Category Archives: Historical Links, Pre-Independence

ROCKSCAPE : A Rock Solid Love!

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

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Frauke Quader loves the rocks of the Deccan. She, along with her colleagues at the Society to Save Rocks, has been a leading force in maintaining the rock heritage of our city.

But it was not always so. Over a couple of interviews in her calmly beautiful home, she fills us in on how it all came about. The first time she came to Hyderabad was in1968, driving down with friends in her Volkswagon, from Delhi. “We stopped for lunch somewhere in North Andhra and I saw the rocks of the Deccan for the first time. I did not pay it too much mind!” It was when she got married in 1975 to a Hyderabadi and came to live here, that she started falling in love with them.

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On her walks and picnics with the family, she found many favourite rock sites. A few she mentions are, Piran Shah, a small dargah near PBEL City and its Ghar-e-Mubarak: a natural prayer room deep into the rock. In Sheikhpet, off Whisper Valley road, is the Mallikarjun Temple upon beautiful rocks. Sitting on those rocks, watching the city life unfold below, is a moment of serenity that she treasures and describes with contagious intensity!

While Hyderabad is now her home, she came from Wuppertal, a city known for lace and ribbon making and the famed dancer Pina Bausch! This is part of the Bergischesland country, which has medium size mountains of slate. She describes the soil and slate mix of the mountain side, with the slate component reflecting the sunlight, such that it is conducive to the grape vines that are grown there.

It is hard not to speculate that it is a harking back to those slate mountains that roots her love for the rocky hills here. She has been working for decades against the destruction of the rocks of Hyderabad. She tells of how prohibition of sand mining in the rivers has impacted the rocks. With rock cutters and mechanical crushers active all over the city, it is so easy to cut, crush and convert the rocks of the city into pebble and sand. Slate granite is quarried and exported. Entire hills are flattened for development.

“India has no landscape protection laws, only environment protection laws,” she says. There is a heritage protection law and Hyderabad has taken a lead in placing its stunning rock formations on the government heritage list. The Society to Save Rocks has been performing valuable service in identifying these rock formations.

For example, the Trident Hotel site in Cyberabad had some great rock formations. One of them is on the Heritage Rocks list, so it is protected. It currently forms a spectacular visual at the entrance of the hotel. Frauke tells of how this rock was named “Bear’s Nose Rock” since that is what it looked like! Perched high on a rocky outcrop it was used by walkers in the area as a “pole star” rock to find their way! While the larger formation is irretrievably gone, the heritage status of “Bear’s Nose Rock” protected it. Currently it enriches this Trident chain hotel with a uniquely Hyderabadi identity, and, keeps alive the local landscape.

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The beautiful sheet rock of Fakhruddin-gutta, which has a dargah on top and a temple inside the rocks, is also on the Heritage List. However, part of it, on one side, has been cut for an ongoing project. The Society is working to get a rock park established at Fakhruddin-gutta, to save it from any further threats. This will ensure a beautiful lung space for the city that the public can enjoy, retaining usefully the landscape heritage we have been blessed with.

Irrevocably however, too many rocks in Hyderabad are gone. Heritage precinct status has often not deterred matters. Frauke says, “What is frustrating is that the government goes against its own regulations.” While development seems unstoppable, if something is on the Heritage List of the government, it should be preserved. She describes how Venkateshwara-gutta near Shamirpet, another sheet rock formation of enormous beauty and ecological value which is on the Heritage List, is currently being broken at one end for reservoir construction. Clearly distressed, she says in a tone of forced optimism “We will have to move out of Hyderabad to Mahbubnagar to see beautiful rock formations.”

(Uma Magal is a documentary film maker, writer and teacher.)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Feautures> MetroPlus / by Uma Magal / Hyderabad – February 27th, 2014

I don’t serve, I offer

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, World Opinion
No man’s land: German photographer Thomas Luttge has been chronicling Hyderabad since 1975./ Image: Sanjay Borra / The Hindu
No man’s land: German photographer Thomas Luttge has been chronicling Hyderabad since 1975./ Image: Sanjay Borra / The Hindu

Following German photographer Thomas Luttge as he tramps through graveyards, in Hyderabad, looking for that munching goat and other unusual juxtapositions

“You cannot turn the cow,” says Thomas Luttge firmly. I am at an exhibition of his photographs at the Goethe Zentrum in Hyderabad. Even talented Western photographers have met their Waterloo in India. I’d asked him about his images, quite different from the usual cliché-ridden scenes. “Europeans come and look for the cows. Where are they cows? Oh here is a cow. And then they —”. Luttge shakes his head. “And there are photographers who do all kinds of tricks so the cow might turn and you can get the beautiful lines and the shape of the cow. I would never do that. I would say if the cow is like this, I have to accept it.”

Luttge, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Jeremy Bentham, moves with a spryness belying his seven decades. He has been coming to India since the 1960s. How does he avoid getting swamped by curious onlookers, I ask. “As a photographer, you are like an actor on the stage. So you have to develop something, you guide people and make them do what you want. I have trained myself in this way.”

We decide that I can tag along on one of his photographic explorations to Mir Momin ka Daira (a cemetery located in the old city).

Graveyard shift

Around us crowd thousands upon thousands of gravestones, islands in an ocean of death. At the heart lies Mir Momin Istrabadi’s tomb, who was a Persian and the original architect of Hyderabad. Luttge has been cataloguing the fate of Mir Momin’s city from his first visit here in 1975, believing that in Hyderabad the “tension of time stays open”. Like all photographers he is a scholar of the sun, a savant of the light. He approves of the morning glow around us. At this hour the necropolis is quiet. Some graves have fresh flower petals on them, the spoor of mourners.

A goat skips along munching on the flower petals, now on this grave, now on that, like a finicky guest at a buffet. Luttge, carrying both a digital camera and a medium-format camera with black-and-white film, immediately crouches down to try and frame the creature amidst a stone canopy that covers a grave. The goat suddenly grows self-conscious and leaps, even as he shoots. A quick glance at the screen. A shake of the head. “Too late,” he says. I point to more ruminants headed this way. He is not interested. Once a quarry escapes him, it escapes him forever.

Later we return to the Goethe-Zentrum. The exhibition is a distillation of half a century of work. The photographs span the globe — Morocco, China, Germany, New York. Some of the compositions are pervaded by a sense of dry humour. Humans are placed ironically. An empty Cola bottle is all that we see of humanity in a photo of a dense façade of Manhattan. Unusual juxtapositions of people and objects are a recurring motif in his work. “Life comes out of contradictions, life doesn’t come out of harmony,” says Luttge.

I examine the cityscapes — under louring skies, they seem like a photograph of a memory of a place rather than the place itself. They are in border zones between decay and growth, a kind of transitional space that reflects the semantic No Man’s Land that Luttge favours. This contrarian approach sometimes catches the viewer on the wrong foot. I pick up a catalogue and we leaf through his work. A nude pregnant woman on a beach. A souk in Morocco divided by brilliant shadows. A mist-shrouded river in Bangladesh. “I am asking something from the viewer. And, of course, for some viewers, this is also too much. They don’t want to be asked. They want to be served. The image should serve their feelings. Should serve their expectations. Should serve their dreams. And then they are happy. I don’t serve. I just offer.”

Savant of the light: Jesus Saves, Pune,1986 / Image: Thomas Luttge / The Hindu
Savant of the light: Jesus Saves, Pune,1986 / Image: Thomas Luttge / The Hindu

Luttge picked up his first camera at age 12, shooting images of his garden in the family house outside Munich. Fifty years on he is still at it. The journey hasn’t been easy. “I sit at home and write hundreds of emails,” he says, looking for funders, looking for exhibition space. Ninety-eight per cent of them lead to nothing. Working in his darkroom, he can at most make one to three prints a day. “These are all originals,” he says. “They are all made in my own darkroom. I did them with all these chemicals, the same way as I did, 50 years ago. And here you get this quality which you can never get elsewhere.” Now even the photographic paper that he prints his work on is going extinct. “This is my life, there is never any guarantee,” he says. Now he is busy compiling his latest images of Hyderabad to be exhibited in Berlin later this year.

Savant of the light: Souk at noon, Marrakesh, 1966. / Image: Thomas Luttge / The Hindu
Savant of the light: Souk at noon, Marrakesh, 1966. / Image: Thomas Luttge / The Hindu

To Luttge, whenever you pick up the camera, as much as you turn it outwards, you are also turning it inward into the shadowy recesses of the self. The landscapes of the interior are as mysterious as those that can be found in the outer world.

Jaideep Unudurti is a writer and the founder of the Hyderabad Graphic Novel project 

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Features> Blink / by Jaideep Unudurti

A brief history of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

About Seemandhra / Andhra Pradesh, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Ratnakar Sadaysula writes about the history of Andhra Pradesh, and how the foundations of the Telangana movement were laid.

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Honestly speaking, it was quite a tough task for me, to write about the formation of Telangana – and the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh – without being emotionally affected. It was, after all, a place I called home. Tirupati in Rayalaseema was where I was born, Visakhapatnam in Coastal Andhra was where I grew up, studied, and got married, and Hyderabad in Telangana is where I am settled now.

In a sense, I belonged to all three regions. I had relatives from Telangana, from Seema region and of course from Coastal Andhra. But then I never saw them as being from Telangana or Seema or Kosta; for me they were just my relatives, period. It was the same at engineering college. My classmates came from all parts of the state, but we never really saw ourselves as being from Telangana or Seema or Coastal Andhra. Yes, we used to often rib and joke about where we came from, but at end of the day, we were all basically Telugu people.

When the bifurcation finally happened, it was as if a part of me was lost somewhere, a sort of confused identity. Until then, I could tell people I was from Andhra Pradesh. But now, where exactly do I say I am from? Do I belong to Coastal Andhra since Vizag is my hometown? Do I belong to Telangana since I live in Hyderabad? Or am I from Rayalaseema, since I was born in Tirupati?

Of course, apart from the “are you from Seemandhra or Telangana?” question, people also asked me, “Why Telangana state, what was the need for it to be formed?”

It is not easy to cover the entire Telangana-Andhra issue in a single article, as it has multiple dimensions, social, political, economic and historical. So, this is an attempt to explain it to people outside Andhra Pradesh, who wonder what the fuss is all about.

A brief history
The name Telangana is believed to have been derived from the word Trilinga Desa, the ancient name for Andhra Pradesh, so called because it is believed that it was flanked by three ancient Shiva Temples at Srisailam, Kaleswaram and Draksharama. A more historical explanation is that during the reign of the Nizams, the region was called Telugu Angana (where Telugu was spoken) to differentiate it from the Marathi speaking areas of their kingdom.

In historical times, the region was one of the 16 early janapadas, and Kotilingala in Karimnagar district was the main city. The region between the Krishna and the Godavari rivers was under the reign of the Satavahanas for close to 400 years from 230 BC to 220 CE. After a series of dynasties like Vakataka, Vishnu Kundina, Chalukya, Rashtrakuta and the Western Chalukyas, the region experienced a golden age during the Kakatiya Empire. From 1083 to 1203 CE, the Kakatiyas established a huge empire here, that at its peak stretched from the Godavari delta in the east to Raichur (Karnataka) in the west, and from Bastar (now in Chattisgarh) in the north to Srisailam in the south. With their capital at Warangal, the Kakatiyas built outstanding monuments and temples, and were known for their patronage of literature. With the attack by Allaudin Khilji’s general, Malik Kafur, in 1309, and the defeat of Prataparudra at the hands of Mohammad bin Tughlaq’s forces in 1310, the Kakatiya Empire fell into decline.

For some time, the region was under the Delhi Sultanate, and later the Bahmani Sultanate, before Quli Qutub Shah established the Qutub Shahi dynasty with its capital at Golkonda (near Hyderabad). In 1687, Golkonda fell to Aurangzeb after a year-long siege, and a bloody battle.

Qamaruddin Khan was appointed Viceroy of Deccan in 1712, and in 1724, he established his independence, taking the name Asif Jah and also starting the Asif Jahi dynasty. That dynasty was also called the Asif Jahi Nizams after the title Nizam-ul-Mulk (Administrator of the Realm), conferred on Asif Jah earlier. They were more popularly known as the Nizams of Hyderabad, when the city became the capital of the empire in 1769.

When the Nizam had to sign a subsidiary alliance with the British in 1799, he lost control over the state’s defence and external affairs. The Nizam also had to cede the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of his kingdom to the British, as he could not pay monetarily for the assistance they rendered in his wars against Tipu Sultan. Coastal and Rayalaseema became part of the British Presidency of Madras under the names Circar and Ceded, while Telangana effectively became part of the princely state of Hyderabad.

For a long time, the Nizam of Hyderabad led a privileged and charmed life. He was one of the world’s richest men of his time, and lived opulently while the ordinary masses suffered in dire poverty and oppression.

During the Nizam’s rule, the rural areas were effectively controlled by what were called the Samsthanams, a group of villages that were in turn ruled by feudal lords known as Doras, mostly hailing from the Reddy and Velama community. These local Doras ran a brutal and oppressive reign, mercilessly extracting taxes from the hapless peasantry, and keeping the Nizam happy with their tribute. The Nizam had little or no control over the Doras, who were the masters of all they surveyed.

It was under such oppressive circumstances that the Telangana Rebellion began, when peasants from the backward castes and the rural poor rose against the Doras and were supported by communist leaders. The communist-led agitation started in 1946 and succeeded in liberating many villages.

Thus, the Telangana revolt, which was basically started to secure a better deal for the peasants, soon became a full-fledged struggle against the Nizam himself.

The Nizam retaliated by unleashing his private army, the Razakars, on the peasants. This army inflicted horrible atrocities on them. Villages were burnt, Hindus and moderate Muslims who did not agree with the Razakars’ extremist ideology were massacred, women were kidnapped and raped. The Razakars were the Nizam’s own storm troopers, attacking both, the peasants as well as those who were in favour of merging the Hyderabad State with the Indian Union.

The last Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, who wanted to establish an independent Muslim state in India, refused to join the Indian Union despite repeated requests from Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. Left with no option, Sardar Patel, sent in the military to annex Hyderabad in September 1948 under Operation Polo. The Nizam’s army was no match for the Indian Army, and in just five days, they were totally routed. The Nizam surrendered to Sardar Patel, and on 17th September, 1948, Operation Polo ended with Hyderabad State acceding to the Indian Union. By 1951, the leftist backed Telangana rebellion too was put down by the Indian Union.

Formation of Andhra Pradesh
At the same time, down south in the then Madras State, another rebellion of sorts was brewing too, albeit of a more peaceful nature. Potti Sreeramulu, a freedom fighter, hailing from Nellore district, led the agitation to carve out a separate state for the Telugu speaking people of that state. The prevailing feeling was that Telugu-speaking people in Madras State would be discriminated against on basis of language, and also not get proper representation in government jobs.

Sreeramulu demanded a state exclusively for the Telugu speaking people of Madras State, who resided mostly in the Circars and Ceded areas. A devout Gandhian, Sreeramulu went on a fast for his demand, and gave it up when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru assured him the matter would be looked into. However with no progress on the issue, Sreeramulu went on fast again from October 1952, and while the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee disapproved of it, the fast began to gradually catch the public’s attention.

Strikes and demonstrations broke out throughout the Telugu speaking regions, supporting Sreeramulu and demanding a new state. With the government of the day still dilly-dallying over the issue, Sreeramulu continued his fast, and passed away in the early hours of December 16, 1952.

Sreeramulu’s death was the spark needed to light the fire, and the protests became much more strident. Riots broke out in Chennai, there were violent protests from Visakhapatnam to Nellore and Rajahmundry to Guntur, there was police firing in Vijayawada and Anakapalle. Faced with no other option, Nehru announced the formation of a separate state for the Telugu people on December 19, 1952, and the central government appointed the Wanchoo committee to look into the matter. The Andhra State act was passed by Parliament in September, 1953.

The new Andhra state thus came into being on October 1, 1953, comprising seven districts of the Coastal region (Nellore, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari, Guntur, and Krishna) and four districts of the Rayalaseema region (Chittoor, Kadapa, Anantpur and Kurnool). As per the Sribagh Agreement between Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, Kurnool became the capital of Andhra State, with Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu as the first chief minister. However when Prakasam had to resign, after strident opposition from Communist leaders, Bezawada Gopal Reddy, became the next chief minister.

While Kurnool was the capital of Andhra State, it faced major issues due to lack of proper infrastructure. Government officials had to literally camp in tents, and the state government faced such a major crunch of funds, it couldn’t even pay salaries.

The States Reorganization Committee (SRC), which had Fazal Ali, KM Panniker and HN Kunzru among others, recommended the formation of Visalanadhra, which would merge the Telugu speaking areas of the existing Hyderabad State with Andhra State. The recommendation was made on the basis that having Hyderabad as a permanent capital would be more suited for Visalandhra, while also giving access to mineral resources, and the large Godavari-Krishna basin under unified control.

The Committee also noted the apprehensions of the people of Telangana, one of whose main factors was that people from the Coastal Andhra districts would dominate in employment owing to the better educational opportunities they had. Barring Hyderabad, education was not developed well in Telangana, and unlike the Rajahs and zamindars of Coastal Andhra, who set up educational institutions, the Doras in Telangana were more interested in perpetuating their brutal, feudal rule.

One more factor was that while Andhra State suffered from a serious cash crunch, Telangana on the other hand had a surplus, owing to Hyderabad, and of course a higher collection of land revenue. There was fear that unification could see Telangana facing loss in revenue, as it would have to be distributed across the state now.

Gentleman’s Agreement
The SRC had stated that Telangana could not remain a separate state on its own, and that it could unify with the existing Andhra State after the 1961 general elections provided there was a two-third majority backing the proposal if a referendum was to be conducted.

Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, the first chief minister of Hyderabad State, opposed the merger, saying only Leftist parties were supporting it for their own political calculations. He stated that a majority of the people in Telangana had apprehensions over the merger, and the assembly rulings did not accurately reflect the people’s views.

In between there occurred the Mulkhi Agitation in Telangana in 1952, led by students against non-locals taking jobs, with slogans of “Ghair Mulki, go back!”. Finally, on December 3, 1955, when the assembly voted, 147 of the 174 MLAs in Hyderabad voted on the issue of merger. 103 MLAs, including those from the Marathi and Kannada areas of Hyderabad State voted in favor, while 29 opposed, and 16 were neutral. Among those MLAs from Telangana, 59 supported the merger while only 25 voted against it. If one looks at the figures closely, out of the 94 MLAs from Telangana, 36 were Leftists, 40 were from the Congress, and the remaining were from the Socialist party and independents. So the proposal to merge Hyderabad State with Andhra State, had more support from the communists than the Congress rulers.

It was then that the Gentleman’s Agreement was signed between the leaders of Hyderabad State and Andhra State, to address the concerns of the leaders opposed to the merger and which eventually led to the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956.

While it is not possible to list out all the features of the Gentleman’s Agreement, here are some of the key issues it covered:
* A Regional Standing Committee for Telangana would be set up, which would look into the issues of the region, consisting of MLAs from there
* Any advice from this Regional Standing Committee, would be accepted by the government and the legislature, and in case of any difference, the Governor would have a say
* The cadre for government jobs and services in Telangana would be reserved for those who satisfied the domicile requirements, which was any person residing in Telangana for the last 12 years
* Students from Telangana would get preference in educational institutions there, even in professional colleges.
* The cabinet would be in a 60-40 ratio, with 60% of ministers from Andhra, and 40% from Telangana. And if the chief minister was from Andhra, the Deputy CM would be from Telangana, and vice versa.

Bezawada Gopal Reddy, the chief minister of Andhra State and Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, chief minister of Hyderabad State, were signatories to this agreement. The others included Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, Gouthu Latchanna and Alluri Satyanarayana Raju from Andhra and KV Ranga Reddy, M Chenna Reddy and JV Narsing Rao from Telangana region. The agreement finally led to formation of Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956.

This article is basically to give a background of the formation of Andhra Pradesh, and of the historical roots of the demand for Telangana. In my next article, I will look into the Telangana and Jai Andhra movements, which broke out in 1969 and 1972 respectively, and how they laid the genesis for the Telangana movement we witnessed later on.

Ratnakar Sadasyula is an IT professional who writes code for a living, and writes during his time off to keep his sanity intact. A movie maniac and a music lover, he is a bibliophile with a love for history, the world around us and the Mahabharat. 

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Analysis / by Ratnakar Sadasyula / Agency:DNA / Tuesday – March 04th, 2014

Tikkana association wins hearts with its munificence

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence
District Collector S. Suresh Kumar unveils thebronze statue of Tikkana Somayaji on the premisesof Pulipaka High School in Guntur on Friday. MLCK.S Lakshmana Rao, MLA Sk. Mastan Vali andsecretary, Tikkanna Literary Association MachirajuSeethapathi Rao are seen./ PHOTO: VIJAYA KUMAR / The Hindu
District Collector S. Suresh Kumar unveils thebronze statue of Tikkana Somayaji on the premisesof Pulipaka High School in Guntur on Friday. MLCK.S Lakshmana Rao, MLA Sk. Mastan Vali andsecretary, Tikkanna Literary Association MachirajuSeethapathi Rao are seen./ PHOTO: VIJAYA KUMAR / The Hindu

Bronze statue unveiled on school premises in Guntur.

A government school, facing an uncertain future over its existence, has got a new lease of life thanks to an act of munificence by the Tikkana Literary Association.

The school with over 350 inmates has been caught in a legal wrangle till recently with the association claiming ownership rights. Recently, the Supreme Court had given a judgment in favour of the association.

On Friday, the association showed its magnanimity by handing over the valuable site to the Department of Education for a benevolent cause. In a symbolic gesture, secretary of Tikkana Literary Association Machiraju Seethapathi Rao handed over a silver tray to the Collector marking the handing over of the property.

Member of Legislative Council K.S Lakshmana Rao, who had convinced the association to part with the property for the sake of the school, said that they had fulfilled the first desire of the association — to have a bronze statue of great poet Tikka Somayaji on the school premises. District Collector S. Suresh Kumar unveiled the statue on Friday.

One of ‘Kavitrayam’

The association had also wanted the school to be named after great Telugu poet who was born in Old Guntur and lived during 13th century. He was one of the three great verse poets (Kavitrayam) who translated Mahabharatha into Telugu. Mr. Rao has pledged Rs.5 lakh out of his MLC constituency funds to develop ‘Tikkana Vidyanilayam,’ a treasure trove of classical books in old Guntur.

The library remains the only monument preserving the legacy of Tikkana in the town.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Staff Reporter / Guntur – February 22nd, 2014

Gondi script gets new lease of life

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

Hyderabad :

On international mother tongue day, the script of a tribal language, Gunjala Gondi, was released by the University of Hyderabad in collaboration with the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA). It is the first such adivasi script discovered and printed in the state.

For three years, four linguists from UoH’s Centre for Dalit and Adivasi Studies and Translation worked with the Gondi tribe of Adilabad to dig out their ancient script. The researchers have not only resurrected the dying script, but also released a web font for those who want to use it on the internet of the computer.

The centre has also released a textbook to be taught in 15 schools under ITDA. Interestingly, the new development will not only benefit the people of the tribe in Andhra Pradesh, but also in five other states, including Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, where the Gondi tribe is thriving.

Tirumala Rao, senior researcher at the centre, said that it was in 2006 that he first found manuscripts of the Gondi language. But the language was written out in Telugu and Marathi scripts. “It was only when I visited Gunjala in Adilabad that I realized that the language had its own script, which only a handful of the elderly pundits in the village knew. I collaborated with other researchers and decided to document the script,” Rao said. Currently, there are only six people from the tribe who know the script of the tribal language. One among them, 76-year-old Kotnak Jangu, said he was worried that the script would get extinct after the elders died as the youngsters had not learnt it. “I have manuscripts which could date back to 150 years. But I thought that these will be of no use as no one would be able to read them,” said Jangu. He expressed happiness that the manuscripts would now be preserved as also the script. The centre is planning to digitally scan and preserve high resolution copies of the manuscripts.

Another researcher, G Manoja from Palamuru University, who is coordinating the Gunjala Gondi Research Centre in Gunjala, said the script is unique as it does not follow the consonant order of other regional languages. “The first consonant in the script is ‘ya’ instead of ‘ka’ as in other languages in the south and north. It should be noted that the tribe not only has a script, but also a rich literature. One of the books, which will soon be translated into Telugu, has a story similar to Milton’s Paradise Lost,” Manoja said.

Vice chancellor Ramakrishna Ramaswamy, who released the book and CD containing the Gondi font, said that big languages often swallow small languages. “But this is a great effort to preserve the small languages,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / February 22nd, 2014

Who coined ‘Jai Hind’ ?

About Seemandhra / Andhra Pradesh, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Many believe that Subhash Chandra Bose coined the slogan ‘Jai Hind’ but a book on legends and anecdotes of Hyderabad  says it was first used by a man from that city who gave up his engineering studies in Germany to become Netaji’s secretary and interpreter.

In his book “Lengendotes of Hyderabad”, former civil servant Narendra  Luther presents a number of interesting articles, based on documentary evidence, interviews and personal experiences, on the city that is much celebrated for its romantic origin and composite culture.

One interesting titbit is on the origin of the slogan ‘Jai Hind’. According to the author, it was coined by Zain-ul Abideen Hasan, son of a collector from Hyderabad, who went to Germany to study engineering.

During World War II, Netaji had escaped to Germany to canvass support for an armed struggle to liberate India , Luther says.

“He addressed meetings of Indian prisoners of war and other Indians exhorting them to join him in his struggle. Hasan met him and inspired by his patriotism and spirit of sacrifice, he told him that he would join him after finishing his studies.

“Netaji taunted him that if he was worried about small things like these, he could not take up big causes. Stung by that rebuke, Hasan gave up his studies and became Netaji’s secretary and interpreter,” the book, published by Niyogi, says.

Hasan became a major in the INA and participated in the march from Burma (now Myanmar) across the Indian frontier. The army reached Imphal. It was severely handicapped in supplies and armaments and so had to retreat, the author says.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / Press Trust of India / New Delhi – February 24th, 2014

CITY MUSINGS : Naye Masjid a point of confluence in Machilipatnam

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All
A view of Naye Maszid at Rajpet in Machilipatnam. / Photo: T. Appala Naidu / The Hindu
A view of Naye Maszid at Rajpet in Machilipatnam. / Photo: T. Appala Naidu / The Hindu

Renovation of the architectural beauty of 1920s is now under way

Idyllic living conditions help peaceful existence of people from different religious practices in Rajpeta area. This peaceful atmosphere of co-existence justifies it to be called ‘Jewel by the sea’ in the port town.

Renovation of Naye Masjid, an architectural beauty of 1920s, is now underway and it is bound to become the most sought-after location for the people in the town in the coming years. Naye Masjid, with two minars, each standing 108 feet tall, has been the sole sacred place for the estimated 700 families belonging to Muslim Sunni sect.

An integral part

Every resident from five streets around it – Rajpeta, Nooruddinpeta, Varregudem, Pathullahbad and the National College Street – need to pass in front of the Masjid everyday as part of their routine. Having a look at the Masjid has become an integral part of the people’s daily lives, irrespective of their religious practices.

“Construction of Masula’s one of the multi-speciality hospitals is on in our area. People from the entire town will appreciate the beauty of the Masjid when they visit the hospital after it goes functional,” feel the Rajpeta residents. The proud locals claim that renowned educational institutions such as The National College and Krishna University were situated in its vicinity.

The Committee Secretary Sheik Hussain with his son. / Photo: T. Appala Naidu / The Hindu
The Committee Secretary Sheik Hussain with his son. / Photo: T. Appala Naidu / The Hindu

“Muslim families in Rajpeta area contribute funds for completion of the ongoing beautification and renovation works of the Naye Masjid. However, people from all other religions take pride in having such a structure,” Naye Maszid Committee Secretary Sheik Hussain told The Hindu.

This landmark construction is visible from majority of the areas in the district headquarters town.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada> City Musings  / by T. Appala Naidu / Machilipatnam – February 17th, 2014

Book on legends, anecdotes of Hyderabad launched

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

Hyderabad :

‘Lengendotes of Hyderabad,’ authored by noted expert on history and culture of Hyderabad Narendra Luther, was launched in the in the presence of historians, academics, artists and heritage activists on Thursday. The book is a collection of legends and anecdotes which the author terms ‘Legendotes.’ The articles, based on documentary evidence, interviews and personal experiences, try to capture the 400 years of history and socio-cultural developments of the that symbolizes tolerance and love.

Historian Aloka Prasher Sen, dean, School of Social Science at UoH, who did not approve of some of the footnotes in the book since they are based on personal interviews and not hard scientific evidence, said that the bits and pieces of history that are found beyond the gamut of concrete proof too should be acknowledged as credible source. Speaking as the chief guest at the function, she said Luther’s book has been published at a time when there is serious debate over the inclusion of oral history and other sources as essential elements in history writing.

She was of the opinion that Luther’s book falls in the category of such historical narratives that provide a context and explanation to events and developments in given periods of time. Luther conceded that he is not a historian in the traditional sense of the term. “I do what I like best-to capture moments in their true spirit,” he said.

The book contains tales of about 70 legends, anecdotes and personal accounts beginning from the beautiful rocks of the Deccan plateau to Bhagamati, to the developments during the era of Nizams and beyond.

The continuation of evolution and fusion of cultures even captures the glimpses of modern times when T Anjaiah or N T Rama Rao ruled as chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / January 31st, 2014

Holy revival

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
Azam Jah , Shehkar Jah, Princess Esra Jah and Azmet Jah ./ PHOTO: P.V.SIVAKUMAR
Azam Jah , Shehkar Jah, Princess Esra Jah and Azmet Jah ./ PHOTO: P.V.SIVAKUMAR

36 restored Nizam-era Qurans complete with precious gold and gem stone ink are on display at Chowmahalla

Today Chowmahalla palace will be teeming with visitors and lovers of history to see the unveiling of numerous Qurans some of which date back to early 1400 A.D. Princess Esra, of the erstwhile royal family, who has been an important part of the revival and restoration of the Qurans says, “It was a Herculean task but worth the sweat and effort. These valuable Qurans couldn’t have been let to rot in the state they were found. Once we discovered the collection we took notice of the work it needed and set out with a serious pace,” she revealed .

Esra adds, “It’s only for the sake of culture and heritage. When I came here as a bride I was shown night pictures of the lanes and areas and I was in awe of the silenceand solitude . My mother used to tell me ‘you will know once you get there,’ and after I came to Hyderabad I realised what it meant to be a part of the royal family,” she smiled. In awe of the grandeur and the luxury as well as the love that people had for the royal family, she felt humbled. “When I returned after years to see the dilapidated state of the things I had touched and felt, including the Qurans, I was grief-stricken; I couldn’t let them rot away. I am sure even the Nizams themselves didn’t know how many of the precious holy book of scriptures they owned. When the final discovery was made, the total number of the Qurans, of all sizes, stood at 36. There are some very tiny ones as well,” she says.

Conservators working on the antique cloth quran / AFP
Conservators working on the antique cloth quran / AFP

Esra also speaks with pride of another cloth Quran that was found; the entire Quranwritten on cloth. The cloth’s dimensions stood at 9.5 feet x 5 feet. The Qurans are of immense value not only because of their heritage but also the quality of ink used in them. “Besides gold and silver ink, inks made from powdered gems and semi precious stones were also used. In some Qurans mother-of -pearl has also been used as ink,” informs G. Kishan Rao, director of Chowmahalla Palace.

Indian paper conservators restore antique copies of the Quran at Chowmahalla Palace / AFP
Indian paper conservators restore antique copies of the Quran at Chowmahalla Palace / AFP

Since no royal item is permitted to go outside the Palace, specialists from The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) have been approached. “They worked continuously for two years to revive the precious books, with Esra’s continual monitoring. The restored Qurans will be displayed in the room opposite the Council Hall in the palace,” informs Kishan Rao.

The Qurans will be unveiled by Esra and Muffakham Jah’s son at Chowmahalla Palace today.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Events / by Prabalika M. Borah / Hyderabad – February 06th, 2014

Discover life in small corners

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
Tombs in Line, a photograph of Hyderabad in 1975 by Luttge / The Hindu
Tombs in Line, a photograph of Hyderabad in 1975 by Luttge / The Hindu

Photographer Thomas Luttge has captured the Golconda Fort and its vicinity since 1970s and urges photography enthusiasts to look past postcard images

Last weekend, a small group of photography enthusiasts walked along the wall of Naya Qila with their cameras in tow. “It was the first day of the workshop, which I chose to call the day of discovery,” says Thomas Luttge, who mentored participants through the three-day workshop conducted as part of Hyderabad Literary Festival 2014. His methodology of mentoring took a few by surprise, even left them a tad disappointed.

He wasn’t going to hand-hold them and explain different angles from which the area could be shot. “This was a creative workshop and I wanted them to observe; it had to be their discovery, I was always available if they wanted to talk but I wouldn’t interfere,” says Luttge, who conducted a survey of the area prior to the workshop. “I chose one section of the wall assessing its accessibility. I limited the (field) area from the under-path of the golf club till the area leading to a flight of stairs. We could see the historic wall in the background, an old pond which is now dirty and people who have, with limited resources, built their own little houses very close to the wall,” says Luttge.

The participants took their time to walk around the area and draw their inferences. “Some were interested in how large stones were placed one over the other to build the wall; a few others observed people living there and others liked the entire atmosphere,” says Luttge. The second day of the workshop saw students taking photographs and analysing them and the third day saw them presenting select photographs.

Clicking photographs was only one part of the workshop. Learning to document and present their work formed the rest. “Documentation doesn’t mean clicking a photograph and showing it to others; I am critical of this easy talk of documentation. One should make up his mind on why he likes some photographs over the others. The best part was participants standing up and presenting their work, which some of them were doing for the first time,” says Luttge.

Photographer Thomas Luttge / The Hindu
Photographer Thomas Luttge / The Hindu

Thomas Luttge knows the topography of Golconda Fort and its surroundings rather well, having photographed the area since his first visit to the area, in 1975, along with Hans Winterberg who was then the director of Max Mueller Bhavan in Hyderabad. “When I was here for the first time, I felt as though I had stepped back a 100 years year into a dream culture where everything was slow and a bit dusty but the people were very friendly. So much has changed. There is a rush and people are under different pressures today,” he observes.

An avid traveller, Luttge has documented his impressions on large cities — New York, Paris, Munich, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad among others — over several decades through photographs that give us insights into places, people and culture beyond touristy, postcard images. Beginning February 7, he will be holding an exhibition of some of these photographs, all in black and white, titled Cityscapes, at Goethe Zentrum. “Some people viewing my images feel I’ve arranged those photographs. But real life is beyond imagination. I try to find powerful images from big cities that would concentrate imaginations of that city; I look for small corners where life goes on with spontaneity,” he signs off.

Ideas for the present

During the recent workshop, Luttge recalls participants coming up with their ideas on how historical places can be reinvented to suit our time. “A student of city planning and architecture from Iran, now learning German here, suggested that the different platforms along Naya Qila wall could be used by people to gather and talk about relevant issues — different platforms for performing arts, social concerns and ecological concerns and so on. These areas were probably used as observation towers in the past to keep tab on intruders. She felt these can serve as platforms. Another participant liked the entire area and suggested that it could perhaps be used to host music sessions. These are marvellous ideas,” commends Luttge.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Sangeetha Devi Dundoo / Hyderabad – January 30th, 2014