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Fascinating Christ church, Lucknow - the first English church in N. India

April 1, 2017, 1:27 am
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Christ church, Lucknow, UP.Flickr com,

Christ Church in Lucknow city, Uttar Pradesh has the unique distinction of being the the first  historical  English church in Northern India and the third in the country. Located along with a school in the Hazratganj area, there had been no other English church was built between 1700 and 1819. The first English church was built in 1680 in Madras (Chennai) the famous  St. Mary's Church) where Robert Clive and E.Yale of Yale university fame got married. This was followed by the beautiful  St. John's Church in the city of Calcutta in1770.
Interior. Christ church, Lucknow,UP. double-dolphin.blogspot.

Christianity had been in India for centuries ever since the arrival of St; Thomas  in 52 AD  on the coastal Kerala and he established churches there long ago.  There is a mention of a Bishop in India and  in 325 AD and however the first European Church was built in Cochin in 1510  where Vasco da Gama was initially buried. In 1524 his mortal  remains were transferred to Lisbon where they were buried again in 1538. 

A sum of 540 pounds was spent on the Gothic Church in Lucknow  and additional money was spent on walls, gates, etc and the Church building was in the Residency area that belonged to the Nawabs of Awadh, Whether the Nabob built the church or bore the expenses for the EIC  is a subject of discussion.
construction 

The church is not a big one and could accommodate about hundred and thirty persons. The Church, following the  the Gothic style with twenty steeples on its top,  had a cross  built over the entrance on the north.  It was originally known as the Church of England and was designed by General Hutchinson. During the great rebellion - The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the church came under heavy attack by the rioting mobs, consisting mostly of Indian soldiers, The rebels (freedom fighters) made the worst attack on the church on July 31 and August 5, 1857. Because the British  used the church as a store-house for ghee. etc it became a main target by the rebels, were besieged and used the church as a store-house for ghee. Fortunately the British did not blow up the church as the situation became grim. Christ Church was designed by Lt. Swetenham of the Royal Engineers and was consecrated by Bishop Cotton on 26th November, 1860.
Christ church, Lucknow, UP. Pinterest
In the early stages, Christian burial grounds in India were away from the churches and and they were not built as part of the church. In India, earlier,  it was not the practise to have burial grounds attached to the churches. In Lucknow, a  strange situation  had developed where the garden of the church was converted into a cemetery. The first to be buried there were victims of the surprise attack by the rebels at Mandiaon cantonment on May 30, 1857.
Stained glass panels.Christ church, Lucknow, double-dolphin.blogspot.in

It was in 1857-58 St. Mary's Church faced severe damages by the mobs. Cconsequently,  in the next three years the tomb of Nawab Saadat Ali Khan at Khas Bazaar and later on at the Imambara Sibtainabad (Built on the grave of the fourth king of Awadh, Amjad Ali Shah) became make-shift  places of  Christian worship  including mass for Christmas.  
Stained glass panels.Christ church, Lucknow,double-dolphin.blogspot.in

Situated towards the east of G.P.O, in 1860, the church. in Hazratgunj, became a  a memorial to the people who died in the rebellion.   and the  interior walls of the church still retain a large number of marble tablets and polished brass plaques erected in the memory of the British army officers, civilians and clergy that died during the conflict. 

One marble tablet in the transept is dedicated to James Grant Thomson, Deputy Commissioner of Muhamadee, who was murdered by the mutineers at Aurangabad in Oudh, June 5,h 1857, according to the inscription.  The church was enlarged and improved in 1904 and later in 1916. A belfry appears attached to the transept on the south. The bell tower  with a pointed spire  with a cross at the pinnacle. The cross is reported to have twisted  - just out of shape due to an earthquake in 1933.

 The stained glass trip-tych murals representing the iconic figures of the Christian faith  are quite impressive - the large one being in the backdrop of the altar on the east whereas the smaller one appears on the west, above the main entrance. The three panelled murals  framed within intersecting arches enhances the beauty of thr church interior.
Ref:
http://double-dolphin.blogspot.in/2015/08/christ-church-lucknow.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Church,_Lucknow

Hindustan Times, A Time in History
Wednesday 23.12.1998 — Early Churches of Lucknow



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Mystic Talakadu temples of great antiquity, Karnataka

April 2, 2017, 11:13 pm
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Keerthinarayana Temple in Talakad, Karnataka. GoRoadTrip

Talakadu temple. Native Planet

Situated on the banks of  the Cauveri River, 24 Kms from Somnathpur, 32 Kms from Sivanasamudram & 49 Kms from Mysore, Talakadu is not only  a historical place surrounded by temples but also a holy place replete with myths and legends. It is a haven for those who have keen interest in the Hindu temples and architecture. In Karnataka, it is one of the famous pilgrimage centers where more than 30 temples lay buried in the sand dunes in the past. However, some of them have been excavated by the archaeology department and are  being visited by a lot of 
tourists. There are five temples dedicated to Lord Siva - Pathaleshwara, Maruleshwara, Arkeshwara, Vaideeshwara and Mallikarjuneshwara Temples, each representing the five faces of Shiva. The Keerthinarayana temple, a beautiful place of worship,  is  dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

The temples at Talakadu silently witnessed the reign of famous rulers of  various  dynasties - Gangas, Hoysalas, Rashtra Kootas and Vijayanagara. Consequently, the temple design is not homogeneous and you could see the influence of the  style and design of various dynasties on them. The inscriptions in the temple throw light on the benefactors of the temple.  Talakadu has the dubious distinction of being referred to as the 'Curse of Talakad' by Oueen Alamelamma on the Wodeyar Dynasty of Mysore and this mystery has attracted lots of tourists to this place where the sand dunes played havoc in the past.
Vaidyanatheswara TempleTalakadu. www.mysoreonline.in
Sri Vaidyanatheshwara Swamy Temple is of particular interest. Here the stone carvings on the wall seem to be of Hoysala origin and  are fairly good despite the full force ofabrasive wind 
action. At the entrance to the temple, six foot tall stone images of Dwarabalaka -God's sentinels are quite impressive. The origin of this place -Tarakadu has an element of myth that focuses on  a pair of  elephants worshipping Shiva in the form of a tree. According to sthalapurana, a  sage, Somadatta and his disciples were killed by wild elephants when they were doing their penance. It is believed that they were reborn as elephants in the same forest and  carried on the daily ritual of offering prayers to a  cotton  tree. One day when they were praying  to the tree, two hunters - Kitatata twin brothers by the name of  Tala and Kada saw this strange incident  and out of arrogance, cut down the tree  that the elephants were praying daily. To their surprise, they saw the chopped tree bleeding as if they were humans, an unexpected thing no one could ever dream of. Suddenly, a voice  from above (Asiriri) advised them to  heal the wound by using the tree leaves. They did it as instructed and, surprisingly,  the blood  had turned milk. In the wake of this incident, both the hunters  and the elephants attained immortality. In view of the presence of divinity in this place, later a temple  was built around the tree, and the place became known as Talakadu. One can see the  two stone images of the twin brothers brothers in front of Lord Veerabadraswamy temple here. 

Dwarapalakas in relief in Vaidyeshvara temple/en.wikipedia.org


Talakadu location map.aya.co.in

At Talakad the  five Lingams of the temples are believed to represent the five faces of Shiva and form the Pancha pathi. This place is famous for the festival called Pancha Linga Darshana  
that is celebrated  once in 12 years. It is held on  a new moonday amavasya  - in the month of Karthika when two stars-Khuha Yoga and Vishaka come to gether  according to the Lunar or the Hindu calendar.    This five-day festival  commences at the exact same time in  all five temples with the ritual dip in the holy lake adjoining the temple of Vaidyanatheshwara.  Theertham -water from the same lake is brought to the temple to bathe the Gods.  This festival attracts people from many parts of Karnataka  and is marked by various events and chariot processions. . Tradition has been that on this day, the pilgrims are required to take first bathe in the Gokarna theertham, worship Gokarneswara and Chowdeswari, and then worship Vaidyeshwara, and then bathe in the northern eastern southern and western stretches of the Cauvery and then worship Arkeshwara, Pataleshwara, Maraleshwara and Mallikarjuna, returning to Vaidyeshwara after each worship, finally worship Keerthinarayana and conclude the pilgrimage in one day.The last temple was excavated in the recent past from the sand dunes.

The presence of a large amount of sands that buried lots of temple in the past  is a subject of discussion. Where is the source of sand? What force brought the sands and dumped  them here? An important relevant fact is there is no desert area nearby where the action of  wind  can make the sand dunes move to a farther distance over a period of time. The thickness of sand in and around Talakadu is more than 12 meters and it shows the sustained aeolian activities.  In the absence of a desert environment which natural force was responsible for dumping a huge layer of sand  over a vast area here? The logical answer lies in the political history of this place and the then ruler.   Madhav Mantri, a minister of the Vijayanagar Empire in 1336 wanted to have a dam built across the river. The constructed dam served the community well. The speculation is that  because of continuous neglect of desilting in the water storage area vast amount of sand accumulated over a long period of time and it became exposed to  strong wind action that moved the sandes toward Talakadu area, causing the burials of temples and the town. Later the town became a neglected area - a sort of ghost town. Yet another plausible explanation is Geomorphologically speaking, the East flowing Cauvery, because of its meandering course, shifted the course to one side exposing a vast amount of sand  bed near Talakadu. The suatained wind action on the sand was so severe, it literally dumped a huge layer of Sand and silt over  a period of time and buried the temples and the town. The origin of sand dunes needs further research in the absence of valid evidence. Till  a valid scientific reason is offered, the source of sand dunes will remain a mystery.

The five Vishnu temples of Lord Narayana known as Pancha Narayana Kshetrams are believed to have been established by Ramanujacharya during his visit to Karnataka (Melnadu). At Talakad,  the Keerthi Narayana temple was established and the presiding Deity in this temple is Keerthi Narayana.

Set aside all the myths and legends associated with Talakadu, the variety of architecture and sculptures may leave a lasting impression on your mind. Paradoxically, this place brings out the transient nature of ruling dynasties and their  artistic creations
- a continuum between nature and man's creation.

Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_of_temples_at_Talakad,_Karnataka


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The curse of Talakadu!! - cast by a pious queen

April 3, 2017, 7:20 am
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The curse of Talakadu. Dimdima
A curse, also known as malediction or anathema  is actually any expressed wish in distress that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity: one or more persons, a place, or an object.  Commonly, "curse" may refer to such a wish or pronouncement made effective by a supernatural or spiritual power. The spiritual power may be  a god or gods, a spirit, or a natural force, Curse, also referred to as jinx may be a  spell by magic or witchcraft. In the modern society,  a curse is cast by a mentally  affected person on somebody who cheated or betrayed him or her, In India the tradition has it  a woman's curse will have devastating effect on the conspirator or culprit and his posterity. So, a curse seems to have some causative  effect ultimately. To neutralize  the devastating effects of a curse is sometimes called "removal" or "breaking", and is often believed to require elaborate rituals or prayers by the so called tantrik.

Sand and curse of Talakadu. Business Line

Talakad, under the suzerainty of different rulers  had  seven townships, Among them Malingi is of special interest to us, Once, the resident representative of  the Vijayanagara, ruler at Srirangapatna, Tirumala Raja, was on a visit to Talakad with his wife Alameluamma  for treatment of his incurable death-threatening ailment. Waiting for the opportunity to grab the land and lay his hands on the coveted huge collection of jewels of queen Alameluamma, Raja Wadiyar who was under the Vijayanagara rule sent his army and plundered the town of Srirangapatna. Unprepared, Queen Alamelamma took it by surprise. Force was used to get the jewels from her. The other version has it that being an ardent devotee of goddess Ranganayaki Thayyar, Alameluamma had the custody of the jewels and wanted the temple management to take care of them, Anyway, the crux of the matter is the greedy ruler of Mysore, having no scruples, took away the costly jewels from a woman who was in distress with a dying husband. Disgusted and enraged, over the loss of her husband, land and betrayal of trust by the Raja of Mysore,  Alameluamma threw the ornaments into the Cauvery and cast a curse on the Raja of Mysore for his dastardly act: “Talakadu maralagali, Malangi madulagali , Mysooru doregalige makkaliladehogali (in local parlance: “Let Talakadu be filled with sands, let Malangi turn into a whirlpool and let the Mysore kings be without children for eternity”). After shouting the curse, she jumped into the river and killed herself with a broken heart. Perhaps, this might give you some idea about the presence of  sand dunes in the middle of nowhere at Talakad.

Upon hearing the sad demise of Alameluamma, Raja Wadiyar , having realized his greed and folly, had a statue of queen Alameluamma installed on the palace premises and the tradition of doing prayer to the statue continues even today. The deity is revered by the royal family. It is simply an act of atonement for the injustice done to the former Vijayanagara ruler and his wife. Alameluamma's ominous curse of heir less Mysore dynasty has some kind of relevance  as confirmed by some strange events taken place  since the 16th century and its effects on the Wodeyar family that betrayed queen  Alameluamma and her husband, the ruler of this place. 

As for the royal family of Mysore, the Wadiyars  are bestowed with male children only in alternate generations. The tradition in the Mysore royal family  has it that if a king  has no legal heir, his younger brothers' son would  become  the next legal  heir  to the throne with all the trappings, etc  that go with it. For example, when Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, one of the popular Wadiyar kings, had no children, he chose his nephew Jayachamaraja as his successor. Jayachamaraja Wdiyar held positions of excellence during his time  and in the mid 1960s he was the Governor of Tamil  Nadu state. His son  Srikantadatta, who died  a few years ago had no legal heir.  About the Wadiyar family tree, six rulers since the 17th century have been adopted sons (nephews). The Wadiyar family members  too  acknowledge it as fact,  according to some historians. Kantharaje Urs, son of Srikantadatta's eldest sister Rani Gayathri Devi became the next legal heir. 

Tit-Bits:

The state governments experts in  Archaeology, using the  satellite imageries of this area conclude because of the construction of a dam in the 16th century across the river Cauvery  by one Madhava Mantri, the east flowing river  changed its course by a few kilo meters in the past centuries, exposing the sand bed to wind action.  The accumulation of sand  over a vast area to a thickess of 15 meters is quite mind boggling. So, this explanation needs further scrutiny   As for the public and local folklore, the vast sandy bed in this area is the result of the wreath of  Queen Alameluamma on Talakad that continues to hold us in thrall.

Ref:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2522109/Four-year-old-curse-returns-haunt-Wadiyar-royals-death-heir.html

https://www.karnataka.com/talakad/talakadu-panchalinga-darshana/


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Thonthoni Perumal temple near Karur

April 6, 2017, 10:14 pm
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Karur Kalyana Venkataramana perumal.Tamilnadu Tourism 
This rock-cut cave temple, (8th century AD) 4 kilo meter  near Karur town Tamil  Nadu, is a popular Vishnu temple and the presiding deity in the garbagraha/Srikovil is Kalyana Ventataramana Swamy and the goddess is Mahalakshmi who is on the chest of Perumal. The size of the  west facing deity is  majestic and is more than 10 feet tall adorned inside the sanctum. The sanctum, which is a cave is believed to have been carved out of the rock formation. The temple is atop a small hillock and the main temple entrance can be accessed by a flight of steps -70 steps

An interesting aspect of this  temple is, unlike many Vishnu temples, the deity in the sanctum is  self-manifested, god's image appeared on its own. Hence, the deity is called in Thanthoni Malai Perumal. There has been some controversy regarding the moola stone image  which is considered as Lord Shiva. The presence and styling of  Bhoodha Ganam support this view. According to  a great saint Sadashiva Brahmendral of Nerur, who installed goddess in the famous Mariamman temple at Punnainallur, near Thanjavur city, the deity here is Muruga (Karthikaya) and he conducted prayers here centuries ago. Yet other historians say it is a Jain temple. Let us not get bogged down to this controversy over who the real god is.
Kalyana Venkataramana perumal. Karur KarurOnline
Sri Kalyana Venkataramana swamy Temple's  Punarutharana Ashtabandhana Mahasamprokshanam (consecration) at Thanthoni Malai, Karur took place  in September 2014. This temple is a prathana sthala (offering center) for childless and unmarried people. The temple is over crowded on auspicious days and lots of weddings are held on the temple premises. 

Kalyana Venkataramana perumal. Karur www.thanthoniperumal.tnhrce.
The 8th Century AD Rock cut Cave Temple bears similarity in Architecture and structure to the Narasimha temple at Namakkal town,  roughly 45kms from here, but in terms of cave size, it is larger than the one at the Narasimha temple in Namakkal.


The Maha Mandapam and other Sannidhis/shrines at the temple were said to have been built in the 12-13th Century AD. The  
stricking facts are the huge sanctum in the cave, gigantic stone image of the Moolavar  and 16 specially carved sculptures playing instruments. Features inside the sanctum are similar to those at  Thanjai Maa Mani Narasimha Divya Desam shrine both in terms of the huge size of the Moolavar Lord as well. The shrine of Garudazhwar  is on the left.
Karur Dist. map. India Map
The legend has it a child less person called Somasharma, was once approached by the local people to guide them in building a Vishnu temple at Thanthondrimalai (also Thanthonimalai). Somasharma helped the locals sincerely and  with  devotion to build the Kalyana Venkatramana Swamy Koil. His wife joined him later after the completion of the temple work. Both were blessed by Kalyana Venkatramanar with a baby. Since then, childless couples had begun to visit this temple with a strong belief that the lord will bless them with a baby. This his temple is also called Then Thirupathi, 

According to another  legend, Chola King Muchukunda, a Saivite devotee, was cursed to have the face of a monkey.  To get rid himself  of the effects of  the curse, he built several Vishnu temples. The  two perumal temples of Karur - this one at Thanthonimalai and the Abhaya Pradhana Ranganatha temple in the center of Karur town are among them.

Yet another story is: Once upon a time, in the absence of the chief priest - Bhattacharya who was unable to do his temple duties on a particular day, he sent his small son to perform puja, etc. There is a custom that the Lord is almost daily adorned with the life size garland  called Nilai Malai. When a devotee wanted the boy to garland the lord with Nilai malai, being short,  the boy intensely prayed to God. Then he cried and prayed the Lord to bend a little (Venkataramana Devudu, please bend a little). Pleased as he was, the presiding deity  bent good enough for the boy's convenience. Then the boy priest was happy and garlanded the lord.This shows, the lord, regardless of devotees' age and status,  pays attention to their wishes  by lending his ears  and blessing them. That is the reason, the temple has become popular for a pretty long time. 

Donation of one slipper as an offering in a Hindu temple? Does it not sound odd? Yes, this practise has been here for a long time. We rarely come across a peculiar offering at other temples as we find it here. Lord Kalyana Venkatramana Perumal is believed to appear in the dreams of devotees and suggest a particular size of one foot wear of  leg to be donated to the temple by the devotee. And the same footwear of similar size of another leg is to a be donated by another devotee. Thus, it makes two devotees come together, each offering one foot wear of similar size of different legs, making it a perfect pair.The footwear offering is made specifically by the devotees to have their wedding wishes fulfilled. Positively, they get their wishes fulfilled here. This is called Chemmali Samarpanam. How did the origin of this  strange offering come about? It is not clear. Devotees offering the odd gift are quite satisfactory with the results. Those who offer their sincere prayers and present this slipper, as suggested by KalyanaVenkatramanaPerumal, have their wedding wishes fulfilled.
Chariot festival Thonthoni temple, Karur.KarurOnline
Some facts:

01. A rare puja protocol here is  there will be  a Thirumanjanam  (anointing)  every day at this temple  at 11.30 am for the Moolavar deity. This ritual, which is well attended  lasts for a long time.  This ritual is rare in many Vishnu temples.

02. Unmarried women and men  come to the shrine with a long Tulsi malai (garland made of basil leaves) to be offered to  the main deity so that they could be blessed with a suitable life partner.

03. There is not a separate shrine for the goddess -lord's consort Mahalakshmi. 

04. Thiru Kalyana Utsavam is another special feature at this temple.

05.  Every month on the day of  Shravanam Star, there is a special abhishekam  performed for childless couples.

06.  Here the procession deity - Uttchavar is Srinivbasa Perumal.

07.  Two  important Brahmotsavams - one in Maasi and  another in Puratasi are significant. Pavitrotsavam in Avani and Navarathri Utsavam are well-attended.

08.  Chariot Festival on the Thiruvonam day in Puratasi and Magam day in Maasi attract a lots of devotees. The 7 day Masi Magam car festival in February-March; Krishna Jayanthi in August-September; Vaikunda Ekadasi in December and Tamil and English New Year days are the other important festivals celebrated in the temple.

09. Thirumalai Nayak ruler of Madurai, a devout Hindu made valuable contribution to this temple.  

10. In this temple, Puratasi 3rd Saturday is a special occasion.

11. The place is referred to  as Dakshina Tirupathi-Tirupathi of South.  As in Tirupati, there is no shrine for the god's consort -Thayar

Ref:
http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2012/08/thanthoni-malai-kalyana-venkatramana.html






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Pasupateeswarar temple in Karur - a famous Shivasthalam

April 7, 2017, 12:09 am
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Karur Pasupateeswarar temple en.wikipedia.org
Karur Pasupateeswarar temple en.wikipedia.org
Among the seven Sivastalams in Kongu Nadu, Pasupateeswarar temple in Karur town, Karur District, Tamil Nadu  is a popular one and lots of people visit this temple from neighboring places. This town was called karuvoor during the time of Sambandar's visit to this temple. There was a great and revered  Tamil Saivite saint/Siddhar by the name of Karoorar who was associated with some of the famous Hindu temples dedicated to God Shiva. He was mainly instrumental in installing the huge Shiva Linga at the Big temple (a UNESCO hritage Site) dedicated to Bragadeswara in Thanjavur City. Hence, the town Karur is named after him.

The temple,  built on a 2.65 acres (10,700 m2), site has a tall entrance gopuram - tower  which is  120 feet (37 m) in height. Images of mythological characters adorn  the tower. Like many Shiva Sthalams,  here the presiding deity in the garbagraha of the  main shrine (Moolvar) is a swayambu (self-manifested) lingam. Here, Lord Shiva is  called Pasupateeswarar or Aanilaiappar. A unique feature here is the lord's consort has  two images  called  Sundaravalli and Alankaravalli. The shrine of  the former deity Sundaravalli is facing south. It was here at this temple the great Tamil saints Sundarar and Sambandar composed Thevaram Pathigam.
Karur Pasupateeswarar temple Tamilnadu Tourism
This temple has two prakarams, pathway around the Sanctum.The major attraction here is a huge mandapam - hall that is being supported by 100 ornate stone pillars. The Srikovil/sanctum 
is built in such a way that the sun's rays fall on the lingam 
3 days in a year during the Tamil month of Panguni 
(mid March to mid April).  The major festivals are  Navaratri
in September,and ArudraDarisanam  in anuary.The annual 
Brahmotsavam is held in Panguni.


Karur Dist. Map, Tamil Nadu
According to the legend,  God Shiva, who was not happy with Brahma, the Creator and his change of attitude, had sent Kamadhenu to Vanji forest in Karur to look after the duty of creation and advised  her to worship the Siva lingam hidden in an anthill in the forest. As instructed by the lord,  Kamadeni was worshipping the lingam daily. One day, while worshipping by way of performing the abishekam to the lingam with its milk, her hoof accidentally stabbed  the lingam and injured it. The scar left on the lingam is seen on its back even today (on the lingam) as a depression.  Grief-stricken Kamadhenu pleaded guilty. However, the lord was happy with her sense of duty and told her that henceforth he will be known  as Pasupatheeswarar as she worshipped him at this place. This way the lord honored Kamadenu and she  continued the work of creation in the place of Brahma. In the meantime realizing his mistakes,  Brahma  undertook  severe penance on  Lord Siva with a view to getting back his lost covetous position  as a Creator. Pleased with his prayers, the Lord restored the power of creation back to Brahma and took Kamadhenu along with him. Thus, the Sthala Theertham is called the Brahma Theertham. The sun's rays fall on the lingam 3 days in a year during the Tamil month of Panguni (mid March to mid April). 




Karur Pasupateeswarar temple, tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.in

Karur, a major textile town is well connected with other parts of India by highways and trains.  Karur railway junction is on the Erode - Tiruchy section of the Southern Railway, and it is about 70 km from Erode and 75 km from Tiruchy.
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasupateeswarar_temple,_Karur

http://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.in/2015/11/pasupatheeswarar-temple-karur.html
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Munro pillar in honor of a great British Officer, Dharmpuri

April 7, 2017, 2:27 am
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Munro pillar, Dharmapuri. Tamilnadu Tourism - blogger
Inscription. Sir Thomas Munro Pillar, Dharmapuri.
Tamilnadu Tourism - blogger

Gov. of Madras. Sir Thomas Munro. en.wikipedia.org/
Among the countless duty-bound  British officials who had a soft corner for the Indian natives and their talents, Thomas Munro
 was a true Scottish officer who made a mark as a remarkable administrator  and his contribution in the area of administration and revenue assessments is still worthy of emulation. These great souls shone like beautiful stars in the firmament in the midst of treacherous, lousy British officers who  openly practised corruption and racial discrimination, thus committing injustice and  misusing their power.

Sir  Thomas Munro Pillar in Dharmapuri town, Tamil Nadu is a famous landmark that links the present generation with the past colonial legacy.  This pillar was constructed by the  government of Madras ( then Madras Presidency) to mark the association of Dharmapuri with Sir Thomas Munro who lived here from April 1792 to March 1799 as Assistant to the Superintendent of Revenue in the Baramahal. Now this pillar is in honor of his dedicated services to the Indian natives.  His house and his favourite garden where few yards away from this place.

Major-general Sir Thomas Munro,  (27 May 1761 - 6 July 1827), a Scottish soldier and colonial administrator was in the service of  East India Company Army officer and statesman.

Educated at the University of Glasgow, he was man of affable and generous disposition, besides being courageous and honest. Endowed with robust physique, he entered the services of EIC in 1779 as an infantry cadet in Madras and fought in the battles  against Haidar Ali (1780-1783) and  in the first campaign against Tipu Sultan (1790-1792).  He spent the next seven years as one among the four military officers to administer the Baramahal, the part of territories annexed from Tipu. Here he gained a good knowledge of some important aspects of administration among which the principles of revenue survey and assessment found wide application in the management of revenue. When he became the Governor of Madras in 1819, he founded the  system of revenue assessment and administration which is still being followed in S. India.  His principles became a bench mark throughout the presidency of Madras then. Earlier, he was instrumental in introducing  the Ryotwari system of land revenue in 1807 in parts of lands now called Telengana state, S. India. In 1814, he reformed the judicial and police system in the Madras presidency.
Sir  Thomas Munro statue, Madras.
en.wikipedia.org/
In 1800, while serving as the Collector of Bellary (now in Andhra), the East India company (ESI) wanted to take away the lands that belonged to the Sri Ragavendra Swamiji's mutt. Upon his personal visit to his Samadhi (Grave), overwhelmed by the mystic power of the Swamiji, he never touched the Mutt's lands, respected the sentiments of his disciples and wrote a favorable report on the Mutt's lands. (this notification was published in the Madras Government Gazette in Chapter XI, page 213, with the caption "Manchali Adoni Taluka". This order is still preserved in Fort St. George and Mantralayam).

He died on 6 July 1827 (aged 65), Pattikonda, Madras Presidency, British India (now: Pattikonda, Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh)


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Fate of colonial heritage building Carlton House, Bangalore

April 7, 2017, 10:30 am
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Carlton House, Bangalore. Bangalore Mirror

In India, in many states, the inadequacy or lack of a governing body or an act in place to protect our  country's architectural history and legacy has led to the disappearance of  countless monuments and heritage sites. At Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu one can see the poor state of maintenance of old monuments: At 1000 plus year  old Big temple (a UNESCO Heritage Site), the huge outer boundary walls made of laterite stones, etc.,  are falling apart and there are growths of bushes and plants all around the  four sides. So far, the walls are not repaired. The moat around the temple boundary wall is dry and in some places it serves as a garbage dump. The Schwartz church adjacent to  the Sivaganga park built  in 1779 by Fr. Christian Friedrich Schwartz, mentor of the late Martha king Rajah Serfoji is a beautiful Protestant church and  the outer walls have numerous visible cracks in the plastering in many places that mar the look of the old structure. Both the Big temple and the church are under the control of the ASI (archaeological society of India, a central government  organisation). Yet another example is the privately owned Mangala Vilas building, a palatial two storied structure on South Main street. A middle  school is housed there and because of neglect and poor understanding of the heritage value, part of this Maratha  palace building is damaged. The good-spirited politicians and culturally spirited people should come forward and try to save the remaining heritage sites from further damages.  If the Heritage Act is on the back burner, we will end up losing them one by one. In many cities and towns across India, the local administration purposely neglects such old heritage sites whose values and history will be lost for ever.
  
In the city of Bangalore that  boasts of countless heritage sites, local politicians' lack of interest in saving the old monuments became a subject of serious criticism in the wake an attempt to build  a Constitutional Club for the legislators on a heritage site - Carlton House.
Carlton House, Bangalore. Bangalore Mirror

Carlton House is located on the west side of Bangalore city's famous land mark, Vidhana Soudha, where the rapacious state legislators decide the fate of  the Karnataka people' social welfare, public work projects, historical public building/sites and  the political kaleidoscope.

It is an important colonial building that connects us with the past British era. Carlton House, a typical  European style building was the residence of British auctioneer Carlton in 1880. The famous Diwan of Mysore State Sir Mirza Ismail resided in the  stone building and the huge plot  with greenery included  a patch of coffee plantation. After India's  Independence, Carlton sold the property to the state government. Once, the Bangalore University office  was housed here and later it  was moved over to  Jnanabharati. Presently, it is occupied by CID's (Criminal Investigation Department)  head quarters.

The well-known structure built more than 136 years ago on a plot of seven-acre land, like many heritage structures across India,  might have soon disappeared  from the city's sprawling land cape. Reason: A high -level committee meeting that included CM  Siddaramaiah and others  agreed to have the Constitutional Club - a club exclusively meant for the legislators built there. The members of the committee felt, considering the proximity of this  site to Vidhana Saudha, it is the most ideal site for the project. Firm confirmation was made, as part of the new project, that neither  the existing  old structure nor the green cover in the land will be affected. Serious consideration will be given to the heritage value of the Carlton House. It  was proposed to shift the CID headquarters to city's police commissionaire building because as there was  no enough space available to accommodate it.

A perusal of the proposed project would reveal that the club entails various amenities like seminar halls, indoor game halls, and swimming pool, etc. It is not a recreational club  and will be on the model of Constitutional Club in Delhi. In 2015, the initial cost was around  rupees 25 crores. The proposal to build the constitutional club has been there for several years. Though a few sites  in Bangalore city  were discussed earlier, it was the unanimous decision by the committee to choose the Carlton House which is at a walkable distance from the Vidhan Saudha.

The  setting up the club at a well-known heritage site had stirred the hornet's nest. Already doubt has been expressed by the media and people that the new project would not affect the heritage value  of this place and its green cover. The government's apathy towards heritage buildings and also the lack of interest  on the part  of responsible  politicians to protect  such heritage places  have come into sharp focus, criticism and condemnation. Both the public and the media acted in unison and raised their voice against the ensuing Club project and at last the powers-that be gave up their grip on the proposal.

The proposal to convert the Balabrooie Guest House into Constitution Club, was opposed by the general public and the government, at last, gave it up. Following the stay on the demolition of the heritage structure Balabrrokie guest House, the monument lovers of Karnataka and elsewhere are quite upset over the additional building coming up on the heritage site. Including old and new legislators,  a total of 260 politicians in 2915 had registered their name with the proposed  club by paying an initial fee of Rs. 10,000.00

The members of Sahiti Mattu Kalavidara Vedike, Citizens' Action Forum, and B.Pac,  took the cudgels against the  government to save time-honoured heritage precincts and launched the 'Save Carlton House as a heritage site' campaign. They are not only doing a good public service by creating an awareness about the value of dying heritage sites but also demonstrating  their cultural and public-spirited concern about the wanton neglect of our cultural legacy. Credit must go to social activists like  Srinivas G Kappanna, NS Mukunda, Revathy Ashok, Shashidhara Nanjundaiah and other, who vehemently oppose any move by the government to touch the heritage sites that need to be preserved for the posterity. Their contention is: Why should government offices be housed in heritage buildings? Let the offices move out and have their own spaces elsewhere.The state governments across India should come up with a list of heritage/monument sites in their respective states and introduce Anti - Heritage Act to save, restore and preserve them for our future generation. The government offices should not be allowed to function in them  and such places should be converted  into a museum or library, gallery, etc., to avoid vandalism or tress pass or encroachment by the anti-social elements. This heritage-cum-cultural policy will protect  lots of monuments, space, sites and structures from future misuse, thus saving the  cultural and historical legacy. If proper action is not taken now, over a period of time, such culturally valuable sites will become a mound of trash and dirt.

Glad Carlton House site presently has escaped from the grasping politician's ambitious plan to  have a Constitutional Club built exclusively for their use. It is the successful coordination between the like-minded media people and public that has saved the valuable heritage site from  possible exploitation. 

Ref:

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/300316/go-elsewhere-netas-carlton-house-isn-t-your-club.html


http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/carlton-house-heritage-agenda-bangalore-cm/articleshow/46707862.cms?

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Amazing Bangalore Palace, Bangalore

April 8, 2017, 6:19 am
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Bangalore Palace en.wikipedia.org

Any visitor to the garden city of Bangalore, Karnataka  can not miss the  scenic palace  called Bangalore Palace  that was built by Rev. J. Garrett, who was the first Principal of the Central High School in Bangalore, now known as Central College. Amazingly , this majestic building  with a castle-like design  bears striking resemblance to England’s Windsor Castle.  Set amidst lush green environs, the huge  palace grounds are used for organizing various social and musical  events. 

The construction of the palace began  in 1862 and completed in 1944. In 1884, the then  Maharaja of Mysore Chamarajendra Wadiyar X evinced keen interest in this artistic building and in 1884 bought it. Presently owned by the Mysore royal family, the palace has recently undergone renovation.


Bangalore Palace en.wikipedia.org

The palace and the grounds constitute a huge property in this sprawling city. Rev. J. Garrett, the first principal of the Central High School, built this palace with a floor area of 45,000 sq ft (4200 m²) and the open land covers a whooping  454 acres (183 ha) in the prime area of the city. It is believed that the British officials who were guiding the young prince HH Chamaraja Wodeyar in his education bought the palace in 1873 A.D. from him at a cost of Rs. 40,000.00 and later made some alterations to suite their needs. 

The ground floor of the palace  has an open courtyard containing granite seats.  There  is a ballroom  for holding private parties. The first floor that has the Durbar Hall, can be  accessed  by climbing a decorated staircase. The huge hall  was used by the ruler to address the assembly.  One side of the hall has stained glass windows in Gothic style. The interior walls of the palace have beautiful paintings belonging to the mid-19th century, including some Greek and Dutch paintings. A stricking attraction includes a dining table belonging to the Diwan of Mysore, Sir Mirza Ismail. This table contained a mother-of-pearl inlay with Chinese lacquer work.

The impressive  architectural feature of this unique palace is its Tudor style design with fortified towers, battlements and turrets. The interiors are  beautiful  and  decorated with elegant wood carvings, floral motifs, cornices and relief paintings on the ceiling. John Roberts and Lazarus company  supplied the neo-classical, Victorian and Edwardian styled furniture. The palace has 35 rooms, mostly bedrooms, besides a swimming pool. As part of renovation, additions were made such as stained glass and mirrors, specially imported from England, besides a manual lift and wooden fans from General Electric.  

Ever since HH Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar struck a business deal in 1970 with two  local contract companies, the huge property and the associated lands  have become  entangled in never-ending legal Battle. In the mean time, the state government was particular about confiscating  the huge property under Land Acquisition Act 1894 and Urban Land (ceiling and regulation) Act. This legal action, having been failed, the government tried to lay its hands on the estate under the recent Bangalore Palace (Acquisition & transfer) Act 1996 (under Mr. H.D. Deve Gowda's government) and the case is before the Supreme Court. 

The late Srikanta Datta Narsimharaja Wadiyar focussed attention on the renovation work after he obtained the right to own the palace. Woodwork the brass-fittings  and lamps were replaced and the old furniture was restored and  newly upholstered. Among the  30,000 photographs currently available in the palace,1,000 of them would  be restored and put up for viewing in an exhibition. A room was converted into a boutique where silks and other garments used by the royal family would  be exhibited. The palace is open to the public who can visit it after paying a fee.  Illumination of the palace and renovating the gardens using Mexican grass is in progress.

The sprawling grounds surrounding the palace  was used for holding public events including music concerts. Many international artists have performed in the grounds. 

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




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Shivappa Nayaka Palace, a protected monument - Shimoga

April 8, 2017, 7:55 am
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Shivappa Nayaka Palace, KannadaTimes
The state of Karnataka has countless protected monuments in the form of palaces, forts, colonial buildings, palatial bungalows, churches, temples, etc. The Shivappa nayak palace in the city of Shimaoga is an interesting one. It is a palatial building steeped in history.

The Government Museum Shivappa Nayaka Palace, where 
the government Museum is housed is located in Shimoga
city, Karnataka and is a protected monument under the management of the ASI - Archaeological Survey of India. Built near the banks 
of the river Tunga, it is named after the the popular 17th century king Shivappa Nayaka of the Keladi Nayaka dynasty. Though  the palace bears the name of  the Nayaka king, according to art historian George Michell, the huge bungalow was actually built by the famous Mysore ruler of 18th century, Hyder Ali, a sworn enemy of the East India company. The other version is the original palace was built by Hiriya Venkatappa Nayak of the Keladi Dynasty in the 16th century (ruling as chieftains under the Vijayanagara rule). Later it was  destroyed by Adil Shah of the Bijapur Sultanate. Later Shivappa Nayaka rebuilt the building into an exquisite palace  in the Indo -sarcenic style. When the British took over from the palace from the Nayak, they converted it  into
 a saw mill to store logs of wood, etc.

Ruler Shivappa Nayak en.wikipedia.org

According to the locals, in the 16th century, the Maratha ruler, Rajaram, son of Chatrapthi Shivaji, when chased by the Mughal ruler Aurangazeb, sought asylam during the reign of  Rani Chennamma, wife of Somashekara Nayaka. The queen allowed Rajaram to stay in her palace. Infuriated Aurangazeb sent an army to defeat the queen, but in the ensuing battle,  the queen’s forces defeated the Moguls, forcing them to sign a treaty with the Nayaks. 
Entrance. Shivappa Nayaka Palace. en.wikipedia.org

It is a  two storied building comprising a Durbar hall ("nobel court") with massive wooden pillars and lobed arched panels. The living chambers  at the upper level have balconies on sides from which one could look down into the hall. On display at the palace grounds -well manicured lawns  are countless antiques taken/collected  from the  near by temples and archaeological site sand these include  beautiful  sculptures, inscriptions and hero stones from the Hoysala era and later periods.  


Shivappa Nayaka Palace, KannadaTimes

The palace has the look of a well designed, rosewood-carved wooden palatial home with wooden pillars, courtyard, Mangalore tiled roof and two narrow wooden staircases, leading to a hall with balconies.
Shivappa Nayaka Palace,www.tripoto.com

Museum exhibit Vishnu (Anandasayanam pose).www.tripoto.com

The museum adjoining Shivappa Nayaka’s palace has some amazing  exhibits  that were excavated  from places around Shimoga.  Some of the notable artifacts include idols depicting reclining Vishnu, Surya, Uma - Maheshvara, Bhairava and Mahisasurmardhini. Included in the exhibits are a  number of memorial and Sati stones - stones carved with tales of brave warriors and women who committed Sati. 

http://www.lakshmisharath.com/2010/06/28/inside-story-shivappa-nayaka-palace-shimoga/
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La Saleth Church, Kodaikanal, India - second one next to France

April 8, 2017, 11:42 pm
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La Saleth Church, Kodaikanal,Tamil Nadu. Pinterest

La Saleth Church, Kodaikanal Tamilnadu Tourism - bloggeer

Kodaikanal is a small town in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu and a popular summer resort nestled on a serene lush, wooded  plateau above the southern escarpment of the upper Palani Hills at 2,133 meters (6,998 ft). The hills form the eastward spur of the Western Ghats on the Western side of South India. Its name in the Tamil language means "The Gift of the Forest". Referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations", Kodaikanal Hill station owes its origin to  American Christian missionaries and British bureaucrats  of mid 1800s. They found the tall and cool mountains as a nice place  to escape from  the scorching summer heat  and tropical diseases of the plains. They founded many schools and churches here and the earliest residents were the Palaiyar tribal people. The preachers used to move around the poorly developed wooded areas on horse back to preach the Christian faith. This enchanting hill resort is popular across India and has countless places to visit.  Among the old churches here,  La Saleth church is worthy of brief discussion. Here, the natural, enchanting beauty of the cloud covered hills and greenery mingles with the spiritual grace of the churches and the resultant blissful experience gives the worshipers  enough strength to face challenges in life. Intense prayers give you mental strength and peace of mind.

Kodaikanal, tamil Nadu, location map. www.trekkr.in


La Saleth, one of the oldest churches of the state of Tamil Nadu is located just two kilo meters from the famous hill station Kodaikanal. Considered as one of the two churches dedicated to the memory of Lady of La Saleth in the whole world, the other  being in France (Lady of Lasalette), La Saleth is the only church in India that commemorates the memory of ‘Lady of La Saleth’ and also the first one built in the memory of Mother Saleth. The entrance to the church is accessed by a flight of steps and the church interior has a pleasing color theme - brilliant blue and white color. 
 
La Saleth church, Kodaikanal. /tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.in


La Saleth Church that is more than 150 years old  is a popular place of worship in this hilly area and was built by Father Louis Santsceer in 1866 after an interesting experience in his personal life.  Fr. Santsceer came to this place in 1852 with his father Fr. Rettary, who bought the Bayens Bungalow and converted it into a rest house for the association of Christ Church and his personal contribution was Rs. 20,000.00. Fr. Louis continued to suffer from persistent illness accompanied by fever in 1858. With all kinds of medication not giving the desired cure and relief,  he, ultimately, turned to faith-healing.  Placing strong credence in the mystical power of god, he intensely prayed to Lady of La Saleth. His faith in payer did not fail  him and, rather, it helped the father miraculously recover from the prolonged illness. This inexplicable cure led him to have a church built  in memory of Mother Saleth. 

La Saleth Church, Kodaikanal, Tamil nadu.  indiaeng.com

From 1851 on wards the fame of La Saleth had begun to spread across Kodikanal. The foundation for the church was laid in 1865. The church work was completed in  1866 with  donations from a cross section of  individuals and institutions. Fr. Louis Santsceer himself became the  the first priest of the church and under his care the church saw some developments. The main entrance  work was done in 1883, followed by additions of sides  in 1885, besides construction of a bell tower during the same time. Fr. Santsceer  died in 1887, his holy body was buried at the entrance of the church.  The church is dedicated to support the needs of the poor and the deprived.

Cloud-covered Kodai-palani hills, Tamil Nadu. www.panoramio.com

As mentioned before, the main Church for Our Lady of La salette is in France. The world's second church dedicated to Lady La Saleth
 is a popular destination during the festival season, particularly in August - 14th and 15th every year. The feast of Our Lady is celebrated on August 15th of every year. The nine-day vibrant festival attracts devotees  from all over the country but mostly from southern states.  At the end of the festival, there will be a grand and colorful carnival. The pilgrim hall was built as part of the centenary celebration of the church in 1947.

La Saleth Church is just two kilometers from Kodaikanal bus stop.
The nearest railway station is Kodaikanal Railway Station between Trichy and Madurai Junctions on the Chennai - Kanyakumari train route. The nearest airport is Madurai, about 120 km from Kodaikanal.

Ref:
 http://houseboats.keralahouseboat.org/la-saleth-church
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Hoary Christ church, Salem , Tamil Nadu

April 9, 2017, 8:37 am
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Christ church, Salem, Tamil nadu.inchristchurchslm.in

 
Among the oldest churches in India, Christ Church,  located in a prime  area on Fort Road, near the District Collectorate office, in  Salem City, Tamil Nadu,  has been catering to the Christian community for more than  140 years  since its inception in 1875 when India had come under the direct British administration in London.

Designed by the well-known architect Robert Fellowes Chisholm, an expert in the Indo-Saracenic architecture, who  designed the Senate House buildings of the University of Madras and the Madras Presidency College, Christ Church in Salem is a unique colonial place of Christian worship.
 In the bygone era, there existed a small Church of England Chapel at the Yercaud Hills, Yercaud and a small chapel of the London Missionary Society (LMC), which was used by the Christian congregation in Salem, consisting mainly of East India Company officials who had access to  the services of the Church of England. There was no church in Salem in much of 1800s. For certain reasons, the cordial relationship prevailing  between EIC officials and LMC hit the low level in 1860 over the sharing of  Christian worship. In the wake of this strained relationship, there arose a necessity to have a separate church in Salem for the European, Anglo-Indian and native Tamil communities. 

 Under one H. Gomez, a committee in 1866, collected funds and donations from public for constructing  a new Church of England church in Salem with a view to  conducting both English and Tamil services.

On 16 September 1871 the foundation stone of the church was laid by Rev. D G Clarke in the presence of C.T. Longley, the then Collector of Salem District. The church building came up on a site owned by Mrs. Thomas Foulkes, daughter of Mr. Robert Fischer. Earlier, it was a club house which was pulled down to build the church. The total finished cost was Rs. 15,000.00 and a part of the cost was borne by the Madras government that also donated the Church bell.  The  interior length of the church was 68 feet  and the nave was 47feet  x 22 feet. The church was consecrated on 26 October 1875, by the Bishop of Madras, the Right Reverend Frederick Gell.

Christ church, Salem, Tamil nadu. .panoramio.com

The then Madras government was in charge of maintenance of the church, however,  the Christ Church was vested with the British Crown, England. The Chaplain of the Indian Ecclesiastical Establishment from Coimbatore took care of the administration of both Yercaud Church  and the Christ Church.  In the early 1920s the SPG conducted services in Tamil.  After independence in August, 1947,  following formation of the Church of South India (CSI) in September 1947, the Christ Church, came under the Diocese of Mysore  for administration purpose.

Salem location map, Tamil Nadu state. Maps of India

 The Anglican Cemetery of Salem is 220 years old  and is being administered by this church. This historical church is credited with having  several memorial inscriptions that include:   Major. Hodges of the Madras Police who died in 1878, Charles Carpenter (died 1818), brother-in-law of Sir. Walter Scott and members of the Fischer family (they were the only European Zamindars in the Salem District in1830s of the Madras Presidency).


Christ church, Salem, Tamil nadu. tamilnadu-favtourism

Christ church, Salem, Tamil nadu. tamilnadu-favtourism
 Some renovations were undertaken, prior to  its 140th anniversary celebrations. Parish Hall, Parsonage, Zion Hall, etc  are the additions to meet the increasing demands of the parishioners. The old bell is on the bell Tower  and the new bell, cast in 1982 is on the steeple of the belfry tower. A visit to this church will take the visitors right back to the forgotten colonial days when India was under a foreign rule. 
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Church,_Salem

 https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.in/2016/06/christ-church-salem.html

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/christ-church-celebrates-140-years-of-service-in-salem/article6667276.ece
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Impressive Venkataramana temple, Gingee Fort, Tamil Nadu

April 9, 2017, 11:10 pm
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Venkataramana temple, Gingee fort.Flickr

Venkataramana temple atop the hill in Gingee Fort (Tamil Nadu), near Pondicherry city,  is a beautiful sprawling and artistically rich temple with east facing tall tower. Built by Muthialu Nayaka in 1540 A.D. - 1550 A.D, the temple is inside the Fort, and people who come to this temple are the visitors to this fort. This historical fort was once under the control of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In this temple, there are  deities of Devi, Aandaal and Narasimha. There are two prakarams around the sanctum, besides halls -  Kalyana Mandapa, Urchava Mandapa and Yaga Sala Mandapa with stone (granite) pillars. Under the management of the ASI (Archaeological Society of India), it seems, no pooja protocol is observed here in the temple at present.
hall (mantap) and stone pillars,Venkataramana temple, Gingee fort. Tripoto

paneled stone carvings, Venkataramana temple . Gingee. madhugopalan.com/

Venkataramana temple, Gingee fort. madhugopalan.com
Unfortunately, the impressive temple site, supposedly the largest one during the Vijayanagara rule,  has a forlorn and glum look as devotees do not come to this temple regularly  as in other places on the plains. In some places, parts of the temple are in a dilapidated condition due to either lack of funds to maintain  them or simply negligence on the parts of the ASI.  The amazing sculpture, including miniature stone carvings, ornate pillars, strikingly beautiful gopuram - tower, sculptured panels of  gods and goddesses, depicting episodes  from the great Hindu epics, pillared  mandapas, etc.,  clearly bring out the fascinating workmanship and the highly developed aesthetic skills of the sculptors and artisans of the Gingee Nayak dynasty. Also found on the walls of the mandapam are the Tamil inscriptions.  Because of several invasions by competing rulers including the Moguls, Marathas, the French and the British, many sculptures and artistic works were plundered in the past.  After the French occupation - 1761, this place fell into ruins.

A trip to this massive fort and Venkataramana temple on the hills will never disappoint you. It will be a unique experience in a serene, but eerie-like place,that witnessed many  battles centuries ago.

Venkataramana temple tower, Gingee fort.  madhugopalan.com/
Venkataramana temple, Gingee fort. madhugopalan.com/

Tit-Bits:




gingee fort atop the hill. Tamil Nadu. The News Minute
Gingee Fort or Senji Fort (also known as Chenji) in Villupuram District, 160 kilometers (99 mi) from the state capital, Chennai, and is close to the Union Territory of Puducherry is so strong a fort, the great Maratha warrior  Shivaji,  ranked it as the "most impregnable fortress in India". Built in the 9th and 13th century it  was often referred to as  the "Troy of the East" by the British. Built at a height of 800 feet with an 80 feet moat around it, this self-contained fort complex includes three well protected hills, each having a separate self-contained citadel. The strong fort walls, connecting the three hills,  enclose an area of 11 sq. kilo meters.

Ref:
http://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.in/2015/12/venkataramana-temple-gingee-villupuram.html
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Jama Masjid, Salem built by Tipu Sultan of Mysore

April 10, 2017, 3:32 am
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Jama Masjid, Salem, Tamil Nadu.. salemonline.in

Jama Masjid is commonly referred to as the main mosque where the faithfuls gather for Eid  and Friday prayers. The tradition has been that it  is commonly served as the  congregational mosque or Friday mosque in many places and countries. Centuries ago, the Muslim rulers or rich people built artistically  embellished Jama Masjid for prayers, depending on their wealth and capacity to make solid contribution. The Jama Masjid in Salem city, Tamil Nadu, is 


Tipu Sultan of Mysore. mage.slidesharecdn.com
not a highly embellished and artistically built mosque as one finds in northern states. Nor is it grand in style and look.  But, one can not deny its elegance in  simplicity, devoid of pomp and show. It is an imposing structure that stands on an elevated ground. 

Jama Masjid, Salem, Tamil Nadu. SalemOnline.in
Jama Masjid, the oldest mosque of Salem and on the southern banks of River Thirumanimuthu, is a historical place of worship and is being attended by people of all faiths. It is said to have been built by the ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan ( 20 November 1750 - 4 May, 1799), who  happened to be the sworn enemy of the wheeling dealing enterprise - the East India Company (EIC) run the unscrupulous and  corrupt British. Tipu  used to come here and offered  prayers (namaz)in this Masjid.  This mosque was also given Masjid Inam by the British Government in the year 1862. 

On Fridays, this  Masjid is packed to  capacity by devout worshippers who come here from far and wide. The attractive features of this place of worship that draw our attention are the large prayer hall well supported by tall granite pillars, skillfully done intricate jali work and beautiful floral ornamentation. In the front part of the building, the attractive  twin minarets stretch
out towards the spherical domes above the balconies. During festival days, this place comes alive with lots of visitors. Eid is a major festival celebrated here. Yet  another religious attraction is
Ramzan (Ramadan) and  the mosque arranges for iftar dinners after sunset.
Ref:
http://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.in/2016/05/jama-masjid-salem.h

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Quotes for life - 09

April 12, 2017, 11:29 pm
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Obstacles:

Cartoon Studio
sites.google.com

" Just the way trash is used as manure to raise crops, setbacks, failures, mistakes and flaws  can be used as nuggets of inspiration to succeed in life. Behind the famous inventions one could see a spate of blunders and failures".

 Money and happiness: 
CartoonStock

CartoonStock

"It is a paradox that happiness and money hardly ever stay together under the same roof. If one is out, the other is in. Vice verse."

Women cops and men:


Pinterest
Facing a lady cop is not a funny thing! Pinterest
"It is unfortunate that  countless  men for decades are yet to develop a proper mindset to face the lady cops seriously when confronted in a  bad situation".



Roadblocks to success:

Cartoon Motivators

  "Jealousy, ego and self adulation - they are the first roadblocks to success in life. Some succeed in their lives because, they do not give in  to such transient aspects of life. But, many fail  miserably and do not retain the the fruits of  their success because they are blinded  by the above three-headed  devil". 

Competition and challenges:

"Any  competition is a challenge, an act of  emulation  that will spur us into positive action to  reach greater heights." 
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Quotes for life - 10

April 13, 2017, 6:35 am
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 Wants and desires:

"In this ever-changing  world, as seasons go by, our  necessities and desires always  also grow in tandem and, sometime go over the limit. So, it is important to keep them in check".


Alamy
combiboilersleeds.com

Flattering people:
 
" In our daily lives we more often run into obnoxious and nasty people. Among them, more dangerous  than your arch or sworn-enemies are the ones who  flatter you for everything; if given room, your identity will get lost in the barrage of flattery".


Carole Lévy
CartoonStock

www.cartoonstock.com
 No empty coffers:


www.shutterstock.com

" When you have  Charity and Dharma on your mind  and when they become ingrained in you, they 'll never make your coffers empty. For a good cause, it is always brimful".


Hell-hole:

FnbWorld
Pinteres
India Opines


"God created the universe,
communities made the country. 
Citizens made the town,  
Husband made the house,
Wife made the family,
Children made the paradise,
Alas! corrupt  and ever-yapping politicians  (natas)
Made our country a hell-hole of mayhem". 


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Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre day - 13, Aprril, 1919 Pictoral presentation

April 13, 2017, 10:31 am
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www.linkedin.com
Today is the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre Day. Also known as the Amritsar Massacre, it was one of the glum and gloomy events in the annals of British India history; the desolate incident will never fade away from our memory.  We will be nearing one hundred years since the massacre, the most unfortunate and painful fact is neither the British government nor the British crown  has yet to make an apology to the Indian government. As a matter of fact, during the colonial rule,  Britain became rich by impoverishing India. The East India Company officials, who came to India penniless, after retirement, returned to England with sacks of money and some enjoyed being referred to as the British Nebob. As Shashi Tharoor, well-known historian  and politician pointed out, "The rise of Britain for 200 years was financed by its depredations in India. And certainly, we were a principle cash cow for Britain throughout the nineteenth century. We paid for our own oppression".  

Presented below are some images, etc., related to the well-known massacre committed by Gen. Reginald Dyer and other British higher-ups  on the innocent, unarmed people of Punjab, including women and children on 13 April  1919 which  happened to be an important festival day for the Sikhs - Baisakhi.  A perusal of these heart rending images will give you some idea about how much  struggle and sacrifices our past leaders and forefathers made to get us the most covetous  asset - freedom from the British yoke. 

It is really pathetic to see our our political leaders - Netas, irrespective of parties and regions, misusing  their powers to amass wealth, and  to win the election by offering money and other gifts to the electorates. Equally unfortunate is the fact that  our gullible people are  so enticed to  such a low level  that they, without giving importance to their self-esteem, are willing to receive the ill-gotten money  from the dishonest political candidates to cast their votes in their favor.  The people, in general, are worried where we we will be heading in the decades to come. The good news is the younger generation is not happy about the politicians and their lack of sense of duty, social responsibility and love for the country.

Bharata Bharati


SlideShare

SlideShare

www.slideshare.net

www.slideshare.net

Jallianwalla Bagh, Punjab.Times of India
walled gardenshooting at the people. scroll.in

SlideShare  
Gen. Dyer, mass murderer. tommyhansson.wordpress.com

Udham Singh killed Michael Dyer in London March, 1940.rediff. com


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GATES OF INDIA

April 14, 2017, 9:49 am
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Chitrai - New Tamil year Day and some fascinating facts

April 15, 2017, 10:47 am
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According to  the  traditional Tamil Panchamgam ( Tamil Astrological Magazine) that is based on solar calendar,  Chitirai (also Chithirai) is the first month, beginning on the 14th of April  and ending on 14 May each year. The Tamil New Year follows the Nirayanam vernal equinox and generally falls on 14 April of the Gregorian year.  The first day of Chitirai is celebrated as Tamil New Year Day, hence 14 April remains a public holiday in  Tamil Nadu and also in Sri Lanka. It marks Sun's transition into Nirayana Aries. Most traditional calendars of the rest of India - Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Manipur, Punjab  observe the same date in April This Tamil month is commonly referred to as the Chitirai Vishu. Surprisingly it coincides with the traditional new year in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh Nepal and Thailand.  The traditional calendars of India and  China  based on the ancient system of  60 year cycle. This system of calculation  is common to both North and South Indian traditional calendars, following  the same name and sequence of years. One can find the  earliest reference in Surya Siddhanta, which Varahamihirar (550 CE) believed to be the most accurate of the then current theories of Astronomy.

Among the Tamil months, the very first month is believed to auspicious because of its close association of Hindu mythology and important temple festivals. There are references in ancient Tamil literature about the Tamil month: 01. Nakkirar, the author of the Nedunalvaadai  in the 3rd century mentioned that the Sun travels from Mesha/Chitterai through 11 successive Raasis or signs of the zodiac.  02. Similarly Kūdalūr Kizhaar in the 3rd century made reference to Mesha Raasi/Chitterai as the commencement of the year in the work  Puranaanooru. 03. The oldest Tamil grammar the Tolkaapiyamdivided the year into six seasons where Chitrai  was the beginning of the Ilavenil season or summer (in Tamil Kodai) and 04. According to the most important Tamil literature of the  8th century Silappadikaaram, written by Ilangovadikal,  the 12 Raasis or zodiac signs starting with Mesha/Chitterai. The very first month Chitrai is followed by Vaikasi. In the northern states and also in states like Andhra and Kanataka, Chitrai month coincides with Chitra and Vaishakam . Chitra Pournami& Varusha pirappu are the most important festivals in this month. Famous Chithirai Thiruvizha is celebrated in Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple.

 Some important and interesting facts:  

 01. Lord Sri Rama was born in this month- Suklabaksha navami. That day is celebrated as Ramanavami - the birth of Sri Rama across India.


Compassionate Lord Rama. en.wikipedia.org 
 
02. We celebrate Matsya Jayanthi (Chaithra suklabaksha) in this month. Lord Vishnu took the avatar of Matyam (fish).  Matsya, the fish, from the Satya Yuga., Vishnu takes the form of a fish to save Manu from the deluge (Pralayam), after which he takes his boat to the new world along with one of every species of plant and animal, gathered in a massive cyclone to start the life afresh. This is similar to the great deluge mentioned in the Bible and the great role played by Noah.

03. According to Puranas. Goddess Mahalakshmi visited the earth from Vaikundam in this month - on the day of Suklabaksha Panchami. On this day, if  people do Lakshmi Puja, they will gain wealth and  good life.

04. On the Chitra Pournami  day, Chita Puthra  was born. According to the Hindu mythology, he is the one who keeps a record on  the sins and good deeds committed by the people living on the earth.

05. Puranas  mention  that the Lord Brahma, the  Creator created the earth on the very first day of Chitrai.

06. Worshiping of Goddess Parvati(consort of Shiva) on Suklabaksha Friday is good for the entire family. It will bring in happiness ans contentment.

07. In order to be prosperous and get success in business, it is strongly advised to  worship  God Kubera's wife Chitra Devi in this month.

08. In the month of Chitrai, on the day of Bharani Nakshatra, it is advised to pray to God Bhairava and undertake fasting. The strong belief has been that people can go past the impediments easily and get the enemies out of the way.

09. In this month doing Lakshmi Narayana Puja on the Moola nakshatra day  will help the devotees fulfil their desires without any hitch.

10. Whoever  gives  free buttermilk to the thirsty people can get rid of their sins committed in the previous generations. By the same token, if a devotee offers  sweet buttermilk, he will have Vaikunda propthi (heavenly abode).

11. At Thiruchendur Murugan temple, in SE Tamil Nadu on the first day of Chitrai, Annabishekam will be done. Worshiping the procession deity of lord Karthikaya 9muruga) on the temple premises will be good for the entire family and it will be a blissful experience.
shrisanatandharam.com

12. Worshiping of Chitra Gupta in this month is essential and will be useful for your improvement because it will get rid of your Kalathra dosham (delay in wedding),  puthra dosham (lack of child), vidhya dosham (lack of education), etc.

Meenashi &Sundareswarar, Chitra festival. wordpress.com

13. Among the temple festivals of Tamil Nadu in this month, the Chithirai Festival is held  with great pomp and devotion at the popular Meenakshi Temple in Madurai City. The entire city wears a festive look  and there will be processions and  parades around the  massive temple (known as the Maasi streets). Temple flag-hoisting ceremony normally takes place on the first day of Chithirai month

14.  Coronation of the Goddess Meenakshi (Pattabhishekam),
procession of Goddess Meenakshi and celestial wedding of Sundareswarar and  Goddess Meenakshi take place in the first week of May. Tens of thousands of people attend this major temple festival.  It is an important temple event in South Tamil Nadu.

Madurai Chitra festival, Tamil Nadu. TopYaps

15. The Ramayana has close association with Chitrai month, according to the great sage Valmiki who wrote the Ramayana. In this month, queen Kausalya gave birth to a son at the best astronomical time - on the ninth day of the lunar month Chaitra (March–April), a day celebrated across India as Ram Navami. This coincides with one of the four Navaratri on the Hindu calendar, in the spring season, namely the Vasantha Navaratri.
 

16. On the Tamil new year day, doing tharpanam (praying to forefathers/pithroos) is an important religious undertaking among the devout Hindus.

17. Since the Tamil new year day - first  day of Chitrai happens to be Sankadahara Chathrthi, worshiping of Lord Ganapathy at home is essential and this puja will help you sail through the tough periods in your life.

18. Since  Sevvai (Mars) is the patron planet of this Tamil year, worshiping this Navagraha Nayagan is said to be useful. Further, devotees are advised to visit any of the six shrines (Aarupadai Veedukal) dedicated to God Muruga for prayer and worship. It will be beneficial to the family, its welfare and peace of mind.

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







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180 year old Hazarduari Palace, with 1000 rooms - some interesting facts

April 17, 2017, 6:51 am
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Hazarduari Palace with powerful canon. YOONIQ Images

 Though 180 years have gone by since the completion of Hazardurai palace (1837) in Murshidabad, West Bengal, the building has not yet lost either its aura or its historical significance. In a way, this palace, steeped in history, was connected with the birth of the British Empire when Bengal was annexed surreptitiously by the British. As for Britain, there was  no turning back in her  territorial expansion and it was her  economic ascendancy all the way at the cost of India's degradation, exploitation and impoverishment. Britain's GDP had  shot up  rapidly once the Crown took over the administration from the East India company after 1857. This impressive palace was a silent spectator of the  rise and fall of the British empire.

Hazarduari Palace, earlier known as the Bara Kothi, is in the area of Kila Nizamat in Murshidabad, West Bengal state and is the most impressive building in this part of the region. Built in the 19th century under the rule of Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa (1824–1838), the main architect  was one   Duncan Macleod of the Bengal Corps of Engineers and it was on 9 August 1829, the foundation stone was laid  by Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah himself  during the administration of Governor General William Cavendish. The Nawob had to descend the ladder in to the deep trench to lay the foundation for the mammoth building. The  construction was completed in December 1837.

 Some amazing facts:

01. Hazarduari Palace, came up in the place where the old Nizamat Fort (Kila Nizamat or Nizamat Kila of of Murshidabad) had stood earlier on the banks of  the Bhagirathi River. 

02. The name Hazarduari Palace means a bulding  with a thousand doors (Hazar means one thousand) as the palace has 1000 doors, among which 100 are false. The purpose was to avoid perpetrators who got into the palace to  harm the ruler. Once inside the palace, they could not escape that easily as it was difficult to access the right  exit door. Both the right and wrong doors would confuse them and the culprit would be caught red-handed. Incidentally, personally it will take hours to count each door and find out the right door to exit.

Hazarduari Palace with 1000 rooms.,W. Bengal. Murshidabad.ne

03. This palace was used by the Nawobs and later by the high ranking British officials as their residence.

04. The Nizamat Fort Area does not exist now and one can see it only in the painting . A painting of the Nizamat Fort Area (c. 1814–1815) is kept in the British Library by William Prinsep, showing the old and small Nizamat Fort.

05. Now,  Kila  Nizamat en composes  the palace along with the Nizamat Imambara, Murshidabad Clock Tower, Madina Mosque, Chawk Masjid, Bacchawali Tope, the Shia Complex, Wasif Manzil, the two Zurud Mosques and the Nawab Bahadur's Institution (also called Nizamat College) surrounding it.  Hazarduari Palace is locally called the Nizamat Kila or the Kila Nizamat.
 
06. The palace is  converted into a museum  and  it has superb collection of memorabilia right from the days of the British Raj. Lots of people visit the museum.

07. Located in Murshidabad, 219 kms from Kolkata, the total area of Hazarduari Palace is 41 acres. Built in the Greek (Doric) 
style with eight galleries and 114 rooms, it is a  a three-stored rectangular building lying  amidst sprawling gardens. It  has  a colonnaded facade, a domed tower, high windows, beautifully ornate pillars and more, with  artistically designed  venue for the Nawab's durbar, that used to be held here.

Hazarduari Palace , relief work www.murshidabad.net
Hazarduari Palace , canon. www.murshidabad.net

08. The library houses many rare books and manuscripts. The museums collection of antiquities include various weapons, oil paintings of Dutch, French and Italian artists, marble statues, metal objects, porcelain and stucco statues, Farmans, rare books, old maps, manuscripts, land revenue records, palanquin, mostly belonging to eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Some important items on display in the palace museum:

The exhibits are  all on display in  the Dining Room, the Landscape Gallery, the British Gallery, the Nawab Gallery, the Dewan Gallery, the Prince Gallery, the Committee Room, the Durbar Hall and other areas.  The rooms are well embellished and well decorated. It shows how lavishly the Nawob lived and  how affluent he was during his heyday. The Landscape Gallery has mainly landscape paintings in the palace collection.
 
 (a). Also on display (first floor) are the  royal thrones, howdahs of silver and ivory, palanquins, phaetons and the powerful canons used in the battle like Plassey are quite impressive. 

(b). Second floor has 12,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts, in Persian, English, Arabic and Urdu. It includes priceless collection of manuscripts including Ain-e-Akbari and the Akbarnama, written by Akbar's court historian Abul Fazal; a copy of the Holy Koran penned by the emperor Aurangzeb.

Hazarduari Palace  & museum. Art News & Views

(c). Historical weapons (Amory wing A & B), include bow and arrow; swords and shields; lances and spears; knives and daggers; guns and rifles; pistols and revolvers, to wheels and cannons used in various battles. All of them carry inscriptions of  the verses from the holy Koran. The powerful canons used in the battle against the British by the Nawob at places like Plassey and Buxar are quite impressive.

 (d). It also houses the sword of Alivardi Khan and multi-barrelled rifle, sword of  Siraj-ud-Daulla, the Dagger by which Muhammad-i-Beg killed Siraj-ud-Daulla (at the instigation of the British).

(e). Guns (match lock and flint lock), pistols of European and Indian origin (match lock, flint lock and percussion cap).

(f). Among the items, the most amazing ones are the special testing plates that are believed to crack if poisoned food was served on it.
 
Crystal Chandelier Art News & Views


(g). The  Durbar hall has a large  dazzling  crystal Chandelier suspended in the center to illuminate  the entire hall with ninety six lamps. The presence of  a royal silver throne with its "Chattri" and a Durbari Hookah in front enhances the beauty of this hall.  The intricate lattice work, gilded patterns in the marble platform  and the marble candles bear testimony to the skill of the artisans.

 (h). The Halls of Royal has on display  the masterpieces of paintings, silver and ivory objects, even metal and marble statues.and the Landscape Gallery  has mainly landscape paintings in the palace collection.

 (i). The Archive Gallery has, among the treasures and manuscripts  on  art, culture, poetry, religion  and medicines, etc., in Persian and Arabic language,   rare and important farmans (Royal Orders), proclamations, indentures, formal letters, official correspondence etc. in Persian, the official language of the Mogul emperors and Nawabs. Some of them were  in English. It shows the enormous powers vested with  the Nawobs  by the Mogul rulers in the governance of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, their relations with the Companies and British administration, their agreements with British powers regarding administration and financial matters and many more aspects of the Nizamat. 

(j). Among them the most important document - the royal farman of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II (1765), Khat-i-Taziyat (Condolence letter) by Lord Minto on the death of Nawab's grandmother Babbu Begum dated (1809), Private letter of Lord Hastings to Nawab Mubarak Ali Khan date 1787-1788 are displayed here.

(k). The Painting Gallery  has  a valuable collections that include  "Holy Family" by Francesco Rinaldi, an enchanting and lively presentation of “Bacchus and Ariadne” which shows the Greek god of wine trying to induce Greek deity Ariadne, 'Cavaliers of Venice' by Marchetti, 'The Marquis of Spinola' by Van Dyke etc.
 In 1985, the palace was handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India for better preservation. 

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

http://www.artnewsnviews.com/view-article.php?article=hazarduari-palace-museum-one-of-the-7-wonders-of-india&iid=21&articleid=532




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Pathos of Humayun's tomb, arrest of last Mogul emperor and officer Hodson

April 18, 2017, 1:44 am
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Humayun's tomb, Delhi. Amazing India Blog
Tomb of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Emperor of India, Yangon, MyanmarAlamy

Above image:  Humayun's Tomb, where the remains of Mogul prince Dara Shikoh assassinated by his younger brother Aurangzeb, were interred in an unidentified grave.........

Humayun 's Tomb in Delhi is a famous tourist destination and is classified as  a UNESCO recognized World Heritage site. The Mogul emperor, who died in 1556 was buried here and the tomb was first commissioned by Humayun 's wife and consort Banu Begam, also known as Haji Begam   in 1569-70. The construction work completed in 1572 - too short a time. It is located in Nizamuddin East, now a suburb of Delhi, close to Purana Quila. It is a tomb complex  and houses the graves of Bega Begam, Hamida Begum, Dara Shikoh (son of emperor Shah Jehan) and  many others. It is considered the first garden tomb on the Indian subcontinent.
www.cartoonstock.com400 × 349

The architecture and the artistic works in the mausoleum are so overwhelming, that knowledgeable visitors  tend to forget  about the heart-rending pathos behind this  eye-catching structure. This building was built at a time when the Mogul dynasty was powerful, rich  and well rooted in India. We can not reconcile to the fact that this impressive hoary mausoleum is associated with two  important, but  sad events in the Mogul history. It was here, Dara Shikoh,  the beloved son  and  successor to the throne of the well-known Mogul ruler, Shah Jehan ( the builder of the Taj) was buried after his brutal murder. The other incident that goes down in the history of British India as well as world history was the down fall of the Mogul dynasty in India  and the arrest of the last and weak emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. It was right on the premises of Humanyun's tomb, the British army led by  Major. Hodson pulled down the curtain on the surviving ruling dynasty and tolled the death knell. 
The Mogul dynasty that  lasted for several generations despite several upheavals. Paradoxically, when the wily British  East India company came to India to do business in 1600s, the officials bowed before the then Mogul ruler and after some cajoling got the permission to begin their mercantile trades in India. The same British company, having gained military and economic supremacy centuries later,  pushed the Mogul rulers from sublime to disgrace. They, without any hesitation, used various unpalatable tactics - betrayal of trust, broken promises,  deceptive doctrines, coercion,  wheeling and dealing, etc. They got the best out of the disunity among the Indian rulers across India. 

SlideShare

www.cartoonstock.com

Mirza Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar, the second son of  his father, Akbar II, happened to be the last Mughal emperor and  he took the reigns upon his father's death on 28 September 1837. Political scenes change as time goes by, so do the rulers of major dynasties. The powerful Mogul rulers became powerless  at the fag end because of misrule, unnecessary war  and religious suppression by emperor Aurangzeb. The invasion of Nadir shah and his plundering of Delhi and the Mogul treasures was a great blow to the subsequent rulers. 

www.jantoo.com

 As for Bahadur Shah Zafar, he was just  a nominal Emperor with limited powers, and the Mughal Empire existed just for name sake only and his authority was limited only to the city of Delhi. 
(Shahjahanbad). The East India Company became a dominant force in mid 19th century both militarily and politically. The Indian land became fragmented into hundreds of kingdoms and principalities, a boon for the foreign rulers to keep them under check.

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was the culmination  of misrule, racial discrimination, and scant respect for the religious sentiments of the Indian soldiers consisting of both Muslims and Hindus. The rebellion  became out of control for the British and it had begun to spread to many cities from Meerut where it started. One group of rebels captured Delhi and accepted  Bahadur Zafar as the Emperor of India, as he was a good man and had a neutral view on religion.  With, hesitation,  he accepted to lead them. Soon, on 16 May 1857 the palace servants killed 52 Europeans who were secretly  hiding in the palace for safety and they were executed under a peepul tree by the mob,  despite Zafar's  protest and dismay. Zafar  was against violence, massacre and looting and was not part of this incident.  Th rebellion became chaotic and unruly because of lack of leadership  and  the British accused Bahadur Shah Zafar of having instigated the rebels against the British to commit massacre.  

Surrender of last Mogul ruler Zafar.en.wikipedia.org
Above image: Capture of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur 
Shah Zafar  and later his sons by military officer  William Hodson at Humayun's tomb in September 1857. Soon after the rebellion, the British Crown took over the administration, ending the hegemony of the English company. This tomb, built during the glorious days of  the Mogul rule,  ironically, saw the end of it. 

Major William Hodson,Bibliography

Above image:  Major William Hodson, a ruthless military officer of the East India company. He  raised the famous regiment of irregular light cavalry and was the first to introduce Khaki uniform in the military.  He played a major role in arresting the last Mogul ruler Zafar at the Humayun's tomb. On 22 September 1857 not only did he murder the last three  surviving young Mogul princes after removing their valuable possessions but also had their bodies hung  in front of a Kotwali, or police station, and left  them there to be seen by all. All these happened close to  the popular Khooni Darwaza, or 'Bloody Gate', Delhi. In the past countless killings took place here.

Khooni Darwaza,Delhiidharthbedi.wordpress.com

As the British had begun to gain an upper hand in suppressing the long-lasting rebellion, Emperor  Zafar to avoid being caught by them, wanted to choose the safest place in the city.  So, finally he,  along with his three sons, moved over to the outskirts of the city and took refuge at Humayun's Tomb complex. The belief was that  no body would look for enemies in places such as tomb. The English, at last,  got the scent from the betrayers about the whereabouts of the Mogul emperor and  the army  led by Major William Hodson surrounded the tomb. Ruler Zafar peacefully  surrendered to the British forces on 20 September 1857. His sons were still at large and refused to surrender. The following day at the Humayun 's tomb,  Zafar's sons surrendered to the British force on condition of fair trial and safety. Cunning army officer Hodson agreed and had three young Mogul princes  taken on a bullock cart  before the grief-stricken demoralized public. When they were near  the Khooni Darwaza, or 'Bloody Gate,  Hodson diabolically ordered the three princes to get off the cart and to strip off their top garments. He then took a carbine from one of his troopers and shot them dead before stripping them of their signet rings, turquoise arm bands and bejeweled swords. Their bodies were ordered to be displayed in front of a kotwali, or police station, and left there to be seen by all. Thus,  Hodson shot  dead the last mogul princes  Mirza Mughal and Mirza Khizr Sultan, and grandson Mirza Abu Bakr under his own authority near the Delhi Gate with out any scruples or compunction. It is said Major Dodson also slaughtered the royal family members of Zafar both women and children without any remorse whatsoever.

About ageing Emperor Bahadur  Shah Zafar, he  was not sentenced by the British judges (constituting Kangaroo court) but  was exiled to Rangoon, Burma, where he died in isolation and pain November 1862 at the age of 87.

A Mughal miniature painting of prince Dara Shikoh. en.wikipedia.org.

 Dara Shikoh, (20 March 1615-30 August 1659) the eldest son and the heir-apparent of the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan was   philosopher-prince of Mughal India. He was a moderate Muslim and never gave room to religious fanaticism.  

The illness of Shah Jahan  on 6 September 1657, led to a power struggle  among the four Mughal princes within the family. After some seesaw struggles, finally Dara Shikoh was pitted against Aurangzeb, who happened to be a religious bigot, tyrannical and highly-self centered.  

dara-shikoh.blogspot.in/

dara-shikoh.blogspot.in/
 Above image: Cruelty galore. Aurangzeb sends his elder brother prince  Dara's severed   head to their father, Shah Jahan, then in confinement in the Agra Fort (September 1659)......
Prince Dara Shikoh was defeated by his younger brothers Aurangzeb and  Murad during the Battle of Samugarh, 13 km from Agra on 30 May 1658. Subsequently Aurangzeb took over Agra fort and mercilessly deposed  his own father emperor Shah Jahan on 8 June 1658.  Later, he jailed him. Prince Dara was at large and  took refuge in Sind, but was betrayed by the treacherous Junaid - Junaid Khan Barozai (Malik Jiwan), an Afghan Chieftain. On 10 June 1659 Dara was turned over to Aurangzeb. Prince Dara was paraded publicly on a dirty elephant and  four of Aurangzeb's henchmen, in front of his terrified  son, on the night of 30 August 1659 executed him in a cruel manner. 

Aurangzeb, the most despicable Mogul ruler. en.wikipedia.org

After death, Dara's  mortal remains  were buried in an unidentified grave in Humayan's tomb in Delhi. It was the end of a fleeting and enlightened  prince who was supposed to ascend the Mogul throne. The fate had it that this charismatic prince, a favorite of Shah Jahan was  felled down  by his brother Aurangzeb, a fratricidal ruler who caused the decline of Mogul dynasty. 

Ref: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humayun%27s_Tomb

http://dara-shikoh.blogspot.in/

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




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