HERITAGE

After having lived in Delhi through the seventies for over a decade, every short trip I make to Delhi is one of a sense of loss. I do not recognize the Delhi that I grew up in anymore. With the exploding boundaries, the flyovers that dwarf the city, the mindboggling traffic and the crowds, and of course the smog, the pollution, I have stopped relating to the city that I loved so much. As I made a brief two-day visit to the city, I decided to recapture the magic, the stunning royal walk from India Gate to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Much…

In recent days, we have yet again come to face the dilemma between modernizing Mysuru and preserving its heritage sites. The imperative of avoiding accidents from crumbling buildings, improving traffic and providing more parking space while preserving the old charm of the city and promoting tourism have created what looks like a zero sum game. In other words, a situation where the former set of objectives can be achieved only at the cost of the latter. In that belief, Mysore City Corporation (MCC) now wants to demolish Devaraj market and Lansdowne building, ignoring the advice of heritage experts. Devaraj market,…

Over the Republic Day weekend, around 5000 Chennaiites flocked to an exhibition that showcased an art form that dates back to the days of the Indus Valley civilisation and is perhaps one of the oldest upcycling methods that has been traditionally and indigenously practised: Quilting. The first edition of the India Quilt Festival took place from 25- 27 January, 2019. The event, a pioneer in the space, featured competitions, stalls, workshops and lectures on quilting. Citizen Matters spoke to Varsha Sundararajan, one of the organisers of the fest. Does India have a special connection with quilting? India has a 4000-year-old…

Like every year, Lalbagh is hosting flower show this year as well. The theme is Mahatma Gandhi's 150th Birth Anniversary. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd has introduced return journey paper tickets for a flat price of Rs 30. One can travel from Lalbagh Metro station to any other stations at this fare, between 10 am to 8 pm, on January 25th, 26th and 27th. The tickets will be available at all metro stations between 8 am to 6 pm. The press note from BMRCL explains it: Like every year, our reader Srinivasan Subramaniam has shared the photos from the flower…

In the above photo are some of a motley group of citizens who are funding the construction of a Ganga style stone mantapa to house the recently discovered 750CE Kittayya-Hebbal inscription stone! This could well be the first time ever in the world a group of ordinary citizens are coming together to help conserve and celebrate a city's written heritage in this manner. In the photo they are seen holding accurate 1/8 scale brass mementos of the incredible Kittayya-Hebbal inscription. These same mementos are now proudly displayed in showcases in their homes and offices – a first again in that…

There are cubes and cylinders here. But this is no maths class. There are bugs and a big scorpion too, yet this is no forest. Buddha and Christ almost facing each other, not in any place of worship though. This is Bengaluru’s most famous cake show, that happens at St Joseph’s Grounds every year, in this season. If you are a Bengalurean or have been here for a couple of Christmas seasons now, chances are that you would have visited this show. It was sheer chance that saw me near the gates of St. Joseph's School on a Thursday evening…

A fascinated child stands transfixed in the Zoology section of the Government museum in Egmore, her attention drawn by the giant skeleton of a whale on display, spanning the length of the room. This is is just one of many intriguing artefacts in India's second oldest museum. While the museum can boast of a steady stream of visitors, with enough in store for everyone who would like to spend an hour in learning, there are several aspects of the museum that leave plenty of room for improvement and are crying for attention from the state. The massive collections of the…

Come December, every year, thousands of music rasikas, practitioners, scholars and other curious on-lookers from all over the world descend on Chennai to experience the remarkable cultural coming-together that is the annual Music and Dance Season. However, the Tamil Heritage Trust (THT), has created a parallel ‘concert’ experience this year, which allows rasikas an opportunity to immerse themselves in the magnificent ocean of history, literature, fine arts, sculpture and architecture that is India’s Heritage. Pechchu Kachcheri 2018 is a celebration of heritage along with music. As part of the event, a series of lectures, Cholavanadu Kalayudaithu, has been organised that…

INTACH Bangalore Chapter has organised a talk on 'MUZIRIS: The story and science of excavating an ancient port city', by Dr PJ Cherian. This will be held at The Bohemian House, (in the Woodlands Hotel Campus), Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road, Richmond Circle, Bangalore, on Friday, 14th December, 2018, 7 pm. With the Kochi Muziris Biennale opening on December 12th, it's time to find out all about Muziris! Archaeological excavations at Pattanam, near Kochi, have shown that it was likely the famed ancient port city known as Muziris to the Greeks and Romans and called Muciri Pattinam in classical Tamil…

If you thought you were born in Ahmedabad, prepare to forget it soon. You need to get used to the identity crisis that could befall you when your birthplace suddenly becomes Karnavati. However, there is always consolation: Cousins from other cities might be sharing your distress. After all, Hyderabad is soon to become Bhagyanagar and Aurangabad will become Sambhaji Nagar. Would that really achieve anything? You may be mourning the expiry of a name that always reminded you of your first standard teacher, your grandparents' legacy or the first experience of flying kites in a steely wind. Then again, others may ask,…