Category Archives: Historical Links / Pre-Independence

Museum to digitize cultural assets

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence

Allahabad :

In an attempt to preserve the cultural identity of the city, Allahabad Museum would soon be maintaining a database of all archaeological sites, historic monuments and fairs including Maha Kumbh, Ardh-Kumbh, Magh Mela and Kartik Mela. The first of its kind project by the Ministry of Culture also includes digitization of all the cultural assets of the city. The exercise would be carried in nearly all the popular cities of the country.

After the digitization process, it is expected that archaeological sites at Bheeta, Gardhwa and places bordering Kaushambi will attract the tourists. Rajesh Purohit, director, Allahabad Museum told TOI, “The Ministry of Culture has undertaken the project as there is no database of tangible and intangible cultural spaces across the country. As a part of the initiative, it has been decided to prepare an inventory of tangible cultural assets like places of historic, political and archeological importance and even cultural centres where performances are held.”

He further said intangible assets like the ‘Sangam culture’, fairs, folklore and folk arts performed in and around the region would also form a part of the database. “Many people do not know that Kaushambi was the capital city of Mahajanpads in ancient India. It has monuments dated to Jains and Buddh period including stupas, viharas, terracota statues. Further, in Bheeta, terroracotas in Gardhwa temple complex are some of the highlights of the tangible cultural assets which will be highlighted after the digitization,” said Purohit.

He said, “Similarly, the legends associated with Magh and Kumbh Mela will also attract tourists in the city.” The digitization process would be carried out once the database is prepared by the museum. The museum is one of the selected national museums of the country and is governed by central government.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Vinod Khanal, TNN / February 26th, 2015

Mean machines deck up city roads at vintage car rally in Kanpur

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

The car rally witnessed participation from Kanpur as well as Lucknow and Allahabad.

Juhi poses with her Hillman vinatge car
Juhi poses with her Hillman vinatge car

The 9th annual vintage car rally organised by the Vintage and Classic Car Club of Cawnpore on Sunday was a big success from the word go. Vintage cars, bikes and even scooters lined up early in the morning at the Green Park Stadium with proud owners from Allahabad and Lucknow also participating in the event. “This vintage car rally is very popular among vintage vehicle owners and its popularity can be judged by the fact that we have participants from outside the city also showing their vehicles,” said Tariq Ibrahim, the president of the club. The rally was flagged off by ADM Avinash Singh and normal traffic on the road, from the stadium till Mall Road, came to a halt as people stood and looked in awe at the Rolls Royce, Austin, Morris Cowley and Hillmans drive past.
A few of the cars that have made history were also part of the rally including a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Convertible Sports, owned by Yasser Ibrahim, is the winner of the 1st Formula One Race that took place in Spain in 1913.

Visitors at the rally were given much gyaan of the technical specifications of the vehicles by their respective owners.

Also finding an enviable spot at the rally was a Rolls Royce Double Limousine Silver Ghost 1913 and Rolls Royce Silver Ghost convertible sports of 1913 owned by Yasser Ibrahim. “The Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Convertible Sports has features like 7500 CC engine, four-gears, semi-automatic transmission with cruise control. My great-great grandfather Hafiz Halim Saheb bought it from London in the year 1913. I am the fifth generation driving this car. We sent this car to England to the Rolls Royce company last year, for its restoration. These cars are one of their own kinds in the world. I feel so proud when people driving fancy modern cars on the roads, stop and inquire about my old beauties,” said Ibrahim.

Vintage two-wheelers attracted just as much attention at the rally as did the four wheelers. Ruchika showed off her Lambretta 1945 scooter while TS Johar displayed his vintage BSA motorcycle. Tahir’s 1945 manufactured Ford Jeep had many automobile enthusiasts lining up to see the vehicle. But the biggest draw at the rally was businessman Shahid Mirza’s Ford Anglia manufactured in 1938 which was also used in the film Gadar-Ek Prem Katha.

We spotted Juhi Nigam, Umama, Kajri and Saif displaying their vintage cars. “I have brought my Hillman and two other vintage cars for the rally. These were owned by my grandparents and we are carrying forward the family tradition of maintaining them,” said Juhi. Dr Aditya Mohan Jain and wife Neeta also participated in rally along with three of their Morris cars.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kanpur / by Sumit Jha, TNN / February 21st, 2015

Scot’s search for his roots

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
Nicholas Graves looking at one of the photos inside the carriage used by the Nizam State Guaranteed Railways at Lallaguda on Tuesday.– Photo: By Arrangement
Nicholas Graves looking at one of the photos inside the carriage used by the Nizam State Guaranteed Railways at Lallaguda on Tuesday.– Photo: By Arrangement

With just pension saving details dating to the era of last Nizam, Scottish national Nicholas Graves embarked on a search for his maternal ancestors at Lallaguda Railway Carriage Workshop.

On Tuesday, Mr. Graves looked for anything that could reveal information about his great grandfather from his maternal side, James Theodre, who worked for the Nizam State Guaranteed Railways (NSGR) as a loco fitter in 1932 at Lallaguda.

Mr. Graves has his ancestor’s pension saving details, couple of photographs of his maternal grandmother and grandfather who were married at a church in Lucknow, along with their marriage certificate.

“It started eight years ago when I developed interest in my ancestry. Researching my paternal ancestry, I have been able to track it back to four centuries. But I know very little about my maternal side,” Mr. Graves said during his tour of the workshop.

His ancestor James Theodre was born in India in 1897. The pension book with Mr. Graves shows that James earned Rs. 52 in 1932. His daughter and Mr. Graves’s maternal grandmother, Phyllis Margret Champion, was also born in India and later married an army man from England in Lucknow.

“After they got married in 1938, there is no record of my maternal grandparents visiting India or any clues about their parents, including James Theodre,” he said, pointing to an incomplete family tree he has put together.

Mr. Graves’s grandparents died when he was a child and there isn’t much he knows of them.

His mother and his aunt could only offer him the artefacts he has with him. But he knows it’s not much to go on.

His resolve to uncover his ancestry was motivated by Londoner Duncan Hart, who posted a video detailing his visit to Hyderabad to learn about his grandfather’s past more than two years ago. Though he did not meet Mr. Hart’s success at the workshop on Tuesday, Mr. Graves is optimistic.

Should he decide to persist with his search, Mr. Graves’s next stop would be St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lucknow, where he hopes to get details about his grandfather and grandmother, which would later help build a bigger picture of his maternal ancestry.

Nicholas Graves, a Scottish national, is in the city in search of his maternal ancestor who worked for the Nizam State Guaranteed Railways in 1932 at Lallaguda

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Rohit P S / Hyderabad – February 18th, 2015

If you missed Tansen, listen to his descendant

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All
Abdul Rashid Khan will perform at Sursagar’s ‘Living Legends and Budding Masters’ series at Alliance Francaise on January 30 at 6.30 p.m. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.
Abdul Rashid Khan will perform at Sursagar’s ‘Living Legends and Budding Masters’ series at Alliance Francaise on January 30 at 6.30 p.m. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan (107), based in Kolkata, was the oldest living legend to be bestowed Padma Bhushan

He is the direct descendant of Tansen and has been performing for 75 years. He has performed nearly 3,000 concerts and composed 2,000 bandish , which are being sung by leading Hindustani musicians. In 2013, when he was conferred the Padma Bhushan, he was the oldest living legend to be bestowed the honour.

“I am Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan, 107 years young,” declares the maestro jokingly. “Some members of my family have lived up to the age of 110 and beyond,” he says.

Born in 1908 at Salon near Rai Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, Rashid Khan is the son of Chote Usuf Khan of the Gwalior Gharana. He is the 23{+r}{+d}generation of Tansen’s family and traces his ancestry to Surat Sen, one of the maestro’s four sons.

“My father, and uncle Bade Usuf Khan, trained me in a 10-hour schedule that was followed by a four-hour riyaaz (practice) every day for 22 years.

“Only when I touched 30 did my gurus allow me to step on a stage. That was the kind of integrity we followed,” says the Ustad, who once had Zakir Hussain, then 16, playing the tabla.

After obtaining a degree from Allahabad University, Rashid Khan went to Rae Bareli. He performed a slew of concerts in every nook and corner of India. “I have performed at every maharaja’s court in pre-Independent India. Rae Bareli alone had 22 maharajas and each would demand a particular raag ,” he says recollecting the traditional four to five hour concerts that were in vogue then.

In 1991, he was specially invited by the ITC Sangeeth Research Academy in Kolkata to take over as the senior guru. He has been teaching there for the last 25 years. His traditional compositions have been recorded by the BBC and Iraq Radio.

The UP Sangeet Natak Academi and the ITC Sangeet Research Academy have more than 1500 compositions of the ustad in their collection.

And the secret of his longevity?

“All we know is that he prays five times a day,” says grandson Bilal Khan, who accompanies the ustad on the tabla.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Ranjani Govind / Bengaluru – January 29th, 2015

Pages from History : Saint Raidasa of Varanasi

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders

by Prof. A.V. Narasimha Murthy, former Head, Department of Ancient History & Archaeology, University of Mysore

The other day, my friend K. Chandramouli gave me a copy of his newly- published book Prajwala Kashi. The book is written in Kannada and is highly interesting and throws light on many aspects of Banaras or Kashi. In my busy schedule, I could not read it all these days but last week I took it and completed reading it. It has a chapter on Raidasa or Ravidasa. In the meantime, I also read another book Rosary of Saints by Meera S. Sashital which has a small section on Raidasa. The present account is based upon these two books.

Raidasa was born in 1414 at the village Karahiya near Varanasi. Actually it is very close to Banaras Hindu University. But according to others Raidasa was born near Govardhanapura. The main occupation of this community was to carry the dead cattle out of the village and clean the village. It is said that the child did not drink mother’s breast milk and hence the mother went for ashirvadam from the Saint Ramananda. He blessed the child and gave him the name Raidasa. Ramananda initiated him to the cult of devotion but he continued the work of a cobbler along with his father. Raidasa prepared the footwear and sold it for a song or gave it free of cost to Saints. Parents thought that he would become more responsible and got him married to a girl by name Lona. Finally, his father asked to set up a separate home for himself and his wife and continue the work of preparing footwear.

With the blessings of Ramananda, Raidasa became famous as a religious teacher and his compassion for men and women continued. In his ecstasy, he used to forget taking money from his customers and on such days, they had nothing to eat and survived on water. His wife never complained. One day, a saint came to his house and Raidasa treated him as the guest. He was supremely happy and while going, the saint wanted to give him a magic gem by which he can live happily. His wife came to know of it but without husband’s permission she would not touch it. Finally the saint hid it near the thatched roof. After sometime, the saint asked him about it and Raidasa without any concern replied that it must be there where it was kept by you. I have no desire to possess it. That puts me into the bondage of mundane desires. Hence I did not even look at it.

There is another story like this. His wife, though pious, was enamoured of a diamond studded ornament. A devotee gave it to her and she accepted it. She did not inform her husband about it thinking that it is a trivial matter. This came to the notice of Raidasa. He never rebuked her nor even spoke against her. He simply commented that if only you had half the desire to attain Moksha, you would have been in that blissful atmosphere. Immediately, she threw away that ornament and repented for her ignorance even though she was the wife of Raidasa.

Raidasa was a generous man and used to invite needy people to his house. Most of the time there used to be nothing at home. Raidasa’s wife was never worried because God would take care of the guests. One day four Brahmins appeared and requested her for food. She simply thought of her husband and went to the kitchen and lo! the kitchen had tasty food items in plenty. The four Brahmins had a grand feast and blessed the lady. Raidasa came home after sometime and she narrated all the incidents. He congratulated his wife saying that you are fortunate to have seen and fed the God but that fortune has not dawned on me. I am still a sinner and I have to purify myself further.

Meera Bai was another saint and she had great respect for this couple. Raidasa’s wife wanted to possess a diamond and learning of this Meera Bai sent a diamond to Raidasa. He simply ignored it and it was kept in an insignificant place. Some people wanted to test Raidasa and his wife and asked back the diamond given by Meera Bai. The couple replied we have no idea; it must be there where it was kept, go and search, and take it. It was lying there only. After this incident Meera Bai explained to the devotees the greatness of Raidasa. Thus, he had passed the test of Meera Bai also.

The name and fame of Raidasa increased in and around Kashi. The Brahmins could not tolerate a cobbler becoming famous. So they hatched a plan to humble him. They invited him to a religious debate in which Vedas, Upanishads and Sastras could be discussed. The Brahmins felt that Raidasa was a cobbler and could not utter a word of Sanskrit and hence could be defeated and insulted. The King of Kashi himself presided over the meeting. The learned Brahmins used high flown flowery Sanskrit language and asked questions to which Raidasa gave highly satisfactory answers. The Brahmins were exposed but they deviced another plan.

They brought an image of Shiva and placed it on a pedestal and people sat around. The King ordered that people should win over Shiva to their side. The Brahmins chanted mantras and performed Rudrabhisheka but nothing happened. The King turned towards Raidasa, who closed his eyes, composed some poems and began reciting them. After sometime, he became highly emotional and the image of Shiva marched towards Raidasa and sat on his lap. Everybody hailed Raidasa. ‘I have done nothing; Shiva has been generous to me; that is greatness,’ explained Raidasa. As per the conditiosn, the Brahmins carried Raidasa in a palanquin.

Not satisfied by this, they threw one more challenge on Raidasa. Saligrama (stone) should be thrown into Ganga and the Saligrama of Brahmins will float, they claimed. Raidasa said where do I bring a Saligrama? The stone I use to beat the hide (animal skin) is my Saligrama, he said. Ultimately the real Saligramas went inside the water and the hide beating stone of Raidasa began floating.

The King came to meet Raidasa during the night and requested him to initiate him. At that time, Raidasa was dipping the hide in water; he gave it to him as holy water. But the King did not drink it but his servant drank that water and she got enlightenment. The King fell at the feet of Raidasa and accepted his mistake.

Raidasa’s songs (padas) are full of deep devotion and religious meaning. Actually they are bhajans. These songs have been compiled by his disciples and some of them have been included in Granth Saheb (the Sikh scripture). One of them reads as follows:

Oh Lord, thou are the searcher of hearts

Though the servants of God we know God

Grant me that my body may be thy shine

Ravidasa sees God in everything.

The Queen of Chittore invited all caste people to a dinner but the Brahmins protested. They were made to sit separately when the feast was going on. Every Brahmin felt that by his side was a cobbler and a Raidasa. This miraculous multiplication of himself made the Brahmins feel the greatness of Raidasa. Finally, they all became his disciples.

The final teaching of Raidasa is nearer Upanishads. God is within you; Do not search for him only in temples or other religious places. Search within yourself; He will appear before you. That is the Sanatana Dharma which we have been trying to understand.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / The Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / January 24th, 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

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

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

Azad’s papers to be kept at archives

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

Allahabad :

Finally after 84-years, the original documents related to the martyrdom of freedom fighter Chandrasekhar Azad would be brought before the world.

The regional archives office here has sought possession of the Village Crime Notebook (VCN) which carries the details of the case lodged against Azad under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) so as to scientifically preserve it.

Researchers and general public would be allowed access to the records after they reach the archives. At present the records are stacked at Colonelganj police station along with other files.

The Village Crime Notebook was maintained by the British between 1910 and 1947. It mentions the case registered against martyr Chandra Shekhar Azad with Colonelganj police station under section 307 of IPC on February 27, 1931.

The sheet has all details including serial number as given in the first information book, date of occurrence, offence, value of properties stolen, recovered, name of the accused, suspected with parentage, caste and residence and result of the case.The case was registered by British against martyr Azad and one of his companions regarding Alfred Park firing incident, in which sub-inspector Rai Sahib Chaudhary Rishal Singh was the investigation officer.

The case was written in Urdu against Chandra Shekhar Azad and one another under section 307 of IPC, with crime number 20/1931. The British had not made any remark on the result of the case but noted down the result of every date on the sheets.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Vinod Khanal, TNN / December 18th, 2014