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Connemara Public Library, Chennai,one of Asia's largest

March 10, 2017, 6:30 pm
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Connemara Public Library at Egmore, Chennai,.wandertrails.com
Connemara Public Library, Egmore in Chennai,www.pinterest.com
 Connemara Public Library at Egmore in Chennai city, the oldest library in India, was previously part of Madras Museum and got its own building in the year 1896. It is worth mentioning that  this library was originally  functioning successfully by bringing the surplus books from Hailey bury and Imperial Service College Libraries in England. It is one among the four National Depository Libraries in India which receive a copy of all books, newspapers and periodicals published in India. First established in 1890, this library has a fabulous collection of standard works, pretty old publications, etc., besides serving as a depository library for the UN. It is one of the Asia's largest public libraries. Greatly  benefited  from the efforts of the Madras Literary Society, the Oriental Manuscripts Library and the Records Office, it is believed, to contain more than 600,000 valuable books and is a heaven for researchers and book worms.
Connemara Public Library, Egmore in Chennai, MakeMyTrip
Connemara Public Library, Chennai..flickr.com/photos/mdeii
Connemara Public Library at Egmore, Chennai. TripAdvisor
  When Madras was the Presidency under the direct British Crown administration, London way back in 1860, it was one Captain Jesse Mitchell started a small library as part of Madras Museum to cater to the people whose  main hobby was reading. He decided to bring to Madras  a vast volume of surplus books lying unused in  the libraries of Hailey bury College  and these were sent to the Madras Government, which redirected them to  the Madras Museum. In those days, Hailey bury College in Hartford Heath, Hertfordshirewas the main institution where civil servants of the Indian Civil Service were given special training in various aspects of Colonial Administration. Madras Museum was founded based on the model of the British Museum. At one stage, a separate building became a necessity and the then Governor of Madras, Lord Connemara, an Angelo-Irish gentleman, laid  the foundation on 22 March 1890. Opened to public as a free library, it was named after Lord
Connemara and it came up on a vast ground used to be called the
The Pantheon. With the passing  of Madras Public Libraries Act of 1948, after India's independence, it became a separate public library in the same year. 

A Braille Library, an IAS study center, video room, reference room, etc., were  added later. One entire floor is dedicated to  books on various Indian languages.  The state government allocated funds every year to purchase valuable books of Indian origin as well as books from overseas.
 
As per Public Libraries Act of 1954 under the provision of Delivery of Books and Newspapers,  Indian publishers have to deposit a copy of their publication with this library. In 1973 itself additional buildings came up to accommodate countless books, periodicals, and other services. One striking aspect of the old colonial structure is it is not stuck with one type of style. As a matter of fact, its impressive architecture is a combination of Indo-Saracenic, Gothic cum neo-Byzantine, Rajput Mughal and typical  Southern Hindu- Deccani style. The library,  for unknown reasons, is yet to be a  member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connemara_Public_Library
 
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Impressive colonial building, Southern Railways HO, Chennai

March 10, 2017, 7:54 pm
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South Indian Raiway HQ, Chennai Alamy

The impressive building  near the Central Station on Poonamallee High Road, Chennai that serves as the Southern Railway headquarters is yet another popular landmark in this big city and this historical building following an Indo-Saracenic structure  was built in 1921 as the new Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Company (MSMR) headquarters (successor of Madras Railway Company), replacing the general office of MSMR at Royapuram Railway Station (now part of Chennai). Presently  this Head Office of the Southern Railways covers the entire southern region. In the colonial period the railroads were run only by the British companies with British directors, using funds raised in India.  The unsavory fact is the railways were introduced by the British for their international trade benefits out of Indian tax payers' money. However, we have to accept the fact that they built sturdy railway stations, vast railway tracks, rail bridges across countless rivers,  etc., without compromising on quality.
, Chennai. southern Railways HQen.wikipedia.org/
This Chennai  building was constructed  at a cost of rupees two million  plus and the contractor was one T. Samynada Pillai, a leading Bangalore-based building contractor. Since he did a good job, the famous and majestic  Egmore Railway Station was built later by Pillai and his team. A fascinating fact that may be worthy of mention is  for the first time in India reinforced concrete was used and the classical and Dravidian styles were introduced by the architect N. Grayson, an employee of  the Madras & Southern Mahratta Railway.It is believed a  total of rupees  3 million had been spent and it took nine long years to complete the project. The building came into being on 11 December 1922. 

The central bay of the building has two rectangular wings, both of which are designed  around a lush courtyard. Considering the tropical climate and hot summer, the architect took special care to have large windows set in place at vantage points to allow the sea breeze to waft through, reaching the courtyard from the front and then going out through the opposite wing.

Tit-Bits:
Southern Railway HQ. Talks From a Native Indian
Turrets on Southern Railway HO, Chennai. Panoramio

Tit-Bits:

01. For  the  first  time  in  India reinforced
concrete  was used for the construction work. Yet another feature is mixing of  Dravidian style of architecture

02. Bombay  Central  India   Railway  Office  was  
designed by F.W. Steven’s in Gothic Style.
™
03. Lahore railway office was designed by James Ransome  in 1905 in Indo - Saracenic

04. The same building contractor who built the SR headquarter building, also built the huge Egmore Railway station that operates trains to the southern regions mostly on the eastern southern peninsular India.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Railway_Headquarters,_Chennai
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Royapuram raiway station, Chennai , one of the oldest in india

March 11, 2017, 8:11 pm
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Royapuram railway station, Chennai  en. wikipedia.org/wiki
Royapuram railway station at Royapuram, on the Chennai Beach–Arakkonam section of the Chennai Suburban Railway network in Chennai,  is one of the oldest railway stations in India. The note worthy feature is, unlike  the original structures of the two older stations like Bombay and Thane that are not operational now, Royapuram station  is currently operational. It has the credit of being the first and oldest railway station still operational  not only in  South India, but also in the entire subcontinent. The very first train became operational in June 1856. Till 1922, the station also had remained as the headquarters of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway and later the Head Office was moved over to Egmore.

As time goes by,  Royapuram railway station building is in a dilapidated condition over the decades due to poor maintenance and neglect. Pathetically, one end of the station has become a play ground and the other end is  is being used for the transport of goods trains and the platform adjacent the main building is used for passenger trains. A sum of rupees  3.5 million was spent to carry out major repair works and was re-opened to the public on 2 October 2005 by the then union railway ministry. The station is classified as one among 800 heritage structures.

It was here at Royapuram railway station, the laying down of the second railway line of the South Asia began in 1853. The idea of a railway in South India was mooted as far back as  in 1832. Though the Madras Railway Company was formed on 8 July1845 in London to form railway lines in the Madras Presidency, four years later, it was the Great India Peninsula Company in 1849,  built a 21-mile-long route from Bori Bunder (later the Victoria Terminus) in Bombay to Thane. It was India's first railway line opened for traffic on 16 April 1853.  As for the south, the EIC did not show any interest initially and subsequently a new company with the same name was formed in July 1952  and with permission from the English company - EIC  it began the work on the southern line in 1853 and a railway track  was extended from Royapuram (Madras) to Arcot town ( a distance of 101.74 km), then titular capital of the Nawab of the Carnatic (the present day Walajapet, near Ranipet in Tamil Nadu). It took 3 years to complete the work.

As Royapuram was close to the edge of a settlement of British traders and natives near Fort St. George and, in consideration of its vantage point, it was decided to have a railway station with a main terminus built here. The main terminus at the Royapuram station, was declared open on 28 June 1856 by the then Governor Lord Harris. The railway line was opened for traffic on 1 July 1856 with the introduction of two services on the inaugural day - Royapuram to Ambur and Royapuram to Tiruvallur.  The first train produced  by  Simpson and Company,  made its  maiden journey with the Governor and 300 Europeans  from Royapuram to Walajapet and after the journey, a stately dinner was arranged in Ambur. The second train included Indian invitees to a shorter distance till "Triveloor" (the present day Thiruvallur). 
Royapuram station, 1856. Sketch by
Capt Barnett, Madras Army.v-sundaram.blogspot.in
Gov. of Madras Harris 1854-1859. Painting by Sir Francis Granth.v-sundaram.blogspot.in
On 6 September 1856, the The Illustrated London News dated 6 September 1856 published the news of  the regal inauguration of the palatial railway station in Madras and described the second railway line in India.  The journal mentioned that the elegant  Royapuram station was furnished with rooms having  handsome punkahs. Trains  towards the southern regions of the state were operated from Royapuram station when Central Station became functional in 1873, operating  trains towards the north. Prior to that Royapuram was the only railway station in the city for about 17 years till Madras Central Station became functional.
Opening of  2nd rail track, Royapuram.v-sundaram.blogspot.in
The development of the Chennai Port was a boon and  the cargoes from the port were sent via Royapuram station. Consequently the  Egmore Railway Station  became major the terminus for southbound trains in 1907. A building adjacent to the Royapuram station that once served as the HO  of the Madras Railway Company was pulled down long ago.

A fascinating fact about the Royapuram railway station is it  ranks second next to Howrah, Calcutta in India in terms of space availability with 246,000 sq m. The station covers a huge plot of 72 acres of prime land and has about 28 tracks. Located  about 2 km from Chennai Central station, part of the station  serves the suburban traffic in the station. The historic station has  arches, ionic pillars and high-rise ceilings with a separate goods shed. No doubt it is an interesting  heritage building that needs to be preserved for the posterity.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royapuram_railway_station










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Cooch Behar heritage GPO, W. Bengal

March 11, 2017, 9:47 pm
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GPO, Cooch Behar, West Bengal. coochbehar.nic.in
GPO Cooch Bihar www.google.co.in

Map of Coochbehar. coochbehar.gov.in

Cooch Behar, the district headquarters of  Cooch Behar District in the Indian state of West Bengal is in the picturesque foothills of the  Eastern Himalayas. It is an excellent tourist destination as one could see many vestiges of royal heritage here. The Cooch Behar Palace, Baneswar Shiva temple and Madan Mohan Temple  draw lots of tourists from other states. Additional attraction is, it is a fairly well planned city  in North Bengal region and hence it is declared as a  heritage town. This place happens to be  the maternal home of Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur.
In the colonial days it was an important princely state of Koch Bihar  ruled by the Koch dynasty. It was only after  20 August 1949, Cooch Behar District  ceased to be part of the princely state.
 
Cooch Behar HPO is declared as a heritage building by the Central Government. The Post & Telegraph Office of Cooch Behar State  became operational in 1875 under the administrative control of Rangpur Postal Division. During the colonial days, the British Crown, London  was the main administrator. The Cooch Behar Post Office, in the early days, functioned in the building located in the Purana Post Office Para. Today, the plot  covers 8893 sq. ft.  and the credit goes to Maharaja Nriprendra Narayan  who magnanimously came forward to build the present Head Post Office building as it was beneficial to the people living in the far-off  eastern part of the subcontinent. During his reign, there were five Post Offices  and one telegraph office  in the entire Cooch Behar State. With the bifurcation of Rangpur Division - April 16, 1979, Jalpaiguri Division was first created, followed by  the creation of Cooch Behar Division.
 
Raja Sir. Niripendra Narayan, Coochbehar.en.wikipedia.org

 http://coochbehar.nic.in/htmfiles/dist_profile.html
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Fascinating Masi Maham festival at Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu

March 12, 2017, 7:13 pm
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Masi Magam festival is an important event in Tamil Nadu and it falls  in the Tamil month of Masi (February - March),which is considered an  auspicious day. Magam, one among the twenty seven stars (Nakshatras / constellation) in the Hindu Astrological system  is believed to be  the most suitable time for spiritual purification.

This day is believed to be  the most powerful Full Moon day of the year,  as the  moon aligns with Magha which is the birth Star of the Kings and Ancestors. This rare event  occurs only once a year and, it is strongly believed in the Hindu tradition, that this day marks  the descent of heavenly beings to the earth. The belief has been that these heavenly bodies assume an astral form to purify their own karma as well as the karma of the human race.
part of Mahamaham tank, Kumbakonam. Shutterstock
Masi Magam is symbolic of the benefits of abundance and prosperity associated with the Full Moon and it an opportunity for the devotees to engage in spiritual purification to gain mental power and energy to succeed in their undertakings. Equally significant is the fact that Masi Magam is the most providential time to destroy our ego and arrogance and surrender ourselves at the feet of the all-pervading lord.

As part of the Masi Maham festivities of the famous Sri Adikumbeswarar temple here, devotees took out a procession of 63 Nayanmars around the town on Sunday.

At Kumbakonam the 10-day long Masi Maham festival  commenced in the temple with the traditional  hoisting of the sacred flag on 2 March  2017. There was a procession of 63 great Tamil Saivite saints - Nayanmars around the town on Sunday.The following period is marked by the daily processions of deities around the temple. At Shiva temples, there will be devotional rendering of Thevaram, Thirumurai hymns. The entire town wears a festive look during this period. 

In the  temple city of Kumbakonam on last Saturday -11 March 2017 the annual Masi Maham festival was celebrated by the Hindus in large numbers from various parts of the state of Tamil Nadu. This year Masi Maham festival assumes greater religious significance because it is the first Maham festival after the grand Mahamaham festival that is held every 12 years. As you may recall, the great Mahamaham festival was celebrated on the day of Maham last year. The main Teerthavari of the Shiva temples was held at the Mahamaham Kulam (tank) and at the Vishnu temples, chariot (rath) festival was held with bakthi. This annual important festival was marked by  principal processional deities (Utchavars) of 12 Saivite temples   that arrived in the morning on Rishaba (Bull) Vahana (mount) at the banks Mahamaham tank. This was followed by abishekams (immersion of deities in the tank) for the"Asthiradevars"of the respective shrines and finally Teerthavari was done for the Asthiradevarsat the Maham tank around 11.30 am. Once this main event was over, thousands of devotees took a holy dip in the Maham tank and for this purpose the water level in the tank was kept low and treated fresh water was let into the tank by the government officials. It is believed nearly 50,000 to 60,000 people would have taken bath by noon at the Mahamaha kulam. Principal processional deities brought to the tank were Adhikumbeswarar, Kasi Viswanathar, Abhimukheswarar, Gowthameswarar, Banapureeswarar, Amirthakalasanathar, Kambatta Viswanathar, Kotteeswarar, Ekambareswarar, Nageswarar, Someswarar and Kalahastheeswarar temples.
Masi Maham at Kumbakonam. www.drikpanchang.com/
Maha Maham tank, Kumbakonam. mahamaham.tmssmlibrary.com
Location map of Kumbakonam. Thinkingparticle.com
At the famous Chakrapni temple , in the morning chariot festival was held  and Tepporsavam (float festival) was held at the Potramarai Kulam. As the water in the tank was insignificant the float festival was held on a low key level. In the evening, the Utchavars from Chakkarapani, Rajagopala
swamy and Adhivaraha swamy- all from Vaishnavite temples were taken to the banks of Cauvery for the ‘Theerthavari’.

 Hundreds of holy people who  came in  a procession from Panchaiyappan street of Kumbakonam  performed ‘Maha Arathi’ to the sacred tank.

 http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/masi-maham/article17412933.ece
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Masi Maham and holy theerthams of Mahamaham tank, Kumbakonam

March 13, 2017, 12:15 am
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The holy city of Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu has innumerable temples dedicated to god Shiva, god Vishnu and  goddess Shakti. This place is synonymous with Mahamaham tank where the annual Masi Maham festival takes place annually that is attended my people in thousands. The most important festival is Mahamaham that takes place every 12 years during the month of Masi (February - March). It attracts as much crowd as Kumba Mela of North India (of course, minus fully barred sadhus) does. Located in the main part of the city, there are 16 mandapas around the tank that were built by Govinda Dikshitar, the minister of Nayak king Vijaya Raghunatha of Thanjavur Nayak dynasty out of the benevolence of the Nayak ruler. Krishnadeva Raya (1509–1529 CE) is believed to have witnessed the Mahamaham festival during this time and on that occasion he made valuable donations to the temples. 
Mahamaham tank, Kumbakonam.. tripradvisor
Both in the annual Masi Maham festival as well as the Mahamaham festival held every 12 years, Theerthavari is an important event. The procession deities of 12 Shiva temples of Kumbakonam  reach the banks of the Maham tank for abisekham / immersion in the holy tank and  likewise the deities of  five Vishnu temples arrive at the Chakra Ghat on the banks of the river Cauvery for Theethavari. 

On the Masi Maham days, devotees in thousands take a holy dip at various theerthamsto get blessings from their forefathers, absolve of all  sins committed by them and get salvation from the cycle of rebirth and  death.

kumbakonam location map. tripadvisor

The following are the various Theerthams - holy water and their religious importance:

Vayu Theertham: Deliverance from sufferings.

Ganga Theertham: Attain Kailash mukthi.

Brahma Theertham: Deliverance from sins.

Yamuna Theertham: Earning of wealth and gaining prosperity.

Kubera Theertham: Getting all types of wealth to lead a peaceful and self contended life. 

Godhaveri Theertham: Success in planning.

Esanya Theertham:  Achieving our dream.

Narmada Theertham: Deliverance from  sins.

Indira Theertham: Attaining heaven.

Saraswathi Thertham: Gaining Gnanam / wisdom.

Agni Theertham: To be freed from sins for ever.

Cauvery Theertham: To get rid of evil thoughts and diabolic mind.

Yama Theertham: Freedom from Klalapurusha's sentencing. Tobe freed from the fear of death.

Kumari Theertham: Equal to conducting 16000 Aswamatha Yagam.

Niruthi Theertham: Freedom from evil spirits / forces. 

Payodhini Theertham: Equal to possessing the divine cow Kamadhenu.

Deva Theertham: Getting rid of all kinds of sins.Sarva Pava Vimochanam.

Varuna Theertham: Attaining the state of being free from human bondage.

Sarayu Theertham: To be free from all kinds of woes,setbacks and anxiety. 

 http://www.mahamaham2016.in/index_eng.html
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Courageous Queen (Rani) Durgavati who fought the Mogul army

March 14, 2017, 8:21 pm
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Queen Durgavati Maravi. Free Hindi ebooks - WordPress.com
Durgavati Maravi (October 5, 1524 – June 24, 1564), a ruling Queen of Gondwana from 1550 until 1564 was born in the family of famous Rajput Chandel Emperor Rornai of Chandel dynasty. Her father was Keerat Rai. King Vidyadhar of Chandel dynasty was known to have resisted the attacks of Mahmud of Ghazni.  The fort of Kalinjar (Banda, Uttar Pradesh) is steeped in Indian history during the battle against Gazni.

Durgavati's wedding  in 1542, with Dalpat Shah, the eldest son of king Sangram Shah of Gond Dynasty forged an alliance between  two powerful  Chandel and Gond dynasties . This resulted in Keerat Rai gaining the help of the Gonds.
Queen Durgavati Maravi. Exotic India in
 After Durgavati gave birth to a son in 1545, her husband  Dalpat Shah died in 1550. As her son Vir Narayan was very young,  Durgavati took the mantle of governing  the Gond kingdom and soon made a name for herself as a good ruler with ample support from  Diwan / Prime Minister Beohar Adhar Simha and minister Man Thakur.  They, in all possible ways, helped the Rani look  after the administration successfully and effectively. Rani intelligently made a strategic move by shifting  her capital to Chauragarh in place of Singaurgarh.  The advantage she had was the fort  was located strategically on the Satpura hill range, a difficult terrain for the enemy to attack the place.

Portrait of  Queen Durgavati Maravien.wikipedia.org

QuoteHD.com
After the death of Sher Shah, Sujat Khan captured Malwa and was succeeded by his son Baz Bahadur, son and successor of Sujat Khan who  had kept Malwa.  In 1556  he made  a futile attempt to  attack Rani Durgavati  that resulted in  heavy losses to his army. Later in 1962 Akbar defeated Baz Bahadur and brought Malwa under the Mogul rule and now Akbar and Rani  Durgavati shared a common boundary between them. Now, Rewa became a part of Mogul empire and General Khwaja Abbdul Majid Asaf Khan, a valiant warrior was behind the capture of  Rewa and this encouraged  him to attack Rani Durgavati's  rich kingdom.
When Rani heard about the plan of the Mogul General to declare war on her, despite Diwan Beohar Adhar Sinha's warning about the powerful Mogul army, she decided to defend her kingdom with all her might  at any cost.
Indian potage stamp, 1988. iStampGallery.Com
Facing a mighty Mogul army by a woman ruler was not an easy job, but Rani Durgavati, being aware of her shortcomings, chose a defensive battle in a strip of land at Narrai between a mountainous range on one side and two rivers Gaur and Narmada on the other side. The Mogul army had well trained soldiers backed by advanced war weapons, whereas Rani had to manage with poorly trained  soldiers with inferior weapons. In the ensuing battle, her  Faujdar  Arjun Das was killed and unmoved  Rani had decided to lead the defence herself. When the enemy got into the valley,  Rani's soldiers   attacked them from the vantage points. Both sides suffered heavy  loses, but, Rani fought  spiritedly on the battle ground  and came out victorious. By chasing the mighty Mogul army she achieved the impossible advantage. 

Having gained considerable advantage in the battle against the Mogul army, against the wish of her advisors to show restraints, queen Duragavati  wanted to take the enemy by surprise, attacking them in the night to render them  powerless. Following morning Rani went to the battle field, riding her elephant and  Asaf Khan had already  summoned  far better big guns to face Rani's army. Her son Vir Narayan  fought the battle with velour, using various ploys and succeeded in keeping the Mogul army at bay. But, at last was wounded and had to retire to a safe place to avoid capture.  In the course of battle Rani too  got injured badly near her ear with an arrow. She fell to the ground unconscious after another arrow had pierced her neck. After regaining consciousness, she realized her grave offencive move did not work well as planned  and defeat became  imminent. Refusing her mahout's advice to  leave the battlefield, Durgavati in a flash took out her dagger and killed herself on June 24, 1564 at the age of 39. Her intention was not to be captured by the Mogul army and later facing humiliation and maltreatment.

Queen Durgavati proved a woman could become brave enough to fight in the battle as valiant warriors, if necessity  arose, to save her country ' honor and the people at any cost. Till her last breath she never wilted under stressed situation and came back with vigor like a Phoenix bird. Besides being a woman warrior, she was a lover of arts.  The  famed sculptures in the popular  temples of Khajuraho and Kalinjar Fort bear testimony to the patronage given by her ancestry in temple sculptures and designs.  Rani Duregavati Maravi's  indomitable spirit and wisdom has added  yet another chapter in the glorious history of her ancestral courage of conviction and commitments.

To honor her courage and wisdom,  the Madhya Pradesh state Government in 1983,  renamed the University of Jabalpur as Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya.  In her memory, Government of India issued a postal-stamp, commemorating her death, on 24 June 1988. The train  service between Jabalpur Junction and Jammutawi is named  as Durgavati Express (11449/11450)
QuotesGram
Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rani_Durgavati
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Noor Inayat Khan, daring British secret Indian woman war agent

March 15, 2017, 9:57 am
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Though Indian women in the past were bought up in a conservative society, when occasion demanded, they would never fail to display their courage and fighting spirits, despite odds being faced by them. In the annals of Indian history, regardless of religion and caste, there were countless women - be they from royal or ordinary families who left an indelible mark behind them that might act as an inspiration for the next generation of  younger women. Can you imagine one Indian Muslim woman of princely class sacrificed her life for Britain as a secret wartime agent in the most crucial period when the Germans led by Nazi ruler Hitler was gaining supremacy in Europe? It was dark days for England during the WWII time. The daring woman was none other than  Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan, surprisingly a distant relative of Tipu Sultan of Mysore. 
Noor Inayat Khan. Pir Zia Inayat-Khan

 Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan (2 January 1914 -13 September 1944) was of Indian and  American  origin  and she took the honor of having received a posthumous award -  the George Cross, the highest civilian decoration in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations. Also known as "NoraBaker","Madeleine", and "Jeanne-Marie Rennier", she  played a commendable role as  an Allied Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent during the Second World War. Yet another credit she had earned was  she was the first female radio operator to be sent from Britain as SOE agent into occupied France to aid the French  resistance. In 1940 Germans led by Hitler brought France under his control. It is needless to point out that this kind of sensitive secret assignment, particularly, for a woman in a Nazi dominated country  requires extreme caution, presence of mind, extra courage and extraordinary ability to wiggle out any bad situation, detrimental to her personal safety and to the honor of the nation for which she is working.

Born on 2 January 1914 in Moscow, Ms. Inayat Khan was the eldest and her father was from a noble Indian Muslim family and her father's mother was a descendant of the uncle of Tipu Sultan, the 18th-century ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore and the well-known arch enemy of the British. Her father's profession was music and he was also a preacher of Sufism in Europe. Her mother, Pirani Ameena Begum (born Ora Ray Baker), an American from  New Mexico, who met Hazrat Inayat Khan during his travels in the United States and married him.


Before the start of WWI in 1914, Inayat Khan and her familiy initially lived in England after leaving Russia and finally settled down  near Paris in France in 1920.That point of time Noor inayat Khan was a young child and they  lived in a house gifted by  a benefactor of the Sufi movement. After the death of her father in 1927, Inayat Khan  and her siblings  Vilayat (1916–2004), Hidayat (1917–2016), and Khair-un-Nisa (1919–2011) were grief-stricken and Ms. Inayat took  the responsibility of taking care of her mother and other  younger siblings. She studied child psychology at the Sorbonne and music at the Paris Conservatory composing for harp and piano. She also became a story writer and her work  in 1939, Twenty Jataka Tales, inspired by the Jataka tales of Buddhist tradition, was published in London. 

In the midst of WWII, Inayat Khan and her family moved back to England - Falmouth, Cornwall, on 22 June 1940 soon after the Germans gained control in France.
Noor Inayat Khan playing sitar. www.thelallantop.com
woman power.Pinterest
Deeply influenced by humanism and the pacifist teachings of her father, Ms. Inayat Khan  and her brother Vilayat wanted Nazi tyranny wiped out  across the face of the earth. She strongly felt:" I wish some Indians would  win high military distinction in the war
Ms. Inayat Khanen.wikipedia
 if one or two could do something in the Allied service which was very brave and which everybody admired it would help to make a bridge between the English people and the Indians."
Inayat Khan's Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede, England en.wikipedia.org/
The Princess Royal. www.dailymail.co.uk/
She joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) on 19 November 940 and, as an aircraft woman  she was trained as a wireless operator. Recruited to  F (France) Section of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), in early February 1943, Inayat Khan, was posted to the Air Ministry, Directorate of Air Intelligence, seconded to First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), and sent to some SOE schools for various training and her adopted name was "Nora Baker". Some superiors did not cherish the idea of sending her to handle  sensitive assignments because they had mixed opinion  on her suitability for secret warfare, and her incomplete  training.  However, her fluent French and her innate talents in wireless operation stood her in good stead and the army sent her for service in Nazi-occupied France on 16/17 June 1943. Crypto-named 'Madeleine'/W/T operator 'Nurse' and under the cover identity of Jeanne-Marie Regnier,  Ms.Inayat Khan was, on 16/17 June 1943, flown to  Northern France where she  was met by Henri Déricourt, a French pilot and later she went to Paris  where she met some  SOE agents, including women members (Diana Rowden, et al). She joined the physician network led by Francis  Suttill (code named Prosper) and successfully carried out certain assignments. Subsequently, over a period of one month, Physician network radio operators were arrested by the Sicherheitsdienst (SD), along with hundreds of Resistance personnel associated with Prosper.  Inayat Khan refused to return to England and stayed in Paris after the  round-up of their largest network.  Her stay as SOE agent  in Paris was a blessing in disguise. As a wireless operator in Paris at large, she kept sending important messages to London about the status of secret operations of Germans in France in the middle of mass arrest of secret agents. Thus, Ms. Inayat  gained notoriety as an eluding secret-agent at large in Paris. She became the most wanted British Agent with her picture and clear description posted at important places in Paris and every security officer was carrying it. Further, wherever she went she picked up tail and the wireless detection vans were  in close pursuit of her.

Being a smart woman,  to hoodwink the hawk-eyed German agents, she shortened her wireless operation to just half an hour almost daily and kept sending wireless messages to London. Besides, to avoid capture and to continue her clandestine operation, she managed to keep changing  her locations every now and then. She developed a sort of obsession for the most dangerous job in Paris and kept the British military abreast of what was going on in France. She did a wonderful job in the middle of danger and never lagged behind her assignment, as her intention was good: to wipe out the Nazis out of the planet.

 He secret operations came to an end at last  when she was betrayed to the Germans, either by Henri Déricourt or Ms.Renée Garry.  Ms.  Inayat khan had a long association with them since her arrival in France. Déricourt (code name Gilbert) was an SOE officer and former French Air Force pilot and, it is believed, that he had been  working as a double agent for the Sicherheitsdienst. Garry was the sister of Henri Garry, Khan's organizer in the Cinema network (later renamed Phono).

By 13 October 1943, Khan was arrested and interrogated at the SD Headquarters in Paris and the interrogation lasted for more than a month. Though she gave information about her family, the Germans could not not get even a single piece of information about  Britain. Hans Kieffer, the former head of the SD in Paris, testified that she was a tough nut to crack and she consistently lied to the agents. However, the Germans gained some information from her secret notes and they tried to mislead the British, sending false wireless messages using Ms. Inayat name.

On 25 November 1943, Inayat Khan  and her fellow SOE agents escaped from the SD Headquarters but met with fiasco in the middle and they were recaptured by the Germans. Having found Ms. Inayat Khan not being cooperative, the Germans, on 27 November 1943, took her to  Pforzheim "for safe custody" and  solitary confinement as a "Nacht und Nebel"  prisoner ("Night and Fog": condemned to "Disappearance without Trace"). She spent the next ten months with both legs and hands shackled and she carried a tag " dangerous prisoner". She and other women agents were tortured and the Germans made a futile attempt to get any valuable information about Britain.  Inayat khan and other women agents were, on 11 September 1944, taken to Dachau concentration camp  and on 13 September 1944 early morning  they were mercilessly executed by the prison officials who shot them in the back.  Following day, they were cremated in the crematorium there. In 1958 a Dutch prisoner (who remained anonymous) revealed that Ms. Inayat Khan was butchered by the SS officer one Wilhelm Ruppert.

In November 2012 a statue to Ms.Noor Inayat khan, seven decades after her death was unveiled in London by Princess Anne, a standing memorial to Britain's  first Muslim  war heroine. The statue is close to the place where Noor Inayat Khan lived in London - Gordon Square. When she was just 30, she faced the execution squad in Germany and uttered the last word "liberty.
Ref:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2230082/Noor-Inayat-Khan-Statue-unveiled-commemorate-Britains-Muslim-war-heroine.html
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noor_Inayat_Khan.
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Alarnath Dev temple and strange ritual, Odisha

March 16, 2017, 12:32 am
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Alarnath Dev temple.dandavts
It has been a tradition to keep Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Lord Subhadra  of Puri,Odisha away from public view, after Snana Purnima in the month of  Jeyshta normally for  a period of fifteen days - during Krishnapaksha of Ashada.  During this two week period  in the Shreemandira the daily puja protocol and other rituals are not done. This period is popularly known  as 'Anasara' or 'Anabasara' (literally meaning 'improper time for worship). So, literally ritualistic worship is suspended at Puri Jagannath temple. According to Skanda Purana Raja Indradyumna  in order to instal the wooden deities, he had arranged for a  bathing ceremony, hence, it was not the right time to have darshan. Instead of having darshan in Jagannath Temple, it is believed in this region, that Lord Jagannath during this time manifests as Alarnath Dev at the Alarnath temple in Brahmagiri, which is about 23 km from Puri.

An interesting fact that emerges from this strange tradition is that on account of  ritualistic bathing using 108 vessels (suna garas) of water, the deities  may get fever and the the wooden idols get discolored. The assumption is that the Lord of the universe and others take rest in 'Anasara Ghara'. Further, it is believed that they are being  taken care of by the Raja Vaidya (King's Physician) using Dasamulas (medicine).

During this period of rest -  fifteen days the Daitas (descendants of Viswavasu, the Savara) have the right to  repaint and restore the wooden  deities of Jagannath temple.  On the sixteenth day, 
called 'Netrotsava'(festival for the eyes), the deities sporting  new appearance give the 'Navayauvana' darshan to the devotees. The Shilpa Shastras and Agamas elaborate that temple deities are most  suitable for worship only after the rite of 'Chakshurunmilana' (opening of the eyes).The place gets sanctified when the eyes on the idols are open. During this period  people in thousands visit the temple to have a darshan of Lord Jagannath as Alarnath Dev. They also get a delicious prasad called  Kheer bhog at the Alarnath temple. According to temple priests of Puri  Alarnath is  a form of Lord Jagannath who blesses the people in this region.


Lord Vishnu as Alarnath Dev temple, odisha. speaking tree
 According to the Sthalapurana  during the 'Anasara' period, the ardent devotee  Prabhu Chaitnya Dev had the Darshan of Lord Jagannath as Alarnath. Likewise, he never failed to have darshan of the lord at  Jagannath Temple. But after Snana Purnima was over, Sri Prabhu Chaitanya Dev was not able to see Mahaprabhu in the temple and asked the temple priests  where was my  lord Jagannath. When the priests replied politely  that the Lord was suffering from fever and was taking rest, so, darshan was impossible, then Sri Prabhu Chaitanya Devji told them that if he would not get darshan today itself,  then he would kill himself by plunging into  the ocean. Lord Jagannath himself told  Sri Prabhu Chaitanya Dev -  O Chaitnya, I am doing a 'leela'- sort of miracle in the form of Brahma in Brahmagiri, now you come  to this place to have  my Darshan, It is believed that devotees get the same 'phal' here as they desire from a darshan of lord Jagannah in Puri.
Ever since Sri Chaitanya came to see Alarnath in the 16th century, this place has gained popularity. Hence the place is known as the temporary abode of Lord Jagannath. During these days, same amount of Prasad is offered to Alarnath everyday as it happens in Jagannath Temple in Puri.

It is believed that the darshan of  lord Alarnath, during this period - 15 days is important and whoever worships here with devotion and faith will be absolved of all sins. The main offering to the deity here is  'Payas' or 'Kheer' Bhog prepared with milk and rice. This temporary abode of lord Jagannath is believed to be a source of spiritual bliss for the ardent devotees. 

It is needless to point out that here Lord Vishnu is in the form of Lord Alarnath and he has four arms, He holds chakra in his upper right hand, Lotus in his lower right hand, Conch (sanghu) in his upper left hand and a club in his lower left hand, Lord Vishnu's mount eagle, known as Garuda, kneels at the feet of the deity with his hands in supplication. Besides, there are  deities of Lord Krishna's consorts Rukmini and Satyabhama  inside the temple. There is an idol of  Lord Chaitnya inside the temple. There is a stone slab in front of the deity bearing the impression of  Lord Chaitnya's body. When Lord Chaitanya prostrated in front of Lord Alarnath, the stone below Lord Chaitnya melted from His blissful touch. There is a lake behind the temple where Chandan Yatra is celebrated for 21 days in every year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alarnatha_Mandir





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Tipu Sultan's 18th century armoury relocated at Srirangapatna!!

March 16, 2017, 7:36 am
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Srirangapatna. Tipu Sultan's armory.Deccan Herald
Tipu Sultan's famous armory at Srirangapatna, Karnataka is a declared protected monument of the Department of Archeology and is close to the railway station. Because of its location in the area where second rail track is under way, the track doubling work is hampered for sometime -1.7 km rail line work pending roughly for a couple of years.  The Union government sanctioned Rs.13 crores for the translocation of the armory to another safer site and it has two fold purposes. It will help the railways complete  the Bengaluru-Mysuru rail track doubling work pretty soon and the protected monument will be preserved for the future generation. The railway line between Bengaluru and Mysuru is a busy one with the passing of 19 trains, including 13 express trains.

On 10 March 2017, the translocation work was successfully completed by South Western Railway through M/S PSL -Wolfe (JV) under supervision by Department of Archeology. The railways gave the job to the American company as India's technology with respect to shifting monument structures is inadequate. They moved the entire armory structure through the unified jacking system by employing jacks, iron rollers, iron poles and other items without damaging the heritage values of Tipu's armory. The crucial part in the early
stages is the careful excavation of the earth around the monument to make preparation for the diligent and delicate relocation of the 18th century structure. The destination of the 1000 plus ton structure is just a 100 meters away from the present location. The entire structure, including  foundation was mounted on a hydraulic ram  that moved 25 meters on the first day. Armory building is a single story load-bearing brick masonry structure with arch roofing and pyramidal shaped elevation that was built by Tipu between 1782 and 1799, to store mainly ammunition.
Tipu Sultan. Mpositive.in
Tipu's armoury on the move. Mpositive.in
Tipu's armoury relocation. topyaps.com
An official of the American company mentioned that they had not moved any structure bigger  than the armory in the United States, and Tipu's armory was so strong a structure that neither the movement of trains nearby nor work with machines, had
I Tipu's armoury,Srirangapatna. Rail India infro
 developed cracks in it. In order to maintain the effectiveness of gun powder and  weapons, a mix of eggs with shells and jaggery was used  and  it worked well in all weather conditions.

This amazing engineering feat of shifting a 228 year old monument to a safer location without any damage to the structure is first of its kind in India. The 12 meter wide and 12 meter high armory played a vital role during the Angelo -Mysore war and Tipu used this armory to use the ammunition against the British. The relocation work involved 70 workers and six from the US.



http://www.ndtv.com/karnataka-news/tipu-sultans-armoury-starts-rolling-will-shift-to-new-location-later-today-1667266

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A brave woman warrior Jhalkaribai - 1857

March 16, 2017, 8:39 pm
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Agra, UP. Statue of veer Jhalkaribai. www.alamy.com
india postage stamp. iStampGallery.Com
The Sepoy mutiny of 1857 was an important event in Indian history. Considered as the first  major war of independence against the oppressive East India company,  a few Indian women like Jhansirani and Hazrat Mahal revolted against the British. It was the worst rebellion in the entire British Empire history. British killed Indians in thousands in retaliation against the killing of the British, including women and children by the hell-bent rioting Indian mob. 

Jhalkaribai (22 November 1830-1858), an Indian woman soldier had played a commendable  role in the Sepoy Mutiny during the battle of Jhansi. She was a soldier in the women's army of Queen Laxmibai of Jhansi. Coming from a poor Kori family, she began her career as an ordinary soldier in Laxmibai's army. Her fighting ability, courage  and  curiosity to learn various aspects of military warfare came handy for her and this helped her rise to a position of power and  quick promotion.  Her level of success in the army and administration was so rapid  she became Rani Laxmibai's advisor and actively participated in discussions involving vital security matters.  Jhalkaribai also developed a strategy on her own to protect the queen, particularly in the  battle fields. This unique strategy worked well during the rebellion. In the height of the battle of fort of Jhansi, the British were after Rani Laxmibhai to capture the fort. Under the doctrine of lapse, the British wanted to take over the Kingdom of Jhansi and the Gwalior fort and queen Laxmibhai did not budge. Jhalkaribai disguised herself as the queen and fought on the front as a ploy to let  Jhansirani escape safely out of the fort which was almost in siege.
Queen laxmibai of Jhansi. Indiatimes.com
There may be many  folklore about her bravery in the midst of her personal safety.  Her life and especially  her fierce fighting with the East India Company army on the front in disguise, continues to dominate various Bundeli folklore. That her being a brave dalit woman who safeguarded Jhansirani in the wars has  created a niche in the  cultural unity in Dalits. She became a symbol of Dalit pride and honor in the north  India.

Jhalkaribai, daughter of a Sadoba Singh, and Jamuna Devi(  born on November 22, 1830) was from  Bhojla village near Jhansi. Right from the early childhood, Jhalkaribai was brought up like a boy and was trained in horse-riding and using weapons. Being a dalit girl, she had no basic education, however she became a trained woman warrior. She married a man by the name of Puran Singh who was in  the artillery unit of Rani Laxmibai. Puran Singh introduced her to Rani Lakshmibai and Jhalkaribai was inducted into the Woman's army. The advantage she had was she bore close resemblance with Jhansibhai.
Jhalkaribai. 1857 Twitter
As already mentioned earlier, the British were very particular about taking over Jhansi as Rani Jhansi did not have a legal heir to succeed the throne. When General Hugh Rose attacked Jhansi with a large army on 23 March 1858  the queen fought against the British army with 4000 of her troop, anticipating additional enforcement from  Peshwa's army camping at Kalpi. Unfortunately, the relief did not come as  Tatya Tope was defeated by Rose. The English managed to get into the fort and heavy fighting broke out. Since the British had an upper hand,  Jhalkaribai thought of a plan to  mislead  Gen Rose. Jhalkaribai set out for General Rose's camp, disguising  as the queen and declared herself to be the queen Laxmibai  and it took  some time  for the British to realize that she was not the queen of Jhansi. This gave enough time for Jhansi rani to move over to a safer location. Jhalkaribai  was subsequently hanged to death by the British in 1858 without proper trial.

The image of Jhalkaribai has gained political significance  in North India in the recent years on account of some politicians who have their eyes set on the Dalit votes. Some political parties churn out stories on Jhalkaribai creating a social myth and awareness and a sense of pride in the Dalits. The death anniversary of Jhalkaribai is celebrated as Shahid Diwas (Martyr Day) by various Dalit organizations.

  The Government of India's Post and Telegraph department has issued a postal stamp on Jhalkaribai and ASI under the union government is setting up a museum inside the Jhansi Fort in memory of Jhalkaribai and queen Laxibhai and their life history, etc. These two brave women ware part of the early rebellion against the British and their obnoxious and unjust rule in India.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhalkaribai
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Exciting Goa Carnival - a Portuguese legacy

March 17, 2017, 7:02 am
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Carnivals, world over, attract people of all ages and  children and such joyous occasions provide a chance to loosen themselves and forget about their mundane existence on this earth. Involvement in such carnivals not only makes the people cheerful and happy  but also develops an understanding and bondage among the community members. The Goan carnival, a legacy of early Portuguese rulers is a colorful one marked by fun and frolics. The very name Goa is itself is synonymous with music, drinks and merry making, and the four day carnival is attended by an assortment of people from music lovers and dancers to fortune tellers.
Goa carnival King Momo. Couponraja729 
Goa carnival, King Momo and queen. /www.india.com
The very name carnival conjures up images of colorful festooned floats, singers and dancers of Mardi Gras  of New Orleans, USA and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil of South America. In India, the colorful Goa carnival is quite popular and draws a large number of tourists from many states.Thing of Carnival in many South American festivals. e four day carnival falls towards the end of February and the venue Panaji, the capital city of Goa, wears an enticing festive look. Goa festival is marked by King Momo's float, a major attraction followed by Shirodas floats. The carnival is all about the king Momo; ReiMomo in Portuguese or Rey Momo in Spanish is believed to be the traditional king of carnival.      
Goa carnival, 2017. YouTube1280 
Derived from the Greek word Mo mus, the Greek God who is believed to be an embodiment of mockery or satire, as far as Goa is concerned, Momo is symbolic of a harmless figure whose happy face heralds the beginning of the festivities. The tradition has been that each carnival elects its own king Momo, more often than not different one each year. Lean and lanky man is not the right choice for playing the role of Momo. Conventionally  a fat man with a moderate bay window on the model of  actors Bud Spencer or Robert Morley or Oliver Hardyl with ebullient and chubby face is chosen as the King Momo (alias king of Chaos) to add zest to his funny aura. Like all Latino carnivals, crowning King Momo is an important part of Goan carnival. The court of King Momo includes, dancers, jesters, fire eaters, a brass band and other revelers. They accompany the king of Carnival down the streets of Panaji with the king himself encouraging people to engage in merry-making, drinking and eating.The carnival extravaganza may include many well decorated floats with groups of singers and dancers. The carnival is held in other places like Vasco, Margoa and Mapusa.

Goa Carnival, Indiawww.capertravelindia.com
The Goa carnival is of recent origin and has been around since 1965. Earlier, Goa was under the control of Portugal.The credit of introducing Goa carnival goes to Tinoteo Fernandes. The idea of carnival unique to Goa's culture dawned on him accidentally  when he read  an article in a magazine about the world famous Rio festival. He thought such a carnival reflecting on Goa's Portuguese legacy would keep the people there agog and it would attract lots of tourists as well. It all started out as a mini carnival with Fernandes dressed up as King Momo accompanied by 15 Bongos/Guitar playing Friends in a tastefully decorated bullock cart. The joyous band of fun-loving people traveled about one kilo meter from Patto Bridge to Panaji's Garcia de Orta park. In 1966 same month the carnival activities continued. What started out as a humble low-key caravel now ha become part and parcel of Goa;s cultural fabrick. Thanks to the Goa's first CM  D. Bondoakar who took steps and made it a state sponsored affair. Timoteo Fernandes, now 80 was the first man in Goa in 1967 to don the role of king Momo and in the past 50 years has been an active member of Goa's carnival committee.

An interesting fact is to continue the family's tradition, playing the role of King Momo has become a family affair. His brother  60 year old Tomy  Fernandes, a man of affable  disposition plays King Momo in the present Goa Carnival. Riding the float with popular Fad singer King Momo reads the message or Carnival decree urging people to eat, drink and make merry .The festival commences with positive response from the crowd. In the early 2000, Tomy received  no dough for playing Momo and later he had begun to receive Rs. 3000.00  per day.This year his fee was around Rs. 30,000.00 a day and this was met by Goa tourism. This year his daughter, a college student, played queen, Tomy this year, it is believed, took part in other parades at Vaco de Gama and Mapusa.

As for playing king Momo, it is not an easy job and Tomy has to wear heavy carnival regalia - king's heavy costume and jewelry. People hardly know that it requires a great deal of stamina and energy to wear such heavy costume, barring tropical heat. One has to sweat it out like a sweat hog and some times one may feel heady and weak standing long hours without losing one's cheerful countenance. Th king and his family shower chocolates and toffees on the excited crowd.

For the family of Fernandes, it is fun despite being a tiresome job to keep the crowd cheerful and in  high spirits. The crowd enjoys it because people get a big break from the drudgery of routine life. As for children, it is a great chance  for them to be away from the books and school assignments.

Ref:
Crowned fine times and Counting: The Hindu, dated 12 March 2017.
https://goa-tourism.com/GTDC-holidays/event-carnival.htm

  
Goa Carnival, Indiawww.capertravelindia.com
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Awe-inspiring Mumbai GPO - biggest in South Asia

March 17, 2017, 7:18 pm
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GPO building, Mumbai. CitySeeker
Mumbai GPO. GolGumbaz style interior. Alamy
Mumbai G.P.Ohttp://mumbaigpophilately.gov.in
 It is a known fact that after gaining  a firm grip on the Indian  subcontinent, the East India company formed three Presidencies for its administration purposes  to show its political muscle . On the west coast Bombay (Mumbai ) played a key role in its export operations. The Bombay Presidency, surprisingly comprised districts of Dharwad, Belgaum, Bijapur and North Canara which are now part of Karnataka. Inland and overseas communication became indispensable for effective administration and military operations, so, Imperial post offices in the respective Residences became a necessity.  The first IPO was in the Saint George Fort. then shifted to Apollo Pier and then to Flora Fountain and finally to the present location, which is also near the docks. The last location had several advantages and yet another positive note was railway track work was in progress mainly for the purpose of commercial exploitation and military movements. In 1902 British architect Begg was asked to design the GPO building. An interesting fact that emerges out from the design is Begg did not follow the routine Gothic style of architecture, instead he followed the Mogul type of design in tune with the native structures. The building became the first to be desig­ned in Indo-Saracenic style (Persian-Hindu-Gothic), but one could see the influence of  the iconic Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur dominated by domes with spires piercing into the sky. Victorian Gothic style of design is not observable here. This massive GPO building is considered  the biggest in South Asia and a sum of 1809,000.00 had been spent on the structure and the artisans were from the local areas. The design is such that it is well ventilated that allows good air circulation inside this massive building where countless people are working  and visiting this place. Never will you feel cramped up inside the building. The government of India has declared that it is a heritage building.

Mumbai GPO. interor Mid-Day
 Built on a plot of 120000 sq ft with compound wall around it, the building has a length of 523 feet. The mind-boggling part of massive building is 120 feet tall whooping dome with a diameter of 65 feet very much similar to Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur. The building, even now, does not require any major restoration or restructuring work and the reason is it is made of Bsaltic rocks  available in plenty locally, yellow stone from Malad and white stones from Gujarat. 
A marble board en.wikipedia.org

Amazingly, the Postal department here takes care of 40,000 customers daily and handles 60,000 unregistered mails, besides a huge volume of registered mails, speed posts, money orders, etc. This massive and strikingly beautiful  building is an important landmark in Mumbai. Can you imagine the entire history of the Deccan region, in fact, is closely interwoven with the postal history of Bombay Presidency? It is located in a serene place gently away from the  swaying of  palm trees and  from the madding crowd. You have to go past the massive  iron-wrought gates and you will be greeted by a massive old building with half-shaded corridors, spiral staircases and  beautiful stained glasses. 

 The good news is INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art, Culture and History) was retained by the postal department   to advise  on the restoration and maintenance of the monument building that needs to be preserved for the posterity.

 http://www.deccanherald.com/content/328903/mumbai-gpo-building-turns-100.html








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“It may not be having the acoustics wonder of Gol Gumbaz, but the Postal Department has decided to conserve the building. INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art, Culture and History) was engaged as consultant to advise us on the restoration and maintenance of the monument building. And we are awaiting for the final clearance,” Madhale said.

Talking of the present times, Madhale said: “Postal services have undergone a change no doubt, but on any given working day that spans 16 hours in Mumbai GPO, you will find at the end of the shifts that on an average we serve 40,000 customers. People have a lot of misconception that the postal work has gone down... every day we handle 60,000 unregi­stered mail and this does not include volumes of money orders, speed post articles and parcels and most of the parcels belong to foreign tourists. And all this is done in this building.” 
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Funny quotes & humor 34

March 18, 2017, 3:13 am
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Scalper's delight:



What is scalper's delight?
 Men with long, free flowing hair -hippies.

What is scalper;s envy?
Close-cropped shaven heads. Most importantly baldies

Indian Polity:
2ndlook - WordPress.com

www.bloggerabhilash.info
What is politician's delight?
The gullible audience that is taken for a ride  by his cock and bull stories and his promises of plenty.

What s politician's regret?
The inquisitive media and intelligent people who question his loose talk and gaffes. Where to park his ill-gotten money 


The Candid Eye

What a gaffe!?Does ? Garry mean the Alamo? Cleveland.com
Brutish Society:

What is British royalty's delight?
Britishness and subordination of other classes of people..
Wikiwand
What is British royalty's regret?
Loss of glory, fat dole from the British government and loss of British colonies like India.
Quick Take 
American Politics:

What is American Politician's (Republicans) delight?
Hanging too many daggers over the head of immigrants
Sword of Damocles,/en.wikipedia.org

www.pinterest.com
Crossing the Great Wall. CartoonStock

What is Republicans regret?
There is no way to raise a strong tall boundary wall  overnight,
The Great Wall of America. Bakken Law
covering the entire stretch of California through Texas.Tolling the death knell  for bordercrossing by Chicanos and others


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Funny quotes and humor, 35

March 18, 2017, 9:20 am
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Traditional Indian wedding:

Hailing from a Conservative traditional family, the parents who believed in traditional Indian wedding, took their boy to see a girl to be chosen as his life partner. The unfortunate boy had no chance to choose a girl who could be mutually compatible.  Having seen the girl at her residence, the following day the boy described the girl to his closest pal:
cool as a moonZ. azzle
"Never have I seen a girl  whose beautiful face out shines that of a cool moon, whose body is as beautiful as that of Cleopatra, whose soul is just like that of Joan of Arc. and  who is as victorious as  Queen Victoria ....... Alas! when she opened her mouth, her voice was much worse than the Cry of Indian Peacock and  when she asked me all 
Indian woman. Shutterstock
Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. Shutterstock

Sea hag. Enchanted America - WordPress.com
kinds of weird questions, I realized that her heart was much worse than that of a Sea hag. In total, if my parents compel me to marry her, it will be as bad as my being in a pit with a huge bear ready to give me a "bear-hug".


 


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Lady Hardinge Medical college Delhi - oldest in North India

March 18, 2017, 8:02 pm
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Lady Hardinge and her family. Bombay Photo Images[ Mumbai - blogger
lady Hardige, wife of Charles Hardinge viceroy of india. Pinterest
Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, KG, the second son of Charles Hardinge,  had his education  at famous Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge. It was during his tenure, two important events took place that impacted the Indian history -  the visit of King George V and the Delhi Durbar of 1911, and the shifting of  the capital from Calcutta to New Delhi in 1912. With his political clout,  he tried to improve the interactions between  the British administration and the nationalists, thanks to the implementation of the Morley-Minto reforms of 1909. A well-read man, he had great  admiration for Mohandas Gandhi, and  was highly critical of  the South African government's anti-Indian immigration policies.
Medical college logo. /en.wikipedia.org
Hardinge's  sincere efforts paid off in 1914 during the First World War. Due to better  colonial relationships, Britain was able to deploy nearly all of the British troops in India as well as many native Indian troops to areas outside of India. It is worth mentioning that  the British Indian Army played crucial role  in the Mesopotamian campaign. Charles  grand father was  Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge, a former Governor-General of India. Charles  married his first cousin Winifred Selina Sturt, who was the 2nd daughter of Henry Gerard Sturt, 1st Baron Alington, on 17 April 1890.

Lady Hardinge upon her stay in  Calcutta and and her trips to many many places, saw herself lack of education among Indian women, particularly, there was no institution in the north to train them in the area of maternity care and medicine. No sooner had Lady Hardinge  moved over to Delhi along with her husband, who was now the Viceroy of India  than the honorable couple  decided to start  a medical college for women to help the Indian women get training  in medical education, essential for the welfare of the society. She herself  laid the  foundation stone on 17 March 1914 and the college was to be named Queen Mary College & Hospital to commemorate the visit by Queen Mary in 1911-12. Being socially active, as she was , she did not lose her time and had begun to collect funds for a good cause. Lady Hardinge was busy collecting funds for the proposed Medical college from several princely states and the public until her unexpected death on 11 July 1914.

As scheduled, the college was inaugurated on 7 February 1916 by Baron Hardinge in the Imperial Delhi Enclave area and the college and the hospital was named after Lady Hardinge in memory of her as wished by the  Queen herself. The college had a humble beginning with  16 students and the first  principal was Dr. Kate Platt.  One Dr. Ruth Young CBE (Ruth Wilson) was the first Professor of Surgery at the College  and served as Principal from 1936 until 1940. Then  the college was affiliated to University of the Punjab hence the students had to appear for their final examinations at King Edward Medical College in Lahore. The college became part of  the University of Delhi in 1950 and post-graduate courses were introduced  in 1954. Subsequently, a children's hospital came up in 1956 as part of the Lady Hardinge  hospital. 

  The Central Government appointed Board of Administration took over the administration of the institution in 1953  and in February 1978  the institution came directly under the Central government administration -  under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as per an Act of Parliament. Prior to 1953, it was an autonomous institution managed by a Governing Body. 


 The famous college is located in Connaught Place, New Delhi and the motto of the college is : "Per Ardua Ad Astra"(in Latin) -
"Through Adversity to Stars"

Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated Hospitals, considered  the oldest hospital for women and children in Northern India is a living and functional hospital in the heart of the capital catering to the people from all walks of life.  The Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated Hospitals  are under pressure to  handle too many patients. Because of space crunch, certain medical services are not available and the Central government is working hard to improve  the facilities in tune with the increasing arrival of patients  here.  A comprehensive urban design master plan was underway to improve the medical facilities, etc. 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Hardinge_Medical_College
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Funny quotes and humor, 36

March 19, 2017, 2:01 am
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People at each other's throat:
Who are at loggerheads?

"Transit officials and strap hangers,
Town tramps and transvestites,
Cops and muggers,
Scalpars (barbers) and baldies,
Indian politicians and anti-corruption groups"

Government regulation galore:
itimes.com
"Indian Government like those world over, got the 
Indians in  so many knots , you just can not expect them
to turn around in any direction without colliding into 
another impractical government regulations. In a 
scenario like this  dominated by reptapism, each 
Indian feels like being a completely wrapped up 
Egyptian Mummy".
heaps of file in the govt. office.shashwatdc.com
Tirade against corruption:

"In some government offices, kickbacks and pay off
 have become so rampant, and a regular affair, a few honest  politicians  don the role of David to fight against the Goliath of 
corruption".
yin-yang-india.com
Pinterest
Blabber-proof:

No matter where we live on earth, seldom do we run into  blabber-proof broads, barbers and, of course, politicians. They do their might to keep the earth noise".


CartoonStock




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Bangaru Kamatchi Amman temple of Thanjavur - steeped in historical events

March 19, 2017, 7:02 am
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Bangaru Kamtchi Amman temple, Thanjavur.Tamilnadu Tourism - blogger

Among the temples under the management of Sri Sankara Mutt of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, the idol of Kamatchi Amman in Kamatchi Amman temple located at the corner of North Main Street and West Main Street, Thanjavur city is not only a popular one but also has a  close link  with the mutt ever since the time of the great Hindu Philosopher Aadi Sankarar of Kaladi.

Unlike the Kamatchi Amman temple of Kachipuram, this temple at Thanjavur is not a big one with long prakaram - corridor around the temple. Though simple in appearance and compact, it is an impressive place of worship where the presiding deity in the garbagraha or Srikovil is called BangaruKamatchi Amman and it is made of pure gold. Bangaru in Telugu means gold.

The golden idol of Kamatchi Amman is not native to Thanjavur and the idol's journey from Kasi (Varanasi in UP) to this place is an interesting one. In 1677 the idol was in Kasi under the care of the then Sankarachariyar. Because of unpredictable political situation prevailing in the North on account of Muslim rule in Delhi and other places, the mutt head decided to move the golden idol down south for safety. In 1742, a mutt had been built on ThambuChetty Street, Madras (Chennai) where the idol was used for daily puja. Later it was shifted to Kanchipuram. The 61st seer of Kanchi 1704- 1746, SriMahaDevendraSaraswathiSwamiji was heading the mutt and finally attained mukthi (Samadhi)  in Thiruvotriyur, now a suburb of Chennai. During this time the relationship between Tipu Sultan and the East India company was at the lowest ebb. Because of frequent conflicts  among various dominant forces such as the British, French and the rulers of Carnatic, the political situation was chaotic and was not conducive to the safe keeping of the valuable idol of Kamatchi Amman.


According to the Thanjavur palace records, Prathpa Simhan 1748-49 met the 62 nd seer of Kanchi Chandrasekara  Saraswathi Swamiji IV at  Kumbakonam. He and his minister Dabir Chand requested Swamiji to bring the idol to Thanjavur from Kanchi.  The swamiji, later, did reach Thanjavur, however,  because of access to the river  Cauvery, the seer decided to shift the mutt to Kumbakonam. In 1750, Maratha ruler Prathapa Simhan again requested the Kanchi sage  to bring the golden idol to Thanjavur as he wanted to have an exclusive temple built there. According to temple records, the idol of Kamatchi Amman was at Udayarpalayam village near Thanjavur and later moved over to Konganeswarar temple on West Main Street, Thanjavur. Between 1750 and 1771 the idol was in that temple and  the daily puja ritual was done without any break.

It was in 1771, the Maratha ruler had a separate temple built for Bangaru Kamatchi Amman and the Kumbabisekam was done in the same year as per temple Agama Sastras. Till 1987 some kind of construction had continued. This temple was well taken care of during the period of Rajah Tulajaji 1887-97 and  Rajah Serfoji II. 

The Bangaru idol of Kamatchi facing the East direction in the sanctum is in a standing posture with a parriot in her right hand. The face of the idol appears black as the idol is smeared with Punugu regularly. (paste made from strong smelling musk secreted by Cevet, a nocturnal animal). At the entrance of the temple, there is a big stone idol of Ganapathy  called Varada Maha Ganapathy. Adjacent o this temple are the Navaneetha Krishnan temple and Vijaya Rama temple and Prtapa veera Anjeneya temple. 
Golden idol of Kamatchi amman, Thanjavur. www.kamakoti.org
The Kumbabisekam of this temple is scheduled to take place on the 23rd of this month under the direction of Kanchi Sankarachariars Jayendra Saraswathi Samiji, senior sage and Vijayendra  Saraswathi swamiji. The yagasala work had already begun with Ganapathi homam recently.
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The interesting secret journey of golden idol of Kamatchi Amman to Thanjavur

March 19, 2017, 6:42 pm
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Among the temples at Thanjavur, the Kamatchi Amman temple on the West main Street is a popular one. The temple dedicated to Kamatchi Amman, a form of goddess Parvati, is made of pure gold and hence she is referred to as Bangaru Kamatchi Amman.  The temple, where she is adorned, was built in 1771 by the then Maratha ruler Pratapa Simhan. The sanctity of this temple is further enhanced by the fact that this idol of goddess Kamatchi was worshipped by a long line of great Acharyas of Sankara Mutt. This temple is undergoing renovation and the Kumbabishekam of this temple is due to take place on 23 March 2017 in the oresence of Archaryas of Kanchi Sankarachariyar Madam - Sri Jayendrar and junior swamiji  Sri Vijayendrar. The Yagasala work had begun with Ganapathi Homam a few days ago,

Kamatchi Amman golden idol, Thanjavur. TripAdvisor
The idol, originally from Kasi (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) was in Kanchipuram in the 1700s. The clandestine journey of this valuable and historical idol from Kanchipuram near Madras to Thanjavur is an interesting one, and it may baffle our imagination as it was beset with many dangers. This temple is presently being managed by the Kanchi Sankarachariar Mutt.

The presiding deity is in a standing posture. and it was originally in the Kamakshi Amman temple at Kanchi. The Acharya of Kanchi - Shankaracharya Shri Chandrashekara Saraswathi IV felt it was  not safe any longer  to keep a big idol made of pure gold at Kanchipuram and decided to move it further down south where it could be guarded safely. The political atmosphere was then vitiated by competition  and confrontation between the British on one hand and the French on the other hand. The threats of Carnatic Nawobs and Tipu sultan and their frequent skirmishes with the foreign powers  added new dimension to the political instability in the regions around Madras (Chennai). The Acharya was mainly worried about the Muslim invasion  and the safety of the idol as the Muslim rulers were unpredictable.

In those days the religious head had to depend on palanquin for travel  to cover long distances and  they were not allowed to ride horses. The Kanchi seer had to shift the idol all the  way from Kanchi to Thanjavur - more than 320 kilo meters. On the way, the  additional danger the mutt employees had to tackle was the menace of bandits.  In order to protect the golden idol of Kamatchi against thieves or other dangers, the Acharya and others decided to use a stratagem. 

The idol was  completely wrapped  around with a few pieces of cloth and the shiny surface was smeared with black punugu (secretion of musk  from Civet, a nocturnal animal). The  covered idol was kept in a palanquin as  if it was a child affected by  small pox. This would have any onlookers believe that a small child afflicted with small pox was taken in a palanquin to some place for further treatment, etc. Thus the Acharya and his pharapernalia shifted the valuable idol to Udayarpalayam near Thanjavur initially and later moved it over to Konkaneswarar temple . This was done during the reign of martha ruler Pratapa Simhan The idol was finally installed as per Agama satras in 1771 at the present temple. Smearing the idol with Punugu is part of the ritual here and idol appears black and the colouration does not change  during  annual Navarathri abhishekams. 
Thanjavur kamatch amman temple. Tamilnadu Tourism
Though Kanchi Acharya shifted the mutt to Kumbakonam for his eagerness to be near the river cauvery, as requested by the Maratha ruler, the idol of Kamatchi remained in Thanjavur.Thus Thanjavur became the permanent abode of Bangaru Kamatchi. Thanks to the efforts of Paratapa Simhan, the then ruler of Maratha clan of Satara (Maharastra) 

Yet another fact that  needs to be mentioned is the temple's link with one of the trinity of  Carnatic music Shyama Sastry. who was a great composer of Carnatic compositions in Telugu. His contemporaries were   Sri Thyagaraja  Swami and Sri. Muthuswami Deekshithar . Shyma Sastry came from a family  that served as the priests in Bangaru Kamakshi Temple. It is believed that he himself served as a priest in this temple and some people say, it is debatable.
Thanjavur location map. Weather-Forecast.com
The Kamatchi Amman in this temple has five forms: Moola Kamatchi in the garbagraha, Sri Chakra Kamatchi on the opposite side on the right part of Moola Kamatchi, Tapas Kamatchi doing penance standing on one leg, Pilasa Kamatch on the east side. Hema Kamatchi possessing all the four forms on the chest of Brahma . Brahma created the idol of Kamatchi out of gold. Hence she is Hema Kamatchi.

Kamatchi Amman here has special mystic powers: Light from Moola kamatchi; Sakthi from Chakra Kamatchi;Benevolence from Tapas Kamatchi; Blessings from Pilasa Kamatchi. Hema Kamatchi has the combined
powers of these forms 

The goddess is so compassionate, she blesses her devotees with all her mystic powers. Trust and belief are the driving forces. If you have them, goddess Kamatchi will never leave you in grief and pain.

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Funny quotes and humor - 37

March 19, 2017, 11:06 pm
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Dawn of recession:
Political Humor - 

CartoonStock

"There is a way to differentiate between recession and depression. All you have to do is to watch your neighbors in your area. If they lose the job one by one, it means recession is raising its ugly head. Having been lucky so far and at the end of the day if you find out you too have lost the job, it is depression".
Marriage and Stability:

Shutterstock

"In the olden days in India, much importance was given to the sustained stability of marriages.The in-laws were keenly interested in the married life of their children. When things go wrong between a couple, they diligently played the role of a ballast, giving the needed stability to the marriage. They saw to  it the Gondola  of marital life carrying husband and wife  had  never swayed off the right path".
Pinterest
Panhandlers and politicians:


Navrang India - blogger
Navrang India
"Though they are doing the same job in a different way, there exists a difference between panhandlers who rattle their panhandle on the sunny streets and our dirty politicians who work the people in the comforts of air-conditioned buildings. The former, living in abject poverty, go begging to fill up his sunken stomach. Whereas the latter, shamelessly  go on a begging spree by way of demanding kickbacks  to make their already fat belly burst at seams"and stash their boodle in the Swiss banks. 
editorialcartoonists.com

Indian politician, likes anything Black. Change.org



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