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Fascinating traditional head-gears of India

March 21, 2017, 2:29 am
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Theer are various forms of head-gears -  hats, caps, turbans, etc., worn by people world over. They serve various purposes. They protect  the head of the person, identifie  the groups or community and serve as a symbol of respect. Wearing a headdress is deeply associated with the culture and tradition of natives and the communities that belong to them. Native American tribes consider the presentation of an eagle feather to be one of their highest marks of respect. India is home to  a lot communities and hill tribes and each having its own distinctive style and tradition of wearing the head gear. Across India people belonging to various states have their own traditional headgear. The design and style of Indian topis or caps may vary from state to state and from community to community, but they give them a proper identity  and underline their cultural ethos.  Briefly given below are the types of interesting and colorful  headgear commonly worn in India  and their significance.

 01. The Jaapi or Japi, a traditional  hat from Assam:

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The jaapi or japi, a traditional conical hat from Assam, India  is made from tightly woven bamboo and/or cane and tokou paat (Trachycarpus martianus) a large, palm leaf. The word jaapi derived  from jaap refers to  a bundle of taku leaves. In the early days,  plain jaapi leaves were used by  Indians for protection  against the scorching sun, Some Assamese wear ornate Jaapi which is symbolic of status, nobility and royalty.  The use of decorative  jaapi has been around for a long time since  the time of Xuanzang.  The hats are attractive and are  made with intricate cloth designs (primarily red, white, green, blue, and black) that are integrated into the weaving.  Visitors  are normally welcomed with colorful jaapi. It is worn during the traditional  Bihu dance and conducting ceremonies. It is believed it is a sign of respect in the conduct of ceremonies and, further, wearing the hat is said to protect the community  against negative forces.  Jaapi is displayed  around the house as a decorative item and is considered  a sign of hospitality.

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02. Naga tribe's Warrior hat:

The Nagas wear ( made of Rattan, Goat Hair & Boar Tusk) the Warrior’s hat on the days of festivals along with lots of jewelry. Naga's hat, conical in form,  has a fine patina and clear age. It is made from woven un-dyed cane base over which is fixed a mat of thin, red-dyed  cane interspersed with the dried yellow cane which itself has an excellent, deep patina. A plume of red-dyed goat's hair is attached to a curved bamboo sliver that is covered in the dress of a Naga man. Size of hat: height: 34cm, length of base: 20cm

There are many Naga tribes living in NE India and their hat is suggestive of their place of residence.  Hemi Naga people of Western Burma & North Eastern India follow similar tradition.

03.  Sikh’s Dastaar or Pagri:


The name of the headgear worn by the Sikhs is called  turban or "pagri"which is compulsory for  all Amritdhari (initiated) Sikh men and women. It is  associated with Sikhism and is an important part of the Sikh culture.The style of the turban may vary, depending on the orders being followed by them and the groups. Even some orders prefer a particular color for their turban.

As for the Sikhs, the Dastaar is a symbol  of faith that represents honor, self-respect, courage, spirituality, and piety. The Khalsa Sikh men and women, who keep the Five Ks, wear the turban partly to cover their long, uncut hair (kesh). The Khalsa Sikhs regard the Dastaar as an important part of the unique Sikh identity.

04. Marathi’s Traditional Turban- Petha:

World  famous cricket players Dhoni and Tendulkar. ekmarathimanoos.blogspot.in/
Marathis of certain sections wear a headgear called Petha. It is commonly worn by them  when participating in festivals and ceremonies. The length of the traditional Phetha, a long piece of cloth,  may be measuring 3.5 to 6 meters long and 1 meter wide. The color of the headgear suggests the name and nature of  the occasion. There are different kinds of  pethas and among them - the puneri, the kolhapuri, the mawali petha are well-known..

05. The Traditional Mysori Turban - Peta:

Mysore head gear. postagestamps.gov.in/

Maharaja of Mysore Jayachamaraja Wodiyar.Wikipedia

Among the head-gears of South India, the traditional headgear worn in the state of Karnataka, particularly, in the Mysore and Kodgu region is called Mysori Turban, Of late, considered as a heritage symbol, Mysori Peta is a popular one. Distinguished guests who visit these places are honored  with it and a shawl. The name Mysore is synonymous with  Indian sweet item called Mysore Pak, Mysore peta (Topi), Mysore silk (saris) and Mysore sandlewood paste (perfume). Mysore rasam is part and parcel of  south Indian meal(lunch).

Mysore Peta (in Kannada Peta means turban) is a classical headgear worn by the erstwhile rulers of Mysore - the Wodeyars' Royal family. They used to wear rich bejewelled turban made of high quality silk and jari (gold threaded lace) befitting their royal status. 

Yet another fact is the administrators closer to the ruler such as Dewan, chief engineers, judicial officials and others had the privilege of wearing the Mysore peta, thus displaying their status and power associated with the royalty. Even after Independence, , the traditional Mysore peta has been retained as a symbol and legacy of princely status. 

06. Imamah- The Muslim Turban:

Imamah, a turban typically worn by the Muslims in India may have common colors such as  white, black, gray and green. As for the design and the material used to make the headgear, they  may vary among the regions. The cloth measures  normally  142 inches long  and 26.5 width. The following are the attributes:

The tying of the turban is a “Sunnat-e-Mustamirrah” (perpetually adhered to the practise of Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).“Tie the turban. It will increase you in forbearance” (Fatḥul Bāri),“Wear the turban as it is a sign of Islām and distinguishes between a Muslim and Kāfir”

 For every fold of the Imamah that a Muslim wraps around his head, he will be given one Noor on the Day of Judgement. [Suyuti, Al-Jami’ as-Saghir, Page 353, Hadith 5725]

My nation will remain steadfast on truth as long as they tie turbans on hats. [Daylami, Musnad Al-Firdows, Vol. 3, Page88, Hadith 4247.

Whoever wears an Imamah; he gains one virtue for every fold . [Jam’ al-Jawami', Vol. 5, Page 202, Hadith 14536].
 
 Tie the turban, your tolerance will increase. [Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn lil-Hakim, Vol. 5, Page 272, Hadith 7488].

 Offering Salah whilst wearing an Imamah is equivalent to 10,000 virtues. [Daylami, Firdaus bima’ Saur al-Khattab, Vol. 2, Page 406, Hadith 3805].

07. Unique Naga Headgear- Tsula:

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The North Eastern  State of Nagaland has a unique headgear  and the  natives wear it  for various reasons. It is neither a skull cap nor is it a simple hat worn by westerners or others. The unique Naga headdress is synonymous with position, status and power one is wielding in the society. Nobody is allowed to wear the Naga headgear just  for the heck of it. In the Naga community, head-gears are either inherited  from the family or have to be  earned  by doing something worthwhile or something great not tried before. In such cases, the headgear is more or less like a trophy to be used by the user and his heirs, The Naga headgear is different from others. They are  are adorned with horn bill bird’s beak, boar tusks and feathers, animal skulls, etc and these decorations make them unique and attractive. Also included is a special kind of hat decorated with the feathers of a horn bill which is a rare bird. In tune with the English expression " adding a new  feather to the hat" the number of feathers on the  cap will symbolize the number of achievements made by the Naga member.

08. Himachali Cap:
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In the state of Himachal Pradesh, certain regions have different topis  and in this respect Kully valley is different then Chamba, Lahaul people have red, Kinnaur Green whereas people from  Spiti wear traditional hat. A peculiar aspect of this state is the topis have some political overtones. Young people also relate the topi color with political parties; for example   Green is for Congress and Red for BJP.

Topis of Kumaon (nehru topi) and Garhwal  are more or less similar. Kinnaur topi is very traditional, and has been around for a long time.


09.. The Colourful Safa From Rajasthan:

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Rajasthan is a colorful state, so are the turbans, native to the state. Turbans worn by Rajasthanis are called Pagari or safa. The most impressive feature of Rajasthani turbans is their assorted, pleasing colors that will touch your heart and mind. With the desert in the backdrop, they will never fail to grab your attention. Yet another interesting fact is each color of the turban signifies  something unique. For example, the Ocher is the color of the mendicant, saffron color is preferred during  weddings and other auspicious occasions. In some places, saffron color is indicative of valor and wisdom.

10. The Nepali Topi- Birkhe from North East India:

Nepalese cap. www.pinterest.com
The traditional caps of Nepal  called Nepali topi, the dhaka topi or the birkhe topi  are worn in certain part of North India and invariably, they are made of common fabric with assorted colors. These traditional caps come in different prints, and more often than not, they are worn on important occasions like weddings and religious festivals. Young people do wear the topi on important occasions.

11. Perak- The Fine Headgear of Ladakhi Women:

Ladakhi woman with ahead gear
Native women of Ladakh  wear an attractive headgear called perak. Unlike many head-gears of other states, that are made of fabric, 
etc., Perak is unique in appearance  and is made of black lamb skin and is studded with semi precious turquoise stones. The  perak covers the woman's head like a cobra's hood and gently tapers to a thin tail reaching down the back,When a Ladakhi woman wers Perak, it gives her stunning look and  attracts the attention of other people.
Ladakhki men's cap.postagestamps.gov.in/

12. The Colorful  Kullu- Pahari Topi:

Pahari Topis are  native to Kullu and it reflects the artistic talent of the local people. The common colors  available are  maroon and green. Invariably, guests visiting the state are their presented  with traditional headgear which is the  pride of Himachal region and this practice has been in vogue for a pretty long time. Such topis are known to be worn on the wedding and festive occasions. 

13. Angami Tribal Cap:

Angami tribe lives in the sate of Naga land, NE India and it is one among the 20 tribes living there. Their population may be around 12 million. They mostly live in the district of Kohima.Their woodcraft and artwork are known all over India and they are good at producing attractive pieces of artwork in bamboo. The women wear a hat with wide brim, using bamboos, etc. They eat rice, vegetables and pork. Mostly they are followers of Christianity.


postagestamps.gov.in
14. Karakul (or qaraqul) hat:

A karakul (or qaraqul) hat (Pashto/Persian) is a hat made from the fur of the Qaraqul breed of sheep, often from the fur of aborted lamb foetuses. The triangular hat is worn by native people of Kabul and has been around for  many generations. It is popular among men in Afghanistan. Pathans living in India wear this cap. The hat is peaked, and folds flat when taken off of the wearer's head. It was was worn by the former king of Afghanistan, Amanullah Khan in 1919. The karakul, in the last century, for unknown reason, became less popular in Afghanistan.

postagestamps.gov.in/

Ref:
http://www.holidayiq.com/blog/world-s-most-unique-headgears-are-in-india-1709.html

A Sikh’s Dastaar or Pagrirobertharding.com

The Traditional Mysori Turban - Petashopclues.net

Imamah- The Muslim Turbankangaswad.files.wordpress.com


https://www.facebook.com/notes/shaykh-nurjan-mirahmadi/follow-the-sunnah-wearing-the-turban-imamah-sharif/1124711334221799/


The Colourful Safa From Rajasthanflickr.com- Cécile C

The Nepali Topi- Birkhe from North East Indianotonthehighstreet.com

The Colourful Caps from Kullu- Pahari Topipintrest.com
Jacobs, J., The Nagas: Hill Peoples of Northeast India, Thames & Hudson, 1990.



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Breathtaking Cooch Behar Palace - a heritage site

March 21, 2017, 10:30 am
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Cooch_Behar_Palace. en.wikipedia.org


Night-view of beautiful Rajbari.cooch behar.nic.in

Central hall dome. cooch behar.nic.in
Cooch Behar,  the district headquarters of the Cooch Behar District in the Indian state of West Bengal is  ideally located in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas  and is an attractive destination for the fun-loving people.  The  very name Cooch Behar is a derivation of the  name of the Koch or Rajbongshi people who are indigenous in this this region for many centuries. The word behar is derived from Sanskrit: vihara. Cooch Behar is a heritage town. It was once the princely state of Koch Bibar ruled by the Koch dynasty. Since 20 August 1949, Cooch Behar District, formed out of the  princely state, has been around with the town of Cooch Behar as its headquarters.

Cooch Behar Palace, also known as  the Victor Jubilee Palace, is a popular tourist spot in this town. Designed  and built on the model of the Buckingham Palace in London in 1887, during the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan, it has an elevated basement of 1.5 metres in height and  the building is good example of  classical European  architecture of Italian Renaissance. This  two storied brick building has a dimension of 120 metres from north to south and 90 metres from east to west, covering  an area of 51,309 square feet (4,766.8 square metres). The frontal facade has  a series of arches that rest on alternating narrow and  broad piers to  contain  single  and  double Corinthian pilasters respectively. 

 A porch is in the  center   provides  an access to the  main  entrance that takes the visitors to the building through  the Durbar Hall.   The Durbar Hall is  designed as dodecagonal (12 sided) in shape, resting  on four  arches  supported  by  massive Corinthian pilasters and projecting a lantern at the top and this arrangement is similar to that of  St. Peter's Church in  Rome. The Hall has an elegantly shaped metal dome which is topped by a cylindrical louvre type ventilator. This is 124 feet (38 m) in height from the ground and is in the style of the Renaissance architecture. The inner curve of the dome follows stepped patterns and  are flanked by a small  beautiful balcony with twelve window openings at the base. The attractive feature at the center of the Durbar hall is the the marble floor with  the royal insignia adorned with semiprecious stones. 

The palatial building  has  more than fifty rooms/halls of varied dimensions for various purposes. They include, as in many palaces, the bedrooms, dressing rooms, billiard room, kitchen, dinning hall, dancing hall and library. Also included are  toshakhana where gifts and other valuable items are kept and the  exclusive ladies gallery. Most of the rooms are well embellished, befitting the royal residence.

This amazing building is being visited by coutless people daily and this heritage site connects us with the tumultuous and passionate colonial past.
Entrance gate. Cooch_Behar_Palace. en.wikipedia.org
Night-view of beautiful Rajbari.cooch behar.nic.in
Cooch_Behar_Palace. cooch behar.nic.in

Center floor with royal insignia .cooch behar.nic.in



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





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Queen of Venad Aswathi Thirunal Umayamma - Kerala

March 22, 2017, 9:02 am
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Like all royal families world over, where greed, lust and power made them go at each others throat in the past centuries, the Indian royal families were not exception to it. They had their own power struggles to get to the throne. Some inter and intra family feuds were subdued over a period of time through the policy of give and take. But, unfortunately, some nasty problems spewed into the open and became a subject discussion in the public. The royal family members of Travancore had a roller coaster ride and passed through the periods of upheavals and consolidation. The women royal members played a pivotal role during the time of internal turmoil to uphold the honor and dignity of their line of succession. When opportunities arose, they proved they could take the right decision and get the administration going without any hindrance.

Johan Nieuhof's audience with the Queen of Quilonen.wikipedia.org/
 Thirunal Umayamma, a queen of the Attingal house was from Kulasekhara Dynasty and had close links with the royal family of Travancore.  In the royal hierarchy, she was preceded by Rajah Aditya Varma,Rani of Venad, Attingal Mootha Thampuran 1677-1684 and succeeded  byRajah Ravi Varma.  On behalf  of her nephew Rajah Ravi Varma,  she  became the  Regent of Venad from 1677 to 1684,  taking  care of the state administration  with dedication and careful planning. Rajah Ravi Varma  ruled the state from 1684 till 1718.

 Venad or Travancore was, at that time, in a state of political uncertainty  and turbulence with respect to legal successor to the throne. The adoption of the two  predecessors of Umayamma Rani, Rama Varma and Aditya Varma,  from the Vellarapally branch of the Cochin Royal Family in 1630, became a serious legal tangle , a sort of convoluted plot of a TV soap opera, offending the legitimate claims of the collateral branches (same genealogy, but different lines) of the Venad royal family to the musnud. These collateral factions,  therefore,  had begun exercising independent authority in their domains such as  Elayadathu Swaroopam of Kottarakara, etc.,  On top of it, even within the limited domains of the kingdom remaining with the chief branch, factions were to the forefront due to stubborn  and rebellious  nobles or Madempis, most famous of whom were the members of Ettuveetil Pillamar.
Location map. Hamlet in Monsoon
The  main members at the time of Umayamma Rani's rule in the Royal family of Venad were MakayiramThirunal, the Senior Rani of Attingal, Umayamma Rani herself as Junior Rani of Attingal and MakayiramThirunal's son, Rajah Ravi Varma, exclusive of the collateral members.   KeralaVarma of Nedumangad claim to the musnud in 1677  was  categorically rejected. Umayamma adopted two boys exclusively for domestic reasons with no claims whatsoever to the throne. They were RamanKoyilPandarathil, from Vellarapalli, Cochin and KochuRamanUnniPandarathil, a Brahmin boy. KeralaVerma of Nedumankadu along with Kottarakara branch in 1682 made an abortive coup and besides, their attempts to consolidate the position of  senior Rani AttingalMakayiram ended in fiasco.
 
It is quite true that the two collateral groups, emerging from the same genealogical stock had been at loggerheads for a long time  and both sides indulging in all kinds of accusations and counter accusations.  That the story of Umayamma had six sons and out of them five were killed except her eldest son Ravi Varma by a radical group called ettara yogam with support from Ettuveetil Pillamar and her husband Aditya Verma was poisoned to death was a subject of discussion. It is believed that it was not true based on  the temple records of Padmanabha Swami, Tiruvanthapuram along with other credible sources and the studies by historians. They point out  that  Rani Umayamma had no children and her husband Aditya Varma died a natural death in 1677 at Darpakulangara Palace. It was in 1862, upon the death of senior Rani (queen) Attangal, Umayamma legally succeeded as the principal queen of Venad.


In the state of Kerala, including the royal families, matrilineal system of inheritance and family had been in vogue for centuries and this system does exit among some communities. So, it was quite natural the Royal family followed Marumakkathayam or matrilineal system of inheritance and family. This allowed the presence of females in the royal family. In 1682 Umayamma Rani's adoption of   one male, Aditya Varma, and two females from the related Kolathunad Royal family angered already  enraged Kerala Varma of Nedumangad and this led to a war that turned in
favor of the Rani  and the claims of the Nedumangad family 
were found to be unacceptable. In the year in 1684, she was instrumental in  setting up an English  trading post in Travancore. Van Rheed, the Dutch governor of Cylon, had left an  
account of  her rule. In the same same  year Umayamma Rani also  adopted Kottayam  KeralaVerma,  a member of the  related
Royal family of Malabar, a branch of the Kolathunad house. 
KeralaVerma was bestowed with the  title of 'Prince of Hiranyasimhallur' (Eraniel). No sooner had he taken the mantle of the kingdom than he  asserted full power and set aside and silenced  the collateral branches, thus becoming the sole power of the main branch (of genealogy). Soon after defeating the Muslim invasion of Venad in 1684 with his powerful army  near Thuckalay. KeralaVerma went ahead with much assertion  and  in 1695 abolished certain repulsive customs known as Pulappedi, Mannapedi etc. In the wake of it, the nobles of the land and the temple trustees (EttaraYogam)  not only lost the hold on the land but also their political clout. Unfortunately, it led to the murder of  KeralaVerma in 1695. Ultimately. Ravi Varma became the Rajah and in 1688 adopted two males, UnniKeralaVarma and Rajah Rama Varma from Kolathunad, and two princesses from Kolathunad. The royal succession continued on these lines including  adoptions in 1705, 1718 and so on.
Ref:


https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Umayamma%20Rani&item_type=topic



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Wallajah Mosque Chennai's biggest mosque

March 22, 2017, 10:51 am
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Wallajah Mosque, also known as the big mosque of Triplicane in Chennai is not only a popular mosque but also one of the oldest ones in this region. Considered as the largest mosque, it is located on the triplicane High road and was built in 1795 by the family of Muhamad Ali Khan Wallajah, (7 July 1717 - 13 October 1795) the Nawob  of Arcot.  The mosque can easily accommodate  a few thousands worshippers at a time.The unique feature about this mosque built in Mogul style is it is entirely made of grey granite with no wood or iron. This mosque with two 131 feet (40 m)

Triplicane, Chennai Wallajah Mosque en.wikipedia.org/
tall minarets has a large prayer hall and a tank for ablution. This mosque is being patronized by a large number of Muslims living in Triplicane and other areas. The mausoleums of important people associated with the Royal family of Nawob of Arcot are located to the West of the sanctum.Two of it domes are gold plated.

The Nawab of Arcot was  a man of affable  and courteous nature and had treated the Hindus well. Under his rule, many Hindus held position of power and his personal secretary was a Hindu.  When you enter the mosque there is a  chronogram written in Persian by Raja Makhhan Lal Bahdur Khirat, the Hindu Munshi of the Nawab, The mosque is being administered by the Prince of Arcot Endowments Trust. The prince of Arcot is being held in great esteem in Tamil Nadu  and many of his employees are Hindus, symbolizing peaceful coexistence between the two religions.

In the past, the  Nawab of Arcot, a loyal ally of the British moved into Chepauk Palace in 1768 and since then his descendants have been living in part of the building. The Chepauk Palace is close to Ft. St. George built by the British. During his time, a large community of Marakayar Muslims - roughly 20,000 in number  moved with him to the city. It is said to be the largest  Muslim community in South India after Hyderabad. Under the Arcot Nawob rule, litigation  was resolved under Muslim Law irrespective of the religion of the accused. Historians  strongly believe the cultural fabric of this part of Madras (Chennai) had become enriched after the mosque was built, The same location has a famous Hindu temple - Parthasarathy Temple and the Portuguese Christian Church of San Thome.
Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, the Nawab of Arcot, en.wikipedia.org
Thus, the Wallajah mosque came up in Triplicane (in local parlance Tiruvallikkani) to cater to the spiritual needs of the Muslims of this area. Of late, the mosque is not large enough to handle too many devotees on festive occasions. During Ramzan and Bakrid, the congregation for the Eid prayers is so large that the crowd spills out of the mosque into the open space. Further, in certain seasons,  if there is heavy downpour, shamianas  temporarily put up by the  administrators of the mosque are insufficient to prevent the congregation from being drenched.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triplicane_Big_Mosque
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Captivating Kuthira Malika Palace of beauty and grandeur!

March 23, 2017, 1:48 am
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Kuthira Malika Palace Tiruvananthapuram.SouthDreamZ
Among the Indian sates, Kerala architecture, indigenous to the state is an  architectural style that makes it stand apart. The different styles of Kerala architecture with  deep slanting roof bear testimonial to the wormanship and the amazing talents of the vishwakarma sthapathis  who create wonders out of wood with eye-catching carvings, ornate pillars intricate wooden panelling beautifully decorated doors. These enhance the beauty and grandeur of  Kerala's style of architecture. This is in contrast to Dravidian architecture which is normally being followed in other parts of South India. Historians point that the Kerala architecture has evolved over a pretty long period of time  influenced by Dravidian and Indian Vedic architectural science (Vastu Shastra). The Tantrasamuchaya, Thachu-Shastra, Manushyalaya-Chandrika and Silparatna are important architectural sciences, and one can see their impact on the architectural designs in Kerala.  The Manushyalaya-Chandrika, a study exclusively  devoted to domestic architecture  has its strong roots in Kerala.
The architectural style quite suitable to  Kerala’s peculiar climate also brings out its  long history of influences of its major maritime trading connections with countries  like Chinese, Arabs and Europeans. As you may be aware, Kerala was the leading exporter of spices centuries ago even before the arrival of Vasco de Gama in 1498-99.

 Kuthira Malika Palace Museum or Puthen  Malika Palace Museum located adjacent to Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple on the SE side in the capital city of Kerala -Tiruvanantha Puram is a fascinating   two-storied palace and it attracts the attention of the visitors to the Hindu temple because of its location.  Also called  horse palace (Kuthira in Tamil or Malayalam means horse), the palace has a fine collection of exhibits - countless artifacts, etc. 
Kuthira Malika Palace ,Tiruvananthapuram. Alamy
Kathakili artists, Kuthira Malika palace. Alamy

Built by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma - the King of Travancore, who was a well-known  poet, musician, social reformer and statesman, the palace is a fine example of traditional Kerala type of  architecture of this region.  The superb workmanship,  exquisite wood carvings. the display of beautiful paintings belonging to the royal family not only show the extend of interest in arts  taken by the royal family but also they bring to light the pool of talents available in this regions - painting artists, artisans, wood workers, etc.

The palace is frequently referred to as Kuthira Malika  because it has  122 horses that are carved into the wooden wall brackets that support the southern roof. The official name of the palace is Puthen Malika (New Mansion) is not being frequently used by the people. The palace forms part of a vast complex of royal buildings in the vicinity of Padmanabhaswamy Temple.The palace complex was not under the occupation  for more than a century, following the demise of Swathi Thirunal in 1846.
Kuthira Malika Palace ,Tiruvananthapuram.Flick
Ornate wooden ceiling Kuthira Malika palaceAlamy
Built in the 1840s, one will be struck by the beautiful indigenous Kerala style design  with its typical sloping roofs, overhanging eaves, pillared verandas and enclosed courtyards. Every room is unique and has a distinctive pattern adorned with breath-taking wooden carvings that one ought to see them for oneself  to appreciate the workmanship and the hard work and imagination that would have gone into them.

 It is said the the palace work was completed by 5000 Vishwabrahmins  in four years. The entire palace is mostly made from wood - teak wood, rosewood, marble, and granite were the construction materials one can find in this palace. The amazing features that may attract our attention are : the wooden roof of the palace supported by  42 ornate beams  granite pillars; floral motifs that  enhance the beauty of  the ceiling of the veranda; the total number of room is 80, of which, the public can access only20 rooms; among them the main 16 rooms are built differently with different styles and patterns; all rooms are well ventilated and no suffocation is possible.  The floor inside the palace made of egg whites, charcoal, and limestone is unique and it is cool even if the outside temperature is hot, besides it gives an impressive appearance. An interesting feature of the concert hall - Navarathri Mandapam in the front part of the palace is it uses traditional sound reflectors comprising of fifty clay pots that are hung upside down from the ceiling. The effect is so unique that it surpasses the modern sound system.
 Kuthira Malika Palace, Tiruvanthapuram Alamy
A part of the palace has a museum containing items owned by the royal family and they include 14 life-size Kathakali mannequins, Belgian and Italian mirrors, beautiful crystal chandeliers, paintings, a giant Belgian harpoon, armaments, musical instruments, traditional furniture, Greek statues, a musical octave producing  musical tree  and other artifacts. Also included are on the right side of the mannequins the ivory cradles of various sizes and two royal thrones, one made from 24 elephant tusks (Dantasimhasana) and the other of Bohemian crystal with the Tranvancore emblem 'conch' adorning the top of the backrest. The palace has a large collection of idols and sculptures made from white marble.

On the first floor  one can find an out of service audience chamber, the library and an alcove - a sort of booth that Swathi Thirunal used for meditation and for writing many of his famous musical compositions. This place offers a direct view of the Padmanabhaswamy temple gopuram. The small wooden stair way is ornate  containing carvings of peacock, elephant, and dragon. Ceiling of the rooms contain paintings of parrot, peacock, and elephant.

Raja Swathi Thirunal was a great composer of Carnatic Music and his compositions are sung by great musicians of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other states. A yearly music festival is conducted in the courtyard of Kuthira Malika  called Swathi Sangeethotsavam (also known as Kuthira Malika Festival) in memory of that great intellectual ruler. This music festival is held  from 6 to 12 January every year. Many stalwarts of Carnatic and Hindustani classical music come  here and perform . Noted  performers of the past included Bismillah Khan, Kishori Amonkar, M. Balamuralikrishna, D. K. Pattammal, and Gangubai Hangal. The   great Carnatic musician of Tamil  Nadu late Semmankudi Srinivasa Aiyar  was a well-known patron of Swathithrunal compositions

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



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Unique Bara Manzil Temple, Rishikesh

March 23, 2017, 10:08 am
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Trayambakeshwar Temple and Laxman Jhoola
Rishikesh, a town in Dehradun district of the Indian state, Uttarakhand is not only a popular tourist spot for fun-loving people, but is also an important pilgrimge center for the ardent Hindus. Located in the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayas, the very name Rishikesh is synonymous with spirituality, yoga and and Hindu temples. It is often referred to as the Yoga capital of the world. There are many worth-seeing places around this town and it is a paradise for people who love out door adventures like, hiking, etc. The Himalayas on one side, this place offers countless breath-taking natural scenery  ideal for people to meditate. For several centuries Rishikesh has been known as one of holiest places for the Hindus. Haridwar, yet another holy city, is just 25 km  from here. Rishikesh and Haridwar will be the first in India to be given the title of "twin national heritage cities". Bear in mind in view of the religious importance of this place, non-vegetarian food and alcohol  are strictly prohibited in Rishikesh.

The temples in Rishikesh are  quite interesting and are crowded You can see devotees  chanting  and humming mantras. For the people who go on a yatra of Char Dham of Uttarakhand, Rishikesh  is  a sacred stopover for the pilgrims. Parmarth Niketan Temple, Nilkanth Mahadev, Bharat Mandir, etc., are known for the  serenity and sanctity. The Ganga River, considered as the holiest river in Hindu belief, is not polluted here and it enhances the divinity of the shrines here. 
Bara Manzil temple, Rishikesh. Travel India ,bharat darshan
Of particular interest to us is the Bara Manzil temple - 12 story tall structure. Located in Lakshman Jula near the suspended bridge, lots of people visit this temple. An interesting feature of this temple is each floor has several shrines dedicated to god and goddesses in the Hindu pantheon. In the Hindu temples of South India the various deities including the main one  are on the ground floor itself. Invariably such shrines are built around the Garbagraha or Srikovil (Sanctum). The temple here has lots of bells and devotees ring the bell as they move upward. One can access up to the top floor. There are corridors of small room on some floors with three gods . As you climb, each floor is lined with statues and idols of gods and goddesses. On some floors, there are shops where, besides religious items, one can get bangles, gift items, etc.
Bara Manzil temple, Rishikesh. TripAdvisor

The main shrine Neelakanth Shiva is on the ground floor. Among the subshrines noted deities are Lord Vishnu on the recoiled bed of Aadi Sesha, Lakshmi, Dharmarai, Yama seated on buffalo, Sri Krishna, Radha and Balaram, Goddess Saraswati with Veena. Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati (three rivers), Sri Rama, Sita, Lakshman and hanuman, Lord Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, Brama, Vishnu and Shiva. You may also find other deities.

On the first floor: Bhavani, Uma, Hemavati, Yamuna, Kalyani seated on lion, Sri Krishna holding disc (ckaradari), Brahmi, Hanuman and others. On the second floor: Brahma, Lakshmi Narayan, Bhairavi, Kali, Sri Balaji, Santhoshi Mata, Panchamuki Gayatri, Panchamuki Shiva and others. On the third floor: Veerabadra, Bhuwaneswari, Vishu, Shiva linga and Nandi, Shivalinga and Markanyaya, Makeshasura mardhini and others.
On the fouth floor: Pasupati - Shivalinga with five heads, Shivalinga and Shiva as Arthanareswara, episode depicting the birth of Drupadi. On the fifth  floor: shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. On the sixth  floor: Ambikeswara and Shiva in the form of Mahadeva. On the seventh floor: Shrines dedicated to Shiva and an episode of avatar of Ganga. On eight floor: Shrines dedicated to Shiva . Mallikarjuna. On the nineth floor: Shrines deicated to Shiva (Mahadev). On tenth floor: The shine of trayambakeswarar Mahadev.

http://indiancolumbus.blogspot.com/search/label/Rishikesh
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Jenkins School, Cooch Behar - one of the oldest schools in India

March 23, 2017, 10:24 pm
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Jenkins School, Cooch Behar W. Bengal. en.wikipedia.org
Jenkins School, a boys school is located on Silver Jubilee Avenue, Cooch Behar in the Indian state of West Bengal. Established in 1861 in the town of Cooch Behar, it is one among the oldest schools in India as well as Bengal (undivided). Now, it is a government school and it was founded by the then Maharajah of Cooch Behar His Highness  Narendra Narayan,

The Maharajah was a man of foresight and  vision, keenly interested in the welfare of his kingdom and he wanted his subjects to be in  tune with modem developments in science and technology so that the future of the state will be in good hands. Realizing the value of education, he wanted to have a modem educational system in Cooch Behar. He established Jenkins School with the main purpose of imparting English education and other studies relevant to India to the children.
He thought it was quite appropriate to name the school after  
 Major Gen. Francis Jenkins, an alumnus of Oxford University and the Commissioner of Assam and official Agent of the Governor General of Bengal for Assam frontier (now North-East India). Jenkins not only loved the people of Cooch Behar, Assam and other regions, but never wished to get back to England and lead a happy, peaceful retirement life. Instead he settled down at Gauhati and lived there till his death. During that time, in that place there was no school to impart education to the children. In the scholl There are classes from lower standard  up to 12th standard.
Cooch Behar.gov.in
Jenkins School. Cooch Behar, WB Cooch Behar.gov.in
Soon after  the independence of India in August 1947, the princely state of Cooch Behar became  merged with India in 1950 as Cooch Behar district within the state of West Bengal. Jenkins School became a  state government school. In the early stages, many teachers were appointed  on recommendation of king of Cooch Behar, Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan and the government of West Bengal. Between the late 1940s and the early 1960s, the school did well. Thanks to  Kalipada Mukherjee HM who worked hard and  made it a popular a popular school in this region.  In the domain of sports, the Maharajah also  sought the help of  Sailen Datta, a veteran cricketer of the Bengal cricket team for the improvement  of sports education in the school.

The school's 100-year anniversary  was celebrated in January 1961 and 150 anniversary  in  January 2011. This school consistently produced excellent students who excelled in various tough govt. competitive entrance exams and made a mark in their lives. In order to maintain the relationship with the old boys, an Alumni Association was formed  not only to maintain a cordial relationship with the school, but also to preserve and promote school's tradition, and future development. Further, the students can take the inspiration from older students who achieved success in their lives.
In this school, cricket is a popular game 

Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenkins_School

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Lansdowne Hall of Cooch Behar, a heritage building

March 24, 2017, 1:27 am
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Lansdowne Hall (south view)Coochbihar gov.in

Lansdowne Hall, on the Sagardighi West in  the center of the town of  Cooch Behar is  an important landmark that houses 
BMO and others. Erected in 1894 in commemoration of the visit of Lord Lansdowne, Viceroy and Governor General of India to  Cooch Behar, Lansdowne hall played a crucial role in the local society for a pretty long time; it was a venue of countless important public meetings, while it was also used as a reading room for literate people of this area.
Lansdown Hall,Cooch Bihargov.in
It was on February 2, 1895, the State Library was opened on the ground floor  by Maharaja Sir Nripendra Narayan (4 October 1862-18 September 1911. A Masonic Lodge  was opened on upper floor on  May 7, 1895.
  
Designed in Italian type of architecture, the dimension of the building is length north and south  109’4’’ and breadth 85’3’’. The width of the main building is 59’6’’. In front there is a carriage porch with three storied structure along with a clock tower atop. The striking features are the tall tower  whose height from the ground is79 ft and the attractive  main doors, which are 12X6 fore fold and have sashes ( a sort of gridles?) embossed "to Lansdowne’s and His Highness" crest. The center Hall  is a big one  92’6’’ X25’  with fairly broad side aisles - 12 feet wide. The clock tower took a severe beating during the massive earthquake of 1897.

http://coochbehar.gov.in/htmfiles/Sadar_admn.html
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John Drinkwater Bethune, a pioneer in native Indian Women's education

March 25, 2017, 1:40 am
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John Bethune, founder, Hindu girls' school Wikiwand
John Bethune, founder, Hindu girls' school.Indian Philately Diges

During the colonial period under the East India company, women's education in the Indian society was not given any priority as the Indian natives were conservative to  the core regardless of their religion and caste. No British administrator  tried to impress on the Indian community the value of woman's education and its benefits. That woman's education is equally important for the progress and welfare of the society did not dawn on them. 

Some European administrators and and European preachers - both men and women wanted to change the appalling conditions prevailing then regarding women's education. Unfortunately, many preachers included Christian teaching as a subject and this did not enthuse the high society people. Some preachers approached the poor girls to enroll in the school with some enticements. So, somewhere down the line something called "sincere  and dedicated approach" to women's education was missing. Some administrators felt education should not have religious compulsion. John Bethune,  British lawyer with the EIC, on the side lines, wanted to make the Indian women literate and be progressive and saw considerable success  despite social taboos and odds prevailing in the conservative Indian society.
John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune (1801–1851)Wikipedia
John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune (1801–1851) whose earlier name  was John Elliot Drinkwater, was by profession,  a barrister and  was a law member of the Governor-General's Council. Being an  Anglo-Indian lawyer, he paid particular attention to women's education and did  a pioneering work  in promoting  it in 19th-century India.   Proving that he was a man of action, in 1849, Bethune, as Governor's Council member  founded an institution for women's education in Calcutta (now Kolkata), then the capital of British India. What started out a small institution then  became a well-known college and bore his name in his memory. 

Bethune school / college, Kolkata. Mythical India
Born in Cheshire, son of Col. John Drinkwater Bethune of Salford, John was educated at Westminster School and at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. His mother, Eleanor Congalton, was a  woman of erudition and right from his childhood he had liberal thoughts Having become qualified for bar, he got  an administrative position in Parliament.That he was proficient in Greek, Latin, German, French and Italian earned fame and helped him get a job in India. On Lord Gray's recommendation he became a member in the Home department, giving due consideration to his talents. In 1848, he landed in India as Law Member of the Governor General's Council and later became president of The Council Of Education. Earlier in London, Bethune chanced to appear as junior to Francis Bethie  in the famous appeal case against Lord Bentinck's 'Suttee' (Sati) Prevention Law of 1829. Being Bethie's junior, he placed the petition before the Privy Council in August, 1831 that was dismissed. This case proved to be a turning point for him and it gave him a chance to understand the poor social condition of women in India. Taking inspiration from his mother, he made up his mind to do something for the betterment of Indian women and to free them from deprivation and illiteracy.Till his arrival in India, the East India company  never paid attention to Indian women's education.

Mr. Bethune was instrumental in starting the  school in Cornwallis Square for the education of the daughters of the natives, and it was the first of its kind in Calcutta. In November, 1850 Hon'ble Sir John Litter, then Deputy Governor of Bengal laid the foundation stone of the spacious building that included a fine residence for the Head Mistress on the premises. He did not live to see the school building. In memory of the founder there is an oil painting and a bust size statue in the premises there. He, without any hesitation,  bore the financial  burden of the Hindu Girls' School project.

The earliest schools for Indian girls were  opened at Gouribari in north Kolkata in 1819 and another one in 1820, The former was run by the Calcutta Female Juvenile Society, under the  Calcutta Baptist Mission Society and the latter was started by  Mrs. Gogerly  under the auspices of London Missionary Society. The subjects taught included  reading and writing in Bengali, in geography, needlework and the Bible. The students were from the lower  strata of the Hindu society. In 1818,  David Hare established the School Society in Calcutta  and liberal Hindus preferred their women to go to school. However, this view was  not shared by others in society.  One Ms. Mary Ann Cooke, in 1821 with the Church Missionary Society started schools and due to her efforts  least 277 girls were benefited. The first school for girls in India was opened by Mahatma Jotiba Govindrao Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule in 1850, at Bhide wada in Pune city of Maharashtra region of India.

Bengal Ladies Society started by Lady Amherst had 19 girl's schools with 450 students in different parts of Bengal. according a report.  As  most  of those schools were run  by Christian women as part of their missionary work, the Bengali high society people - mostly Hindus  were  not ready to send their girls to school. They did not like religion  mixed with  school studies.

The Young Bengal group had been in the forefront  and a persistent advocate of the cause of Indian women. One Peary Charan Sarkar, a former student of Hindu College, took the initiative and set up a free school for girls in 1847 in Barasat, a suburb of Calcutta (later the school was named Kalikrishna Girls' High School). Mr. Bethune had a chance to  visit this school as part of his inspection work being the  President of the Council of Education and was much impressed by the  functioning of this native school. Once he left the portals of this institution, his long-lasting impression about the school made him think differently regarding Indian women's education. 
Bethune collegiate school Noise Break
Bethune  not only founded the  secular Hindu  Female School on 7 May 1849  with support  from like-minded people like Ramgopal Ghosh, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar but also  donated all his movable and immovable property to the school. Though holding a high office in EIC, he never invited any Europeans during the inauguration of the school. The school was monitored by many committees and the girls' guardians played an active role in the school's activities. This being his first efforts in Kolkata, the liberal society was happy about his initiative and it had a favorable impact on the society, in particular,  among the liberal Hindus. The medium of instruction was in Bengali and English was also taught as a subject under option. Later, the government took it over in 1856 and renamed it Bethune School in 1862–63 in honor of John Drinkwater Bethune. In 1868, when Miss Piggot, the headmistress encouraged Christian education, she was forced to resign the job. This infuriated the orthodox section of the society and it  was against girls going to school. People from orthodox Hindu families in the early 19th century  considered education of women almost a sin. However, towards the end of that century, the prejudice against women's education had begun to decline.Thanks to John Bethune and his like - minded Indian friends.  John Bethune was busy with his Calcutta Public Library and translation activities into Bengali. He published a treatise on women's education by Pandit Gour Mohan Vidyalankar and distributed it at his own cost.

John Bethune's grave in Kolkata. astoundingbengal.blogspot.in/
John Drinkwater Bethune died  on 12 August 1851 in Calcutta. Unfortunately,  he did not live to see the spacious building that housed his school that later became  the Bethune College. No doubt, he left an  indelible mark in the domain of women's education  by providing space for them and their progress in the society. He lost no time to accomplish his chosen task of putting  Indian woman's education on a firm foundation so that  the future generation,  could  use it as  a springboard  to  move up and play a vital role in the progress of the society by being a good house wife and a source of inspirations to others.

Ref:

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













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Xavier's University, Kolkata, founded by Belgian Jesuits - colonial India

March 25, 2017, 4:14 am
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St. Xavier's College, Kolkata. en.wikipedia.org/
Founded in 1860 by Jesuit Henri Depelchin, St. Xavier's College, a graduate and undergraduate  institution has been  a well-known college in  Kolkata since the colonial days. It carries the name of  St. Francis Xavier, a Navarre Jesuit of the 16th century. Now a full -fleged University (since 2016), earlier  since 2006 it had been an autonomous college affiliated to the University of Calcutta. In the State of West Bengal, it was the first autonomous college. In April 2014, the college was awarded the "College Of Excellence" and presently  it offers Undergraduate and Postgraduate degrees, diplomas and certificates  in many fields. and a "Special Heritage Status" in July, 2015  was accorded by the University Grants Commission (India). The college was also awarded Grade A++ (CGPA: 3.77/4) by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.This college has close link with Kolkata and its people since its inception, and in recognition of its contribution to the society here, a commemorative stamp was issued by the Indian Post on 12 April 1985 depicting the college campus.
St. Xavier's College/en.wikipedia.org

St. Xavier's College/en.wikipedia.org/
It was in 1860 the Jesuits, an all-male Catholic religious order formed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola founded the college at the initiative of  Fr. Henri Depelchin, who oversaw most of the initial work during the early stages of its progress.

Sans Souci Theatre at  30 Park Street (now Mother Teresa Sarani), Kolkata, was in  a prime location in the emerging Calcutta city, a melting pot of diverse culture, social and intellectual milieu. During the height of the colonial rule, Sans Sousi was a famous social gathering place and also a hang out for the eligible European bachelors. Unfortunately a major fire mishap brought the entire building down in 1843. The site was bought by seven  Belgian Jesuits with a view to starting an educational institution. The plot here where the famous theater San Souci  had stood became the site of Xavier college and the present campus is functioning here. 
St. Xavier's College, Kolkata,Nepaladmission.com
With financial support from  the local Anglo Indian population and the  home of the Jesuit province - Belgium  a sum  Rs 45,000.00 was paid by Fr. Depelchin to buy the site for the proposed college.. Like many institutions, this college took off with just 30 students, so to say, a humble beginning. Despite affiliation with Calcutta University  in 1862,  the college administration  fell on hard time due to fund  crunch and consequently expansion work, additional class rooms and accommodation for the Jesuits were hampered.  The Rector in 1864  ran ads in the local news papers, requesting for funds to tide over the shortage of funds for expansion work of the college.

Upon seeing the ads, generous people in public responded magnanimously. Besides, Jesuit Father Henri Depelchin and his assistant Bro. Koppes, the architect of the new school, personally went around  the city and sought donations and they got good response. The present, imposing, five-storied building  cost whooping rupees 9 lakhs and took six long years - 1934 to 1940 to complete the work. It is quite interesting to note that part of the funds came from Belgium and through rentals by the US  Army  that occupied the building during the Second World War. New  campus in Salt Lake City, Kolkata, is on the way, along with a second boys' hostel.

Goethals Library located above the College Chapel, is one of the useful libraries in Kolkata and it has  some of the oldest periodicals, journals, and books that are useful for research scholars.Thanks to  the Archbishop of Calcutta, Paul Goethals, S.J., who in 1908 donated these valuable, well=preserved  treasures to the college. It was a milestone in the history of this college. 

The  univrsity offers  countless couses in various subjects and has 
 collaboration with the University of Manitoba, Canada. St. Xavier's  founded in 1860 by a Catholic Christian Minority Religious body, the Society of Jesus, with affliation to Calcutta University in 1862 to meet  the educational and cultural needs of the Minority community then,  now gives admission to  all irrespective of caste, creed and nationality.
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Darjeeling Head Post Office - a heritage site

March 25, 2017, 10:32 am
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Darjeeling is a small town and a famous hill station  in the NE Indian state of West Bengal.  Located in the Lesser Himalayas at an elevation of 6,700 ft (2,042.2 m), Darjeeling tea is internationally famous  and several well-known tea companies have  vast tea estates here. If there is one place where you can have a breath-taking view of  Mt. Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain, it is none other than  Darjeeling. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a tourist attraction. Darjeeling is the headquarters of Darjeeling district which has a partially autonomous status within the state of West Bengal. 

During the colonial time much of the tea estates were controlled by the Europeans  who had connection with their families and friends within India and Overseas. So, the British introduced the postal services in Darjeeling to help the people connect with others on the hills and in the plains. Darjeeling head post office is located in the middle of the Darjeeling Town  and it is closer to the Darjeeling Railway Station;  at a walkable distance of about 0.5 km.

The Post office is one of the heritage buildings  of this region.
It was in the year 1921 on 2nd May this post office building was inaugurated to cater to the local community living here. It is a UNESCO  heritage site  and is worth visiting.

Darjeeling head post office (HPO). trip advisor 

Post office at Hotel Palace building, Darjeeling TripAdvisor

Municipal bldg. Post office on Laden La Road. darjeelingonline.in
The post office is located in the Municipal building on the Laden La Road, Darjeeling. The Municipality was established in 1850. This municipal building is also a heritage structure and yet another heritage building - HPO is nearby on the same road.

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Who am I? Funny quotes and humor - 38

March 26, 2017, 10:28 am
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The media people don't respect  me  for the following reasons:

01. My positive point is I give nice speeches to whip up the emotions of the gullible people in the audience. ------- Media people say my speeches are trash.
indiaopines.com
02. I enjoy receiving titles, awards and attending special meeting where famous people shower praise on me. ------- Media people accuse me of  encouraging self-adulation.

03. My full-time job is "service to people" because service to people is service to God. ---------- Media people accuse me of being over- zealous.
www.pinterest.com

04. I do no care a fig if  either the people or the media make  carping  comments on me. -------- Media people think that I don't have any sense of shame.
www.santabanta.com
05. I have neither gratitude nor integrity when it comes to moving up the ladder in my chosen professional field. -------- Media people point out that I am selfish, unscrupulous and an opportunist. I disagree with them.

06. I don't go after money. Nor do I get commission to get the  job done. --------- Media reporters say I encourage corrupt practises and I have no clean hands.
2ndlook - WordPress.com
Debunking Facebook myths - WordPress.com

Dealin under the table. Tamilnadu Mandram
07. I am neither afraid of court cases nor scared of highly hyped 
scams. That I have wheeling and dealing with the goondas, hitmen, ruffians, etc is not true. --------- Media reporters say it is a big joke!!

08. I care about my family, my wife and children. I neither have concubines nor second wife. Media reporters say it is not true.

09. I often tell the people that my hoard is small, but my heart is big. Media people say it is a whooping lie!!

10. When it comes to true ideology, I am like a Jackrabbit, will keep changing it like a weather cock.

Can you make a guess who I am?

Yes, I am an Indian politician, ever at the beck and call of my electorate, ready to serve them well till  I hit the grave.
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Nanda Devi, second highest peak and the mystery of missing plutonium!!

March 27, 2017, 8:58 am
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Mount Nanda Devi, India.  keywordsuggest.org

Mt. Nanda Devi, India en.wikipedia.org/
Nanda Devi (altitude : 25,643ft /7815m) is the second highest mountain in India, next only to Kangchenjunga, which is higher on the border of India and Nepal. Considered  as the highest mountain in the world before Geodetic computations in 1808,  Nanda Devi is part of the Garhwal Himalayas, and is in the state of Uttarakhand, between the Rishiganga valley on the west and the Goriganga valley on the east. 

Nanda Devi a highly revered peak and is considered as among 
the most difficult Himalayan climbs by Tenzing Norgay, 
the man who first reached the roof of the world  Mt. Everest along with Edmund Hillary (29 May 1953). This peak played a vital  role during important  clandestine missions in the 1960s. Unlike other peaks, Mt. Nanda Devi became a mysterious peak for decades and was not approachable by many mountain climbers. But for  a few exceptions such as army or IMF sponsored expeditions,  nobody was allowed  either  to climb or explore Nanda Devi. Reason: supposedly  environmentally fragile place.  Mount Nanda Devi was shrouded in mystery for decades and finally the veil over the  puzzle was removed to let the public know the naked truth.  Read further: .......

In the early 1960s, the sudden and unprovoked war with India, ended in favor of China. The China's military muscle became a subject of discussion, so it became a necessity to keep a tab on China's military activities.  China's had first successful nuclear tests in Xinjiang province in 1964,  and it made India and other countries to install a device on Nanda Devi to keep track of its military threats.

 In October 1965, the US’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and India’s Intelligence Bureau (IB) together  wanted to have a sophisticated nuclear-powered sensing device installed on the summit to keep an eye on China.
Location map of nanda Devi. wildspace.biz
The daunting task is to take the heavy tracking  device uphill  and install it atop the peak. It was a tough  job  considering, the difficult mountainous route, the weight of the device - roughly 56 kg, tall 8 to 10 feet antenna, two transceiver sets,  and nuclear auxiliary power (SNAP) generator. Most importantly, the generator’s nuclear fuel, consisting of seven plutonium capsules that  were kept in a special container had to be set at the summit

A mountaineering team consisting of some army men was  entrusted with the job of installing the device on  top of Mt. Nanda Devi. The team was led my one  Manmohan Singh Kohli and when the team reached  Camp IV on 18 October, 1965 at over 24,000ft, an unexpected thing had happened. A terrible blizzard and severe cold conditions  hampered the tough endeavor. The blizzard being severe, the leader was left with one choice - either to move up or abandon the mission for the time being. Being a smart leader,  Kholi gave up the assault  to save the lives of his men. Had he not taken the right decision at the right moment “many would have been under the snow to day in the eternal grave in the snow-clad mountain.
Expedition Poster: Nanda Devi East. blogger
The nuclear-powered generator, nicknamed Guru Rinpoche by the climbing Sherpas, after the Buddhist god, was already emitting unusual heat and when the porters and others came to know that the heat was due to  radioactive  fuel, they realized the inherent danger and became agitated. Unable to move the generator uphill with them, the team safely kept  it near Camp IV and returned to safety. The crux of the matter is what they left behind at higher slopes of Nanda Devi was  the deadly stock of plutonium, which was “about half the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima”, according to the leader Kohli.

When the team returned to the mountain in May 1966 to resume their work, to their utter dismay, the container with Plutonium (it is an alloy of Pu-238 with 18 percent Pu-239. Pu-238 gives off far more heat than Pu-239)was missing and they made a vain attempt to find it. Theories and dangers of radiation were thick in the air. Nobody knew what had happened to the nuclear fuel pack. Team leader was of the opinion that the life span of the nuclear fuel was just 100 years and it is likely that the it lay buried in the snow as a result of a snow avalanche,
Nanda Devi temple. Flicker. com
Believed to be the  20th century’s greatest mountaineering-cum-espionage operation ever  conducted on the slopes of the second highest peaks in the world, the mission tested the limits of human endurance, fighting spirits  and courage.  The US and Indian team,  as part of the installation of the  surveillance device and retrieval, witnessed as many as one dozen ascents, involving countless people between 1965 and 1968, according to Kohli.
Ace mountaineer Captain M.S. kohli . www.captainmskohli.com
Since the fear of plutonium contamination of a vast area, stretching from the terrain of Rishiganga along the river Ganga  up to Kolkata  and  the threats to millions of people  along the river became a serious issue,  the US and Indian teams monitored the entire stretch  for some period. They continuously checked  the various water resources  and rocks  for any trace of radiation according to  author Prabhat Kumar Ganguli in Nanda Abhiyatra, a book written in Bengali. Kohli’s 8th Indo-Tibetan Border Police Battalion (from Tapovan) was actively involved in checking the radioactivity in the Rishi Ganga area.  In his 2005 book, "One More Step", Kohli described in detail the scare of nuclear contamination. When a team led by Rawat went up to retrieve the device from Nanda Kot in the summer of 1968, the device was very much there with the cover prised and the perpetual radiation made a  spherical cave around it in the ice. What about the plutonium capsules? There was no trace of them!! No body understood the ramification of missing plutonium and its repercussions. Fortunately, there was no calamity and it was a blessing in disguise
It was only in 1967, the Americans, with the help of Kohli and other Indian climbers such as Sonam Wangyal, H.C.S. Rawat, et al successfully installed a second nuclear-powered listening device on the neighbouring peak, the 22,510 ft Nanda Kot. The device worked well almost  for a year before developing a snag. The faulty Nanda Kot equipment  was removed away in 1968 in a helicopter by the Americans, 

After reading countless reports and studies made by top Indian scientists, mountaineer Kohli concludes. “According to me, the plutonium capsules will remain hot and melt the snow. It is a mystery whether it formed a cavity or travelled to the bottom of the glacier or got stuck somewhere in between. I see very little chance of radioactivity. No chance,”

The news of  the CIA-IB covert operation and the missing plutonium broke out  in the international media,for the first time in 1977 in the American magazine 'Outside'.  The sensational  adventure on Nanda Devi led to  national and international outrage and the then PM Morarji Desai had to admit to the secret mission in Parliament. and further stated that no other device was kept on the Indian soil as the faulty device was taken away  from Nanda Kot by the Americans in 1968.  In 1993 the team that did environmental study had found the steel case in the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. The steel cover had been prised away because of extreme forces of Nature.

Fifty years later, the famous mountaineer  Kohli (he scaled Mt. Everest in 1966) thought  ...... "It is a mystery whether it formed a cavity or travelled to the bottom of the glacier or got stuck somewhere in between. I see very little chance of radioactivity. No chance,”

The unfortunate fact is several  Sherpas who carried the nuclear device  up hill later died of cancer due to exposure to radiation. The mystery around the missing plutonium continues to haunt many Himalayan mountaineers and according to one author  Stephen Alter (who wrote Himalayan Journeys In Search Of The Sacred And The Sublime) “There’s a lot of speculation and rumour surrounding those events, but it’s difficult to say exactly what happened.” According to the former VP of IMF
Kapadia, the “threat of radioactivity is certainly there”.


American author and climber Pete Takeda, who authored the book An Eye At The Top Of The World: The Terrifying Legacy Of The Cold War’s Most Daring CIA Operation...."“Some experts will say that the plutonium represents a major health threat. Others dismiss the danger as no more hazardous than an airport X-ray machine. The truth lies somewhere in between,” he writes over messages on Facebook.

The missing plutonium issue that has layers of riddle wrapped around it. It is an enigma that  represents the horrible legacy of  CIA tactics in clandestine espionage operations and also the audacity of men to challenge the nature,unmindful of threats to a vast human population in case something goes awry.

Tit-Bits:


Nanda Devi means  Blissful Goddess and she is the  the patron -goddess of the Uttarakhand Himalayas. In view of its 
religious significance and delicate eco sysyem Mt. Nanda 
Devi sanctuary was closed to climbers and others in 1983. The surrounding Nanda Devi National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

Harish Kapadia  built a small stone temple at the base camp, a place christened Chaubata in n the memory” of his son, Lt Nawang Kapadia of 4/3 Gorkha Rifles. He was  killed in a terrorist attack in Kashmir. The temple is  dedicated to the supreme goddess of the region, Nanda Devi. This post is based on the following interesting article.

Ref:

http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/3QfYqLadggrbnrn41H0mAJ/The-Nanda-Devi-mystery, html












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Funny quotes and humor - 39

March 28, 2017, 1:25 am
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Shrink and his fees:


www.cartoonstock.com
A message in the shrink's clinic:

Dear off-beat guys and gals: "Having trust in me you have come to my clinic for a good remedy, so, I sincerely want your anxiety and frustrations doused and not to be exploded like a pack of dynamite sticks. When you leave my clinic after treatment,  you will be as calm as you can be and well composed.   So, see my secretary Ms. Screw Belleand find out from her my consulting fees that may depend on how long you lie  on the couch and  blabber and how long I am going to scribble about you " --------  Dr. Arun Antonio, MD (Psychiatrist).
CartoonStock
CartoonStock

Inseparable:

"The two inseparable buddies  are  like gamblers and
capers; politicians and lies; gossips and  yapping women, Indian Sultans and harem and American Presidential or Indian PM candidates and their gaffes".
Harem Alamy
Orange County Register

Induced followers:


Eccentric people. 123RF.com

CartoonStock

"The rich have a large followers for their money and display of their affluence.
The so called aristocrats and men with royal blood have a huge followers for their amusing behavior and eccentricity.
Mad people do have a large gathering behind them for their   crazy and odd behavior.
Politicians have have their own group of men behind them,  neither for their intelligence nor for their ideology, but only for the MONEY they at them when they blindly say nothing but "YES"


Talkative mouth:


CartoonStock
CartoonStock


CartoonStock
"When the ever-over-working talkative mouth is in a silent mode, so many heartburns, hard feelings and secrets  can be saved easily".

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The Cathedral & John Connon School. Mumbai - India's best school

March 28, 2017, 9:23 am
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The Cathedral & John Connon School. Mumbai. cathedralite.blogspot.in/
The Cathedral & John Connon School which was named  as the top school offering ICSE and ISC in India by a Hindustan Times report of 2013 is a popular coeducational school. Founded in 1860, it is considered as one of the best day schools in Asia, whose students are from Indian elite families - mostly from  wealthiest business families. Located in Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra, the school is,  as far as admission is concerned, it is selective  and  has the largest network of alumni students  who are well settled in their respective fields and reside across the globe. 

It is one of the oldest schools founded by the British and has the honor of consistently maintaining   high standard and rank for some decades. The 156-year plus year old school still heads the  lists of best day schools in India.
The Cathedral & John Connon School. /cathedral.blogspot.in
The man behind this old school and the cathedral was Bishop Harding and   in 1860 the Cathedral Chaplain opened a grammar school  in the old city of Bombay. Subsequently smaller institutions for girls joined the main stream school and they together formed what is now known as  the Cathedral and John Connon School.

In October, 1875 during the colonial rule under the Crown a  Choir School was  established with  a view to providing choristers for the first Anglican Church of Bombay, St. Thomas Cathedral. The  Scottish Education Society founded in 1866, built a building on the Esplanade, and named it after John Connon  who happened to be the then Chief Registrar of Bombay.

In 1878 the Bombay Diocesan Society's school in Byculla merged with the Choir School to form the Cathedral High School. A 
girl 's school had been functioning since 1880.  Built with a blend of Indo-Gothic style, the senior  school building came up in 1896.

In 1922, an important event took place that was the merger of the Cathedral Boys' School  and the Scottish School. The school authorities wanted  to work together to avoid competition between two groups and the schools  came under management of  the Anglo-Scottish Education Society. The schools were re-organized into the sections: Cathedral Boys' School, the Cathedral Girls' School, and the John Connon School.
iStampGallery.Com

Today the old boys' school is the Senior School; the old girls' school is the Middle School; and the John Connon School is the Junior School. The Infant School in Malabar Hill, was set up in 1965. The entire administrative work of the other sections is taken care of by the  senior school. 
The Cathedral & John Connon School. Mumbai.Google Plus

The Cathedral & John Connon School has affiliation with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), and its students  are eligible to appear for the Council's ISC, IB (Grade 12) and ICSE (Grade 10) examinations. The medium of instruction is English  and Hindi is taught as a second language.  Marathi or Sanskrit  is offered as the third language. Because of excellent teaching, guidance and personal attention of the school staff, the school  students have performed well at the ICSE and ISC examinations and, it is believed, that the school has maintained a 100% pass-rate. The school has various additional programs for good students who want to purse higher education. Further, the school gives priority to extracurricular activities as well.

Some of the famous alumni of this school are: Late Dr. Homi Bhabha: Eminent Nuclear Scientist, late J.R.D Tata: Industrialist, Jamshyd Godrej: Billionaire industrialist Godrej & Boyce, Karisma Kapoor: Bollywood actress, Kiran Desai: 2006 Booker Prize winner, late Muhammad Ali Jinnah: famous lawyer of Bombay and founder of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Salman Rushdie: novelist and essayist, 1981 Booker Prize winner, late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto: former Foreign Minister, President and Prime Minister of Pakistan.

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


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Dangers of musth elephants go street begging!!

March 29, 2017, 11:58 pm
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wild elephant 600kg buffalo in the air.www.viralbru.com.

Shutterst

elephant running amuck. www.dreamstime.com
 The role of elephants is very much reduced in the lumber industries in Indian states like  Kerala, Assam and in countries such as Thailand because of the ban by the government and introduction of modern machinery. In Kerala almost every temple uses  elephants for their daily rituals, etc. Many of them, donated to temple by the devotees are being maintained by the temple. Some temples, even churches employ privately owned elephants for their needs. For the jumbo owners maintaining the huge animal is a tough task, it requires lots of food, water, almost daily bathing, Vet care, a good rest from long walk or standing  for several hours, etc. When the jumbo is out of work. the mahouts take the elephant to the bazaar area for begging.  Elephant begging is illegal in India, but the police turn a blind eye for the  simple reason of divinity involved. The elephants, not designed for urban/semi urban  setup, need a wide range of forest land where there are water holes, trees  and grass lands to walk around comfortably to lead a quiet lief. On the  other hand in the urban space, the air is highly polluted, they have cramped-up space to stay, and get poor quality food. Thus, the so called street elephants, when taken out on the street to get money from the shop owners and onlookers, are quite unsuitable for this kind of congested environment and consequently they are stressed. As for the mahout, he has to maintain the big animal as well as his family. Forced to beg under cruel and unsafe conditions in urban and semi urban space that take away their natural behavior, their stressed condition is not conducive to good health. 

blog.shunya.net

swoolen temporal glands.A bull in musth. en.upali.ch/musth/
This brief post is about the risk of taking the male elephants to the cities and towns  and their seasonal musth problem that is not serious addressed in some cases. Particularly, the male elephants in the urban environment need special health care under the care of a veterinary doctor.  Most importantly, in the case of male elephants - bulls, Musth ( a word of Persian origin) is a serious issue and, if not treated, before hand, it may be a threat to human life, etc.
www.cartoonstock.com

A musth elephant, wild or domesticated, is extremely dangerous to both humans and other elephants too. There are cases in  zoos world over where bull elephants that are quite friendly under  normal conditions, in musth are known to  have killed countless  zoo keepers when they  became uncontrollably enraged; Such bulls need to be isolated  during their musth, which greatly complicates the risk in urban space.  During the Musth period, bull elephants, are known to have highly aggressive behaviour because of excessive production of Testosterone - reproductive hormones, whose  level  is 60 times  greater than in the same elephant at other times. This  may force  the tucker to run amok which means serious trouble in the  neighborhood. Normally male Asian elephant experience their first musth at 30. According to Cynthia Moss, an expert in elephants " ... male elephants regularly entered a state called "musth" in which their urge to mate goes into overdrive and they become very aggressive, rather like rutting deer..." 


www.cartoonstock.com

Common physical symptoms of the musth are:

01. Swollen temple or temporal glands.
02. Swollen trunk base.
03. An oily fluid  coming out of the temple glands, leaving a black trace across the cheeks to the corners of the mouth.
04. Deep smell of sweat and urine
05. Permanent dripping of urine and hind legs, which are wet on the inside by urine drops.
06. No erection of the genital part.
07. Foreskin of the genital part  appearing white-greenish.

When the above symptoms persist, the elephant becomes aggressive  and does not obey commands of the Mahout and is prone to irritation by sudden sounds and movements. Does attack humans and familiar elephants.

 In India, the simple treatment has been that the domesticated elephants in musth are tied to a strong tree and are not given food The mahout  puts  the elephant on starvation diet for several days, thus the duration of their elephants' musth is typically reduced to typically to five to eight days; The other options are sedatives like xylazine that are carefully used under the care of the vets.

When the mahout takes the male elephant on the street, he has a responsibility toward the society and has to keep a watchful eye on the male elephant whose behaviour pattern may change before the onslaught of musth.

 As for the state governments in various regions, they have to keep a list of privately owned elephants, the checklist of the elephants health, medication taken, etc. The big animals need proper health care and prefer to be in their habitat where they have freedom, fresh air, fresh food and above all wide space to walk majestically. Put the elephants in the Urban Prison is very unfortunate, in the case of bull elephants, threats to human lives are very much there.

http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report-jumbo-goes-begging-owner-gets-the-rap-from-bbmp-1531328xx

  









xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxbegging on the street and beaches

Street begging elephants and their mahouts (elephant handlers) wander hot spot tourist destinations visiting bars and restaurants usually from 6pm until midnight. Bags of sugarcane, pineapple or bananas are sold to tourists to feed to the elephant. People can also pay to have their photo taken. This is a miserable life for an elephant and listed below are a few reasons why:



    Elephants require a varied diet of grasses and leaves, plus clean fresh water daily which is not found in the inner cities

    Street begging reduces an elephant’s life expectancy by at least 50%. Calves rarely live past 5 years old
    Elephants become ill from breathing exhaust fumes, drinking dirty water, poor food, walking over concrete pavements, and are involved in car accidents
www.cartoonstock.com


    The heat from the road is incredibly painful for the elephants sensitive feet

    Loud music, crowds of people, fear, stress, disorientation, beatings and drugging lead elephants to physical and mental breakdowns

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Falling behind: - how to come out of it unscathed?

March 30, 2017, 9:13 pm
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unzypics.com
www.cartoonmotivators.com
Pinterest
Falling behind implies so many things, depending on the situation and what you are doing so on and so forth. A student may fall behind in his studies, so does an employee in his work. As for a person undergoing training, he lags behind in his learning process. The simple learning process purely depends on a combination of factors such as  commitments, motivation, confidence, and the urge to achieve the goal. The lack of any of these efforts will hamper one's progress.

Why do many talented people fall behind in their work?  The causes of slow progress  are of  three  types  
1. physical  well being,  02. mental well being  and 03. self-induced.  Fever, physical  injuries as a result of a fall, etc.,  may force a person to lag behind in his work. As for mental well  being, domestic problems, financial crunch, death of dear ones, etc., may hamper the progress. The first two  causes  can be tackled over a period of time and as the time goes  by, the person can come back to normal state. With respect to third category, it may be caused by poor interest, lack of motivation, lack of concentration, distraction, etc.
Cartoon Motivators - WordPress.com
Tackling the self-induced, slow progress is a challenge  and time consuming.  When I was a  high school student  I saw some of  my friends, who were far behind in their studies,  not only overshot the better students in the college, but also became successful   professionals  such lawyers,  bank employees, etc. Reason: Their resolute nature to turn a new leaf in their lives, a life-long commitment that took them to higher levels in their career. But, this realization came to them only when they entered the portals of a college. On the other hand, many of my good high school students, after getting a degree in a college settled on a job and tried to be in the comfort zone. They did not risk moving out of the same company or government job and be contended with mundane existence. Since they left the high school they had failed to sustain their motivation  and commitments afterwards.  


Simply follow the following to keep your fighting spirits going:

01. Learn not to brood over the past, it  is no use and will  take you nowhere.  Set aside your failures or  past slow progress, etc., and try to move forward with your sight on the target.

02. Jot down all your weak points as well as positive points on a sheet of paper. This will give you some idea as to where you stand.Now, it will help you take the next step.
Glasbergen
03. Concentrate on your negative points or weakness and try to eliminate them one by one. You might need patience and time and you can get rid of them overnight. Initially you have to have a sort of seesaw-battle in your mind. As for positive points, sustain them and keep a hold on them.

04. To start with,  take a resolution as you would take on the New Year day, that you will  keep moving  forward to  reach your goal unmindful of roadblocks on the chosen path. That you want to progress in your undertaking is itself the first  step in the right direction.
Shutterstock
www.designerhipster.com

05. The feeling of falling behind will serve as a powerful motivator and make the best out of such a bad feeling.

05. Learn to deal with Social Pressure. Never mind the criticism. I know a motivator through my friend. He is an armchair critic. He spends most of his time criticising others. A true motivator is the one who make a cripple get up and run the race. A lousy motivator is the one who will make a good runner a cripple. Learn the art of developing friendship with the right people not only on the social circuit but also outside of it. It will help you unleash your  dormant ambition and hidden skills. Redefine your relationship with the peer group and try to become a fast learner and performer

06. Growth acceleration can be achieved by way of allowing the feelings of  pain and  disappointment  flow freely for a while. Own those feelings. They’re temporary. Once they are gone, you no longer feel like you’re reprocessing those emotions. Slowly you’re likely to feel some relief and lightness afterwards. Once you push the past events behind and get them out of way, you can redeem yourself.

07. Once the negative feelings are gone,turn your attention to creating a positive vision of fresh action - going forward.  Redefine your short-term vision of success as a vision based on action, not on immediate results.

08. Once you gain confidence  and have a well defined vision based on action, do not be on the fast track to see quick results. You will end up falling in the pit. So don’t put too much pressure on yourself to achieve a specific result.

09. Do not anticipate what might happen in the future.  Define success as doing your best. Face the fear. Make the valiant effort. Don’t worry so much about the end result. As the Indian saying goes, put in your sincere efforts and tread the path of dharma - do justice yourself, every thing will fall in as you've expected. 

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Quotes for life

March 30, 2017, 10:34 pm
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Self-adulation:

The worst form of vulgarity and petty publicity lies in self adulation and crass oral or physical display of ones riches.
www.cartoonstock.com
CartoonStoc




Road to success:
 
"When ego, pride and arrogance nose dive, there begins  the man's journey on the road  to sanity and success." 
Glasbergen
 Self-pity:

CartoonStock
Marie D. Tiger

"Never ever give room to self-pity, it is retrograde. Wallowing in self-pity is the hardest roadblock on the path to success".

 Sensible human relationship:

"To become a successful businessman or a leader, one should learn  the art of dealing with people of all kinds. It consists of appreciation, pacification, opposition, submission, gift and grit. Sensible human relationship with mutual respect is  pivotal in all fields".

The bad effects of riches:

Seven Pillars Institute
Pinterest
"Man's misfortune begins to raise its ugly head,  the moment his riches take control over him and make his head work over time and  wobble with pride and stupidity".

Jantoo Cartoons

Charity:

Quick Take - As It Happens - WordPress.com

Cartoon Movement
www.santabanta.com
 " It is the "Victory" that is gained through charity and unselfishness is like a beacon - ever lasting for generations and the inspiration will never diminish".


Freedom and human rights:
 

Cartoon Movement
 "Freedom and human rights, fundamental to every soul on earth, will transcend all barriers and no way can be nullified  by distortions  of religious scriptures, caste, color, creed and racial differences."
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Colonial heritage building Mayo Hall, Bangalore

March 31, 2017, 11:05 am
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Mayo Hall, Bangalore city. Flickr
Mayo Hall, Bangalore city. YouTube
In the heart of Bangalore city on a small hill there is an interesting colonial building called Mayo Hall  built in memory of Lord Mayo ( 21 February 1822 - 8 February 1872), the 4th Viceroy of India.  This old structure  made of brick and concrete  is on the popular MG road in Bangalore city and is close to  the Public Utility Building, city's Parade grounds and Ulsoor Lake on one side, and the Bangalore Race Course and Brigade Grounds on the south. Inaugurated by the British Resident on June 6, 1883  at a well-attended function, the Mayo Hall is an important landmark in this part of the city with  pedimented windows, varied with key-storied arches, beautifully executed consoles, balustraded ledges and typical Greek cornice. The building with two floors has intricately designed  furniture and architecture adorned by "chandeliers (on the first floor), wooden floors, Tuscan columns, stone arches and beautiful furnishings. This building was the first of its kind among the many memorials  such as Mayo Hospitals, Mayo Schools, etc  constructed in honor of Lord Mayo across the country.  In 2007, a statue of Lord Mayo was accidentally brought to light in Jaipur, India, after being buried for six decades. This statue was previouly on the  premises of Mayo Hospital, currently known as the Mahilya Chikatsalya, Jaipur. The 9-foot-tall (2.7 m) cast-iron statue, weighing around 3 tons, was specially sculpted and had been intalled by the Maharaja Ram Singh ji of Jaipur, as a tribute to Lord Mayo after his assassination. 

Currently many government departments are functioning there including marriages registration office and the state-owned  government's Kempegowda Museum  (established in 2011) that is is located on the first floor of Mayo Hall.  Kempegowda happened to be the founder of Bangalore and there is a statue on the premises. In the bygone era this hall was home to Bangalore Cantonment municipal office, several public offices and law courts. The upper floor was mainly used  for important 'Public meetings and Exhibitions'
Lor Mayo. Chughtai's Art Blog -
Soon after the defeat of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore  by the British led by Richard Wellesley ( alias Viscount Wellesley20 June 1760 -26 September 1842) in 1799, the city planners decided to develop Bangalore into an important civil and military center and as part of the integration in 1800s, the army that defeated Tipu was relocated from the swampy Srirangapatna to Bangalore that enjoyed a cooler and temperate weather.  New garrison town  had begun to grow in 1809  and many developments  took place later and the Mayo Hall was one among the series of new structures that came up in this city in the mid-1800s. With the passage of time and the end of the threats by Tipu, countless British families moved into Bangalore. That included families of Military people, Administrative staff, traders, etc. Soon, the city had all the comforts that the European cities  could boast of and it included, pubs, dancing halls, the race course and golf courses. This is the reason why Bangalore city has a large number of old colonial churches.
mayo hall bangalorewww.placeforvacations.com

Lord Mayo ( Richard Southwell Bourke'6th Earl of Mayo), educated at Trinity College, Dublin, though held the post of the Viceroy and Governor General of India from 1869-72, his post took  him to different parts of India and he was much impressed by the variety of talented people of  different cultures, languages, etc and the myriad of lands and this led him to remark, "as long as the sun shines in heaven" so long Britain should hold on to India.  During his short period, he oversaw several developments. He improved irrigation, railways, forest admininistration, census, etc.Yet another fact about Lord Mayo  was that  he was against ill treatment of Indian Prisoners by the Prison  authorities. Unfortunately, on a visit to  Port Blair's prison (Kalapani), the Andaman Islands as part of inspection work, Lord Mayo was assassinated by stabbing to death by one Sher Ali, a Pathan life convict. Ali committed this murder in order to avenge Lord Mayo for the loss of his father who was killed in the Anglo-Afghan War. 

The Mayo Hall, Bangalore  was a fitting public memorial in memory of Lord Mayo who had no ill-feeling against the natives,  The two-story building surrounded by beautiful lawns, trees, flowering plants, etc was built at the cost of Rs 45,000.00 collected through public subscription. Inside the hall one could see elegantly framed pictures of the British nobility and outstanding citizens in the hall.

The Mayo Hall considered as  'one of the most elegant public buildings of the era in Southern India with Greeco-Roman elements in the design and architecture, to day it stands in a highly polluted and congested area of the city. There is a feeling of despair and disappointment among the lover of old monuments  that  such historical buildings need periodic repairs and have to be taken care of for the benefit of future generation. Across India in many states, in particular, Tamil Nadu, historical  heritage buildings are not well taken care of and in some places there are wanton encroachments by the unscrupulous traders. Many people  feel angst about the fate of such wonderful monuments that might fall into disrepair if the respective state governments and public do not come forward and preserve them for the posterity 

Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayo_Hall_(Bangalore)


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    Elegant, but simple Jayamahal palace, Bangalore

    March 31, 2017, 6:58 pm
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    The Jayamahal Palace Hotel,Bangalore.Trip2blr

    Built around 1903 by a British Resident, the Jayamahal Palace Hotel was once a private residence and is  believed to have been  acquired from the Mysore Maharajah around the 1940's. The Jayamahal Palace hotel is  presently  owned by the grandson of the Maharajah Bhojrajji of Gondal, an erstwhile princely State in Gujarat. The palace became a hotel in 2005 and it was declared open by the then Maharajah  Srikanta Datta Narasimha Raja Wadiyar, former MP.  Looming  behind the Cantonment station with a sprawling ground this majestic palace  was once  frequented by the British higher-ups in their heydays  and is close to such well-known buildings as the Bangalore Palace  the Raj Mahal Vilas and Gayatri Devi Park Extensions and to the east is Jayachamarajendra Nagar. 

    The design of multi- storied  Jaya mahal palace vaguely  carries the elements of Kathiawadi architect blended with Gothic  style with covered portico, balconies, sloping sunshades,etc. The hotel is well embellished with beautiful decorations, tasty themes, featuring stained glasses, attractive furnishings, matching the exotic features of some states. For examples, the Gujarat Suite has murals of elephants and camel on the walls.The interiors of the heritage hotel were designed by   Kumud Kumari of Gondal, wife of the owner. The ambiance brings out the nicety of royal life blended with wonders of modernity. The restaurants are also tastefully  decorated  and the walls  based on different themes. In some restaurants on the wall one could see pictures of the Maharajah with his race cars. It seems the ruler was  fond of expensive cars like other Maharajahs of by-gone era. This fine palace tucked away from the din of traffic in a placid place, it became a heritage hotel with 4-star amenities decades ago.
    The Jayamahal Palace Hotel,Bangalore. weddingz.in

    The fine little palace  tucked away from the din of the city in a serene place became a heritage hotel with four-star amenities a few decades ago and it is being managed by HH Maharaja Shri Jyotendrasinhji Vikramsinhji Sahib, the present `Thakore Saheb' of Gondal. 

    There exists a royal link between Godal  and Mysore. Gondal (eleven gun salute) founded in 1634  was one of the eight first class princely states (eleven gun salute) in the Kathiawar region, enjoying all the luxuries, trappings of royal patronage, an array of heritage palaces, etc., in the past era.  It is quite interesting to note that the princely states of north-western India and Bangalore have close royal ties as a result of the wedding of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV with the daughter of Rana  Shri Banesinhji Sahib of Vana and the sister-in-law of Maharaja Thakore Shri Bhojirajsinhji Sahib of Gondal - HH Lakshmi Vilasa Sannidhana Sri Pratapa Kumari Devi Bai Ammanni Avaru, a princess from Kathiawar.
     
    Yet another fact about the royal lineage is  that  Thakorani Vijaya Devi of Kotda Sangani (attached to Gondal in 1943) and Thakorani Sujayakantha Devi Sahiba of Sanand near Ahmedabad, were both royal princesses of Mysore and sisters to Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wodeyar. His daughter Rajkumari Kamakshi Devi married the  prince of Wadhwan. Thus, the Jayamahal palace reminds us the closeness of these famous royal families.
     The colonial palace may appear simple, but its elegance can be appreciated only on a visit to this wonderful palace.
    Ref:
    http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/columns/others/jayamahal-palace-hotel-jayamahal-palace-road-icing-covered-cake-raj-mahal-vilas-gayatri-devi-park-extensions-jayachamarajendra-nagar/articleshow/41961657.cms

     http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/23/stories/2005052314440300.html

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