Ancient Temples and Mosques under Archeological Survey of India

[Hindustani78]

The organisations have said the Inquisition Pillar is a symbol of the identity of Goan Hindus.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...mb-hindu-groups-urge-govt/article19099885.ece

Warn of protests if Inquisition Pillar is not safeguarded, allege attempts to erase it from records
PANAJI: Representatives of Hindu organisations on Sunday warned the Goa government and the Archaeological Department not to neglect the Inquisition Pillar (haatkatro khamb) at Old Goa in north Goa, and vowed to safeguard the monument.

As announced by them earlier, organisations and individuals led by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) organised a tribute programme at the pillar on Sunday to mark Goa Revolution Day.

The organisations said the pillar is a symbol of the identity of Goan Hindus who sacrificed their lives while opposing conversion during the “atrocious inquisition inflicted during the Portuguese rule”, and demanded that it be registered as a historic ancient monument of archaeological importance, and be preserved with immediate effect.

HJS spokesperson Manoj Solanki said the pillar was mentioned in government documents till 2006, but a systematic attempt was being made to erase it from them.

“If the Goa government does not preserve this historic pillar, Hindus will hold agitations and decide what steps should be taken to safeguard the same,” said Hindu Janajagruti Samiti national spokesperson Ramesh Shinde.

Jayesh Thali from the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti said the pillar is a remnant of the Sree Saptakoteshwar Temple that existed during the reign of the Kadamba dynasty, which was demolished by the Portuguese. It was used to punish Hindus and criminals, giving it the name haatkatro khamb.

Researcher and historian Prajal Sakhardande emphasised the historical importance of the pillar, saying that it has an inscription in Kannada.

The pillar has been hit by vehicles twice, damaging its platform. Mr. Sakhardande demanded that the administration should preserve the pillar before another accident occurs.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...ches-into-ancient-bawadis/article19198527.ece

Vijayapura, July 02, 2017 20:47 IST
Updated: July 02, 2017 22:33 IST

21 huge, open wells, built around 500 years ago, are filling with water after desilting and providing a vital source of water for this arid city in Karnataka.
A little over two months ago, the historic Taj bawadi (huge open wells), built during the Adil Shahi era (1490-1686) in Vijayapura in Karnataka was a filthy cesspool, with the polluted water unfit for any use.

Today the 223 ft wide structure has potable water, with hundreds of springs injecting fresh water into it.

First ever effort
Built in 1620 in the name of Taj Sultana, the queen of Ibrahim Adil Shah-II, the Taj bawadi is one of 21 such open wells being revived by the district administration in a first ever attempt at cleaning and desilting them.

Some of the others being revived are the Chanda Bawadi, Sandal Bawadi, Ibrahimpur Bawadi, Pethi Bawadi and the Gunnapur Bawadi.

Standing on the edge of the water body with several other onlookers, 70-year-old Nazir Ahmed Kaladgi is mesmerised.

“We had heard several stories of this giant bawadi. But no one had seen its depth because it never dried up and was full of filthy water,” he said.

Vijayapura District in-charge Minister M. B. Patil has mobilised the ₹8.5 crore requried for the revival project from private firms under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Dr Rajendra Singh, noted water conservationist, also lauded the work on reviving the water source during his recent visit.

Historian Abdul Ghani Imaratwale says the ancient city of Bijapur (now Vijayapura) has been known for its dry and arid and consequent frequent droughts. The Adil Shahi kingdom had therefore, developed a series of intricately designed bawadis to supply water to the city.

Dr Imaratwale said these bawadis had remained a major source of water for decades, meeting the needs of the around nine lakh people said to have been living in Vijayapura then.

The historian says it is surprising to see the bawadis filled with water though they are only between 20 to 60 feet deep when borewells in the area have to go down to a depth of 300 feet to hit water.

Explaining the significance of the bawadis during the Adil Shahi era, veteran Vijayapura scholar and historian Krishna Kolhar Kulkarni, said according a British survey conducted in 1850, the city had around 700 stepless bawadies and some 340 bawadis with steps.

After the fall of the Adil Shahi dynasty these bawadis fell into disuse and soon became dump sites.

“We still have about 60 bawadis in the city which can be revived,” Dr Kulkarni said.

Harsha Shetty, Commissioner of the Vijayapura City Corporation, which is implementing the task, said reviving the ancient open wells was a mammoth task as they had accumulated huge quantities of silt and garbage over decades.
uge quantities of silt and garbage over decades.

“On an average, it took us between 15 and 20 days to clean smaller bawadis. The Taj Bawadi, the biggest one, took almost two months, mainly because of the countless springs that kept filling the bawadi quickly,” he said.

“We also plan to install pump sets to draw water and RO plants so that people could use water, he added. While the total water need of the city is around 65 million liters/day, the bawadis would provide at least 5 MLDs, he said.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/621087/asi-bans-selfie-sticks-46.html

Press Trust of India, New Delhi, Jul 5 2017, 19:29 IST

Visitors to archaeological site museums like Taj Museum in Agra, the Indian War Memorial Museum in Delhi, Archaeological Museums in Konarak, Hampi and others across the country, have to tuck away their sticks in their bags if they want a glimpse of the artefacts on display. DH file photo


In a move that will not click with selfie enthusiasts, the Archaeological Survey of India, under a new policy, has banned the use of selfie sticks at its 46 site museums across the country.

"Selfie sticks are strictly not permitted in the museum premises," states the Photography/ Filming Policy for the Archaeological Site Museums of the Archaeological Survey of India.

So, visitors to archaeological site museums like Taj Museum in Agra, the Indian War Memorial Museum in Delhi, Archaeological Museums in Konarak, Hampi and others across the country, have to tuck away their sticks in their bags if they want a glimpse of the artefacts on display.

Site museums are museums where the ASI keeps the small and movable antiquities, recovered from the ancient sites, in close association with the remains to which they belong. Such museums often close to the excavation site displays objects retrieved during site excavations, found during explorations, during scientific clearances and during conservation of monuments.

These objects generate a lot of academic and commercial interest because of their historical or archaeological significance to the site. Sources in ASI say that the decision to exclude selfie sticks was taken to ensure security of the artefacts as there have been instances of the sticks getting too close to them.

"Times are changing and at every site there are people with mobile phones and taking pictures freely. There are people even shooting inside the monuments, so a decision was taken by the ASI to put in place some restrictions," said Dr K Lourdusamy, Director, ASI.

However, it is not just the selfie stick that has raised concerns among officials but also heavy equipment and accessories used for photography. The policy has also said that while photography is open to public in all the museums free of cost, but the catch is that they cannot use tripods, monopods or flash-lights. In fact, visitors can only use existing museum lighting for their pictures.

Visitors wanting to use multiple lenses, tripod monopods or carry large photography bags have to get prior permission provided they use them for academic purposes. This permission has to be with 15 days before the scheduled arrival of the person at the site.

R K Mishra, Additional Director General of National Museum, Delhi, an autonomous body under the ministry of culture said that the museum was yet to face any problems due to the selfie sticks, but conceded that "we might have to think about it (selfie sticks) and bring in a policy if required, but so far, there is no need".

Former culture secretary Jawhar Sircar seemed to be completely opposed to the idea. "I am of the opinion that technology cannot be stopped. ASI officials should understand that only opening a shop doesn't help, they should learn to smile at customers too. ASI is a custodian of Indian culture, not its owners and they should have an open spirit," Sircar told PTI.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/asi-bans-selfie-sticks-at-46-site-museums/article19217331.ece

In a move that will not click with selfie enthusiasts, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has banned selfie sticks at its 46 site museums across the country. So, visitors to archaeological site museums such as Taj Museum in Agra, the Indian War Memorial Museum in Delhi, the Archaeological Museums in Konarak, Hampi and others across the country, have to tuck away their selfie sticks in their bags. PTI

Site museums are museums where the ASI keeps the small and movable antiquities recovered from the ancient sites, in close association with the remains to which they belong. Such museums, often close to the excavation site, display objects retrieved during excavations, explorations, scientific clearances and during conservation of monuments.

Sources in the ASI say the decision to exclude selfie sticks was taken to ensure security of the artefacts. “Times are changing and at every site there are people with mobile phones and taking pictures freely. There are people even shooting inside the monuments, so a decision was taken by the ASI to put in place some restrictions,” said ASI Director Dr. K. Lourdusamy.

However, it is not just the selfie stick that has raised concerns among officials but also heavy equipment and accessories used for photography.

The new policy also said that while photography is open to the public in all the museums free of cost, visitors cannot use tripods, monopods or flash.

Visitors wanting to use multiple lenses, tripods or monopods or carry large photography bags have to get prior permission provided they use them for academic purposes. This permission has to be taken 15 days before the scheduled visit.

R.K. Mishra, Additional Director General of National Museum, Delhi, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture, said the museum was yet to face any problems due to selfie sticks. “We might have to think about it and bring in a policy if required, but so far, there is no need,” he said.

Former Culture Secretary Jawhar Sircar opposed the decision. “Technology cannot be stopped. ASI officials should understand that opening a shop alone doesn’t help, they should learn to smile at customers too. ASI is a custodian of Indian culture, not its owners and it should have an open spirit,” Mr. Sircar said.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Culture
31-July, 2017 16:09 IST
Restoration of Ancient Temples

There are 1076 temples declared as protected monuments in the country under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India.

There are 506 monuments/sites including 242 temples declared as protected monuments in Karnataka under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India.

The monuments including temples are in a good state of preservation.

The conservation work of ancient monuments including temples is attended as per established guidelines, conservation norms, conservation charters, maintaining the original character of the site as well as retaining its authenticity and integrity and heritage values associated with the particular site. The conservation work within these parameters is attended regularly by the Archaeological Survey of India. The conservation, preservation, maintenance of these centrally protected monuments/sites including temples in the country is a continuous process.

This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.



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Ministry of Culture
31-July, 2017 16:08 IST
Modernisation of Delhi Public Library


Most of the Government run Libraries function under the administrative control of the respective State library authorities. There are six libraries under the administrative control of the Ministry of Culture namely:


I. National Library

II. Central Secretariat Library

III. Central Reference Library

IV. Delhi Public Library

V. Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library

VI. Rampur Raza Library



Modernization and upgradation of Delhi Public Library is an ongoing continuous process. Every year grant-in-aid general for purchase of books, preservation/conservation, digitization, office expenses etc., grant-in-aid for creation of capital assets is provided to Delhi Public Library. Grants released to Delhi Public Library during last three years is given below. Under the scheme of Improvement of Infrastructure and Modernization of Library of National Mission on Libraries, an amount of Rs. 224.00 lakh has been approved for Delhi Public Library.



There are at present 35 branches and 62 mobile library points under Delhi public Library in Delhi. Delhi Public Library proposes to open two branches – one at Ashok Vihar Phase-2 and one at Bawana in Delhi after completion of construction of library buildings.


The annual expenditure incurred on the libraries under Ministry of Culture during the last three years is given below:-

(Rs. in Lakhs)

S. No.

Name of the Library

2014-15
2015-16
2016-17


1.National Library


3713.92
3807.79
4112.33

2.Central Secretariat Library

201.67
208.94
194.50

3.Central Reference Library

271.64
253.69
358.18

4.Delhi Public Library

2476.05
2700.78
2838.13

5.Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library

403.75
432.15
593.35

6.Rampur Raza Library

788.54
544.2
473.81


This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.


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Ministry of Culture
31-July, 2017 16:06 IST
Preservation of Historical Paintings and Sculptures


Science Branch of Archeological Survey of India (ASI) is executing the preservation work of archaic and historical paintings, murals, documents, icons and sculptures in the nationally protected monuments regularly depending upon the requirements of different objects/monuments. The required preservation process is a combination of traditional and modern techniques as per the needs of particular site/artifact. The funds allocated/expenditure incurred for chemical preservation of monuments/said objects, during the last three years, are as under:



(Amount Rs. in lacs)

S.No.

Year

Funds allocated/ expenditure incurred by Science Branch.

1.
2014-15
787.65

2.
2015-16
729.60

3.
2016-17
635.13


This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.


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Ministry of Culture
31-July, 2017 16:03 IST
Centenary Anniversary of Champaran Satyagrah

The Government has decided to commemorate centenary of Champaran Satyagraha during April 2017 to April 2018. A National Implementation Committee (NIC) has been constituted under the Chairmanship of the Home Minister. Inaugural function for the commemoration was organised in Delhi on 10th April, 2017.

Development of Gandhi Circuit in Bihar is one of the projects identified for development under the Special Package for Bihar announced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister in 2015. A project for “Development of Gandhi Circuit: Bhitiharwa-Chandrahia-Turkaulia under Rural Circuit theme of Swadesh Darshan Scheme” has been sanctioned in Bihar with Central Financial Assistance of Rs. 4465.02 lakh. A sum of Rs. 893.00 lakh, as first instalment, has been released by Ministry of Tourism.

This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.



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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Culture
02-August, 2017 16:55 IST
Polythene Free Zones near Protected Monuments

Ministry of Culture has recommended prohibition on use of polythene. Archaeological Survey of India has declared all ASI protected Monuments and Archaeological Sites as ‘Polythene Free Zone’. All the field offices of ASI have been directed for necessary compliance. In this regard Secretary (Culture) has also issued a D.O. letter to all the Chief Secretaries of States to elicit their active cooperation for making centrally protected monuments as polythene free zone.

All the States and UT’s have been directed to issue necessary direction to local Municipal bodies and concerned Departments to keep the area 300 metres from the boundary of a protected monument as polythene free zone.

This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.



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Ministry of Culture
02-August, 2017 16:54 IST
Problems faced by ASI in Protecting Monuments and Sites

The Superintending Archaeologists of Archaeological Survey of India are authorised to issue show cause notices against cases of encroachments and unauthorised/illegal constructions as per the provisions of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act 1958 and Rules 1959.The District Collector/Magistrate are requested to remove/demolish such constructions. Awareness programmes are organized on World Heritage Day, World Heritage Week and on other occasions to inculcate respect in society towards cultural heritage. In addition to the regular watch and ward staff, private security personnel, State police guards and CISF have also been deployed for the safety and security of selected monuments.

This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.



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Ministry of Culture
02-August, 2017 16:53 IST
Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research

Jawaharlal Nehru University (School of Art & Aesthetics) is the only Participating Institution under the “Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research” Scheme. It is situated in New Delhi.

This Fellowship does not relate to students and covers academicians, scholars and artistes of repute. The selection of Fellows/Scholars under Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research for financial year 2016-17 is under process.

This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.



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Ministry of Culture
02-August, 2017 16:52 IST
Introduction of Cultural Talent Discovery Scheme

The Government has launched a scheme namely ‘National Mission on Cultural Mapping and Roadmap’ on 29th March, 2017 with the main objectives of talent hunt as well as collection of database of artists, artisans and various art forms across the country.

The objective of the Mission is not only to collect the database of artists, artisans and various art forms, but also to applaud new talent and protect all age group of artists by organizing activities under ‘National Cultural Awareness Programme’ from Block level to National level.

This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.



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[Hindustani78]

YUSH
04-August, 2017 17:26 IST
34 Palm Leaf Manuscripts Converted into Printed Books by CCRAS: AYUSH Minister


Under the literary research programme conducted by Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous organization under Ministry of AYUSH, the ancient manuscripts including palm leaves are collected and digitized from time to time. A total of 3568 manuscripts have been collected. Out of these, 92 are palm leaf manuscripts. 34 manuscripts have been further converted into printed books and four Ayurvedic works have been converted to e-book form.


The funds allocated to CCRAS are in the form of Central Sector Scheme. The details of the fund allocation/disbursal are as below:-

(Rs.in lakhs)

2014-15
Plan
Non-Plan

Rs.7,615.03
Rs.8,072.00



2015-16
Plan
Non-Plan

Rs.8,355.91
Rs.8,136.00



2016-17
Plan
Non-Plan

Rs.7,000.00
Rs.8,400.00







Details of tangible outputs of research projects undertaken by CCRAS during last 3 years



S.No.
Main Activities
Achievements 2014-15
Achievements 2015-16
Achievements 2016-17

1.

Clinical Research Projects
8 completed
10 completed
10 completed


2.
Medicinal Plant Research
1 completed
3 completed
5 completed


3.
Drug Standardization & Quality assurance
-
1 completed
3 completed


4.
Pharmacology Research – Safety toxicity
4 completed
5 completed
1 completed


5.
Literary Research Project
5 completed
3 completed
3 completed

6.
Books/monograph published
8
8
9

7.
Tribal Health Care Research
65670 Population covered and 18427 patients benefitted in 236 villages
Folk Claim documented-140

108311 Population covered and 36031 patients benefitted in 341 villages
Folk Claim documented - 252


113067 Population covered and 40416 patients benefitted in 366 villages
Folk Claim documented - 195

8.
Ayurveda Mobile Health Care Programme under SCSP
-
51001 Populations surveyed and 18081 patients benefited in 105 Villages of 18 States
154263 Populations surveyed and 79269 patients benefited in 220 Villages of 18 States

9.
Swasthya Rakshan Programme
-
24308 patients benefited in 96 Villages of 19 States
114941 patients benefited in 153 Villages of 19 States

10.
Integration of AYUSH component with National Programme for prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio-vascular disease and Stroke (NPCDCS).
-
-
Total 31910 patients enrolled for NCD and 77565 patients enrolled for Yoga classes at 3 districts in 3 states viz. Bhilwara (Rajasthan), Surendranagar (Gujarat) and Gaya (Bihar)


11.
Ayurvedic Health centre under NE plan-
Inititated at 20 centres in 3 states.
-
-

State
Centre
Patients

Assam
10
8746

Sikkim
4
5964

Arunachal Pradesh
6
8631


This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri ShripadYesso Naik in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.


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[Hindustani78]

The Additional Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Smt. Sujata Prasad inaugurating an exhibition entitled “Indo-Islamic Monuments in the Perspective of Company Paintings” from the reserve collection of National Museum, in New Delhi on August 11, 2017.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs
22-August, 2017 19:34 IST
Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chairs 42nd AGM of Nehru Memorial Museum & Library Society

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired the 42nd Annual General Body Meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Society here today.

The Meeting approved the Annual Report & Audited Accounts of the NMML Society for the years 2014-15 and 2015-16. During the meeting various issues including upgradation and renovation of Museum, Digitization of documents, Acquisition of Books in regional languages and setting up of a Museum for former Prime Ministers, were discussed.

In his address to the AGM, Shri Rajnath Singh, who is the Vice-President of the NMML Society, said the planned Museum for the former Prime Ministers will be showcased by the NMML Society as an iconic one and will utilize 3D technology to offer a virtual reality experience. He said the NMML has undertaken an ambitious digitization programme and the first stage of its upgradation and modernization programme is due to be completed soon.

The members of the NMML Society who attended the meeting included Shri MJ Akbar, MoS (External Affairs), Shri Mallikarjun Khagre, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, MPs - Dr. Karan Singh & Shri Swapan Dasgupta, Shri Jairam Ramesh, representative of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, Prof. Lokesh Chandra, President ICCR, Dr. A Suryaprakash, Chairman, Prasar Bharati, Dr. VS Chauhan, Chairman UGC, Shri TN Chaturvedi, Shri MK Rasgotra, Shri Nitin Desai, Dr. BP Singh, Prof. Nayanjot Lahiri, Prof. Udayon Misra and Shri AGK Menon. Shri Shakti Sinha, Director, NMML conducted the proceedings.

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The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh chairing the 42nd Annual General Body Meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society, in New Delhi on August 22, 2017.

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh chairing the 42nd Annual General Body Meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society, in New Delhi on August 22, 2017.

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh chairing the 42nd Annual General Body Meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society, in New Delhi on August 22, 2017.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), Dr. Mahesh Sharma inaugurating the ‘Tihar Art Gallery’, as part of the Tihar School of Art, “Tihar Kalabhiyan 2017”, organised in collaboration with Lalit Kala Akademi under Ministry of Culture, in New Delhi on August 23, 2017.

The Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), Dr. Mahesh Sharma visiting after inaugurating the ‘Tihar Art Gallery’, as part of the Tihar School of Art, “Tihar Kalabhiyan 2017”, organised in collaboration with Lalit Kala Akademi under Ministry of Culture, in New Delhi on August 23, 2017.

The Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), Dr. Mahesh Sharma visiting after inaugurating the ‘Tihar Art Gallery’, as part of the Tihar School of Art, “Tihar Kalabhiyan 2017”, organised in collaboration with Lalit Kala Akademi under Ministry of Culture, in New Delhi on August 23, 2017.

The Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), Dr. Mahesh Sharma visiting after inaugurating the ‘Tihar Art Gallery’, as part of the Tihar School of Art, “Tihar Kalabhiyan 2017”, organised in collaboration with Lalit Kala Akademi under Ministry of Culture, in New Delhi on August 23, 2017.

The Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), Dr. Mahesh Sharma at the inauguration of the ‘Tihar Art Gallery’, as part of the Tihar School of Art, “Tihar Kalabhiyan 2017”, organised in collaboration with Lalit Kala Akademi under Ministry of Culture, in New Delhi on August 23, 2017.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Culture
24-August, 2017 17:51 IST
National Museum takes a New initiative on “Small Temporary Exhibitions” from Its Reserve Collection

The National Museum took a new initiative on “Small Temporary Exhibitions” from its reserve collection. The exhibitions will be based on several themes, so that it will attract large number of visitors to view new artifacts every fortnight. Through such programme National Museum is trying to draw visitor’s attention and allows them to experience the collection on many significant art pieces of reserve storage, which generally remains out of focus.

The first temporary exhibition on “Traditional Headgear of India” from the Decorative Arts department was inaugurated by Smt. Rashmi Verma, Secretary Ministry of Culture & Tourism, on 24th July 2017 in National Museum, New Delhi. This exhibition arranged to showcase printed turban, embroidered dopalli and Maratha stitched cap and zardozi cap specially designed for occasional and ceremonial bases.

The second temporary exhibition in the series was inaugurated by Smt. Sujata Prasad, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Culture on 11th August, 2017 in National Museum, New Delhi. The exhibition will remain open to the public till 27th August, 2017.

The temporary exhibitions from the Reserve Collection of National Museum are formulated to display variety of objects from the National Museum Reserve Collection. The schedules for the exhibitions are as follow:

1. ‘Kushan’s Stuccos Figures from Taxila’ – August, 2017

2. Exploring Seals: Silver, copper, stone seals with bilingual and trilingual inscriptions from the Epigraphy – September, 2017

3. Ornamental Arms and Armour - September, 2017

4. Shoes and sandals from Central Asia - October, 2017

5. Folk objects of Bengal : With special reference to the wooden dolls and sholapitha objects - October, 2017

6. Man: the creator, the development of tool making by Early man. It will deal with early man and the tools they have used during different time span of evolution – November, 2017

7. Calligraphy in the Holy Quran - November, 2017

8. Spouted Vessels in Pre-Columbian Art - December, 2017


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[Hindustani78]

Kancheepuram , September 06, 2017 01:01 IST
Updated: September 06, 2017 07:42 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...mple-turns-a-den-for-bats/article19626739.ece

State of ASI-maintained temple leaves much to be desired
If you visit the Vaikuntha Perumal temple at Kancheepuram hoping to see a heritage structure that has been given the respect and solemnity it richly deserves, you will be utterly disappointed. For one, as dusk falls, the temple -- maintained by the Archaelogical Survey of India -- is taken over by the bats.

Though regular pujas and other rituals are being carried out at the temple as per the ‘agamas’ and chemical water wash treatment is given for the sand stone by the ASI once in two or three years, much more needs to be done at the temple.

In the recent months, bats seem to have made the northern wing of the cloister their den and the stench from their droppings on the floor assault the visitors. In addition, broken wooden pieces and other materials strewn around the inner ‘mandapam’ where the ‘thayar sannadhi’ is located remain an eyesore.

The temple’s impressive sanctum sanctorum was built using sandstone. The walls of the inner cloister depicting the historical events that led to the ascending of the throne by Pallava King Nandivarman II (736 – 796 A.D) remain the main attraction for the visitors, especially foreign tourists. The main portion of the temple has Lord Vishnu in three forms in a three-storey structure. However, the temple could lose its charm if the current state of affairs persists.

Similarly, at the Kailasanathar temple, considered to be the biggest standstone temple built during the reign of Narasimhavarman II (700 – 728 A.D) plunges into darkness after dusk due to poor lighting. The irony is that a massive development work costing about ₹40 lakh was carried out at this complex only during 2003-04.

 

[Hindustani78]

The statue of ‘Kottravai,’ a deity, was found sculpted in the front, while the rear had the inscription in Tamil. | Photo Credit: http://www.thehindu.com/profile/photographers/Handout/emai/

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...tamil-found-near-jolarpet/article19632640.ece

It was partially buried on the banks of a waterbody in Thammalerimuthur
Two faculty members of Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur, have come across a stone inscription, which was partially buried on the banks of a waterbody in Thammalerimuthur near Jolarpet. The inscriptions in Tamil suggest that it could date back to 1,100 years.

A. Prabu and S. Sivachandrakumar, assistant professors in the Department of Tamil of Sacred Heart College, were informed by a colleague of a stone inscription at Thammalerimuthur. “We visited the spot two days ago. The stone was about six foot tall, and it was partially buried on the banks of a waterbody. The statue of ‘Kottravai,’ a deity, was found sculpted in the front, while the rear had the inscription in Tamil,” Mr. Prabu said.

On studying the inscription, the faculty members said it spoke about donation of land and gold. It also mentions the word “Kazhanju,” which was a unit of measurement for gold, he added.

He said that the stone had dotted inscriptions. “Based on the design of letters and writing method, we think the stone could belong to the 10th century AD,” he said.

“We were able to look at the inscription on the stone that was above the land. A small part of the inscription was damaged and we were not able to decipher it. The Archaeological Survey of India should take steps to study the stone inscription,” he said.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...ple-priests-from-november/article19693486.ece

Hyderabad:, September 15, 2017 19:49 IST
Updated: September 15, 2017 19:49 IST

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao held a review meeting with the officials on supply of water to Mission Bhagiratha programme with Irrigation and Mission Bhagiratha officials in Hyderabad. | Photo Credit: special arrangement

The Telangana government today said the archakas (priests) and employees working in temples will be given the state government’s pay scales from November onwards.

According to an official release from Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s office, ‘Dhoop Deep and Naivedyam’ programme, which is being implemented in 1,805 temples, will be extended to another 3,000 temples in the state.

The CM, who held a meeting with the archakas from all over the state, also assured that Dharmika Parishad will be formed to supervise and monitor issues related to temples.

“Nobody took interest in the development of temples in the region [in the past]. After Telangana state was formed, we paid keen attention to the development of temples, problems faced by the archakas and the Brahmin welfare. We are taking measures one after another. We are developing Yadadri, Vemulawada, Bhadradri and other temples on a planned manner,” the CM was quoted as saying.

In the past, 1,805 temples were given Rs 2,500 per month for ‘Dhoop, Deep, Naivedyam’ and the state government has increased it to Rs 6,000.

“We will give Rs 6,000 per month to another 3,000 temples in the state. With this, the ‘Dhoop, Deep, Naivedyam’ scheme will be implemented across 4,805 temples in the State,” Mr. Rao explained.

He further said that as per records, temples in Telangana have about about 83,000 acres under their control and the government will take special care to protect them from encroachment.

 

[Hindustani78]

Written by Milind Ghatwai | Ujjain | Published:September 23, 2017 9:33 am

Experts from ASI and GSI inspect the lingam at the Mahakal temple in Ujjain. Express

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/asi-gsi-probe-if-lingam-at-mahakal-temple-has-shrunk-4857073/

Has the size of the lingam at the famous Mahakal temple in Ujjain, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country, shrunk in the last few decades? Has the reckless rubbing and pouring of adulterated milk and application of panchamrit — a mixture of milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar — contributed to the erosion of the lingam? If yes, what steps can be taken to prevent further deterioration?

A committee comprising experts from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) will provide answers to these questions. The committee, formed at the instance of the Supreme Court, visited the temple recently and studied the lingam in the sanctum sanctorum, the entire premises and also took samples of water used.

The court has asked the committee to prepare a report containing the rate at which the deterioration in the size of the lingam is taking place, if any, and suggest remedial measures. The committee has also been asked to study other structures and recommend steps for overall improvement of the entire premises and their preservation. The matter will come up for hearing on October 3.

Erosion of the lingam was not the subject matter of the Special Leave Petition filed by Sarika Guru, who identifies herself as a social worker. Guru’s counsel advocate Ashok Chitale told The Indian Express that the plea related to management of the temple and the issue of the erosion of lingam came up during submissions.

In 2013, the Ujjain resident moved Madhya Pradesh High Court against alleged mismanagement of the assets of the temple, offerings made by devotees, and alleged violation of the law that governs management of the temple. She had sought a direction to stop the practice of giving 35 per cent share of offerings to pujaris and sevaks and 75 per cent share of the abhishek money to purohits (pandas).

A single bench ruled in her favour and suggested amendments in the temple rules to stop the practice of giving share from donation, endowment and abhishek money to priests.

Challenging the order before a division bench, the temple authorities and priests denied all allegations, arguing that there was nothing illegal about sharing money with priests because resolutions had been passed in this regard. The division bench quashed the order of the single bench, saying it should not have entertained the PIL. Subsequently, Guru moved the apex court against the order.


The twelve jyothirlinga are:

• Somnath in Gujarat.
• Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh.
• Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
• Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh.
• Kedarnath in Uttrakhand.
• Bhimashankar at Pune in Maharashtra.
• Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
• Tryambakeshwar at Nashik in Maharashtra.

The jyothirlinga shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. Originally there were believed to be 64 jyothirlingas while 12 of them are considered to be very auspicious and holy. Each of the twelve jyothirlinga sites take the name of the presiding deity – each considered different manifestation of Shiva.




“Saurashtre Somanathamcha Srisaile Mallikarjunam|
Ujjayinya Mahakalam Omkaramamaleswaram ||
Paralyam Vaidyanathancha Dakinyam Bheema Shankaram |
Setu Bandhethu Ramesam, Nagesam Darukavane||
Varanasyantu Vishwesam Tryambakam Gautameethate|
Himalayetu Kedaaram, Ghrishnesamcha shivaalaye||
Etani jyotirlingani, Saayam Praatah Patennarah|
Sapta Janma Kritam pApam, Smaranena Vinashyati||”


English Translation(Literal)
Somanath in Saurashtra and Mallikarjunam in Shri-Shailam. (सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्).
Mahakaal in Ujjain and Amleshwar in Omkareshwar. (उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्).
Vaidyanath in Paralya and Bhimashankaram in Dakniya. (परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्).
Rameshem (Rameshwaram) in Sethubandh and Nageshem (Nageshwar) in Darauka-Vana. (सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने).
Vishwa-Isham (Vishvanath) in Vanarasi and Triambakam at bank of Gautami River. (वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे)).
Kedar (Kedarnath) in Himalayas and Gushmesh (Gushmeshwar) in Shivalaya (Shiwar). (। हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये).
One who recites these Jyotirlingas every evening and morning. (एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः।).
He is relieved of all sins committed in past seven lives.(सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति)
One who visits these, gets all his wishes fulfilled (एतेशां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति)
and one’s karma gets eliminated as Maheshwara gets satisfied to the worship कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः)