These nocturnal creatures are much needed not only to sustain our ecosystem but also to ensure that pollination takes place.

This is the International Year of the Bat, and it is appropriate to get to know these nocturnal creatures. Did you know that without bats you would have less food on your plate? This is because, bats spread seeds far and wide, resulting in more food and shade. Bats also eat harmful insects and rats thereby reducing vectors that spread these diseases. The only mammals that can fly, they come from both tropical and temperate regions. Mostly black or brown, they can also be bright orange, yellow, silver, white, grey and some also have spots and stripes on their body and wings. A bat's home is called a roost. They do not make nests like a bird or burrow like a snake.

There are two kinds of bats — fruit bats and insect bats. The insectivorous bat family is called Michroc hiroptera. Micro means small and they eat insects, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish and even other smaller bats. They echolate (the use of echoes to detect objects and other creatures) to navigate and hence have modified ears. Fruit bats' family is called Megachiroptera meaning large. There are 14 kinds of fruit bats in South Asia alone. Fruit bats are also called flying foxes. They usually feed on fruits and smaller insects.

What you can do

• Save forests
• Do not disturb trees, caves, buildings that have bats
• Do not cut trees that have roosts
• Identify bat colonies in your school and observe without disturbing them.
• Observe bats in temples and other sacred places and talk to your friends and relatives appreciating their usefulness.
• Start bat clubs in your school
• Avoid using chemicals in your gardens. Some insecticides may harm bats that naturally get rid of pests, insects that trouble us.

Itty bitty batty bits

• The largest bat is the Giant Flying Fox, which has a wingspan of six feet and weighs about one kg.
• Bats live in colonies called roosts. A mother bat produces one pup a year.
• Bats have muscles and circulatory systems that are well adapted to make their upside-down life easy.
• Insectivorous bats use a range of ultrasonic sound to detect food and obstacles.
• All bats are not blind. Fruit bats have good vision.
• Bats do not attack humans. People feel uneasy when they swoop down to catch insects.
• Like cats, bats are clean animals. They groom themselves several times a day.
• Bats are not pests. In fact they help us by controlling a lot of insect pests.
• Bats are not a bad omen. In some parts of Asia and Europe they are considered lucky.
• Bats are important to the forests as they pollinate and disperse seeds.
• Vampire bats are not found in South Asia. They are only found in Latin America.
• In total darkness, bats can detect everything by echolocation- even objects as thin as human hair.
• Like cats, male bats also mark their territories and themselves with strong smelling urine.
• Bats live in narrow crevices and bamboo and have flat skulls.

Did You Know?

• Bats belong to the order “Chiroptera which means, “hand wing” in Greek.
• Bats are the only mammals that can fly. Other flying mammals only glide.
• Bats have been in this world for over 50 million years.
• Bats are found throughout the world except in the Artic, Antarctica and some isolated islands.
• Some bats are known to live up to 30 years.
• Among the nearly 1001 species of bats in the world 123 species are found in South Asia.
• Of the 450 mammal species in South Asia 123 (20 per cent) are bats.
• The smallest bat in the world is the bumble bee bat that can fit into a match box.

To know more:
Contact: zooreach@vsnl.com, www.zooreach.org

www.chesterzoo.org.uk: Keeps one of the best bat exhibits in its artificially created caves and trees.

www.batcon.org: Bat Conservation International (BCI) is an organisation in the U.S. which devotes itself to saving bats around the world. The Chinese revere bats as symbols of good luck and happiness.

Walk at dusk
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai recently organised a bat walk. Wildlife enthusiasts also got to see other reptiles, trees and birds in a 30-minute walk to a village that hosts a banyan tree housing a colony of bats. The walk, undertaken at dusk enabled one to see bats as they were setting out for their hunt.

A few years ago there were hundreds and one could hardly see the gaps between the branches. But with each passing day their numbers are decreasing. Today, there are just over a hundred bats.

The people of the village have taken to keeping bat boxes. They have also stopped allowing hunting and killing of bats and make sure they keep noise to a minimum. They do not allow bursting crackers and intrusion. Bat guano or bat dropping is good fertilizer and the villagers have realised the benefits of having bat colonies closer to where they live. Bat droppings have another use besides spreading seeds — it piles up and makes a home for many small animals. The many animals and bat droppings that grow in bat droppings are an ecosystem by itself. Substances from bat droppings are used to make laundry soap and other products.

Is literature a valid discourse of knowledge? Does it enlarge the understanding of the world we inhabit? Should literary discourse be considered alongside other discourses of knowledge, say, scientific, philosophical or historical? These are questions that have intrigued critics and philosophers alike since the time of Plato.

Colonialism, Modernity and Literature makes a case for literature as knowledge in the face of skepticism fostered by post-structuralism. While insisting on “reading literature… as continuous with social, moral and epistemological theory,” it also stresses cross-cultural comparison.

Satya Mohanty, editor of this book of critical essays, calls the method “critical comparatism.” This approach, he argues, enables us to talk about “world literature” which stresses cross-national compact even as it resists the flattening of national/regional content. At the same time, it helps us develop an inclusive notion of Indian literature, neither as a singular and homogenous conception nor as an aggregate of parallel chronologies, but as a dynamic interacting model of multiple regional/vernacular literary traditions. Furthermore, it could help bring into sharp focus shared themes of identity and issues of social justice, which otherwise remain marginalised.

COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE
This comparative perspective is tried out in the book, in part, on a major 19th century Oriya novel Six Acres and a Third by Fakir Mohan Senapati, by juxtaposing it with a range of texts, both from India and abroad. Such a perspective allows us a grasp of “the tangled relationship between colonialism and socio-cultural modernity in the colonised world” and the nature of subaltern agency. In the process, it advances the agenda of the book, which is to contest the notion of a singular European modernity by “revealing the alternative and non-dominant layers of modernity” present in the non-western societies.

Pointing to the strategic political value of comparison in literary study and its broader implications, Mohanty suggests that it leads to “both greater specification as well as more expansive understanding of the contexts” of literary works. Many of the essays use this approach to look at the forms in which social critique is articulated in literature.

While showing how a subaltern perspective is represented in Senapati's novel by employing indigenous narrative forms, they advance the thesis that social critique and narrative forms through which it is constituted are inextricably interwoven; the narrative forms shape the nature and content of this critique.

For instance, Paul Sawyer and Himansu Mohapatra, who compare Senapati with Geroge Eliot and Premchand respectively, argue that Eliot and Premchand, despite their genuine sympathy for the underclass, do not adequately represent their lives primarily because of the narrative conventions they use. On the other hand, Senapati succeeds in this endeavour by drawing on traditions and conventions of indigenous folk culture, especially in modelling his ironic and unreliable narrator after them.

Similarly, Jennifer Harford Vargas, in comparing Senapati's novel with Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, shows how “the forms of narrative realism and socio-political critique complexly overlap and even interact in novels from the global South.” Tilottama Misra and Velcheru Narayana Rao read Senapati in the Indian context, and compare his novel with two 19th century texts — an Assamese satirical prose sketch, Fair Without and Foul Within by Hemchandra Barua and a Telugu play Kanyasulkam by Gurajada Apparao respectively. They argue that indigenous forms of modernity prevalent in pre-colonial India, especially the ones preserved in popular oral traditions, inform the writings of Senapati, Barua and Apparao, thus enabling them to offer a critique of colonial structures of power, on the one hand, and orthodox society, on the other.

Ulka Anjaria and Claire Horan look at Senapati's narrative forms from a feminist perspective. Comparing Senapati's novel with Premchand's Nirmala and Monica Ali's Brick Lane, Anjaria explores the narrative politics of silence, showing how it can be used to “represent injustice as a social and textual problem.” Horan shows how Senapati “presents vivid, complex and non-sexist portraits of rural women.”

SOCIO-HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The last two essays place Senapati's novel in a socio-historical context. Gagendra Nath Dash reads in it a “critique of the land-tenure system introduced by the colonial government” which led to a cruelly exploitative regime in terms of the emergence of a new money-lending-cum-zamindar class. Debendra Dash and Dipti R. Pattanaik argue that Senapati, who is opposed to the hegemonic dimension of colonial modernity and to a homogenised fictional past — and not to modernity or to tradition as such — visualises the possibility of a genuine synthesis of the two in the vibrant vernacular tradition.

Breaking new ground by its advocacy of a de-canonised reading, the book goes to the margins of both culture and society, to the folk, oral cultural traditions and vernacular literary traditions and then seeks to mine them for modern ideas and values through a cross-cultural analysis.

Critical comparatism is especially valuable in our Indian context where an exclusive focus on one literary tradition often contributes to ignorance of texts in other traditions, leading to myopia and chauvinism. This book suggests a way out.
 

It's no secret that Mahatma Gandhi had a terrible handwriting. Reading his notes means puzzling over 'Ts' and 'Ls', 'Bs' and 'Ns' in every line. "I was ashamed of myself and repented of my neglect. I saw that bad handwriting should be regarded as a sign of an imperfect education. I tried later to improve mine, but it was too late," he writes in his autobiography. So, it's surprising to learn that the Father of The Nation could actually trace straight lines and smooth circles at 73.

National Archives of India on Janpath has a calendar for the year 1942 that uses the Mahatma's geometrical drawings as artwork. Apparently, he had sketched these to teach geometry to the other inmates of Pune's Yerawada Jail where he was housed that year. The calendar is just one among the 40,000 items and 400 microfilm rolls compiled as part of 'The Bapu Collection' - a resource centre to help researchers studying the Mahatma's life.

The collection includes some of the most valuable documents recording different phases of Bapu's life. His correspondence with his friend Hermann Kallenbach that author Joseph Lelyveld used for his controversial biography, Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India is also available here as part of 'Gandhiji Kallenbach Correspondence', covering the period 1909-1946. The letters provide a vivid description of Bapu's life at the Phoenix settlement and Tolstoy Farm in South Africa, where he first experimented with creating selfsufficient communities.

The collection's 'Gandhiji Polak Correspondence' covers the period 1902-1956 and has the Mahatma's letters to Henry Polak, his clerk who later became a partner in his legal practice. Subjects covered in this correspondence include civil rights issues, Satyagraha in South Africa, some important press clippings and rare photographs. For instance, there's one of a young Indira Nehru sitting with Mahatma Gandhi during his fast.

Equally interesting are the Gandhi murder trial papers (68 volumes); Gandhi's correspondence with a Danish woman, Esther; documents related to his student days, including his terminal and annual exam results, and personal letters to Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant.

As the world's fascination with Gandhi continues to increase with the passing years, the NAI staff hopes that the centre will become a facilitator. "We don't just deal with dusty documents in dark rooms but with fascinating human beings. The collection related to Mahatma Gandhi is very rich and very few people have ever consulted some of these documents, especially the extensive papers on his South Africa days and the Kallenbach and Polak correspondence," says eminent historian and Director General of NAI, Mushirul Hasan, who is also working on a book on Gandhi.

"Many authors access this collection. Joseph Lelyveld had also accessed it but quite some time back. We at NAI are trying to take a far more liberal approach and make much more information accessible to the public," says assistant director, Rajesh Verma.

The institution seems to be undergoing a major change in its relationship with the public and opening up to more researchers. It is enlarging its microfilm repository for very old and brittle documents. More than five lakh images have been converted to microfilm so far. Hasan also plans to open a Nehruvian collection in November and a collection on 'Ghalib's Delhi to Lutyen's Delhi' later.

"The collection on Delhi is very close to my heart. We have started research on it to showcase different dimensions of Delhi. It will be displayed in the main building," Hasan said.
 

Even before work started on phase III of the Delhi Metro, the project could be heading for delay. The controversial heritage corridor, which will go from Janpath to Mandi House, ITO, Delhi Gate, Jama Masjid, Red Fort and on to Kashmere Gate, looks set to miss its 2016 deadline as it awaits the green signal from the heritage body, National Monuments Authority.

Now, sources in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) say that if the nod doesn't come in by the end of the year, the 2016 deadline for the corridor may not be a possibility. Said a senior DMRC official, "The approval has been given by the competent authority for the Delhi heritage circle, but a final approval is still awaited from NMA. If it doesn't come in by the end of the year, it would have an adverse effect on the timeline of the project, and may overshoot its 2016 completion."

Interestingly, the Delhi Metro has already started work on the corridor. It claims the preliminary groundwork like floating of tenders for the construction and design of the tunnel as well as the construction of the stations at ITO and Jama Masjid have already been taken out earlier last month. Added the official, "The pre-bid meeting for the tender took place earlier in October...we are finalizing the tender so that work can take off immediately once the approval comes in."

According to Delhi Metro officials, in the normal sequence of events, the time between finalizing the tender and mobilizing the contractor is between one-and-half to two months. With tender finalization scheduled for November, DMRC sources said that civil work was expected to start from early 2012 on the corridor as per the existing timeline.

With the JICA (Japan International Co-operation Agency) already visiting the site earlier on September 20, the corridor is one of the important lines in phase III.

The line will not only convert Mandi House into an interchange station, thereby taking some of the load from Rajiv Chowk, but also link several heritage monuments to the metro system.

The proximity of the alignment to heritage structures like Delhi Gate and Sunehri Bagh had raised red flags amongst conservationists. DMRC officials however, say that the alignment was changed to accommodate the heritage body's concerns.

A Delhi Metro official said that with the line being underground, almost 18m, the alignment was not expected to impact the neighboring monuments.

It will however, mean the cutting down of over 203 trees along the corridor, near Chelmsford club, Janpath and Mandi House. DMRC says it has already paid Rs 28,000 per tree to the department of environment of the government of Delhi for compensatory afforestation.
 

Expressing concern over encroachment and rampant construction on the Yamuna river bed, the Works Committee of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday urged the Delhi Government to direct its departments to stop illegal constructions there with immediate effect. While providing pictorial evidences, MCD Works Committee chairman Jagdish Mamgain said it was a matter of concern that illegal encroachment and constructions are going on the Yamuna river bed and the Government does not seem bothered.

Alleging that it shows the insensitivity towards protection of natural resources, which may cause environmental hazard, Mamgain said, “Starting from Noida to Delhi and onwards along the bed, a large number of buildings, including pucca buildings, are raised and all these structures are going to be completed soon. I am surprised how builders managed to build without attracting anyone’s attention,” he said.

Urging Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to direct the city Government’s agencies to stop illegal activities on the Yamuna River bed immediately, he said failure to do so would endanger the life of Delhiites in future. “As all these structures are being created on the river bed, these buildings will not be safe. Foundation of these edifices will remain weak and endangering the life of people,” he said. Mamgain further said flood department should conduct a survey about the status of river Yamuna and its bed. “No ongoing construction should be allowed at least up to danger area. The DND road may be taken on priority as maximum illegal activities are undergoing on it,” he said.

“Whenever any incident happens due to illegal construction, the CM and their colleagues tries to pass buck on MCD. Preventive measures and strong action against the law violators is better than trading changes later,” he also added.
 

More than 200 trees lining the Janpath-Mandi House area in central Delhi could be chopped to make way for Delhi Metro. These trees, many of which are rich in medicinal properties, are nearly a century old and date back to the time the new Capital was founded.

Yet, within a few days, many such trees will face the axe. Taking their place will be Metro tracks and a Metro station.

Meanwhile, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has already brought down 36 trees. DMRC officials said that they have obtained permission from the Forest Department to chop as many as 203 trees at various places, including Chelmsford Club, Janpath and Mandi House.

Anuj Dayal, DMRC spokesperson said: "We have compensated the Forest Department for this. We have paid Rs 28,000 for cutting each tree. Now, it's the Forest department's responsibility to carry out afforestation."

As per the norm, the Forest Department plants 10 trees in lieu of each tree that is cut, Dayal said. The Forest Department, however, failed to complete afforestation for thousands of trees that DMRC had chopped during the past decade for construction under phase 1 and 2, reportedly due to shortage of land and staff.

DMRC has already paid Rs 15.34 crore to the department during the last 10 years, officials said. "In such cases, we carry out afforestation on forest land. But now, we have severe shortage of land where afforestation can take place," said Rajgopal Prashant, Deputy Conservator of Forests (South). "Afforestation will not benefit us at least for three to four decades," said Ajay Mahajan, a member of Kalpbriksh, an NGO working on environment issues. He said DMRC was environment-sensitive during phase 1.

"But from phase 2, their sensitivity has reduced. Choosing alignment through green belts shows that saving trees is no longer their priority. The Central Secretariat-Badarpur corridor and the Gurgaon line pass through a rich green belt," he added.

Dayal, however, said DMRC would also carry out a plantation and greening drive around the station premises after completion of the Metro construction under phase 3 - scheduled to be over by 2016.
 

Durga Puja has long presented business opportunities in West Bengal, with many community pujas corporatised in recent years. Of late, even the remnants of pujas have been presenting such opportunities — besides highlighting the fact that these are works of art that need to be preserved. Some art collectors have offered a price for such artifacts while and others have been assured these free.

Artist Gregor Schneider, who helped recreate a German road inside Kolkata’s Ekdalia Puja pandal, will take a portion home to Germany. The puja’s chief organiser, Public Health Engineering Minister Subrata Mukherjee, is delighted at the promise of preservation and will not charge Schneider for something he helped design.

On North Kolkata’s Nalin Sarkar Street, Sanatana Dinda designed an image in fibre glass and did not have the heart to allow immersion of his work of 45 days. He says the State Hermitage Museum, Germany, and Tate Museum wanted to buy it but he prefers to have it preserved, as those in the West would.
Commerce and Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee was reportedly offered over Rs 1 crore for the 1,500-kg, brass-and-mahogany idol at his community puja at South Kolkata’s Naktala Udayan Sangha. He says he would rather preserve than sell but will consult the Chief Minister first.

And at Trinamool Congress MLA Arup Biswas’s Suruchi Sangha in Kolkata’s New Alipore, the pandal was modelled on the theme of climate change in Kashmir. He is in the process of auctioning the artifacts, which took Rs 20 lakh to create, but stresses that he will ensure the buyer is someone who can preserve them.

Schneider will keep his portions in a museum. “I will take a portion of the pandal and of the idol after immersion and preserve these in a museum in Germany,” Schneider says. And Subrata Mukherjee says, “It was a collaborative effort with Max Mueller Bhavan. If the artist wants to take a portion, we will not charge anything. The fact that a piece of a Kolkata pandal will be admired in some part of Germany is in itself a priceless achievement.”

“In the West there is a culture of preservation. We too should imbibe that culture with the art around the pujas here,” says artist Dinda, who estimates his idol’s worth at over Rs 50 lakh but who would rather not see it leave Kolkata. “If some years from now, if I can have my own museum, I can preserve my work,” he says.

One means of preservation has been suggested by organiser Bappaditya Sengupta of a community puja in Akipore, South Kolkata. The goddess carries weapons in her hands; why not preserve them at the Kolkata Police Museum, he says.

Partha Chatterjee says Mamata Bannerjee will take the final call on how best to preserve his puja’s idol, designed by Bhabatosh Sutar. He prefers putting it in a museum but says if it is sold, the money will go to into the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

The remnants of some big-budget pujas will be preserved but in a number of others, items such as masks, panels and decorations are going up on sale.
 

Environmentalists in general and bird lovers in particular were overjoyed when on Tuesday, water from the Chambal river began flowing into the Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur, the winter abode of migratory birds from across the country and the globe.

Owing to an acute shortage of water, several winged visitors had left the park soon after they reached there in September. In normal situations, they would have stayed put till February-March. By December, the park would have received about 300 million cubic feet (MCF) of water from the Chambal, against its total requirement of about 650 MCF.

According to District Forest Officer Anup KR, the Chambal water would help in tackling the grim situation of the water shortfall. He hoped that by December the much-delayed Goverdhan Drain Project, meant to bring the Yamuna water to the park would also become operational. UNESCO had recently warned the State Government that the world heritage site would come under the endangered category if the perennial water crisis was not resolved soon.

A civil society organisation, the Keoladeo (Ghana) Bachao Sanyukt Samiti had recently held dharnas and demonstrations to build pressure on the Government to release Chambal water to save the park. “We are happy that the Government has listened to our demand,” Rakesh Faujdar, secretary of the body, said.

Under the Chambal-Dhaulpur-Bharatpur drinking water project, about 400 MCF of water was to be diverted from Chambal to solve the drinking water problem in Bharatpur and Dhaulpur. “Though the pipeline part of the project was completed on time, the water storage tanks would be ready only by December. So, till then the Chambal water would be diverted to the park to solve the park’s immediate problem,” a senior State Government official said.

Last year, about 450 MCF water was released from Anjana dam to the park, and the quota lasted till the monsoons. This time around, though the dam received less water, only 50 MCF water was released to the park.
 

Arow of steadily rising greenery enfolds you as you walk towards the central circular structure. The atmosphere is quiet and strangely still, lending the setting an air of tranquility. As you circumambulate the building - first going up, then coming down - a screen on the roof casts changing shadows around. On this same screen you spot names of martyrs like Delhi Police officer Mohan Chand Sharma, who died in the Batla House encounter three years ago... This is the winning design for the new National Police Memorial that will be constructed at the head of the Shantipath Vista.

Two Delhi-based architects - team leader Sidhartha Talwar and landscape architect Nikhil Dhar - have won the contract to design the new memorial. Siddhartha, with 15 years of experience in architecture, has won numerous awards. Nikhil, who did his master's fromMassachusetts University has 20 years of experience in landscape architecture and is a visiting faculty at School of Planning and Architecture here.

The memorial's design is supposed to honour the various arms of the police force, from the local police to the central paramilitary forces. It will not only perpetuate the memory of police martyrs but also inspire and encourage serving staff. At the same time, the design will allow for regular additions, making it a "dynamic" memorial.

The memorial will be set at the head of the Shantipath Vista - the second such planned axis in New Delhi, the first being Rajpath. This vista is unique as it is 125 metres wide and 1.75 km long, and looks straight into the site designated for the memorial.

The prize-winning design seeks to exploit this contextual asset of the site. The axis between Shantipath and Rashtrapati Bhavan has been taken through the memorial. It is also conceptualized as a place of ceremony where several functions, including foundation days of different police forces, will take place. Trees standing like sentinels of different police forces will form a protective ring around the central structure. The entry to the memorial space slices through this berm and emphasizes the feeling of entering a hallowed space. The memorial space itself is a 25-metre diameter circular jaali, about nine metres high, focusing towards a large sandstone lion of the national emblem. The internal surface of the earth berm is a retaining wall faced with stacked marble down which water trickles. The form of the wall resolves itself into two four-metre-wide ramps, starting from the top of the plinth. The 24 spokes of the Ashok Chakra in the memorial floor and the concentric tree circles are symbolic of rings of protection formed by the various police organizations. As you move up either of the framing ramps, the view of the memorial space through the jaali changes until you are at the highest 'bridge' point (about seven metres high ) of the structure. At this point, the entire green and grey Shantipath Vista becomes visible, and the axis changes from a "notional" entity to a "tangible" one. From this point, the surrounding area of the memorial - the seemingly abstract patterns on the grass slopes - falls into abstract patterns of lotus petals. Underneath the memorial, in the basement, is the museum. The museum will display uniforms, medals and arms of the various Indian police agencies. It will also serve as a display space for a looped audio-visual on martyred police personnel. A sombre voiceover will give a brief description of their life and sacrifices. This will serve as a poignant reminder that the numbers and names engraved in the memorial were real people whose memories live on after them. Government of India, through the Home ministry, had held the design competition for the memorial and declared the winners on Thursday evening. The Board of assessors for the competition included architects Jasbir Sawhney, Romi Khosla and a chief architect of the Central Public Works Department, Ravi Kakkar. NS Kalsi, an IAS officer and Safi Rizvi, a senior police officer were the other members. The Board of Assessors was assisted by a professional advisor, eminent architect Sudhir Vohra.

The second prize was awarded to Saket Jain, Sachin Jain and Ritu Jain while the third prize was given to Anita Tikoo Matange, Vijay Matange and Sroboshi Das, all of them Delhi-based.

The new design was created after the old, Rs 130-million steel structure consisting of columns and a globe was dismantled by NDMC on the high court's direction.

The court had been approached by architects and other citizens who termed the 150-foot high structure a 'monstrosity ' as it obstructed the view of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
 

India should bring out a law to protect its wildlife from the ill-effects of electromagnetic-field radiation from mobile phone towers, which may be endangering birds, bees and disturbing wildlife across the country, a government panel has recommended.

A 10-member expert panel of the Ministry of Environment and Forests formed earlier this year under bird expert Asad Rahmani, director of NGO Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), studied the phenomenon worldwide and recommended that India should regulate the installation of mobile phone towers recognising electromagnetic field— or EMF— as a serious pollutant hurting wildlife.

“We want some independent regulator which decides what kind of towers should be installed, where and in what density. Such strict regulation exists in Russia, New Zealand and a host of other countries. As a precaution, India could borrow from them because signs of such damage have been apparent for long,” Rahmani told The Indian Express.

Electromagnetic field radiation does not figure in India’s notified list of pollutants for want of incriminating, India-specific data.

After reviewing 919 international studies on this matter, the group found 593 studies that said EMF bore a significant ill-effect on behaviour and mating habits of birds like urban sparrows and in bee colonies.

In countries like Russia, China and New Zealand, regulation includes the amount of radiation a tower is permitted in certain areas and also prohibiting the installation in “sensitive” areas.

“Strictly control installation of mobile towers near wildlife protected areas, important bird areas, turtle breeding areas, bee colonies, zoos, etc up to a certain distance that should be studied before deciding and should also be practical,” said the report submitted to the ministry on Wednesday.

The committee will take up the matter at a joint meeting with the telecom ministry in December so that environmental concerns can factor in the process of installing of mobile phone towers.

Electromagnetic radiation from the towers disturb birds, bees and certain wildlife population in a way that they tend shying away from mating. Sparrows, for instance, sense the radiation as an irritant and globally evidence has been found that it destroys their eggs before hatching, the study said.
 

Heritage has its own charm. And seems the masses at large have realised that. The group of heritage walkers in the capital is mushrooming by the day. Besides the government organisation like the Shahjenabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) that conducts walks at regular intervals at the heritage sites and some organised firms like the India Habitat Centre and INTACH Delhi Chapter, there are initiatives for heritage walks at individual levels too.

Knowing Loving Delhi Better, which started around a decade and a half ago, is one such group started at individual level by three friends over a cup of coffee. Ayushman, one of the group members, says that it was started at the spur of the moment. “Nothing was planned. As Delhiites, we were discussing how we don’t know many things about the heritage and culture of Delhi and the idea of visiting and discovering the stories of different places came up. It was followed by a few phone calls to friends who could have been interested and we were ready for a walk with a group of 30 people. It was in 1997 and since then we have conducted walks regularly,” says Ayushman. The group members read about the place they are going to visit beforehand and on the course of walking discuss and share whatever they know about it. They have no website or Facebook page, just a Google account and word of mouth publicity helps them.

Delhi Heritage Walks is another group formed by a bunch of youngsters, but with sound knowledge of history. It was formed two years ago with few consistent members who are either interested or studying history or culture. Kanika Singh, one of the members, a student of history, says, “We formed this group because the number of people interested were increasing by the day. Now, we have different members taking care of different requirements. There’s someone well clued into archaeology, some in history, some in culture and so on,” says Kanika and adds that inputs from many people give them an upper hand. A majority of their members are young professionals in 20s and 30s.

Art curator Himanshu Verma, who has been conducting walks for a long time now under his group Red Earth, says there’s a sudden inrease in curiosity among people about the city and its history. “Delhiites, as well as tourists, want to know and discover all about the city. Besides many join such walks for the thrill that walking early morning among the ruins brings along,” says Himanshu.

However, Dr Navina Jafa, a cultural activist, academician, performing artist, cultural historian and cultural entrepreneur, who works with the SRDC alongside handling her own research organisation, says that heritage walks are meant to be a tool for development and a method to spread awareness about the heritage of a particular place. “The rise of so many clubs, however, is making it a business, more than a cultural activity,” she says.
 

It was August 14, 1947 — just 24 hours away from the day when the British would transfer power to the Constituent Assembly under the Indian Independence Act, which it had passed in July 1947. As the countdown to Independence Day began, the Capital wore a festive look: roads had been cleaned and festooned with tri-colours, and arches erected over many of them. In the Walled City, loudspeakers were fixed on to electricity poles and the balconies of homes and offices. By afternoon, festivities in the city were in full swing. Media from all over the world had arrived to cover the birth of a sovereign nation. All roads leading to the Constituent Assembly were crammed with people eagerly waiting for Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech at midnight. “Outside the Assembly building… it was Times Square on New Year’s eve,” is how Philips Talbot, then South Asia correspondent for Chicago Daily, described the scene in a letter to a friend in New York .

In the evening, a special ceremony was organised at Dr Rajendra Prasad’s house from where Nehru and other leaders were to head for the Assembly to attend its midnight session. Priests from Tanjore sprinkled holy water on leaders, and women marked their foreheads with tilak (holy vermillion) as they proceeded to the Constituent Assembly.

By 10pm, the crowd gathered outside the Assembly building had grown larger despite a strong spell of monsoon showers. As the leaders arrived at the Constituent Assembly, they were greeted with loud cheers. Inside the Assembly, the guest galleries overflowed with members’ families, diplomats, officials and media persons.

Dr Rajendra Prasad chaired the midnight session of the Constituent Assembly. The session began at 11pm with the singing of Vande Mataram by Sucheta Kripalani. Shortly before midnight, Nehru stood up to make his famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech, which evocatively captured the feelings and sentiments of millions of Indians. His speech ‘Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny… At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom’, moved millions across the country, who listened to it on the All India Radio and BBC, which broadcast it live.

The thousands who had gathered outside the Assembly building cheered and wept in joy. Nehru’s speech, a highly inspired performance, had achieved what writers and historians described as an incredible fusion of ‘man, mood and moment’.

In the morning, at 8.30 am, the swearing-in of the new Cabinet took place at the Durbar Hall in the Viceroy’s House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan). First, new Chief Justice HJ Kania sworn-in Lord Mountbatten as the first governor-general of India. Mountbatten then sworn-in the members of the new Cabinet one by one, beginning with Pandit Nehru. After the ceremony, the gates of the Viceroy’s house were thrown open for the thousands who had gathered outside.

At around 10am, Lord Mountbatten and Indian leaders proceeded for a flag hoisting ceremony at the Assembly building. Half an hour later, Mountbatten signalled for the tri-colour to be flown over the dome of the building amid a salvo of 31-minute gun salute. Lord Mountbatten looked up, cheerfully waved to Nehru and saluted the flag.

The highlight of the day was a flag salutation parade organised in the evening at the Prince’s Park. Around half a million people — who came on foot, bicycles and cars — had gathered to witness the event. All roads leading to Prince’s Park were packed with people. As Talbot wrote, “From the time we left Old Delhi, seven miles away, we passed people trooping to the display in overcrowded buses, trucks, horse tongas or on foot. The four-lane road was choked several blocks before Kingsway, and as we walked closer to the flagstand, the streets were blotted out by humans.”

As Mountbatten left the Viceroy’s House at 6pm in a state carriage, he was cheered by people shouting ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Pandit Mountbatten ki jai’. Ultimately, however, the scheduled parade post flag salutation had to be cancelled because of the surging crowds.

“The programme had been arranged weeks beforehand; grandstands had been built…but no one anticipated the enthusiasm of the crowds…. The grandstands were buried under a sea of people… There was no room to put a foot down… In fact it was raining babies! Lots of women had brought their babies with them and they were being crushed, so they threw them up in the air in despair and you just sort of caught a baby as it came down. And some people had come with bicycles. There was no question of putting the bicycles down: they were being passed round and round overhead…,” wrote Pamela Mountbatten, Lord Mountbatten’s daughter, in the book India Remembered, a personal account of the Mountbattens during the transfer of power, published in 2007. She was 17 then, and accompanied her parents to most of the ceremonies.

The police tried in vain to control the surging crowds, but soon decided to let people have their way. Many guests, including ministers and diplomats had to return after trying to reach the flagpole. When the national flag was hoisted in Prince’s Park amid all this chaos, it started drizzling and a rainbow flashed across the sky, which was seen as an auspicious omen.

As darkness descended on the King’s Way (now Rajpath), all prominent buildings at Raisina, including the Memorial Arch I India Gate, were illuminated, and there was a fireworks display near the Secretariat buildings. Later that evening the viceroy organised a dinner party and reception at the Mughal Gardens. Across the city, people lit up their homes, offices, markets and shops, making August 15 a truly unforgettable day in the history of the city.
 

In the mid-40s, Delhi was divided into three silos - the newly-built colonial capital, Mughal Shahjahanabad, fondly called Shahar by its inhabitants; and Civil Lines, the hub of European life until Edwin Lutyens’ New Delhi came up. It had been a decade and half since the Imperial administration moved into the grand new city that took almost 20 years to build. Quarters built for the new workforce now housed families from east and south India. The elegant arcades of Connaught Place were the exclusive hangouts of the British. For countless generations, the old Walled City remained a secure universe for families living in Delhi. A little outside of the gates of the Shahar, the mansions of Civil Lines were now home to affluent old Delhi families looking for a modern living.

In 1941, Delhi had a population of 9,17,939, of which three-fourths lived in urban areas. “The city had a few hundred cars. We could tell who owned which just by looking at the number plate,” recalls Sultan Singh Backliwal, 85, whose father moved the family business from the Walled City to Connaught Place in 1935.

For 20-year-old Lalitha Ramakrishnan, a Lodhi Colony flat was a cosy, secure home she had set up with her husband, a government official, and her baby daughter, thousands of kilometres from her hometown in Kerala.

Community lunches, outings to Qutab Minar on a bicycle, and movies at Connaught Place made the Ramakrishnans’ life idyllic in this quaint government colony — the last one to be built by the British before they left India.

On August 8, 1947, while returning from a gathering at a relative’s house a few blocks away, Ramakrishnan saw her neighbour’s brother, a college student, carrying a radio. “He told me he had picked it up from a shop that was being looted. He had already got a sewing machine at home. He said he was going back for more.”

“I was not exposed to this kind of madness,” Ramakrishnan says. “The boy with the radio later became secretary in the Government of India.” A few days later, she saw a young man being lynched from her window. “They caught him and beat him to death. The police came a few minutes later and dispersed the crowd with tear gas. My eyes watered. This was my first experience with tear gas,” remembers Ramakrishnan, now 84 and a resident of a high-rise apartment in east Delhi’s IP Extension.

DEMOGRAPHY
Nearly 5 lakh people poured into the city from Western Punjab, Sindh and Northwest Frontier. Even for an ancient city that has seen several invasions, this influx was mind-boggling. The old city barely had enough infrastructure to support this kind of migration. New Delhi was simply not prepared for this.

The refugees moved into camps, gurudwaras, temples, schools and military barracks. The less fortunate settled on pavements and in parks. “Many government employees sublet their quarters to refugees, one family sharing a room and toilet with three or four others,” says Ramakrishnan.

But the Punjabi spirit was indomitable. They were willing to do whatever work they could find. It helped that most refugees were literate, often better educated than the locals, (a study of refugees by VKRV Rao and PB Desai showed 88% of men and 68% of women in Kingsway Camp were literate). “Yet they did not allow their pre-Partition status to rule out socially less acceptable occupations.

Pragmatism, refusal to cast themselves as victims, along with state help, changed their lives and Delhi,” wrote Ranjana Sengupta in Delhi Metropolitan: Making of an Unlikely City.

So those who could take up their old profession did so, while others got into new businesses selling whatever assets they had for the start-up capital. Those who had nothing invented jobs. “Women went door-to-door to collect discarded husk from the wheat flour, made toys out of them and got the men to sell them,” remembers Chaman Singh, 83, whose family lived in old Delhi for several generations.

Backliwal recalls how the dispossessed refugees who squatted outside his shop in CP traded on extremely small profit margins. “They used to buy wares at wholesale prices from Sadar Bazar and sell them at the same price. The only profit they would make was on selling cardboard cartons in raddi (junk).”

Connaught Place that offered no ancillary services till 1947 was breaking new ground. “Now, if you bought a saree from a shop, you could get a petticoat and a blouse right there. To give jobs to refugee women, traders hired them as tailors. In fact, that is how Delhi learnt about readymade garments,” says Backliwal.

Others, such as Dharam Pal of Sialkot and HP Nanda of Lahore, set up virtual empires from scratch (see box). But the refugees couldn’t have found their feet so soon without the help of locals. “We offered them space outside our shops. We called them Pursharthi (men of good virtues) and not Sharnarthi (refugees),” says Backliwal.

THE GROWTH
The government moved fast to shift refugees from camps and squatters to permanent locations. Thirty-six permanent rehabilitation colonies were set up. These single and double-storey houses built on land cleared from the fields and the wooded Central Ridge were to serve as the model for private developers such as DLF who established Greater Kailash, Gulmohar Park and Vasant Vihar among other neighbourhoods in the later decades.

The enterprising refugees in fact boosted trade in Delhi. The explosion of retail and general merchandise shops opened by refugees gave Delhi the great retail market status it still enjoys.

This was also the time when Delhi industrialised. The 1964 Industrial Survey showed that between 1945 and 1951, the number of registered factories grew from 227 to 431. Before 1945, there were three bicycle-manufacturing industries. By 1951, there were seven. ‘Ring towns’ such as Sonepat, Ballabgarh, Faridabad and Ghaziabad initiated the idea of the National Capital Region. Okhla Industrial Estate, set up with government initiative to promote refugee enterprise, served as a springboard for business groups such as Ranbaxy and Bharat Steel.

OLD vs NEW
Once settled in their enterprise, the new residents of Delhi stamped their cultural dominance on the city. The influence of Lahore, in particular, came to stay.

Paneer, till then unknown to the Delhi palate, became the city’s staple vegetarian fare. Dhabas selling tandoor (clay-oven) baked roti and daal makhani (buttered daal) mushroomed. Moti Mahal at Darya Ganj came up with tandoori and butter chicken. Restaurants in Connaught Place passed into Punjabi hands and Delhi discovered the concept of eating out.

The Lahoris brought with them fashion trends and the publishing industry. “Delhi’s men followed trends from Bombay and women looked to Lahore,” remembers Backliwal. Lahore’s University of the Punjab was set up in 1882, 40 years before Delhi University came into being.

“Books were published and transported from Lahore in pre-Partition days. Almost all big publishing houses were based there. With Partition, some big publishers like Uttar Chand Kapoor and Sons moved to Delhi and publishing became a thriving business here,” adds Backliwal.

With a large Muslim population gone, Urdu, the only language the city knew, went on a decline and was soon substituted by Hindi and Punjabi. Mushairas (Urdu poetry recitation) became rare, replaced by government-sponsored Kavi Sammelans.

The signboards across the city added Hindi and Punjabi with the existing Urdu and English. The zubaan (language) changed for good. So much so that Delhi even reinvented its customary affirmation: from ji to haan ji.
 

The state government’s ambitious plan to turn decommissioned aircraft carrier Vikrant into a national maritime museum, riding on the ship’s immense emotive value for her role in the 1971 war has, once again, hit a dead end.

While one of the two bidders in the fray for the public-private partnership project opted out at the penultimate stage, the solitary bid by Ackruti City projected a steep viability gap fund (VGF) of Rs 500 crore. That is almost the state government’s estimated total project cost in 2010. Officials said there could be no justification for the government to undertake a PPP project involving such a large grant.

An earlier round of bidding had ended in April 2010 with a no-show by five private developers after the government decided not to extend the last dates for bid submission.

The reason for the latest debacle, revealed officials, is that the government deleted a key revenue stream at the stage when the bids were already in and were in the technical evaluation stage. “Helicopter services, including joyrides — a key component of the state’s feasibility analysis for the project — had to be removed from the project design even though the final two bids were in. The decision was at the insistence of the Navy that chopper operations could not be permitted from the flight deck of Vikrant,” said a senior government official.

One of the two bidders was Aamby Valley, which had participated aggressively as its parent company, the Sahara group, having exited from the airline business, was keen to use its existing aviation industry assets, including helicopters. It was also keen to forge a chopper route to Aamby Valley from South Mumbai for owners of chalets and luxury holiday homes there.

Though the committee overseeing the design of the project and the bid documents included a Naval representative, the Indian Navy reportedly took the stand that helicopter operations could not be permitted — they would clash with operations from INS Shikra, the Navy’s nearby helicopter base. While officials courted the idea of instead offering the museum’s visitors chopper rides from Shikra, the idea had to be abandoned too as a seaside entry into Shikra was considered a security hazard and the option of resettling large slums to permit entry from another end was deemed unfeasible.

With helicopter operations ruled out, Aamby Valley expectedly opted out.

“The idea was that the commercial segments would cross-subsidise the cost of grouting the ship at Oyster Rock, stabilising her, etc. The VGF was to have provided for any further gap in the cost of basic works, that gap can hardly be Rs 500 crore,” said the official.

While the government is yet to take a formal decision on Ackruti’s bid, officials said it cannot be accepted at the current VGF. Re-tendering may be an option, but without revenue from helicopter operations, the state government’s own feasibility study will have to be overhauled.
 

With much of the south Delhi ridge encroached upon, a section of Delhiites are asking for the Sanjay Van, a city forest located adjacent to JNU, to be classified as a bird sanctuary. The L-G is visiting the forest for an inspection on Wednesday when the demand will be formally placed before him.

The DDA, along with concerned residents including the Working With Nature group, has been working on conservation of the degraded forest for the past year. Not only had large numbers of Prosopis Juliflora depleted its groundwater reserves but a continuous flow of untreated sewage in the forest from nearby residential areas has had a massive negative impact on its flora and fauna.

"Several residents and DDA officials have been working to restore the area. We have also been pursuing the Delhi Jal Board to deal with the problem of effluent discharge in the water body at Sanjay Van and the area has become much cleaner. The L-G has taken keen interest in the development of the area, including restoration of the adjoining Neela Hauz. He will inspect the place on Wednesday," said a DDA official.

In the past year, 40,000 native Aravali trees have been planted at Sanjay Van. These include several which had either disappeared or were fast becoming extinct like Dhak, Flame of the Forest, Khejri, Kumattha and Desi Keekar. Better rain water management has led to the revival of over 5,000 ber bushes that too had disappeared from here.
 

Biodiversity Parks * Northern Ridge project almost complete, while Tilpath Valley and Neela Hauz parks stuck in encroachment issues

The four biodiversity parks, proposed by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in 2008, are still struggling to gain momentum regarding construction work.

The land-owning agency had proposed these parks to revive the eco-system and stablise the pollution levels of the city and it had collaborated with the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE) to develop the parks.

As work continues at a sluggish pace on the Yamuna riverfront park, the Tilpath Valley and Neela Hauz projects are ensnared in issues like encroachment. Parts of theYamuna riverfront project is also facing land grabbing problems, with residents taking to farming on the land.

The only park where work is almost complete is the Northern Ridge biodiversity park, popularly known as the ‘lungs’ of North Delhi.

Tilpath Valley
This park, near Asola Wildlife Sanctuary, is a regional park as per Master Plan-2021. Initially, the land of this park was under different agencies; around two years ago the Lt Governor had ordered the transfer of land to DDA. While land has been handed over and the fencing has been done, a few farmhouses in the area are still to transfer land.

As of now, the agency is yet to take a decision on the way forward. A study of the soil and drainage system of this area is being carried out and the access road, which is from within Sainik Farm, is expected to be changed.

“We had given some land to SAARC University in this area and the approach road to the university will now be used for the biodiversity park also,’’ said a DDA official. According to DDA, this area had waterfalls several years ago. “This is a major catchment area with natural depressions. We want to revive lakes in this park now,’’ said the official.

Neela Hauz
This centuries-old waterbody near Vasant Kunj in South Delhi has been dead for years now. At present, the lake resembles a marsh land.

The plans to redevelop the area are ready, but work is stuck as DDA and PWD are involved in a blame-game over rubble dumped in this area.

According to Delhi High Court orders the restoration plans should have been implemented by end of May this year. The court had directed that all authorities should work in harmony to stop pollution and maintain Neela Hauz in an appropriate manner. Despite the order, not much has moved on ground.

“We have been in talks with PWD, and it has assured us that the debris will be removed by mid-October,’’ said a DDA official. The PWD, meanwhile, claimed that it has already removed all the debris from the area.

The restoration plan will include integrating the water body and surrounding area with Sanjay Van. Integration with Jawaharlal Nehru University will be taken up in Phase-II, said DDA officials.

Northern Ridge
Plans for the park in the Northern Ridge included reviving the water harvesting sites in the region, along with identifying the eco-zones and green habitats available. DDA has also linked the eight identified heritage structures in this area, and built walkways to connect them.

These include two guard houses, a flag staff tower (a signal monument dating back to 1857), several 14th-century structures like Chauburja Mosque and Pir-Ghaib, and an Ashoka Pillar.

Officials said these walkways serve as nature and heritage trails. “We have already dug pits for water harvesting. Emphasis is on planting fruit-bearing trees to attract monkeys. We are trying to further enhance the biodiversity of this area,’’ said DDA spokesperson Neemo Dhar.

O-zone, Yamuna river front
The project aims at refurbishing the land along the river from Palla in the northwest to Jaitpur in the south, a distance of 43 km. Encroachment in the area, however, is proving to be a major hindrance. Work on the project was earlier delayed as the construction of the Ring Road bypass had held it up.

The Phase-I of the project is complete and DDA is starting with the development of banks on four sites — near Wazirabad, Qudsia Ghat behind Kashmere Gate ISBT, Golden Jubilee Park (GJP) near Geeta Colony and the Delhi-Noida-Delhi Flyway.

The DDA said parts of these locations are available for redevelopment and will be converted into protective biodiversity, interactive biodiversity and recreational.
 

Delhi's D-Day is less than two months away. After all, it's no mean achievement we're talking about: it's 100 eventful years of New Delhi as capital. Yet the ragtag arrangements made by the authorities to rev-up the Coronation Park - the setting for the grand centenary celebrations - might actually be a cause of embarrassment for the nation.

Sources confirmed that major components proposed in the Coronation Park redevelopment plan will not be completed within the November-end deadline, and only some of the work like landscaping and amphitheatre may be over on time. But there's a catch: labourers will have to work round the clock.

Also known as the Coronation Memorial, the park is situated in north Delhi's Burari area, and occupies a significant place in history as this was the place where King George V had announced on December 11, 1911, that the capital of British India was shifting from Calcutta to New Delhi. However, for nearly a century, the park has been neglected and vandalized; and it was only in 2007 that plans were first mooted to give it a facelift.

The facelift plans were submitted by Intach's Delhi Chapter in 2008, but now it's official that two-thirds of the original project will not be over on time. "The facelift plans were divided in three major components -landscaping, interpretation centre, and conservation of coronation pillar and statues. Only landscaping work is going on and the other two components will drag on past the centenary celebration deadline," said a source.

While officials of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) confirmed that the interpretation centre would not be ready before March 2012, Intach sources said even if they work round the clock, the conservation work on the statues would not be completed before the December celebrations.

"It requires at least three months as first the statues have to be chemically cleaned. We also proposed to use mud-pack treatment and then consolidate the statues," said an official. The coronation pillar, one of the main highlights of the park where the Durbar took place, will also get a facelift only after the centenary celebrations. "It has to be cleaned and restored as no repairs have taken place for nearly a century. But there is no time now," claims an official.

Other planned projects like the VIP parking and waterbodies will also be completed only by next year. DDA officials blamed problems in the tender process and the extended monsoon for the delay. "The first tender for landscaping did not materialize, so we had to invite a second tender in May. This way, we lost several months' time. Then we could not work on the landscaping for three months during monsoon as rainwater had made the soil too wet. It's a race against time now and we are working non-stop to complete the amphitheatre, floodpost, relaying of the pathways etc," said a senior DDA official.

Officials said it would be a challenge to see how the celebrations take place at the park on December 11. "It's possible that only some portions will be opened during the ceremony as work will still be under progress. Opening the park for the public for the function is also unlikely as it could become a safety hazard with bulldozers and construction material all around," said a source.

Senior officials said the non-completion of the conservation work on the statues was a "shame". "It's a shame that the pillars and statues will not be ready on time. Two or three of the statues are almost disfigured and even the pedestals are falling apart. They have also developed cracks as no work has ever been undertaken on them for a hundred years now," said an Intach official.

Facelift project at Coronation Park will not be over before the centenary bash to mark New Delhi becoming capital in 1911

FACELIFT THAT'S STILL INCOMPLETE
2007 | Facelift plan for Coronation Park proposed 2009 | Initial blueprints, drawings submitted by Intach April 2010 | Detailed drawings submitted, estimates given by Intach Nov 2010 | After DDA nod, first tenders awarded for landscaping Jan 2011 | DDA begins implementation May 2011 | New tenders awarded for landscaping July-Sept | Work stalled due to monsoon

PROJECT DEADLINE
Nov 30, 2011

CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
Dec 11, 2011 To miss deadline: Interpretation centre, VIP parking, waterbody, chemical cleaning and restoration of coronation pillar, restoration and mud-pack treatment of statues
 

Signaling the need to preserve ecological and bio-cultural heritage in the city, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna planted a sapling at Sanjay Van in south Delhi on Wednesday.

Khanna began the ‘International Year of Forests celebration-2011’ at the forest patch near Neela Hauz, where the Delhi Development Authority, residents of the locality and NGO ‘Nature group’ have been working on conservation of the degraded forest for the past year.

“To educate school children about environment, several students are taken to Sanjay Van for jungle trails, bird watching, planting trees, removing plastics etc,” said a DDA official.

Sanjay Van is spread over an area of 783 acres and was carved out by DDA to conserve and develop it into a green forest. Its restoration is crucial in maintaining the ecological balance of south Delhi.

“To restore and conserve the native Aravali vegetation, around 40,000 native trees have been planted in this area. This includes species like Dhak “Flame of the forest”, Hingot, Ronjh, Siris and indigenous species like Neem etc. have been raised through seeds, and transplanting germinated saplings.

Other bird-friendly species like Semal, Fig, Kadamb, Jamun, Imli, Peepul, Banyan have also been planted. Ber bushes, which once flourished in this area, have also been revived after many years through better rain water management,’’ said DDA spokesperson, Neemo Dhar.

DDA is restoring Sanjay Van with the objective of making it into a model example and replicate it. Efforts are on to convert the place into a bird sanctuary.
 

For over two centuries art in India has been evolving, with its many manifestations capturing the imagination of art lovers everywhere. This process will be represented by the works of over 75 artists at the Delhi Art Gallery's sixth edition of ‘Manifestations'.

Featuring stalwarts of the 20th Century like Raja Ravi Varma, M. V. Dhurandhar, M. F. Pithawalla J. P. Ganguly and Gopal Deuskar, the exhibition traces the journey of Indian art beginning with the earliest work in the collection, a painting by Thomas Daniell created some time in the 1700s. He was one among a group of European artists who had taken to travelling through India painting landscapes from everyday life. His painting helped introduce Indian art to a new medium and style.

A painting of Kali by an unknown Bengali artist, dated somewhere around the 1860s, represents the synthesis of the already-evolved Western and Indian styles of art and content.

The next major change came when artists decided to focus on inherently Indian values. The collection includes treasures from Bengal like the works of artists Nandalal Bose, Radha Charan Bagchi, Khagen Roy, Kshitindranath Majumdar and B. N. Arya.

Modernists like M. F. Husain, Somnath Hore, Chittaprosad, Ram Kumar, Prokash Karmakar, K. S. Kulkarni, V. S. Panicker and Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh have also been featured in the collection.

The most recent work is a 2005 ink on paper by Sohan Qadri. It represents the artist's own interpretation of art, one that is free of geographical restrictions.

The exhibition is accompanied by a book that in addition to having an art scholar discussing each painting at length, also has interesting titbits and quotes about the story behind every painting. For instance, it tells us how Raja Ravi Varma's portrait of Raja Bhagwan Das, jeweller to the Nizam of Hyderabad, was painted by the artist while waiting for his appointment with the Nizam.Here the late celebrated writer Rabindranath Tagore is quoted as saying, “I spent the entire morning looking at Raja Ravi Varma's pictures. I must confess I find them really attractive. After all, these pictures prove how dear our own stories, our own images and expressions are to us”.

In M. F. Husain's painting of Mahatma Gandhi, he has left the face blank, and without spectacles, but has chosen to use the Mahatma's trademark loincloth and stick to represent the spirit of the man. “I was alone when I set out for my destination; others joined me and it became a caravan,” is Husain's favourite Urdu couplet, according to the book.

Apart from the Indian artists, well-known foreign artists like Muhammad Abdur Rahman Chughtai from Pakistan (1897- 1975) and George Keyt (1901- 1993) from Sri Lanka have also been featured.

The Delhi Art Gallery will also screen films on some of the featured artists from its archives, as part of the exhibition which will be inaugurated this Saturday. The exhibition is on till December 3.
 

Matching up to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bhimbedka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh, a recent discovery of pre-historic rock paintings amid thick vegetation near Bundi in Rajasthan has thrown up a spectacular archaeological wealth that proves the existence of a rich ancient civilisation in the region about 10,000 years ago.

The treasure trove of rock paintings, belonging to the Mesolithic-Chalcolithic period, has been found in the caves, shelters and deep valleys at Bundi-Bhilwara district border along the Phatisila rivulet which merges into Chambal river. The region comprises a dense forest and has abundant natural resources with very little human intervention.

Bundi-based amateur archaeologist Om Prakash Sharma alias Kukki, who discovered hundreds of these masterpieces earlier this week, told The Hindu on Saturday that they are mostly intact and bright with a sharp visibility on account of a rich forest flora and fauna found throughout the year with perennial water supply.

The nearest human habitation at Dhorela village is six km away and there is little or no human interference in the region. “The rock art here is unique in many respects. Some of the figures [in paintings] have never been noticed anywhere else,” said Mr. Sharma while emphasising the need for their conservation and documentation.

Drawn mostly in deep and light ochre, dark red, tan and brown colours taken from powdered rocks or volcanic earth, the illustrations depict human figures, man-eating lions, lion chasing man, hunting scenes, geometric designs, dancing postures, antelopes, animals which are now extinct, bullock-carts and chariots with several wheels. Some of them are very big in size and cover the entire rock shelters.

Mr. Sharma pointed out that the wide range of subjects depicted in the rock paintings suggest continuity over a prolonged period covering Mesolithic or stone age, Chalcolithic era when agriculture was introduced and the early historic period when an orderly social structure began taking shape. “The nomadic hunter-gatherers of this uninterrupted habitation were perhaps the ancestors of the present day tribals.”

Archaeologists have so far found the earliest traces of human life in the country at Bhimbetka in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, where some of the rock paintings are considered 30,000 years old.

Mr. Sharma said the Bhimbetka rock art would “pale into insignificance” if the latest find in Bundi is properly studied and documented: “This archaeological wealth is stunning. Illustrations [like these] have never been seen before.”

Mr. Sharma said the majority of these rock paintings could escape the vagaries of nature through the past thousands of years because they were facing west and did not come under the direct impact of heavy rainfall. The dense forest, rocky terrain and presence of wild animals such as lion and tiger in the hoary past were additional factors protecting them.

A barely literate grocer with a passion for history and archaeology, 54-year-old Mr. Sharma has discovered rock paintings and objects and tools of the Copper Age and Mauryan and post-Gupta period in the vast hilly tracts of Bundi, Kota and Bhilwara districts over the past two decades.His exploration of the Copper Age tools at Namana, situated a few km from the site of the latest discovery, led to excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the 1990s, confirming that the hilly terrain was the centre of a pre-Harappan civilisation.
 

If Madame Tussauds in London attracts the maximum number of tourists from across the world, the majestic Mysore Palace ranks a close second in the list of the most-visited places on the globe. In yet another affirmation of its drawing power, the New York Times recently listed it as one of the 31 must-see places on Earth for two consecutive years.

The palace plays host to an average 2.5 million tourists each year. Going by the growing tourist footfalls, Karnataka tourism department officials say it could well be the numero uno soon.

Feedback from tourists from the UK, Spain, France and other countries suggests that the palace has mesmerized visitors. Many wonder why Buckingham Palace has been considered magnificent for so long when the Mysore Palace can boast of superior construction.

In 2010, Mysore Palace had a domestic visitor footfall of 3.1 million and another 70,000 from abroad. Other places in Mysore played host to 7 million domestic and 12,000 international visitors. The first nine months of 2011 have seen 2.4 million domestic visitors and 60,000 international visitors touring the palace. The city, on the other hand, received a whopping 6.75 million domestic and 25,000 foreign tourists till September.

"The Mysore Palace and the city attract a large number of tourists to the state. Hardly does Mysore get left out of a tour itinerary involving either Karnataka or south India," says a senior official of the tourism department.

Tours that start in Tamil Nadu and end in Bangalore enter Karnataka from Wayanad through Nagarahole, Mysore or Hassan before reaching Bangalore. for onward departures.

A lot of tours enter Karnataka coming through Ooty, Bandipur and Mysore and conclude at Bangalore.

"Mysore generates handsome revenue for the state," senior tourism officials said. It's evident by the fact that three new hotels are coming up in a big way to cash on the growing business. Readying their infrastructure are Radisson Blu Plaza (170 rooms), Sheraton Mysore Hotel (220 rooms) and the Country Inn Suites (130 rooms), all expected to start operations in one year.

"The fact that Mysore is also popular as a hub for wellness, yoga and meditation, among other things, contributes in a big way to bring good revenue for the state," says Vinita R of Windflower Spa and Resorts in Mysore.
 

Ravi Varma’s oil paintings gave Indian painting a new dimension. He was the first Indian artist to fuse the techniques of Western and Indian art successfully

While surfing the art circuit recently, the snippet that caught my attention was from Sotheby’s that stated Raja Ravi Varma’s picture, ‘A Himalayan Beauty’, went to a private European buyer for $2,66,500 on September 16, 2011. I immediately remembered him being featured in the 1998 Limca Book of Records when his painting, ‘The Begum’s Bath, was sold for Rs 32 lakh at an auction of contemporary Indian art at the Nehru Centre, Mumbai, in 1997. It was recorded as the highest price ever paid for an Indian painting. Of course, Indian paintings have sold for much more since then. But one always remembers the pioneer. He was the first Indian artist who fused the techniques of Western and Indian art successfully, painting scenes from Indian myths and legends in the realistic style of the West, which eventually formed the basis of a popular art tradition later.

I first came across Ravi Varma’s paintings at the Maharaja Fatesingh Museum in Baroda. The art collection is displayed in a school building within the palace compound where Maharaja Fatesinghrao Gaekwad and other members of the royal family had their schooling. The art collection once belonged to Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, said to be the maker of Baroda city. It was he who invited Raja Ravi Varma, the first Indian artist to use oil colours, to paint portraits of the royal family. Many of his famous paintings on mythological subjects were also done at Baroda and now comprise a part of the Ravi Varma collection. They include masterpieces like Vishwamitra and Menaka, King Shantanu and Matsyagandha, Arjuna and Subhadra, Nala and Damayanti, Radha waiting for Krishna at the Kunjavana, and several others. The royal portraits include studies of Maharaja Sayajirao III, Sampatrao Gaekwad, Maharani Chimanabai II, Princess Tarabai and others. I was particularly interested in locating the portrait of the beautiful princess Indira Raje, his only daughter, who was the mother of Maharani Gayatri Devi. There are 80 paintings by Ravi Varma in this collection. Later in life he also patronised the royal houses of Travancore, Mysore and Udaipur, where his paintings are exhibited.

What strikes the layman first of all is Ravi Varma’s use of bright colours in his portraits and landscapes. There is an exquisite blend of the early Tanjore style of painting and the graceful realism of European masters. His forte was the use of bright colours in his portraits and landscapes. What also stands out is his apt selection of significant moments from the Sanskrit classics. He is said to have provided an important link between traditional Indian art and the contemporary; between the Tanjore School and Western Realism. Although his technique was European, the soul was undoubtedly Indian. He has been described as “a representative of Europeanised School of Indian Artists”.

Ravi Varma’s development as an artist is interesting. The son of Umamba Thampuratti and Neelakandan Bhattathiripad, he was born in a royal Travancore family at Kilimanoor. He showed great promise from a very young age, making charcoal drawings on the walls and floors of his house. His uncle, artist Raja Raja Varma, recognised his talent and gave him his first lessons. Ravi Varma was lucky enough to get the patronage of Ayilyam Thirunal, Maharaja of Travancore, when he was just 14 years old and had his first lessons from the palace painter, Rama Swamy Naidu. This is where he discovered and learned new techniques in the field of painting. Another important artist who trained him in oil painting three years later and greatly influenced his style was his British teacher Theodor Jenson.

Varma’s later years spent in Mysore, Baroda and other places enabled him to sharpen and expand his skills, finally blossoming into a mature and complete artist. Connoisseurs feel that it was largely because of his systematic training, first in the traditional art of Thanjavoor, and later, European art.

Ravi Varma made his debut in the fine arts exhibition at Chennai (then Madras), in 1873. His work, ‘Nair Lady at her Toilette’, won him the governor’s gold medal. This picture also fetched him the gold medal at the painting exhibition held in Vienna that year. After his return from Madras, he painted ‘Heights and Depths’ showing a Tamil woman from the royal family flinging a silver coin at a beggar woman. ‘The Gypsies of South India’, featuring a wandering fortune teller with a baby on her lap, also belongs to the same period. Some of his works were exhibited at the World Religious Conference of 1892 at Chicago.

Varma’s paintings have been broadly classified as portraits, portrait-based compositions and theatrical compositions based on classical myths and legends. His most outstanding paintings include Nala Damayanti, Shantanu and Matsyagandha, Shantanu and Ganga, Radha and Madhava, Kamsa Maya, Shrikrishna and Devaki, Arjuna and Subhadra, Draupadi Vastraharan, Harischandra and Taramati, Vishwamitra and Menaka and Seetaswayamvaram, among others. By 1876, he had painted several versions of Shakuntala and one particular painting sent for the Madras competition impressed the Duke of Buckingham so much that it was selected as the frontispiece for Sir Monier William’s translation of Abhijnana Shakuntalam. All his chosen subjects took new forms under his skillful brush. He was also convinced that mass reproduction of his paintings would initiate millions of Indians to real art. So, in 1894, he set up an oleography press called the Ravi Varma Pictures Depot.

Other museums housing paintings by Ravi Varma include the Jayachamarajendra Museum and Art Gallery in Mysore, the Sri Chitra Art Gallery in Trivandrum and the National Art Gallery in Chennai where fiber optic lighting is used to illuminate the important paintings to protect them from heat and radiation.

Ravi Varma had given Indian painting a new dimension with his dazzling oil paintings. Although some have criticised him for the European influence in his work, beauty — in whatever form — cannot but arouse admiration. Which is why great art never fails to delight and inspire.
 

Over 1.2 lakh devotees await their turn for special prayers at the Golden Temple

For devotees cherishing a special “rendezvous with god” at World’s holiest Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the wait could stretch up to 10 long years. Those who have booked well in advance for the special prayers, chances are they would get a call from the shrine priests somewhere in 2020.

Among the wait list are Bollywood celebrities, country’s top businessmen, Army Generals, NRIs and politicians. Until recently, Amitabh Bachchan, his wife Jaya, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, cash-rich non-resident Indian Sant Singh Chattwal and Bollywood star Akshay Kumar were in the waiting list since early this millennium.

That’s how it has been at the Golden Temple’s most revered “Dukh Bhanjani Beri” site.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, the local Member of Parliament from Amritsar, Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa are also in the waiting list and will perhaps perform this special Path (prayers) at Dukh Bhanjini Beri sometime at the end of this decade. Actors, including Rishi Kapoor, Reliance’s Ambani brothers, Bharti Mittals of Airtel, had already sought blessings through path after a long wait. Temple sources say the devotees lined up for all these prayers at the Golden Temple are over 1.20 lakh, and still counting. The rush is getting unmanageable and the shrine management feels it is hard for them to maintain records of people on paper sans computerisation.

For now, the bookings for path (prayers) at Dukh Bhanjini Beri have been stopped. Only those who were booked earlier will be the privileged ones whenever their turn comes. The wait may look endless, but the path at this tree site has a special significance. This is the site which existed before the construction of the sacred Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. In the early 17th century, the compilation of the holy Guru Granth Sahib was done under the tree site called Dukh Bhanjini Beri.

A loosely bound legend among the Sikhs also gives an account of the discovery of this tree site. It cites a girl named Rajni who was a daughter of a very proud and egotistical King. Once having displeased her father, she was married off to a leper. The couple had heard of a miraculous place where black crows bathe in a pool of water and emerge as white doves. After many years searching they came to a jungle and saw the sight of black birds turning to white doves. The husband rolled down the slope into the water and was cured of his illness.

Talking to Deccan Herald, temple officials said the booking of Paths at the rear of the Akal Takht are still on, but Dukh Bhanjani Beri and har Ki Pauri considered most pious have been discontinued for now. Here is how the ritual is carried out. The Akhand path continues for 48 hours by Granthis (Sikh priests) in the name of the person who has booked the path. A Bhog ceremony is held on third day. A nominal Rs 4,100 is charged for the entire ceremony.

While offering obeisance through special prayers at Dukh Bhanjini Beri look like a distant dream, prayers at the Golden Temple other three sacred area, the Har-Ki Pauri, Gumbad Path and at the Akal Takht, have relatively shorter waiting list. Devotees will have to wait for the next two-three years for their turn for pooja at these three places. For once, commoners, bigwigs, celebrities and the powers that be all are queued up in one line for these special prayers.

No exception Dalmegh Singh, Secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the Sikh body that manages majority of Sikh shrines in the country, said, “ It is believed to be the most pious of places within the temple and so everyone wants to invoke blessings of the god at this place. Therefore, it’s a long wait. We don’t make any exception for the rich, famous or the celebrities. All are regarded the same here.” Devotees seeking blessings through path here usually avoid their ranks and designations. Off late, a path was carried out in the name of one PS Gill, sources said. It was only on the date of the prayers that it was learnt by staff members of SGPC that PS Gill happen to be the Punjab DGP, now retired. That too came to light given the paraphernalia that tagged along with Gill.

Like in the case of actor Akshay Kumar, there’s a possibility that the devotee who had booked these prayers is unable to reach on the given date. There are even cases when devotees have died even as their “date with God” at the shrine is pending. The SGPC says the path is held irrespective of the devotees reaching the site or failing to reach. The blessings of the prayers for him and his family are sent to through these special prayers, the SGPC said.

Satinder Pal Singh, who is in charge of the prayer bookings, said, “Bookings of Paths at Dukh Banjani Beri, a site that existed even before Harmandar Sahib, have been discontinued for now because of the long waiting list of devotees, in many cases up to 10 years. The shrine is on a mission now to clear the heavy backlog. For this, its been planned that everyday 40 paths are held. Other sacred places in the backside of Akal Takht are available with a waiting period that may stretch up to 2014-15, he said.

The practice of path at Dukh Bhanjini Beri has been there since very long, however, a formal structure where devotees had to book the ritual well in advance, started sometime after the SGPC was formed way back in 1925. One such Path is performed by one Sikh priest at a time. It’s a nonstop recitation of the holy script. Priests keep rotating the task for the next 48-hours.

The devotee has to give the name of the person for whom the prayers need to be performed. The entire Path is performed in his or her name and can be participated by family members. At least four Paths continue simultaneously just at the Dukh Bhanjini Beri site. Together at all sites within the holy Sikh shine, at least 30 special prayers are performed every day. The plan is to increase this devotional space by at least 10 paths a day.
 

Firkal is an unusual name for a dance form. Many scholars of Indian dance as well as social anthropologists have not heard of it, far less have seen it being performed.

No mention has been made of it in ancient treatises, history books, traveller’s account or even in archaelogical records.

Older than Kalaripayattu, and even those martial art forms that trace its origins to China and Japan, Firkal is still very much a living martial art-based dance form, performed mainly by the Bhumij tribes of Chotanagpur area in Jharkhand.

The distressing part is that Firkal survives in just one obscure village, Janumdih, located at Potka block in East Singhbhum district of Jharkand. Only 25 Bhumij families residing in this village are familiar with this art, and are seemingly unaware of the fact that this tradition may die out soon, if no one steps up to carry it forward.

“This is literally the last frontier of Firkal. Even the tribals do not feel the need to perform anymore,” says Amitabh Ghosh of The Celluloid Chapter Art Foundation (TCCAF), a social service organisation in Jamshedpur, engaged in the revival and promotion of the dance.

Raghunath Sardar of Veer Adim Kherwar Samiti (VAKS), a group working with the tribals in Janumdih adds, “Till 16 years ago, Firkal used to be performed almost everyday. But now, even in the only village it survives, we are able to hold performances only five to six times a year.”

The reasons are obvious. Economic deprivation, degradation of land and the temptations of urban culture have led to large scale migration of tribals to greener pastures. The ones who are left behind have far more pressing problems to attend to, than that of the survival of a dance form that hardly anyone understands or appreciates.

Once in a while, the State Government holds Adivasi Utsavs in Jamshedpur where representatives of the Bhumij families are made to perform with other tribal dancers in the region, mainly as tourist attractions. It is a half-hearted, lackadaisical exercise that offers no incentive or dignity to dancers.

At first sight, Firkal appears to be like any other warrior dance performed by African tribes. However, no direct relationship has yet been established between these two ethnology streams. A closer link could be the Kirpan Susun or ‘sword dance’ practiced by aboriginal settlers in central India.

According to Sardar, the dance recitals were originally enactments of hunting scenes and self-defence, the focus being mainly of raw macho courage. Over time, however, the evolving lifestyle of the Bhumjis has led to the modification of dance movements.

“Over time, the dance movements have changed into a leisurely, recreational exercise rather than a ritualistic demonstration of courage. These dance steps are variously known as Bagh Taal , Birsa Munda Taal and Pahalbani Taal. The younger generation, however, seem to be unfamiliar with these dance steps,” says Sardar.

Ghosh points out, “Firkal, unlike other traditional martial art forms in the country, does not receive help or support from any quarter. It has virtually been pushed to the brink due to lack of resources.” Ghosh was first exposed to Firkal in a state-sponsored tribal fair at Jamshedpur in 1989. Enchanted by the natural vigour and sense of rhythm of the Bhumjis, he promptly rounded up a few friends to work with VAKS for the revival of this ancient art form.

“TCCAF is the result of that initiative,” he explains. “We are creating a data base on Firkal.”

These volunteers have already created an impressive library comprising old Firkal song recordings, video tapes analysing basic body movements, interviews with artistes and detailed studies on various rhythms and beats. The Association for Indian Development in Minnesota, USA recently extended a handsome grant towards this project.
 

It's a crumbling edifice of serenity at the entrance of the majestic Humayun's Tomb. But despite its intrinsic splendour, Isa Khan's tomb has always remained in the blind spot of visitors to this 16th century world heritage site.

Poor maintenance and lack of awareness about the tomb's significance in the city's architectural legacy contribute to the general lack of interest. But all of this will change after the launch of an intensive conservation programme.

In about six months from now, the tomb will don a new look with new pathways, lush green lawns and original ornamental patterns. Already, several layers of earth in the garden that surrounds the tomb have been removed and interiors scraped clean of dust and soot.

The project began on January this year as part of the Humayun's Tomb-Nizamuddin Basti Urban Renewal Initiative. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture ( AKTC) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) teamed up to implement it. The World Monuments Fund is also chipping in with funds.

Apart from structural consolidation and essential repairs in the monument, much effort has been made to remove 3,25,000 cubic feet of earth to restore original levels of the outer sunken garden. "The Mughal tradition of raised pathways that allows visitors to be at the eye level with treetops was inspired by this building," said an Aga Khan Trust official.

Lowering the earth by over three feet across the outer garden was carried out manually under the strict vigil of archaeologists and the Trust team. This was followed by planting of an orchard of citrus fruit bearing trees in the outer garden. "Generally, in all archaeological sites, the garden level goes higher along with the surrounding area. But at Isa Khan's Tomb, the garden level was lowered and restoration work in the interior boundary of the monument and other parts were undertaken," said Dr P B Sengar, regional director of ASI. Officials said now, one can see the true proportions of the arched niches on the enclosure wall as well as architectural fragments from the tomb and associated building. A sixfoot high quartzite column on the gateway and fragments of the finials of the canopies that stand on each of the eight sides of the roof were also revealed during renovation. These fragments, said officials, are being carefully put back where possible or being used to make new fragments for restoration. The collapsed portions of the gateway were also rebuilt following the discovery of the column that supported this bay.

Inside the tomb, something magnificent was waiting for the team. Centuries of dust and soot had covered the ceiling of the tomb. When it was scraped clean, an exquisitely ornamented ceiling revealed itself. All this has been a laborious task. Aga Khan Trust officials said throughout last year, exhaustive documentation and archival research was undertaken and every detail of the tomb was recorded using the revolutionary 3D laser scanning technology. This is the first time this technique has been used in India for conservation. This revealed the high degree of ornamentation in lime plaster, ceramic tiles, polychromy, and sandstone elements such as finials and stone brackets. "The biggest challenge was to undo the inappropriate alterations of the 20th century and match the original work with superior craftsmanship," Rajpal Singh, chief engineer, Aga Khan Trust, said.
 

Simplest testament of what French publisher and editor, Diane de Selliers, achieved by collating a French edition of the epic Ramayana was encapsulated by Professor Sheldon Pollock of Princeton University. “Your jaw will fall slack

when you see the grandeur of Madame de Selliers’ Ramayana,” said Pollock, and added, “You need to go back to Akbar or Jagat Singh to find anything so sumptuous. This will clearly be the most beautiful edition of the work since the days of the Mughals.”

Diane’s coffee table books are much-loved and her one-book-a-year regime ensures that the curiosity is well-built and patrons of her work aren’t kept waiting for long. But for Ramayana she had to break the annual release rule, as it took her 10 years to come up with the French epic. She recalls, “When I had come to India 14-years-back (in Kerala) I was enamoured by the discovery of quality, beauty, elegance and spirituality here and decided to do a book.”

And of all the epics, Ramayana instantly struck a chord with her, she tells us why. “The Ramayana is very close to the Greek\Latin epics like the ones by Homer that featured a single hero and his entire cycle of life. And because I have a bias for all things that revolve around light I loved the luminous nature of the the entire epic — the sun, the jewellery, mirrors, water enamoured me. And Ramayana is a text that is in the heart of all Indians, whether they are religious or not.”

It took her and her team more than 10 years of research to identify around 5,000 miniature paintings illustrating the Ramayana. Of those, 660 were selected to make the volume an anthology of major works preserved in more than 70 museums in India, Europe, United States of America, Pakistan, Singapore, Australia and Canada, as well as a large number of hidden treasures kept in private collections around the world.

The seven volumes contain commentaries and introduction by Amina Taha Hussein-Okada, keeper of Indian Art at the Asian Arts Guimet museum (Paris) and is priced at approximately `58,000.

The daunting 10-year-long effort has been demanding, and when asked is she planned to work on other Indian epics, like the Mahabharat, Diane jocularly says, “It took seven volumes (that together weigh approximately 14 kilos) to do the complete Ramayana. For The Mahabharat, I’ll probably have to provide book buyers with porters and palanquins to take the volume home.”
 

Looking beyond its grand forts and palaces that attract tourists, Rajasthan is developing various other sites like sanctuaries for eco and adventure tourism

Known for its grand forts and opulent palaces,Rajasthan is now looking beyond its rich heritage to attract tourists.The state is now adding the hue of eco-tourism to its already colourful tourism spectrum.

The recently laid out eco-tourism policy by the state government is just the magnet to pull tourists to explore the wild life and ecology of the state.While Sariska and Ranthambhor remain the tourist attractions for the vibrant state,it is developing several other eco tourism zones like Nahargarh Sanctuary,Tal Chapar Sanctuary,National Chambal Sanctuary and Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary at Balas to offer more exciting options to wild life lovers.

Tiger safaris at Sariska and Ranthambhor National Park are already a rage among tourists.Now they can also go trekking on designated routes through unexplored areas,river cruising to view wildlife,overnight camping at forts and rest houses inside the forest areas and natural ecosystems around these eco zones.

We want to give exciting reasons for a repeat visit to tourists who have already been to our forts and palaces.There is a lot of potential in developing eco tourism in the state,which has two national parks and 25 sanctuaries spread across 0.916 million hectare, says a tourism department official.
Among the eco tourism zones,Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary near Sawai Madhopur offers a rare camping experience in the backdrop of the mix of flat table tops (plateaus) and sharp ridges and conical hill tops.One can enjoy the elephant safari through dense forest area in the Nahargarh Sanctuary in Jaipur while National Chambal Sanctuarythe only river side sanctuary in Asiapresents a rich biodiversity.

According to department of tourism,in 2010,there has been a marginal rise of 0.71% in the tourist numbers,even though number of international tourists has gone up by 19.11%.Last year,2.69 crore tourists visited Rajasthan out of which 12.78 lakh were from abroad.This year,we expect it to go up by 17-22 %, says Khalid Khan,ex-president,Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators (Rato)

Besides,the state is also betting big on adventure tourism to attract youth in more numbers.Sand dune bashing and all terrain rides in Jaisalmer are just the right dose to pump up adrenalin.Adding to the adventure are aqua sports and water-related leisure activities like water skiing,angling,boating and steamer rides in the lakes near Alwar,Udaipur,Mount Abu and Bundi among other places.

The hot air ballooning experience available at Jaipur,Pushkar,Neemrana,Ranthambhor and Udaipur not only gives a new dimension to adventure tourism but also provides an aerial view of this beautiful state.The ballooning is not only attracting international tourists but also domestic ones.

Weve got good response.We started with 400 people in the first year,and now over 5,000 people have experienced already, says Jai Thakore,promoter and director Sky Waltz which runs the show in the state.
 

The district administration and forest department have allegedly allowed a private power producing company to set up a hydel power plant at a reserve rainforest area of the Western Ghats in Sakleshpur taluk.

Maruti Power-gen (India) Pvt Ltd, a Bangalore-based company, is setting up hydel power projects at the Kaginahare and Kenchanakumari reserve rain forest area of Western Ghats in Sakleshpur. The work is in progress for the past one year.

The deputy commissioner has permitted the company to use dynamite to blast boulders in violation of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, endangering the rich flora and fauna of the region.

The compnay has been allowed to set up two mini hydel power projects in an area of 8.21 hectares on survey number 16 of Kenchanakumari and survey number 1 of Kaginahare in the reserve rainforest area.

The thick rainforest of the Western Ghats is an abode of diverse wildlife. According to the Wildlife Act Schedule 1, Column 2 entry into the forest is illegal. Environment and Forest Minister C P Yogeeshwara, who inspected the place where the work on hydel project is in progress last week, said he wondered how permission was accorded to a hydel project in a reserved forest areaAnil Kumble, vice-chairman of the State Wildlife Board , during his visit to the project site on June 13 had termed the use of dynamite for blasting a grave violation.

The Board wrote to the district administration stating that prior permission from National and State Wildlife Boards is required to allow any activity in the reserve forest. It has also sought legal action against the company for violation of the Wildlife Act.

On the direction of the Board, the district administration ordered the company not to use dynamite for blasting.

Clean chit

On July 28, Deputy Conservator of Forests Chandregowda wrote to the deputy commissioner that there was no violation of the Wildlife Act by the company and the project did not endanger the wildlife.

The deputy commissioner has permitted minimal use of dynamite for blasting. However, it is common knowledge here that the blasts can be heard at least four kilometres from the point of the blast.

The blasts have caused fear among animals. For the construction of a tunnel, the company has triggered thousands of blasts over the last one year. To make the dynamites, a team has been camping in the forest for the past one year.

The use of gigantic machinery, generators, excavators and the plying of tippers, trucks and jeeps have been causing disturbance to the wildlife.

Malnad Janapara Horata Samithi president H A Kishore Kumar has demanded an inquiry into the clean chit for the project given by the Deputy Conservator of Forests.

As the Environment and Forest Minister himself has admitted that this project is detrimental to the forest and wildlife, the ball is now in the government’s court.
 

You’ve probably seen them on the road, but never really hopped onto one of the purple buses in Delhi, perhaps one of the best ways to thoroughly explore the city. HOHO buses, Delhi Tourism’s hop-on hop-off-ferry passengers to and fro 19 meticulously selected ‘must-visit’ spots in the capital. The journey begins at the HOHO Centre, Baba Kharak Singh Marg (opposite Hanuman Mandir) and the stops are an eclectic mix of monuments, museums and markets, and include Red Fort, National Gallery of Modern Art and Saket Malls, among others.

A ticket costs Rs 300 and is valid for two days. Board the bus at the centre or one of the 19 stops, and alight it at the stop you wish to explore. Once you’re done, get on the next bus — there’s a bus every forty-five minutes. You can hop-on and hop-off, as many times you like. Also, every bus has on board a Guest Relations Executive (GRE), a tour guide who points out the landmarks and important buildings, and briefs you about the stops.

These buses are air-conditioned, comfortable and affordable — great for a city tour. “It has a higher standard than any other Hop-on Hop-off bus (in other countries),” says Derek, a tourist from Canada, adding: “Taking a taxi would have been too expensive.” Eugene Lyubezny, from Chicago, says: “These buses are a fantastic way of sightseeing.”

And, to save your time, you can buy your entry tickets to the Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb and Qutub Minar, from the bus itself. For Dilli Haat, your HOHO bus ticket suffices to get you a free entry.

Oddly enough, many still don’t know about this bus service, which started last year as part of Delhi Tourism's initiatives for the Commonwealth Games. “I didn’t know Delhi had a hop-on hop-off,” says Simon Leow from Singapore. BB and Sharon, from Malaysia share the sentiment. “People had no idea, when we asked them about the HOHO bus,” says Sharon.

Not just for foreigners, the HOHO bus is a great way for Delhiites too, to get going and explore the city.

Hop On: The Pros

It’s big, air-conditioned, comfortable and purple.
The bus runs like clockwork.
The ticket is valid for two days. There’s something (on the bust-stop list) for everyone. You can buy water bottles on the bus.
The stops are fascinating.
You can stop to eat, shop, sightsee, and just hop back on, when it’s time.
Along with the ticket, you also get a route-map, so you know when to catch the next bus.

Tips:

1. Go in a group, it will be more fun.

2. Carry your own music. You may get stuck in traffic.

3. Read up before, or carry a traveller’s guide book. You may feel a little lost at some destinations.

4. Many stops are fantastic food destinations, you don’t need to carry any food.

Hop Off: The Cons

Be warned: Shirenna, who was travelling with some friends from Canada, had a bad start.

“At the HOHO centre, I was told only two tickets are available (this when the bus was half-empty). They tried to get us to take a Taxi. It was only when I clarified at the Delhi Tourism office, that I got the tickets.” she says, adding: “Had I not gone there to clarify, these guys (Canadian friends) would have been fooled into taking a cab so expensive.”

Fact file

What: Hop-on hop-off (HOHO) bus

Where: HOHO Centre, Baba Kharak Singh Marg (opposite Hanuman Mandir)

When: Runs every 45 minutes from 8.30am to 4.15pm. The last bus reaches the HOHO Centre at 8pm

How: Buy a ticket for R300 (R150 for children under 3-feet-tall) from the Centre, or from the bus itself at any of the stops. You can also buy the ticket online.
 

Aquarium, insectariums and a butterfly park along with different zones representing different geographical areas of India will be part of the revamp work to be carried out at the National Zoological Park over the next two decades. Authorities at the park, popularly known as Delhi

zoo, are all set to unveil the masterplan with focus on its overall upgrade and increasing its inhabitants.

The draft plan, which is almost finalised, envisions that Rs 150 crore will be spent on the park's upgrade over the next two decades.

Ever since 2008, thanks to reasons ranging from a court case to changes in the administration, had delayed the zoo's masterplan, which is under the purview of the Union ministry of environment and forests.

Major re-hauling works include a new comprehensive visitor centre along with automated parking and a fine dining facility outside the ticketing area. On the premises, revamp work will include re-working the visitor circulation path

and coming up with an aquarium, insectariums and butterfly park. With the introduction of three new sections, the administration plans to increase the number of species and figures of animals, birds and reptiles at the zoo over the next few years.

At present, the zoo houses 105 species and 1,300 inhabitants. “We plan to increase the species to more than 200 and the number of animals, birds, reptiles etc to more than 2,000,” said zoo director AK Agnihotri.

“For living up to the nomenclature of ‘national’ zoological park, the zoo will also have different zones representing Himalayan foothills, Central Indian highlands, Peninsular India among other areas,” Agnihotri added. The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) — a regulatory body for zoos across the country — has cleared the master layout plan and on its basis, the zoo masterplan will be prepared.
 

The culture of building magnificent temples by dynasties of Karnataka is well known. The list of artistic and famous temples like those of Belur, Halebid and elsewhere in the State, is endless

There are also numerous lesser-known temples that may not find a place in the list, but are equally appealing because of other art forms. Murals and paintings adorning temple walls was one way of encouraging art and religion. An example of a temple with a collection of fine paintings is the Narasimhaswamy temple of Seebi near Tumkur.

Located just off the highway NH4 about 20 km beyond Tumkur is the nondescript village of Seebi. Obscured in its quietness is a shrine dedicated to the deity of Narasimhaswamy.

If not for the few devotees who come to worship and the crowd during the annual fair in February, hardly anyone else visits the village. It is difficult to imagine that such a simple town once existed during the days of Vijayanagar kings. The ancient name of Harihararayapura was in fact named after the son of Bukkaraya. Over the years, the village went into oblivion and the area became a jungle where wild animals roamed. It was only during the latter part of the 18th century that the place and the temple gained some significance.

Known in those days as Sibur, the town of Seebi came into prominence during the period of Kacheri Krishnappa, the dewan of Mysore by virtue of his royal connection. Nallappa, his eldest son continued the tradition serving as a revenue officer during the regime of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan and earned the title of Karnik. He and his two brothers, Puttappa and Lakshminarasappa, were the ones who built the present temple in memory of their father. According to mythology, the whole area surrounding Seebi was a dense jungle.

One day, a merchant passing through with bags of rice and grain had to camp overnight in the forest. He used the stones lying there to cook rice. But he was aghast to see that the rice had turned blood red and he fainted. When he regained his senses, he heard a celestial voice telling him that the very stone used for cooking was the idol of Lord Narasimha. The voice ordained him to build a temple for the god there. The merchant built a small shrine around the stone and went away. Karnik Nallappa and his brothers realised the significance of the temple and built a fine structure (between 1795 and 1811). Outside the temple is a tank called Gajagundala.

Adornments on the temple’s walls

The temple does not boast of any distinct architectural style, but the high entrance tower is well adorned with images. The inside of the cloister has a series of pink coloured niches with stucco images of various forms of Narasimha.

There are also other gods but one enclosure has the images of Alamelamma and Kacheri Krishnappa the parents of Nallappa too. But what steals the show here is the collection of beautiful murals on the ceilings. Many of the paintings relate to the epics Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavatha. The regal scenes are impressive too but the presence of kings Krishnaraja Wodeyar, Hyder Ali and Tipu intrigue as to the date of the paintings. There is no record about the artists who created these intricate works of art
 

Anegundi, now a small town with about 4,000 residents, is a historic place where many a battle was fought.

The town also has samadhis (graves) of mystic saints. In the early 14th century, Anegundi (elephant enclosure) got its name from the Vijayanagar army which had its elephant contingent in the hilly environs of the fortified capital Anegundi located on the banks of the Tungabhadra.

The very first capital of Vijayanagar dynasty, Anegundi was also the capital of several dynastic rulers. This region was ruled by the Shahi dynasty of Bijapur, Moghuls, Marathas and also Tipu Sultan during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. During the British rule, the king of Vijayanagar who ruled from Hampi lost his kingdom according to the 1824 treaty with the British and the Nizam of Hyderabad. The 1824 treaty provided a monthly pension of Rs 300 to the then king’s family which was forced to leave Hampi and make Anegundi its official residence. Rani Lalkumari Bai was the royal family’s last descendant who received this monthly pension paid by the government.

The grandson of Rani Lalkumari Bai, also named Krishnadevaraya and his family (the 19th generation) are now residents of Anegundi. Today’s royal link of Anegundi, the son of Raja Achyutharaya and Rani Chandrakantha Devi, Krishnadevaraya, professionally a mechanical engineer, having worked in the US for seven years, left his job and returned to Anegundi after the death of his father Achyutharaya. Geologically, the Anegundi region is known to be one of the oldest plateaus on earth. In the beginning of 13th century, Anegundi came to be ruled by Malik Nayab, the appointee of Sultan of Delhi, Mohammed bin Tuglaq who won the war against Jambukeshwara Raya. Later, when he was outwitted and defeated by Harihara Raya and Bukka Raya (Hakka-Bukka) who renamed their kingdom as Vijayanagar (originally Vidyaranayanagara named after the Rajaguru Vidyaranya who founded the kingdom). Anegundi has numerous religious and natural heritage sites.

Mythology has it that Anegundi was Anjanadri hill, the birthplace of Lord Hanumantha. It was also Kishkinda ruled by Vanara kings Vali and Sugriva of the epic, Ramayana.

Anegundi’s tourist attractions are the hills Taraparvatha, Rishimuka, Anjandri, the holy pond Pampa Sarovara, Aramane (palace ruins), Jain basadi, Navabrindavana, Huchchappayana Mata and the ancient Ranganathaswamy temple. A short coracle journey across the river takes you to an islet situated in the backdrop of the Anegundi hill ranges. This isolated spot is called Nadugadde (island) Nava Brindavana and has tombs of nine Madhva saints. Vysaraja Thirtha (1460-1539), whose Brindavan is easily distinguishable at the Anegundi Navabrindavana site, for 20 long years was the Rajguru of Vijayanagar emperor Krishnadevaraya.

Getting there

Anegundi is 18 km from Hospet via Hampi Talvaraghatta river crossing by easily available boats and coracles. It is about 350 km from Bangalore. Hospet is well-connected by direct buses and train services. The nearest airstrip Toranagallu is 30 km from Hospet and Bellary airport is 70 km
 

An environment and forests' ministry study has blamed electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from communication towers for the declining numbers of sparrows and bees. The study titled 'A possible impact of communication tower on wildlife birds and bees' said the radiation decreases egg production in the bees.

A 10-member expert panel headed by Bombay Natural History Society director Dr Asad Rahmani was asked to study the radiation impact after the issue was raised in the Lok Sabha in August last year. "We have suggested that EMR should be recognized as a pollutant given its effect on wildlife and should be audited regularly," said Wildlife Institute of India's Dr B C Choudhary, who was part of the panel.

The experts noted a Punjab University's study that said embryos of 50 eggs of house sparrows were damaged after being exposed to mobile tower radiation for five to 30 minutes. Sparrows exposed to the radiation suffered from reproductive and co-ordination problems. They also became aggressive.

In the case of honey bees, the group observed that high radiation resulted in an unusual phenomenon known as 'colony collapse disorder' which is characterized by sudden disappearance of a hive's inhabitants, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers behind. The vanished bees were never found. Also, the navigational skills of the bees were affected by high-tension lines.

The panel also took note of a recent study that showed that the worker bees stopped coming to the hives after 10 days and egg production in queen bees dropped drastically to 100 eggs per day compared to 350 eggs when a mobile phone with frequency of 900 MHz was kept for 10 minutes in the beehives.
 

The MCD commissioner has issued special directions to officials to implement amendments in the Archaeological Survey Act that bans construction within 100 metres of a protected monument. The act also puts several restrictions on properties/construction within 100-300 metres of the same.

Not just this, the Ancient Monuments and Archaeolog-ical Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act 2010 also puts severe monetary fine and jail term for erring officials who allow this.

Since the AMASR Act was passed in March 2010, the ASI officials have been promptly writing police complaints/FIRs and sending copies to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for taking action. More than 1,200 such complaints have already been lodged across Delhi, which has 174 protected monuments.

“Commissioner KS Mehra has directed the deputy commissioners (DCs) of each zone to act with due vigilance with regards to various provisions of the AMASR Act,” said Deep Mathur, MCD’s director (press and information).

The MCD has circulated provisions of the act to all its officials. Further, the commissioner has also directed the DCs to ensure that no unauthorised construction or encroachment comes up in the vicinity of protected heritage monuments as required under the law.

Meanwhile, after HT wrote twice about the ongoing unauthorised construction in Nizamuddin Basti near Atgah Khan’s tomb, MCD finally demolished large chunk of the construction. However, no action was taken against any of the MCD officials
 

Who are we helping by keeping old tigers alive with regular baits? Or, by releasing hand-raised cubs back to forests? Welfare is often a selfish motive. Practiced in the wild, it defeats the interest of the animals and the very purpose of conservation

First, a disclaimer: I am not given to anthropomorphic tendencies. Animals, wild or not, are animals. But still, it is difficult to think of her as it.

Her disregard for crowd and camera can shame any film icon. Over 14 years, she has been spotted by more than 100 million tourists. A few days every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims walk all over her territory on their way to Ranthambhore’s famed Ganesh temple. She hardly cares.

Her composure and confidence can humble the most efficient single mother. Despite being almost always surrounded by crowds, she has deftly raised nine cubs in four (some wrongly claim five) litters to adulthood between 2000 and 2008. She never compromised her little ones’ safety but rarely charged people even when they ventured too close for comfort. She has some nerve.

Her courage and determination make her a remarkable survivor, particularly by her species’ dodgy standards. She repeatedly took on deadly marsh crocodiles bigger than her and overcame them. Even after those mortal combats cost her two canines, she not only continued to hunt and support herself but also fed five cubs in two litters. Physical handicaps starve even dominant tigers to death over weeks. She won most of her battles in the mind.

Her far-reaching contribution can dwarf many game-changers we idolise. With crores of tourists cherishing how they photographed her, she has been the biggest advertisement for tiger conservation. In 2009, when she was awarded for lifetime achievement at the British Ambassador’s residence in New Delhi (no, she was not there), it was rather conservatively estimated that she had already generated $10 million for the local economy through tourism. But that’s not all.

Almost singlehandedly, she has defended India’s fragile westernmost population of tigers through an ominous decade. Including those nine cubs from three males, her bloodline has so far produced at least 38 tigers in Ranthambhore, including two females sent to repopulate Sariska. Of the 38, 31 are alive today and constitute 60 per cent of Rajasthan’s present tiger population.

She is the tiger legend: T16 alias the Lady of the Lake alias Machli.

When I first saw the young tigress at the turn of the century, I did not even know she had a name. Afterwards, I watched, photographed and filmed the reigning queen of the three majestic lakes near the craggy fort at the heart of Ranthambhore many a time. As tigers disappeared from Rajasthan with poachers striking at will in the first half of the last decade and hollow promises crumbled all around, the very sight of Machli — strolling, stalking, ambushing, raising still more cubs or just minding her own business — was one of the few reassuring constants. We sought to spot her every time we passed by her territory, as an omen of sorts.

It was a miracle that Machli raised her fourth litter at a ripe age and without two canines. However spectacular, all things, even George Harrison knew, must pass away. So three years on, now Machli has lost all but half a canine, a little patch of her once vast territory, and some of her indomitable spirit. She still makes occasional kills. But without the baits the forest department has been offering her for two years now, she would have long been dead.

Except in photos clicked every season by tourists on Machli pilgrimage, I have not seen her after 2009. I refuse to watch an amazing wild tiger reduced to a pathetic spectacle.

For generations fed on the 1966 blockbuster based on Joy Adamson’s Born Free, the idea of ‘helping’ wild animals, particularly big cats, is one of the loftiest goals of conservation.

Machli is not the only victim of our compassion. Life support was also offered to her contemporary and partner T2, the ancient Anantpura male. The big daddy fathered many tigers, including three sent to repopulate Sariska. By 2010, he was too weak to kill even chained buffaloes and finally died this year. In April 2009, a young Ranthambhore male (T29) was operated upon for an injury and set on his feet. It is another matter that Ranthambhore’s tiger population is showing a skewed sex ratio, with too many males around and nature must eliminate a few to restore balance.

Yet, across the country, old and injured tigers are being baited and treated, and orphaned cubs are being brought up in “natural enclosures”.

Not to mention the smug celebrations every time a maneater is packed off to a zoo, instead of being put down.

But animal welfare is an ethical and not an ecological concern. At best, these efforts have no bearing on wildlife conservation. At worst, they defeat its very purpose. In nature, the weak and the injured must perish so that the fittest may flourish. So an aged tiger dies of starvation or at the hands of a young adversary.

The reign of Charger, revered as the mightiest ever of all Bandhavgarh tigers, ended in a deadly fight with one of his grandsons in 2002. Of course, the forest staff tried to feed the mauled, half-blind veteran but he did not respond. Had Charger survived thanks to human benevolence, his young grandson would have had to get into another fight to kill him, thereby inviting fresh injuries or jeopardising his own future as a dominant male.

Yet, we treat the wild like pets.

In September 2008, Ranthambhore’s Guda tigress died of suspected poisoning, leaving two sub-adult cubs, about 16 months old. The forest department promptly stepped in and handed out routine baits to the T36 male and his sibling T37 female.

Raised on calves, the brother-sister duo possibly lost, or did not get to acquire, much of wild survival skills. The sister has a better chance since females seldom face deadly challenges from other females. The brother’s luck gave out when he ran into a probing male in October last year. The adversary was just three years old. The natural advantage should have been with T36. But it was an unequal battle between a raised tiger and a wild one.

Once he was orphaned, 16-month-old T36 would have died of starvation. Or, maybe, necessity would have made a wild tiger out of him. But by offering him baits, forest officials consigned him to an inevitable end. Poor T36 was dead the day he became a raised tiger in the wild.

Another brother-sister duo, orphaned when Ranthambhore’s Berdha tigress died in April 2009, enjoyed regular baits from the park officials. In July 2010, Simba, the three-year-old brother, seriously injured himself attempting a wild hunt. He was spotted in a sorry shape during the monsoon, suffering from deep wounds inflicted by porcupine quills. Then, he disappeared.

This blinkered welfare motive is not limited to cubs and the elderly though. For example, sending a “man-eater” to a zoo does save its life but, in terms of wildlife conservation, the effort is no better than shooting the animal dead. In both cases, the result is one animal less in the wild.

Our excitement about saving “man-eaters” shifts the focus from the real problems — absence of buffer forests, faulty land use around forests — that push predators to chance encounters with people and create “man-eaters”. If these root causes are not addressed and if we do not learn to differentiate between accidental and deliberate attacks, we may soon be left with empty forests, once we have happily rescued all the tigers as “maneaters” to zoos.

The more obvious fallout of Born Free is our aspiration to return orphaned cubs to the wild. But cubs raised in captivity have rarely succeeded in the wild. They lack in hunting skills and fail to defend themselves. Also, bereft of any fear of humans, they tend to get into conflict.

Captive females do stand a chance since wild males accept them as mating partners. For a hand-raised lioness, such acceptance even compensates for her lack of hunting skills as she gets to feed with the pride. After rehabilitating Elsa the lioness, Adamson successfully returned two more hand-raised cats to the wild. Not a coincidence that Pippa the cheetah and Penny the leopard were also females.

In India, Billy Arjan Singh experimented with four hand-raised cats. Tigress Tara and leopardesses Harriet and Juliette had cubs in the wild, but the whereabouts of Prince, the male leopard, remained uncertain. The attempts had led to conflict and subsequent poisoning of Harriet and Juliette.

In Karnataka, Gajendra Singh released two leopards near Bandipur in 1999. While the male was killed soon after while attempting to hunt a sambar stag, the female survived. Emboldened, Singh repeated the experiment this year with three orphan leopard cubs. Around the same time, Bangalore-based NGO Vanamitra was allowed to release three hand-raised cubs in Bhadra. Within months, the cats killed two villagers and injured many, forcing the State forest department to remove them from the wild and ban such experiments.

An excellent guideline issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2010 is unambiguous on the issue: “A cub without its mother usually does not need ‘rescue’ as the mother leaves the cubs when she goes hunting. Equally, cubs released without its mother have poor survival probabilities. If cubs are found alone, a watch must be kept for their mother without disturbing them. Cubs are not to be ‘released’, but only require ‘reuniting’ with their mother. Reuniting should be attempted immediately in the night in the same area, from where they were picked up.”

“Cubs that are hand-reared in captivity have a negligible possibility of future release back to the wild. Lifetime care is the only suitable option for such cubs, since their release in the wild even after a long-term rehabilitation process may only worsen the already existing conflict situation.”

Yet, three orphaned Tadoba cubs are being raised in an enclosure in Maharashtra’s Bor sanctuary since September 2009. The forest department and a Nagpur-based NGO, Shrusti, are adamant that they are fit to be released in Pench tiger reserve. While Wildlife Institute of India has deferred a final decision, it will be the worst advertisement for tiger conservation if these cubs are set free and they run into conflict with the villagers.

Our romanticism blinds us to the lessons we should have learnt by now. Even before the sordid Karnataka experience, a hand-raised leopard, Lakshmi, was released on the outskirts of Ranthambhore in 2009. Soon, the people-friendly cat ran after local villagers, spreading panic. Lakshmi is now confined to an enclosure deep inside the reserve, much to the annoyance of the wild resident cats of the area.

A similar welfare drama is playing out in Bandhavgarh. When the Jhurjhura tigress was run over by a vehicle in May last year, the future of her three small cubs in the wild was sealed. One of the cubs was killed by a male. Still, the other two cubs are being raised in an enclosure at the heart of the reserve. In all these cases, instead of taking the cubs to zoos — to quote wildlife photographer Aditya Singh — we are deluding ourselves by bringing zoos to the forests.

Welfare is often a selfish motive.

We want to return the Bor cubs back to the wild or keep Machli alive because it gives us an emotional and moral high. It is not them but merely our perception of them that we want to protect and preserve.

Not many Ranthambhore regulars talk about the Sultanpuri tigress (T14) any more. For many years, Machli’s sister was the prize sighting in Zone 1. Then, she was challenged by T13, one of her three daughters, in 2009. Soon, the mother surrendered her territory. T13 became the new Sultanpuri female and has already raised three cubs of her own.

Machli was lucky to hang on to about one-fifth of her territory after she was dethroned by her dominant daughter, T17. When the forest department begun baiting her under public glare, sister Sultanpuri was stumbling away to Bhaironpura where she took refuge at the edge of the national park. Though she was exactly Machli’s age (from the same litter), nobody lobbied to keep her alive. Away from the tourism zone, Sultanpuri made occasional kills and scavenged some more. Her last known big kill was a buffalo this February. It is already six months since she was last spotted sometime in April.

Sultanpuri’s lonely, helpless end may sadden us. But unlike her sister, she was fortunate to have been left alone. The biggest disservice millions of Machli fans could do to her was to treat the fierce fighter as destitute. If we agree that the wild are born free, we must learn to respect that freedom, in life and death.
 

The famed artpiece is the work of Russian artist Vasili Vasilievich Vereshchagin

A painting of the interior of the pearl mosque in New Delhi by a Russian artist is all set to go under the hammer at a Sothebys auction next month. Vasili Vasilievich Vereshchagin’s famed Indian series, will be the highlight of the auction, expected to fetch USD 5 million.

The sale of important Russian art on November 1 will see the monumental work - measuring approximately 13 by 16 feet - on offer from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, along with seven works.

The painting of the Moti Masjid (pearl mosque), which is inside the Red Fort in Delhi, has been put on view in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries beginning yesterday, alongside the full sale exhibition.

“We are thrilled to offer this true masterwork from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts,” said Sonya Bekkerman, head of Sotheby’s Russian paintings department here.

“Beyond its astonishing size, the pearl mosque at Delhi represents pure painterly perfection. For an artist made famous by his provocative images of war, the work showcases Vereshchagin’s supreme versatility, and underscores his position as one of the leading visual historians of the 19th century.”

Vereshchagin, considered one of the most famous of Russian painters, embarked on a two-year journey to India in 1874 with his wife. His Indian series features numerous depictions of architectural monuments, all of which he realistically captured with painstaking attention to detail.

Moti Masjid lies to the west of the Hammam (the bath) and was built by Aurangzeb in 1669-70 for his personal use. The prayer-hall of the mosque is inlaid with outlines of musallas (small carpets for prayers) in black marble, and it stands at a higher level than the courtyard. The hall is surmounted by three bulbous domes, originally copper-plated, which appear to be too constricted at the neck. The eastern door is provided with copper-plated leaves. The mosque was also used by the ladies of the seraglio.

Archaeological Survey of India officials said that the Mosque, like a few other structures within the Red Fort such as the Hammam, is no longer open to the public for reasons of conservation.

Heritage conservationists say that two similar mosques were built, one by Aurangzeb’s father Shah Jahan inside the Lahore Fort in Pakistan in 1645 and another by Aurangzeb’s son, Bahadur Shah I, in Mehrauli between 1707-12.
 

The subject might be centuries old but the medium to spread awareness about it is the latest. Social networking sites such as Facebook are being increasingly used to help spread awareness about Delhi ’s rich heritage, specially the monuments dating from the 9th to the 19th century.

Perceived to be an elitist affair till recently, heritage walk — a walk along a pre-decided route with heritage monuments and sites — has undergone paradigm change in the city. Delhi government’s own Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) has a Facebook page (which uses the ID as Shahjahanabad Redevelopment) to this cause. The Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), a conservation NGO also working to get the World Heritage City tag for Delhi, too has a Facebook page apart from its website (http://www.delhiheritagecity.org) to spread awareness about heritage sites.

The SRDC heritage walks, which are free of cost and in Hindi, were started earlier in the year. The number of people attending such walks has increased manifold, from 50 to more than 200 for the latest walk in October first week.

Dr Navina Jafa, SRDC’s heritage consultant, said, “the heritage walks are no longer an elitist affair. Our walks have seen participation from all walks of life, from a shopkeeper from Chandni Chowk to lower middle class bank employee.”

Pooja Trehan, SRDC’s communication strategist,added “we have students from more than 300 private and public schools using their respective school’s Facebook page to interact with the SRDC. Next on our agenda are the resident welfare associations.”

Internet or Facebook has also helped the private conductors. Echoed Surekha Narain, who has been conducting heritage walks as a profession for past three years, “all my work comes through my website (www.delhimetrowalks.com).”

“Popularising the cause of heritage has actually become very easy with the help of social networking sites. Facebook or the websites generate a lot of queries. Even if these queries do not result in actual participation; it helps in spreading awareness about heritage.”
 

The southern part of Chhattisgarh state is the Bastar region with a predominantly tribal population.
There are about 24 tribal groups including Bhatra, Chandar, Dora, Dravid, Munda, Halba, Ganda, Kolas, Madia and so on.

A few like the Nahar are nomadic tribes. They collect herbs and are hunter-gatherers. Others have settled down as farmers but still depend upon the neighbourhood forest for their daily needs of fodder, herbs, bamboos, and minor forest produce like roots, wild fruits and honey.

Not surprisingly, woodcraft comes naturally for tribals who are familiar with forests and trees. Tribal art can be seen in wooden models and masks with tribal motifs. Some of the wooden panels, with a wide range of motifs, are fascinating and infuse life into any modern living room. Tribals are quite adept at bamboo craft too.

They weave baskets that can be used either as decorative pieces or for functional purposes like storing food grains, fruits, vegetables, clothes and other items. Weaving of bamboo mats is in itself an art. Other bamboo items that are in demand include table mats, wall hangings and coasters. Bamboo is an ideal material that serves the tribals’ various needs.

Terracotta art flourishes among the tribals who are dexterous in shaping earth into any shape they like. Potters bring the finest clay from the Indravati riverbed and fashion out items like ornate elephants and horses, including the famous Bankura horse, bowls, urns and jars. Indigenous colours are used, where needed, that enhance the beauty of these terracotta objects.

Tribals hand-weave ordinary cotton into exotic saris, dress materials and drapes. They bring life to the material by use of intricate to simple hand printing using vegetable dyes extracted from raw materials found in the Bastar forests. Their designs reflect tribal artistic patterns in all their majesty.

However, the use of bell metal is not very well-known in tribal handicraft. The bell metal art originated for serving the needs of the erstwhile king’s horses that were decorated with bells and trinkets. Later on, the craft developed to make a wide range of products such as small and big idols that decorate a drawing room and bell metal animal designs depicting deer, horses, elephants and masks as well as heads of tribals that could be displayed in a showcase. Each piece is painstakingly crafted by hand using the vanishing wax technique. A few tribal families have taken to the designing of bell metal objects in a big way.

One might wonder how wrought iron becomes an art object? Innovative village blacksmiths have developed the knack of turning out wrought iron art objects that are not only attractive but affordable too. Whether it is a human figure or a deer with curved antlers, there is something magical in these simple objects that attract attention.

A wide variety of art objects are turned out one by one by skilled blacksmiths who love their creations. These might appear somewhat crude at first sight, but on closer examination, they stand out as pieces made by a person who is devoted to the handicraft. There is change as well as continuity in the design and execution of tribal handicrafts using different media. It is for us to encourage tribal handicrafts.
 

We, the students of VIS went to one of the most famous heritage places in India on the October 12. We went to the Red Fort, which was made of red sandstone. It was a trip that gave us an idea of the life of people in ancient times. The guide told us many interesting facts about the Red Fort. He said the Red Fort had influences as varied as Muslim, Sikh and Hindu cultures — unlike today’s world, where every religion is different. There was an inverted Lotus that symbolised that all the religions are one. We were told about the various sections of the fort. One of the most important sections of the fort was the Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas. The Diwan-i-Aam was meant for general public, and Diwan-i-Khas was meant for highly privileged people. It was an enlightening trip and we were given refreshments too. Moreover, I enjoyed the journey to Red Fort with my friends a lot. So, overall, we can say that the trip was awesome and I hope to visit the great and ancient monument again.

VASSU BHARDWAJ

On October 12, 2011, we visited Red Fort, commonly known as ‘Lal Kila’ or ‘Quila-i-Mubarak’. It was interesting to how these monuments were built. We came to know that this monument is made of red sandstone and marble. The art work, ‘Meenakari’, on the walls was breathtakingly beautiful. It represented ancient artwork. Though the weather was hot, we were full of enthusiasm to explore Red Fort more and more. We saw many sections of the Red Fort, such as ‘Diwan-e-aam’ and ‘Diwan-e-Khas’. I was amazed to see the luxurious life of kings and the hard work of the workers who made it — not to mention the great architecture from that time. It took nine years to build the fort. We also saw many emporiums in the Red Fort. They were very appealing, and attracted all of us. Overall, it was a very knowledgeable tour. If given a chance, I would definitely like to go and see the beautiful fort once again. It was definitely an amazing experience.

Mansi Aggarwal

After the great post-trauma suffering due to the horrifying half-yearly examination, we were finally relieved by the news of going on a picnic. The teachers liked calling it as an educational trip, but it didn’t turn out as boring as it sounded. Then, on October 12, we were finally standing in front of one of the greatest Indian heritage sites in New Delhi. As we moved through the mystical Lahore gate, we were transported into a magnificent fort carved in Red sandstone. We all were accompanied by a guide who enlightened us on the great Mughal monument. Walking between those ancient pillars was in itself an enthralling experience. Knowing the fact that once the emperor of Mughal empire walked the same path, my friends and I enjoyed the great experience. Surely, it was one of those trips that we will remember for a long time.

Harshmeet

On October 12, 2011, the students of Class X visited the Red Fort, which has recently been included in one of the three world heritage sites in Delhi. We entered the Red Fort through the Lahore Gate, after which we encountered many shops on the way to the main parts of the fort. My friends and I bought some items from these shops. We then went to Diwan-e-Aam, in which emperor used to meet with general public and Diwan-e-Khas, where he used to engage in extensive discussions with his trusted ministers. We enjoyed the trip very much, and the trip was very informative.

Sunayani Shivkumar

The trip to Red Fort was a splendid one. Red Fort is a place of great beauty. It was built by Shahjahan about 300 years ago on the banks of the river Yamuna. The trip was organised by our school, and sponsored by The Indian Express in order to remind us of India’s historical importance. The aura of Red Fort is so amazing that it attracts people towards itself. The beautiful patterns on the walls, Diwan-e-Aam and Diwan-e-khas, enhanced the beauty of the place.We also saw Moti Masjid, which was built by Aurangzeb. The splendor of the exotic fort filled me with awe.

*Pranav Arora

On October 12, 2011, our school arranged a trip for the students of Class X to the Red Fort, which was a place with mystifying beauty. When we reached our destination, we were amazed to see its beauty. We also appreciated the hard work put by the people who built it, and that too when they had no modern technology at their disposal. We took note of the beauty of the redstone marble and other attractive materials used in its creation. Our school also arranged for a guide, who told us different things about the fort and the people who lived there. On our entry to the Red Fort, we saw the Lahore and Delhi Gate. We saw the place where the king used to address the common people. We were amazed by the expanse of the fort. Moreover, in the Red Fort, we could appreciate the canal system of the river and the way the water of the Yamuna was used for maintaining gardens. Having seen the magnificent structure, I couldn’t help but envy the erstwhile kings and the queens for the kind of lifestyle they used to lead. Along with this, we also had a guide with us who was continuously telling us about the Red Fort. After the walk, we boarded our bus and reached the school by 2 pm. We completely enjoyed the trip. Now I really think that our country is full of marvellous and historical things, and we need to conserve them — so our future generations can appreciate the same.

Harlin Bindra

The day had finally arrived; we were going on a visit to the historical Red Fort. The weather conditions were absolutely perfect for this fantastic day. We boarded the bus at 9 am. On our way to Red Fort, teachers described the structure and its significance. We went inside from the main gate, and were left spellbound with the architecture and the historical significance of the place. The guide told us about its history. The erstwhile capital of the Mughal Empire was a globally recognised monument that displayed the might of the Mughal empire.We saw Moti Masjid, built by Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb. We were enraptured by the beauty of the place. We finally boarded the bus and reached our school after the visit to Red Fort. It was really memorable event.

*Akshit Jain

On October 12, we visited the RedFort. We left the school premises at 9 am and reached there by 10 am. There we were given a questionnaire. We were lucky to visit the Redfort, a thing that we had only read about and seen in the books. It is a huge fort and is well maintained. There we saw the place where the king used to sit amidst huge gathering. There was a beautiful garden facing it with fresh aroma of magnificent flowers. We saw Moti Masjid, Rang Mahal. There was also Diwan-e-aam and Diwan-e-khas for public and private meetings. Today, the Red Fort is a mere building for us, but yes, after visiting Red Fort one gets to understand the historical significance of this amazing structure. It reminds us of our cultural heritage and glorious past. We must preserve our culture and heritage.

Saumya Sambyal

On October 12, 2011, we the students of Class X of Venkateshwar International School got the golden opportunity to visit a historical monument, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Red Fort is spread over a large area. People from all over the world throng the place in large numbers. Our national flag is hoisted here by the Prime Minister every Independence Day. Red Fort’s shopping area has shops that sell goods, showcasing the cultural diversity of India. In all, more than being an education trip, the trip to Red Fort helped revive the patriotism in us.
*Nitansh Atwal
After an ecstatic journey by bus, we reached the Red Fort just before noon. The sun shone brightly on the red sandstone. The Red Fort, built by Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, stood majestically over a huge area. We couldn’t get our eyes off the beautiful sculptures on the walls of the Red Fort. One couldn’t help but gaze at this majestic marvel. Even the hot and humid weather could not suppress our enthusiasm. We saw the place where the king used to stand amidst the gathering. Our guide showed us through the fort, which accommodated the Diwan-e-Aam, Diwan-e-Khas and Moti Masjid — among others. It was an enthralling experience, and we were captivated by the beauty of the structure.

*Prashant Gupta

Our school, Venkateshwar International School, organised an educational trip to the Red Fort. We left the school around 8.15am. The distance between our school and the Red Fort was a lot. We finally reached there around 11.30 am. We were given a small worksheet that had questions related to what we would see next in our trip. A guide, who was there to help us out, gave information on many structure and buildings. We walked a lot, around three to four kilometres. On the way, we saw shops selling antique items, bangles and toys. We also saw many tourists admiring the fort. It was a beautiful and amazing experience. The fort and structures were beautifully built, and it made us realise what a great cultural heritage we have. After leaving the fort, we were given refreshments and told to get into the buses. We were really tired after walking so much. We reached the school by 3 pm.
 

The Angkor Archaeological Park offers enough for the child as well as the adult in you. The thrill of discovering a lost empire is matched by the realisation of the vagaries of human nature

Over twenty full-grown tropical forest trees stand over the Ta Prohm temple in the Angkor Archaeological Park. It appears like a war has broken out between the tropical jungle and the magnificent temples of the Great Khmer Empire. For now, the forests seem to have the upper hand, looking like giant wrestlers just moments away from crushing their foe with bare hands.

The sights at the temple, more popularly known as the ‘Tomb Raider' temple because of its popularity after the Angelina Jolie-starrer “Lara Croft: Cradle of Life” was shot here, in many ways explain both the splendour and the tragedy of the region.

It begs the question how could such magnificent temples built by one of the greatest empires in the region, one that flourished between the 9th and the 13th centuries, fell to utter ruins. How could such a magnificent city, once inhabited by over a million people, be abandoned for more than three centuries?

The trip to the Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia is not just only about the appreciation of the temples there, but also serves as a discovery of the vagaries of human nature. It is not only about great kings who built temples and cities but also about leaders blinded by their own beliefs, bringing to dust the humanity around them and with it all things connected.

The first thing that strikes you about some of the lesser known but equally impressive temples of the region is the tones and the colours. At Preah Khan, an extensive Buddhist complex, full of carvings and photo opportunities, the tone is one of decay. The stones are covered with lichens and it is hard to say where nature has not made its presence felt. The village was once known as ‘Nagarajayshri' (city blessed with victory) but today it is anything but. It is almost like walking straight into a Sepia-toned photograph of the temples as the French found it in the mid-19th century.

Our Cambodian guide Koeu Kheuler points at a bas relief at Preah Khan featuring the statues of meditating Hindu saints. While the statues of the Hindu saints, differentiated by their cross-legged squatting posture, remain intact, the statues of the boddhisatvas (Buddhist monks) the once decorate the panel opposite are missing. “The successor to King Jayavaraman VII, who built this temple, turned to be a Hindu fanatic and chopped off the statues. Jayavarman VII was a Buddhist himself but his brother Jayavarman VIII banished Buddhism from the region. This led to civil unrest and the neighbouring Kingdom of Siam (present day Thailand) attacked at the opportune moment. That was the beginning of the end of the Great Khmer Empire.”

The downfall of the Khmer Empire meant almost all the temples were continually ransacked both by the invaders from Thailand and their neighbouring long-time foes the Chams (region of North Vietnam). The temples were continuously pillaged for precious stones and statues.

In the years that followed, the Khmer people founded another capital for themselves near the present day Phnom Penh. The tropical climate of the region and the fertility of the soil, influenced by various factors such as the freshwater Tonle Sap Lake nearby, allowed natured to completely take over the region. This is no more obvious than at the Ta Phrom temple, where the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is undertaking a joint conservation project with the Apsara Authority of the Cambodian Government that handles the Park.

Members of the Archaeological Team explained to me that the fertile grounds of the region, once its strength during the golden era of the Khmer Empire, also became its curse when the region was abandoned. There was nothing to stop the trees from completely taking over giant complexes of buildings. And since they were built with sandstone, and not granite, like in India, they succumbed faster to the growth of trees.

The eastern gallery in Ta Prohm ('Temple of Brahma') was reduced to rubble, but thanks to the efforts of ASI today it stands a lot closer to its ancient glory. “As many as 20 full grown trees stand on top of the temple here. The conservation work is very tough,” says D.S.Sood, who heads the ASI team at Ta Phrom now.

The other magnificent yet crumbling temple one should not miss is the Bayon Temple or the State temple of King Jayavarman VII. With over 200 giant faces of Buddha staring at you from every corner, it was perhaps the last architectural masterstroke from the great craftsmen of the region.

The Angkor region near Siem Reap in Cambodia has not just survived the downfall of the Khmer Empire but also one of humanity worst genocides in the 20th century under the Communist regime of the person people refer to as ‘Pol Pot' (his real name was Saloth Sar). He ruled Cambodia for less than four years or “three years four months and 12 days” as our Cambodian guide recalled several times during our visit. “But he destroyed it more than any one else”.

He wiped out nearly 20 percent of the country's population and mired it in civil war until the late 1990s. Though Angkor region is today safe, there are still parts of Cambodia that have landmines. Visitors to the temples in the Angkor Park will often find physically disabled musicians playing traditional Cambodian instruments. They are victims of landmine trying to earn a living with some dignity.

Pol Pot tried to recreate the magic of the Great Khmer Empire. And yet all he succeeded was catch the madness of the last of the rulers who ruined that Empire.
 

Bismillah hotel in Ballimaran is now no more. It has been sold off after the death of its owners, whose sons were not interested in running the famous eating house. One remembers the time of its heyday when it was always crowded with customers, among them Afghan businessmen frequenting Delhi. This unconventional restaurant occupied wide area of which one became aware only on entering it and sitting down on the wooden benches and tables dating back to the 1930s. Opposite it, just across the narrow road that leads to Chawari Bazar was Hafiz Hotel, small no doubt but serving stuff that was like home food. It was one of the favourite joints of Dr. Zakir Husain whenever he came to the Capital during his AMU days. Even after he became Vice-President, he sometimes visited the place, but on being elected President he had to give up the practice for security reasons. Hafiz Hotel was the first to go and now its neighbour which had became a landmark of sorts for both locals and outsiders. One could have a full meal there for a few rupees and also taste the gola kababs made across the street by a thin bearded man from whom the waiters could be persuaded to get the sizzling stuff. Now his son sits near the big gate leading to the bustee inside but he makes seekh kababs, which are Rs.six each. The golas cost just four annas in the 1960s.

It was at Bismillah that one met a tall, buxom Pathan girl who identified herself as Khanum and her brother, Abdullah. Though big-built she was pretty and well informed, and her 6ft. 2 inch-high brother was as handsome as a young Pathan can be. There were other Pathans eating there, some towering to 6ft. 8 inch, wearing embroidered waistcoats above their long kameez and baggy shalwars, which marked them out as North West Frontier tribesmen belonging to clans like the Pakhtoons and the Afridis, who had taught the British a bloody lesson at Jalalabad.

Sarhadi Gandhi

Khanum and Abdullah were rather reticent about their antecedents but quite unreserved in comments on things Indian and the food they seemed to be enjoying, washed down with water cooled with ice broken from huge slabs kept near the hotel gate.

It was only later that one learnt that they were the niece and nephew of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the Sarhadi Gandhi, who was visiting Delhi at the invitation of Indira Gandhi, probably his first trip after Independence. True to his image of Khudai Khitamatgar, he had disembarked from the plane at Delhi airport with just a small potli (bundle) which contained his clothes while other articles were carried by Khanum in her suitcase. A budding journalist, who is now a well known name, claimed to have befriended her since Badshah Khan had taken a liking to the chap being fond of smart youngsters men like him.

Among other well known people one met at Bismillah were members of the Hyderabad City Police football team then an outfit to reckon with. Its members Moin, Naim, Laiq and Zulfikar were having the eatery's delicious suji biscuits and cardamom-flavoured tea. They thought the food compared very well with what they had eaten near the Char Minar.

Intellectuals too visited the restaurant among them Habil Tanvir, Prof. Mughese Faridi of Delhi University's Urdu Department, a descendant of Sheikh Salim Chisti, like Khan Bahadur Akhtar Adil, whose remains were brought all the way from Karachi by plane and buried at Fatepur Sikri. Chacha Niaz Haider, the eccentric poet and dramatist and the painter M.F. Husain also relished the korma-roti and biryani here.