Intach
objects to digging at
Buddhist site
The Indian
National Trust for Art
and Cultural Heritage
(Intach) has objected to
digging up slopes of
Thotlakonda to plant
trees as the area is of
immense archaeological
value.
The Convenor of Intach,
Ms Rani Sharma,
Visakhapatnam Urban
Development Authority
(Vuda) in a letter to
instruct its forest
officials not to start
digging in Thotlakonda
without consulting the
department of
archaeology and Intach.
In an earlier letter to
the vice-chairman, she
had said the hill has
not been fully explored
and the ancient remains
found there have not
been studied by the
department of
archaeology.
Dr Lars Fogelin, a
scholar from the US,
after scrupulous survey,
has documented
innumerable
aracheological finds
which he found on the
hill in his book, Early
Buddhist Archaeology.
”There is no data on how
many of these findings
are intact. No
government agency has
determined the
boundaries of protected
monuments either,” she
said.
Ms Sharma said digging
works by Vuda in the
past had caused
irreparable damage to
the site. Big trees like
peepul and banyan trees
were planted by both
Vuda and other private
agencies causing serious
damage to the 2, 300
year old archaeological
remains.
Roots of peepul and
banyan trees have
weakened the core
structure of the
Buddhist monastry on the
hill.
She said the Vuda had
been digging up the site
in spite of repeated
requests by Intach not
to do so.
To recreate the ambience
of the ancient Buddhist
period, ponna, kadamba,
cork or rain tree,
lumeria, firangipani and
the flowering tree
called Ashoka Jonesia
tree could be planted,
but only on the
periphery of the site.
5 October 2009,
Deccn Chronicle
HIGH - LEVEL MEET -
Rs 15,000 cr to clean up
Ganga
The national ganga river
basin authority decided
by 2020 no untreated
sewage would be released
into the river
Even as the National
Ganga River Basin
Authority approved Rs
15,000 crore (Rs 150
billion) for the Clean
Ganga Mission, Bihar
Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar described the
proposed institutional
framework of the
Authority as "weak".
The Authority, with the
chief ministers of five
states through which the
river flows as members,
met for the first time
on Monday under the
chairmanship of Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh.
The PM had constituted
the Authority in
February, a week after
designating the Ganga as
a national river.
The Authority decided
that by 2020 no
untreated sewage would
be released into the
river.
Domestic sewage
contributes 75 per cent
of the total pollution
of the river while the
rest is caused by
industrial effluents.
The 2,500-km-long Ganga
is one of the most
polluted rivers in the
world despite the
government having spent
Rs 916 crore (Rs 9.16
billion) on cleaning it
since 1985.
The Ganga river basin is
the largest in India,
constituting 26 per cent
of the country's land
mass and supporting 43
per cent of its
population. It has an
average population
density of 523 persons
per sq km, making it one
of the most congested
river basins in the
world. The basin has 230
cities and towns.
"While a comprehensive
river basin management
plan will be ready by
December 2010, ongoing
sewage treatment
projects will be put on
a fast track and states
have been asked to
formulate detailed
project reports in
critical pollution
hotspots and major towns
on the Ganga and major
tributaries by November
30, 2009,"
Environment and Forests
Minister Jairam Ramesh
told mediapersons.
Welcoming the mission
mode approach, Bihar CM
Nitish Kumar said the
proposed institutional
framework needs
reexamination.
He wanted institutional
structure and capacity
building at the state
level to ensure
effective implementation
of the projects. "There
is no such provision at
present," he said.
6 October 2009,
Hindustan Times
Indus script
linguistically
Dravidian: expert
TIRUCHI: The
Indus script is
Dravidian linguistically
and culturally closer to
the old Tamil polity
than what has been
recognised so far,
eminent epigraphist
Iravatham Mahadevan has
said.
He shared some of his
recent and
still-not-fully-published
findings relating to the
interpretation of the
Indus script, in an
endowment lecture on
‘Vestiges of Indus
Civilisation in Old
Tamil’ at the 16th
annual session of the
Tamil Nadu History
Congress, which opened
here on Friday.
Mr. Mahadevan said that
though the claim could
be met with incredulity,
the evidence he had
gathered over four
decades of intensive
study of the sources —
the Indus texts and old
Tamil anthologies — had
led him to the
conclusion.
Mr. Mahadevan, who
specialises in the Indus
script and Tamil-Brahmi
inscriptions, said there
was also substantial
archaeological evidence
to support the view that
Indus Civilization was
pre-Aryan. The Indus
Civilization was urban,
while the Vedic culture
was rural and pastoral.
The Indus seals, he
said, do not depict the
horse and the chariot
with ‘spooked wheels,’
which were the defining
pieces of the
Aryan-speaking
societies. “The Indus
religion as revealed by
the pictorial depiction
on seals included
worship of a
buffalo-horned male god,
mother-goddesses, the
pipal tree and the
serpent, and possibly
the phallic symbol. Such
modes of worship present
in Hinduism are known to
have been derived from
the aboriginal
population and are
totally alien to the
religion of the Rig
Veda.”
There was also
substantial linguistic
evidence “favouring
Dravidian authorship of
the Indus Civilization,”
he said, citing Brahui,
a Dravidian language
still spoken in the
Indus region, Dravidian
loan words in the Rig
Veda, the substratum
influence of Dravidian
on Indo-Aryan as shown
by the presence of
retroflex consonants in
the Rig Veda and major
modifications in the
Prakrit dialects moving
them closer to the
Dravidian than the
Indo-European family of
languages. Computer
analysis of Indus texts
has also revealed that
the language had
suffixes only as in
Dravidian and no
prefixes as in
Indo-Aryan or infixes as
in Munda.
Clarifying that he was
employing the terms,
‘Aryan’ and ‘Dravidian,’
only in linguistic
sense, he said speakers
of the Aryan languages
indistinguishably merged
with Dravidian and
Munda-speaking people
millennia ago, creating
a composite Indian
society.
Priestly functionary
Referring to the
‘BEARER’ ideograms in
the Indus script, he
said the frequent
Harappan title,
‘Bearer,’ originally
meant a priestly
functionary ceremonially
carrying, on a yoke,
food offerings to the
deity. The corresponding
Dravidian expression,
‘poray’ (bearer) was
translated in the Rig
Veda as Bharata
(bearer).
The symbols inscribed on
a Neolithic axe found at
Sembiyan Kandiyur near
Mayiladuthurai in 2006,
a most significant
discovery connecting
Indus Civilisation with
Tamil Nadu, corresponded
to the signs of the
Indus script. Symbols
found on megalithic
pottery and potsherds
from Sanur and Mangudi
in Tamil Nadu also
resembled the signs of
the Indus script.
10 October 2009,
Hindu
UP
heritage site picked by
panel
Kothi Qila
Mahmudabad, located
about 60 km north
Lucknow, has been
selected as one of the
four heritage sites from
India by the World
Monument Watch (WMW) for
the year 2010.
The other three heritage
sites selected by WMW
are the Chiktan Castle
in Kargil, Historic
Civic Centre in Shimla
and the Dechen Namgyal
Gompa in Nyoma.
Talking to reporters
here on Sunday, Mohammed
Amir Mohammed Khan, the
erstwhile Raja of
Mamudabad, said that the
Qila Mahmudabad had been
nominated by
conservation architect
Asheesh Srivastava and
is the first such site
from Uttar Pradesh.
12 October 2009,
Pioneer
ASI
panel comes under high
court scanner
Legal Row Decision to
allow construction near
Humayun’s Tomb
challenged
The legality of an
Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI)-appointed
panel, that relaxes
construction norms
within 100 metres of
protected monuments, has
been challenged in Delhi
High Court.
The six-member experts
committee was set up by
the ASI in 2006 to
consider relaxation of a
ban on constructions
within 100 metres of
protected monuments on a
case-by-case basis.
The panel is headed by
the ASI director-general
and has eminent
historians as members.
Though the exact number
of sanctions given so
far is not known, as per
RTI details on its
website, it has allowed
nearly 100 constructions
across India between
March 2008 and May 2009.
As per a 1992
notification, areas up
to 100 metres from
protected limits are
treated as "prohibited"
areas for construction
and further beyond it up
to 200 metres, it is a
regulated area for
purposes of mining
operations and
construction.
In this case, a
construction sanctioned
by the panel within 88
metres of Humayun's Tomb
in Nizamuddin East, a
world heritage site, has
been challenged.
The construction by a
private builder is
coming up adjacent to
the property of
petitioner Gaurang
Kanth, a Supreme Court
lawyer.
"By allowing
constructions in the
prohibited area, the ASI
has violated the very
object of its creation
that is preservation of
ancient monuments,"
Kanth said.
BIZARRE TWIST The case
took an interesting turn
when Kanth, after moving
the court, realized his
property too, 80 metres
from the monument, was
illegal as no sanction
had been taken from the
ASI. But he contends he
came to know of this
fact only after the ASI
mentioned it in court.
"The property was bought
by my mother in November
2003 while I was abroad
without knowing that the
previous owner had not
obtained the ASI
sanction," he said. When
the builder of the
disputed property and
the high court
questioned Kanth's right
to file a suit with
"unclean hands", the
lawyer told the court he
was ready to vacate the
premises and the ASI
could demolish it.
"Let my building go. But
I simply want to expose
the irregularities
within the ASI in
allowing an illegally
formed panel to sanction
constructions within the
prohibited area," he
said.
A two-judge bench had on
August 28 allowed the
builder to continue with
construction by vacating
the stay ordered earlier
by a single bench.
ASI'S
U-TURN
The high court had in
July 2004 while dealing
with a suit seeking
permission to construct
within the prohibited
limits of Jantar Mantar
asked the ASI to
consider a mechanism
where the 100-m
prohibition was relaxed
on a case-bycase basis.
But the ASI approached
the Supreme Court
against the order and
obtained a stay.
"In this situation how
can the ASI form a
committee through an
internal notification
without the approval of
Parliament which passed
the original
notification in 1992
strictly banning
constructions within 100
metres of monuments?"
Kanth asked.
When contacted, an ASI
official denied the
panel was giving illegal
sanctions and said it
only needed the approval
of the Ministry of
Culture which it had
secured.
He also said
construction within 100
metres is allowed only
matching with the height
of other buildings in
that row built before
the 1992 notification.
The matter will come up
in the court again on
Monday.
12 October 2009,
Hindustan Times
Call to protect
endangered species of
medicinal plants
JAIPUR: Experts
attending a workshop on
medicinal plants here on
Monday called for the
adoption of an “eco
restoration model” for
identifying the plants
of aromatic and
medicinal value and
developing nurseries and
gardens. This approach
is expected to ensure
conservation of
endangered plant
species.
The workshop for
the forest officials was
organised at the
Forestry Training
Institute here in
association with the
National Medicinal
Plants Board. The
speakers underlined the
Forest Department’s role
in generating awareness
about medicinal plants
and ensuring their
utilisation.
Nursery
development
State Principal Chief
Conservator of Forests
Abhijit Ghosh said the
forest guards and
rangers posted in the
dense forest regions
could play a significant
role in the conservation
of rare plants. He
suggested that the
nursery development
schemes be taken up on a
large scale under the
National Rural
Employment Guarantee
Scheme.
Mr. Ghosh said the
forest officials should
be given proper training
for identification of
plants with medicinal
value to enable them to
apprise the local
residents of their
significance and
conserve them.
Other speakers said the
master trainers should
be prepared at the
village level to
facilitate regular
training programmes in
the remote forest areas.
13 October 2009,
Hindu
Conserve every drop of
water: INTACH head
Emphasising that
utmost attention will be
given to conserve every
drop of water, S.K.
Misra, chairman INTACH,
stated that wastage of
water must be checked
effectively. In this
context, he called for a
total ban on swimming
pools in private
premises in Delhi and
elsewhere in the
country. He added that
INTACH is planning to
launch a campaign on
Water Conservation.
“Water is the source of
all life. Hence, water
conservation is a vital
requiment. Scarcity of
water is already causing
serious concern in most
parts of the country.
The situation will
surely worsen with
rainfall deficiency,
droughts and other
natural calamities as
well as global warming
and climate change,”
said Misra.
13 October 2009,
Pioneer
Temples beat floods,
offer refuge
Bangalore,
Oct. 14: When their
homes crumbled and fell
and water engulfed them,
the villagers of
Pattadakal headed for
the stone structures
that have stood the test
of time.The temples,
dating back to the
seventh century and
built by the Chalukyas,
were among the few
structures that stood
above the water earlier
this month as the
swollen Malaprabha river
flooded nearby villages,
bringing down houses
mostly built of mud and
mortar. The temples too
stand on the banks of
the river, but on higher
ground, which ensured
that the water level
receded quickly.
But in Pattadakal
village, some 500km
northwest of Bangalore,
almost 800 villagers
lost their homes.
“They (villagers)
have been staying in the
monuments,” said
Bagalkot deputy
commissioner D.S.
Vishwanath, whose
district has seen nearly
58,000 houses collapse.
“We have shifted them to
wherever sheds were
available, and
additional ones are
being constructed.”
Local residents
recollected the floods
of 1963 but said the
September 30-October 3
deluge was worse in
terms of destruction.
The Malaprabha, a river
that originates in the
Western Ghats, is a
tributary of the
Krishna.
“The water came up to
only the plinth portion
(of the temples),” said
an official of the
Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI), adding that
it appeared as though
the Chalukyan architects
had chosen their sites
by taking into account
the possibility of
floods.
The structures —
where once kings were
coronated — were mostly
unaffected. Only a wall
erected around the
monument complex
suffered damage in a few
places, he said.
The extensive
destruction to property
and crops the floods
have caused across
Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh has also raised
questions about how much
of it could be
attributed to the
coordination between the
two southern states and
Maharashtra in managing
water levels at dams on
the Krishna river
system.
Karnataka plans to
relocate as many as 219
villages across its
northern districts that
have been badly hit by
the floods, and erect at
least 300,000 homes for
those who have been
displaced.
S.V. Venketeshaiah,
the regional director
(south) of the ASI, said
a team of archaeologists
was at Pattadakal to
assess the impact of the
floods on the dozen or
so monuments there. “The
actual assessment is
awaited,” he said.
Pattadakal is one of
the two Unesco World
Heritage Sites in
Karnataka, the other
being Hampi, the once
mighty capital of the
Vijayanagar empire that
stands along the
Tungabhadra river.
At Hampi, some 150km
west of Pattadakal in
Bellary district, some
of the monuments have
been waterlogged —
something that occurs
occasionally, depending
on the flow from the
Tungabhadra dam located
about 12km upstream.
“There has been some
damage at five to six
places,” said G.S.
Narasimhan,
superintending
archaeologist. While the
outer prahara of
the Vitthala temple has
suffered some damage,
the “bazaar” area —
famous as the street
where precious stones
were sold in heaps at
the height of
Vijayanagar’s glory —
and surrounding temples
has been waterlogged, he
said. A detailed
assessment will be made
after the water has
receded from some of the
monuments.
15 October 2009,
Telegraph
High
Court orders closure of
all commercial
activities in Amber Fort
Cancels all MoUs signed
by the Authority with
private entrepreneurs
JAIPUR: The Rajasthan
High Court has ordered
closure of all
commercial activities in
the historic Amber Fort
near here while holding
that the Amber
Development and
Management Authority –
appointed by former
Chief Minister
Vasundhara Raje – was
not entitled to
undertake renovation and
restoration work at the
protected monument.A
Division Bench of the
Court also cancelled all
memorandums of
understanding signed by
the Authority with
private entrepreneurs
allowing them to run
commercial activities
including a luxury
restaurant and a coffee
shop on lease on the
fort premises.
The Bench, comprising
Chief Justice Jagdish
Bhalla and Justice M. N.
Bhandari, pronounced the
judgment on a public
interest litigation
initiated suo motu
by the Court when a part
of the protected fort
gave way due to
overcrowding during the
shooting of Bollywood
film Veer in
February this year.
The Amber Development
Authority was mired in
controversies ever since
its inception during the
previous BJP regime with
Ms. Raje as its founder
and former Tourism
Minister Usha Punia, IPL
chief Lalit Modi’s wife
Meenal Modi and several
senior officers
including the Chief
Secretary as its
members.
Upholding the
contentions of amicus
curiae and High
Court lawyer Abhinav
Sharma, the Court said
the Authority, appointed
under the Societies
Registration Act, was
neither entitled under
the Rajasthan Monuments
and Archaeological Sites
and Antiquities Rules,
1968, to take up the
renovation work nor
authorised to sign MoUs
with other parties.
“A bare perusal of
the statutory provisions
shows that an advisory
board can be created for
matters pertaining to a
protected monument of
tourism importance, but
not a society,” ruled
the Court.
It also said that any
activity inside the
Amber fort and palace
could be allowed only by
the Director of the
Archaeology Department.
The Bench declared
all the MoUs signed by
the Amber Development
Authority to be in
violation of the
provisions of law, while
observing that it was
beyond the Authority’s
competence to enter into
an agreement with anyone
for permitting
commercial activities in
the fort.
Provisions of law
The Court expressed
surprise over a reply
filed by State
Advocate-General G. S.
Bapna – after the
Congress was elected to
power in the State –
stating that the
Authority was rightly
constituted and was a
government body and
observed in the
judgment: “It is not
made clear as to how the
Government can issue an
order contrary to the
statutory provisions of
law.”
The State Government
has been asked to file
its compliance report
within two months.
16 October 2009,
The Hindu
Lodhi
Gardens carves out a
green niche to offer
butterflies a safe haven
Considered one
of the most vulnerable
species to changes in
climate, the butterfly
population has been
going down in the city.
Now the NDMC wants to
play saviour.
On Monday, Environment
Minister Jairam Ramesh
inaugurated a butterfly
observatory in Lodhi
Gardens, one of two in
the city, which will
provide a habitat to
butterflies. A
three-acre area in Lodhi
Gardens has been
converted into a
butterfly observatory,
complete with a lily
pool and a mud puddle,
and 28 species of plants
which butterflies feed
on. There are also plans
to develop a butterfly
area in a Commonwealth
Games Park being created
at the junction of
Africa Avenue and
Brigadier Hoshiar Singh
Marg.
“The last time I saw a
butterfly in Delhi was
in 1981. Since then,
I’ve seen them in
Bangalore, but in Delhi
they have visibly
reduced. Scientists say
that butterflies are
severely affected by
climate change. Clearly
they need help,” Ramesh
said.
“Let us consider
butterflies to be winged
ambassadors for the
environment. With
minimum effort and
money, we have managed
to get butterflies to
breed in the
observatory. They need
very little to live,”
said Suhas Borker from
the activist group,
Green Circle, who first
presented the proposal
to NDMC.
Butterflies are set to
be part of the
Commonwealth Games
attractions.
“We are developing the
Commonwealth Games park
where saplings from
different Commonwealth
countries will be
planted. We’re also
developing a butterfly
section at the park,”
NDMC Chairman Parimal
Rai told Newsline.
It will take some time,
however, before the
butterfly can truly
range over Lodhi Gardens
again. The observatory
in Lodi was set up 40
days ago and only had a
couple of butterflies.
“For the last 5 years,
around 40 per cent of
the butterflies in Delhi
can no longer be seen.
The general perception
is that if you plant
flowers, you will see
butterflies flourish.
But flowers are required
only in the last stage
of the butterfly pupa.
Butterflies generally
require biodiversity to
survive. There are
around 76 to 78 species
of butterflies in Delhi,
but their population has
become very localised.
Commonly you may see the
‘Plain tiger’ (orange
and black) species. But
rarer ones like the
Bluebottle are likely to
be found only in areas
like the Rashtrapati
Bhawan and Delhi
University which have
several plant species,”
said biologist Faiyaz
Khudsar.
20 October,
Indian Express
Three consultants to
design signboards for
monuments
The
Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) has roped in
three different
consultants to develop
signages for 46
monuments being spruced
up for the Commonwealth
Games, starting on
October 3 next year.
The selected monuments
are being given a
facelift as they fall on
the way to the Games
venues, as part of an
attempt to showcase
Delhi’s heritage.
Heritage architects
and conservationists say
three different agencies
working on the signages
will go against
uniformity in overall
aesthetic look of the
monuments. But a senior
ASI official said
distribution of work
will bring in “healthy
competition” and “better
output”.
The Indian National
Trust for Art and
Cultural Heritage
(INTACH), Rachna
Vishwanathan and
Consultants, and Poonam
Thakur of Srishti
Consultants are
developing the signages
for ASI. INTACH, which
has about 15 monuments,
has already signed the
contract; the other two
consultants will be
signed up this week,
officials said.
“Each of them have
proposed their own
design — we will
implement them after the
final proposal is
approved,” a senior ASI
official told Newsline.
“This will create
healthy competition and
there will be better
output. None of the
designs have been
approved so far.”
The official said
INTACH’s initial
proposal has been passed
but the consultants will
have to make a prototype
at one of the allotted
monuments. The prototype
design can be
implemented at other
sites only after it
passes an ASI
examination, according
to the official.
INTACH is also
working on signages for
92 smaller monuments
under the Department of
Archaeology ahead of the
Games and has worked out
a design that proposes a
combination of red
sandstone and metal,
INTACH’s Delhi chapter
convenor A G K Menon
said.
“Each of them have
proposed their own
design — we will
implement them after the
final proposal is
approved,” a senior ASI
official told Newsline.
“This will create
healthy competition and
there will be better
output. None of the
designs have been
approved so far.”
The official said
INTACH’s initial
proposal has been passed
but the consultants will
have to make a prototype
at one of the allotted
monuments. The prototype
design can be
implemented at other
sites only after it
passes an ASI
examination, according
to the official.
INTACH is also
working on signages for
92 smaller monuments
under the Department of
Archaeology ahead of the
Games and has worked out
a design that proposes a
combination of red
sandstone and metal,
INTACH’s Delhi chapter
convenor A G K Menon
said.
The other design,
proposed by Rachna
Vishwanathan and
Associates, will see
signages in different
shades of sandstone
according to the
monument’s look.
Vishwanathan, who
earlier worked on the
Qutub Minar Complex
signage, will work on 12
monuments.
“We will use red
sandstone in most
monuments, as they blend
with the Mughal
architecture,”
Vishwanathan said. “But
we might use yellow or
off-white sandstone with
manual etching for some
monuments.”
Vishwanathan said
they will not use any
metal.
20 October,
Indian Express
ASI
against Abhishek at
Osmanabad temple
The abhishek
(ritual in which milk,
water and other
substances are poured on
an idol) of Goddess
Tulja Bhawani in an
Osmanabad temple is
likely to be stopped to
save the idol from
erosion.
The district
administration wants the
ritual to stop,
following a report of
the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI)
pointing to the
deterioration of the
idol. Instead, an utsav
murti (replica) has been
recommended for the
ritual.The idol is of
polished black granite
that has carvings and
other details. The
abhishek is offered with
shrikhand, milk
products, curd, bananas,
cashewnuts and raisin.
It is also cleaned with
water using a coir brush
and dried with a Turkish
cloth after which
sandalwood paste and
vermilion is applied.
“It was said (that)
the main idol was
offered abhishek for 400
years but the number of
abhisheks has increased
now,” said the report,
adding that it continued
till 12 noon and also
for some time in the
evening.
The report states
that the main idol be
offered only one
abhishek in the morning
with plain water with a
Ph of 7.
“If it is not
possible to offer
abhishek to the utsav
murti the next option
will be complete silver
encasing of the idol
till the final
abhishek,” it added.
20 October,
Indian Express
347
DAYS TO GO COMMONWEALTH
GAMES 2010 - Delhi
archaeology dept to
spruce up 92 monuments
for Games 2010
If infant
flyovers are being
polished for the
Commonwealth Games, can
venerable, 700-year-old
monuments be left
behind?
Delhi government's
department of
archaeology has decided
to restore 92 heritage
monuments in the city
that are not protected
by the Archeological
Survey of India (ASI).
"Although we have
identified as many as
250 monuments, 92 will
be spruced up before the
Commonwealth Games,"
said Keshav Chandra,
director of department
of archaeology. Delhi
has over 1,200 heritage
structures; the ASI
protects 175 of them,
which have been
identified as those with
national importance. It
is the responsibility of
the Delhi government and
the civic bodies to take
care of the rest of the
monuments.
Chandra said the
focus in the first phase
would be on monuments
that are either visible
from the road or are
near the Games venues.
The department has
come up with a
preliminary notification
plan for 27 monuments in
south Delhi.
These include, among
others, the Tomb of
Muhammed Quli Khan in
the mehrauli
archeological park, the
magnificent ruins in
south Delhi.
The estimated budget
for restoring the 92
monuments is Rs 6 crore
and the deadline is June
2010. Chandra said they
would now focus on a
detailed survey of the
monumenst and the area
around, a conservation
plan, horticultural
development and lighting
of the heritage
structures.
But the restoration may
not be a breeze.
An official who did
not want to quoted, as
he was not authorised to
speak to the media said
ownership issues are
expected to crop up.
"Objections have
already been raised by
the Delhi Wakf Board
over eight monuments in
Mehrauli. We are
negotiating with the
body," the official
said.
These monuments will
be protected under the
Delhi Ancient and
Historical Monuments and
Archeological Sites and
Remains Act 2004 (Delhi
Act 9 of 2005).
The government has
signed a memorandum of
understanding with the
Delhi chapter of the
Indian National Trust
for Arts and Cultural
Heritage, a non-profit
pan-Indian body working
for heritage
conservation, for this
project.
21 October 2009,
Hindustan Times
A treasure trove for
heritage lovers
NEW DELHI:
Osian’s Connoisseurs of
Art will conduct a
first-of-its-kind
auction of antiquities
of India here in the
Capital later this
month.
The auction of Indian
and Asian antiquities,
books, modern and
contemporary art will be
held at Taj Mahal hotel
on October 29 as part of
the 11th Osian’s Cinefan
Film Festival to be held
in the city from October
24 to 30.
Many rare Indian and
Persian miniatures, a
10th Century sculpture
of Durga from Java along
with masterpieces of
modern and contemporary
art by M. F. Husain, F.
N. Souza, K. C. S.
Paniker and Bhupen
Khakhar will go under
the hammer at the
auction.
According to Osian’s
founder-chairman Neville
Tuli, the auction is a
fundamental move to
bring Indian heritage
back into the country.
“It will also make
treasures of our past
civilisations part and
parcel of everyday
contemporary living. We
want our heritage to be
displayed with pride in
Indian homes. Since the
time of the Emergency,
our artistic and
cultural heritage has
slowly and constantly
left our shores. They
have been smuggled out
as part of one of the
largest black economies
in the world. This black
economy has been
sustained due to a
strange mix of legal
ambiguity, lack of
awareness and a poor
dialogue between the
private and public
sectors regarding the
need to build up a
cultural
infrastructure.”
Mr. Tuli says public
awareness is being
created about the value
of the country’s rich
artistic heritage and
the need to create a
vibrant and strong
domestic market for
antiquities. “This is
the only genuine way to
stop outflow. Just as we
created a solid
foundation and hence a
market for modern and
contemporary art, it is
now time to build up a
much larger base for
Indian antiquities. If
such a small market as
modern art has over
1,000 galleries and
dealers, why do we not
have more than a handful
of top-quality galleries
for antiquities that
deal with over 5,000
years of artefact
creation?”
21 October 2009,
Hindu
Talks
on endangered Indian
languages from today
As a matter of
fact, India has 196
endangered languages
(UNESCO Atlas of the
World languages in
danger data).
The Himalayan region has
a mix of 44 endangered
languages and the Bihar,
Jharkhand belt, too, has
another 42 such
languages. The maximum
concentration is from
the north-eastern
states, Himalayan
region, eastern states
of India etc.
The INTACH that aims at
raising awareness on
endangered languages is
holding a two-day
seminar on the subject
in the Capital from
tomorrow.
Kamalini Sengupta from
INTACH said: “Only since
last 20 years, the world
has paid attention
towards the trend of
language loss and death.
One of the predictions
of experts is that by
the end of the century,
about 50 per cent
languages in the world
would be extinct. It is
an established fact that
only 4 per cent of the
world speaks 96 per cent
of the existing
languages.”
“It indicates that small
communities speak a
welter of languages many
more per person then the
mainstream languages
spoken by the vast
majority.”
“The galloping rate at
which languages are
disappearing today are
at par with the
galloping rate of global
warming and as
dangerous,” Sengupta
added.
“Apart from the fact
that most languages are
unrecognised by the
state and unwritten, the
causes for endangerment
include their exclusion
from the school systems,
irrelevance in the job
market and in mainstream
arenas, dwindling
numbers of the community
and other threats to
vulnerable communities
like mono culturalism
and market forces, all
of which leads to a loss
of identity and
displacement,” adds
Sengupta.
“Many tribal languages
in India are
endangered,” says SK
Misra, Chairman, INTACH.
“Take the case of
Tripura, there are
various tribal languages
in Tripura spoken by
small groups of people.
These languages are
dying, children are not
taught these in school
and thus, the language
is slowly dying. The
requisite infrastructure
should be in place at
least for teaching this
language in schools
among the primary
classes.”
“Look at the dangers
associated with the
death of a language,
often this is
accompanied with the
loss of an entire
culture,” says Misra.
“When a language dies, a
culture dies, the
poetry, song,
literature, stories,
history, customs,
traditional and valuable
knowledge systems,
philosophy and wisdom
are lost.”
“When a language dies,
that is, when no
language knower is left,
when no documentation,
recording, film or
written word survives
then the loss is very
great.”
The aim of this seminar
undertaken by INTACH is
spreading awareness of
the existence and
dangers of losing these
languages and
recommending viable
solutions on a future
course with emphasis on
preserving these.
22 October 2009,
Tribune
Heritage Exhibition
Pathbreaking
innovations made by
ancient Indians in
science and technology
will be displayed at a
permanent exhibition
here, which was launched
today. Inaugurating the
Science and Technology
Heritage exhibition at
the National Science
Centre here, Cultural
Secretary Jawhar Sircar
said a high level
committee comprising
officials from ASI,
Anthropology Survey of
India, National Science
Centre and National
Council of Science
Museums will be
constituted to study the
scientific
interpretation of Indian
heritage. “We will
constitute a panel to
study the scientific
interpretation of
heritage. Heritage and
science cannot exist
without each other. The
panel will decide ways
to bring out without
each other. The panel
will decide ways to
bring out excellent
publications in two
years time for the
future generations, “ he
said. The exhibition
also displays
contributions made by
Indians to astronomy,
mathematics, chemistry,
medicine, metallurgy,
art, craft and
architecture. The
exhibition spread over
1, 600 sq metres area
has been built at a cost
of Rs 60 lakh.
22 October 2009,
Assam Tribune
ASI
awaits green signal from
Railways to Bridge A
Historical Gap
Though
part of the Humayun’s
Tomb complex, Neela
Gumbad, is separated
from it by a road. ASI
plans to shift the road
but blames the Railways
for not giving up land
for relocation
Almost two years
after the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI)
discovered that the 16th
century Neela Gumbad was
originally part of the
Humayun’s Tomb complex,
it is still waiting for
permission from Northern
Railways (NR) to be able
to connect the two
monuments which are at
present separated by a
road.
ASI is proposing to
shift the road — used
mostly by East
Nizamuddin residents —
to the eastern edge of
Neela Gumbad plot, about
20m from the rail
tracks. NR, which also
owns the property, is
using the land for
storing track material.
It has been dragging its
feet over the issue for
almost three years
claiming ‘‘this is the
only available land in
Delhi for storing our
track material and we
cannot give ASI
permission to construct
a road here’’.
ASI has now approached
the chief minister.
‘‘The issue needs to be
sorted out at a higher
level. We have written
to CM Sheila Dikshit and
sought her intervention.
She is expected to visit
the site soon,’’ said
ASI director-general K N
Shrivastava. Officials
said the original
entrance — giving access
from Humayun’s Tomb
garden — to Neela Gumbad
was blocked after
construction of the road
many years ago. ‘‘The
blockage has led to
significant monument
decay and neglect,’’
said sources. The
original entrance will
be reopened now.
The separating road
forms a loop around the
tomb and connects East
Nizamuddin with Gurdwara
Dumduma Sahib. On the
proposal to shift this
road east towards the
railway line, a senior
NR official said: ‘‘We
signed an MoU with ASI
in 2004 for developing a
green area and
landscaping but nothing
in the agreement talks
about giving permission
for construction
activity. If we allow
ASI to build a road on
this land, it will come
in the way of our
expansion plans for
Nizamuddin railway
station. Our plans have
already been affected by
ASI’s various rules on
construction work within
100m and 200m of
monuments. Also, we need
this land to store our
track material and other
expensive railway
equipment.’’
ASI officials claimed
shifting the road would
only help railways.
‘‘This new road layout
will make access easier
for concrete sleepers
and other goods to the
railway tracks. We will
also relocate the
barracks of railway
protection force to the
northern end of the plot
and build better
facilities with no
expenses to the
railways,’’ said an
official. The
conservation work in
Humayun’s Tomb complex
is being undertaken by
Aga Khan Trust for
Culture under an MoU
signed with ASI.
In 2008, ASI had
uncovered arcaded
platform stretches near
Neela Gumbad proving the
monument was originally
part of Humayun’s Tomb
complex. Lakhs of
visitors to this world
heritage site are not
able to see Neela Gumbad
— a monument dating back
to mid-16th century that
showcases Persian
influence on Mughal
architecture — due to
both ignorance and lack
of connectivity.
Linking
The Past
With
blue and green tiles,
Neela Gumbad was
originally a river
island tomb accessible
from Humayun’s Tomb
-
Believed to be the
earliest Mughal-era
building in Delhi
- The arcaded
platform unearthed
last year protected
the Gumbad from
Yamuna, which once
flowed near
Humayun’s Tomb ASI
officials say
allowing access from
Humayun’s
- Tomb would be an
added attraction for
visitors at the
World Heritage Site.
The river island
tomb will once again
have a natural green
landscape in front
- 1 million people
visit Humayun’s Tomb
every year.
Conservation plans
for Neela Gumbad
have also been put
on hold till access
is made from the
tomb
23 October 2009,
Times of India,
Times City
Students give heritage a
shine, send a message
Trash
Removed From Area Around
Qutub By Indian &
Foreign Students,
Lessons Against
Defacement
New Delhi: With brooms
and dusters in their
hands, over 650 students
from across the country
as well as other nations
gathered at Qutub Minar
on Friday to spread
awareness about keeping
heritage sites clean and
tidy. The young
crusaders could be seen
clearing trash around
the 13th century
monument and telling
visitors how crucial it
was to preserve
monuments. From Qutub,
the group moved on to
Tughlaqabad Fort.
The cleanliness drive
was organized by the
Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) in
association with United
Peace Federation,
National Youth
Conventional Network,
Youth Peace Federation
India and volunteers of
the National Service
Scheme (NSS) from
various colleges of
Delhi University. Apart
from Indian students,
there were participants
from countries like
Japan, Korea, Cambodia,
Vietnam, Philippines and
Thailand. Sandeep Kumar,
president of W-carp, an
international body under
the UN’s
Integovernmental Panel
on Forests (IPF), said:
‘‘Our aim is to train
youngsters on events
that need urgent
attention like
conservation of heritage
or climate change. The
organization has
volunteers from various
countries who are all
trying to spread the
message of commitment to
our heritage and
environment.’’
For the 17 international
students, the experience
of being in India for
the month-long project
has been very promising.
Yutaka from Japan said:
‘‘We have been in India
for three weeks already
and are learning a lot.
We are committed towards
heritage preservation
and are all here to make
a contribution.’’
Freelance photographer
Karan Kashyap, another
volunteer, said he said
was helping out with the
documentation part of
the project.
Hundreds of students
from DU were busy
clearing garbage, wiping
the surface facade of
monuments in the Qutub
complex and sweeping the
ground. Komal Jain, a
second year Maths Hons
student from IP College,
said: ‘‘We found all
kind of trash like chips
packets, cigarette stubs
and used plastic bags.
We hope the awareness
drive is effective and
visitors to monuments
stop littering.’’
The volunteers also took
an oath to protect
monuments. ASI Delhi
circle chief K K
Mohammed said: ‘‘We have
been running the
adopt-a-monument scheme
for the past few years
where students take on
the responsibility of
keeping these heritage
buildings clean. On
Saturday, the
cleanliness drive will
move to Red Fort.’’
Volunteers were given a
demonstration of
chemical cleaning of
monuments. The process
of cleaning marble by
using Multani Mitti was
also shown to them.
Students from Shyama
Prasad Mukherji College,
Laxmi Bai College,
Ramjas College, IP
College, Janki Devi
College, DCAC, Ral Anand
College and JMC
participated in the
drive. ‘‘Students and
volunteers told tourists
about the importance of
not defacing
monuments,’’ said
Mohammed.
24 October 2009,
Times of India,
Times City
Good
idea of the week - No
buts in this park
BUTTERFLY PARK Experts,
activists say it is good
for Delhi's ecological
health Of the species
reported in Delhi three
decades ago, many have
vanished.
C . R .
B A B U, CEMDE
Butterflies are the
bio-indicators of
ecological health.
Constantly
denied a secure habitat,
the small winged wonders
were fast vanishing from
the city. The Butterfly
Conservatory at Lodhi
Garden will definitely
give a boost to their
population in the
Capital.
"Spread over three
acres of especially
landscaped area which
has been carved out of
the 90-acre Lodhi
Garden, the conservatory
boasts of more than 35
trees and 48 species of
nectar and larval food
plants for butterflies,"
said K K Singh, deputy
director (Horticulture)
of NDMC.
The conservatory is a
joint effort of the New
Delhi Municipal Council
(NDMC), University of
Delhi's Centre for
Environmental Management
of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE)
and Green Circle, a
group of green
activists.
The inspiration for
the Lodi Garden
conservatory came from
the success of the
Aravali Biodiversity
Park.
CEMDE's C R Babu, who
has been associated with
the Aravali Park and has
worked on this project,
said: "Of the species
reported in Delhi three
decades ago, many have
vanished."
Babu said the Aravali
park experiment was
excellent. "When it
started three years ago,
there were barely 17
species and now we have
as many as 74 species
there," he said.
Lodhi Garden has
everything -- sun,
shade, dampness, air
circulation and
isolation (from public)
-- to encourage
butterfly population.
"It can be a wake up
tool for environment
education," said Suhas
Borker, founder member
of Green Circle. "We go
in for protection of
tigers. But smaller
things like butterflies
are the bio-indicators
of ecological health."
Bikram Grewal, a bird
expert and author of
several books on birds,
said they were an
integral part of a long
food chain.
"Species like
butterflies, bees and
insects are also
important pollinating
agents," he said.
Now, what could be
better news than this
for environmentalists
and nature lovers?
A butterfly park at
Nehru Park in
Chanakyapuri is in the
pipeline.
24 October 2009,
Hindustan Times
Portraying the legacy of
Indian art
Noted
historian films
country’s rare mural
paintings
Noted art
historian Benoy K.
Behl’s film titled
“2,000 Years of
Painting” on the
continuous tradition of
painting in India since
ancient times will be
screened at India
Habitat Centre here this
Sunday.
The film highlights rare
mural paintings that are
the fountainhead of a
deeply connected
tradition of art.
Centuries-old manuscript
paintings and schools of
miniatures from across
the country have been
showcased in the film.
Sharing the glorious
tradition of the art of
painting, Mr. Behl says
the Indian traditional
art has always had a
pre-eminent position.
“Paintings have been
considered to be one of
the greatest treasures
of humankind. We’ve a
living tradition of over
2,000 years of painting
in this land. Indian art
has absorbed fine
influences which have
come from other
cultures. Yet it has
retained a distinct
identity which is deeply
rooted in the eternal
philosophy of India,” he
says
The film takes
viewers on a journey
through the pages of the
history of Indian art --
from the earliest
surviving mural
paintings from the 2nd
Century B.C. on the
walls of the Ajanta
caves to the painted
caves of Pitalkhotra,
Badami and Bagh in
Maharashtra, Karnataka
and Madhya Pradesh. It
traces the development
of the tradition of
Indian miniature
painting from the
celebrated Mughal school
to the lesser known
exquisite Deccani
miniatures.
For this film Mr.
Behl travelled to Tamil
Nadu, where the 7th
Century Shaivite
paintings of the
Kailashnath Temple in
Kanchipuram display the
continuation of the
classic tradition of
Indian art.
24 October
2009,Hindu
Siri Fort to get
green makeover
New Delhi:
Months after the Delhi
Development Authority
((DDA) was hauled up by
the courts for
demolishing the green
cover near Siri Fort
sports complex, the
agency has come up with
a recovery plan. As part
of the landscaping, the
agency is planning to
plant more than 4,000
trees. This is besides
the extensive greening
that will happen along
the Siri Fort wall. The
wooded area will also
have seating
arrangements, food
outlets and garden-beds
dotting the landscape.
A DDA official said,
‘‘the landscaping plan
includes protection of
all existing trees,
besides plantation of
over 4,000 new trees.
More than 700 saplings
have already been bought
by the horticulture
department for the green
nursery we are setting
up at the stadium
site.’’ The trees, which
are expected to be
planted from next month
as the site clears up
partially
post-construction, will
cover the area along the
Siri Fort wall, a
protected heritage site.
At present, only around
200 trees remain from
the earlier green cover.
DDA sources admitted not
many of the fauna could
be saved, with only 200
of the almost 800 plus
trees that were cut
being transplanted
around the stadium
complex.
‘‘The landscaping will
ensure the area is green
again. The complex is
10.91 acres, with the
stadium taking up 26,500
sqm — less than 50% of
total area. The rest is
all going to be
landscaped,’’ said the
official. As part of the
landscaping, DDA’s
horticulture department
plans to plant neem,
pipal, siris, chitvan
and amaltas. ‘‘All
plants have ayurvedic
qualities and are known
to check air
pollution,’’ said the
official. The height of
the new trees being
planted have been kept
at 8 feet so that the
building is camouflaged,
as per directions from
authorities concerned,
said DDA sources. The
agency also plans to
light the wall during
the Games.
Sources claimed the
paved paths within the
wooded area would ensure
walking tracks are
available, specially
since the entry for
spectators to the
stadium would be via the
landscaped part of the
complex. Admitted Neemo
Dhar, DDA spokesperson,
‘‘we are going to do
plantation and the
necessary permissions
have been taken from all
authorities concerned.
The concept and exact
planning is being
done.’’
DDA is also planning to
build a foot-overbridge
along the Siri Fort
road, which will lead to
the stadium complex.
This was done as the ASI
refused to allow a
permanent entry along
the Siri Fort wall,
which is 3m above the
ground, said officials.
The FOB, which will be
retractable, will allow
spectators to park and
ride from Sadiq Nagar,
where a school and a
park will be turned into
a parking spot.
Preparing For The Games
DDA to plant more than
4,000 trees in the new
stadium complex at Siri
Fort sports complex
Landscaping plan also
has seating
arrangements, eateries
and garden-beds
Stadium entry through an
FOB on Siri Fort road,
which will be
retractable. This will
avoid disturbing the
heritage Siri Fort wall.
A dedicated entry for
sportspersons and
officials through the
Siri Fort sports complex
on August Kranti Marg
Stadium’s underground
parking will not be
functional during the
Games due to security
reasons.
25 October 2009,
Times of India,
Times City
Heritage walk at
Charminar
Come Sunday,
enthusiasts can walk
down the pages of
history in the City of
Nizams. Heritage walk,
an initiative of the
state tourism
department, will become
a part of city’s
culture.
Designed to give people
a feel of the Nizam ers,
the heritage walk will
start at Charminar and
go through Laat Bazaar,
Mahbubnagar and
Amir-e-Paigah to
ultimately reach
Chowmahalla Palace. This
90 minute walk will be
held on five days every
months.
“People are often at a
loss when it comes to
knowing their own city.
This walk will educate
people about the rich
culture this city boasts
of, “said Mr Jayesh
Ranhan, the state
secretary of the
tourism, archaeology and
museums.
“We will explain about
all the important lanes
and buildings as we go
along the stretch, “said
Ms Madhu Vottery,
conservation architect
who has worked in
collaboration with the
department to earmark
the lanes.
Heritage Walks are
already an integral part
of historic cities like
Delhi, Lucknow and
others.
25 October 2009,
Deccan Chronicle
ANTIQUE RETURN
LOST
TREASURE Much of India's
heritage is lost to the
country. Now, with an
easing of laws, some of
it can come back
A piece of
sub-continental history
went up for auction at
Bonhams's New Bond
Street salesroom in
Mayfair, London on
October 8 this month -a
19th-century, emerald
and seed pearl necklace
worn by the wife of the
last Sikh ruler, Ranjit
Singh. The highlight of
Bonhams's `Islamic and
Indian Art' sale, the
piece fetched more than
Rs 42 lakh, double its
reserve price of round
Rs 19 lakh.The next
day, at a Christie's
`Works of Art &
Textiles' sale, one of
the highest grossers was
an early 19th century
watercolour of `A Sikh
Battle Scene'. It sold
for nearly Rs 31 lakh --
almost ten times its
estimated price.
Clearly, there is a
huge market for Indian
antiquities. But it's a
market that only exists
abroad, limited to
auctions at Sotheby's,
Christie's, and Bonhams
in London and New York,
and a few galleries such
as Simon Ray and Bernard
Shapero. In India, in
contrast, there's very
little trade in
antiques, mainly because
of the restrictions put
on it by the Antiquities
and Art Treasures Act,
1972.
All that could change
soon. As per a March
2009 commerce ministry
order, you no longer
need an import licence
to bring in antiques
from abroad. You simply
pay 17.5 per cent as
import duty and register
the antique with the
Archaeological Survey of
India, once it is here.
Following on this easing
of regulations, Osian's,
the Mumbai-based art
auction house, will hold
an auction of
antiquities at the Taj
Mahal Hotel in New Delhi
on October 29 -- the
first such auction in a
long time.
The last one,
organised by Bowrings
Fine Art Auctioneers in
2002, was mired in
controversy over
allegations that
Bowrings was selling
antiques without a
licence from the ASI, as
mandated by law.
Earlier, in 1999,
Sotheby's India had
organised a sale in
Delhi where it offered
some really old bronzes,
among miscellaneous late
19th century-early 20th
century European
artifacts. That auction
had a smoother run but
Sotheby's never held
another one in India.
Neville Tuli of
Osian's too had a runin
with the authorities
over an auction he'd put
together in 1999; he was
accused of selling a
200-year-old shahtoosh
shawl without
registering it with the
wildlife authorities.
"No such piece had ever
been registered before
in India. It took eight
years of fighting in
court for the charges to
be dismissed," says
Tuli.
There are no shawls
at the Osian's auction
this time, but some
really old objects on
offer -- a 10th century
Durga from central Java
(Rs 64 lakh-80 lakh), an
11th century Narasimha
Avatar from central
India (Rs 24 lakh-30
lakh), several leaves
from a 16th century
illustrated manuscript
of Firdausi's Shahnama
(Rs 12 lakh-60 lakh),
etc.
All of these have
been sourced from
international collectors
who had, in turn, bought
them from Sotheby's,
Christie's or Bonhams --
so at least their
provenance is
unquestionable.
Antique collectors
are however not
satisfied. "The
Antiquities Act should
be scrapped. The trade
in antiques was only
partially illegal before
1972, after that it
became wholly illegal,"
says Suresh Neotia,
chairman emeritus of
Ambuja Cements who built
a vast collection of
antiques before the law
came into force.
"It has completely
destroyed scholarship,
research and interest in
antiques. Earlier you
had scholars like Anand
Coomaraswamy, B.N.
Goswamy and Rai Krishna
Das, but without
patronage there's no one
left. Does anyone today
even know a Nainsukh (an
18th century Pahari
painter)?" Agrees Nitin
Bhayana, an art
collector. "All the law
has done is drive people
towards contemporary
art, leading to
speculation. Also, the
argument that we need to
preserve our national
heritage does not wash.
What about the National
Museum? How much of its
collection is on show?
Has the collection ever
travelled to Mathura,
Kolkata or elsewhere?
Artifacts of national
importance must not
leave the country. But
not everything old is
valuable. It's time to
get real." This
necklace, "lastly worn
by...The Late Maharanee
Jeddan Kower", wife of
Ranjit Singh, was
auctioned this month at
Bonhams. It was taken
from the Lahore
Treasury, where the
British also found the
Kohinoor and Timur ruby
This 10th century Durga
from Central Java is the
highlight of Osian's
upcoming auction of
antiquities.
Carved in andesite, a
variety of volcanic
rock, the statue has a
reserve price of Rs 64
lakh-80 lakh
25 October 2009,
Hindustan Times
Call
to preserve endangered
languages
NEW DELHI:
The Centre should
consider a scheme for
revitalisation of
endangered and
potentially endangered
languages that did not
feature in the Eighth
Schedule of the Indian
Constitution but were
recorded by the Census
of India as also those
languages that had not
been recorded in any
published document.
This was stated by Udaya
Narayana Singh,
professor at Rabindra
Bhavan Visva-Bharati,
Santiniketan, here over
the weekend while
speaking on the final
day of the two-day
International Seminar on
“Endangered Languages in
India”.
Prof. Singh
recommended the setting
up of an independent
national commission for
languages which could
submit annual reports to
the Central and State
governments about the
status of Indian
languages and also
suggest steps to be
taken for the sustenance
and support of the
languages concerned.
It was also important
to know the role of
languages in education,
knowledge production,
informatics, science,
technology, commerce,
media, literary
production, law and
governance, he added.
Recommending that
data with respect to
smaller language groups
-- for example mother
tongues spoken by less
than 10,000 people --
should be released,
Prof. Singh said
archival detail of these
languages should also be
released. Also, the
scientific community of
linguistics and language
specialists in India
should endeavour to
modify the UNESCO Atlas
of the World’s Languages
in Danger (2009)
database so that a more
correct assessment of
endangered languages
could be had. Efforts
could be made to draw
international expertise
in the process of
revitalisation.
Presentations
concerning endangered
languages were also made
by UNESCO Atlas of the
World’s Languages in
Danger (2009) General
Editor Professor
Christopher Moseley and
Asia Project, India
International Centre,
Chair Dr. Kapila
Vatsyayan.
Prof. Moseley gave a
thorough description of
the making of the UNESCO
Atlas of the World’s
Languages in Danger and
its special features as
well as the methodology.
26 October 2009,
Hindu
2,000
places visited by Bapu
proposed for heritage
status
List
prepared by a group
headed by Gopal Krishna
Gandhi
Shimla: A
sub-group of the Union
Culture Ministry headed
by Mahatma Gandhi’s
grandson Gopal Krishna
Gandhi has submitted a
list of 2,000 sites
across the country,
visited by the Father of
the Nation during the
freedom movement, to the
government for
development as heritage
sites.The list was
submitted to the
Ministry after
collecting details about
the places, Mr. Gandhi,
who is also the Governor
of West Bengal, said
here over the week-end.
Mr. Gandhi was here
for a conference
organised by the Indian
Institute of Advanced
Studies on the occasion
of completion of 50
years of the journal
Seminar.
The list of the sites
has been arranged
alphabetically beginning
with Aat village in
Gujarat which Bapu
visited during the
course of Dandi march
and ending with Zulfipur
in Bihar.
He said Mahatma
Gandhi had visited
Shimla, the summer
Capital of the erstwhile
British Raj 11 times
between 1921 and 1946.
On these visits to
the Queen of the Hills,
Bapu was often
accompanied by Madan
Mohan Malviya and Lala
Lajpat Rai. Some of the
places in Shimla visited
by the Mahatma included
Manorville, residence of
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur in
summer hill locality,
now under the control of
AIIMS, New Delhi.
Mr. Gandhi said the
trial of Gopal Godse in
the assassination case
of his grandfather had
taken place at Peterhoff
which at present is a
luxury hotel under
Himachal Pradesh Tourism
Development Corporation.
-- PTI
26 October 2009,
Hindu
HC
multi-level parking hits
heritage hurdle
NDMC
May Put Brakes On Work
As Notified 16th Century
Tomb Lies At
Construction Site
New Delhi: A
multi-level parking lot
for Delhi High Court
lawyers coming up next
to the National Stadium
has run into trouble
with NDMC’s heritage
wing. The civic agency
says it is likely to
stop the ongoing
construction work as a
heritage structure — a
16th century tomb —
stands right in the
middle of the frenzied
construction activity.
Now that listed NDMC
heritage sites have been
notified, any
development work around
these sites require
approval of the heritage
conservation committee.
Officials said it is the
HC which will need to
get the approval.
The tomb, dating back to
Sher Shah’s period,
stands on a raised
platform at the
construction site where
DMRC is building the
three-storeyed parking
lot under a contract
agreement with Delhi HC.
A senior NDMC official
said: ‘‘The land allotee
— Delhi High Court —
will have to re-apply
for permission to build
the parking lot as under
the recently notified
NDMC heritage list, any
redevelopment plans
around these listed
structures would require
approval from the
conservation committee.”
DMRC officials,
meanwhile, said that the
land was transferred
from LNDO to Delhi High
Court for construction
of a parking lot and
they were merely the
contractors. ‘‘In any
case, the monument does
not fall in the
construction zone,’’
said an official. K C
Mittal, former president
of Delhi High Court Bar
Association under whose
tenure the parking lot
project started, said:
‘‘The monument where the
parking lot is coming up
is unprotected. Both ASI
and the central vista
committee have given
permission for the work
so there is no problem.
The monument is in a
small portion and no one
will touch it. The
surrounding area will
also be beautified. This
parking lot is all
underground and there is
no construction on the
surface level.’’
Conservationists,
however, claimed the
construction of a
three-storeyed
underground parking lot
could damage the
foundation of the
monument.
Sources said the HC was
earlier refused
permission for the
parking lot by the
heritage conservation
committee. It did not
re-apply. ASI has given
an NOC for the project
which falls in the
regulated area for the
Sher Shah Gate. It has
also imposed a condition
that the monument has be
carefully preserved.
‘‘The site is located
within 200m of Purana
Qila, a regulated zone.
We have given permission
but put conditions the
monument at the site
remains undamaged and
the agency constructing
the parking lot conserve
the monument under the
guidance of ASI if
required,” said a senior
ASI official.
Interestingly, the
monument also figures in
the list of monuments to
be notified by Delhi
government’s state
department of
archaeology. ‘‘The
monument is yet to be
notified and is under
process. Notification
should be done in the
next few weeks. When it
was brought to our
knowledge that work is
going near this tomb, we
visited the site to
ensure the portion
around the monument is
kept as it is. A joint
meeting will be held
with ASI and DMRC in
this regard,’’ said a
senior official from the
department. Officials
said they would monitor
the work to ensure
adequate distance is
kept between the
monument and the
construction.
‘‘Otherwise after the
notification, we can
take action under the
Delhi Ancient and
Historical Monuments and
Archaeological Sites and
Remains Act, 2004,’’
said an official.
26 October 2009,
Times of India,
Times City
NDMC
steps in to save
heritage tomb
TIMELY
Asks DMRC to stop work
on underground parking
lot
A day after
HT drew attention to the
threat posed to an
unnamed tomb on Sher
Shah Suri Marg by an
upcoming under ground
parking across Delhi
High Court, the New
Delhi Municipal Council
(NDMC)issuedanurgent
`stop work' notice.
The council's chief
architect has issued a
stop work notice to
Delhi Metro Rail
Corporation (DMRC).
Chennai-based
Consolidated
Construction Consortium
(CCCL) and Samjung Tech
Consortium (design and
build) are carrying out
the construction work
with DMRC being the
consultants for the
six-level underground
parking.
"We issued a stop work
notice to DMRC,"
confirmed NDMC
spokesperson Anand
Tiwari.
The unnamed tomb of the
Sher Shah Suri-era (15th
century) figures in the
list of 141 heritage
structures in NDMC area
notified by Delhi
government.
It means, no alterations
or demolition can be
made to any of the
structures in the list
without referring the
proposal to the Heritage
Conservation Committee
(HCC).
NDMC officials said" "We
will refer the case the
DUAC and the HCC once
the DMRC completes the
documentation."
DMRC spokesperson Anuj
Dayal agreed they had
received the stop work
notice but said only
preparatory work was
being carried out at the
site.
"...full fledged work
will start only when we
have all requisite
permissions."
"As far as the safety of
the monument is
concerned, plans are
afoot to ensure the
monument remains safe.
We will take all
adequate safety measures
for its protection," he
said.
Dayal said they had
written to the
Archaeological Survey of
India but it does not
come in the list of
ASI-protected monuments.
"However, in spite of
that, the DMRC will
ensure full protection
of the monument," Dayal
added.
27 October 2009,
Hindustan Times
Chandni
Chowk redevelopment plan
gets conceptual approval
The
proposal submitted to
the Delhi Urban Arts
Commission also includes
revival of tram service
and restricted vehicular
movement
The
Municipal Corporation of
Delhi’s ambitious plan
for redevelopment of
Chandni Chowk, including
a proposal for revival
of tram service and
restricted vehicular
movement, might soon
become a reality with
the Delhi Urban Arts
Commission granting
preliminary conceptual
approval to it this past
week.
The DUAC has recommended
introduction of
low-floor open tram
transportation system
with controlled movement
and accessibility from
both sides while
suggesting that “the
life and texture of the
old city should be
reflected on the
streets”.
The proposal is part of
the Rs.15 crore
redevelopment plan to
decongest the road from
Red Fort to Fatehpuri
Masjid in Old Delhi and
give it an attractive
look.
According to the plan
submitted by the civic
body, four metre-gauge
trams, each having a
capacity to carry 20
people, will run on the
southern carriageway of
Chandni Chowk from Red
Fort to Fatehpuri
Masjid. There will be
two tracks -- one from
Red Fort to Fatehpuri
Masjid and the other
from Fatehpuri to Red
Fort. Meanwhile, the
northern carriageway of
the Chandni Chowk
stretch will be used for
vehicular traffic from
H. C. Sen Marg or from
the Fatehpuri Masjid
side. Traffic will not
be allowed to enter from
the Red Fort side.
At present, CNG-run
minibuses are plying in
the area after a ban on
cycle-rickshaws by the
Delhi High Court and the
development plan aims to
further de-congest
traffic and revive the
heritage glory of the
old city.
In response to the plan
submitted by the MCD,
the DUAC has suggested
that motorised movement
should be allowed on
access roads only.
According to its
members, this could be
achieved by preventing
vehicular parking in
Chandni Chowk and using
the road provided for
servicing emergency
vehicles or processions.
Though the MCD proposed
a ban on hawking in the
area, the DUAC said that
aspect of hawking could
also be seen in the
context of the National
Hawking Policy
regulations.
According to the
members, the facade of
heritage buildings
should be coordinated
with the treatment of
the floor of the city.
This redevelopment plan
conceptualised by the
civic body almost four
years ago was finally
submitted to the DUAC
for approval in
September this year.
DUAC chairman K. T.
Ravindran said: “We have
given an initial
conceptual clearance to
the tram project as part
of Chandni Chowk
re-development plan. We
found the proposal
submitted by the MCD
acceptable and have made
a few observations. We
expect the MCD to come
back to us after
incorporating our
observations and submit
the detailed plan to the
Commission for the next
stage of consideration.
Our main observation was
that the spirit of
Chandni Chowk should not
be lost under the plan
and it should be
retained,” he added.
Apart from revival of
tram service and
restricted traffic
movement, other
components of the
project include
provisions for modern
street furniture,
street-lighting, modern
sign boards, attractive
elevations, convenient
footpaths, benches and a
common cable system.
Once the plan is
implemented, the stretch
between Red Fort and
Fatehpuri Masjid will
have a 3.5-metre wide
motorway on both sides,
besides an eight to
15-metre-wide pedestrian
footpath. The stretch
will have a
1.2-metre-wide street
furniture strip.
Landscaping will be done
and trees will be grown
in clusters of three all
along the stretch. The
plan also makes way for
micro-tunnelling of
underground ducts for
service cables, hence
clearing all overhanging
wires.
27 October 2009,
Hindu
Tagore’s house to be
renovated
KOLKATA: The
nearly 120-year-old
‘Bichitra Bhavan,’ which
served as the living
quarters of Rabindranath
Tagore in the city and
was pivotal in the life
and works of the Nobel
laureate, is going to be
restored by the Rabindra
Bharati University in
preparation for the
150th birth anniversary
celebrations of the
poet.
The Kolkata Municipal
Corporation (KMC) would
release Rs.17 lakh to
carry out the
restoration of the
building, said Anindya
Karforma,
director-general of the
KMC’s project management
unit.
The project might
commence soon and be
completed before 2011,
the 150th birth
anniversary year of
Rabindranath Tagore,
said Arunendu Banerjee,
consultant to the
university’s Jorasanko
Thakurbari Heritage
Conservation Committee.
“The building requires
urgent repairs. Once the
structural restoration
is done the museum
inside the building’s
premises will be
upgraded to a
state-of-the-art
facility,” he added.
Elaborating on the
significance of the
building in the nation’s
cultural landscape, Mr.
Banerjee said that not
only was it the site
where several of
Tagore’s works were
written, it also served
as the platform for the
launch of the first Art
movement in Bengal.
It also served as the
site where the political
movement to oppose the
1905 partition of Bengal
was planned.
The 10 rooms of the
two-storey house have
hosted several
luminaries, including
Mahatma Gandhi, Annie
Besant, Chittaranjan
Das, C. F. Andrews, and
Patrick Geddes.
The project is part of a
larger initiative to
restore Jorasanko, the
ancestral home of the
Tagore family.
28 October 2009,
Hindu
Court declares ASI panel
illegal
IN
TROUBLE Permissions
granted to be reviewed
Criticizing
the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI),
the Delhi High Court on
Friday declared
"illegal" an experts
committee formed to
allow constructions
within the prohibited
limits of protected
monuments across the
country.
The ASI has been
restrained from giving
any further permission
for construction or
renovation within 100
metres of any monument.
It has also been asked
to take steps within a
month to reconsider all
permissions granted by
the committee since its
formation in July 2006
and take steps after
giving the parties a
hearing.
The six-member panel,
headed by the ASI
director general and
comprising eminent
historians and town
planners, had over 400
applications from across
the country.
Out of the 150 requests
from Delhi, sanction has
been given in 116 cases.
"The committee has been
set up without any legal
basis...entire exercise
being undertaken by them
is without authority of
law. The ASI, entrusted
with the statutory
responsibility of
ensuring preservation of
monuments, is, in fact,
facilitating violation
of the 1992 notification
which prohibits
construction within 100
metres," said Chief
Justice A.P. Shah and
Justice S Muralidhar.
Construction by a
private builder within
88 metres of the
Humayun's Tomb in
Nizamuddin has been
stayed.
The court upheld
contention of Supreme
Court lawyer Gaurang
Kanth, who brought the
illegality to attention
of the court, that the
ASI had no right to form
the committee when they
had challenged in the
Supreme Court a
direction by the Delhi
High Court in 2004 to
the Centre to reconsider
limits around monuments
and obtained an interim
stay.
"The least ASI should
have done is to await
the outcome of their
appeal," said the Bench.
Interestingly, the court
asked the Centre to
issue show cause notice
to Kanth also as to why
action cannot be taken
against his property
situated adjacent to the
disputed property near
Humayun's Tomb and was
within the prohibited
limits.
Kanth has already filed
an affidavit in the
court saying that if his
property was illegal,
the ASI could demolish
it.
31 October 2009,
Hindustan Times
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