The Marathwada region in Maharashtra, not long ago, was part of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad. Aurangabad in Marathwada and Hyderabad in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh have a long shared history and culture. Truck-loads of the records of Mughal administration, particularly of the period of Shahjahan and Aurangzeb found in forts and palaces of Aurangabad were shifted to Hyderabad during the time of the last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan as it was the capital of the state. Now, they form part of the State Archives and Research Institute. Similarly, the eye sketches of the splendid paintings of Ajanta caves done by a team headed by Syed Ahmed were brought to Hyderabad on the orders of the Nizam.

Ajanta caves and the paintings therein are considered a landmark in the history of art in India. They represent a distinct dimension of Buddhism. Paintings in the first set of caves are about 2,200 years old and the second set came into being some 1,500 years ago. The caves because of their unique place in the history of religion and art were declared a World Heritage Site in 1983.

There are altogether 30 caves on a range of hillocks close to Waghora river. They are divided into sanctuaries and a monastic complex.

According to Unesco, the wall paintings, profuse and sensitive, constitute the most striking artistic achievement of Ajanta. The caves are generally decorated with painted or sculpted figures of supple form and classic balance. The refined lightness of the decoration, equilibrium of the compositions, marvelous beauty of the feminine figures place the paintings in the rank of masterpieces of universal pictorial art.

The striking beauty of the caves, the paintings there and their collective importance did not escape the eyes of Ghulam Yazdani, the first director of the department of archaeology. He persuaded the Nizam to allow him to document the cave paintings. Yazdani assigned artist Syed Ahmed and his team to make the canvas copies of the paintings as many of them were being damaged by the vagaries of time.

Some 3,000 paintings were drawn. The next move for Yazdani was to get them published. They were published in four volumes from Britain somewhere in the 1930s.

Now, the sad part the story: half of the 3,000 paintings drawn by Syed Ahmed, Mohammed Jalaluddin and a few others have been on display at the state museum at Public Gardens for over four decades. But a close look reveals that they lack in upkeep. The other half are lying, mostly rolled up and uncared in the stores of the museum for decades.

The museum officials say that in spite of their repeated requests, the government has not given any money for the restoration and conservation of the paintings. Instead, some time ago, they were forced to part with several paintings which have been taken away to Buddha Vanam Museum that is coming up in Nagarjunakonda. They have been told to prepare the remaining paintings for shifting to Kalchakra Museum in Amravathi soon.

The unilateral government decision has given rise to speculation that it is planning to close down Ajanta Art Gallery in the museum by taking away the entire collection. The State Museum or to be precise Hyderabad will be made poorer of its artefacts under government supervision.

The questions which are being asked are: Why the government is not taking necessary interest in saving the collective heritage of Hyderabad? If the government wishes to save the Ajanta Art collection in the museum by taking it to some other place, why it is not doing so by keeping it in the State Museum? If the government, as it claims, wishes to take away only the paintings which have been lying unattended in stores, and not those which are on display, is it not splitting the collection?

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Mir Ayoob Ali Khan / May 11th, 2013

The State Tourism Department is organising a week-long Hyderabad Heritage Festival from April 12 to 18 coinciding with the World Heritage Day and UNWTO conference which will be held from April 12 to 14 in the city.

Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Tourism special chief secretary Chandana Khan said the festival venues would be Golkonda Fort, Quli Qutb Shah Tombs, Taramati Baradari, Chowmahalla Palace, Moulai (Mahalaquavas), Shilparamam, NITHIM and Jhamsing temple heritage complex.

The activities planned include discussions on heritage issues at the Salarjung Museum and Chowmahalla Palace. Special heritage walks, rock walks, illumination of selected heritage monuments, daily cultural programmes at different venues between 7 pm and 10 pm involving maximum number of artists and citizens will also be undertaken.

All the hoteliers were requested to organise special food festivals. Quiz competitions will also be conducted for students.  Chandana Khan said the heritage festival would not be confined to architectural heritage, but would also be extended to natural heritages.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / April 11th, 2013

At a distance of 100 km from the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, lie the magnificent, million-year-old Borra Caves in the Araku valley of Ananthagiri hills in the Eastern Ghats.

Measuring up to 100 m across and a height of 75 m at the entrance, they are among the largest and deepest caves in India, stretching some 200 m into the gentle, sloping hills.

Discovered in 1807 by a British geologist, William King, these natural caves were supposedly formed by the pressure exerted by the Gosthani river on the hills. The river now flows through the caves.

I visited Borra caves in the humid month of May and so, thankfully, the place was not swarming with tourists.

You enter the caves through an arched entrance. Numerous man-made steps have been carved into the rocky terrain, an amateur trekker’s delight. A musty smell persists in the cool, dark interior.

The damp floor makes me take cautious, measured steps for fear of slipping but once I begin to observe the various structures that adorn the cave, all thoughts of caution are lost, and I am like an excited child. I can hardly restrain myself as I wonder about the secrets the cave holds. Then a saner thought reminds me that these caves may have hardly any secrets left for they have been explored scores of times in the past decades.

As if answering my thoughts, bright mercury and halogen lamps, strategically placed to illumine the interiors, catch my eye. Man has decided to ‘monetise’ these caves and draw a larger number of tourists.

Elongated pointy structures jut out from the roof and also grow upwards from floor of the cave. These are called stalactites and stalagmites respectively, as I learn from my guide. Water has dissolved limestone over the years, resulting in the formation of these structures everywhere. Some of these limestone deposits have developed into interesting structures. A stalagmite that resembles a Shiva lingam has attained religious significance and a small temple has been built around it.

The cave is interspersed with sections of ankle-deep water, which is the Gosthani river. I find tiny film-like structures floating in the water, microbes of some sort. There are moss and algae in the cave.A sudden screech fills the air and I notice that a large number of bats line the high dark roof of the cave. The smell of dirt and decay is overpowering.As I walk further into the cave, a chilly draught envelopes me. The temperature is about 16 degrees Celsius, a welcome change from the hot world outside.

Soon, we reach a dead end of sorts. A small, narrow passageway seems to lead beyond, but once I walk through it, I am back at the place where I started. I realise that I have walked in circles and laugh out loud at my stupidity. An echo resonates and I quickly stifle my laughter. Now I realise why my guide had been talking in a low voice all along.

After stepping outside, I walk around the cave and enjoy the view of the verdant landscape. I am at peace with nature.

(Deepika did an MBA from SSN Institutions, Chennai, then worked as a content writer, before joining ACJ.)

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home / by Deepika Muralidharan

Gemologist Satish Kumar Shah isn’t too fond of new things; a fact that’s written all over his home in Hyderabad. The pair of antique lamps at the entrance is just the tip of the iceberg.

Unveiling the history behind them, he points out, “These aren’t lamps; they are actually the headlights of railway engines from the Nizam era.”
In fact, every corner of the home that Satish shares with wife Pallavi, mother Pramila and gemologist-jewellery designer daughters Priyanka, 30, and Radhika, 27, has decades of history attached to it. Jewellers to the Nizams of Hyderabad, Satish’s ancestors had migrated to the city during the reign of Shah Jahan. “My forefathers collected old furniture and artifacts passionately. Many of the things were acquired when I was just a child. Everything is, atleast, a decade old here,” he recalls.
Walking around the Shah residence is like touring a museum, and even the family agrees.
The TV stand in the living room is actually a 150-year-old dowry chest plated with gold. Then there are latticed screens (called jalis), door fixtures and center tables that belonged to the Nizams; an elaborate European dinner wagon; a partition with Queen Victoria cast in the glass; a Saledon plate; oil filler for the torch; and hookah, among several other antique pieces.
The only thing modern in this G+1 home is the office area at the entrance.
A fan of recycling old things, Satish has remodelled the Burmese teak windows into a painting frame. He has also converted two latticed screens and the legs of the Nizam’s bed into a centre table, which is in the family room upstairs. The beautiful wooden staircase that leads up to it was made from scraps of the Burmese teak.
His home is quite obviously a treasure trove of semi-precious stones. At the door, topped by a wooden canopy and shielded by rare enamel-glazed tiles, are two vessels filled with amethyst, rose quartz, natural quartz and sapphire; which Satish collected from the megalithic graves of Mahbub-nagar, Khammam, Orissa and the Eastern Ghats. There is hardly any other accessory to be found in this home. “We don’t need then,” say his daughters.

source: http://www.asianage.com / The Asian Age / Home> Life and Style / by Barkha Kumari / April 07th, 2013