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Badi Baoli at Qutb Shahi tombs restored to its full glory

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Travel & Tourism, , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Heritage regained:Work nearing completion at the Badi Baoli with the western wall, which had collapsed in 2013, also fully restored now.— Photo: K.V.S. GIRI
Heritage regained:Work nearing completion at the Badi Baoli with the western wall, which had collapsed in 2013, also fully restored now.— Photo: K.V.S. GIRI

 The 400-year-old step well collects 10 lakh litres of water this rainy season

Among all the structures on the premises of the Qutb Shahi tombs, one of the first to come up near the entrance is the Badi Baoli (step well), built more than 400 years ago by Sultan Qutb-ul-Mulk, the first ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. The huge quadrangle edifice, which looks like anything but a well, has been brought back to life about three years ago after a part of it had collapsed due to heavy rains.

And now, it is the same monsoon that is making the Badi Baoli do what it was meant to do: to collect water for the purpose of irrigation or gardening in the premises. “We have collected one lakh litres of water after it had started raining this year,” said Ratish Nanda, CEO of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is currently restoring the Qutb Shahi Tombs.

In 2013, the western wall of the Badi Baoli had collapsed due to heavy rains, and details of the construction remained only on a small portion of the structure. A visit to the old step well now will perhaps bring a smile on the face of any heritage lover. The details have been restored, and the cement on parts of the edifice has also been taken off.

The restoration was also done with the help of archival images from the 1860s, when certain changes were made to the structure during the Asaf Jahi era. “The work is going to finish in a few days, as the lime-plaster is being applied,” mentioned Mr. Nanda.

Collecting Water a part of the restoration plan:

One of the advantages of restoring the Badi Baoli is that the AKTC is utilising the water collected for irrigation and restoration work as well, effectively having to rely lesser on water tankers. “We have created catchment areas for all the six baolis on the premises. Wherever there is a step-well, we built channels to divert rain water directly into it, instead of allowing it to get logged or sucked underground,” explained Mr. Nanda.

Apart from the Badi Baoli, the AKTC has also restored the Hamam (bath) Baoli and the Jamshed Baoli. The other three step-wells in the Qutb Shahi Tombs premises are located in the Eidgah and the Deccan park. They will also be restored at a later stage of the restoration, which is currently in its first phase. Under it, about 30 of the 70-plus heritage structures will be restored by the end of 2017.

The historic necropolis is being restored by the AKTC in partnership with the Department of Archaeology. The project is also being funded by the Dorabji Tata Trust.

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Yunus Y. Lasania / Hyderabad – July 10th, 2016

Raring to go

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Budding artist Alayna Zaid
Budding artist Alayna Zaid

Nine-year-old artist Alayna Zaid, having her maiden show in the city, shows promise

“Imaginarium” is a showcase of art works by a nine-year-old girl. What makes it even more interesting is the variety of medium, the budding artist Alayna Zaid has worked with like glass paint, watercolour, acrylic on canvas, oil on canvas, glue with paint, shaving foam with paint, tissue paper for crating textures. As for the imagery, the fourth standard girl of the Inventure Academy, has borrowed from flora and fauna. A few abstract works are also part of the collection.

At an age when children discover new games everyday, Alayna spent her holidays at home to complete 40 paintings for the exhibition. While Alayna’s mother Uzma Irfan says her work were so good that they decided to put it out in the public domain, the young artist is nonchalant about the development. “I don’t know how it feels. All I know is I like to paint different themes like nature and animals in different textures,” says Alayna.

Alayna was three when her mother noticed her talent. “The same year I put her in informal ‘observe and learn classes’ with Nimmi Ravindran as she was too young. But gradually she started taking to it and she has actively been learning and experimenting with her teacher’s guidance since then,” says Uzma.

Alayna’s passion for colours can be seen in her ‘Psychedelic’ painting in which she has used glue and paint. To depict ‘Snowy Mountains’ on a sunny day she uses shaving foam whereas her ‘Twilight’ has colours literally flowing down the canvas as she had discovered the diluting paint. Allowing it to flow resulted in creating the effect. “I love the textures that come out of paint-knife and chopsticks too”, she says pointing out to her trees and leaves.

Alayna has made 300 paintings till now but what the little girl is particularly excited about is ‘Mandala’ art work. Recently finished in school, she used rice and a variety of seeds for which she received appreciation from her teachers.

Alayna Zaid’s works will be on display at Sublime Galleria till August 2

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metroplus / Ranjani Govind / Bengaluru – July 09th, 2016

EID Mubarak : Aala Hazrat gate row ends

Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , ,

Bareilly, UTTAR PRADESH  :

Bareilly :

In a goodwill gesture on the occassion of Eid, Muslim community has decided not to go ahead with the construction of the Aala Hazrat gate in Jasoli area close to Bakarganj railway crossing in the city .

Announcing the decision, secretary of the Eidgah committee Maulana Shahbuddin Razvi, in a speech before prayers at Eidgah ground on Thursday, said, “We don’t want a gate in the name of Aala Hazrat. Such gates or buildings will add nothing to the stature of Aala Hazrat. He will be known for his compassion and the literary value he added to society by writing hundreds of books.”

City administration heaved a sigh of relief on hearing about the decision as it had been virtually walking a tight rope in trying to resolve the matter. Trouble had been brewing since last month when a section of one community tried to build the gate and the other community opposed it.

Both Hindu and Muslim communities were at loggerheads over construction of AalaHazrat gate in Jasoli area.

Multiple memorandums were submitted from both sides after some people were stopped from constructing the gate on June 28 though the proposal had been approved by the municipal corporation.

The matter took a political hue after Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena and other Hindu outfits also intervened on behalf of one side in the matter opposing the construction of the Aala Hazrat gate.

To ensure that the situation did not escalate into a fill blown clashes, administration invited both the sides to the collectorate to amicably resolve the matter. Both sides traded charges. Maulana Shahbudeen Razvi, national general secretary of All IndiaJamat Raza-E-Mustafa, a Bareilly-based religious and social organization, dubbed the protest against construction of gate as a politically motivated move. Shiv Sena’sdistrict unit president Pankaj Pathak claimed that the administration has ignored the religious sentiments of the people of a particular community.

Meanwhile, the city was gripped with festive fervour on Thursday as people celebrated Eid. All major roads in the city led to the prayer grounds and mosques where people thronged in thousands to offer prayers.

Eid prayers were recited at many places including famous Eidgah ground inBakarganj, Aala Hazrat mosque and Khanquah-e-Niyaziya.

The maximum turnout was at the Eidgah ground in Bakarganj area where more 10,000 people gathered to offer prayers. The area was turned into fortress with deployment of rapid action force (RAF), home guards and hundreds of police personnel dotting the entire area.

Top city administration was also in attendance at Eidgah ground including district magistrate Gaurav Dayal, SSP RK Bhardwaj,ADM, city, Alok Kumar and SP, city,Sameer Saurabh.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bareilly / TNN / July 07th, 2016

M J Akbar: From being a Congress MP to Modi’s minister

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, World Opinion, ,

Madhya Pradesh / NEW DELHI :

New Delhi :

M J Akbar’s debut as a minister caps a remarkable political turnaround for the journalist and author who made a dashing foray into politics as a Congress MP in 1989, thanks to his proximity to the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, before a long spell in wilderness.

65-year-old Akbar, who was recently elected to Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh, is seen as an articulate and modern Muslim voice in BJP who can also be trusted to defend it at times on the strident Hindutva pitch with his eloquent evocation of Modi’s developmental agenda.

A party spokesperson, he has often spoken on the government’s foreign policies.

An eminent editor and author of several well-received books, including a biography of Jawaharlal Nehru, he debuted in politics in 80s as he came close to the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and wielded considerable influence.

He contested Lok Sabha election in 1989 from Kishanganj in Bihar and won but Congress lost badly.

He drifted apart from the party after Gandhi’s death in 1991 and he soon returned to full time journalism.

Though he was critical of Modi, the then Gujarat Chief Minister, following 2002 riots, he gradually came closer to the saffron party as he assailed the Gandhi family over its leadership of Congress.

BJP expects that Akbar will provide it what the party has often lacked — an eloquent English-speaking Muslim voice.

source:  http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / PTI / July 05th, 2016

Lucknow’s Aishbagh Eidgah witnesses history, women offer Namaz on Eid

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , , , , , ,

Lucknow, UTTAR PRADESH :

Lucknow :

For Atiya Mushtaq, a principal in a Lucknow-based madarsa, July 7, 2016 or 7/7 would certainly go down as a special day in her life, as for the first time she got an opportunity to offer Namaz on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr at the historic Aishbagh Eidgah. A separate provision was made for the women to offer the Namaz. While the men offered their Namaz on the grounds of Eidgah, provision for women to offer Namaz was made at the Tayyab Hall.

Reacting on her being a part of the rare occasion, Atiya, said, “It really gave me a special feeling after I offered the Eid Namaz. It was definitely a special moment in my life, and I would treasure it.” She further expressed hope that this unique and positive trend continues in the future as well.

Fariah Saad, a housewife too was excited after offering the Namaz. She said, “We had offered Namaz in various mosques across the world. But, for the first time, I got such an opportunity in India, and I am proud to be a part of it.” She further stated that this historic move would go a long way in sending a positive message about equality of males and females in Islam.

Lucknow also made history, when on the occasion of last Eid-ul-Zuha (September 25, 2015), the historic Sibtainabad Imambara witnessed a unique citizen-driven initiative called ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’ (S2S) where a joint Shia-Sunni Namaz was performed to spread the message of universal brotherhood. As per mutual agreement, Sunni Imam Maulana Shehzad led the prayer at the Shia monument and everybody followed as per their individual manner, hands folded or otherwise. Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Sadiq had then said, “It is a welcome move that both sects are standing together to pray and this should be sustained and nurtured.”

The weather too played a positive role, as women along with their family members were seen entering the gate and then moving to Tayyab Hall to offer Namaz. Speaking to reporters after the Eid celebrations were over, Imam of Eidgah Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali said, “We are of the opinion that both men and women are equal, and hence for the first time, provision was made for women to offer Namaz at the Eidgah.” He further stated that this would certainly send a positive message in the society that women are at par with their male counterparts.
Greeting the people who had gathered at the Aishbagh Eidgah on this occasion, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, said, “I extend my best wishes to people of the state on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. The entire country is celebrating Eid and all sections of the society are celebrating the festival. Eid symbolises brotherhood, bonhomie and I hope that Eid would also generate love among people.”

UP Governor Ram Naik while addressing the people said, “Mohammed Sahab’s message was to spread brotherhood. His teachings are relevant even today throughout the world and also in other religions.” He further stated that a true Muslim is concerned about the welfare of his neighbours, society, fellow citizens and the country. “Terrorism is a global problem, and I just came to know about a second terror attack in Bangladesh’s capital city of Dhaka,” Naik said. He urged the audience to take pledge to spread love and also hoped for good rains. The governor also exuded confidence that UP would become “Uttam Pradesh”.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / Arunav Sinha / TNN / July 07th, 2016

Over a cup of evening tea : A brush with Royalty recollected

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , , ,

Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

Prof M. J. Sadiq with the silver tray. Detailing on the silver tray
Prof M. J. Sadiq with the silver tray. Detailing on the silver tray

by Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem

Mysuru :

Today I’m writing this article about Royal weddings of long ago from a place that seems like it has been caught in a weird time warp. I say this because our Coffee Estate where I am on a holiday right now has been without a working telephone landline for the past three months. The best mobile phones too just become expensive paperweights, unable to serve their intended purpose. Although privileged to be located amid lush sylvan surroundings in the midst of the best that nature has to offer, most estates like ours are tucked in the nooks and crannies of the hills where mobile signals simply fail to trickle through. Electricity too is a commodity that cannot be had for the asking just because you have a meter and a line hooked to an electric pole.

Nobody who is entrusted with the responsibility of keeping these facilities working has been able to summon the will or the sense of commitment to do anything about it despite all the hue and cry raised by subscribers who are cut off from a civilisation that thrives on constant wireless connectivity and only keeps complaining constantly of insufficient speed! After I complete this article I’ll have to drive ten kilometres with my laptop to the nearest village where a sufficiently strong mobile signal becomes available for me to mail it to the SOM office.

This business too is not as simple as it seems. I’ll have to wait patiently in my car and keep a watch on the signal strength before pressing the send button precisely at the right moment. It’s a little like skeet shooting, thankfully a sport at which I happen to be pretty good! Well, going back just a little bit from the time zone where I am now standing I would like to draw your attention to how things were in the forties in Royal Mysore.

Girija Madhavan, a multi-talented lady who sometimes takes readers down the memory lane with her nostalgic writings and paintings, recently talked of the way Royal weddings used to be held (SOM dated 20th June, 2016). She recalled how her late father M. Venkatesh used to attend the Durbars of the Maharaja and she has also sent a picture of the silver salver on which the wedding invitations used to be placed before being handed over to the VIP invitees. My late maternal grandfather Alhaj M. Khaleelur Rahman, then a prosperous merchant on Ashoka Road, was a person who was very close to the Royal family and who used to be invited to Dasara Durbars and all the Royal weddings and other functions that used to take place during his time. His son, Prof. M.J. Sadiq, my maternal uncle, who used to teach Zoology at St. Philomena’s College, still has in his possession the salver on which his father received the invitation to the weddings of the two sisters of the Maharaja held in the year 1941.

Weighing exactly 350gms and made of 97% pure silver by C. Krishnaiah Chetty and Sons of Bangalore, its purity and paternity are stamped on the reverse. It is very similar to the one in possession of Girija Madhavan although slightly different in shape. Incidentally, my uncle, Prof. Sadiq is a very meticulous person who is a sort of chronicler of all events in our family besides being the curator and caretaker of the family heirlooms. If you want to know what the cost of onions or sugar or rice used to be in any given year ever since he started wielding a pen probably in the mid-forties, he will turn the pages of his record books and give you the exact figures in less time than it takes for the Google search engine to do the job!

He has also preserved all the invitation cards of all the weddings that have taken place in the family ever since he was a little boy. Incidentally, he found a mention in Star of Mysore last week for being the first person to suggest in a letter to the editor three and a half decades ago that the Hardinge Circle would be a good place to install the statue of H. H. Sri. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar.

R. Kasturi Raj Chetty, who became the eighth Vice-Chancellor of the Mysore University (1948-50), used to be very close friend of my grandfather and the two would attend most public functions together including the ones at the Palace. The wife of the VC for whom my late grandmother, Zaibunnissa was a favourite friend, would come in a separate chauffeur driven car to pick up my grandmother on her way to attend such events. It appears the two ladies even used to do their shopping for silk saris together. It certainly must have seemed very unusual at that time for a lady from a tradition bound Muslim household to be seen socialising as she did when most of her counterparts led a home-bound existence. ‘Good old Days’ indeed!

e-mail: kjnmysore@rediffmail.com

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /  Home> Feature Articles / July 08th, 2016

MLA felicitates caretakers of Sahrudaya home

Community Involvement / Social Issues, , ,

Kazipet (Warangal District), TELANGANA :

Ruling party MLA D Vinay Bhaskar visited the Sahrudaya Old Age Home and felicitated Yakub Bhi and her husband Mehboob Ali who were running the Home.

Following a story published in these columns on Thursday that Yakub Bhi conducted the last rites of Hindu elderly who died at Home as per his customs, Mr Vinay Bhaskar paid a visit to appreciate their gesture.

Mr. Vinay Bhaskar presented a shawl and bouquet. He promised to ensure funding from government agencies to sustain the 70 inmates at the Home.

Karimnagar MP B Vinod Kumar also telephoned the caretakers and appreciated their services.

The MP also promised to ensure support from Central government departments.

The story got wide response from various sections of the society and many came forward to help the caretakers urging them to continue their work.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Warangal – July 08th, 2016

Starting with caution, they emerge victorious

Business & Economy, Science & Technology,

Peroorkada (Thiruvananthapuram) ,  KERALA :

Success story:The LED manufacturing unit of the start-up Semilon Technologies Pvt. Ltd. at Peroorkada.
Success story:The LED manufacturing unit of the start-up Semilon Technologies Pvt. Ltd. at Peroorkada.

Start-up by five youths makes turnover of Rs.1 crore in 2014-15

While several start-ups have been launched in the State in the past few years, not many have been able to break even and go on to register profits.

The feeling of uncertainty could easily have dissuaded a group of five youths from floating their start-up company soon after graduating from a self-financing college at Karakulam in 2010. But, pooling in the caution deposits they received from the college, they launched their endeavour, which primarily focused on supplying LED lights.

“Despite many odds, we were confident of tapping the potential of such a venture though LED lights were not in vogue then as they are now,” says Jino V. Manohar, one of the founders of the company. Amal Raj, Arul Raj, Shahab Ellias Iqbal and A.K. Surjith are the other members of the group.

Their decision turned out to be a masterstroke with their company, Semilon Technologies Pvt. Ltd. at Peroorkada, witnessing a turnover of Rs.1 crore during the 2014-15 fiscal. The company has a workforce of 12 people at present.

Their journey has been far from smooth. However, the company has gone on to bag the commendation award from the Kerala State Energy Management Centre in 2012 for manufacturing energy-efficient equipment.

Diversification

After establishing themselves in the market, they ventured into lighting design services in 2014. “Lighting design is an important component in architecture and has become increasingly popular over the years. There are several takers for planning the specifics of lighting equipment while designing the interiors and exteriors of a building right from its planning stage,” Mr. Manohar says.

Besides having commenced a solar power plant division, the group also diversified to create a R&D consulting division. They were recently empanelled as one of the few channel partners by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to implement solar power plants.

e-crop

The R&D division had recently developed ‘e-crop’ for the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) at Sreekaryam.

The device is equipped with multiple sensors for various purposes, including assessing soil parameters, solar radiation and predicting crop yield.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Staff Reporter / Thiruvananthapuram – July 06th, 2016

Keeping alive a tradition that’s on the wane

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Without a miss:Muhammad Jaffer has been announcing Ramzan fasting time for the past 31 years.— Photo: Serish Nanisetti
Without a miss:Muhammad Jaffer has been announcing Ramzan fasting time for the past 31 years.— Photo: Serish Nanisetti

Muhammad Jaffer cycles through the streets of Santoshnagar beating his drum announcing the beginning of Ramzan fast

He is a town crier with a difference. Under the halogen streetlight glow at 3.30 a.m., Muhammad Jaffer’s voice booms over the hailer in Santoshnagar, Mehdipatnam followed by banging of drum announcing the beginning of Ramzan fast for the day. The whirring fan, the noisy AC and closed doors are no impediment, as folks scramble to prepare lunch before the 16-hour fast. Some have the food ready and just have to brush and eat sehri.

“This is a tradition from the beginning of Islam. Now people have alarm clocks, but I like to hear his sing-song voice asking people to wake up for food and prayer,” says Aziz Ahmed, a businessman. “Earlier, there were sehri-walahs doing this, but now the numbers have declined,” says Mr. Aziz, recalling the time when the family used to live in Hussainialam in the old city, 40 years ago.

It is difficult to catch Mr. Jaffer in the morning as he briskly cycles through the streets of Santoshnagar to Rethibowli in Mehdipatnam between 2 a.m. and 3.30 a.m. banging the drum mounted on the handlebar of the cycle and singing the words that are difficult to grasp. “I have been doing this for the past 31 years. I began in 1983 or 1984 when I was 14 and my father Muhammad Qureshi passed away. I am continuing his legacy. Then I used a tin drum which I used to bang, shout and walk through these same streets,” says Mr. Jaffer, on a day when he has come to collect money from grateful people whom he has rendered this service to.

“Earlier, people used to give foodgrains. Now they give clothes, grains as well as money,” informs Mr. Aziz.

“There was a time when we used to meet at 1 a.m. to drink tea and have pan before heading out to make these calls. We were more than a few dozen. But now, there are about 10 in this part of the city and I think the whole of Hyderabad may have about 50,” he guesses.

“No. My children will not follow this profession. They are all young and they want to study and work,” says Mr. Jaffer, who supplies lime to restaurants and function halls during the rest of the year.

In these days of niche apps that show the direction of qibla, exact time of prayer, and cell phone alarms, Muhammad Jaffer is a happy anachronism which Hyderabad can be proud of.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Serish Nanisetti / Hyderabad – July 06th, 2016