Rajamahendravaram city MLA Akula Satyannarayana felicitated freedom fighter Mullapudi Suryanarayana marking 70th Independence Day and BJP Thiranga Parva at Dowleswaram on Monday.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Rajamahendravaram – August 16th, 2016
A British construction here stands as a witness to the bravery and sacrifices of the freedom fighters of Masulipatnam and Krishna district.
The giant building, known as ‘British Prison’, reminds one of the history of freedom struggle in Andhra Pradesh.
“It was built after the Anglo-French war in 1750s. The British required a prison in Machilipatnam to incarcerate the local freedom fighters within the area of Krishna and Guntur districts and Nalgonda in Telangana State during the freedom struggle,” local historian Mohammed Silar toldThe Hindu .
According to available literature on Machilipatnam, it was the only prison to confine the freedom fighters until another prison was built in Vijayawada in early 1920s.
Jaggery unit
‘Masula History’ penned by Chitta Bala Krishna Sastry in 1922 predicts that Machilipatnam would witness rapid industrial activity, by citing the jaggery production unit set up in the British prison by then.
“After the British left the prison by early 1920s, local entrepreneur Jaldu Rama Rao obtained permission from the British to use the prison premises for production of jaggery and sugar,” said Mr. Silar. However, sugar cane production had to be stopped by mid 1940s, owing to various business reasons.
Currently, the British prison is owned by the family of Jaldu Rama Rao.
Now, an old woman resides at the entrance of the site, which is yet to get the heritage status.
Only if it gets the heritage status, any conservatory initiatives by the Archaeological Survey of India could be expected to take place.
Another heritage structure
Ironically, the British prison is located opposite another heritage site which was a hospital during the Nizam’s period.
The efforts made by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for the conservation of the British prison as well as the other sites at Bandarkota have not yielded any results so far.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Andhra Pradesh / Bankarkota(KrishnA) / August 15th, 2016
Visakhapatnam :
Heritage lovers want the two World War II bunkers to be placed in Visakha Museum or along Beach Road for tourists and public to learn about their history and importance associated with Vizag. Currently, one of the bunkers lies partially submerged in the sea sand near RK Beach, while the other is in the One Town Area near the port conveyer belt. There’s also a huge concrete bunker on the beach in Jalaripeta region near Kailasagiri, which is practically not feasible to be shifted given its size and mass.
During low tides or beach erosion, the bunkers at times get exposed though most people are unaware of its significance. As per historians, there might be more such historical bunkers between Old Town and Jalaripeta along the beach but not all of them are visible and might be under water. Changes in the coastal landscape may cause some of them to surface in future. The bunkers were constructed for attacking or firing at enemy ships that try to enter the shores.
S Ravi Kanth Reddy, founder-president of Meecons, said, “Recently, I wrote to GVMC commissioner Pravin Kumar requesting him to salvage those two bunkers and make them part of a local museum or at least put them for public display somewhere on Beach oad with some description about their historical significance.”
Elaborating on the bunkers and Vizag’s tryst with the World War II, Captain Dorai Babu of the Indian Navy, who has done research and contributed to certain publications related to the East Coast Naval History during the International Fleet Review (IFR), said, “Not many people are aware that during World War II, a Japanese submarine was sunk around 20 miles off Vizag by an Australian ship. A Japanese aircraft tried to bomb Vizag Port area. The British were anticipating an attack on Vizag and therefore bunkers were built along the coast in the late 1930s and ’40s as a protective and attacking measure.”
“The bunkers are usually 4-5 feet under the ground and 3-4 feet above the ground. They are fortified with stone and can prevent 20 mm bullet attacks to protect guns and crew housed in them,” added Captain Babu.
Historian Edward Paul averred, “These bunkers or pill boxes were used to attack enemy ships trying to enter Vizag shores. The crew would be hidden in the bunkers from where they would shoot. Holes were made on the bunkers for bullets to be fired from them. The bunkers were made of thick solid concrete, which could resist firing attacks. However, these are so heavy and huge that extracting them from the seashores and bringing them to museums or Beach Road would be practically a herculean task requiring modern technology. May be some boards about their utility and historical significance can be placed along the Beach Road. But with increased erosion and the sea encroaching the shores, slowly the bunkers are becoming invisible. In the 1960s, when the sea hadn’t advanced so much, the bunkers would be clearly visible.”
Curator of Visakha Heritage Museum MNA Patrudu said, “It would be definitely a wonderful idea to place the bunkers along with information boards for tourists. May be the museum too can find some space for it if it can be lifted from the seashore. These are very heavy and half of them are submerged in the waters. Lifting and placing them somewhere else would be an extremely difficult task.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Visakhapatnam / Sulogna Mehta / TNN / July 23rd, 2016
Visakhapatnam:
Time and again, there had been elaborate talks on giving the heritage buildings of Old Town a makeover.
Sources had earlier said crores of rupees have been earmarked by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) for revamp and conservation of the Port City’s heritage structures that are badly in need of renovation, conservation, and maintenance. But except some ray of light for the Town Hall, the condition of other derelict structures have worsened.
Sometimes, funds from JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) or from the World Bank was expected to come to the rescue of the heritage structures and include them in the tourism map but nothing materialised. The only positive development so far has been cleaning up of the Town Hall and putting up a notice by GVMC banning all functions at the venue.
There are almost a dozen heritage and colonial era buildings and sites in Old Town such as the Town Hall, European cemetery, Queen Victoria’s pavilion, Queen Mary’s Schools, St John Church and School, St Aloysius School, Lighthouse, Ishaq Medina Dargah, Abu Sarang Street, Lavender Canal and some other heritage buildings. Some of these like the hilltop dargah and mosque dates back to the mid 13th century while most others belong to the 19th and early 20th century.
The 16th century European cemetery, which is covered with garbage and weeds, was cleaned about a couple of years ago by GVMC at the initiative of Intach (Indian National Trust for Culture and Heritage) but is now back to its former state. M Janaki, the then additional commissioner of GVMC, had taken a lot of initiative in clearing the cemetery and had even allocated Rs 12 lakh for its renovation. The three century old burial ground has around 50 graves.
Intach member Jayshree Hatangadi said, “When I visited the cemetery this week, I found the wall broken towards its left and has been encroached upon by surrounding houses. Garbage has been thrown inside and the weeds and bushes have regrown to such an extent that stepping inside is almost impossible. Only the Town Hall has been cleaned and ‘No functions to be held here’ notice pasted on the door, which is a good move by the GVMC in protecting the building from all the damage and litter, which happens every time some function is held there.”
GVMC’s chief city planner Venkata Rathnam said, “Both the European cemetery in Old Town and the Dutch cemetery at Jagadamba Junction are in a bad shape, with broken compound walls and our municipal commissioner has personally inspected the sites. Hopefully, some renovation and cleaning works would be taken up for the cemeteries.”
Not only the cemetery, but the Victoria Pavilion and the Queen Victoria statue, which got a makeover around two months ago, is in a mess. “The statue is again covered with coal dust, which can’t be helped because of the pollution is the area. But worse, the workers have left the cleaning job incomplete. They have left brushes, brooms and clothes, but removed the signage. Even if there’s some renovation, the maintenance aspect is totally ignored,” added Hatangadi.
The century-old Queen Mary’s Girls High School (QMGHS) is also in a rickety state, especially the tiled roofs and wooden staircases are all creaking and crumbling and in urgent need for renovation. But it seems the government is waiting for it to crumble further and then pull it down altogether so that it meets the same fate as the Kurupam Market structure, which was surreptitiously demolished in November 2013 by GVMC officials. According to government sources, Rs 32 lakh was sanctioned by the state education department for construction of a new school building in the existing premises but the money was diverted to other “needy” schools. The building, which now houses the school, was earlier a medical school and even before that the old collectorate, dating back to the early 19th century.
When asked about the plans and funds for renovation of Old Town heritage structures, GVMC Commissioner Pravin Kumar replied, “Except Town Hall, all other structures belong to different management and trusts. GVMC will work together with the respective management to give a facelift to them as has been done for the Queen Victoria Pavilion.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Visakhapatnam / by Sulogna Mehta / TNN / July 08th, 2016
Visakhapatnam:
The 119th birth anniversary of Alluri Sitarama Raju, the martyred nationalist and freedom fighter who had waged a guerrilla war against the British in Visakha Agency, was celebrated in a grand manner here on Monday. A number of district administration officials and state ministers as well as Union civil aviation minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju took part in the celebrations across the district. The main celebrations were held at Pandrangi village near Visakhapatnam, where the freedom fighter was born.
During a public meet in Pandrangi, the Union minister observed that Sitarama Raju had fought the British till his last breath. Later, local school children performed a ballet portraying the life and struggle of the freedom fighter. The state ministers and district officials also visited the house where Sitarama Raju was born.
Meanwhile, state information and public relations minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy along with Vizag MP K Hari Babu, zilla parishad chairperson Lalam Bhavani and all the district officials paid tributes to the great revolutionary and observed that it was one of the most glorious struggles for India’s freedom.
However, members of the Alluri Walkers Association led by M Suresh Babu and Ommi Appa Rao accused the state government of denying livelihood to tribal people and other weaker sections of society and said it was not appropriate for them to celebrate the birth anniversary of a freedom fighter, who had laid down his life fighting for the rights of the weaker sections of society.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / July 05th, 2015
Sri Yerramilli Ramanatham building, which had virtually become a second home for freedom fighters during the struggle for independence, is on the verge of collapse. The building has become an outlet for drainage water of an adjacent building housing a bank. With people relieving themselves, it presents a revolting sight.
Yerrammili Ramanatham, a follower of the Mahatma, had constructed the building with the intention of providing free meal to freedom fighters. When Gandhiji visited Tanuku on April 27, 1929, during a campaign to boycott foreign clothes and wear khadi ones only, Ramanatham urged him to stay in the building to which the latter readily agreed. During his visit, Gandhiji formally launched the common meal initiative. “The Mahatma again visited the building on December 26, 1933, and asked us to launch the Harijan movement,” said Konda Venkatappaiah, also a freedom fighter, in one of his books. Ramanatham, who was given the title of “karmayogi,” got an opportunity to provide accommodation to the Kanchi Paramacharya in 1938. The seer stayed for three days in the building with his entire “parivaram” and other paraphernalia, a devotee said.
Freedom fighters from the Godavari districts and north Andhra, including Konda Venkatappaiah, Mangipudi Purushothama Sarma, Mudiganti Jagganna Sastry, Bandha Viyyanna, and Sanivarapu Subbarao, would regularly meet in the building and discuss strategies.
But unfortunately, after the country gained Independence, the sacrifices made by Ramanatham and his family were forgotten.
“Ramanatham’s son Narasimha Rao, a Sarvodaya worker, was asked to write a book on Alluri Seetharama Raju’s life and his wife Parameswari also undertook some research,” said Vadrevu Sundarrao, a lecturer at the SCIM Government Degree College here.
He said it was unfortunate that successive governments had neglected such a great building.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / B.V.S. Bhaskar / Tanaku (West Godavari) – June 24th, 2016
Felicitations to former chief engineer and others mark his 206th birth anniversary
His contributions to the irrigation recalled
Documentary on Sir Arthur Cotton sought
Kakinada:
Rich tributes were paid to Sir Arthur Cotton at JNTU-Kakinada on Friday on the occasion of his 206th birth anniversary by Vice-Chancellor Allam Appa Rao and retired engineers of the Irrigation Department. Prof. Rao also felicitated former chief engineer (irrigation) A. Rameswara Rao and others who made valuable contributions to the irrigation engineering.
Relentless efforts
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Rao said India would not have witnessed the green revolution but for the relentless efforts of Sir Arthur Cotton to realise the full potential of the arable lands by building a network of canals and drains in major river basins. Unfortunately, Sir Arthur Cotton was identified with only the Godavari canal system and Dowleswaram barrage whereas he had played an instrumental role in the construction of the Ganges canal.
He had also envisaged the Gannavaram aqueduct and several other projects that helped farmers increase productivity by leaps and bounds.
Sir Arthur Cotton was basically a military man who had the penchant for engineering which eventually led him to design and execute some of the world’s best irrigation schemes in India. However, he did not get the due recognition in spite of his great accomplishments though his memories were relived every year on his birth and death days.
Prof. Rao suggested to the Civil Engineering Department to make out a documentary on Sir Arthur Cotton and make it an integral part of the irrigation engineering course planned to be offered in the varsity.
The innovative concepts of Sir Cotton have to be studied in detail and scrupulously followed upon to find new ways of augmenting the potential of India’s irrigation systems.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / May 16th, 2016
The famous St. Anthony’s High School and St. Anthony’s Church that date back to pre-independence era form a part of Anthony Nagar in Maharanipeta.
One of the oldest schools in the city, on a five-acre plot, St. Anthony’s High School is an institution that drew children from all walks of life. Since there was limited choice available earlier, the school appeared to be the sole option for most professors, doctors, district judges and businessmen to admit their children.
Interestingly, the school has churned out famous doctors including dermatologist G. Raghu Rama Rao.
“Even after a century, the infrastructure of the school is so strong and quality-driven as it is hard to trace a single crack in the premises. The only difference now is that those who belong to below poverty line are admitting their children to the government-aided high school,” says Karnam Prakash, Headmaster of the school and a resident of the colony for the past 30 years. He voiced concern over dearth of teachers as the Government had brought the recruitment process to a halt.
From century-old buildings to brightly-painted individual houses, Anthony Nagar consists of a blend of old and new structures where private employees, businessmen and professionals live in harmony. “The place was once an orchard where cashews and mangoes were grown extensively. Gradually, the neighbourhood became a favourite spot for people who like to tuck into the compact and quiet haven. Ganesh Chaturti is the annual festival that brings us together as we celebrate it with grandeur by installing a pandal,” says Poli Thalli, a 63-year-old resident in Anthony Nagar.
Though the main lanes of the colony appear litter-free, poor maintenance of sewage channels and stagnated drain water pose health hazard to the residents. Residents say special attention is required to unclog the drainage system. “This apart, during rainy season, we are affected by poor water quality as the drinking water gets muddy, giving way to bacterial contamination,” adds S. Rani, another resident.
Zone III Commissioner Bapi Raju; Mobile No: 9848882593; Helpdesk No: 0891-2707299.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Rani Devalla / Visakhapatnam – May 11th, 2016
Visakhapatnam:
Soda bottles manufactured in 1907 being showcased with early 20th century radio or television sets or wooden palkis (yesteryear’s mode of transport) on display with the model of a modern five-star hotel, violins with pocket watches and colonial era typewriters would surely confuse anyone who visits the heritage blocks of the Visakha Museum.
That’s not all. A life-sized statue of Sachin Tendulkar is being kept with models of tribal people, while modern portraits are kept with paintings of maharajas. Over 90% of artefacts and paintings in the museum are kept in a haphazard way without any proper legends or display boards mentioning the dates, description of the item, era or historical significance. As a result, visitors to the museum are clueless about the origin of any of the items.
Moreover, huge portraits of the royalty (again unidentified maharajas) are in a bad shape and almost non-decipherable.In the armoury section, a teenager was found asking his father about the guns, swords, spears and armours, but the parent had no answer about their history or chronology.
Nafisa Khatoon, a tourist from Kolkata, remarked, “The museum has such an awesome collection of artefacts spanning at least 10-12 centuries. But the display is so haphazard. I don’t understand the logic behind putting war helmets next to imported crockery, a Chinese or Japanese pagoda with astronomical instruments or models of industrial cranes in the same showcase as that of three autographed cricket bats.”
Pointing to the portraits of maharajas, another visitor Asmita Khanduri said, “It’s sad to see there’s no conservation at all. One can directly touch the portraits or paint as there’s no protective lamination or covering on them. I have been to the Baroda Museum and every artefact there is so beautifully arranged and identified as well as conserved.”
Even though the maritime block of the museum on the ground floor is well-maintained and the models of ships, submarines or aircraft have been identified with detailed maritime history, the generator is non-functional for the last three months and visitors have to go back in case of a power cut.
A visitor from Hyderabad, Suresh Jain complained, “I came with my family especially to view the maritime section as my children are interested in defence-related subjects. But there was a power cut when we were about to enter and were asked to go back or wait till power is restored. We came to know their generator is not working. The souvenir shop of the museum was also closed.”
When asked, museum curator MNA Patrudu conceded that conservation is urgently required, but dearth of funds is the main hindering factor. But quite naturally, civic issues and not the museum is in the priority list of the GVMC. “We require at least Rs 50 lakh for conservation of the paintings and artefacts. We have contacted the conservation unit of Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage), Bhubaneswar, who are to do the restoration works. We have also sent the proposal to the government regarding this and the file is under process. We are trying to tap funding from GVMC and other sources.”
As for maintaining display boards and legends, the curator said the process is on and a fortnight may be needed to get them ready. “We need proper research and professional help for the authentic details. Some of the donors are not alive and their families may not have the required information. We are doing our best to get the boards in the heritage block ready. The generator is also non-functional for the last three months. Files keep moving slowly in government setups. However, if funds arrive, conservation of paintings and artefacts will be done followed by installation of a lift and CCTV cameras,” Patrudu added.
source: http:/www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ The Times of India /News Home> Visakhapatnam / Sulogna Mehta / TNN / April 19th, 2016
It is not just Kohinoor; nine other famous diamonds left the shores of India and these are now displayed in museums in Washington, Moscow, Paris and Istanbul, besides forming a part of the Iranian crown jewels.
The precious nine, all categorised as legendary diamonds and mined by the Qutub Shahis of the Deccan, are the Hope Diamond, Hortensia, Darya-i-Noor, Noor-ul-Ain, Orlov (also called Orlof), Regent, Sancy, Shah Diamond and Spoonmaker’s, says V. Madhavan, who worked as a Professor of Geology in the Kakatiya University.
While the 45.5 carat Hope diamond is currently on display at the Smithsonian in Washington DC, the 190 carat Orlov diamond, a bluish-green gem, is now part of Moscow’s Diamond Treasury.
On the other hand, the 140.6 carat Regent, 55.2 carat Sancy and 20 carat Hortensia are now at the Louvre museum in Paris.
Two pink diamonds, the 182 carat Darya-i-Noor and 60 carat Noor-ul-Ain are part of the Iranian crown jewels while the 88.7 carat Shah Diamond and 86 carat Spoonmaker’s are housed in the Diamond Fund of the Kremlin and Topkapi Palace in Istanbul respectively.
Origins a mystery
Prof. Madhavan, who has studied diamond mining for nearly six decades, says that by all historical accounts, the Kohinoor was mined by the Kakatiyas when Rani Rudrama Devi headed the kingdom, its headquarters in present day Warangal.
Kohinoor’s exact vintage, right from its discovery, continues to be a mystery. However, “There is a general consensus among historians that it was found at Kolluru in the late 13th century in present day Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh,” he said adding that Kolluru was part of the Kakatiya kingdom.
Former Professor of History at the University of Hyderabad, V. Ramakrishna, said the Manual of “Kistna District in the Presidency of Madras”, written by Gordon Mackenzie and published in 1883, also indicated that the Kohinoor was found in Kolluru, then part of Krishna district.
Pages 244-247 refer to diamond mining in the district in general and the Kohinoor in particular. The manual however, says that the gem was mined by Qutub Shahis and not the Kakatiyas.
Another book, A Study of the History and Culture of Andhras, by noted historian K. Satyanarayana and published in 1982, also speaks of the Kohinoor being found in Kolluru.
According to Prof. Madhavan, India was the only producer of diamonds in the world till 1725 AD when they were mined in Brazil. Later in 1870, diamonds were explored in South Africa. Marco Polo, who visited India in the 13th century, talks in his travelogue of an inland kingdom ruled by a queen (Rudrama Devi)… “which produced all the diamonds in the world”.
At the time of its discovery, the Kohinoor was the largest diamond in the world. But no longer. In 1905, workmen at the Premier Mines in South Africa unearthed the 3106 carats (621 grams) Cullinan diamond, which remains the largest so far. It was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the founder of Premier Mines.
The original weight of Kohinoor was stated to be 793 carats (158.6 gm). In the 17th Century, emperor Aurangazeb wanted to reduce its size to add to its lustre.
He tasked Horenso Borgia, a Venetian lapidary with the job, but he cut the diamond down to just 186 carats and invited a heavy fine.
At present, the weight of Kohinoor, meaning mountain of light, is 105.6 carats.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / Prashanth Chintala / Hyderabad – April 23rd, 2016