Navrang India

Rolls-Royce 40/50HP Silver Ghost with chassis 2517

Above image: The original owner of the above car was the Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, This RR 40/50HP Silver Ghost fitted with with a custom made six-seater Torpedo body was ordered in 1913. It had a pair of jump-seats and Cobra horn. When it was sold in 1985 in India, it was not in good condition due to poor maintenance..........

No doubt there were other luxury cars like the Maybach and Porsche, but the Rolls Royce commanded a unique place among the Indian Princely rulers who had a voracious appetite for quirky designs. There existed a perfect match between Indian rulers and the RR car company who were flexible and be ready to customize the new car according to their whims and fancies. This right business approach plus flexibility made the car company a popular one among the Indian rulers. It has to be admitted that Maharajahs were equally responsible for the popularity of RR cars across the globe in the early years of company's operations. As for their weird custom made RR for their various activities, Indian Media commented that eccentricity and ludicrous extravagance was a hallmark of India's erstwhile royal families. Yes, it is true.

Indian Maharajahs' quirks and their passion for Rolls Royce cars (contd):

01. By late 1920s, there were hundreds of RR owned by the princely Indian rulers, for whom money was not a matter of concern, rather, their position/status via-a-vis their counter parts. Their craze for the luxury car was literally bordering on madness. At one point of time, there was almost no Indian ruler who did not own a model or two of RR. In order to mark them out and to establish their individual taste and rank, they went for extravagant customization of RR

Ruler of Nabha, Punjab. Swan Rolls Royce Narthaki


Mewar ruler. Rajasthan RR 20 HP Autocar India

Above image: That's Maharana Arvind Singh Mewar with his prize-winning Rolls-Royce 20HP. Pebble beach car rally, California. Maharajah Pratap Singh's Swan Rolls-Royce 1910 Brooke 25/30-HP swan car & 1919 Cygnet - The Louwman Museum, Holland. Having acquired this one, Maharajah of Nabha also commissioned his garage personnel to build a smaller replica for his children to drive in the palace grounds. Thus came into being the Cygnet, a smaller scaled down rendering of the Brooke but now with electrical power to drive it...................

02. Maharajah of Nabha, Punjab had his RR customized to look like a swan at the front of the car to get publicity and admiration. When the ruler rode the car, it gave a thrill to the locals.

03. Most expensive RR ever built was RR in 1934 for Maharajah of Rajkot (Gujarat) Dharmendra Sinhji Lakhajiraj. It was repossessed by his grandson Prince Jadeja in 2010 by paying a huge price - whopping Rs. 3.2 crores.
04. Some rulers could assemble extra-fittings like foot board for servants, high power light lamps (to dazzle and blind the tiger to make the hunting easier), rifle holders or hand-cranked machine guns etc., to use RR for hunting with English gentlemen.
1925 Rolls-Royce New Phantom “Tiger Hunter” built for for Sahib Bahadur, the Maharajah of Kotah, and has a rifle stand, Lantaka cannon, nickel-plated snake horn, two brass searchlights, and a machine gun. Wealthy maharajahs by buying exotic cars in large numbers kept the British automobile industry going.


A rare RR Phantom-for tiger hunting, ruler of Kotah in.reuters.com

Rolls with hunting rifle .narthaki.com

05. Maharajah of Rewa once owned a Phantom II Cabriolet "Hunting Car" specially built for him to hunt India's tigers; the "Hunting Car' has a specially designed gun rack built into the chassis. Some were fitted with special bells to fool the big cats on prowl, mistaking the sound for the approaching heard of cattle. It is something like a man sitting in the sofa comfortably in the midst of the thick jungle, having his servants drive the big cat into his close firing range and then firing at him till the animal hits the ground. No baiting of the wild animal, no hard ground work and no sweat. What a way to exhibit a ruler's valorand bravery?

06. Umed Singh II, Maharajah of Kota, who was well-known for royal hunting with the British had his 1925 Rolls-Royce New Phantom fitted with guns and cannons, searchlights and safes to be used deep in the dark jungle.

07. The Indian Maharajas were enamored with the RR cars to such an extent that some of them placed orders in bundles every few years, but their individual exotic tastes never showed any sign of decline. The Maharajah of patiala, Bhupinder Singh (the famous harem man) once ordered more than 20 RR in bulk, but the company refused to accept the order. The ruler was in rage, then the British rulers forced the RR company to oblige the Maharajah's request.

08. It was in 1907, the wealthy Indian rulers got the best impression on the RR car and trusted its reliability and engineering excellence when a 40/50 hp Silver Ghost won a 620-mile trial run, covering very tough terrains, including six mountain passes between Bombay and Kolhapur, a part of the Deccan Plateau made of Basaltic rocks. After winning the confidence of Indian elite, RR company moved into the Indian sub continent and opened show rooms in Bombay, Calcutta, and Delhi.

9125 Rolls-Royce Phantom I, built for the maharajah of Jodhpur. http://robbreport.com

Above image: Sir Michael Kadoorie, who owns Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong iis well-known for a fleet of green Rolls-Royce Phantoms. His collection has a first-series Phantom from 1925, including the one once owned by the Maharajah of Jodhpur. It’s specially fitted with two mounted 16-gauge shotguns for snipe shooting. “It is one of the nicest driving cars that I have been privileged to be a caretaker of,” Michael says.“
Ref:
https://www.gqindia.com/content/cars-maharajas-drive-gq-india/#lagonda-v12

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Royal-Royce-tales/articleshow/46810553.cms

http://www.narthaki.com/info/bn/bn31.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/4193893/Bejewelled-carriageways.html
http://www.maharaja.life/

The story of Indian Maharajahs and rulers is the story of excess and extravaganza, one may say it was a sort of publicity bonanza for them. Eccentricity galore, each ruler has his own quirks when customizing RR cars. A few rules had the car designed to carry their cricketing gear, others their hunting gear, etc. For many Indian Maharajahs and Nawabs, the stylish Rolls is their preferred marque, accounting for 20% of RR company's total production before WW - II

Phantom III 1937
the Maharajah of Rajpipla pinterest.com

1924 RR 20 HP for the Maharaja of Udaipur.maharaja.life

Indian Maharajahs' quirks and their passion for Rolls Royce cars (contd):

01. One Maharajah preferred better visibility while going on a royal tour of the town. He wanted cabriolet versions to enable him to sit on a raised seat in the back of the car. This would help his subjects take a good look at him and his extravagant royal regalia.

http://www.team-bhp.com

02. . Other rulers preferred privacy in public while travelling with their Maharanis. They had the curtains installed inside the car so that the beautiful Maharanis would avoid the roadside Casanova's curious stare while in the Purdah model car.

03. The Maharajah of Bharatpur is believed to have owned as many as 200 Rolls-Royce cars at one point (citation needed). It is said that when RR mechanics failed to give service as per his wish on time, the ruler would, in rage, turn some of his Rolls-Royce cars into garbage vehicles. So that RR company wont make the mistake again.

04,. Writer Murad Ali Baig has another interesting story and this is about the Travancore Princely state, S. India."A 1933 Rolls-Royce 20/30 (Sedanca de Ville) that belonged to Maharani Sethu Parvati Bai of Travancore had a small stool on the floor. On it sat a dwarf who massaged the queen's legs," So, occasionally the servants had to be kept invisible to the scoop-hungry media and curious public.

05. The Maharajah of Darbhanga, a teetotaller chose a novel way to please his better-half. Upon his wish, Roll-Royce Phantom 1927 was converted into a “drinking car” for his Maharani. Fitted with bar accessories like crystal glasses and decanters, it was meant for her to be driven around the town while she freely indulged herself to burp up frustration and ennui caused by royal gossips and surmises.

06. John Fasal, Rolls-Royce historian and restorer based in the UK, had close a contact with Indian rulers and aristocrats for a few decades. The 70 plus year old man visited India 25 times to supply spares to RR cars. According to him, Indian rulers' quirks fascinated him and gave him a good laugh. He mentioned, "In the 1930s, Maharajah Bhupinder Singh of Patiala had the largest RR fleet in India, a total of 44 cars", not the Hyderabad Nizam. The Nizam "possessed only one and it was driven for just 300 miles".

07. John M. Faisal further mentioned that in all, before 1947, a total of tailor-made 900 Rolls-Royce cars were sold to Indian princes to take care of their various needs and to match their taste and idiosyncrasies

08. RR company could take care the needs of handicapped Maharajah as well, if he was ready to pay extra money. The Maharajah of Udaipur, Arvind Mewar, mentioned that his physically handicapped grandfather, ordered RR with the controls set in the steering wheel so that he could drive comfortably. Ruler of Mewar said his family in the 1940s had 10 of them.

09. In India Mumbai-based Pranlal Bhogilal, a mill-owner is believed to have the largest number - about 65 in his collection of some 200 plus cars cars. His collection attracts lots of people.

10. One Maharani had who owned a fine-looking RR but was not happy with her kingdoms' lack of good road network to ride her car. So, she had to be content with riding up and down over a 100m short stretch of paved roads till she finished her special drink - gin.

11."The gretest show on the earth" - the Delhi Darbar of 1912 - the coronation of King George V in India under the direct management of Lor Curzon and Ladu Curzon , gave a great boost to the RR company, opening up a vast marketing opportunity. The media took the event across the globe watched by millions of people. The motor company had more than 200 Rolls Royce cars on display. It was ablessing in disguise for the younf company.The company grabbed the opportunity presented on a silver platter and since then, the company's prestige begun to show upward mobility.

12. Maharajah of Jamnagar went one step ahead of other rulers and outshone their eccentricity. He specipically wanted the RR company to paint the car in pink color. Besides, he had sent one of his wife's pink slippers to the company as a sample so that his Phantom II was painted in exactly the right color shade to avoid his wife's fret and fume.
Ref:
https://www.gqindia.com/content/cars-maharajas-drive-gq-india/#lagonda-v12

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Royal-Royce-tales/articleshow/46810553.cms

http://www.narthaki.com/info/bn/bn31.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/4193893/Bejewelled-carriageways.html

Indian Maharajahs' quirks and their passion for Rolls Royce cars (contd):

Indian Maharajahs craze for Rolls Royce cars was quite well-known for it gave them a status, publicity and recognition of their wealth. These rulers even during the Mogul period and prior to them were very wealthy and had a vast collection of rare gemstones and jewelry. In the 20th century, they were the popular buyers of Rolls in the East. An interesting fact is in the years following the Great Depression in the west during 1929 to 1930, it was the Indian rulers who got the RR company in England going by placing orders for customized RR. When most of the people in the west went either broke or reduced to a lower class group, Indian rulers were wallowing in money and led an envious and luxurious lives.

Time and tide does not wait and keeps changing. Many of the rulers sold their expensive cars after independence as they faced difficulty in maintaining them either due to expensive spares or non availability of them on the market. Further, they were bogged down by their loss of kingdom and lavish income from the estates. Countless

maharajahs' expensive cars including RR are now in the famous museums across the globe; some private collectors also own them for their resale value.

In the early days, the car company would supply only the chassis and the buyer would shop around and chose a suitable and reputed coach builder. in Europe. He would build the coach matching the taste of the ruler.

You seldom see such vintage cars ever standing in the traffic for green light any where in the world. Sir Michael Kadoorie, owner of Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong who is an avid collector of vintage cars, in particular Rolls Royce, quipped about vintage RR car, "The boat tail body style draws admiring comments by enthusiasts and when the car stops at traffic lights.” Imagine the kind of impression it may make in day's crowded cities. Sighting of such a luxurious, stunning RR car in full glory on Indian roads would have been as rare as sighting a Bengal tiger of today in the thick Indian ungle.
The following are some of interesting rare vintage cars:

RR Hunting Car,owned by J&K maharajah. www.maharaja.life/

front end.RR Hunting Car,owned by J&K maharajah. www.maharaja.life/

Above image: This RR 1933 20/25HPPhantom was owned by Maharah Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir for hunting in the wilderness. it ia fitted with hunting rifles to hunt tigers and Chital deer. It is was a one-of-a-kind Rolls Royce with a wagon body shape. No other Rolls Royce in the world was ever built with a bespoke wagon body as additional space for storing hunting gear. The car was with him for 13 years before it was sold and sent England. The interior of the car included dials that were handcrafted from genuine ivory and the seats 've genuine leather. The back of the front seats included flaps that could be folded down to reveal various original maintenance tools. It also had its own picnic table that could be folded out of its extended boot.

-RR 1945 Phantom II. Owned by HH Maharaja Gaj Singhji of Jodhpur.pinterest.co.uk/

Above image: Maharaja Gaj Singhji of Jodhpur Best of show winner the 1935 Rolls Royce Phantom II with HH Maharaja Gaj Singhji of Jodhpur at the Cartier Travel With Style Concours 2013 Opening at Taj Lands End on February 10, 2013 in Mumbai, India.

RR Phantom II 1935, Maharaja of Rajpiplapinterest.com

Above image: Rolls-Royce Phantom II 1935 (chassis no. 171 TA) Windovers saloon with division (body no. 6277)owner: His Highness The Maharaja of Rajpipla. This car passed to the Rt. Hon. Lady Scarsdale in November 1935. Originall image from:
team-bhp.com

Present owner: Rajcot family.The 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom
Pinterest

Above image: 1934 RR -II custom built by Thrupp Maberly for the ruler of Rajkot. nick named The Star of India; the car is a 7 litre V8, 6 cylinder engine mated to a 4-speed manual, which can output 40 to 50 horse power. It has a total of 14 headlights
The story of Indian Maharajahs and rulers is the story of excess and extravaganza, one may say it was a sort of publicity bonanza for them. Eccentricity galore, each ruler has his own quirks when customizing RR cars. A few rulers had the car designed to carry their cricketing gear, others their hunting gear, etc.

RR Phantom III 1937
the Maharaja of Rajpipla pinterest.com

Above image: The Maharaja of Rajpipla bought this Rolls Royce iPhantom III 1937 (chassis no. 3-BU-198), his final Rolls-Royce, fitted with Windovers sedanca coachwork (body no. 56), specified with a radio and ‘Philco Rola’ loud speakers; Marchal headlamps. image originally from

team-bhp.com.

owned by the Baroda royal family.RR Phantom III. team-bhp.com

Above image: This Phantom III - unusually for a car going to India by being fitted with a French body - was the second PIII to go to the Baroda royal family (Gujarat). It was sent off test from Derby on 18 February 1937, set up for use in Europe and India for town and touring purposes. It was fitted with engine Q88K, and steering at the high C rake.

RR40/50hp Silver Ghost,Mysore Maharajah. pinterest.com

Above image:RR40/50hp Silver Ghost,Ceremonial Victoria, commissioned by the Maharaja of Mysore for the Delhi Durbar 1912 - the event which ignited the passion for Rolls-Royce in India. image originally

Rolls-Royce Phantom II 1935 team-bhp.com

1928 RR-Phantom Torpedo Tourerowned by the Maharaja of Pithapuram,AP.

Portable Top Limousine on 1907 Silver Ghost coachbuild.com

Above image: Portable Top Limousine on 1907 Silver Ghos; body by Cockshoo the "Pearl of the East " was purchased by the Maharaja of Gwalior. It is not known if the car still remains in Gwalior.

Ref:
https://www.gqindia.com/content/cars-maharajas-drive-gq-india/#lagonda-v12

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Royal-Royce-tales/articleshow/46810553.cms

http://www.narthaki.com/info/bn/bn31.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/4193893/Bejewelled-carriageways.html

Vishnu emerging thru Swarga Vaasal, Srirangam, TN.knramesh - blogger

Ranganathar temple, Srirangam. commons.wikimedia.org

Margazhi, the 9th month of the Tamil Calendar is derived from the Sanskrit word Margasirsi and it covers the period between mid-December, ending with the Bogi Pandigai (a part of Pongal festival) on 14 January in the following year. The full moon in this month happens on the day mid-January when the star, Marugasirsa is powerful. Normally, social events like Upanayanam, wedding Giruha Pravesam (Moving into s newly built house) and other rituals / family functions are avoided in this month and much importance is given to spiritual activities and temple celebrations. Margazhi is dedicated to activities related to divinity as in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says that he is Margazhi among the 12 and resides in the best of everything. In this month,
the Brahma Muhurtham is especially dedicated to the Devas. It is the time between 4.00 am to 6.00 am and is believed to be auspicious to engage in puja, studies, practicing music, etc. (Actually Brahma Muhurtha is a period one and a half hours before sunrise or more precisely 1Hr 36 Mins before sunrise, an auspicious time for religious practices, etc.)Many religious rituals and activities related to Vaishnavisam and Shivaism are scheduled to take place in this period.
In the case of Vaishnavism, rendering of
the Tirupaavai Pasurams in all Vishnu temple in Margazhi is a great event, in particular, at Sri Villiputhur Andal temple dedicated to Sri Andal (Lakshmi) and Vishnu (Rengamanner), who composed the divine songs Thirupavai.

Yet another festival of great religious importance at the Vishnu temple is Vaikuntha Ekadasi - the most renowned and auspicious festival for which Srirangam Ranganathar temple is famous and is held in grand style which you can not see any other temple. Here, the Adhyayana Utsavam is held for 21 long days. During the first 10 days prior to Vaikuntha Ekadasi, the recitation of the first 1000 divine verses, the beautiful Tiruvaimozhi by Nammazhwar– the most important part of the - Nalayera (four thousand) Divya Prabhandam Pasurams dedicated to Lord Vishnu / Narayana takes place. It is chanted by a group of selected people with intense dedication and devotion. This period before Ekadasi is called Pagal Pathu.

On the day of Vaikuntha Ekadasi temple festival, the presiding deity Sri Ranganathar, well dressed and adored with valuable jewelry comes out of What is called Pramapadha Vaasal ' Swarga Vaasal (Door of Heaven; a specially designated door in every Vishnu temple). People in thousands worship the lord when he emerges from the Swarga Vaasal. The tradition has it that devotees who pray to the Lord while comig out of the Door to Paradise, will be blessed with no rebirth. They will be free from the cycle of birth and death and will attain eternal rest in the shadow of the divine lord. Normally, this ceremonious ritual will be held before dawn around 4 am.

Ariyar sevai, Srirangam. Araya samajam - blogger

Following the Vaikuntha Ekadasi day, at Srirangam temple, yet another interesting celebration takes place for the next ten days called Raapathu or Irappathu. It involves the recitation of the remaining 3000 divine verses of the Divya Prabandham. This is done exclusively by Ariyars who are the clans of a set of people dedicated to this Ariyar Seva. In this Seva, the recitation of divine hymns of Nalayara Divya Prabandham is gracefully done with dance performance by ariyars and their disciples. Brahmins (Vadakalai tradition or thenkalai sampradayam), hailing from the traditional Ariyar families are allowed to take part in the Seva). This ritual is also performed at many Divya Desam centres including Srirangam town. At Srirangam, Ranganathar wears Muthangi' an armor of Pearls on all 20 days - both raa pathu and pagal pathu. On the 10th day of Pagal Pathu (previous day of Vaikuntha Ekadashi) Utsavar Namperumal will bless devotees in Mohini Alankaram.

Vaikunta Ekadasi is a very important significant celebration in Vishnu temples like Tirupati, Srirangam, Kumbakonam and Kanchipuram. At the Bhadrachalam Temple it is celebrated on a grand scale. So at Vishnu temples in Kerala where it is known as Swarga Vathil Ekadashi. Here, the presiding deity (Utchavar) is taken in a procession around the temple.

For the Vaishnavites, Srirangam is the most important temple next to Tirupathi, AP. During the Vaikuntha Ekadasi celebrations, all the 21 days devotees throng the temple to seek the lord's blessing to start the New Year afresh with positive attitude to achieve success, prosperity and peace of mind. Fasting the whole day is an important aspect this important festival. So are devotional activities like meditation, Japa or bhajans.

Ref:
Vaikuntha Ekadasi". The Hindu. 2003-12-29. Retrieved 2007-04-19.

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

Vellai Gopuram (eastern tower), Sri rangam, TN.Flickriver

The fact that the Srirangam temple is not only the largest temple and religious complexes in India but also in the world has attracted lots of tourists year round. Srirangam temple, dedicated to lord Vishnu, is recognized as one of the largest functioning Hindu temples in the world,. The other existing temple Angkor Wat in Cambodia is much larger, but not a functional one like Srirangam temple. This temple that follows Thegalai tradition (of Ayyengar sect of Brahmins of Tamil Nadu) is one of the 108 Divya Desam shrines and it attracts several lakhs of people during the month of Margazhi (mid December to mid January) when the annual 21 day festival including Vaikuntha Ekadasi that had been observed yesterday - December 29 1917. To-day on, an important Seva called Ariyar Seva is held as part of Raa Pathu (pagal pathu ended on 28 December) that will end on Bogi Pongal on 14 January 2018. It is a huge temple covering 155 acres (63 ha) with 50 shrines, 21 towers, 39 pavilions and many water tanks - all integrated into the complex.

Among the 21 towers (gopurams), the Eastern Gopuram called Vellai Gopuram (tower) by the local people that is painted in white is has an interesting history. This historical tower, also known as the Tower of Sacrifice is named after a courageous and good-looking Devadasi woman Vellayi whose life was dedicated to the service of god. But for her timely intervention and sacrifice done at this tower, the Srirangam temple would have been either severely damaged beyond redemption or more people in and around this temple would have lost their lives.

Notorious Alauddin Khilji of Delhi Sultanate sillyconfusion.com

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the invasion of rich Hindu temples in the north by the Muslim rulers of Delhi (who came from the NW of India) became frequent. The attack was quite rampant during the reign of the Slave Dynasty. Surprisingly, in the year 1323 during the Tamil month of Vaikasi, a large Delhi army under the command of Ulgah Khan raided the Srirangam temple and looted the treasures. The loot was not good enough.

Knowing the attack well in advance, the acharyas and others made efforts to protect the temple. The idol of Namperumal had been removed and was on the way to Madurai under the efforts of the Vaishnavite Acharya, Pillailokacharya. But later he died on the way to Tirunelveli. Consort Reganayaki's idol was taken to a different place in a separate procession.

According to 'Koyilozhugu,' a true record of events relating to Srirangam temple, the invaded Muslim army, including mercenaries without remorse killed 12000 Vaishnavites who were guarding the temple. Their purpose of attack was to grab the main idol - Namperumal, which they believed was made of pure ‘Abaranji' gold. Somehow they got the scent
the idol had been taken out of town. The situation was chaotic and the people were in the grip of
fear as one section of soldiers went on a rampage and damaged the temple, while the other group under the commander was on the lookout for the Pillilokacharya and the idol.

Sensing trouble, emergence of grave situation and the impending danger of Delhi army catching up with the Acharya, his followers and the idol, Vellayi, the temple dancer (Devadasi) came up with a strategy to save the acharya and the idol at the same time. Taking advantage of the respite, the army had, she performed a dance before the commander and his forces to divert their attention and to get gain more time for Pillailokacharya and his entourage to escape with the idol be out of reach of the treacherous Muslim army. After the end of the spell-binding dance, Vellayi took the Commander to the top of the tower to show him the purported location of the golden idol of Perumal in the temple. No sooner had he begun looking down than she pushed him down from the tower and killed the military head. To avoid harassment and punishment, she jumped to death from the tower chanting "Narayana.
Soon, the Vijayanagara forces began to attack the invading Muslim army and recaptured the temple under the chief of Vijayanagara forces, Kempanna. When Kempanna came to about the Vellayi's bravery, timely help and her supreme sacrifice, he named the tower / Gopuram Vellayi Gopuram in her honor; the nameVellayi became Vellai Gopuram, meaning in local parlance white tower. The Gopuram stands as a great memorial to a humble woman, who not only saved the idol of Namperumal (Vishnu) but also thousands of lives. Here, she made a niche for herself in the history of Sri Ranganather temple.

Srirangam Ranganathar (Vishnu) Srirangaminfo.com

The idol of Namperumal that left Srirangam in 1323 returned only in 1371. During the long interval, the regular pujas for Sri. Ranganathar were done at the Gopurpatti Perumal kovil. Besides, on the Adi Ammavasai day every year, the tithi (homage) is performed for those 12,000 Vaishnavites who were killed while protecting the temple from the invading Delhi Sultanate army.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/the-legend-of-vellayi/article2774700.ece

https://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2016/12/danseuse-vellayi-who-saved-vishnu's-idol.html

St. Michael's Mumbai (mahim), Interior commons.wikimedia.org

St. Michael's Mumbai (Mahim) en. wikipedia.org.

Located at the intersection of L.J. Road and Mahim Causeway, Mahim is an interesting historical church known as St. Michael's Church. It was originally built by the Portuguese in 1534 and its original name was San Miguel. It is the oldest Portuguese Franciscan church in Mumbai that was rebuilt a number of times; the last time being in 1973. A fascinating fact about this church is from 1739 to 1761 the church served as a refuge to the popular icon of the Virgin Mary from Our Lady of the Mount chapel, Bandra. The church has a valuable painting, an authentic hand painted version of the original icon in Rome that of the Our Lady of Perpetual Succor gifted to St. Michaels by the Vatican. In December 2014, the Archbishop of Mumbai unveiled it.

When Marathas seized Salsette in 1739, Portuguese pullrd down our Lady of the Mountchapel in Bandra under British bidding. During this unstable political situation, the image of the Blessed Virgin from the chapel was safely sheltered in St. Michael's Church till 1761, when it was moved to its present structure in Bandra.

St. Michael's Church that is believed to have been built in 1534 by António do Porto, a church builder of the Franciscan Order, It was maintained by the vicars apostolic until 1853. At this time struggle broke our between two groups over its control - Bishop Anastasius Hartmann and the padroado order. The other discontented group who did not want Bishop Hartmann to continue.his hold on the church. Hartmann and his group stayed in the church for 15 long days and had laid siege to the church with enough food and water. Upon the intervention of the civil authorities on the 16th day to open the church for public, Hartmann had to give up his control in favor of padroado order. Earlier St. Michael's had been in control of the vicars apostolic for 60 long years.

Perpetual Novena St. Michael, Mahim.Churches in India

Informally known as Mahim Church the church is famous for its Novenas on Wednesdays that is attended by people in thousands, including people from other faiths. According to Father Hugh Fonseca, around 40-50,000 devotees visit the church every week. This traditional weekly service was introduced in 1948 by Father Edward Placidus Fernandes from Bombay who saw a similar ritual celebrating Our Lady of Perpetual Succour at Belfast, Northern Ireland. Upon his return from Europe, Fr. Fernandes brought with him a picture touched to the original icon at Rome. The birth day of St. Mary - 8 September 1948 - coincided with a Wednesday that year and Fr. Fernandes as the vicar held the first Novena services.

The novena prayers to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour are held throughout the day.The belief has been that devotees who attend the Novena services on 9 consecutive days will be blessed with their wishes. The devotee offers the wax figure of his wish. For example, jewelry wax figure, if his wish is jewelry; house wax image, if he wishes a house.

Nowadays, it is said, 13 services are held every Wednesday, in various languages, including Tamil and Konkani( from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm).

https://www.mumbai.org.uk/religious-places/st-michaels-church.html

The Bombay castle is one of the earliest colonial monuments in the Mumbai area, dating back to the 16th century. The site was under the control of Portuguese in the early period and later the British took it over and fortified the site.

In the early colonial period under the East India company, the British built what is called the Bombay Castle (also Casa da Orta). Considered as one of the oldest defensive structures ever built in the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay), it was once the site of the Manor House built by a Portuguese nobleman Garcia de Orta(1501? – 1568). He was a Portuguese Renaissance Sephardi Jewish physician, herbalist and naturalist. Forcibly converted to Christianity in 1497, Garcia to pursue his practice as a physician, he landed in Goa in September1534.

Gateway, Bombay castle Alamy

During the Portuguese rule the site - Island of Bombay was taken on lease between 1554 and 1570 by Garcia de Orta from the King of Portugal. The islands of Bombay came under the control of the English in 1665,,three years later in 1668 the East India Company took possession of the castle for their trade activities and to protect their interest in that region. The castle was built, using the locally available blue Kurla stone and red laterite stone from the Konkan region to the south. In the following ten years, the company began building a defensive fort around the Manor once occupied by De Orta.

Bombay castle, Bombay alamy.com

A wall was built around the growing town between 1716 and 1723, however, as part of city development undertaken during the 1800 the wall was pulled down in 1865. Now, one can see the remnants of the old wall.

The major building in the castle was the Governor's House, where the first Governor of Bombay Gerald Aungier stayed for some time. Over the next two centuries, the Governor's residence finally shifted to the Malabar hill. The offices of the Flag Officer Commander-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command. are in the present buildings.
As for the Manor that existed before the castle, records point out the presence of two gates within INS Angre, a naval station in South Mumbai. Also located is a sundial dating back to the Portuguese era. This sundial does not find the 12 hours of a day, but points to certain important people and their periods.

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

Bombay Castle still enchants 21st century Mumbai by Satish Nandgaonkar, Indian Express, March 24, 2003.

Happy New Year 2018 Wishes

A New Year's resolution has been a tradition being followed in the western culture for centuries and only in the last few decades it has made inroads into the Eastern culture. What does a New Year's resolution mean? Do people stick to the resolution taken by them?

CBC.ca

A New year's resolution is the first step taken in the right direction by a person to get rid of his undesirable habits, traits, behavior, and most importantly negative approach, etc cultivated over a period of time. These may form a road block for his progress in life. The very start of new year gives a person to get rid of them with assertive mind in order to make progress in his life and to reach the personal goal or ambition. It clearly shows a person's keen desire to improve his life style and self-esteem, the moot question is when to start putting them into practice. Unfortunately in the case of many people, they break the New Year's resolution mid way when their assertion shows lack of motivation. The most frequently heard reason for participants' failure to accomplish their New Year's resolutions was their setting themselves impractical and absurd goals. The other reasons are lack of interest to monitor their progress and the tendency to forget the new resolutions taken by them.

Taking a new year's resolution is a way of motivating our mind on the eve of the new year day, so that we can begin the ensuing year afresh displaying a new wholesome persona. In some Christian denominations, regardless of creed, the concept of new year's resolution gives emphasis more on sacrifice than on responsibility. In the case of Methodists, it focuses on annual self improvement. In Judaism, the new year - Rosh Hashanah and Day of Atonement - Yom Kipper provide a chance for the people to repent past misdeeds and seek forgiveness. Taking a New Year's resolution is easy, but how steadfast you are and successful matters much.

Wikipedia

Unlike the common, traditional new year's resolution, below are given new tips, different from the ones commonly we have commonly heard and seen in the books.

01. Do not ever take too many new year's resolution and get lost in them; reduce the resolutions to the minimum and intensely focus on them. The less new year resolution you make, the more concentration you make.

02. Think every day is a new year day and keep yourself motivated year-round. Motivation and commitment are two important driving forces behind the success of making you your new resolution workable.

03. Criticism is a day to day affair, be it in the office or in the house. So, try to be yourself and do not change your persona for the sake of others. If your over-bearing personality affects others, you need to change it.

04. Irrespective of your level of success in your profession or business or line of activity, do not ever make comparison with others who are on a higher plateau. Get rid of this common bad habit and try to have trust in your ability. Self-realization is very important for a man living in a heterogeneous society. So meditate on your thoughts and action, before getting involved in a serious matter.

05. As it is said in the Bhagavadgita, do your duty sincerely with dedication and do not anticipate the results. So, whatever task, you have undertaken, be focused and perform to the best of your ability.

06. Remembering your fore-fathers is a great thing. On the Ammavasai day (new Moon day), feed the animals, in particular cows in memory of them. You may also donate money to the Annadhana Trusts for providing free food to the needy.

07. When it comes to food habit,be resolute about taking lots of vegetables and fruits on a regular basis. If need be change your food habit and become a vegetarian as much as you can.

07. If you are egocentric on account of your family status, education, success in business etc., shed it, for. it is a bad trait and and will show you in bad light. Instead, take a fresh step to develop humility. You will earn the good will and friendship of people around you.

08. Caring for the other humans without expecting any return or reward is a great good act, particularly physically handicapped, Whenever, it is possible, try to donate money to the registered schools for physically handicapped and also to the orphanages. Practice altruism, the act of selflessness is above the act of charity.

09. Stop being prejudicial whether at home or at work when dealing with people. A mind in prejudice will never see perception in others. When a misunderstanding crops up with your co-worker or a relative, be first to break the ice.

10. Cultivate the habit of thanking people who help you out at crucial times and, by the same token, never fail to appreciate the special talents and good traits in others. Like-wise, be generous to your fault.

11. Do not poke your nose into any controversial matter that might cause irritation to the people close to you. Do not let yourself become a scapegoat.

12. before retiring to bed, do not forget to thank

Wikipedia

your friend and the Almighty above for the day well spent.

Garcis de Orta, physician of Goa.israelstamps.com

One Portuguese nobleman based in the Portuguese colony of Goa by the name of Garcia de Orta (or Garcia d'Orta) (1501? – 1568), a Renaissance Sephardi Jewish physician, herbalist and naturalist and made a pioneering contribution in the area of tropical medicine - pharmacognosy and ethnobotany. He worked in Goa, India, then a Portuguese overseas territory and gained vast experience in some dreaded tropical diseases and made invaluable contribution to the early development of the understanding of modern medicine. He studied countless tropical plants, herbs, etc., and gathered detailed information about their medical values to cure some serious tropical ailments/ diseases. While serving as the Chief physician at the Royal Hospital Goa, Garcia maintained a botanical garden of his own close to the hospital, mainly for his research. However, his residence and the garden are lost over a period of time after his death.

Garcia de Orta was born in Castelo de Vide, presumably in 1501, the son of Fernão (Isaac) da Orta, a merchant, and Leonor Gomes. Educated at the Universities of Alcalá de Henares and Salamanca in Spain, Garcia returned to Portugal in 1525 to avoid religious persecution. That time Spanish inquisition was on and he was forced to become a Christian in 1497. After established as a good physician in his home town and later in Lisbon, he ultimately became a Physician to the Portugal king John III. Fearing forceful implementation of Portugal inquisition and the ban on emigration of New Christians, Garcia sailed for Portuguese India in March 1534. He settled in Goa in September in the same year and began his practice as a physican and got a name for his healing power. He became a physician to the Viceroys, Governors of Goa and a personal physician to Burhan Nizam Shah I of the Nizam Shahi dynasty of Ahmadnagar. As for his personal life, Garcia de Orta's marriage with his wealthy cousin Brianda de Solis, in 1543 was not a smooth one and was on the rock though the couple had two daughters.

Unlike early pioneers in this field, he was a maverick and relied his studies more on the experimental approach to the identification and use of herbal medicines rather than the traditional approach of using available knowledge then. It was quite useful to his contemporaries who understood the basics of tropical plants and their medicinal qualities.

He is famous for this elaborate work Coloquios dos simples e drogas e cousas medicinais da India published in 1565 by him in a unique style in the form of a dialogue between him and a hypothetical Dr. Ruano who is new to the tropics of India.(Conversations on the simples, drugs and materia medica of India), His magnum opus is said to be the earliest treatise on the medicinal and economic plants of India. One Carolus Clusius translated it into Latin which was widely used as a standard reference text on medicinal plants. He provided an important practical frame work for the practitioners of tropical diseases that affected people in thousands. Besides, the book is said to be the first famous non-religious book printed in Asia. (For details read: https://archive.org/details/colloquiesonsimp00orta) The earlier ones were religious in nature. He wrote many books on tropical medicine and plants, but, none survived due to Goa Inquisition except the a fore-mentioned work.

Coin of Portugal. 200 escudos 1991-COINZ.eu

Above image: Today physician Garcia de Orta is a celebrated figure of Portuguese history of Goa. He is featured on stamps, coinage, and paper money. Two gardens, one in Goa, India and the other in Lisbon, Portugal are dedicated to de Orta whose monumental work on tropical plants of India and medicine is a standard text across the globe. It is translated into many languages.
Garcia de Orta died in 1568 before the Goa inquisition (introduced in Goa in 1565) was put into serious action in 1569. In the same year, his sister was burnt at the stake for being a secret Jew and based on her confession Garcia's mortal remains were later exhumed by the religious fanatics and burnt along with an effigy. There are memorials recognizing his outstanding contributions in Tropical medicine built both in Portugal and India.

Goa physician, Garcia De orta Wikimedia Common,

Above image: Statue of Garcia de Orta by Martins Correia at the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Lisbon.

Tit-Bits:

01. About the medicinal qualities of Cashews De Orta is of the view that cashews are placed in sour milk and this remedy helps people with asthma or worms. He covers a variety of plants, shrubs, etc., and their medicinal benefits.

Footpath in a garden, Garcia De Orta, Panaji, Goa, India.

February 18, 2013Getty Images

02. Jardim Garcia de Orta is a small, well kept garden in Panaji, Goa just off Church Square in memory of the 16th century Portuguese physician In the garden, there is a column twelve and half meter tall with the national emblem of 4 lions that was built in 1968 replacing the bust of de Gama atop the column. The governments - both state and central took serious steps and in 2010 redeveloped the old garden that was laid in 1855.

03. During the Portuguese rule the site - Island of Bombay was taken on lease by Garcia de Orta from the King of Portugal between 1554 and 1570. The islands of Bombay came under the control of the English in 1665. He resided in The Manor. On this site, the British built the Bombay castle and fortified it.

04. It is to be noted that De Orta undertook the study of tropical plants and their health benefits long before the British had settled down in India under the British Crown.

Ref:

http://chickensoupexhibit.org/garcia-de-orta-a-portuguese-jewish-doctor/

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g303877-d8780565-r323835327-Jardim_Garcia_de_Orta-Panjim_North_Goa_District_Goa.html#

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

Garcia de Orta, Portuguese physician Goa,IndiaWikipedi

Garcia de Orta (or Garcia d'Orta) (1501? – 1568), a Renaissance Sephardi Jewish physician based in Goa was a popular physician to the rich and famous, including many Viceroys and Governors of the Portuguese colony and even to the Indian rulers. He had a flourishing practice in India whose foray into Indian tropical medicinal plants and remedies for the tropical diseases won him laurels. His book Coloquios dos simples e drogas e cousas medicinais da India (Conversations on the simples, drugs and materia medica of India), which was published in India in 1563 is a monumental work, dealing with tropical ailments and medicines. It was quite indispensable for the practitioners of tropical diseases centuries ago.

Lief-the-Lucky - DeviantArt

During the Portuguese rule in India, De Orta was so influential that the site - Island of Bombay was taken on lease by him from the King of Portugal between 1554 and 1570. He even built a residence called The Manor.

Water-boarding, Goa Inquisition 1859 ---Postcard News

Born in Castelo de Vide, probably in 1501, the son of Fernão (Isaac) da Orta, a merchant, and Leonor Gomes, Garcia had three sisters, Violante, Catarina and Isabel. Their parents who were from Valencia de Alcántara were Spanish Jews, taking refuge there. The Reyes Catolicos Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain in 1492, at that time began forcefully expelling Spanish Jews .
Forcibly converted to Christianity in 1497, the Jews in Spain were derogatorily classed as Cristãos Novos (New Christians) and marranos ("swine"). Despite their conversion to Christian faith, many of these refugees maintained their original faith secretly and never gave up their Jewish faith.

Torturing of non Christians. Spanish Inquisition. Wikipedia

King João III and the Inquisition in Portugal.wikipedia.org

Religious fanaticism in Spain was so deep-rooted Jews who refused to convert to Christianity or leave Spain were called heretics and could be burned to death on a stake by the insane orthodox Catholics.

Portuguese inquisition. The Blogs | The Times of Israel

Above image: Auto da Fe in Portugal - Portuguese Inquisition was introduced in 1536. For non Christians and converts, it was a period of torture, pain and suffering. Religion took precedence over rationality and common sense.........

Educated at the Universities of Alcalá de Henares and Salamanca and after qualifying himself as a physian in Spain, Garcia returned to Portugal in 1525 and had a good practice in Lisbon, besides becoming the physician to the ruler of Portugal John III The Portuguese Inquisition (Portuguese: Inquisição Portuguesa) was formally established in Portugal in 1536 at the request of its king, John III.

Just like Spanish Inquisition, the major target of the Portuguese Inquisition were the converts from Judaism to Catholicism. The Conversos, also known as New Christians or Marranos were suspected of secretly practicing Judadism. Many of these were originally Spanish Jews who had left Spain for Portugal, when Spain forced Jews to convert to Christianity or leave. The number of victims is believed to be around 40,000.

Torture. Spanish Inquisition, 1805. a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com

Fearing forceful implementation of Portugal inquisition and the ban on emigration of New Christians, Garcia, to avoid the threats to his life and ban, sailed for Portuguese India. He left Tagus in March 1534 as Chief Physician aboard the fleet of Martim Afonso de Sousa, who later became the Governor. He reached Goa in September and well settled there where he became a popular medical practitioner. Because of his contact with people like Sousa, Garcia became personal physician to Burhan Nizam Shah I of the Nizam Shahi dynasty of Ahmadnagar, and at the same time, to several successive high-ranking Portuguese Viceroys and governors of Goa.

Entrance of a garden, Garcia De Orta, Panaji, Goa, IndiaAlamy

Though Garcia de Orta's marital life with his wealthy cousin Brianda de Solis in 1543 was not an happy one, the couple had two daughters. When inquisition became a serious issue in 1549 his mother and two of his sister were arrested and jailed in Lisbon. Later, they secretly got out of the prison and managed to leave Portugal to join Garcia in Goa.

The inquisition was established in Goa In 1560,– 24 years after the Portuguese Inquisition was instituted in Portugal. Aleixo Dias Falcão and Francisco Marques, established inquisition in Goa. With the opening in 1565 of an Inquisitorial Court in Goa to punish the new converts and non - Christians, the persecution became forceful in 1569 against Jews, secret Jews, Hindus, Muslims and New Christians.
His friend Martim Afonso de Sousa, Governor-General of Portuguese India from 1542 to 1545. (with whom he first came to India) gave him protection during the early stage of Goa Inquisition. Physician Garcia was lucky and he did not live to see serious Inquisition in Goa. He died in 1568 but his family and sister Catarina were unlucky and arrested in the same year of their arrival from Portugal. The religious heads who oversaw the persecution of non-Christians and others were so ruthless, without any remorse or respect for the departed souls, dug the graves of those converts who were secretly Jewish. During that time Garcia's sisters and his family were tortured till they “confessed” to their being Jews. They told officials that Garica de Orta was Jewish as well. The family was charged with their crimes and burned them alive at the stake
on October 25, 1569. Then the inquisitors did an awfully bad thing no civilized person could ever think of - an inhuman and despicable act. Garcia' was posthumously convicted by the Inquisition Court and his mortal remains were exhumed in 1580 from his grave and burned to ashes along with copies of his books, except the work Coloquios dos simples e drogas e cousas medicinais da India.

Also persecuted in the Goa Inquisition was the ancient Christian community of Malabar Nasranis on the south Indian coast of Kerala. The Portuguese religious fanatics described the Malabar Nasranis as Sabbath-keeping Judaizers and burnt their Syriac-Aramaic manuscripts at the Synod of Diamper.

The insane people committed this atrocity deliberately in the name of religion and Christ, an embodiment of love and care. Both Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions were the darkest chapters in the history of world religion and it showed to the world how religious fanaticism would reach the abysmal depth of human ugliness, intolerance and violence against fellow human beings in the name of God. The pathetic fact is no body had seen Him, nor had God appeared before any of our religious heads!


Seal of the Inquisition,en.wikipedia.org

Image above: Inquisição Portuguesa - Grand Inquisitor chosen by crown and named by pope. Consisted of a Grand Inquisitor, who headed the General Council of the Holy Office. Meeting place: Estaus Palace in Rossio squar, Lisbon. ........

Now we have a different scenario in Portugal. De Orta is being adored and is a famous figure of Portuguese history in India and Portugal. In his honor Portugal has issued stamps, coins and bills (currency notes) bearing his figure. Two gardens, one in Goa, India and the other in Lisbon, Portugal are dedicated to de Orta and named after him .

http://chickensoupexhibit.org/garcia-de-orta-a-portuguese-jewish-doctor/

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

The Nagel Family, Kerala. revisitingthepast.wordpress.com

Above image: Volbrecht and Harriet Nagel, with Josephine Mitchell (Harriet’s sister) in the background. Children are; Samuel, Theodor, Gottlob, Olive, and Karl

Volbrecht_Nagel Revisiting the Past - WordPress.com

Christianity has been in Kerala since the arrival of
Saint Thomas, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus at the ancient seaport Muziris (present day Kodungalloor) on the Kerala coast in AD 52. It is the third-most practised religion constituting 18% of the population according to the Indian census. Although a minority, the Christian population in this SW Indian state is proportionally much higher than that of India as a whole and they are quite visible and play an active role in nation building. It was only a few centuries ago, translations of The Bible into Malayalam were available to the Christians here. The translation work on The Bible into the native tongue was invariably done by the foreign missionaries like Benjamin Bailey ( 1791 -1871 and Rev. Dr. Hermann Gundert
(1814 – 1893. Yet another German missionary made a solid contribution to Bible translation and and made a name. He is none other than Volbrecht Nagel, who took to Christian preaching in his very young age.

Can you imagine, during the colonial period under the British crown, a German missionary in Kerala took keen interest in Malayalam, the local language spoken there and did pioneering work in that language and made a mark in the development of that language? His work was mostly related to Christian prayers and translation of The Bible into Malayalam. Volbrecht Nagel (1867–1921) came to the town of Cannanore in 1893 as an ordained missionary to preach Christan faith to the natives there.

Nagel's work was to head the Basel Mission center in Vaniankulam and manage the mission school and the small scale industry being run by the mission. His idea of managing an independent ministry was his dream, but here it did not materialize. A chance encounter with a native man gave him inspiration to act on his own and stay at Kunnamkulam instead of Vaniankulam that had a long history of Christianity. On his own, he carried on his evangelical and humanitarian ministry in Kerala

Born on 3 November 1867 in Hesse, Germany in a religious family, at an early age of 18 Nigel became a preacher. He lost his parents, who were saddlers, when he was very young. He attended the school briefly and gained knowledge only through self-study as he could not afford college education. The inspiration came from a cobbler - turned preacher who enlightened the people, explaining Christ;s Gospel of love. He was born again and decided to dedicate his life to the service of Christ. Resolved to become a missionary, he, in 1886, joined the Basel Mission Training Institute in Switzerland and graduated in 1892. In 1893, he was ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Mission. This membership allowed him to preach the Christ's Gospel of love any where in the world.

Harriet Sabina Mitchell Nagel Revisiting the Past - WordPress.com312 × 500

He came to Kerala, then a British colony, with religious zeal to preach Christianity. Having been associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the early days, later he joined the Plymouth Brethren. However, he became a pioneer of the Kerala Brethren movement. As he was a man of amicable nature, he developed friendship with countless people. Volbrecht Nagel in April 1897 married Harriet Mitchell, an Anglo-Indian teacher at Kunnamkulam who bore him five sons and two daughters.
Realizing the importance learning the local language to move closely with the natives, and be familiar with their tradition and culture, he learned Malayalam well enough to communicate with the local community and be at ease with them. Being a German, not only did he gain the spoken and writing ability, but also undertook in depth studies in Malayalam. His flair for the languages stood him in good stead and the local Christian community loved him and his his real interest in the native culture. He mastered Malayalam so well to the level of translating the German Bible hymns in Malayalam.
Nagel wrote a book called Christian Baptism in
1898. He also wrote many songs and hymns in Malayalam that are being widely used today in church services by Kerala Christians regardless of their denominations. Thus, a German missionary from a humble family with no college education, became a household name among the Malayalee Christians who still hold him in great esteem. Natives used to call him "Nagel Saipu". Scholars in Malayalam acknowledge his valuable contribution to the early growth of Malayalam in the realm of Christian faith.

In 1906, began his social work as part of his missionary duty with the start of an orphanage for girls and a home for widows at Nellikunnu near Thrissur. This was in tune with an old adage "Service to people is service to God". The charitable institutions were of great help to those widows and orphans who were not well taken care of by the various communities then. The institution was called Rehoboth and, now, it has several homes catering to the unfortunate ones.

In 1914, when he was 47 years old, Nagel's plan to make a trip to England regarding his children's education, then to Germany and later return to Kerala within six months, ran into headwinds because of intervention of World War I. Being a German, he could not enter British administered Malabar. As WWI intensified, he moved over to Switzerland. His wife Harriet and three children were back in Malabar Coast, while the two older children were in England.

While teaching at Weidenest Bible School, Nagel had a stroke and and was bedridden for sometime. He died on 12 May 1921 and was buried there. He was just 57. Mrs. Harriet was with him in his last hours of suffering and pain. Among his translations in Malayalam, the following one is worthy of mention:
Samayamam rathathil njaan swerga yathra cheyyunnu ... (In the chariot of time I am on my homeward journey ...) - Death.

Among his many translations in Malayalam, the following are quite soul-stirring and they bring out the essence of devotion to God.
"
........ "Papakadam theerkuvan ... (What can wash away my sins) by Robert Lowry

....... "Yeshuvil en thozhane kande" (I have found a friend in Jesus) Charles.W.Fry

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

http://elenasamuel.blogspot.in/2008/11/vollbrecht-nagel.html

Vasco Da Gama, commons.wikimedia.org

Gama's tomb in Lisbon minube.co.uk

Vasco da Gama made history by finding the first sea route to India in 1498 from Europe via the Atlantic ocean, Indian ocean and the Arabian sea. prior to him, no European had ever undertaken a sea voyage beyond Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. The fabled
vast rich land of spice, gemstones and textiles
was inaccessible to them and, the available over
land route to India was beset with dangers as the
Arabs posed a threat to them.It paved the way for European expeditions to India, culminating in the establishment of British Imperialism in India and across the globe.

After navigating in the hitherto unknown and perilous waters, risking his life and hundreds of men, Gama's fleet arrived in Kappadu near Kozhikode (Calicut), the principal commercial entrepôt of the Kerala spice trade on the Malabar Coast (present day Kerala state of India), on 20 May 1498. The Hindu King of Calicut, the Samudiri (Zamorin) gave him, without any hesitaation, a grand traditional welcome, but was not happy with Gama's gifts that appeared to be trivial and unworthy Though Gama's ship on its return journey from India carried cargo worth six times the cost of the expedition, he failed to make a trade treaty with the Zamorins.

The Portugal King ordered the Second India Armada in 1500, a sort of trade mission under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral. It was to make a trade treaty with the Zamorin of Calicut and set up a Portuguese factory in Calicut. Besides, it was to open the trade outlet of the Monomatapa gold trade with the Gold Trading port of KIlwa.

This second sea expedition to India miserably failed as the local Arab merchant groups were at war with the Portuguese. They had been in spice trade for a pretty long time. In the ensuing riots and mayhem, the Portuguese factory was damaged and about 53 to 70 Portuguese were killed. Cabral pinned the blame on the the Zamorin for the incident and bombarded the city. Thus, war broke out between Portugal and Calicut. Having again failed to strike a deal with the Indian ruler, Pedro Álvares Cabral, had arrived in Portugal in the summer of 1501 with the second Armada. Considering the size of the fleet and human losses, the second mission ended in a fiasco.

The 3rd India Armada was sent to make a trade treaty with the Indian ruler on the coastal Malabar. João da Nova led the commercial expedition, but was ill-equipped to deal with unexpected and hostile situation in the Indian ocean and the coastal Malabar. Again, it was a failed mission to India.
Fourth Armada to India:

The Portuguese serious efforts to lay the foundations to Estado da Índia, and to their full control over the spice trade and commerce was repeatedly repelled by the forces of Zamorin of Kozhikode. The Kunjali Marakkars, the famous Muslim admirals, the naval chiefs of Kozhikode were a force to reckon with. The Hindu rulers had maintained elaborate trade relations with the Middle-Eastern sailors in the Indian Ocean. Undeterred by successive failures of the early sea expeditions to India and to get a hold on the spice, textile trade, etc., the king of Portugal Manuel I firmly resolved to establish a trading post in the Calicut region, a major spice port to the west.

Interesting facts of the fourth Armada to India:

East Africa, 4th armada to India under Gama . Wikipedia

Above image: Approximate route of the 4th India Armada (1502) along the African coast, purple = route of main fleet (Vasco da Gama); green = side-trip of Pedro Afonso de Aguiar, blue = deviation of Antão Vaz do Campo........................

01. In 1502 the 4th Portuguese India Armada was formed under the leadership of Vasco da Gama. It was Gama's second trip to India and was the 4th one of a total of thirteen Portuguese India Armadas.

02. This mission did not have sufficient manpower to seize Calicut, rather it was a display of strong naval force and fire power to push the Indian ruler to submission. Finally, to aim at the establishment of factories (feitorias) in Cochin and Cannanore, Calicut's rival cities on the Malabar coast of India,

03. Being a non- diplomatic mission, this time the sole purpose of the mission was to take revenge on the Indian rulers for the poor treatment of Alvarez Cabral and the massacre of the Portuguese and destruction of their factory in 1500 (in the second expedition). Besides, it was to force the Indian ruler to have a viable trade treaty with the kingdom of Portugal for the regular supply of spices, gems, etc.

04. Before the departure for a long and arduous sea voyage to India, on January 30, 1502, Vasco da Gama was bestowed with the newly created royal title of Almirante dos mares de Arabia, Persia, India e de todo o Oriente ("Admiral of the Seas of Arabia, Persia, India and all the Orient") by King Manuel I - a covetous title similar to the decorative Castilian title borne by Christopher Columbus.

05. The powerful and heavily armed fleet equipped to face any difficult and hostile situation in the sea and on land, left Lisbon on 12 February 1502, Two squadrons of the 4th Armada - 10 ships under admiral Vasco da Gama and 5 ships under vice-admiral Vicente Sodré- set sail from Lisbon.

4th Armada of 1502 (from Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu) wikipedia

06. Under Estêvão da Gama (a relation of Vasco da Gama) on April 1, 1502 the third squadron of the 4th Armada - five ships finally began their long journey from Lisbon. This squadron would chart its own course and join the main fleet of the 4th Armada in the Indian Ocean.

07. Two of Gama's cousin's were to lead the Indian Ocean naval patrol while others commanded the main fleet. Da Gama's family members played a pivotal rule in the 4th Armada which was composed of 20 ships and between 800 and 1800 men, forming a formidable naval force to threaten the Indian ruler.

08. Their predetermined plan was to cutoff Calicut's lifeline - its mercantile trade. Vasco da Gama with his first squadron was to impose a naval blockade of Calicut harbor, preventing the entry of any ships, in particular Arab ships, while Vicente Sodré and his the second squadron would patrol the Gulf of Aden. The aim was to plug the sea route to the Arab ships in the Red Sea. With no naval enforcement from the king's allies, it would make the Zamorin ruler to submit to their demands.

09. Their demands were: a. restoration of damaged Portuguese factory, b. a viable trade treaty for the supply of spices, etc., c. punishment of those Arabs involved in the massacre of Portuguese on their second mission and d. expulsion of the Arabs traders from the Calicut area.

10. A violent storm in April–May, 1502 at the South African Cape drifted apart each of the fifteen ships of Vasco da Gama's fleet. So, each captain was on his own to chart out of the rough seas around the Cape and his own way towards the pre-arranged rendez-vous point on the other side.

11. Gama's fleet had a tough voyage around the South African Cape. On June 7, 1502 - the third squadron of Estevão da Gama was split into two groups in a terrible.

12. On their forward journey, the 4th Armada successfully established a Portuguese factory in Mozambique, in East Africa and opened trade with the gold trading port of Sofala. Besides, with powerful navy, Gama extorted tribute from the Sultan of Kilwa in gold.- 1500m meticals. The elderly shaikh Isuf, having no other choice, made a commercial and alliance treaty with the kingdom of Portugal.

13. Out of this extorted gold coins of Kilwa in 1506 goldsmith Gil Vicente made the famous gold pyx or monstrance known as the Custódia de Belém, for the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, a great piece of Portuguese treasure.

The Custódia de Belém, forged from Kilwa tribute en.wikipedia.org

14. After his engagements in East Africa and successful negotiations, Gama began his onward journey towards India, crossing the Arabian sea. In mid August Gama's fleet was off the coast of Goa (precisely Dabul port, under the Bijapur Sultanate)) and from there he sailed towards south to the coastal Malabar.

Vasco da Gama's 4th Armada to India SlideShare

15. Once in Indian waters in September 1502, Gama, was set out to attack any Arab ship, for the Arabs had a monopoly in the spice trade in the Malabar region and had close rapport with the Hindu rulers there.They were more a menace to them, than a trade competitor. Gama considered them a threat to Portuguese expansion in India.

16. Unpardonable was his notorious attack on the Miri -Muslim pilgrim ship on 29 September 1502. Without mercy, Gama's men massacred innocent pilgrims on their return from Haj ( or on their way to Mecca ?) in open waters ; the casualty ran into several hundred and Gama turned the sea waters into red.

The Zamorin of Kozhikode (1495-1500), en.wikipedia.org

Above image: The Zamorin of Kozhikode (1495-1500) on his throne as painted by Veloso Salgado in 1898. Malayalam: Samoothiri, Portuguese: Samorim, Dutch: Samorijn, is the title of the Hindu monarch of the Kingdom of Calicut (Kozhikode) on Malabar Coast, India. They ruled from the city of Kozhikode, one of the important trading ports on the south-western coast of India. In their heyday, the Zamorin's ruled over a region from Kollam (Quilon) to Panthalayini Kollam. The Zamorins - originally Eradis of Nediyirippu (Eranadu) - established their political independence in the early 12th century after the decline of Cheras of Cranganore (Kodungallur). ................................

17. Quite intimidating was his approach to the Indian ruler. To make the Zamorian king to come to terms with them, Da Gama's Armada began attacking Calicut, affecting the movement of ships and trading activities all along the coastal Malabar. Undaunted, the Zamorian ruler refused to accept the Portuguese demands and give compensation for the damaged factory and massacre of Portuguese ( 53 to 70) on the second expedition as he had nothing to do with that incident. He also refused to keep the Arabs off the spice trade. The 4th Armada left without any trade treaty and unresolved issues. Before departing, the Armada established a crown factory in Cannanore and left behind a small patrol under Vicente Sodré, the first permanent Portuguese fleet in the Indian Ocean.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Portuguese_India_Armada_(Cabral,_1500)

Vasco Da gama's tomb in Lisbon. Shutterstock

Above image: It is the image of Vasco da Gama, a celebrated Portuguese navigator who first discovered the direct sea route to India (1498) via the Cape of Good Hope. His heroism and daring voyage more dangerous than crossing of the Atlantic ocean would go down in history for ever. Unfortunately, he carries a blot on his chracter and, on account of it, his heroic exploits are overshadowed by his gruesome and treacherous massacre he committed on the high seas in the Indian waters when he led the 4th Armada to India in 1502. Here, in Jerónimos Monastery. Lisbbon, Portugal he is taking an eternal sleep in the name of Christ by holding his hands in supplication. Is he appealing to God for atonement of his crime committed against humanity on his overseas expeditions? Read the following ........

Jerónimos Monastery- houses tomb of Gama, Lisbon.-Live Portugal

Above image: : Jerónimos Monastery. Lisbbon houses the tomb of Vasco da gama. It is a world heritage site by recognized by the UNESCO. Official name:Mosteiro da Santa Maria de Belém. Name origin: jerónimo Portuguese transliteration for
Saint Jerome. Work began in 15o1 and completed in 1601..............................
The modern definition of massacre as "indiscriminate slaughter, carnage", and the subsequent verb of this form, derive from late 16th century Middle French, evolved from Middle French "macacre, macecle" meaning "slaughterhouse, butchery." (Wikipedia)

We all know that Portuguese navigator Vasco Da Gama is one of the well-known daring explorers from the Discovery Ages; the first European to reach the shores of SW India. His discovery of the first direct sea route to India, the fabled land of spices, gemstones and textiles was as significant as that of the discovery of the Americas by the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus. This new sea route to India was an open sesame to a slew of European colonists. Among them, the English imperialists emerged victorious and stuck to the Indian subcontinent until August 1947, leaving united India divided into India and Pakistan. The latter has become a well-known rouge nation, a breeding ground for all sorts of Muslim terrorists nurtured by the Pakistani military, and in almost many continents, they have become an eye sore. The innocent Pakistani citizens themselves are not safe in their own land.

A little have we known about the other side of Vasco De Gama, who is often portrayed as a great Portuguese seafarer, leader and diplomat. If you remove the dust off the old history books and delve deep into the faded pages, you will understand the true color of Gama's persona - an obnoxious man prone to bouts of violence and uncontrollable temper to murder his opponents on his overseas explorations. Away from home, on many occasions, he exhibited his violent tantrums at gun point to cow down his opponents while doing business. The root cause of his inherent aberrations in his character is he lacked education, hence unlettered and cruel in dealing with new people. Ever suspicious and brutal in dealing with competitors, he used intimidation as a tool to make the people come to his term. Sanjay Subrahmanyam, a historian is of the view: "systematic use of violence at sea" was introduced after the arrival of the Portuguese.

Gama's first mission to the Malabar coast of SW India was a failure as he could not make any trade treaty with the old Hindu ruler Zamorin. The second expedition led by Alvarez Cabral in 1500 and the third one later did not go in favor of the Portuguese. The Arab traders, who had been peacefully doing business with the Zamorin king for a long time controlled the spice trade and did not like the Portuguese and their provocative and intimidating posture in their business deals. Because of them the ruler of Cochin and the Zamorin ruler were at loggerheads as the revelry between them was being fuelled by the Portuguese led by Cabral. Consequently, the Zamorin ruler, a young man (old ruler having passed away), became a hard nut to crack and did not like to deal with the Europeans.

The king of Portugal, Manuel I became obsessed with establishing a trading post on the Coastal Malabar, India and to monopolize the spice trade and commerce in the Calicut region. In February 1502, the 4th Armada under the command of Vasco De Gama departed with 20 vessels, divided into three squadrons from Lisbon for Malabar. The amazing fact is because of some internal politics and the ongoing rivalry between Alvarez Cabral and Vincent Sodre (Gama’s uncle – who was responsible for naval support to Cabral) many of the ships in this expedition were led by Gama's seafaring relatives. So the 4th Armada's leadership was dominated by Gama's family men. When Gama and his men plundered Malabar, his relatives shared a cut in the loot.

On Gama's second voyage the disgusting incidence of merciless massacre of some 300 pilgrims and the destruction of an inbound ship from Mecca to Malabar on the high seas closer to the Indian shore tainted his image to a greater extent. Because, despite protests by his fellow crew, the massacre and cruel violence was masterminded by Gama. It lasted for more than 5 days between 29th Sept and 3rd Oct 1502 till the ship went into the waters.

Gama's fleet, after a long journey in the perilous waters reached the Indian waters in August / September. In early September 1502, after calling at Batecala on the west coast Gama sailed toward Cannanore. Anchored near Mount d'Eli, as planned before, Gama and his men waited for the ships operating between Jeddah and Calicut route to attack them perhaps to loot them. After a long wait on September 29, 1502 - they captured only one minor ship, however, they were lucky as captain Gil Matoso (on the São Gabriel), spotted a large merchant ship carrying Muslim pilgrims.

Contradictions still prevail over that particular ship was sailing toward Jeddah or returning to Calicut. Anyway, the pilgrim ship The Miri, is beloved to have been owned by a certain al-Fanqi, a wealthy man of Calicut or by another trader. Matoso made the ship surrender, thinking it was carrying valuable stuff to plunder. Vasco da Gama, merciless as he was, rejected the offers made by the pilgrims to let them off alive. He preffered a bigger loot from them and resorted to looting. Upon plundering and looting the ship without leaving any nook and corner including the galley, Gama's men transferred its cargo (Loot) to their ship. It became apparent that Gama wanted the ship along with the passengers to be set on fire. He did not care a fig for the panicked innocent men, women and children on board. Nor did he turn his ears to their painful wailing and crying, and persistent request not to kill them. Poker-faced (hiding his sympathy in the back of his mind), Gama stood on his ship unmoved, watching with glee, when the pilgrim ship was going into flame. It is said that Gama had the passengers locked in the hold before burning the ship. On top of it, he made the ship sink fast enough by bombarding it with artillery fire. However, it took a few days for the ship to sink completely into the sea. The most barbaric act of this massacre on the high seas was that Portuguese soldiers rowed long boats around the waters to see to it that there was no survivor from the plundered ship. If there were survivors, popping up their head above water, they would, with out any scruples, stab them with their sharp spear till they found the watery grave.

Thus Vasco Da gama became the first ever European in world history to have committed massacre of Asians - especially Arabs and Indians near the SW Malabar coast. It is believed that about 300 passengers on The Miri, including children were mercilessly killed at the instigation of Gama. The doomed passengers valiantly fought to stay alive, but it was of no avail. before the evil-minded crew. Under the Raj, what Gen. Reginald Dyer had done to the innocent people of Punjab on 13 April 1919 on the day of annual Baisakhi celebrations at Jallianwalla Bagh, Amritsar, Vasco da gama, did it on the high seas to the innocent Muslim pilgrims from the coastal Malabar in September 1502.

In the wake of the sinking of the pilgrim ship and the massacre of Muslim passengers, Gama's already battered name took a beating further. His name became synonymous with cruelty, fearsome and cunning. Consequently, his treacherous act got a bad rap for the entire Portuguese crew. According to one critic Gaspar Correia, many of his crew were in a state of shock at what Gama was doing in rage and persuaded him to act with restraints as he had to face a lot of problems once they were on the shore. Portuguese's name went down to abysmal depth and the Indian natives hated them very much for their cowardly act on the unharmed, unprovoked pilgrims.

Gama, to save his face, convinced his crew and the Portugal ruler that the massacre on the high seas was inevitable and was carried out in retaliation to the massacre of 53 to 70 Portuguese in the factory at Calicut committed by the Arab traders (the second squadron was led by Cabral in 1500) Thus, he justified his act of "vengeance" for the Calicut massacre of 1500, arguing that the ship's owner, an influential person in Calicut, was the culprit and his sinister counsel to the Zamorin led up to the killing and the ruler turned a blind eye to it. Earlier, in the same year Cabral and his men destroyed several Arab ships off the coast of Calicut and transferred the cargo from one of the ships to theirs. Arabs, being furious, attacked the Portuguese and destroyed their factory in Calicut and in the melee and mayhem that followed 53 to 70 Portuguese were killed. The Hindu ruler did not take action as they caused a heavy damage to the unproved Arab traders.\

According to Portuguese chroniclers 20 children were spared this fate, and brought back by the 4th Armada to Lisbon where they were to be baptized and raised as friars at the Nossa Senhora de Belém. However, one of the eyewitnesses Thomé Lopes and an anonymous Flemish sailor made no reference to this small mercy, but, Matteo de Bergamo did point it out. Thomé Lopes openly condemned the act, claiming Gama acted "with great cruelty and without any mercy whatsoever".

The ownership of the ill-fated pilgrim ship The Miri boat has been a bone of contention as there are many interpretations. One source mentions the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt owned the ship and other sources say it was owned by a rich Gujarati trader. KM Panikkar points out it belonged to one Khoja Kassim’of Calicut, but KV Krishna Iyer mentions that it was owned by Sahabandar Koya’s (port commissioner of Calicut) brother and Koya who happened to be Gama's prime enemy and it could the root cause of the destruction of the ship and massacre on the high seas.

After this gory incident unscrupulous Gama to pursue his fortunes on the coastal Malabar reached Cannanore in October 1502 to call on the Kolathiri Raja of Cannanoreto strike a trade treaty with him.

Ref:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/books/portugals-violent-naval-hero/162720.article

http://www.mygola.com/vasco-da-gama-d1036384

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

Gruesome explorer Vasco Da Gama, Times of India

Coastal Kerala, SW India. Wikiwand

Vasco Da Gama is no doubt a great explorer and had the distinction of being the first European who discovered the direct sea route to India in 1498. It was upon Vasco da Gama's return to Lisbon after his successful voyage to India, the King of Portugal, Dom Manuel, adopted a new and pompous title of "The Lord of the conquest navigation and commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia and India". Critics point out De gama came up with the false news of the discovery of the "spices and Christians" of India and this wrong information was conveyed to the royal rivals of Castille and to The Holy See in Rome in order to safeguard this lordship. That India is a land of Christians, as informed by Vasco, was a big lie. In many school text books in India (perhaps in other countries) it is focused on one aspect of Vaco - his amazing discovery of first sea route to India.Unfortunately, there is no mention of his inhuman and barbaric approach to the Indians.

Behind this great explorer's success story there lurks a disparaging and murderous aspect of his personality that casts a shadow on his glittering discovery. His subsequent voyages, in particular, the 4th Armada in 1502 were replete with stories of massacre, murder, intimidation and torture of native Indians who refused to be cowed down by his pressure tactics to make a trade treaty with him.

However, his trail-blazing discovery of direct access to India via the Indian Ocean led to the invasion of European countries to India to seek their fortune and improve the economy of their mother land. The first to establish their hegemony on the west coast, in particular, were the Portuguese. Unlike the British and the French who systematically made inroads into the Indian territories with skill and tactics and successfully established their trade, the Portuguese, on the other hand, used the barbaric tactics such as violence, coercion under threats and murder against the natives to get concession from Indian rulers, not to speak of imposing their religion - Christianity in an altogether different land with varied Culture. It back fired.

In this respect Gama's approach to the Indian natives viewed with suspicion. Infuriated were the people of Malabar when they heard about Gama's horrible and merciless massacre on the high seas in the Indian waters in September 1502. His most violent and horrible attack on the ships off the Malabar coast was taken seriously and they avoided the area where the devilish Portuguese were operating. At this juncture, Don Gama, having perpetrated the most heinous crime, on October 18, 1502 - finally reached Cannanore (Canonor, Kannur) with his 4th Armada. This time his mission was to take revenge on the Arabs involved in the purported massacre of Portuguese in the Calicut factory. That squadron was led by Alverez Cabral from Lisbon in 1500.

After the necessary formal protocols, Gama met with
Kolathiri Raja of Cannanore to make a business
deal After some deliberation the local ruler allowed
Gama to establish a Portuguese crown factory in
Cannanore, and agreed to arrange a fixed-price schedule for the sale of spices to the Portuguese. But, the commercial treaty ended in failure over a fixed price and the ruler impressed on Gama that he had no rights over market prices. Gama threatened the ruler and finally sailed out of Cannanore after leaving some of his men there. It was Paio Rodrigues who mediated between the Kolathiri Raja and successfully finalized the treaty. Included in the treaty was a Portuguese Factor that means every merchant ship along the Malabar coast had to present a certificate signed by a Portuguese factor (in Cannanore, Cochin, etc.) or else be subject to attack and seizure by a Portuguese patrol. Thus, Portuguese cartaz system was first introduced here. They followed this system in South America, East Africa and Malacca until the 18th century.

Now. time had come for Gama to take on the Zamorin ruler and dispense of vigilante justice. Responding to his early warning, Zamarin ruler informed Gama that he was ready for negotiation regarding compensation for the 1500 incident at Calicut. At the same time Da Gama got a message from Gonçalo Gil Barbosa, the Portuguese crown factor in Cochin that the ruler Zamorin had set up a roadblock tactically by informing the merchants of Malabar to close the market and the port to the Portuguese. Being unlettered, crude, intolerant and prone to bouts of intolerable violence, obviously Gama was in rage.

Upon the arrival of Gama's fleet on October 29, 1502 before the harbor of Calicut (Calecute, Kozhikode). the Zamorin had sent an emissary, a Brahmin (dressed as a Christian friar) on a boat to Gama. He reported that the ruler would like to make a peace and friendship treaty with the king of Portugal and to facilitate it he would discuss on the restoration of the merchandise seized from the Portuguese factory besides, he had already arrested twelve of those responsible for the 1500 riot.The emissary also reported that the Zamorin ruler would deduct and arrive at a final amount for the property damages the ruler and his subjects suffered from Portuguese.

Gama was furious and wanted the goods taken from the factory to be delivered on the ship and all the
Muslim merchants to be expelled from the Calicut, before any discussion on trade. Being impatient, before getting the ruler's reply Gama seized the near-by idling fishing boats and captured 50 innocent fishermen alive. Angered Zamorian ruler warned Gama firmly that he had caused more damages to his properties, destroyed more boats
and ships, and killed several of his men than those killed in 1500. Despite the setback, Zamarian ruler wanted to initiate the negotiation with Gama and categorically informed him that he had no intention of expelling the Moors and asked him to release the hostages immediately. If disagreed to his conditions, the ruler asked Don Gama to leave his harbor at once.

Gama got wild and on 31 October 1502 sent a strongly worded threatening ultimatum, saying the factory goods must be delivered to his ship soon. In the available time he had his men choose the vantage points in the harbor of Calicut for optimal firing positions. The ruler on his part, in the dead of night, prepared trenches with protective palisade and laying cannon along the harbor shore.

Upon confirming non-compliance of his ultimatum, Gama' s temper went sky-high. Following day
(1 November) at noon he had the hostages strung up by their necks from the ship masts of his various ships. The native crowds on the beach were angry and aghast at the gruesome sight of innocent men dangling from the ship mast. This was followed by firing from the Ship to clear the beaches and trenches. The Indian ruler's cannons had poor firing range and were no match for theirs. Bombing of the habor continued the whole night. In the following morning (2 November) the Portuguese transported the dead hostages tied to the ship mast with their feet and hands severed off. Vasco da gama, with no remorse, presided over this brutality and butchery on the soil of Malabar .

Author Richard Hall mentioned: "With Calicut at his mercy Vasco Da Gama told his men to parade the prisoners then hack off their hands, ears and noses. As the work progressed, all the amputated pieces were piled in a small boat. The Brahmin who had been sent out by the Zamorin as an emissary was put into the boat amid its new gruesome cargo. He had also been mutilated in the ordained manner".

Author Hall gives a vivid description of what Vasco da Gama did next which is too sickening and gut-churning even to imagine. When the Zamorin ruler sent another Brahmin to Vasco to plead for peace, the great explorer had "his lips cut off and his ears cut off". The ears of a dog were sewn on him instead and the Brahmin was sent back to Zamorin in that state. The Brahmin -- a Namboodiri took along with him three young boys, two of them his sons and the other being his nephew. They were hanged from the yardarm and their bodies sent ashore.

As for the bombing of the city, a total of 400 rounds from the small caliper gun had been fired. In the aftermath, countless poor dwellings, huts and rich houses were razed to the ground. Everywhere, near the harbor there were heaps of debris and broken stones.

Having made a futile attempt to make a treaty with the Indian ruler, by showing his firing power of his Navy, at last, De Gama decided to leave the smoldering city of Calicut quite satisfied that he had fulfilled his vengeance on the Indian ruler. Gama tried to create a rift between benign Hindu ruler and quiet trading community, mostly made of Muslims. Don Gama's trick failed miserably.

Gama's rage and vengeance did not come down. His fleet later seized two large ships and 27 small boats, and transferred the cargo to his ships. His men tied the crew, broke their teeth and cut off their nose and hands. Finally, they set the ship alight.

Thus, Don Gama's voyages to India in the early part of the 16th century left behind a trail of murder, destruction and blood and his glory is built on the gory piles of mutilated corpses of unharmed native Indians and plunder of rich Indians.

...........According to historian J B P More, who is currently working on a book on the Dravidian movement as well as the Marakkars of Kerala in the 16th and 17th centuries, Vasco da Gama's arrival in India was not a great exploit from the navigational point of view,

"He simply followed the route traced by Diogo d' Azambuja, Diogo Cao and Bartholomeu Diaz up to the Eastern Cape Province, where the Indian Ocean lay wide open to him. This is definitely not an exploit," Dr More told Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier in an e-mail interview. .......(vide: http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-interview-vasco-da-gama-needs-to-be-tried-for-crimes-against-humanity/20130813.html)

For further reading:
A general history of voyages and travels to the end of the 18th century - By Robert Kerr
History of the Discovery and Conquest of India - Herman Lopez de Castaneda
The three voyages of Vasco de Gama - Gaspar Corrêa
The career & legend of Vasco Da Gama – Sanjay Subrahmanyam.
Ref:
Vasco Da Gama and His Successors - K. G. Jayne
http://historicalleys.blogspot.in/2011/04/plunder-and-massacre-of-meri.html

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/books/portugals-violent-naval-hero/162720.article

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/Excesses-by-Vasco-Da-Gama-Columbus-decried/article16443602.ece

Pongal 2018 greetings. ajabgajabjankari.com

Pongal festival, Tamil nadu. Newsfolo

That India is a land of various festivals mostly related to religion and culture is a well-known fact. Many of these festivals are colorful and quite engaging as they are celebrated in different styles, depending on the states and communities. Pongal, also called Makara Sankarathi in other states, is an important festival in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry. Much more joyously and excitedly it is celebrated in the rural areas than in urban areas of these states. Pongal is a four-day festival that marks the Uttarayanam - the beginning of the sun’s six-month long journey northwards towards equinox (the sun enters the 10th house of the Indian Zodiac Makara or Capricorn). This harvest festival, dedicated to the Sun (lord Surya) without which life on earth can not sustain, has been around for centuries and this year (2018) it falls on January 14 (according to Gregorian Calendar). Bogi being the first day of the festival festival,which happens to be the last day of the Tamil month of Margazhi.


Pongal festival, decoratedearthenpotsWebneel

Pongal festival, Tamil Nadu. indiatoday.intoday.in

This traditional Hindu festival is said to be the harbinger of good luck, prosperity and good harvest. The four day festival is also observed in the month of Thai - traditional month of weddings and family ceremonies, beginning with January 14 - second day celebration) Crops such as rice are harvested in this month, hence it is a happy occasion to express our gratitude to the mother earth and other elements of nature, in particular, water (in the form of rain).
The word Pongal in Tamil means ‘overflow’ or ‘boiling over’ and it marks the the gradual heating of the Earth's surface by the Sun. This is the reason why the festival begins (on the first of Thai, the rest being Mattu Pongal and the last one Kanum Pongal) by preparing a special dish called Sakkarai Pongal (sweetened boiled rice with Jaggery, turmeric and lentils), using harvested rice. The Pongal is brought to boil till it spills over the earthen-pot in rural (in urban areas, bronze pot is used. Offering it to the Sun God, along with puja, is made before eating it.

Important aspects of Pongal are drawing colorful Kolams (Rangolis), using different color (mostly rice flour is used) in front of the home and Puja room to give a grand welcome to Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) to bring in property, good health and peace of mind to the family and to the community.

Mattu Pongal. www.newsbugz.com

The four day celebrations associated with this festival are : Bhogi Pongal - the first day of the festival- is dedicated to God Indira. A huge bonfire is lit and kept burning throughout the night. In many houses in the past huge bonfire would be lit and all the unwanted old stuff would be thrown into the fire, signifying a fresh start on the first of Thai month. However, this custom is on the decline, as it may cause air pollution.The second day festival called Thai Pongal, also called Surya Pongal is the main festival dedicated to the Sun. On his day special dish Pongal is made and after puja and offering to the Sun, family members partake of this dish and other dishes together. The third day festival - Mattu Pongal is an occasion to express our gratitude to the cattle - cows that give milk and bulls that plough the agricultural lands and carry the produce to the market (modern agriculture is mechanized in many places).

Steaming Jallikattu bull?Google Play

Mattu Pongal, decorated bulls. Shoes On Loose

The cattle are decorated - colorful garlands and bells are tied around their necks and puja is done before them. This is followed by cattle race and jallikattu. Southern districts of Tamil Nadu are well-known for Jallikattu. The latter takes place on make-shift arenas specified by the state government. It involves taming of bulls by trained tamers and is considered a dangerous game. The animal protection groups have made a issue that the bulls are being ill treated by the tamers at Jallikattu. It the recent past, it became a serious issue at the national level. The last day known as Kaanum (kanu) pongal is more or less a family affair. Young girls pray to God for the longevity of their family, in particular, brothers by way of performing Aarthi. Elderly people put a mark with turmeric on the forehead of couples and pray for happy married life as Sumangali.

The underlying fact in this fascinating festival is money earned during the harvest time will help the people supplement their income. In this auspicious month and later, people will open new business, construct houses, conduct weddings, etc. The Tamil proverb "Thai pirandhaal vazhi pirakkum"meaning with the birth of Thai, a new path will be in sight to put our worries behind. It is quite appropriate as people begin the new Thai month on a positive note.http://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2017/01/some-interesting-facts-about-hindu.html

http://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2017/01/mattu-pongal-controvercial-jallikattu.html

Johann Ernst Hanxleden.en.Wikipedia.org

Johann Ernst Hanxleden (1681-1732), a German Jesuit came to India with a view to pursuing his missionary work. Here in India he mastered Malayalam and Sanskrit and was equally famous as a lexicographer, and philologist. He was also one of a few pioneers in the area of printing. He is an immortal figure among the Kerala Christian communities of many denominations.

“He wrote the first Malayalam elegy in Greek style. He was more of a cultural figure than a Christian missionary. He drew inspiration from Ezhuthachan and Poonthaanam. The style of writing in Puthen Pana is reminiscent of that in Jnanappana"......noted at the seminar, that was held in March 2012 in Thrissur as part of 280th death anniversary of Arnos Paathiri as Fr. Hanxleden was affectionately called locally.

Born at Ostercappeln, near Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany in 1681. he took up philosophical studies in his native town, What motivated him to choose India, his future base of work. Any way, Hanxleden took a decision on his own on accord for service in India. Unlike other travellers to India, Hanxleden, along with like-minded Jesuits Wilhelm Weber and Wilhelm Meyer, and a doctor, Franz Kaspar Schillinger, began their overland journey on 30 October 1699. It was a tough and dangerous journey passing through many unfriendly territories ridden with robbers and religious fanatics. Finally, he arrived in Surat (now in Gujarat) on 13 December 1700.

After gaining training in religious and spiritual studies (Novitiate) in Goa, Hanxleden was assigned to serve in the Jesuit Seminary at Sampaloor in Thrissur District, Kerala, S. India. Here. Hanxleden did his Theological studies, an important requirement to receive priesthood. As the native tongue Malayalam happened to be the liturgical language of the Thomas Christians of Kerala, the Syriac, Johann Hanxleden decided to learn that language. Since he was a polyglot and already knew Portuguese and Latin, he gained good command over Sanskrit, Tamil and most importantly Malayalam, which he learnt from Pundits - two Nampoothiris from the Thrissur Sanskrit School. The natives liked him very much as he had close contact with them; he was known among them as Arnos Paathiri. When he served as secretary from 1707 to 1711 to John Ribeiro, the Archbishop of Cranganore, Hanxleden, traveled to many places in Kerala, preaching the Gospel.

At last Hanxleden settled at Velur, a small village in Thrissur District in 1712 and had a church built there and spent much of his life there. From 1729 onward he lived at Sampallor, and Palayoor where he died on 20 March 1732 (at Pazhuvil) of a snake-bite. He was buried in the church there. Later his mortal remains were transferred close to the Church, upon which, a memorial was built There is a historical museum at St. Francis Church at Sampaloor - the name coined from 'san-paul-ur', means land of St. Paul. Formerly, the place was called Ambalakad.

St. Francis Xavier Forane Church Velurwww.arnospathiri.in

Hanxleden religious and poetic work:

01. Hanxleden took the credit of being the first one to compile a Malayalam Dictionary.

02. He also introduced a lexicon, detailing Malayalam words in both Sanskrit and Portuguese.

03. Hanxleden and his predecessor, Heinrich Roth did pioneering work in Sanskrit, one of six classical language in the world.

04. Yet another achievement is Hanxleden became the the first European scholar to write a Sanskrit grammar - Grammatica grandonica, besides the first one to compose Sanskrit verse.

05. His important contribution to Malayalam language was compilation of grammar in 'simple style'.

06. Hanxleden is household name among the Kerala Christian communities and is quite well-known for his two poetic works: Puththenpaana and Chathuranthyam. The former is about the various aspects of Christ's life - a religious work and the latter one mystical in nature.

07. Puththenpaana, a Malayalam narration of the life of Christ composed during the period 1721–1732. It is believed to be written by the poet at the request of Antonio Pimental, Archbishop of Cranganore.
This most well-known poetic work is believed to be one of the earliest ones written in simple Malayalam that can be understood even by a layperson.

08. Puththenpaana is well assimilated with the Kerala Christian community and the Paadhams (there are 14 paadhams) are sung in a particular fashion in Christian homes during important religious occasions like Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and other days of Holy Week. Most of the couplets in the Paadhams written in the Sarppini Vruththam are about Christ and the 12th Paadham (in Nathonnatha metre) is the center piece of this devotioal poetic exposition. The couplets bring out the underlying pathos and pangs of pain stoically suffered by Virgin Mary at the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Other important Paadhams are about the Sermon on the Mount (seventh),Last Supper (tenth), the trial and Crucifixion (eleventh), the Resurrection (thirteenth), and the Ascension (fourteenth).

09. His other work, the Chathuranthyam is more a spiritual and mystical poetic expression than a religious one, covering the four phases of a man:
Maranam, Vidhi, Moksham and Narakam. They are sung mostly on religious occasions. It's recitation has become part of the Church tradition of Kerala.

10. Besides Puthen Pana and Chathuranthyam, his other works include Malayala vyaakaranam, Samskrutham Portuguese Dictionary, Samskrutha vyaakaranam, Ave Maris Stella, Genevieva, Punyacharithram and Ummaadaey Dhukhkham.

Every year, the seminar is held on the Puthen Pana Christian devotional hymns and the participants felt that unlike the Hindu devotional songs that are of high quality, the Christian devotional hymns lack death and streaks of devotion and if Puthen Puna is set to quality music by well-known music directors, its depth of devotion and sanctity will be fully understood.The spiritual experience emerging from such hymns will be heart-rending and exhilarating.

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

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/set-puthen-pana-to-new-tunes-minister/article3011268.ece

Nargona Palace,Darbhanga, Bihar. en Wikipedia. org

Nargona palace located in the state of Bihar, Norh India was once the seat of power in the erstwhile princely state of Darbhanga or Raj Darbhanga.. Believed to be the last palace built here, the palace along with the beautiful garden, was donated to
the Bihar government in 1972 for establishing a University by the descendants of Kameshwar Singh Bahadur. He and his forefathers were known for their acts of philanthropy and charity. The rulers were secular and donated funds to Aligarh Muslim University, Allahabad University, etc. Presently,

Flag of Darbhanga state.en. wikipedia. org.

Lalit Narayan Mithila University is functioning there.

One interesting fact about the ruling class of Darbhanga is, the members belong to the Brahmin community. It is a rare case to to see a Brahmin clan ruling the kingdom. Invariably, only Kshatriyas ruled the kingdom and the Pundits or Brahmins would take the role as traditional advisors to the ruling clan for generations. In the way past, the small kingdom was ruled by the Lodi Dynasty of Delhi Sultanate. Akbar, a great Mogul ruler defeated the the Lodi ruler and took over the administration of Dharbanga. Upon knowing that a Branhmin clan had been ruling the kingdom prior to Lodi rulers, he thought it was appropriate to hand over the kingdom to them. Thus, Raja Mahesh Thakar became the first ruler in the early 16th century after Lodi to whom Akbar handed over the administration and bestowed the title "Raj"and called his kingdom Dharbanga. TheMaharajah of Darbhanga was the titular head of the highest sub-caste of the Maithils. It is interesting to note Khandwala dynasty, was Maithil dynasty of zamindars (vast landowners and the rulers of territories that are not all contiguous. They comprised part of the Mithila region, which is now divided between India and Nepal.

The worst Nepal-Bihar earthquake and the 'after shock waves' of 1934 caused wide-spread destruction to the city and the beautiful palaces such as Moti Mahal, Ram Bagh, Anand Bagh palaces, etc. The latter two Palaces were rebuilt with better construction techniques to absorb the earthquakes. The credit goes to Darbhanga Maharajah Singh Kameshwar who was particular about construction of earthquake-proof buildings as the northern part of Bihar is prone to tremors and earthquakes. When earthquake hit this part of Bihar in 1988, the new buildings survived them and it proved the new construction technique worked well

Unlike many massive, beautifully embellished Indian palaces, this one is a huge big building with simple features. No stone ornaments, no costly decoration and expensive furnishing. Much emphasis was placed on the building 's ability to withstand serious tremors to avoid damages to the building and to the people living there. The face any visitor to this palace will be writ with disappointment as he can not expect anything special or unique inherent to Indian royal residences. The rulers lived in a humble residence with lofty ideals.

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

Sher Garhi, the Maharja's Palace,Srinagar,Kashmir. Indiatimes.com

Sher Garhi Palace (meaning Tiger Fortress) is a historical multistory palace complex taking us back to several centuries and is a major tourist place in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the northern most state of India. In the winter, this place will be snow-bound and in the Summer, the weather is cool and congenial, hence tourists come here in large numbers. Converted into 'Old Secretariat', the former palace in Srinagar was built in 1772 by the then Afghan Governor, Jawansher Khan. It is located on the banks of Jhlelam river and offers a magnificent view of the surrounding area and its strategic location in the southern most part of Srinagar was of great value to the rulers of this region. No doubt, it remained a seat of power for a long succession of rulers. The one that ruled this region for a long time was that of the Dogra Dynasty. They occupied the palace and ruled this region until J & K became part of the Indian union subsequently after India's independence in August 1947. Former CM late Sheikh Abdullah put the old palace to little use as it happened to be the symbol of Dogra Dynasty.

The former rulers of Kashmir, in particular, the Maharajahs (Dogra Clan) used this palace as administrative headquarters of their kingdom as well as their residence. On account of a fire mishap in the past, the treasures in the palace were severely damaged. Still referred to as Old Secretariat, since the accident, new buildings had been added to accommodate more departments and employees of the state government. The buildings in this palace complex bring out the best of Dogra culture and civilization native to this region. The buildings built in quadrangular plan are made entirely of stone with wooden door, windows, ceilings and roofs. The architecture is a blend of English and Kashmiri style.

During Bakshi Ghulam Ahmad' period major shifting of government departments took place. In April 2015 under the administration of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, a decision was taken to restore Sher Garhi Palace as part of his program to conserve heritage sites and buildings. After restoration, there is a proposal to use part of the palace complex for administrative purposes and, it is likely, some state government departments may move back to Sher

Sher Garhi,Srinagar, Kashmir, europeana.eu

Above image: Kashmir , India The Sher Garhi, Palace of the Maharajah of Kashmir and Jammu at Srinagar , showing the Royal Barge in the foreground 4 December 1924 | Central News ................

Garhi. Of particular interest is the Darbar Hall which is similar to the House of Commons in England.

For any Indian state, undertaking conservation and restoration of heritage building and sites is a significant step in the right direction as it helps create a connectivity between the present generation with their cultural, historical and political past. The past events can not be ignored for their relevance to the present. In this regard, Sher Garhi palace still represents the legacy of Dogra Dynasty.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/govt-to-restore-18th-century-sher-garhi-complex/story-4HxBoZkKrj3zpHlCqYuJjN.html

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

Idol of Goddess Maa Chandi Cuttack - Discover Odisha

Katak Chandi temple,entrance gate,Odisha.en.wikipedia.org/

Like many southern Indian states, the state of Odisha has countless Hindu temples dedicated to God Vishnu, God Shiva and Goddess Sakthi. Sakthi is worshiped in many forms, the popular being Durga and Chandi. The most popular place of Sakthi worship is Maa Chaandi temple in the prime part of the city.

The Katak Chandi Temple of Cuttack in Odisha is an important pilgrimage center and is quite well-known for Durga and and Kali puja festivals held annually. Dedicated to Goddess Chandi, this ancient temple is close to the banks of the river Mahanadhi. The belief is the presiding deity of Cuttack, popularly called Maa Katak Chandi, who sits in the heart of the city and since ancient time has been ruling over this place. Maa Chandi is worshipped as Bhuvaneshvari Mahavidya (the queen of universe) by the Brahmins native to this place - Utkala Brahmin community.

Cuttack city. Maps of India

Legend has it, the site of the this temple was once a grazing ground. One day, when Sri Hansa Panda, the priest of the royal ruler Kanika was taking rest he experienced a strange feeling that preoccupied his mind for a long time. The same night he had a divine dream, the Goddess “Chandika” appeared and asked him to take her out of the land. Highly disturbed by this divine dream, he informed the local ruler about it. On king's order, the site where the priest/pundit took rest was dug and after prolonged digging there emerged the beautiful image of Maa Katak Chandi. After some deliberations, a temple was built as per local prevailing Sastras. Since the idol is older than the temple, it is said, that she was the presiding deity of the Gajapati kingdom in the medieval age. It is likely that the Goddess' idol was buried deep in the ground by the rulers before moving over to the coastal town of Puri. This was done to escape the fury of Islamic rulers who were bent on killing Hindus, destroying the Hindu temples and looting the valuable treasures.

Katak Chandi Temple at Cuttack iMy India Travel - Blogspot

Late Sri Hansa Panda began the regular puja protocol and worshiped the consecrated deity with true devotion in accordance with the customs laid down in the scriptures related to Goddess Chandika. The credit goes to one of the descendants of Sri Hansa Panda - Sri Dayanidhi Panda, son of Lakshman Panda, who made this temple popular. Temple rituals and puja protocols are taken care of by his descendants as they are the hereditary priets/ Sevakas at this temple whereas Raja Shriman Shailendra Narayan Bhanjadeo of Kanika and his descendant will be hereditary trustee.

Here, the deity Bhuvaneshwari has four hands, adorned with four weapons and gestures symbolic of Paasha (noose), Ankusha (goad), dispelling fear (Abhaya), and granting boon (Varada). She is worshipped as Bhuvaneswari while chanting Bhuvaneswari Mantra. The Durga Puja festivities are quite popular in Maa Katak Chandi temple and it is a 16 day celebrations of intense worship with religious fervor. It starts from dark fortnight of Ashwina Krishna Ashtami till Ashwina shukla navami and Vijayadashami.

The temple is being managed by a trust that includes state government officials besides some prominent people in the local place, royal family member and the priest.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuttack_Chandi_Temple

Northbrook Gate,Guwahati, Assam. Twitter

Thomas_Baring,_1st_Earl_of_Northbrook en.wikipedia.org

Above image: Thomas George Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook, GCSI, PC, FRS (22 January 1826 – 15 November 1904) was a British Liberal statesman. Gladstone appointed him Viceroy of India 1872-1876.............

The Northbrook Gate in Guwahati, built on the banks of the Brahmaputra, is a historical gate dating back to late 19th century. The gate was constructed near near Sukreswar Ghat where the then Viceroy of India Thomas George Baring, better known as Lord Northbrook, got off the ship on 27 August 1874 from Calcutta. The gate assumed importance as it marked the arrival of the first ever visit of a Viceroy to this part of NE India. The Viceroy took the waterway all the way from Calcutta In 1874, when the then Governor General, Lord Northbrook made a decision to visit Assam, the local administration planned to give the highest British official a grand welcome worth his name and the exalted position he held. It was decided to have an arch built at the point of his embarkation in Guwahati to welcome the Governor General that would be named the 'Gate of Honour. The place adjacent to the Sukreswar Devalaya, was chosen for this purpose. Within the specified time the gate was built and upon his arrival here, the Governor General Northbrook. after the protocol gun salute, etc., entered Guwahati, through the newly constructed Northbrook Gate. It is quite natural since Governor General, Lord Northbrook's historical visit to this place, the gate had become the landmark of Guwahati.

As for the design of the new gate, the British government was particular about designing the gate on the model of the well-known King's College Chapel arches of England. This rectangular simple structure with no decorations and carvings made of brick and white limestone, has 12 arches, exhibiting a blend of Indo - Gothic style. This style is confirmed by Gothic-styled arches and the spires on the gate that are similar to Indian temples.

Like many historical monuments in India both colonial and otherwise, this one was very poorly maintained and negligence was writ on the structure. At last the state government stepped in and got involved in the restoration work.

Restoration work was done about 50 years ago by a private company hired by Assam's Governor's office. The work was not up to the mark. Further, the near by the river water was a thereat to the front of the old structure. Earlier, as part of beautification, near the gate a pond was built that had caused more harm to the foundation than before. Subsequently some new techniques were tried to strenghthen the structure. In 2014, Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC), that controls the land on which the gate stands, in association with with the Assam Archaeology Department, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the state chapter of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) had begun the restoration on the gate under the supervision of INTACH with funds provided by ATDC. A sum of 28 lakhs was allocated for carrying out repairs, etc.

Tit-bits:
01. When Viceroy Lord Curzon (January 1859 – 20 March 1925), the man who in the later period in 1903 arranged for a grand Durbar in Delhi that was held to celebrate the succession of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark as Emperor and Empress of India, visited here, he and lady Curzon entered Guwahati through the same gate in 1900. They were given grand welcome.

02. It was adjacent to this gate the urn containing the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi was kept before its immersion in the Brahmaputra. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948 in Delhi.
Assam’s first Chief Minister, Gopinath Bordoloi, took a ferry from that gate — on the Sukreshwar Ghat — to immerse Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes in the Brahmaputra. He chose this spot as this was the gateway to Assam.

03. In this part of Assam, it is the only surviving edifice of Colonial legacy and since its inception, this gate would have witnessed great colonial events as well as memorable events after India's freedom in August 1947.

thehindubusinessline.com/blink/know/northbrook-gate-an-important-marker-of-colonial-history-in-the-northeast/article8000600.ece

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

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The Northbrook Gate, Guwahati - a colonial legacy in Assam