Indian History and Culture | Cultural History of India

Despite being located in an earthquake-prone region, residents of Uttarkashi do not hesitate in constructing multi-storey houses. These elaborate buildings in Rajgarhi area of Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand are perfect examples of splendid architecture as well as earthquake-resistant engineering.

Called Koti Banal, these buildings have been named after a village in the district and have successfully survived many minor and major earthquakes in the past ten centuries.

Even the extremely disastrous earthquakes, in recent times the 1991 and the 1999 ones that killed thousands of people and caused immense damage to property including many concrete structures in the state, could not move these buildings. One such building in Guna has been standing tall for more than 728 years now. Koti Banal style came into existence about 900 years ago and is hailed as one of the finest specimens of architecture as well as of earthquake-resistant design. The houses are built using locally available materials like stone-filled solid platforms and there is an extensive use of wood, which offer special advantages over other materials during earthquakes.

The height of these houses is usually 7 to 12 metres above the base. The traditional houses usually have five storeys. Some of the key features of these houses include a simple layout of the structure; construction on an elaborate, solid and raised platform; incorporation of wooden beams all through the height of the building at regular intervals; small openings and shear walls. Extensive use of locally available wood was made in these homes since wood is an elasto-plastic material with the ability to absorb the brunt of an earthquake.

The sole objective behind the construction of these houses was safety and not much attention was paid to the comfort of the inhabitants. This reason has led to many such dwellings being abandoned in recent times.

People have also started destroying these structures in order to use the building material for the construction of new and modern houses. Lack of awareness is further causing the slow death of these traditional houses which represent a strong cultural heritage. Photos and inputs from : Dr. Piyoosh Rautela and Girish Chandra Joshi. Check out their full report on these extra ordinary structures.

Watch the video that explains more about the technique -

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Featured image: www.worldfpa.org

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Indian Navy also known as Bharatiya Nau Sena, is the naval branch of the armed forces. On the occasion of Indian Navy Day we honour the men and women who have served and continue to serve with the navy. For any nation, the navy is as important as the army, sometimes more. With one of the longest coastlines for any country in the world, India has been protected fiercely by its naval heroes throughout history. Here is a list of 10 such acts of incredible bravery:

1. Indian Navy MARCOS

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Source: Indiandefencereview.com[/caption] The 26/11 Mumbai attacks were witness to raw courage on the part of eight Indian Navy Marine Commandos (MARCOS), who became the gamechangers in a battle that was being won by a group of terrorists creating havoc in India's commercial hub. The MARCOS are among the fittest Indian special forces, usually deployed for the safety of oil installations or to counter pirates on the high seas. One hundred and sixty five persons died in the 26/11 attacks. But for the timely intervention of the Indian Navy Marine Commandos (MARCOS), the toll could have been far higher. It was the single most heroic act on the night of the 26/11 attacks.

2. Cdr Milind Mohan Mokashi

[caption id="attachment_39753" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] INS Sumitra (Source: Wikipedia)

INS Sumitra (Source: Wikipedia)[/caption] Cdr. Mokashi received the Shaurya Chakra for his outstanding efforts to evacuate thousands of Indian and foreign nationals from war-ravaged Yemen during Operation Rahat in 2015. He was the Commanding Officer of INS Sumitra. Heavily armed Houthi rebels were patrolling the harbour in boats when Mokashi's ship entered Aden Harbour on the night of March 31. Additionally, there were air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition against the rebels. The officer immediately deployed armed boats manned by sailors in close proximity of the ship and, braving the heavy firing and shelling, took charge of the situation to ensure the safe embarkation of evacuees amid heavy cross firing.

3. Vice Admiral Krishnan

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Source: Wikipedia[/caption] Vice-Admiral Krishnan, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, used a highly creative strategy in the 1971 war with Pakistan. Krishnan was concerned about one of India's greatest and most formidable carriers, INS Vikrant, being threatened by the presence of Pakistan's destructive Ghazi submarine in the Bay of Bengal. So he decided to deceive the Pakistani Navy into believing that INS Vikrant was in the port of Vizag by getting an ageing destroyer INS Rajput to pretend to be Vikrant by sailing it out of Vizag and generating heavy wireless traffic. He even tricked his own navy in Chennai by falsely informing them that INS Vikrant would arrive in Vizag and ordering huge rations to indicate that the fleet was in the harbour. The Pakistanis fell for the trap. Ghazi was ordered to change directions and move to Vizag. Within a few days it was hit by an explosion and destroyed. In the meantime, INS Vikrant had been safely stationed in Andaman. Soon after the sinking of Ghazi, Vikrant launched its first air strikes that stunned the Pakistani army in East Pakistan.

4. Captain Pradeep Singh

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INS Tarkash with Capt Pradeep Singh in inset Source: Wikipedia[/caption] Captain Pradeep Singh is the recipient of the Nao Sena Medal for Gallantry for his meticulous planning of one of the most daring operations during Operation Rahat in 2015. As the commander of INS Tarkash, his actions led to the safe evacuation of around 600 people of 18 different nationalities from Al Hodeidah and Aden harbours in the face of great hostility and backdrop of violence. He also evacuated 10 nurses who were stuck in heavy crossfiring, as well as the body of the first Indian casualty in the Yemen conflict.

5. Second Officer Kalyani Sen

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Source: http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/threads/extremely-rare-picture-of-an-indian-lady-in-royal-navy-uniform.29065/

Second Officer Kalyani Sen (Source: defenceforumindia.com)[/caption] The Women's Royal Indian Naval Service was established as part of the The Royal Indian Navy (RIN) during World War II. Although the women did not serve on board the ships, this did give them a role in the navy. The first Indian service woman who visited the UK was second officer Kalyani Sen. Sen went there to make a comparative study of training and administration in the Women's Royal Naval Service. "In India there is still a big prejudice against girls and women working with men...but the women are so keen to get into the Services that they are breaking it down," she said.

6. Captain Rajesh Dhankhar

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Source: Wikimedia[/caption] Captain Rajesh Dhankhar received the Nao Sena Medal for Gallantry for saving hundreds of lives amidst heavy shelling in war-torn Yemen as a part of Ops Rahat. Undeterred by the dangerous security scenario ashore, the officer led his team from the front and fought hard to evacuate stranded personnel even during dark hours. This Commanding Officer of INS Mumbai was responsible for the safe evacuation of 441 Indians and foreign nationals.

7. Commodore Babru Bhan Yadav

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Source: Indiastrategic.in[/caption] Commodore Babru Bhan Yadav led a brilliant missile attack against Pakistan’s port city of Karachi in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. One of the highest decorated officers of the Indian navy, he was the first to be awarded the Maha Vir Chakra in 1972. Commodore Yadav’s citation reads that he displayed great leadership in the "offensive sweep on the enemy coast off Karachi, deep into the enemy harbour where he encountered two groups of large enemy warships, despite the threat of air, surface and submarine attack." The mission was code named Operation Trident.

8. Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla

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INS Khukhri with Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla (inset) Source: Wikipedia

INS Khukhri with Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla in inset (Source: Wikipedia)[/caption] Thirty five years years ago, the INS Khukri went down in the Arabian Sea after being torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine. Eighteen officers and 176 sailors went down with it, including the ship's captain Mahendra Nath Mulla. He was the first captain of independent India's navy to go down with his ship. Maj. General (retd) Ian Cardozo has authored a book about the incident and while speaking at the book launch, he said, "He (Capt. Mulla) was aware that the majority of his officers and men were trapped below deck. Being the man that he was, he knew that it was not right for him to save himself while his sailors went to a watery grave. In those few moments he helped as many as he could, and then went down with his ship. In this brave and heroic action, Captain Mulla teaches us not only how to live, but how to die."

9. Kunjali Marakkar

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The Kunjali Marakkar Memorial erected by the Indian navy at Kottakkal, Vadakara
Source: Wikipedia[/caption] The Kunhali Marakkar or Kunjali Marakkar was the title given to the Muslim naval chief of the Zamorin, the Hindu king of Calicut in present day Kerala during the 16th century. There were four major Kunhalis who played a part in the Zamorin's naval wars with the Portugese from 1502 to 1600. Of the four Marakkars, Kunjali Marakkar II is the most famous. The Marakkars are credited with organizing the first naval defence of the Indian coast.

10. Rear Admiral Rishi Raj Sood

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A model of Khukri at the INS Khukri Memorial in Diu.
Source: Wikipedia[/caption] Rear Admiral Rishi Raj Sood received the Vir Chakra. His award citation reads: "During the hostilities with Pakistan in December 1971, Commander Rishi Raj Sood was the commanding officer of one of the Indian naval ships, which participated in operations in the Arabian Sea. His ship formed part of an anti-submarine attack force, which was involved in hunting and killing enemy submarines. When INS Khukri received multiple torpedo hits from an enemy submarine, Commander Sood rushed his ship into a counter-attack on the enemy submarine. The attack was conducted so fiercely and relentlessly that the enemy submarine could not carry out any further attack and had to make a retreat."

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Here's some fascinating news for culture nerds: scholars have discovered a brand new manuscript of the Ramayana that may help deepen our understanding of the Indian epic. This manuscript, which is from the 6th century, will likely displace the 12th-century rendition by Tamil poet Kamba as the second-oldest version. The widely known 4 BC Ramayana by Valmiki is still the oldest known version. An accidental find by scholars at the Asiatic Society in Kolkata, the intriguing manuscript was discovered when they were researching the Vanhi, or fire, Purana. After initial puzzlement when the text in the Purana changed course and started referencing a different story, they realized that the story was, in fact, one that most of us know well — the story of Rama, Sita, and Ravana. There are certain key differences between this version and others, however. Instead of the seven sections (or kanda) in other versions, it has only five. It does not include the Balakanda, the portion about Rama's childhood, or the Uttarkanda — ending instead with Rama and Sita's return from exile and Rama's ascension to the throne. Neither does it begin with Rama's father Dasarath's curse that sent his son to exile. It begins, instead, with a curse on Goddess Lakshmi.

It also describes Rama as more human than God.

Image for representation only. Source: Wikipedia

"Ram here is more human than God, with follies like anger and failure. Some interesting details - like the ages of Sita and Rama at the time of marriage and the date when Sita was abducted by Ravana - are in this version," said scholar Manabendu Bandyopadhyay.

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King George V announced the shift of the capital of British India from Calcutta to New Delhi in 1911. The architect of the new city was Sir Edwin Lutyens, who designed many buildings in Delhi, including the new Viceroy’s House. After independence, this palatial home was designated the residence of the President of India and renamed Rashtrapati Bhavan. In 1911, during the Delhi Durbar, King George V announced that the capital of India would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi. The construction of the new city, with an enormous residence for the Viceroy, began the very next year. A British architect named Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens (often referred to as the ‘greatest British architect’) designed and built the section of New Delhi that is today known as Lutyens’ Delhi.

Sir Lutyens is famous for his imaginative designs, in which he adapted traditional Indian and Mughal architectural styles to make some of the most impressive buildings in Delhi.

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The forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan[/caption] Lutyens developed his own style of classical architecture, which later became known as the Delhi Order. He used this style for many buildings back home in London too. With the support and help of Sir Herbert Baker, Lutyens built many important buildings and monuments in New Delhi. The credit for the building of India Gate; Parliament House; many other government buildings in the area like Hyderabad House, Baroda House, Bikaner House, and Patiala House; and of course the sprawling palace on Raisina Hill, Rashtrapati Bhavan, goes to both of them.

“Rashtrapati Bhavan is an extremely spacious, sprawling four storied building, built on a floor area of 200,000 square feet, with 340 rooms in all”, says Ms Rosy Gupta, the senior-most guide at the President’s residence.

Visitors’ entry into the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises is usually from Gate no. 2 or Gate no. 37. After parking one’s vehicle, the visitor usually walks across the forecourt and approaches the base of the steps that lead to the main entrance of the building. Though this is closed at most times, one can look up the enormous flight of steps and see the sculptured statue of a bull, which is a replica of what one would see on the top of columns made during the Mauryan period.

A walk across the forecourt gets one to the Jaipur Column, which was gifted by Sir Sewai Madho Singh Maharaj of Jaipur to the British Crown.

Right on top of the Jaipur Column is an egg-shaped structure, surmounted by a bronze lotus and a six-pointed glass star, which is known as the ‘Star of India’.

“From here one enters the building and after the security check, the tour usually begins at the Marble Hall, which is a large room where painted portraits and sculptures of various Kings, Queens, Viceroys, Governor Generals and other important personalities, are displayed. There are two large globes here, which are around 200 years old. One of them shows the positions of the different star constellations that we see in the night sky”, adds Ms Gupta.

Below the Marble Hall is the one-of-its-kind Kitchen Museum.

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The Kitchen Museum[/caption] Here, one can see various kitchen utensils and gadgets that were used in the Viceregal kitchens as well in the kitchens of the various Presidents of India. There are doorways here that connect to the basement of the building, which are now blocked.

In British times, soldiers would enter the building from the basement and come up the steps into the Marble Hall.

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Marble Hall[/caption]

From here one is taken up the open staircase, where on one side is a statue of Mahatma Gandhi and on the other side is the bust of Sir Lutyens.

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The grand staircase[/caption] One of the doors here leads to the large Banquet Hall where the President holds dinners for visiting dignitaries. The tables can seat a maximum of 104 people at a time. This hall has portraits of all the Presidents of India.

Another doorway from the open staircase leads to what was once the State Ball Room and is now known as Ashoka Hall.

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The Ashoka Hall[/caption] The painting in the centre of the ceiling of this room was a gift from the King of Persia, Fateh Ali Shah. It is an equestrian portrait of the Shah himself, thrusting a spear into a tiger during a hunting trip. An Italian painter, Colonnello, took inspiration from this painting and extended the forest theme onto four more hunting scenes. There were twelve Indian painters who helped Colonnello complete the paintings, using oil paint directly on the walls and ceiling. After a peek into the North Drawing room and the Long Drawing Room, one moves towards the Durbar Hall. En route, there are glass cupboards displaying some rare books from the President’s Library.

The Durbar Hall is the next stop for visitors. This hall is right below the central copper dome, the high point of the building.

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Durbar Hall[/caption] This Buddhist architectural incorporation into the design of the building is actually an upturned double-shelled circular drum, which has copper plating on the outside. The large dome is supposed to be twice the height of the rest of the building.

“This hall was known as the Throne Room, as the thrones of the Viceroy and the Vicereine were placed in this room. The Viceroy’s throne was placed on a small pedestal in this vast room and the height of the pedestal, from ground level, is just above that of the topmost part of India Gate,” continues Ms Gupta. Apparently, this gave the British a feeling of superiority over India!

The President’s throne is placed here now, in front of the ancient statue of Lord Buddha. The main entrance to the building is right across from the throne.

From here, visitors are led down the marble staircase and taken along the South Court to the Mughal Gardens.

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South Court[/caption] The South Court serves as a disembarking place for ministers who arrive at the palace to visit the President. The Snake Fountains are a striking feature of this part of the building. The Mughal Gardens are built on three levels, with many fountains and gazebos enhancing their beauty. It is on these lawns that the President hosts the ‘At Home’ on Republic Day and Independence Day. Many varieties of flowering plants and trees are seen in this garden. When the winter flowers are in full bloom in February/March every year, the garden is open right through the months for visitors to enjoy. The last stop on the visit to the Bhavan is the Children’s Gallery. This little room houses gifts that the various Presidents have received from children. It also houses various instruments and gadgets that would interest children, like musical instruments, optical illusion devices, and even a model newspaper for 2020. Some parts of Rashtrapati Bhavan are open to visitors on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on payment of a nominal price. One can get permission to visit by applying on the user friendly official website of Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

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About the author: Aparna Menon is a freelance writer, writing for various newspapers for the past 10 years. Her main fields of interest are wildlife, heritage and history. A keen traveler, she loves to read and write and does a lot of art work too.

A candid one-on-one with Professor Romila Thapar, one of India’s most distinguished historians. Here she shares her thoughts on intellectuals returning national awards to register their protest on communal discord, the “ever-shrinking liberal space” in the country, and more. Over the years, Professor Romila Thapar has been feted and criticised in equal measures. As one of India’s most distinguished historians whose works significantly portray the origins of Hinduism as an evolving interplay between social forces, she has courted controversy on several occasions. In fact, in the recent backdrop of the “rising intolerance” in India, she has fearlessly questioned the actions of the opinion-makers in her latest book, an anthology of essays titled, The Public Intellectual in India, and urged public intellectuals – “people who can ask the right questions at relevant moments”, to step up and speak up. The centrepiece is the long essay by Thapar called: To question or not to question? That is the question. In this candid one-on-one, the octogenarian shares her thoughts on intellectuals returning national awards to register their protest on communal discord, the “ever-shrinking liberal space” in the country and the growing need for a dialogue that defines pluralism in the Indian context.

Your recently published book, The Public Intellectual in India, talks about the role of the public intellectuals in providing an alternative perspective to the present situation.

I had given a lecture a year ago on which this book has been based. At that time, there was considerable silence; there was no public discussion on what was happening. Strangely, the week the book was released [October 2015], spontaneous reactions and protests began. I have had to eat my words. People are not silent, people have spoken out and I am very pleased with that.

What do you feel about the over 400 writers, filmmakers, scientists and intellectuals returning their state awards in protest of the rising communal disharmony?

It was extremely important that this step be taken, that all of us, who have joined in the protests, must take every opportunity to explain the [reasons behind this] protest and why we are doing this.

Do you think these protests will push the government to change its policy?

If one were to go by the initial reaction, it may not change its policies. But it does seem to be paying attention. Among those of us who are protesting [in different ways] are people who are not vaguely radical – like scientist C.N.R. Rao, Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, actor Shahrukh Khan. [But] I presume that there will be some kind of reaction from the government.

Do you see the reaction in terms of the beginning of a dialogue?

It could be. The easier dialogue would be to demand that institutions be made autonomous. The more difficult dialogue would be to insist on the reining in of organisations that are creating this violence, terror and fear. It would need a very strong government to take such action.

You have compared the fringe elements as being akin to terrorist groups.

Source: Wikimedia

Who is a terrorist? He is someone who creates terror. If someone takes a gun and shoots at a Malala Yousafzai, we call him a terrorist. If someone takes a gun and shoots Kalburgi, what do we call him?

But in the case of the three rationalists who have been assassinated [Govind Pansare and M.M. Kalburgi in 2015, and Narendra Dabholkar in 2013] the blame has been put at the doorstep of the respective state governments that have not yet arrested the culprits.

It’s a terrible situation. We have not seen any action especially since there has been a lot of suspicion. The contrast is huge; when other groups are picked up, interrogation is started right away.

However, the central government has gone on record stating that it cannot be blamed and that the state government must bear the responsibility.

I would like to make two points. At what time does the central government assert authority over the state governments? It certainly swings into action when there is a question of environmental changes, that’s when the state government decisions are overridden. So, why don’t they treat these killings as serious assassinations? I don’t think there can be any excuse for any central government to not take action when an incident like this takes place. Basically, it’s a question of trying to build confidence in society.

We have had several leaders pointing fingers at the protests of intellectuals and writers. Why did these intellectuals not protest during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984?

The point is nobody has done their homework. If a group of people is protesting, it is for the media and the political parties to find out who these people are. The majority of these individuals have also protested earlier. I can give my own example. I protested strongly during the Emergency, at the time of the anti-Sikh riots, when Salman Rushdie’s book was banned, during the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Gujarat riots and the recent fatwa against A.R. Rahman. I have protested against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) over the Nandigram unrest.

There have been some writers and intellectuals who have stated that returning an award is an insult to the nation because the award is given by the nation.

These same accusations were made against me when I turned down the Padma awards. The reason I gave at the time, too, was that these are not State awards. These are awards given in the name of a State by a government. When you read the list [of awardees], the major names are clearly those individuals who the political party in power is happy with.

You have often emphasised the lack of liberal space in the country.

Till one year ago, I thought that there had been a considerable shrinking of liberal space. I would say that the recent events have shown there is a little space. I’m wondering whether action, small or big, will be taken against the people who have protested? We have to wait and see.

Has India lost touch with its secular character?

During the 1960s and 1970s, the political parties had an ideology that supported secularism. Had the Congress party maintained its strong secular ideology and acted on it, the situation would have been different right now. Another reason [why those propagating the non-secular ideology are thriving] is that there is a [sizeable] population of young people in India today who have grown up on the idea of the neo-liberal economics in which the economy would create a lot of jobs. There is a sharp sense of disappointment because the “Utopia” promised has not come about. So when you are in a situation of great competition, whether it is for jobs, water, healthcare, and so on, while resources remain very few, there is a tendency to turn to ideologies and groups that give you easy answers.

Are you pessimistic about the future?

We are definitely at a turning point. Things can go one way or things can go in a completely different way. But at this point it is hard to tell which way they will go. (Views reflected in this piece are that of the interviewee alone. They do not necessarily reflect those of The Better India or its partners.)

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Written by Rashme Sehgal for Women’s Feature Service (WFS) and republished here in arrangement with WFS.

India has always been a country of contrasts — and of incredible beauty. These 28 photos — taken between 1900—1908 — are not only interesting because they bring to life a past that doesn't exist any more, but also because the people and places in these photos prove that India has always been a country that is gloriously, exhilaratingly alive. The heart of India beats on.

1. Man dives from the top of a 50 ft tower into a tank below — Fatehpur Sikri

2. State barge of the Maharaja of Kashmir — Srinagar

3. A man and his ox-cart — Kolkata

4. Rock-hewn temple — Elephanta

5. Parsi headmaster and his students — Uran, Navi Mumbai

6. Golden Temple — Amritsar

7. Mahapalika Marg — Mumbai

8. Colonnade at Dilwara Jain Temple — Mount Abu

9. Naldehra — Shimla

10. Inflating bullock-skin boats to cross the river — Banks of the Sutlej

11. Akbar's Tomb, Sikandara — Agra

12. Temple pillars — Madurai

13. On the banks of the Ganga — Varanasi

14. Funeral procession — Agra

15. Lush country surrounding the Dilwara Temples — Mount Abu

16. Shepherds tend their flock — Mount Abu

17. Schoolboys at the Golden Temple — Amritsar

18. Bride and bridegroom — Mumbai

19. The Taj Mahal reflected in the Yamuna — Agra

20. Crowd watches a performing bear — Jaipur

21. Jama Masjid — Delhi

22. Worshippers at Dilwara Temple — Mount Abu

23. Entrance to Akbar's Tomb at Sikandara — Agra

24. Temple pond — Varanasi

25. Palace of Man Singh — Gwalior

26. Crossing the Jhelum — en route to Kashmir

27. Meditating under the hot sun — Mount Abu

28. Shops on a busy street — Delhi

All images from Imgur.

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If you wish to locate the geographical centre of India, all you need to do is visit Nagpur and ask for the Zero Mile Stone. A sandstone pillar and statues of four horses mark the spot. It is said this monument marks the geographical centre of colonial India. It was constructed during the time of the Raj and the British used it as a starting point to measure the distance of many states and towns from Nagpur.

Located to the southeast of the Vidhan Bhavan building, the monument has distances to some major cities engraved on it.

Source: Wikimedia

The British considered Nagpur to be the centre of India from the time when the country was divided into different provinces and Nagpur was the capital of Central Provinces and Berar. They also planned to make Nagpur the second capital city. When the states were created later, Nagpur became a part of Maharashtra; it was given the status of the second capital of Maharashtra. According to a visitor, the inscription on the vertical face of the monument's pillar reads G.T.S STANDARD BENCH MARK. 1907, and the inscription on the horizontal stone reads "The height of the top of this pillar is 1020.171 feet above the mean level of the sea." Here, G.T.S refers to the Great Trigonometrical Survey, which was a project carried out by the Survey of India throughout most of the 19th century. The Survey of India is an agency in charge of mapping and surveying. A GTS benchmark refers to the fixed reference points with known elevation above the mean sea level. However, there is some controversy now about whether this monument is the true geographical centre of India any more. According to some reports, after the partition of undivided India into India and Pakistan, the centre of the country shifted from Nagpur to a small village in Madhya Pradesh. It is now supposed to be in Karaundi, located about 40 km from Sihora in Jabalpur district.

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Walking is the best way of exploring a new place. Cities rich in history and heritage are best experienced on foot and having a professional guide along is an added bonus. Try taking a Heritage Walk next time you're in Hyderabad. Hyderabad, the City of Pearls, has a history that dates back almost 500 years. In these five centuries, the Qutab Shahi rulers, the Mughals, the Asaf Jahi Nizams, and the British have created an abundance of tangible history, dotting the city with numerous palaces, buildings, monuments, tombs, minarets, and fortresses. To introduce the local residents and tourists to these historical sites, the Tourism Department of Telangana regularly conducts Heritage Walks.

“A Heritage Walk is a delightful way to explore the history and heritage of a city,” says Ms Madhu Vottery, the Heritage Walk Coordinator of Telangana Tourism. “Regular Heritage Walks were started in 2009, with the efforts of the then Honourable Secretary, Mr Jayesh Ranjan.”

The Heritage Walks take place along four routes.

[caption id="attachment_46662" align="aligncenter" width="1242"]

Osmania Hospital[/caption] In 2004, when Madhu had to do a project on the appropriate reuse of heritage buildings, she visited Hyderabad and was mesmerized by the history and architecture of the heritage buildings in the city. During her research she found there was no proper documentation of information about the architecture and builders of the structures in the city. This led her to research and write a book: A Guide to the Heritage of Hyderabad: The Natural and the Built. In 2009, when the Department of Tourism proposed starting Heritage Walks, the obvious choice for coordinator of this endeavour was Madhu. She was given the task of charting out two routes, covering 12 historic sites on each of the routes. Once the routes had been decided, Sunday mornings became a treat for those who chose to attend the walks.

Over the years, Madhu has trained guides who take tourists on these walks, showing off the heritage of the city with immense pride.

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Madhu Vottery addressing children during a Heritage Walk[/caption] Guiding children on heritage walks is something that Madhu has always wanted to do. These programmes are known as Heritage Educational Programs. Madhu has taken children from almost all the schools of Hyderabad on walks that are specially designed for these kids.

“Taking children on these walks is indeed an experience by itself as they look at history and heritage very differently. What one learns in textbooks is very different from what one learns on a trip to ancient monuments where one gets to see, touch and feel things for real," she says.

"Teachers who attend our educational events also love the way we appreciate heritage,” adds Madhu.

[caption id="attachment_46666" align="aligncenter" width="1656"] State Central Library[/caption]

The four routes earmarked by the Tourism Department for these heritage walks are: from Charminar to Chowmahalla Palace; from Charminar to Badshahi Ashurkhana; from Charminar to Purani Haveli; and from the State Central Library to the City College.

Walkers are accompanied by trained heritage interpreters and by the specialized tourist police.

[caption id="attachment_46422" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Chowmahalla Palace. www.hyderabad-citytour.blogspot.com

Chowmahalla Palace, seen on Heritage Walk No. 1[/caption]

Pic source: hyderabad-citytour.blogspot.in

Sharing information about the most important monuments seen during each walk, Madhu says, “The highlight of Walk No. 1 is the Chowmahalla palace, which is a set of four palaces. This was the seat of the Asaf Jah dynasty. The highlight of Walk No. 2 is the Badshahi Ashurkhana, which is famous for the 400 year old polychrome tiles laid out intricately like a jigsaw puzzle. These tiles were brought all the way from Milton. The highlights of Walk. No. 3 are the Mir Alam Mandi, once a spice market, and Purani Haveli. In the days of yore people used to come from far and wide to buy spices from Hyderabad. The Purani Haveli, a U-shaped palace, was constructed by Asaf Jah II for Asaf Jah III. The highlight of Walk No. 4 is the Tamarind Tree in Osmania Park, which saved the lives of around 150 people on September 28, 1908, when the Musi river overflowed due to heavy rains and flooded the city."

World Heritage Day and World Tourism Day are big events for these heritage interpreters. On these days, students, parents, teachers, and tourists opt to attend these walks and visit the museums too.

Madhu says, “Through these walks, we are trying to spread awareness about our heritage and emphasize the need to preserve our historical monuments. Understanding the architecture and appreciating the artistic super structures of these monuments is one of the main aims of conducting these walks. The walk isn't just about the ‘old well-known structures.' It creates a link with the lives and dwellings of the people in the old times.”

Conducting these walk has become a capacity building exercise for all those who are involved with the government in this interesting activity.

[caption id="attachment_46657" align="aligncenter" width="1656"]

The tamarind tee in Osmania Park, which saved lives during the 1908 floods[/caption] Madhu and her team of heritage interpreters feel very good about creating awareness among so many people about the natural and the built heritage of the city. In the recent past there have been instances where plans to demolish certain structures have been proposed. Historians and the general public interested in heritage have shown their unhappiness towards these proposals. It is important for more and more people to be aware of the historical wealth around them, only then will they play the role of ‘heritage watchdogs’ when the need arises. Log onto the Telangana Tourism website for more information on the walks: www.telanganatourism.gov.in. Heritage walks are conducted by the Tourism Department on all Sundays and on the second Saturday of every month. The walks are from 7:30 am to 9 am. Charges for the same are Rs. 50/- per head, with a simple, sumptuous breakfast at the end of the walks. The routes chosen for the walks are usually advertised in all the local newspapers. Customized routes for personal groups can also be arranged.

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Musician Nayan Pancholi recounts how he lost his eye but survived the Pan Am flight hijack in 1986. It was September 5, 1986. Our tickets got confirmed at the last moment on Pan-Am Flight-73, which was headed from Mumbai to New York, via Karachi and Frankfurt. We were a group of singers and music composers from Ahmedabad, who were going to perform in different cities of USA. At that time, I was just 21 years old. Our flight took off from Mumbai and landed in Karachi around 4.30 a.m. There were some passengers who got off at Karachi. Cleaners entered the aircraft and were just about the leave. This is when four armed men in airport security clothes entered the aircraft from the business class side. We were seated in economy class at the rear of the plane. Suddenly, there were screams and three or four shots were fired in the air. One terrorist had a machine gun in his hand, another had grenades and a belt full of bullets, while the other two had many guns and grenades with them.

Also Read: The Incredible Story of Neerja Bhanot – Indian Flight Attendant Who Saved 360 Lives

Everyone was told to have their hands locked above their heads. I just can't forget that sight. Two terrorists were standing in the front and the other two were standing near the rear. In no time, Neerja Bhanot, the senior flight purser, informed the captain and the other crew members in the cockpit to flee the aircraft. The captain, the co-pilot, and the cockpit crew had left the aircraft. Except Neerja, all other flight attendants were tied up with ropes. The terrorists used Neerja to communicate with the airline. There were more than 350 passengers in the plane. To scare us, they even killed a person named Rakesh Kumar and threw him out of the plane. Then, they started collecting our passports. Somehow, Neerja hid some passports of American citizens under the seats. They kept on shouting and screaming at us in Arabic and continued firing shots in the air. After some time, in the afternoon, they offered us sandwiches. But who on earth can eat food in such a difficult situation? In the evening, they allowed everyone to go to the toilet, one after the other, by crawling on the floor with our hands locked over our heads. I still remember, exactly after 17 hours of them hijacking the flight, the fuel ran out. Due to this, the generator of the plane went off, leading to darkness. After the lights went off, the terrorists panicked and started firing aggressively at us. They also started throwing grenades.

I saw many people die in front of my eyes.

[caption id="attachment_47116" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]

Nayan Pancholi was just 21 years old when the Pan Am flight was hijacked in Karachi.[/caption] My own group director and another girl from the group were shot dead. I was seated near the emergency exit. I tried to open the emergency exit door, but couldn't do it. After giving it a second try, it opened, but at the same time a grenade hit me in the left eye. And in a moment, I was down on the ground.

Also Read: This Punjab Village Immortalized Neerja Bhanot Long Before Sonam Kapoor Did

After that, I was taken to the terminal by the army and was later shifted to the hospital. I was given treatment at a hospital in Karachi. After 48 hours, the Indian Airlines flight took all the Indians back home. I was then taken to Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai. But, my eye couldn't be treated there. So, I was taken to Chicago in the US for treatment, but the doctors there too couldn't save my left eye. This incident has had a deep impact on me. It was a very bad day for humanity. That day, nobody saw religion, caste, or creed in each other. That day we saw each other as humans and wanted to help and save each other. It's as simple as that in end. This article has been shared via Humans of Amdavad.

In South Korea, her tomb is located in Kimhae and there is a stone pagoda in front of it. It is said that the pagoda is made of stones that she brought from Ayodhya.

[caption id="attachment_48525" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

Tomb of Heo Hwang-ok in Gimhae, South Korea[/caption]

Source: Wikimedia

Describing how she landed in Gaya when she first met the king, she said that the heavenly lord (Sange Je) appeared in her parents' dreams and told them to send her to the Korea as the king had not found a queen yet. Legend states that the queen died at the age of 157. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to South Korea in May last year, the two countries agreed that a bigger monument of the princess will be built in Ayodhya. Recently, during a meeting with the Korean delegation, Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav said that the memorial would be constructed according to the Korean architecture. He asked Kim Ki-jae, President of Central Karak Clan Society, to provide the design of the monument so that the government can proceed.

Featured image for representation only. Source: Flickr

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Valuable artefacts like idols and sculptures used to be stolen, and are still smuggled out, from Indian temples, churches and other monuments. It is important they be returned to their rightful owners and communities. Some amazing people are making this happen. Thousands of years ago, the residents of a small village named Sripuranthan in Tamil Nadu used to worship at the Brihadeshwara temple. Constructed by the renowned king Rajaraja Chola I, the temple was known far and wide for its valuable murals, statues and inscriptions, which were also of great spiritual significance to the villagers. But the most valuable idol in the temple was that of Nataraja, a bronze Shiva sculpture. Unfortunately, this was stolen in 2006 and smuggled out of India. After travelling around the world, it finally surfaced at a reputed art gallery in London.

Here, it was sold to the Government of Australia but returned to India soon after. Today, it sits again in the same temple in Sripuranthan – all its glory restored.

While most of us are aware of the fact that Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott himself handed over the idol to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, not many know that there were several people who helped Natraja find its way back home. These people are members of a private group called the India Pride Project and their sole focus is keeping the heritage of India intact.

It all began when a group of heritage enthusiasts living around the globe decided to play James Bond and started the project to ensure all stolen Indian artefacts were returned to the country.

[caption id="attachment_48690" align="aligncenter" width="800"] IPP1

Anuraag Saxena[/caption]

“Vijay Kumar who is a blogger and an art enthusiast, was the first one to spot the Natraja idol. Our first step was to collect evidence that the idol actually belonged to the temple. So we requested our volunteers in Canberra to go to the national museum and take high resolution pictures of the idol so we could match it with the original. This was followed by tracing and finding the fake papers and invoices that were made by the dealer and proving that it was stolen,” says Anuraag Saxena, the founder of this project.

The team informed the museum in Australia about the situation: “We told them that if you bought the idol in good faith, which we think they did, you should return it back in good faith.” But when the museum and government did not respond for some time, they went to the Australian press and revealed the truth. A reputed journalist helped take their cause further and spread awareness about the issue.

A few months later, the idol was returned, much to the delight of the villagers of Sripuranthan, who installed it again in the temple with great reverence.

“If you look at Indian villages, there are only two or three remarkable places – there is a village well, a village temple or any other place of worship, and most probably a banyan tree. That’s pretty much it. That’s where people congregate, celebrate their festivals and create their memories. On the other hand, we hear that many such places of worship and social importance have been looted, either recently or several years ago. Statues of gods are stolen from temples and churches, sculptures are stolen from monuments, and more. At one point there was a lot of frustration that national treasures were being peddled around the world just because someone wanted to make some money. That was when we thought that somebody has got to do something. So why not us?” asks Anuraag, who is 40 years old and has been living in Singapore for the last nine years. He works for the World Education Foundation.

The members behind the India Pride Project consider it their responsibility to bring back anything that is owned by the country but was looted – sculptures, maps, manuscripts, paintings, etc. The core team has 11 members and all of them have regular full-time jobs. Some are into education, banking and business while others are historians or experts in visual matching.

Additionally, they have an extended network of volunteers that collaborates through social networks and helps the core team in many ways.

Recounting a recent case, Anuraag says, “A friend who works in the law enforcement department in another country (which I can’t name), found a statue that was smuggled from India. He sent us a picture saying it could be from India, Indonesia or Cambodia, and asked if we could help find out. There was a small inscription at the bottom of the sculpture. One of our guys copied the inscription and put it out on Twitter, asking people to help decipher it. Twenty four hours and hundreds of tweets later, a global community of people helped crack the inscription and we figured out where the statue was stolen from, its local significance, etc.”

Whenever the team gets some information about an artefact being found in a country different from its origin, it puts out a social media post asking volunteers to visit the museum and click some pictures of the artefact.

There are three ways in which the team finds out about a stolen item:

1. A robbery takes place and the team hears about it formally when a police report is filed: “We have a few people within the government and law enforcement departments who like what we are doing and let us know. In many cases, a villager tells us or we come to know when the case is reported in newspapers,” says Anuraag. 2. Years after something is stolen, it is found in another country; a citizen or somebody from a government agency in the country formally sends a picture asking the team to help trace the source of the item. 3. The team keeps an eye on a bunch of sources like social media, newspapers, etc. Some of the members spend at least half an hour every morning poring over the news and other sources for information. India Pride Project has slowly made many museums and art collectors across the world aware of items in their possession that may be stolen.

About 15,000 to 17,000 art pieces have been stolen from India over the years. The team has identified around 2,000 pieces so far and has brought five back to India.

Anuraag feels that ideally the returned items should be sent back to the communities they came from. But, in most cases, they are sent to a government warehouse. This is the battle the team plans to take up next.

“These idols or sculptures mean something to the people or places where they come from. I cannot come to your house and just walk out with a spoon from your table. A lot of people feel this and are trying to help us. That is why I am happy that India Pride Project is turning into a movement rather than just remaining a project now,” concludes Anuraag.

Visit here to know more about India Pride Project. Or write to them at info@ipp.org.in

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A little over 20 kilometres to the west of the desert town of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, lies Kuldhara.

As I take the dusty road that leads to it, I notice the scant presence of human existence. The vegetation is minimal - the meek straying goats have probably feasted on the last bits. The afternoon sun is fiery when I reach the ruined gates of the town. Kuldhara stands desolate and an uncanny silence prevails all around. This village was abandoned by its people 200 years ago.

Why is a once prosperous village now nothing but an abandoned old site?

Kuldhara

I spot two shepherd boys and for a paltry sum of Rs. 10 they narrate to me the legend and curse of Kuldhara.

In an era of powerful kings and ministers, about 200 years ago, Kuldhara was home to the Paliwal Brahmins. It was during this time that Salim Singh, the Diwan of Jaisalmer, known for his debauchery and unscrupulous tax-collecting methods, set his eyes on the beautiful daughter of the village chief. The Diwan was absolutely hell bent on having the girl and he told the villagers if they came in his way he would levy huge taxes on them.

Fearing the wrath of the Diwan, the residents of the entire village fled one dark night, leaving behind their homes and everything within them. Kuldhara was abandoned by its very own people. No one saw the thousand-odd members of the village leave. For generations now, no one knows where the Paliwals have resettled. All that is known is they cursed the town when they left – that no one would ever be able to settle down in Kuldhara again.

That curse stays true till date because the town is barren and uninhabited.

Kuldhara

The houses are almost in the same condition as they were left behind by their inhabitants. As I climb up the steps of one such home, I can see the entire expanse of the village. Lanes and brick homes, equidistant from each other, are neatly laid out.

I spot a little temple amidst a cluster of houses. Its walls have small niches that once held tiny little lamps.

Kuldhara

As the sun sets across the sand dunes, the gates of Kuldhara are closed by the locals of the neighbouring villages.

They believe the ghosts of Kuldhara still haunt the place.

A sudden chill sweeps over me. Is it because of the eeriness of the place or the cool evening breeze of the desert? I'm not quite sure. But the legend and curse of Kuldhara definitely leave me intrigued.

Kuldhara today is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India as a heritage site.

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About the author: With a degree in Sociology and Economics, Ramya is a blogger who writes on society and culture, hoping to bring about positive impact on as many people as possible. She runs a blog called www.meotherwise.com

Srinivasa Ramanujan, a self-educated mathematician, pioneered brilliant discoveries of theorems. He was aided by Professor G. H. Hardy in England. The Man Who Knew Infinity, starring Dev Patel, is a biopic on his life. Movies about mathematicians excite us mostly because their ingenuity is both unfathomable and fascinating to us. Like the misunderstood genius Alan Turing (The Imitation Game), or the inspiring Stephen Hawking (Theory of Everything), a peek into a past that we can only read of, overcoming obstacles that we can only imagine, makes us remember and respect these gifted minds. This April, a biopic based on the brilliant Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, is all set to release. His life was chronicled in the book The Man Who Knew Infinity by Robert Kanigel, published in 1991.

A self-educated mathematician, Ramanujan was known for his theorems that contributed significantly to understanding number series, infinite series and continued fractions.

[caption id="attachment_50601" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]

S. Ramanujan is played by Dev Patel in the film, The Man Who Knew Infinity[/caption]

Source: Wikimedia Commons, YouTube

He was born in December of 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu. While almost all of his siblings died in their infancy, he miraculously survived a case of smallpox at the age of two. His intelligence began to shine when in school in Kumbakonam, he imbibed more mathematical knowledge than anyone of his age. He studied a book on advanced trigonometry at 13, learnt cubic equations at 15, and devised his own methods of solving them. By 16, he mastered a book called A Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure and Applied Mathematics, which held a collection of 5000 theorems. He then moved on to understanding the Bernoulli numbers. After graduating in 1904 from the Town Higher Secondary School, he joined the Government Arts College in Kumbakonam. He failed most of the subjects because he couldn’t focus on anything other than math. After a stint at another college, he gave up getting a degree altogether. In 1909, he was married to 10-year-old Srimithi Janaki, and tutored students while he looked for a job. Meanwhile, the Indian Mathematics Society was set up by V. Ramaswamy Aiyer. Ramanujan, at this point, started mingling with India’s mathematicians, wowing them with his brilliance. In 1913, he began writing letters to British mathematicians. Out of these, G. H. Hardy was to be the one who would believe in Ramanujan’s skills.

Hardy and his colleague J. E. Littlewood were impressed enough to call Ramanujan to England.

[caption id="attachment_50602" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]

Jeremy Irons (left) portrays Hardy, while Toby Jones (right) plays Littlewood[/caption]

Source: YouTube

Bidding farewell to his wife and child, Ramanujan arrived in England by ship in April 1914. This was the turning point in the 27-year-old’s life. Once in Cambridge, Hardy and Littlewood combed through his collection of theorems. They found that while some of them already existed, many of them were new, unparalleled discoveries. In the next five years at Cambridge, Ramanujan published many of his work there, aided by Hardy.

Owing to his work on highly composite numbers, in 1916 he received a Bachelor of Science degree, which was later renamed to PhD. The next year, he became a part of the London Mathematical Society, and the year after that, he became a Fellow of Trinity College and Fellow of the Royal Society. He was one of the youngest (at 30) at the Society, being only the second Indian to become a Fellow there, and the first at Trinity.

However, he returned to India in 1919. An onset of various kinds of illnesses had made him weak. Life for vegetarians was difficult during First World War, due to a scarcity of vegetables and fruits, which made him malnutritioned. He was then diagnosed with vitamin deficiency and tuberculosis. In 1920, he died, aged 32, in Kumbakonam, but not before leaving the world with a plethora of theorems and discoveries in mathematics, which were researched and proved to be true years after his death.

Watch what Ken Ono, mathematics professor at Emory University and math consultant for the film, has to say about Ramanujan:

[embedvideo id="kLEyxQv3l0U" website="youtube"] His companionship with Hardy was all about contradictions. Hardy was an atheist, who followed logic and sense, while Ramanujan was religious and intuitive. Many a times, Hardy was unable to figure out how Ramanujan, a quiet, pleasant and dignified man, could rely on intuition to come up with theories. Often, Ramanujan would attribute his abilities to Goddess Mahalakshmi, saying that he would see visions of complex equations on a scroll in his dreams. Together, Hardy and Ramanujan had many accomplishments that changed the world of mathematics. Years after his death, his family home in Sarangapani Street, Chennai, was turned into a museum. An international journal called The Ramanujan Journal was launched, to publish all research and work related to his findings.

The Man Who Knew Infinity stars Dev Patel as Ramanujan and Jeremy Irons as G. H. Hardy. Watch the trailer here:

[embedvideo id="oXGm9Vlfx4w" website="youtube"]

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Every Thursday, Ferozshah Kotla’s old ruins come to life. People flock to the ancient castle to offer their deepest secrets to the city’s djinns, who are believed to be inhabitants of the area.

The letters, scrawled in different writing styles, are pinned to the walls, offering a ray of hope for the tired and the weary.

Source: Travelling Slacker/Flickr

Genies are mostly associated with “The Arabian Nights” and old tales from long ago. They’re believed to make dreams come true; their power isn’t questioned by Ferozshah Kotla’s resilient visitors - some of whom have been loyally showing up with a letter every week for decades. Plenty of stories abound. Some people visualize the djinns as talking crows or men in white robes with long beards. Some think there are many of them and that they have their unique smell. Stories are routinely exchanged and with a lot of gusto.

The opportunity to leave a letter behind for the supernatural beings shows up only once a week and by the end of the day, scores of messages are left behind by people praying with all their might.

Source: Usaid/Flickr

The letter-writing tradition is believed to have been taken from a practice that was prevalent in the 14th century in Delhi - people entered the palace premises to talk to the Tughlaq Sultan and raise issues without any interference from the royal guards. Everyone is given a chance, everyone’s considered equal in here – age, economic status, nationality no bar. According to anthropologist Anand Vivek Taneja’s research, the practice of writing letters to the djinns really took off in the 1970s when a fakir called Laddoo Shah started living in the ruins. It’s a hidden gem, the Ferozshah Kotla castle that was built in the 14th century - and it has survived long years of change and modernity. The believers hold on hard to their beliefs, and allow the message of everlasting hope to prevail. The city of djinns.

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Mumbai is a bustling metropolis with the most eclectic bunch of names - from Churchgate to Goregaon to Charni Road. Ever scratched your head, trying to decipher the history behind some of these names? Here’s a helpful guide:

1. Goregaon

Source: FrogStarB / Flickr

There are two versions of this tale. While one group holds on fiercely to the idea that Goregaon was named after the politically active Gore family, others feel that it is quite literally called the ‘white village’ because it was a major producer of milk long ago.

2. Bandra

Source: Tawheed Manzoor / Flickr

It is believed that Bandra got its name from the Persian word, ‘Bandar’, which means port. Bandra was a nondescript fishing village centuries ago and primarily had Kolis (fishermen) and farmers as its residents.

3. Chowpatty

Source: Shawn Morgan / Flickr

This one is synonymous with young couples for its endless possibilities and the sea. Bollywood has done a fairly good job of portraying the essence of the place in colorful songs. It literally stands for four lanes and was meant initially for Girgaum beach because of the possibility of four water inlets of the sea near Girgaum.

4. Cumbala Hill

Source: Grande Illusion / Flickr

This one is located near the posh locality, Kemps Corner, and got its name on account of the vast number of beautiful lotus flowers or kamals that flourished in the region in the past.

5. Churchgate

Source: Archana Menon / Flickr

The old Church gate was demolished in the 1860s. The gate led up to the fort that allowed people to enter St. Thomas’ Church. The name, however, wasn’t the only one. It was also called ‘Pawan-chakki gate’ - most probably because of a windmill that existed in the location in the 18th century.

6. Dhobi Talao

Source: Jshyun / Flickr

Dhobi Talao witnessed dhobis in large numbers who showed up to wash clothes at a tank, which stood in the area aeons ago. Although the tank was covered up later, the name stuck and Dhobi Talao is a very well-known area in contemporary times.

7. Mahim

Source: Anuradha Sengupta / Flickr

Mahim used to be a desert island and had fishermen and families residing in the area. Mahim has been adapted from ‘Mahimavati’ which means miraculous in Sanskrit. The name came about after King Bimbadev built a city called Mahikavati.

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In the last phase of the 1962 Sino-Indian war, Jaswant Singh Rawat fought off a section of Chinese troops all by himself, over 3 days. His story has so inspired Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag fame, that he plans to make a biopic highlighting Jaswant's bravery. The story of Jaswant Singh Rawat is awe-inspiring for its selfless heroism and bravery. It’s no wonder then that Rawat’s story piqued the interest of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who earlier made the stunning biopic on athlete Milkha Singh, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Mehra began work on converting the story of Rawat into a biopic in June 2015. He has even consulted Rawat’s family and friends to get more details on him. Rawat, who single-handedly fought off an entire troop of hundreds of Chinese army men on a mountain for three days, is a legend revered by jawans who are now posted near Jaswantgarh, the place where he was martyred. It was the tail end of the Indo-Chinese war in 1962. The Sino-Indian border, an unfenced 1000-kilometre stretch at altitudes of 14,000 feet, characterised by freezing climes and inhabitable rocky terrain, was the unfortunate battleground. The Chinese troops were advancing over the Himalayan border, claiming Indian land, while the Indian troops bravely fought them off. Weeks before the ceasefire was called for between the two countries, Jaswant Singh Rawat’s battalion, The Garhwal Rifles, was engaged in an intense battle with the Chinese army at Nauranang. Soon though, the battalion was called back, citing lack of resources and manpower.

But Rawat, a true-blue soldier, decided to stay back and fight.

[caption id="attachment_52551" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]

Jaswant Singh Rawat (left), the war memorial in his name (right)[/caption]

Source: Wikimedia Commons, Facebook

According to local legends, he enlisted the help of Nura and Sela, two local Monpa girls from Arunachal Pradesh, to set up a firing ground, in what would be called the battle of Nauranang. He picked three areas to set up his weapons. For the next three days, he incessantly fired at the Chinese army from these spots. Almost 300 soldiers were shot dead. The Chinese army, fearing that they were up against a large troop, stopped in their tracks. The illusion that Rawat had wanted to create worked. The Chinese troops had no clear idea about the number of men they were up against, and had no way of finding out. It took time, but the enemy troops finally learnt the truth. On November 17, 1962, Rawat was surrounded from all sides by the Chinese troops. When the attack began, he knew he would be captured. He then shot himself dead to avoid ending up their prisoner. Meanwhile, a grenade blast killed Sela, but the troops managed to capture Nura alive.

Also Read: 10 Army Heroes and Their Extraordinary Tales of Bravery

The legend goes on to say that the Chinese troops cut off his head to take home as a souvenir. After the war, the Chinese army returned his head, and, impressed by his valour as a lone warrior, also gifted a bust of Rawat made of brass. Some stories say that Rawat didn’t kill himself but was caught by the Chinese troops and hung. Soon, the ceasefire was ordered, and the war was over. The area where Rawat last stood his ground was named Jaswantgarh. A hut was built over that area, where a dedicated staff prepares his bed, shines his shoes, irons his clothes, all as if he were still alive. He was bestowed with the Mahavir Chakra posthumously, and is still considered a serving officer.

It is said that the jawans posted in AP or those who pass by Jaswantgarh, even today, stop to pay their respects.

[caption id="attachment_52552" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]

The war memorial at Jaswantgarh, Arunachal Pradesh[/caption]

Source: Wikimedia Commons

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During World War II, an Indian king set up a home away from home for Polish refugees and orphans: a Little Poland in India. His efforts saved the lives of more than 640 women and children. The ravages of the Second World War left Poland a shadow of the country it once was. The nation was torn apart by destructive forces, its people held captive in concentration camps and countless of its children left orphans. Overcoming grave obstacles and challenges, hundreds of Polish children (and women) managed to escape the dire circumstances in their country. Contradictory reports exist on how the kids planned their escape. However, it is known that they were turned away from every country they approached for help. When their ship docked in Mumbai, the British governor too refused them entry. Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar, who had heard of the plight of the refugees, sought to help them and pressurized the British government to allow the refugees to disembark. Frustrated by the lack of empathy and the unwillingness of the government to act, the Maharaja ordered the ship to dock at Rosi port in his province. Thus began the story of Little Poland in India.

On disembarking, the Maharaja warmly welcomed the Polish women and children, saying "Do not consider yourself orphans. You are now Nawnagaris and I am Bapu, father of all the people of Nawanagar, so also yours."

Source: Youtube

The children were set up in tented accommodations, while the Maharaja set about building the Balachadi camp, located near his summer palace and 25 km away from the capital city of Jamnagar. Facing severe objections from the British government for taking in foreign refugees, the Maharaja proudly claimed they were part of his family, even going so far as to provide the government with adoption certificates for them! "Our father politically adopted them," the king's daughter Harshad Kumari, told Outlook Magazine. Read also: An Awesome History Of The Lost Indian City That Traded With Romans The Maharaja took many personal risks to ensure that more than 640 women and children found a safe haven in Balachadi. He didn’t just provide the Polish citizens with the bare necessities either, but went to great lengths to ensure that Balachadi became a home away from home for these people. Mr Wieslaw Stypula, a Polish survivor, remembers the Maharaja's concern for their eating habits, "When we arrived at the camp, the Maharaja gave a party but he did not know what we children liked to eat… Despite being hungry, we didn't like to eat at all. Bapu saw this and said 'Don't worry, I will fix this.' He brought seven young cooks for us from Goa!"

Recalls another survivor, Mrs Jadwiga Tomaszek, "We never liked the spinach that was cooked in the camp and so we decided to have a spinach strike. When Bapu heard of this, he immediately ordered the cooks not to make spinach anymore."

Source: Youtube

Mr Jerzy Tomaszek, a member of the 'Survivors of Balachadi' (as they fondly refer to themselves) says, "I met Jadwiga (his wife) in Balachadi camp. I loved her since the age of 15 but married her at the age of 78. We perhaps need to thank Maharaja Jam Saheb for our meeting." Mr Jan Bielecki, yet another 'Survivor of Balachadi, remarked:

"If not for the Maharaja, we would have been in trouble…. I still do not understand that in spite of being a true patriotic Polish, one part of my soul still misses India and thus does not make me fully comfortable in Poland, as I feel that India is still my home too."

Source: Youtube

Their fond memories of the camp and the Maharaja are evidence that the four years they spent under his care were life-changing and memorable. Read also: TBI Specials: The Welcome Shores Of Nargol – A History Of The Parsi Community In India When asked about his decision to house the Polish kids, the Maharaja is believed to have told Polska, a weekly Polish magazine:

"Maybe there, in the beautiful hills beside the seashore, the children will be able to recover their health and to forget the ordeal they went through.... I sympathise with the Polish nation and its relentless struggle against oppression.”

The Maharaja's gesture went on to inspire many others to open their hearts and homes to the innocent victims of war, not just in India but across the world. His act of generosity is clearly still remembered in Poland, where he was posthumously award the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit by the President. Poland has also named the Maharaja the Honorary Patron of the popular Warsaw Bednarska High School. In 2013, the Government of Poland inaugurated the 'Good Maharaja Square' in Warsaw.

The Maharaja's actions are more noteworthy still given that while the world was at war, India was fighting an important battle of its own - one of self determination, against the backdrop of severe famine and drought.

Source: Youtube

As historian Anuradha Bhattacharya once remarked "There is no denying that Jam Saheb’s generosity is unparalleled. It was the cornerstone for other Polish people to get sanctuary in India. That they found refuge here also, speaks volumes about the national movement, which was not xenophobic, and about the Indian people who showed no antagonism to the presence of the Polish children in a year of severe drought and famine."

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The world will soon remember the renowned Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan once again, as a biopic on his life, named The Man Who Knew Infinity, is set to release this April. Ramanujan, who lived a short but very productive life, continues to be an inspiration for mathematicians across the world, and his work has inspired a lot of research over the years. Here are 10 things to know about him:

1. He was born in 1887 in Erode, located in Tamil Nadu.

His father worked as a clerk with a cloth merchant and his mother was a homemaker who also used to sing at a local temple. ramanujan4

Source: Wikimedia

2. His house in Kumbakonam, where the family had moved after his birth, is now maintained as the Srinivasa Ramanujan International Monument.

Source: Wikimedia

3. He was married to Janaki Ammal in 1909, who was 9-year-old at that time.

4. He is recognised as one of the greatest mathematicians of his time, but Srinivasa Ramanujan had almost no formal training in math.

Many of his mathematical discoveries were based on pure intuition – but most of them were later proved to be true. [caption id="attachment_53006" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

Srinivasa Ramanujan (centre) with other scientists at Trinity College at the University of Cambridge.[/caption]

Source: Wikimedia

5. He was the second Indian to be inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a Fellowship of some of the world’s most eminent scientists.

He joined the fellowship in 1918 at the age of 31, as one of youngest fellows in the history of the society.

6. A follower of his family goddess Mahalakshmi, Ramanujan credited her for his abilities.

He once said, “An equation for me has no meaning, unless it represents a thought of God.” ramanujan2

Source: Wikimedia

7. He compiled 3,900 results (mostly identities and equations), before he lost his life at the age of 32. His infinite series for pi was one of his most celebrated findings.

8. There is also a museum dedicated to telling Ramanujan’s life story. It is located in Chennai and has many photographs of his home and family, along with letters to and from friends, relatives, etc.

The collection is the result of decades of effort by Late P.K. Srinivasan, a renowned math teacher. He worked hard for years looking for his pictures, letters, etc. that could be used in the museum. In 1993, he found a lot of material in a chest in Ramanujan's old attic. ramanujan5

Source: ramanujanmuseum.org

9. His birth anniversary, December 22, is celebrated as the National Mathematics Day every year.

10. According to reports, Ramanujan used to jot down his ideas in notebooks, in green ink.

One of the notebooks, known as the ‘lost notebook’, was discovered in the Trinity College library by mathematician George Andrews in 1976, and was later published as a book.

Also read: The Man Who Knew Infinity – How Indian Genius Ramanujan Rose From Zero to Wow the Math World

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Entrenched in history, having been passed down by some of the greatest rulers of massive empires in the Indian subcontinent, the Kohinoor diamond is the most desirable, priceless stone. It’s a clear stone the size of a ping pong ball and it fits in the palm of the hand. But the Kohinoor Diamond is priceless, with a deep history engraved in its essence. The stone has seen bloodshed, violence, greed, wonder, deception and wars. It has seen men go mad with power, it has seen men fall from grace. It has seen the thirst, the hunger and the dreams that make humans essentially human. The stone has been brought down through the ages, changing hands and making history on its way. The assertion of ownership over the stone is still an elusive decision. India, Pakistan and Afghanistan all want the stone back, claiming ownership, while Britain vehemently refuses to part with their most prized possession. As the Indian government claims to bring back to stone ‘amicably’, here’s a look at why this legendary, brilliant cut 106-carat stone is so remarkable and desirable.

From India to Present-day Uzbekistan to England

[caption id="attachment_53427" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]

The Kohinoor Diamond on the royal crown[/caption]

Source: Wikimedia Commons

According to legends, in the 13th century, the diamond was found in Guntur, in Andhra Pradesh. The first known record of the possession of the diamond was with the Kakatiya Dynasty in South India, and then with the Rajas of Malwa. When the Delhi Sultanate took over the South of India in 1300s, Alauddin Khilji held the stone in his palace.

In 1339, it was taken to Samarkand (present day Uzbekistan), which was its home for the next 500 years. Sultan Ibrahim Lodi gifted it to Babur. After three generations, it was passed on to Shah Jahan. Then his son Aurangzeb took over and imprisoned him, and guarded the stone with his life. It was passed on to Bahadur Shah I and later to his great grandson, Muhammad Shah. Being a weak ruler, the stone was taken from Muhammad by Nader Shah. In 1747, he was assassinated, and his general, Ahmad Shah Durrani, passed on the stone to his grandson, Shah Shuja Durrani.

Durrani took the stone to India, and gifted it to the founder of the Sikh Empire, Ranjit Singh in 1813, in return for help to take down the Afghani throne. Emporer Ranjit Singh had instructed the stone to be part of Jagannath Temple in Puri after his death in his will. But when the East India Company and the British Empire took over the Sikh Empire in 1849, the stone was confiscated, and stored at a treasury in Lahore. Finally, it was taken to the Queen in 1850. Today, it is part of the Crown Jewels, placed in the Tower of London in the UK.

The Curse of the Mountain of Light

In Persian, Koh-i-Noor means the mountain of light. However, the name didn’t come about till the stone reached Nader Shah in the mid-1700s. Legend has it that in 1306, someone wrote that the stone was cursed. According to the curse, any man who owns the stone is likely to own all the riches and power of the world, but also suffer great misfortunes. Only a god or a woman can carry or wear the stone with no ill consequences.

A New, Lighter Cut

[caption id="attachment_53426" align="aligncenter" width="500"]

The size of the stone before 1852[/caption]

Source: Kohinoordiamond.org

When the stone was discovered, it was allegedly 793 carats, uncut. By the time it reached the British Empire in 1849, the stone weighed 186 carats. The Queen ordered the stone to be cut in 1852, as it wasn’t as brilliant and beautifully shaped when compared to other cut diamonds in their possession at the Crystal Palace. The stone was cut into an oval shape, and weighed 42% lighter at 105.602 carats.

The Priceless Gem

In the 1500s, Babur had declared that the Kohinoor was worth half the world’s total production costs in a day. However, there’s no certain way of determining the price of the stone. It has changed hands through history mainly because it was bartered, gifted or stolen. Compared to other stones in the world that weigh somewhere close, like the 100-carat flawless diamond sold by Sotheby’s at an auction in 2015, it should cost around $22-30 million (Rs 146 crores). But considering that the stone has been possessed by many of the greatest legends in Indian and world history, the premium for it could be priceless.

The Tug of War

[caption id="attachment_53428" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]

The diamond is currently displayed at the Tower of London, UK[/caption]

Source: Wikimedia Commons, Kohinoordiamond.org

When India got its independence in 1947, it asked for the stone back, believing it was supposed to be in India. Even after consequent requests in 1953 and 2000, the British government refused, citing that it was nearly impossible to decide who the stone belonged to, given its various owners throughout history. In 1976, Pakistan laid claim to the stone, but was refused by then-Prime Minister of the UK, James Callaghan, claiming that in a treaty with the Maharaja of Lahore in 1849, the stone was ordered to be transferred to the British Crown. Afghanistan too claimed that the stone should be returned to them.

In 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron said, in a quote that’s now popular, “If you say yes to one you suddenly find the British Museum would be empty. I am afraid to say, it is going to have to stay put.”

It might be a while before a concrete decision has been made about the ownership of the diamond. Until then, it'll take you a ticket to London to appreciate this beauty, steeped in historical legends!

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On International Jazz Day, we celebrate the evolution of jazz in India, from elite clubs in 1920’s Bombay to a post-independence revival with Indian classical influences, to a modern day love for Indian jazz in the new millennium. Jazz has been an integral part of Indian music culture for decades. First brought in by Western influences in early 1920’s - an era of hats, suits, boots and cabarets - the erstwhile cities of Bombay and Calcutta harboured the new sounds. Jazz legends such as Leon Abbey, Roy Butler and Teddy Weatherford toured India, introducing the swings and beats of jazz to elite Indians, while entertaining foreigners posted in the country. In 1935, Leon Abbey brought a band to Bombay, which became a resident band. Soon, ballrooms and nightclubs became jazz hubs, where Europeans found a refuge from anti-colonial sentiments building up outside. Indian elites, aristocrats and other public servants also took to the high jazzy life, particularly at the Taj Mahal Hotel ballroom in Bombay. Owing to their early exposure to Portuguese and European culture and their music, Goan and Anglo-Indian musicians dominated this era. The popular names then were Frank Fernand, Rudy Cotton, Chris Perry and Chic Chocolate. After independence, as colonial habits fell away and there was a renewed sense of nationalism, jazz also took a new turn. First, it gradually found its way into the Bollywood industry. Goan musicians, with their roots in Western and jazz music, had a profound sense of orchestral arrangements and full scale music.

They assisted music director legends like Shankar Jaikishan, O. P. Nayyar, Laxmikant Pyarelal, and inevitably fused jazzy sounds with Indian arrangements.

[embedvideo id="cQjXKdyp_wM" website="youtube"] Anthony Gonsalves, popular for teaching violin to R. D. Burman (My Name is Anthony Gonsalves was Burman’s tribute to him), was one of the pioneers of Hindi film music, introducing jazz sounds. Meanwhile, Chic Chocolate assisted C. Ramachandra to bring swing to Bollywood, through songs like Ina Mina Dika (Aasha, 1957) and Gore Gore (Samadhi, 1950). Mike McCleary, a contemporary music director in Bollywood today, brings out the jazziness of these old hits from the 60's and 70's through his remixes.

Popular songs by McCleary include Khoya Khoya Chand and Hawa Hawai from Shaitaan, and this rendition of Ina Mina Dika, featured in Shaandaar.

[embedvideo id="m5-N9JHYPjY" website="youtube"] Back in the 60's, Chris Perry’s signature tunes can be noticed in the music for Kabhi Kabhi and Trishul. Frank Fernand is popular for Don, Zanjeer, Hera Pheri, Barsat and Victoria No. 203. While jazz was influencing Bollywood, blending in easily with classical Indian music, Indo-jazz was also an emerging genre. The 1940’s was a great time of musical cultural exchange between Indian and the West, with The Beatles coming to India and Ravi Shankar gaining popularity worldwide.

Pioneered by Ravi Shankar, John Coltrane, John Mayer and John McLaughlin, Indo-jazz fused sax, guitar, bass and drums with tabla, sitar and the violin.

[embedvideo id="tJFIsjSv_DE" website="youtube"] An Indian classical arrangement, with jazz-like improvisations characterised this genre. Free jazz, a global anti-conventional form of jazz with influences from Arabic, Indian and African music, ensured that Indian sounds were heard around the world. As the years went on, indo-jazz became prominent in India. It moved from elite entertainment in the 20’s to Bollywood influences in the 60’s and has become an independent music scene today in its own right. Jazz and blues are celebrated more prominently through music festivals - Mahindra Blues Festival, Jazz Utsav, NCPA Jazz Festival, and many more - featuring both international jazz legends as well as Indian jazz artists.

One of the modern jazzists today is Louis Banks, born to a family of eight generations of musicians. Called the godfather of Indian jazz, the 75-year-old today is an icon in the jazz scene.

[embedvideo id="6eav2tRmmmY" website="youtube"] He started playing at the age of 13, and played with various bands from the 70’s. It was his stint with saxophonist Braz Gonsalves, in the Indo-Jazz Ensemble, that introduced a peculiar style to Indian jazz. Using ghatam and thavil, the band fused jazz rhythms with Indian classical sounds.

Today, his son, drummer Gino Banks, is one of the many young jazz cats leading the new generation of jazz in India.

[embedvideo id="8gAPP7KWjQY" website="youtube"] The jazz scene today is not geographically limited. New age bands from Pune, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Shillong, Kolkata and Goa have sprung up, each finding their own style and rhythm. Besides Louis Banks, other big names in veteran Indian jazz today include Dhruv Ghanekar and Gary Lawyer, while contemporary artists include Ron Cha, Andrew Kanga, Anurag Naidu, Vinayak Pol, and more. It’s also not limited to an Indian jazz style, either. Elements of blues, bebop, swing, folk, Latin are all incorporated, to form a unique sound. HFT, for instance, comprises of artists who play world jazz, that’s savvy and popular. Syncopation fuses jazz with swing and folk, REFUGE collates world music with classical music and jazz, while Chlorophyll Dreams has overtones of smooth jazz and contemporary sounds.

Los Amigos is a band dedicated entirely to Latin jazz, with timbales and bongos.

[embedvideo id="S5L6e56qEjE" website="youtube"] The Rajeev Raja Combine includes tabla and Carnatic vocals in their songs, while Bengaluru-based Mystik Band has tabla, cajon and bamboo flute along with bass guitar and keyboard.

Delhi-based Fubar Ghetto is bluesy and Gautam Ghosh Collective combines sarod with flute and sax.

[embedvideo id="1XLtkSIchPw" website="youtube"] And these are just the tip of the iceberg; jazz in India today is a growing, breathing, vibrant music scene. Their dramatic music reflects the essence of life, following ups and downs and drops and catches. Music platforms and venues such as Bluefrog are more welcoming to new jazz sounds. If going to a live gig is not your scene, then check out jazz in modern Bollywood hits, such as the stylish and sleek Bombay Velvet numbers.

A tribute to Bombay's jazzy days of yore, these songs were allegedly recorded live, supervised by Amit Trivedi.

[embedvideo id="WMvGpOYmDmY" website="youtube"] Internatinal Jazz Day is celebrated on April 30 every year to celebrate the musical explosion that is jazz.