With an aim to add sheen to its Heritage zone scheme the Uttar Pradesh Government is all set to put up plaques on the buildings of Lucknow where once historical personalities lived in bygone era.
The Chief Minister’s office has asked the Tourism Department to prepare a plaque that could match the flavour and history of Awadh and identify the houses once inhabited by historical personality – may be artist literature or even freedom fighter..
“This is a small gesture that will help people to identify the buildings where say once Premchand lived or where Mir Taqi Mir wrote his gazals. People might have passed through these buildings without knowing the historical importance of those structures,” a senior official in CM’s office told The Pioneer here recently.
The idea to have plaque at important buildings has been borrowed from London’s Blue Plaque. This plaues, which are in blue in colour, are put up on the buildings where famous people had lived and worked. It celebrates the architecture of London’s streets and the diversity and achievements of its past residents. London’s blue plaques scheme, founded in 1866, is believed to be the oldest of its kind in the world.
The official said that the scheme is aimed at to celebrate the link between people and buildings. “The buildings carrying plaques will invoke interest of the people about the person and the building where he lived. This will not only add to the historical importance of the city but also help the Tourism department to give added tinge to its Heritage zone scheme,” the officer said.
The Chief Minister’s office has asked the Tourism Department to prepare a detail proposal including the design of the proposed plaque. It has been asked to rope in historians like Yogesh Pravin to identify the buildings of city where the celebrities of olden era once lived.
There are over 50 litterateurs, artists, freedom fighters and people associated with films were either born or worked in Lucknow. From Mir Taqi Mir to Begum Akhtar, from Prem Chand to Sri Lal Shukla and from Pahari Sanyal to K.P. Saxena all have their share of association with Lucknow. Then there are people like Amrit Nagar, Kaifi Azmi, Bhagwati Charan Verma, Mirza Hadi Ruswa, Josh Malihabadi, Jan Nisar Akhtar and this list is endless. This scheme only aims at identifying the buildings where they lived.
“The buildings tell a lot about the character of the person who lived or worked there. Some of them may be dilapidated but they are rich in history,” he said. “The Plaque will not offer any kind of special protection to buildings, but will raise awareness of their historical significance. This in turn can assist in their preservation,” he said.
source: http://www.dailypioneer.com / The Pioneer / Home> State edition> Lucknow / by Biswajeet Banerjee, Lucknow / Saturday – July 25th, 2015
Her works deftly weave together undertones of feminism with the themes of history and mythology. But Lucknow-based printmaker Sonal Varshneya doesn’t want to be monikered as a rebel. She rather prefers being known as an artist who is striving to uplift an underappreciated art form through the right blend of experimentation and expression.
A series of etchings entitled ‘The Heroine’s Last Dream’, a compilation of her works from different series, were recently exhibited at Apparao Infinity in Chennai.
Even as the elaborate artistry of printmaking involves preparing different printing plates to bring out different colours in a single piece of art, Varshneya in her stint of seven years has been working towards bringing out the desired colours on just one plate.
“My toils are rewarded when people mistake my prints for paintings. The greatest achievement, however, will be the day printing is revered on par with painting and discussed for its concepts rather than its technicalities,” says the 31-year-old.
A student of Lalit Kala Sansthan of Agra University, Varshneya was awarded for her contribution to printmaking at the International Print Biennial at Taiwan in 2012 and recently bagged the South Central Zone Award for her series ‘Photoshoot’. Her works are currently on display at the ongoing International Biennial of Contemporary Printmaking in Canada for which she was selected among 32 artists worldwide.
Amid themes based on history, mythology and Indian traditions, women stand out prominently in Varshneya’s etchings. An apt example would be the prints in her ‘Photoshoot’ series where Varshneya tries breaking social stereotypes by re-drawing the nine deviyans or nine forms of Goddess Durga as women dressed in modern outfits.
“My women are inspired from goddesses as I believe every woman is as powerful and free as a goddess. The ladies in the prints still wield the mythical lotus in their hand, but they are not deviyans, but just ordinary women who are empowered,” she says. One could find recurrent images of tigers and lions in such works, which Varshneya says is her way to symbolise the blend of power and tenderness in a woman.
Women empowerment is the theme of another work where Varshneya draws women as Chhau dancers, even though Chhau, the Indian martial dance, is traditionally performed by male dancers. “These images are manifestations of my suppressed feelings. Being born and brought up in a society which boasts of a rich cultural heritage, yet discriminates on basis of caste, creed and sex, I have fought these notions all my life,” she says.
Her backgrounds on the other hand are embellished with extensive drawings of the famous Chikankari work of Lucknow, an ode to the city she lives in. In others she throws in images drawn from mythology, a theme that has been fodder for her imagination since her salad days.
During a printmaking residency in Korea in 2013, Varshneya created a series of prints based on the Hindu God Hanuman. She is currently working on a series based on Draupadi from the Mahabharata. Wanting to include photo and digital etchings in her works, Varshneya plans to devote the next few years to perfecting her colours in sync with her concepts.
Though she easily plucks her themes from mundane events and even oral conversations, Varshneya says translating them on paper via the printing plate is a real challenge. “Taking one print is easy but replicating the same design with the same colour combinations in the editions is a challenge. To add to it the whole affair doesn’t come cheap because the papers and colours are expensive and you have just one shot at experimentation.”
But all that effort often goes unappreciated. “The irony is people think our work isn’t singular because the printing plate unlike painting has the additional benefit of reproducing copies of an artwork, something that supposedly doesn’t make it one of its kind. They forget the fact that behind these editions there is a concept, intricate techniques and several rounds of labour that are waiting to be appreciated,” she adds.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Samhati Mohapatra / August 01st, 2015
Noted Hindi litterateur Kashinath Singh has been chosen for the state’s highest literary award, Bharat Bharti. The award, given by UP Hindi Sansthan, carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. The award list for 2014 was announced on Monday.
Singh (78) has penned many novels and short stories. His most famous novel is ‘Kashi ka Assi’, which captures the vibrant hues of Banaras. The novel has been adopted for the upcoming movie ‘Mohalla Assi’.
The litterateur is known to have candid political opinions and opposed Modi’s arrival in Varanasi for Lok Sabha elections, saying he would use the holy city for Hindutva agenda. Singh had said that such agenda would pose threat to Varanasi’s composite culture.
Besides Singh, 100 other writers have been selected in various categories on the basis of their work which was evaluated and examined by a committee set up by Hindi Sansthaan.
Some prominent awardees include Mridula Garg (Lohia Sahitya), Vinod Kumar Shukla (Hindi Gaurav), Krishna Bihari Mishra (Mahatama Gandhi Sahitya Samman), Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra (Deendayal Upadhaya Sahitya Samman), Ramkrishna Rajput and (Avantibai Sahitya Samman). These awardees will get a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh each.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / August 04th, 2015
On the 69th Independence Day, Lucknow division of the department of Posts will commemorate contribution of women freedom fighters of Uttar Pradesh through a display of postage stamps. UP’s first philatelic museum at the General Post Office is coming up with a separate Lucknow gallery titled ‘Shaan-e-Awadh Lucknow’, where a wall would be dedicated totally to these brave women.
The centrally air-conditioned gallery exhibiting some rare stamps issued on Lucknow city in different frames will be open for public from August 15 and include postage stamps featuring Vijay Lakshmi Pandit, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Jhalkaribai, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Rani Laxmibai, etc.
“The idea behind this initiative is to not only showcase the rich culture, heritage, cuisine of the state but also to commemorate journey of UP’s women freedom fighters,” said Vivek Kumar Daksh, Director of postal headquarters (UP). “We are also planning to release a coffee book table of the collection on the day of inauguration which will include details of achievements of women who are role models,” he added.
Besides these stamps on women freedom fighters, special covers of Munshi Naval Kishore, Asrar ul Haq Majaz, Kathak maestro Pandit Lacchu Maharaj, stamps of academic institutions like Colvin Taluqdars, Isabella Thoburn College, La Martiniere, KGMC, Loreto Convent, 200 years of Hazratganj, Vidhan Sabha and other historical monuments will also be on display.
The philately museum will display around 140 postage stamps issued on UP, while 22 of these would be exclusively on Lucknow. Each frame will have stamps put up chronologically according to the date of issue.
Along with sorting out the rarest and most valuable stamps, postal department officials are also busy giving the gallery a unique heritage design. Wntrance of the gallery will be a replica of Rumi gate, while ceilings will bear images of rare and oldest stamps of Lucknow using acrylic paints.
“The idea is to show the rich culture and heritage of Lucknow so the gallery would display souvenirs for visitors which would define the historical relevance of postal services in India and its strong connect with Lucknow city,” said R K Prasad, chief post master, Lucknow GPO.
In addition to the collections available with philatelic bureaus across the state, the postal department will also invite Lucknow’s philatelists to donate their collection to the museum.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home News> City> Lucknow / by Uzma Talha, TNN / August 02nd, 2015
Shadowed under the heavy weight of numerous books for competitive examinations, Sanjiv Chaturvedi’s home in Lucknow’s Chandralok Colony in Aliganj also houses a rare collection of Urdu poetry from Ghalib to Majaz and Firaq Gorakhpuri. Ever since the family settled in Lucknow in 1995, Sanjiv who had then finished his engineering from National Institute of Technology (NIT), Allahabad, had developed an interest in Urdu poetry, a collection of which adorns his library shelf.
“I was startled when he started collecting poetry books, finding the hobby a little out of place. I told him sternly one day, that he would have been at great heights in the engineering field, had he put this much effort in it, instead of reading poetry,” recalled his father, Daya Shankar Chaturvedi, now laughing over the phone from Devariya. Making four attempts to the civils, each time after reaching the mains, his merit in the interview would drop. “But he was determined and got through IFS the next year,” shared the proud father who had tears of joy when he “got all emotional on the good news” after receiving the update from his son at around 10 am. .
Sanjiv belonging to a small village Baliawa in Devariya, was born in Allahabad but has a deep rooted connect with Lucknow. Building the foundation of his education from Saraswati Shishumandir in Gonda where he studied till V standard, he juggled between Basti, Gonda and Gorakhpur for the rest of his schooling.
It was in Lucknow and through self study that the Magsaysay awardee prepared for the IAS examination.
“Lucknow has left an indelible impact on me. I have imbibed the city’s value system and its simplicity that have given me strength from time to time. The city helps me unwind. Whenever I am in Lucknow, I hang out with friends who have stood by me and supported me all through my fight,” said Sanjiv.
Every time he visits Lucknow, ‘Chaturvedi’ as he is fondly called among friends, visits his favourite hang outs, gorging on Azhar Bhai ka Paan at Akbari Gate, Shukla Chaat Centre, Netram ki Puri.
“Fifteen days ago, when he was here, we had gone to eat at 11:30 in the night the old city area,” said Waqar Ahmed, who has been friends with Sanjiv since 1991, sharing a room at NIT hostel and being neighbours in Lucknow.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Yusra Hussain, TNN / July 30th, 2015
Ace powerlifter from Mirzapur Nidhi Singh Patel bagged bronze at the 2015 Asian Powerlifting Championship held at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong on Thursday.
Her coach Kamlapati Tripathi told TOI that she lifted 345 kg in senior women (57kg) category. Though she was suffering from typhoid and was under medication, she made it successfully. According to him, she also has a chance to get silver if the dope test of gold winner is found positive.
It may be mentioned here that Apna Dal member of Parliament (MP) from Mirzapur Anupriya Patel provided Rs 1.5 lakh to Nidhi Singh to help het participate in the event. Belonging to a poor rural family Nidhi has earlier won 5 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze in international events, and 5 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze in national events. It was difficult for Nidhi, a native of Pachera village in Mirzapur district, to arrange the amount for her foreign trip. Her father Girija Prasad Singh Patel is a fourth grade employee at a college.
Earlier also, her three foreign trips to Manila (Philippines), Taiwan (China), and Bournemouth (England) became possible after help from private donations. While she bagged five gold medals in 2011 Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in England, she won silver in Asian Benchpress Championships in Manila in 2010 and a bronze Asian Benchpress Championships in Taiwan in 2011.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Varanasi / TNN / July 25th, 2015
Radha Kant Ojha and Ashok Kumar Singh were elected president and secretary of Allahabad High Court Bar Association on Sunday.
Ojha defeated Anil Tiwari by a margin of 1,012 votes for the post of president. Singh defeated Suresh Chandra Pandey by a margin of 237 votes for the post of secretary.
Daya Shankar Mishra was elected senior vice-president by defeating Mangla Prasad Tiwari by a margin of 22 votes.
Sudhir Kumar Chandraul has been elected as joint secretary administration and Ranvijay Singh has been elected as joint secretary (library). Janardan Yadav has been elected as joint secretary (press) and Rajiv Shukla as treasurer.
Himkanya Srivastava has been elected as joint secretary (women). The counting for five posts of vice-president was going and the result is expected to be announced late at night.
The polling was held on July 9 and the counting had begun on July 11
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / TNN /July 13th, 2015
In order to invite films makers to UP and boost film production in the state, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has decided to extend entertainment tax waiver Salman Khan blockbuster ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’. Its director Kabir Khan met the CM on Monday. Besides, the government is all set to give tax waiver to two more films – ‘Ishk Ke Parinde’ and ‘Miss Tanakpur Hazir Ho’. A decision in this regard is likely to be taken at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Apart from this, the cabinet is also likely to convert Sarojini Nagar into tehsil of Lucknow district. The cabinet is also likely to approve a proposal for acquiring nearly 14.50 hectares of land in Alipur Alamha village in Kannauj district to develop a modern mandi along the Agra-Lucknow expressway .The expressway is the most prestigious project which will have smart cities, film city, logistical parks and mandis on the entire stretch.
The cabinet is also to take a decision on the funding by the World Bank for the UP Core Road Network Development Projects. Shakuntala Mishra Rehabilitation University is also likely to get more funds for expansion and maintenance of the university campus and academic activities.
Besides, the cabinet is also likely to give its nod to set up 46 outposts of the mines department in 14 districts for increasing surveillance on the illegal mining.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / July 21st, 2015
A mighty fracas is raging between the descendants of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah in Calcutta and an Iranian woman who claims to be married to a scion of the Awadhi family. Hemchhaya De investigates the rumpus
REGAL ROOTS: Shahebzade Wasif Mirza and his family pose before the portrait of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah;
A king-size portrait of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah will catch your eye the moment you step into the grand, old living room of Wasif Manzil on Talbagan Lane in Calcutta. “That’s my ancestor,” says Shahebzade Wasif Mirza, a dignified septuagenarian, pointing at the portrait — the pièce de resistance in a room bristling with Awadhi heirlooms.
“Satyajit Ray once asked me, ‘Why did the Nawab choose to move to Bengal after his kingdom was annexed?’ At that time, he had just made a film called Shatranj Ke Khiladi,” recalls the patriarch, a registered descendant of Wajid Ali Shah (1822-1887). “I told Ray that perhaps the Nawab felt he would get the respect he deserved only in Bengal.”
For Shahebzade Mirza, it’s a matter of family honour that he takes on what he calls “pretenders” to the Awadh legacy. In recent months, he has been fighting a fierce battle against Fay Ary, an Iranian woman who divides her time between Monaco, Paris and Dubai, and claims to have married a direct descendant of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and his second wife Ronakara Begum.
Fay Ary
But she refuses to disclose her late husband’s name for “fear of being drawn into family feuds.” Ary also wishes to do something for the underprivileged in India through her charity organisation, Royal Awadh Cultural and Heritage Foundation (RACH).
“All this sounds very nice. But she calls herself Her Royal Highness Princess Jehan Ara Fay Ary. I have the complete family tree and she figures nowhere. I’d like to know where her imaginary kingdom is located,” says Mirza. In a recent letter to the French ambassador to India, Jerome Bonnafont, he complained against Ary and RACH. “Our objection is to the use of our family’s name …for large monetary gains,” wrote Mirza.
Fay held a charity auction in Paris this May where her “personal collection of jewellery” went under the hammer. “We don’t know what she auctioned as her Awadhi legacy. And we don’t know where the proceeds are going,” says Ibrahim Ali Khan, a descendant of a 19th century Awadhi vizier, who heads the Royal Family of Awadh Foundation in Lucknow.
It all began a couple of years ago when Nawab Jafar Mir Abdullah — who reportedly claimed to be the Awadh rulers’ “direct descendant” — came under media glare. Abdullah, who’s on the RACH advisory committee, was accused of faking his nawabi heritage and arranging Awadhi banquets for foreign tourists in collusion with “unscrupulous” travel operators in Lucknow. It was also alleged that he charged tourists hundreds of dollars for banquets and mujras (dances) at his Lucknow home. His partner in this enterprise is said to be Prateek Hira, who heads a tour operating agency called Tornos India and is also associated with RACH.
Hira maintains that Khan and others have launched a malicious campaign to defame Ary, Abdullah and his agency. “Abdullah is well respected in Lucknow,” says Hira.
■ Shahebzade Wasif Mirza, descendant of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (1822-1887) of Awadh (Oudh).
■ Fay Ary, an Iranian who claims to have married a direct descendant of Wajid Ali Shah and his second wife Ronakara Begum. Ary runs a charity, Royal Awadh Cultural and Heritage Foundation (RACH).
■ Ibrahim Ali Khan, a descendant of a 19th century Awadhi vizier, who heads the Awadh Royal Family Foundation in Lucknow. Does not support Ary.
■ Jafar Mir Abdullah, who is described as Wajid Ali Shah’s direct descendant and is on the RACH advisory committee.
■ Prateek Hira, who heads a tour operating agency called Tornos India and is associated with RACH.
Fay Ary gained some publicity in Lucknow around this time after announcing her charity projects. “She wants to do something for the poor — like arranging cleanliness drives in various Indian cities and providing slum dwellers with clean drinking water. She sought my help to implement the projects,” says Hira.
Ibrahim Ali Khan and others tried to blow the lid off what they called a “nexus” between Abdullah, Hira and Ary last year. “The issue was almost dying down when a freelance journalist from Delhi wrote to Hira and threatened action against his activities. He wrote to me as well,” says Khan.
Fay didn’t take it lying down. In an email dated June 29 this year, she wrote to her friends in Lucknow, Dubai and Paris, “A very nasty activity is being undertaken …(by a journalist)… for want of some money to sustain himself …ignore this man who keeps changing his name to fool people.”
Speaking from Paris, Ary expresses her “anguish and disappointment” over the “concerted efforts to pull down RACH.” “I claim nothing from the Indian government or from the Awadh families. I auctioned my own jewellery in Paris. I am hankering after no title. All I wanted to say to these people was that I had the resources to do some good work in India,” says Ary.
She wants to start her “slum cleanliness drive projects” in early October. She will also host a gala event in Dubai this November to seek support for her charity work. “People who claim to be true nawabs in India should stop bickering and do something for their country.
There seems to be another point of clash between Ary and Shahebzade Mirza. Ary told the media last year that she would renovate Nawab Wajid Ali Shah’s mother’s grave in the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. The Nawab’s mother, Aliya Begum, went to England to plead with Queen Victoria for returning Awadh to her son. On her way back, she fell ill and died in Paris in 1856 and was buried in Père Lachaise. Ary wants to project her grave as a site of historical significance.
The Shahebzade Mirza family, on the other hand, wants to rectify an inscription near the grave which says that her son Wajid Ali Shah was killed by British forces in 1856. “The Nawab died of natural causes in 1887. We have written to the French consulate in Calcutta to do something about it,” says Mirza. A spokesperson from the French consulate, who prefers not to be identified, confirmed receiving the letter.
“I accompanied Fay to the Paris cemetery this year. She is planning a renovation,” says Abdullah, the controversial ‘nawab’ who refutes all allegations against himself. “She doesn’t lay any claim to the Awadh royalty. She is herself related to Farah Diba Pahalvi, the queen of the last Shah of Iran who ruled till 1979.”
Abdullah also goes on to say that he will go on hosting banquets for tourists in order to interact with people and entertain them. “I tour the world and get invited by top officials. I will also continue to be part of RACH and the commendable work it does,” says Abdullah. “I never claimed to be a descendant of Wajid Ali.”
Agrees Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, a British scholar who’s writing a biography of Wajid Ali Shah. “Abdullah does not really claim descent from Wajid Ali Shah, but from Nawab Mohammed Ali Shah, who ruled Awadh from 1837 to 1842,” she says. She adds that it’s important to remember that “Wajid Ali Shah’s descendants are not the only descendants of the royal family of Awadh.”
“Each Nawab, from the time of Asaf-ud-daula (1775 to 1797), had a number of wives, and inevitably, a large number of children and grandchildren. These people are also descendants of the Awadh royal family. On Wajid Ali Shah’s death he left about 45 sons, and a larger number of daughters, and the descendants of these sons and daughters can obviously claim direct descent from him.” On Ary, she says that unless she is prepared to reveal her husband’s name “we can’t really check out her claim.”
Indian historian Ravi Bhatt, who penned a book called The Life and Times of the Nawabs of Lucknow, begs to differ. “Just as Nagpur is famous for oranges and Benaras for silk, Lucknow is known for its nawabs,” says Bhatt. “Every Tom, Dick or Harry calls himself a nawab these days. But let me tell you there is no descendant of the Awadh royal family in Lucknow now,” says Bhatt.
Meanwhile, Shahebzade Mirza is gearing up for the next round of battle. “We hope the French government will act on our complaint against Ary. The war is far from over.”
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Calcutta,India / Front Page> 7 Days> Story / Sunday – August 23rd, 2009
Here’s an Urdu couplet that has crossed realms of usual shayri for an extraordinary reason: It describes in part the message of Bhagwad Gita—”Mera janm aam logon ke jaisa nahi… ki main khaas hoon, aisa waisa nahi…”
Poet Anwar Jalalpuri who has translated the entire Gita in Urdu couplets gives insight into the couplet saying, “The sher connotes the shlok wherein Lord Krishna unfolds the secret of his personality to Arjun.” Jalalpuri will receive Yash Bharti Samman from chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, it was announced here on Sunday.
An official release stated that the book, titled ‘Urdu Shayari Mein Gita’ not only translates verses into couplets but also successfully recaptures its essence and meaning in totality. Yash Bharti award is given to eminent persons from the state in the fields of art, culture, sports, literature, medicine, journalism and social service.
Talking exclusively to TOI, the poet said, “The award has honoured my mission to nourish Avadh’s Ganga- Jamuni tehzeeb. I hope my book facilitates better understanding of Gita which largely stresses importance of karma or action.”
It took the poet almost 32 years to pen his book. “The matter dates back to 1982 when I enrolled for a PhD programme on critical analysis of Urdu translations of Gita. In two years, I realised the vastness of the subject and gave up the idea of doctorate,” recalled the poet, who has also translated Rabindra Nath Tagore’s Geetanjali and Omar Khaiyyam’s Rubais, besides penning 14 other books.
He added that his love for Gita’s philosophy refused to wane despite failure to achieve doctorate. “Soon, I decided to convert shloks into shers. It remained snail-paced in the beginning but caught momentum after 2002,” he said. The book was published and released in May 2014. “I am now ready to launch an audio-CD of the book…The shers have been sung by Anoop Jalota and Mithlesh Lakhnavi,” he said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Shailvee Shards, TNN / July 13th, 2015
