After clean-up, back to 'normal' Armenian cemetery

C R GOWRI SHANKER

January 31, 2017

Cemetery was cleaned up three months ago, but there is apparent lack of maintenance.

 Graves at the Armenian cemetery in Uppuguda in the old city are run over by weeds after a clean-up three months ago. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: The little known Armenian cemetery in Uppuguda, located about 3 km from Uppuguda railway station in the Old City, has again been overtaken by weeds and wild grass just three months after it was cleaned up.

To reach the place itself is a tough task as not many locals are aware of the important historical cemetery. There are no direction boards leading to the site.

“We have recently restored the cemetery spending a couple of lakh rupees.It’s one of the historical cemeteries which reflect Armenian traders’ links with Hyderabad. The place was in a pretty bad state in the past. We have constructed the compound wall, laid flooring and redone some of the damaged cemeteries,” Mr Mohd Raheem Shah Ali, deputy director, engineering, of the archeology department told this newspaper.

He said the department was trying to maintain all ancient monuments on the directions of director N.R. Visalatchy.“These cemeteries were conserved and restored for the benefit of scholars and others for posterity. Several scholars visit the place,” he said. 

Mahesh, a gardener, who lives near cemetery, said they cleaned up the place three months back. Little of that effort is seen now. Armenians had deep trading contacts with India from ancient times including Hyderabad long before other European traders came in. 

Armenians established large colonies in major cities between the 16th and 17th centuries but left behind few written records of their activities, traditions or social conditions. Their presence is only attested by thousands of old epitaphs in deserted cemeteries and church yards. The innocuous looking cemetery with about 70 graves including two covered with pillared structures reflects ancient Armenian traders’ links with Hyderabad during the Asaf Jahi rule. 

Historian and writer Mesrovb Jacob Seth, who wrote History of the Armenians in India from the Earliest Times to Present, states that in 1895 he had copied 19 Armenian inscriptions which were still decipherable dating from 1640 to 1724 AD in an old deserted cemetery in Hyderabad. There were two Armenian priests buried there, he wrote. 

In his List of Inscriptions on Tombs or Monuments in HEH the Nizam’s Dominions, O.S. Crofton, stated that the Armenian cemetery contained 19 Armenian inscriptions. There was also a Dutch inscription of a merchant who died in 1662 AD, he wrote.

TS CHAMBERS TOMBS REVEAL BURIAL SECRETS

        C R Gowri Shanker

        Deccan Chronicle

     January 29, 2017

Skeletons were exhumed, buried again in 1000 BC.

  Archaeologists examine a dolmen at Dameravai in Tadwai mandal of Jaishankar Bhupalapally district.

Hyderabad: Chamber tombs recently unearthed in the forest hillocks of Jaishankar-Bhupalapally and Bhadradri-Kothagudem district along the Godavari from Tadwai to Bhadrachalam, throw new light on burial practices.

“Chamber tombs are secondary burial chambers. After death, when the flesh is gone, the skeleton and its remains are buried in chamber tombs. They date back to 1000 BC and 2nd century AD,” said Mr S.S. Rangacharyulu, archaeology consultant and former deputy director of the archaeology and museums department. Mr Rangacharyulu studied some of the chamber tombs in detail, backed by department director N.R. Visalatchy.

After rock art, megalithic burials are the most important monuments in Telangana state and are found in hundreds of villages. Chamber tombs are built on hillocks and also referred to as cromlechs and dolmens.

They are constructed with dressed slabs and look like a chamber with four or more orthostats — slabs on three sides with an opening on one side and a huge rectangular capstone. Capstones are quite heavy, some of them are 4 metres by 4 metres and 40 to 50-cm thick. The entrance to most dolmens is at the centre.

“It seems that most were family burials. There is a facility for re-use. There are one ore more stone sarcophagi inside the structure. Since these are built with stones, mostly above the ground level on hillocks, they are known as chamber tombs,” Mr Rangacharyulu said.

Among chamber tombs, one in Galaba (Galaba-gutta) and Kachanapalle (Peddhaparupugutta) in this district are rare and were not studied.

“We found graffiti marks, cruciforms and anthropomorphic figures. There are more than 300 chamber tombs on this hillock. The site is important since cruciforms depicting male and female breasts, anthropomorphic figures are lying in front of the chamber tombs. These figures, which are lying in front of the chamber tombs, indicate that originally they were in a standing position,” he said.

“Inside some chambers, stone sarcophagi are located with graffiti marks such as arrow and trident marks like ‘ma’ in Brahmi script of 2nd century BC. In one chamber tomb, six sarcophagi were found which indicates that it was a family burial,” he said.

In Kachanapalle, hundreds of chamber tombs are scattered 8 km from the village on the hillocks locally known as Peddhaparupugutta and Nandigutta. Almost all the burials consist of stone sarcophagi and were provided with lids.

“The erection of huge chamber tombs with dressed stones and carvings of sculptures representing the human form indicate that the megalithic community were culturally advanced and they had sophisticated metal implements and knowledge of geometry to cut huge stones to the required sizes,” said Mr Rangacharyulu. In Aihole and Mottur in north Karnataka, cruciforms were also found, but they were small and crude.

Not linked to Christianity

Archaeologist D.H. Gordon in his book “Prehistoric background of Indian Culture” says scholar J. Mulheran had found crosses (cruciforms) close to the stone burial cysts at Katapur and Mallur villages in Warangal. He ascribed these crosses to Christianity and said that they are not later than 7th Century AD, as pre- or non-Christian crosses were symbols unknown in India.

There was also the view that the megalithic builders were from the Mediterranean region and Western Europe and the custom of erecting cruciforms or anthropomorphic figures might have come with them before the 1st and 2nd century BC. As no other artefacts was reported from these burials, historians say it is very difficult to prove this theory.

Erection of cruciforms and anthropomorphic figures carved with and without breasts, differentiating male and female figures, clearly indicates the original intention of the carver to depict human representation. Historians assert these chamber tombs have nothing to do with the Christianity.

TS 'ROCKS WITH ART

                                                             Narsugutta, Medchal district

                                  Dr  Sathyanarayana with rock painting at Jajupusina Banda, Siddipet

                                                       Maisamma Gundu, Siddipet

                                                         Saalu Banda, Siddipet dist

                                                     Devathala Loddi, Medchal

                                                     Jaaju Poosina Banda, Siddipet

Security to be beefed up at ASI monuments in India

Private guards for monuments

C R GOWRI SHANKER

There are over 3,650 ancient monuments and archaeological sites of national importance.

  (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Security will soon be beefed up at all the historical monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) across the country, including in Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh.

ASI, which is facing a massive problem with theft of rare artefacts from its museums and monuments, is all set to hire 2,131 private security personnel for the five regions in the country — Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western — including 555 to be posted at major monuments in the south.

There are over 3,650 ancient monuments and archaeological sites of national importance. These date back to different periods ranging from the prehistoric to the colonial. They include temples, mosques, tombs, churches, cemeteries, forts, palaces, stepwells, rock-cut caves and secular architecture.

They are being maintained by various circles of ASI across the state, including the Hyderabad circle in TS and the Amravati Circle in AP.

The ASI Tender Evaluation Committee received 18 bids from six private security agencies, including four in the Southern region which covers AP, TS, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Goa.

“There is a requirement of 555 security personnel, including 385 without arms and 170 with arms and security guards for deployment at monuments of the ASI in six southern states. Four firms submitted bids. The process is on,” a source in the ASI said.

Major ASI monuments in TS are Charminar, Golconda, the prehistoric site at Janampet, Khammam, an ancient mound at Kondapur, the Alampur temples in Gadwal-Jogulamba district, the Thousand-Pillar Temple, Hanamkonda the gateways in Warangal among others.

For the maintenance of these monuments and archaeological sites, ASI has formed 24 circles in the country. The organisation has a large workforce of trained archaeologists, conservators, epigraphists and scientists for conducting archaeological research through these circles and security is of the utmost importance, the ASI source said.

Jan 20, 2017

                                                                       Golconda Fort, Hyderabad

a                                                                      

                                                                         Tajmahal, Agra

                                                     Main Altar, Church of St Cajetan, Goa

MALLUR FORT STUNNING ROCK FORMATIONS

Mallur fort in Bhupalpally district is said to be bigger than Warangal and Golconda forts.

 

Hyderabad: A sprawling ancient fort, stunning rock formations, virgin caves, rock paintings, a rare eight-foot tall Sigamudi Hanuman, mingle with nature’s gifts and manmade structures in the thick jungles of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district in the state, all uncovered by a team of explorers.

The most notable finding in the region is the massive 8 km-radius fort wall with seven entry points dating back to the Satavahana period.

Locally known as Mallur Fort, located 4 km inside the forests near Mallur village of Mangapet mandal, Jayashankar district, the fort is on the banks of the river Godavari adjacent to the Eturunagaram-Bhadrachalam highway.

“Normally, forts are two to four km in radius. But this fort wall has a radius of about 8 km, much bigger than Warangal and Golconda forts. Some places are absolutely breathtaking and can be developed into adventure spots and trekking resorts,” Mr Arvind, a team member of Telangana Social Media Forum, and head of a 40-member team, told media here on Wednesday.

The four-day exploration, led by coordinator Kompelli Venkat Goud, Phani Kumar, was sponsored by Telangana Tou-rism Development Corpo-ration Chairman Perav-aram Ramulu and managing director Christina Z. Chonghtu.

Explorers found an ancient temple of Laxmi Narsimha Swamy dating back 4,500 years also called Hemachalam. They also visited the Pandava Guhalu, Mylaram caves, Ghanpur group of temples and the Damarwai dolmens.

Situated on the highway of Mahadevpur and Ravu-lapally of Regonda Mandal, 50 km from Warangal, the Pandavulag-utta, has archeologically important rock paintings of animals, human figures, triangles, and trisulas besides undeciphered inscriptions.

Prominent places include: the Gonthemma cave, Pancha pandavas, Mekala banda, Mungisa banda, Thupakula gundu and Yandula caves. The virgin Mylaram caves in Mylaram village of Ghanpur mandal are spread over 3.5 km. These are formed of quartos felisphat and carbonate rocks. Inside the caves, deposits of limestone have formed into stalagmites in the shape of a Shiva Linga, flying birds, lions, eagles etc.

“We have such formations in Uttarakhand, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar islands. These are the only ones of its kind in Telangana state,” Mr Arvind said.

They also unearthed three kinds of prehistoric megalithic structures in Suragonndayya hills, Dhamerwai village of Thadwai mandal, which are intact. “Probably they believed in rebirth, hence they protected the dead to the best of their ability,” Mr Arvind added.

City heritage circuit gets Rs 99 crore

Four heritage structures in Hyderabad will soon get a facelift and better tourist amenities. 

As part of development of Heritage circuit in Hyderabad, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 99.58 crore for the development of Qutb Shahi heritage park, Paigah tombs, Hayat Bakshi mosque and Raymond’s Tomb in the city
Located at the foot of Golconda Fort, the heritage park is spread over 106 acres.

This necropolis of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, that ruled the region for 169 years in the 16th and 17th centuries, includes 40 mausoleums, 23 mosques, six baolis (step-wells), a hamam (mortuary bath), pavilions and gardens.

The state department of archaeology and museums, the GHMC and the Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority, the Aga Khan Foundatio

Hyderabad architects’ team race to save ancient stepwells

C R GOWRI SHANKER

Fact-finding trips by Hyderabad Design Forum uncover long lost sites; JNTU students helping with final report.

 A grand stepwell at Kichanapalle. Most of these storage tanks doubled up as venues for social     gatherings in the state.

Hyderabad: Forgotten, age-old stepwells in Telangana are now being tracked down and their many facets investigated and studied by a group of architects.

Exploration trips to document ancient stepwells have begun and 36 of them have been shortlisted out of more than 70 step wells in the state — including three of them located at Kolanpaka, Raigiri and Rachakonda in Nalgonda.

The Hyderabad Design Forum, an academic and research organisation based in Secunderabad and headed by architect A.R. Yeshwant Ramamurthy, is undertaking the project.

“More than just research, our aim is to truly understand and document the stepwells of Telangana, which are being ignored. There has been no documentation of these ancient step wells, until now,” he told Deccan Chronicle.

Ramamurthy says he came across a beautiful stepwells by accident at Kichenapalli in Medak district. “I was astounded by its scale and brilliance of its architecture. There are pavilions and the construction is very robust,” he said.

Stepwells in Telangana are found at old forts, temple complexes and on agricultural lands. They have also been political power centres.

There are several step wells, many unprotected, within forts in Warangal and other places, which were constructed to supply water to the inhabitants and for agricultural purposes. They were also the sole sources of relief when forts would be under siege – for months. “Over the next two months, we will identify 100 stepwells and document the period in which they were constructed,” Mr Ramamurthy added.

While Telangana State Department of Archaeology and Museums has given this group a list of existing step wells, students from the Jawaharlal Nehru Archite-cture and Fine Arts University are helping the project with the documentation.

Stepwells, continued Ramamurthy, are excavated storage systems in which, people reached the water by descending steps. Some made it easy for women to fetch water.

“The purpose is to collect and store large volumes of ground water from natural springs. They were also used as sites for meetings and cultural events,” Mr Ramamurthy added. “This is particularly true of Telangana. Jamindars, Samasthans, Rajahs and other bigwigs constructed these step wells,” he said.

    Warangal

    Raigir

    Rachakonda

    Kolanpaka

    Kichenapalle, Medak dist

Kichenapalle, Medak dist

                      Bhongir

Jan 18, 2017

Stolen antiques make their way back home

C R Gowri Shanker

JANUARY 16, 2017

Hyderabad: Stolen antiques make their way back home

 The panel ‘Devotees of Buddha’, that had gone missing from Amravati, has been returned by Australia

Hyderabad: Perseverance, evidence, hot pursuit and diplomacy are paying off in the retrieval of stolen and smuggled antiquities from abroad.

Last year, the Australian government returned a stone sculpture stolen from Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh, a 900-year-old idol of Goddess Pratyangira from Tamil Nadu, and a seated Buddha from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.

The National Gallery of Australia had bought the three sculptures as well as a third century rock carving worth $8,40,000, from controversial Indian art dealer Subhash Kapoor in 2005.

The sculptures are on display at the National Museum in New Delhi now.

Idol of the goddess Pratyangira.

Photographic evidence from the French Institute of Pondicher-ry, which showed that the Pratyangira idol, which had been bought by the Australian government for $2,47,500, was in India in 1974, contradicted the dealer's claim.

In May last year, the United States returned a set of seven metal, terracotta and stone statues of Saint Manik-kavichavakara, a Hindu mystic and poet, dating back to the Chola period, stolen from a Shiva temple in Sripuranthan village in Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu.

There were also statues of Parvati, Ganesha, Bhu Devi, and Bahubali from various temples in Tamil Nadu and floral tiles from Kashmir, among other artifacts. These statues were smuggled out of the country years ago, sources in the Archaeological Survey of India said.

“There is no estimate of the number of antiquities smuggled out of the country or the number of stolen antiquities abroad, barring some. We are quite successful in retrieval in some cases,” an official said.

Seated Buddha from Mathura, UP

A total of 101 antiquities are known to have been stolen from centrally protected monuments since 2000.

But the Central Bureau of Investigation has registered just one case of Indian antiquities stolen and sold in foreign countries between 2000 and 2016.

Since the change in government at the Centre, the culture ministry has actively pursued stolen artifacts.

Some were recovered thanks to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of the US Department of Homeland Security, and the US Attorney-General's Office.

The ministry has set up a National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities, which has documented 15 lakh artefacts/antiques.

List of antiquities retrieved from abroad in the past

1. Sawn stucco Head Nalanda, Bihar U.K. and France 1976.  Voluntarily returned by British Museum, London and Madam Krishna Robound of France to ASI Patna Circle

2. Nataraja of Chola period Sivapuram Tamil Nadu U.S.A. 1986 Through Court Case in U.K and U.S.A.  

3. Terracotta Yakashi of Tamluk West Bengal U.K. 1986 Court case was instituted in London but out of Court settlement was reached Government.

4. Nataraja of Chola period Tiruvilakkadi, Tamil Nadu U.S.A 1986 Kimbell Art Museum returned the idol after Indemnity agreement was signed by the GOI on 12.8.1985

 5. Nataraja of Chola period Pathur, Tamil Nadu U.K. 1991 Retrieved through Court case instituted in London.

6. Terracotta figures from Bhitargaon Uttar Pradesh from USA, 1991. The figure was returned voluntarily by Los Angeles Country Museum to Purana Qila, North Delhi

7. Amin pillars Amin, Haryana from UK 1979-80. Voluntarily returned to National Museum, New Delhi

8. Image of Buddha Bodhgaya, Bihar from USA 1999. Voluntarily returned without seeking any monetary compensation by Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York to Purana Qila, New Delhi

9. Sculpture of Krishnajanma, Dhubela Museum Chattarpur (M.P.) from USA 1999.  

10. Paintings i) Chandigarh Museum ii) Chandigarh Museum from USA, 1990.

11. Image of Lakulisa Jageswar, UP from USA, 2000.

12.  Decorative wooden panels (7 nos.) Rajasthan, from Holland 2001

13. Yogini Vrishanana, 1100 year old stone sculpture stolen from Lokari village, Uttar Pradesh from Paris 2013.

14. Nataraja idol, Tamil Nadu from Australia 2014.

15. Ardhanariswara, Tamil Nadu from Australia 2014.

16. Parrot Lady, Madhya Pradesh from Canada 2015.

7. Mahisamardini, Kashmir from Germany 2015.  

18. Uma Parameshwari, Tamil Nadu from Singapore 2015.

                                                               Seated Buddha, Mathura, UP

                                                                 Goddess Pratiyangira, Tamil Nadu

                                                           Devotees of Buddha, Amravathi, Andhra Pradesbh

(Above) Sandstone female figure from Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh with a parrot on her right ear, hence named the ‘Parrot Lady’ was detained in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in accordance with Canada’s Cultural Property Export and Import Act in 2010.

After the long negotiation between the Government of India and Canada under the provisions of UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, Paris 1970, the said image was handed over to Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on April 15, 2015 by his Canadian counterpart.
Presently, the image is the custody of Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi.

A stone image of Durga Mahishamardini from Pulwama District of Jammu and Kashmir was stolen sometime in 1991 which was later on surfaced at Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany.
After verification of the object by expert to ascertain genuineness and authenticity, the image was returned back to India in the month of September 2015.

This metal image of Uma Permashwari of 11th century which was stolen from south India (Chola period) sometime in the year 2007 was purchased by “Asian Civilization Museum Singapore” from Sh. Subhash Kapoor, owner of controversial Art Gallery “Art of the Past” USA has been handed over by Asian Civilization Museum Singapore on 6th November 2015.

Archaeological Survey of India successfully retrieved three antiquities during the year 2015-16 which were illegally exported from India and surfaced abroad.

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