February 2, 2020, 6:49 am
The preparations for the consecration which is scheduled to take place on 5th February at Brihadeeawara Temple (dedicated to Lord Shiva) in Thanjavur city, Tamil Nadu are a tough undertaking by the state Government. This 1000 plus year old UNESCO world heritage temple, a symbol of Indian Hindu temple architecture of Dravidian style, was built by the great Chola ruler Sri Raja Raja I, a dedicated Hindu ruler who gave grants to both Shiva and Vishnu temples in the Chola Kingdom. King Raja Raja was also known as Sivapada Sundaran meaning a man devoted to the feet of God Shiva.' Art historian Fergusson described this paradox when he said the Cholas “conceived like giants and finished like jewellers”. Rajaraja Cholan ruled between 985-1014 AD, the temple is Thanjavur’s best-known landmark. This temple has survived six recoded earthquakes and a major fire mishap. None of the forts and palaces built by the Cholas survives today. They, in their heyday, were also pioneers in naval warfare, carrying out hostile waterborne expeditions to Sri Lanka and the Far East. ![]() |
| Thanjavur big temple, TN newindianexpress.com |
"according to Mr Nagasami, a well-known archaeologist.
"Temple inscription says he first placed all the spoils of war at the feet of god and sought blessing from the almighty. This temple complex made only of hard rock, is being managed by the ASI - the Archaeological Survey of India and its state branch. Here the lord's consort is Periyanayagi (Parvati)_ and the temple is famous for one of the largest stone bulls (Nandi) in India. The temple bears testimony to the brilliant achievements of the Chola ruler in the area of \architecture, sculpture, painting andbronze casting''
The ASI and their workers had put in thousands of hours into renovating this 11th century Shiva temple with careful planning and execution. Equally important is the role being played by the state agency HR & CE and its officials. The ASI began the major cleaning work in 2018 after a long gap. It was done earlier in 2011. Now, every part of this huge heritage temple is chemically cleaned. ![]() |
| one of the tallest Shiva lingams (13 feet), Big temple, Thanjavur, TN pinrest com. |
The following are the important preparations being carried out for the coming kumbabishekam at the Big Temple, Thanjavur:01. To avoid any mishap or any threats by terrorist groups and miscreants, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) police were deployed on the big temple premises. They searched the complex with mine sweepers periodically. A metal detector is installed at the Kerakathan vayil, the main entrance to the temple besides Rajarajan Vayil. The BDDS has put 40 personnel on duty aided by two sniffer dogs. They will be on duty till the 5th of February.![]() |
| Thanjavur Brihadeeawara Temple, TN newindianexpress.com |
02. Refitting of the huge Kalasam on the Vimanam on the 216 ft tall tower (gopuram) right above the sanctum, was done with proper rituals on the 30th of January. Earlier the kalasam was dismantled part by parts and taken to the temple premises for cleaning purpose. The 12 foot tall kalasam is well cleaned and gold plated. The kalasam has been scientifically inspected by experts from IIT, Chennai and Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, near Chennai.It consists of 8 parts -3 big ones and 5 small ones. The big ones were transported to the top using heavy ropes whereas the small ones were taken to the top physically using the temporary scaffolding. The total weight of the vimanam (cupola) is 80-tonne. 03. Cleaning the main kalasam (pot) as well as small ones on other towers is an important part of consecration work and 25 persons were involved under the head Sthapathy. It is said 199 gm of gold is used for coating the outer surface. As for other small towers, the old kalasams were removed earlier for cleaning and later coated with gold. For six other kalasams, 144 gm of gold was used for gold coating. 04. On the vimanam, the klasam was filled with 225 kg of Kodo millet (Varagu). It is said this will give stability to the kalasam. 05. Atop the tall vimanam close to the kalasam, with a view to pouring holy water kept in the yagasala for 4 days, a broad platform is set up for the Shivacharyas to perform the main rituals![]() |
| The entrance of the Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur. en.wikipedia.org |
06. The Yagasala complex covering 11,900 sq.ft of pandal is set up just outside the temple premises in the near-by Sivaganga park complex. Last time 23 years ago, the yagasala was built inside the temple close to the temple entrance and, unfortunately, fire broke out on 7 June 1997 caused by a spark in the thatched roof. It is believed a fire cracker lit near the temple fell on the yagasala, A stampede occurred when the people panicked and rushed to the only entrance on the east side, resulting in the death of 40 people and injury to 200 people. This time, the fire service dept. has kept fire engines close to the Yagasala for emergency purpose. The Pundits will be doing various pujas right before more than 100 Agni (fire) kundams invoking various Hindu deities. 07. Presently, about 400 priests (pundits), specialized in consecration ceremonies of Shiva temples will be involved in the pujas and rituals. A large number of ''Oothuvars'' (experts in Tamil devotional hymns) will be continuously engaged in reciting Tamil hymns throughout the consecration rituals along with Shivcharyas. 08. According to the ASI there are as many as 1008 stone statues of Nandis (bulls) on the roof of the circumambulation hall. Some of the damaged nandis were repaired. The circumabulation walls on all sides were chemically cleaned. About 30 to 35 workers were engaged in the cleaning operations under the ASI direction. 09. To strength the bond between stone images and the bases, the ASI has used a blend of nine substances - Shellack, Buffalo butter wax, honey wax Shorea Robusta, etc. The substances were prepared in the wooden mortar (in Tamil Ural).10. Yet another interesting fact is various deities and stone images in the complex, including those in the circumambulation hall were cleaned with a mixture of curd and raw rice flour. The paste was left on the images for two days and later removed. Only after this tough job, the oil was applied on the stone images.
11. The most difficult job was cleaning the statues and images at the upper levels of the tall gopuram. The granite towers both small ones and the tall one turned almost black due to vagaries of weather, besides environmental pollutants and accumulation of dirt and micro dust. The ASI had to tackle the growth of moss and lichens on them. They executed the laborious multi-step process to clean the blackened towers, etc.12. The crucial part is the cleaning of the stone images on all sides of the tall tower over the sanctum. Considered as a herculean job, special care must be taken to preserve the heritage aspect, not causing any damages to the brilliantly chiseled images. First, they were gently scrubbed with soft coir brushes, then cleaned with ammonia solution and, then non ionic detergents. This is followed by fungicidal coating and then by water-repellent coat.13. It is worth mentioning that the repair work involved in the recreation of old construction methods. The brick flooring around the sanctum - garbagriha had to be relaid as the broken flooring or cracks in them may cause water seepage endangering the near-by foundation work. Special bricks were used along with lime -sand mortar, Kadukkai (Chebulic Myrobalan), jaggery and Aloe Vera extract. This particular mortar was used in many places that needed patch-work. This process will retard water seepage.14. Already, as a prelude to major rituals associated with the big temple consecration, the flag mast made of teak wood imported from Myanmar, was installed after 5 long hours of erection work. This flag mast (Dwajasthambam) is 40ft tall and the cost is around nine lakh rupees. Subsequently, it will be covered with copper casing. Hoisting of temple flag marks the actual beginning of the major ceremony for that matter at any Hindu temples.15. Last week itself a ritual associated with the beginning of kumbabishekam called Yjamana Anungyay and later Ganathay Homam were done for the success of this long consecration process. 16. It is said more than 4000 police will be in charge of security duty - bandobast.17. The rituals will be performed both in Sanskrit and Tamil languages according to the temple Agama sastras and equal importance will be given to the recitation of Tamil devotional hymns that will accompany mantras in Sanskrit. Inside the sanctum, a huge platform is set up for anointing (ritual bath) of the 13-foot tall Shiva linga.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2020/feb/02/the-great-living-chola-temple-2097817.html
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/tussle-over-consecration-hots-up/article30634866.ece https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/thanjavur-big-temple-consecration-on-february-5-797517.html https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/big-temple-consecration-on-february-5-next-year/article30306599.eceNew Indian Express (Tiruchi edition), dated February 28, 2020. page 03:: ''Bomb detection squad deployed at Big Temple''......do.............. ''PIL to conduct ceremony in Tamil''.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11406440
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February 2, 2020, 10:24 pm
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| Marata rulers of Thanhavur. gopixpic.com |
The unfortunate and unsavory demand by the so called Tamil Nationalists groups indirectly backed by some anti-Hindu political parties in Tamil Nadu of the removal of the descendant of the Marathas- the present prince of the Bhonsle family from holding hereditary trusteeship of the Thanjavur Palace Devasthanam that manages 88 Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu including the Big Temple is unwarranted and uncalled for. The historians of south India know very well the fabulous contribution made by the Thanjavur Maratha rulers in this region. They effectively ruled this region for some time after the Nayaks. The Tamil groups who have no nationalist outlook wanted all the Hindu temples brought under the State Agency HR & CE that manages more than 34,000 Hindu temples and vast temple properties and agricultural lands.It is needless to say the Maratha rulers' contribution to this part of Tamil Nadu was vast. they improved the cultural image of the delta districts and patronized Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Sanskrit. Their native language was Marathi. The Thanjavur Maratha kingdom of the Bhonsle dynasty was a principality of Tamil Nadu between the 17th and 19th centuries. Venkoji was the founder of the dynasty. He was the half-brother of the Maratha king Shivaji. During his reign, Shivaji invaded Gingee close to Villupuram, TN and Thanjavur in 1676–1677 and made his brother Santaji the ruler of all lands to the north of the Coleroon river. During the last years of his reign, Venkoji had an alliance with Chokkanatha of Madurai Nayak Dynasty to stop an invasion from Mysore kingdom.![]() |
| Darbar Hall, Thanjavur palace, TN depositphotos.com |
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| Raja Serfoji, Thanjavur, TN .indianetzone.com |
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| Thanjavur kingdom, TN. en.wikipedia.org |
Among the Maratha rulers, Thuljaji was succeeded by his teenage son Serfoji II in 1787. The young ruler was deposed by his uncle and regent Amarsingh who, out of greed, seized the throne for himself. With the help of the British through his mentor and tutor Fr. Schwartz, a Protestant evangelist, Serfoji II ascended the throne in 1798. A subsequent treaty, however forced him to hand over the control of the kingdom to the British East India Company and consequently the Tanjore District then comprising other districts -Tiruvarur and Nagapatnam became part of Madras Presidency. The district collectorate system was introduced then to manage the revenues. Serfoji II was, however, was entrusted with the control of the Fort area and the surrounding places. He reigned till 1832. His reign saw the cultural renaissance in the Delta area. He encouraged the growth of languages, culture, arts and music and dance. He developed the Saraswati Mahal Library first initiated by the early Nayak rulers (from 1535 CE till 1676 CE) into a well-known international library that contains vast amount of rare historical books and palm manuscripts covering an array of fields including medicine and languages. It is one of the oldest libraries in Asia . The collection includes well over 49,000 volumes, though a small portion of these are on display. The library has a complete catalog of holdings, which is being made available online. Included are a collection of 3076 Marathi manuscripts from the South Indian Maharastrian of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, including the works of Saints of Maharashtra Sri Ramadasi and Dattatreya Mutts. The Marathi manuscripts are mostly on paper but a few were written in Telugu script on palm-leaf. There are 846 Telugu ![]() |
| .Saraswati Mahal library, Thanjavur, TN. dtnext.in |
manuscripts in the holdings, mostly on palm leaf. There are 22 Persian and Urdu manuscripts mostly of 19th century also within the collection. The library also holds medical records of Ayurveda scholars, including patient case studies and interviews in the manuscripts classified under the Dhanvantari section. In short Raja Serfoji's reign is noted for the literary, scientific and technological accomplishments of the Tanjore country.Maharajah Serfoji and later rulers safeguarded the Hindu temples, the countless valuable brass idols and temple treasures in their small Kingdom. They did periodic maintenance of many historical temples including the big temple temple of Thanjavur. In short, they acted as custodians to the Hindu temples built by early Chola rulers and Nayaks in the Delta Districts and renovated several of them during their reign.Perhaps old timers like me remember the annual Big temple festival in the summer and, as part of it, the the utchavar idol of Shiva used to be taken out in a religious procession all along the four main Raja streets. Each day the God would appear in a unique alangaram. The famous one being Baisaheb Rishaba Vahanam. The idol of God Shiva would be taken out on a silver plated big Nandi Vahanam. It was meant for the Maratha ladies who wanted to see the lord sitting majestically on his mount (vahana Even now, this ''Rishaba vahana Ooorvalam'' is quite famous first introduced by the Maratha rulers. Yet another interesting fact is the Maratha rulers had a secular approach to other communities living in their kingdom and treated them with respect. The Schwartz Church in Thanjavur city adjacent to the well-known Sivaganga Park and the big temple, and the Nagore Dargah in Nagore town received grants from Maratha rulers and later under Raja Serfoji II. ![]() |
| Fr. Schwartz,Thanjavur. navrangindia.wordpress.com |
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| The Schwartz church, Thanjavur, close to the big temple .thanjavurtourism.com |
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| The Schwartz church (1779), Thanjavur,.thanjavurtourism.com |
Above image: Fr. Schwartz was Raja Serfoji's tutor and mentor. Christian Frederick Schwarz (Friedrich and Schwartz or Swartz) (8 October 1726 - 13 February 1798) was a German Lutheran missionary to India. Very much impressed by the Christianmissionary's saintly care, attitude and integrity, the young Raja became close to Schwartz who was responsible for getting the kingdom back from the British who were about to take over Thanjavur region as there was no legal heir. Fr. Schwartz was himself not happy with the British rule and frequently complained of their i lack of integrity and aversion toward the natives. In the Protestant Schwartz Church built in 1779 by Raja Serfoji in his honor, there is a monument, a tablet made by John Flaxman on the request of the ruler. It shows the young King holding the hand of he dying Lutheran missionary while receiving his blessing. The monument in white marble is a popular attraction for tourists. Besides, the ruler donated a vast track of land what is now called 'Manambuchavadi, a part of Thanjavur city for the settlement of Christian community. ![]() |
| Nagore Durgah, Nagore, TN. thanjavurtourism.com |
To the dargah at Nagore near Nagapatnam town where lie the mortal remains of Sufi saint Shahu Hamid (1490 - 1579 CE) of the 16th century, Maratha rulers, like the early Nayak rulers, made vast grants by way of agricultural lands, etc. The Hindu Maratha ruler of Thanjavur Pratap Singh (1739–1763 CE), built the tallest minaret in Nagore Dargah complex. They also helped the Muslim communities near Thanjavur build dargahs and mosques for their prayer, etc.Little do we know that it was Serfoji II who started the first Zoological Garden in Tamil Nadu, besides erecting a shipyard at Manora. Also established during his reign was a meteorological station to facilitate sea trade. A gun factory, a naval library and a naval store with all kinds of navigational instruments were also part of his developmental work.
He had great interest in painting, gardening, coin-collecting, martial arts and patronized chariot-racing, hunting and bull-fighting. The Maratha rulers, including Raja Serfoji II was a patron of traditional Indian arts like dance and music. Some of his popular compositions are"Kumarasambhava Champu", "Mudrarakshaschaya" and "Devendra Kuruvanji". He had introduced western musical instruments like clarinet and violin in Carnatic Music.The 5-story Sarjah Mahadi in the Thanjavur palace complex on East Main st., Thanjavur and the Manora Fort Tower at Saluvanayakan pattinam came up during Raja Sefoji's rule. He encouraged the installation of lightning rods atop the monuments to avoid damages to the historical sites. On his orders lightning rods were installed atop many of these monuments. On the South-western walls of the big temple, Thanjavur, one can see stone inscriptions on the history of the Bhonsle Dynasty which is believed to be the lengthiest inscription in the world. He was also a philanthropist and a member of the Royal Asiatic Society. He had a secular outlook as mentioned before, funded churches and schools run by Christian missionaries. He was a patron of Thanjavur Bade Hussein Durgah. He ruled for almost 40 years and is considered as one of the greatest kings since Rajaraja Chola I.The act of dragging the name of a respected Maratha royal family of Thanjavur who has been resident for centuries here shows the intolerance of the fringe Tamil groups, who earn the ire of the public by using the Tamil language as a pretext to create confusion among the tolerant people of Tamil Desam. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/syncretic-tradition-at-nagore-dargah/article22104294.ece
http://www.thanjavurtourism.com/schwartz-church-thanjvaur.html
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February 4, 2020, 1:03 am
Indo-Saracenic style was widely adopted by the British architects in India during their rule and you can draw many examples from different parts. Also called Indo-Gothic, Mogul-Gothic, and formerly Hindoo Style, it was a sort of revival architectural style adopted by the English builders to suite the Indian landscape in the later 19th century. This style was widely followed in all public and government buildings during the colonial period and later under the Raj. Even the rich princely states and their rulers began to adopt this style for their palaces and other buildings. What is so impressive and unique is the nice blending of Indo-Islamic architecture incorporating stylistic and decorative features from native Indo-Islamic design, with particular reference to Mogul style that is characteristic of onion shaped domes and chatris. The impressive aspect about this style is the basic plan, layout and structure that have close similarity with those of contemporary buildings in other styles, like Gothic revival and Neo-Classical, with specific mixing of Indian elements and decoration. In order to refer to the style being adopted in the Muslim and or Arabic-lands of SW Asia and Africa, the term Saracen was used commonly in Europe till the 19th century.William Hodges and the Daniell duo (William Daniel) and his uncle Thomas Daniell found out the suitability of this style and adopted it around 1795.It is quite interesting to know the first Indo-Saracenic building built in India was that of the famous Chepauk Palace, completed in 1768, in present-day Chennai (Madras). Presently, it is the official residence of Prince of Arcot and his royal family members. It was built by Nawab of Arcot for which he borrowed heavily from the private British financiers. He moved his residence from his capital Arcot in TN and had the palace built close to St. George Fort, the British Trading post in Madras. Later Indo-Saracenic design became a dominating style adopted by the British in cities like Bombay and Calcutta that were the major centers of the colonial and later Raj administration. All these buildings are protected monuments under the control of the ASI -Archaeological Society of India. The Indo-Saracenic style was so innovative, attractive and catchy, it enjoyed considerable popularity in the SE Asia under the colonial rule. Part of the reason is its elite design and its suitability in the tropical regions with verandas and high ceilings and stylish windows, balconies and domes. Builders in British Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) and the Federated Malay States (present-day Malaysia) and Singapore adopted this design outside India. Even there are many examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture structures in the UK, for example, at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, and the eccentric Sezincote House in Gloucestershire. The distinct aspect of this design and style is in terms of structural engineering and advanced standard, particularly those built in India and England, were in conformity with advanced British structural engineering standards of the 1800s. This included infrastructures made of iron, steel and poured concrete (the innovation of reinforced cement and pre-cast cement elements, set with iron and/or steel rods, developed much later); the same structural elements were adopted in continental Europe and the Americas: This is the reason why this exotic style - Indo-Saracenic popularity lasted for a span of some 30 plus years. They also brought out the aesthetics and found expression in the Baroque, Regency and design periods and beyond. Obviously, the Gothic style incorporated Asian exoticism design such as the Moorish Arch in its windows, related to the later "harem window"a sort of artistic lattice work quite common in Northern India. ![]() |
| Thirumalai Nayak Palace (Mahal), Madurai, TN/en.wikipedia.org |
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| Thirumalai Nayak Palace (Mahal), Madurai, TN, Yatra com. |
Above images: Thirumalai Nayak Palace is a 17th-century palace built in 1636 AD by King Tirumala Nayaka of the Nayaka dynasty who ruled Madurai from 1623–59, in the city of Madurai, India. This Palace is a fine example of classical fusion of Dravidian and Rajput styles. The building, which can be seen today, was the main Palace, in which the king lived. It is said, the original Palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure. During the height of their rule, the palace was considered to be one of the wonders of the South. This palace is just 2 km south east of the the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple. Lord Napier, the then Governor of Madras, had partially restored the palace in 1866-72, and the subsequent restoration works carried out several years ago, today, we get to see the Entrance Gate, the Main Hall and the Dance Hall.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirumalai_Nayakkar_Mahal ![]() |
| Senate House (University of Madras)/en.wikipedia.org |
Above image: The Senate House on Wallajah Road along the Marina beach is the administrative center of the University of Madras in Chennai, establishes by the British in the 19th century. Designed by Robert Chisholm between 1874 and 1879, the Senate building is considered to be one of the best and oldest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture in India. Prior to the construction of the Senate House, university convocations used to be held at Banqueting Hall (now Rajaji Hall). During 14 July – 21 December 1937 the legislature of the Madras Presidency met at the senate house. https://en.wikipedia.org wiki/Senate_House_(University_of_Madras)![]() |
| Taj Rambagh Palace,wikipedia. |
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| Rambagh Palace in Jaipur/en.wikipedia.org |
Above images: The Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan is the former residence of the early 20th century ruler Maharajah of Jaipur and now, it has been converted into a hotel. Just 5 miles (8.0 km) on the outskirt of the city on Bhawani Singh road. it came up first on the site in 1835; it was a garden house for the wet nurse of prince Ram Singh II. In 1887, during the reign of Maharajah Sawai Madho Singh, an avid hunter, it became a modest royal hunting lodge, as the house was located in the midst of a thick jungle at that time. It was in the the early 20th century, it was expanded into a palace as designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, a famous British architect. Maharajah Sawai Man Singh II made Rambagh his principal residence and added a number of royal suites in 1931. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambagh_Palace![]() |
| The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminu, Mumbai. en.wikipedia.org |
Above image: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) (previously Victoria Terminus) in Mumbai, 1878–88 is a historic terminal train station and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Designed by British architect and engineer Frederick William Stevens in the style of Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture its construction began in 1878, in a location south of the old Bori Bunder railway station, and was completed in 1887, the year marking 50 years of Queen Victoria's rule. Hence, the building was named after Queen Victoria. The station's name was changed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in March 1996 to honour Shivaji, the 17th-century founder of the Maratha Empire. The architect was paid a fee of ₹1,614,000 (US$23,000) for his services. It served as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway. Now, it as a total of 18 platforms for incoming and outgoing trains. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhatrapati_Shivaji_Terminus![]() |
| Daly college, Indore, MP. en.wikipedia.org |
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| Daly college, Indore, MP.pinrest |
Above images: The Daly College, a co-educational residential and day boarding school in Indore, Madhya Pradesh was founded by Sir Henry Daly of the British Indian Army during India's colonial British Raj. The school started in 1870 as the Residency School. It was then renamed as the East Rajkumar College in 1876, and in 1882, it came to be known as the Daly College. It was established by the Resident Governor of the erstwhile Presidency to educate the children of the royalty, nobility and aristocracy of Central Indian Princely States of the 'Marathas', 'Rajputs', 'Mohameddans' and 'Bundelas'. It is one of the oldest co-educational boarding schools in the world. As of 2015 the school had more than 2,000 students and is ranked 1st in India by Education world India for the year 2015 in the category day-cum-boarding schools.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daly_College![]() |
| residence of Arcot Nawab. Amir Mahal. Chennai. .newindianexpress.com |
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| Chepauk Palace, Chennai, TN. en.wikipedia.org |
Above images: Located in Royapettah, a suburb of Chennai (Madras) is a fine heritage building - Amir Mahal in Indo-Saracenic style built in 1798 on a 14 acre ground. It has been the official residence of the the titular Nawab of Arcot and his family since 1876. The Prince of Arcot, Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali, lives in the palace with his family. Muhammad Ali Wallajah of the Carnatic (1749-95- his reign), got the permission of the Madras Government to live in the shadow of Fort St. George's and its artillery protection. Later the EIC annexed it in 1855 along with the Kingdom invoking the Doctrine of Lapse. Besides, the Nawab - his highness Wallajah had to settle the debts incurred during the construction of his residence in Chennai. The English company used the building to house administrative offices of the company. The official residence of the Nawabs, was put up for auction and purchased by the Madras government; the move was a sham one. The Nawab moved over to to a building called Shadi Mahal on Triplicane High Road and lived there. Later, the EIC returned the original building to the Nawab converting into a palace to suite his need sunder architect Robert Chrisholm. In 1876, the Nawab and his family moved into Amir Mahal. Renovation was done in the recent past and it isnow sporting a new look. Until recent past, due to negligence, the old structure was in bad shape almost partly damaged and lost its royal sheen and elegance. It took 18 long months for the Central PWD to restore it, without changing the heritage aspects. It was the first building in Indo-Saracenic style in India. The ex-ruler had no role to play in the restoration work. Restored back to old world glory and hospitality are the antique furniture, the interior arrangements, numerous historical lighting fixtures adding a new charm and gleam to this building steeped in history that saw betrayals, upheavals, grand parties and intrigues. Soon after 1855, Queen Victoria granted the family by treaty hereditary rights to be called the Princes of Arcot (Amir-e-Arcot) and enjoy various benefits of protocol. This Indi-Saracenic building appeared a century before nearly a century before better designs and this led to different styles in Lutyen's and Baker's New Delhi. The site originlly consisted of 117 acres in the prime area of Madras. https://www.thehindu.com/arts/New-glitter-to-the-old/article12572688.ecehttps://www.thehindu.com/arts/New-glitter-to-the-old/article12572688.ece![]() |
| Taj Palace Hotel, Mumbai./pxhere.com |
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| Taj Palace Hotel, Mumbai. The dome of the hotel's old wing en.wikipedia.org |
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| The Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai en.wikipedia.org |
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Above images: Built in the Saracenic Revival style the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in the Colaba area of Mumbai city is a popular heritage, five-star, luxury hotel. Close to the the Gateway of India, unfortunately, it was one of the main sites targeted by Islamist terrorist group of Pakistan. One of the worst attacks in 2008 in which countless people injured and killed. During World War I, this huge hotel functioned as a military hospital with 600 beds
Part of the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, it has 560 rooms and 44 suites being managed by about 1,600 staff. The hotel is made up of two different buildings. Provoked by the refusal to check into Watson's Hotel, as it was restricted to "whites only", Jamsetji Tata had this hotel built way back in December 1903. The cost of construction was £250,000 (£127 million in 2008 prices). Sitaram Khanderao Vaidya and D. N. Mirza were the architects. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal_Palace_Hotel![]() |
| Mysore Palace. en.wikipedia.org |
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| Inteor. Mysore palace, Mysore, you tube. |
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| Mysore palace, Mysore. economictimes.indiatimes.com/ |
Above images: Mysore Palace, a historical palace and a royal residence of the Wadiyar dynasty in Mysore, Karnataka state is a popular destination for tourists. It is the official residence of the royal family and once the seat power of the Kingdom of Mysore. Built in the centre of Mysore city, facing Chamundi Hills eastward, the family had close rapport with the colonial rulers. There are as many as seven palaces in this wonderful city. No doubt, Mysore is commonly described as the'City of Palaces,'all built by the affluent Mysore rulers. The land on which the palace is built is in puragiri (literally, citadel), and is now known as the Old Fort. This palace was built between 1897 and 1912 (total cost then was around $30 million) after the Old Palace had been heavily damaged in a fire mishap. It is said more than 6 million people visit this palace annually. This three story structure with a 145 ft tall five story tower is built in Indo--Saracenic style diligently blending with the Hindu, Mughal, Rajput, and Gothic features. This combination with fine marble domes and impressive windows and high ceiling enhances the beauty of this old structure hat is surrounded by a large garden. As a mark of royalty the huge entrance gate and arch to the palace that measures 245 Ft in length and 156 Ft in width, carry the emblem and coat of arms of the kingdom of Mysore, around which is written the kingdom's motto in Sanskrit:meaning never terrified. With 200 historical items, this palace will leave you mystefied. During Dussara, this palace becames active during that period - extravaganza aglore.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Saracenic_architecture
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February 6, 2020, 4:47 am
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| Indo-Saracenic styled Chennai central station. flicker com |
The Indo-Saracenic architectural style followed by British architects in the late 19th century British India drew inspirations from native building styles and designs of Indo-Islamic and Hindoo and aesthetically blended them with the Gothic revival and Neo-Classical styles quite popular in Victorian Britain period. Prior to this exotic style in early 1800s quite prevalent among the public buildings there were the European classical style mixing Greek and Roman designs. It was a symbol of power and status for the ruling class to keep them away from the natives. After the great rebellion of 1857- 1858 by the native Indian soldiers against the English Company's misrule suppression and with the advent of direct crown rule after that under the Raj, the rulers wanted to maintain their imperial status in India and, at the same time, needed a link between the rulers and natives of colonized land. This culminated in the introduction of Indo-Saracenic style to represent the empire and their connection with the early Hindu -Mogul rulers. They kept the ex-Muslim and Hindu rulers in power by way of forming Princely states and bestowed them with various British titles. They also classified them as salute states based on their extend of land, revenue and style of living. It was a way of legitimatizing their rule in this Asian land being the masters to rule and not to be ruled under. They gave limited powers to the princes and each princely state had a British Resident to check the activities going on in respective states. In this regard the British rulers took the advice of -Sir Thomas Metcalf. As for the rulers, with frequent visits by Europeans to their places, their life style also changed because of their close association; so was the design and architecture of their buildings and palaces with lots of embellishments and fine furniture. The leading architects were Robert Fellowes Chisholm Charles Mant Henry Irwin William Emerson George Wittet Frederick W. Stevens whose imagination and expertise made a mark in all major cities in India. The Indo-Saracenic features stand apart; they are : Minarets, Harem Windows, Open Pavilions, Pierced Open Arcading, Domed Kiosks, Many Miniature Domes, or Domed Chhatris, Towers impressive Onion (Bulbous) Domes Overhanging Eaves, Pointed Arches, Cusped Arches, or Scalloped Arches Vaulted Roofs. colonnaded balcony, Chattris & Chajjas in red sandstone.Refer to the features in the images presented here. ![]() |
| Historical Hindu temple architecture. .slideshare.net |
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| Contemporary Architecture (1920 – 1930) indian, slidesharenet. |
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| harem window on balcony, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. alamy com. |
Above image:Ornately carved stone window or Jharokha overhanging balcony Harem window to allow women to see but not be seen Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajashan, India![]() |
| royal courtyard,Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.gounesco. |
Above image:Open air royal courtyard, City Palace, Rajasthan open-air-ornate-royal-courtyard-rajya-angan-city-palace-udaipur-rajasthan-![]() |
| .Open courtyard Junagarh Fort Bikaner Rajasthan India alamy.com |
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| Dome of the Taj Mahalwonders-of-the-world.net |
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3rd BCE great stupa, most popular monument at Sanchi, India hemysteriousworld.com
![]() | | Features .f the confluence of Indian and Persian styles./en.wikipedia.org |
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| domed kisok, india. alamy.com |
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| Harem windows, Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, India. 123rf.com |
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| Chhatri, Fatehpur Sikri, near Agra, india. |
Above image : Chhatri set atop each corner of the Hall of Audience in Fatehpur Sikri palace complex![]() |
| Sidi Bashir mosque, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. wkimedia commons, |
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| tomb of Salim Chishti in Fatehpur Sikri tallest minarets. (India).en.wikipedia.com |
Above image: The tomb of Salim Chishti in Fatehpur Sikri (India) exhibiting a deep chhajja following the perimeter of the building supported with elaborate brackets. A chhajja is actually projecting or overhanging eaves or cover of a roof, usually supported on large carved brackets; it is common as part of the architecture of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. In Rajasthan they are particularly large and are meant for protection against elemental forces like the sun and rain.....................
The following are some additional examples of colonial buildings in India. This one and the previous post cover just some samples.
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| Madras High Court building wikipedia.org |
Above image:Madras High Court building complex is a good example of Indo-Saracenic architecture, designed by J W Brassington under the guidance of British architect Henry Irwin. Built in 1892, the court buildings are believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world after the one in London. The complex has the largest number of courts in Asia, one of the three oldest High Courts of India established in the three Presidency Towns of Madras, Bombay and Calcutta by letters patent granted by Queen Victoria, bearing date 26 June 1862. It exercises original jurisdiction over the city of Chennai and appellate jurisdiction over the entire state of Tamil Nadu and Union territory of Puducherry, as well as extraordinary original jurisdiction, civil and criminal, under the letters patent and special original jurisdiction for the issue of writs under the Constitution of India. Covering 107 acres, the court complex is one of the largest in the world, next only to Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, London; a prime landmark in Cennai city.![]() |
| slideshare.net |
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| Delhi Secretariate. slideshare.net |
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The All-India War Memorial 1931, Delhi.
postcolonialweb. |
Above image: The Memorial records the names of 13,516 officers who died fighting on the North-West frontier and in the Thirth Afghan War (1919). The 42 meter tall arch is surmounted by a stone bowl to be filled with oil for with the plan to place an'eternal flame' to burn in the dome on top of the arch. This was, however, never done. Today, a flame -- the Amar Jawan Jyoti ('Eternal Flame of the Immortal Soldier') -- burns below, just behind the three flags of the army, air force and navy which can be seen in the foreground. ![]() |
| The National Art Gallery, chennai. wikipedia. |
Above image: The National Art Gallery in Egmore, Chennai which is one of the oldest art galleries in India is in the Government Museum Complex on Pantheon Road, Egmore; it houses the Government Museum and the Connemara Public Library. Built in 1906 in Indo-Sarsenic architecture with red stonesspecifically brought from Satyavedu in Andhra Pradesh, the Gallery remained closed for long time after 2002 since 2002,due to structural damages. It was designed by architect Henry Irwin to mark the celebration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.It is a Heritage site identified by the CMD![]() |
| HQ of Southern Railways, chennai. en.wikipedia.org |
Above image: Originally built in 1921, this Indo -Sarasenic building housed the HQ of Southern Railways as the new Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Company (MSMR) headquarters (successor of Madras Railway Company), replacing the general office of MSMR at Royapuram Railway Station. It was built for the first time in India in reinforced concrete in classical and Dravidian styles; designed by N. Grayson. ![]() |
| Mogul-style structure, Magistrate court,Chennai. timesofindia.indiatimes.com |
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| Metropolitan Magistrate court, Egmore. timesofindia.indiatimes.com |
Egmore court complex is yet another Indo-Saracenic building in chennai covering over 8,640 square feet, where the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, three additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate courts and 10 magistrate and fast track courts had functioned. It was restored in 2018 after several appeal from the heritage lovers a cost of ₹ 48 million. The damage was extensive and the old monument had begun to crumble; it was built in 1916. The same year, a new 6-story 71,200-square-feet structure with 12 court halls, came up on the same premises as additional court complex. sum of Rs. 26.28 crores was spentfor this new building. For three years the court functioned in Lily Pond shopping complex near central station during the construction period that was was done by the state PWD![]() |
| /timesofindia.indiatimes.com |
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/new-magistrate-court-complex-may-be-inaugurated-on-dec-1/articleshow/66778689.cmsAbove image: Chennai Central railway station was built as a second terminus to reduce de-congestionin the Royapuram harbour station, which had being utilized for port movements. Built in 1873 in a combination of styles, namely, Gothic and Romanesque, its architect was George Gothic Revival style was followed in the original station and it consisted of four platforms had and a capacity to accommodate 12-coach trains. Robert Fellowes Chisholm, the architect took another five years to finish the project. He modified the design with the addition of the central clock tower, Travancore 'caps' on the main towers, and other changes. The redesign was eventually completed in 1900. The main building, a combination of Gothic and Romanesque styles is declared as a heritage building.[ The 135 ft clock tower with the flagstaff, the tallest of the towers of the main building, has four faces. It is set to chime every quarter of an hour and every hour The station is the busiest one in South India connecting many northern cities as well as SW and Western cities in Kerala and Karnataka. It is connected to Moore Market Complex railway station, Chennai Central metro station, Chennai Park railway station, Park Town railway station and is 2 km from Chennai Egmore railway station. Adjacent to the current headquarters of the Southern Railway and the Ripon Building, during the Raj, the station served as the gateway to South India, and the station is still used as a landmark in this big city and the state. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai_Central_railway_station
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| Chennai Egmore railway stationen.wikipedia.org |
Above image: Chennai Egmore railway station, Southern Railways. (formerly known as Madras Egmore) railway station, Tamil Nadu, India is one of the four intercity railway terminals in the city and the other three railway stations are Chennai Central Railway Station, Tambaram railway station and Chennai Beach railway station. The station was built in 1906–1908 as the terminus of the South Indian Railway Company. The building built in Gothic style is one of the prominent landmarks of Chennai. The main entrance to the station is on Gandhi-Irwin Road and the rear entrance on Poonamallee High Road.The station was apparently constructed from land purchased from Pulney Andy.It is built in the Gothic style with imposing domes and corridors. Built more than 200 years ago, it is being well maintained by the railways, ![]() |
| toldest High Court in India, Kolkata, WB t heculturetrip.com |
Above image: The oldest High Court in India in built in neo-gothic style, it came up 10 years later in 1872 in Calcutta, the British India's capital; designed by British architect Walter Granville, the structure is said tohave been modeled on the Cloth Hall in Ypres, Belgium. The court began to function earlier in Ft. William, The new court was sanctioned a strength of 72 judges.https://www.calcuttahighcourt.gov.in/page/About-High-Courthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Saracenic_architectureooo
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February 8, 2020, 7:14 am
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| Hanging/ floating piller at lepakshi temple, AP shutterstock.com |
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| Veerabhadra temple lepakshi, AP, en.wikipedia.org. |
It is needless to say that many historical Hindu temples of India, in particular, besides being fascinating are not only famous for their unique temple architectural styles but also for their size and amazing and imaginative features that are just quite awe-inspiring and mind-goggling. The Nellaiappar temple in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu and Hampi temple complex in Kanataka are best known for their musical vertical rock pillars. As for huge halls with 1000 artistic pillars, the temples that immediately come to our mind are the vast Ranganathar temple complex (the largest functional temple in the world) of Srirangam, Tamil Nadu and the Arunachaleswarar temple of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu that is dedicated to one of five elements (Pancha boothas) Agni (fire). Likewise Ajantha and Ellora temples of Maharashtra are big old cave temples built centuries ago. ![]() |
| Hanging/ floating piller at lepakshi temple, AP onlinetemple.com/ |
Among the fascinating temples of India equally famous is the the Veerabhadra temple of Lepakshi town (10 mile from Hindupur railway station) in the Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. One of the centrally protected monuments of national importance, it was built in the 16th century and the architectural style is that of the Vijayanagara period. Found here in profusion are impressive carvings and and paintings of exceptional beauty. The temple has many architectural marvels and among them is the hanging stone pillar.![]() |
| Hanging/ floating piller at lepakshi temple, AP onlinetemple.com/ |
In the hall (mandapam) of the Veerabhadra temple that is supported by 70 stone pillars, one stone pillar will baffle the imagination of scores of visitors to this temple. What is called a hanging pillar from the roof is a monolithic one barely touching the floor. This particular pillar hangs or floats without any support. More often than not, driven by sheer excitement and awe, many visitors pass thin objects such as paper, towel, etc through the thin gap between temple floor and the bottom of the pillar!! They do it with considerable ease without ever pushing the objects. That how did the builder of this temple achieve this great feat as far back as the 16th century is a myth that can never be answered. Here, the belief has been that 'passing objects through the gap under the pillar brings prosperity, peace of mind and welfare to the family. This pillar stands as a testimony to the the engineering marvel and imagination of ancient and medieval India’s temple builders.![]() |
| just tilted. Hanging piller at Lepakshi temple, AP mapio.net |
During the colonial era, a British engineer wanted to get to the bottom of this architectural wonder behind this hanging stone column and was keen to test the technical aspect. Unfortunately, he could make only a vain attempt to know the secret. No sooner had he tried to dislodge the pillar than, to his dismay, found out that it caused the movement of adjacent pillars as well to maintain the equilibrium. Fearing for his life, he ran out of the temple as fast as he could. The pillar is gently tilted due to his misadventure. Geologically, the place is more or less like a Shield Area and known for earth's stability. However, it is said, it is built as to withstand any seismic event. The temple dating back to 1583 was built by the brothers, Virupanna and Veeranna, who were initially in the service of the Vijayangar rulers. This temple is built in a place where according the legend a huge bird Jatayu and a devotee of Sri Rama of the Hindu epic Ramayana fought with the demon king Ravana of Lanka when he was on his way to Lanka after abducting Sri Rama's consort Sita in the jungle. In the ensuing battle in the sky, the bird fell after being injured by Ravana. When Sri Rama came to the spot and saw the dying bird, he told Sri Rama what had happened to him. Upon which Sri Rama compassionately, said,“Le Pakshi” - ‘rise, bird’ in Telugu. hence the name of this place is called Lapakshi. The Lepakshi temple has countless other architectural wonders. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veerabhadra_Temple,_Lepakshihttps://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/travel/The-hanging-pillar-and-other-wonders-of-Lepakshi/article13383179.ec
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February 9, 2020, 3:54 am
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| 16th century, Lapakshi temple, AP. /mytriphack.com |
The temple dedicated to Veerabhadra in Lapakshi, AP is popular destination for the tourists for many reasons. The temple built in the 16th century by two brothers - Virupanna and Veeranna, who worked for the Vijayanagara king (the reign of Achyutha Devaraya period) who ruled the empire from 1530 A.D to 1542 A.D, is an epitome of Indian temple architecture of Vijayanagara style. The main temple is follows the plan as popularized by then rulers and is laid out in three parts, these are: The assembly hall known as the Mukha mantapa or Natya mantapa or Ranga mantapa; arda mantapa or antarala (ante chamber); and the garbhagriha or the sanctum.There are many interesting features in this temple and of them the following are worth our attention:![]() |
| Huge stone bull Verabadra swami temple, Lapkshi, AP. pinrest com. |
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| Veerapadra temple, Lapakshi, Ap. 16th C. famousplacesinindia.in/ |
01. The monolithic stone Nandi (Bull), the largest of its kind in India next to the second largest monolith in India - Gomateshwara, is set far away from the shrine - about a mile and does not have a madapa or any roof over it. It measures 4.5m high and 8.23m long as usual facing the Shivalinga. The bull wears a kasumalai, a garland made of small coins like stuff well-carved in the stone. The other one being monolithic Nandi at Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur, TN where the consecration (abishekam) was held recently on the 5th of February after a long gap of 23 years.![]() |
| massive serpent/Naga. Lapakshi temple, AP. /revolvingcompass.com |
02. The Shivlinga in the temple that faces the bull is shielded by a massive serpent/Naga with seven hoods and three coils made of hard stone. The interesting feature is the sheltering canopy over a black granite Shivalingam. It’s believed to be the largest Nagalinga in India. The one with the largest number of small stone Nagalingas is in Kerala. Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple, close to Haripad, Alappuzha district, is an ancient and internationally known centre of pilgrimage for the devotees of serpent gods (Nagaraja). Nestled in a forest area, it has over 30,000 stone images of snakes along the paths and among the trees, and is the largest such temple in Kerala.. ![]() |
| Mmantap ) with ornate pillrs. Lapkshi temple, AP. mytriphack.com |
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| gently tilted hanging pilla, Lapakshi Veerabadra temple, AP. pinrest.com |
03. As already mentioned in my post earlier, the hanging stone pillar in the mandapa that is supported by 78 individual ornate pillars is a remarkable tribute to the ingenuity of the builders of Vijayanagara rulers. One of the pillars that hangs from the roof barely touches the ground and there is a paper-thin gap between the bottom of the pillar and the floor. ![]() |
| stone image of God ganapathy, carved in the rock. Lapakshi temple, AP. /fotolaa.com |
04. In the temple’s outer enclosure, you will run into a mammoth Ganesha idol — hewn in stone and leaning against a rock. A rare piece of stone work, considering its size. ![]() |
| .16th century murals, Lapakshi temple, AP. Murals need restoration. agefotostock.com |
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| 16th century, Lapakshi temple, AP. /mytriphack.com |
05. The Lepakshi temple possesses the finest specimens of mural paintings of the Vijayanagar kings, but many of them are peeling off due to poor maintenance and lack of heritage value on the part of temple management. Dating back to Vijayanagara rulers, there are many paintings that represent the traditional Indian artists. Among them, the 24ft by 14 ft fresco of Veerabhadra on the ceiling before the main sanctum, the largest in India of any single figure, is quite amazing. The rest of the frescoes are mostly representations of Indian arts, showing minute details, fine color-blending strikingly contrasted - black lime work against an orange-red background with some green, white, black, and shades of ochre-gold and brown mostly applied to a stucco surface specially treated with lime. The subject of Shiva-Parvathi kalyanam (wedding) is an inspiration to budding artists. These paintings need special attention and need the expertise of experts and conservationists for their preservation that will help the posterity to know our age-old art-work and paintings.![]() |
| Incomplete klyana mandap. Lapakshi temple, AP. travel escape. |
06. The well-built Natya Mandapam or dance hall is a beautiful one with nicely-carved stone pillars. So is the Kalyana Mandapam that has splendid eye-catchers; one being the frieze of geese with lotus stalks in their beaksthat is worthy of mention. ![]() |
| Veerapadra temple, Lapakshi, Ap. 16th C. famousplacesinindia.in/ |
Veerabhadra is an extremely fierce and fearsome form of the Hindu god Shiva. He was specifically created by the wrath of Shiva to destroy the Yagna (fire sacrifice) of Daksha, after Daksha's daughter and Shiva's consort Sati self-immolated in the sacrificial fire. This caused extreme anger and frustration to the lord. ![]() |
| Bronze image of Veerabadra. napiermuseum.org |
You will find several God Shiva here and they are: an impressive Kankala Murthi, Dakshinamurthi (Guru of Gurus), Tripuranthaka or Tripurasurasamhara (vanquisher of demon Tripura); Ardhanareeshwara (the half-female, half-male form - equal representation of Shiva and Parvati in one body), etc. There is also a shrine dedicated to fiery goddess Bhadrakali, though bearing an uncharacteristically serene expression.Close to Hindupurin Ananatapur District, the temple is on the southern side of Lepakshi town, on a small hill of a large outcrop of granite and related rocks; it is in the shape of a tortoise, and hence known as Kurma Saila.http://revolvingcompass.com/lepakshi-templehttps://www.quirkywanderer.com/2018/01/27/architectural-wonders-lepakshi/https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/travel/The-hanging-pillar-and-other-wonders-of-Lepakshi/article13383179.ece
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February 10, 2020, 5:42 am
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| idols of Raja Raja and his consort stolen 60 years ago returned in March 2018 dtnext.in |
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| Brihadeeswara temple, Thanjavur, TN economictimes.indiatimes.com |
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| entrance towers, Brihadeeswara temple, Thanjavur. .ancient.eu/Tanjavur/ |
The Big temple at Thanjavur where the presiding deity Shiva is referred to as Brihadeeswara or Perudiyar in Tamil is known for its architectural grandeur and beauty. This temple and the ones at Darasuram (Airavateswarar temple) near Kumbakonam and at Gangaikonda Cholapuram (Brihadeeswara temple, a replica of big temple) in Ariyalur district are called Living Chola Monuments recognized by the UNECO (in 2004) as World heritage sites. The temple occupies an area measuring about seven-hundred and fifty feet by four hundred feet, in a fort that forms the outer boundary wall, surrounded by a moat. Built on a land comprising 27 acres of land, this temple and its structures equate their close link with the cosmos. Surprisingly, it had survived more than 8 earthquakes (magnitude of 5 on Richter scale). In the words of distinguished late historian K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, “a masterpiece constituting the high-water mark of south Indian architecture”. ![]() |
| Feb5, 2020 Consecration Big temple, thanjavur. indianexpress.com |
The builder Raja Raja Chola (his real name is Arumozhiverman) never failed to record all valuables and properties he donated to this shrine for daily pujas, upkeep and regular maintenance. Epigraphist Kudavayil Balasubramanian ![]() |
| big temple, Thanjavur. thehindu.com |
has done en elaborate research work and in his book “Rajarajecharam” he has given details of donations to the temple by the ruler King Raja Raja I based on temple inscriptions recording the royal grants. The ruler's munificence is just amazing and his contributions appear to be a lengthy one worthy of his devotion, valor and his well-planed administrative ability. His records frozen in stone inscriptions were made for posterity, nay for eternity. Being a pious Hindu and devotee of God Shiva Sri Raja Raja made grants to safeguard the temple's future and continuation of regular puja protocols.01. Giving due importance to other grants to the temple and deities, he recorded the donations in terms of jewels, properties, etc given by his ministers and close relatives. 02. The 60.40 metre tower/ gopuram above the sancntum, it is recorded, once was covered in gold rakes shimmering in sunlight. A great tribute to the ruler and the affluence of the Chola dynasty; a symbol of socio-cultural supremacy.03. Emperor Rajaraja also donated a golden Sri Bali Devar icon, golden Sri Bali Thalam and a lotus shaped vessel. In the following year he offered a golden Kshetra Bala Devar icon. nicely decorated Kendi (cup like vessel with a spout), a Vattil (plate to hold sacred offering) and thattam (salver). 04. He gave way golden kalasa (pot) to cover the cupola /dome atop the tower, and Padikkam, Kurumadal (vessel to hold sacred ash), all in gold.05. On the occasion of his 25th regal year, the ruler had offered 3,083 “balam’’ copper and 2,926 and half “kazhanju’’ gold for making a gold raked copper sheath for the Sri Vimanam of the Big Temple. A kazhanju is equal to 1.77 gm today. The unfortunate thing is no solid evidence or any record is available as to the period of disappearance of the gold raked sheath. 06. It had been a tradition for Emperor Raja Raja to donate to the temple after each victory in the war. Three years after the consecration of this temple, the king offered a big perforated plate for Dhaarabishekam, Thirumudi, Poonin Kodi, Kalasapaanai and other divine insignia, again all in gold. 07. After his decisive victory over the Chera and Pandya, and later the Western Chalukya king Satyashrayan, rulers, Raja Raja Chola granted a lot of golden articles and ornaments, 20 golden flowers and a splendid lotus made of the same metal. The total weight was around 87.593 kg.08. King Raja Raja donated as many as 30 golden ornaments studded with 277 corals, 173 diamonds and 19,613 pearls; total weight 887 kazhanju. The other items included a golden Veerapattam and Thirupattiagai to the Lord, two ornate jewels with 435 corals, 27 diamonds and 30 crystals, in all weighing 6.802 kg. 09. Inscriptions record a big list. Besides above in the same year Raja Raja Chola offered 53 sacred ornaments in gold weighing 3.901 kg 95.277 kg silver vessels and valuables for the service of the Lord. That was aside of the 23 copper icons and two silver Vasudeva idols that he installed at the temple. The contributions seem endless.10. The ruler's sagacity comes to the fore when he followed a set of rules to be followed to manage the temple affairs. Those who had properties, etc., had the right to manage by way of forming a committee and any loss of jewels, etc had to be compensated collectively by the governing members roughly 118. 11. The priceless ancient bronze icons of Raja Raja Chola I and his royal consort Lokamadevi stolen from the temple over half a century back and finally came back only in 2018. The Idol Wing police led by Pon Manikkavel IPS achieved a big breakthrough on in Feb 2018 with the recovery of the rare early 11th century Panchaloha idols of Periyaperumal (Raja Raja I), Logamadeviyar (the queen of Raja Raja I) worth Rs 150 crore from the Calico Museum, Sarabhai Foundation, Ahmedabad. The idols had been stolen 60 years ago from the Thanjavur Big Temple by professional idol thieves. . 12. The ordinary statue of Emperor Raja Raja is in a poorly kept park just across west end of the old hospital road close to Big temple. The statue is not a majestic one worth his name I wish they had made a marble or bronze statue in proper proportion for public display. The ASI never allowed the installation of the statue on the temple premises, as it might affect its heritage value. Fifty years ago, the State witnessed a controversy over the installation of the statue of Raja Raja Chola I.13. It was in 1940 during the Raj , the temple became a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the late 1940s. But, the Central government was firm that nothing should be done to disturb the original character of the temple. Fourteen years later, in September 1984, in connection with the 1000th anniversary celebration of Raja Raja’s accession to the throne, the AIADMK Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran revived the demand by appealing to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to grant permission to the State government for the installation of a statue of the Chola builder inside the temple. However, an ordinary statue of King Raja Raja came in the park later. 14. Many politicians and political leaders, including those with rational outlook, are afraid to visit the temple through the main gates. The reason being, if they do so they may they lose their power and the post after their visit to this famed temple. Some politicians did enter the temple not through the main gates, but through the passage on the west side close to the Sivagangai garden. They feel there is a jinx on this temple when it comes to politicians and this scare is dogging them. 15. In the early part of 14th century the notorious Malik Kaufer, military commander of Alauddin Khilji, who had already plundered Madurai and the temples there, raided this place and brought it under the newly formed Madurai Sultanate.16.The shrines on the temple premises were added in the later period. Jadavarma Sundara Pandyain the 13th century built the Amman shrine (Periyanaki, lord's consort), Sevappa Nayaka in the 16th century added Nataraja and Subramanya shrines and Sefoji II in the 18th and early 19th century built the Ganesha shrine. As for Nandi Mantap, it was built during the Nayak rule. 17. It was in July 1939, the so called Harijans were allowed to enter the temple here. Madurai advocate Vaidyanatha Aiyar and others, for the first time in Tamil Nadu led a group of Harijans into the Madurai Meenakshi temple with ample support from Sri Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, a patriot and an associate of Nataji Bose. ![]() |
| Feb 2020 consecration, Sri Brihadeeswara temple,Thanjavur,TN indianexpress.com |
Countless people are of the view that instead of focusing on the language of worship in the temple, it will be useful if scholars pay more attention to the design and wonderful architecture of this temple that is designed more than 1000 years ago to withstand heavy tremors. The recent learned judges of High Court, Madurai branch observed by quoting Late President Dr S Radhakrishnan’s ''The Hindu View of Life: “To many, Hinduism seems to be a name without any content. Is it a museum of beliefs, a medley of rites, or a mere map, a geographical expression?’’ (p.11) Rejecting the petitions, it said: “If the petitioners’ request for a restrained order is accepted, it will only result in the Hinduism becoming mere museum of beliefs.” https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/big-temple-in-thanjavur-a-veritable-treasure-trove/article22956437.ece https://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/A-Thousand-year-old-temple/article16836799.ecehttps://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/video-showing-hindi-stones-in-thanjavur-big-temple-is-fake-says-official/article26932320.ecehttps://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/thanjavur-is-a-sensory-overload-with-its-ancient-shrines-and-degree-coffee/articleshow/53132177.cms?utm.
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February 13, 2020, 2:43 am
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| Capuchin Franciscan priest Ephrem de Nevers/wikivisually.com |
A Capuchin Franciscan priest, the first Christian missionary in Madras (Chennai), Tamil Nadu, India Fr. Ephrem de Nevers was the one who founded the first Christian mission - first Prefect Apostolic of Madras Capuchin Mission in Madras on June 8, 1642, His social and missionary services lasted for 53 long years despite worst odds being faced by him. The priest from France died in Madras and buried in the graveyard of St,. Andrews in Fort St. George on October 13, 1695.Ephrem de Nevers (born between 1607-1610 Auxerre, France) was baptized Etinne (Stephen) and his family Leclerc a native of Nevers and later became a Friar Minor Capuchin in the Capuchin province of Touraine and took the name of St. Ephrem. He had a flair for Science and Mathematics. and began his first sent missionary work in the Middle East in 1636. In 1641 he went to Pegu (now Bago) in Burma (Myanmar) to carry on missionary activities. and then came first to Surat, Gujarat in 1642. Later he finally landed in Fort St. George, Madras which was then an East India settlement. Upon persistent request by the catholic priests, the Catholic community there and with permission from, Agent Andrew Cogan he stayed there contingent upon getting permission from his superior authorities. Being an active man with affable nature, he became friendly with people around him, and won their love and affection. He continued his free services; he accepted small gifts and rice for survival. ![]() |
| Release of Fr. Ephraim de Nevers from Goa inquisition. www.art.com |
The East India Company needed some one who could speak many languages and they encouraged his missionary activities, including his proposal to build a church in the place out side the Fort, then called Black Town. During his stay in Madras never had he thought that he would face so much difficulties and mental agony while doing peaceful missionary work. That the people who gave him so much headache and untold miseries were the Portuguese priests living in the Portuguese town called San Thome (now a suburb of Chennai) is a sad story. Under the pretext of inviting Fr. Ephrem for a theological discussion in at San Thome 1649, the wily priest had him immediately sent to their settlement in Goa to face to face the Inquisition there that was introduced by the dreadful fr. Francis Xavier. It was the Padroado Portuguese system which resented the missionary works of Propaganda Fide in India, arrested Ephrem and sent him to Goa where he was imprisoned for about two years in Goa. In those two years he faced hell.![]() |
| Release of Fr. Ephraim de Nevers from Goa inquisition. www.art.com |
Above image: Ceremony for the release of Fr. Ephraim de Nevers from the prisons of the Inquisition Goa. Ephraim de Never,s a French Capuchin monk, went as a missionary to India in the 17th century. Imprisoned by inquisitors at Goa 1649, he was liberated by the king of Golconda after two years. .....From Histoire des Inquisitions Cologne. In this picture high-quality paper (235 gsm) is acid free with a smooth surface.https://www.art.com/products/p34960468131-sa-i9377929/release-of-father-ephraim-de-nevers-from-the-prisons-of-the-inquisition-goa-c1650.html ![]() |
| St. Mary's church, Madras (Chennai), Alamy |
This unjust kidnapping angered the English company and the new Agent Henry Greenhill, had the Chief Ecclesiast of San Thome kidnapped and kept him as hostage. After some negotiations, the Goan authorities released Fr Ephraim in April 1652 and returned here. Encouraged by permission from Rome Fr. Ephraim continued to live on here till his death in 1694, making solid contribution to the society and education in Chennai. The odds he faced in his life never discouraged him, he faced them with same zeal as before. The Church of St. Andrews in the Fort was demolished in 1752.The old chapel founded by him has grown to become St. Mary’s Co-Cathedral, on Armenian Street. Father Ephrem laid a strong foundation for a Catholic faith here and other places against the oppositions from the Anglican clergy. He went ahead and founded a new church dedicated to Our Lady of Angels for the local converts on Armenian street, Chennai in 1658. As mentioned above this Capuchin church of St. Mary's served as the cathedral of Madras archdiocese from 1886-1952; today, it is part of St. Mary's Co-Cathedral of Madras-Mylapore archdiocese and a famous shrine of St. Anthony of Padua.Having served for decades in Chennai Fr. Ephraim died on 13 October 1695 and he his burial took place in the church of St. Andrews in Fort St. George. Unfortunately, when the English demolished this first church of Madras in 1752, the tomb of the first Christian missionary disappeared from the soil where he served the people till his last breath. The diocese of Madras, was re-designated co-cathedral, when the dioceses of Madras and Mylapore united, with San Thome Basilica becoming the cathedral. St Mary’s Co-Cathedral today. This place of worship is a true testimony to the saintly French Christian father who attracted native people to Christianity neither by force nor by enticing and freebies but by love, care and sharing miseries . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephrem_de_Nevers
https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/The-amazing-adventures-of-Father-Ephraim/article14427999.ece
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February 13, 2020, 6:58 am
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| First English school in India,Plan of Fort St.George Madras-1746 wikivisually.com |
A preponderance of educated people in India have no idea whatsoever about the person who, in the by-gone era, was instrumental in introducing the earliest English education in India for which the craze has been on the increase in the past more than two decades. Yet another fascinating fact is before the introduction of "The English Education Act" in 1835 by the East India company rule (a proxy government for the British Crown administration), the English medium schools were introduced in South India, in particular, parts of Tamil Nadu. In 1619, though the English company had a factory in Masulipatnam, now in Andhra, no English school was opened there. If you make a logical guess as to the first founder of English school in India you will, without any hesitation, rush to the conclusion that it was by an Englishman. Actually, it was none other than a Capuchin Franciscan priest and the first Christian missionary in Madras (Chennai), Tamil Nadu, Fr. Ephrem de Nevers whofounded the first Christian mission in Madras on June 8, 1642, and was appointed the first Prefect Apostolic of Madras Capuchin Mission. ![]() |
| Capuchin Franciscan priest Ephrem de Nevers/wikivisually.com |
Today, English medium schools are mushrooming across India, putting the native tongues like Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam, etc., on the back burner. Part of the reason is way back the English colonists successfully made their native tongue popular across the British colonies that existed in every continent in the globe. Countless MNCs give importance to working knowledge of English as the business has become global. ![]() |
| Coromandal coast southeast India www.sea-seek.com |
The first founder of the English school in India as well as in Asia - French Capuchin priest Fr. Ephrem de Nevers stayed in Madras for a long period till his demise. With permission from the English company, he opened the first English school in Madras (Chennai) in his priestly quarters in 1642, St. George Fort, Madras, then an early EIC 's settlement on the Coromandal coast. At that point of ![]() |
| old picture, Coromandal coast of India alamy co |
time the English never thought of opening an English medium school in Madras for the children of ever growing European community settled there. It is affirmed by records that it was the first English School in India. Thus, unwittingly, this hard working non-English speaking missionary Fr. Ephrem de Nevers, took the credit of having established the first English school to cater to the needs of the children. It is believed Santa Fe in 1540 was the First Christian School founded in Goa (then a Portuguese settlement on the west coast), India and it happened to be a Portuguese school. Upon his arrival in Madras in the early stages, he faced all kinds of mental agony and pain caused by Portuguese priests operating in the Portuguese town San Thome (a suburb of Chennai). They were jealous of his activities and his close rapport with the English company. The Portuguese captured him and took him to Goa in 1649 where he faced inquisition for two long years. Upon his release, he returned to Madras to continue his missionary work as well as his passion - education. Besides first the school established on the premises of Fort St. Georges, Fr. Ephrem also ran another school and taught Tamil, Portuguese and Latin to the students. There was no racial discrimination and natives were taught various subjects along with white European settlers. Being a learned man, his forte was his affability and care for fellow humans and this trait helped him become a successful man in the society. The school started by him assumed various names over a long period and came under the influence of different people at different dates. It became St. Mary’s European High School in 1906. After India's independence, again the name changed to St. George’s Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School. In 1954 the name again changed to St. George’s School and Orphanage. ![]() |
| St. Georges Angelo Indian Higher Sec. school, Chennai.facebook.com |
By virtue of its continuous functioning since 1715 without any break in between, it is considered, the oldest English medium school in India and perhaps in Asia. Built on a plot of 21 acres of prime land in the heart of Chennai city (Shenoy Nagar) the red-colored building made of brick and lime mortar with pillared rooms, stone stairways, wooden windows and partly rusted bell is a heritage site. The amazing thing is all the odd and bygone architectural features have remained unchanged since its colonial era. This historical school's tricentennial celebration came up in 2015 and a Special Postal Cover was released in the same year on 23rd April.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephrem_de_Nevers http://firstenglishschoolinindia.blogspot.com/2010/12/fr-ephrem-de-nevers-ofmcapand-founder.html. https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2017/02/st-georges-school-chennai-oldest.html
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February 14, 2020, 2:15 am
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| Criminal Netha in the can. awsisto.com |
Why are so many politicians facing criminal charges still getting elected to parliament and state assembles? Across India people express their deep concern over more and more criminals getting into the great democratic institutions - state legislature and Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.Criminals and politics have become inseparable - a sort of symbiotic relationship for a few decades. The situation is so irksome and worrisome if a netha does not have at least one case on his name to boast of his status in the political arena, he does not get respect, rather he is looked down upon by his fellow men!!. Corruption and criminalization of politics will be a menace and threat to country's democratic tradition, progress and welfare of the people. Apart, in the past one decade or so terrorism and naxalism further retard the country's progress. On top of it, caste and communal politics in the door steps of places of worship has taken a wrong direction. That they have become political platforms is a sad commentary. Since criminalization in politics will erode the fabric of Indian democracy, the Supreme Court of India made certain directions recently.![]() |
| thepoliticallyincorrectindian.home.blog |
Crime and politics in India are so blended and camouflaged it is a vein attempt to find “clean politician” with no criminal records and now, they have become a breed apart. With numerous exceptions, most of them are ruling the society and they have the power and pelf to do so. Because of prevalence of candidates with criminal records, corruption, enticing of poor voters by way of cash and kind, etc at stake is our democratic values and constitutional ethos. Finding a politician dedicated to the society and people's welfare is like finding a nugget in the Badlands terrain. Before every election, be it State Assembly or Lok Sabha, in this 2nd most populous land (next to China) that boasts of the largest democracy in the world, people witness a sort of high-voltage election to catch the power either in the State or in the Parliament. You can witness a sort of TV soap-opera episode. This drama will continue for a while if the coalition parties do not get the needed majority. To tip the scale, there will be horse-trading of cross-over politicians who carry a price on their heads. These elected candidates will be playing hide and seek along with them to establish majority in the assembly. This drama will continue until the majority is established and the cross -over nethas will get a fat reward for their role.
The proper administration of elections in a democratic country with more than 560 million voters lining up before more than 930000 polling stations to choose the right candidate representing as many as more than 470 to 500 political parties is a nightmare for the Election Commission of India. They have to watch out for booth-capturing, tampering of votes, bribes, etc., in remote places.
Corruption has become part of politics and is found in grass root levels. According to a report published in the recent past by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a nonprofit organization that works on electoral and political reform, ''a total of 1,580 Members of Parliament (MPs) and Member of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs), or approximately 33 percent of the legislators in India’s Parliament and state assemblies, have criminal cases pending against them''. In 2018, it is reported that though some of their charges are minor, over 20 percent of the new MPs face serious charges such as attempted murder, assaulting public officials, and theft. ![]() |
| India. politics and crime. epaper.timesgroup.com/ |
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| India -poliics and crime.satynandvatsa.blogspot.com/2014 |
Knowing the criminal records well, fielding the tainted candidates irrespective of their party affiliation is an anathema. No less than the highest Court of Judiciary in India - the Supreme Court is wary of this growing nexus between criminals and politicians, and
ordered the Parliament to “cure the malignancy” of criminalization of politics by making a proper law totally prohibiting the entry of politicians with criminal records into portals of the Assembly or the Parliament or any other political arena. Chief Justice Dipak Misra and the five judge-bench observed ''this unsettlingly increasing trend” has the propensity to “send shivers down the spine of a constitutional democracy.” The court added that the criminalization of politics was “not incurable” but the issue was required to be dealt with soon before it becomes “fatal” to democracy. They added the criminalization of politics is an “extremely disastrous and lamentable situation.”
Many media and political commentators keep saying the prevalence of criminal activities in politics is not under check due to lack of deterrents like stringent law that requires political parties to revoke the membership of tainted candidates or complete ban on their entry in politics for the rest of their life. Besides, they should be fined heavily running into crores if caught in a scam or misappropriating public funds meant for the welfare of the people who elected them to power. The Parliament must amend Article 102 of the Constitution and provisions of the People’s Act to disqualify unworthy candidates. If it is not done nothing will change the present political scenario.The shocking news is of 3,884 criminal cases, court conviction resulted in a 6-year ban from contesting elections; guilty judgements in 38 cases and 560 were let out scot-free - just acquittal. Yet another disparaging fact is in 18 of 29 states and two of seven union territories, surprisingly there were no convictions for criminal cases against MPs and MLAs whose criminal activities included murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, hate speech, and criminal intimidation.![]() |
| Indian political scenario and criminals thehindu.com |
In this regard the government is doing nothing, keeping the fingers crossed. Many experts are of the view that any ruling party won't take the risk because more importance is given to the ‘winnability’ factor of the tainted candidates than their degree of criminality. What is the end result? This positively relegates all their criminal activities to the background. It is quite shocking rules are so relaxed that currently, even candidates who spent for less than two years in a slammer can contest elections. ![]() |
| Ciminal poliicians, India . edenias.com |
Our traditional old democratic tradition lies buried deep in the ground, so is the aspiration of Indian electorates who expect our politicians will make their future safe and comfortable. Great patriots like Netaji Bose, Vallabhai Patel and Gokhale, if were alive, they would hang their head in shame. ![]() |
| Criminals in Indian politics will get a shock treatment!! www.apherald.com |
The court’s new direction came in the wake of its observation of an alarming increase in criminalization of politics in the last four general elections across the country. ''The Supreme Court has come up with a series of landmark judgments on addressing this issue. It removed the statutory protection of convicted legislators from immediate disqualification in 2013, and in 2014, directed the completion of trials involving elected representatives within a year. In 2017, it asked the Center to frame a scheme to appoint special courts to exclusively try cases against politicians, and for political parties to publicize pending criminal cases faced by their candidates in 2018. But these have not been a deterrent to legislators with dubious credentials. Perhaps what would do the trick is a rule that disallows candidates against whom charges have been framed in court for serious offenses, but this is something for Parliament to consider as an amendment to the Representation of the People Act, 1951. This denouement, however, is still a pie in the sky given the composition of the Lower House with a number of representatives facing serious cases. Ultimately, this is a consequence of a structural problem in Indian democracy and the nature of the Indian state.''...... (vide: thehttps://www.hindu.com/opinion/editorial/crime-and-politics/article30668919.ece
The Supreme Court has taken the right move to curtain criminalization in politics The Supreme Court on Thursday directed political parties to upload on their websites details of pending criminal cases against candidates contesting elections.
A bench headed by Justice F Nariman from the parties over the selection of such candidates and said the information must be uploaded on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter and in one local vernacular and one national newspaper.
The Supreme Court said the parties must submit a report of compliance to the Election Commission within 74 hours of selecting such candidates, failing which the poll panel must inform the apex court. The apex court also demanded a proper explanation from the parties over the selection of such candidates and said the information must be uploaded on social media as well as published in newspapers. The SC has taken the right direction, though it is belated, based on the plea from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to direct political parties not to field candidates with criminal history. The finding that 46% of Members of Parliament have criminal records has forced the SC to act quickly. https://thediplomat.com/2018/12/indias-criminal-politicians/
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/north/story/candidates-with-criminal-past-more-likely-to-win-elections-172108-2013-07-30
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February 14, 2020, 6:35 am
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| Historical Dufferin Clock Tower, Mysore city. /en.wikipedia.org |
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| Historical Dufferin Clock Tower, Mysore city. agefotostock.com |
A clock tower historically is defined as a tower specifically built with one or more (often four) clock faces and that can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Only certain buildings are fit to house a clock.
In India there is no dearth of clock towers in public places and most of the colonial clock towers bear testimony to the heyday of the British India. Many of them are chiming clocks, sounding large bells or chime every hour that can be heard far away within half a kilometer radius around the tower.
Dufferin Clock Tower in the old city of Mysore, Karnataka, a popular heritage colonial structure, was commissioned by the ruler of Mysore - the Wadeyars in honor of Lord Dufferin, the Viceroy of India during 1884–1888. This highest British India official took the credit of being the first Viceroy of the Raj to pay a ceremonial and friendly visit to Mysore city at the invitation of the then Maharajah Chamaraja Wadeyar X in 1886. During the Raj under the British Crown administration, the Mysore kingdom was a princely state with a British Resident stationed in the capital city - Mysore and the royal family of the Wadeyars ruled the land under the guidance and direction of the Viceroy of India. Since Mysore state happened to be a salute state with prestige, they had to follow certain prescribed protocol rules. The royal family, with a view to maintaining a good relationship with the Crown administration, had to please the highest officials then there as a courtesy. ![]() |
| Dufferin Clock Tower, Mysore city. karnataka.com/ |
Constructed on a strong foundation with eight pillars covered by railings along with a decorated fountain at the center, Duffein Clock Tower is an important landmark in this city of palaces. This tower and the vicinity were in bad shape due to negligence on the part of the city authorities. The heritage lovers and others made many representations to the government and in 2012 this clock tower was renovated to give shape to its old splendor. The city council spent about Rs. 40 lakhs for the renovation work. As part of it, nine small fountains and 13 decorated lamps were added to the space. The vacant space was cleared for good and the space is good enough for conducting small music concerts, etc.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dufferin_Clock_Towerhttps://www.karnataka.com/mysore/devaraja-market-mysore/
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February 15, 2020, 12:56 am
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| Tereschenko diamond gem-a.com/news-publications/news-blogs |
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| Tereschenko diamond indianetzone.com |
Among the valuable gem stones, diamonds, the hardest of all, are expensive and they rule the roost in the jewelry industries. The trend has not yet changed. In the case of world famous dazzling diamonds mostly from the Indian subcontinent, they always get the attention of the rich and and famous world over despite their huge price tag and curses. Invariably, most of them were stolen from India's historical Hindu temples - places of divinity. The 20th century is an interesting period and many famous diamonds surprisingly emerged from the mysterious shadows and the veil of anonymity and the lack of history of early owners appear to be a riddle. The myth and the twisted past add zest to them and their price. Among the diamonds that saw the light after a long spell of time in the last century, the Tereschenko diamond is an interesting one. This pear-shaped blue stone with many color shades mined in the Kollur alluvial deposits of the Krishna river (then under the Golconda ruler; now in Andhra State) has found a home in Russia and its weird journey to such a far off place from India is a riddle. Obviously, it was a stolen one. ![]() |
| first owne of blue diamond. Mikhail Tereschenko, Russia en.wikipedia.org |
Above image:Mikhail Ivanovich Tereshchenko (18 March 1886 -1 April 1956) was the foreign minister of Russia from 18 May 1917 to 7 November 1917 (N.S.). Born rich, he was a major Ukrainian landowner, the proprietor of several sugar factories; he was also a and a financier. After the February Revolution of 1917, Mikhail Tereshchenko was appointed Minister of Finance of the Provisional Kerensky Government. In April 1917, Tereshchenko was known to support the Ukrainian government that led to the establishment and recognition of the General Secretariat in Ukraine 1917. The political situation, having become volatile, on the night of 26 October, Mikhail Tereshchenko was arrested in the Winter Palace with other ministers of the Provisional Government and placed into the Peter and Paul Fortress while his office was temporarily held by Anatoly Neratov. In the spring of 1918, Tereshchenko managed to escape from prison and fled to Norway with the Tereshchenko blue diamond. Later he soldit in 1984 for $4.6 million through Christie's auction house. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Tereshchenko) ..................The Tereschenko family happened to be first owners of this diamond. They made a huge fortune in sugar industries; the blue diamond is named after the family. Mikhail Tereschenko in 1915, sought the help of a famous international jeweler Jacques Cartier from the place of Vendome, Paris to set the stone as the centerpiece in a necklace made with an assortment of fancy-colored diamonds. The blue diamond has different shades of ultramarine, sultana-green,grey, blue, etc. Surely, the necklace consisting of this fine blue diamond was an attractive one with gentle shinning and radiance. At that point of time Mikhail Tereschenko had been the minister of foreign affairs. True to the Indian proverb ''every thing on this earth is transitory'', Tereschenko never thought he would lose his post so soon in 1917 just before the Russian Revolution. Prior to that the owners removed the diamond for financial security reasons and smuggled it out of Russia and sold it to a private buyer. It was in 1884, this fancy blue diamond resurfaced after a long gap at an auction conducted by Christie's in Geneva. Then it was the fourth largest diamond in the world. The auction saw a big competition among the rich to get a hold on this classic diamond from Kollur. On November 14, 1984 at Hotel Richmond one Robert Mouawad, a famous Lebanese jeweler. emerged victorious and he paid a whopping sum 10 million Swiss francs i.e. £3,180,000 for it. No doubt, It was a record price for a diamond ever.This blue diamond first weighed roughly 150 carats, the largest blue diamond in the world; later it was cut to sizes in 1673 in the French town. After the cut the other blue diamond ''Hope'' weighed 44 carats which belonged to the French Crown. After the French revolution, the Hope diamond went to England and later to the USA. It is said in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the blue diamonds were stolen from the Hindu temple. They were in the eyes of an idol of the goddess Sita, consort of God Rama, the seventh Avatar of Vishnu, and were then shipped to Europe. Next to the Hope diamond it is a fine compact diamond and carries a good price on it at present. It is yet another famous diamond mysteriously left the shores of India centuries ago. https://www.indianetzone.com/6/tereschenko.htmhttps://www.langerman-diamonds.com/encyclopedia/history-of-natural-color-diamonds/famous-color-diamonds/tereschenko.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tereshchenko_diamond
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February 15, 2020, 6:44 am
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| From Kollur mines. Queen of Holland diamond. spendlikeaking.blogspot.com/ |
The famous Queen Holland diamond, the legacy of the royal family of Holland, is one of the famous diamonds of the world. Though it's origin is a bone of contention among diamond experts, many of them are of the opinion that considering its quality, purity and shine, it was a typical Golconda diamond (From Kollur mines, Andhra). This final decision was taken by many professional diamond cutters in the city of Amsterdam in 1904. The superior quality, size and unique blue tint corroborated their view. Earlier it was thought that its origin was from South Africa. The famous F. Freidman & Co.fashioned it into a cushion-cut and named for Queen Wihelmina of Holland, a famous much-loved queen who reigned from 1890 to 1948![]() |
| Maharajah Ranjit Singhji. www.quora.com |
Above image: Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji Jadeja, GCSI GBE (10 September 1872 - 2 April 1933[1]), commonly known as Ranji, was the ruler of the Indian princely state of Nawanagar, now in Gujarat state. From 1907 to 1933, as Maharajah Jam Saheb, a world famous Test cricketer who played for the English cricket team. He also played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, and county cricket for Sussex. Ranji has widely been regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time Neville Cardus described him as "the Midsummer night's dream of cricket". Unorthodox in technique and with fast reactions, he brought a new style to batting and revolutionized the game. In spite of his rich legacy and wealth, he was a simple person and ruled his small Princely state well. vide: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranjitsinhji ...........................This famous blue-tinted diamond was purchased in 1930 by none other than by Maharajah of Nawanagar. Ranjit Singh was a legend in the world of cricket, and he played for the English Cricket team. At this time Albert Monnickendam, who wrote “The Magic of Diamonds''. mentioned that in terms of quality and shine this Queen of Holland diamond is on par with that of the famous Regent diamond (yet another diamond from Kollur mines). Classified as one of the finest diamonds, it is considered the 10th largest ‘D’ color diamonds in the world. Once the French President Doumergue of France 1924-1931was on a visit to see the Queen of Holland. Her diamond was shown first to him, however, his resentment subsided when he saw the queen later. As he took a look at the stone leisurely he was told the value of the diamond was roughly 1 to 1.5 million dollars.
The Maharajah of Navnagar (now in Gujarat) Kumar Ranjitsinghji Vibhaji, upon its ownership, handed over the diamond to the well-known jeweler Cartier, with the responsibility of setting it in a beautiful piece of jewellery. Cartier, as wished by the Indian ruler, set the diamond as the center piece of a pendant, in a fine-looking necklace. The ruler of Navanagar had the Queen of Holland diamond in his possession for his life. After his death in 1933, the diamond remained with his family until 1960 when Cartier purchased it from them. Cartier displayed it for sale in their London store where it was eventually purchased by one William Goldberg. After a minor re-cut to its current weight- its original 136.25 carat weight reduced to its current weight of 135.92 carats, Goldberg, in turn, sold it to Robert Mouawad, his partner. Robert Mouawad, a Lebanese diamond investor and collector, bought it for $7 million, a big money in those days.https://www.langantiques.com/university/queen-of-holland/https://www.indianetzone.com/6/queen_holland.html
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February 16, 2020, 7:21 am
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| outer and inner entrances, Thanjavur big temple, TN ancient.eu/image/ |
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| Thanjavur Brihadeewara temple, TN main send entrance on east side. thehindu.com |
Though India made a big stride in modern technology in the last three decades or more, still the natives, in particular, Hindus are superstitious and, in this respect, we are still on the back road. The unfounded belief is so deep-rooted nothing could shake them off it. As for the famous big temple Sri Brihadeewara temple dedicated to God Shiva at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, it is shrouded in a sort of mystery bordering on jinx for the politicians; to them it is a frightening experience to enter the temple because it is a place of worship with a spell on people in power. This belief did not exist in the 1970s and has been a recent one. The belief is: Politicians /Statesmen, who irrespective of their party affiliation, visit this historical UNESCO world heritage temple (built in 1010 CE) through the main entrance on the east will fall from their post or face impending dom doom. Haunted by such a fear, politicians on a visit to this city are afraid to take a look at the temple. This what many people here say. As for common men, this divine place is always crowded, in particular, on festival days. Every year, on invitation from the South India cultural society operating in this city score of young girls from other states perform dances native to their respective states. e
A small section of people have come up with a weird theory without any proof that it is due to the curse of sage Karurar, a Sidddha prusha who helped king Sri Rajaraja install the main huge Shiva linga in the sanctum/ garbagriha. Yet another fringe group that protested that the consecration should only be done in Tamil and not in both Sanskrit and Tamil, went one step ahead and said the fire mishap that took place in the Yagasala in 1997 on the temple premises during the beginning of the consecration ceremony 23 years ago was due to the use of Sanskrit against the wish of sage Karurar who preferred Tamil mantra over sanskrit. There are neither temple records nor stone inscriptions in this script to corroborate this. As a matter of fact there are many inscriptions in Sanskrit as well in the big temple.Even to day driven by taboo and per-conceived notion about the so- called Hex factor almost all politicians have reservations about entering the Thanjavur big temple especially through the main entrance facing the main road. If necessity arises they, with hesitation, will use the side entrance on the south side from the adjacent Sivaganga Park. How come politicians, including atheists harbor fear and trepidation about this temple. To get to the root, we need to walk down the memory lane:. 01. Former Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Congress leader was unexpectedly assassinated close to her official residence in Delhi in October, 1984. Just a few weeks before her fatal death, she visited the Big temple in Thanjavur along with the then CM MGR and entered through the main gate.02. Former Tamil Nadu chief minister M.G. Ramachandran who happened to be a famous Tamil actor after his visit to the temple trough the main gate in the same year fell seriously sick with kidney problem. After recovery three years later he died in December, 1987 while in power. From then on the superstition and myth overshot rationality and the belief driven by surmises grew manifold that the east gate (not the temple, however) facing the Nandi mandapam and the main shrine is jinxed and a mysterious power is active there that 'does not like certain politicians entering through that gate.!! 03. The former CM of Tamil Nadu Sri. Karunanidhi, a rationalist Dravidian politician and a staunch atheist in September 2010 took the side southern entrance on the park side and never took the main entrance Keralathan Vassal to avoid facing Nandi and the main shrine behind. Probably, somebody close to him advised him to avoid the direct stare by entering temple through the side gate. Earlier in 1997, when there was a fire accident caused by a spark from the fire works at night that resulted in the death of 45 people mostly women ex CM Karunanidhi, on a flying visit to the temple, took the side entrance and avoided the main gate. In 2011, his ministry was out of power.
04. When it comes to recent kumbabishekam (Feb.5, 2020) Tamil Nadu CM EPS and his ministers avoided visiting the temple giving room to the rumors their visit to this temple might spell doom in the ensuing state assembly election in 2021. However, EPS and other ministers stayed in the city, attending social functions.
As for 87 year old ex CM late Karunanidhi's visit to the temple 23 years ago on wheel chair while in power during the 1000 year celebrations to watch the cultural program it was a daring, but cautious one. On the premises, one thousand Bharatnatyam dancers performed in unison under the direction of famous Bhratanatyam exponent Padma Subramaniuam (daughter of well-known Tamil vintage film director and producer late K. Subramaniam, an advocate by profession. He is called Tamil Cinema's thanthai (father).
Political analyst/satirist late Cho Ramaswamy expressing no excitement said: “ He (Karunanidhi) is masquerading as an atheist …... he follows the advice of astrologers on auspicious timing … if he has worn a white angavastram (upper cloth) instead of the usual yellow (shawal), it must be on someone’s advice that its use would ward off evil.”However, we have to accept the fact that the former CM, despite his old age and commitments to rationalistic stand did enter the temple through the side gate, unmindful of the purported risk to his power. About the curse of Karurar, it may be a figment of somebody's mind. Being a sadhu, a Shiva bhaktha and Guru to king Rajaraja, he won't have gone to the extend of casting a spell on a great monumental temple dedicated to God Shiva. There are many differences between us and the sadhus, who are virtuous and whose main forte is 'control of all senses and focus on devotion to God'. According to the Maratha Prince Raja Bhonsle, who is a hereditary trustee of the big temple: "Why should God punish anyone for entering the temple".Tit-bits:The recent consecration was done for the third time in the last 40 years. On April 3, 1980, the great ceremony took place after a pretty long gap of 177 years. In 1997, it was originally planned for June 8 but was held the next day (June 9) as a fire accident broke out at the yagasalai on the evening.https://www.dtnext.in/News/City/2020/02/06060344/1213519/REPORTERS-DIARY-Did-beliefs-keep-leaders-away-from-.vpfhttps://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/10166/curse-on-tanjore-big-temple
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February 19, 2020, 5:11 am
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| Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan. patrika.com/ |
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| Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan. Chetan Meena/Getty Image.tripsavvy.com |
This formidable fort may look impressive and imposing, but if you turn the dusty pages of Indian history books, in its background lurks a sad story that may make your heart sink. The fort witnessed battles where barbarity and brutality ruled the roost. This was true of many countries until the establishment of democratic system.![]() |
| Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan.www.ttrikon.com |
Built on a 180 meter tall hillock and covering roughly 700 acres of rugged terrain is a famous historical fort of Chittorgarh (Chittaurgarh) in Rajasthan. The town is a testimony to the rich legacy of Rajput,their pride as great warriors, sacrifices and planned administration. This fort reflects all the great quality and traits of the Rajput clans and their quite known heroism and war exploits. This massive hilltop fort, steeped in history is a major tourist attraction in Rajasthan because it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that way back witnessed many political events, painful tragic events during the heyday of Mewar rulers. The controversial 2018 Bollywood Indian drama movie "Padmaavat" (based on an epic poem on the legend of Queen Padmavati, wife of 14th century monarch Maharawal Ratan Singh) as you may recall drew inspiration from the fort's history.![]() |
| Meera temple Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan.nativeplanet.com |
Enclosed in this fort is the Meera and Khumba Shyam Temple that is associated with the great devotee of Sri Krishna - poetess Meera who was an epitome of devotion to God and whose life was spent on conducting bhajans on lord Sri Krishna. Quite well-known across India, her devotional hymns have become part of the folklore and literary traditions of the region and other places. ![]() |
| Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan.patrika.com |
Considered as the pride of "Pride of Rajasthan State" and its former ruling clan,s the history of this fort, it is said, goes back to the Pandavas of Mahabharata; it is believed to have been built by one of the Pandava brothers ''Bhima''. Historians say it was built during the reign of Mauryans (Chitrangad Mori) in 7th century. It was Bappa Rawal, who established the Mewar dynasty, in the mid 8th century and later rulers of Mewar developed this strategically located outstanding fort by building additions. It is said his kingdom stretched up to Ajmir and on the SW up to part of Gujarat. The history of this majestic fort is a poignant one written in blood shed and brave self-immolation by Rajput women. It had all links with the invasion of treacherous Muslim invasion from the Delhi rulers. The invasion of Muslim warriors from NW had begun to give insecurity among the Mewar rulers because they were notorious butchers and destroyers of both Hindu and Buddhist temples. Till the end of 13th century, the fort never faced any major enemy attack or any threats whatsoever. It is a matter of debate as to why did, in 1303, Allaudin Khilji, the brutal ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, attack the fort ? Was it to abduct the beautiful queen of Padmavati, as some sections of historians believe or was he just after the strong and strategically-positioned fort to add to his land? Anyway, the unexpected invasion by the brutal army from Delhi caused havoc, mayhem and mass massacre; the outcome was devastating. It left behind a trail of bloodshed and death of as many as 30,000 people within the fort. The ruler was either captured or killed in the battle. As for virtuous Padmavati, she, having no choice, immolated herself along with other women in the royal family. This was done to avoid being preyed upon by Allaudin Khilji and his merciless army.Later Mewar rulers re-eatablished the rule in 1326 and improved the fortification a lot. Rana Kumbha strengthened most of the fort's walls during his reign from 1433 to 1468. Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat made a successful attack after a long struggle and during the second attack on the fort, the ruler Uday Singh II and his brother escaped to avoid facing death and in the wake 13000 Rajput women got into the huge fire to escape harassment, rape and dishonor. Soon, Emperor Humayun defeated the Sultan from Chittorgarh and and this time he reinstated the inexperienced young Mewar king Rana Vikramaditya; He though he could deal with the young ruler easily. In 1567 Mogul ruler Akbar of Delhi had an eye on this amazing fort and attacked it with a huge army. It took a while for the Mogul army to access the fort because of sturdy stone walls and they did it by way of blasting their way with mines and digging tunnels. They also used cannons to damage the fort when necessary arose. When the Mogul ruler captured it in 1568 Rana Udai Singh II had escaped from the scene, asking his commanders to take care of the battle. This time thousands of of common people were slaughtered by Akbar's army and this again resulted in the mass immolation of Rajput women inside the fort. At last, Mogul ruler Jehangir made a peace treaty with the Mewar rulers in 1616 and between 1884 and 1930 some palaces and other structures came up.Perched atop a hillock, it is not that easy to access the fort that has lots of impediments besides massive stone structures close to the gates as part of fortifications. Guarded by a watch tower over seven huge gates fitted with massive sharp iron spikes to prevent ramming of sturdy war elephants, the fort is almost self-contained. The reservoirs, chhatris, stambha, palaces and temples inside the fort get the attention of tourists. There were as many as 84 water bodies in the form of wells, ponds and step wells with the storage capacity of 4 billion liters of water in the by-gone era. But, presently, there are only 22 water bodies. The fort could withstand siege by enemies for a pretty long time. The enemy's army had to put in lots of efforts to reach the fort. https://www.tripsavvy.com/chittorgarh-fort-the-complete-guide-4174892 http://revolvingcompass.com/chittorgarh-fort/
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February 19, 2020, 5:33 am
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| Vijaya stambha, Chattigarh Fort, Rajasthan/journals.worldnomads.com/ |
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| Vijaya stambha, Chattigarh Fort, Rajasthan.ancientpages.com/ |
The Vijaya Stambha, an imposing victory monument within Chittorgarh Fort in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India was first built by the Mewar king Rana Kumbha in 1448 to commemorate his victory over the combined armies of Malwa and Gujarat led by Mahmud Khilji. The tower is dedicated to Vishnu. It is a good example of Rajputana architecture that gives due attention to minute details in stone works, be they marbles stones or sand stones. Though Vijaya Stambha is a common name widely used by the local folks, actually it is dedicated to Hindu God Vishnu. Hence it is a Kirttistambha or Kirti Stambha, a "tower of fame". This odd-looking 9-story tower is adorned with beautiful sculptures of many Hindu deities around. There are around 157 narrow spiral steps leading to the terrace at the upper level. Here, from the balconies you get a fine view of the whole town down below. The tall tower is a great sight when it is illuminated in the evening. The effect is quite absorbing. It is a good example of religious pluralism practiced by the Hindu rulers like Rajputs. The topmost story features an image of the Jain Goddess, Padmavati and images from the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics. Ruler Rana Kumbha also had carved the word "Allah" in Arabic nine times in the third story and eight times in the eight. It shows the secular attitude of the Hindu kings, unlike other rulers who follow other religion. ![]() |
| Vijaya stambha, Chattigarh Fort, Rajasthan. Guidestone en.wikipedia.org |
There are stone inscriptions on the upper levels of the tower. They contain details about the genealogy of the rulers of Chittaur and their contributions. The man who designed it was Sutradhar Jaita well supported by his three sons and others like Napa, Puja, and Poma. There is a stone inscription on them on the 5th floor.![]() |
| Victory tower, Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan.chittorgarh.com |
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| Kerthi stmbha.Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan. picxy.comwww.picxy.com |
It was in 1326 Chittorgarh Fort was re-established and Rana Kumbha, knowing the impending danger from the Delhi Muslim rulers, took serious efforts to beef up the security of the fort by strengthening the fort walls and building additions. Most of the fort's walls were constructed with care during his reign from 1433 to 1468. The second attack on the fort took place a couple of centuries later in 1535 and this time by Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. Every time the enemy had to struggle to access the fort.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijaya_Stambhahttps://www.flickr.com/photos/east_med_wanderer/5405841072
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February 20, 2020, 7:28 am
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| Vidhana Soudha, facade Bangaluru, Karnataka.deccanherald.com |
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| Vidhana Soudha, facade Bangaluru, Karnataka. en.wikipedia. org |
A visit to the sprawling garden city of Bangalore, a well-known IT center in the world, will be incomplete if you do not visit the majestic 3-story Vidhana Soudha with a big dome at the center, the seat of power (legislature) in Karnatata. It is here the ruling party holds the reins not with confidence but with anxiety provided it is a coalition of parties with different ideology to share the power. But countless visitors, unless take a detailed look at this nice building that carry the stamp of Karnataka architecture, have no idea about the person behind its construction. ![]() |
| Vidhana Soudha, facade Bangaluru, Karnataka.jantakareporter.com |
It was late Kengal Hanumanthaiah (14 February 1908 – 1 December 1980), the second Chief Minister of Karnataka (then, Mysore State) from 30 March 1952 to 19 August 1956, was instrumental in the construction of Vidhana Soudha that houses the state legislature as well as the office complex. Being a visionary and no non-sense person, he toiled to have this comfortable well- designed building constructed to last longer so that the politicians could function comfortably. That the Karnataka political scenario in the last one or two decades has changed a lot is a different story.Born on February 14, 1908 in a Vokkaliga family in a Lakkappanahalli, a small village near Ramanagara, Ramanagara District, now Karnataka state, Sri Hanumanthaiah had his education at the Maharaja College in Mysore in 1930 and earned a degree in Arts. Later he completed a degree in Law at Poona Law College in 1932. While a student in the college in Mysore state, on the sidelines, he did not sit idle. Being active in the student union he became its secretary and the Karnataka Sangha. After his degree in law, he joined the bar council in the same year-1932.![]() |
| Vidhana Soudha (old photo), Bangaluru, Karnataka www.eesanje.com |
During the British Raj there was a growing demand for India's freedom from the oppressive British rule and the Indian National Congress first founded by retired British Civil Service officer Allan Octavian Hume ICS hogged the limelight. headed by great leaders like Vallabhai Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and others. Subash Chandra Bose assisted by Sri Muthuramalinga Thevar fought for freedom treading a different path. Hanumanthaiah, with patriotic zeal gave up his law practice and got into the freedom band wagon on the advice of Dr. P. Tandon, the then President of Indian National Congress. He became active in the then Mysore congress. His sustained participation in the freedom movement and spellbinding speeches caught the attention of the rulers that resulted in his imprisonment nine times during the freedom struggle. His sacrifices and spirited involvement in the welfare of his state stood him in good stead. Obviously, he was unanimously elected as the leader of the Parliamentary Party wing of the Congress Party in Mysore Assembly in 1948. Besides, he was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.![]() |
| Vidhana Soudha, facade Bangaluru, Karnataka. en.wikipedia. org |
When the Congress party in the 1st general elections came out victorious Sri Hanumanthaiah became the second Chief Minister of Mysore state in 1952. Immediately, as a CM, got into serious business entrusted upon him and made full focus on the economic growth of the state to generate revenues, agriculture, irrigation, etc. In addition, he promoted the welfare of the rural people. In a nutshell, his tenure as a CM, was a constructive and productive one that saw the gradual economic and industrial growth of Mysore state. He united the Kannada speaking areas within the confines of a single state. As there was not a separate legislature building and office space in the capital city of Bangalore (now Bangaluru), Sri Hanumanthaiah quickly took serious step to have a new self-contained building built soon. The other reason is the visiting cultural Russian delegation made a carping remarks on the lack of a spacious legislature building and their criticism was the force behind his step to build a suitable structure reflecting the native architectural style. The construction of the "Vidhana Soudha", the largest legislature-cum-office building in India at that time is his outstanding contribution.The unique aspect is the incorporation of elements of Indo-Saracenic and local Mysore styles. He visited some foreign countries including the US and got an idea. Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone on July 13, 1951. The then CM of Mysore state was K.C Reddy. The construction was completed in 1956. He was part of the Committee for the Drafting of a Model Constitution for the Indian States and made interventions on the issue of federalism. In the Constituent Assembly, he argued for greater autonomy for states. He was an elected MP continuously representing Bangalore city from 1962 to 1977. He also served as minister in the Union cabinet holding Railways, Industries etc. There is a statue of Hanumanthaiah in front of the VidhanVidhana Soudha, the architect of early Mysore state. The Kengal Hanumanthaiya Memorial Trust is doing many social services. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Hanumanthaiah
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February 20, 2020, 9:30 pm
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| 90 to 100 year old female elephant, MP, India. newindianexpress.com |
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| ageing eleohant. wisdomofage.net/blog |
Whenever we go to the Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu and, in particular Kerala, it is a great sight to see majestic elephants swaying in their standing position, flapping their long ears and obeying their mahouts. They gently bless the devotees and diligently collect coins or a bill (currency note) with their multi-purpose trunk and hand it over to their master. When they get a skinned coconut, they break the shell as a road roller would crush a hardened clay ball!! Their obeying the master is reminiscent of a Jennie obeying its master in the fairly tales. When such powerful animals catch up with age and become less active and lose all its vigor and is stuck to a restricted space it is sight that no body can entertain. If a female elephant, once active, now has become pretty old and grumpy with no teeth to crush food, severe arthritis and blind in both eyes imagine her daily painful survival. This is exactly the case of a grand old female elephant in the Panna Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh in India.![]() |
| oldest elephant, Vatsala oct.2007metro.co.uk |
Above image; Oldest female elephant 90 to 100 year old Vatsala, Panna Tiger Sanctuary, MP is already wilting under advanced age. Oh, my knees are bothering me Vatsala, perhaps the oldest surviving elephant in the world, having been active in her life as a sort of a nurse-midwife to pregnant elephants for three decades, is like an age old govt. pensioner, counting her days or months and trusting others to help her out. Now, she is lucky and is being nursed by her grand kids! Surprised? ![]() |
| ageing elephant slideshare.net/ |
This 90 to 100 years old animal is being well taken care of by the herd, that she took care of when she was young and energetic, according to reserve officials. May we conclude it is a humble way to convey gratitude to their grandma? Such expression of love and care is fast disappearing among us. We, the humans, have to take a cue from these young herd of grateful elephants who are gentle to the helpless old elephant. It is quite natural Vatsala gets grouchy when her arthritis flares up and gives her pain. Dr. Sanjeev Gupta of the Panna Tiger Reserve, said, ‘She is kind with the calves but is the first to give them a ticking off when they over-step the mark.’ ![]() |
| smeltzercartoons.com |
The gentle giant came to MP from Kerala state. when she was around 50 in 1971. She had already lost her teeth; it meant she had reached 50 years of age then. The average life span of an Asian elephant is 40 to 50 years. This kind of longevity among the elephants is the rarest case!! Vatsala was transmigrated from Hasingbad in 1993 to this sanctuary and given the task of Parturition (process of giving birth) of pregnant elephants as a midwife and caring nurse. When the babies were 2 years old, she helped them in the waning. Now, her age must be between 90 and 100 and when she was 86 she held the the world record - the oldest pachyderm in the world!! Owing to her age and lack of teeth, Vatsala has been spending her retirement being pampered by the care-takers who give her chopped grass and bamboo. Surprisingly, she has the traits of old ladies who love sweet. The female elephant enjoys sugar cane juice most.Recently in Feb. 2020, this old female elephant became blind due to age factor. According to Dr. Sanjiv Gupta, Reserve's Vet, ....''her blindness is caused by incurable cataract and her digestive system too has collapsed, forcing us to keep her in the sickbay,” The herd of young elephants taking care of their ‘daadi’ (granny), include Bapu, born in 2017; Manya , born in 2011; Prahlad (2012), and others and Vatsala, through their touch identifies them. Surely, she is not only the pride of Panna Tiger Reserve, but also of India. https://metro.co.uk/2007/10/23/oldest-elephant-a-grouchy-old-woman-381738/?ito=cbsharehttps://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/feb/20/nurse-elephant-at-panna-reserve-goes-blind-her-grandkids-now-care-for-her-2105967.html
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February 20, 2020, 11:58 pm
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| Aldeen House, where Serampore College was born,.telegraphindia.com/ |
Among the Indian cities, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai (Bombay) have a large number of historical colonial monuments- buildings, halls, churches, colleges, etc. As Kolkata (Calcutta) happened to be the capital of British India until early 20th century and home to 1000s of European residents, there are many big and impressive colonial structures. The Aldeen House of Serampore is one among them. It was in the Aldeen House, once a palatial building with many rooms, where Serampore College had begun to function. This old heritage structure where it is said ' the seeds of modern education had been sown is in a dilapidated state due to neglect and lack of interest in preserving old monuments that once served the people here. The decrepit Aldeen House, Serampore (33 km from Kolkata), the birth place of the earliest modern education in Bengal is a sore in the eyes of public. The Education minister Partha Chatterjee , when inaugurating an academic education and unveiling the busts of William Carey and fellow missionaries Joshua Marshman and William Ward at the historical Serampore College, said ....the state government will do “all it takes” to renovate the dilapidated Aldeen House.'' Roughly, for three consecutive years from July 15, 1818, Aldeen House had been a center of learning and initially had just a batch of 37 students mostly European learning Sanskrit, Persian, astronomy, geology and botany. They happened to be the first students of Serampore College, which shifted to its current address in 1821.![]() |
| location map. .Serampore town, west bengal, India. weather-forecast.com |
The origin of land and the Aldeen House has no proper records. According to one Sircar, the property was once owned by David Brown, a chaplain of the East India Company who founded the Calcutta Bible Society. Brown had lived in Aldeen House from 1802 till 1813. But there is neither record nor any reference to this building. . ![]() |
| Serampore colle, W, Bengal. outlookindia.com |
The imposing Serampore college building with giant Corinthian columns has survived the ravages of weather and time for nearly two centuries, however, the red brick building, where the classes first began, is in a state of ruins and crumbling slowly in the last few years. Though the W. Bengal govt. is trying their level best to preserve and renovate a large number of colonial structures in Kolkata and other places, no attention is paid to Aldeen House. Nobody knows the answer and it is almost pushed to a kind of haunted place with bushes and wild plants all around with broken windows and pealed off plastering on the damaged structure. Many residents of Serampore frankly express their ignorance about the existence and location of Aldeen House, let alone its early historical significance in terms of education! The structure appears to be beyond redemption because of total neglect. There is not even a semblance of an access path to the site to take a close look at it, and the only vestige is the closed gate. One may, with difficulty, get in through partially visible opening, according to people near-by. The history of any place or state is incomplete if there are no monuments that link us with the past era. Loss of history due to sheer ignorance and negligence of historical monuments is an irresponsible act. But, this is happening across India. As for William Carey (he worked as a professor of Bengali at Fort William College, WB till 1831), ''a pioneering figure both in the spread of modern education and laying the foundation of modern institutions” , said VC of Jadavpur University, Suranjan Das. It is nice if the Aldeen House is turned into a tourist spot. There seem to be some problem related to land acquisition and ownership as the old structure is close to the Metro water Pumping station of CMDA, just 55 meters from the college building. The state govt. has given serious attention to renovate the house as early as possible. To begin with the ownership issue and transfer of property need to be resolved first. https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/renovation-assurance-for-education-cradle-in-serampore/cid/1746217www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/feb/20/kolkata-diary-2105969.html
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February 21, 2020, 7:43 am
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| Pollution from industrial revolution, Europe in the Himalayas. theprint.in |
Can you imagine that soot produced during the industrial revolution in England was transported as far as 10300 km by winter wind (blowing west to east) and settled on the upper reaches of the Himalayan glacier in Tibet roughly 240 year ago? It is quite apparent that humans had contaminated the clean upper reaches of the Himalayan mountain peaks far before they ever stepped foot on them. Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tensing Norgay were the first one to have reached the top of Mt. Everest on 29 May 1953. Earlier in June 1924 expedition to Everest George Mallory and ![]() |
| soot pollution from industry. wired.com |
his team successfully reached the upper levels, but short of reaching the highest peak; it ended in tragedy. The first summit of Shishapangma, at 8,027 meters (26,335 feet) took place in 1964 hundreds of years after the contamination first appeared. Now the selected routes to the peak in the Himalayas are full of trash of various types and tons of human waste, and the Nepal govt. spends lots of money to dispose of them including dangerous plastics and metal containers from the mountains.
An analysis of ice cores drilled from the Dasuopu glacier in the central Himalayas shows traces of toxic metals, by-products of burning coal, embedded in the sample’s layers. By sifting the timeline of the ice core, the researchers have dated the earliest contamination to the end of the 18th century - the start of the Industrial Revolution.
The results of the study were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The team from Ohio State University, USA studied an ice core collected in 1997 from the glacier located on Shishapangma, the world’s 14th tallest mountain. Surprisingly core samples revealed the hidden clues about the snowfall, atmospheric circulation, and other environmental changes in time. The detailed analysis of layers in the core helped the researchers to arrive at the past event and its time with considerable accuracy. The layers in the ice core appeared to have been formed between 1499 and 1992. They also found a total of 23 trace metals whose concentration was higher-than-natural levels of cadmium, chromium, nickel, and zinc during the period from 1780. When they traced the bottom of the source and the period they arrived at the conclusion that the contamination was caused by the burning of coal –an important energy source in the European industry during the late 18th century, and throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
According to Paolo Gabrielli, lead author of the study and research scientist at The Ohio State University Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, “ the Industrial Revolution was a revolution in the use of energy,” “... the use of coal combustion also started to cause emissions that we think were transported by winds up to the Himalayas.” The ice core samples were from the Dasuopu drilling site, 7,200 meters (23,600 feet) above sea-level. Tracing the additional cause of the metal contamination at the world’s highest drilling site at 23,600 feet above sea level), the study identified the source and concluded: “What happens is at that time, in addition to the Industrial Revolution, the human population exploded and expanded,” Gabrielli further stated, “... so there was a greater need for agricultural fields — and, typically, the way they got new fields was to burn forests.” The presence of of zinc, released when trees are burnt, was an indication that the forests were cleared for agriculture and housing purposes.
The study differentiates the discernible difference between “contamination” and “pollution”.“The levels of metals we found were higher than what would exist naturally, but were not high enough to be acutely toxic or poisonous,” Gabrielli said. “However, in the future, bio-accumulation may concentrate metals from meltwater at dangerous toxic levels in the tissues of organisms that live in ecosystems below the glacier.”
The University of Ohio team already found further evidence of human activities causing atmospheric pollution as revealed by the recent study in 2015. The air was polluted before industrial revolution in South America due to silver mining in PeruThe interesting fact is the human activities took place at different time spans in different parts of the globe and are frozen in the layers of rock or ice cores.
https://www.iflscience.com/environment/coal-emissions-from-the-industrial-revolution-found-in-himalayan-glacier/
https://theprint.in/science/toxic-metals-released-since-industrial-revolution-in-europe-found-in-the-himalayas/364087/
https://www.newsweek.com/soot-industrial-revolution-himalayas-1486439
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