Agra:

The nine gems of Akbar’s court will soon adorn Fatehpur Sikri Fort, with Agra Development Authority (ADA) and Uttar Pradesh tourism planning to install their statues in the premises of the monument.

Despite his illiteracy, Mughal ruler Akbar appreciated the presence of artists and intellectuals. His passion for knowledge and interest in learning from great minds meant that men of great intellect received patronage from the emperor. Such men went on to constitute the nine courtiers, also known as ‘navratnas’, of Akbar’s kingdom. The navratnas are Abul Fazl, Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, Birbal, Mulla Do-Piyaza Faizi, Raja Man Singh, Raja Todar Mal, Fakir Aziao-Din and Tansen.

According to ASI, Mughal institutions such as the ‘Ibadat-Khanah’, ‘Din-i-Ilahi’, ‘Tarikh-i-Ilahi’ , Jharokha-Darshan, the doctrine of Sulh-i-Kul and policy of liberal patronage to indigenous arts and literatures, were founded here.

Under the plan, the statues of the nine courtiers would be built at a cost of Rs 10 lakh and will be set up in the interpretation centre coming up in the Fort complex. Fatehpur Sikri was the capital of Mughal Emperor Akbar for 13 years, from 1572 to 1585. The complex of monuments was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1986.

Dinesh Kumar, regional tourist officer, said, “We plan to install the statues the way Akbar used to hold court meetings with them. Tourists will also be provided information about them in detail. Although the place for their installation has not been finalized yet, we are trying to get it done in the interpretation centre. A meeting with the divisional commissioner will soon be held to get his permission.”

The interpretation centre will provide a glimpse of history and culture of the Mughal era as well as facilitate tourists’ visit to the Fort. Its construction work is likely to be completed by next month, Kumar added.

Perhaps the most famous of the ‘navratnas’ is Birbal, a Brahmin advisor in the court of Akbar. He is mostly remembered in folk tales that focus on his wit.

In 1586, he led an army to crush an unrest in the north-west Indian subcontinent, which failed tragically when he was killed along with many soldiers in an ambush by the rebel tribe.

Towards the end of Akbar’s reign, local folk tales emerged involving his interactions with Akbar, portraying him as extremely clever and witty. Birbal’s defeat was one of biggest military setbacks during Akbar’s reign and his death is said to have caused the Mughal emperor much grief.

In the folk tales, Birbal is mostly shown as being younger than Akbar, religious and surrounded by envious Muslim courtiers. These tales involve him outsmarting them and sometimes even Akbar, using only his intelligence and cunning, often by giving witty and humorous responses and impressing Akbar.

Mulla Do-Piyaza is a character from a series of folk tales featuring the Mughal emperor Akbar and his witty courtier Birbal. Mulla Do-Piyaza, also portrayed as witty, is Birbal’s rival. Even though these folk tales originated at the end of Akbar’s reign (1556-1605), Mulla Do-Piyaza began to appear later, popularized by writers in the late 19th century. Most scholars consider him to be completely fictional.

The next most heard of navratna was perhaps Tansen, a prominent Hindustani classical music composer, musician and vocalist, known for a large number of compositions. He was also an instrumentalist who popularized and improved the plucked rabab (of Central Asian origin). Akbar gave him the title Mian, an honorific, meaning learned man.

Abul Fazal was the vizier of the Mughal emperor and author of the Akbarnama, the official history of Akbar’s reign in three volumes, (the third volume is known as the Ain-i-Akbari). He was the brother of Faizi, the poet laureate of Akbar.

Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana, another ‘navratna’ was a poet known for his Hindi couplets and his books on astrology. The village of Khankhana, which is named after him, is located in the Nawanshahr district of Punjab.

A poet and scholar of late medieval India, Shaikh Abu al-Faiz ibn Mubarak was popularly known by his pen-name, Faizi. In 1588, he became the Malik-ush-Shu’ara (poet laureate) of Akbar’s Court. He was the elder brother of Akbar’s historian Abul Fazl. Akbar recognized the genius in him and appointed him tutor for his sons and gave place to him among his decorative ‘navaratnas’.

Man Singh, the Rajput Raja of Amber, a state later known as Jaipur in Rajputana, was a trusted general of the Mughal emperor Akbar, while Todar Mal rose to become the finance minister in Akbar’s darbar. He was born in Laharpur, Uttar Pradesh in a Hindu family.

Faqir Aziao-Din was a mystic and a chief advisor in emperor Akbar’s court. Akbar regarded his advice on religious matters in high esteem.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Agra / by Aditya Dev, TNN / December 14th, 2014

Aligarh :

The name ‘Daniel Wilson’ might not ring a bell in the streets, but for a handful of Christians in the town, he remains a figure of reverence. He founded the Christ Church in 1835, which continues to be thronged by the Protestants here. The building is a symbol of pride for them, they say. And a symbol of pride for the city as well. For this is the church that has withstood the tribulations of time and attacks from fringe right-wing groups. An exemplar of India’s chequered history of diversity.

The mention of Bishop Daniel Wilson brings a smile on the cluster of people present at the Church, who call him the “Shah Jahan of Christians”. Advocate Osmond Charles said, “Bishop Wilson is Shah Jahan of Christians because he built 20 churches in four years’ time. He built churches in cities lying between Aligarh and Calcutta.”

The church came into existence as part of the British’s plan to promulgate Christianity through the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG), which was a missionary organization of the Church of England in 1701. The establishment was involved in establishing some of the oldest missionaries and churches in Kanpur in 1833. In the 19th century, SPG, which is now called the Churches of North India, sent clergymen equipped with religious literature to Britain’s colonies to expand the Abrahamic religion.

With November 30 being the foundation day for the Churches of North India and the day on which a refurbished Christ Church opened its gates to its devotees again, it gave the community a chance to hark about the past. They darkly recall the past when the church came under attack from right-wing forces. Sherley J Joy, a resident of the town, said: “I was very young when this incident occurred in 1998. I remember some fascist outfits came and uprooted the cross that was used as an indicator to the Church. We felt threatened to practice our faith. As a young girl, I accompanied the other Christian families to the collector’s office to fight for our fundamental right to practice our faith.”

The secretary of the church A Verghese also spoke of the turbulent days. He recounted his experience of carrying out a procession on the streets, and how they fought for their rights during those bleak days. But he also spoke about the significance of the Christ Church, both in terms of history and art. “This building has a lot of significance for us. Besides being one of the oldest churches in North India, the church has an artistic appeal as well. Several museologists and theologians come to the church every year to take in the building’s impressive architecture.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Agra / by Eram Agha, TNN / November 30th, 2014

Lucknow :

Their maiden visit to the Chhatar Manzil reminded them of one of the primary lessons in architecture — Rome was not built in a day. The sentiment ruled the mind of young conservation architect Shweta and her team who have come on behalf of INTACH to prepare an inventory of defects and damages.

“The roman proverb is quoted to teach that conservation of an architectural building is sure to take months and years and instill some sense of patience in us. In this sense, Chhatar Manzil is our patience test,” said Shweta who’s accompanied by architect Shaista and interns Dhravi and Mukul.

They reached Chhatar Manzil at around 1 pm with a camera, a couple of torches, measuring tapes, notebooks and observations in mind made during an assessment of building’s old pictures and descriptions. Presence of an extra floor at many places was the first problem the team noted.

Showing the one on the front facade, Shweta said, “Photographic evidences suggest that the 2nd floor is extra. And from the inside, the twin-floors break into 3-4 sections against the original look.” They discovered that portion housing canteen was the most altered segment. Here, old pillars have been scooped out to make way for drains. Shifting of CDRI has left behind scores of huge holes and burrows in this part. Chemical waste and other glass substances is also to be disposed.

Air conditioners ducts have created many bruises on the oriental building. “Rectangular tin boxes to fit ACs inside circular windows look like a patch stitched over velvets,” remarked one of them. On the rear side of the building, temporary structures particularly tin sheds ruin the look.

Dampness and vegetation are the other two challenges. However, biggest of all problems is unavailability of material that describes the inner portions of the building. “In this case, we would bank on the characteristics of the construction system of the age,” said Vipul Varshney, convener INTACH Lucknow chapter who also inspected the place later during the day. “Lack of dampness in the basement is a good news as it would make restoration easy,” she added.

Journey of the building

Nawab Saadat Ali Khan bought this grand piece of architecture 200 years ago for Rs 50,000 from Claude Martin, a French army officer and architect.

Not meant for public eyes, Saadat Ali Khan commissioned the construction of an extension, which is now Chhatar Manzil. From then, it became the principal residence of the Avadh sovereign.

Nawab Saadat Ali Khan died before the completion of the construction of Chhatar Manzil and it was completed by his successor Nawab Ghazi-ud-din Haidar.

After the war of independence in 1857, the British acquired the palace and turned it into the United Services Club — stripping much of its former grandeur.

After Independence, it was taken over by the government and on February 17, 1951, then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) here to start the first drug research laboratory in the country.

Now that it has been handed over to the state archaeological department, the doors of Farhat Baksh Kothi and Chhatar Manzil will be opened to public for the first time in history.

Later, the even more opulent Qaiserbagh Palace by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah overshadowed Chhatar Manzil’s grandeur. During the mutiny, Indian soldiers used the palace as a shelter.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Shailvee Sharda, TNN / November 20th, 2014