The oral tradition handed down from one generation to the next is replete with mythology of the origin of deities on earth. The objects of worship, the images of gods and goddesses provide them artistic motivation which then takes the form of metalwork.

Approaching the Bharevas to sculpt deities is regarded imperative for any couple beginning their life’s journey and deciding to live in a separate establishment. Without enshrining deities in their new home, their beginning is incomplete and the importance of the role of the metal caster within the community becomes amply evident.

Ornaments like rings and daggers are essentials in the marriage rituals in the Gond tribe. The Bhagats or the spiritual heads of the community wear specially designed jewellery like wristlets and armlets. The range includes numerous utility items like lamps, bells, mirror frames as well as decorative art pieces like bullock carts, peacocks, horses and elephants.

From the local to the global, the Bhareva art form has found its way, albeit in a limited way, into the international craft market. Most of this has happened through State-sponsored craft fairs where the Bhareva artistes are invited to display their works. International art dealers scout such fairs and linkages are made for commissioning specific pieces.

Yet the Bharevas are conscious of a perceptible threat to their traditional art form. “First of all, the couples of Gond tribe have stopped wearing ornaments designed by us because of the availability of comparatively affordable artificial jewellery.” According to Sukhlal, a craftsman in Chuna Hujuri village, the cost of raw material for Bhareva jewellery has gone up phenomenally. Brass is priced at Rs 250 per kg and natural wax is Rs 200 to Rs 250 per kg.

“Though, regular weekly markets in tribal pockets witness a brisk business. But sale of such art pieces is seasonal as many cheaper alternatives are available,” says Mahesh Chandra Shandilya, Programme Officer with Madhya Pradesh Academy for Tribal Folk Arts, an autonomous body under Department of Culture, Madhya Pradesh Government.

Craftsmen like Imrat Rawat of Sita Makat village for whom metal casting is the only means of livelihood are deeply concerned. “I have nothing but an ancestral house with less than half-an-acre patch. If Gond tribal families stop using the crafts items, I will have to think of other options”, he worries.

Of the 50 families settled in 10 villages in Betul district, only 15 practice this unique art. “Many of us have already stopped the practice. Half-a-dozen households of the Bharevas have turned into daily wage earners. They work either as farm labour or get work under Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme,” rues Sahablal of Sita Kamat village.

Acknowledging the availability of viable job openings to the Bharevas, Sukhram, a distinguished metal-caster says, “This sophisticated artistry takes years of painstaking effort to acquire. Once the tribe distances itself from the process, it will take years to regain the same mastery.”

While many of his community members have taken up other viable livelihoods options, his family continues to keeps its efforts and hopes aloft. “I run a Bhareva Shilpa Kala Kendra at Betul for tribal children, but I am not sure of its sustainability”, Sukhram’s son Baldeo laments.

Baldeo’s pride and his anguish are both symbolic of a clash of value as defined by the all-pervasive market forces and value that represents the human artistic endeavour. But, whether to lose one’s heritage or lose one’s livelihood is a hard choice to make.

Bonsai is the art of growing miniature trees in a pot. ‘‘It is a living art,’’ said Neera Neelambera, president of Indian Bonsai Association in the city. ‘‘I love nature but I can’t go to hills every time I feel like being close to greens. And considering the limited space in the city, not everyone has a garden to grow trees. That is where bonsai helps,’’ she added. Neera has 100 bonsai trees of all shapes and styles on her terrace garden some of which are as old as 30 years.

Though buying a bonsai is often an expensive bargain ranging between Rs 1,000 and Rs 30,000, making one at home can be a reasonable and an enjoyable venture. Anyone, who has the slightest love for trees, can learn to make a bonsai. ‘‘Making bonsai is as much a science as it is an art. By this method, we can grow as many trees as we want and can also retain some rare varieties,’’ Neera said.

To grow bonsai, she and other nature-lovers often got tree-cuttings from different places and grafted them in pots. ‘‘Last year, some of our members went to Taiwan for a convention and got back the cuttings of Barbados Cherry, Pyracantha, Chinese Elm which are not found here,’’ she added. And growing bonsai is not just that. The ‘artists’ of bonsai train their dwarf trees to give them a shape, style and situation as close as real. So a bonsai tree can be made weather-beaten with a strip of its bark ripped off, it can have a hole in the trunk with some wood scooped out. Its root can be made to grow on a rock or it can also grow on one side as if swept away by the wind with proper wiring of branches. “You have to observe nature and trees to get the look of the bonsai right. If cared for properly, they can survive many years,’’ Neera said.

The National Bonsai Park at Lodhi Garden is also an attraction for the lovers of trees. The association is now holding a three-day bonsai exhibition at the park starting April 2 where nearly 150 bonsai trees will be displayed. There will also be demonstrations on making a bonsai. Shyama Balbir, another member of the Indian Bonsai Association, said, ‘‘The Bonsai Park was set up in 1985 and the number of visitors has increased drastically since then. As people are moving into flats, all they are left with is a balcony or a terrace to grow plants.’’ She added, ‘‘So they like growing bonsai as they get to see the nature at home. These trees may be dwarf but they too have leaf drop, flowering and grow fruits. There is no mutation as is the myth.’’

Home-made Bonsai
Bonsai is the art and science of growing miniature trees. Originating in China and adopted by Japan, bonsai has become popular in the city too with several conventions, lectures, exhibitions and workshops taking place from time to time. Tree-lovers say bonsai plants live long enough to be passed down over generations

Starting up
Basic process involves selecting a tree-cutting, grafting it and then shaping it
The internet has plenty of information on growing your first bonsai and styling it
The Indian Bonsai Association holds special classes, workshops, demonstrations and monthly meetings

Buying a Bonsai
Available at various nurseries but many are crudely styled
Buying one from a bonsai artist ensures style and sustainability
Could cost anything between
Rs 1,000 & Rs 30,000

Forthcoming fiesta
29th Annual Bonsai Exhibition
Date - April 2 to 4
Venue - National Bonsai Park, Lodhi Garden

“Srijan”, an exhibition of paintings, photographs, graphics and sculpture art is part of INTACH's Silver Jubilee celebrations. Featuring over 20 professional and amateur artistes from across the country, the exhibition offers a unique collection of art composed by those working with INTACH in its efforts towards preservation of Indian heritage.

The works reflect on a myriad of themes and issues and their diversity in terms of style and use of mediums further strengthens their authenticity. According to INTACH, the collection is representative of the creative energy of the youth today and a visual statement of their attempts to maintain a sensitive contact with their reflective side.

Paintings form a major part of the collection and consist of oil, acrylic and mixed-media based works. Some explore the magic or rural and religious life while others are based on recent incidents such as the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. A select group of sculptures, three dimensional works and photographs capture a different mood as they speak of themes ranging from world peace to personal solitude.

The exhibition, which was inaugurated by eminent artist Krishen Khanna on March 24, is open for viewing up to April 9.
 

3 April 2010, Hindu

Morning walkers in Lodhi Garden stopped in their tracks on Saturday when they found some ducks lying dead near the artificial lake close to Gate No 4. Several more were lying injured in and around the lake that had recently been drained of water for cleaning, some of them caught in the algae and mud slush that lined the floor of the lake.

As people watched horrified and some tried to help, the remaining ducks were transferred to another pond on the other side of the Athpula bridge by NDMC workers, this time protected by a net. Officials claimed that the ducks had been attacked by stray dogs in which six had perished and about eight were injured.

However, regular visitors to the garden found the explanation hard to digest. Geeta Bhargava, who saw the dead ducks when she arrived at the park at 5.45 am, said the birds appeared to have got trapped in the slush on the floor of the lake and were not able to move. Others were lying around dead and another walker was picking them up and putting their bodies in a small enclosure nearby. ‘‘I was horrified by the sight. The guards told me that there had been a dog attack but the number of birds that are dead or injured indicate that it could be something else. The dogs have always been around — so why would they attack so many birds all of a sudden? Why did NDMC not remove the birds in the first place when the lake had started drying up,’’ she said.

Other walkers pointed out that the lake had been stinking for the past few days and it had become imperative for NDMC to clean it. According to those working at the garden, water supply to the lake had been stopped a few days back. ‘‘On Friday night, the birds must have been trying to cross over to the other side of the bridge when they got trapped and the dogs found an easy target,’’ said one. The dogs reportedly also got into an enclosure that was built especially for ducks with hatchlings, injuring a couple of newly-hatched chicks.

The veterinary doctor who treated the injured birds claimed he found puncture wounds and blood on most of them, indicating an attack possibly by dogs. ‘‘It is highly unusual that so many birds were injured but Lodhi Garden has had a sudden influx of dogs recently. There are about 40 strays that pose a danger not only to the birds but also to the walkers but we can’t do anything about that,’’ said an official.

Officials accepted that the lake should be cleaned at least twice a year but they manage to do so only about once before summer sets in. ‘‘We are very short of water and tubewells are used to fill up the lake. It is pretty dirty but we do not have the resources to clean it frequently,’’ said an official.
 

4 April 2010, Times City, Times of India

Pankaj Agarwal, a resident of Safdarjung Enclave, told TOI that they had raised the issue with DDA several times but it had failed to take any corrective action. “Untreated sewage has been flowing into the lake for almost five years now. Earlier, the management and redevelopment of the lake had been with INTACH when its condition had improved considerably. Now, it is impossible to even go near it because the water stinks. Officials keep promising they would take action but have barely managed to do anything,’’ he said.Residents say that when the water body was dry, there was some greenery around with trees and plants growing inside it and the area was kept clean. Some years back, however, it was decided to fill it up with treated sewage from Vasant Kunj except that the sewage doesn’t seem treated at all. In fact, the chairman of the Environment Pollution Control Authority, Bhurelal, had pulled up Delhi Jal Board officials just last month for the highly degraded quality of treated sewage that was being supplied to the Deer Park. Jasjit Purewal, another resident, decided to take up the matter with the ministry of environment and forests, which sent a team to take water samples for testing. “The lake has become a sewage body now. All the fish are dead and there is massive mosquito breeding taking place. In fact, in order to rid the lake of algae, daily wage labourers are made to dive into the water body and clean it manually. Aerators — machines that are used for pumping air into the water and for giving still water some movement — are rusting at the edge of the lake. Whose idea was it to fill the lake with sewage water and why are they so incapable of maintaining it now?’’ she asked.
 

5 April 2010, Times City, Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has issued a show-cause notice to the management of Shree Yogmaya Mandir in Mehrauli here for alleged unauthorised construction of a room at its premises.

According to MCD officials, the notice was issued on March 30 after an inspection of the temple complex by the assistant engineer (building) concerned. The civic agency asked the temple authorities to state the reason why the room, constructed in an “unauthorised” way, should not be demolished.

The temple, dedicated to goddess Yogmaya, the sister of Krishna, was built in 1820s but devotees believe that it came up on the site of an ancient shrine. It is also an integral part of the annual festival of “ Phool Walon Ki Sair” which is held in the month of October.

The Shree Yogmaya Mandir Welfare and Management Society, which looks after the temple, maintained that there was no unauthorised construction in the complex and the room in question was attached to the shrine “since time immemorial.”

In its reply to the notice, the Society has said the allegation in the show-cause notice is “false and frivolous.”

It said the intended demolition of the room would lead to demolition of the temple. It further stated that the MCD should withdraw the notice, failing which the Society would resort to legal action.

According to the MCD, the issue of unauthorised construction and encroachment on public land in the Yogmaya Mandir Complex at Mehrauli is under consideration of the Delhi High Court in the matter of the PIL of Sunaina Devi vs. DDA and others, 2006.

MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur said: “The area was transferred from the DDA to the MCD by a notification in 2007 and the MCD has been taking action under the law against unauthorised construction and encroachment since then, particularly in compliance of the directions of the High Court. The MCD has also issued notices to certain property owners and occupiers asking them to come up with evidence or documentary proof of their existence prior to February 2007 deadline before the Master Plan 2021 came into being.”
 

5 April 2010, Hindu

It’s also perhaps the largest in recent years with over 200 works, including oils, acrylics, ink drawings and experimental chemical alterations, going on display. All the works are from the collection of Delhi-based Dhoomimal Art Gallery which has had a long, personal relationship with Souza. So much so that some of the works are not on sale. ‘‘The portrait Souza did of my parents in 1982 and the canvas he presented me in 1986 are treasured works. We can’t bear to part with them,’’ says Uday Jain, director of the 74-year-old gallery.

But many other works are on sale with pen and ink sketches and chemical alterations priced at Rs 2.5-6 lakh and the larger oils going upwards of Rs Rs 1 crore.

Yashodhara Dalmia, a specialist in modern art who is curating the show titled ‘Volte-Face: Souza’s Iconoclastic Vision’, sorted through 400 works from the Jains’ enormous Souza collection to select 200 works that span the artist’s ouevre from the 1940s to the 1990s.

Souza, who is the only Indian artist to have a room dedicated to him at the Tate Britain, also founded the Progressive Arts Group in 1947 that brought artists like M F Husain and S H Raza together. Among the key works in the show are Souza’s brilliantly crafted and almost ghoulish heads made with slashing, stabbing lines, multiple eyes and tubular noses. As Dalmia explains, ‘‘These grotesque heads were his way of uncovering the underbelly of existence. He didn’t want to suppress society’s destructive side, he wanted to air it.’’

To introduce Souza to a new generation of art lovers, Dhoomimal gallery has organized art workshop for children and curated tours during the 10-day exhibition which ends on April 18. Souza collectors such as Ebrahim Alkazi and his friends from the art community such as Krishen Khanna and Anjolie Ela Menon will give talks. An accompanying catalogue will also document his artwork.
 

6 April 2010, Times City, Times of India

Sources said with the administration already exercising a lot of control over ground water extraction, it had given the government the teeth to push for the controversial Bill that had so far been stuck due to massive resistance, specially from rural areas.

‘‘Under the Environment Protection Act (EPA), ground water extraction in Delhi is being regulated by the district commissioner of each of the nine zones in the city since the beginning of last year. Delhi Jal Board reviews each application that comes in and recommends cases under domestic and industrial areas to a committee headed by the DC,” said Ramesh Negi, CEO, DJB.

He said: “For agricultural use, it is the block development officer who recommends cases to the committees. Thus, there is already some check on extraction of water and hence, it will be easier to implement the proposals of the Bill.’’

According to the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), Delhi withdraws .48 billion cubic meters (BCM) of ground water against an availability of .28 BCM. While the south and southwest zones and the Yamuna flood plains are notified areas, these are the very zones where ground water levels have been falling sharply.

Critics of the bill say that while DJB is unable to provide the city with adequate water, it has no right to implement such a law. ‘‘The government has so far failed to provide water supply to all parts of the city. In fact, most of its money has been wasted on plans — like the Munak canal — which are nowhere near completion. We can’t say much about the Bill till it is introduced and we are not going to oppose it, but the government will have to provide some support for poor users who do not get DJB water supply,’’ said V K Malhotra, leader of opposition.

Even within the government there are some sceptics who say that unless there is a strong enforcement structure in place, the Bill will not be successful. ‘‘The government right now has records of borewells based only on applications that it has approved of in the past year. However, there are several areas where people survive only on groundwater but there is no record of the same. Unless the SDM or DC take action, imposing a cess on extraction would be highly unfair,’’ said sources.

The Objectives
Salient features of proposed groundwater bill
People using groundwater will be charged and the
revenue will go to DJB
Groundwater extraction will be regulated in urban as well as rural areas
The government, which regulates boring of tubewells in Delhi, will maintain a list of connections
Users who do not declare groundwater connections will be penalized if caught
 

6 April 2010, Times City, Times of India

It is true that there has been a strongly contested election this month, and I have not commented on that, as I feel it is an internal matter for the organisation. What I must comment on, however, is the impression that INTACH has become a “quasi-governmental agency,” that we have secured some sort of monopoly on conservation through being “comfortably embedded in the Delhi power-culture circuit,” and that we are in any way “broken.”

A quick look at the INTACH website or at our most recent annual report will show the scope of our activities. We function through a network of over 150 chapters, and several thousand dedicated members. We are headed by a chairman, who receives no salary or other remuneration. Our other division heads are all respected professionals and specialists in their fields, and our professional staff, working under the division heads, is extraordinarily talented and committed. Although our headquarters office is indeed in Delhi, we work throughout India, from the smallest villages to the largest cities.

Linking INTACH to Delhi’s “power culture,” is thus both irresponsible and incorrect, as is the mention of supposed ties to the Congress Party. The government has, indeed, come to respect and listen to us, but that has not affected our independence in any way whatsoever.

Although Rajiv Gandhi was our first chairman, this did not prevent us from going to court against the plans to rename Connaught Place as Rajiv Chowk. Similarly, although the Delhi chief minister has been one of our strongest and most loyal supporters, we went to court to stop the construction of the Commonwealth Games Village on the Yamuna riverbed. In neither case was there even the slightest attempt to influence us. And in spite of our frequent actions against government, it is a measure of the respect that we have earned that a number of state governments (under several different political parties) have entered into partnership agreements with us. We were also recently commended by the Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Culture, headed by a CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, and the Finance Commission, in its latest report, recommended that ASI partner with INTACH for the restoration of dilapidated court buildings.

As I write this, a message has just come advising me that the Jammu & Kashmir Legislature has approved landmark legislation for protection of tangible and intangible heritage, the first time in India that such a comprehensive law has been passed for an entire state. This has involved many months of work on our part, and meetings with both the chief minister and the governor. INTACH has always been a truly independent organization, willing to fight government whenever necessary, but also mature enough to realize that cooperation can, in cases like this, be far more effective than confrontation.

Regarding funding, we would indeed be very happy if it were true that “hundreds of crores” were flowing through INTACH. In actuality, we have a very small operating budget. Funds for every single project are raised individually. We believe strongly in partnership, and piece together funding for each project from numerous agencies, both governmental and non-governmental, in India and abroad. Some major sources of funds, among others, have been the Helen Hamlyn Trust (GBP 400,000 for the Reis Magos Fort project in Goa), American Express (more than $1 million through the World Monuments Fund for Jaisalmer projects), WMF for projects in INTACH’s Delhi Chapter, the UK-based Jaisalmer in Jeopardy, Prince Charles’ Charities, the UK-INTACH Trust, and INTACH Chapters in the US, Belgium and the UK.

Government funding to INTACH is purely project-based, in response to proposals submitted to us, in cases where it is felt we have the capability to execute them. We have in this manner taken on projects in Gwalior/Shivpuri/Chanderi, Raghurajpur Village in Orissa, Kapurthala, and Srinagar, among others. All of these projects have been successfully completed, to the satisfaction of all involved. What INTACH provides is responsible oversight, professional credibility, and strict financial accountability. There has not, ever, been a single allegation of misuse of even a rupee from funds that have been entrusted to us.

INTACH has undoubtedly become the leading heritage NGO in the country. As such, we have gained tremendous influence and respect both internationally and nationally. In 2007, we hosted the first ever meeting of worldwide heritage trusts, with participants from 55 countries. We received no support for this event from the Government of India, except for one dinner hosted by the ministry of culture. Rather, we raised funds for the conference and for the participation of delegates from developing countries primarily from outside sources, such as the Getty Foundation, Trust for Mutual Understanding, Ford Foundation, Asian Cultural Council, Soros Foundation, and Japan Foundation, as well as from corporate sources in India and the Delhi government.

As a result of this event, the International National Trusts Organization was officially established, INTACH (along with the UK and US national trusts) became one of the three permanent members, and I was elected as vice-chairman. Our voice is now global, and we are routinely included in most international activities involving heritage issues, helping to formulate the very policies that will affect us.

This in no way, however, means that we have become a “monopoly.” There are many independent conservation architects and other professionals in India, as well as other organisations and trusts, who often take on major heritage projects. The ASI, for instance, has entrusted major projects such as the Red Fort and Ajanta to non-INTACH professionals, and the Aga Khan Foundation is supporting an independent team in the massive Humayun’s Tomb projects. We are all very much aware of each other’s work, interact freely and frequently, and consider ourselves to be part of a large fraternity, with common concerns.

It is INTACH’s growing stature that has led state and national governments, as well as many funding organizations, to trust our competence. Far from being “broken,” we have indeed achieved a leadership role that links many people and organizations concerned with preserving and nurturing our irreplaceable heritage, and have thus achieved the respect and the influence to give voice to the heritage concerns of all Indians.

The writer is a founder-member of INTACH and its current chairman
 

7 April 2010, Indian Express

It will request the Bombay Natural History Society to take up a comprehensive study to suggest ways of protecting birds, fish and Ganges River Dolphins there.

Mr. Ramesh said the Assam government was asked to submit a project proposal. The declaration of Majuli an eco-sensitive zone would also help protect the river island from the recurring problem of floods and erosion.

He assured full cooperation by the Centre in protection of the land mass and rich culture and heritage of the river-island.

Erosion at critical stage
The erosion of the river island has reached a critical stage, with the total landmass coming down from 1,256 sq.km. in 1950 to 514 sq.km. in 1990. As per official records, the land mass is getting eroded at the rate of 7.4 sq.km. a year.

Assam Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain, who accompanied Mr. Ramesh on his visit to the river island, said the State government would submit the proposal soon.

Mr. Ramesh, who made the announcement after a representation by the local residents and Satra dwellers, said the Centre would ensure that the decision would not affect the traditional livelihood of the people of the river island.

Rich bio-diversity
Making the river island an eco-sensitive zone would be the first step towards recognising the rich bio-diversity and unique eco-system of Majuli, he said, speaking to journalists after visiting Uttar Kamalabari Satra, one of the 22 old Vaishnavite monasteries, known as Satra in Assamese.

He interacted with the Satradhikar (the monastery head), Janardan Deva Goswami, to learn about the cultural heritage of the Satra system. He also inspected the library of the Satra, which boasts of a rich collection of centuries-old manuscripts.

Mr. Ramesh said the Centre had accepted the recommendation of the 13th Finance Commission for providing Rs.5 crore to the island over five years for preservation of the cultural heritage of the river island.

Earlier, he inaugurated a tourism complex on the island.
 

7 April 2010, Hindu

The ruins of an earlier citadel were already there and these belonged to the time of the slave sultans. Some aver that they were actually a part of the ancient Indraprastha. Such conjectures are natural in a city like Delhi where there are several layers of habitation, for isn't the city older than Rome and even the Ilium of the Trojans, from where Aeneas Queen escaped to establish another city state after the tragic affair with Dido? For that matter even the Red Fort occupies the site of an old Afghan fort. And to go back further, the fortification of Alauddin Khilji extended right up to the place where now stands the Khooni Darwaza.

Feroze Shah's Kotla was an excellent specimen of Tughlak architecture for he was a builder of magnificent monuments, like Shah Jahan in a later age. But when the Sayyids came to power, they shifted their attention to another part of the city which included Mubarakpur, the present Ramakrishnapuram and Lodi Gardens area.

The Lodhis, of course did not lay the gardens now known after them because of the profusion of Lodhi monuments there. These gardens were laid in their present form in the early 1930s and known after Lady Willingdon, the vicereine.

When the Moghuls took over, Kotla was a forsaken building and the haunt of sufis and mast kalandars. The latter were a sect of derveshes who wore camel skin shirts or just wrapped themselves up in blankets. They were generally big, sturdy men, neglectful of their hygiene, who went about beating themselves with iron chains or brandishing huge steel fire-tongs. Ahmed Ali, the author of Twilight in Delhi, talks of a mast kalandar who hadn't brushed his teeth for years. He, like the others of his tribe, came to the Jama Masjid area from the Kotla, especially during the time of the various Urs.

Thursday is the day
Now, you don't find mast kalandars in the Kotla, but the sufis are still there. Go on a Thursday and you will find them in full sway. People do not flock to see them but seek the intervention of jinns in their daily lives.

The jinns have been associated with the Kotla ever since it became a discarded citadel. It is believed that they were formed from fire, and not earth like man, during the time of Creation. There are two kinds of jinns; the Tairan and the Haiwan. While the former are blessed beings who help mankind and even take wives, the latter are destructive and hostile in their dealings because of their baser instincts. William Dalrymple mentions Djinns in his famous book on Delhi.

They are also found in Mehrauli around the Makan-e-Khizr. Hazrat Khizr is believed to be the grandson of Adam, the first man, who keeps travelling around the world. His journey will terminate only when the world ends.

By the way jinns are fond of sweets and pretty women. They are dressed in white and, being invisible, cast no shadow.

Interestingly, people of all faiths throng the Kotla to seek the blessings of the jinns. So there is a regular mela there on Thursdays.

Some will remember that many years ago the king of the jinns was supposed to get married on a certain day somewhere in Iran. Reports in newspapers quoted mystics as urging people to seek boons during the mythical event, with a stern warning to those who tried to scoff at the idea. The reverberations were felt in the Kotla too, were jinns were seen frolicking at night after consuming milk in mud kulhars (pot). Several of these were recovered the next day and many wondered how they got there?

You remember the tale of the midwife who was blindfolded and led away one night to a dilapidated house in Delhi? When she opened her eye she saw a woman in labour and after the delivery was escorted back safe and sound with a present of a handful of coals which turned into gold coins when she reached home and threw them down in disgust. But don't expect the ones at the Kotla to repeat the act.
 

12 April 2010, Hindu

Titled Dog Father, Fox Mother, Their Daughters and Other Stories, the show was apparently the initiative of one S Anand of Navayana Publishing who had promised to get Sukhmandi a show. Anand had used illustrations by Sukhmandi’s aunt Durgabhai in a book on caste issues and labour.

During a visit to Lalit Kala Akademi with his uncle Subhash not so long back, Sukhmandi had been asked by an American artist to sculpt a life-size image of him naked. He subsequently made two pieces labelled Artist 1 and Artist 2, representing the American as a kind of deity figure with several arms carrying paintbrushes. In one work he extended the phallus in the figure, to create a third leg. Apparently he lost that American artist’s card and could never give him the completed sculptures.

Some of the other pieces like Mother, Daughter Grandma depict scenes from Gond community life. Birds on a tree. Lice hunted out from girl’s hair. There was an interesting Bana Mask. Bana for the Gonds means a ‘fiddle’. Pardhan Gonds often don the role of priests and singers telling stories of gods and goddesses like Bada Deo who is sometimes depicted as a bana. Performance of the bana supposedly gives Pradhan Gond art a unique narrative. Another God represented in Sukhmandi’s sculptors is Bageswar Deo, worshipped at weddings for happy unions, with boars sacrificed to keep him pleased, or this deity of fertility can turn nasty and kill the newly wedded pair.

Sukhmandi explained most of his sculptures were inspired by oral traditions of his people, who apparently form India’s largest adivasi community. “It is what I understand. And it is deeply rooted in nature.” So we viewed a wedding ritual depiction involving a friendly tug-of war between groom and bride. And there were animals like owls, snakes and mongooses. The Nagpanchami festival was depicted. So was Mallu Deo, God of stomach disorders. Sukhmandi narrated a sun and moon creation story on which a sculpture was based. “In earlier times, the first man and woman referred to as Devyar and Behen, lived in darkness and were nude. When sun and moon created light, they were revealed to each other and felt ashamed. So the celestial orbs were asked to recede, till Vishnu, Mahesh and Brahma interceded, approaching the Goddess of cotton, Kapeesa Devi to get them back. She flung three strands of hair on Earth, making cotton, used to cover the first couple.”

The sculpture, Thinking Man, was a whimsical blend of traditional storytelling using motifs, both new and old. The central figure was an artist contemplating amidst figures like a fish, that doubled as a plane. There were paint trays, a spider. And Sukhmandi narrated a fable that bore similarities to those in the Old Testament, with a telling about how the world was first covered entirely in water. “One bit of land that reared up like a mountain became the landing ground for a crow...” and so he weaved another story. Gond art’s most famous practitioner was Jangarh Singh Shyam who died in Japan in 2001 under mysterious circumstances. Sukhmandi was close to Jangarh and shared that not long before his death, Jangarh sent a letter with words to the effect, “that he was unhappy and being harassed.” Sukhmandi, like a Sherlock Holmes, added, “Unlike previous letters, this was in Gond language. He obviously wanted secrecy.” It is suggested the deceased may have faced problems from a rival artist from Bihar, but there is no real proof. At any rate, Sukhmandi who has a small studio in Bhopal, is among a new breed of tribals with urban feet, still connected to their roots.
 

13 April 2010, The Pioneer

The first houseboat named ‘Victory’ was designed by MT Kenhard in 1888, as the then Maharaja did not permit the English to possess immovable property in the valley, but allowed them to live in the thatched Doonga boats that the English renovated.

Nowadays, as the Kashmir valley is bracing to welcome tourists from across the globe, the houseboat owners are busy renovating and repairing their houseboats to attract more tourists.

“We want to provide one of the best accommodation to the tourists who want to stay in houseboats to enjoy the amazing ambiance of the Dal Lake. So, we have started renovating our houseboats,” said Mohammad Ramzan, a houseboat owner.

Hundreds of houseboats in the lake are ready to welcome tourists and most of them have already received advance bookings, both from domestic and foreign tourists.

“We have our tie ups with a multi-national tour operator and we are booked for the entire season from next month. We have started renovation work so that tourists don’t face any problem,” said Toufail Ahmed, owner of another houseboat.

A century ago what started with a Doonga boat, the city is now full of many luxurious hotels. Even houseboats have continuously improved and now the cost of a houseboat, which runs into half a crore rupees, has a verandah, a luxurious living room, an elaborate dining room, three to four comfortable bedrooms with attached bathrooms and an upper sun deck.

“I have stayed in many five star hotels across the country, but the pleasure that I draw while staying in a houseboat is hard to express,” said Lalit Kumar, a businessman from Mumbai.

People associated with the houseboat industry had to face a lot of hardships due to the two decades of turmoil driving away tourists.

But now with the situation fast retuning to ‘normal’ a large number of tourists have already started arriving in the valley.

One has to shell out Rs 2,000 to Rs 6,000 for one night stay in a houseboat without meals. Besides, there are also floating markets, hotels for other needs.

“We take our dinner in the houseboat, which is mostly cooked by the family of the boat owner, and we have our lunch either in floating hotels or in Srinagar city,” said Teesta, a tourist from West Bengal.
 

13 April 2010, Tribunee

According to Intach officials, the two areas today function as smaller parts of the dynamically developing capital. ‘‘Conservation of these historic precincts must take into account city’s myriad problems. Intach Delhi Chapter has been spearheading a campaign to get Unesco’s world heritage city status for Delhi and a considerable amount of work has been done in this regard. India does not have a world heritage city and if Delhi gets this prestigious inscription, it will not only help boost tourism but economic development too,’’ said A G K Menon, convenor, Intach Delhi Chapter.

Intach will hold a two-day conference this weekend to identify steps that can be taken to help the government make a case to nominate the capital as a world heritage city. Speaking at a conference, Pooja Joshi from SRC said the government was looking to Intach for guidance in terms of living heritage — commonly found in Old Delhi. Intach chairman major general (retd) L K Gupta spoke about the trust’s collaboration with the government to pursue their common goal of protecting heritage.

Officials said the third master plan for 2001-2021 gives priority to the renewal of Shahjahanabad. Many proposals for its upliftment, including shifting of industries and reducing density by introducing schools, parks, health centres, etc, and widening of roads, remain largely unimplemented. The updated MPD recognizes these problems and recommends the identification of ‘special areas’ where it would be possible to advocate planning standards that are different from those applied in the rest of the city.

Lutyens’s Bunglow Zone in New Delhi, say experts, must also be considered for conservation and has become an important agenda for town planning. It was listed among the 100 most endangered sites worldwide in 2002 by World Monuments Watch. Despite being designated as conservation area in successive master plans of Delhi, no major conservation programmes have taken up here.
 

14 April 2010, Times of Indiaa

Delhi attracted 23.4 lakh foreign tourists in the year 2008. Apart from the national capital, tourists also fancy Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Northeastern states are emerging as leisure, rural and adventure tourism spots, the report added. In addition to a number of heritage sites, healthcare centres and business hubs in the city, along with the four satellite cities --- Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad --- attract a large number of foreigners. However, limited land availability for tourism projects and inadequate number of hotel rooms are a major drawback for the city.

The report said Maharashtra was the close second with 20.6 lakh visitors followed by Tamil Nadu (20.3 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (16.1 lakh) and Rajasthan (14.8) lakh tourists. Maharashtra rides on Mumbai’s popularity. Pune is also popular among foreigners as it has emerged as an education and IT services hub. Other major cities in the state include Nashik, Aurangabad and Nagpur. The 720 - km long coastline, the Konkan hills, ancient cave temples and the Vidarbha forests are some of the major tourist attractions in the state.

Tamil Nadu, only a fraction behind Maharashtra, with its beaches, hill stations, heritage sites, temples, wildlife and rural life, offers a wide array of opportunities for tourists. Some of the major cities in the state, include Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Salem. The state is gaining popularity for its medical services, thereby attracting a large number of medical tourists.

Uttar Pradesh is a popular tourist destination due to the presence of a large number of religious and historical sites.
 

15 April 2010, Tribune

The underlying thrust of the conference titled “Conservation of Shahjahanabad and Lutyens' Bungalow Zone: Contrasting conservation imperatives for the growing metropolis of Delhi” would be on how to prepare a road map for Delhi to be declared a “World Heritage City”' by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

The announcement about the event was made at a press conference here on Tuesday which was addressed by INTACH chairman Major General (Retd.) L. K. Gupta, INTACH Delhi Chapter convenor A.G.K. Menon, and Pooja Joshi of Shahjahanabad Re-development Corporation.

The conference follows a series of earlier seminars organised by INTACH to make recommendations to guide policymakers and inform practitioners in the field of heritage-related developments taking place in others parts of the country and the world.

Prof. Menon said: “For the last few years there has been a lot of talk on making Delhi a world heritage city and for this we want to emphasise on the conservation of urban heritage as people are already aware of the monumental heritage but seldom see a whole part of the city as heritage. Thankfully some steps have been taken to acknowledge this fact, as in the last Master Plan for Delhi six heritage zones have been identified of which two important ones include Shahjahanabad and LBZ. These have been recognised as heritage that needs to be conserved.”

“As Delhi strives to become a world class city and the old replaces the new we are arguing that urban heritage is not be discarded but conserved as living heritage which can be lived, used and enjoyed by all Delhiites alike. But for this to happen we need awareness not just among the citizenry but also among the city's urban planners and architects,” he added.

According to Prof. Menon, the challenges for heritage-centric development in the two areas of Shahjahanabad and LBZ are aplenty given the nature of these two areas. “Delhi is a city witnessing overwhelming growth and mounting pressures of modernisation. While Shahjahanabad has been declared a slum area on one hand, LBZ is widely regarded as an elitist ghetto home to VIPs including Ministers. So both are contrasting situations but what is common between them is the problem of treatment of urban heritage as there is a lack of understanding of what it entails and what should be done to conserve it,” he added.
 

15 April 2010, The Hindu

Student participation
As many as 35 public and government schools participated in the competition. Each school was represented by three students, accompanied by a teacher. The students were shown a film about INTACH and its activities after which the competition began.

Topics
The theme of the competition was “Save our heritage” and the sub-themes included “Save our natural heritage”, “Save our built heritage” and “Save our living heritage”.

All the participants were given certificates. The aim of the programme was to make citizens aware of their role in the conservation and preservation of our natural, cultural and living heritage.
 

16 April 2010, The Hindu

The Tipu Sultan collection, comprised of seven lots, included weaponry and other rarities captured after the British stormed his palace in Srirangapatnam in Mysore in May 1799.

The sword was estimated to fetch £50,000 to 70,000 at an auction as part of Sotheby’s bi-annual Arts of the Islamic World Sale here.

Earlier reports had said the sword, which went under the hammer, was the one bought by Indian business tycoon Vijay Mallya in 2003.

However, a statement from the UB group, owned by Vijay Mallya, said he has not sold his sword. “Tipu Sultan’s original and personal sword is owned by me and will never be sold,” Mallya was quoted as saying.

The sword, formerly in the collection of Viscount Strathallan, had been estimated to sell for £50,000 to £70,000 but it was sold for almost ten times the price.

An applique and gilt metal-thread embroidered shamiana, from the cloth of gold suite of fabric used by Tipu Sultan in the Royal Toshkhana, which was estimated to sell for £30,000 to £40,000 went for £21,250.

According to the auction house, there are a very small number of sword hilts, such as the one auctioned, which have a pronounced tiger theme that was a mark of Tipu’s ownership.
 

16 April 2010, Times of India

A manifestation of the Indo-Afghan style of architecture, Jumerati Gate is the last of Bhopal's seven great gates, named after the seven days of the week. Along with Sheesh Mahal (Glass Palace) and the Imperial Post and Telegraph Office, believed to be the State's first post office set up in 1862, it is now marked by the State Government for demolition.

State Urban Development Minister Babulal Gaur recently announced that these structures would be demolished to make way for parking lots in order to address the parking woes of the old city.

When contacted about this imminent danger to the cultural heritage of Bhopal, Culture Minister Laxmikant Sharma expressed concern over the development and sounded ambiguous over how it could be avoided. “I am aware of it and have asked the Commissioner of my department to prepare a list of such heritage sites in the city,” he told The Hindu. Asked if he would discuss the issue with Mr. Gaur, he said: “This is within the government so it needs to be discussed cautiously. I will see to it that no heritage sites are demolished.”

At least two of the buildings, Sheesh Mahal and Jumerati Gate, are being notified as heritage sites, according to M. Govil, Commissioner, State Department of Archaeology and Museum.

Mr. Gaur, however, seems to have made up his mind.

“These are not heritage buildings,” he told The Hindu. “They are weak and damaged structures that can crumble any time. They are dangerous and need to be demolished. And what do the archaeology people know? They can't just notify any building they like.”

The government decision has not gone down well with people living in and around these areas, with most calling it an attempt by the ruling BJP to erase the city's collective cultural memory.

“Six of the seven gates have been demolished over time, Jumerati is the last one standing,” says 70-year-old Inamullah Khan, a wholesale tea-shop owner in the area. The Gate, an important trade centre, has been standing tall for several centuries as a symbol of Bhopal 's relationship with international and internal traders.

The saraisthat housed these traders still stand around the Gate.

“The Gate has been here for centuries and has survived war, weather and riots. Most of the shops here are four generations old. And they want to demolish it for parking lots? Who would need parking if there are no shops left here?” he asks.

Inamullah is one of many shopkeepers who would lose their only source of livelihood if Mr. Gaur has his way. The demolition drive has begun already, with the Postmaster-General's bungalow, one of the buildings marked for demolition, being the first casualty. The over 100-year-old colonial structure was razed to the ground this past Monday.

An example of the intermingling of Indo-Islamic and European architecture, the mid-19th Century Sheesh Mahal once was temporary home to the great Persian-Urdu poet A. M. Iqbal, who penned several of his nazmshere during his stay in the city for medical treatment from 1935-36.

“The building has distinct European features like tinted glass work and the front portion that opens towards Iqbal Maidan,” says Savita Raji, President of the Living Heritage foundation in Bhopal.

The building has also been an important centre for training of zariart and has provided employment to thousands of workers since the 1950s. “This zari centre, the first in the State, has survived for decades without any aid from the government,” says S. A. Akhtar who has been supervising the centre since 1975.

Some residents say the government plan to make parking lots is actually a ploy to lease out this land later to real estate players.
 

16 April 2010, Hindu

Said convenor of the Intach Delhi Chapter, prof A G K Menon, ‘‘We signed an MoU with the government of Delhi in 2008 to work towards declaring Delhi a world heritage city. Since then we have been working on various projects and sites to ensure the same can be forwarded by the central ministry to Unesco for consideration.’’ On Sunday, as experts came together to discuss Imperial Delhi and its significance in the urban development taking place as part of the Intach seminar on conservation of Shahjahanabad and Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone, it was apparent that Delhi’s status as a heritage city rests on not only the distant Mughal past but also the architecture of British India. And that conservation is the key to getting the world heritage tag.

Speaking about Edward Lutyens’ Imperial Delhi, Dr Mervyn Miller, international expert on town planning and ‘Garden City’ movement, said, ‘‘The three-pronged design of the central vista, with the points being the memorial arch (India Gate), the palace (Rashtrapati Bhawan) and the business district (Connaught Place) is based on the same lines as some of the greatest architectural designs in the world.’’ Prof Jane Ridley of the Lutyens’ Trust said, ‘‘Both political and architectural history of Imperial Delhi need to be conserved.’’

It’s not just the British, however, who have left behind an architectural legacy. While the government has made efforts to conserve the character of Lutyens’ zone, former DDA chief architect A K Jain admitted that a redefinition of the zone is perhaps needed to conserve the city’s heritage. ‘‘To ensure that the common man also embraces the city’s heritage, conservation and development has to be devolved from just the central and so-called elite sections,’’ added Jain. It’s a point that prof K T Ravindran, head of DUAC, also made as he spoke of defining an urban design framework as well as negotiating densification within the low-rise, medium-density format of the Lutyens’ zone.

HIGHLIGHTS OF DELHI’S HISTORY
The capital’s character is perceived to be an amalgamation of the ‘City Beautiful’ concept, American in origin, & the ‘Garden City’ layout, a British landscape design Developed as a city between the two world wars, Delhi is considered one of the most elaborate inter-war settlements.

Lutyens’ zone conservation started in 1988 — when building norm notification came out. However, Shahjahanabad has not been at the forefront of the govt’s conservation efforts The ‘Garden City’ character took shape much before Imperial Delhi’s architectural designs. Shalimar Bagh — one of the biggest gardens — was laid out in 1653 by Shah Jehan’s wife.

At one point, over fourteen gardens existed within the Red Fort complex
 

19 April 2010, Times City, Times of India

‘‘The old crossings will be put to creative use as is seen in Barcelona. We can have a sit-out at the chowks and develop the dilapidated buildings alongside into public plazas,’’ said Joshi. A presentation on this has been made to the lieutenant governor. Sources said the SRDC is likely to hire architects from Barcelona. They will study the public use and requirements in the local areas and devise an appropriate redevelopment plan.

Urban planner Vijay Risbud, advisor and consultant of SRDC, added, ‘‘Only attaching a heritage tag to the city’s monuments in order to conserve them will not serve the real purpose. It’s wiser to also preserve the function for which the chowks or markets were created. In old times, a chowk served as a semi-public open space at the intersection or termination of galis. It connected different mohallas and communities. We should develop the chowks on the same lines keeping in view the current needs,’’ said Risbud. Heritage buildings should be made amenable to modern technologies, he added. To show the conservation work of heritage sites across the world, the plan cited Edinburgh Old Town, Bolgone city in Italy and Czechoslovakia post-World War II.

Recalling the Chandni Chowk of yesteryears, Old Delhi residents doubted the plausibility of such a plan. ‘‘The central verge once had a big platform surrounded by huge chains. Delhi Police’s music band would come once a week and perform there. It was a visual treat,’’ said Deepak Jain, a local. But he said the increased volume of traffic and commercial activity in the area would make it very difficult to organize such events and that any development plan needed to be practical.

Praveen Goel, a diplomat whose family once owned several havelis in Old Delhi, said, ‘‘Priority should be given to people’s basic needs like clean streets. Authorities should ensure better maintenance of old havelis and buildings. Cosmetic changes like beautification on the lines of Barcelona can follow,’’ he said.
 

19 April 2010, Times City, Times of India

A thousand- odd pages of handwritten pages comprising around 15 works of these classical poets and a few unknown ones are part of the collection of the Wardha-based Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University.

According to senior technical restorer-cum-in charge of the project Virendra Kumar, the pages were disintegrating by mere touch when they came for restoration. “Due to high level of acidity, the handmade paper had become brittle, the ink had stained at places and termites and white ants had also caused considerable damage.”

The first step towards restoration of the pages was to put them in a fumigation chamber for 15 days treating them with various chemicals.

After that each page was photographed for the record. “This is a procedure we always adopt as proof to show our clients the change - before, during and after,” said Kumar.

After the rigorous fumigation and treatment process the pages are sandwiched between sheets of banana tissue paper.

“The normal process of lamination using plastic material can damage the paper as it requires heat to be put in place. Instead we use banana tissue paper that is developed by the Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute at Sanganer near Jaipur. Each sheet of the manuscript is meticulously sandwiched between two sheets of transparent banana tissue paper with the help of ‘maida’ (white flour) paste”, said Kumar.

With this, almost 90 per cent of the work is done. After the restoration work ends, the life of the manuscripts would increase by at least 100 years benefiting research scholars of comparative literature, who could have access to it at the Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University in Wardha.
 

19 April 2010, Tribune

The development comes two years after INTACH, a not-for- profit organisation working in the field of conservation, signed an MoU with the Delhi government in 2008.

The brainstorming was held during the international conference on the `Conservation of Shahjahanabad and Lutyens' Bungalow Zone (LBZ)' where- in a cross section of experts ranging from conservationists, urban planners, government representatives and heritage lovers discussed the contrasting conservation imperatives for the growing metropolis.

Prof K.T. Ravindran, chairperson of Delhi Urban Arts Commission spoke about points to consider while strategising conservation.

INTACH Delhi chapter chief AGK Menon said even when the two areas -- Shahjahanabad and Lutyen's Delhi -- are contrast in nature, there are basic similarities. “One is the process and the second is defining significance (of a particular content) of that area.“

Architect and Urban Designer Rajat Ray, who spoke on `A Short Encounter With Ballimaran' observed, “Such areas should not be looked at from the point of view of certain pre-determined ideas of heritage or even perhaps com- pared to ostensibly similar places elsewhere in the world.“

Charles Lutyens, descendent of Edwin Lutyens, who designed New Delhi, said the status of World Heritage City would help Delhi “raise its prestige inter- nationally“ and “help protect the cultural heritage of the city.“

In the concluding session, the participants came up with recommendations and suggestions after which it was decided to come up with a draft dossier in six months, admittedly a tar- get not likely to be met.
 

19 April 2010, Hindustan Times

A 34-metre-long prayer hall, residential cells for monks, images of Buddha, pottery and a stone plaque were among the discoveries made during excavation at the 40-foot high Bulandi mound over the past four months.

“Important evidence of a three-storeyed ancient monastic structure has been discovered within a short period of excavation.

Further digging may reveal more facts about the past, “said Bihar's Culture Secretary Vivek K. Singh.

The prayer hall is dotted with Buddha statues. Archaeologists believe this could be the same prayer hall Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang mentions in his accounts.

Tsang, who toured India in the 7th century, has writ- ten about a three-storeyed monastic building at `Teliadhaka', which is identified as present day Telhara.

He also wrote that the monastery was home to nearly 1,000 monks at the time.

"A four-foot high basalt image of Buddha in abhay mudra (a gesture of fearlessness or protection) and another in dharmachakra pravartana mudra (turning the wheel of law) are among the many Buddha images in the hall, “Verma said.

A brick-paved floor has also been discovered more than 15 feet below the prayer hall. “The size of the brick on the floor suggests it belongs to the Kushan age (1st century AD),“ said Atul Verma, director of the excavation team. Other finds include a stone plaque with inscriptions in proto-Nagri and a black terracotta seal.

Bihar is known for its three Buddhist study centres -- Nalanda University, Udwantpuri near Biharsharif and Vikramshila University near Bhagalpur.
 

19 April 2010, Hindustan Times

The architecture still makes us proud, but it has been named among the most endangered heritage sites by the World Monument Fund. Lutyens’ cityscape is in danger of being obliterated by commercial development and the pressure of accommodating an ever increasing population.

But as INTACH and several other conservationists mull over strategies to revive the Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone (LBZ), Charles Lutyens, a member of the Lutyens Trust and the great nephew of Edwin Lutyens, chooses to stay optimistic.

On one of his many visits to Delhi — this time to attend INTACH’s two day conference on conservation of LBZ and Shahjahanabad — he says not much seems to have changed in the past 10 years.

Lutyens is on a “forced stay” in Delhi till Tuesday as flights to the West remain grounded due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

Asked if he thinks that the zone is being well preserved, he answers in the affirmative.

“The high-rises must have been an administrative decision,” he says. “The development work in and around the area, especially the Delhi Metro is stupendous. So its positive effects seem to far supersede whatever loss it has created,” he says.

Working from 1912 to 1931, Lutyens forged a new style of architecture, combining neo-classical style with accents borrowed from India’s Mughal and Buddhist past.

“The LBZ is not just about buildings. The pattern of streets, the trees make it unique. Conservation will mean reviving not just buildings but the whole precinct,” he says.

Talking about the proposed conservation and whether it will protect the master planner’s legacy, he says: “Not much has been lost in the LBZ yet. The conservation and the consequent world heritage status will further help protect the heritage site.”

Heritage plan drafted to champion Delhi’s cause: Page 2
 

19 April 2010, Indian Express

This beautiful rubble has a disturbing history. As Delhi's first grand mosque of the late 12th century, Quwwatul Islam was made from the stones of Hindu and Jain temples that the conquerors destroyed in 1192. Built by Qutubuddin Aibak, South Asia's first Muslim ruler, and enlarged by Iltutmish and Allauddin Khilji, the mosque's columns and pillars show disfigured Hindu idols.

Tourists walk under the arches and pose against graves, not caring that they are moving around a jumble yard of ancient conflicts. You feel that the past is forgotten.

The unknown tombs, collapsed gates and massive stone slabs dispersed on the floor indicate that times have moved on.

Now back to the monu- ments... Alai Darwaza, a gate- way built by Alauddin Khilji, was the chief entrance to the Quwwatul Islam mosque.

Decorated with Quranic inscriptions and floral motifs, this mix of red sandstone and white marble is among Delhi's most beautiful gate- ways. The iron pillar in the mosque's courtyard, dating from the 4th century, surpris- ingly, shows no rust. Not far is Iltutmish's square tomb. Its walls are thick; the interiors carved with calligraphy and floral motifs; and the tomb- stone stands on a platform.

If you get too awed by the supposed invincibility of emperors, turn to Alai Minar.

Commissioned by Khilji, it was intended to be double the Qutub Minar's size. Just a 25-metre high heap of stones, it could not be completed.

The emperor died and he too has a tomb in the complex. But the grave is missing.
 

24 April 2010, Hindustan Times

“After the President's accord for amendment on March 30, we have come up with draft rules for the NMA and sent it to the Law Ministry,“ said a sen- ior Culture Ministry official. The proposed NMA will work towards categorisation and classification of monuments protected by the ASI. It would also be the ultimate authority to grant permissions related to by-laws for construction in Centrally-protected monu- ments.

A daylong discussion between the Centre and state was organised here on Friday.

The deliberation included sensitisating and instructing local bodies in urban and rural areas, working out modalities for a survey to draw new prohibited and regulated areas, seeking help of heritage con- servation bodies, and suggest- ing who can be made the 'com- petent authority' in states.

“For a large state or one with more monuments, there may be more than one competent authority,“ ASI Joint Director General B.R. Mani said.

Secretary Culture Jawahar Sircar said, “The Central gov- ernment wants to take states into confidence ... After all, it is the local bodies, which per- mit/sanction plans for con- struction anywhere.“
 

25 April 2010, Hindustan Times

The parchment has attracted the attention of Himachal Pradesh tourism, which has included a feature on Maria Bros as part of its own publication, ‘Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai’, to promote tourism. The department has requested the bookshop owner, Rajeev Sud, to showcase the parchment. Rajeev is the son of O C Sud, who ran Maria Bros till his death around 10 years ago. It was Sud who had discovered the parchment. ‘‘The copy in Shimla is part of the original 200 copies in the world. It’s a treasure. We’ll persuade its owners to showcase it as it has the potential to attract tourists,’’ said Himachal tourism director, Arun Sharma.

Sud started Maria Bros in 1953, dealing in general and school books and stationery items. In the early 1960s, Sud shifted to old books, travelogues and history, later establishing himself as one the most respected and knowledgeable antiquarians in India. After he discovered the rare copy of the American Declaration of Independence, Sud had it authenticated through several agencies, including a reputed auction house of London.

After Sud’s death, his son Rajeev preserved the parchment, now shown to tourists on request. It was while conducting research for ‘Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’ that Himachal tourism realized its worth.

And, Maria Bros seems to be the best place to showcase it with the shop housing other rare books and artefacts, too, including volumes connected with Vajrayana Buddhism sold by Tibetan refugees. And there are trumpets made from human thigh bones, reliquaries and other sacred objects.

Housing History
The US Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the 13 American colonies then at war with Great Britain were independent states

Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the Congress first had the document published as a broadside

Then came the engrossed or parchment copy that was signed by the Congress
 

26 April 2010, Times of India

The new Metro line to Gurgaon will now extend to Qutub Minar instead of stopping at Sultanpur when the first stretch of the Central Secretariat-HUDA City Centre line opens shortly. Even as trial runs on the Gurgaon-Sultanpur section started in January and stations on the Gurgaon stretch are ready for use, the line is held up as the Chattarpur station — where work started late — is yet to come up. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has paced up work to close in the missing gaps to ensure that the 14.47 km long Qutub Minar-Gurgaon section is opened in about a months time from now.

The decision to link Gurgaon to Qutub Minar was taken keeping in mind commuter interest. Sources said that it was felt that bringing the line up to Sultanpur — where the train maintenance depot for line is located — won’t serve much purpose as it won’t really connect the satellite township to Delhi. ‘‘Extending the line to Qutub Minar from HUDA City Centre will enable scores of commuters to take the Metro till this point and then switch to a connecting mode of travel. An expected 1.6 lakh people are expected to use the line by 2011,’’ said sources.

Earlier, DMRC had planned to open the Sultanpur-HUDA City Centre section as a proposed Metro station at Chattarpur was proving to be a missing link to extend it to Qutub Minar. To construct the station, DMRC had to acquire land from three private farmhouses, whose owners had challenged the order in the Supreme Court. The land was finally acquired last year and construction of station, along with missing links in the elevated viaduct, was started.

But when the section opens, the trains will bypass the Chattarpur Metro for the first few months. Although DMRC is constructing the station building using prefabricated steel columns and beams, the facilities at the station will take longer to be ready for use. The rest of the Qutub Minar-Gurgaon section is totally ready for use.

‘‘The construction of the missing portion of elevated viaduct has been completed at Chattarpur and the tracks have been laid too. We are presently completing the OverHead Electrification (OHE) and signalling work on the tracks. Train trials will then be extended from Sultanpur to Qutub Minar and we will request the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety to inspect the section,’’ said a DMRC official.

Even as a DMRC spokesperson said that the date when the line will be opened is yet to be decided, sources maintained that this would take about one month. All the stations, except Chattarpur, are totally ready. The Gurgaon Line will be an extension to the existing Line 2 (Jehangirpuri to Central Secretariat) and has therefore been planned on broad gauge. DMRC would need an additional six trains to open the new section, of which two trains have already been commissioned and four more are under commissioning.

The Qutub Minar-Gurgaon stretch spans across 14.47 kms of which half (7.3kms) is across the Delhi border. All the 10 elevated stations will double up as foot overbridges and unlike the normal Metro stations, the stations on this stretch are equipped with escalators on both sides of the road. The last stop at HUDA City Centre is a visual spectacle as the six-storey Metro station will have a Metro train zip through the length of the ‘‘green’’ building — it has been designed in a manner that commuters will be able to see the train from outside.

By June, the line will be extended right up to Central Secretariat. This stretch is reportedly taking more time for completion as a large part of it — IIT to Central Secretariat — lies underground and takes longer to construct.
 

26 April 2010, Times City, Times of India

The new Metro line to Gurgaon will now extend to Qutub Minar instead of stopping at Sultanpur when the first stretch of the Central Secretariat-HUDA City Centre line opens shortly. Even as trial runs on the Gurgaon-Sultanpur section started in January and stations on the Gurgaon stretch are ready for use, the line is held up as the Chattarpur station — where work started late — is yet to come up. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has paced up work to close in the missing gaps to ensure that the 14.47 km long Qutub Minar-Gurgaon section is opened in about a months time from now.

The decision to link Gurgaon to Qutub Minar was taken keeping in mind commuter interest. Sources said that it was felt that bringing the line up to Sultanpur — where the train maintenance depot for line is located — won’t serve much purpose as it won’t really connect the satellite township to Delhi. ‘‘Extending the line to Qutub Minar from HUDA City Centre will enable scores of commuters to take the Metro till this point and then switch to a connecting mode of travel. An expected 1.6 lakh people are expected to use the line by 2011,’’ said sources.

Earlier, DMRC had planned to open the Sultanpur-HUDA City Centre section as a proposed Metro station at Chattarpur was proving to be a missing link to extend it to Qutub Minar. To construct the station, DMRC had to acquire land from three private farmhouses, whose owners had challenged the order in the Supreme Court. The land was finally acquired last year and construction of station, along with missing links in the elevated viaduct, was started.

But when the section opens, the trains will bypass the Chattarpur Metro for the first few months. Although DMRC is constructing the station building using prefabricated steel columns and beams, the facilities at the station will take longer to be ready for use. The rest of the Qutub Minar-Gurgaon section is totally ready for use.

‘‘The construction of the missing portion of elevated viaduct has been completed at Chattarpur and the tracks have been laid too. We are presently completing the OverHead Electrification (OHE) and signalling work on the tracks. Train trials will then be extended from Sultanpur to Qutub Minar and we will request the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety to inspect the section,’’ said a DMRC official.

Even as a DMRC spokesperson said that the date when the line will be opened is yet to be decided, sources maintained that this would take about one month. All the stations, except Chattarpur, are totally ready. The Gurgaon Line will be an extension to the existing Line 2 (Jehangirpuri to Central Secretariat) and has therefore been planned on broad gauge. DMRC would need an additional six trains to open the new section, of which two trains have already been commissioned and four more are under commissioning.

The Qutub Minar-Gurgaon stretch spans across 14.47 kms of which half (7.3kms) is across the Delhi border. All the 10 elevated stations will double up as foot overbridges and unlike the normal Metro stations, the stations on this stretch are equipped with escalators on both sides of the road. The last stop at HUDA City Centre is a visual spectacle as the six-storey Metro station will have a Metro train zip through the length of the ‘‘green’’ building — it has been designed in a manner that commuters will be able to see the train from outside.

By June, the line will be extended right up to Central Secretariat. This stretch is reportedly taking more time for completion as a large part of it — IIT to Central Secretariat — lies underground and takes longer to construct.
 

26 April 2010, Times City, Times of India

Here, you could be light years from cyber times. In a world where horses once tap-tapped their way in with their martial riders, and elephants fell as beleaguered behemoths. And where sounds of music and dance reverberated through the evening air.

Driving into the Golconda Fort ruins from Hyderabad takes you to a time which seems eons away. But, it was less than 350 years ago that the last of the Qutb Shahis held sway from this massive fortress.

Once you enter its environs through the dusty lanes dotted with small tailoring shops, the past envelops you like a comforting cloak. It is a holiday too unlike any other, when my friend and I decide to take off, away from the family and the daily grind. How is it that a place so near and so often visited can take on different shades? The massive Balahissar gate is the impressive entry point. From within this grand entrance, a warning clap immediately reaches the Baradari, the assembly hall at the top — 450 ft away — in a wonderful display of architectural acoustics.

Arched doorways
In the Qutb Shahi period, it would send the alert to get the defence in place. The colossal gate has iron spikes to ward off attacking elephants. We go around the elephants' stables and the soldiers' barracks, with their succeeding rows of arched doorways. The manicured stretch of lawn on our right was once the Nagina Bagh, the teeming market that traders thronged to buy gems and silks. After all, the mines of Golconda were famed for their diamonds!

Our young guide Syed has a soft corner for water bodies, never failing to draw attention to impressive tanks and terracotta pipes on our climb up “Golla Kunda” (Shepherd's hill). The stone nails used to put the rocks together, are interesting too. The proportions of the royal mortuary baths are grand though the meagre water is green with sludge. From where we stand, we can see the upper portions of the Qutb Shahi tombs, a kilometre away.

A few more steps and we go into the jail where Kancharla Gopanna- Bhakta Ramdas — was imprisoned on charges of diverting royal funds to build the temple to Lord Rama at Bhadrachalam. Legend has it that two resplendent youth visited the Sultan and returned the money. Jolted by the vision of Lord Rama and Lakshmana, the Sultan rushed to set Ramdas, the nephew of his ministers Madanna and Akkanna, free. But, the great devotee, during his 12-year confinement, had sculpted images of Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman. The images, though painted a gaudy red, make us pause at the power of such whole-hearted devotion.

Cresting the hill is the elegantly-constructed mosque where the Sultan worshipped. The entire complex — originating from the mud fort constructed by the Kakatiyas in 1143 AD was built in 62 years. The dynasty, founded in 1518 A.D. by Sultan Quli Qutub Shah, who came from Persia, consisted of seven rulers. The fort, in many respects, is a symbol of religious harmony. Now, we are at the top, with the poetry of grey stone stretching below us like broken stanzas, now ragged, now a clean sweep.

This is the temple to Kali built by the Kakatiyas, the guide tells us. The asbestos-roofed structure is painted in loud colours. Nearby is a hideous maroon-tiled structure equipped with a tap to provide drinking water. We descend the steps and get a bird's eye view. Down below, people are gathered in a small amphitheatre-like space waiting for the sound-and-light show to begin. We hurry down the steps past the various levels of the fort.

We enter the majestic spaces of dancer Taramati's quarters, and then the Queen's palace. The Son et lumiere is one of the best we have seen.

Amitabh Bachchan's rich baritone narrates the founding of the kingdom, the stories of love and betrayal, local dance (Kuchipudi) and music traditions, the successive attacks on the kingdom by Emperor Aurangazeb, and the final fall of the fortress.

The acceptance of the will of the Divine, of the last ruler Tana Shah who lost his crown and his freedom to the Mughals is deeply poignant; it is triumph over adversity and the temporal. As moving is the steadfast love of Mohamed Quli Qutb Shah for dancer Bhagmati, a love that inspired the founding of a city Bhagnagar. This later became Hyderabad as he named her Hyder Begum.

The stones lighting up during the show, the broken archway high above with the moon's rays pouring out, seem to say it all. A window so evocative, opening to the present while throwing light on all that had gone before. The Baradari, too, is a silver rectangle gilded with the patina of past splendour.

After all, it was here on the sands of Golconda that the famous Kohinoor diamond was mined. Its brilliance seems to still illuminate this era in the history of the Deccan.
 

26 April 2010, Hindu

Held a day before the Earth Day at the National Science Centre here, the function was attended by students from Delhi, Bangalore, Chandigarh and Chennai.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control chairperson and TERI director general R K Pachauri and Delhi Jal Board chief Ramesh Negi also attended the function, which was organised by The Energy Resources Institute (TERI).

Dressed as the sun, the moon, trees and the various planets, the students, through their performances, addressed various environment issues such as pollution, global warming and deforestation.

Striking a note of caution, Dikshit in her address said: “Jis dharti ko hum aaj pahchante hain, iski shakal itni na badal jae ki ye pehchan mein hi na aaye (The Earth we recognise today, should not change so much that it cannot be identified at all in the future).”

Talking about the declining number of sparrows in the Capital, Dikshit said, “My next agenda is going to be bird conservation.”

Paintings by students depicted various ways of saving the Earth.

Student of Apeejay School, Shruti Sriram, won the first prize in a debate held on the occasion.

Pachauri said: “Old habits die hard, and that is why children need to be made aware of the current environment issues as early as possible.”

Launching a teacher’s kit Negi said, “We will need two more earths to survive in the coming years if we do not stop polluting and harming Mother Earth.”

The kits, comprising educational booklets, CDs and e-learning modules on environment concerns, were presented to all teachers present at the event.

Reporter is a student of EXIMS
 

22 April 2010, Indian Express

The ASI has issued a notice to the Delhi Integrated Multi-modal Transit Service (DIMTS), a special purpose vehicle created by the Delhi government to implement its transport schemes for the Games, to stop work as the site falls within the regulated area of Purana Qila, a Centrally protected monument.

A new amendment in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act 2010 states ‘any person who owns any building, structure or land in a regulated area and desires to carry out any construction, repair or renovation’ has to make an application to the National Monuments Authority (NMA). The regulated area of a protected monument extends up to 300 m - the first 100 m is the prohibited area, while the remaining 200 m is the regulated area.

ASI officials maintained that a notice was sent earlier to the DIMTS to stop construction but the body refused. The ASI then pasted a copy of the notice at the site. Construction, however, has not stopped.

The NMA is, meanwhile, yet to be instituted. The body will comprise a ‘whole-time’ chairperson (to be appointed by the President), the Director General of ASI as ex-officio member and other full-time and part-time members (not exceeding five each).

“We have received the notice and are examining it. We will have to see what it implies, only then can we respond. Work at the site has not been stopped yet,” a DIMTS spokesperson said.

ASI officials maintained that a notice was sent earlier to the DIMTS to stop construction but the body refused. The ASI then pasted a copy of the notice at the site. Construction, however, has not stopped.

The NMA is, meanwhile, yet to be instituted. The body will comprise a ‘whole-time’ chairperson (to be appointed by the President), the Director General of ASI as ex-officio member and other full-time and part-time members (not exceeding five each).

“We have received the notice and are examining it. We will have to see what it implies, only then can we respond. Work at the site has not been stopped yet,” a DIMTS spokesperson said.
 

22 April 2010, Indian Express

According to sources, the state government is contemplating action against Modi and his wife in this connection. A probe report submitted by Jaipur Divisional Commissioner Kiran Soni Gupta to the state government has reportedly confirmed that the protected havelis were purchased as private properties four years back.

Sources said the government would send the probe report to the Law Department for its opinion and may register a case after the facts were examined by the department. Earlier, the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had also conducted a preliminary inquiry and registered an FIR in the case in February, 2009. Though Modi’s name didn’t figure in the FIR, it had the names of an ASI official and the then sub-registrar.

The controversial deal was undertaken by a company owned by Modi in the protected zone near historic Amer Palace on the outskirts of the city. The incident dates back to 2006, when the BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje had floated the Amer Development and Management Authority (ADMA) with the CM herself as one of its promoters. Later, the authority put up some of the heritage havelis on sale and two of them were bought by the Amer Heritage City Construction Private Limited. However, the company later changed its name to Ananda Heritage Hotels Limited. Modi and his wife Minal are the company’s directors. The havelis were given heritage status under a 1974 notification.

The deal came under the government scanner after the Congress came to power in the state. Congress legislator Ramnarayan Meena raised the matter in the recent Assembly session, seeking a CBI probe into illegal sale of the heritage havelis. Action was also demanded.
 

23 April 2010, Tribune