimension, India’s image as a democracy, and its place in the world for cultural or business interactions, could be badly dented. Regrettably, the Modi government has not even begun to understand what’s at stake. Culture minister Mahesh Sharma’s far from enlightened comment on Monday was that if writers feel they cannot write in the present atmosphere, they should first stop writing — “then we will see!”

Is he making it a clash of wills as writers in languages from across the country are stepping forward to denounce the rising graph of intolerance and violence toward those who do not conform? Each of them is a stalwart figure, although Nayantara Sehgal, niece of Jawaharlal Nehru who had opposed the Emergency, immediately caught attention. The Akademi chairperson had sought to crudely mock her.

Protesters have also sought to highlight the case of a Muslim ironmonger at Dadri, near Delhi, who was killed by a lynch mob following the evidently pre-planned spread of the rumour that he had slaughtered a calf for its meat. The protest of the creative folk is clearly against the indifference of the present regime to the goings-on, perpetrated by the organised religious Right in the country, who appear to be a pretty well-organised set.

The spirit of protest was summed up succinctly by the contemporary theatre artist Maya Krishna Rao, who returned her Sangeet Natak Akademi award on Monday — becoming the first from the performing arts to join the writers. She noted that “in spite of reminders from society, the government had done little to stand up for the right of people to express their thoughts and ideas, and live the way they would choose to in a free country”. From the highest levels of government there needs to be empathy with and a recognition of the larger issues being flagged.

- The Asian Age, October 14, 2015

As a momentum to the Paris climate summit is building up across the globe, India will on Thursday launch a massive awareness drive on the global challenge by flagging off a 'climate change special' science express train as a moving information platform to step up debate and discussion over the crucial issue of global warming.

The 16-coach train will travel across the country in next seven months and make people aware of the implications of global warming and the measures which may be taken at both local and national level to tackle the common threat. The 'Science Express-Climate Change Special (SECCS)' train during its seven-month journey will cover 18,000 km and halt at 64 locations, spread over 20 states.

The train will be flagged off jointly by the Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar, railway minister Suresh Prabhu and science and technology minister Harsh Vardhan here at Safdarjung railway station. "The state-of-the-art exhibition aboard SECCS aims to create awareness among various sections of the society, especially the students, about various issues & challenges associated with Climate Change and how it can be combated through mitigation and adaptation," said an official statement of the ministry of science.

Of the 16 coaches of SECCS, exhibition in 8 coaches will be exclusively devoted to information, case studies and material related to various aspect of climate change, the underlying science, impacts, adaptation activities, mitigation solutions and policy approaches in a manner that is easy to understand and interesting for not just school students but also the masses.

"The exhibition will convey a strong message on climate change and will also be a good opportunity to generate dialogue and discussion," said the statement. The 'Science Express' is an innovative science exhibition mounted on a 16 coach AC train which has been custom-built for Department of Science & Technology (DST) by the Indian Railways (IR).

This unique mobile exposition was initially launched on October 30, 2007 by DST, in collaboration with German government and Max Planck Society and it travelled across India in 4 phases of 6-7 months duration each. In 2011, as a joint initiative of DST and then ministry of environment and forests, Science Express was rolled out as 'Biodiversity Special' which showcased the myriad 'Biodiversity of India' and it traversed the length of breadth of India in 3 runs.

During seven successful tours spanning 1,20,000 kms across India, Science Express received an overwhelming response at 391 halts, usually of 3-4 days duration each. "So far, in 1404 exhibition days more than 1.33 crore (13.3 million) people, primarily students & teachers, have visited it. It has thus become the largest, longest running and most visited mobile science exhibition and created several records in its wake, including six entries in the Limca Book of Records," said the statement.

Climate change is the most important environmental issue, with short term as well as long term and large scale impact. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are not just global in scope and unprecedented in scale but more severely affect poor and marginalized people. However, there is very little understanding about climate change and its impacts.

Keeping this in mind, the government this year had decided to model the Science Express train on the theme of climate change.

For Climate Change, 2015 could be a decisive year, when leaders of 190 nations will gather in Paris from November 30 to December 11 to discuss a new global agreement on climate change during 21st session of Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). "Thus it was rational to shift the focus of Science Express to the theme 'climate change' as it will affect the biodiversity of not just India but the entire globe as well," said the science ministry. The broad theme covered in each coach of the science express will be as follows:

Coach 1 - Understanding climate change: The physical science of climate system, climate change - its causes and history - and industrial revolution and concept that all systems are connected. Coach 2 - Impact of climate change: Introduction to concept of ecosystem services, climate change impacts on selected ecosystems and sectors and also how to reduce it.

Coach 3 - Adaptation-concepts: Concepts of adaptation and example form day to day life, adaptation strategies and stories from field. Coach 4 - Adaptation-India's action: Various national, state and local level action and adaptation programmes and their links with national strategies and international actions.

Coach 5 - Mitigation-concepts: Concept and definition with examples from everyday life, emphasis on restoring balance, enhancing sinks (carbon stores) and reducing emission through renewable energy (RE) technologies. Coach 6 - Mitigation-India's action: Various national, state and local level action and adaptation programme implemented by India and how those are linked with national strategies and international actions. Low carbon strategies, ambitious goal to increase RE.

Coach 7 - International negotiation on climate change: Introduction to UNFCCC, IPCC and internationally agreed action and targets. Explaining concept of equity and common but differential responsibility, Polluter pays, Kyoto protocol and other key outcomes of major COP, etc. Introduction to Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC).

Coach 8 - Handprint: What can one do at school, on roads, at home and in offices and focus on concept of lifestyle choices? The rest of the rake will have exhibits on themes like Wildlife and Nature Conservation work being carried out by different research institutions across India with focus on Tigers, Turtles, Coral Reefs, Amphibians, etc. besides development in field of Biotechnology, Innovations in S&T, Science Education, Schemes of DST, Careers in S&T, and so on.

While a Kids Zone has been created in a coach to indulge young ones them in fun-filled activities, games and puzzles in science, mathematics and environment, the popular Joy of Science (JOS) Hands-on Lab is once again put up in another coach where students are encouraged to perform experiments and activities to understand concepts in environment, science and mathematics in an interesting manner. A Discussion centre-cum-training facility is also provided in a coach for orientation of teachers.

At each halt of SECCS, activities are planned in advance to engage visitors across different age groups to reinforce various messages that the train conveys. An exciting and much sought-after Outreach Programme will also be conducted in local schools/institutions along with interesting activities on the railway platforms where it is parked. In addition, informative and appealing take-away material is made available for wider distribution amongst schools and other visitors.

- The Times of India, October 14, 2015

Plans to redraw Lutyens Bungalow Zone faces stringent opposition

The Urban Development Ministry’s proposal to redraw the contours of Lutyens Bungalow Zone (LBZ) is set to meet with stiff opposition from conservationists, urban planners and landscape architects in the national capital. In response to suggestions and objections invited by the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) for the draft LBZ boundary and development guidelines, at least three prominent bodies have raised ‘strong objections’ to the proposal.

The bodies – Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Institute of Urban Designers India (IUDI) and Indian Society of Landscape Architects (ISOLS) – have cited the ‘significant negative impact on the environment and historic character of New Delhi’ and called for a proper multi-disciplinary study before implementing the changes proposed by the Ministry of Urban Development.

The bodies have pointed out that LBZ is a Conservation Area as defined by the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 and while conservation is a requirement in the area, the guidelines only focus on the development potential. “The LBZ is another layer of Delhi’s urban history.

The Master Plan recognizes it as a heritage zone and the legal sanctity of the MPD 2021 should be respected,” said A G K Menon, convenor of INTACH’s Delhi chapter. Essentially the draft proposes shrinking the LBZ from 28.73 sq km to 23.60 sq km and permitting bungalows and institutional buildings to be built higher — in the case of non-residential plots up to seven floors, thereby altering the floor area ratio.

Areas such as Golf Links, Jor Bagh, among others, are slated to be culled out of the LBZ and allowed to ‘develop’ in accordance with guidelines applicable to the rest of the capital. INTACH, a premier heritage conservation body, pointed out to the DUAC, “The recommendations in the report (drafted by DUAC) if approved and implemented would be detrimental to the planned development of Delhi”.

- The Indian Express, October 15, 2015

The Parsekar government, in a bid to get the Mopa airport going, seems to have totally sidelined the environmental concerns associated with the project. In its reply to the Expert Appraisal Committee, which is holding presentation for Environment Clearance for the project, copy of which is in possession of Herald, has totally rejected the environmental concerns raised by the Federation of Rainbow Warriors (FRW), Margao.

The Federation of Rainbow Warriors, Margao had raised thirteen queries viz-a-viz the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Mopa project. The FRW had raised concerns that the EIA study report has missed out on all the hydro-geological features of the plateau and not a single spring from the area has been recorded, the reply by Dr S Shanbhogue, Director Civil Aviation, states “To maintain the recharging of ground water level water harvesting system will be developed after the airport is constructed.”

“The run-off inside the airport area will be collected through storm water drain and will be routed to nearest drainage streams and hence there will be no impact on ground and surface water resources,” it says. Also, the FRW had raised concerns that mammals which inhibit the area of the plateau have not been mentioned in the EIA, however the government says, “as per the recent report headed by Dr K Kasturiranjan Committee, the area is not included in the ecologically sensitive area of Western Ghats.”

The major contention of FRW was that the Terms of Reference had expired on May 31, 2015, after two extensions and the Office Memoranda issued by the MoEF&CC require the Terms of Reference to be valid at the time of the consideration of the proposal by the Committee. To which the government reply says “Hard copies of the report of the EC was submitted to MoEF&CC on 20/04/2015 for consideration. Based on the same, the proposal was included in the agenda of EAC meeting held on 24/06/15 and 151th meeting was held on September 7 and 8.”

On the query that the baseline data is also over three years, which should be within three years for consideration, the reply states “Due to delay in land acquisition process and finalising project details, EIA study was completed in December 2014 with baseline data collected during October 2011 to December 2011. Simultaneously fresh baseline data was also carried out during November 2014 to January 2015 by M/s Pragati Labs, Hyderabad.”

“A comparative study has been carried out between the old and new data to study change in values and presented in EIA report in various sections and values were within the limit,” the reply states. To a concern that the EIA has totally ignored the study area lying in Maharashtra, the state government says, “the study area was considered within 10 km radius from project location, which includes Maharashtra.”

The FRW had also pointed out that the runway approach lights need to be installed in forest land requiring forest diversion but no such need has been mentioned in EIA, reply says, “the runway is situated on top of the hill which is a flat terrain with scattered trees and grassland which is not part of reserved forest area.”

On the loss of bird species, the government says “there will be no loss to the bird species as most of the forested area is on the downhill. The study could not find any Schedule I bird species habitat. Hence impact will be less on fauna diversity.” About the EIA avoiding the impact on Western Ghats even failing to mention that the area is a tiger reserve, the reply says, “there is no mention of tiger corridor in the proposed project area. The tiger habitat is far away from the area.”

Abhijit Prabhudesai, of FRW, says the replies by the State are vague and unsatisfactory. “At some places they are admitting that illegalities have been committed and we will take it up with the Expert Appraisal Committee before the next meeting,” Prabhudesai told Herald. He said that through the replies it is now clear that the baseline data is more than three years old and it cannot be taken for consideration and similarly there are many discrepancies in the other replies.

- http://www.goacom.com/, October 15, 2015

From the beginning, the ICHR has been beholden to the political and historical beliefs of whoever was in power. This aspect of its leadership has not changed.

Around 2013, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) published “performance audits” of the Indian Museum, Asiatic Society (Kolkata), Victoria Memorial, Visva Bharati and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). After going through these reports — all available in the public sphere — the first reaction is that of sadness: What have these people been doing all these years! In the case of the ASI, it is pointed out that it does not have a defined conservation policy and possesses only marginal interest in doing archaeological research and caring for explored and excavated antiquities.

The report further states: Governance from the ministry of culture was lax and found deficient on all aspects of adequacy of policy and legislation, financial management, monitoring of conservation projects and provision of human resources to these organisations.” In the case of historical research, these limitations generate a stronger public reaction, because historical research has an influence on how the nation perceives its past and is thus involved in the formation of the nation’s identity.

The government of India sponsors two more organisations like the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) — the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR). Both history and philosophy should fall under the ICSSR’s purview, and the fact that they do not is because of two Central ministers — S. Nurul Hasan for the ICHR, who was education minister in 1972, when it was created.

The man he appointed as the chairman of the University Grants Commission, S. Chandra, a medievalist like himself, was not known to have any significant publications to his credit. R.S. Sharma, another associate, specialised in ancient India. He was appointed chairman of the ICHR. All three were former or active communists and strongly believed in helping fellow travellers.

The precise context of the beginning of the ICHR has been narrated by historian Tapan Raychaudhuri in his Bengali autobiography. An earlier education minister, V.K.R.V. Rao, allocated Rs 3 crore for the translation of the volumes on Indian history published in English under the editorship of R.C. Majumdar by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

This project was cancelled, and the ICHR was established with this money. Once it was established and became the chief funding agency of historical research in the country, the wishes of its controllers became the command for teachers of history all over the country. It is not necessary to carry forward this contextual and historical story. Right from the beginning, this organisation has cared for nothing except the political and historical beliefs of whoever was in power.

This aspect of its leadership has not changed. Some sort of overall political control is probably inevitable, because funding comes from the government. What is, however, required is a well-defined professional framework, which the ICHR has lacked throughout. As a result, its operations have far too often been subject to past practices in various matters. The area in which the absence of professionalism is most visible lies in the award of fellowships and grants for doing research.

A huge amount of money has been spent on this since the early 1970s. Fellowships are of four kinds: Junior research fellowships for helping young people to do their PhDs, postdoctoral fellowships, senior academic fellowships generally given to retired people, and finally, “national” fellowships to outstanding scholars active in research.

Grants are awarded not merely for scholarly research, but also for organising seminars. Grants are also given for the publication of books and for attending international conferences. There is also money for initiating research projects on its own. On paper, the whole scheme is marvellously equipped, and the government of India deserves praise for putting it in place. The reality, however, is different.

Junior fellows are currently selected through written examinations and interviews, but are they conducted openly and fairly? Who gives that assurance, and where is the published record with the relevant details? The same is true of the postdoctoral scholars, although in that case written examinations and interviews are unnecessary because people should be able to judge the quality of the PhD thesis on the basis of which they will be trying for postdoctoral fellowships.

Senior fellowships, which are given mostly to retired people with access to the dominant group, are a nightmare. Senior Indian academics in the humanities and social sciences are generally too lazy to do research, and these fellowships in most cases are a pure waste of money. National fellows are supposed to be outstanding scholars. I have met some national fellows calling themselves national professors of subjects they know hardly anything about.

Of the two national fellows I can presently think of, one is 86 and the other must be older than 80. Basically, “senior” and “national” fellowships may be considered the retirement benefits of people with contacts. Indian academics are also enthusiastic organisers of seminars, even though there may be nothing new or exciting about them. The state of official projects is downright scandalous.

The principal investigators are, in most cases, simply lazy, without a clear idea of the relevant research framework. If anyone were to ask me if the ICHR has had a positive impact on historical research in the country, I would categorically say “no”. And yet, with transparency and some academic commitment, it can turn itself around and be the agent of a new kind of history that Sister Nivedita wrote about: “In all that lies around us then, we may, if our eyes are open, read the story of the past.

The life we live today has been created for us by those who went before us, even as the line of seaweed on the shore has been placed there by the waves of the tides now over, in their ebb and flow.” This approach should be the core of a properly nationalist approach to the study of history in India. The writer is emeritus professor of South Asian archaeology and senior fellow of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge University. He is also a member of the ICHR.

- The Indian Express, October 15, 2015

Famed artistes to inspire corporate world

Can the corporate world learn the value of excellence from the world of arts? A unique initiative by the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) hopes to make this exchange possible. While corporate bodies’ engagement with the world of arts is largely confined to funding cultural organisation as CSR initiatives, a programme by IFA hopes to go beyond this.

IFA has partnered with corporate houses in Bengaluru to offer a unique initiative, Catalyst-Arts, An Inspiration for Excellence. Initially, IFA will be working with Biocon Foundation, Titan Company Ltd. and Sasken Communication Technologies Ltd. on this unique programme. Under this, IFA will bring a range of talented artistes from the world of theatre, literature, visual and performing arts to share with its employees what it takes to pursue excellence in their chosen fields. This initiative is championed by art patrons such as Abhishek Poddar,

Director of Sua Explosives and Accessories; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson and Managing Director Biocon Ltd.; and Vinita Bali, former Managing Director of Britannia Industries Ltd., who are also connoisseurs of art. The artistes, who are partnering with IFA include actors Nandita Das and Feroz Khan, internationally renowned photographer Raghu Rai, Bharatanatyam exponent Malavika Sarukkai, renowned Kathak dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas, art historian B.N. Goswamy, noted architect Romi Khosla, theatre personality Arundhati Nag, Indian contemporary artist Jitish Kallat, artist Atul Dodiya, renowned painter Bose Krishnamachari, and journalist Shekar Gupta.

According to Ms. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the diverse dimensions of arts allow corporate world and its workers to fine-tune their sense towards discerning the true substance of things, besides enliven office spaces with conversations and presentations by the artistes sharing their creative journey’s and their pursuit of excellence.

Though three corporate companies have associated with the project at this stage, more companies have shown interest in the initiative. “We are planning to take this beyond Bengaluru in the days to come,” said Mr. Abishek Poddar. In a time marked by intolerance, young people from the middle class working in corporate companies, who are getting distanced from their roots, will be greatly benefited by this endeavour. Arundhati Nag, Theatre personality

- The Hindu, October 15, 2015

Spandan Foundation is gearing up to organise their third Powai Sharadotsav from October 17 to 23 at Hiranandani Gardens in Powai. From their very first Sharadotsav in 2013, the 5 days of Durga Puja/Navratri has been Spandan's platform to further its socio-cultural goals, to give to Mumbaikars a 'Festival With Purpose'.

The Festival that stood for themes such as Empowering Women and Yuva Shakti in the past has pledged 'Rediscovering Roots' to be its motto this year. "I personally invite every Mumbaikar to visit our Puja pandal in Powai," said Pradeep Dey, Spandan's president. "We'd love to show you our artistically decorated pandal that will showcase the rich Madhubani paintings from Bihar and Patachitra from West Bengal. We are sure that you will also be enthralled by our traditional Durga idol. Watch our rich cultural programmes in the evening that will have Odissi dances by the children from Adruta, the orphanage, folk songs and dances from different parts of India and our children staging Tagore's 'Taasher Desh'. And then, partake in our wide and mouth-watering spread of Bengali cuisine," he added.

Swapan Ghosh, general secretary, said, "Powai Sharadotsav 2015 will have something for every sense and sensibility. It is for those who seek creativity and tradition. We promise to Mumbaikars a beautiful journey that will not only showcase India's heritage and traditional art forms, but will also leave you rich with the resulting learning and experience." "Bring your children and expose them to this diverse palette of Indian culture, arts and crafts, all in one place. There can be no better learning avenue than this," he insists.

Here's a peek into some of the event highlights — Anandamela, Spandan's very own MasterChef competition on October 17, folk music and drama on October 19, dance by children of an Odissi troupe on October 20, performances by celebrities such as Jojo, Ash King and Swapan Basu on October 21 and 22. All five days will be your tryst with your own roots at Powai Sharadotsav.

Born with this creative zeal and philanthropic mission in 2013, within three months Spandan gave to book-loving Mumbaikars an 11-day book fair bringing together publishers across languages and genres, retailers, authors and book lovers, amidst book & CD launches, riveting panel discussions, enriching cultural events and workshops for every age group.

Over the past two and a half years, Spandan has taken numerous initiatives towards their cultural and social pledge — staged a play at St Andrews auditorium in Bandra and gave away the proceeds to the home for destitute girls, Divya Prabha, run by missionaries in Thane; have extended monetary assistance to Logic Centre and Community Welfare Association that runs a school for children from poor families; went beyond Mumbai to help the flood victims of Kashmir by donating flood relief materials by the truck load through Goonj, the trusted NGO; donated to Goonj again for their Rahaat winter campaign, involving kids in Spandan, and thereby instilling in the little citizens a concern for the society they live in.

- http://www.dnaindia.com/, October 15, 2015

Meera Iyer focuses on sensitising Bengalureans to the city’s disappearing heritage

“I hated history in school. It was only from the 11th Std, when I no longer had to study history that I fell in love with the subject,” says Meera Iyer, Co-Convenor, The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH-Bangalore), who initially wanted to be an archaeologist. Her visit to Devanahalli fort on her return to India after her PhD in Forest Ecology from Michigan State University, proved a turning point. It prompted her to delve deeper into history and heritage. Shocked to see that the fort was badly maintained with no information on its heritage and history for the benefit of visitors, her disappointment grew when even the locals were unaware that it was Tipu Sultan’s birth place.

“I strongly felt it is important for people to know about a monument or a place, or to understand it to feel connected with it. I knew INTACH worked on heritage-related matters. So I called up the local INTACH chapter and promptly became a member,” says Meera, who also has an MSc. in Environmental Sciences. In her eight years with INTACH, she has spearheaded several activities of public interest that have helped in sensitising people to the city’s disappearing heritage. One of her success stories is the Heritage Walks targeted at Bengalureans for familiarising them with aspects unique to the city’s cultural and historical fabric.

“Over the years, this has helped build a group of people who gradually became our heritage ambassadors,” says Meera. She has been the driving force behind INTACH’s architectural heritage documentation. “INTACH had made a list of heritage buildings in the 1980s. We are re-working on this. Our programmes have helped generate more interest in heritage. This positivity from people will help complete our listing soon,” she says.

Meera is proactively trying to get the government to restore heritage buildings. Work on the Oriental Research Institute in Mysuru is completed. “We failed on restoration of heritage buildings in Lalbagh. But we do hope our endeavour to restore the house of writer and social activist Shivram Karanth in Puttur will be a milestone,” she says.

- The Hindu, October 15, 2015

The first city-level advisory and monitoring committee meet of the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (Hriday) plan was held on Thursday to discuss development of heritage in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Kashi. Hriday was launched in January.

Divisional commissioner Nitin Ramesh Gokarn asked the Hriday city anchor -- Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) -- to include all mythological, historic, religious and cultural sites in the work plan for their conservation and development. Besides, emphasis was also laid on conservation and beautification of mythological kunds (ponds), and uniformity of ghats on the line of Pink City Jaipur.

The commissioner informed that the fund allocated for Varanasi would be utilized after the approval of identified works by the Central government. He asked the Intach representative to identify those heritage sites which were never covered by any department in the past.

The Central government has allocated a fund of Rs. 89.31 crore to Varanasi for development under Hriday scheme, which was launched in January by the ministry of urban development with a focus on holistic development of 12 heritage cities of the country with an investment of Rs. 500 crore. The scheme aims at preserving and revitalizing soul of the heritage city to reflect the city's unique character by encouraging aesthetically appealing, accessible, informative and secured environment. Besides Varanasi, other 11 cities being covered under the scheme include Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Velankanni and Warangal.

Optional trim Hriday supports development of core heritage infrastructure projects which will include revitalization of urban infrastructure for areas around heritage assets identified and approved by the Central ministry of culture and the state government. These initiatives will include development of water supply, sanitation, drainage, waste management, approach roads, footpaths, street lights, tourist conveniences, electricity wiring, landscaping and other citizen services.

According to Intach, the proposed work under this scheme includes repairing of 14 roads, gate at the city's entry point, signage, numbering of city shops, uniformity in shop sign boards, maintenance of tourist spots, potable water, toilets, street lighting, construction of cultural-cum-convention centre. The meeting was attended by district magistrate Rajmani Yadav, mayor Ram Gopal Mahale, BJP MLA Ravindra Jaiswal, municipal commissioner and other departmental officials.

- The Times of India, October 16, 2015

In the memory of former President APJ Abdul Kalam, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation ( JMC) organized a painting competition for all school children to inspire young children to paint their vision for the Smart City.

The theme of the painting competition was My Smart City Jaipur - Vision 2050 and over 400 students from Class 1 to XII participated in the competition which was organised at the Central Park. It was a myriad of colours with children using wide range of colouring medium and Central Park turned into one of the liveliest destination for the day in the city.

A special painting competition was also organised in Seth Anandilal Poddar Institute of Deaf & Dumb Children in the city to pay tribute to Kalam. Over 300 students participated in the competition. Some of the brightest suggestions drawn through medium of painting included need for single portal for citizens in taking services from government officials with a Central monitoring committee with representatives of all govt departments for proper coordination.

One child expressed that City to be built to optimise on the available natural resources. Original Jaipur City was smart in building lakes and ponds to harvest every drop of rain which is getting lost through urbanisation. City used septic tanks or open drains for sewage management. So instead of burying these drains, the aim should be to treat sewage in these channels and to reuse the recycled water. Other few good ideas included timer connected streetlights to conserve energy, mechanised solid waste management system, tourist-friendly IT interventions.

Encouraging non-motorised city and public transport and celebration of no vehicle day and no honking day. No large vehicle movement in Walled City area to avoid pollution, more and more plantation to make city more greener. Wi-fi internet connection in all major commercial areas, Jaipur Metro, file and paper free govt department with all transactions on computers, tourist friendly apps, eco friendly vehicles (CNG and electric charged vehicles) and dedicated pedestrian and bicycle lanes in city, smart and green buildings - ensuring that buildings are made of eco- friendly material, have green spaces, use solar energy and recycle waste water, water harvesting units in roof tops in all buildings including colleges and universities so as to make them as much self-sustainable.

- The Times of India, October 16, 2015

Writers' Buildings renovation which started two years ago, is heading for uncertainty as none in Nabanna is aware when the restoration is going to be completed, as Madhumita Roy of JU's architecture department who was heading the project has joined Amity University on lien. The restoration of secretariat started in 2013, as Mamata Banerjee wanted proper renovation of the 238 year old secretariat, shifting the secretariat to Nabanna in Howrah on October 6, 2013.

The renovation job was handed over to Jadavpur University's architecture department as it was considered better than BESU (now IIEST). Bengal chief minister expressed her desire to return to Writers' Buildings and CM's new chamber will be closer to Lyons' Range. The CM will be entering the secretariat through Lyons' Range and the CM's car will reach directly first floor. A dozen of ministers and high profile officials will also sit in the renovated secretariat.

Madhumita Roy headed the project as she was head of architecture of JU. But some teachers of JU's architecture department complained to the chief secretary Sanjay Mitra as they were not being involved in it. Now, she has joined a private university. So can she continue with the restoration project, this question is also coming in the minds of Nabanna officials. Already PWD paid Rs 70 lakh to her. Nabanna officials said that the work of the secretariat was given to JU and not individually to Madhumita Roy. So they are considering if a new order can be issued.

Home secretary Basudeb Banerjee at a meeting on January 19, 2015 decided that blocks A to G and book binding building, built during post independence era are non heritage structures. Top floors of the main building and of block I to V are non-heritage structures, so to remove architectural dissimilarities it was decided to be removed. Already top floors of blocks one and two had been demolished. During demolition some parts of heritage zone was also damaged, which prompted PWD secretary Indiver Pandey to visit the demolished structure last month, to find out the degree of damage. Prof Madhumita Roy said that she has joined Amity University, but was very much working on the secretariat remodeling project. "I have submitted the detailed drawings. The experts whom I brought suggested that Writers' Buildings need six to seven years for restoration.

I did not set any time frame for the completion of the remodeling, as it will depend on the money spent in restoration -bigger the amount, the faster is the job. I am unaware about the government budget. If any damage to the heritage structure had occurred then it can be rectified. As the entire secretariat is not closed down, it is taking time."

Architect Partha Ranjan Das who earlier renovated Town Hall and AG Bengal office said that he completed both the renovation jobs within a span of two years. "As AG Bengal is an office, so it cannot be kept shut for long. Similarly for the secretariat, renovation has to be completed within two to three years."

- The Times of India, October 16, 2015

Nine Indian classical dance forms came together at the spectacularly lit Purana Quila here for the opening of DelhiInternational Arts Festival (DIAF). Running in its 9th edition, the festival which was inaugurated last evening by Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, Tourism and Culture, opened with a majestic multi-style classical dance production paying obeisance to the Motherland.

Congratulating the organisers, Sharma said, "The festival envisions to showcase the rich Indian culture and heritage of India to the corners of the world. It is my privilege being the Cultural Minister to be a small part of this Delhi International Arts Festival."

"The forum has brought not only the national culture over here but also international people. They will have a glimpse of our culture and Delhi people can have a glimpse of the international culture and this will also bring global peace," he said.

Choreographed by Pratibha Prahlad, Founder DIAF, the opening act titled "Vande Mataram," brought together nine different styles of classical dance from across India - Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi, Kshatriya, Mohiniyattan, Kathakali and the martial art form of Chaw.

Combining the concepts of meditation, yoga, music and dance in one seamless performance, it showcased India's unity in its diversity while saluting the mother and the motherland in its finite and infinte forms.

"While paying obeisance to the motherland, Vande Mataram also delineates the aspects of the eternal Mother - Kali, Tara Bhuvaneshwari, Chinnamasta, Bhairavi, Matangi, Bagulamukhi and Kamala," organisers said.

The performance began with worshipping the supreme mother Devi in all her multiple manifestations concluding with the national song "Vande Mataram." "India's classical dances from across the country come together to make a collective creative offering to the motherland, prakriti in this truly pan Indian classical dance production," they said.

- The business standard, October 17, 2015

When 13-year-old Ganesh V Shivaswamy, already an art lover, collector and amateur painter by then, walked into the house of the great great granddaughter of artist Raja Ravi Varma to authenticate a painting attributed to the eminent painter, little did he know that this new acquaintance would eventually lead him to the mission of a lifetime—the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation.

Since that day almost three decades ago, the fifth-generation Tamil lawyer from Bengaluru has been on as he puts it, “several hunting expeditions in obscure South Indian towns scouring for original works of art and calendar art”. Over the years, he has collected and stored several thousands of lithographs of Varma and others and virtually saved many of them from being destroyed or burnt away. “It is a pity that old heritage paintings and calendars, which are so invaluable, have no worth in South India,” he rues.

A vision long in the works, the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation has recently been set up in Bangalore. The founders hope to make it at par with the Monet Foundation and the Rembrandt Research Project. It is the lifelong dream of the reclusive Rukmini Varma which has finally been realised. “It is going to be the single point of verification of authenticity of originals and lithographs,” says the managing trustee, gallerist Gitanjali Maini who is also the CEO of the Trust. Shivaswamy is the honorary secretary while Rukmini Varma will be the chairperson of the Board of Trustees. Her son, Jay Varma, an artist, has been nominated as trustee.

Shivaswamy, who has an antique home filled with original paintings, believes “information, appreciation and preservation” are the three keywords that are going to steer the activities of the Trust. He and Maini work well as a team. Shivaswamy, who has a penchant for collecting all things antique, including grandfather clocks, has approximately 132 different subjects depicted in Ravi Varma’s works and those of his contemporaries, too.

“There were contemporaries and more who came after him, but Ravi Varma was certainly the torchbearer and mastered the art of two as well as three-dimensional painting,” says Shivaswamy. He has done a great deal of research on the painter. The popular Amar Chitra Katha comics were vastly influenced by Varma’s creations, says Shivaswamy. Archiving has already begun and by 2018, a catalogue should be ready for publication. The Trust has already come up with a schedule of events slated for 2016 which includes lectures, interactions, exhibitions, and so on.

Not only Varma’s, but even the works of his successors such as Dhurandhar, MA Joshi, Warrier and Mukundan Thambi will be on display. His influence on temple architecture and sculpture and ceramics, his influence on temple jewellery, iconography of various Hindu deities like Shiva, Ganga, the different forms of Lakshmi, Subramanya and above all his obsession with Shakuntala will be explored and discussed with art lovers and all those interested. “Did you know sari designs and motifs on textiles are based on his lithographs, and a store in Chennai gets custom-made saris based on Ravi Varma’s motifs?” shares Maini. The Trust hopes that private collectors will come forward and share their works with the Foundation.

Spanish brand Lladro’s porcelain Goddess Saraswati (priced at Rs 7.50 lakh), launched in June this year, too is inspired largely from—no prizes for guessing—Ravi Varma’s depiction. The Raja and Popular Art

Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) was one of the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. He brought Indian paintings to the attention of the larger world; provided a vital link between traditional Indian and contemporary art. He is famous for his depiction of scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, but most remembered for his paintings of beautiful sari-clad women. He is considered as a modern among traditionalists and a rationalist among moderns.

“He was born into the feudal royal family of Travancore (now part of Kerala). Varma’s contribution to iconography and lithographs in Indian painting is significant. He apprenticed under the court painter Ramaswamy Naicker and Dutch painter Theodore Jensen. His paintings had a significant impact on Indian theatre,” writes Sujit R Varma in his biography of the artist.

- The Indian Express, October 17, 2015

Without freedom of thought and expression, there is no future for history,” opined renowned historian Upinder Singh.

Upinder?Singh is the daughter of former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Speaking at the Padur Gururaj Bhat Memorial Lecture, she said there should be space for freedom of thought and expression, as these ideals were an essential part of civilised society.

Stating that history was always connected with politics since its inception, she said India should expand the scope for liberal and non-aligned history, one that was not tied with any political agenda. Noting that the challenge lies in bring textual and archaeological sources together, which are indispensable for writing history, she stressed that archaeology should not be ignored. Archaeology is the only window for that part of human history where writing was not known, for instance, Stone Age. Besides, archaeology is the only source for Harappan and Indus valley civilisation, where the script has not been deciphered.

During the last half century, the great achievement is that the marginalised and subordinated groups like women, lower class and caste are brought into history, she said and added that historians were no longer satisfied to look at the surface of political events, instead they want to understand the political process to bring out textual, cultural and historical development in the region of the sub-continent. Stating that women have to be part of any good social history, the historian said the researchers cannot leave out at least 50 per cent of the population in their analysis of past. Although importance of gender and women in ancient history is acknowledged by all, the gender history has become small and ghettoized area. "We have a long way to go to incorporate gender history into mainstream history,” she said.

Asserting that debate plays a crucial role in the development of any discipline, Prof Singh said there would be no growth in knowledge unless there is no disagreement, dissent and debate. She lamented that the present-day debate on history outlast their utility, as they end up preventing rather than promoting fresh thinking.

Pointing out that archaeological and linguistic evidences do not support the existence of two great epics, the historian said literary imagination has proved the major role to support the existence of the epics. The archaeological evidences are rather drape and unexciting remains of the age. She added that epic seems to be story belonging to the Stone Age. She added there should be focus on trying to understand and investigate further the central ideas on religion and Dharma. Besides the thought on how and why the influence of ideas traveled to other parts of Asia, especially South East Asia should be embarked upon.

She opined that the area of great challenge is reconnecting the histories of South East Asia. Indian influence led to extension of civilisation of South Asian land. She added Indian history was a sum total of history of its various region. Looking beyond the country is important to have the histories of Indian sub-continent. There are plenty of evidences over interrelationships between India, Europe, Africa and other parts of Asia. She said the narrow meaning of tolerance is absurd, instead the broader perspective is based on mutual respect, mutual dialogue and discussion. ‘We cannot go back to the habit of cultural chauvinism’. The oral tradition should be documented and preserved as it is very imp part of history, she concluded.

- The Deccan Herald, October 18, 2015

It has all the necessary attributes, says archaeology expert

Concerted efforts are yet to be made to get Mysuru Dasara recognised under UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage, despite its history and unbroken tradition of nearly 700 years. Though the Department of Archaeology, Heritage and Museums tried to make a case for Mysuru Dasara a few years ago, there were no sustained efforts to give a fresh push to the request.

“Mysuru Dasara has all the attributes to be recognised as an intangible cultural heritage by the UNESCO, and experts from various fields should come together to document it and make a presentation to the Government of India for submission before the UNESCO,” said N.S. Rangaraju, retired Professor of the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Mysore.

“Mysuru Dasara is a platform for showcasing the art and culture of the people of Karnataka and has evolved over centuries. Today, it is among the most important cultural events with public participation and is known across the country. It is truly a reflection of the customs and traditions of the State,” he added. Prof. Rangaraju was part of a team which undertook excavations at Hampi in the early 1970s to discover the Mahanavami Dibba which has come to be associated with Dasara, underlying the historicity and continuity of the festival. Historical aspect

“The Mahanavami Dibba is akin to a stage and was used by the kings of Vijayanagara to watch the procession, and the Navaratri festival which establishes the historicity of the events,” said Prof. Rangaraju. After the fall of Vijayanagara empire, it shifted to Srirangapatana in 1610 A.D. when Raja Wadiyar ascended the throne and decreed that Dasara be celebrated on a grand scale.

“It was held even during the regime of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan at Srirangapatana. But, after the fall of Tipu Sultan in the battle against the British in 1799, the capital was shifted to the present Mysuru, and since then Dasara is being held in the city,” said Prof. Rangaraju, who said no efforts should be spared to get UNESCO’s ICH tag for Mysuru Dasara.

- The Hindu, October 18, 2015

The UNESCO has recognised that the concept of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) cannot be confined to built monuments and should include oral traditions, performing arts and social practices, rituals, festive events, and knowledge and skill to produce traditional crafts. The UNESCO website mentions that practices that are traditional, contemporary and alive, in which diverse cultural groups take part and has been passed on from one generation to another can be termed as ICH.

And Mysuru Dasara meets most of the UNESCO parameters. Vedic chanting; Ramlila; chanting of Buddhist hymns in Ladakh; Sankirtana of Manipur; Mudiyettu — a ritual theatre and dance drama tradition of Kerala; Sanskrit theatre of Kutiyattam; Kalbelia folk songs and dance of Rajasthan; are among the nearly 10 Indian traditions recognised as ICH.

- The Hindu, October 18, 2015

US secretary of state John Kerry on Sunday launched a charm offensive at UNESCO in a bid to keep America's seat on the world cultural agency's executive board despite not having paid hundreds of millions of dollars in dues for the past four years.

Kerry made the case for US re-election for another four-year term on the board to a gathering of UNESCO's 195 member states and nine associate members as he traveled between meetings in Italy and Spain.

The bid ahead of next month's vote is likely to run into resistance as the US stopped paying its dues to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization following the body's decision to admit Palestine in 2011. As a result of that the US lost its vote in UNESCO's general assembly in 2013.

US law prohibits it from providing contributions to international organizations that recognize Palestinian statehood. Before 2011 the U.S. contributed about 22 percent of UNESCO's annual budget. Its arrears now total more than $300 million. The Obama administration has unsuccessfully tried to persuade Congress to restore the funding for several years.

Kerry said the US remains determined to resolve the funding issue and that continued U.S. presence on the executive board would actually make it easier to convince lawmakers in Washington to come to an arrangement.

"We are seeking re-election to the executive board because we believe that both the United States and UNESCO are better off the deeper our ties extend,'' he said. "And in standing for re-election, both President (Barack) Obama and I are also pledging to work with our former colleagues in the US Congress, and do all we can to restore U.S. funding to UNESCO in full. And we have been candid about the fact that this will be much easier to accomplish if the United States retains its seat on the executive board.''

More importantly, Kerry argued that US leadership is important for fighting extremism, protecting cultural heritage and promoting world press freedom, science and education. Since stopping to make its contributions, the U.S. has continued to co-sponsor UNESCO events and conferences, including one on tsunami warnings. And, it will host a high-level meeting at UNESCO next month on countering the Islamic State group and other violent extremist groups.

"As each of you considers the future of UNESCO and its leadership, I ask you to please consider the United States,'' Kerry said. UNESCO may be best known for its program to protect the cultures of the world via its Heritage sites, which include the Statue of Liberty and Mali's Timbuktu.

But its core mission, as conceived by the US, a co-founder of the agency in 1946, was to be an anti-extremist organization. In today's world, it tackles foreign policy issues such as access to clean water, teaches girls to read, works to eradicate poverty, promotes freedom of expression, and gives people creative thinking skills to resist violent extremism.

- The Times of India, October 18, 2015

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service (IPBES), a global NGO effort, is meeting at the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun this week. Zakri Abdul Hamid, founding chair of IPBES, headquartered in Bonn, said, "Flora and fauna are getting swiftly endangered or on the verge of extinction." He said that regional meetings on biodiversity are being held in the Asia Pacific, Europe, America, Asia and Africa, and by February, an assessment on the effect of pollination, directly linked to food security, will be completed."

About 75 participants from 50 countries are participating in the Dehradun meeting. Although the human population is dependent on biological resources like plants, animals, rivers and mountains for survival, this one species, humans, are also responsible for degrading more than 60% of the world's biological resources across, according to an assessment carried out in 2005.

Ivar Baste, IPBES bureau-member and co-chair, said 70% of biodiversity exists in developing countries, which often lack the expertise required to properly husband such resources. So in order to build capacity in the developing countries so that they too can participate in the assessment and then share the commonality of outcomes among scientists with regard to data and information, this exercise is being undertaken, he said.

WII director Vinod Mathur said, "IPBES is the world's leading intergovernmental body for assessing the state of the planet's bio-diversity, its ecosystems and the essential services they provide to society. It was established by more than 90 countries in Panana City on April 21, three years ago. At present it has 124 member states. The main objectives of IPBES are to strengthen the science and policy interface so as to better understand and manage the interactions between nature and society."

- The Times of India, October 18, 2015

Experts from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will soon visit the tomb in Kempapura at Magadi taluk, to ascertain whether it really is the ‘samadhi’ of Bengaluru founder Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda. Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has asked ASI experts to visit the spot and submit a report within two months. Gowda disclosed this during his meeting with leaders of Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda Welfare Association, who urged him to take up measures for developing the site as a historical monument.

“I have written to the ASI officials, enclosing the media clippings about the tomb ... I have asked the authorities to submit a report within two months. A team of Archaeology experts is expected to visit the spot within 15 days. I too will accompany them during the visit,” Sadananda Gowda told the Association leaders who met him on Sunday.

Gowda also stated that he had explained about Kempe Gowda’s vision for Bengaluru about 500 years ago to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the meeting on Smart City project. The Prime Minister assured full cooperation in developing the site with assistance from the Centre, he said.

- The Indian Express, October 19, 2015

Deepika Padukone said: "There is lot of inspiration in India's monuments that the industry uses in films."

Pink City has got iconomic monuments for inspiration and most of Bollywood movies’ location, Deepika Padukone, actor featuring as second wife in Bajirao Mastani, said tonight. (At the first song releasing ceremony of Bajirao Mastani at the City Palace here, Deepika said her first schedule of shooting for the movie started in Jaipur’s iconic monuments like Aeena Mahal (Sheesh Mahal).

“There is lot of inspiration in India’s monuments that the industry uses in films,” she said. Jaipur has iconic monuments which Sanjay Leela Bhansali explored after research, she said, adding that Mughal-e-Azam’s few scenes were also picturised in Sheesh Mahal in Fort. “This is my dream film on love epic and milestone in my career,” she said.

To a query, she said there was no “mujra” in the movie. On whether she had any character clash with Priyanka Chopra, she said, “Not at all… she (Priyanka) is the first wife of Bajirao, and I am the second one…we do not have any scene together…we both have great work equation.” Diya Kumari, BJP MLA and member of erstwhile royal family of Jaipur, was also present on the occasion.

- The Indian Express, October 19, 2015

The historical excavations at the Bramhapuri hill, temples with centuries-old cultural and religious history and the identity as the seat of Maratha Empire could help bolster Kolhapur's bid for the ambitious Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana. The Union government launched the ambitious scheme last year for cities with long heritage.

There are handful of cities in India that have traditional and archaeological accounts of more than 2,200 years. Kolhapur is amongst them thanks to the scientific excavation at Bramhapuri hills conducted seven decades ago. The excavations proved Kolhapur was a well-established, brick-built city having direct trade links with Roman Empire. The coins, earthen pots, metal sculptures and other material found at the site have been preserved at Town Hall museum.

Heritage experts said the city has three favourable points to compete with the other proposals which will come up under HRIDAY phase II. Apart from the historical excavation, the temples of Mahalaxmi (Ambabai) and Vithoba are considered more than 900 to 1,000 years old. Experts have also pointed out the magnificent constructions done some 100 years ago during the reign of visionary king Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj.

Kolhapur's history of 2,200 years shows clear lineages of various dynasties starting from ancient Satavahana, Rashtrakuta and Shilahara to the Maratha rule established by great warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This is one of the major criterion to qualify for HRIDAY scheme, since the guidelines clearly state that historical overview of the city depicting different dynasties those have ruled the area and their influences on the created monuments and structures should be presented.

"Definitely, Kolhapur is one of the ancient city, having trade links with Romans some 2,200 years ago. There was a trader route via Konkan. This has been proved by excavations conducted at Brahmpuri by H D Sankalia and M G Dixit in 1944-45. We have ancient temples constructed from 7th to 12th centuries. These traditional and archaeological accounts are key to prove the historical importance of any city," Nanda Parekar, history professor at Shivaji University, said.

She had conducted a doctoral research on evolution and growth of culture in ancient Maharashtra. She said that citizens must understand ancient heritage, modern history and should convert it into tourism. "I would not like to comment on the civic body efforts on heritage conservation; however, when we visit other famous places having similar ancient importance, we can easily experience the work of the local civic bodies there," she said.

Uday Gaikwad, member of the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation's heritage committee, said that a disciplined approach would ensure that Kolhapur qualifies for HRIDAY Phase II. "We know that the Phase II is yet to be announced; however, we have begun preparations now. There are 76 monuments within the civic limits, recognized by the Archaeological Survey of India. There is hardly any other small city like Kolhapur in Maharashtra with such large number of monuments and a natural heritage site like Rankala Lake. We need to take altogether professional approach to present our city," he said.

- The Times of India, October 19, 2015

With monsoon clouds failing to deliver, another year of scramble for shade, water and heat relief is staring at the people of the State. As water bodies dry up and ground water level plunges to a record low, the water scarcity in the rustic villages paint a grim picture. Water is growing precious.

Agriculturists in the rural areas have voiced their concern over the alarming situation prevailing in the region. With water level in reservoirs hitting dead storage level and bore wells drying up, most of the farmers said they are unable to irrigate their farms. The situation not only impacts the livelihood of farmers but also hangs a question mark over the district administration’s plans to fight the summer, this year.

Singur project, the lifeline of Medak district, used to have minimum storage of water during summer season till recently. But this year the water level has hit dead storage level in October itself and officials are hacking their brains to find a solution to the vexing water problem. Ground water level in the district has plunged to 50 to 60 meters in most of the areas in the district and agricultural motor pump sets have dried up.

It is the people in rural areas, who depend on bore wells for drinking water purpose and irrigating their farmlands who suffer the most. Though the ground water level has been depleting at an alarming rate during the last decade, little efforts have been made to replenish ground water resources or to regulate the exploitation of ground water. With agricultural and household bore wells drying up, people are sinking more bore wells and over exploitation of ground water is spelling doom for the region.

Earlier, people use to wait on the roads for arrival of tanker lorries carrying drinking water, during the peak of summer season, ie, during the months of April-May. But this time the situation has changed and it is a common sight in rural areas where women are seen waiting on the roads with empty pots for arrival of tanker lorries. A senior official at the Ground water department opined that people should use available ground water judiciously to save water for future needs. “If there is a shortage of grains, we can imported them. But we don’t import water, quipped the official.

“People are indiscriminately sinking bore wells in the district and exploiting groundwater, according to their needs. No one is concerned about the depletion of resources and there have been little efforts to replenish them,” he rued. According to official figures the ground water level has been depleting in an alarming level in more than 100 villages of 12 mandals in the district.

The situation in 21 villages of Narsapur mandal is even more distressing. According to the officials, 20 villages of Chinnakodur mandal, 10 villages in Narayankhed mandal, 18 villages of Raikode, 14 villages of Kaudipally, 11 villages of Kondapak, 3 at industrial areas of Ramchandrapuram mandal, 8 villages in Dubbak mandal, 7 villages in Kalher, 9 villages in Nanganoor and 7 villages in Sangareddy mandal are facing acute water scarcity.

The state government has issued clear directions to the district administration on the need to regulate indiscriminate sinking of borewells. The ground water level in the district has plummeted from 18.48 metres in 2009-10 to 21.90 metres in 2015-16. Due to the depletion of water level, most of the bore wells in the district dried up and desperate farmers started abandoning agriculture in pursuit of greener pastures.

Sensing that the district is plunging to an agrarian crisis, officials have slapped notices on bore well rigs owners warning them against sinking bore wells without obtaining due permission from the government. Officials cautioned that rigs will be ceased if they sink bore wells without permission. Recently officials have seized five bore well rigs in the district. Anand, a senior geologist with ground water department said that the ground water level in 12 mandals of Medak district has depleted because of over exploitation. Officials urged the farmers to use drip and sprinklers to irrigate their crops which will bring down the water consumption.

It is a matter of grave concern that water level has dropped in Manoor mandal where river Manjeera flows. Officials said that most of the bore wells drilled in villages of Manoor mandal have failed to deliver water. Manne Ramesh, a farmer from Hathnoora mandal said he could not irrigate his crops due to non-availability of water. Yadaiah of Palpanoor village in Hathnoora mandal said he had sunk two bore wells but failed to get a single drop of water.

- The Indian Express, October 19, 2015

Water resources department's (WRD) attractive 50% subsidy since 2009 to harvest rainwater from rooftops has no takers. But a modified approach to recharging ground water has immense scope to catch raindrops, say water conservation experts.

WRD had offered individual households and bigger residential complexes up to 50% of the cost for rainwater harvesting system or 50,000 for houses and 2.5 lakh for residential complexes. But the well-intentioned scheme fell flat due to factors related to its practicability, high costs and easy availability of tap water. Lack of expertise also appears as one of the factors for the failure of the scheme. "There is no market for the scheme as sufficient water is already available all over Goa," says A C Chachadi, hydrogeologist and consultant for rainwater harvesting projects.

GOACAN, a NGO, had suggested that voluntary and consumer organizations be provided training in RWH to popularize the scheme. WRD officials concede lack of interest to the scheme among people and builders. "Only a few do it out of compulsion or because of their inclination towards environmental concerns," Chachadi said. The scheme could be modified to connect rooftops to underground sources, like wells or sumps in large housing colonies or at community level to recharge ground water instead of storage, as envisaged in the scheme.

"There is good scope for rain water harvesting by redirecting rain flow from the rooftop to some artificially created pond, depression or discreet spots to recharge ground water. Roadside flow can also be diverted into pits to raise the ground water table," he explains. Darryl Pereira, a businessman with interests in rain water harvesting says, "The technology to redirect rain water flow into the ground was demonstrated by an Australian firm some time back. But governments change, files get lost and ideas are also lost.".

The technology is available and a few have successfully tried it. A large housing project in Porvorim too tried it w some success. "Bore wells were dug and rain water from rooftops was collected and passed through a sand filter before directing it into the bore well recharge," Chachadi said. Goa has a number of plateaus that are ideal for rain water harvesting. In Goa University, harvested surface run offs as well as rooftop water helps recharge the depleted aquifers. A few projects have also been taken up in industrial estates.

But water conservation experts say WRD should modify the guidelines of the scheme to allow ground water recharge. "In addition to storage of rain water on the surface, the WRD rules and regulations should be relaxed to allow ground water recharge," Chachadi said.

- The Times of India, October 19, 2015

This part of modern history could be wiped out soon if the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) redefines areas around the Lutyens Bungalow Zone (LBZ).

In 1921 when Delhi was being built as the Imperial City, it was designed on the principles of two movements in 20th century urban planning – City Beautiful and Garden City. A first in the world, the former focused on expansive vistas, while the latter promised verdant views.

This unique fusion is characteristic of Lutyens Delhi, designed by well-known English architect Edwin Lutyens. The wide sweep of colonial supremacy would pronounce itself in the central vista of Raisina Hill with the Rashtrapati Bhavan or the Viceroy’s Palace at one end, flanked by the Secretariat buildings, and the hexagon-shaped India Gate at the other.

Along this east-west axis was a network of radial roads with bungalows set within tree-lined avenues. These bungalows would service British and Indian officers and their peons, with each detail of size and height of structures graded according to function. This part of modern history could be wiped out soon if the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) redefines areas around the Lutyens Bungalow Zone (LBZ).

Objections to the plan have been many — the most recent last week from expert groups such as the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Institute of Urban Designers India (IUDI) and Indian Society of Landscape Architects (ISOLA) which highlight the incongruity of densifying one of Delhi’s few lung spaces.

In August this year, under the direction of the Ministry of Urban Development DUAC proposed to reduce the LBZ area by 5.13 sq km, from the present 28.73 sq km to 23.60 sq km, which will exclude many areas such as Babar Road, Bengali Market, Sundar Nagar, Jor Bagh, Panchsheel Marg, and parts of diplomatic area in Chanakyapuri.

This came weeks after the central government withdrew Delhi’s nomination to UNESCO for a heritage tag. “When you drive through LBZ all you see are the trees and the greenery. While its history and architecture are relevant, its greatest importance is the trees. DUAC’s current guidelines will increase the FAR (floor area ratio) nearly six times, which will mean more concrete and less trees.

Buildings in LBZ are currently about five to six metres, it will be increased to 12 -13 metres and in some cases even 20 metres. Many houses are within one to two acre plots. The new guidelines will allow them to build more. Currently, one feels a temperature drop when you come into Lutyens Delhi, it will soon be gone if these guidelines are implemented,” says Minesh Parikh, Chairperson, ISOLA Delhi NCR Chapter.

Since the new guideline equip non-residential properties to go seven floors up, nothing stops state bhavans or party offices in the LBZ to build high rises. Also, there are no specifics on details of materials or form of buildings given in the guidelines. Not only will it compromise on the area’s architectural skyline but will completely bulldoze the memory of Lutyens as a “town of trees”.

AGK Menon, Convenor, INTACH Delhi Chapter says DUAC is cherry- picking its arguments for developing the area under the pretext of sanctioning repair for old bungalows. “According to the Master Plan of Delhi 2012, LBZ is a Conservation Area. The focus currently is only on development,” he says.

There are other issues too: an increase in traffic and more vehicles on the roads will mean a congested central Delhi. It could soon become another Greater Kailash or Janakpuri. Not only that, the eternal debate of Mumbai versus Delhi will become irrelevant, as greenery gets compromised and roads gets busier.

Finally, safety will become even more of a problem as the walls go higher and places become more gated and exclusive. DUAC claims it’s only 1.5 per cent of Delhi that needs to be redeveloped– but it the most expensive real estate in the world and that fact could very well defy every urban planning norm in the final execution.

- The Indian Express, October 20, 2015

After Taj Mahal, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has initiated the process to launch the online ticketing facility for rest of the important monuments of Agra. The monuments which will be covered in this phase include two world heritage sites, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri Fort, Itimad-ud-daula and Akbar's Tomb in Sikandra.

ASI superintending archaeologist Bhuvan Vikrama said the e-ticketing facility at the four monuments would most probably become functional by November end. The senior official added that at present they are writing to the government-run telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to provide leased line for running the internet. A leased line is a permanent and fast connection to the Internet via a copper or fibre-optic connection between the consumer and the internet service provider.

Besides that, other arrangements like computer systems and installation of software are to be done. The ASI has collaborated with Canara Bank for providing it the software for issuing e-tickets. Earlier IRCTC was entrusted with the running of the facility.

The e-ticketing facility was introduced at east gate of Taj Mahal in December last year. The facility was later made available at other two gates — west and south — of the monument. Tourists will no longer have to wait in long queues as they can buy them sitting at homes, but also make the chance of ticket reselling almost negligible.

Officials said once the facility becomes functional, e-tickets could be bought online in advance by visiting a special website created by the ASI for this purpose.

The implementation of e-ticketing will not only smoothen the service provided to visitors, but also minimize the chances of ticket reselling to negligible," said an official.

- The Times of India, October 20, 2015

Four months after the state's conservation committee was constituted and expected to "declare certain sites and monuments as 'protected' as per the State Act within a period of six months", it is yet to have its first meeting.

The committee was set up on July 14 with the aim of surveying, studying and exploring the feasibility of various heritage sites and monuments in the state and work towards restoring and conserving them from the archeological, heritage and tourism point of view.

The committee has as its chairman the secretary archives and archaeology and director archives and archaeology as its member secretary. It members include the joint secretary, finance department, under secretary revenue department, principal chief engineer PWD, chief town planner, chief architect PWD, director of tourism, director of settlement and land records,

superintending archaeologist ASI Goa mini circle, assistant superintending archaeologist directorate of Archives and Archaeology, representatives from GSIDC, the conservation committee of TCP, the principal Goa College of Architecture, conservation architects Ketak Nachinolkar and Abhijit Sadhale, Saraswat College lecturer Rohit Phalgaonkar, head of history department of PES College, Ponda, Varsha Kamat, historian Varad Sabnis and representatives from the Pilar Seminary.

The committee is supposed to meet 'once in two months or as frequently as required'. The first meeting was scheduled to take place on Friday, October 23 at the secretariat, but has been postponed.

- The Times of India, October 21, 2015

Taking note of its internal report which showed severe negligence on part of municipal bodies in managing solid waste, the central pollution watchdog has issued notices to civic authorities of 184 cities/towns across the country asking them to pull up their socks or face action.

Besides, the environment ministry has decided to depute 20 joint secretary-level officers to undertake assessment and periodic review of all 43 Critically Polluted Areas (CPAs) - mainly industrial clusters -- across the country to see whether the central action plan is being properly implemented or not to minimize the impact of pollution.

The country's CPAs include Delhi's Najafgarh drain basin area, Faridabad, Panipat, Ghaziabad, Noida, Agra, Kanpur, Korba, Ahmedabad, Ankleshwar, Bhavnagar, Vapi, Vatva, Dhanbad, Mangalore, Greater Kochi, Indore, Chandrapur, Navi Mumbai, Chandrapur, Tarapur, Angul Talchar, Ludhiana, Bhiwadi, Pali, Jodhpur, Visakhapatnam, Asansol and Haldia among others.

At present, seven of these CPAs come under a moratorium on consideration of any developmental project for environmental clearance. These include Ankleshwar and Vatva (Gujarat), Chandrapur (Maharashtra), Pali and Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Vellore (Tamil Nadu) and Najafgarh drain basin (Delhi).

Under the notices to civic authorities, municipal commissioners have been asked to complete all civic formalities and "seek consent" under the Water Act within 60 days to set up sewage and solid waste management facilities. "Once they finalize the plan and get the required consent in two months, the Centre will pitch in to help the state in setting up these facilities in a time-bound manner," an environment ministry official said.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in its notices, also asked civic bodies to statutorily comply with provisions of the Water Pollution Control Act and rules relating to Municipal Solid Waste Management. "These directions under the Act are statutory and non-compliance of these directives will attract legal proceedings under the law," it said.

If the local officers fail to adhere to dos and don'ts under the existing laws and dither on complying with the notices of the central pollution watchdog, they will be deemed to be guilty under the Water Act and the Environment Protection Act and will be liable to be proceeded against in a court of law.

"An officer will, however, not be liable to any punishment if he/she proves that the offence was committed without his/her knowledge or that he/she exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence," the official said while explaining the action which may be taken against erring officers.

The CPCB swung into action after it observed that waste dumped unscientifically into landfills was causing serious environmental damage including water and air pollution. It also noted that majority of the civic authorities did not have a systematic, time-bound action plan for management of municipal work.

Highlighting these action, environment and forest minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said the 'Swachh Bharat' campaign could not happen without the wholehearted participation of municipal/civic corporations and gram panchayats.

"We are finalizing Waste Management Rules and will be publishing these Rules by the year-end. Our inspection has brought to the fore a dismal picture of negligence by some municipalities towards municipal Solid Waste Management," Javadekar said in a statement.

On critically polluted areas, the minister said, "We have provided transparent processes, done away with delays and enabled ease of doing business for responsible businesses. Now, our thrust will be on compliance."

Issuing notices to civic authorities of 184 towns, the CPCB rued that the municipal authorities have not given due attention for ensuring proper management of domestic sewage and municipal Solid Waste. "The sewage is disposed off into rivers, lakes or allowed to seep into the groundwater. This has resulted in worsening of groundwater quality and caused many water-borne diseases", it said.

Accordingly, the pollution watchdog directed the civic authorities not to dispose off untreated sewage into the river or any water bodies and set up set up Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) of adequate capacity and provide sewerage system to cover the entire urban areas.

The municipal authorities have also been asked to submit a time-bound action plan for proper collection, treatment and disposal of sewage. "Such plan shall be submitted by the municipal authority to the state pollution control board (SPCB) with copy to the CPCB within a period of 90 days", it said.

- The Times of India, October 21, 2015

Buddhist relics preserved at the Archaeological Museum in Amaravati and kept away from public eye will be exhibited, during the capital foundation ceremony.

A collection of exclusive artefacts from the museum, including bone relics of Buddha will be on display at ‘Amaravati Pavilion’, proposed to be created by the Tourism Department at the venue. According to sources, the relics were originally found in the stupa at Bhattiprolu in Guntur district. They were donated by the Mahabodhi Society of India and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

“Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and dignitaries from all across the country and abroad will be here, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu wants the relics to be showcased on this special occasion,” said R. Amarendra Kumar, Executive Director (Projects) AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC).

The Amaravati museum is home to many relics dating back to thousands of years, found during excavations. This museum has a wealth of the ancient Amaravati town that belonged to 3rd century BC, through several sculptures that once were a part of Mahachaitya (the giant stupa). The exhibition will showcase the past, present and the future of the ancient town and will be kept open for public for a month from October 22.

Replicas of sculptures and a miniature model of the future Amaravati capital city will adorn the pavilion besides an exclusive collection of ancient coins. This region was ruled by dynasties such as the Satavahanas, Andhra Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Ananda Gotrikas, Vishnukundina, Kota Vamsa, Chalukyas, Cholas, Kakatiyas, Reddis and Vijayanagara kings during ancient and medieval times.

Mumbai-based Hinduja Foundation will display coins of a few dynasties such as Pallavas, Vishnukundina and Vijayanagara kingdoms dating from 150 BC to 250 AD. “We have an exclusive collection of about 70 coins of different dynasties, of which the Satavahana collection is the largest and the most comprehensive,” says Brig (retd.) H. Chukerbuti, chief functionary of Hinduja Foundation.

“We also have a collection of punch marked coins believed to be the oldest coins in Indian history,” said Mr. Chukerbuti. Punch-marked coins are a type of early coinage of India, dating to between about the 6th and 2nd centuries BC. The foundation members are also calling an expert on Satavahana dynasty from New Delhi to answer the queries of visitors.

“Each coin has a unique motif. There are too many intricacies involved. Only an expert on the subject can explain them,” says the former Brigadier. The relics were originally found in the stupa at Bhattiprolu in Guntur district

- The Hindu, October 21, 2015

City-based poll of around 500 people from various strata of society indicates that 84% vouch for holistic growth of 'Healthy India', wish for govt to reprioritise

While the 'Digital India' campaign of the Narendra Modi government has generated quite a storm of words in recent times, in its bid to envisage sweeping web connectivity across the nation (including in rural zones) it emerges that many feel the priority is misplaced. In fact, a survey of around 500 people by a citybased organisation showed 84 per cent vouching for holistic health over the digitised revolution.

Dr Mangesh Kashyap, founder of the NGO Society for Environment Education Research And Management (SEERAM), which conducted this digital social survey, elaborated, "The questions were sent to 558 contacts, of which 473 participated. The poll was about what the priority should be — a Digital India or a Healthy India. As many as 78 per cent of people cast their vote in favour of the latter, 15 per cent did so for Digital India and seven per cent for both."

Kashyap added, "The term Healthy India indicates a holistic growth in public, environment, social and other forms of health in the nation. Our government's more important priorities should be to handle negative environmental changes, food issues, public health at the rural level, depleting ground water stores, etc. We are talking about development, but at what cost? The aim should be for sustainable development at the rural level as well."

The report has now been submitted to the environment, water resources and public health ministries. Of the sample, 28 per cent were students, 25 per cent were workers, labourers and management professionals, seven per cent were academicians, researchers formed eight per cent, entrepreneurs another seven per cent, and women from lower social economic strata formed 25 per cent, covering a fair range of opinions.

Student Mohammad Saif said, "We are all aware that villages often lack basic facilities and proper logistical connectivity — people walk miles to get milk or water, and proper schools are conspicuous by their absence. I have even observed this at villages near Satara and Karad, which are relatively developed districts. Hamlets in Marathwada, Gadchiroli and similar areas are even worse off. Sure we do need a Digital India, but shouldn't this be the priority?"

City-based environmentalist, Santosh Shintre, agreed. "The better an area's biodiversity, the better the lives of locals. Previously, women in Raigad district collected vegetables from forest areas; now, they have to purchase them. Forests are more than just of aesthetic value. They are also important for food security. We are dependent on forests for wood, paper and lots more. This indicates that the depletion of biodiversity has an impact on inflation! Again, Digital India requires electricity, doesn't it? This just means more coal mining and associated scams," he said.

Dr Abhijeet Vaidya, founder and national president of the Arogya Sena, echoed, "Basically, the central government has been a big failure till date on the economic, social and health fronts. Religious extremists are sowing the seeds of division and the interests of a handful of industrialists have gained precedence. The budget has failed to give importance to public health. If the nation heads into the future this way, India will suffer. Priorities include a healthy, hunger- free, farmer suicide-free, clean, and socio-politically healthy India."

However, Manas Thombare, a management employee from a city based multi-national, begged to differ, voting for an approach combining both. "Obviously a Healthy India is a priority, but for this as well, if digitisation can create awareness at the rural level, it will provide a communication link between villagers and the government, which can be used for education as well.

In my opinion, these two have to go hand-in-hand and not be mutually exclusive," he said. The term Healthy India indicates a holistic growth in public, environment, social and other forms of health in the nation

- http://www.punemirror.in/, October 21, 2015

While veterans like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Madhavi Mudgal gave scintillating performances at UTSAV in the U.S., it was the use of props in Don Quixote by Chennai-based Sahridya Group, which stole the show. It all began in March 2011, with the mounting of a month-long festival of arts of India titled Maximum India by The Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington.

Prior to that barring the Festival of India in the U.S., in the ‘80s, such a major festival covering performing and plastic arts including literature, films, seminars, book discussions, nothing focussing on Indian classical dance and music was held on such a scale in Washington.

Among the Indian diaspora who were principal supporters there was one connoisseur Sridhar Potarazu, an ophthalmologist and in business of heath care, known for his passion for the classical Indian music and dance. It was his dream to have legendary dancers and musicians from India perform at this most coveted and prestigious venue.

For the past two years he has been holding under the aegis of Shivam Inc, in collaboration with the Indo-US Business Council, Utsav, a three-day festival at The Terrace Theatre. Leading musicians from the Hindustani and Carnatic music streams and dancers are invited to participate. In morning on both days a seminar on dance and music is held. The response has been overwhelming.

The 3 edition of Utsav was flagged of on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi with a bhajan, “Vaishnava jan tu” in Khamaj raga. UstadAmjad Ali Khan with Bapu Kaunsa played the new raga he has created in a dignified manner evoking devotional mood. He also surprised the audience by his melodious singing and rendering the composition on sarod.

Later on his two sons Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan in a duet presentation performed Malkauns raga with jod and jhala, albeit with passion and fast tempo. The two accompanists on tabla gave them excellent support. The finale saw the father and the sons performing in harmony – bereft of speed and razzmatazz – paying tribute to Gandhi in a befitting manner.

On the second day the crowds converged at Terrace Theatre in large number. There was a palpable excitement in the air. Miguel Cervantes’ Spanish classic Don Quixote was presented in a dance theatre form, by Chennai-based Sahridya Group, using music, dance, English dialogues, imaginative costumes, props and dramatic lighting. A cast of 12 male and female dancers including the choreographer Sheejith Krishna in role of Don Quixote, kept the audience in thrall.

As a narrator, Akhila Ramnarayan provided the context. Excellent Bharatanatyam dance technique and lilting music, created beautiful scenic visuals of open farms, village squares, mountains, passing clouds, using slide projections complimenting dance. In one particular sequence, Don Quixote and his companion Sancho Pazha were seen admiring the beauty of mountains. The female dancers came dancing, waving gossamer scarves, awash with colourful lighting by ace light designer Murgan, to the melodious music generating exquisite delightful visual.

For the audience abroad, the familiar story with configuration of various arts was a treat! I recollected the drawing of Don Quixote astride a horse, tilting the windmills with spear, imagining them as giants, Sancho Paza begging him not to attack windmills and finally both falling on the floor! By all standards it was a bold attempt. A shift in theme from epics, it had an appeal to the audience, who gave them a standing ovation.

As was expected the recital of the classical Carnatic vocalist from Chennai, Sangit Kalanidhi awardee Sudha Ragunathan, disciple of M. L. Vasanthkumari, drew a full house. Her rendering of compositions in Khamas, leisurely exposition of Ragam, Tanam Pallavi and other melodies was a connoisseur’s delight. Similarly, next afternoon, ace violinist A. Kanyakumari and her troupe began with American National Anthem that thrilled the audience, who stood up with their hands on their hearts! A diminutive figure she is a dynamo, playing violin with assurance eliciting bravos from the discerning audience.

Finale by Odissi dancer Madhavi Mudgal with her impeccable group choreography, and equally compelling solo renderings of Gita Govinda ashatapadi and Odiya song Pranasangini re, charmed the audience from the word go. Madhurashtakam was like icing on the cake. To write more on this celebrated dancer is like gilding the lily!

- The Hindu, October 22, 2015

Located on Rue de l'Eveche, the structure poses a threat to adjacent school

The Puducherry government is considering a proposal to demolish an 18th century building which is believed to have been part of a complex housing the Mint during the French regime, following complaints from the neighbouring school on the danger it posed to children and parents owing to its dilapidated state. The building, located on Rue de l'Eveche, is a Grade II A heritage structure with an area of approximately 1,900 square metres. The building had been occupied by the Local Administration Department office till around ten years ago. Since then, it has been left unused and is in a state of disrepair.

The neighbouring Seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School had made a complaint to the Local Administration Department after school authorities noticed deepening cracks on the walls following rains recently, said Local Administration Department Director P.T. Rudra Goud. The Puducherry Muncipality has temporarily cordoned off the street from both sides.

“There are more than 500 children in the school and we sent a complaint as we did not want to endanger their safety,” said an official of the SDA School. Puducherry Municipality Commissioner R. Chandirasekaran said a proposal for the demolition of the building had been placed before the government for approval. He added that under the Pondicherry Municipalities Act, 1973, a building could be demolished if considered a danger to the public.

Incidentally, the building was not included in the first list of 21 government-owned buildings notified as heritage buildings by the Puducherry Government in June this year. The building is in a distressed condition with broken windows and damaged wooden rafters and beams, seepage on the walls, and plants taking root in the building’s walls.

It has features typical of French colonial architecture found in town like the open central courtyard, pilaster, cornice and wooden ceiling beams. The building is believed to be the northern part of a complex known as ‘Hotel de la Monnaie’ or the Mint (including the site occupied by the present PWD building) during the French regime, which had housed the Mint. The French word ‘Imprimerie’ (printing press) can still be seen on its weathered wall. Uncertain future

Other heritage buildings in Puducherry face a similar fate if nothing is done to protect them, said A. Arul, senior architect, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Puducherry. “Real groundwork of restoring heritage buildings must be undertaken. The government must allocate funds for it, and start with two to three buildings from the notified list of government-owned heritage buildings every year. With structural maintenance and restoration in time, the buildings can be put to adaptive reuse,” said Mr. Arul. The government should set an example for private owners to follow, he added. Restoration proposals

A proposal for restoration of government-owned heritage buildings in Puducherry by INTACH had been made as far back as 2003, says Mr. Arul. Another proposal of INTACH in September 2013 had estimated Rs. 5.4 crore for the restoration of this former LAD building. It had proposed the building could be used as a youth hostel.

A proposal for the demolition of the building had been placed before the government for approval

R. Chandirasekaran Puducherry Municipality Commissioner This article has been corrected for a typographical error.

- The Hindu, October 23, 2015

The former office of the Local Administration Department, a French-era heritage building, lying in disrepair in Puducherry. The neighbouring Seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School had complained after noticing deepening cracks on the walls. (Right) A tree takes root in the wall of the building. Located on Rue de l'Eveche, the structure poses a threat to adjacent school

The Puducherry government is considering a proposal to demolish an 18th century building which is believed to have been part of a complex housing the Mint during the French regime, following complaints from the neighbouring school on the danger it posed to children and parents owing to its dilapidated state.

The building, located on Rue de l'Eveche, is a Grade II A heritage structure with an area of approximately 1,900 square metres. The building had been occupied by the Local Administration Department office till around ten years ago. Since then, it has been left unused and is in a state of disrepair.

The neighbouring Seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School had made a complaint to the Local Administration Department after school authorities noticed deepening cracks on the walls following rains recently, said Local Administration Department Director P.T. Rudra Goud. The Puducherry Muncipality has temporarily cordoned off the street from both sides. “There are more than 500 children in the school and we sent a complaint as we did not want to endanger their safety,” said an official of the SDA School. Puducherry Municipality Commissioner R. Chandirasekaran said a proposal for the demolition of the building had been placed before the government for approval. He added that under the Pondicherry Municipalities Act, 1973, a building could be demolished if considered a danger to the public.

Incidentally, the building was not included in the first list of 21 government-owned buildings notified as heritage buildings by the Puducherry Government in June this year. The building is in a distressed condition with broken windows and damaged wooden rafters and beams, seepage on the walls, and plants taking root in the building’s walls.

It has features typical of French colonial architecture found in town like the open central courtyard, pilaster, cornice and wooden ceiling beams. The building is believed to be the northern part of a complex known as ‘Hotel de la Monnaie’ or the Mint (including the site occupied by the present PWD building) during the French regime, which had housed the Mint. The French word ‘Imprimerie’ (printing press) can still be seen on its weathered wall.

Uncertain future Other heritage buildings in Puducherry face a similar fate if nothing is done to protect them, said A. Arul, senior architect, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Puducherry. “Real groundwork of restoring heritage buildings must be undertaken.

The government must allocate funds for it, and start with two to three buildings from the notified list of government-owned heritage buildings every year. With structural maintenance and restoration in time, the buildings can be put to adaptive reuse,” said Mr. Arul. The government should set an example for private owners to follow, he added. Restoration proposals

A proposal for restoration of government-owned heritage buildings in Puducherry by INTACH had been made as far back as 2003, says Mr. Arul. Another proposal of INTACH in September 2013 had estimated Rs. 5.4 crore for the restoration of this former LAD building. It had proposed the building could be used as a youth hostel.

A proposal for the demolition of the building had been placed before the government for approval

R. Chandirasekaran Puducherry Municipality Commissioner This article has been corrected for a typographical error.

- The Hindu, October 23, 2015

The directorate of archaeology and museum in Fort, Mumbai will be conducting a one-day free workshop for conservation of forts in the state for Nashik division, including Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar and Ahmednagar, from 10am to 5pm on November 1.

The department said people interested in conservation of forts can register for the workshop by sending an email to [email protected] or [email protected] by 5pm on October 27.

Participants will have to submit their name, name of the organisation, contact details and records of conservation work done till date.

"This is a very good initiative by the government. Many people are working in this field and many are interested in doing such work. This workshop will give proper direction to such people," said a trekker, Dayanand Koli.

- The Times of India, October 23, 2015

Designer and master embroiderer Asif Shaikh weaves magic out of threads and has been reviving the traditional crafts through his Indian embroideries. From the finest of silk yarns to Varanasi’s fabric of peacock feathers and beetle wings, he is constantly experimenting to give a contemporary feel to his weaves while keeping the traditional art form alive.

“It’s our duty to revive our ancient arts and pass it on to the next generation,” says Asif. “So much has been created in textiles and embroidery over the past 2,000 years in India, and it’s vital to preserve this heritage. My goal is not just to preserve, but also to advance the art of embroidery.”

The Ahmedabad-based artist is known for recreating the resplendence of zardozi, metal thread embroidery, through his embroidery. Over the past two decades, he has revamped tools and techniques, developed new stitches and introduced miniature-style embroidery while blending traditional and contemporary designs and training artisans. “There’s no machine in my studio. Every step is done by hand. Machine embroidery kills the look and the feel of traditional weave and also impacts the livelihood of artisans,” Asif says.

One of his innovations involves the karchob — the horizontal, floor-mounted frame on which the Mughals practised embroidery. “For 500 years, we’ve been using the same frame; it’s time to update it so we can save time without losing quality. I am waiting to get my patent rights on it,” he says.

While his artistic contributions are many, perhaps Asif’s most unique achievement is in miniature embroidery. “I had heard of miniature paintings, and thought I would apply the same concept to embroidery. I decided to reduce an embroidery design to a quarter of its original size, something that hadn’t been tried before, given the challenge of creating such minute and precise stitches. A four-inch peacock, for example, becomes 1 inch.

I practised first with floral patterns using a basic chain stitch, and then created more intricate designs. I sat with my artisans for hours to guide them. It’s all about having command of the needle and being able to play with the thread,” he says.

Asif’s textiles journey started at a very young age. Often he would accompany his mother to the market and would be drawn to the embroideries around him. Today, his miniature and micro-miniature work leaves many viewers awestruck. A perfectionist, he says embroidery is meditation for his soul. “It’s my ibadat (prayer). When I sit on the frame, I go to a different world. I forget everything... For me, this is meditation.”

An interior design student, he incorporates his design sensibility in his work. “I am fascinated by the early architecture of our country from the jali work of the Mughal gharanas to the flower motifs. I try and incorporate them in my work. In a way, it is like preserving India’s artistic history.”

Currently, Asif’s objective is to teach poor women how to embroider and earn a livelihood. “It was always my dream to do something for women. People would tell me that embroidery is women’s art, so I wanted to use it to help women,” he says. “After my mother’s death in 2011, that desire became all the more urgent.”

- The Asian Age, October 24, 2015

Public Works Department begins restoration of the 161-year-old structure at an estimated cost of Rs.20 lakh

The Public Works Department (PWD) has started the much awaited restoration of the 161-year-old Aayi Mandapam located in Bharathi Park in the French precincts of the Boulevard.

According to A. Arul, architect with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the budgetary allocation for the restoration work is estimated at Rs.20 lakh. This includes chipping and lime plastering of the intricate structure. Work is already in progress and is expected to be completed in a month.

The building had not suffered any major structural damage despite years of neglect. A major part of the restoration involved repairing the damaged walls with traditional lime plaster used in the construction of the original structure. The services of masons from Panruti in Cuddalore district, who had adequate experience in the restoration of the Ripon Buildings in Chennai, had been engaged, he said.INTACH suggestion

The INTACH had also suggested that the PWD install special LED lighting on the monument, highlighting intricate details such as the domed roof and fluted circular twin columns and the artefacts featuring Aayi with a pot, Mr. Arul said.

The ornate masonry pavilion with domed roof, which has been made the official emblem of the Union Territory, was constructed during the period of French emperor Napoleon III to commemorate the efforts of Aayi, a courtesan, who razed her house to provide perennial drinking water to this former French outpost.

Although the monument was brought under the maintenance of the PWD after it was identified as a heritage building, the officials carried out little renovation and it has been left in neglect with black patches invading the structure.

The structure The four openings of the monument are flanked by fluted circular twin columns and crowned with pediments. One of them features Aayi with a pot. The structure was envisaged by Spinasse in 1820 and built by Louis Gurre in 1854. However, water came to the fountain only in 1862.

Legend has it that King Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1530) of the Vijayanagar empire, while on a visit to the house of Uiyyakunda Viswaraya Mudaliar in Villianur, mistook the house of Aayi, a courtesan, for a temple and bowed in front of it. When he was told that it was a Devadasi’s house, he ordered its demolition. Aayi pleaded to the king and decided to dig a pond there to quench the thirst of people.

This tank, later, served the purpose of providing drinking water to the entire city during the French regime. Later, during the 18th century, the city experienced a water scarcity. Lamairesse stumbled upon the pond constructed by Aayi in Muthurayarpalayam and brought water through canals to the area where the Bharathi park is located. Moved by the story of Aayi, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte III ordered that a monument be constructed in her honour.

- The Hindu, October 25, 2015

Last month, the temple won India the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Excellence for the cultural heritage conservation of its architecture.

The Sree Vadakkunathan Temple in Thrissur, Kerala, is on the tourist map of the world for its annual festival. The Thrissur Pooram is a spectacle, with captivating pyrotechnics, elaborately caparisoned elephants on parade and 200 percussion artistes on trumpets, cymbals and the chenda. Last month, the temple won India the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Excellence for the cultural heritage conservation of its architecture. Unlike most other projects, the credit doesn’t go to one firm or person alone — this seven-acre temple complex has always been by the people and for the people.

“From the donor to the craftsmen and the many stakeholders, there was a deep respect for the spirituality of the place. Somewhere, it brought back the old traditions of temple building in India, where the place was more important than the person. In our country, quite often we do not know who actually built some of our greatest monuments that still survive.

This project brought back some of those values,” says architect Vinod Kumar, 43. His firm DD Architects was the local project coordinator and had to liaise with the Archaeological Survey of India-Thrissur (ASI), the donor, craftspeople, vaastu experts, temple priests, and temple owners, Cochin Devaswom Board, to make the conservation a success.

The Vadakkunathan Temple is protected under the Archaeological Monuments and Archaeological Sites Remains Act-1958. Dedicated to Shiva, the complex is known for its rich Kerala architecture, its centuries-old murals and intricately carved wooden sculptures. Though periodic maintenance was done, the nearly 1,000-year-old multi-shrine complex was in need of repair. The ASI had been working on the conservation of the temple kitchen, the murals, the wood carvings and the south and west gopurams (gateways) since 1997.

It was only in 2005 that the Director General, ASI Delhi, gave permission to Venugopalaswamy Kainkaryam Trust (VGKT), Chennai, the donors, for its overall conservation. Kumar and his team were roped in to manage the conservation of the main temple and the external shrines across the 65-acre grounds. “Rituals were an important part of the restoration process,” says Kumar. “Astrologers were involved in deciding the time and how the work would progress.

The main temple priest started the work of odilakkal — removing the first tile. At every step, the work was nourished through rituals, from the anujna, getting the permission of the deities, to the final kalasam ceremony that marked the completion of the work,” says Kumar. From peeling away withered lime plaster to treating termite-ridden wood and replacing copper-lined roofs, every shrine needed work.

“We used traditional lime plastering for walls, with a paste of herbs, lime and jaggery. We did not want to use cement because it contains chemicals and also has a shorter shelf life. Lime plastering is organic and lasts longer than cement. Even for the wood in the main temple and the shrines, especially for the rafters and the beams, we used a traditional herbal oil prepared by the carpenters to treat wood, both old and new,” he says.

They had to be particularly careful about the teak wall plates in the main temple. Nearly 200 foot long, the entire wood had corroded and beneath it sat a Shiva mural, which is worshipped and therefore, could not be touched. It took nearly six months of permissions and a lot of guts, before work could begin. It was the head carpenter who finally gave the team the confidence of dismantling and restoring the rafters without any damage to the mural. “I have mostly been involved in modern design projects such as residences and office interiors.

Working for the temple project for 10 years, being able to interact closely with traditional craftspeople, observing the process in detail has been a great learning experience. It is a whole new language and vocabulary of design that is not taught in modern architectural schools,” says Kumar.

The ASI had been preserving murals through chemical treatments. “Soot from lamps, and smoke and dirt from the annual Pooram firecrackers have damaged parts of these. We do organic treatments for the cracks and flaking that have developed,” says T Sreelakshmi, superintending archaeologist, ASI. Under their guidance, work in the external shrines were mapped and documented by DD Architects.

Wooden sculptures were marked, photos were taken and drawings made before being dismantled so that they could be returned to their places once the construction was over. The copper-lined roofs in these shrines intrigued the architects enough to research how copper could have landed on Kerala shores around the 12th century.

They found their answer in a study on trade between Europe and Kerala. Copper was common in European cathedrals, and an agreement between the Kochi king and Portuguese traders brought shiploads of copper in exchange for pepper. Kumar, of course, only had to source it from Mumbai. The temple, which has not only adapted a new element like copper to its traditional materials of laterite, lime and wood, has also been a hotspot for events outside religion. The Illanji tree that sits in the temple quadrangle has seen many festivals and ceremonies.

Kesavan Nambudiri of Theatre Connekt says, “Besides the annual Pooram, where even non-Hindus are participants, the space in and around the temple has been host to many political conventions, especially during the time of EMS Namboodiripad and even recently for VS Achuthanandan. It is a place of debate and discussions for authors, film actors and theatre people, who are regulars to the complex. There has always been a powerful and harmonious camaraderie among people from all walks of life especially because it’s in the centre of the city.

” Thrissur is Kerala’s cultural capital with the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, the Lalithakala Akademi and the Sahitya Akademi headquartered here. If the Sanskrit theatre of Kutiyattam was born here, Thrissur has also hosted the annual international film festival since the last 10 years. The UNESCO award acknowledges that “the tangible attributes of the temple are inextricably linked with its intangible heritage which dates back generations, thus ensuring that ‘spirit of place’ resonates throughout the site.” Kumar is, therefore, planning a site museum where old and damaged parts of the temple building can be displayed.

“In Kerala today, we see traditional buildings being pulled down and being rebuilt in concrete, wiping away any history of the original structures. We hope such a museum will make people aware of the values and principles behind traditional practices,” he says.

In his essay in Design magazine (October-December 1988), musicologist Walter Kaufmann writes: “The only good reason for conservation is not aesthetic, but a concern for posterity. This involves seeing oneself as a mediator between the past and present, and a link in a momentous tradition.

In that, one feels responsibility both to one’s ancestors and one’s descendants and wants to make sure that the work that shaped us and our parents will still be there to shape our children’s children.” The conservation of the Sree Vadakkunathan Temple stands testimony to that. The story appeared in print with the headline If The Spirit is Willing

- The Indian Express, October 25, 2015

No country can have a good future if it forgets its past. India has a very rich cultural heritage and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is doing a good job by conserving and preserving this heritage in the form of monuments, artefacts and antiquities, said Dr Mahesh Sharma, minister of state for culture and tourism and civil aviation, on Saturday.

Sharma was speaking after inaugurating the new ASI building in Seminary Hills. The building will house the three branches of ASI in city — excavation, prehistory and epigraphy. ASI is preserving and maintaining over 3,600 monuments across the country. The minister said that it was a matter of pride that last year UNESCO added two more Indian sites — the 11th century Rani Ki Vav (Queen's stepwell) in Patan in Gujarat and the Great Himalayan National Park in Kulu in Himachal Pradesh — in the list of World Heritage sites.

Divisional commissioner Anoop Kumar too stressed on conserving the rich heritage. "Very few people know about the rich heritage of Nagpur which was created in different eras of Satvahans, Vakatakas, Gond and Bhonsales. How many of us know about the rich culture of Nag-Vidarbha region spread from Paunar to Pauni?" said Kumar. He stressed on conservation of Kachargad fort in Gondia district, Ramtek temple premises and the Mansar site excavated by ASI.

Additional director general of ASI head office, Sharad Sharma, regional director of western region ASI, M Mahadevaiyah, Aurangabad, GS Khwaja, epigraphy head, ASI Nagpur, director of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Neeri) Satish Wate, former head of Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology (AIHCE) of Nagpur University, K Ismail, associate professor of AIHCE, Prabhash Sahu, Ashish Shinde, head of AIHCE, Morris College, and Nandini Bhattacharya Sahu, superintending archaeologist, excavation and Nagpur circle, were also present. Kalidas festival to be revived this year

The Kalidas festival will be revived in a big way this year to uphold the glory of the Kalidas Smarak in Ramtek where Kaildas wrote Meghdoot, said divisional commissioner Anoop Kumar during the inauguration of ASI's new building at Seminary Hills on Saturday. The administration in partnership with the Kavi Kulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University in Ramtek would be ensuring that the three-day function becomes a national-level programme. The Vasanatrao Deshpande Hall will be completely redone for the purpose. More details about the function would be revealed in a few days. - The Times of India, October 25, 2015

Gunter Pauli to attend green award ceremony Entrepreneur and expert on sustainable development Gunter Pauli will attend the 2015 Balipara Foundation Awards, which will felicitate outstanding contribution to biodiversity in the eastern Himalayas, on November 6. Pauli, the author of 'The Blue Economy' and popularly referred to as the 'Steve Jobs of sustainability', will deliver the third Rabindranath Barthakur Memorial lecture on the same day.

Balipara Foundation, an NGO involved in promoting naturenomics (sustainable economic development while conserving biodiversity), has been awarding outstanding contribution to biodiversity conservation since 2013. The ceremony will bring together leading conservation experts and think tanks, including WWF, National Geographic, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Wildlife Trust of India and Elephant Family.

This year, the awards will be given in categories like inspirational conservation work in the eastern Himalayas, protection of endangered species and threatened habitats, promotion of environment education and development of community-driven conservation. The awards will be given in 10 categories.

- The Times of India, October 25, 2015

Very few people would give up a convenient job and settle for the unknown. Fewer people would choose a place like Nagaland, more known to the outside world for its nature of conflict, than its rich natural resources, colourful traditions and beautiful landscapes, in pursuit of a greater passion.

Meet Rohan K. Abraham, who quit a thriving career as a Chartered Accountant and did exactly that. After working in the industry for not less than 11 years, he decided to take a year off, during which he also made a conscious decision to shift gears. “Initially I thought long and hard. I knew I couldn’t continue in that line of work. I was working with great people and company, but I couldn’t see myself not doing anything socially productive for the rest of my life,” he firmly puts across.

That was when ‘The India Trail’ (http://www.indiatrail.org/ ) was also born- an initiative that he started to help people discover the vast diversity that India has to offer, especially that of North East. The interesting aspect of it being the promotion of tourism in a manner that they do not disrupt the places they visit. Or otherwise called “Responsible Tourism”, the goal is also to give their participants a diverse variety of experiences that will help them understand the culture, history and heritage of India as well as add value to their careers and lives.

In 2013, he was joined by A. David Angami, an avid traveler, to enhance the process of furthering socially responsible tourism in North East India. With Nagaland as its base, The India Trail has by now efficiently planned numerous unforgettable trips for hundreds of travelers both from across India and abroad. Come November, they will also start having visitors pouring in from all over, and the number amounts to at least 200 guests, who are either keen on exploring Nagaland or experiencing the famed Hornbill Festival.

The best part, however, would unmistakably be the opportunities that young people get through India Trail. The local youths, who are both trained and employed mostly as tour guides not only gain the benefit of employment but also the much needed knowledge of their own culture and tradition. Interestingly, the exercise is enabling them to go back to their almost forgotten roots- to sit with the elders in the village, and learn or relearn the history and significance of their culture and tradition, before they themselves undertake the task of sharing that knowledge to keen visitors.

More recently, the India Trail has also started an initiative called “Walk Nagaland”, inspiring people to walk. The idea is to get their friends out and about- exploring new places and interacting with each other. For Rohan K. Abraham, there are absolutely no regrets for the conscious decision he has made to quit his job and travel. At the same time, he feels that his experience in the industry for over a decade has given him a fantastic network of people.

North East, for him, is undeniably special even as he goes on to say, “Travelling in North East has been a great learning experience for me- either place or people, or both. Basic civic sense is a lot higher here, people are more polite, and the support I get from the region is outstanding. Everyone wants you to succeed…I don’t know why, with no ill will…it’s been a good experience.” He personally believes that it is an exciting time for Nagaland with the current generation trying out new things as opposed to the old tradition as far as careers are concerned. Towards this end, he is optimistic that this new thinking signals better days ahead.

The India Trail covers the entire North East and beyond, but Nagaland has indisputably been the most intense. And how well they do the job is evident from the feedbacks they have received from their guests- “Munnar last December which I thought was the best holiday I had ever had took second place after my trip to Nagaland with The India Trail. It was an out of the world experience.” “Awesome! That adjective was created just to describe Nagaland & The Hornbill Festival. And India Trail, you really delivered. You planned the trip of a lifetime! The support provided by the folks at India Trail was excellent, very professional and extremely thoughtful to the minimal details. Can’t wait to travel with you again.”

“Traveling with India Trail in Nagaland was like no other tour I’ve ever taken. The local knowledge of the guides, the spontaneity of the experience, and the friendship of the other group members (who came from India and beyond) was incredible. I truly felt like I got an authentic taste of the region and came away with a richer experience than I ever could have on my own.”

- http://www.nagalandpost.com/, October 25, 2015

A number of information technology (IT) tools and their possible use in a smart city will be on display at a prominent venue in the city on October 29. The event will take place at a time the city is getting ready to submit its smart city proposal to the Centre.

Prominent IT companies such as Siemens, Cisco Systems, Honeywell, Oracle, Schneider Electric Infrastructure, Wipro, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, KPMG and SAP are likely to be present at the fair to showcase their products that are used across the globe for smart living. The event will be organised in collaboration with the state government's IT department.

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation commissioner Krishan Kumar said: "We are now taking the smart idea to every sphere of the city administration and management. We have to implement the smart concept in public transport, water, power supply, connectivity, governance, open space, heritage, tourism and culture. As these companies are market leaders and have solutions related to smart living concepts in urban settlements, the exhibition is very important to us."

A senior civic body official said: "After we see the products on display, we will make a list of products and could suggest their use and specific references in the final smart city proposal, which the state government will submit to the Centre." The corporation is also going to organise an event before the smart technology expo on employability among the youth of the city through a special session with the Confederation of the Indian Industries (CII).

Use of IT and technology has to play a major role in a smart city with public information, grievance redress, electronic service delivery, citizen engagement, video crime monitoring, CCTV surveillance, smart monitoring of water and air quality, renewable energy, energy-efficient green buildings, tele-medicine and tele-education, incubation and trace facilitation and skill development centres.

"An inclusive smart city planning with technology and IT components, green and open spaces would put us in the first 20 smart cities to be declared by the Centre," hoped mayor Ananta Narayan Jena. Bhubaneswar is already doing well on the grievance redress front with its My City My Pride website and the mobile application, which has been awarded at the national level. Cities such as Jamshedpur are planning to adopt the method. "I hope my city gets a place in the first 20 cities," said local resident Subhakanta Swain.

"The city should also give stress on housing. At present, the administration is only concentrating on the low-income segment. It should also think about the middle class because they are the driving force of a city," Swain, a structural engineer, said.

- The Telegraph, October 25, 2015

The word theatre comes from Greek. It means the seeing place. It is the place people come to see the truth about life and the social situation, American actress Stella Adler said.

To preserve the legacy of theatre is hence no way less than preserving the legacy of human society. Theatre in Gujarat is no different. It is a journey of Gujarati culture and way of life. To preserve its legacy is to preserve the ethos of being a Gujarati, the ethos of rich, intangible cultural heritage that shaped the present and influences the future.

So when a decade ago, a family member of the theatre stalwart Bapulal Nayak came calling Hasmukh Baradi, 79, an artiste in his own right, with bags full of theatre-related properties of Nayak, Baradi says he was brought to tears on seeing the treasure before him.

“Children and grandchildren of many Gujarati theatre doyens met and requested me to look after their ancestral possessions as they were finding it difficult to protect them in daily rigmarole. They all seemed to have a problem of space in their homes. But we have plenty of space in our institution as well as in our hearts and minds. It was indeed an honour to be able to see and then protect our culture, our history and so I thought of creating a resource of theatre archives,” Baradi, Founder-Director of Theatre and Media Centre (TMC) in Ahmedabad, where training in theatrical arts is imparted, says.

Even institutions as Natmandal of Gujarat Vidya Sabha of H K Commerce College threw open their entire repository of costumes and manuscripts stored in the basement of their college to Baradi as some of the college trustees felt that the space could be put to different use with their treasure in safer hands.

Baradi, who got his doctorate in theatre from the Lunacharsky Theatre Institute, Moscow, said that he got into habit of collecting theatre memorablia since then. He always dreamt of building an institution that would combine treasures of Moscow Theatre Museum and National Theatre Museum of London.

But that dream is still a little distance away from realisation. Baradi began with archiving material that he received from descendents of theatre stalwarts. “They told me that it was getting difficult for them to properly preserve various costumes, manuscripts and books. They felt that as a theatre lover, I would do a better job in preserving such precious material. For 30 years, we literally ran the show from a garage. The manuscripts of the plays used to lie around. We also used to get costumes that we used to get them washed, dried and ironed before putting them in our archives,” he says.

In 2007, the TMC received about 3,000 sq feet area from the Ahmedabad collector and with the financial assistance from the Central government, Baradi and his team were able to build the facility. “Today, we have a full-fledged studio that we used to hold theatre till a couple of years ago. These plays were more of interactive in nature and it was also aimed at protecting the dying art of Bhavai – the folk theatre of Gujarat. We have shifted our direction more towards research and building a repository of books and original manuscripts,” he says.

Today, the gramophone records of English and Russian plays and symphonies that he collected during his stay in Russia too are part of his archive. “We have their handwritten scripts, medals, audio tapes and costumes, all in original form, many over century old. We have publications about local body polls held over a century ago in the city of Ahmedabad, books on poetry, 125-year-old Natya Shastra and even opera books,” Baradi boasts.

The TMC also possesses original hand-written diaries of famous Gujarati theatre personalities such as Jayshankar Sundari, Pransukh Nayak, Kanti Madia, Kailash Pandya. The TMC also archieves unique production scripts prepared by leading directors of the past. These production script captured on paper lighting cues, musical cues, movement of the actors on the stage in minutest details.

Hasmukhbhai’s daughter Manvita Baradi, an architect and urban planner, says that the archive is dedicated to the glory of Gujarati theatre in the 1950s when theatre groups started to emerge in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Baroda, including Nat Mandal and Rang Mandal .

However, it is not just the stalwarts’ work that the TMC has been able to source and protect, it also has work of writers who may be relatively less-known but have left an indelible mark on Gujarat and country’s theatre history. “We have collection of writers whose contribution has been shadowed by the work of doyens of the past.

Everyone remembers Jaswant Thaker’s work but we have original script of the work of his elder brother Kamlesh Thaker, whose work was exemplary too. His play ‘Aaram Rajya’ was staged before former PM?late Jawaharlal Nehru, who loved it. There was more than 2,500 shows of this play, which was later translated and staged in 17 different languages,” Baradi says.

“Gujarati theatre has had a great influence on the way Indian theatre has evolved. Indian theatre would be somewhat incomplete without the contribution of Gujarati theatre being studied. Our archives provides a rich repository of work that showcases the twists and turns Gujarati theatre has taken over years, its journey of development, the thought process of its writers. It is basically the history of society of Gujarat and India in a nut shell,”

Other than the TMC, institutions as Natrang Pratishthan of New Delhi, Natya Shodh Sansthaan in Kolkata, Natya Sangrahalaya of Morbi are few initiatives that are striving to preserve the rare and dying memorabilia of Indian theatre’s history.

On his part, Baradi is still geared up to add one more act to his life’s stage. “I have plans to build a museum for the students in the future and pass on this intangible heritage treasure for them to keep,” he adds with a smile.

- The Deccan Herald, October 25, 2015

colourful prayer flags fluttering in the cool Tibetan breeze whisper tales of Nangchen's 2,500-old past, of a time when a Buddhist relic was sent here by Emperor Ashoka. Over time the shrine built to house the relic fell to ruin and Nangchen was nearly forgotten.

Until now. This sleepy little town — at an altitude of 3,600 m above sea level in the Qinghai province of Tibet — is set to be reinstated on the Buddhist circuit because the shrine has been built anew. An imposing five-tier stupa of white and gold has been erected over the original remnants (just a small mound of white stone), and topped by a 36m-tall, gilded statue of Buddha that was recently inaugurated by the Himalayan Buddhist leader Gyalwang Drukong, who paid for the Buddha statue on top of the temple complex, believes it will bring peace and prosperity to the lives of devotees.

The statue, he says, was a $6 million birthday gift to Gyalwang Drukpa. Made of the same alloys that build spaceships, work on the statue was started by a Bhutanese sculptor. After his death, a factory in China's Nanchang, specializing in Buddha statues, took over and transported it piecemeal to Nangchen on 80 trucks, over eight weeks.

While many other monuments are offering virtual tours, Nangchen too shall soon join the club. "We're already working towards that and Google Maps and Wikipedia may be featuring us as well," Yuen adds.

The writer travelled to Tibet on the invitation of Public Education Fund, partner NGO of Drukpa Foundation pa, in the presence of Buddhist devotees from across the world.

It was on the initiative of leaders Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche and Gyalwang Drukpa that the monument came to be restored recently, after meticulous research. "Our experts visited countries that have strong Buddhist traditions, including India, China and Nepal, tostudy structures of old stupas. They then drafted a series of drawings which amalgamated interesting features from all of them," says Ren Yue Ming, chairperson of the Fu Rai Charitable Foundation, which was tasked with collecting funds for the $25 million project.

"Using 3D technology, a mockup of not just the stupa and the Buddha statue, but the entire complex in Nangchen was prepared," says Hong Kongbased Carrie Yuen of Live To Love foundation. "The Buddha statue and stupa were built using dimensions and scale specified in the ancient Buddhist sutras," she adds.

The restoration owed itself to devotees, who pitched in with donations and sponsored small "towers" on a floor of the stupa called Mandala of Chakrasamvara, devoted to the tantric form of Shiva. Businessman Felix Limah Ye-ong, who paid for the Buddha statue on top of the temple complex, believes it will bring peace and prosperity to the lives of devotees.

The statue, he says, was a $6 million birthday gift to Gyalwang Drukpa. Made of the same alloys that build spaceships, work on the statue was started by a Bhutanese sculptor. After his death, a factory in China's Nanchang, specializing in Buddha statues, took over and transported it piecemeal to Nangchen on 80 trucks, over eight weeks.

While many other monuments are offering virtual tours, Nangchen too shall soon join the club. "We're already working towards that and Google Maps and Wikipedia may be featuring us as well," Yuen adds.

- The Times of India, October 25, 2015

Did you know that the All Saint's Garrison Church in Cantonment was the first to be built for the Anglican Church? Or, that it is the church with the largest seating capacity in Lucknow? On a light wintry Sunday morning, heritage enthusiasts rode through the heritage buildings in Cantonment on horseback, sharing some little known and amazing facts about the structures in the backdrop.

In a first of its kind heritage tour on horseback organised by The Times of India, the intermingling of British and Awadhi architectural came to light. The tour also took care of cycling enthusiasts who pedaled along. The tour was a mix of the rich historical legacy of Lucknow and the equestrian sport as enjoyed by Nawabs.

"I had been to some of the buildings in Cantt, like the Dilkusha palace, but seeing it on horseback, and listening to its history was an exquisite experience," said Ruchi, a young rider in the entourage.

Sporting his history cap, Wajahat Habibullah retold the tales of glory to the young and old, explaining details about the heritage buildings. "The houses in Lucknow have the special distinction of not being called a haveli but a kothi," he said, pointing to the Bibiapur Kothi built by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah for his European guests. "The kothi was designed to bring colonial as well as Awadh architecture in pure harmony with one another, the columns and edifice of the kothi being neoclassical in architecture," he added.

Inspired by the heritage tour on bicycle, participant Vandana Sehgal said, "It was after ages I rode the bicycle. I will buy one now and take more such tours." Her husband, principal secretary Navneet Sehgal who took the bicycle ride too said, "More such initiatives should be taken up informing about Lucknow's history in such an interesting manner."

- The Times of India, October 26, 2015

Fears of heritage lovers allayed as authorities tell them the building will retain its original maroon colour

If you had passed by the Chennai Central railway station recently, you would have noticed that it was wearing a bit of white. The ‘white’ lead to consternation among heritage watchers, who heaved a sigh of relief when they realised that the colour of this heritage building is not being changed. It is just white primer paint that will prepare the building to painted its original maroon colour. The facelift, being carried out after five years, is undertaken by the Buildings division of the Southern Railway.

A 20-member team led by the Southern Railway’s divisional engineer (Buildings), Mr. Ramamurthy, will monitor the entire work. The Chennai Circle of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) provides technical assistance to Southern Railway in the conservation of the building.

“The station building has had the maroon colour since its inception in 1873. There is no change of colour. As the earlier colour faded, we started to give a fresh coat of paint to make the building look bright,” said a senior railway official. The painting work will cover around 9,000 sq.m of space of the main building of the railway station.

However, the work will be carried out in segments to ensure the original character and style of the building is maintained. “Such regular maintenance of heritage buildings is needed. As the building belongs to the Southern Railway, we provide only technical support whenever we are requested by the railways,” said an ASI official.

Designed by British architect George Harding and later by Robert Fellowes Chisholm, the Central railway station buildings have some unique Romanesque architectural features, including Travancore ‘caps’ on the main towers, a central clock tower, semi-circular arches, thick walls and large towers.

Most of the churches in England and Portugal in medieval Europe have this style of architecture. Interestingly, the place where the Central railway station is located now was earlier a garden owned by a Portuguese merchant, John Pereira, before it was taken over by the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway in 1870.

- The Hindu, October 26, 2015

Picturesque palaces dating back to the last two centuries contribute to Kolhapur's historical significance. The city has three palaces, Juna Rajwada or the Old Palace, the Shalini Palace and the New Palace. Each of them depicts classic architectural styles and attracts thousands of tourists.

The first heritage conservation committee of the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) is willing to raise the bar of heritage tourism and looking to start a heritage walk around these palaces, which are located in three different city areas. While the Juna Rajwada is among the oldest, constructed over two centuries ago, the Shalini Palace is relatively new as it was built around 8 decades ago. All the palaces play a significant role in contributing to the rich cultural heritage of Kolhapur city.

Uday Gaikwad, a member of the heritage committee trust, says that it is rare in India to have three huge places in a city as small as Kolhapur. He said that restoration of the area should be done with the help of the civic body and public participation. "Take the Juna Rajwada, where electricity wires, cables and advertising boards have ruined the beauty of area. People should care for their heritage," he added.

The committee formed in 2015 is advocating a mass awareness campaign to explore the rich heritage. Amarja Nimbalkar, the committee's president said that the city remained aside when Union government was preparing for the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) because of lack of awareness among masses.

"Take any of the 12 cities selected for HRIDAY and you will definitely recognize they were preparing for the heritage tourism since long. I have no doubt that those are best cities for heritage tourism, however, Kolhapur can easily compete with them. What we lack is proper training of tourism management and infrastructure to explore the potential," Nimbalkar said.

HRIDAY's first phase will end in March 2017 during which cities such as Ajmer, Amravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal will be developed for heritage tourism.

"If you look at any of the chosen cities, it can be seen they have limited heritage sites. For instance, all have temples as a common heritage structure. In Kolhapur, we have religious, as well as cultural monuments with stunning sites that need to be presented tastefully before tourists. My committee has vowed to help the city to be included in HRIDAY. We have a plan to sensitise citizens about the vast heritage and to explore the unlimited tourism opportunities," she said.

The Palace City (New Palace): Constructed in 1877 to 1884 at a cost of Rs 7 lakh. It has an octagonal tower at the centre, known as clock tower which is 25ft broad and 135ft high. The end rooms of the palace are octagonal in shape. The main two-storey building has a terraced roof and numerous turrets and domes. The palace has a grand Darbar hall. Windows at the hall have pictures narrating Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's life.

Juna Rajwada or Old Palace: It was constructed over 200 years ago. Some portions of this Palace were set on fire and destroyed in 1813. The palace is a two-storeyed building with a terrace all over, except the central portion, which has a hall. The palace contains six chowks.

The most important of these is the Bhavani Chowk, consisting of the Bhavani temple. Maratha Chhatrapati's throne is outside of the temple. There are several other small temples inside the premise. The palace is considered as typical Indian architectural masterpiece. The Nagarkhana at the palace was built by Buvasaheb Maharaj, the ruler of Kolhapur between 1828 and 1838. Shalini Palace:

Shalini Palace, a private property now, is situated at the banks of Rankala Lake. The construction is best example of Indo-Gothic style with a rectangular double-storey structure with four square towers surmounted by domes at the corners. The palace is richly decorated inside and lavishly furnished. It was built between 1931 and 1934 at a cost of Rs 8,00,000.

- The Times of India, October 26, 2015

Shriniwas Joshi AN organisation called 'Spandan' under the tutelage of Anant Vikas invited a group of 12 artists from Nepal to showcase their artistic talents at The Gaiety complex. The contingent from Nepal which comprised artists representing both the traditional and modern art of that country was led by Nagendra Prasad Paudyal, an artist, whose paintings were on display at the exhibition.

His paintings depict Lord Shiva in all its glory reigning over the Universe as Jagat Pati (See Photo). The Universe is a floating mass of red, blue and green plus yellow colours which respectively portray fire and power to peace and tranquility to health, fertility, courage and personal power.

A mix of all this is cosmos and over it is superimposed Lord Shiva as the deity who has compelled order on the universe. The reverberating sound of Om is juxtaposed between the red and the blue; the power and the peace - a word can bring war and it can bring amity.

Yellow showing health and fertility has a conch-shell that is blown during sweet and sorrowed times reminding humans that in happy hunting do not forget the all pervading Shiva because sad shadows always wait in the wings. A bell painted over the red colour on the bottom right represents a wake up or shake up call when one becomes lusty for power.

Nagendra was positive towards the Nepal government's efforts in promoting the arts there. He said a Lalit Kala Academy was established at Kathmandu about nine years back and fine arts was being taught in almost all private schools though the government schools were lagging behind. He told me that four out of the 12 artists participating in the festival were teachers. Tribhuvan University at Kathmandu had started the Master in Fine Arts (MFA) course in 2010 and Nagendra, at the age of 48 years, was the oldest to get the MFA degree in the first batch.

Nagendra's information acquainted me with the artistic world of Nepal. He told me that Nepal had quite a few internationally known artists. Shashikala Tiwari is one of them. Her works deal with Hindu and Buddhist mythologies, women's issues and the images of nature. She has been the victim of social disharmony of the contemporary society of Nepal and so her works depict her quest for a peaceful and harmonious living together.

Madan Chitrakar is the best known name in the present day contemporary Nepal Art. Native cultural elements expressed in innovative style and form is his forte. Batsa Gopal Vaidya is pained to see the loss of heritage and his main concern is preservation of heritage in the rapidly changing urban society of Nepal. He, through his paintings, captures his immediate surroundings in which the culture and heritage dominate.

I was highly impressed by the traditional art 'Paubha' of Nepal. Two artists who brought their works here were Ram Prakash Shreshtha and Bijai Ratna Bajracharya. Tara Devi built in Paubha style by Ram was exquisitely done piece. But here is Adhivasan Mandala by Bijai (See Photo).

Paubha is a traditional religious painting made by the Newar people. It is said that these Newar artists took the Paubha art to Tibet from where the Tibetan thangka art evolved. Most Paubhas have Buddhist theme but a few are done on Hindu subject. Those who do Paubha belong to a particular Chitrakar caste known as Poon in Nepal. Adhivasan means to welcome the deity before a yajna and Mandal is Sanskrit term meaning circle.

It is a cosmic disc or wheel manifested in art tradition as one of the central symbols of the oriental civilization. Etymologically the term Chakra is derived from root 'kra' which means to create and implies the idea of movement. Adhivasan Mandala means to bring the deity with total respect to the Mandala and then blow life into it.

The artists told me that though it was a subject of research and in-depth study yet Paubha art form dated back to the 7th century. The oldest known survivor of the 13th century, however, was a figure of Ratna Sambhav with Los Angeles County Museum. Our oldest Pahari Painting is 'Devi Mahatamya' of 1575 CE.

- The Tribune, October 26, 2015

Beth El Synagogue, a nationally protected monument on Pollock Street, is all set to undergo an innovative renovation from December after its foundation was found exceedingly damaged.

A conservation proposal was prepared and sent to Delhi, seeking permission of the director-general of the Archaeological Survey of India. Experts hope that since the ministry of culture attached so much importance to the restoration of the oldest synagogue in the city, fund for restoration should not be a problem.

Experts at Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which declared it a protected monument in 2010, said if the damage was not repaired at the earliest, the 159-year-old building could eventually collapse. "During our last inspection, we found the building structurally a little insecure. Immediately, we called for a detailed investigation, which revealed that the foundation was unsafe. That means the entire monument is unsafe. So, the restoration is quite urgent," said ASI regional director (east) P K Mishra.

The inspection revealed missing brick infill, slight tilting of the structure towards the alter, damaged structure components, such as timber and iron beam rafter, missing roofing tiles, decay of plater due to seepage of water. But the most worrying part was the serious weakness in the foundation, said an official, adding that owing to the weakness, there are some slight subsidence and tilting of the structure.

The ASI also wants to complete the conservation work before the construction of the East-West Metro starts. The underground Metro corridor would pass within 100 metres of the monument and unless the synagogue foundation was reinforced and secured, the work might further distress the structure, an expert said. Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC), the implementing agency for East-West Metro, has already submitted its plea for a no-objection-certificate to the National Monument Authority (NMA), which has sought a detailed study report on how the Metro construction might affect the synagogue.

According to Mishra, the Jewish community is part of the living history of Kolkata. Three synagogues in Burrabazar show the plural culture of the city, said Mishra, adding that despite the dwindling size of the community owing to steady migration, they still contributed greatly to the dynamism of the city. "Saving such symbols of the city's priceless heritage was important," he said.

- The Times of India, October 27, 2015

Following a TOI report on the poor state of civic amenities along Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), corporation engineers on Monday fanned out to fix the problems. The repair and restoration work continued through the night.

Garbage, bad roads and unfinished infrastructure were some of the issues that TOI highlighted with photographs from various wards in a report titled'Life on OMR, the road to perdition.' Zonal workers took swift action on instructions from the regional officer for the south zone.

Workers drained out the rainwater that had stagnated for days in a park on Model School Road. The park was not just unusable, but residents nearby were prone to vector- borne diseases. They have also filled the play area with more sand. "This park was built in 2012, after which the roads were laid so the level of the roads is higher, which is why the water hadn't drained," said a corporation official. "There are two rainwater harvesting facilities in the park."

Workers filled trenches and potholes with sand and gravel. These were the result of Metrowater digging up roads to lay sewer lines and water pipes, and then leaving the job half done. "Metrowater's work has been going on from 2013," said an official. "The big trench on Model School Road is where they plan to have a manhole. But there is a big rock under this trench because of which work has been delayed. Corporation workers covered it temporarily and we have told Metrowater to remove the rock and finish the job after monsoon."

To represent and solve civic issues such as this, various residents associations had collaborated to become Federation of OMR Residents Associations (FOMRRA) earlier this month. This collective is also planning on electing a representative for each of their 15 wards to function like a shadow councillor in taking up and addressing their woes.

Residents had approached corporation and Metrowater several times in vain for their broken roads to be repaired. "There is so much activity on the road, and this is something we haven't seen in months," said Harsha Koda, one of the coordinators of FOMRRA.

- The Times of India, October 27, 2015

The Chandor gram sabha has asked the health department to inspect the water bodies in the village after the locals raised fears about contamination of the same. Sarpanch Etelvina Antao explained that after the last gram sabha resolution on the issue, the panchayat had written to the authorities, including the health department, to test the water bodies for pollution.

He added that the health department had reverted and asked for a detailed list of the water bodies. Thus, the panchayat has written to the health department for urgent inspections of the water bodies at Tollem Handi, Vala Kholop, Fatramoll and the wells of the entire village. Concerns were also raised about water-loggings in some areas.

- http://www.goacom.com, October 27, 2015

The Amaravati City Master Plan 2050 is all about the dreamy Amaravati, the first planned waterfront city in India.

Nearly 10,000 visitors from across Andhra Pradesh have thronged the Amaravati pavilion in four days after it was kept open for public here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to visit the pavilion, where the Department of Museum and Archaeology has put on display details of the dynasties that have a connection with Buddhism in Andhra Pradesh.

The pavilion, which has turned into a prime attraction, comprises four galleries — Amaravati; A reflection of glorious dynasties, Present Amaravati, Amaravati Sculptures in Museums and Amaravati city master plan 2050. “Most of the replicas of Buddhist motifs and have been brought from the State Museum at Amaravati in Guntur district. The visitors are turning the place into a selfie-zone”, said Museums and Archaeology Department official N. Durga Prasad.

Mr. Prasad takes care of the motifs kept on display, restricting the enthusiastic visitors from touching them. The police are also registering the details of the visitors, keeping an eye on them. “A glimpse of the display at the pavilion takes us into the deep history of Andhra Pradesh and its bond with Buddhism”, said Raja Sekhar and his family belonging to Eluru in West Godavari district.

The Amaravati Sculptures in Museum gallery throw light on the Buddhist sculptures which are being preserved at National Museum at Delhi and Chennai and Indian Museum at Kolkata. The Amaravati City Master Plan 2050 is all about the dreamy Amaravati, the first planned water front city in India. The pavilion would be open for public till November 7 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

- The Hindu, October 27, 2015

The 9-to-5 reality, when work often becomes drudgery, is the bane of modern life. No wonder, then, that many folks look for an outlet to express their enthusiasms, to take their creativity into another realm.

"There's a lot of interest in theatre these days. In fact, we get calls from places like Lucknow and Roorkee," reveals Geetika Goyal, artist, author and sculptor. Goyal is the founder and director of Magic Creations, an outfit that has been introducing young minds to the joys of the performing arts - in particular theatre - for 6 years now.

These sessions treated drama more as passion than as a livelihood. But now comes Magic Creations Theatre Academy, which will be catering to professionals. "We've already designed the course structure and syllabus with the faculty," shares Goyal. "There will be external examiners and assessments - it will be a different platform altogether, a more serious platform."

The faculty here has a couple of alumni from the National School of Drama (NSD) - Binod Sharma (2003), an actor, script writer and director who runs his own theatre group in Guwahati, Assam, and Hema Bisht (2005), who is working with the NSD's Theatre in Education for schoolchildren. Also involved full time with the academy are Raj Sharma, a theatre, film and TV artiste, and master puppeteer Varun Narain.

"Alongside, we would be having visiting faculty providing expertise in specialist fields, like costume design, movement, and voice, speech and diction," says Goyal. After 6 months of being schooled in the basics of acting, and acquainted with the many alleyways of dramaturgy, those who see the stage as a calling can choose to specialize. Theatre, of course, if more than just about treading the boards. There's set design, lighting, costume design and production, among other aspects of this age-old performing art.

Further, the academy can lend a hand in charting out a life in dramatics for those who seek it. "We'll help them put together a portfolio, and introduce them to various agencies that can point them to a career in theatre," Goyal adds.

- The Times of India, October 27, 2015

The authorities are giving a make over to major areas of the Port City ahead of the International Fleet Review (IFR) slated to be held in February 2016, but the historic Old Town will miss the bus as it has not been included in the list of spots selected for visits by IFR delegates. That being the case, the tourism department too has no plans to push the heritage structures of Old Town to be part of the local sight-seeing itinerary of the IFR delegates.

That Old Town was replete with historic structures was discovered by a group of senior navy officers from Delhi who visited the area on Sunday. They were fascinated by the heritage structures but appalled at the dilapidated condition they were in. "We took the visitors to the 1904 building Town Hall and were shocked to see the filthy, messy and uncared state in which the building was in.

A week after Durga Puja celebrations, leftover stale food, plastic plates and spoons were littered everywhere," said Intach member Jayshree Hatangadi who had taken the navy officers on the tour. The European cemetery too, which is a treasure house of maritime history, had no signages and the lanes and by-lanes leading to it remain extremely filthy, she added.

"For years, we have ensured that various district collectors, Vuda chairpersons and Visakhapatnam Port Trust chairman to take a walk in Old Town. We have written to all authorities concerned. Several promises were made but the ground reality remains the same - Old Town remains filthy and uncared for. Had the authorities done their work, the IFR delegates experience of Port City could have been enriched by a visit to the historic structures of Old Town dating back to the pre-Mughal era and upto the time of the British rule," said Jayshree.

When contacted, an official of the district tourism department said, "Old Town heritage buildings are not included in the local sight-seeing programme for IFR delegates. However, Intach members had met the district collector regarding giving a makeover to Old Town and bringing it in the tourist map of Vizag city.

May be some projects related to Old Town would be taken up before the next World Tourism Day, but definitely, nothing can happen before the IFR." Given the past record of the authorities, it is highly unlikely that Old Town in the near future will receive the attention it so richly deserves.

- The Times of India, October 27, 2015

The 30 Surajkund International Crafts Mela will be held from February 1 to 15 at Surajkund, Faridabad, with China as partner nation. Principal secretary, Haryana tourism department Dr Sumita Misra said, every year, the country chosen as partner nation showcases the best of its art, culture, traditions and heritage at the mela. With a confirmation having been received from China Tourism Administration on Monday, craftspersons, cultural troupes and master chefs from that country will enthrall visitors at the forthcoming mela.

Misra said participation of China in the 30Surajkund International Crafts Mela, 2016 is also in line with the agreement signed during the visit of Chinese president Xi Jinping to India in September, 2014, in which it was decided to commemorate 2016 as "Year of China in India".

The concept of partner nation aims at focusing on the art, craft and cuisine of a particular country. Earlier, Thailand, African nations, Sri Lanka and Lebanon were partner nations in the biggest craft fair in the world.

During the 29th Surajkund International Crafts Mela in 2015, a record number of 20 countries participated, she said. The Mela, which showcases diverse handicrafts, handlooms and cultural heritage of India, is jointly hosted by the Haryana Tourism Corporation and Surajkund Mela Authority, in collaboration with the Union ministries of tourism, textiles, culture and external affairs. The festival attracts more than a million domestic and foreign visitors, she said.

- The Times of India, October 28, 2015

The Union Ministry of Urban Development on Tuesday approved Rs 61-crore plan for facelift of Badami temple under its ambitious Heritage City Development Project.

The fund also includes Rs 10 crore to be spent by the Archeological Survey of India and Bagalkot district administration on resettlement and rehabilitation of 72 families near Agastya Lake and Rs eight crore by the State government on improvement of arterial roads.

The Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme provides for conservation and development of core heritage assets of the cities besides improving sanitation through solid waste management, easy access through signages and better mobility, interpretation centres, landscaping, provision of green spaces among others.

- The Deccan Herald, October 28, 2015

If you wanted to look at the original copy of the Indian constitution, or go through The Times' coverage of the Indian independence or of Republic Day, 1950, the art gallery at Tagore Library will soon be the place to be. Springing back to life after 40 long years, the gallery of Lucknow University will be developed into a museum and a modernised art gallery along with the restoration of its age-old collectibles. INTACH has already started conservation of paintings.

The library boasts of as many as 2000 manuscripts, including 200 fragile palm leaves, dating back to 600-800 years. These cover various languages and dialects like Persian, Turkish, Sanskrit, Kaithi and Granth Lipi, among others. The collection also includes 400 paintings from stalwarts like Nand Lal Bose, Abdur Rehman Chugtai and Khastgir to name a few.

The Diwan of Jami (941 AH), Masnavi of Rumi (1084 AH) and the Akbarnama by Abul Fazl (1252 AH) are also prized possessions of the library. Stone sculptures, replicas of remnants from Mohenjo-daro as also miniature Madhubani paintings are part of the artifacts collected over time. The collectibles are presently home to fungus, warping, dust, dirt and stains.

The proposal for a state-of-the-art gallery got approved by the ministry of culture at the Centre, whereby the library received 80% of the approved sum amounting to Rs 1.32 crore that has been released. The library was designed by American architect Walter Burley Griffin in 1935 who had also designed the Australian city of Canberra.

"We had been trying to get this going for the past year. The proposal had been forwarded with guidelines from INTACH and the National Archives. Now that the grant has been sanctioned, the entire first floor, barring the reading room, will be renovated," said deputy librarian Jyoti Mishra. "Work has begun in full swing. Due to lack of funds, however, it will be completed in steps," she added.

The library had sent a proposal for Rs 3.42 crore to transform the fragile nature of manuscripts and paintings that could not be issued on an individual basis, unlike the facility at world libraries. "We are hopeful that with the publishing of these online, scholars worldwide will be able to study them," said official superintendent Munir Alam and art cataloger SMH Rizvi. Info Manuscripts:

Kashmirian Atharva Veda 1901 Diwan of Jami 941 AH Masnavi of Rumi 1084 AH Akbarnama-Abul Fazl 1252 AH Paintings:

Nand Lal Bose (1882-1966), Foremost figures in the modern renaissance of Indian painting. Leader of Bengali School of painting. Buddha- water colour Vanquished man- pastel colour Artists:

M Abdur Rehman Chughtai (1897-1975), considered the first significant modern Muslim artist from South Asia. Incorporated Indo-persian style in art, influenced by Moghul style,miniature paintings and islamic traditions. Krishna- water colour Persian lady reading Quran- water colour

Sudhir Ranjan Khastgir (1907-1974), awarded Padam Shri in 1957, he was influenced by the Tagore family and was known for spontaneity in expression both in painting and sculptor. Two dancing girls- oil colour "Revolution"- water colour

- The Times of India, October 28, 2015

When the British tried to annex Berar from the Nizam, because of the good quality of cotton grown there, Taylor, even while in retirement,vehemently opposed such a move.

HYDERABAD: Colonel Philip Meadows Taylor is considered the first Indo-Anglican fiction writer. Entering military service under the Nizam of Hyderabad, Taylor soon moved to administration and became popular with the people in the Nizam’s dominions. He imbibed Hyderabadi customs and culture and promoted its arts as no other British national ever did. He excelled in many fields, but is remembered more for his fiction writings based on Deccan history.

Taylor, a British Colonel in Hyderabad, was the first to write fiction with a strong Indian flavour. He had great understanding of India, particularly the Deccan, its history, its people and their sensibilities. A crop of English fiction with history in the backdrop has come up during the 19th Century and Taylor was a pioneer in this direction. Taylor served the Hyderabad State for almost four decades, interacting with people, understanding their traditions and practices. He endeared himself by practicing the customs, manners, dress, language, and the lifestyle of Hyderabad’s nobility to its minute detail.

Taylor was born in Liverpool, England, in 1808 and as a young lad of 16, came to Bombay in search of employment. But he soon moved south and joined the army of the Nizam at Hyderabad and worked for the next 40 years in the Nizam’s dominions. As a result , he learnt several Indian languages including Hindustani, Persian, Marathi and Telugu.

In 1832 Taylor married Mary Palmer, daughter of William Palmer, a rich banker in Hyderabad. The Palmers were an influential family. William’s father, General Palmer, was a British Resident at Poona and had married a Begum of Lucknow. Taylor’s marriage brought him close to the Nizam and the nobility and thus to the social and ruling elite of Hyderabad. From army, Taylor soon moved to administration and worked in various capacities in Hyderabad state.

But Taylor is remembered even more for his literary contributions. His Confessions of A Thugh, (1839) was the most influential novel about India before Kipling’s Kim and was one of the best selling crime novels of the 19th Century. It was then that Taylor’s publishers in London asked him to write another novel, this time on Tipu Sultan of Mysore. Taylor took the job so seriously that he even met the Duke of Wellington, who as Arthur Wellesley, defeated and killed Tipu Sultan in May 1799. Tippoo Sultan was published in 1840 and it brought a great name for Taylor as a writer of historical fiction.Tippoo Sultan.

After he returned to England in 1860, Taylor devoted his time in retirement to writing novels on Indian themes. In 1863 appeared Tara, two years later came Ralph Darnel and in 1872, he wrote Sita. All these novels had historical occurrences in India as the backdrop. Taylor also published A Student Manual of the History of India, for the benefit of British civil servants to have an understanding of India’s history.

In 1875, Taylor came and stayed in Hyderabad as a guest of Sir Salar Jung I, the Prime Minister of the Nizam. The next year, Taylor passed away at Mentone in southern France, while sailing back to England. His other famous works The Story Of My Life (1877) and A Noble Queen (1878) were published posthumously. In his writings, Taylor exhibited an urge to understand and appreciate Indian social customs, manners and religious practices in their true perspective. He developed real interest in the study of Indian ancient classics and thus emulated other famous Orientalists like William Jones. His work on Mohammad, Gawan and other Bahamani Sultans sparked interest among European scholars in the history of Deccan.

Indian Archaeology was yet another field that enormously interested Taylor. He carried out significant archaeological excavations in Gulbarga region and published his findings in the Journal of Bombay branch of the Royal Asiatic Society and in the Royal Irish Academy publications. He is considered one of the earliest path breaking archaeologists in India. Rich tributes are paid to Taylor by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in its numerous publications. Taylor was an accomplished painter and a photographer, at a time when photography itself was in its infancy. His series of paintings on Ellora cave sculptures earned him a great reputation as an established painter and sketch maker.

His beautiful sketches of the Golconda fort, Qutub Shahi tombs and Charminar, besides several other captivating local images, eloquently speak of his artistic skills and regard for Hyderabadi culture. Taylor remained a loyal friend of Hyderabad throughout his life. When the British tried to annex Berar from the Nizam, because of the good quality of cotton grown there, Taylor, even while in retirement, vehemently opposed such a move.

In March, 2012, one Dr. Alberto Taylor, a fifth generation descendant of Col. Taylor, visited Hyderabad from California to trace his ancestral roots. He went round places in the erstwhile Hyderabad dominions associated with Meadows Taylor as mentioned in his autobiography, The Story of My Life.At Surpur, he was amazed that people still remembered with nostalgia the services of Meadows Taylor to that area. He even stayed for a day in “Taylor Manzil”, an inspection bungalow on a hill near Surpur, which his illustrious forefather had built.

- The Hindu , October 29, 2015

With the onset of festival season, there has been a rapid increase in pollution of water bodies in the city. Devotees throw material in canals and Sutlej following the religious rituals.

Despite installation of grills by the district administration, residents find several ways to pollute the water bodies. The administration has also installed boards to make people aware that polluting water bodies is a punishable offence under the Canal Act. However, rarely the police register any case against violators.

Nowadays, the Sidhwan canal is dried up as farmers do not use water in harvesting season, but devotees can be seen throwing material in the canal. Some of the religious bodies suggested devotees to adopt alternative practices to follow rituals. The committee of Geeta Mandir on Pakhowal Road urged devotees to give the pooja material to them. Despite these efforts, the canal is choked with polythene and other such material.

They pollute the Sutlej by throwing polybags, packaging material and sacks along with pooja samagri. The bank of river is full of polybags. Meanwhile, an NGO came up with a proposal for a separate platform to perform rituals at canal. Officialspeak

Tanveer Singh Dhaliwal, municipal councilor, and activists of NGO ‘Pehal-The Beginning’, said: “We wanted to construct a ‘samagri ghat’ on the canal. A Priest can be deputed there to make the people aware about the water pollution while performing rituals. We will install a net in the water so only eatables flow in the water. We have discussed the proposal with the Irrigation Department. They do not have any objection. Now, we are looking for sponsors.”

- The Tribune , October 29, 2015

Western Railways, in collaboration with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is working on a plan to renovate Mumbai’s Bandra station, as a heritage landmark.

In April this year, UNESCO had accepted the offer to work as a consultant for heritage conservation at the charming 146-year-old station. They will restore the damaged or missing structures on the building and will also be involved in designing the surrounding areas. The station has been identified as a National Rail Heritage site by Western Railway as well as Grade I heritage building by the Maharashtra government.

For this, a concrete plan has been made to transform the station with the view of providing efficient transportation facilities, and also to reinforce the magnificence of the building that is known for its sloping Mangalore-tiled roof, and a spacious layout.

UNESCO has submitted the initial report for redevelopment to Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu. The report focuses on urban design strategy. According to a report in The Times of India, the recommendations include steps for relieving congestion and streamlining movement at entry and exit of the station. The overall report proposes to develop the station into a culturally relevant community asset. They plan to create an attractive and comfortable environment,

while focussing on giving priority to pedestrians and to make the station universally accessible. A number of steps for improving accessibility for people with disabilities will also be taken. UNESCO’s final report with conservation and management plan of the station building, is expected next month.

This redesign will boost the preservation of the rich heritage of Mumbai. Indian Railways is also the overseer of four world heritage sites – Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway and Kalka Shimla Railway.

In 2009, Western Railways had the undertaken restoration work of the Bandra station building, and appointed conservation architect Abha Narian Lambah as a consultant for the same. However, heritage conservation plan was not carried out after the repairs.

- www.thebetterindia.com , October 30, 2015

800 delegates expected to participate in the event beginning tomorrow.

Architects, engineers, research scholars and students from India and abroad will converge here to share knowledge at an international conference on heritage cities here on Saturday and Sunday.

The University School of Design (USD), an entity of the University of Mysore, is holding the event to derive fresh ideas from young and budding professionals, being guided by the experts in the field. Around 800 delegates are expected to participate. As the theme of the conference is ‘heritage cities’, there will be four technical sessions during the two-day event. They include conservation of heritage buildings; sustainable development; transition of smart cities and specific heritage by-laws and associated tax benefits.

According to the school, a heritage city is a place which has special cultural, historical and physical significance. Such a place is officially sought to be preserved, kept free from damage and is celebrated as a heritage city. Their preservation embodies recognition of the necessity to know and cherish the past. Heritage conservation does not mean freezing a building in time, creating a museum or tying the hands of property owners so they cannot do anything with their properties. It seeks to maintain and increase the value of buildings by keeping their original built form and architectural elements, seeking their restoration rather than replacement, said USD Director Krishne Gowda.

Sustainable development, according to a release here, is a process for meeting human development goals while maintaining the ability of natural systems to continue to provide resources and ecosystem services upon which the economy and society depend, even in future times, he said. The need for protection and preservation of natural settings and the ambience of archaeological monuments and historical places has been accepted at all levels. To ensure this, it is necessary that there are adequate legislative provisions in the State Acts to control and regulate developments taking place in the periphery of these monuments, Prof. Gowda said.

Central Acts such as Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, envisages protection and preservation of such sites, but the Archaeological Society of India has no control over the areas beyond protected limits, to control haphazard developments in and around monuments, he explained. Accordingly, the discussion will focus under the sub-theme on understanding the need to conserve and protect our heritage sites and buildings, and specific urban heritage laws and regulations that are required to be strengthened and or to formulate new enactment to make the process more comprehensive and effective.

- The Hindu , October 30, 2015

Overlooking major environmental concerns of locals and green groups, the ministry of environment and forests has granted a green clearance for Goa's second airport to be built in Mopa village at a cost of Rs3000 crore. The ministry's expert appraisal committee had recommended the project for clearance in its last meeting on October 20, and even before making its minutes public, the ministry granted it a final environmental clearance. The airport project requires a total of 2,271 acres and it will be built in four phases.

The ministry's green clearance has come with certain caveats. The proposed airport has to obtain a 'consent to establish' permission from the State Pollution Control Board and also has to ensure availability of land near the proposed airport for managing traffic near the NH17 junction. Besides, for water conservation, the project proponent has to provide fixtures and rain water harvesting too has to be adopted.

The project's clearance, though, does not make any mention of an active wildlife corridor close to the airport site. The airport site falls in the same region which is a continuation of the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg wildlife corridor of Maharashtra, that is used by tigers and migrating elephant herd.

The proposed greenfield airport has Goans divided on several issues ranging from environment, tourism and land. While the current airport is located at Dabolim in Goa's centre, the new proposed airport in Mopa is located in the northern most region, close to Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district.

While laying down general and specific conditions for the airport, locals said that the ministry has overlooked the fact that the plateau where the project will be built is a rich source of water for local farmers. Further, the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the airport was heavily criticised during the project's public hearing, where locals said that the report did not take into account the flora and fauna found near the project site.

"The Mopa plateau is rich in biodiversity where Bisons and Leopards have been sighted. The flora and fauna of the site is similar to that of the Western Ghats, but this did not even figure in EIA report. At the public hearing, tribals from Dhangar community too had protested against the project but the clearance does not make any mention of these protests," said Ramesh Gawas, an activist from Bicholim.

- http://www.dnaindia.com/ , October 30, 2015

Eight people, from across the country, will come together on one platform on Friday for the Civil Society Hall of Fame awards. Hailing from diverse backgrounds, these eight people have fought hard for civilian rights to keep our democracy alive. The award ceremony will celebrate their spirit and work by inducting them into the Civil Society Hall of Fame.

In an age when prime-time news has taken over the media, Umesh and Rita Anand, bring a fresh sense of hope with their subaltern magazine — Civil Society. A retired editor and a teacher, together they have converted the magazine into a journal of and for ordinary citizens living extraordinary lives. They have been archiving and celebrating people who have made a considerable impact on our society through their exemplary work.

The Civil Society Hall of Fame, is an annual award, meant to felicitate, recognise and extend support to ordinary people who have been working for civilian rights and to better Indian governmental system. As a magazine advocating civilian rights, Umesh says the basic role of this award is to spread awareness and celebrate the role of people working towards creating a better democracy.

“This is not a money-driven venture. The concept of this award was born out of pure journalistic instinct to bring forth these extraordinary souls and make the country aware of their contributions. Our goal is recognise people who have fought for civilian rights, people who are driven by ideas and passion rather than a political agenda.”

“These nominees are one of those people who don’t bother about the fame or scale of their efforts, but work only for the benefit and betterment of their environment. They are picked up from remote corners of the country and from various different fields. We have a diverse jury, and the nominees are selected purely on the basis of their work,” he adds.

One of the previous entries into the Hall of Fame was Sanjay Sahni, an electrician from Muzzafarpur, Bihar. He was aware of the NREGA programme and the rampant corruption, but had no idea about the data and the process to take rightful action. He was introduced to Google as an online encyclopaedia, and while discovering its services he came across NREGA data, the names of people from his village who never received the assistance. From there on, he led a civilian movement to correct the system and guarantee rightful payment of the dues.

No one knew about Sanjay Sahni, until he was inducted him into the Hall of Fame. “Fighting at grassroots level and working for a better system can get extremely lonely and often these people face pressure and threats from the higher-ups. Recognising them and felicitating them brings forth their work. They get national and global support. Sanjay Sahni has now been written about internationally, he was even featured on Satyamev Jayate. This helps in building morale of ordinary citizens fighting for a better future,” says Rita.

This year’s winners include, Dr Sudha Sinha, who initiated specialised cancer wards for children at the M.N.J. Cancer Hospital in Hyderabad and set up an NGO called Impact to help better public healthcare system. Dr Sitanath De, who returned from England to take up practice as a surgeon in the remote town of Jhargram in West Bengal. Dr De, along with other surgeons, later found ASRI or the Association of Rural Surgeons of India.

Archana Godbole and Jayant Sarnaik, found the Applied Environment Research Foundation to conserve biodiversity in the Western Ghats. Indraani Singh, first female pilot to fly an Airbus-300, found Literacy India, an NGO that helps provide education and vocational skills to underprivileged children, youth and women. Puli Raju, a schoolteacher, has been compiling and archiving parallel data on the number of farmer suicides in the state of Telengana. He has been maintaining his own records since 2004 and has often questioned and corrected the numbers provided by the government.

And finally, in the list of winners comes Sumoni Jhodia, one of the most prominent tribal leaders in Orissa, who has led major movements to fight for the rights of her village. The magazine, is honouring and celebrating the contributions of these exceptional people on Friday evening at the Indian Habitat Centre.

- The Asian age , October 30, 2015

Almost four years since the last meeting of the erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi in historic Town Hall, Chandni Chowk--that has been its seat of power since 1866 in the British Raj--North Corporation held a House meeting again here on Thursday afternoon.

Even as Congress shouted slogans there and protested against the Mayor in the Well, stalling proceedings, North Corporation managed to underline the importance the landmark building still holds, almost 152 years after its construction.

The place wasn't infested with rats as the Opposition had been alleging ever since the decision to hold the meeting here was announced as North Corporation had managed to undertake repair and painting works. But portions of the building had plaster peeling and bricks exposed.

The yellow-painted Victorian-era structure with its grand windows and facades had a functional water fountain at one of its entrances. As municipal staff and everyone present were treated to a merry lunch on the lawns, mediapersons were shown the central library that the building still houses."It has 13,000 books and the municipal staff in the nearby dispensaries still visit," said an official. "We will soon shift the library to the first floor of our present headquarters," the official added.

North Corporation Mayor Ravinder Gupta had decided to hold the meeting in the Town Hall to acquaint new councillors with the grandeur of the corporation's erstwhile office. He denied the Opposition's allegation that the move cost the cash-starved corporation Rs 30 lakh.

Renovation of Town Hall has been on the cards since North Corporation first presented its budget. The ministry of tourism had cleared Rs 50 crore in February last year for this project subject to submission of a detailed project report by North Corporation which it hasn't received yet.

North Corporation commissioner P K Gupta told TOI on Thursday that the DPR will be worked out in three months.The commissioner said that, because of some technical glit ches, the tender must be refloated. The corporation is also in talks with Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage for the project. A museum, library, children's corner, boutique hotel, multi-cuisine restaurants and meeting rooms with provision for video conferencing will be developed.

"We need a work order before we can assess the engineering aspects. Whatever they decide to redevelop it into, it should not be antithetical to its original identity ," A G K Menon, Intach convener, said. Chairman of the standing committee Mohan Bharadwaj said, "We have also been in talks with FICCI for them to run it. We are exploring the possibility of generating revenue from it."

- The Times of India , October 30, 2015