To mark 100 years of Delhi, a nine-day food festival ‘Dilli ke Pakwan’ — from December 3 to 11 — will have century-old vending outlets in the Capital rustling up authentic street food and delicacies. The festival will have emporium hub, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, coming alive with food stalls, cultural programmes and traditional handicraft stalls

The nine-day fest organised by the Delhi Tourism promises to give Delhiites a taste of the intangible heritage of the city. The décor of the place is being meticulously planned, officials said. The emporiums and the trees dotting the street will all be lit up and as visitors walk in, 100 chairs — symbolic of the 100 years of Delhi— will be lined up at the entrance. Old film posters depicting scene from yesteryear Delhi will also be put up to create an old world charm

Managing Director, Delhi Tourism, GG Saxena told Newsline, “The traditional food of Delhi is inextricably linked to the intangible heritage of the city and in an effort to showcase this, the nine-day food festival will have some of the century-old outlets — mostly from Chandni Chowk — offering authentic street food and other delicacies unique to Delhi. On the occasion of Delhi’s centenary year, this festival will be a treat for tourists as well as Delhiites.

Delhi Tourism has been in talks with several vendors who have been specialists in street food and delicacies for over a century now. Some of the vendors who have confirmed to take part in the fest so far are Ghantewala halwai and Daulat ki chaat, two vendors from Paranthewali Gali, Bikanerwala. There will be stalls of traditional Indian fast food and Mughlai delicacies.

Stalls with traditional handicrafts will also be set up and artisans will hold demonstrations on pottery and bangle-making. Mehendi artists, sketch makers and artists who specialise in rice engravings will also set up stalls. The street will be abuzz with cultural shows, folk dance and music performances all day. Officials said that Wizcraft, an event management group, has been roped in to organise the shows

The celebrations, right before Delhi turns 100 on December 12, will help in creating awareness about Delhi’s heritage. “As Delhi prepares to apply for UNESCO’s Heritage City tag, such events will help in showcasing and celebrating the intangible heritage of the city,” Saxena sa
 

SGreater Flamingos, which fly thousands of miles from Siberia to breed in the warm marshes of the Khadir region in Kutch, are landing into a death trap. In the past 10 days, at least 400 of these graceful birds have been electrocuted by high tension cables near their breeding grounds.

D K Sharma, chief conservator of forests, admitted to at least 130 deaths, but locals and ornithologists have been recording much higher numbers. The flamingoes have landed in record numbers this year, with one estimate putting their strength at five lakh, the highest ever.

Experts said the deaths were taking place at night, when the birds disturbed by passing vehicles would fly straight into the wires. The 220-400 kilowatt cables can kill a human being instantly.

Bharat Jethawa, census coordinator for Asian Water Birds, said, "It is difficult to estimate the number of deaths, but I saw dead flamingos at three or four places during a recent visit."

This is the second instance of mass electrocution of the birds in Gujarat this year. In June, a large number of flamingoes were similarly killed in Bhavnagar. The dead birds became an easy meal for stray dogs in the area.

Experts said the problem had grown in recent years. In their recently published study titled 'Flamingo mortality due to collision with high tension electric wires in Gujarat', ornithologists Anika Tere and B M Parasharya mapped seven sites in Kutch, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar where high tension cables run close to flamingo sites.

Jugal Tiwari of the Centre for Desert and Ocean said birds of prey like harriers also contribute to the deaths by creating a flutter in flamingo colonies, leading to the birds flying into the cables.

"I have suggested that the cables should be insulated with rubber coating to protect the birds," Tiwari said.

The forest department has written to the state government's energy department, asking for the cables to be either insulated or put underground at places where they run close to flamingo breeding grounds.
 

Jessica Douglas Home has curated an exhibition of pictures her grandmom had shot on her extensive travels through the Indian subcontinent. Ektaa Malikreports

It’s been an eventful 100 years since she was last here. She was 23 in the autumn of 1911 and at that age, she witnessed history being made. She was perhaps impressed by the regal splendour or the sheer magnanimity of the event happening in front of her, but she was hooked. As a result, she took copious notes, photographed what she thought was important, little knowing that she would be documenting history for generations to come

Lilah Wingfeild had travelled to Delhi for the Royal Durbar and witnessed George V being crowned the emperor of India, and saw the first makings of what we today see as “Lutyen’s Delhi”

What could have been a better homecoming for the young Anglo-Irish beauty — to be brought back to this land that captivated her, by her own granddaughter Jessica Douglas Home. Jessica, a known biographer and artist, has brought back the India that her grandmother saw. She has curated this exhibition using the pictures that Lilah Wingfeild had shot on her extensive travels through the Indian subcontinent. Jessica brings to us her own personal heritage which she inherited from her grandmother

Lilah’s pictures depict a Delhi that was just about to take off. The “Tented City” as she calls it, or better known as Camp, with its conical white tents, own system of telegraphs, railways and transport system. A miniature kingdom in the heart of a bustling empire. The canvas metropolis for 2,50,000 visitors but the city was soon dismantled after the King departed

The pictures bring to fore the two main attractions — the military might and the grandeur of the princely states. Both these things were known to be pledged in fealty to the crown. The manner in which royal military welcomed the King and Queen would have left any British Lord awed. The week-long preliminary festivities took an almost climactic turn on December 12, the day when the King was crowned as the Emperor of India. The royal pavilion flanked by soldiers from every possible corps of India

The exhibition also showcases the various other places that Lilah had travelled to. It’s a different India. An India where she sat on the ground near Khyber Pass and had her meals. The rough terrain some how poetically complementing the fair maiden

The Imperial Hotel in New Delhi serves as the perfect place to stage this “the second Homecoming” for Lilah Wingfeild. With its rich historical past and regal surroundings, Lilah would be happy to be back here, with her granddaughter for company
 

Lilah Wingfield, 23, an Earl’s daughter arrived in Delhi in late November 1911 to attend the Royal Durbar to mark the shifting of the Capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi.

She took pictures with her Kodak — on display at The Imperial till Thursday — of 13-year-old boysrecently made Maharajas, staid British royals, ceremonial elephants, a 25-square-mile Tent City, monumental ruins, and, most of all, the occasion that it gave Delhi’s new masters to size up their subjects. And vice versa

The young aristocrat, as the pictures show, did the royal trail well. Her favourite photograph “was the one she took of the 13-year-old Maharaja Sumer of Jodhpur in his carriage during the State Entry — 7th December 1911. They had become friends on the ship to India — he waved to her from his carriage,” says her granddaughter and artist Jessica Douglas-Home, who is in Delhi for the centenary celebration

The princesses were at that time off-bounds, “but she did become a good friend of the Begum of Bhopal”. The city Lilah saw has changed, but places like the Chandni Chowk, notes Douglas-Home retain the similarity. “But many of the ancient palaces, monuments, beautiful temples have been blocked by new housing.”
 

Chief Election Commissioner Dr. S. Y. Quraishi narrates the story of Old Delhi at a lecture organised by INTACH

“Kanmailiya”, “saqqa”, “tongawallah”, “warq beaters” and calligraphy are words slowly fading away from the dictionary of Delhi, but Purani Dilli-wallasstill remember how these and several other things were an integral part of the traditions of Old Delhi

ETIQUETT
“Eating with a spoon was looked down upon, and not considered good etiquette. In fact, people would not wipe their hands after washing them because it was believed that impurities from the cloth would enter the food,” said Chief Election Commissioner S. Y. Quraishi, sharing similar existing and forgotten traditions of Old Delhi

He was speaking at a public lecture on “Old Delhi: Living Traditions” organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) as part of its campaign for nomination of Delhi to UNESCO's list of World Heritage cities. Dr. Quraishi, whose family has been living in Delhi for around 500 years, narrated the story of Delhi as a “personal account”. He spoke about traditions and practices that have been preserved by the city despite the changes in its appearance

He spoke about the markets, food, culture, language, professions and mingling of cultures that is still evident in Shahjahanabad, Nizamuddin and Mehrauli

Beginning with the marketplaces of Old Delhi, he said that most continue to deal in the same wares as they did years ago. “Dariba was a real scene of culture, not just a market…Khari Baoli was and still is the largest wholesale spice market in Asia, Chawri Bazar is for wholesale paper, Darya Ganj for medical equipment and book publishing, Urdu Bazar is famous for its street food, Nai Sarak for books and stationery, even though some sari trading shops have come up in recent times,” said Dr. Quraishi

He also mentioned the fading and some extinct traditions like “saqqa”, who would distribute cool water in sheepskin, “kanmailiya” or ear cleaner, who was extremely important for travellers who would want their ears cleaned of dust and sand accumulated along the way

“Poetry was a full time profession,” said Dr. Quraishi, reciting poetry of greats like Mir Taqi Mir and Ghalib, who belonged to Delhi. “Poetry was, in fact, not confined only to the poets. Hawkers, “saqqa”, “dhobi”, everyone indulged in some form of poetry. More importantly, it was not a preserve of the Muslims alone,” he added. He also spoke about the Urdu language, which was an integral part of the culture of the city

Dr. Quraishi also brought out the “mingling and closeness of communities” in Old Delhi. “Monuments of five religions stand shoulder in Old Delhi,” he said. The Digambar Jain Temple, which is the “oldest Jain temple in Delhi”, the Gauri Shankar Temple, Sis Ganj Gurdwara, Sunehri Masjid and the Central Baptist Church, are testimony to unity that has existed in the city since centuries

DIVERSE FESTIVAL
The diverse festivals celebrated in the Walled City, and the famous Old Delhi food which is still sought after, was also mentioned. Dr. Quraishi agreed that the Delhi Metro had helped put Old Delhi back on the culture map of Delhi, especially the variety of food available in the by-lanes

He also spoke about the “tehzeeb” and culture that people took pride in. “The“ugaldaan”, “paandaan” or spittoon, which people carried with them were a far cry from the present day situation, where every several walls in the city seem to be splashed with “paan” stains,” he added.
The CEC then spoke about the sports and recreational activities that Old Delhi-wallahs indulged in, some of which are still practised, while others like“chaupar”, animal fights, “kabootarbaazi” (pigeon fighting) are slowly dying out

He ended the talk by taking the audience through pictures of the Anglo-Arabic School where he had studied, the original building of St. Stephen's College, the Hardayal Library (which was renamed from Hardinge Library), Ghalib's house in Ballimaran and Old Delhi railway station, which despite being an architectural “eyesore”, is still an essential part of Old Delhi
 

The holy city of Amritsar (meaning pond of nectar), derived its name from the sarovar that surrounds the beautiful Golden Temple.

The town, which can undoubtedly be mistaken for a dusty small city by first-time visitors, is amongst the most popular pilgrim centres for Sikhs. Not only does it attract the local Indian travellers but it is certainly a part of the ‘places to visit’ list of foreign tourists also.

The sense of purity that one experiences inside the gurudwara premises is unforgettable. The magnificent Golden Temple and other gurudwaras situated in various corners of this small town gives it an apt name — Guru ki nagari.

This historic city was once known as Ramdaspur after the name of the fourth Sikh Guru who founded the city. In 1947, after the Partition, the state of Punjab was one of the worst hit areas and was divided into parts out of which few went to Pakistan and the rest remained with India making Amritsar a border city.

Amritsar is a mix of old heritage and recently developed township areas. As soon as the name of the city comes into one’s mind, what people are reminded of is the world heritage site of Harminder Sahib. The clean water, the pure surroundings and the beautiful carvings on the top of the main hall are most attractive features of the gurudwara.

Though the Golden Temple is certainly the most striking feature for the tourists, a first-time visitor can explore many other interesting things too.

Amritsar is a good idea for a weekend getaway as it is easily accessible both by railways and airway. You just need a couple of days and you can surely see new places, eat traditional Punjabi dhaba cuisine and shop a lot.

Apart from Harminder Sahib, the other sacred place in the city is Mata ka Mandir, a must-visit for tourists seeking religious experiences. This place has small tunnels and caves that one needs to go through to reach the main place of worship. It is believed that women who want to get pregnant come here to pray for their future.

The other important temple is the Durgiana temple named after goddess Durga and its structure is similar to the Golden Temple. Some people even call it a replica of the Sikh gurudwara.

A place of historical and patriotic interest is the Jallianwala Bagh. The massacre hit park looks like just another garden but has a lot of patriotic value. The wall with bullet marks, the well where people jumped to save their lives, the museum and memorial offer glimpses of the struggle that our forfathers went through to give us a free country.

Another important place that tourists love is the Indo-Pak Wagah border. It is just about 5 km from Attari, which is the last Indian station for the Samjhauta Express. This is the main border between the two countries and is just about a few kilometres from the main city. Hired taxis take passengers to the border in the evening when a special drill takes place at sunset by the border guards of both countries. People from both sides come to see the drill and the atmosphere is filled with patriotism. The retreat ceremony at the border is a must watch.

Amritsar is a combination of good food, great tourist places and not to forget, traditional Punjabi outfits and juttis. A weekend in the city can surely be a rejuvenating break.
 

The rare book, Views in the Himala Mountains, that captures the legendary James Baillie Fraser's expedition to become the first ever European to reach the Gangotri, has now been reproduced in its entirety. By Ektaa Malik

James went on to be the first ever European to cross the Jumna and the Bhagirathi Valleys and reach the Gangotri — the legendary source of the Ganges, very mythical in its appeal.

Mountains have a sense of comfort about them. They stand sturdy, solid to the touch. They stand tall conversing with the skies, in defiant splendour. In India, their importance is of epic proportions. Many peaks in the Himalayan Range are said to be the abode of the gods. It’s no wonder that many have tried to scale these peaks, enchanted by the challenge or just fascinated by the journey.

It was the year 1815 when two brothers set out to explore these stately environs. James Baillie Fraser hailed from Scotland, and after trying his hand unsuccessfully at trade in Guyana, he came to India. He tried business here but finally gave in to wander lust, his true calling. He travelled to Delhi, to meet his brother William, whom he had not met for 16 years. At that time, William Fraser had been appointed a political agent with the British Forces for the war with the Ghurkhas.

After the War ended the two brothers embarked on a sojourn, disguised, wearing the clothes of the local Ghurkhas to unveil the world of the snow capped peaks and find out where the mighty Ganges originated from. In the middle of the expedition, William was called back for his official duties. But James carried on. He travelled with his sketchbook in hand, capturing the changing topography. The acute observations made by James Frazer later served to be the stepping stones to cartography in Asia.

The paintings and sketches of James Frazer are life like in detail. James went on to be the first ever European to cross the Jumna and the Bhagirathi Valleys and reach the Gangotri — the legendary source of the Ganges, very mythical in its appeal. His paintings and sketches recreate the mystique that’s tantamount to the Himalayas. The illustrations succeed in transporting one back almost 250 years.

The paintings not just render a vivid sight of mountain scenery, but also showcase glimpses of mountain life and culture prevalent in the Himalayan region. A lone semi clad ascetic stands on the banks of a river, his hands folded as he pays his respects to the life giving river. The colours range from the golden red hue of the sky at sunrise, to the pearly blue of a gurgling stream. Every aquatint has a fragile, ethereal feel to it. Maybe it is, for the world that existed 200 ago is now no longer present.

These extensive travels and explorations then resulted in the glorious volume titled Views in the Himala Mountains published in the year 1820 by Rodwell and Martin, London. This volume contained 20 of the most captivating hand coloured engravings by James Fazer and W Havell, an artist from Calcutta who was roped in by Frazer to engrave the illustrations for the book. The book is now a collectible item, and till date remains one of the most noteworthy works to be ever done on the Himalayas.

Views in the Himala Mountains is now reproduced in its entirety, in the original format with additional text from Robert Hutchinson, an expert on the said region. While a foreword comes from William Dalrymple.

The book is now available again, and was launched at the Imperial Hotel by Dr. Karan Singh in the National Capital. Speaking at the launch, William Dalrymple highlighted the relationship that the two brothers had with India. “They broke all stereotypes of colonial rule in India. William was a scholar of Persian, and a great friend of Ghalib’s. James painted India as he saw it, and fell in love with it. Both the brothers did not eat meat, and did not drink alcohol; such was the impact of this country and culture on them,” says the celebrated author.

Elaborating on the contribution of the Frazer Brothers, Robert Hutchinson says “The two brothers made the discovery of Gangotri, and all they had in the name of equipment was a small compass. The works of James Frazer set the tone for the further explorations Indian temples. It’s Frazer who first describe Lakhamandal and the Temple of Bheem in his works. James’s amateurism was perfectly accurate .The sketches are a precise account of his many travels”.

Some of these paintings have been a part of the rich heritage collection that is present in the Imperial Hotel. These paintings are now also part of the reproduced volume of the book. The works of James Baillie Frazer are still on display at The Imperial adding to its rich aura that’s seeped in history.
 

At first glance, a pork-fat eating contest and a vintage World War II motor rally do not seem to belong together. But visit Nagaland during the first week of December, and you might just catch all this and more at the ongoing 11th edition of the annual Hornbill festival at the Kisama village near Kohima.

The weeklong festival kicked off on Thursday with all the 16 tribes of the state coming together to showcase their art and culture. A new attraction to this year's edition is the Literature Festival, which will feature books on Nagaland and books written by Nagas. The festival is named after a bird that is revered by the Naga community as a whole.

With the lifting of tourist restrictions of Protected Area Permit this year, more tourists are expected to visit the insurgency-hit state. The festival budget too was increased by Rs.50 lakhs and is now Rs. 2 crore. "We have seen a rise of about 10% in the number of tourists we get every year. Last year we had more than 10,000 tourists during the Hornbill week," says I. Himato Zhimomi, commissioner and secretary, Nagaland.

An average seven events every day cover a range of activities like greased-pole climbing competitions, chilli-eating contests, cultural performances, rock concerts and also a film festival. A "Night-Bazaar" concludes the events of each day. "Morungs" or dormitories/hostels of each tribe have set up enclosures and stalls with houses and machaans made of bamboo in the Kisama village - each reflecting the style of living of that tribe.
 

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday gave the green signal to the proposed third phase of cleaning the 22-km stretch of Yamuna river passing through Delhi. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-assisted Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) Phase III project in Delhi was approved under the Centrally sponsored scheme of National River Conservation Plan at an estimated cost of Rs 1,656 crore.

The project will be implemented on 85:15 cost sharing basis between the Government of India and the Government of NCT of Delhi for a period of 7 years. Under the YAP III, it is proposed to rehabilitate the damaged trunk sewers to maximise utilisation of the available sewage treatment capacity with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and modernise its Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in three catchment areas of Delhi, namely Okhla, Kondli and Rithala.

“The project includes construction of a new state-of-the-art STP in place of old 136 MLD STP at Okhla and equip them with tertiary-level treatment facilities to achieve treated effluent quality of 10 mg/1 for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) so as to improve the water quality of river Yamuna,” a statement issued by the Government said on Thursday. The project will be implemented by the DJB under the supervision of the Department of Urban Development, Delhi government.
 

Kazhugumalai, rife with Jain sculptures, is a treasured document to the existence of an ancient unique culture. Shubashree Desikan

It is not every day that you get a chance to spend a leisurely afternoon in a place steeped in history, art, architecture and lore.

My visit to Kazhugumalai with a group of artists was one such rare, prized coming together of the above factors. Kazhugumalai is not more than 25 km from Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. The object of focus in this town is a rocky hill with a large number of Jain sculptures on top and an eighth century Pandya temple, Vettuvankoil, situated halfway up the hill.

At the approach to the hill was a bridge over a canal. During the monsoon, water would flow over the bridge and the whole area would be green, but that day, in September, the sun was gloriously up and the smooth hill glowed, striped and daunting like rock tigers. Steep steps had been cut that went right up to the top. We took the other, circuitous route that went first to Vettuvankovil and then sloped more gently upwards.

Pandya architecture
The similarity between Ellora rock temple and Vettuvankovil, carved out of the rockface in the hill, has been remarked upon. Yet, on reflective examination, Vettuvankovil testifies to the excellence and originality of Pandya architecture.

A careful study of the vimana shows many differences. Shiva is shown playing an udukkai or drum, and not with a veena as in the former. Perumal, or Vishnu, is shown with Chandra and Surya on either side, with the latter accompanied by the consorts. A traditional pattern is followed with respect to the direction faced by these gods, for instance Shiva faces east. Also, the three-tier structure, with eight sculptures in the first tier is typical of Pandya architecture. The Pillayarpatti temple and the one at Tirupparankundram are Pandya temples built in this style.

There is a story told of a father and son, sculptors working on this temple. The father was sculpting the rock at the top, while the son who was sitting at the bottom of the hill, listened to the sound of the chisel travelling downwards and following it, made a sculpture that was of extraordinary beauty.
Lore has it that the father slew the son in a fit of jealousy, thereby giving the temple its name, Vettuvankovil, “temple of the one who cut”. Bloodcurdling, but that is the way of folklore.

We then followed the pathway to the top of the hill where a beautiful banyan tree casts its shadow over a row of Jain tirtankaras, frozen in time.

Setting a date on sculptures is a very tricky job and depends much on the interpretation of history. A deep insight into the culture and times is required. According to Pa Ramachandran, sculptor and scholar in Asiatic studies, the Kazhugumalai Jain sculptures must have been sculpted during 8-10 century CE. The statues of Parsvanatha and Adinatha, which are similar to the work in Vettuvankovil, must have been built during the time of Pandya ruler Parantaka Nedunjadaiyan in the eighth century and the rest, over a period of time in the ninth and tenth centuries, during the time of Parantaka Viranarayanan.

Kazhugumalai is also important because it holds many inscriptions that shed light on the prevalence of Jainism in the Pandya country. There is a belief that Jainism was rooted out from the Tamil country in the sixth century by Saivism and was revived much later on by the digamber saints who came from North India. However, the Kazhugumalai sculptures bear evidence that it continued to exist in the Pandya regions in the 8th to 10th centuries.

Religious harmony
The proximity and diversity of the Jain sculptures and Vettuvankovil show that the two religions may have coexisted, while still not interfering with each other. Also, the indigenous and independent nature of this religion is evidenced by inscriptions that state that there were many women teachers and saints. This is not practice in the form which came from the North at a later period. So the Kazhugumalai site is a treasured historical document to the existence of a whole unique culture.

We spent about four hours there. A family came to pray at the Ayyanar temple erected there. As we feasted on ragi stew, which one of our friends had brought, using the fallen leaves of the banyan as plates, the family collected some firewood and made up a stove on which they cooked pongal to offer their deity. It was an experience that would stay in our minds until much later.
 

On December 10,1934, unfamiliar patterns, hues and styles of Indian art met the condescending eyes of the West for the first time at the London Art Exhibition at New Burlington Galleries, with around 500 works by artists like VS Adurkar and Mukul Dey, among others. “Hindu art,” noted one British art critic, “is almost wholly conventional in form and expression and beautiful in spirit, but it naturally became wearisome to Western eyes by repetition, sentimentality, distortion of form and monotonous colour.” Typical of that era, the patronising attitude of the West helped little. The exhibition, nevertheless, made a significant mark in the history of Britain. “The arrival of Indian art in Britain showed that Indian art could be seen from an aesthetic point of view, rather than simply as an anthropological study,” points out Susheila Nasta, principal investigator of the extensively researched project “Beyond the Frame: India in Britain, 1858-1950”, that focuses on the long, yet little-known, history of India’sontribution to the UK, in the form of art, sports, politics, literature, army and so on.

A collaborative effort of the British Council, UK’s The Open University and National Archives of India, “Beyond the Frame” is a compilation of articles, photographs and letters. “The project centers around socio-political, cultural and intellectual contributions that Indians made to Britain during this period, which is also known for the largest Asian migration to Britain,” says Nasta. Penny Brook, Lead Curator of the India Office Records in London, adds, “This is possibly the first time that material from National Archives of India and British Library has been compiled.” The display in the exhibition is divided into sections like ‘arts and intellectual life’, ‘sports’ and ‘activism and politics’, among others. While one can see heavy influences of intricate art of Gwalior, Khajuraho and Konarak in the1910-11 drawings of the British sculptor Jacob Epstein, information on Indians occupying high posts in Britain is also available in form of official records and photographs. Twenty-four-year-old Abdul Karim, for instance, was Queen Victoria’s secretary and adviser. The early 1920s saw Indian dancer Uday Shankar — inspired by Ajanta caves for his performances — partner with Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova at the Royal Opera House in London. British kitchen also saw significant influences, especially through Mulk Raj Anand’s book Curries and other Indian dishes (1932), and BBC radio’s Indian broadcaster, Venu Chitale, who offered Indian cookery lessons. “The fact that Indians brought with them multiple visions of modernity is interesting,” says Nasta. She points out that several discoveries were made while researching for the exhibition. When English poet, Wilfred Owen died in 1918, tucked in his pocket was a paper penned with verses of Rabindranath Tagore’s Geetanjali. The page is now on display at the British Council.

The exhibition at the British Council and National Archives is on till December 5 and 30, respectively.
 

Bouncing in an auto-scooter on the pot-holed roads of the purana shahar of Hyderabad, inhaling thick black exhaust fumes while arguing with the paan-spitting driver about what he wanted to charge, I wondered: what would bring a firangi back, again and again and again, to this
place?

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-89) is a little different from the other firangis I have written about in this series. He was a firangi in the literal sense – a French visitor to India. But unlike Thomas Coryate, Augustin Hunarmand, or Thomas Stephens, he didn’t die here. What he did do, however, was to keep coming back, as the title of his celebrated travel narrative The Six Voyages of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1676) makes clear. In particular, he kept coming back to Golconda, the kingdom in the Deccan ruled by the Qutb Shahi dynasty. I visited Hyderabad, the Golconda capital founded by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591, to find out why.

Like Tavernier, I am a serial visitor to India. But in an age of jet airliners, luxury hotels, and air-conditioned cars, travel means for me something quite different from what it meant for Tavernier. We tend to associate travel with a welcome respite from the rigours of work. But the original meaning of “travel,” derived from “travail” and the French verb “travailler” (to work), tells a different story.

In the seventeenth century, one had to work particularly hard – and at substantial risk to one’s life – to reach India from Europe. If you took the long sea route (as did Stephens), you faced the possibility of shipwreck, piracy, and scurvy. If you travelled overland on the Silk Route (as did Coryate and Hunarmand), you were likely to encounter bandits and all manner of deadly illnesses. And in India itself, you had to reckon with intense heat on top of everything else. To travel once from Europe to India, and live to tell the tale, meant you were lucky. To travel half a dozen times meant you were mad – or driven by a passion bordering on love.

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier caught the travel bug early: he probably inherited it from his father, a Protestant refugee from Antwerp who mesmerised his son with absorbing tales about faraway lands. In his teens, Tavernier roamed around Europe, but he hungered to see more exotic places. Between 1631 and 1633, he journeyed to Asia, getting only as far as Isfahan in Persia before returning to Paris. His next journey was from 1638 until 1643, during which he visited Golconda for the first time. Upon returning to France, he stayed only a few months. His third voyage, from 1643 to 1649, took him all the way to Java, with lengthy stays again in Golconda. His subsequent trips (1651-55, 1657-62 and 1664-68) also featured Golconda prominently in their itineraries.

So what kept bringing Tavernier back to the Deccan?
The obvious answer is heera: diamonds. Golconda was famous for its diamond mines; virtually every major diamond at the time – including the Koh-i-Noor – is supposed to have come from them. The mines may be fallow now, but to this day Hyderabad remains a clearing house for precious jewels and pearls, available in the throng of bangle stores in the old city’s Laad Bazaar. Tavernier was fascinated by the size of the Golconda diamonds, which he describes at length in his travel narrative. The profit motive certainly loomed large for him: the money he made from selling Golconda diamonds to both Mughal and European kings not only helped bankroll his ourneys but also made him fabulously wealthy. He was, by the 1660s, rich enough to buy a castle in Switzerland, and the French King Louis appointed him a baron.

Yet the prospect of financial gain was clearly not the only reason that Tavernier kept coming back to Golconda. With the capital he amassed, he could have easily paid middle-men to do the dangerous work of travelling to India and purchasing diamonds. Something else must have kept tugging him back. A quick look at his biography suggests another possibility: in the 1660s, by which time Tavernier was in his late fifties, he was still a bachelor, against the will of his family. Indeed, one wonders if the short durations of his stays at “home” in Paris were prompted by family pressure on him to marry; every time a potential bride was brought for his inspection, he seems to have been on the next boat or caravan to India. Did business take precedence over romance? Or did he have a love in Golconda?

Tavernier doesn’t mention love in his writings. But he demonstrates a surprising amount of knowledge about the prostitutes and courtesans of Hyderabad. He notes, without any hint of moral condemnation, that the city boasts an unusually high number of “public women” – 20,000 by his reckoning. And he is impressed by how they ply their trade in concert with toddy-retailers, who get potential customers in the mood for love. At first glance, the Hyderabad of 2011 could not be more different. In this city where Shi’a is the dominant Muslim sect, there are few traces of “public women.” But there are countless women in public: although many are clad in full black chador and hijab, they shop unfettered in the streets of the old city. To this extent, they are in the tradition of their seventeenth-century ancestors, who – as another French visitor, Jean de Thevenot, observed in 1666 – moved through town with “great Liberty.” Maybe Tavernier was attracted, temperamentally and even sexually, to this liberty.

Or maybe it wasn’t Hyderabad’s women but its men who attracted him. Tavernier makes a point of saying that “All the people of GOLCONDA, both men and women, are well proportioned, of good stature, and of fair countenance.” This is no mere ethnographic observation: he seems to have spent a lot of time looking at Indian men, their bodies, and how they comported themselves. He was particularly fascinated by the sumptuous dress of rich Indian gentlemen; after receiving from a Mughal aristocrat a gift of khil’at (clothes as a token of imperial favour), he insisted on wearing turban and flowing robes everywhere he went – as depicted by Nicolas de Largillère in an extraordinary painting where Tavernier looks more like a languorous Bollywood item girl than a rugged traveller. With my travelling companion, I too donned Hyderabadi aristocratic attire for a photo-op at the Chowmahalla Palace (the former abode of the Nizams). Tavernier would surely have approved. And asked me where I got my necklaces.

Tavernier did finally marry, between journeys in 1663. But within a year he had fled for yet another trip to India. Whether or not he had another love interest in Golconda, he seems by this time to have fallen deeply in love with its culture, including its food. He praises in particular a Hyderabadi whitefish that he calls “smelt.” I wasn’t able to identify what it was, but I feasted at the Jewel of Nizam restaurant on a tasty dum ki machli, its fish seasoned to perfection and accompanied by a dessert of khubani ka meetha (sweet stewed apricots) and supaari.

Tavernier was equally starry-eyed about the design of Golconda’s cities. What we now call the old city of Hyderabad was then still a new metropolis; Tavernier marvelled at the famous Charminar in the city centre as well as Hyderabad’s wide boulevards and bridges, which probably looked much more impressive a mere fifty years after their construction than they do today. He was also dazzled – as was I – by the old Golconda fort, the huge walled hill-city hewn from the granite boulders that everywhere dominate the Deccan landscape. First built in the thirteenth century, it was substantially upgraded by the Qutb Shahi rulers before its destruction in 1687 by Aurangzeb. Even in its current ruined state, it is a haunting wonder.

The culture of Golconda owed much to the rule of the Qutb Shahis. Indeed, Tavernier couldn’t have felt as comfortable as he did in Hyderabad without the unique cosmopolitan world the Qutb Shahis had fostered there. Golconda’s immensely cultured ruling dynasty was of Persian origin, blended with Arab and Turkish – a heritage reflected in the distinctly western Asian designs, so different from Mughal architecture, of the Qutb Shahis’ magnificent tombs next to Golconda Fort. And the Qutb Shahis also invited, for purposes of trade, huge numbers of Europeans into Hyderabad. As Thevenot wrote, “there are many Franks in this city,” and by this he meant firangis of many nations: Portugal, Holland, and England as well as France. Vestiges of Golconda’s cosmopolitan culture remain in modern Hyderabad where signs are written in four languages – Telugu, Urdu, Hindi and English.

Even in the days before Tavernier’s death in 1689, at the ripe age of 84, he was probably still dreaming of Golconda. The heera-wallah died in Russia, on one last expedition; rumour has it he was trying to make his way back to India.
 

The 10-odd monuments scattered inside the Delhi Golf Club are like pieces of one puzzle. To begin with they are mostly out of bounds and one needs special permission from the Club authorities to enter the premises. Of course knowing a member helps, and this also means that not just tourists, even many Delhiites are unaware of the existence of these medieval structures. Also, the golf course is perhaps the only site where one can see the remains of all the seven cities of Delhi. Most of these monuments are grand but anonymous tombs — indicating gaps in the documentation of the city’s architectural history.

The only monument where you don’t need permission is the Lal Bangla—a set of two tombs built in red sandstone right at the entrance of the Club and visible from the flyover. Built in 1779-80, these Late Mughal structures have square rooms at their centre, smaller square rooms at diagonals with oblong halls between them, and domes at the centre of square roofs. The one near the entrance seems older with a square room on a raised platform. Both have the layout of larger tombs around central chamber but are small in size. Nearby is the Late Mughal double storey gateway with a central pavilion and domed chhatris.

There’s a debate regarding who lies buried in Lal Bangla. One possibility is Lal Kunwar, the wife of Aurangzeb’s grandson Jahandar Shah who ruled between 1712 and 1713. The other is that the two graves inside are those of Lal Kunwar, the mother of Shah Alam II (1759-1806), and daughter, Begum Jahan. The mystery behind the identity of the royal lady has remained a puzzle for the last two centuries. Visible from the clubhouse is Sayyed Abid’s tomb with octagonal exterior and square interior. The person buried inside was a companion of one of Jahangir’s generals, Khan-e-Dauran Khwaja Sabir Nusrat. The tomb was built in 1626-27. Another octagonal plan tomb— an 18th century one—is also visible from the Archbishop Makarios Marg. Known as the Bagichi tomb with towers, chhatris, arches with vaults, red and crème interiors and inside dome decorated in geometric patterns, this is a unique structure where chhatris are imposed on towers. There’s also a brick masonry mosque near this tomb.

Of all the various ruins—from Tughlaq to Mughal era—the one that stands out is the Barakhamba. A Tughlaq tomb with unnamed grave, it was built in the 1450s. It is perhaps the only medieval monument that has central bay, vaulted bays with solid monolithic columns, and sloping pillars that support lofty arches.
 

From the Phoenix Boat Jetty in Port Blair, a boat ferried us to Ross Island, the erstwhile administrative capital of the British in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The island conjured up gory visions of the dreaded kalapani punishment meted out to convicts by British rulers in pre-Independent India

A penal settlement was established on the island where hardcore criminals were thrown alongside political prisoners and freedom fighters. One could imagine the times when chained prisoners were compelled to do hard, menial labour. Some of them committed suicide due to inhuman treatment meted out by the then superintendent.

Escorting us around, our guide explained to us how convicts were left in the open, under the trees, with the surrounding dark sea and sky for company. Thus, the island was known as Kalapani or black water punishment.

The place lost some of its prominence after the Cellular Jail came up at Port Blair, but it continued to be a centre of British power until the Japanese occupied it in 1942, during the Second World War. When the Japanese forces vacated Ross Island in 1945, it was re-occupied by the British and the penal settlement was abolished. In the course of its chequered history, Ross Island suffered during the Japanese occupation and the earthquake of 1941. Currently, the island, with its gruesome history, is a distinctly eerie and rather sad place, but worth a visit.

It was once British India’s sentinel in the Bay of Bengal, originally developed under the British as the residence of the chief commissioner. It is named after Captain Daniel Ross, who was the marine surveyor of the Indian Navy from 1825 to 1840. At the entrance, I saw concrete bunkers, a legacy of the Japanese who had occupied it during the Second World War. The crumbling buildings and fast growing tropical forests are what greet visitors to Ross Island. I spotted chital (spotted deer) and peacocks gamboling amidst the foliage and a few darted across our path. They were introduced to these islands almost a century ago by forester Sir Henry Farrington.

Roaming amidst the crumbling colonial splendour of the island was a sheer delight. I was transported into a strange world of ramshackle edifices overtaken by dense tropical foliage. It was difficult to spot a single, undamaged structure on this 200 acre island. Above all, every building and wall supported a huge tree, its roots forming intricate patterns on the walls. A few small blackboards bearing cryptic signs such as ‘Printing Press’, ‘Barracks’, ‘Club’ indicated what the buildings had originally served as.

Huge boilers were lying around, rusting in the spray of the sea. The roof of the laundry had fallen in and the walls of the shop run by an Indian were covered by spreading roots of wild trees.

A coconut palm grove occupies the once fashionable tennis court, adjacent to the ‘Club’. I saw small blackboards along the footpath indicating the invisible landmarks. I chanced upon a derelict building with an indication outside — ‘Club House’ and later on a swimming pool area, now all covered with moss, weeds and undergrowth. Above all, most of the buildings and walls supported enormous trees, its roots forming intricate patterns on the walls. You can distinctly make out the ballrooms and the swimming pools. The renovated ‘Bakery’ was once used to offer loaves, buns, cakes, croissants and many other delicacies of those times.

Strolling around the island, I discovered that even in the early 19th century, the British knew how to live life well. A winding path and steps led us to the old hospital, and the barracks, the churches, the magazines, residences, gardens, the officer’s club, and the non-commissioned officer’s mess. I could see the last glimpses of Imperial grandeur in the Italian tiled courtyard within the dilapidated chief commissioner’s residence, which was patterned on Windsor Castle.

South of it, on a hilltop, stand the crumbling remains of an Anglican church which has survived the onslaught of tropical creepers and vines. This Presbyterian Church was built of stone and the windows had frames made of Burma Teak. The glass panes behind the altar were made of beautifully etched stained glass from Italy. The quality of the wood was so superior that it survived the vagaries of the weather for over 100 years. A small structure south of the church was built to accommodate the parsonage. Some of the grave sites are still visible, haunted with memories of babies born to die in a few days.

The island is officially still under the jurisdiction of the Indian Navy. A small museum of the Indian Navy, Smritika, has a good collection of old records and brings alive the past of the hoary island. The small museum by the cafeteria has interesting old photos. The island is open from dawn to dusk, except on Wednesdays. There are ferry services from Phoenix Bay.
 

As Delhi completes 100 years as the national capital this December 12, the art fraternity celebrates the centenary and commemorates the undying spirit of Delhi with an exhibition titled “Celebrating 100 years of Delhi” starting from December 9 at Hotel Claridges, Surajkund.

The exhibition evokes nostalgic memories and represents the cultural heritage of Delhi with intaglio prints, pen and ink drawings and paintings by artists including Aruna Vasudev, Alka Raguvanshi, Tejinder Khanda, Vikram Kalra.

“With such an extended history, Delhi can claim to be the longest serving capital in the world. The whole idea is to give a magnificent visual treat to the younger generation on how Delhi came into being,” says curator Kiran K. Mohan.

The exhibition also showcases realistic artworks of a few contemporary artists who have made Delhi their home. Basically from Amritsar, artist Tejinder Kanda shares his 22 years’ connection with the city through his paintings. “My works depict the lanes of Paharganj. I find these old lanes, havelis with Mughal style windows and doors very fascinating. It’s the real India, which has kept its old traditional values, charm and energy intact.”

Seconds artist Vikram Kalra, whose pen and ink sketches series titled, ‘Shahjahanbad — a journey through Old Delhi’, has drawings of Chandni Chowk, old monuments and life around it. “I have always been inspired by Mughal architecture. I imbibed this from my father. We used to go to old Delhi together. My artworks aim to make people aware about the city’s rich culture and heritage,” he sums up.

The exhibition is on till December 23
 

Preserving the rich archaeological and cultural heritage of Dogra rulers in Jammu and Kashmir is proving to be a daunting task for the Omar Abdullah-led coalition Government.

Despite submitting detailed project reports (DPR) prepared by INTACH- the leading consultants in the field of art and cultural heritage — to the Indian Government, the State Government has nothing much to boast of in its report card.

Official sources said, “Against the projected demand of approximately Rs 300 crore required for Mubarak Mandi Heritage complex till date the Centre has released a paltry sum of Rs 3 crore against sanctioned amount of Rs 4.37 crore to carry our renovation and restoration work of High Court Complex and Army headquarter building.

Mubarak Mandi heritage complex houses Royal palaces of Dogra rulers and heritage buildings built by Maharaja Gulab Singh, Ranbir Singh,Pratap Singh and Hari Singh. The oldest building in the royal complex dates back to 1824.

After 1947 the complex was utilised by the State Government for housing Government offices, secretariat buildings and High Court complex.

The royal buildings were vacated after they were declared unsafe for public use. Since then these buildings were facing the complete neglect by the successive State Governments as none conceived a conservation project to restore its glory.

The massive earthquake on October 8, 2005 also devastated portion of the royal buildings and alarmed the State Government authorities to devise a comprehensive conservation project.

After lot of activism and public pressure the State Government had set up a Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society (MMJHS) in 2006 with the sole objective of restoring the pristine grandeur of royal buildings.

Ironically, the heritage society, located in one of the unsafe building is yet to find a safe accommodation for itself to carry out its day-to-day activities.

The Executive Director of the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society, AK Sharma, told The Pioneer, “After INTACH submitted its DPR we had received a sum of Rs 3 crore for High Court complex and Army headquarter building from the Centre. The Archaeological Survey of India had carried out the renovation or restoration work but at present the conservation work in the Mubarak Mandi heritage complex is completely on hold in the absence of receipt of money.”

Sharma said, soon after the receipt of next installment of money we would be able to carry out the conservation work on ground zero. He said under the circumstances we cannot fix any time line of the project.

Official sources said, we are hoping to start the work on the project before the end of the financial year. Though, the 13th Finance Commission has recommended an award of Rs 50 crore for the conservation project but the State Government is yet to receive its first installment to expedite the renovation work.

In addition, the State Government is also expected to get a lions’ share of Rs 25.42 crore from the Ministry of Tourism for its mega project consisting renovation work of four heritage buildings but is still awaiting formal sanction.

Meanwhile, strong opposition to the proposal of leasing out residential palaces of Royal families as per the Vision plan of INTACH to leading hoteliers for conservation, preservation/restoration and operation of heritage hotel has also made matters worse for the State Government as it is finding it difficult to fill the gap and arrange money for the conservation project.

Official sources said after constituting the heritage society The Indian National Trust for Art and cultural heritage (INTACH), entrusted with the responsibility of preparing a vision document, had submitted proposals to the tune of Rs 232.92 crore to renovate. After including the cost of conservation of basements and other buildings the total cost of the project was pegged at Rs 296 crore (approximately).
 

While the unveiling of a memorial to Banda Singh Bahadur in Punjab garnered much attention, few people know that there is another memorial in Mehrauli to this brave soldier

On November 30 this year, the Punjab Chief Minister, Prakash Singh Badal unveiled a memorial to mark the 400th year of the victory of the Sikh forces under Banda Singh Bahadur over the Moghul Governor of Sirhind, Wazir Khan. Spread over ten acres, it cost over Rs. 12 crores. While some see the timing of the Kahnuwan Chhambh memorial to Chhota Gallughara as a run-up to the coming elections, others feel that the memorial was long overdue as it commemorates the holocaust suffered by the Sikhs during the reign of the decadent Moghuls. One however wonders why the memorial to Baba Banda Singh in Mehrauli, Delhi, was not made part of this lasting tribute to the General whose exploits have become part of 18th Century history.

As of now there is a rugged, nondescript building near a post office in Mehrauli which gives the impression of a fortress near the site where Banda Bahadur was executed. Banda was originally a yogi who was also a magician. When Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the Sikh Gurus, visited Nanded in Maharashtra, he was accosted by a yogi, who tried to prove that he was superior in performing supernatural feats. His name was Madho Das and some regarded him as a man who could perform miracles. Madho Das tried his best to overcome the guru, but all his efforts came to naught. Acknowledging defeat, he prostrated himself before Guru Gobind Singh as his banda or slave. The guru lifted him up and embraced him. Madhu Das then became a Sikh and came to be known as Banda Singh. The guru sent him all the way to Punjab where, along with other soldiers of the Panth, he fought against those who were persecuting the Sikhs.

In 1709, a year after the death of the guru, he launched his campaign, taking over from Bhai Mani Singh, the high priest. He and his Tak Khalsa of 40,000 men subdued a vast part of Punjab after defeating the Governor, Wazir Khan. Eventually, Emperor Bahadur Shah I, the successor of Aurangzeb, himself led the royal forces, mobilised in Delhi, against him and Banda had to retreat to the fort of Lohargarh, and later to the hilly tract. From there he made lightning raids on the Moghuls and repulsed all their attacks for five years. At last his valiant force was surrounded by the Moghul troops and he had to surrender in December 1715. He was brought to Delhi on the assurance that he would be treated well.

However the promise was not kept by Emperor Farrukhsiyar who put him in an iron cage. Form March next year his followers began to be executed. Within seven days hundreds of them met their death with a smile on their lips. Among them was a boy of eight, who sacrificed his life like the Sahibzadas, the sons of Guru Gobind Singh, who were martyred by the tyrannical Moghul ruler of Sirhind. This boy however was the son of Banda Bahadur.

Eventually Banda Bahadur's turn came and he was taken in a procession around the Qutab Minar. Farrukhsiyar asked him what sort of death he preferred and the brave Banda replied the type of death the emperor himself wished to die. Banda was at first tortured and then killed. More than 250 years after his martyrdom a shrine was erected in Mehrauli. Few know its history and most people just pass by taking it for another gurdwara. But the place needs better appreciation and a better memorial.

It is hoped that after the inauguration of the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Jangi Yadgaar at Chappchiri battleground in Mohali, the Punjab government would turn its attention to the neglected Delhi shrine to the yogi-turned-saint.
 

On November 30 this year, the Punjab Chief Minister, Prakash Singh Badal unveiled a memorial to mark the 400th year of the victory of the Sikh forces under Banda Singh Bahadur over the Moghul Governor of Sirhind, Wazir Khan. Spread over ten acres, it cost over Rs. 12 crores. While some see the timing of the Kahnuwan Chhambh memorial to Chhota Gallughara as a run-up to the coming elections, others feel that the memorial was long overdue as it commemorates the holocaust suffered by the Sikhs during the reign of the decadent Moghuls. One however wonders why the memorial to Baba Banda Singh in Mehrauli, Delhi, was not made part of this lasting tribute to the General whose exploits have become part of 18th Century history.

As of now there is a rugged, nondescript building near a post office in Mehrauli which gives the impression of a fortress near the site where Banda Bahadur was executed. Banda was originally a yogi who was also a magician. When Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the Sikh Gurus, visited Nanded in Maharashtra, he was accosted by a yogi, who tried to prove that he was superior in performing supernatural feats. His name was Madho Das and some regarded him as a man who could perform miracles. Madho Das tried his best to overcome the guru, but all his efforts came to naught. Acknowledging defeat, he prostrated himself before Guru Gobind Singh as his banda or slave. The guru lifted him up and embraced him. Madhu Das then became a Sikh and came to be known as Banda Singh. The guru sent him all the way to Punjab where, along with other soldiers of the Panth, he fought against those who were persecuting the Sikhs.

In 1709, a year after the death of the guru, he launched his campaign, taking over from Bhai Mani Singh, the high priest. He and his Tak Khalsa of 40,000 men subdued a vast part of Punjab after defeating the Governor, Wazir Khan. Eventually, Emperor Bahadur Shah I, the successor of Aurangzeb, himself led the royal forces, mobilised in Delhi, against him and Banda had to retreat to the fort of Lohargarh, and later to the hilly tract. From there he made lightning raids on the Moghuls and repulsed all their attacks for five years. At last his valiant force was surrounded by the Moghul troops and he had to surrender in December 1715. He was brought to Delhi on the assurance that he would be treated well.

However the promise was not kept by Emperor Farrukhsiyar who put him in an iron cage. Form March next year his followers began to be executed. Within seven days hundreds of them met their death with a smile on their lips. Among them was a boy of eight, who sacrificed his life like the Sahibzadas, the sons of Guru Gobind Singh, who were martyred by the tyrannical Moghul ruler of Sirhind. This boy however was the son of Banda Bahadur.

Eventually Banda Bahadur's turn came and he was taken in a procession around the Qutab Minar. Farrukhsiyar asked him what sort of death he preferred and the brave Banda replied the type of death the emperor himself wished to die. Banda was at first tortured and then killed. More than 250 years after his martyrdom a shrine was erected in Mehrauli. Few know its history and most people just pass by taking it for another gurdwara. But the place needs better appreciation and a better memorial.

It is hoped that after the inauguration of the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Jangi Yadgaar at Chappchiri battleground in Mohali, the Punjab government would turn its attention to the neglected Delhi shrine to the yogi-turned-saint.
 

But a hundred years ago, few would have put their money on Delhi. Its sunset started in the 18th century, turning into one interminable night after the events of 1857, when the British systematically avenged themselves upon it.

Delhi in 1911 was still a scarred city. Meanwhile, younger rivals were thriving . Bombay, Calcutta and Madras were already the country's three biggest cities, with Bombay touching the million-mark . Delhi's erstwhile subject-cities - Lucknow and Hyderabad - had outgrown it too. Delhi lagged in literacy and medical facilities - only 3% of the population could read English. Few foreigners were drawn to it (Meerut had 2,162 while Delhi had 992). Its economy was heavily agrarian, and modern trades like power generation and news publishing had few takers.

As a city, Delhi was way behind its time. For example, one of the occupational heads in the 1911 census is: "Toy, kite, cage, fishing tackle etc makers, taxidermists etc”. The listed products symbolize a medieval-decadent lifestyle. Bombay with 979,445 people had only 61 workers in this trade, while Delhi had 230 for its 232,837 residents.

All that is history. A century on, 1911's has-been city is happening like never before
 

1820
The Qutb Minar
By the Agra artist Latif, c. 1820. Standing 72.5 metres tall, the minaret was begun by Qutb al-Din Aibak in 1198 and completed by his successor Iltutmish in 1215. In this view Latif concentrates on the damage done to the stonework. British Library, london

1835
The Jama Masjid
By the artist Mazhar Ali Khan, c. 1835-40. The scene is drawn from the rooftops of the bazaar to the north called the Bazar Kilhih and focuses on the north gate of the mosque.

Victoria and Albert Museum, London

1840
The Faiz Bazaar
By a Rajasthani artist, c.1840. The view is taken from the chowk at the beginning of the Faiz Bazaar. The procession heading towards the Delhi Gate suggests that this is of the emperor on his way to his country palace at the Qutb Minar

Private collection, courtesy Francesca Galloway, London

1858
Jain Temple
Photograph by Felice Beato, 1858. The Sri Digambar Jain Naya Mandir has been rebuilt many times. The doorway to it is dated to 1807. It is situated between Chandni Chowk and the Jama Masjid.

Victoria and Albert Museum, London

1858
Lahore Gate
Photograph by Robert and Harriet Tytler, 1858, taken from the inside. The Lahore Gate had been where the commandant of the fort, appointed by the British, resided.

British Library, London

1890
The Shrine of Nizamuddin Auliya
Photograph by GW Lawrie & Co., 1890s. The hangings make for a most striking pattern round the shrine.

British Library, London

1911
The Tis Hazari Railway Station
This rail line anticipated the Metro, being one of several small stations built to link the venue of the 1911-1912 Coronation Durbar, extending from Kashmiri Gate to Azadpur.

Bates and Hindmarch, Private Collection

1952
Plaza Cinema
Most of the cinemas of British New Delhi had European names. Cecil de Mille’s film The Greatest Show on Earth, running at Plaza when this picture was taken, was released in 1952.

Press Information Bureau, New Delhi

1926
North and South Block
Photograph taken from the Government House. Despite the apparent mess, the vista along Kingsway (now Rajpath) is clearly visible.

British Library, London
 

As this is the centenary year for New Delhi, one feels sad that apart from Sir Edwin Lutyens and, to some extent, Herbert Baker, the contribution of other architects in designing the new Capital has largely been ignored. Admittedly, Lutyens and Baker designed buildings like President House, Parliament House, South Block and North Block, but the likes of Robert Tor Russell, E Montague Thomas, Walter George and Joseph Allen Stein have also provided yeoman services in the making of New Delhi

Can you think of New Delhi without Connaught Place (CP)? Unthinkable. But, who is interested to know the genius who built it? He was Robert Tor Russell. CP was to be originally designed by WH Nicholls, the chief architect to the Government of India. He planned a central plaza based on the European Renaissance and classical style. Nicholls, however, left India in 1917. With Lutyens and Baker busy working on bigger projects, it was eventually on Russell, chief architect to the Public Works Department (PWD), to designed CP

“Prior to its construction, the CP area was a ridge covered with kikar trees inhabited by jackals and wild pigs, where residents of Kashmere Gate and Civil Lines visited during the weekends for partridge hunting,” says Lala Narayan Prasad, 89, head of the IP college governing body

Russell designed CP as a double-storied complex — commercial establishments on the ground with residential area on the first floor. He created Inner Circle, Middle Circle and Outer Circle, along with seven radial roads

According to Sanjay Khanna, director of the Kailash Nath Projects Pvt Ltd, whose family built several buildings in and around the area, “When the construction work of CP was on, the Government decided to have the New Delhi Railway Station to be built inside the Central Park. Russell rejected the proposal as impractical. Later, he himself suggested the nearby Paharganj area as the ideal location for Railway Station. Russell always wanted that in the middle of CP, there should be park where shoppers and others could relax

Apart from CP, Russell also designed the Eastern and Western Courts, Teen Murti House, Safdarjung Airport, National Stadium and over 4,000 government houses later built in areas like Lodhi Road. Quite a reticent person, Russell left for England in the mid-1940s and started doing his private practice. He passed away in the 1970s

Walter George, too, did not get his due. It was he who designed Regal Cinema, Sujan Singh Park and the St Stephen’s College buildings. Regal was the first cinema hall of New Delhi, besides being perhaps the first theatre to have a balcony space. George created the balcony space so that couples could enjoy the movie without any hassle. Regal Cinema is supported by a series of pillars. The space between each pillar contains a private box

George also designed Hotel Ambassador, which was opened in 1945. It was a favourite among travellers from across the world. It had a night club, ‘Jewel Box’, where “men had to wear tuxedos and women had to be dressed in tailcoats”. He was also responsible for establishing the first training facility for architects in north India. The Department of Architecture came into existence as part of the Delhi Polytechnic at Kashmere Gate in 1942. Later, it turned into the School of Planning and Architecture

It goes to the credit of Henry Medd for designing a few wonderful churches in New Delhi. Medd was barely 23 when he joined the office of Lutyens. Later he worked under the watchful eyes of Baker for a extended period of 12 years between 1919 and 1931. He was Chief Architect to the Government of India between 1939 and 1947

Admittedly, Medd did not design any official building, but his class was very much evident in the imposing Cathedral Church of the Redemption and the Sacred Heart Cathedral. He designed both these churches. He is said to have helped Baker a great deal in finalising the finer details of the Council House (now Parliament) and secretariat buildings (North and South Blocks)

Medd belonged to the Lutyens’ school of architecture, which was reflected in the design of the two churches. Though the exterior of the churches is ordinary, with red sandstone roofing, the interior has small recessed openings that filter the sunlight

And, has anybody heard of Montague Thomas and his work? This little known architect built the Delhi Legislative Assembly, also known as Vidhan Sabha. He built this building much before Lutyens and Baker began his work in the country. Originally built in 1912 to hold the Imperial Legislative Council and subsequently the Central Legislative Assembly (after 1919), till the newly constructed Parliament House was inaugurated in 1927, this building also houses the Old Secretariat with a long front line and two lateral structures — the portion facing the Alipore Road curving gracefully in the centre like a half moon. There are two minarets at each end and small towers decorate these corners with placid domes

According to historian RV Smith, “After transfer of the Capital to Delhi, the temporary secretariat building was constructed in a few months’ time in 1912 where old Chandrawal Village stood. The semi-circular, cream-coloured secretariat building had the privilege of housing the central legislature from 1913 to 1926. This building also set a style for bungalows that came up later. The first sitting of the Legislative Council was held at the Chamber in Old Secretariat on January 27, 1913. The first convocation of the University of Delhi was held here on March 26, 1923. The Old Secretariat presently houses Vidhan Sabha.”Post-Independence, Joseph Allen Stein designe

 some of the finest buildings in the capital. The American architect decided to adopt the country and went on to design some of the finest buildings during his close to half-a-century stay in India. He created landmarks buildings like the India International Centre (IIC), the American International School, the Unicef building, the India Habitat Centre (IHC), the Ford Foundation, Triveni Kala Sangam and a host of other buildings in various parts of the Capital

Stein was a master of building materials, and in almost all his buildings he left the construction materials exposed. Those lucky enough to work under his watchful eyes say that he went into the minutest details. He never imposed his ideas on his juniors and colleagues

Stein believed in using building materials in their original form. He never covered stone with plaster

When stones were not available for the India Habitat Centre (IHC), he went to the kilns to order Lakhori and Mughal bricks. Stein integrated landscapes into his structures for the India International Centre (IIC) as he took inspiration from the Lodhi Gardens next door and gave the building both an inner and outer courtyard

Ram Rahman once wrote about Stein: “He and my father, Habib Rahman (an equally noted architect), became friends during their Calcutta days. Both of them moved to Delhi in the 1950s. Here, Stein set up his private practice and my father joined the central public works department. Both would spend every weekend exploring every ruin and village. This was a living discovery of the great Sultanate architecture of Delhi... Both developed a fascination for the traditional Delhi architecture and its effect on Stein could not be more clearly evident than the way he conceptualised and created the India International Centre.

The materials Stein used for IIC were local stones, cast concrete jalis, and blue and green ceramic tiles as highlights — definitely an inspiration from the Sultanate architecture which Stein had learned to love and admire through his weekly explorations

It is said that Stein was among the first modern architects in the country to introduce jalis in buildings. He used them at IIC and Triveni. Also, one needs to look at the roof of the IIC auditorium. It is unique, as it is composed of pre-cast-shaped elements. The outer part is built with Y-shaped pieces, ensuring enough light and air get into the building

IHC was Stein’s last and perhaps the best work. Every part of the building speaks a different language. One can enjoy different moods at different places. The environment in the courtyard gives a feel of freshness. Stein planned the building in such a manner as to have a clean look. And, IHC stands out in energy efficiency. The interesting blue sunshade provides a cooling effect. The trees also help maintain a wonderful synergy with nature

In a country where politicians, irrespective of their standing or ideology, always look for an opportunity to give new names to areas, roads, parks and building to please their political masters, it is surely asking for the moon to honour a great architect and have a road named after him. But, I believe, Lodhi Road is one such landmark which should be renamed as Stein Road — for the sheer mind-blowing work this American-born architect rendered here till he passed away in 2001
 

In a possible first for India , a group of scholars , academicians and researchers from the Centre for Community Knowledge (CCK) at Ambedkar University Delhi have embarked on the Citizen's Memory Project , a digital archive of the lives of the people of Delhi and the oral history of the capital.

The project will tie up with the Delhi Museum, which will be housed in the Dara Shikoh Library, a historical monument that lies within the campus of Ambedkar University. While the project will focus solely on the capital , it has drawn on researchers from across the country and has ramifications for the rest of India as well. While Delhi is often perceived as a city of kings and monuments , the Citizen's Memory Project aims at archiving the lives of the a a m a d m i, of the villages that are part of the metropolis and the several cities that were built and rebuilt to form the Delhi we now know .

"Among those interviewed for the project is a gentleman approaching the age of 70, who recalls his grandfather's stories of how, during the Revolt of 1857, ancient volumes from the Dara Shikoh library lay scattered on the streets of Delhi. His grandfather was a child during the Revolt , so this is, in essence , a child's memory of 1857," says Surajit Sarkar , a consultant at the CCK and part of the project.

"We are thinking of setting up kiosks at Metro stations , where people can come up to us and recount what they remember of the city . Older people can recount what their parents and grandparents remembered of Delhi. When they die, the knowledge of a couple of generations dies with them ," says professor Vijaya Varma , advisor planning at Ambedkar University.

The Citizen's Memory Project will involve a digital archive which can be accessed online by the public , anywhere in the world. "We do not believe in the bank vault model of archiving data . We want it to be accessible to everybody ," says Varma.

The archive will include a recording of interviews with people , aswell as visual material: pictures , photographs , music and various other facets of the popular culture of the city . "We are ready to help digitize old family photographs and letters that people may have , provided they allow us to put the digital version of these artifacts on our website," says Varma.

The information, though, will have to be verified, either with the help of photos or historical records, and not simply hearsay. For instance, in the case of the gentleman whose grandfather recalled the desecration of Dara Shikoh's library during the Revolt, there are historical references that such an incident occurred, says Sarkar.

In a bid to understand the history of Delhi, the project will also record the history and memories of Ambedkar University, which shares a campus with three other institutions and has been an incubator for several educational institutions in the past."TheKashmereG ate area where the university is located has historically been a hub for education , which in turn has drawn several people to the city," says Sarkar
 

The reception in the royal camp was a brilliant scene. The shamianas, which go from the great pavilion in which the investiture will be held tomorrow, cover an enormous area and yet they were densely packed last evening, between there and 4,000 persons being present

The ceiling cloth and side walls were draped in light blue and white, the colours of the star of India. Scores of gilt poles rose in support of the flat canvas roof and there are electric lights which glow with intense brightness. The lighting ensured that perfect effect be given to any gathering where full state is observed, and where high officials, chiefs, military officers etc were all in full dress while the ladies were wearing their most handsome costumes. At the further end of the pavilion was the place reserved for Their Imperial Majesties, who were accompanied by their suite. The King Emperor was in the full dress of an Admiral of the Fleet with the Star of the India ribbon and numerous other stars and orders. The Queen Empress wore a pearly white dress of brocaded satin, a high diamond tiara with heavy ropes of pearls around her neck, while the corsage blazed with diamonds. Nothing was lacking to give an air of stately magnificence to the scene about Their Imperial Majesties who graciously conversed with various ladies and gentlemen presented to them

Elsewhere in the pavilion, the crush was so great that movement except at very slow pace was impossible and one could not readily see all the persons of distinction present. But now and again were distinguished a chief, resplendent in rich attire and with jewels of rare value upon him, some well-known military officer with his orders and medals or an eminent councillor of state in court dress. A hum of conversation filled the tent and the many officials and others whose names had appeared in the Honours’ Gazette were centres of congratulations. Although the time fixed for the reception was half-past nine the difficulty experienced in handling the traffic, nearly all that pertaining to motor cars, was extreme. The reception lasted until after 11 o’clock, Their Imperial Majesties towards the close passing among their guests and making a circuit of the shamianabefore retiring

HOW THE ROYAL
ANNOUNCEMENT WAS RECEIVE

The announcement regarding the transfer of the seat of the Government of India from Calcutta to Delhi, with the other changes affecting the two Bengal and Assam, has not yet lost its character of surprise. It was a state secret kept with singular fidelity both at Home and in India, and its revelation by the King Emperor himself at the Durbar yesterday was therefore all the more dramatic. His Imperial Majesty’s announcement just before the close of the great ceremonial could of necessity be heard only by those in the vast amphitheatre within reach of his voice, and so it happened that many left without being aware of the momentous decision that had been made public. Printed copies of the Proclamation message proclaiming the boons, and the announcement regarding the change of capital, were distributed as soon as the Durbar had been closed and these were eagerly read by all into whose hands they fell. There had, it is true, been rumours that the partition of Bengal was to be reversed and a governor-in-council to be appointed to rule over the reunited provinces, but not one single suggestion had sprung from the most fertile imagination that Delhi was about to replace Calcutta as the imperial capital of India. Yesterday morning, a vague rumor spread that something surprising would be published to the world, but there was an intangibility about this report, and it didn’t raise public expectancy to a high pitch. Everyone’s interest was centred in the Durbar ceremonial, which was expected to be, as it proved, unparalleled in magnificence and impressiveness. The exaltation of Delhi as the scene of the Coronation Durbar, with Their Imperial Majesties throned in state in the presence of a multitude of people, was recognized and accepted as befitting its past history, but we did not foresee that the city was to remain supreme above all others in India, and that once more it was to become an Imperial capital. Perhaps when the dispatches in which the case for the changes is fully disclosed have been digested, the weighing of arguments may be calmy undertaken. Each day should bring us news from Home and from India outside Delhi, and this will be awaited with intense interest

HIS MAJESTY’S REPLY TO
DELHI MUNICIPALITY

The King Emperor replies as follows: The Queen Empress and I thank you most heartily for the kind sentiments of welcome and goodwill to which your address gives expression. A few months ago we feared lest the occasion of our visit to India might be marked by a serious scarcity due to a period of unusual drought, thus causing a grievous calamity to the large majority of my Indian people, whose prosperity so closely depends upon an abundant rainfall and upon the produce of agriculture. I am thankful that the scarcity has been restricted in extent and that, owing to better communications and the extension of irrigation, famine today is no longer so dreaded as in past generation

I am glad to know that in other directions, the agricultural position of India has improved. The cultivator has always been patient, laborious and skillful, though his methods have been based upon tradition. The resource of science have been brought to bear upon agriculture and have demonstrated in a very short time the great results that can be secured by its application not only in the actual improvement of the land but in dealing with the disease of live-stock, and also with those insect pests which are such formidable enemies of the tiller of the soil

If the system of cooperation can be introduced and utilised to the full, I foresee a great and glorious future for the agricultural interests of his country

We greatly appreciate the successful efforts made to beautify and prepare your city for our visit. At the same time, I know how during the past 20 years you have not neglected sanitary reform. Steady progress with your drainage system has had most happy results and the supply of pure water which you have secured has fully justified its heavy cost in the immunity thereby given from cholera and other epidemic disease. The unusual freedom from malaria which Delhi has enjoyed this year is, I understand to be ascribed largely to the clearance and drainage of the Bela, by which a jungle swamp has been converted into an extensive park

I most earnestly trust these lessons may be more universally understood and utilised to ensure the better health and greater safety of my Indian subjects. The remedy for protection from those terrible visitations of plague, malaria and cholera must be sought in the action of the people themselves and their leaders in cordial cooperation with the scientific efforts of the authorities

Considerable progress has been made by research and by the study of local condition as to the cause of these scourges, but much remains to be done above all in the education of the masses, teaching them to understand and adopt precautions dictated by elementary hygienic and domestic sanitation for their protection and welfare

We have looked forward with keen pleasure to the prospects of revisiting your ancient and famous city which your address reminds us has been the scene of events memorable in the history of this country and some of them intimately associated with my house and throne. In future it will be bound to us by yet closer ties. The traditions of your city invest it with a peculiar charm. The relics of bygone ages that meet the eye on every side, the splendid palace and temples which have resisted the destroying hand of time, all these witness to a great and illustrious past

In seeking a most central spot for the seat of the Government of India, these tradition and characteristics conduced in no small degree to the decision which I have so recently announced that from this time forward Delhi shall be the capital of our Indian empire, the same time, I wish to bear testimony to the cars with which the Government of the Punjab during the 50 years since Delhi was incorporated in that Province have developed this beautiful city while doing their utmost to preserve its historic monuments and thus preparing the city of Delhi for its restoration to its former proud position of the capital of the Indian Empire

This change will necessitate considerable administrative rearrangements , but I am assured that the Imperial City may anticipate from the Imperial Government a care for its ancient monuments and a solicitude for its material development by no means less than the provincial city of Delhi has in the past received from the provincial Government. I pray that this Empire of which Delhi is now the Capital may ever stand for peace and progress, justice and prosperity and that it may add to the traditions of your city still brighter chapter of greatness and glory.

THE GARDEN PARTY AND
PEOPLE FETE

“And oh! If there be an Elysium on earth, it is this, it is this.” So sang the Persian poet of old, and Shah Jehan the magnificent, when he built his exquisite hall of private audience in the Delhi Fort, engraved the lines upon the wall in letters of gold. They came back to one with irresistible force this afternoon, as one strolled beneath the tees in the lovely gardens with the fountains playing all around and saw the happy throng of English and Indian guests wandering about, with the marble halls and pillars of the palace as a background for the scene. Bands discoursed sweet music from various corners of the lawn... today’s party was the finishing touch to the Durbar, and if any note was wanting from the Durbar ceremonial it was supplied today. Yesterday we saw the Emperor in might and majesty, awful in splendour and power, proclaiming his authority and announcing in person his royal will, which all men must obey. Today in no less splendour he kept high revel and his court was gay indeed. He was the great Moghal. In the surpassingly lovely hall of his predecessors he showed himself to his guests, and from the Musammam Burj he let the people gaze upon his august presence as his predecessors were wont to do

In these halls and on these lawns once Shah Jehan walked. Perhaps with the lovely Mumtaz Mahal, while maybe Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb played as children round the Nahri Bihist, the steam of paradise, in the garden Round this court in those days gathered chivalrous Rajputs adventurous Pathans and stalwart Hindustanis. Occasionally a wandering Englishman was graciously received and gazed in wonder on the fairy halls, never dreaming that one day the descendant of his king would stand as Emperor where the peacock throne glittered

Today the scene has been revived with greater splendour than ever before. The peacock throne alas! has gone but the owner of the Koh-i-Nur was here. To compensate for the lost jewels was a gathering of all races, such as Shah Jehan could never summon together. Never before have chieftains from Bhutan and Sikkim, Gurkhas from Nepal, Tamil and Telugus from the south which the Moghals never could subdue, mingled at Delhi in the Emperor presence with Rajputs and Muslims Mahrattas, it is true, used at times to make salaams, but with suspicion and enmity in their hearts. Today their princes and officers were there yielding to none in burning loyality and devotion — for when has an Emperor ever had a more loyal feudatory than the present Scindia or than Kolhapur, the direct heir of Shivaji to take but two manes from all the Maharattas now gathered at Delhi

Their Majesties arrived at 3.30 pm. The processional route taken was over the Ridge to Alipur Road and thence through Kashmir Gate into the city and so by Elgin Road to the Lahore Gate of the Fort. The roads were lined by the infantry of the 3rd and 7th divisions, the 10th and 17th Cavalry the royal Berkshire Regiment and the 33rd Punjabis from the Delhi garrison, 350 Imperial Service Cavalry and 2700 Imperial Service Infantry. Lt General Pearson and Lake commanded sections of the route up to Lahore Gate; while Lt Colonel H King was in command of the troops in the fort. The units of the 3rd and 7th divisions bearing “Delhi” as a battle honours had each detachment of one officer and five men at and on the Kashmir Gate

The procession to the fort was, therefore, made with fitting military display, the royal carriage being escorted by the 1st king Dragoon guards and the 8th cavalry while the governor general carriages had an escort also from the 1st Dragoon Guards and the 11th Lancers

The highland light infantry and 25th Punjabis furnished a guard of honor between the Naubat Khana and the Dewan-I-Aam. It may here be said that the return journey of the royal party was made by motor and a reduced number of troop were left to line the route. This thoughtful arrangement afforded relief to the regiments who have had hard work on the ceremonial occasions of the week

THEIR MAJESTIES BEFORE
THE PEOPLE

The King Emperor wore staff uniform, namely a blue frock coat (military), The Queen Empress wore a dress of flowered heliotrope. The Imperial Majesties moved freely about the garden among their guests and visited the loan exhibition in the Museum, which has been situated In the palace building known as the Mumtaz Mahal on the roof of which had been erected the temporary apartments, whence purdah ladies were enable to view the function. After spending some time in this manner, Their Imperial Majesties retired and donned their crowns and imperial robes. Then they entered the lovely marble balcony of the Musammam Burj and granted the darshan or appearance before the people assembled on the Zer Jharokha below. But the fretted sides of the balcony did not permit of a sufficiently expansive view, and after a few minut

Their Majesties quitted the Burj and passed to the open platform between the building from which the Burj project and the Rang Mahel from this another uncovered balcony project from the line of the fort walls over the Zer Jharokha. On this had been placed the solid silver thrones covered with gilding and upholstered in crimson velvet. There Their Majesties took their seats. The staff retired discreetly to the adjoining building and only the princely Indian pages remained in attendance on the Emperor and Empress. At first the pages stood behind the thrones, but the King Emperor feared that this would blur the spectacle for the crowds below and he made the pages stand on each side. Afterwards turning with a pleasant smile he bade the boys be seated behind him. Thus the two crowned and robed figures were left in isolation for the people to feast their eyes upon

The sight was as impressive as could well be imagined, and below dense crowds advanced in two parallel columns, banners held aloft proclaiming from what district or tahsil each group hailed. Slowly they advanced and then wheeled to the right and left. Each sect was to be distinguished by the colour of its pagris, and blocks of colour passed in succession. From the whole mass rose a roar of cheering such as I have never heard from any Indian crowed before. The Durbar itself provided no more magnificent scene, the Emperor and Empress on the walls above, the moving volume of people below, and enthusiasm seemed to reach its climax. For well nigh three quarters of an hour the Emperor and Empress sat there, a sight which no one present can ever hope to see surpassed. A historian who was also a poet might do justice to the impression created. Perhaps the coloured bioscope may give the rest of the world some idea of it, but mere words in cold black and white are impotent, and in any case the electric atmosphere can never be reproduced. It was all magnificent. Presently, Their Imperial Majesties left the thrones and returned to the Dewan-I-Khas. The sun set and illuminations and fireworks brought to a close a ceremony in which was omitted no point that could lend splendour and no detail that could add to its effect. Thus was completed what was begun at the Durbar
 

100 years of glory
In the winter of 1911, Delhi was just another dot on the political map of British India, a modest provincial town and small commercial centre still recovering from the scars of imperial retribution after the 1857 uprising. On December 12, 1911 the city hosted the Delhi Durbar - the biggest tamasha of the British Raj - near Burari. Though Calcutta was the capital of British India then, Delhi had hosted two Durbars before, in 1877 and 1903. It was, however, the first time that the royal couple, King Emperor George V and Queen Mary, was present at the coronation celebration

A city of tents, with a railway network of its own, had come up over an area of 25 square miles in the northwest part of Delhi, to be called Kingsway Camp later. Apart from the presence of the royal couple, the Durbar was special for another reason. It was here that King George V announced the shifting of the Capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi, a decision known only to the top echelons of the British regime till then.

As the Durbar ended, the long task of building an imperial capital began. The government machinery, however, shifted to the new Capital by March 1912. A temporary capital with modest buildings came up at Civil Lines, including a circuit house, council chamber and office of the Commander-in-Chief.

Edwin Landseer Lutyens, known for designing country houses in England, was entrusted with the job of planning the new city. Along with his old friend Herbert Baker and a team of architects, Lutyens set about the task of finalising a site for the new capital.

The new capital was supposed to come up at the site where the Durbar was held and a foundation stone was laid by George V.

Lutyens found the site swampy and prone to flooding, apart from being too 'flat and boring'. He roamed around Delhi's countryside and finalised the area near Raisina Hills. Its undulating surface meant the buildings would be built at a height, making them imposing. The area was largely uninhabited except for villages such as Malcha.

After the proclamation of Delhi as the new capital, it took 20 years of planning and construction for New Delhi to come up. The axis of the city was formed around the three grand buildings - Government House (Rashtrapati Bhavan), Secretariat and Council House (Parliament House) - at one end and the All-India War Memorial (India Gate) at the other end of the central vista.

On February 10, 1931, Viceroy of India Lord Irwin inaugurated New Delhi at 11 am. The decision to shift the Capital of India changed the course of Delhi's history. But in the two decades it took to build the Capital, the fate of British Empire itself had changed. By 1931, a transition of power was imminent and within 16 years, New Delhi was going to become the seat of power of an independent India.
 

As chronicled by HT over the past year in the series New Delhi 100, Delhi in 1911 was just a small town in the Punjab province, still recovering from the wounds inflicted on it by the British regime after the uprising of 1857.

But the king's proclamation at the durbar, kept a secret till then, changed Delhi's fate and put it firmly on the international political map.

Calcutta, the nerve centre of British Raj till then, had fallen out of favour as it had become politically volatile.

The British government wanted to shift the capital and Delhi won on many counts. It was closer to Shimla, the summer capital and was well connected by rail.

In the next 20 years, New Delhi would be carved out of scattered villages and a rocky ridge inhabited by jackals. The new capital and its imposing buildings would come to define Delhi for the next 100 years. The capital, however, would keep growing beyond the garden city planned by Edwin Lutyens - and continues to grow
 

The centenary of the establishment of New Delhi will be marked by year-long celebrations that are being planned by the Delhi Government and other cultural agencies like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Special souvenirs will be released, and specially planned exhibitions showcased as well. A book on the history of seven cities of Delhi and detailing the account of how the present city was built would be launched by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Besides, a photo exhibition capturing the city of monuments will be among a series of events that Government agencies have lined up to mark the centenary celebrations. Though there will be no official ceremony to mark the occasion, Dikshit will release the book in the evening.

‘Dastann-e-Dilli’ — an exhibition on the city, will be also inaugurated by her and Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna on Wednesday. The exhibition will chronicle the culture of Delhi — from its ancient days to the modern period — where both heritage sites and modern-day buildings co-exist. The year-long celebrations will kick off in January when the Ministry of Culture has lined up a number of events that will showcase the rich cultural heritage. Delhiites have already began celebrating the centenary year of their beloved city, thronging in large numbers to a food festival at Baba Kharag Singh Marg.

The ‘Dilli Ke Pakwan Festival’ brings the very soul of Delhi’s culture, street food to the people with a variety of kebabs, kulfi and other mouth-watering delicacies.

The foundation stone for the building of a new city in Delhi was laid by King George V and Queen Mary at the site of the Delhi Durbar at Kingsway Camp on December 15, 1911 and New Delhi, as it is called, took shape from the architectural brilliance of Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.

Christening an idenity
Do you know that Rajpath that overlooks the magnificent Rashtrapati Bhavan was once called Kingsway? It is not Rajpath alone that has over the years been renamed in Lutyens Delhi — once the capital of the British empire — but several other English names in Rajdhani Dilli have made way for Indian ones.

As the Indian Government set about making Delhi its capital, many roads were named and renamed after leaders of modern India, in the process of erasing the memory of the British empire. Rajpath, the ceremonial boulevard of the country that runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan through Vijay Chowk to India Gate, right up to the National Stadium, was once called Kingsway.

Likewise, the Motilal Nehru Marg, which houses the likes of the Chief Minister of Delhi, was once called York Road when Edwin Lutyens started building New Delhi in 1912. New Delhi, the capital of the modern India, turns 100 tomorrow and a lot of things have changed in the city, the names of roads being just one of them. Teen Murti Marg, that houses the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, was once known as Roberts Road and the present day Rafi Marg was Old Mill Road.
 

These views emerged at the international conference on eco engineering for connecting wildlife corridors organised in Dehradun on Sunday by Tiger Protection Group and Wildlife Savers Society in association with Uttarakhand forest department.

Speaking as the chief guest of the event, the Vidhan Sabha Speaker Harbans Kapur said that the growing conflict between humans and elephants in the State is a cause for serious concern.

Expressing hope that the conference would come up with important recommendations for addressing this problem, he said that the State Government would follow these recommendations while stressing that the State and Central Governments need to work together with all stakeholders to resolve this issue.

Professor and Chair of the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Raman Sukumar said, “About 400 people die annually in India due to human-animal conflict. Habitat fragmentation and degradation is a major cause of this conflict which can be mitigated by enabling unrestricted movement of elephants and other wild animals in wildlife corridors. However, various factors like the bio diversity of forest areas linked by a corridor and the size of the area have to be considered while taking measures for consolidating such corridors.”
 

The authorities have to strike a balance between conservation efforts and public welfare. In an interview with Deccan Herald, Dr S V P Halakatti, Superintendent, Archaeological Survey of India, Dharwad zone speaks about the challenges and hurdles faced in enforcing the new regime.

What is the difference between the earlier law and the present one?
The law formulated in 1958 lacked specific explanations and guidelines on conservation of monuments. The legislation amended in 2010 is exhaustive.

It lays down the mandatory distance between a private property and a protected monument, the procedures to allow construction activity in the vicinity, the quantum of punishment for encroachment of monuments and the role and responsibility of the officials in charge. The Act provides for a separate bylaw for each monument. It also states that prior permission from competent authority should be obtained before taking up any construction in the prohibited area. Any breach will be considered as a criminal offence.

What is the system in place in the State to monitor the enforcement of new law?
The Archaeological Survey of India has set up two authorities to sanction or refuse permission for construction near the protected monuments in the State.

The Bangalore Circle is headed by the secretary to Kannada and Culture Department and the Dharwad circle is headed by regional commissioner, Belgaum.

We only recommend the proposals and the final decision rests with the two authorities. A national-level body of the ASI is the next authority.

What problems are you facing in enforcement of the new Act?

The primary duty of research on the monuments has suffered due to staff crunch. Dharwad zone has as many as 300 monuments and we require 900 personnel to work in three shifts. As of now, we have only 140 people and have requested to fill up another 652 vacancies. There is no provision to appoint staff on contract basis. Now we have the additional workload under the new law.

What is the role of the State government in protecting monuments?
We are depending on the State government for protection of monuments. We have to lodge complaint at the local police station in case of encroachment/s.

But, sometimes police hesitate to register a complaint and we have to approach a local court. But we don’t have our advocates at such places and we are not allowed to hire private advocates.

A dedicated protection force (on the lines of Railway Protection Force, Central Industrial Security Force) is essential to safeguard monuments. The State government too should be given some part of our responsibilities.

What are the steps taken to create awareness on the new legislation?
Our advocates have interacted with the people in Bijapur, Bagalkot, Gadag, Lakkundi, Karwar, Bhatkal and Haveri.

Though the new city had everything chalked out to take care of the needs of an imperial government, it lacked life. This is where Connaught Place came into the picture. Work on Connaught Place, New Delhi’s own Piccadilly Circus, began only in 1929, when all the other major buildings were already taking shape. The complex started gaining popularity during mid-1930s.

The contours of New Delhi also changed with the advent of the Second World War in 1939. New industries came up to cater to the needs of war and with it came migrant labourers. Hutments came up near the Secretariat for war time offices. In mid-1940s, housing for government employees also came up in the Lodhi Colony area. Timeline 1932-1969

Independence and Partition acted as a catalyst for Delhi’s drastic change. Nearly five lakh refugees poured into the city, which was not prepared for the population explosion. The refugees moved into every inch of available space and took up any work they could find. Despite odds, the Punjabi spirit was indomitable. The enterprising refugees boosted trade and once settled, the new residents of Delhi stamped their cultural dominance on the city.

The post-Independence era of 1950s also saw a slew of construction activity. The public buildings and mass housing projects that came up in this period gave shape to the New Delhi we know today.

Apart from the challenge of creating infrastructure for New Delhi’s growing needs, there was also a need to create indigenous architecture that would express the progressive ethos of the time. Utilitarian modernism became the template for almost all government buildings built at the time and the acute fund crunch also resulted in the austere façade of these structures.

Post-Independence, the city also witnessed a cultural renaissance thanks to Prime Minister Pandit Nehru, who took a keen interest in promoting Indian classical arts and theatre. The 1950s and ’60s inarguably, the defining decades of New Delhi as the cultural Capital of the country, saw the building of several top class auditoriums and art galleries such as Sapru House and Rabindra Bhavan.

One hundred years of history

It was built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary of England. Today, the Gateway of India, Mumbai, stands testimony to a versatile, colourful city.

The Gateway of India stands tall on the waterfront. Little Hormazd liked hopping on to a boat to ride the shimmery waters of Mumbai. He liked sitting on stone benches, looking at balloons. Not just any balloons, but animal-shaped ones. He has memories of the “photograph guy,” the “telescope guy” and the kulfiwallah. At the Gateway of India, there was always something to capture your fancy.
Years later, south-Mumbai resident Hormazd, now 27 years old, has grown up to be a travel buff. The memory of several boat rides at the Gateway remains one of his fondest.

A boat ride is in fact also a link to history. As the name suggests, the Gateway was an entry point for British officers and royalty to arrive at the Bombay harbour. It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay. The wide expanse of its open foyer and the grandeur of the arches made the monument a perfect place for ceremonial events.

Welcome arch
“The British viceroys would walk through the Gateway for ceremonies. George Wittet, an architect, did a temporary gateway to welcome them. Prior to that it was a pagoda, which was demolished. He then designed a magnificent amphitheatre. Work on the Gateway was completed in 1924. This monument then became the icon of Bombay,” says Sharada Dwivedi, Mumbai-based historian and researcher.

As per the records, the first major event that took place at the Gateway was the passing of the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry. They were the last British troops to leave India after independence. The ceremony was conducted on February 28, 1948.

Even today celebrates ‘Navy Day' at the Gateway with music, operations and colourful pageantry. This yearly event carries much sentimental valur for Ms. Dwivedi.

“Prior to independence,” she says, “the place was popular for performances by bands. Post independence it was a venue for people to get away from their congested city homes and get a breath of fresh air.”

Landmark
The monument has a towering arch of approximately 26 metres in height. Yellow basalt and reinforced concrete were used for the construction of the structure. The Indo-Saracenic style architecture used in late 19th century in British India itself reflects the amalgamation of cultures giving a Gothic appeal and using elements from indigenous styles of architecture.

At the top of the monument there is a central dome and the façade and the arches have intricate latticework reminiscent of Moghul architecture.

Attacks
Much of the old-world charm can be found at the Gateway in the boats and catamarans that still ply at the harbour. The decorated horse carriages that line along the pavements and the iconic Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel complete the setting. In the 21st century however, the monument has seen two terror attacks. A blast which took place in 2003 and the 26/11 attacks at the Taj in 2008. Heavy barricading therefore is a reminder of modern times. The area around has been decorated and parking has been regulated. However for old-timers like Ms. Dwivedi, the renovation is a major put off. “They replaced the ledges with cement concrete. They could have used stone. I don't like the new plaza. It's a heritage site, but you have booking offices blocking the view of the statue and the monument till you are near it. Plus, they destroyed a lot of trees,” she rues.

The dead structures infused with history may change with the passage of time. But the ferries, the water and the pigeons that give people company have remained the same.
 

Delhi’s Birthday Party

The city with innumerable legends may have officially turned 100 on Sunday but its birthday celebrations sit in the warp and weft of this season’s cultural calendar. A hundred years have rolled by since the British made a declaration on December 12, 1911, when, at the coronation ceremony of King George V and Queen Mary, the King announced the shifting of the Capital of the British Raj from Calcutta to Delhi.

Despite some scepticism about commemorating what was essentially a colonial decision, the Capital’s birthday got many groups of enthusiasts interested. They argue about the idea of Delhi like writer Sunil Khilnani did about the idea of India — that the sum is bigger than its parts. One of them is Pramod Kapoor, founder of Roli books, who released Delhi: Red Fort to Raisina, edited by curator JP Losty and with writings by Union minister Salman Khurshid, conservation architect Ratish Nanda and publisher Malvika Singh. The book traces the journey of Delhi from the making of Red Fort to the making of New Delhi at Raisina Hill. Kapoor will also display paintings and photographs from the book at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, in an exhibition that will begin on December 15. “It will follow the format of the book, which includes artists’ depiction of Shahjahanabad, life in the old city, colonial view of Delhi and eye-witnesses accounts of Delhi,” he adds.

Comprising 110 works, the highlights include the 1846 watercolour, Panorama of Delhi from the Lahore Gate of the Red Fort, by Mazhar Ali Khan. The panorama from the top of Red Fort’s Lahore Gate is “like a satellite image,” points out Kapoor. It captures the details of architectural landmarks, from Jama Masjid to the Ridge and the narrow streets of Chandni Chowk. Giving a glimpse of the city as it was before the Mutiny of 1857 is the Map of Shahjahanabad by a Delhi Cartographer.

That was in the last century. In the past decade, Delhi-based artist Vikram Kalra too walked the by-lanes of old Delhi holding his sketchbook. In the exhibition titled, “From Red Fort to Raisina Hill” at the India Habitat Centre, he depicts buildings around Raisina Hill, belonging to the Mughal period and the British period, from 1800 to 1911. These include the Residency building, Flagstaff tower, James Skinner’s haveli, Nicholsan’s cemetery, British Commander-in-Chief’s house (now Teen Murti Bhavan) and the Old Secretariat (now the Vidhan Sabha). “I’ve tried to capture the details, including Hindu motifs like the lotus, cows and elephants used by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker in the North and South Blocks,” says the artist.

Delhi of the past is also the theme of the exhibition “Timeless Delhi” organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. To be displayed at Azad Bhavan from December 14, it will compromise photographs of Raja Deen Dayal among others. “There have been several transitions in Delhi in the last 100 years. Celebrating the city through cultural activities seemed most apt,” says Suresh Kumar Goel, director general of ICCR, that has also lined-up other festivities, including a dance performance by Shovana Narayan and a thumri recital by Dr Kumud Jha Diwan.

Lest “pastness” becomes a repetitive leitmotif, among the other exhibitions there is one with contemporary interpretations too. Nine artists are part of the show titled “Celebrating 100 Years of Delhi” that is on at The Claridges, Surajkund, till December 23. “I asked the artists to commemorate Delhi through their work. It’s their tribute to Delhi,” says curator Kiran Mohan.
 

Eloquence in stone

The star-shaped Hoysala temple at Somnathpur is a favourite with tourists. Hema Narayanan is spellbound by the architectural wonder that the Keshava temple here is.

There must be a reason why Karnataka is called the cradle of stone architecture. Perhaps it’s because of the peerless stone wonders seen here, eloquent reminders of a fertile heritage. It is said that there are three forms of visual art: Painting is art to look at, sculpture is art you can walk around, and architecture is art you can walk through.

I am sure you have looked at art, and walked around art, but have you walked through art in the form of architecture? Well you can, by walking the corridors of the temple of Somnathpur by the Cauvery.

Just one step into the temple courtyard, and the first glance of this fine illustration of style and perfection stunned me – it can emerge only out of deep devotion for architecture, I thought.

How else would they carry on their mastery at making stones speak, for generations? And it is true; this temple is the third exquisite creation of the Hoysala dynasty, after the renowned temples at Belur and Halebidu. Known as the Keshava (or Chennakeshava) temple of Somnathpur, it was built in 1268 AD by architect Somnath, under the reign of King Narasimha III.

Thankfully, it did not undergo destruction like the other two temples did and has been well preserved till date. I have heard bedtime stories of the great Indian epics of Ramayana and Mahabharatha from my grandparents, but witnessing these scenes narrated via stone carvings at Somnathpur was incredible and unexpected. It is one thing to possess power and time and another to use them in a way that the Hoysalas did.

They pursued architecture when they were a major power in South India and their reign was noted for its peace and a leisurely life; hence encouraging talent of all kinds. The artisans were encouraged to have a healthy competition and were allowed to sign their names below their creations as an incentive, something unheard of before their times. Result? They have left behind wonders made of stone, for many generations to witness.

Representative of its ag

Though lesser known among the Hoysala temples, the Somnathpur temple has much superior architecture. It is representative of the age as it showcases an unbroken view of the period’s style. Western tourists and Indian visitors throng Somnathpur making it is widely admired.

The sight of the temple is spellbinding; it is located in the middle of a large courtyard surrounded by an open verandah, which contains 64 cells. Celebrated army commander Somnath who designed this temple has adhered to the typical Hoysala style architecture – it has a mini cosmos with scenes carved on the walls. The guide pointed to the gods, goddesses, dancing girls, musicians, gurus and a variety of animal depictions

Perhaps the Hoysalas have a deep liking for star-shaped structures – this temple is three-celled and star-shaped, with the main cell facing the east. Three distinctly carved towers identical in design and execution surmount all three cells. How could they make them identical, when there were no moulds or tools available then?

I slowly took in the architectural marvel of the outer walls. And why not, when these walls were an art connoisseur’s delight? Standing on a three-feet-high raised platform, the temple is supported at angles by figures of elephants facing outwards. Many railed parapets run the whole way round the shrine. Starting from the bottom, there are friezes of beautiful sculptures of swans, caparisoned elephants, charging horsemen, mythological beasts and scrolls.

Turreted niches with small images of lions separate them. Themes from the Indian epics and the Bhagavata had me captivated. As many as 194 idols have been carved: Lord Vishnu and his incarnations, Brahma, Shiva and Indra adorn the walls as powerful gods; while the goddesses took the rest of the place. Beautiful carvings of Saraswathi and Durga depicted as the goddess of learning and Mahishasuramardhini (slayer of the demon Mahisha) respectively can make you believe that stone walls here can speak if you listen carefully.

Striking feature

For one, this temple is perfectly symmetrical and some of its special features include:

Seven animals sculpted into one figure; one of the layers has a palm-sized figure depicting seven animals - body of a pig, trunk of an elephant, mouth of a crocodile, eyes of a monkey, ears of a cow, tail of a peacock and paws of a lion.

A paper could slide underneath a pillar – one of the temple’s pillars allowed a piece of paper to slide from underneath, one side to the other. Rare carving of Lord Brahma – not many temples in India have an idol of Brahma (part of the cosmic Trinity) in the form of a carving; and Somnathpur temple is one of them.

Signature of sculptors carved on the outer walls and pedestals. Close to 40 carvings had the name of Mallitamma – must have been the master craftsman!

Finally, the missing idol – the temple has three sanctums, which once housed carved idols of Keshava, Janardhana and Venugopala. But today, the idol of Lord Keshava is missing, while the other two adorn the sanctums in their original form.

Think of what it would have taken the architects of that period to carve 16 different ceilings in stone, each ceiling depicting different stages of a blooming plantain. Or the outer walls of Somnathpur, which contain elaborately carved sculptures of the deities of the Hindu pantheon? And if one is keen to know the history of this temple, an inscribed black stone slab, in old Kannada script at the entrance, says it all.

All my day was spent gazing in rapt attention at this stone sanctuary. Pt Jawaharlal Nehru in his book ‘Discovery of India’ wrote, “there is a stillness and everlastingness about the past, it changes not and has a touch of eternity.” And to me, it seemed as if Somnathpur was saying that eternity grows here.

How to get there...

By air: Bangalore is the nearest to Somnathpur (140 km

By rail: Mysore is the nearest station (40km

By road: Buses from Mysore (60 km), Bangalore (130 km) and Srirangapatna

Where to stay..

It is best to stay at Mysore and travel to Somnathpur.

Other information

There are very few good restaurants in Somnathpur. Carry food along. Nearby places to see: Srirangapatna and Talakad

Mysore's historic fountains

Once the cynosure of all eyes, they now stand defunct, mere reminders of a rich past. This is the story of fountains at key traffic intersections (or circles) in Mysore. They are defunct for a major part of the year, barring a few days during Dasara. During the reign of the Wodeyars, however, they were tourist spots.

They continued to draw attention a few years after the abolition of princely rule, but not any more. A circle near Lansdowne building, another heritage building that still stands, was the first circle to boast of a fountain.

The Elgin fountain was an exquisitely carved structure with sculptures of fish adorning the five corners at the bottom and birds in the middle portion of the fountain. A toy adorned the top of the fountain. Water spouting from the top of the toy was a sight to behold. However, it had to pave way for the statue of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar after the demise of the ruler in 1940. It’s the same circle that later went on to become popular as K R Circle.

Then, there was another fountain at Hardinge Circle, the entry point to Mysore. The fountain here was decorated with lights of different colours. This was a major point of attraction in the City. The main purpose behind these circles was to soothe the mind of whoever came to the City.

The location of the circles was also planned in such a way that they welcomed visitors at the City’s entry points. While Elgin was at the intersection of Sayyaji Rao road, another at Hardinge was at the centre of six gates connecting the City from different sides.

There was also another in front of the City railway station. No sooner did one came out of the station, did one catch a glimpse of the fountain. The fountain at Elgin was later shifted near Central Prisons Mysore, the road that connects Mysore to Bangalore.

For a brief period, the fountain was shifted to another place near Sujata Hotel, but was shifted back, closer to the jail. The fountain that comes alive only during Dasara along with others, still stands. Though the circle is named after the veteran Kannada actor Rajkumar, it’s known as Fountain Circle.

The fountain at Hardinge also stands, but the lights have now disappeared. It was the same fountain that served as the perfect model for a similar facility recreated at Brindavan Gardens at KRS. However, the only difference at KRS was the music, making it a musical fountain.

The fountain near City railway station was later shifted to Government Ayurvedic Hospital Circle. The Moulana Abdul Kalam Azad Circle at the end of Sayyaji Rao road that connects Nelson Mandela road to Bannimantap also has a fountain.

The fountain at N Madhava Rao circle in Agrahara was the first circle that was built during the modern period of Mysore, during the 70s. The fountain here, built with box-like structures on either sides, has an idol of Lord Shiva on the top. However, like the rest of the fountains in Mysore, this one has lost its charm
 

New Delhi comes of age

The Partition and the influx of refugees changed the contours and demography of New Delhi. It was during 1950s and 60s when several housing, institutional and public buildings came up in a city that was still grappling with the huge burden put on it. It was only by the 1970s that the Capital settled down and south Delhi truly came into its own. Areas like Hauz Khas, Green Park and South Extension came up at this time. The markets in South Extension and Greater Kailash had a more modern look and were patronised by the ever increasing populace of south Delhi.

Many people, who were residing in the walled city till then, also moved into newly developed areas like Greater Kailash I and II and Safdarjung Enclave.

It was the ninth Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1982 that almost brought the Capital into the 21st century. The landmark event changed the city's landscape and skyline. In the run-up to the 16-day event, New Delhi saw the construction of modern flyovers, wide roads and state-of-the-art stadiums that propelled the city's growth by a decade. The Games also brought colour televisions into Indian drawing rooms.

With its ever increasing population and expanding boundaries, the Centre decided to gift Delhi the status of statehood. Delhi got its own legislative assembly and its first elected government was chosen in 1993. Delhi, however, still has a multiplicity of authorities and the fight for full statehood continues.

The 1980s and 90s also saw the emergence of satellite towns like Noida and Gurgaon. In the next few decades, these two suburbs would not only absorb the pressure on Delhi's infrastructure but also come into their own. While the city kept expanding, going beyond its boundaries, it was the Delhi Metro that integrated Delhi-NCR. Starting with a small corridor in 2002, the Metro now has a network of 190 kms and growing.

From being rocky, barren piece of land in 1911, a ghost town in the 1930s and a staid and sarkari city till the 1950s, New Delhi has today become a buzzing town with its gleaming Metro, glitzy malls and multiplexes as well as grand hotels and restaurants.
 

Mangar on edge: Authorities want the realtors out

After a series of reports by TOI on the need to protect the eco-fragile Mangar area and adjoining forests in the Aravalis in Faridabad, the district administration has sent a detailed report to the state headquarters seeking the conservation of these areas.

Deputy commissioner Rakesh Gupta told TOI that the report highlights the need to conserve areas in Manger and 7-8 other villages. "We have found that these areas are major water recharge zones and have ample green cover. We hope these issues will be considered by the apex committee constituted by the government," Gupta added.

The committee, headed by the deputy commissioner, suggested that this area, being an important forest for Faridabad, should be excluded from real estate zoning. It is also part of a wildlife corridor between Delhi and Rajasthan. Gupta said that non-forestry activities would cause major depletion of groundwater and could pose a threat to the water availability in Gurgaon and Faridabad. The two districts are largely dependent on groundwater. Since the government came out with a Draft Development Plan (DDP) 2031 for Mangar and adjoining villages, the number of requests for boring tubewells in the region has increased manifold. Land prices have also shot up. The plan proposes to allow 22 kinds of real estate activities in the Aravalis hills - from farmhouses to airports.

The committee found that allowing non-forestry activities in the green belt would fragment the hills and affect the catchment area of Dhauj Lake. The lake has been drying up because of vegetational degradation of the forest in the catchment area.

Last winter, a leopard had got trapped in a farmhouse in the forest area and was killed by locals. Further fragmentation will compound the man-animal conflict here, committee members say.

Gupta has reportedly directed the forest department that the case for notifying all remaining gairmumkin pahar/ Aravalli Hills/ forest areas in all villages that are covered in the DDP under section 4 and 5 of Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) starting with Mangar and Kot village be prepared and sent to the competent authority for immediate notification.
 

Delhi’s story in pictures

Delhi which now boasts of iconic buildings and magnificent architectural opulence — traversed a long journey to become sort of a microcosm of the entire India. But what was the journey that made Delhi one of the most prominent heritage cities in the world?

As the city celebrates 100 years of its re-emergence as modern India’s capital, a book edited by renowned curator J.P. Losty and containing write ups by Union law minister Salman Khurshid, conservation architect Ratish Nanda and publisher Malvika Singh traces evolution of Delhi from coming up of Red Fort to making of New Delhi at Raisina Hill.

The book, Delhi: Red Fort to Raisina, launched last night at a glittering function by chief minister Sheila Dikshit, features rare paintings, maps and pictures sourced from across the world including from British Museum in London, British Library in London and Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris.

With essays on different aspects of Delhi’s history by Losty, Khurshid, Nanda and Singh, the book is a lively portrait of Delhi as well as its transition from the old-world charm of Shahjahanabad to a modern city with a new seat of power built on the Raisina Hill.

“Of the 100 years of shifting of the capital to Delhi from Kolkata, I have spent 73 years here. It is a sentimental journey for me,” Dikshit said launching the book in presence of a distinguished crowd including Union ministers P. Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Praful Patel and M Pallam Raju.

Khurshid, who wrote an essay on Shahjahanabad in the book and gave its title said, “Delhi is a remarkable city. Delhi means so much to all of us.”

Describing Delhi as “little India”, Khurshid said a lot can be done to enhance beauty of the national capital as there is a Delhi which is hidden. “Delhi is convergence of India. It is a little India.”

Asked why there was no government function to celebrate the occasion, Khurshid said probably government did not want to celebrate as it felt that British had shifted the capital and the decision was taken at a colonial darbar.

“Government feels that it was a Darbar of 1911 and the Darbar actually signified our defeat and subservience to the British. So it is a part of the history that we cannot walk away from but certainly not a part of history that we want to celebrate,” he said.

The paintings and pictures chronicle Delhi’s culturally diverse heritage since Mughal era besides providing a run down about its grand structures, buildings and monuments of the Walled City.

From a view of Chandni Chowk in 1815, panorama of Delhi from Lahore Gate of the Red Fort in 1846 to farewell party to Lord Mountbatten post independence, the book features some of the rare paintings and photographs.

For example, the painting The Jama Masjid From The North is the first drawing that can be associated with topographical artist Mazhar Ali Khan whose studio dominated the production of such views of Delhi in the mid-19th Century.

Similarly the map of Shahjahanabad by a Delhi cartographer in 1846-47 shows little vignettes of important buildings seen in elevation and plan.
 

Bird walk to help trace city’s natural history

As the Capital vies for UNESCO’s World Heritage City status, even naturalists are now pitching in to trace the uniqueness of its natural history. They have pointed out that Delhi is possibly the second national capital, after Nairobi, to attract the largest number of rare migratory birds.

Birdwatcher and author Bikram Grewal, who has been roped in by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the heritage body developing the nomination dossier for the Heritage City status, has chalked out a lecture on Friday and a walk for bird watchers and natural history enthusiasts at the Okhla Barrage Bird Sanctuary on Sunday morning. Grewal will trace Delhi’s bird watching history and highlight how the Yamuna has played an integral role in giving birth to a flourishing civilization on its banks.

“ There is evidence that the Yamuna was once home to dolphins and, even today, hosts the largest number of migratory birds. During winters Delhi gets 500 species of migratory birds out of which the Okhla Bird Sanctuary itself has more than 330 spe-cies visiting it,” Grewal told Newsline. “Few know that after Nairobi, Delhi is the second national capital to draw the largest number of migratory birds. Yamuna draws many rare bird species.”

Grewal pointed out that only last week, two new bird species were spotted at the Okhla Bird Sanctuary. “The city continues to draw some of the rarest species and last week bird watchers spotted a white-crowned penduline-tit and a smokey warbler at the sanctuary. This also goes to show that the bird-watching community is active and alert ,” Grewal said. The Delhi Bird Club, set up in 1954 with about 20 members, has now grown to a strength of 4,000. “I revived the club in the 1970s and over the years, several more bird-watchers joined us. Today, the club has scho-olchildren as well as elderly members all of who attend at least two to three walks every week. The good thing is that the city is enthusiastic about its fauna,” he added.

INTACH officials said that the lecture and the walk are an effort towards creating awareness about the city’s natural history, which is an essential part of the tangible heritage of the city.
 

Red Fort to Raisina Hill, pictures capture history

On the day when the foundation of New Delhi was laid by King George V and Queen Mary at Kingsway Camp a hundred years ago, an exhibition has been opened for the public highlighting the growth of the national capital since then.

Hosted at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts ( IGNCA), the pictorial exhibition chronicles the evolution of Delhi and its transition from Shahjanabad to a modern city.

Titled 'From Red Fort to Raisinia Hill', the exhibition will be open for public for the next ten days with paintings and archival photographs sourced from all over the world. The exhibition is apanorama of the then Shahjahanabad and the city constructed by the Britishers after their decision to shift capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911. The Capital of India had shifted back to Delhi - a Delhi that had been the political capital of many erstwhile empires, manifesting the grandeur, style and graciousness of that time and diverse culture. The exhibition displays pictures of Chandani Chowk, Mirza Galib, Bahadur Shah Jafar, dances presented by Indian artists before British VIPs, railway line laid especially to facilitate construction, upcoming Connaught Place, Viceroy House, Council House, Rajpath, North and South Block, among others.

ome of the iconic displays include images of Ludlow Castle in 1837 - a striking haveli in Chandni Chowk in 1858, the avenue of Chandni Chowk , a portrait of Jama Masjid in 1911 and another one showing the parking space near Jama Masjid comprising only tongas and bullock carts. Some of the later images were that of the Council Chambers foundation (now Rajya Sabha) from 1921 sourced from the Royal British library, foundation stone laying ceremony of the All-India memorial (now India Gate) by Duke of Connaught on February 10, 1921, an aerial way of King's Way (now Rajpath), a rare 1911 photo of the Tiz Hazari railway station and original drawings and architecture designs of Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker of the designing of New Delhi.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Union culture minister Kumari Selja in the presence of chief minister Sheila Dikshit.
 

Rein in pollution by mobile towers, MPs urge Manmohan

‘Make use of renewable sources mandatory for power generation'

Parliamentarians have sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in reining in mobile operators from misusing subsidised diesel for running mobile towers, which were causing massive environmental pollution

They have urged Dr. Singh to ensure that strong provisions are incorporated in the National Telecom Policy, 2011, currently being finalised, making it mandatory for the use of renewable sources and technologies for power generation to run these towers

On the initiative of NGO Greenpeace, around a dozen prominent MPs from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have expressed their concern over the increasing exploitation of the diesel subsidy by the profit-making telecom sector and highlighted the need for substantially reducing the consumption of diesel by the sector, especially in their network tower operations

These MPs have also stressed on mandating the public disclosure of emissions and the establishment of the progressive emission reduction plans within the ambit of the newly proposed NTP 2011

The MPs who have written to the Prime Minister as well as Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal include Sharad Yadav, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Rajendra Agarwal, P. Karunakaran, Varun Gandhi, Basudeb Acharia, Tapan Sen, Shripad Y. Naik, R.C. Khuntia, Chandan Mitra and G. Devarajan

In its report “Dirty Talking — A case for telecom sector to shift from diesel to renewable”, released earlier this year, Greenpeace had claimed that the exploitation of diesel subsidy by the telecom sector, as the second-largest consumer, was resulting in an annual loss of over Rs.2,600 crore to the state exchequer annually

Greenpeace has also written to the government, asking it to ensure that telecom companies publicly disclose the carbon emissions of their entire business operation and establish progressive emission reduction targets, besides committing to shift the sourcing of 50 per cent of their energy requirements towards renewable energy sources and phase out diesel use in their business operations by 2015
 

All roads lead to Konark

With the Sun Temple as the backdrop, performances that stood out at the Konark Festival were those that capitalised on space utilisation and group dynamics

What with Chinese lanterns decorating trees and buildings lit, from modest beginnings a few years ago to the present throngs, every road seemingly leading to the temple township, the Konark Festival mounted by Odisha Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department has grown beyond recognition. It now encompasses many art disciplines like sand art on the Chandrabhaga beach featuring international artistes, a handloom and handicrafts exhibition and Baldev Maharath's on-the-spot paintings inspired by the classical dance performances on the massive open-air stage with the Sun Temple as the backdrop

Featured daily, Odissi groups, barring Ramli Ibrahim, lured by the ample stage, featured large groups, not allowing movement to flower in all its ambit, though a select professional group filled the space with its energy

Sharmila Biswas' Odissi Vision and Movement Centre, flagging off the festival, contended with opening-day snafus of fluctuating sound balance, music going unheard in places. Despite a meditative, minimalistic Ganesh vandana, “Katha Shoorpanakha”, Sharmila's unique creation, a result of painstaking research into Orissa's narrative traditions, with sahitya recitation by traditional musicians evoking a distinctive regional feel, Gati-vilas and Morchana imaginatively designed to suit mridangam mnemonics, Sharmila's group choreography aesthetics got diluted with too many dancers, a professionally finished batch juxtaposed with another less experienced lot. Shoorpanakha's group rendition, thanks to comparison with the unforgettable duet by Ayona and Saswati, suffered

Aditi Mangaldas' “Unchartered Seas” by Drishtikon Foundation, seeking to fathom the nature of man's eternal search for that higher something (ultimately revelatory, defying description), despite lighting sometimes shrouding the dancers in darkness, triumphed, with the sheer energy and quality of the male and female dancers. Aditi harnesses Kathak's abstract repertoire with suggestive finesse, the quieter interpretative moments built round the poetry of Meera, Kabir, Jalaluddin Rumi and Bhartendu Harishchandra (largely rendered by her), contrasting with the rich group virtuosity, drawing constant applause from an appreciative audience. But vocalist Faraz (music by Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh pradhan) was below par, unable to hold his notes

Mosalikanti Jaikishore's Kuchipudi Art Academy, right from Oothukadu Venkatasubbaiyar's “Ananda-nartana Ganapatim” in Nattai to the tarangam razzmatazz, with Narayana Tirtha's “Alokaye Sri Balakrishnam” depicting Krishna's subjugation of Kaliya and as the butter-stealing charmer (“Navaneeta khanda dadhichora”, Mohanam) was slick, typical of this thinking Kuchipudi teacher/ dancer. Musical accompaniment with wife Padmavani's nattuvangam and G. Srikanth's vocal, complemented the dance effort. Completing the presentation suite were Tillana in Kuntalavarali and the Purandhara Dasa Aradhana in Surutti. Stage entries could have been planned without dancers seen, waiting to enter

Also very neat in its all-Padmanabha homage was the Tiruvanantapuram Mohiniattam troupe under Neena Prasad

Guru Sashadhar Acharya's Serikella Chhau group presented the orthodox repertoire of Jatra ghat, Radha-Krishna, Yodha and poetic creations like Ratri, Mayura and Chandrabhaga. Good music was complemented by excellent shehnai

Unalloyed professionalism characterised Ramli Ibrahim's Sutra Dance Foundation presentation — dance proficiency, group discipline and floor spacing impeccable. Ramli used Sutra colleague Guna's malleable but non-Odissi body (without the torso isolations) intelligently, as the counterpoint other, in dance narration, the individualistic style not affecting group formations. “Vision of Forever” painted bold images, citing Tantric/ Saivite philosophies, in a contrasting complement of opposites, benign /awesome, male/ female. Deities like Matangi, Sodashi and Kamala are totally positive energies and Kamala standing over a corpse and Bagalamukhi seemingly cutting the sadhaka's tongue struck discordant notes. The Bhagavati colours of black and red costume (not what is ritually prescribed for Mahavidhya deities) was visually striking and the ukkutas for the nritta punctuations well recited by Gajendra Panda (whose solo choreography was adapted for the group as announced); Laxmikant Palit's vocal support was non-existent in the higher reaches

Srjan's Bhagavat Gita had Sujata as Krishna teaming up with Ratikant Mohapatra as Arjuna. Known for evocative character enactment, Ratikant's Arjuna, however, lacked the agile movement sweep with masterful warrior tread. Superb lighting stole the show. Ratikant's movement designing, revelling in building round the tribhanga, rarely used the contrasting broad chauka. Music was well-conceived and rehearsed

Suravi's Harihar Sabda, Pallavi and Dhara Sri Radha under Guru Pitambar Biswal, in choreographic ideas needs to evolve beyond predictable formation

Odissi Research Centre's dance drama “Taala Tatwa” disappointed, the unwieldy dancer contingent of uneven proficiency not throwing up any outstanding talent. Guru Durga Charan Ranbir's dance designing seemed indeterminate in the Siva /Ravana encounters — Siva aimlessly flailing arms and Ravana belligerently treading, neither evoking powerful resonances. And the Sapta tala focus got lost in performing to declamatory sabda/ patha music. Preferably, smaller formations exhibiting rhythmic arrangements would have suited

A high reputation preceding Kalakshetra's Bharatanatyam, the audience expected something different from the Margam conventional format. Nandichol and Tillana had exemplary neatness of lines, but the Sreeranjani varnam “Swami nee manam irangi arul taa” with four dancers, albeit finished, doing the same motions rooted to their places, left the audience unmoved. The bold choice of Kamas Javali, featuring two dancers portraying a Mugdha Nayika, got somewhat lost in this large performance space. Sai Shankar's vocal with Haripadman's Nattuvangam led a thin but experienced musical team
 

All roads lead to Konark

With the Sun Temple as the backdrop, performances that stood out at the Konark Festival were those that capitalised on space utilisation and group dynamics

What with Chinese lanterns decorating trees and buildings lit, from modest beginnings a few years ago to the present throngs, every road seemingly leading to the temple township, the Konark Festival mounted by Odisha Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department has grown beyond recognition. It now encompasses many art disciplines like sand art on the Chandrabhaga beach featuring international artistes, a handloom and handicrafts exhibition and Baldev Maharath's on-the-spot paintings inspired by the classical dance performances on the massive open-air stage with the Sun Temple as the backdrop

Featured daily, Odissi groups, barring Ramli Ibrahim, lured by the ample stage, featured large groups, not allowing movement to flower in all its ambit, though a select professional group filled the space with its energy

Sharmila Biswas' Odissi Vision and Movement Centre, flagging off the festival, contended with opening-day snafus of fluctuating sound balance, music going unheard in places. Despite a meditative, minimalistic Ganesh vandana, “Katha Shoorpanakha”, Sharmila's unique creation, a result of painstaking research into Orissa's narrative traditions, with sahitya recitation by traditional musicians evoking a distinctive regional feel, Gati-vilas and Morchana imaginatively designed to suit mridangam mnemonics, Sharmila's group choreography aesthetics got diluted with too many dancers, a professionally finished batch juxtaposed with another less experienced lot. Shoorpanakha's group rendition, thanks to comparison with the unforgettable duet by Ayona and Saswati, suffered

Aditi Mangaldas' “Unchartered Seas” by Drishtikon Foundation, seeking to fathom the nature of man's eternal search for that higher something (ultimately revelatory, defying description), despite lighting sometimes shrouding the dancers in darkness, triumphed, with the sheer energy and quality of the male and female dancers. Aditi harnesses Kathak's abstract repertoire with suggestive finesse, the quieter interpretative moments built round the poetry of Meera, Kabir, Jalaluddin Rumi and Bhartendu Harishchandra (largely rendered by her), contrasting with the rich group virtuosity, drawing constant applause from an appreciative audience. But vocalist Faraz (music by Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh pradhan) was below par, unable to hold his notes

Mosalikanti Jaikishore's Kuchipudi Art Academy, right from Oothukadu Venkatasubbaiyar's “Ananda-nartana Ganapatim” in Nattai to the tarangam razzmatazz, with Narayana Tirtha's “Alokaye Sri Balakrishnam” depicting Krishna's subjugation of Kaliya and as the butter-stealing charmer (“Navaneeta khanda dadhichora”, Mohanam) was slick, typical of this thinking Kuchipudi teacher/ dancer. Musical accompaniment with wife Padmavani's nattuvangam and G. Srikanth's vocal, complemented the dance effort. Completing the presentation suite were Tillana in Kuntalavarali and the Purandhara Dasa Aradhana in Surutti. Stage entries could have been planned without dancers seen, waiting to enter

Also very neat in its all-Padmanabha homage was the Tiruvanantapuram Mohiniattam troupe under Neena Prasad

Guru Sashadhar Acharya's Serikella Chhau group presented the orthodox repertoire of Jatra ghat, Radha-Krishna, Yodha and poetic creations like Ratri, Mayura and Chandrabhaga. Good music was complemented by excellent shehnai

Unalloyed professionalism characterised Ramli Ibrahim's Sutra Dance Foundation presentation — dance proficiency, group discipline and floor spacing impeccable. Ramli used Sutra colleague Guna's malleable but non-Odissi body (without the torso isolations) intelligently, as the counterpoint other, in dance narration, the individualistic style not affecting group formations. “Vision of Forever” painted bold images, citing Tantric/ Saivite philosophies, in a contrasting complement of opposites, benign /awesome, male/ female. Deities like Matangi, Sodashi and Kamala are totally positive energies and Kamala standing over a corpse and Bagalamukhi seemingly cutting the sadhaka's tongue struck discordant notes. The Bhagavati colours of black and red costume (not what is ritually prescribed for Mahavidhya deities) was visually striking and the ukkutas for the nritta punctuations well recited by Gajendra Panda (whose solo choreography was adapted for the group as announced); Laxmikant Palit's vocal support was non-existent in the higher reaches

Srjan's Bhagavat Gita had Sujata as Krishna teaming up with Ratikant Mohapatra as Arjuna. Known for evocative character enactment, Ratikant's Arjuna, however, lacked the agile movement sweep with masterful warrior tread. Superb lighting stole the show. Ratikant's movement designing, revelling in building round the tribhanga, rarely used the contrasting broad chauka. Music was well-conceived and rehearsed

Suravi's Harihar Sabda, Pallavi and Dhara Sri Radha under Guru Pitambar Biswal, in choreographic ideas needs to evolve beyond predictable formation

Odissi Research Centre's dance drama “Taala Tatwa” disappointed, the unwieldy dancer contingent of uneven proficiency not throwing up any outstanding talent. Guru Durga Charan Ranbir's dance designing seemed indeterminate in the Siva /Ravana encounters — Siva aimlessly flailing arms and Ravana belligerently treading, neither evoking powerful resonances. And the Sapta tala focus got lost in performing to declamatory sabda/ patha music. Preferably, smaller formations exhibiting rhythmic arrangements would have suited

A high reputation preceding Kalakshetra's Bharatanatyam, the audience expected something different from the Margam conventional format. Nandichol and Tillana had exemplary neatness of lines, but the Sreeranjani varnam “Swami nee manam irangi arul taa” with four dancers, albeit finished, doing the same motions rooted to their places, left the audience unmoved. The bold choice of Kamas Javali, featuring two dancers portraying a Mugdha Nayika, got somewhat lost in this large performance space. Sai Shankar's vocal with Haripadman's Nattuvangam led a thin but experienced musical team
 

House of Buddha

Tibetan Rebellion of 1959 brought the Central Tibetan administration of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama to India, and it was first established at Mussoorie in the Dehradun district in northern India before being moved to its current seat in Dharamsala

Largely well known for its prestigious education institutions The Forest Research Institute, the Indian Military Academy and the famous Doon School, the Dehradun valley was adorned with another feather on its cap when in 2002 his holiness the Dalai Lama inaugurated the world’s largest Buddhist Stupa at the Mindrolling monastery in Clement town

Until a decade back Clement town was a quiet sleepy suburb with the military cantonment in proximity but since then it has evolved into a jostling centre of activity with many educational institutions, hotels and commercial centers. But the place still holds some old world charm with old churches and houses made in the British architectural style. The Tibetan settlement adds a unique flavor to the township altogether and one can sense the change in scenery as one is welcomed by large vertical prayer flags in each courtyard and a frequent maroon robe amidst the passersby

Buddhism flourished in Tibet from the onset of the eighth century and out of the four major schools that developed, the oldest is the Nyingma or the old translation school. Mindrolling Monastery is one of the six major monasteries belonging to this lineage. Mindrolling, pronounced minh-droh-lyng, is translated in Tibetan as ‘the place of perfect emancipation’

Most of the monks arrive in the monastery when they are less than 10 years of age and then starts the rigorous practice of honing the mind and learning the ancient Tibetan texts, Buddhist philosophy along with the ritual chants, dances and the ancient knowledge which has been transferred since the beginning from master to disciple

The Great World Peace Stupa stands within the Mindrolling monastery premises and is surrounded by a neatly manicured and landscaped garden spread in 2 acres of land. It was erected to spread world peace and to benefit all sentient beings and it happens to be the largest Buddhist Stupas in the world. It is a 185 feet tall and 100 feet wide, three storey structure with each floor as a shrine room containing statues of Buddha Sakyamuni and sacred relics. The walls are covered with exquisite and detailed Jataka murals depicting stories from the life of Buddha

On the outside the structure glows in white with windows in primary colours and thick black borders standing out. The Stupa is an architectural marvel in itself and on its façade it has an elegant mural of Maitreya, the future Buddha who, it is believed, will be reborn in the time of decline to bring back the teachings of the Sakyamuni

Dehradun attracts visitors from all over the world for its serene scenery and pleasant weather, and the Mindrolling monastery is a must see for the visitors to experience the grandeur and be humbled by
 

Lions among princes

From luxurious drapes, panther skins and Greek statuettes to the most intricate and handcrafted interiors, the camps of Indian princes made quite an impression on The Pioneer’s correspondents. A summary of their dispatches

When I wrote to you in August, I described the Coronation Durbar area as a skeleton which would in time be made beautiful with flesh and blood. There was then a great bare plain with dried grass and much dust, scratched with camp boundary lines, and spotted with half-finished erections of brick. The two semi-circular mounds of the Amphitheatre were bare heaps of earth. Since then a transformation has taken place. Everything is altered and most things are ready for the great event.
“Out of the strong came forth sweetness,” said the long-haired champion of Israel, when he found a swarm of wild bees making honey in the rotting carcase of the lion which he had slain. A similar proverb might be applied to the Durbar camps. It is a delightful experience to stroll along the Ridge when the sun is sinking. The colour in the west gains in richness from the smoke ascending from factory chimneys in Sabzi Mandi. Then as the light fades and dies, the electric lamps begin to show up all over the camp area. It is a sight not soon to be forgotten when the greatest overhead electric lighting system in the world comes into play. The main roads can be followed by the double lines of lights, while the various camps are marked by clustered groups

The first thing that strikes one is the uniform whiteness and cleanliness of the tents. No soiled canvas is permitted at Delhi. The second impression is the fresh green of the grass in the camp gardens; and the third is the cheerful bright red bajeri of the neat camp roads. Palms and flowers in all directions add to the general brightness. Chrysanthemums are much in evidence, and good use has been made of the blue convolvulus and other pretty creepers to cover boundary palings

H. H. the Nizam’s camp has a luxurious open lounge shamiana in front, with the drawing room or Durbar tent behind it. The prevailing colour in the decoration scheme of the latter is old gold. The carpets are fine specimens of Kashmir work; there are some silk embroidered cushions which would make the most righteous break the tenth commandment, and some large panther skins on the floor set off the upholstering and remind the spectator that His Highness, like his lamented father, is a crack rifle shot. The Maharaja of Mysore is to live at Maiden’s Hotel, which he has rented for the occasion. Consequently his camp is less covered by tents

The Baroda Camp is elaborate and exquisitely finished. The entrance arch is characteristic of Gujarati architecture and is neither crude nor over-elaborate. But the most striking feature of this camp is the good taste with which a colour scheme has been worked out in the decoration of each tent. The roofs and walls are draped with most exquisite silk, and the favourite colours are a soft pink and an artistic grey. The furniture is all in European style to suit the habits of the Gaekwar family, but all the work has been done in Baroda State, and both furniture-makers and upholsterers deserve the highest commendation

But the finest camp of all is that of the Maharaja of Kashmir. As one approaches it the eye is caught by a dark colour in striking contrast to the brightness on all sides. For a moment one thinks that it is gloomy, but on stopping to examine it one soon bursts into raptures of admiration. The whole frontage of the camp is palisaded with the most lovely carved Kashmiri wood work. Each panel is a fretted floral design, grapes on one, pomegranates on another, irises on a third, and so on; each panel is a perfect gem. Nowhere have I seen more superb wood carving and fretting. At night rows of electric lamps (which are drawn back and concealed by day) light up this wonderful palisade. The gateway in the centre is of the same dark-stained, carved wood, but the pattern is only in relief and not fretted through. The gateway roofs are of copper, each point being surmounted by a gilt ball. The camp inside is worthy of its magnificent front. The ceilings of the tents are of quiet toned but very rich silk embroidery and the tent poles are all covered with roughly hammered solid silver, very massive and weighty. The camp is not all pitched yet, and stacks of these silver poles are lying about ready for use. His Highness’s drawing room tent is the most richly decorated apartment it has ever been my lot to see. It must suffice to say that everything in that camp is Kashmiri work at its best

In this wonderful canvas city one passes by, with a mere remark “ordinary” or “not much” camps that anywhere else would be considered the last word in elegance and luxury

Next to Hyderabad comes Patiala. The white and gold gate posts of this camp are surmounted by gilt models of cannon which are quite a good idea and catch the eye at once. There are numerous glass chandeliers which will make a fine show when the electric bulbs are lit up. Some very fine vases took my fancy much. In front of the tent is a red shamiana covering the way to a pavilion in the garden of which all the frame-work is heavily coated with solid silver

Opposite lies the Gwalior camp, which bids fair to be equally gorgeous, but it is not yet sufficiently in order to admit of description. The most striking features at present are the life-sized lions of painted plaster which support each of the gate posts, first cousins doubtless of the British lions, and reminiscent of the fact that Scindia has already borne arms in the quarrels of the British Empire

Beyond that comes Bhopal, a deep narrow quadrangle, the Durbar tent of which is lined with broad vertical bands of blue and yellow. Kapurthala comes next on the right, and here again the quadrangle plan has been adopted, but a new colour scheme is introduced by facing the sides with canvas striped with vertical bands of black and white. It is very effective. Sirmur marches with Kapurthala, and has rendered his camp distinctive by numerous low pillars in the boundary wall, each of which is surmounted by a female statuette in ancient Greek robes, all painted silver. It is pretty in its way, but might not be considered altogether appropriate to an Indian camp

The Benares camp is tastefully simple and resembles those in the European quarter. Travancore and Cochin would seem to have combined to work out one pattern for both their camps. A white latticed paling surrounds them both and looks very well. I believe that both these Princes have determined to live in houses which they have taken in the Civil Lines, for the South Indians are very much afraid of the cold of Delhi, of which they had more than they liked at the last Durbar. I think they are wise, for I must say that it is more than cold in a tent at nights now

In contrast to the Indian patterns, the pattern on the roof of the Bhutan tent has its colours in bold patches of black and red with subsidiary decoration in blue and yellow, both of charming tints. The design is that of a great bird, which might be a Himalayan eagle and might be a Mongolian conception of a peacock. Any way I admire it very much. The camp is surrounded by flags of Bhutia pattern

When one comes to Nawanager one half expects to see a design of golden cricket bats, but His Highness the Jam Sahib has preferred to decorate his green arch with numerous portraits of Their Majesties, and one large one of the King Emperor is an excellent likeness. The Alwar Camp deserves more than a passing word of notice. In place of a central durbar shamiana with living tents behind it, a regular house, to all appearance built in pucca style, has been erected. It has a large pillared porch vestibule, and suites of rooms. All is white picked out with gold, and the walls are topped with imposing battlements are graceful minarettes

The block of Bengal Chief’s camps is bounded at each end by an arch across the road. One would be inclined by this time to imagine that all possible designs had been exhausted, and that originality in decoration of arches was no longer possible. But these arches are of Uriya design and are quite unlike anything else. The decorative scheme is a jungle view, and it is very boldly executed. Great tree trunks and broad leaves are painted on the sides, while the heads of tigers and elephants of generous size peer through the foliage. Somewhat curiously, at the summit the beasts give place to fishes, one of conventional shape, one a shellfish, and two rampant dolphins. The Uriya designers are to be congratulated on their work
 

Vandalising Aravalli

Development cannot be at the cost of environment

What do the forests bear? Soil, water and pure air”. This was the resounding cry of those who led the Chipko movement to save the Himalayan forests and terrain from the contractors-developers-politicos cabal, which still managed to bulldoze its way. In present-day Haryana, conservationists, alarmed by the manic development trajectory followed by the State Government, in cahoots with promoters — one of whom figures high up on Forbes’ world’s-richest list while another is an accused in the 2G scam — have launched a campaign to save whatever remains of the mountain range. Coming together under the banner of Mission Gurgaon Development, activists claim that about 100 projects are on the anvil, and a large number of them are meant for Gurgaon, Faridabad and Mewat in the Aravalli zone. They are angry because this region has borne the brunt of frenzied mining and construction work over the past two decades, with massive funding from abroad giving a tremendous fillip to unsustainable development

They are especially concerned that the pristine, protected forest areas of Manger in Faridabad district will now be targeted by promoters, who were earlier stalled by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. In the event that the State Government approves the colonisation of this beautiful forested portion of the Aravallis, which have otherwise been rudely plundered and battered, they intend to move court against such devastation, in violation of Supreme Court directives to halt it. In January 2009, the apex court-appointed Central Empowered Committee had recommended banning mining completely, except in some patches. The court also proposed that unauthorised constructions be demolished in Faridabad district

But the building mafia still exercises massive clout, as the latest plans reveal. When the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and later, the Haryana Forest Department last October refused to clear the European Technology Park in a vast swathe of the Aravalli forest belt in Faridabad district, lobbyists got into action, in a bid to compel policy-makers to fall in line with promoters. This project entailed building of residential colonies and an academic zone over 500 acres. Residents of three villages — Manger, Baliawas and Badhwadi — spearheaded resistance to the scheme, fearing that it would encroach into Mangerbani, the sacred forest, hallowed by the presence of Gadaria Baba, a mystic who lived there over 500 years ago

Mr Harish Mehta, director (Indian affairs), of the Dutch Haryana Business Consortium, had then tried hard to justify the project, with a Memorandum of Understanding having reportedly been signed between the promoters and Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Corporation in the Netherlands in 2006. He even threatened that the promoters would take the project elsewhere. But there’s no such luck, as they or other builders are again eyeing Manger and the adjoining areas. What is reprehensible is how HSIDC, under the neo-liberal reforms mandate, has been reduced to functioning as a dalal or agent for promoters though it may choose to dignify its role by calling itself a ‘facilitator’. It acquires land cheap from owners, invoking the public purpose clause in the archaic Land Acquisition Act of 1894, or free public land and hands it over to private operators at nominal cost. This is the sad truth, underlying the meteoric growth of the State.

The Haryana Government’s insatiable hunger for concretisation has gradually led to the ravaging of its fragile eco system, with the Aravalli hills being pitted by relentless mining or simply levelled by dynamite; green spaces and forests disappearing; and ground water and water sources rapidly depleting. This is truly alarming in an arid, drought-prone State, whose greatest need is conserving water and green cover if it is to continue to remain habitable. The decades since economic liberalisation in 1991 have seen Haryana traversing an Alice in Wonderland-course, with sprawling urban and industrial complexes mushrooming, as local denizens forsake traditional agricultural work to encash land, turn builders, brokers and even criminals

While urban growth is certainly necessary and desirable, it cannot be at the cost of environment and farming, which is a long term source of livelihood. An ethical and rational policy framework would have ensured the course of sustainable development. But philistines in power never see beyond their blinkers, working for short term gains. Conservationists have since long been sounding the alarm against the mindless destruction of the Aravallis for development purposes. One of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, and extending from Gujarat through Rajasthan and Haryana, and part of western Uttar Pradesh, it has prevented the desertification of the capital and towns by standing as a barrier against the creeping sands of the western desert. But frenzied mining and construction over the past two decades — ever since uncurbed funds began pouring in from abroad — have resulted in the mountain range disappearing for long stretches in Rajasthan; Uttar Pradesh’s fabled Brajbhumi, associated with the divine Radha-Krishna leela; and Haryana

So far as Manger and its environs are concerned, it is likely that part of the area, earmarked for development, is a forest zone, notified under the Punjab Land Preservation Act. Therefore, the land cannot be deployed for non-forest purposes. Mangerbani, in particular, is a self-regenerating jungle, and harbours diverse wildlife: leopards, jackals, wild hares, mongoose, snakes, exotic birds

Who, in their right senses, would want to replace this natural jungle with a soulless concrete jungle? The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests’ Green Tribunal, which spiked the Renuka dam, proposed by the Delhi Government, must intercede to protect the region
 

Strong pitch for full statehood at HT conclave on Capital

A demand for complete statehood for Delhi resonated at the Hindustan Times New Delhi 100 Conclave on Thursday.

The conclave was attended by Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, writer and diplomat Pavan K Verma, conservation expert AGK Menon, former convener of the Delhi chapter

of INTACH OP Jain and writer Mark Tully. The multiplicity of authorities that govern the city were pointed out time and again as a problem by the speakers who made a strong pitch for giving the city complete statehood

Said Dikshit, "There is nothing here that belongs to us. The police are under the home ministry, the Delhi Development Authority is under the ministry of urban development and the NDMC gets its funds from the union government. The federal government doesn't feel comfortable in leaving the running of the city to the state government.

Adding to this, Jain said, "Citizens and those who govern the city need to give more respect to skilled professionals if we want more wonders like the Delhi Metro in the city.

Dikshit also hinted at the possibility of having to go for vertical constructions in the coming years

"Everyone wants a small place in Delhi and this has put immense pressure on the city. We can't demolish the modern to conserve the old. So, we need to work with what we have," she added

But the need to preserve the city's heritage was also emphasised

"We cannot abandon the old in building New Delhi. If we forget the past we cannot build with confidence in future," said Verma

The panelists also spoke about the challenges of migration

"Delhi needs well developed satellite towns around it to absorb the heavy flow of migrants or the city will choke," said Tully
 

KG Marg parking lot gets nod after heritage hurdle

The multi-level parking project in Kasturba Gandhi Marg that had hit a hurdle for being too close to a protected ASI-monument, may finally take off. State-level government appointed competent authority submitted a report to the National Monuments Authority (NMA) this week recommending a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the project. Now, the final call on this NMDC project will be taken by NMA. However, the green light has come with certain stipulations - made by the competent authority - to maintain the heritage character of the site.

The authority, which has been appointed to look into projects located in prohibited or regulated zones of protected monuments, had visited the site in July this year. Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI) had stopped construction work last year after the Archaeological Sites and Ancient Monuments and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 came into effect. According to this new act, no permission can be given to projects falling 300m of protected monuments without the consent of the National Monuments Authority, which will act on a recommendation by the state-level competent authority. The parking project fell less than 300m from the ancient Ugrasen ki baoli at Hailey Road.

"According to the survey, the construction site falls 204m from the closest side of the baoli and 266m from another side. Since this is within the regulated zone, permission can be given to NDMC adept a few stipulations,'' said Vijay Singh, the competent authority for Delhi monuments.

The report submitted to NMA has some recommendations for the project like incorporating the art and architecture of Ugrasen ki baoli and Connaught Place in the facade of the building. Other recommendations include dedicating space for photo galleries of heritage sites in the corridors, lobbies the building. The roof is suggested to be designed in such a manner that water tanks and pipes are not unaesthetically exposed. To highlight city's heritage and spread awareness further, it has also been recommended to incorporate the art and architecture of the protected monuments in CP inside the interiors of the proposed commercial area of the building.While directing NDMC to steer clear of all sorts of encroachments and unplanned activities, the report also said that traffic circulation plan around the site be studied and integrated properly around the proposed car parking.

With a capacity to park 1,582 vehicles, the 13-floor structure at KG Marg, is supposed to be one of Delhi's biggest fully automated parking lots
 

Timeless Delhi

A collection of photographs by renowned lensmen, a dance performance byShovana Narayan and a spread of Purani Dilli delicacies were the highlights ofDastaan-e-Dilli organised by Iccr. Ila Sankrityayan reports.

On one hand as the aroma of loban, the sound of ghungroos and the recitation of thumri and shayari recreated the bygone era reminding today’s Delhizens of the mehfils that were once a part of the culture of Purani Dilli, on the other it also introduced them to the city’s architectural heritage through some rare photographs. The entire ambience turned nostalgic with the addition of the much-familiar desi ghee rich cuisine from northern India. All these memories were recently revisited during the centenary year celebrations of the Capital — Dastaan-e-Dilli — organised by Indian Council For Cultural Relations at the lush green lawns of its headquarters at Azad Bhawan

The event, with three major facets, included an exhibition on the architectural changes the city witnessed, a cultural performance and a celebration of Dilli’s delicacies. It was an out-of-the-world experience and an eye-opener for some Delhiwalas who have limited knowledge about the heritage of Delhi and want to be acquainted with its past. The event acted as a reminder of certain elements from the past that are either rare to witness or almost vanished from our lives and also showed the beauty and the dynamism of a city where the past co-exists with the present

Visiting architectural heritage
Over the past 100 years, Delhi has undergone major transformations. Overall, it is a city where at one point you see narrow lanes, street food, old havelis, monuments and on other, there is the imperial city full of spacious and tree-lined avenues, shopping complexes, hotels and multi-storeyed buildings The exhibition showcased Delhi’s change from pre-Durbar days to modern-day Delhi as the focus. It comprised of photographs and etchings of pre-1911 Delhi like Shahjahanabad, Mehrauli and presenting the monuments to architectural highlights of today. It displayed photographs of Delhi taken by the legendary Raja Deen Dayal, Dattatraya Dinkar Apte and eminent photographer Achal Kumar. While going through the exhibition, one could see photographs of Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Old Fort, Jantar Mantar to Vijay Chowk, President’s House, India Gate and the most recent ones as Metro construction sites, BSNL building and LIC building

“It took almost one year to work on this exhibition. First step was selecting the theme and then the works. I chose photos that brought the overall view of the Capital between 1911 to 2011. While the photographs by Raja Deen Dayal reflected ancient Delhi, pictures and etchings by Apte and photos by Achal Kumar depicted the modern city. You could also see a subtle merger of the past with the present in a few of the photos like one by Kumar where he has clicked a zebra crossing in front of the Old Fort. On one side, the fort symbolises the past, the crossing reflects the modern society,” says Naresh Kapuria, curator of the exhibition

Recreating the magic of Mughal Durba
The evening also witnessed a Kathak performance by danseuse Shovana Narayan and thumrirecital by vocalist Kumud Jha Diwan that tried to capture the romantic era of later Mughal period through the poetry of Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir and Bahadur Shah Zafar. It was among those rare occasion to witness the mehfil culture return to the city with traditional shararas, kurtas and dupattas and the rendition of shayari like Kuch to tanhai ki raaton ka sahara hota or tum na aae to kya sehar na hui. “During this period, Delhi witnessed newer and greater heights in poetry, music and dance with poets like Ghalib, Mir and Zafar and musicians like Adarang, Sadarang, Manrang, Bande Khan and Bekhud Dehlvi others, adorning the Mughal court. Thumri specially flourished then with composers writing bandishes. It was an entirely different atmosphere,” shares the danseuse

On thumri recital, Diwan said, “Over time, thumri is losing its charm but in those days, it was an integral part of evening mehfils. In fact, when we are asked to recreate that era here so we selected compositions like Hamara kaha mano rajaji and Jamunia ki daal tod layai as these are among the most famous dadra and thumri bandishes. But with time, only a few thumri singers have been left to present these traditional compositions.

Enjoying the Dehlvi Dastarkhwa
Aloo-bedvain, sitaphal ki subzi, jalebi, rabri, kulfi and many more such delicacies formed the food section at the event. “Keeping in view the concept, I decided on the recipes. While the vegetarian cuisine has been cooked minus garlic and onion, traditional non-veg delicacies from the Mughal era like chicken nihari and mutton korma were on the list. Moreover, all these dishes were prepared in desi ghee as refined oil wasn’t used back then,” says food section supervisor Gunjan Goela
 

Tribal instincts

Coca Cola's 2010 Diwali commercial will remain an unlikely landmark for Indian tribal art for a long time to come. It was the most stunning example of popular culture incorporating elements of tribal art, the long neglected 'other' art of the country. With the snazzy number Jaata Kahan Hai Deewaney as the backdrop, the commercial showed skeletal figures drawn on the soft drink bottle breaking off into a jig. These are the same signature figures the Warli tribesmen of Maharashtra paint on their mud-plastered walls and on paper.

That may have been a one-off tribute to Warli art, but the so far ignored tribal art of India is on the verge of finding its spot under the sun. Unmistakable tectonic shifts are taking place in its earthy precincts. Though it still has a long way to go to reach the 'aha' levels of urban contemporary art, it has at least found a foot in the door.

To begin with, a tribal art work by the late - and also the most celebrated - Gond artist Jangarh Singh Shyam was given the same platform as that accorded to the works of Husain or Raza at a Sotheby's auction in London in March 2010. It was picked up for Rs 6.4 lakh, double its highest pre-auction estimate. Then, the past two years have seen the opening up of two private art galleries dedicated to tribal art - Meena Verma's Arts of the Earth, and Tulika Kedia's Must Art - both of which are located in Lado Sarai, Delhi. Now, the India Art Fair that will be held at Delhi in January next year will see participation by the Paris-based Galerie Herve Perdriolle , which is dedicated to Indian tribal art. That's a first for the fouryear-old fair.

"Yes, Indian tribal art is on the brink of the recognition that it deserves ," says Jyotindra Jain, professor at JNU. He was the first to curate an exhibition of folk-tribal art, titled The Other Masters, at the Crafts Museum 13 years ago when he was the director there. The show had emphasised on individual identity within the collective tradition of the art forms. "With the entry of folk- tribal art in contemporary spaces, the notion of 'signature' has emerged, which has made galleries and auctions dedicated to it viable," says Jain.

Largely identified by the name of the tribe or place where it is practised, tribal-folk art now boasts of signatures that come with price tags. While Jangarh Shyam remains the most famous Gond signature, Jivya Soma Mashe is his equivalent in the Warli world. The two of them may still be on the periphery of being art celebs in their own country but are routinely feted in art capitals of the West. They were both exhibited in the prestigious Magicians of the Earthexhibition curated by Jean Hubert Martin at Centre Pompidou, Paris, in 1989.

"I've always believed that when urban contemporary artists would have achieved a substantial price, then there would be space for rural contemporary artists, too. That's what is about to happen in India," says Herve Perdriolle, the French connoisseur who owns the eponymous Parisgallery. Perdriolle will showcase works by the late Chano Devi (Madhubani ), Jangarh and his son Mayank Shyam (Gond), and Pushpa Kumari (Mithila) at the India Art Fair.

While all this calls for applause, the threshold of success is a dangerous place to be in, caution those who plough the rather lonely furrow of tribal art. The first casualty was registered 10 years back when Jangarh committed suicide while on a residency in Japan. In the changing dynamics of tribal art, Jain warns against market pressure which could lead to mediocre mass production. Kedia also cautions against inflation of prices. "Even as we help Gond artists achieve good prices, we don't want to create a bubble. It would burst and then genuine collectors too would lose interest," she says.

Top Gond artists like Bhajju Shyam (Jangarh's nephew) and Mayank Shyam command Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for their canvases whereas Perdriolle had sold two of Jangarh's paper works for Rs 7 lakh and Rs 8 lakh last year. Alongside, substantial collections of these art forms have also been built - Anupam Poddar of the Devi Art Foundation has one of the largest Gond art collections while Perdriolle's Warli art pool is almost legendary.

A story on Indian tribal art can never be complete without flogging the old reprehensible horse - the government - which has fallen short of expectations . Jain points to a vital aspect of nurturing tribal art when he cites the example of Australian aboriginal artists who are far better placed, not only in terms of exposure and prices but also with respect to their Intellectual Property Rights. Australian aboriginal artist Clifford Possum holds the record for the highest price for folktribal art ever with the figure of Rs 11 crore, compared to which the record for an Indian tribal art work seems paltry - Rs 9.8 lakh for a Mashe work.

But the prices right now are a magnet for collectors. Neha Kirpal, founding director of the India Art Fair, says that tribal art should entice the young collectors as "the market for this genre of art market is still nascent and a lot of good quality work will be available at reasonable prices."

It's a long road ahead for tribal art to reach where its urban counterpart stands now. But it looks like the journey has begun
 

The stepping stone

The new capital was to seek a complete transformation under keen guidance, thus paving the way for a liberal, modern though historic settlement. Pioneer correspondents noted the ambitious vision and well-worked plans on December 15

This morning a ceremony which had not been contemplated when the programme of the Durbar was sanctioned by the King-Emperor took place in the Government of India camp

Upon the royal announcement regarding the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi it was suggested that their imperial majesties should themselves lay the foundation stones of the new city beyond the Ridge, and this was at once adopted. The only question was one of time, but early yesterday an official circular was sent out with the heading, “Ceremony of inaugurating the restoration of Delhi as the capital of India by laying foundation-stones.” This showed that the arrangements had been made and the time given for the ceremony was ten o’clock this morning

The spot chosen was in the so-called Avenue, where the tents of the Executive Members of the Council are pitched. Here the Public Works Department had men working day and night. Foundations of a wall were sunk running some fifteen feet from east to west and the wall itself, of solid construction, was built to a height of seven feet above the ground level. Two blocks of dressed stone were prepared three feet three inches in height, their width being two-and-a-half feet and their depth one-and- a-half feet. These were slung by pulleys over the masonry and were about three feet apart. A platform with an easy approach completed the arrangements. Captain Allanson, in charge of the Government of India Camp, and Mr. R. T. Angus, Assistant Engineer, Public Works Department, were chief among those who worked hardest to secure that everything should be ready in time. Invitations were issued to heads of Local Government and Administration, Ruling Chiefs, provincial representatives who did homage at the Durbar, and high military officers; but the number had to be limited in all to five hundred owing to the difficulty of accommodating more, especially as the list naturally included residents in the Government of India Camp.
The Governor-General Hardinge then spoke as follows :

“By graciously consenting to lay the first stones of the imperial capital to be established at Delhi, your imperial majesties will set a seal upon the announcement made by his imperial majesty on the day of the Coronation Durbar, a day which will ever be memorable in the history of India, partly owing to the splendour with which it was celebrated, but much more on account of the fervent demonstrations of loyalty which it evoked

“Many capitals have been inaugurated in the neighbourhood of Delhi, some of which are so ancient that their origin is lost in the mists of antiquity, but none has ever arisen under happier auspices than those which attend the ceremony which your imperial majesties are about to perform and assuredly none ever held promise of greater permanence or of a more prosperous and glorious future

“The decision to remove the capital of the Government of the India from Calcutta was not reached without mature and anxious consideration. Proposals of a similar nature had been fully discussed as long ago as 1868 and ample materials were on record for the formation of a just opinion upon all debatable points

“No great change, however beneficial, can be carried out without some sacrifice, without some injury to personal interest or some offence to local sentiment. Yet, if I may be permitted to speak as your imperial majesty’s Governor-General on behalf of myself and my colleagues in Council, I desire to say that we are confident that there have been few changes so important which have been so much to the advantage of the many and so little injurious to the interests of the few, that the injury which the few may anticipate will be merely temporary and within no long time will be greatly outweighted by the benefits which will ensue.

The King-Emperor, remaining seated on his throne, then replied in the following terms:

“It is a matter of supreme satisfaction to the Queen-Empress and myself that it has been possible for us before leaving Delhi to lay the first stones of the imperial capital which will arise from where we now stand

“This is the first step to give material effect to the important announcement which it was my pleasure to make on that magnificent, and to us deeply impressive, occasion of my Coronation Durbar three days ago

“I earnestly hope that the anticipation of the beneficial and far-reaching results from the great changes now to be effected may be amply fulfilled, securing to India improved administration and to its people increased happiness and prosperity

“It is my desire that the planning and designing of the public buildings to be erected will be considered with the greatest deliberation and care so that the new creation may be in every way worthy of this ancient and beautiful city.

The King-Emperor, attended by the Governor-General, the Lord High Steward and the Lord-in-Waiting, then left the dais and proceeded to the platform where the stone on the proper right was raised by pulleys worked by four Madras Sappers in uniform under the superintendence of Mr Angus. A gold trowel was handed to his imperial majesty who spread the mortar, and the stone was lowered into position and tapped with the mallet in the usual ceremonial way

The site where the foundation-stones are laid is about eight hundred yards south-west in a bee line from the Flagstaff tower and some six hundred yards south from the centre of the royal camp. The Ridge is directly to the east, its crest being about five hundred yards away. The land on every side is flat, with the exception of the low hill to the south, which is known as the General’s Mound. There are no villages, for the hamlet of Rajpur with its few mud houses is scarcely worth counting and one has to go as far as Sabzi Mandi on the Grand Trunk Road to find a bazar of any considerable size

Taking the Ridge, the Mall and the Grand Trunk Road, as three sides of a triangle with the Ridge as the base, there is a vast extent of open ground, while northwards of the Mall, is the space now occupied by the Chiefs’ Camps, through which Coronation Road, Kingsway and Prince’s Road run, so aligned as to give good access over a wide area and only needing connecting roads. Kingsway station, if enlarged and improved, would well serve the new Delhi via Azadpur Junction, but this question of railway communication will probably have to be carefully considered in view of the expansion of traffic to and from Delhi as a whole

The planning of this new city should be on a large and liberal scale, for the ground is practically unlimited. It should have its parks, open spaces, its boulevards and avenues, while the architecture of its public buildings and private houses should be above reproach. It will take many years to accomplish the task of creating a Delhi beyond the Ridge, but no plans should be accepted which do not take count of the far future. In this way only can the capital of India excite admiration and enthusiasm, as it slowly spreads from the foundation stones laid to-day
 

The man coordinating the celebrations, the agency's director general Gautam Sengupta , says he is excited at the prospect of taking the ASI to the next phase. But he's also aware of the monumental challenges he faces (see interview), which are many

Even after a century-and-a-half of its existence, the ASI has struggled to live up to the premise on which it was started. Instead of emerging as an organisation of excellence that sets world standards in preserving and showcasing India's rich historical past, it has functioned as yet another sarkari department, caught in bureaucratic sluggishness and operating at an antiquated pace

"ASI's biggest problem is bad management ," says OP Jain, convener of the Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and founder of the Delhi-based Sanskriti Foundation. "It doesn't run like a professional organization , with clear goals and accountability. There's little initiative to get things done, since it would mean more work, which nobody wants to do.

It's not as if the ASI isn't aware of its problems. It admitted its shortcomings to a committee set up by the PM under the chairmanship of former Union law minister Veerappa Moily. The biggest issue, it claimed, was manpower, pointing out that its current staff strength does not permit deployment of even a single person on fulltime basis at more than two-thirds of its monuments. With 3,676 monuments under its care, this means that virtually 75% of its monuments are unguarded. In order to augment its manpower, the agency told the committee, it will need to create additional posts of 10,000 monument attendants

Hiring this additional manpower would mean an expense of a few hundred crores. Then there's need for specialists- apart from the attendants -who can help in conservation

But would merely getting in additional staff solve the agency's problems? Chances are that they might simply end up as a burden on the exchequer unless they are trained properly and develop a love for heritage . For instance, when Sunday Times visited the Rani Kamlapati Mahal in Bhopal recently, the scant disregard for the monument was evident even as there were plenty of workers and ASI staff. The top two floors of the 18th century palace was a makeshift home for the workers, while the rest of what was earlier a seven-storeyed structure was a bath and wash area

Historian Nayanjot Lahiri, a member of the Moily committee, says the ASI's record in preservation and conservation is far from inspiring. She cites the instance of the Buddhist stupa site at Kanganahalli in Karnataka as a case in point. "The state of the conservation here makes one cry. This is a site where the sculptures of Ashoka are of the highest quality, but they have been kept in a pathetic state.

It's not as if the agency is not capable of doing good work in restoration. Heritage management consultant Amita Baig points out several cases where the ASI has done a world-class job. "One only has to look at archival pictures to see the apalling state of most of our heritage, when the ASI came into existence. They have done seminal work in bringing these back from the edge of extinction," she says

But over the past few decades, battling its myriad problems seems to have taken its toll. According to the ASI's own submission last year, 249 of its protected monuments were encroached or physically occupied by squatters. At Chennai's Fort St George, for instance - the first British settlement in India - the agency has been struggling for years to secure the fortress and clear traders who have set up shops tucked into the inner walls

Training and staff morale are other major issues. An archaeologist working with the agency says there aren't enough avenues for in-house training. Also, promotions are sporadic. "The career path within the ASI is not clearly defined, which often leads to loss of enthusiasm among promising archaeologists ," says KN Dikshit of the Indian Archaeological Society

Morale is also low at the ASI's Institute of Archaeology, once considered a premier centre for learning the craft. "The quality of the faculty as well as students graduating from it have gone down considerably ," points out Jain

Sengupta says he is aware the agency needs to invest in its manpower urgently and also reach out to people more in order to showcase their work - an area where they have been woefully inadequate . But many feel that good intentions should be followed up with a time-bound action plan. "Being the largest government organisation doing archaeology anywhere in the world, the ASI is an important part of the country," says Lahiri . "What it needs is less celebration and more introspection. It needs a route map to rejuvenate the legacy it seems largely to have abandoned.

HISTORY KEEP
ASI is the world's biggest state-run archaeology body It functions under Ministry of Culture, Government of India It takes care of 3,676 monuments spread across 24 circles within the country 116 of its monuments are ticketed It earned Rs 87.8 crore in ticket sales last year.
 

Riding a horse under the winter sun, George V had time merely to mark the fort's sparse grandeur and discrete pavilions, and wonder why it had been called the noblest palace in the world for so long. What he probably didn't know was that most of the 'Exalted Palace' travellers raved about for two centuries had been swept away. Gone was the sparkling canal that divided the very road he took out of the fort. Houses of the salatin (royal descendants) had made way for the new lawns to his right. Razed palaces, arcades and cloisters had left behind the long, empty brackets of space to his left.

The Red Fort George V saw was like a poem with most of its lines missing. It's the same with us, who wrap up a visit in under an hour to spend four hours shopping in Chandni Chowk. Returning to the fort's heyday is not possible, but a new book offers a glimpse into the palace of the last Mughal and the surrounding city that Zauq and Ghalib loved and lived in.

JP Losty's Delhi 360o (Roli Books) reveals the Red Fort and Shahjahanabad of the Mughal dynasty's dying years through artist Mazhar Ali Khan's panorama, "A Picture of the Imperial City of Shahjahanabad Drawn from the Lahore Gate of the Exalted Fort". Acquired by the British Library at a country auction in 1981, the painting is signed November 25, 1846 , and is an important historical record.

The Mutiny happened in 1857 and by 1863 the British had cleared a large swathe of the city that lay within firing range (450 yards) of the fort walls. Most of the palaces and buildings within the fort were also demolished in the name of security. So, Khan's panorama captured the fort and the city in their swan song, and in massive detail.

Measuring 66.5cm high and 490.8cm wide, the panorama is the equivalent of a 455-megapixel shot when printed at 300 dots-per-inch photo quality. The only way to produce such a photo-real historical record in the 1840s was by faithfully recording every line of street, roof and pillar with brush and paint.

From his observation deck under one of Lahore Gate's chhatris (cupolas), Khan swept his gaze first north (towards the ticket counters) and then clockwise, till he had traced a unique 360o view. The roughly 5-metre water colour panorama was painted on five sheets and pasted together as a scroll longer than an average apartment bedroom.

More than its age, the panorama is important for what it shows. The fort is fully built up. It is no longer true to Shahjahan's aesthetic, but a living, thriving space nonetheless. Outside, the city is more orderly built and leafy than what you see today. Trees ring it from the north all the way to Fatehpuri Masjid on the west. There are trees even on Chandni Chowk's median. Of traffic there is little, and squalor none, but the last may be the artist's disinclination to sully his canvas.

At first glance, nothing but the fort's august gates is recognisable. There is so much between them that no living person has seen. For instance, the very intricate decorations of Chhatta Bazaar's walls. They are now lost under layers of white paint. Immediately to the right is a spread of houses for the salatin. Moving on, the Naqqarkhana has a large, enclosed court with three-arched gateways to the north and the south. In fact, gates, arcades and cloisters regularly frame, link and also curtain the fort's different quarters. Another surprise is the white Diwani-Aam beyond Naqqarkhana. The hall's pearly plaster finish was stripped off early in the last century, exposing its red sandstone.

The painting also shows Shahjahanabad in relation to the older relics. Monuments such as Kotla Firoz Shah, Humayun's Tomb, Purana Qila, and the farthest, Qutab Minar, are duly marked out.

Studying Khan's panorama will leave you a little wistful, for the lost splendours of Red Fort, the city's easy pace, its leafy environs, the Yamuna's wide expanse - and the horizon. Once upon a time, earth and sky met all around Delhi.

It has been a long wait for people who live within 300m of the protected monuments after the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010, was passed in March last year. According to it, permissions for any kind of constructions - minor or major - within 300m of a monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) umbrella can come only from the proposed NMA. The law had stripped ASI of any such authority, leaving residents of such houses with no other option but to wait for setting up of NMA.

"Two part-time and one-full time members were appointed last month and along with the member-secretary, the functioning of NMA started in November. A number of applications are awaiting approval with NMA from all over the country. Public projects apart, the number of applications where people urgently need to make repairs in residential houses falling in a prohibited or regulated zone were also growing. There were instances where some people had rented accommodations elsewhere till they got an NOC from NMA. Such cases are being taken up on priority," said a source.

ASI stopped issuing NOCs from January 23, 2010, and the delay in setting up of NMA had given rise to cases of unauthorized constructions. ASI sources said on an average, they received one complaint of unauthorized constructions daily. "In a growing urban city like Delhi, people living in areas like South Ex, Hauz Khas, Panchsheel have been affected as they live close to a protected monument," said an official.

A new survey is also underway by the state-level competent authority to map all existing structures within a 500m radius of every ASI monument. Culture ministry sources said the Survey of India would be roped in to help with the documentation and mapping of a 500m radius of all protected monuments, which will be considered as the base index for future years. It is expected to be a very time-consuming process as every construction, house, building, street size etc will be recorded exactly in the new mapping so that heritage bylaws can be prepared for each monument.

"Mapping of all the monuments will be done so that we get details on what constructions exist presently in order to stop problems of unauthorized constructions. The mapping will also be undertaken to study how much should the protected area of these monuments be limited to," said a senior official.

While the 2010 act specifies that minimum 100m of all ASI monuments has to be prohibited, wherein no constructions can be allowed, the regulated zone area has no outer limit prescribed though that also has to be up to 200m at least. "It is unlikely that regulated areas will be beyond 200m though the act allows it to go up to any length. If at all, it might be considered only for crucial monuments like Taj Mahal. Any such decision will be taken jointly by NMA and ASI, which is still the custodian of these monuments," said an official.

Three dams have collapsed in Andhra Pradesh in the last five years. These include the Subbaraya Sagar in East Godavari in 2010, the Palamvagu Dam in Khammam in August 2008 and the Gundlavagu Dam in Warangal district in 2006.

Prof. T. Shivaji Rao, director, Centre for Environment Studies at the Institute of Science, Visakhapatnam, highlighted that these dams collapsed due to poor construction and improper design.

“In all, 50 dams built post-independence have failed, including the Kodaganar dam in Tamil Nadu, Nanaksagar dam in Punjab and the Machhu 11 dam in Gujarat and the Koyna dam in Maharashtra,” Prof. Rao stated.

A confidential report prepared by the Delhi-based Centre for Soil and Materials Research Station revealed that investigations submitted to the Empowered Committee (EC) of the Supreme Court had highlighted that the masonry cover of the Mullaperiyar dam had been severely damaged between the depth of 32m and 29m throughout the length of the dam.

The Detailed Project Report submitted to the EC by the Kerala state government also raises major safety issues.

Mullaperiyar dam, constructed 116 years ago is 365.7 metres long and 53.6 metres high, is presently one of the oldest dam’s in the world.

While its walls are covered with rubble masonry, its core is built with hydraulic lime and surkhi comprising a mixture of crushed bricks, sand and sugar.

Members of the Central Water Commission (CWC) have recommended lowering the maximum water level in the reservoir. A CWC member pointed out, “The dam should last for another 10 years or so. But no dam can survive for 999 years which is the length of the lease between the two states. A new dam will have to be constructed and this is the best time to start work on a new dam.”
 

“Delhi’s countless monuments have always fascinated me for their architecture and the stories behind them. All the paintings are a tribute to the city’s rich heritage,” she says.

At 77, the artist says that it is never too late to do something close to one’s heart. “During my school and college days, I wanted to go to the J.J. School of Art in Bombay but those were conservative times. After graduating from Lady Irwin College, I started painting for my family. In 1959, I got married and painting took a backseat as I got busy with home and children. After my children got married, my daughter Rati asked me to start painting again. It is the first time I have done so many paintings on one theme and my family urged me to exhibit them. As the city happens to be celebrating 100 years of Delhi this year, it seemed a right time to showcase my work to a wider audience,” she says.

She started exploring Delhi monuments early this year. “The monuments in Hauz Khas were my first paintings in the series of Delhi monuments. There were certain things which fascinated me, for instance a door in the Old Fort which is lying closed for years and the surroundings of Humayun’s Tomb,” shares Uma.

And the idea is to take us all back in time to a Delhi which was once frequented by great emperors, who for centuries added to the artistic character of the city.

“Delhi sits on the banks of the Yamuna and it grew to political, commercial and cultural prominence. With the rise of the Delhi sultanates and even after the arrival of the British, the capital was in the spotlight. Today Delhi is a modern metropolis yet, drifting through Delhi, one gets the feeling of travelling back in time. The streets are punctuated by towering monuments, imposing mosques, partly destroyed tombs, and exotic gardens — all frequented once by great emperors who hosted elaborate durbars and extended warm patronage to the arts,” she says.

She takes her influence from the countless monuments in the city. “Each crumbling brick, each sandstone wall, each lofty spire inspires me to re-create the story of its glorious past. You feel these monuments are speaking to you. There is so much art in them, just in the bricks alone. Solidity too, but a lot of art,” she says.

And if you’re an artist capturing the essence of Delhi on canvas, the Old Delhi charm is bound to captivate you. “I painted the monuments which are more easily accessible in Old Delhi like the Red Fort. All the monuments inside Purana Qila are my favourites. Mehrauli, Lodhi Garden, Qutub Minar found a special place in my paintings that are going to be on display at this exhibition,” she tells us.
The artist is well acquainted with various forms of art like batik, Ikebana, watercolours, mixed medium, “but all 30 paintings that will be showcased during this exhibition are oil on canvas,” says Uma.

The exhibition is on till December 24 at Open Palm Court Gallery, India Habitat Center, Lodhi Road
 

The prosperity of Gujarat is often credited to the innate character of the state’s residents to judge the future worth of a venture.

Rann’s worth is its crusty terrain, roaming wild asses and visiting flamingos serenading locals and tourists alike. If the birds bid adieu to their centuries old winter homes, just because a concrete path was laid to lead to them, the loss will bear heavily on vibrant Gujarat.
 

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had lodged a police complaint regarding the matter but no action was initiated by the civic agency or the police. One month on, locals say that half the construction work has already been completed. The building is located at a distance of 15m from the dargah complex which also houses tombs of Jahanara, Amir Khusrau and Atagha Khan.

Under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010, no construction is allowed within 300-m (100-m prohibited and 200-m regulated zone) of centrally-protected monuments. One has to first seek permission from the competent authority and then await approval from National Monuments Authority ( NMA), which has recently been established.

Sources say the building is coming up at a vacant plot owned by DDA. The plot was occupied by ragpickers till they cleared out some time back, say locals. Three floors of the building are ready. Labourers can be seen working at the construction site but the authorities have turned a blind eye to the encroachment. The dargah - the mausoleum of sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya - is thronged by visitors every week. Centrally protected monuments like Nizamuddin baoli, Chausath Khamba, Bara Khamba and Humayun's Tomb are also located in the vicinity.

This is not the first time that illegal constructions have cropped up near the Nizamuddin basti. A building sprang up next to Mirza Jehangir's Tomb inside the dargah complex months back and the crypt of Atagha Khan's Tomb has been occupied for years. However, ASI has not taken action fearing a violent reaction from locals.

The state’s archaeology department and Deccan College have planned a detailed excavation in January to gather more information related to the site

Y S Rawat, the state’s director of archaeology, said, “Primary excavations have showed that the site probably belongs to late Harappan period around 3000 BC, but the data available from the excavation is too little to determine the exact period. We will carry out more studies to confirm the period and other facts.

He said the investigation so far has been preliminary in nature. “In January, extensive digging will be done on all sides of the fortification wall to understand the exact nature of construction style and its layout. This will help us understand if it is really a fortification wall. If so, what is it they were guarding their settlement from?”

Quite often I find that conversations, with people from various walks of life, on ancient Indian mathematics slide to “Vedic mathematics” of the “16 sutras” fame, which is supposed to endow one with magical powers of calculation. Actually, the “16 sutras” were introduced by Bharati Krishna Tirthaji, who was the Sankaracharya of Puri from 1925 until he passed away in 1960, associating with them procedures for certain arithmetical or algebraic computations. Thus, this so-called “Vedic mathematics (VM)” is essentially a 20th century phenomenon

Neither the “sutras” nor the procedures that they are supposed to yield, or correspond to, have anything to do with either the Vedas, or even with any post-Vedic mathematical tradition of yore in India. The image that it may conjure up of ancient rishis engaged in such arithmetical exercises as are taught to the children in the name of VM, and representing the solutions through word-strings of a few words in modern styled Sanskrit, with hardly any sentence structure or grammar, is just too far from the realm of the plausible. It would have amounted to a joke, but for the aura it has acquired on account of various factors, including the general ignorance about the knowledge in ancient times. It is a pity that a long tradition of over 3,000 years of learning and pursuit of mathematical ideas has come to be perceived by a large section of the populace through the prism of something so mundane and so lacking in substance from a mathematical point of view, apart from not being genuine

Tall claims

The colossal neglect involved is not for want of pride about the achievements of our ancients; on the contrary, there is a lot of writing on the topic, popular as well as technical, that is full of unsubstantiated claims conveying an almost supreme knowledge our forefathers are supposed to have possessed. But there is very little understanding or appreciation, on an intellectual plane, of the specics of their knowledge or achievements in real terms

In the colonial era this variety of discourse emerged as an antithesis to the bias that was manifest in the works of some Western scholars. Due to the urgency to respond to the adverse propaganda on the one hand and the lack of resources in addressing the issues at a more profound level on the other, recourse was often taken to short-cuts, which involved more assertiveness than substance. There were indeed some Indian scholars, like Sudhakar Dvivedi, who adhered to a more intellectual approach, but they were a minority. Unfortunately, the old discourse has continued long after the colonial context is well past, and long after the world community has begun to view the Indian achievements with considerable objective curiosity and interest. It is high time that we switch to a mode betting a sovereign and intellectually self-reliant society, focussing on an objective study and critical assessment, without the reference frame of “what they say” and how “we must assert ourselves.

Ancient India has indeed contributed a great deal to the world's mathematical heritage. The country also witnessed steady mathematical developments over most part of the last 3,000 years, throwing up many interesting mathematical ideas well ahead of their appearance elsewhere in the world, though at times they lagged behind, especially in the recent centuries. Here are some episodes from the fascinating story that forms a rich fabric of the sustained intellectual endeavour

Vedic knowledge

The mathematical tradition in India goes back at least to the Vedas. For compositions with a broad scope covering all aspects of life, spiritual as well as secular, the Vedas show a great fascination for large numbers. As the transmission of the knowledge was oral, the numbers were not written, but expressed as combinations of powers of 10. It would be reasonable to believe that when the decimal place value system for written numbers came into being it owed a great deal to the way numbers were discussed in the older compositions

The decimal place value system of writing numbers, together with the use of ‘0,' is known to have blossomed in India in the early centuries AD, and spread to the West through the intermediacy of the Persians and the Arabs. There were actually precursors to the system, and various components of it are found in other ancient cultures such as the Babylonian, Chinese, and Mayan. From the decimal representation of the natural numbers, the system was to evolve further into the form that is now commonplace and crucial in various walks of life, with decimal fractions becoming part of the number system in 16th century Europe, though this again has some intermediate history involving the Arabs. The evolution of the number system represents a major phase in the development of mathematical ideas, and arguably contributed greatly to the overall advance of science and technology. The cumulative history of the number system holds a lesson that progress of ideas is an inclusive phenomenon, and while contributing to the process should be a matter of joy and pride to those with allegiance to the respective contributors, the role of others also ought to be appreciated

It is well-known that Geometry was pursued in India in the context of construction of vedis for the yajnas of the Vedic period. The Sulvasutrascontain elaborate descriptions of construction of vedis and enunciate various geometric principles. These were composed in the rst millennium BC, the earliest Baudhayana Sulvasutra dating back to about 800 BC. Sulvasutra geometry did not go very far in comparison to the Euclidean geometry developed by the Greeks, who appeared on the scene a little later, in the seventh century BC. It was, however, an important stage of development in India too. The Sulvasutra geometers were aware, among other things, of what is now called the Pythagoras theorem, over 200 years before Pythagoras (all the four major Sulvasutras contain an explicit statement of the theorem), addressed (within the framework of their geometry) issues such as nding a circle with the same area as a square and vice versa, and worked out a very good approximation to the square root of two, in the course of their studies

Though it is generally not recognised, the Sulvasutra geometry was itself evolving. This is seen, in particular, from the differences in the contents of the four major extant Sulvasutras. Certain revisions are especially striking. For instance, in the early Sulvasutra period the ratio of the circumference to the diameter was, as in other ancient cultures, thought to be three, as seen in a sutra of Baudhayana, but in the Manava Sulvasutra, a new value was proposed, as three-and-one-fth. Interestingly, the sutra describing it ends with an exultation “not a hair-breadth remains,” and though we see that it is still substantially off the mark, it is a gratifying instance of an advance made. In the Manava Sulvasutra one also nds an improvement over the method described by Baudhayana for nding the circle with the same area as that of a given square

The Jain tradition has also been very important in the development of mathematics in the country. Unlike for the Vedic people, for Jain scholars the motivation for mathematics came not from ritual practices, which indeed were anathema to them, but from the contemplation of the cosmos. Jains had an elaborate cosmography in which mathematics played an integral role, and even largely philosophical Jain works are seen to incorporate mathematical discussions. Notable among the topics in the early Jain works, from about the fifth century BC to the second century AD, one may mention geometry of the circle, arithmetic of numbers with large powers of 10, permutations and combinations, and categorisations of innities (whose plurality had been recognised)

As in the Sulvasutra tradition, the Jains also recognised, around the middle of the rst millennium BC, that the ratio of the circumference of the circle to its diameter is not three. In “Suryaprajnapti,” a Jain text believed to be from the fourth century BC, after recalling the “traditional” value three for it, the author discards that in favour the square root of 10. This value for the ratio, which is reasonably close to the actual value, was prevalent in India over a long period and is often referred as the Jain value. It continued to be used long after Aryabhata introduced the well-known value 3.1416 for the ratio. The Jain texts also contain rather unique formulae for lengths of circular arcs in terms of the length of the corresponding chord and the bow (height) over the chord, and also for the area of regions subtended by circular arcs together with their chords. The means for the accurate determination of these quantities became available only after the advent of Calculus. How the ancient Jain scholars arrived at these formulae, which are close approximations, remains to be understood

Jain tradition

After a lull of a few centuries in the early part of the rst millennium, pronounced mathematical activity is seen again in the Jain tradition from the 8th century until the middle of the 14th century. Ganitasarasangraha of Mahavira, written in 850, is one of the well-known and inuential works. Virasena (8th century), Sridhara (between 850 and 950), Nemicandra (around 980 CE), Thakkura Pheru (14th century) are some more names that may be mentioned. By the 13th and 14th centuries, Islamic architecture had taken root in India and inGanitasarakaumudi of Thakkura Pheru, who served as treasurer in the court of the Khilji Sultans in Delhi, one sees a combination of the native Jain tradition with Indo-Persian literature, including work on the calculation of areas and volumes involved in the construction of domes, arches, and tents used for residential purposes

Mathematical astronomy or the Siddhanta tradition has been the dominant and enduring mathematical tradition in India. It ourished almost continuously for over seven centuries, starting with Aryabhata (476-550) who is regarded as the founder of scientic astronomy in India, and extending to Bhaskara II (1114-1185) and beyond. The essential continuity of the tradition can be seen from the long list of prominent names that follow Aryabhata, spread over centuries: Varahamihira in the sixth century, Bhaskara I and Brahmagupta in the seventh century, Govindaswami and Sankaranarayana in the ninth century, Aryabhata II and Vijayanandi in the 10th century, Sripati in the 11th century, Brahmadeva and Bhaskara II in the 12th century, and Narayana Pandit and Ganesa from the 14th and 16th centuries respectively

Aryabhatiya, written in 499, is basic to the tradition, and even to the later works of the Kerala school of Madhava (more on that later). It consists of 121 verses divided into four chapters — Gitikapada, Ganitapada, Kalakriyapada and Golapada. The rst, which sets out the cosmology, contains also a verse describing a table of 24 sine differences at intervals of 225 minutes of arc. The second chapter, as the name suggests, is devoted to mathematics per se, and includes in particular procedures to nd square roots and cube roots, an approximate expression for ‘pi' (amounting to 3.1416 and specied to be approximate), formulae for areas and volumes of various geometric gures, and shadows, formulae for sums of consecutive integers, sums of squares, sums of cubes and computation of interest. The other two chapters are concerned with astronomy, dealing with distances and relative motions of planets, eclipses and so on

Influential work

Brahmagupta's Brahmasphutasiddhanta is a voluminous work, especially for its time, on Siddhanta astronomy, in which there are two chapters, Chapter 12 and Chapter 18, devoted to general mathematics. Incidentally, Chapter 11 is a critique on earlier works including Aryabhatiya; as in other healthy scientific communities this tradition also had many, and often bitter, controversies. Chapter 12 is well-known for its systematic treatment of arithmetic operations, including with negative numbers; the notion of negative numbers had eluded Europe until the middle of the second millennium. The chapter also contains geometry, including in particular his famous formula for the area of a quadrilateral (stated without the condition of cyclicity of the quadrilateral that is needed for its validity — a point criticised by later mathematicians in the tradition). Chapter 18 is devoted to the kuttaka and other methods, including for solving second-degree indeterminate equations. An identity described in the work features also in some current studies where it is referred as the Brahmagupta identity. Apart from this, Chapter 21 has verses dealing with trigonometry. Brahmasphutasiddhanta considerably influenced mathematics in the Arab world, and in turn the later developments in Europe. Bhaskara II is the author of the famous mathematical texts Lilavati and Bijaganita. Apart from being an accomplished mathematician he was a great teacher and populariser of mathematics. Lilavati, which literally means ‘one who is playful,' presents mathematics in a playful way, with several verses directly addressing a pretty young woman, and examples presented through reference to various animals, trees, ornaments, and so on. (Legend has it that the book is named after his daughter after her wedding failed to materialise on account of an accident with the clock, but there is no historical evidence to that effect.) The book presents, apart from various introductory aspects of arithmetic, geometry of triangles and quadrilaterals, examples of applications of the Pythagoras theorem, trirasika, kuttaka methods, problems on permutations and combinations, etc. The Bijaganita is an advanced-level treatise on Algebra, the first independent work of its kind in Indian tradition. Operations with unknowns, kuttaka and chakravala methods for solutions of indeterminate equations are some of the topics discussed, together with examples. Bhaskara's work on astronomy, Siddhantasiromani and Karana kutuhala, contain several important results in trigonometry, and also some ideas of Calculus

The works in the Siddhanta tradition have been edited on a substantial scale and there are various commentaries available, including many from the earlier centuries, and works by European authors such as Colebrook, and many Indian authors including Sudhakara Dvivedi, Kuppanna Sastri and K.V. Sarma. The two-volume book of Datta and Singh and the book of Saraswati Amma serve as convenient references for many results known in this tradition. Various details have been described, with a comprehensive discussion, in the recent book by Kim Plofker. The Bakhshali manuscript, which consists of 70 folios of bhurjapatra (birch bark), is another work of signicance in the study of ancient Indian mathematics, with many open issues around it. The manuscript was found buried in a eld near Peshawar, by a farmer, in 1881. It was acquired by the Indologist A.F.R. Hoernle, who studied it and published a short account on it. He later presented the manuscript to the Bodleian Library at Oxford, where it has been since then. Facsimile copies of all the folios were brought out by Kaye in 1927, which have since then been the source material for the subsequent studies. The date of the manuscript has been a subject of much controversy since the early years, with the estimated dates ranging from the early centuries of CE to the 12th century

Takao Hayashi, who produced what is perhaps the most authoritative account so far, concludes that the manuscript may be assigned sometime between the eighth century and the 12th century, while the mathematical work in it may most probably be from the seventh century. Carbon dating of the manuscript could settle the issue, but efforts towards this have not materialised so far

A formula for extraction of square-roots of non-square numbers found in the manuscript has attracted much attention. Another interesting feature of theBakhshali manuscript is that it involves calculations with large numbers (in decimal representation)

Kerala school

Let me nally come to what is called the Kerala School. In the 1830s, Charles Whish, an English civil servant in the Madras establishment of the East India Company, brought to light a collection of manuscripts from a mathematical school that ourished in the north-central part of Kerala, between what are now Kozhikode and Kochi. The school, with a long teacher-student lineage, lasted for over 200 years from the late 14th century well into the 17th century. It is seen to have originated with Madhava, who has been attributed by his successors many results presented in their texts. Apart from Madhava, Nilakantha Somayaji was another leading personality from the school. There are no extant works of Madhava on mathematics (though some works on astronomy are known). Nilakantha authored a book called Tantrasangraha (in Sanskrit) in 1500 AD. There have also been expositions and commentaries by many other exponents from the school, notable among them being Yuktidipikaand Kriyakramakari by Sankara, and Ganitayuktibhasha by Jyeshthadeva which is in Malayalam. Since the middle of the 20th century, various Indian scholars have researched on these manuscripts and the contents of most of the manuscripts have been looked into. An edited translation of the latter was produced by K.V. Sarma and it has recently been published with explanatory notes by K. Ramasubramanian, M.D. Srinivas and M.S. Sriram. An edited translation of Tantrasangraha has been brought out more recently by K. Ramasubramanian and M.S. Sriram

The Kerala works contain mathematics at a considerably advanced level than earlier works from anywhere in the world. They include a series expansion for ‘pi' and the arc-tangent series, and the series for sine and cosine functions that were obtained in Europe by Gregory, Leibnitz and Newton, respectively, over 200 years later. Some numerical values for ‘pi' that are accurate to 11 decimals are a highlight of the work. In many ways, the work of the Kerala mathematicians anticipated calculus as it developed in Europe later, and in particular involves manipulations with indenitely small quantities (in the determination of circumference of the circle and so on) analogous to the innitesimals in calculus; it has also been argued by some authors that the work is indeed calculus already

Honouring the tradition

A lot needs to be done to honour this rich mathematical heritage. The extant manuscripts need to be cared for to prevent deterioration, catalogued properly with due updates and, most important, they need to be studied diligently and the ndings placed in proper context on the broad canvass of the world of mathematics, from an objective standpoint. Let the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of the genius of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a global mathematician to the core, inspire us as a nation, to apply ourselves to this task.

Understanding ancient Indian mathematics

It is high time we studied our mathematical heritage with diligence and objectivity

Quite often I find that conversations, with people from various walks of life, on ancient Indian mathematics slide to “Vedic mathematics” of the “16 sutras” fame, which is supposed to endow one with magical powers of calculation. Actually, the “16 sutras” were introduced by Bharati Krishna Tirthaji, who was the Sankaracharya of Puri from 1925 until he passed away in 1960, associating with them procedures for certain arithmetical or algebraic computations. Thus, this so-called “Vedic mathematics (VM)” is essentially a 20th century phenomenon

Neither the “sutras” nor the procedures that they are supposed to yield, or correspond to, have anything to do with either the Vedas, or even with any post-Vedic mathematical tradition of yore in India. The image that it may conjure up of ancient rishis engaged in such arithmetical exercises as are taught to the children in the name of VM, and representing the solutions through word-strings of a few words in modern styled Sanskrit, with hardly any sentence structure or grammar, is just too far from the realm of the plausible. It would have amounted to a joke, but for the aura it has acquired on account of various factors, including the general ignorance about the knowledge in ancient times. It is a pity that a long tradition of over 3,000 years of learning and pursuit of mathematical ideas has come to be perceived by a large section of the populace through the prism of something so mundane and so lacking in substance from a mathematical point of view, apart from not being genuine

Tall claims

The colossal neglect involved is not for want of pride about the achievements of our ancients; on the contrary, there is a lot of writing on the topic, popular as well as technical, that is full of unsubstantiated claims conveying an almost supreme knowledge our forefathers are supposed to have possessed. But there is very little understanding or appreciation, on an intellectual plane, of the specics of their knowledge or achievements in real terms

In the colonial era this variety of discourse emerged as an antithesis to the bias that was manifest in the works of some Western scholars. Due to the urgency to respond to the adverse propaganda on the one hand and the lack of resources in addressing the issues at a more profound level on the other, recourse was often taken to short-cuts, which involved more assertiveness than substance. There were indeed some Indian scholars, like Sudhakar Dvivedi, who adhered to a more intellectual approach, but they were a minority. Unfortunately, the old discourse has continued long after the colonial context is well past, and long after the world community has begun to view the Indian achievements with considerable objective curiosity and interest. It is high time that we switch to a mode betting a sovereign and intellectually self-reliant society, focussing on an objective study and critical assessment, without the reference frame of “what they say” and how “we must assert ourselves.

Ancient India has indeed contributed a great deal to the world's mathematical heritage. The country also witnessed steady mathematical developments over most part of the last 3,000 years, throwing up many interesting mathematical ideas well ahead of their appearance elsewhere in the world, though at times they lagged behind, especially in the recent centuries. Here are some episodes from the fascinating story that forms a rich fabric of the sustained intellectual endeavour

Vedic knowledge

The mathematical tradition in India goes back at least to the Vedas. For compositions with a broad scope covering all aspects of life, spiritual as well as secular, the Vedas show a great fascination for large numbers. As the transmission of the knowledge was oral, the numbers were not written, but expressed as combinations of powers of 10. It would be reasonable to believe that when the decimal place value system for written numbers came into being it owed a great deal to the way numbers were discussed in the older compositions

The decimal place value system of writing numbers, together with the use of ‘0,' is known to have blossomed in India in the early centuries AD, and spread to the West through the intermediacy of the Persians and the Arabs. There were actually precursors to the system, and various components of it are found in other ancient cultures such as the Babylonian, Chinese, and Mayan. From the decimal representation of the natural numbers, the system was to evolve further into the form that is now commonplace and crucial in various walks of life, with decimal fractions becoming part of the number system in 16th century Europe, though this again has some intermediate history involving the Arabs. The evolution of the number system represents a major phase in the development of mathematical ideas, and arguably contributed greatly to the overall advance of science and technology. The cumulative history of the number system holds a lesson that progress of ideas is an inclusive phenomenon, and while contributing to the process should be a matter of joy and pride to those with allegiance to the respective contributors, the role of others also ought to be appreciated

It is well-known that Geometry was pursued in India in the context of construction of vedis for the yajnas of the Vedic period. The Sulvasutrascontain elaborate descriptions of construction of vedis and enunciate various geometric principles. These were composed in the rst millennium BC, the earliest Baudhayana Sulvasutra dating back to about 800 BC. Sulvasutra geometry did not go very far in comparison to the Euclidean geometry developed by the Greeks, who appeared on the scene a little later, in the seventh century BC. It was, however, an important stage of development in India too. The Sulvasutra geometers were aware, among other things, of what is now called the Pythagoras theorem, over 200 years before Pythagoras (all the four major Sulvasutras contain an explicit statement of the theorem), addressed (within the framework of their geometry) issues such as nding a circle with the same area as a square and vice versa, and worked out a very good approximation to the square root of two, in the course of their studies

Though it is generally not recognised, the Sulvasutra geometry was itself evolving. This is seen, in particular, from the differences in the contents of the four major extant Sulvasutras. Certain revisions are especially striking. For instance, in the early Sulvasutra period the ratio of the circumference to the diameter was, as in other ancient cultures, thought to be three, as seen in a sutra of Baudhayana, but in the Manava Sulvasutra, a new value was proposed, as three-and-one-fth. Interestingly, the sutra describing it ends with an exultation “not a hair-breadth remains,” and though we see that it is still substantially off the mark, it is a gratifying instance of an advance made. In the Manava Sulvasutra one also nds an improvement over the method described by Baudhayana for nding the circle with the same area as that of a given square

The Jain tradition has also been very important in the development of mathematics in the country. Unlike for the Vedic people, for Jain scholars the motivation for mathematics came not from ritual practices, which indeed were anathema to them, but from the contemplation of the cosmos. Jains had an elaborate cosmography in which mathematics played an integral role, and even largely philosophical Jain works are seen to incorporate mathematical discussions. Notable among the topics in the early Jain works, from about the fifth century BC to the second century AD, one may mention geometry of the circle, arithmetic of numbers with large powers of 10, permutations and combinations, and categorisations of innities (whose plurality had been recognised)

As in the Sulvasutra tradition, the Jains also recognised, around the middle of the rst millennium BC, that the ratio of the circumference of the circle to its diameter is not three. In “Suryaprajnapti,” a Jain text believed to be from the fourth century BC, after recalling the “traditional” value three for it, the author discards that in favour the square root of 10. This value for the ratio, which is reasonably close to the actual value, was prevalent in India over a long period and is often referred as the Jain value. It continued to be used long after Aryabhata introduced the well-known value 3.1416 for the ratio. The Jain texts also contain rather unique formulae for lengths of circular arcs in terms of the length of the corresponding chord and the bow (height) over the chord, and also for the area of regions subtended by circular arcs together with their chords. The means for the accurate determination of these quantities became available only after the advent of Calculus. How the ancient Jain scholars arrived at these formulae, which are close approximations, remains to be understood

Jain tradition

After a lull of a few centuries in the early part of the rst millennium, pronounced mathematical activity is seen again in the Jain tradition from the 8th century until the middle of the 14th century. Ganitasarasangraha of Mahavira, written in 850, is one of the well-known and inuential works. Virasena (8th century), Sridhara (between 850 and 950), Nemicandra (around 980 CE), Thakkura Pheru (14th century) are some more names that may be mentioned. By the 13th and 14th centuries, Islamic architecture had taken root in India and inGanitasarakaumudi of Thakkura Pheru, who served as treasurer in the court of the Khilji Sultans in Delhi, one sees a combination of the native Jain tradition with Indo-Persian literature, including work on the calculation of areas and volumes involved in the construction of domes, arches, and tents used for residential purposes

Mathematical astronomy or the Siddhanta tradition has been the dominant and enduring mathematical tradition in India. It ourished almost continuously for over seven centuries, starting with Aryabhata (476-550) who is regarded as the founder of scientic astronomy in India, and extending to Bhaskara II (1114-1185) and beyond. The essential continuity of the tradition can be seen from the long list of prominent names that follow Aryabhata, spread over centuries: Varahamihira in the sixth century, Bhaskara I and Brahmagupta in the seventh century, Govindaswami and Sankaranarayana in the ninth century, Aryabhata II and Vijayanandi in the 10th century, Sripati in the 11th century, Brahmadeva and Bhaskara II in the 12th century, and Narayana Pandit and Ganesa from the 14th and 16th centuries respectively

Aryabhatiya, written in 499, is basic to the tradition, and even to the later works of the Kerala school of Madhava (more on that later). It consists of 121 verses divided into four chapters — Gitikapada, Ganitapada, Kalakriyapada and Golapada. The rst, which sets out the cosmology, contains also a verse describing a table of 24 sine differences at intervals of 225 minutes of arc. The second chapter, as the name suggests, is devoted to mathematics per se, and includes in particular procedures to nd square roots and cube roots, an approximate expression for ‘pi' (amounting to 3.1416 and specied to be approximate), formulae for areas and volumes of various geometric gures, and shadows, formulae for sums of consecutive integers, sums of squares, sums of cubes and computation of interest. The other two chapters are concerned with astronomy, dealing with distances and relative motions of planets, eclipses and so on

Influential work

Brahmagupta's Brahmasphutasiddhanta is a voluminous work, especially for its time, on Siddhanta astronomy, in which there are two chapters, Chapter 12 and Chapter 18, devoted to general mathematics. Incidentally, Chapter 11 is a critique on earlier works including Aryabhatiya; as in other healthy scientific communities this tradition also had many, and often bitter, controversies. Chapter 12 is well-known for its systematic treatment of arithmetic operations, including with negative numbers; the notion of negative numbers had eluded Europe until the middle of the second millennium. The chapter also contains geometry, including in particular his famous formula for the area of a quadrilateral (stated without the condition of cyclicity of the quadrilateral that is needed for its validity — a point criticised by later mathematicians in the tradition). Chapter 18 is devoted to the kuttaka and other methods, including for solving second-degree indeterminate equations. An identity described in the work features also in some current studies where it is referred as the Brahmagupta identity. Apart from this, Chapter 21 has verses dealing with trigonometry. Brahmasphutasiddhanta considerably influenced mathematics in the Arab world, and in turn the later developments in Europe. Bhaskara II is the author of the famous mathematical texts Lilavati and Bijaganita. Apart from being an accomplished mathematician he was a great teacher and populariser of mathematics. Lilavati, which literally means ‘one who is playful,' presents mathematics in a playful way, with several verses directly addressing a pretty young woman, and examples presented through reference to various animals, trees, ornaments, and so on. (Legend has it that the book is named after his daughter after her wedding failed to materialise on account of an accident with the clock, but there is no historical evidence to that effect.) The book presents, apart from various introductory aspects of arithmetic, geometry of triangles and quadrilaterals, examples of applications of the Pythagoras theorem, trirasika, kuttaka methods, problems on permutations and combinations, etc. The Bijaganita is an advanced-level treatise on Algebra, the first independent work of its kind in Indian tradition. Operations with unknowns, kuttaka and chakravala methods for solutions of indeterminate equations are some of the topics discussed, together with examples. Bhaskara's work on astronomy, Siddhantasiromani and Karana kutuhala, contain several important results in trigonometry, and also some ideas of Calculus

The works in the Siddhanta tradition have been edited on a substantial scale and there are various commentaries available, including many from the earlier centuries, and works by European authors such as Colebrook, and many Indian authors including Sudhakara Dvivedi, Kuppanna Sastri and K.V. Sarma. The two-volume book of Datta and Singh and the book of Saraswati Amma serve as convenient references for many results known in this tradition. Various details have been described, with a comprehensive discussion, in the recent book by Kim Plofker. The Bakhshali manuscript, which consists of 70 folios of bhurjapatra (birch bark), is another work of signicance in the study of ancient Indian mathematics, with many open issues around it. The manuscript was found buried in a eld near Peshawar, by a farmer, in 1881. It was acquired by the Indologist A.F.R. Hoernle, who studied it and published a short account on it. He later presented the manuscript to the Bodleian Library at Oxford, where it has been since then. Facsimile copies of all the folios were brought out by Kaye in 1927, which have since then been the source material for the subsequent studies. The date of the manuscript has been a subject of much controversy since the early years, with the estimated dates ranging from the early centuries of CE to the 12th century

Takao Hayashi, who produced what is perhaps the most authoritative account so far, concludes that the manuscript may be assigned sometime between the eighth century and the 12th century, while the mathematical work in it may most probably be from the seventh century. Carbon dating of the manuscript could settle the issue, but efforts towards this have not materialised so far

A formula for extraction of square-roots of non-square numbers found in the manuscript has attracted much attention. Another interesting feature of theBakhshali manuscript is that it involves calculations with large numbers (in decimal representation)

Kerala school

Let me nally come to what is called the Kerala School. In the 1830s, Charles Whish, an English civil servant in the Madras establishment of the East India Company, brought to light a collection of manuscripts from a mathematical school that ourished in the north-central part of Kerala, between what are now Kozhikode and Kochi. The school, with a long teacher-student lineage, lasted for over 200 years from the late 14th century well into the 17th century. It is seen to have originated with Madhava, who has been attributed by his successors many results presented in their texts. Apart from Madhava, Nilakantha Somayaji was another leading personality from the school. There are no extant works of Madhava on mathematics (though some works on astronomy are known). Nilakantha authored a book called Tantrasangraha (in Sanskrit) in 1500 AD. There have also been expositions and commentaries by many other exponents from the school, notable among them being Yuktidipikaand Kriyakramakari by Sankara, and Ganitayuktibhasha by Jyeshthadeva which is in Malayalam. Since the middle of the 20th century, various Indian scholars have researched on these manuscripts and the contents of most of the manuscripts have been looked into. An edited translation of the latter was produced by K.V. Sarma and it has recently been published with explanatory notes by K. Ramasubramanian, M.D. Srinivas and M.S. Sriram. An edited translation of Tantrasangraha has been brought out more recently by K. Ramasubramanian and M.S. Sriram

The Kerala works contain mathematics at a considerably advanced level than earlier works from anywhere in the world. They include a series expansion for ‘pi' and the arc-tangent series, and the series for sine and cosine functions that were obtained in Europe by Gregory, Leibnitz and Newton, respectively, over 200 years later. Some numerical values for ‘pi' that are accurate to 11 decimals are a highlight of the work. In many ways, the work of the Kerala mathematicians anticipated calculus as it developed in Europe later, and in particular involves manipulations with indenitely small quantities (in the determination of circumference of the circle and so on) analogous to the innitesimals in calculus; it has also been argued by some authors that the work is indeed calculus already

Honouring the tradition

A lot needs to be done to honour this rich mathematical heritage. The extant manuscripts need to be cared for to prevent deterioration, catalogued properly with due updates and, most important, they need to be studied diligently and the ndings placed in proper context on the broad canvass of the world of mathematics, from an objective standpoint. Let the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of the genius of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a global mathematician to the core, inspire us as a nation, to apply ourselves to this task.

Kashmere Gate

Medieval India historian and ‘Amin Saab’ to several generations of Stephanians, Mohammed Amin, turns up his nose when younger students talk about wanting to visit ‘Old’ Delhi. “For heaven’s sake, you are very welcome to call yourself ‘New’ or even ‘Newest’ Delhi, but we are just Delhi, not ‘Old’ Delhi,” he says

Kashmere Gate (built in 1638), one of the only four of the gates of Shahjahanabad still in existence, defies the break-up of Delhi into the ‘Old’ and the ‘New’. Though at first glance, it seems just a chaotic car parts bazar and a monumentally busy thoroughfare, this has been and is a very significant gateway between the Delhis of varying vintages

Still boasting of a GPO, perhaps the first big post office, built by the British, Kashmere Gate bears witness to much that went into the making of Delhi down the ages. The Mughal Magazine, just near the GPO,used as an armoury by the British later, saw one of the most fierce battles during the 1857 war of independence. Two cemeteries — Nicholson and Lothian — served as resting places for many of the British killed in battle then. The British, when they started to wrest back control of Delhi in September 1857, started right through Kashmere Gate

The remains of the library of Dara Shikoh (the author of Majma ul Bahrain, son of Shah Jahan, who translated the Upanishads into Persian) are here. St James Church, commissioned by James Skinner, the son of a Scotsman and a Rajput lady, is an imposing structure to date.

St Stephen’s College was housed right across from the Church, before moving to its present location. The rivalry between St Stephen’s and Hindu College was nursed at the crossing here as the two colleges faced off exactly as they do today on north campus

‘Delhiphile’ and CEC, SY Qureshi, who grew up close by, wistfully recalls “shopping for shoes here.

Kashmere Gate to Civil Lines was where the British chose to locate their homes and markets, even before the Crown took over. In 1804, the British chose a military engineer, Robert Smith, to fortify the gate whose strategic value they recognised. The area acquired a distinct cosmopolitan air about it. Says Kashmere Gate-born Sohail Hashmi, who organises historical walks: “the market here is still so typically English in design that it stands out from the rest of the city. Look at the wrought iron work in the balconies, some of it, surprisingly, survives, the cast iron pillars, the sloping roofs topped with wooden tiles or corrugated sheets.

It was not without reason that Nirad Choudhri made Nicholson Road his home and An Autobiography of an Unknown Indian was mostly written here. Or that Congress President, Dr MA Ansari, had his house here, and hosted people like EM Forster. Malik Ram, an eminent expert on poet Ghalib, did most of his research at his Transport Company here

The Shia Jama Masjid is here, and another open ground where women have offered the namaz alongside men for years. Books at the 102-year-old Atma Ram and Sons are still sold and there is a fourth generation son, Sudhir Puri, holding the fort. But others, like leather at Verma Leather Stores, movies at Ritz or Minerva, drycleaning at Band Box, scones at Carlton Cafe, or Khameeri roti at Khyber, dahi vadas at Mithan Halwai, or sightings of the various test cricket teams that stayed at the Oberoi Hotel, then located here, are history now. Kashmere Gate grew as Delhi did — sometimes planned but, at most other times, despite the neglect and indifference

With the Metro now and the bus adda, it remains a transport hub as ever, but the historicity of the area has been not overtly recognised. Large monuments like Jama Masjid or Red Fort have been easier to push as chapters of the Delhi story

But, says Prof Sanjay Sharma of Ambedkar University, which is located here: “The Delhi government wants the proposed ‘Museum of Delhi’ to be here and we are to help with the project and resurrect the sense of the city that this place embodies.” So, Mughal cannons, British engineering, mithai, the special rotis, the Chinese shoe-maker, wrought iron balconies, the new metro and car parts shops could just find a context and help explain — as Dara Shikoh may have put it — the confluence or Majma ul Bahrain that Delhi and India are

Pat on the Back

Bold colours and bolder drawings tell stories from mythology and history as well as of the shenanigans of the babus during the days of the Raj. Kalighat scroll paintings known as pat, which was born in Bengal in early 19 th century, retain their kitschy and folk appeal to this day. Now, the prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum of London is holding a showcase of Kalighat pat paintings in India, possibly the largest exhibition of its kind. More than 105 pat paintings are on display at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalya in Mumbai and the exhibition will travel to Hyderabad and Delhi in 2012

Titled Kalighat Paintings Exhibition, the collection shows the gradual evolution of the art form down the years. While one work depicts the Jagannatha Trio, another canvas has Hanuman fighting Ravana, and a series showcases the Tarakeshwar Affair in which a Brahmin priest has an affair with a married woman

“My main task in curating the show was to select 68 of the best examples from V&A’s collection of over 600 Kalighat paintings, and to combine them with the 24 important paintings from Kolkata’s Victoria Memorial Hall’s (VMH) collection, to create a strong narrative,” says curator Suhashini Sinha, a British born Bengali working with the V&A. This is the first time that V&A’s collection is on public display. Sinha’s research took her to the village of Naya in the Midnapur district of West Bengal, where a village of patuas (painters of pat art) create the patachitra. Here, she roped in contemporary pat painters Anwar and Uttam Chitrakar to exhibit their modern interpretations alongside the old pat paintings. While there is no “For sale” section, paintings by contemporary artists are available. “This modern revival of Kalighat painting interests a lot of art buyers both nationally and internationally,” adds Sinha.

Chandni rubble perilously poised

Three months after a building collapsed atChandni Mahal in the Walled City claiming nine lives, the debris remains piled dangerously - iron rods and broken concrete perilously poised that can come crashing down any moment. Residents continue to live in fear, the horror of September 27 still fresh in their minds.

Salim Ashraf, a tea stall owner, tells his customers to be cautious. Pointing to the jutting rods, he said, "The debris can claim more lives if it crashes on pedestrians."

Residents say MCD lost interest ever since the incident stopped making headlines. "Till the time, media was here, the debris was getting cleared. Even in these narrow lanes, MCD brought machines to clear the rubble. But for than two months now, no official has visited this place," said Suleman Rehman, a resident.

Just not Chandni Mahal, nothing much has changed at the building collapse site at Uttam Nagar - the debris still lies piled up on the spot. Four peopledied on December 3.

But MCD officials say the onus lies on the property owner. But at Chandni Mahal, with owners in police custody, nobody is taking responsibility. "It is owner's responsibility to remove rubble. If the owner doesn't remove it, MCD has to clear it and later recover the cost. We send notices to them asking them to remove it," said Yogender Chandolia, chairman, MCD standing committee. But till now MCD has made no efforts to clear the debris.

With rubble strewn across the narrow lanes of Uttam Nagar, it has become difficult for residents to move. Broken brick and mortar pieces with protruding iron rods pose a threat to children. "It's almost a month, but debris hasn't been cleared. People come and throw garbage here. It is unsafe to send children to play as they might get hurt. Theft cases have also increased in area, " says Tazeem Khan(35), who resides in the adjacent building.

Even at Chandni Mahal, the collapse site has become a dumping ground. "Residents dump garbage and vendors park their carts here. We have asked the area councilor, but no action is taken," said Rehman.

But the area councilor, Ubaid Iqbal says he wasn't informed. "Residents did not contact me and if they want, we will clear the rubble. We didn't take the initiative as residents would have thought that we are on the builders' side," said Iqbal.

This has become a health hazard too. People in the area are also having problem in parking their cars near their resident. "I cannot park my car outside the house after the incident. It has become impossible to open the windows of my house due to flying dust," says Nand Kumar (25) resident of that area.

Debris has encroached upon parking space of residents. "My car cannot cross the narrow lanes where the debris is lying so I have been parking my car on the road. MCD had given assurance but never turned to clear the waste," says Prem Shankar Mishra 67, resident of Uttam Nagar.

Bamboo depletion to make summer harsh on Wayanad wildlife

Depletion of bamboo clusters in Kerala’s Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is threatening to make the coming summer hard for several species of wildlife there and in the adjoining forests that constitute the Nilgiris biosphere. Experts say that the phenomenon could even lead to a famine as far as Wayanad jungles’ herbivores are concerned

Almost all the bamboo clusters which used to grow in about 100 sq km of the 344-sq km area of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary have disappeared in the past six years due to flowering of the plants indicating that surviving the coming summer would be difficult for the herbivores in the forest like elephants and gaurs

The reason for the disappearance of the bamboo clusters, the mainstay of herbivores in summer when water becomes scarce in the jungle due to drying up of springs and ponds, is the gregarious flowering of the monocarpic plant

The flowering cycle of thorny bamboo, belonging to the grass family, varies from 30 years to 50 years, according to botanists. Officials in the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department said that the situation was very serious as the bamboo groves in the adjacent sanctuaries also have begun to get depleted due to flowering

While the destruction of bamboo clusters in the Wayanad sanctuary is almost exhaustive, a 20 per cent to 30 per cent bamboo cluster depletion due to flowering has happened in the adjacent Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Nagarhole and the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, a major habitat of tigers, elephants and other species, since last year

Botanists with the Kerala Agricultural University at Vellanikkara, Thrissur said that the bamboo clusters, disappearing altogether due to flowering, could grow back in some years as seeds, which have no dormancy, could germinate in favourable climatic conditions. “Bamboo regeneration is quite natural and profuse,” said a KAU botanist

However, he said that the Forest Department should be extra careful to ensure that no fire incidents occurred in the jungle. “Forest fires can end the possibility of the bamboo clusters’ growing back as the seeds could get reduced to ashes. But fire incidents are rare in the Wayanad sanctuary,” the botanist said

Established in 1973, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, contiguous to the protected area network of Nagarhole and Bandipur on the northeast and Mudumalai of Tamil Nadu on the southeast, is home to 20 to 25 tigers. Rich in bio-diversity, the sanctuary was established with the specific objective of conserving the biological heritage of the region. There are reports that the sudden disappearance of the wall of bamboo clusters in the eastern part of Wayanad could be one of the reasons for the climate shift being felt in the hilly district. Environmentalists fear that the bamboo depletion could have led to the creation of a hot wind pass into Wayanad from the Deccan plateau.