When it comes to taking cab rides, there have always been many bad experiences for the commuters compared to the good ones.
Bengaluru Ola cabbie Khateeb UR Rahman (Photo | Facebook and PTI)
When it comes to taking cab rides, there have always been many bad experiences for the commuters compared to the good ones.
Two of the dominant cab aggregators Uber and Ola are no different as they have also been in the wrong side of the news in the past.
But this time around it was an Ola cab driver who is in the news for all the good reasons. On September 17th, a Bengaluru based man took to Facebook and shared a heartwarming story of an Ola cab driver.
The commuter, Sayuj Ravindran, said that the cab driver returned valuables and gadgets worth Rs 2.5 lakh to him after he had left them behind in the cab.
He wrote, “Returning after my cousins wedding, I took an Ola cab (with my family) from KR Puram railway station to home at around 3:30 am. Halfway down, the car tyre got punctured. The driver requested me to book another cab since it will take some time for him to replace the tyre. I got another one in 10 mins and I was about to reach home when I got a call from the first cab driver informing that I left a handbag in the car. I then realized it was my laptop bag which also had some valuables in it. He said he will wait for me right there. I took my car from home and rushed back. He was kind enough to come a little further towards my home. We met at the Marathahalli bridge and he gave me the laptop bag.”
Sayuj also mentioned that the cabbie refused to take money from him as a favour.
“Meet Mr Khateeb UR Rahman, who returned my bag (with stuff worth Rs 2.5 lakhs approx). He refused to take any money from me in return of the favour and got back into his cab. But I did manage to slip in the money to his jacket pocket forcefully. Please reward this gentleman for what he has done, ” he said.
The post had gone viral with over 10,000 people liking the post and over 2,600 people sharing it.
The RT Nagar Old office (SGP Group), who came across the heartwarming act of the Khateeb UR Rahman rewarded him with a cheque of Rs 25,000.
This heartwarming gesture once again proves to be an example of how one will be rewarded according to his/her act.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Online Desk / September 25th, 2019
Vlogging or video-blogging is nothing new in this modern age of technology. But there is an interesting vlogger family worth knowing about. Let’s meet four women from a family in Malappuram, who have established their paths in successful vlogging – Shamseera, Femina, Sabeena and Shabna.
Moyin KP and Khadeeja EC belong to the village of Munduparamb in Malappuram. They have four children – a daughter and three sons. Their daughter Shabna and the three daughters-in-law are into vlogging now. It all began with Shamseera, their eldest daughter-in-law. She grew up in Kerala and Qatar and lived with her husband and kids in Dubai where she too worked for a while. But when they moved to Saudi Arabia in 2014, she found it so different from the places she had been till then – it was hard to go out alone, she couldn’t work as job opportunities were very less for foreign women back then.
Her only solace then lay in her cooking experiments, reading and crafts etc. She even joined her kids’ school as an art teacher but soon realised that ‘teaching itself was art I (she) lacked’. In between, she was also watching videos on YouTube, which gradually brought her to the idea of starting a channel of her own. Shamseera began a YouTube channel in 2016 but had to drop it due to some technical issues. She then began another one in 2017 and uploaded the videos of the previous one in it and thus started the journey again. Since then, she hasn’t turned back from her ‘Momtastic’ channel. (https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCL-LW86fWpQejgKbsoWrQqw#menu). She now has 2.98 lakh subscribers from different parts of the world.
Shamseera Sherin and family
The other three were inspired by Shamseera. Shabna Hasker was the second to enter the field. She began her channel ‘Taste Tours’ (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwXXEk9v87KS57cFkpoTgIQ) in May 2018, and soon Sabeena Shemin joined with ‘Sabeena’s Spice Diary’ (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChiazvVDnNGssDgqshIKGAA) in June 2018. And now, Femina couldn’t stay back. She joined the YouTube journey along with her husband Shajin in October 2018 – ‘Femina & Shajin’ (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzfIuOwn17TYHnt9NygsWKg) The topics they have selected are all similar – cooking, cleaning, organizing, gardening, crafts, travel, daily house chores etc. Shamseera chose English as the medium for her vlogs, though she has done one in English, Malayalam and Hindi together. Sabeena and Femina began in English and switched to Malayalam owing to the request of viewers. Shabna uses only Malayalam in her videos.
Femina Shejin and family
All the four ladies manage their YouTube channels along with taking care of their respective families and running their houses. Shamseera, a graduate in commerce, lives in Riyadh with husband and two kids. Femina, an MBA graduate, is in Calicut with her husband and two kids. Sabeena, a Statistical Investigator on leave from government service, lives with husband and a kid in Sharjah. Shabna, a graduate in commerce, lives in Malappuram with husband, three kids and parents-in-law. Speaking to TwoCircles.Net, they said that they wished to upload videos twice or thrice a week in a fixed time but were not able to do so always. Shamseera, Femina and Sabeena shoot their videos and do the related works when their kids are away in school, while Shabna has her youngest child always with her at home and so has to do her works at night after the kids go to sleep. All mentioned the support of their families. Shabna’s channel has more than 1.5 lakh subscribers, while Sabeena’s has 1.01 lakh and Femina’s more than 31,000.
Shabna Hasker and family
Shabna now has a cookbook to her credit – ‘Janapriya Ruchikal’ by leading publisher DC Books, expected to be released soon. It was her husband Dr Hasker who suggested the idea and pushed her into writing it when she was reluctant. Shamseera has even starred in an advertisement for the famous Lulu Supermarket.
When asked how they managed their private life and public vlog with the camera inside their homes, all four said they were extremely particular that their vlogging shouldn’t affect their private lives. Shabna said, “We do capture our daily life at home but only for a short time. For example, we capture the first few moments of having food and then turn it off. So we have our time too.” Femina owes the lag between her videos to the priority she has kept.
shabna hasker
While the other three vlog on their own, Femina does it along with her husband. “It is good. We can spend some more time together,” she said. In addition to the usual topics dealt with by all, they also do comedy videos along with their kids. However, there are times when Femina has to do the vlogs alone as Shajin gets busy with work. The daughter of an Army Major, Femina was born in Kerala and grew up in different parts of the country. After completing her graduation in Commerce, she did MBA in HR and worked for a while when they were in Dubai and back in Kerala. Now she is also running a home décor-related business online.
Sabeena Shemin and family
They also try to keep regular contact with their viewers–replying to messages on social media and trying to do videos on request. “Editing and uploading a video is a big task. My eyes get tired, my energy levels fall. But once I publish a video, the comments from my loving viewers are just enough to make my battery level go 100% in a few seconds,” said Shamseera. She recalled an experience she had last month on a trip to Kochi when a lady rode 6-7 kilometers on a scooter with two kids just to meet her.
So, how has YouTube affected their lives? Shamseera confesses she was reserved and shy earlier, but vlogging has made her a more confident person. Life has become busier and more hectic, but now that they are used to it, Femina says it is a beautiful mix. The women are doing their bit for charity too, the latest being during the floods in Kerala. Life has changed for all the four – getting recognized is indeed a matter, but it makes them more responsible too.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> TCN Positive> Indian Muslim> Lead Story> Women / by Najiya O – TwoCircles.net / September 16th, 2019
Ahead of its release this Friday, Bard of Blood writers Bilal Siddiqi and Mayank Tewari discuss the challenges involved in adapting a book into a seven-episode TV format
In 2015, at the book launch of The Bard of Blood, author Bilal Siddiqi and novelist, Hussain Zaidi, made jokes on Emraan Hashmi as to how he is the right candidate to essay RAW agent Kabir Anand, without considering the eventuality that would transpire four years later. Bilal agrees that he did not put an image to the character while writing, and that the casting of Emraan Hashmi happened organically. “When you have a star like Emraan on board, it will obviously elevate the viewership of the show. He embodied the character and brought in lots of nuances to Kabir Anand,” says Bilal Siddiqi, who has written the screenplay of Bard of Blood along with writer Mayank Tewari, known for writing Newton and The Accidental Prime Minister.
Inside the writer’s world
The biggest selling point of The Bard of Blood was Bilal’s age (he was 20) — too young to be dealing with guns, agents and weapons of mass destruction (read: third world politics). But his fascination for the espionage genre stems from his mentor Hussain Zaidi, with whom he assisted in books like Byculla to Bangkok, Mumbai Avengers and My Name Is Abu Salem. Bilal wrote a brief outline of Kabir Singh, the protagonist of The Bard of Blood, and says he never had the intention to make it into a novel. “He [Zaidi] liked whatever I had written and sent it to my publisher. They called me one day, asking to finish the book so that they can take a call. I somehow managed to fulfil my dream of writing,” he says.
He was “subconsciously influenced” by Zaidi, who had one advice for him: ‘Make it visceral and graphic’. That he did when he sat with Mayank Tewari in the writer’s room, having discussions back and forth on how to better the book. “Bilal was very proactive in saying, ‘let us use this material as a springboard to take it to the next level’. Since it was written five years back, we had to spend more time on the screenplay to make it relevant and real,” says Mayank Tewari, adding that the duo has taken the “best chunk from the book”.
Unlike The Accidental Prime Minister, which was non-fiction, the challenge for Mayank was to construct scenes that drives the characters throughout the season, in a satisfying way for the audience. “The one good advantage is that, all characters were sharply etched out. There were some really good lines in the book, which we have retained,” he adds. Mayank did have heated exchanges with Bilal on how to interpret Balochistan. He quips, “But that’s what makes the collaboration rewarding, right? Disagreements lead to fruitful agreements. And everything was in the spirit of making a good show.”
Writing a novel has its own perks. For instance, Bilal had the luxury to use The Bard of Blood as a device to get into the character’s psyche, exploring his inner voice and go overboard with the descriptions — a counter to the film format, where you need to show these things on screen rather than tell. He admits that they had to tone down the details, adding, “Screenplay is like a manual for filmmakers to shoot. So, it is a different ball game and Mayank has given some valuable inputs.”
Bilal acknowledges the timely suggestions of Shah Rukh Khan, who has produced it along with Netflix. In fact, Jannat Mari, the character played by Kirti Kulhari, is Shah Rukh Khan’s brainchild and was not there in the book. “He [SRK] saw the pitch before it went to Netflix. The series has several characters that were not part of the book. In that sense, you can say that Bard of Blood is the best version of my book.”
(The writer was in Mandawa at the invitation of Netflix)
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Srivatsan S / September 24th, 2019
In an attempt to highlight Tipu Sultan’s personality, diplomacy, relationships with other rulers, foreign policies and other facets of his rule, two youths from Solapur city, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Wayez Sayed are bringing out a Marathi book named “Tipu Sultan – Patre, Hukum Name aani Itihasache Sadhne” (Tipu Sultan – Letters, Orders and History materials).
About 415 letters and 10 orders (Hukm name) of Tipu Sultan have been collected by these two youths and translated into Marathi.
The book containing Tipu’s written material is ready for release and will be published by Adv. Gaziuddin Research Center, Solapur, Maharashtra. This research centre has released five books on Tipu Sultan.
Speaking with Twocircles.net, Sarfaraz Ahmed informed that they worked for nearly six years to translate this 300-page book.They had to travel across India to collect these 415 letters written by Tipu which have been preserved in different libraries of the country, he added.
“These letters show that he had very good relations with Maratha Sardars of Maharashtra, Nizam II of Hyderabad and other Indian kings. He also contacted foreign rulers, including Napoleon Bonaparte and British rulers as a part of foreign policy, ” Ahmad added.
Come author Sayed Shah Wayez said they had to work hard to translate these letters because they were written in seven languages since Tipu Sultan used to communicate with other rulers in their mother tongue only.
Renowned activist Ram Punyani, who has written the introduction for this book, lauded the efforts and the hardwork of Sarfaraz and Wayez.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Historical Facts> Indian Muslims> Lead Story / by Imran Inamdar, Twocirlces.net / September 22nd, 2019
Beadwork is the use of beads in fabric decoration and ornamental design. Beads were used decoratively in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome and during the Indus Valley civilisation. However, today, the art that is handmade is becoming increasingly hard to find, which is reflected in its price point in the marketplace. Beadwork, with its symmetric or asymmetric patterning, stands out for its intricate and innovative designs. The practice of beading transmutes a jumble of beads into a meaningful whole. This Weekend Star Supplement introduces some of the unsung traditional bead artists on Ashoka Road pavement who have mastered the delicate art and made it their own.
Unsung Beadstringers of Ashoka Road
These threads full of enchantment have entangled in your caress…
No clue or hint I can fathom, how this knot could be unravelled…
Each shred hums in my body, like a stream from the heaven…
These are the lyrics of the Hindi hit song “Yeh moh moh ke dhaage…Teri ungliyon se ja uljhe” roughly translated to English.
A melange of colours, a dash of design — Craftsmen engrossed with threads and shimmering beads artistically woven around their deft fingers, their tools stacked on the roadside, usually flocked by women, intrigued by their skills on display. One would be forgiven for thinking that these are scenes from a bygone era but this is a common sight on Ashoka Road, if you have the eyes to spot it.
Bead art in India dates back to Indus Valley Civilisation and is said to be 5,000 years old. People during that age made beads out of silver, gold, clay, ivory and even wood. Indian jewellery, made out of various stones, pearls and metals stands out for its uniqueness of design and craftsmanship. As much as we praise the magnificence of jewellery, the toil and talent of the master craftsmen usually escapes into obscurity and these unsung craftsmen are a classic example of hardly being recognised for their talent or effort.
Deeply personal art
Speak to them and each craftsman educates us through the vocabulary of beads. Individual beads act like words, strung together in sentences. Each craftsman on the sidewalk tells the story of beads and what inspiration triggered the design. These beaded objects are deeply personal and the men share bits about themselves, how the art was transferred from their forefathers and how they attentively followed the instructions — though they were tough to follow initially.
Master-craftsmen string beads for that alluring look: Mohammad Shaukat, Mubarak Pasha and Abdul Wajid display their expertise and dexterity in stringing pearls that adorn the necks of womenfolk, enhancing their beauty.
Nimble hands to the needle
One can actually see how the beads are dexterously moved from their nimble hands to the needle and string to create that exquisite design. These designs become a prized possession of a woman who proudly shares them with the world.
Many cultures have rich beadwork traditions and aesthetics and motifs can vary. Like other traditional craft forms, such as embroidery or weaving, beadwork symbolises visual language and messages that are passed down within a community or family. Their works simultaneously keep their culture’s traditions alive apart from providing them livelihood.
Syed Rafiq, Shahrukh and their pearl work.
Adding beauty to clothing
Embroidery has been the art form that adds beauty to clothing to express individual creativity. Beadwork is respected as a traditional craft and there are amazing bead artists who are blurring the boundaries of art and craft, creating works of art that reflect rich traditions. The craftsmen on Ashoka Road, undeterred by the chaotic traffic and surging pedestrians, are busy threading, stringing and modifying a variety of ornaments as per the demands of their customers. Star of Mysore caught up with these beadwork artisans who are seen with their small silver boxes comprising velvet trays, colourful threads, strings, needles and scissors.
These artisans have been into this profession from generations and have been eking out their living on Ashoka Road, which was known as Jewellery Bazar during the time of erstwhile Maharajas.
Replacing threads and strings
Bead-makers, also called ‘Patvegar’ or ‘Moti Puranewale’ in Hindi and ‘Mani Ponsouru’ in Kannada offer a range of services which include black beads stringing for mangalsutra, jaumala haar, white pearl stringing, kasina sara or galsar (gold coin necklace), lachcha, replacing threads and strings of necklaces, adding gold thread rope for gold necklaces, multiple bead stringing, replacing stones among others.
Various branded jewellery stores across the city also avail their services for stringing beads of precious stones such as emeralds, rubies and also semi-precious stones. Their service charges depend on the pattern, starting from mere Rs.30 and could go up to Rs.800 for real gem stones.
Zabiulla stringing antique real pearls set.
Passed on from forefathers
My forefathers have been into this profession from the past 60 years. I too picked up my beading needle and thread watching them do it since childhood. Our work is related to jewels so we sit near jewellery stores,” quips Syed Rafiq, one of the beadwork artisans with more than 30 years of experience.
He also adds that his father Nisar Ahmed is one of the oldest beadwork artisans and informs that his father had worked as a jewellery artisan even for the royals during those good old days.
ON A BUSY STREET: Abdulla and his assistant at work.
From Royalty to Commoners
Mubarak Pasha, another bead maker who is into stringing from the past 20 years and also hails from a family of artisans told SOM: “My grandfather and my father got me into this line. I usually get customers who want me to string ‘kasina sara’ and ‘taali sara’. I charge between Rs. 30 and Rs.100.”
He also mentions that his father too had worked on the ornaments like the braid jewellery belonging to the royal family. When asked if he would pass on the craft to his children, he opines: “It is left to them to decide what they want to do”.
Delicate work: A woman waits to get her beads stringed.
Bringing good fortune
Little further away was a father-son duo busy stringing pearls on the same street. Abdul Wajid, who has 56 years of experience in this art says: “This is my livelihood and passion. The variety of beads that I work on not only suffices the aesthetic sense but has also religious angle to it. Genuine pearls were believed to bring in good fortune and were popular with the royals in olden days. Gradually common man took a passion towards them. Black beads are also known to fight negative energy.”
Abdul Wajid also adds that the most special work till date he has worked on is the jewellery belonging to the Palace. Zabiullah, who was seen sitting opposite to the Arali Mara on Ashoka Road, has an experience of over two decades.
“This is a delicate art and we have to carefully string it, the love for jewellery in Mysuru can be judged from the presence of many jewellery shops. Customers keep me busy all day,” he says as he replaces a string of an antique pearl set.
READY-TO-WEAR: Shahrukh displays a finished ‘Jaumala haar’.
Time and cost saving
As we converse with these talented artisans, we noticed that many customers visit these craftsmen to avail their services. “I have come here to attach a coin pendant to the black beads for the ‘mangalsutra’ for my daughter who is getting married next month. Availing services here saves a lot of time and it is also low on cost,” says Gowramma, a locality resident.
Rehana Afroz reveals her reason for the visit. “The pearl necklace that I had once brought from Hyderabad was broken by my child and I am here to get it stringed again and also to change the back rope ‘Dori’ of my multi-layered beaded necklace.”
“I have purchased the beads and I want to get a ‘jaumala’ done here with knots and I also have to replace a stone in my ring,” says Kavitha, a housewife.
These beadstringers are available from 11 in the morning to 8 in the night at their respective spots. We salute these skilled craftsmen who eke out their living by sitting on the pavements beating all odds and help womenfolk enhance their beauty through their delicate and dedicated work.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by Shadaan Muneer / September 14th, 2019
Salma Sultan , the iconic news anchor of the public service broadcaster, Doordarshan graced the ramp at the age of 72. The elegant lady mesmerised the audience with her dance moves on Bollywood numbers including the R. Rajkumar’s movie song, ‘Saree kay fall sa.’
The event was organised by Saree Sanskriti in association with the Fashion Lifestyle Magazine. Celebrities including Padma Shree awardee Shovana Narayan, graced the event.
Key Takeaways:
Iconic Doordarshan news anchor Salma Sultan walks the ramp at 72.
Sultan is best known for her news reading and her signature style – “Namaskar! Aaj kay samaachaar iss prakaar hain.”
The event was organised by Saree Sanskriti in association with the Fashion Lifestyle Magazine.
Celebrities including Padma Shree awardee Shovana Narayan, graced the event.
Sultan was wearing a brown bordered saree along with some neatly tucked white flowers on her hair while using ‘jhumkaas’ as the elegant accessory. She managed to get a traditional look with a modern twist.
Saree Sanskriti
Along with being a new anchor, Salma Sultan is also keen on promoting the traditional Indian culture of Saree. She owns a clothing brand with the name, Saree Sanskriti. She herself is very famous for her sartorial style.
“I do not believe millennials have any problem wearing the saree, it is all about ensuring that they have confidence. When confidence is there you can pull off any attire,”
“It is a very happy occasion . Many people have come together to make this a successful event. I do not believe millennials have any problem wearing the saree, it is all about ensuring that they have confidence. When confidence is there you can pull off any attire,” Sultan said at the event.
Her style quotient
“We were our own fashion consultants back then. Black-and-white TV offered us the facility to wear whichever colours we wanted to, but the onset of colour TV shattered it. A new sari a day I could manage, but matching blouses? No way. It was a pretty tall order. So, the idea of draping a sari over both shoulders came to my rescue and believe me…it works even now.” said Salma Sultan while conversing with the Verve .
Sultan also gave some details about her style quotient to the Verve. She added, “The day when I plucked a red rose from my garden, I hadn’t the faintest idea that its story would become viral. Can you imagine that even now, the rose fever is unabated? Yes, it did give heartburn to some people helming affairs at that time, who issued memos and warnings but…let’s leave it at that. The important thing is that the rose lives on in the memory of viewers, and I feel grateful and humbled.”
Sultan is best known for her news reading and her signature style – “Namaskar! Aaj kay samaachaar iss prakaar hain.”
News reader par excellence
She worked for Doordarshan for almost three decades from 1967 to 1997. After her retirement, she moved to directing serials on social topics for Doordarshan under her production house Lensview Private Limited. Some of her serials like Panchtantra Se, Suno Kahani, Swar Mere Tumhare and Jalte Sawal drew attention and indeed became very famous.
Her education
Salma did her schooling from Sultanpur, Madhya Pradesh and did her graduation from Bhopal. She did her post-graduation in English from Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi. Simultaneously, she also gave the audition for an announcer on Doordarshan at the age of 23. She was born as second child to scholar and secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Mohammed Asghar Ansari.
Picture credit: You Tube
Udisha Srivastav is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv
source: http://www.shethepeople.tv/ SheThePeople / Home / by Udisha Srivastav / September 18th, 2019
Sathar and Master Raghu in “Anavaranam” | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Sathar, who made his debut in Malayalam movie Bharyaye Aavashyamundu , has acted in over 300 movies, including Tamil and Telugu films
Veteran actor Sathar, who figured prominently in South Indian films in the 1970s and 80s, died in a private hospital at Aluva near here early on Tuesday. He was 67.
He had been undergoing treatment for liver-related ailment for the last three months. The body was taken to his house at Kadungalloor and will be laid to rest at the Juma Masjid at 4 p.m.
Sathar made his debut in the Malayalam movie Bharyaye Aavashyamundu directed by M. Krishnan Nair in 1975. He was the lead actor in Anaavaranam released the very next year.
He, however, made his mark as an actor for his portrayal of villainous roles, including in the hit movie Sarapanjaram. Sathar has over 300 movies to his credit, including Tamil and Telugu films. He also produced three movies, including the Babu Antony-starrer Malayalam movie Kambolam in 1994.
Inactive in movies since 2003, Sathar made a brief comeback with notable roles in 22 Female Kottayam in 2012 and Natholi Cheriya Meenalla the year after. His last outing as an actor was in Parayaan Baakki Vechathu in 2014.
At the height of his acting career, Sathar married his popular co-star Jayabharathy in 1979 though they got separated later. Their son Krish J. Sathar had made his debut in Ladies and Gentlemen starring Mohanlal.
Krish was by his father’s side at the time of his demise.
Sathar was born in Kadungalloor near Aluva in 1952 as the ninth child of Khadarpillai and Fathima. He did his schooling at the Government High School, West Kadungalloor, and his Masters in history at UC College, Aluva.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – September 17th, 2019
The city has many structures built during the time of Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur
A kilometre away from Kalaburagi railway station is Aiwan-e-Shahi, a magnificent stone structure built in early 19th Century. For political leaders and bureaucrats visiting the city, it’s the most preferred accommodation.
Kalaburagi has several such architectural remnants of the times of the Nizam rule, uniquely Indo-Islamic in style, and still in use. Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, the last monarch, who ruled the province between 1911 and 1948, stayed in Aiwan-e-Shahi when he visited the city and is today a government guest house. The Nizam used to travel in his own train from Hyderabad to reach the palace in Kalaburagi and a special railway track was laid up to the entrance of the complex for the purpose.
Like most buildings constructed during the Nizam’s rule, the Aiwan-e-Shahi portrays a rich and imposing architecture synthesising medieval and modern styles. It is constructed using local white stones, popularly known as Shahabad stones, abundantly available in the surrounding area. The front view of the palace was greatly inspired by Gothic style architecture.
Kalaburagi-based heritage collector and artiste Mohammed Ayazuddin Patel has copies of some rare photograph of Nizam. In one of them, he is the Nizam is seen playing tennis outside the Aiwan-e-Shahi palace complex. His train is also visible in the background. The picture was said to have been taken by Raja Deen Dayal, the official photographer at the Nizam’s court.
The Nizam, known as the architect of modern Hyderabad, left an impression on Kalaburagi too. The building now houses the tahsildar office, zilla panchayat and central library. The entrance arch gate of Vikas Bhavan, the mini Vidhana Soudha that has the district administrative complex and one of the entrances of Mahbub Gushan Garden in the heart of the city were built during his time. There are several private houses across the city that were built for the families of Deshpande, Deshmukh, Mali Patil, Police Patil, Jamadar, Mansafdar, Pattedar, Inamdar, Jagirdar, Kulkarni, Hawaldar – the official and administrative titles given by the Nizam.
“At least, the Aiwan-e-Shahi should be included in the protected monuments and converted into a museum to showcase the region’s cultural past,” says Rehaman Patel, Kalaburagi-based researcher and artiste. According to him, the Nizam had expanded public spaces such as parks, lakes, town hall, and gardens in the city engaging several engineers. Mahbub Sagar (now called Sharnbasweshwar lake) and Mahbub Gulshan Garden continued to be used by the public. The town hall is used by the Kalaburagi City Municipal Corporation as a conference hall.
The Filter Bed built for providing pure water to the residents continues to supply drinking water to parts of the city. The Mahbub Shahi Kapda Mill that produced high-quality cloth and supplied it not just to various cities across India, but to other countries as well, was in operation till the 1980s. The Nizam had also established Asif Gunj School and MPHS school, the oldest educational institutions of the city.
“In the early 1930s, he formed the Hyderabad Aero Club and built Begumpet Airport for his Deccan Airways, one of the earliest airlines in British India. He had the distinction of employing, perhaps, the world’s first woman commercial pilot, Captain Prema Mathur, during the late 1940s. The other airport built in Bidar in 1942 is now used by the Indian Air Force to train its pilots. The Nizam was also credited for renovating several monuments belong to Buddhists, Jains, Chalukyas, and Bahmanis. The renovation and excavation of the caves of Ajanta and Ellora was undertaken with the funds of the Nizam government and supervised by then archaeology director Ghulam Yazdani,” Mr. Rehaman said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Kumar Buradikatti / Kalaburagi – September 16th, 2019
Feroz Shah Tughlaq (Reign 1351 – 88), the third ruler of the Tughlaq Dynasty was embarked on a vigorous campaign of construction activity, consisting mainly of public buildings of utilitarian nature.
Gate of the citadel of Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad, Delhi
He made 1200 garden around Delhi and is credited with the erection of 200 towns, 40 mosque, 30 villages, 30 reserviors, 50 dams, 100 hospitals, 100 public baths and 150 bridges
Passageway leading to the interiors of Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad, Delhi
In 1354 Feroze Shah Tughlaq built Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad, the fifth citadel of Delhi. His predecessors Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (Reign: 1321 -25) and Muhammad bin Tughluq (Reign: 1324 – 51) has the credit of erecting the third and fourth citadel of Delhi.
Plan of Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad (Source: http://www.pixels-memories.blogspot.in)
Tughlaqbad, the third citadel of Delhi, along with Jahanpanah, the fourth citadel of Delhi were abandoned because of acute water shortage. This lead Feroze Shah Tughlaq to move further north and to construct its citadel along the west bank of Yamuna River.
Panoramic view of the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad, Delhi
Unlike Tuglaqabad, Feroz Shah Kotla lacked the defensive construction and after the collapse of the Tuglaq empire the Mongol invader Timur found it an easy target. In 1398 Timur gladly carried out all the riches of the citadel leaving behind the ruined rubble structures, which was again plundered and reused by Shahjahan (Reign AD 1627-57) for the construction of Shahjanabad, the seventh and last ancient citadel of Delhi.
An arched gateway, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Despite being plundered by several rulers in the past and with centuries of neglect Feroz Shah Kotla still houses several interesting ruins, although minimalistic in nature, they still reveal the former glory and splendor of the ancient citadel.
Today the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla nestles between the cricket stadium, of the same name, and the Ring Road. Every Thursday thousand of visitors visit the ruins of the ancient citadel.
Strangely these visitors are not history or heritage enthusiasts but are devotees looking for the blessings of Djinns, who according to legend are residents of the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla. No wonder Delhi has always been a “City of Djinns.“
Djinns live in the heart of Delhi: they are spirits tending to the faithful seeking help. On Thursdays, they are busy when thousands turn up with letters for them.
A kid makes his way through the arched gateways of Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Every Thursday hordes of devotees, irrespective of religion, visit the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla with photocopies of letters, citing there problems. They stick the letters on different strategic spots of the citadel and offer prayers to the Djinns.
Strangely the concept of letters to the Djinns has only been an recent concept in the ancient citadel, which dates back to the 14th century.
The first records of people coming to Firoz Shah Kotla in large numbers began shortly after the emergency of 1977.
It was only in 1977, a few months after the end of the Emergency, that we have the first record of people starting to come to Firoz Shah Kotla in large numbers. This seems significant, given how destructive the Emergency was for the Old City and how many poor and working class people were displaced from the Old City to resettlement colonies across the river
Anand Vivek Taneja, Anthropologist
Ruined structures of Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Even on other days large groups of Muslim devotes visit Feroz Shah Kotla to offer their Namaz at the Jami Masjid, one of the few structures of the citadel that have remained, more or less, intact to this day.
Designed by Feroz Shah Tughlaq’s state architects Malik Ghazi Samana and Abdul Haq the citadel of Feroz Shah Kotla follows a rectangular plan with dimensions 800 m by 400 m, with the longer side along the north – south axis.
The entire citadel is encased within a high stone wall. Although the walls look solid but it lacks the massive bastions of Tuglaqabad. The entrance is through a small and simple gateway on the eastern side and a broad passageway leads to the scattered ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla or Ferozabad
Circular Baoli (Stepwell) at Feroz Shah Kotla
Most of the buildings within the citadel are made of rubble masonry covered with heavy plaster and without any surface ornamentation.
The passages leads to series of scattered ruins, which was once part of the citadel’s garden.
It leads further to the Diwan – i – Am (hall of audience) and Diwan – i – Khas (hall of private audience).
A few pavilions and archways are all that remains today of the famed halls of audience of Feroz Shah Tughlaq. The Royal Palace located at the far end of the citadel lies in similar ruined condition.
Stepped pyramidal structure, crowned with the Ashokan Pillar, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
The more intact and interesting structures of Feroz Shah Kotla are located on its northern side. Towering above the lawns is the massive Jami Masjid and towards its left is the stepped pyramidal structure, known as the Hawa Mahal or Kushk-i-Shikar. It is crowned with the Ashokan Pillar, also referred as the Minar-e-Zarreen.
Ashokan Pillar, Feroz Shah Kotla
Just in front of the stepped pyramidal structure is a baoli (stepwell).
Delhi is no stranger to Baolis and even a century ago more than a hundred of them existed in Delhi.
Inscription on Ashokan Pillar
Today more than a dozen remains (Also see: Baolis of Delhi) but what makes the Feroz Shah Kotla baoli unique is its circular shape. It is the only circular baoli in Delhi. Sadly the baoli is kept under lock and key and the interiors are out of reach for the common tourist. But the baoli is best viewed from the differnt levels of the nearby stepped pyramid.
Domed Pavilion at the entrance of Jami Masjid
The Hawa Mahal is a three tired stepped pyramid with diminishing floors. Built with a central solid core and vaulted cells around it. Stairs at the comers lead to the uppermost terrace where the Ashokan pillar is planted.
The Ashokan Pillar was shifted from Topar in Ambala by Feroz Shah Tughlaq and placed atop the Hawa Mahal.
The 13 m high 27 ton pillar was shifted on a custom built 42 wheel carriage operated by 8400 men, which transported it to the banks of Yamuna River. From where it was transported by boat to Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi
Incidentally Delhi contains another Ashokan Pillar, which was also shifted by Feroz Shah Tughlaq and placed near his hunting lodge on Delhi’s North Ridge, also known as the Kamala Nehru Ridge. (Also see: Historical Trail along Delhi’s North Ridge)
Tanks, along Jami Masjid, for ritual wash
The structure is open to public and one can take the stairs all the way to the base of the pillar. The pillar still maintains its shining police and the inscriptions in Prakrit are clearly visible.
According to popular belief Laat (pillar) Waale Baba, the chief of the Kotla djinns, dwells in the Ashokan Pillar, which is also referred to as the Minar-e-Zarreen. Every Thursdaay devotees ties up their wish letters on the railing surmounting the Ashokan Pillar.
The top story of the Hawa Mahal offers grand bird eye view of the circular baoli (stepwell) and also the Jami Masjid, which lies on its southern side.
Namaz being offered at the Jami Masjid, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
South of the Hawa Mahal lies the gigantic mosqque of Feroz Shah Kotla, the Jami Masjid. Built of Delhi quartzite stone. During the time of its construction it was the largest mosque in India.
The mosque rests on a series of cells on the ground floor and is approachable by a long flight of stairs leading to a domed pavilion gateway on the northern side. The grand dome pavilion, which once stood at the centre of courtyard has long vanished.
Even Taimur, who plundered Feroz Shah Kotla, was so impressed with the mosque that he commissioned a similar one in his capital Samarkhand. Even Shah Jahan constructed a underground tunnel connecting the Jami Masjid to his newly constructed citadel of Shahjanabad. The tunnel still exist but is sealed for obvious reasons.
Grand view of the Jami Masjid, from Hawa Mahal, Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad, Delhi
Strangely the Jami Masjid is still an active mosque and attracts thousand of devotees during the time of eid. Even on normal days large groups of local Muslims along with Muslim office staff from nearby offices drop in for there daily namaz.
Panoramic view of Stepped Pyramid Structure and Jami Masjid, Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad
Colourfull plastic tanks, along the eastern wall of the ancient mosque, serve as a makeshift ritual wash (wudu) area for the devotees, who drop in to offer namaz.
Just outside the citadel of Firozabad or Feroz Shah Kotla, on a road divider lies the notorious gateway of Khooni Darwaza.
Nettara Sootaka by Rahmath Tarikere is a collection of articles written for different occasions in the last five to six years on contemporary writers and issues
What it means to write in Kannada at present as an intellectual or, to be more specific, as a literary and cultural critic? Keeping this question in mind, I would like to introduce Rahamath Tarikere’s Nettara Soothaka: Dharma, Rajakarana, Samskriti, Sahitya (Spectre of Bloodshed: Religion, Politics, Culture, Literature), a collection of articles written for different occasions in the last five to six years on contemporary writers and issues.
Rahamath Tarikere, one of the makers of cultural criticism in Kannada, has been a prolific writer. His research into the culture of Sufis, Nathapantha, Shakthapantha and Moharum of Karnataka is an exemplary field-work investigation in Kannada scholarship. Apart from travelogues, his scholarly engagements encompass writings on literary texts and cultural issues, literary criticism, research methods, edited volumes on Kannada literature, and interviews of intellectuals among others. He works largely in the field where literary and cultural studies intersect.
Tarikere has kept his writerly life alive by contributing pieces to journals and periodicals, and the present book, the sixth of his collected writings, consists twenty-two articles. Six articles in the early part of the book are reminisces of writers after their death.
Among these, Tarikere’s observations on the life and works of U. R. Ananthamurthy, Gauri Lankesh, Vasu Malali and M.M. Kalburgi are worth reading.
“Ananthamurthy: Kashtakalada Naitika Dani” (Moral Voice of Hard Times) — one of the best tributes to Murthy I have ever read in Kannada — delves deep into his intellectual and political complexities. Tarikere is at his best in identifying the archaeology of Ananthamurthy’s thought as ‘resistance’ (to structures of power and fascism), ‘dialectical mode of analysis’ (Right-Left, Kannada-English, Brahmin-Shudra, etc.), ‘dialogic’ and ‘transgressive’ (going beyond). Similarly, “M.M. Kalburgi: Kalakelagini Agnikunda (Fire-Pot beneath Feet)”, written in academic style, explores the philosophical underpinnings of Kalburgi’s research work against the larger backdrop of violence and intellectual life today.
This is a major point of departure for those interested not just in Kalburgi’s work but in Kannada research in general. Further, the portraits of writers and other eminent personalities including Dr. Rajkumar, celebrated Kannada film actor, Jawaharlal Nehru, N. K. Hanumanthaiah, B. M. Rasheed, Ramadas, H. S. Raghavendra Rao and A. K. Ramanujan have been sketched informatively in plain and clear prose.
The articles on Muslim and Sufi culture give a detailed account of the Muslim way of life in India. “Muslimarigobba Ambedkar Agatya” (Muslims Need an Ambedkar) and “Muslim Samudayada Sankathanada Tathvika Nelegalu” (Philosophical Foundations of Discourse on Muslim Community) and “Muslim Samskrutikalokada Swarup”(The Nature of Muslim Cultural World) unfold the dynamics of Muslim identity politics, socio-historical problems of Islamic culture and the formation of different discourses on Muslims. Those interested in understanding the nuances of Sufism and Islam will find these articles enormously useful.
One more article which deserves our attention in the collection is “Hyderabad Karnataka Sahitya: Chaharegalu” (Literature of Hyderabad Karnataka: Traces). It raises an important question about literary culture: what is the relationship between literary expression and its geo-political conditions? While sketching the uniqueness of literary culture in the region of Hyderabad Karnataka, Tarikere shows how it is unique and different from literary cultures in Dharwad and Mysuru regions. His insights in this article open up further scope for in-depth investigations into Kannada Literary Studies.
Overall, the articles in the book try to diagnose what ails our times, particularly how writing and intellectual life have become vulnerable. As the title of the book suggests Tarikere grasps it with the metaphor of bloodshed, modelled on how Sharanas problematized the interconnectedness of experience, acts and speech in ‘Nudi Soothaka’ (Spectre of Speech). The practice of Fearless Speech, according to Tarikere, has become the target of violence in the 21st century. In tune with this perspective, the book is dedicated to Dabholkar, Pansare, M.M. Kalburgi and Gauri. Throughout the book the reader can experience the author’s anxieties, concerns and aspirations about our socio-intellectual life in India. The book certainly contains some insightful articles which Kannada readers should not miss. However, some articles could have been left out from the selection. What is the rationale behind bringing out a collection of articles written for different occasions? A careful selection of articles, rewriting some of them when they go as part of a book and a long introduction that connects these articles on different themes would make the anthology more useful than merely compiling hitherto published articles.
Rahmath Tarikere’s prose, though wanting in liveliness, does not fail to convey what it intends to. However, his mode of analysis still remains largely ‘ideology criticism’, the modernist reasoning scrutinizing all types of issues. We need to go beyond the Marxist- ideology-critique and explore different forms of analytics as the nature of evil we are confronting today does not reveal itself easily to worn-out tools of analysis. It might be useful to examine cognitive structures of contemporary society, instead of resorting to ideology criticism. In this respect, a scholar like Tarikere can bank upon his own studies on Indian intellectual traditions such as Sufism, Nathapantha, Shakthapantha, etc. to develop new tools of analysis and grasp the reality differently, if not from the informed understanding of the western scholarship available in English.
If this project, further, calls for thinking how to shape the Kannada critical thought, I could not help but invoke the writings of, just to mention two critically important forerunners among several others, D. R. Nagaraj and Keerthinath Kurthkoti. The present Kannada literary and cultural criticism can fruitfully learn from their art of thinking, making powerful narratives and analysis.
Rahamath Tarikere also belongs to this tribe, and his individual talent certainly promises new modes of thinking and renewing this tradition.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books> Reviews / by N. S. Gundur / September 05th, 2019
