Category Archives: World Opinion

Varanasi’s Gulabi meenakari awaits GI tag for revival

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion

Varanasi:

Gulabi meenakari or pink enameling of Banaras, a unique art form of the city, is likely to join the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) club by April after being notified under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Rules, 2002 through Geographical Indications Journal issue dated November 21, 2014.

The famed Banarasi brocade and silk sari and Bhadohi carpet have obtained GI tag earlier. Another product of Varanasi, glass beads, is also likely to get GI certification along with Gulabi meenakari.

A flourishing and prosperous industry till a century ago, meenakari is confined to a few artisans today who are struggling to keep alive this art of colouring or decorating a metal surface by attaching or fusing pieces of different mineral substances over it. “It is considered as the most alluring and technical of all metal decorations. Earlier, Banarasi Gulabi Meenakari was done on gold but now we use other metals like silver and copper,” said meenakari artisan Kunj Behari Singh, who was awarded Ram Manohar Lohia Vishisth Pradeshik Puraskar at Lucknow for his mastery over the craft.

Singh, a resident of Lalghat, is also the secretary of Sahbhagi Welfare Samittee that applied for GI registry for GI tag in January 2013. “We are in this field for generations. In the past, the city had over 250 artisans of this craft but today only 50-60 people are engaged in it,” he lamented.

“Escalating cost of gold and silver has diminished its demand. We are hopeful that it will thrive after getting GI tag for its uniqueness,” he said adding, “I hope that the GI tag, a sort of intellectual property right, will go a long way in promoting this art form.”

According to specification given in GI notification, Banaras gulabi meenakari is basically an ancient form of art in India that has been praised since its introduction for the superb designs and combination of colours. It is characterized by pink strokes on white enamel. Unlike the vibrant enamelling in red, green and blue of Jaipur and Delhi, where the white enamel is left stark, the Varanasi craftsmen delicately add pink to the predominant white enamel. The motifs have been lotus blooms and buds. It is said to have been introduced in Varanasi by Persian enamellists who had come to India in early 17th century at the peak of Mughal court.

“The artisans are called meenakars. It is a unique craft in which meenakars make items like religious figures of gods and goddesses on silver and gold sheet, various types of traditional ornaments and decorative items, motifs, including flowers and birds and animals on gold and silver metal. The specialty is artistic quality. It is remembered by people for having a significant taste for design and fashion, which means something special for them. The colours used in the Banaras Gulabi Meenakari are predominately natural and leadless dyes,” an artisan informed.

Human Welfare Association, an NGO, is also facilitating the art to get GI tag. “The process of getting GI registration is in final stage. This tag will be a proof of uniqueness of Banaras Gulabi Meenakari,” said HWA director Rajani Kant.

Rai Krishnadas, founder director of Barat Kala Bhawan of Banaras Hindu University, had also written that Banaras stands next to Jaipur in the art of enamelling and the nature of Banaras pink is similar to Jaipur red. In 19th century and early 20th century, pink enamel was famous throughout the country and was much sought after by princes and the aristocracy, he said.

Unlike the red enamel of Jaipur, which has still maintained the high quality and fine workmanship of the 19th century, the pink enamel of Banaras was short-lived. It ended here in the first quarter of 20th century when its last hereditary master Babbu Singh passed away in 1923. After a gap of about half a century, there has been a revival of pink enamelling in Banaras, chiefly as a trade to meet the demands of tourists and of women, who have taken to old jewellery more as a fashion than out of love for its charm and grace. National Museum of India, New Delhi and Bharat Kala Bhawan have collections of this art.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Time of India / Home> City> Varanasi / by Binay Singh, TNN / January 31st, 2015

Is Mumtaz Mahal’s body mummified in Taj Mahal?

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

TajMahalMPOs30jan2015

The mystery surrounding Mumtaz Mahal’s burial at the Taj Mahal has deepened with a book claiming that her body was mummified.

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the 17th century Taj Mahal here in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz who died while giving birth to their 14th child in Burhanpur, a town in what is now Maharashtra.

“The real truth about Taj Mahal was suppressed. If the truth had been revealed when Taj Mahal was being built, it would have become almost impossible to construct the monument,” Afsar Ahmad, author of the controversial e-book “Taj Mahal or Mummy Mahal” (Self-published, 200 pp, Rs.150), told IANS.

The journalist-turned-writer has also disclosed in the book what he claims are several unknown facts related to Mumtaz’s death.

The book has details about Mumtaz’s death and her last few days – and details the mummification of her body. Mumtaz was buried thrice – twice in a depository and then the final one.

But how was her body preserved during the period? Did the Mughals use the method of the ancient Egypt or was it some other procedure? Did the Mughal have a ritual of preserving dead bodies? But the biggest question the book tries to answer is if Mumtaz’s body is still preserved.

Ahmed said he wants to lift the veil and mystery surrounding the death and subsequent burial of Mumtaz.

Shah Jahan’s court writers could have shed light on the entire incident, but they could not do so as they were under instructions not to reveal anything which showed the emperor in poor light.

The author said the reader has the right to know the truth behind Mumtaz’s death and burial.

The e-book also tries to find answers if the Mughal only followed Islamic rituals and the different methods of burial. The book is available on Amazon in the Kindle format.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> National / IANS / Agra – January 28th, 2015

UP’s woman IPS scales S American peak

Leaders, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Lucknow :

Aparna Kumar is the first woman IPS officer from Uttar Pradesh to scale Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain peak of South American.

Aparna, who had earlier scaled Carstensz, the highest peak in Indonesia, achieved this feat on January 15, inspector general (law and order) A Satish Ganesh said on Tuesday.

At the height of 23,000 feet, Mount Aconcagua is considered the most difficult to scale, he said, adding that Kumar unfurled the Indian and UP Police flag on the peak. Kumar has also successfully scaled Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, said the IG, adding that Aparna’s achievements will encourage more, especially girls, to take up adventure sports.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / January 21st, 2015

Mughal era museum near Taj soon

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Agra:

A museum dedicated to the Mughal era will come up in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore, and the construction work is likely to begin next year.

The proposed museum will be built near Shilpagram parking on the East Gate side of the monument. The land currently belongs to the state electricity department.

According to information, the project’s funding will be partly taken from the corpus granted by the World Bank under the pro-poor tourism development program. The program is aimed at improving infrastructure for tourists in order to generate revenue and employment in the state. The World Bank (WB) has reportedly loaned out Rs 1,800 crore to the country for the development of the Agra-Braj corridor. Rs 10 crore, amount needed for the building of the museum, will be taken from that amount.

Director general (DG) tourism Amrit Abhijat said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) would most likely be signed by the WB, the Central government and the UP government by September 2015. Construction work will start within a year after that. The state cabinet has reportedly given its approval fro the project in principle.

“The museum will have Mughal-era artefacts, armours, textiles and arms on display. The WB wants it to be developed on the lines of international museums. A detail project report (DPR) is under process,” Abhijat said, adding that foreign expertise will be sought to develop the museum.

The DG informed that besides the museum, there is also a plan to create an art gallery to promote trademark products of the city. Stone works, carpets and sweets, especially petha, will be on display at the gallery. There will also be a section from where tourists can buy finished products.

The centre will be built on the lines of Swiss museums, wherein they showcase the intricacies of cheese manufacturing. Similarly, tourists visiting the centre can learn about how carpets have been woven since the time of the Mughals. Petha production will be explained too.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Agra / by Aditya Dev, TNN / January 13th, 2015

4,000-year-old house found at Baghpat village offers rare clue to Harappan habitation

About Uttar Pradesh, Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Nature, Travel, World Opinion

Meerut :

Here’s something for history buffs to get excited about. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), in excavations carried out at Chandyan village in Baghpat, have found remnants of a house that corresponds to the late Harappan period. The discovery is important since, according to archaeologists, this is the first time evidence of habitation pertaining to that period has been found in the Upper Doab region between Ganga and Yamuna.

The late Harappan phase pertains to the period starting around 1900-1800 BC when the Indus Valley Civilization, popularly known as the Harappan Culture, began to decline. The civilization, which is known for its superior urban planning, is believed to have flourished in the period between 3300 BC to 1300 BC in what is today Pakistan, northwest India and parts of Afghanistan and Balochistan.

Earlier in August, a human skull with a copper crown corresponding to the late Harappan period, was accidentally discovered at a brick kiln site in the village. The ASI started excavating the area on November 27 and found, to its delight, a number of items that pertained to the 4,000-yr-old era. “Till date, we have excavated around 20 burial pots, a pelvic bone of the same man whose skull we had found with a copper crown and a few beads like carnelian, faience and agate. However, the most interesting development, undoubtedly, is the evidence of habitation which was found for the first time. We excavated a mud wall with post holes where wooden pillars were probably fixed to support thatched roofs. We also found multi-level foundations that supported structures in different times,” said AK Pandey, superintending archaeologist, ASI.

4000yearhouseLUCKNOW30dec2014

Incidentally, the Harappan link to the area was established in 2005 when a farmer accidentally discovered a huge burial site at Sinauli village located just 40km from Chandayan. The Sinauli graves are also believed to correspond to the late Harappan period, strengthening archaeologists’ conviction about the latest find. What got them further excited was finding a clue to the period’s habitation, which they point out, happens very rarely. “During excavations, we found about 50 cm of habitational deposits. The chances of finding habitational structures here is quite uncommon because this is a fertile region and over a period of time, cultivators raze structures to the ground for agricultural purposes. But since we have burial sites here, logically, there should be habitational sites as well. If we extend the area of excavation, we might find something more substantial,” said DN Dimri, director of archaeology, ASI,

However, historians say there is a need to exercise caution. “This certainly looks like a habitational site but a lot more needs to be done to thoroughly establish the theories. In fact, instead of terming it a late Harappan site, I would rather call it a post-Harappan site when just a few remnants of the Harappan culture remained. Its antiquity could be anywhere between 1700 BC to 1500 BC”, said RS Bisht, former joint director general, ASI.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Meerut / by Sandeep Rai, TNN / December 28th, 2014

Varanasi weavers now come online

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

E-commerce portal Snapdeal.com has tied up with the India Post to launch a pilot project to set up facilitation desks at Varanasi post offices to enable weavers to sell on its platform, a company statement said here Thursday.

This is an endeavour by Snapdeal and India Post to empower local artisans, small and medium entrepreneurs to sustain their livelihood by providing a platform to popularise their indigenous products, the statement said.

“India has a number of unique and highly specialised art forms and weaves; however, with the fast changing fashion trends and readily available products we are losing out on this rich heritage…We believe it is our responsibility to save these dying art forms by providing a platform to artisans and traditional weavers,” Kunal Bahl, chief executive officer and co-founder, Snapdeal.com, said.

“Through this partnership we will take the Banarasi weaves to customers in all corners of the country and extend this platform to include more weavers and artisans of our country,” he added.

India Post has 154,866 post offices across the country with 466,903 employees. The department with its huge network has taken up the role to serve as an agency for delivering products and also playing a vital role in the cash on delivery segment, the company stated.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Business-Economy / IANS / New Delhi – December 25th, 2014

Seeking Malihabad’s Jewish connect

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

Lucknow :

Straight aquiline noses, fair skin colour, chiselled features and a probable connection with the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel could be an addition to the identity of Afridi Pathans who have been dwelling in various parts of the erstwhile Awadh since centuries. In a quest to trace the lineage of exiled Israeli tribes, Jewish scholars from the far-off land of Israel have been guests to Malihabad over the years. Attracting world attention yet again, Malihabad will host Dr Ari Greenspan and Rabbi Dr. Ari Zivotofsky from Israel’s Bar Ilan University on Sunday, to assist their quest to understand more about Afridi Pathans’ historical connection to Judaism based on their hypothesis.

According to legend, ten of the 12 Israeli tribes had been exiled by Assyrian invaders in 721 BC, some of whom settled in India. Afridi Pathans, the supposed descendants of one such lost tribe came to India between 1202 and 1761 AD, making Uttar Pradesh their home amongst various other regions.

Barely an hour away from Lucknow, Malihabad has been home to as many as 650 families of Afridi Pathans, who take pride in their warrior genetics, but are in fact averse to the idea of bearing Jewish roots, if there be any.

The idea of Afridi Pathans tracing a Jewish ancestry grabbed attention when the Indo-Judaic studies scholar, Navras Jaat Aafreedi started working on the subject in 2002. Emphasising his thesis and claiming the lineage of Afridi Pathans to Ephraim, Navras himself an Afridi Pathan, managed to irate his kindred back then while proposing the idea of bearing Jewish roots to them.

In an email communication with Navras, the two scholars have explained how they “would like to understand the history and meet any elders who might hold or remember traditions linking the Pathans to the Jews.” It is believed some of the Jewish traditions bear resemblance to the ones followed by the Afridi Pathans.

In 2002, Professor Tudor Parfitt along with his team from the Centre of Jewish Studies, London University had collected DNA samples from the Malihabadi Afridi Pathans. In 2008, Shahnaz Ali, researching on the subject, blood samples collected from the clan, followed by gathering DNA samples in 2009. Result of the research carried out so far has not been made public, but most of the earlier studies worldwide have refuted such claims of heredity.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / December 21st, 2014

NRI trio brings hope of good health to UP

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Lucknow :

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav will sign an MoU with a US-based group to set up a healthcare infrastructure in the state under SVADESH (Silicon Valley and Avadh’s Development for Entrepreneurial Services for Humanity) an investment initiative by NRIs and also a way to bring East and West together.

SVADESH is the brainchild of three non-resident Indians, including sisters Dr Nandini and Priya Tandon from UP, and Dr B R Shetty, based in Abu Dhabi.

Investing in UP is like a “homecoming” for the sister duo. The hospital they own and run in Silicon Valley has made its standing among the best healthcare institutes. “Our mother wanted us to make a similar hospital in UP,” said Dr Nandini Tandon.

The Tandon sisters are set to invest more than a billion dollar in UP to develop a “teaching hospital”, an integrated healthcare system. “The eye hospital in Sitapur was set up by our great grandfather. My father is from Agra and we have relatives and friends across UP,” said Dr Nandini.

The Tandon family has been living in US since early 80s. “I did my schooling, my undergraduate and PhD from there,” said Dr Nandini. The two said they also wanted to invest in UP.

SVADESH aims at skill development and job creation, as also to bring Silicon Valley entrepreneurship to UP. “People would not need job when they set up their enterprise,” said Dr Nandini. The three NRIs wish to set up a multi-facility hospital and institute in UP patient care and research.

“We shared the aims of SVADESH with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav,” said Dr Nandini, adding that the group wants a big chunk of land at one place and expects UP government to help find it.

NRIs of UP origin can invest in their home state as the state government is eager to attract investment from them. NRI department created for the purpose has got its first investors in the Tandon sisters.

UP government will help the group obtain necessary permisisons/registrations/approvals/clearances as per existing facilities and rules and regulations of the Government of Uttar Pradesh (GoUP) and would also help them avail incentives under various schemes announced by state/Central government, wherever applicable.

GoUP has also thought of appointing a brand ambassador of UP to attract investment from US, especially from California, from US companies and NRI at large. The MoU is valid for 3 years.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Neha Shukla, TNN / December 21st, 2014

7 startups visit IIT-BHU campus

Business & Economy, Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Varanasi :

Startup companies dominated the 6th day of placement season at the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) on Saturday.

According to in charge, Training and Placement Cell, IIT-BHU Anil Kumar Agarwal, seven startup companies, including Clavileno Capital, Sygmoid Analytics, Lexinnova, Spytech and Pentium, visited the campus for placement. Mainly software companies visited the campus in first four days but the fifth day was dominated by core engineering companies for hiring technocrats in the field of civil, mechanical and electrical engineering.

In first five days, 400 students of IIT-BHU were offered jobs with the highest compensation of Rs 2.02 crore to a student by Oracle US.

On the 5th day, Reliance, Vodafone, Orbees Medical, Freescale Semiconductor and Career UTS visited the campus on Friday, while 10 companies including Fire Eye, Oyo rooms, and Tata Motors had turned up on the fourth day on Thursday.

Meanwhile, after a strong 650 hirings in just five days, the placement drive at IIT-Kanpur slowed down on the weekend with some 25 students receiving job offer letters on Saturday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Varanasi / TNN / December 07th, 2014

Wool’s worth

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion
Rahul Mishra at Evoluzione in Chennai. Photo: M. Moorthy / The Hindu
Rahul Mishra at Evoluzione in Chennai. Photo: M. Moorthy / The Hindu

Designer Rahul Mishra, the first non-European to win the International Woolmark Prize, talks on how his rural roots have inspired his work.

From a thatched-roof, mat-lined school in Malhausi (a village in Uttar Pradesh) that charged Rs. 7 a month as fees to the Istituto Marangoni, a fashion and design institute in Milan that charged around Rs. two lakhs, Rahul Mishra has charted quite a path.

“I didn’t have to pay the two lakhs because I got a scholarship,” laughs the designer who is now based out of Noida. The first non-European to win The International Woolmark Prize earlier this year, the designer was at Evoluzione to showcase The Lotus Effect, his award-winning collection created out of Merino wool.

For this line, Mishra’s turned wool into a summer fabric. “It’s 90 per cent wool and 10 per cent silk. I got extremely fine Merino wool fibre spun. The embroidery is done using wool yarn. I wanted to change the notion that wool is a winter fabric,” he says holding up a pristine white outfit. It’s hard to believe that the sheer, diaphanous fabric is wool. “Even Woolmark Australia could not believe it. My garments passed through all the tests and it was proved this is wool,” he grins, delighted.

Spurred by the honour, the line has travelled across the globe and has been a hit. With its exhaustive intricate embroidery and detailing these delicate garments are like works of art. No wonder then that The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the keeper of all things fine and valuable has acquired The Lotus Effect in its international category section and intends to archive it.

In white, black, yellow and grey, each of these garments tell a subtle story. The most popular in his collection is a white dress with the tree of life in yellow in front and city life in grey behind. “It got sold off a Munich-based website mytheresa.com in two days,” says Mishra, who made his international presence first through this website. After that it was Harvey Nichols in London. As soon as one enters this high-end store, a large wall with lotus motifs and Rahul Mishra’s name in big bold letters catches the eye. “Finding a space next to Chloe, Balenciaga, Dior and McQueen was dream. This is the first time an Indian designer has been showcased there,” he says.

Colette, Paris too has Mishra, or rather Mischra (that’s how they spell it) in their store. The designer whips out his iPad and eagerly shows pictures of the boutiques where his work is stocked. It’s like sitting with a child who excitedly runs you through his new set of toys. “This, and look at this…and this is what the Australian press wrote,” he smiles, rapidly swiping through the tablet.

Mishra’s philosophy integrates his designs with the craftsmanship of local artisans from villages across India. All the embroidery work for this collection was done by artisans from West Bengal and the rest of the work was done in Chanderi. “We chose the hottest month to develop this fabric. It was in June and the temperature was 50 degrees in Chanderi,” he says. “If we can create this kind of award-winning product with the help of rural artisans then imagine the strength India’s villages have. India shouldn’t be an outsourcing market alone. We need to make “Made in India” happen or rather “Made in the villages of India” happen. “Fashion is not just a glossy, vanity entity. It can help create a better India,” he adds.

Talking about his association with the villages he works with, Mishra is glad to see how their lives have changed for the better. He speaks of a bunch of skilled artisans who were making handicrafts for international luxury brands but living in inhuman conditions in Mumbai. They are now back in their villages, with their families and work from there. “Now they live comfortably and eat a wholesome meal.”

He shows me a picture as proof and a video of an artisan speaking about how happy he is to be working with Rahul bhai. “I learnt from Mahatma Gandhi that you have to become one of them. So when I visit villages I stay in their houses, eat with them, sleep on a charpoy or under the trees. This is where my village upbringing helps me.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Fashion / Priyadarshini Paitandy / December 11th, 2014