Desert Chronicles IV - Rajputs and Rajputana

This book talks about the Rajputs, what and who they are. This book gives information about their origin, their clans, ruling centers, culture etc. This book is good source for those who wish to know more about the Rajputs. This book is available for $3 at smashwords.com. You ca read a small sample before downloading the entire book.

Desert Chronicles - III, Forts of Rajasthan

This is the third in the series I am writing called the Desert Chronicles. This one is on the stone sentinels or forts located within the state of Rajasthan, India. Rajasthan was a war zone from 5th century onwards until after independence. Its constant guardians have been the forts and watch towers guarded by brave, sacrificing and sometimes reckless generation of Rajputs.

Archaeology: Techniques and Methods

Hi Everyone
If you wish to get hold of my book Archaeology: Techniques and Methods get in touch with me via email - harpreet786@gmail.com and I will send you a copy of my book at discounted price.
Harpreet Kaur
Author

Have uploaded a new book on smashwords.com. It is a cookbook consisting of recipes from the state of Rajasthan. It may not contain every recipe but does have many.Here in this book i have compiled a few recipes for those who love to cook and those who love to eat. This is the second book in the series that I have started called Desert Chronicles. These recipes in fact describe the way the people of Rajasthan have evolved their cooking to suit their budget as well as their need for food that looks good and is finger licking good.
Here is a linkl
https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Harpreet+Kaur

Many people may have read these stories as love stories or as part of their history lesson. But the stories are real and these individuals lived and died for their people and country. They contributed a lot to their country’s history. These stories have a very strong hold on the people of Rajasthan and India. Follow my latest book https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/34503.

Ebook Description
The story revolves around Arsalan a ten-year-old boy who belongs to the royal family. They live in the land of Ar and the story belongs to the 12th century, when kings ruled and people followed them blindly. The boy is mischievous and is looking for adventures everyday of his life in school, at home or in the playground.
Check out my new ebook on
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/29666

"Saint from Ajmer, The (E-Book)"
by Harpreet Kaur

Price: $9.95




Product Details

ISBN: 978-1-4512-2394-1

# Pages: 120 Pages

Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5

Format: E-Book

Latest News:
Product Description
"Ajmer, an ancient city, stands on the highest plateau of the Aravalli range. Famous as the capital of the Chauhan empire, it became the center of the world for thousands of people who found solace at the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. Born in Sajistan, he became the follower of Chistiya sect and found place among the chosen five Khwajas, known well in the world.He laid the foundations of the Chishtiya order in Ajmer, which soon spread across India. His firm faith in Wahdat al-wujud (the Unity of Being) provided the ideological support to his mystic mission?their aim is to live for God alone. The early Chistis did not ask for formal conversion to Islam to being a prerequisite of a follower. He interpreted religion in terms of human service and always told his disciples to reach the highest level of devotion was by - "to redress the misery of those in distress - to fulfill the needs of the helpless and to feed the hungry." This book is an effort to give an insight into this great saint's life and his teachings."

Check out my new book on smashwords.com. This e-book is dedicated to the cult of mother goddess called Shakti derived from its source - Lord Shiva.

new book

This book is based on my diary when we went on an archaeological dig in Karnataka. Log on to access or download at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/16195.

My new book has been posted on www.smashwords.com. Its called Come, walk with me!Please check the link below. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/11626

Quotes

Please do check out my new ebook on samshwords.com or follow the link and you can download it. These are a collection of quotes of famous people.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=quotes

Do check it out.

The Saint From Ajmer

For Immediate Release

Contact: Shawn Street – Public Relations
pr@publishamerica.com
www.publishamerica.com

PublishAmerica Presents The Saint from Ajmer by Harpreet Kaur

Frederick, MD January 19, 2010 -- PublishAmerica is proud to present The Saint from Ajmer by Mumbai, Maharashtra, India author Harpreet Kaur.

Ajmer, an ancient city, stands on the highest plateau of the Aravalli range. Famous as the capital of the Chauhan empire, it became the center of the world for thousands of people who found solace at the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. Born in Sajistan, he became the follower of Chistiya sect and found place among the chosen five Khwajas, known well in the world.He laid the foundations of the Chishtiya order in Ajmer, which soon spread across India. His firm faith in Wahdat al-wujud (the Unity of Being) provided the ideological support to his mystic mission - their aim is to live for God alone. The early Chistis did not ask for formal conversion to Islam to being a prerequisite of a follower. He interpreted religion in terms of human service and always told his disciples to reach the highest level of devotion was by—“to redress the misery of those in distress - to fulfill the needs of the helpless and to feed the hungry.” This book is an effort to give an insight into this great saint’s life and his teachings.

Harpreet Kaur is also the author of Archaeology: Methods and Techniques. Since her childhood, she had heard so many stories about this revered saint, which actually set her on a journey of self-discovery as well to find out more about him and Ajmer.

PublishAmerica is the home of 40,000 talented authors. PublishAmerica is a traditional publishing company whose primary goal is to encourage and promote the works of new, previously undiscovered writers. Like more mainstream publishers, PublishAmerica pays its authors advances and royalties, makes its books available in both the United States and Europe through all bookstores. PublishAmerica offers a distinctly personal, supportive alternative to vanity presses and less accessible publishers.

Exploring Temple of Ranakpur

The journey to visit the temple of Ranakpur started at about 11.30am and we would have to travel for an hour and half to reach it. We were traveling by a mini van from Rani to Ranakpur, around 60kms. Ranakpur is situated approximately 96 km from Udaipur.

Built during the reign of the liberal monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century, this temple is huge and covers over 48,000 sq. feet area. There are three small shrines, twenty four pillared halls and eligibly domes supported by over 1444 columns.

It is said to be inspired by Kailash Parbat and indeed, when you drive through the huge gate everything is hidden behind a huge wall. Walk through the cool garden area with beautiful flowers and into the main temple complex, you are left breathless. Within the garden is the Sun Temple dedicated to Surya (the Sun God). The temple has polygonal walls, and is adorned with the carvings of warriors, horses and solar deities riding chariots.

Umpteen number of shikharas crowd the top section of this famous temple. Strict rules on security, baggage’s, and cameras leave you irritated and wanting, but it is all for good measure indeed. You will not be allowed to take pictures of the gods but I saw many foreigners take pictures with zoom lenses and video cameras and they were not refused. We still suffer from the malady of ‘gori chamadi’ is best.

Behind the ticket counter is a entire complex of small rooms for the Jain sadhus and sadhvis who wish to stay there. After buying the tickets, paying for the cameras and leaving the mobiles behind etc, one is made to remove the shoe before you can climb the stairs into the temple. The temple has entrance on all four sides, but there is an anomaly which may raise a doubt in your mind – which I will explain later.

The Shikharas make a beautiful picture that create a rise and fall with the help of small and tall ones mixed within each other giving you a feeling of watching a mountain range. With the Aravalli’s making a beautiful backdrop. The outside limestone walls are carved with intricate designs all reflection of the Hindu temples.

Climbing the stairs with a platform after every dozen or so stairs give you a feeling of climbing a hill, after reaching through and entering the main hall one is left awe struck. The entire temple seems to be held up with pillars of which none two are alike.

It is one of the five Jain pilgrimages. The main temple has a Chaumukha shrine dedicated to Adinathji, the first Jain tirthankara.

The columns are intricately carved having nymphs playing the flute, in various dance postures are a beautiful sight to behold. The assembly hall has two big bells weighing 108 kgs that are rung at said times.

The corridor around the temple has mandapas (porticoes) with various types of carved images. A shikhar (spire) over each mandapa. The temple has four small shrines, and rises to three storeys. The shrines have 80 spires supported by 420 pillars.

The main temple is faced by two other temples dedicated to Parasvanath and Neminath. These have exquisite figures similar to Khajuraho sculptures.

Begun in the 14th century the temple took over 50 years to complete under the auspicious orders of Rana Kumbha, ruler of Mewar. Dedicated to Adinath, the temple also has smaller temples inside dedicated to Neminath, Parsvanath and the Suryadev temple within the premises but outside the main temple area.

You will enjoy reflecting deeply within yourself while watching the green Aravalli hills behind, the cool and quiet atmosphere within from the balconies or mandapas located at intervals for tired pilgrims to rest. You feel one with yourself, facing east there is a small shrine located on a hillock close to the main temple. It is said to be dedicated to a sadhu who sat here in meditation. It also has a miniature structure or copies of temples version of the route the sadhu may have followed on his journey till he reached here which is marked with footsteps climbing the hills, steps or in temples.

A kilometer behind and above the Ranakpur temple and within the hills is a beautiful small shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva visited by but a few who know. It is a hard climb uphill, with no other way of reaching it, but through the thick jungles – only for dedicated worshippers of lord Shiva.

There are also many stories that revolve around this temple basically all are questions – some say it is a Hindu temple donated to the Jains on an happy occasion by the ruler of Mewar proof of which lies in the small mandapa on the outside of the temple to the east – said to either hold a garuda or a nandi; a priest there said it once held the statue of a Garuda and this was a Vaishnavaite temple, pillars have conch shells and pushpalatas carved on them. There is also yalis made on the edges of the roofs, plus there is a small statue placed inside what is a square holder that is very similar to what usually holds a linga, the tree in the centre with a temple below.

The Rajput rulers were well known for their generosity indeed and have been known to give away acres and acres of land and temples to every religious sect in times of joy and celebration. This, a temple is a grand dream that was made into a reality and is today a part of our heritage.

There are one beautiful carvings made out of a single marble rock for eg, the 108 heads of snakes and numerous tail with Adinath standing below it. A masterpiece not found elsewhere and in it you will not find the end of the tails and their face is seen pointing in all four directions.

The temple is said to have been inspired by a dream that Dharna Shah had of a celestial vehicle. The architect was Deepaka and an inscription near the main shrine states:- in 1439 Deepaka, an architect, constructed the temple at the direction of Dharanka, a devoted Jain.

Ranakpur is located in Desuri tehsil, near Sadri town, in Pali district of Rajasthan. It is located midway between Jodhpur and Udaipur, in a valley on the western side of the Aravalli Range.

Short Trek to Bagwada

By HARPREET KAUR

Ever traveled a fare distance out of Mumbai, and come across ruins spread across small hills or in villages with oddly familiar and historical names. Well, there are many such places all over India, all having links to the glorious past. One such place is Bagwada – the name may not sound familiar but it used to be called Arjungad.

This is a small station on the Western Railway grid, a mere 20 minutes before Valsad. All slow trains will stop along and you can get off for a day of short trek and exploration at this village.

The village stands close to the rail tracks while the fort of Bagwada is atop the only hill in the village. A small fort for a small hi1l, the hill is barren in the summers but during the rains it is covered in green. But in summer you will find it covered in dry grass nd a mere ten-minute climb up the hill.

Also called Shri Kshetra or Arjungad, for this is where Krishna is said to have kidnapped Rukmani and Arjun kidnapped Subhadra. But it is popularly known as Bagwada.

Arabs came in the seventh century and Mahmud of Ghazani made inroads into the country through his raids up to Bagwada. Hindu power was weakening, with king Bimbisara of Mahim attacking Daman, Tarapur, Surat and other places in Gujarat. In the meantime Kumarpal Solanki had made Navasari a battlefield and killed Mallikarjun the Silhara king near Valsad.

In the thirteenth century the Koli and Warli chiefs came over to rule the place. One was from the Deccan with Mahadeo Kolis and established his rule over 22 forts in this area. They were left alone to rule throughout the seventeenth century. These forts were taken over by Mahmud Begada only after the tribal started troubling and looting the people around.

Shivaji visited this fort and had asked Chimnaji Appa to develop it. It was under the Marathas till the Portuguese rulers took over. They mounted attacks from this fort on the fort of Vasai. Secret passages inside the fort are said to have connected it to the fort of Pali, Indragad, Karambeli and Parnera.

The climb from the north side takes ten minutes to reach the bastions. Completely in ruins the fort entrance is on the north east side. A rectangular fort, it has six bastions and is in ruins. The south wall is broken and near it is a small tank which has a drinkable water here, close by runs the Kolak River flowing to the south of the fort now just a stream. The fort has a Mahalaxmi temple; its statue is now in a new temple in the village below. There are two small caves in the fort and also a tunnel and where does it lead no one can say. Not much to see here except the fort walls, bastions and a view of the village and river from the fort. It must have been a good viewpoint for the guardians and soldiers of the fort. There are more temples in the village with a few of them having a short history connected to them.

A quiet way to spend a couple of hours, you do not need equipment but a good pair of shoes to climb the short hill and enjoy the picnic lunch or tea that you have brought along.

How to get There:

By road: From Pardi on the National Highway from Mumbai, go towards the Bagwada railway station and close by is the hill with the fort.

By rail: get into any slow train traveling to Valsad or Surat but get off at the Bagwada station that comes before Valsad. The hill and fort are just hop skip and jump from the station and can be seen clearly.

En-chanting world

Chanting, everyone is familiar with that. You, me and everyone chants or prays sometime in a day. The sound of chanting is an eternal part of the universe. Plain words and yet not so plain, that seem to echo throughout the universe and the human soul.

Chanting speaks to the soul and soothes the mind that is in search of god. The melody of the chant is its strength and that it more to the soul and heart than the regular music. This is not just a song that is chanted across the world by monks for the monks in their seminaries. These songs flow from solitude, silence and meditation of god.

Gregorian chants are a mystical form of music that touches the deepest recesses of the soul. The heart opens up to receive the glory of god allowing the listener to feel the eternal peace and quietness.

It holds your breath; it reverberates through your mind, heart, soul and body. It is a very peaceful experience. For the monks it was an exercise to get close to the almighty. You may understand the words or not, a friend once told me, ‘they can create magic around you.’

They can still an agitated mind, echo through the body, mind and soul relaxing you completely forcing you to contemplate. Chanting in fact creates an energy field around you which is pure and clean, a piece of peace on earth which no one can touch. The chants seem to slide into you from the top of your head to the toes of your feet sending a powerful message through every molecule of your body, charging it as the message moves along. These chants are sung with no or bare minimum of music which I prefer but many modern singers choose to accompany it with Celtic, folk, or rock music of different types to suit their taste.

Chant is the oldest form of singing and was first developed in the 8th century. Learnt through viva and in Latin language, perfection is only reached through several years of experience. Singing chants is an important part of the seminary life; it filled with the monks with renewed energy to go on with the life that they had chosen.

It became an important part of the daily church service according to the Rule set down by St. Benedict. Only small groups and soloists sang the chants. The chants were organized and codified in the 12th-13th centuries in Frankish lands. It was imposed and made compulsory by Gregory I [590-604 AD] and Charlemagne, King of Franks [768-814 AD].

The most famous canters are the Benedict monks. They are said to have encounters with gods, which has had a supernatural effect and is added on only by the monks. Gregorian chanting is regarded as a channel to the human souls. As one individual has said listening to the chants is like ‘listening to the angels (said to be a gift from them). The chants reflect the angelic songs.’

There is a popular belief that hooded monks intone the chants in dingy corridors which are not so. A regular church service also holds a session of chanting. The music is ethereal, pleasing to the ear and eyes. The deep voices of men intone the words so well it is as if they are breathing it. The object of using the chant is to worship and time in fact does not matter - one line takes a whole of four minutes to sing. Gregorian chant follows a simple melody. Done in unison it produces a rich harmonious field and when it is performed in the cathedral, the architecture enhances the harmonious field.

Sound is known to heal and many ancient civilizations have used music, chanting, intoning, and instruments like drums, bells, singing bowls, gongs, whistles, and prayer to cure and as remedies. Mastering the music regulates the heart and mind. According to Kay Gardener (1990) there are nine elements of healing in music:-

1. Drone – the constant tone is a simple melody
2. Repetition – short phrases repeated over and over again
3. Harmonics – long sustained tones – balance the emotional, mental and spiritual from of the aura
4. Rhythm – duplicates the pulse in the body
5. Harmony – the various keys, major and minor bring on the feeling of sadness, joy, soothing and triumph – which bring the diseased organ back into harmony with the others
6. Melody – mind is engaged by melody which takes the attention away from the day to day afflictions one faces
7. Instrumental colors – each instrument has its own voice – overtones and wave forms that penetrate the various parts of the body
8. Form – the musical piece determines where the journey will take the listener.
9. Intention – a musician must recognize the power within and its effect. What is the intention to heal or harm.

According to a study conducted by Dr. Alfred Tomatis a French MD in 1950s in auditory neurophysiology. On his behest the monks were forced to give up chanting for a year or so which resulted in many falling sick, becoming completely listless and not responding to even normal prayers. Diet change did not work nor did lifestyle change until Dr Tomatis told them to begin the chanting again. The chants stimulated the brain, charging it with energy created by the voice and the limited intoning of the vowels.

Listening to Gregorian chants forces the body to breathe more deeply, center itself, creating a balance of the mind and body. The magnetic rhythm enchants the listener massaging the body inside out. Sound is not only created by the mouth but also with the bones and skin.

Movie Factory

From masterpieces to legendary actors, these studios gave the film industry of Mumbai a
kick-start any film industry would envy. Here are a handful of studios associated with some of the most important names in the film industry. It took K Asif and his studio 10 years to complete Mughal-e-Azam with a huge cast of thousands, opulent sets like the Hall of Mirrors, intricately designed costumes and extravagantly staged battle scenes thatcost approximately Rs 15 million. K Asif thought on an epic scale, which is perhaps why he made only four films in a career that spanned more than 30 years. He left the set intact for more than a year after the movie was churning out completed for the public to see his grand creation.

Studios such as Bombay Talkies, along with Prabhat Film Company in Pune and New Theatres in Kolkata dominated Indian filmmaking since the beginning of the talkie era. Men and women like Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani (Bombay Talkies), Chimanlal B Desai and Dr Ambalal Patel (Sagar Movietone), Khan Bahadur and Ardeshir Irani (Jyoti Studios), Sardar Chandulal Shah (Ranjit Movietone), Jayant Desai (Jupiter Studios) Sohrab Modi (Minerva Movietone), A R Kardar (Kardar Studios), Mehboob Khan (Central and later Mehboob Studios), and Vijay Bhatt (Prakash Pictures) who came to be known as the star makers and breakers that belonged to an era of the 1920s to 1950s.

These all-time movie moguls churned out classics with Dilip Kumar, Noor Jehan, Ashok Kumar, Nargis, V Shantaram, Prithviraj Kapoor, Jairaj, Sheikh Mukhtiar, Madhubala, and others, whose careers were launched and many who went on to become legends. They also had many firsts to their names, as this was the beginning of an industry which would come to be known as the Film Industry. Studios like Vishnu Movietone Studio made over a 100 mythological and historical movies. But it was Kohinoor Studios that takes the credit of making Mumbai the centre of films. Jyoti Studios was the first to make a talkie as well as to introduce colour.

The personalities behind these studios were the driving force and left an indelible mark in the history of cinema in India. Mehboob Khan was the creator of Central Studios in Tardeo and later Mehboob Studios in Bandra in 1952. He chose dark themes and made them entertaining. He lavished them with emotions and created great works like Devdas (1935), Ek Hi Raasta (1939), Roti (1942), Aan (1952), Anmol Ghadi, Andaaz, Amar and Mother India. Though Mehboob Studios was partially destroyed in the year 2000, it was rebuilt and today the space is rented out to directors that churn out movies like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kuch Na Kaho, Munna Bhai MBBS, Musafir and many others.

The flamboyant V Shantaram brought a lot of chutzpah into movie making. He acted in and directed several movies. He used to blend different genres and forms to evolve an aesthetic form of his own, which challenged one with something different and subtle. He used films as an instrument of social change, to advocate humanism on one hand and expose bigotry and injustice on the other. He directed Duniya Na Mane (1937), Aadmi (1939) and Padosi (1941) from Prabhat Studios in Pune, and Shakunatala, Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani, Do Ankhen Barah Haath and Navrang from Rajkamal Studios. But that was not all. He made entertaining movies too, like Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje for his third wife and Geet Gaaya Patharon Ne for his daughter Rajshree; and that too with melodious songs that are hummed even today.

The first talkie

Alam Ara(1931), the first talkie with around 70 songs, was directed by Ardeshir Irani. He founded Majestic Films and Jyoti Studios in 1924 and directed Razia Begum, a major success despite attracting censor’s ire, and Kisan Kanya(1937). It was his studio that withstood the onslaught of the sound and talking movies by providing continuity, and later he would be the first to introduce colour into movies. Dwarkadas N Sampat, along with Jamsetji .ramji Madan tackled every genre possible and resorted to every trick to ensure success, including getting dancers, singers and actors onto the stage at intermission. They became important producers of silent cinema, and in 1919 they founded Kohinoor Studios. Sampat acquired the reputation of a daring financier. Within ten years he had made a 100 films, and he personally selected the costumes, jewellery, fabrics and sets with no expense spared. He made movies like Murder of Narayan Rao Peshwa(1915), Handsome Blackguard(1925) and Gunsundari (1927). They had acquired
the most accomplished scene artist, Mohanlal Dave, who used to boast that his script could be directed by anybody – so detailed were the scenes and directions that emerged from his pen.

Kohinoor also launched the career of many directors like Homi Master, Manilal Joshi (the first one to start the practice of giving a full list of credits, in the film Sukanya , Savitri), Chandulal Shah (Ranjit Studios), and actors like Sulochana, Gauhar Jan, Zebrunissa and Zubeida, to name a few. A painter and a sculptor by profession, Baburao Mistry, or Painter, as he was known, and the Kolhapur .ilm Company became synonymous with set designing. Wood cutting, sculpting, impromptu stage design, costume design, drawing, painting, printing – nothing was beneath his touch. He was the first Indian director to introduce artificial lighting and solid multi-dimensional sets. Known as a labourious director, he laid out in detail each scene and frame he would shoot
and conducted extensive rehearsals with his actors. He made movies like Krishna played by a then studio hand, V Shantaram; Sinhagad, another historical movie which was shot at the Kolhapur Maharaja’s palace with all the luxuries present in it, and Savkari Pash (1925), based on the character Shylock from Shakespeare’s play Merchant of Venice. He was faithful to reality, but with the advent of sound, he faced financial loss after launching just one talkie.

Decline of the studio

It has been quite some time since the clapper-boy clapped the board at these studios. A few reasons have been attributed to the studios’ closure: the falling value of the rupee and the escalation of land price. Many filmmakers who had created these studios were dead. .ilm financing had also changed with people like Haji Mastan having been credited with financing gangster movies like Deewar and Don; and actors who worked for a monthly salary, like Nargis who got Rs 35,000 for her role in Andaazand Dilip Kumar Rs 15, 000, now started to work for independent filmmakers. They lost many a good actor and director who were earlier on the studios’ payroll.

Unable to compete with independent filmmakers, the studios started renting out their premises. By the 1950s most of these star-studded studios –Mohan, K Asif, M & T, Prabhat, Ranjit, Bombay Talkies, Asha, Srikant, Basant, Ashok, Minerva, Shree Sound, Roop Tara, Kardar, Chandu, Guru Dutt, Prakash, .amous, Central and Eastern Studio – had downed their shutters. They were converted into business, commercial and residential premises. The survivors had to cut down to size – Rajkamal, with three stages, now has one, and the rest have been converted into residential buildings; RK Studios, Chembur, has cut down to two from four. Only Mehboob Studios has clung to its floor space, though in the early 60s most of the directors were told to move out from their premises by Mehboob Khan’s sons. Film City at Goregaon, with its 350 acres of land for outdoor shoots and ten floors in its premises, is always fully booked. This is the result of TV serial makers having booked stages for months or a year at a stretch to avoid re-erecting a set and even advertising filmmakers have begun doling out bigger sums for
smarter sets to provide a better look for their campaigns.

The cost of maintaining studios has gone up, the numbers of studios available are dwindling. Building of new studios is not considered a viable option due to non-availability of land, high rates charged by the BMC for water supply, and the BSES’s yearly increase in the rates of electricity. A representation to recognise film studios as an industrial activity is still pending with the government of Maharashtra. What remains are the memories that actors and studio hands have of those days when they were hired, paid a monthly salary, and had to report to work daily. Discipline was strict and no one was excluded from it. “A shabby dress or a flamboyant shirt could attract a reprimand. Recalling the atmosphere of the studio several years later, Dilip (Kumar) said, ‘As a young actor attached to Bombay Talkies I found that I was required to read extensively from the institution’s library which comprised 14,000 books. I had to conform to certain norms of dress and behaviour. Over and above this, we were in the company of the best literary minds of that era’.” – Dilip Kumar reminisces in Sanjit Narwekar’s book The Last Emperor. The perfect metaphor of the death of the studio is represented in the movie Kagaz Ke Phool, directed and enacted by Guru Dutt. It was a story of a director’s life, the ups and downs in his personal and professional career. His studio, which lies in ruin, empty and desolate, with the haunting melody of Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam, tum rahe na tum, hum rahe na hum in the background. He walks back to an empty set, sits on the director’s chair, and quietly passes away.

(Sources: The final Fade-Out by Bunny Reuben, Jetwings magazine May 1997,

www.upperstall.com and www.chalchitra.com.)

Garden Of Paradise

World Heritage Day was celebrated this year by the inauguration of the gardens
around Humayun’s tomb by The Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

The Mughals brought with them their love for gardens, fountains and water. And nowhere did they leave a more memorable legacy of this than in their beautiful tombs. The first in what was to become adistinctive style is Humayun’s tomb, in Delhi, a synthesis of Persian and Indian building styles, located close to India Gate and adjoining the shrine of the Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Built on the banks of the Yamuna, Humayun’s tomb is regarded as theTaj of Delhi, and offers an excellent view of the surrounding countryside from its terraces.

Born in 1508 in Kabul, Afghanistan, Humayun was the eldest and favourite son of Emperor Babur. He ascended the throne when he was 22 (1530), becoming the second ruler of the Mughal dynasty. In 1541, he married Hamida, and their son, Akbar,was born in Umarkot, Sindh,
in 1542. Humayun was overthrown by Sher Shah Suri, the Afghan ruler from Bengal (who built the Grand Trunk Road) in 1540 at Kannauj. He stayed in exile in Persia until 1555, when he got the opportunity to regain his empire. But he did not live long to enjoy the fruits of conquest, for he died a year later by tripping on the staircase of his two storied library, while on his way to
offer prayers. Religious and tolerant, Humayun was also a patron of arts and literature, a calligrapher and a poet.

A grand memorial
Humayun’s tomb is one of the best early examples of Mughal architecture in India. It was designed by the Persian architect, Mirak Mirza Ghiyath. The Persian Char Bagh (four-garden) plan, the massive structure and external walls, double dome and decorative inlay were to become the prototype for later structures, most notably the Taj Mahal, 70 years later.Built by Humayun’s wife Hamida Banu Begum, the tomb cost Rs 1.5 million, and the work, started in 1562, was completed only in 1571, nine years later. The entire structure and enclosure are constructed at an elevated level, and have to be entered through two double storied gateways on the west and south. The mausoleum itself sits on a podium, with a perimeter of arched openings. Entering the enclosure through the south gate, you come across a baradari(pillared hall), which occupies the eastern wall and a hamam (bath) in the centre of the northern wall.
The central octagonal chamber contains the cenotaph. It is encompassed by octagonal chambers and arched lobbies on the side, whose openings are covered with perforated screens. Three arches dominate each side, the central one being the highest. This plan is repeated on the second storey also. The whole is surmounted by a double dome (42.5 m) clad in marble, with pillared chhatris(kiosks) on four corners. The arched rooms surrounding the central room house the tombs of two of Humayun’s begums and later Mughals, including several rulers of the dynasty such as Dara Shukoh, Aurangzeb and .arruksiyar, making it the burial place for the House of Timur. Bahadurshah Zafar took refuge in the tomb with three princes during the uprising in 1857, before he surrendered to the British. Humayun’s actual grave is in the basement, entered via a passage facing south of the platform. In the northeast corner of this chamber lies Hamida Banu, or Haji Begum. On the south-western side of the mausoleum lies the Nai-ka-Gumbad, or Barber’s Tomb.

The Restoration
2001–2003
Efforts at restoration had begun as early as 1903–4, when the water system was restored, including its sandstone edging. A second restoration was attempted in 1931, to commemorate the inauguration of New Delhi; and a third attempt was made to introduce
water to the garden in the 1950s. The last attempt at restoration was made in 1984. Each attempt changed the level of the channels. In 2000, the illumination of the tomb was funded by the Oberoi Group and coordinated by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The most recent restoration of the gardens of Humayun’s tomb was conceived in 1997 and, after two years of archival research and excavation, the implementation began in 2001 and was completed in 2003 by the Aga Removal of cement alterations from 1985 preceded traditional lime mortar repairs.

AGA KHAN TRUST FOR CULTURE
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture pledged US $ 650,000 towards the restoration work, in
collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India. The trust is a non- denominational philanthropic foundation that coordinates the cultural activities of the Aga Khan Development Network. The trust is involved in the revitalisation of historic sites in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Egypt, Syria and Zanzibar, among other places. The network agencies have been working in India for several decades, addressing natural resource management, agricultural productivity, income growth, health and education in rural areas.
Khan Trust for Culture(AKTC), the first privately funded restoration of a World Heritage Site in India. Work was carried out on the gardens of the tomb complex in Delhi by a team comprising experts from many disciplines. The objective of the project was to revitalise the gardens, pathways, fountains and water channels of the Char Bagh, or four-part paradise garden, according to the original plans of the builders. Site works encompassed a variety of disciplines, including archaeology, conservation science and hydraulic engineering. After a detailed survey of the garden, including the channels, the civil work was begun. A total of 3.5 km of channels has been restored, and water will flow in 2.2 km of them. Water channels were re-laid to an extent where their beds drop one centimetre for every 40 m. A balancing tank and filteration plant has been constructed outside the garden to continuously recirculate the water. All the repair work was carried out using traditional techniques and methods such as lime mortar and fruit
pulp as binding material. Excess earth (around 3,000 truckloads) that had accumulated over the years was manually removed. All 32 empty garden plots were covered in grass, and 128 ground water pits were dug, while existing wells were re-excavated. A new irrigation system and rainwater harvesting method have been employed to make efficient use of the water available. Edging stones, many Humayun left a great architectural legacy in the monuments built during his reign.
Other structures built by Humayun

They include: Jamali Kamali Mosque and Tomb, Delhi (1528–36)
Imam Zamin’s Tomb, Delhi (1537)
Hasan Khan’s Tomb, Sasaram, Bihar (c 1535)
Sher Shah’s Tomb, Sasaram (c 1540)
Purana Qila, Delhi (c 1530–45), built over the ancient site of Indraprastha, a city associated with the Mahabharata
Qala-i-Kuhna Masjid, Delhi (1541)
Sher Mandal, Delhi (c 1541)
Gate of Sher Shah’s Wall, Delhi (1540s)
Salimgarh, Delhi (1546)
Isa Khan’s Mosque and Tomb, Delhi (1547)
Sabz Burj, Nila Gumbad, Delhi (1540–60)
Bu Halima’s Garden, Delhi. (1540–60)

Over 50 small tanks and over 3 km of channels were finally repaired.
Over 50 craftsmen worked for over 2years to prepare hand chiseled sandstone for the channels, benches, fountains etc. weighing over 800 kg, were aligned byhand, and 4,000 m of red sandstone was chiselled by hand, and used in channel repairs. Over 2,500
flowering, fruit and evergreen trees, such as mango, mogra, orange, lemon, anar, harsingar, hibiscus and neem, were planted, and 25,000 sq. m of pathways were repaired. A wheelchair access ramp at the entrance was provided, and bridges over the channels. Benches of sandstone were provided in the garden and the existing cast iron ones were repaired. The restored garden was inaugurated on April 15, 2003, by His Highness the Aga Khan, to coincide with World Heritage Day. He was joined by India’s Minister of Tourism and Culture, Shri Jagmohan. Speaking on the occasion, the Aga Khan said, “The Aga Khan Trust for Culture insists that each of its conservation and restoration projects should be able to have an important, positive impact on quality of life.”

A magnificant Mausoleum

My car screeched to a halt close to a red sandstone monument, I am intrigued because I had thought I was going directly to the Taj. And then remembered the instruction I had given to the taxi driver that any important monuments on the way, to please stop without asking. And he had, he pointed towards the monument and said that this is Akbar’s tomb. The Akbar. Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar, the Emperor of India - the third emperor of the Mughal dynasty who inherited the throne in 1556, at the age of 13. He was crowned the ruler after the sudden death of his father Humayun. He was a good administrator, a connoisseur of art and architecture. He was also responsible in having built magnificent buildings within the precincts of Agra Fort and all a unique blend of architectural styles. He also went on to build Fatehpur Sikri which is pre-dominatingly Islamic blended with Rajasthani and Gujarati architecture styles. I walked across to the gate and through it after having bought a ticket from the security guard there. And through it led in towards another door – the Bulund Darwaza. The door was in red sand stone with inlay work in black, white and red marble done on it. Shops lined on either side. Through the gate and into what was a garden with four paths leading to the mausoleum in the center. Akbar started building this edifice before his death in 1605 at Sikandra. The tomb as I said is behind high walls and through the huge gate Buland Darwaza – a copy of the gate at Fatehpur Sikri. It is an elegant gateway covered in floral and geometrical designs in white and colored marble. It is crowned with four minarets in white marble and the calligraphy is beautiful. It has a high central arch that rises above two recesses on either side. There are two oblong chattris crowning the doorway. Distinctly masculine is shape and looks, Akbar chose to keep the look very Spartan, it was Jahangir who added the white marble embellishments three years after his death. Completed between 1612 and 1614 as the inscriptions read on the south gate, the construction of the mausoleum was commenced during emperor Akbar's (1556-1605) lifetime in 1604 but concluded during Jehangir's reign (1605-1627). This is correct for Akbarnama makes no mention of the monument except for Behistan or Behistabad (Abode of Paradise) in Sikandra as the burial place of the emperor. Recorded references to the tomb are found from Jehangir's reign and mention his discontent with the progress made on the mausoleum and him making changes to the design, modification and embellishment. The mausoleum complex is square and aligned on the cardinal axis, with the tomb at its center and four gates, one at each wall. The inscriptions were written and designed by Abd al- Haqq Shirazi (later known as Amanat Khan) the famed calligrapher of Mughal monuments including Taj Mahal. The inscription on the north elevation facing the tomb eulogizes the deceased emperor, but the one above the entrance praises Jehangir, the patron of the tomb. The tomb lies in the center of the charbagh. The garden is covered in plants growing wildly at the corners and instead of flowers and beautiful trees just grass grows in the four squares with monkeys and wild animals roaming freely. The four paths lead straight to the pyramidal structure. The tomb stands on a high platform and is made in red sandstone and is five stories high. The domed and vaulted galleries that form the first part of the pyramidal structure is 105 meters long and serve as a large square plinth for the four stories. The gallery space has massive pillars supporting the arches that are roughly 7 meters apart. The central bay of each side is marked by a high pishtaq surmounted by a rectangular chattri. Only the southern pishtaq gives access to the burial chamber, a small square room at the end of long corridor in the heart of the building domed at eighteen meters. The vaulted bays behind the four pishtaqs, the southern one is the most elaborate in ornamentation. The path leading into his chamber is dark, cool and very quiet. It is decorated with floresque, arabesque and calligraphic designs. The chamber is simple and paved with stone. The only single lamp lighting overhead throws a kind glow all around and just giving light enough for one to see around the tomb chamber. The warm glow lends the marble a golden look, flowers are strewn on the velvet coverlet placed on the tomb and the smell of roses and incense wafts the air all around. There is just one small jharokha through which daylight filters in. Close by in red sandstone is said to be the tomb of Mariam Zamani, Jahangir's mother. The tomb is a blend of styles. The massive iwans in the centre of all sides are as high as the tomb and have beautiful panels with inlaid mosaic work. Inlaid arabesque work is seen on the spandrels, semi-soffits have paintings and the turrets have chevron designs. The first has a podium of arches; the center of each face has an inlaid framed doorway. The next three levels have no arches, but the flat roof is held by rows of pillars. On the topmost terrace, one can see a white wall with arches and replica of the sarcophagus that lies open to the sky, at the request of Emperor Akbar’s last wish. Large panels of beautiful jali work form an outer wall of the verandah on all sides. These are crowned by a white marble chhaparkhat with eight pillars. These pillars have rings to maybe to hold up tents during the annual Urs. The other chambers hold the graves of Aram Banu and Shukrunnisa (daughters of Akbar), Zebunnisa (daughter of Aurangzeb) and Sulaiman Shikoh (son of Shah Alam). The first storey has a large platform and corridors roofed by stone arches in each façade. The second storey is built of red sandstone and has arched verandah with twenty-three bays. These are crowned by cupolas and white marble pyramidal roofs decorated with glazed tiles arranged in geometrical pattern. The third and fourth stories follow similar plan, though they are smaller in size and in ascending order. The fifth and the top most story is entirely in white marble and has no roof but has delicate marble screens as walls. There is also no dome above the structure. You come away feeling being awestruck at the thought of being in the presence of an emperor who ruled over India and was much loved and respected for his ideas and changes he made in the administration. Yes, the day had started well for me, for this man had been the center of my research through my college days and medieval history has been my favorite. The best way to reach Sikandra is by road for Delhi to Agra is 203 on the National Highway 2 – a good road and a further ten km to Sikandra. It takes around four and half hours of total time. By rail is also good for you will travel faster and save sometime, the Shatabdi Express leaves from Delhi to Agra and takes two hours and costs Rs. 390/- only. It starts at 6am. Worth the journey to see the tomb of the man that changed India for good. [You will find it on http://www.newsgaze.com/14_Magnificent_Mausoleum.html]

Sher Shah suri’s tomb

The tomb of Sher Shah Suri and his son here reflects the life style of a 16th century Afghans who were dubbed in history as usurpers of the Mughal throne. However, the Pathan history discounts Babur and Humayun as interlopers, for they have been important in India for more than 300 years previously to Mughals. Sasaram, although just a medieval basti (village) and a small trading outpost today. It is bifurcated by Sher Shah’s Grand Trunk Road, on which no less than 25,000 trucks pass every day.The Puranas tell a story about Sasaram. The enmity between the Kartavirya Sahasrarjuna (literally thousand hands) and Parasurma led to the death of Sahasranjuna by Parasurma. The followers of Sahasrarjuna settled here calling it Sahasrarjuna-pura or Sahsaram. The discovery of Ashokan inscriptions on a small rock cut cave have eight lines of Brahmi script inscribed on the rocky boulder. This cave, overlooks the town, and is on the summit of Chandan Shaheed hill, named after a saint whose tomb is located close to the cave. Chandan is believed to be one of the Sufi saints who accompanied Muhmud of Ghazni.Bahul Lodi who had encouraged the migration of his countrymen to Hindustan was ultimately disappointed with their disunity. Hasan Khan and his father Ibrahim Khan Suri came to India and were granted jagirs (land lordship) in Punjab. Their fortunes swayed with that of their masters and later Hasan moved to Jaunpur and finally to Sasaram. Sher Shah was born in Narnaul and spent his childhood at Sasaram. Early in the 16th century, Sasaram, under Hasan Khan Sur was a part of the Sharqi kingdom of Jaunpur. Sher Shah developed Sasaram into a successful administrative unit. It was an important trading post and often people came here to buy horses and later Sher Shah built a mint here. His currency reform was followed by the Mughals and maintained by the Britishers. These tombs were built under the genius of Alawal Khan, the master architect. He was first commissioned to erect the tomb of Hasan Khan in 1535. A high compound wall encloses Hasan’s mausoleum with gateways on its sides and domed turrets at the corners. Attached to the tomb is the flat roofed prayer hall and madarsa. There is no plinth. The main tomb consists of a large octagonal tomb chamber surrounded by a wide verandah on all the sides. On each of the eight sides, the verandah is provided with three arched openings and three corresponding domes above it. The main tomb chamber rises higher than the domed roofs of the verandah and supports the larger central dome. Within the tomb chamber there are 25 graves, including that of Hasan Khan Suri in the center. The middle story of the monument appears to have been executed hurriedly with just bare walls instead of the kiosks and jalis. Sher Shah’s tomb is larger than the original model. The tank appears to have been excavated solely for the purpose of providing a quaint view of the tomb. The multi coloured glazed tiles and painted decoration must have added to rich reflection. Unfortunately few traces remain. This three-storied mausoleum rises to a height of 45.7 m and was originally planned to be a typical island tomb with no access to the mainland. There are stairways on each side of the tomb leading to the water, the landing platform on the eastern side and finally a causeway between the tomb and the guardroom. The guardroom or the entrance porch on the edge of the northern side of the lake is flanked by two mosques on either side, and was meant to provide crew and rafts to the serious visitors willing to see the tomb properly. A bridge of arches was provided to link the entrance porch and the tomb. The bridge did not last and the visitors used rafts made of earthen pots until 1881, when the present causeway was constructed.The mausoleum appears to be perfectly symmetrical but its base is believed to have a slight deviation at the cardinal points. However, they have been skillfully adjusted to give the impression of perfect alignment. The mausoleum is built on a large square terrace, the corners of which support the octagonal pavilions with small kiosks between them. The entrance gives way to a wide verandah on all sides, shaded by a series of 24 small domes supported on arches and each corner of the verandah is provided with a cupola. The tomb chamber is plain with traces of faded inscriptions on the western wall. The interior is well ventilated and the light comes through the large windows on the top portion of the walls fitted with jalis. The grave of Sher Shah is surrounded by 24 of his compatriots. The dome surpasses that of the Taj Mahal by 13 feet, and is based on the beam and bracket principle, allowing eight sides to fuse into a circle. The exterior was originally glazed and painted with a definite colour combination of red, blue, gold and white. Traces of colours can still be seen on the parapets and battlements.Sher Shah’s body was brought from Kalinjar after being injured in an explosion during the final assault on the fort. He managed to survive until the news of the final victory. Salim Shah, his son lies in a tomb half-a-kilometer NW of here. His tomb is grand but incomplete. New architectural designs included are - a larger lake, eleven small passages covered by stone beams, minars and pillars at all angles of the outer octagon. Alawal Khan’s tomb lies on the outskirts of the town he was the superintendent of tombs constructed.

Gothic Bombay

Bombay grew as an urban centre under the direction of the British who brought their aesthetic values with them from ‘home’. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, they experimented with the neo-Classical style of architecture, but then, suddenly, the city charted a new course that reflected contemporary European fashions. Gothic architecture of the medieval ages became high fashion, admired for its human scale and the manual construction techniques its appearance evoked.Gothic style buildings express their purpose quite directly on their exterior form. So, vertically, articulated by externally perceptible staircases, large open halls, functional areas, or visible methods of managing load, is observable on the outside of these buildings. This legibility of function is a hallmark of the Gothic.The Classical aesthetic strives to achieve restfulness with an orderly monochromatic presence, whereas the Gothic style is expressive, disturbing and disjointed with lively coloured surfaces. Flying buttresses, lancet windows and stained glass are noteworthy features of such architecture, and its buildings are often embellished with carved and narrative elements.The various Gothic styles employed in Bombay do relate both in appearance and in practice with contemporary structures in Britain. Magazines, photographs and the ease and frequency of travel between Bombay and Britain all contributed to the thorough and accurate dissemination of the latest design theories within India.The buildings of Bombay are, in many ways, unmistakably different from structures erected for similar uses in Britain. Some of these dissimilarities are naturally related to the climate and the construction materials employed, as even Smith had heartily argued that Gothic architecture had to be adapted to the climate and sunlight of the Indian subcontinent.The Victorians first employed science, engineering and imported products to solve their perceived architectural problems in India. But over time, creative architects who chose to work and live in the city became the dominant component that determined Bombay’s appearance. Architects such as Emerson, Stevens, Adams and Murzban adapted the accepted theories of architecture to the particular needs of India.Bombay Gothic’s heyday ended for many reasons. As political events in India became associated with stylistic preferences in architecture and nationalism began to coalesce into a recognizable movement, the architectural profession responded accordingly.The younger architects were actively looking for fresh solutions to stylistic and formal questions in architecture..

(Excerpted from Bombay Gothic By Christopher W London Published by IBH)