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    PERSPECTIVES VOL27 NOS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2013 ») ey y, ‘a N AF zs Tas a * Beh 2 p A 7. mod SP POTPOURRI ON PRESIDENT'S INVITATION ‘SANKIRTANA, President of India, Pranab Mukherjee has NOW INTANGIBLE launched an ‘in-residence’ programme for HERITAGE wren ara a imeation scholar Seakinana hesttal shtrapati Bhavan, The programme, open of singing, drumming alllnion nationals, attempts to encourage eto riag, diamine eeative minds by talitating them t0 say . eo close to nature in the picturesque and serene Manipur—has been surroundings of the estat. The chosen selected for inscription innovation scholars will ako be assisted in con the Representative cstablishng linkages with relevant institutions E List of the UNESCO Sind provided mentoring and support. Tnrangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity The form conceived in \KOCHI-MUZIRIS BIENNALE ARCHIVED ee accey beep ibal ays danead pltrgar a of arts performed to fist biennale, Kochi-Masieis Biennale mark religious (KMB), asi became the world’s frst and ‘occasions and various only biennale to be archived and digitised stages in the life of the by Google Art Project. The project s a Vaishnava people. collaborative slfot between Cropland Drummersand singer- Some of the world’s highly seslaimed art Gevcayeneet ghslees {institutions The fst edition of KMB in ano E 2012 showcased artworks by 89 artists and deeds of Krishna from 23 countries and vas visited by through devotional nearly 4,00,000 people songs UN AWARD 70 INDIAN —— TAKE A WALKING TOUR SOCIALENTERPRISE Indian Ministry of Tourism wih created a “Walking Tours platform, which enables users 0 ate thee way through es based on a number themes, The website WoNoBo.com is a location-based service that offers walkthroughs of streets across 54 cites nationally The secretariat of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Bonn, Germany, has declared Patanka the winner ‘ofthe 2013 Momentum of Change Lighthouse Award, Potanka, a Dehi-based social business enterprise, won the award fora flood-resistant irik house i ail in Gorakhpur, Utar Pradesh, The lowcost house was buil with locally sourced CENTENARY AWARD TO WAHEEDA REHMAN, Veteran Indian actress Waheeda Rehman received the inaugoral Centendey Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year at the International Film Festival of India in Goa, in recognition of hee unparalleled contribution to Indian cinema, The veteran. actress is known for her memorable performance in classics like Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Guide and Sabib Bibi Aur Ghulam EDITORIAL NOTE ——————————— Tt was 25 years AQ0 wien ve embarked ona jourmey To usin the Ministry of External Affairs, it was more appropriately a responsibility, as we had to take India and its many colours to the world. ‘The year 1988 was the year India Perspectives was born, Penning this edit note, my first being the editor of the magazine, is overwhelming. | would first thank the readers of this global publication, who are spread over 150 countries and speak different languages, and my senior colleagues and former editors of India Perspectives, who did a great job in making its content far reaching, strong and visually appealing. I also thank my team members posted in other countries, who every second month ensure the magazine reaches the readers in time, the writers and photographers who have contributed to the magazine over the years, and those associated with our e-magazine. Today, we get letters from readers and contributors in far corners of Europe and Middle East and those from the neighbourhoods of SAARC and Southeast Asa on the latest edition ad what they iked most in it The onus to bring out the 25" anniversary edition of India Perspectives was incredible. We decided to revisit the previous editions and pick some of the best articles to make this issue memorabilia. In the end, tee have over 50 pages of conten! that capture almost ll sphere of India traditional and modern wealth, right from ancient architecture, folk culture and cuisine heritage, to contemporary art and modern theatre, landmark developments such as Operation Flood, globalisation, IT revolution and centenary of Indian cinema, and global icons such as Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray and A. R. Rahman. In regular features, we cover the 11" ASEAN-India Summit held in Brunei, in October, and the recent official visit of Emperor and Empress of Japan to India. Weaving a narrative of shared prosperity, the ASEAN~India Summit raised the bar for India’s blossoming relations with the bloc and promises to bring fruits of revitalised engagement to 1.8 billion people, through greater trade and investment, freer movement ‘of people, and closer coordination over a host of regional and global challenges. The message of the imperial visit was to deepen and develop strategic global partnership between India and Japan. We look forward to your feedback on this special issue. ‘The entire team joins me in wishing you ll a wonderful 2014! he Syed Akbaruddin NoveBeR DECEMBER 2013 ¢ pia renseecrives OB roe Editor: Syed Abe Assistant Editor: MEDIA TRANSASIA TEAM ‘Assccate Editor: jot Vera Assistant Edit Junior Features Weiter: Creative Director: Bp Editor President: (av Financial Controle: P. 90 CONTENTS MBER-DECEMBER 20 Potpourri 25 Glorious Years Global Perspectives india-ASEAN ties, 58 Partnerships Japanese emperor’ India visit Newsmakers 2013 The bestsellers @ Space Research Mars mission ne Heritage Dastangoi 76 Profile Ustad Halim Jaffer Khar a Cuisine Christmas fe: 84 Review No Problem! 8 Verbatin Ronjan Sodhi 90 NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2013 « iota penseecrives OS 25 GLORIOUS YEARS OF INDIA PERSPECTIVES We celebrate the silver jubilee of your favourite magazine by recollecting some of its best articles in past 25 years. A journey in itself, this colourful compilation of excerpts presents India’s heritage, culture, eminent personalities and achievements INDIA PERSPECTIVES ie NOVEMBER, 1988 The spi issu on Past oii contibution te tion iberaton Jwahatel News deers hs fomous Tis with Desiny speech on August 15,1947 a Pariament House, New Dah Peace ambassador jhe first prime minister of free India, Jaweharlal Nehru [ lived through extraordinary times; the two world wats, the violent upheavals in Russia and China which were to destroy the old social order and change the thinking of men for all time to come, the great upsurge of nationalist awakening mong the people of Asia, under colonial domination for centures, and the looming threat of nuclear annihilation, Moulded by the winds of change sweeping across the world, snd most especially by Mahatma Gandhi, India’s revolutionary 08 ora renseecrives ¢ NovempeR-DsceMBER 2013 saint, Nehru was to play decisive role in the history ofthe 20 century asa leader of Indians and representative ofthe new mood of Asia, But his warmly humanistic approach, his unchanging pursuit of peace in an age of war, his intense concern with the problems of the poor and oppressed made him the spokesman ofthe international conscience. In ref Jing to align India with he offered a pragmatic ng rations any forsign power bloc, in war or peat alternative to the world’s newly emery a choice of policy based on the principle of peaceful co-existence DECEMBER § 1988 The astot Amoravat oy N. Harinarayana, Direct: of Museums, Madeas Tales set in stone an mt aro i Aw cline bel painea Maatince ee cin ean Sao A he pt te as bake ces le tee ee seen bicreregclisie arclan les pete Sucdeparcden ten oa mel a Pena geeypi avlereh ge cinennye Sa eee propigieciniaderapitatrasn eimai consisted of a circular drum over which stood a dome of brickwork crowned by a railed harmika anda chhatra. A feature feab aga el oer vane sibesaaicoet tic ante janine arene ner The Grea Exodus on a aque, a elie on stone rom the Amaravati shoo, Andhra Pradesh carrying five ayaka pillars symbolising five important events in the life of Buddha, viz., birth, marriage, renunciation, first sermon and nirvana, The railings and ayaka platforms contained all those sculptures which have made Amaravati the acme of Indian Art ‘The art of Amaravati is a celebration of the delicate and voluptuous beauty ofthe human frame. The Amaravat artists ‘narrated in relief on stone episodes from the life of Buddha ard his previous lives. The casing slab which depicts the stupa is another piece of remarkable workmanship the stupa Jooms large in the sculpture and yet there is space for delightful detail ‘Themateral selected by theartissisa pale, green limestone found widely in the region. It issoft and yields tothe sculptors chisel for bringing out all those exquisite forms and figures in low or high relief NovEMBERDECEMBER 2013 6 pia renseecrives OD INDIA PERSPECTIVES GLORIOUS YEARS FEBRUARY 1989 Tea. by doginder Chawla Nation’s drink Pristine os een ne Brahmaputra valley ta isicher in freshness and good to drink, Tea can be grown from seeds as well as from saplings. The latter process i better, While the wild ta can grow to the height of 25 feet, the tea grown commercially is not allowed to ‘exceed the height of four eet. Its clipped all around to grow as ‘luxusiant bush, Ittakesthree to seven years to mature and i lives up to the age of hundred years. The number of bushes ‘grown per hectare varies from 4,000 to 15,000 and the yield is between 800 and 4,000 kg To get one kg of tea it requires 4.5 kg ‘of plucked tender green leaves. With the modern techniques, the moisture in the leavesis evaporated, leaves are ruptured and twisted, To turn them black, they are given an intensive hot air firing and tea is ready to taste The tea taster has an important job. He familiar with the various processes of tea manufacturing and sto be intimately has to taste hundreds of varieties of tea to differentiate between ‘geod and bad tea. Itis a myth that the tea taser hasto renounce alcohol, onions and chillies. The only requirement for him is to keep his palate normal According to 1987 statistics, Indias the worlds biggest pro: ‘ducer and exporter of tea with an annval production of 673 mil lion kg, of which 209 million kg is exported, 0 ora rensescrives ¢ Novemner-Dscemsen 2013 ‘woman picks ta leaves in Djeting West Bengal 'A Sid man ents» mosque in Zambu Vilage, Junagadh, Gjrat FEBRUARY 1989 Taibo Thot Arca Farge. by Joi Sinha Amalgam of cultures remote corner of India far in the westernmost Are of Sarasa, Herein the dst of Junagadh, deep in the jungles of the Gir Forest, the only home of the Asiatic lion was the village of Shirvan, one ‘of the two villages in the entire sub-continent that was home li tribe has come a long way from to.a Negro tribe. The home, There are many stories of hov this Assyrian tribe came s0 far away from its original continent. Legend has it that in the 15" century, Rasool Khan, the Nawab of Junagadh, finding this area, teeming with wildlife and impossible to manage, imported’ from Abyssinia a small group of Africans, about 30 families. They were given between 12-20 acres of land to cultivate, and it wes hoped that their hardiness and endurance {qualities would bring this difficult terrain under control Be that as it may, the Siddis today present a fascinating amalgam of racial traits, traditions and cultures. They a Muslims by religion and marriages are arranged strictly Within the community, divided between the villages of and Shirvan, They speak only Gujarati, the local language, dress in the local styles of chaniyacholi (a long skirt and blouse) and yet, though their skin colour ranges from wheat to ebony, they are, even at fist glance, as different from the local Indian Patels as chalk from cheese (BER DECEMBER 2013 « ota PeRseecrives AL JULY 1990 Pinter Far Excelence, N Iqbal Si Born with brush rita Sher-Gil was born in the beautiful city of Budapest, Hungary, in 1913, to accomplished musician Marie Antoinette and Sikh aristocrat, philosopher and scholar Sardar Umrao Singh Majithia, As it was quite apparent that Amrita had a special aptitude for drawing, she was sent to teachers for lessons in drawing, Later, she studied at the Grand Chaumicre and LA Ecole Nationale des Beaux Ants in Paris, The year 1933 was the most memorable year in her life, as itwas when she achieved the unique distinction of being chosen as an Associate ofthe Grand Salon in Paris—pethaps the firs Asian to have won this coveted accolade. When she got back to India in 1934, she found the art scene in the country most dismal the arts we was no style that could be genuinely termed Indian. Her ‘exhibition in Bombay i great alent gained e recognition it deserved. The exhibition was followed by trip to South India, which led to her evolving new stylewhich has since come to be known as her South Indian syle. Amrita Sher-Gil died after a sudden, serious ill Lahore in 1941 atthe age of 28. Her best works include Group of Three Girls, Bride's Toilet, Camels and Fill Scene 12 wou renseecrives ¢ Novemper-DsceMBeR 2013 (op) Amita She-Gi and (cbove) her paining Group of Tee Gis NOVEMBER 1990 1 Rashme Sehgal Vocal power quintessential artiste, Bhimsen Joshi was born in Gadag, in the Dharwar district of Karnataka, to well known educationist Gururaj Joshi. His grandfather Bhimacharya was a reputed musician, but Bhimsen’s musical inspiration came from his mother, who saag bhajans (aymns) to him as a child. From the age of three, Bhimsen was drawn towards shehnai (a wind instrument) players, marriage bands and blujan singers, and he sometimes spent days with them on the road, to be restored to his des Samaritans. His dare ring parents by good evil spirited him to run away from home when he was only ten years old, After many hardships, he became a student of eminent vocalist Sawai Gandharva In 1944, G. N, Joshi of HMY spetted Bhimsen playing the lead role inthe play Bhagyashri, When he heard Bhimsen sing, he recognised his talent and persuaded him to record two Hindi and two Kannada Bhajans, The reco was 1946 whi sa success, But it parked the turning point in his career. He g a chance to perform at a musical programme held to felictate Gandharva, Bhimsen sang raga Malhar for amerehalfhour, but he sang so lucily that the audience was delighted, A new star had emerged on the musical firmament Bhimsen blossomed at a time when music was facing its sgreates: challenge. While the traditional patronage of the royals had ceased, no altemative sour: managed to strike abalance between the traditional and the new in an unusual way, While he maintained a slow, melodious «exposition ofthe Khayal, he would mic in a judicious number of _gumak bols and taas, thereby enhancing the appeal ofthe raqg NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2013 « Nota penseecrives 13 INDIA PERSPECTIVES GLORIOUS YEARS FEBRUARY 1991 Foor or Humour wars, ty eminent carteoist RK Laxman On a lighter note he cendition in which the majority f people live in, the "ister tae ea every morning and the horrifying gossips and depressing rumours that fall on our ears all seem pretty alarming, In such an atmosphere one wouldbeliee there would be no room for humour oF laughter. On the contrary as the axclaimed cartoonist writes, we would go mad if we wer to take seriously the power-drunk pompous politician or the bureaucratic automaton behind the official desk, the bad roads, the trafic jams andthe dying electric supply. if our sanity was rot preserved by that single quality inus which isthe instinct 19 laugh and which distinguishes mankind from thebeasti 14 wow renseecrives ¢ Novempen-DsceMBER 2013 RK Laxman with hismost lebated charac, theCommon Man lll India’s staple theme of conversation, whether in a railway compartment or inan airport lounge r in a party or ina queve at a bust-stand, mostly © pastime has affected even the very connotation of the term “politics” itself. Lanman remembers a cartoon of his in which ntre round politics. This national 1 wife is telling her husband and his friend, “Don't you two bave anything else to talk about except corruption, corruption and corruption. Mast you two talk poiticsall the time?” Inevitably satirical cartooning by ts very nature isan art of| isapproval and complaint. It thrives best in adversity and a cartoonist treats his subjects with healthy irreverence and good humoured ridicule Kishor Amontar A Pot y Rashme Sehgal The unusual singer ishori Amonkar, described 4s the tempestuous diva of the Indian classical music scene, epitomises the struggle Indian women artistes have faced to createa niche in the highly competitive world of the performing arts Her mother Moghubai Kurdikar, herself famous singer, cam from the oppr od stratum of society So, although she grew up in an atmosphere of music, Amonkar faced many privations in her youth ed that Ustad 1a (school) was almost a god Moghubai was a traditionalist who beli Alladiya Khan of the Jaipur gh and his gayaki (style of singing acred mantra, In North Indian classical music, the Jaipar gharana was thelast to evolve This gharana accepts the dhrupad tradition which casts music into fixed moulds, reproclucing patterns with regularity anda certain degree of predictability Amonkar, considered a rebel ofthe gharana, emphasises on essentially a bhava (feeling). She says, “The raag is manifestation of feeling. In a melody which has words, feeling is easy to particularise and easy to grasp. To interpret a particular feeling through the medium of musical notes alone is far more difficult. We take a feeling, say sorrow, which is individual, and we take the me music which is not individual. When we interpret that feeling, the generalised ‘musical gamut that is produced is known as raqg. The raag can. be used by anyone and hence, it is universal Discussing her methodology, she says, “I tell my disciples: let the sound pour out in one unbroken stream. Do not tense any part of your vocal apparatus. The very aaaaa.. that youuutter is the foundation ofall your singing. Sing so that you leave the feeling behind in hearts, of your music” NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2013 « Nota penseecrives 15 OCTOBER 1992 National hangouts he concept of gardens has been a gift of the Mughals, | their Persian soldiers and courtiers. Mughal emperor bar introduced the gardening technique of Central Asia and Iran in India. The begums ofthe emperors also took keen interest in the gardens and shared the honour of creating famous gardens in Delhi, Agra, Punjab and Kashmir Come ing and the gardens are in fall bloom. Delhi's Mughal February-, denis breathtakingly beautiful during pril. The Capital's Lodhi Garden is well laid out and excellent for a walk. The Rock Garden at Chandigarh, patterned on the Japanese style, is one of the most modern gardens in India, Sisodia Palace gardens with fountains, pools and magnificent stone ns in Jaipur are terraced sculptures, Brindavan Garden of Mysore is the most exotic garden, which came into existence due to the efforts of Vishowavariya, the famous architect of Karnataka. 16 wor rensecrives ¢ Novemper-DsceMBeR 2013 (Feedback paverspactives 17 NOVEMBER DECEMBER APRIL 1993 An exert fon then Finance Minist, Dy. Marmohan Singhs speech delved at the ‘Geman Seity fr Foreign Poi in Bom “India has gone global” hen the Narasimha Rao Government was lected to power, Indias Wes economy was in the midst of a shock administered by the Gulf War and compounded by a failure to take effective corrective action. India’ foreign exchange reserves vanished and the credit rating plunged, leading to capital fight and the nation was on the verge of defaulting repayments of foreign debt. ‘The new Government decided notonly to restore the collapsing confidence in the system but also to take a fresh look at the world and reshape the ‘domestic and international economicpolices. Swift and decisive actions were taken and over the last about two years, Indi’ trade, industrial and fiscal policies havebeen overhauled. Today, when the results of these policies are pieced together, a highly ‘encouraging scenario emerges which no doubt will compel the world to take ‘afreshlook at the changing economic landscape ef India. Apat from the fit that India’ foreign exchange reservesare now fairly comfortable, its economy is breaking loose from the grip of recession and double digit inflation that plagued itlast year and confidence in te system has been revived, Perhaps, the most profound change is Indias re-entry into the global mainstream. Indian businesses today are eager to make their mark on the world ‘economic stage. Unlike in the past, Indian companies today are not just, “queuing up to raise money in foreign capital markets; they arealso gearingup to push the “Made in India” lbel in foreign markets. Significantly, Indias ‘entrepreneurs are not deing this alone but increasingly in partnership wih foreign investors. The potential of Indias continental market of 850 million eopleis only one ofthe attractions that have caught their attention. India has gone global and the world economy can langer pass by it. With its skills and capacity to absorb advanced technology, mathematical and scientitic temper, low wage rates, diverse industrial base and an exceptionally talented entrepreneurial class, playersin the gameot global competition must take note of Indi infolding potenti 18 ora renseecrives ¢ NovempeR-DsceMBeR2013 Feeaback) NOVEMBERDECEMBER 2013 @ pia renseecrives 19 auausT 1994 AK Te Fil Maker Pa colons ty Bharat Bhushan The Showman R= Tan fm nds hs produced vasa se, Not only did he produce, direct and act in his own films made under the RK banner, he even used to edit them himself so as to make his final product absolutely immaculate. He had an unerring ear for music and could effortlessly play any musical instrument. This explains why all his films had such popular music. But the biggest asset of RK the director was RK the actor Whatever the director conceived, the actor was thereto effectively portray that on the screen, picking all the nuances of a role that 20 ora renseecrives ¢ NovenpeR-DsceMBER 2013 (locas ram top Kapoor in sil from Shree 420, Mero Naom Joker and Jeogte Rebo the director had in mind, For example, in his autobiographical ‘magnum opus Mera Naam Joker, RK the director had conceived the opening scene beautifilly: The film, however, tured out to be an unmitigated dissster. Any other person would have wilted in such circumstances, but not Kapoor. He bounced back with Bobby-—a story of teenagelave—which went onto become one of the all-time hits and a big commercial success. In recognition of Raj Kapoor's outstanding and lifetime contribution to the world of cinema in the country, the Government of India conferred upon him the prestigious Dai Saheb Phalke Award for 1987, The Indian Chekov jum or Alene rales ‘often hilarious—ieav in stitches, like his conversation and dialogue with a kitany of people from diverse walks of ike, hailing not only from India but also from overseas, Dr. R. K. Narayan was not in the midst of any relentless pursuit of fame and fortune; he had them both in ample measure, in his steady, soli literary career. "I ama story teller, or more, not less” he said, Spanning a stretch of over five successive decades, Narayan emergedas a close personal friend of the ate Dr. Graham Greene, the British literary colossus. It was Greene who “discovered” Narayan and dubbed him as the Indian Chekov” Born in Madras in Tamil Nadu, Narayan asa teenager studied in erstwhile princely state of Mysore in Karnataka, absorbing Indian classical music and English literature. A distinguished man cf letters, he believed in the “consciousness of duty performed conscientiously” as his literary success, panache, finesse and virtuosity, bear out with telling effect. His writings have been translated in many languages of Europe, Africa and Asia, His storieshave also been adapted into television serials like Malgudi Days and fulllength feature films like Dev Anand’s Guide (Clocse rom ef) A istration fem Maigua Schoatoys, Narayan and asi fromm Gude (BER DECEMBER 2013 « NDIA PeRseecrives DL auausT. 1995 Sudhamani Regunatian ‘Gromlet) Ad ibe of Arunanchal Pradesh,» Lavan’ dances rom Mahara and Velo perme in Kerala Celebration of life tym dougie Folk dances can be broadly classitied into the categories of Ik dances of India cccupational, seasonal, martial, devotional and ritualistic dances, all th with some overlapping, which becomes inevitable. For example, the dance at a wedding may be both ritualistic and devotional, Generally, every society has a share e types of dances, while apre-harvest danceis both seasonal and occupational and may even be ritualistic. These dances also have an important role to playin communication and functioning as records of history 22 worn rensrecrives ¢ NoveMBER-DsCEMBER 2013 Adis, a tribe of Arunanchal Pradesh, for instance, relate the story oftheir ancestors. Karnataka Gigi Pada involves a question and answer session. In Kerala, particularly a the end of March, the Velakali dance is performed. Hear the war ery sit finds men performing martial art with swords and shields; they are telling the story of the victory of good over evil. Yakshagana of Karnataka tells mythological stories just as Burra Katha of Andhra Pradesh, Another fantastic similarity one finds isin the content of the stories, Even though folk dances belong entirely to the people and not to the scholastic tradition, ane finds the exchange of ‘ideas between different parts of India to be constant. At once striking inthe diversity is their costume. The joy and celebration of life i perhaps the most common feature of ll INDIA PERSPECTIVES GLORIOUS YEARS all FEBRUARY 1996 Sf Tati in ini, by Prana Khullar Divine connection here are innumerable definitions of Sufi but nothing more striking "Titers ps aia nothing possesses. Whatever the e' the orders ofthe Sufis are well-organised bodies within the larger context of te Islamic society. Some sy that Sufism developed out of historical Islam. Some are of the opinion that it developed as a reaction against certain smological origin of the term, Islamic attitudes. Others still contend that it has Christian or Chinese or Indian influences. But it is well known that Sufi ideas and even literary texts vere borrowed by or lay behind the eachings as diverse as those of Saint John of the Cross, Saint Teresa of Avila, Guru Nanak and the Vedas. Many Suis claim that their knowledge has existed for thousands of years and has links with the Hermetic, the Pythagorean and the Platonic streams. ‘The Sufisadopted many religious practices and accepted them in their Silstaks (orders). For example, shaving the head of a new entrant to the ‘ahangah (monastery) on the lines of Hindu gursu (school) and Buddhist Sangha bow! (Zantilor Kushkool) for collecting food. Ainei-Akbari (Institutes of Akbar) lists 14SufiSisilahsin Inia atthe time ‘of great Mughal emperor Akbar. The foremost was the Chishtiva Sislah founded by Shaikh Moin-ud-Din Chishti Hezrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Qutb ud-din Bakbtiar Kaki, Raba Farid, Shaikh Nasird Moharamad "Gesu Dara’, Khwaja Bagi-Bi-Ullah, Sheikh Ahmed Sichindi, Mirza MazharJan--Jaan and Shah Wallllah were other eminent Su saints «f India. The Sufi tradition of ron-possession ané spirituality of India was «carried forward by the 19® century movements led by Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Dayananda and Swami Ram Tirath, and 20" century jn Chirag, Syed ‘ants Swami Rangenathanandan and Swami Chidananda, Sufism, thus, isa part of India’ culture—a part and parcel of Indian heritage and an integral part of Indian life and leters 24 wows rensrecrives ¢ NoveMBER-DscEMBER 2013 INDIA PERSPECTIVES AUGUST 1997 Indian Vsual Ars i Independence, by BN. Mago, (Cochise fom el) indian att MF Hussain; end works by Mant Bawa, Jani Roy and Satish Gul Modern yet traditional broad review of last $0 years in the development of ‘contemporary Indian att shows thatthe Indian acts, bby and large, is still hovering between tradition and experiment. Historically speaking, we had been exposed to western influences since 1600, the year ofthe setting up of the British East India Company. But we became overly depenclent upon the achievements in European art since 1900, With the back, «pitomised inthe works of Raja Ravi Varma and others, the post sround of the western academic traditions independence period is an important one in the history of contemporary art in India. It signifies the long struggle of the Indian artist to synthesise the traditional and modern values and make amarkon the intemational scene (One can certainly admire and appreciate the creative 26 spi rerspecrives ¢ ovenner-DecemBeR 2013 endeavours of most significant artists of early decades in giving ‘creative thrust to theit visual and plastic expressions, For example, the revival of national artistic aspiration in the works of Abanindranath Tagore, Gagendranath Tagore, Rabindranath e followed by landmarks set by Jamini Tagoreand Nandalal Ro Roy and Amrita Sher-Gil. Rabindranath Tagore, who gave a meaning to his works through the sheer vitality of his consciousnes, stands out asa unique painter Teartists in the post independence period have been on one band, eclectic, experimenting various mannerisms under the influence of Euro-American art movements, and on the othe cbsessed with a deep search for tots, The tension between desire for the new and the self:consciousness towards the past has coloured the most diverse art styles in India during this period Whereas afew groups of artists in the late fortics and fifties such as the Calcutta Group (Gopal Ghose, Nirode Majumdar, Rathin Moitra, Pran Krishna Pal and Pradosh Das Gupta), Bombay's Progressive Artists’ Group (M. B. Hussain, 8. H. Raza, H. A. Gade, 8K, Bakre, EN, Souza and K. H. Ar and Delhi’s Shilpt Chakra—B. C. Sanyal, K, S. Kulkarni, D. R. Bhagat and Kanwal Krishna—expressed their forts revolutionary attitudes; some desired their creat toe linked to the past. ‘Consequently, despite the insularity ofthe visual culture, dialogue is going on between innovation and tradition. The contradictions of these existing attitudes, both in visual and plasticarts, are apparentin works and aspirations of artists of this period and have given birth to most inuentil trends, the modemnistic and the traditionalistic. The latter was of course, invented by a single artist, amini Roy, who longed for the past NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2013 ¢ NI (Geedback) persprcrives 27 INDIA PERSPECTIVES GLORIOUS YEARS MAY 1998 rain rg Coming of Age oy Rakshands Jai The fiction sellers fn the map of world literature, India has been undersized for far too long, Fifty years ago there was very little Indian literature available to western readers, except for the few translations of the Gita, the Upanishads and some of Tagore’s verses. Then came R. K. a, Mulk Raj Anand, Nirad Chaudhuri and a handful of other stalwarts, Going by successes such as Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, not only has Indian writing in English come to stay, but it has come to set the cash registers ringing. Seth hit the international literary scene big time in 1993 when he received an unprecedented 28 wou rensrecrives ¢ NovempeR-DsceMBER2013 advance of 226 million for his A Suitable Boy, Roy followed in his footsteps by raking in a neat ©30 million in 1997 for her ebut novel. he becamethe centre ofa media generated storm after becoming the first Indian to win the Rooker Prize It can be safely said that Indian writers writing in English bave never had it so good. There's a wiole new breed, with new entrants being added to the lst practically every day, oflargely India-based writers who have found avid readers and prestigious publishers abroad. Among this motley bunch of post-colonial writers the most notable are Firdaus Kanga with his Trying 10 Grow, Amitav Ghosh’s The Circle of Reason and The Shadow Lines, Rohitton Mistry’ Such a Long Journey and A Fine Balance, Anita Desai, Bharati Mukherjee, Vikram Chandra, Ardashir Vakil and a whole posse of transcultura, multi-ethnic makers of “world fiction” who are busy reinventing English literture from within And it is, really speaking, in the story-telling department that this new breed of Indian writers excels more than in any of the usual parameters such as plot or style ar characterisations, ‘Much to the delight of the foreign readers and the Indian audience alike, these writers spin a fabulous yarn with great audacity and style, Bi ewildering India, both the reality and the metaphor, is an incredible treasure chest of stories for children and adults alike. (From eb) toy Ghosh Vien Seth Rehiton Misty Avundho Roy Vikram Candie and fete Dest NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2013 « NDIA peRseecrives ZO INDIA PERSPECTIVES GLORIOUS YEARS oo MARCH 1999 Indian Designers Go ntational ty Meenu Gupta On world’s ramp slo in tnd sa relay youg cont nce he inpartone nda was high son bri conidered at tht the idan cals nd kh tdi enrol hare lng tia prides In ardon data war, bead, Pachmin java bnd thls ene Theol rang om tigtand nny wearhy hs The Ind rab too hs Indian fabrics. It seems paradoxical, therefore, that fashion is considered a young concept in India There is now an ever growing need for more variety in Indi, 30 ora renspecrives ¢ Novemper-DsceMBER 2013 Tastes have also changed due to globalisation, an increase in purchasing power and a desire to lock and feel good. A 1 factor is the changed social scenario that hasseen the emergence ofthe “new woman’ who can wear a western dress with as much cease asan Indian dres. Specialisation has led to a fashion boom but luckily, the Indian fashion de: alised early on that fashion is aot just aping the West. “It is like a back to swadeshi (indigenous)” movement. The best of designs, motifs, themes and skilled craftsmen are available in India and Indian fabricsand styles are best suited for the country.” says Rina Dhaka, 2 well-known fashion designer. “Thanks to this drive, even Indian men are coming back to sherwanis, Chinese kand coats, Nehru jackets, the adds, shawls and kurtas, Amul Pant at Anand, Gujrat MAY 1999 wi a Operation Flood he transformation of India from a milk deficit toa milk surplus country s essentially the result of an intensive campaign launched by the government and semi lk of the growth in milk output is, therefore, accounted for by the government hodies to promote animal hushandry unorganised sector consisting of millions of small milk producers. Many ef these producers have organised themselves into cooperatives under the umbrella of the National Dairy Development Board, which had been running a highly successful animal husbandry promotion programm Operation Flood. ited programme of dairy development in of it isbased on three-tier struct g the primary dairy cooperatives at the village level, milk producers’ union at the istrict level and apex federations atthe state level The programme has attracted world-wide attention because ofits spect ping countries such as Philippines, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, intend to use it asa mode for organising their own dairy development programmes, Sri Lanka had indeed hire Kurien, the main force behind Indias white revolution to he services of Dr. V multe Operation Flood in that country: Feedback npiavesercrives BL. -RDECEMBER2013 SEPTEMBER, 2000 Lada Drogp ok ances perform during Sin Darshan Festi in Leh A tribute to Indus R: lon an development of can They fae not only helped produce crops for people, but have also facilitated the growth of development of trade. The mighty Sindhu (Indus) river is no sport lines so crucial 10 exception; it symbolises the power and permanence of ancient Indian civilisation which has evolved over a period of thousands of years. ‘The name of the river has been derived from the Sanskrit language and is mentioned in the Rig Ved Hindu:tan or India haveemanated from Indus rms like Hindu, a great trans Himalayan river which covers an incredible path of 2,900 ken, 32 _ ora renseecrives ¢ NovempeR-DsceMBER2013 ‘Starting in south-vestern Tibet at an altitude of 16,000 ft, the Indus enters India at Demchhok near Leh in Ladakh. After flowing for some distance, itis joined by Zanskar, which is instrumental in greening the Zanskar Valley in Ladakh Asa tribute to this great rive, which reflects India unity and ‘communal harmory, Sindhu Darshan Festival was held in Leh, Ladakh, The inaugural programme was appropriately conducted jointly by representatives of Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus, The festival was inaugura Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who also laid the foundation stone cof Sindhu Cultural Centre, which is being developed as a major tourist attraction in Ladalch Tita Ste! Pants amshedpur SEPTEMBER, 2000 atnagar The Jewel of Bihar by Col. KJ Chagh Corporate marvel sae orc taenasuag en waAE Awe manicured ins Jandbdprie drean Se cei mendt bagi oe ee in ieee eon vlad er arcraeeie rete gem ee ne ren oectntiet a eS tees meses ayo peuanipe seeped enter tants ene Jamshedpur, Tatanagar isthe railway station for Jamshedpur, Tatanagar is well laid out—it is the frst planned industrial city ‘of India. Thecity presents a happy blend of work and play. Some ‘of the major industrial plants, including the Tata Steel, Telco-and other factories awned by the Tita group, provide business and livelihood toa large number of ancillary units Besides its industrial importance, Tatanagar has a lotto offer tots denizens and visitors alike. The city i thinly populated and has long avenues and wide tre lined roads. The environments, clean and green. Evenings are extremely pleasant There are as many as 25 roundabo s,17 huge parks dotting different parts of the city, temples and the famous Dimma Lake, the lifeline of the city. Tatanagar presents quite a few marvels in modern architecture, adding tothe stature of the city NovEMBERDECEMBER 2013 6 DIA PERSPECTIVES BB INDIA PEnSPECTWES GLORIOUS YEARS JANUARY 2001 Sopwols of Gara ty Shahid Akhtor Maki (Cochise om above) Touts thang the Adal vav i Gandhnagar and sculptures in Adley Ni vay and Ren Ki vex Architecture marvel Avifting inthe semi desert regions of western India. You are travelling by night, guided by the str strewn sky tells you the time, Its soon going to be daybreak and you will be approaching your cherished halt~a vav or stepwell where you wall bespendinga greater pat ofthe day relaxing and refreshing yourself forthe neat nights journey. This is 15% century Gujarat and » S= your imagination to wander among the caravans chat ight journeys are in vogue, to avoid the fierce midday sun or the afternoon storm that can besmear you and your baggage. No one fears travel ling in the night as robberies are few and far between. Imag. ine the 32 years of Sultan Ahmad Shah's reign with only two murders on records! Back to our deluxe accommodation for the day the pretty sav which is characterised by along stepped corridor descend 34. ora rensecrives ¢ NovempeR-DsceMBER2013 ing down—beneath the earth’ surface and punctuated in-be- ‘tween with spacious storeys that finaly Ieadto the pool of water with least possible exposure to the sun, The labyrinthine inte rior ofthe vas underground spaces is dark and cool—t rate that a weary traveller can ask for. cult Gujarat is home to hundreds of stepwels or vav seattered throughout the state. In fact, constructing a well was held to be pious deed. A typical well is made up of the Mandapa or the ‘entrance pavilion, which forms the main approachat the ground level and the Kuta or the flight of steps leads down to the water ‘or Kund at the bottom. Most of the wells are decorated with sculptures. While appreciating. ‘get to appreciate thescience and engineeringskills with which so many pillars and lintels are made to support the five o¢ seven ¢ works of art we often for storeys.and that too with everything under earths surface! The earliest among the stepwells in Gujarat are nestedamong the Junagarh hills—Navghan Vav and Adi-Chadi Vav. The two stepwells appear tohave been carved out of soft rocks and exe. cuted to great depths— the long lst of structurally created stepwells.one has to revert to Dhank where sixthcentury Jhilani and Manjushrivav exist, The Built narvel even by modern standards. In most magnificent ofall stepwellsis Rani Ki vay, in Pal in 1022-1063 AD by Rani Udyamati the queen ofthe C King Bhimleva I, it lateral formation anumber of miniature shrines at all levels Maia Bhavani vav in Asarva, near Almedabud, is another stepwell assigned to the Chalukyan period. Helical vav in Pava gath isan unusual well, attributed to Visvakarma Vastushastra, where the entrance staircase leads to aspiralstairway which fur ther culminates into the well. In fact, the spiral stairway gradu ally becomes the wall ofthe well and a timid soul should avoid these steps that make one dizzy, wit the sight of the water get Ceeiback) ting closer with each step JANUARY m 2002 Opulence of the Nizan's Palaces, Grandeur at its best Prieta aan tty a wonder, as much as the tales of their erstwhil Among the existing places, Faaknuma and Chowmohalaare renowned fr thirrichness and architectural grandeur Falknuma (the heavenly abode) san Halian designed ex travagunza, The palace, built on a sprawling 1,0,000 square yard plot om hillock, took seven yeas to build and was com: pleted inthe year 1883. The general layout ofthe palaces inthe saye ofa scorpion, The entrance lead to an imposing lian marbled stairway with carved balusirades rising to the frst floor where a series of portraits of the royal fami their min ites and guests form a uniqueart gallery [Ata short distance from the landmark of Hyderabad, the ‘Charminar, lies another legendary palace of the Nizams: the CChovrnohall (the complex of fou palaces. This 19" century wonders the legacy ofthe ith Nizam, Afal-ud-Dol, Built in 1750, this palace remains an ode to imperial opulence. Purani Havel isthe third and the oldest of the Nizam palaces, located about 2 km from the Charminar. Built in 1777 ty the second Nizam, it remained unoccupied for a long time until Afzal-ud-Dowla resided here, followed by his son, Ma- habub Ali Khan. A part ofthe palace isstill occupied by the lat. ters daughter and grand daughters. The seventh Nizam, Osman Ali Khan wasreputedly the world’ richest man. His crown jew. ds have boen on display st various centres in India, 36 wor rensrecrives ¢ Novemper-DsceMBeR2013 (noche fom top) A horse dawn cariage a the enrance and asrase Apeacick spreads its feathers JANUARY 2002 Phaasans: nda’ National Beds, oy Samar Singh Glamourous birds [itn open nt jane re ae Bot ae ya esa rinsed ne dco he cumry Out tala oe St00bhd ere dcbed the world as a whole, that is only about ons of the world’s total land mass The rich diversity of birdlife in the country is best ‘cxemplified by the Indian Pheasants, which include some of the most gorgeously beautiful and spectacular birds of the world and ako those that have proved mos: useful and economically important to humankind. The glamorous Biue Peafowl is Indies national bird, rightly also known as the Indian Peafow. Much religious significance is attached to this beautiful bird, and it has found place in the architecture, music, folklore and literature of India over the ages NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2013 « NDIA PeRsPecriVes BT OCTOBER 2005 ‘SRO: Exploring Fina Fontiors oy Radhakrishna Rao, 2 on scientific soit Feather in India’s cap jhe successful second development flight of India’s [ three-stage, cryogenic fuel-driven Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) which took place in May 2003 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota island gave 4 big thrust to the plan of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) fo build “heavier and more powerful boosters of the future’, The 414 tonne 49 mette tall GSLV performed the task of placing 1825-kg G-Sat satellite into orbit with a “text book precision After its third test flight slated for late 2004, GSLV was expected to be dediated operational and used for the routine launching of the INSAT class domestic spacecraft, The plan was to launch Edusat, « satellite dedicated to support the experimental in India al progran Besides India’s first unmanned scientific mission to moon, the otber innovative mission planned was the launch of a 500 kg reusable capsule by means of PSLV. The main goal of the Space Capsule Recovery Experiment was to carry out micro gravity experiments in orbit and demonstrate technology to deboost from orbit for reentry and recovery from sea using floatation system. This experiment would also give a thrust to ISRO’ plan to develop reusable space vehicles 38 wor renspecrives ¢ Novemper-DsceMBER 2013 Indias PSL racket stands imide the vehicle assembly buling at Sohareta (Glo rom above) Saians Pslaceand vateties of actusat te arkn Madhya races ey DECEMBER 2003 Sain The nan Hare of Cats, % 2 60.3 Chugh Thorns are beautiful too factus often reminds one of thorns and rarely the beauty that lies with them, At Sailana the storyis quite ‘the opposite. ‘The Cactus Garden at Sailana is an amazing collection of cacti and succulents, signifying the beauty that nature has bestowed upon this earth. Spread over an area of nearly four acres, Sailana Cacti Garden is part of the palace inhabited by the rulers of the former princely state of Sailana Its located nearly 20 km from Ratlam in Madya Pradesh, which is an important junction on the Mumbai-Delhi railway. One wonders at the love the then ruler Raja Digvijay Singh had for such spiky plan The garden that came into existence in the year 1960 hasa fine story to tell. Ithas been cultivated at two levels—one on ‘normal ground and the other below the ground level so fascinated by cacti that he dug up his tennis court and used or planting cacti, And that’s how the sunken garden came into existence. The plants atthe Sailana Cactus Garden are never sold. The visitorscan have a commercial exchang variety from the garden and leave something newin the garden, says Vikram Singh, the elder son of Singh, and who inherited the responsibility ater the death of his father in 1990. They can select a new ‘Themostappropriate ime to visit the garden are the months of April and May, sehen cacti are in full bloom, (BER DECEMBER 2013 « INDIA PERSPECTIVES BO INDIA PEnSPECTWES GLORIOUS YEARS JULY 2004 VMs: Nain Bctons Fast ad Smeoth by senior i senents KN, Kamar 0 Sati Indian technians peform a quality test on an Elecronic ating Machine a Bengaluru The way India votes echnologyis about application of science for easing the [ functionallite, makingit both efficient and productive One of those applications in the election system of India ia somewhat cuphemistically termed machine called the “Electronic Voting Machine’ It isan interface, a facilitator between the voter and the voting process. EVMs were firs intreducedin Kerala during the 1982 state assembly election, After successful pilot testing, legal and technological clearances, they were gradualy introduced in the dlections in India in a phased manner. Themachines were fist sed in the 1998 a tions to the legislative assemblies of 40 wou rensrrcrives ¢ woventsen- pacemsen 2013, ‘Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, and later in the 1999 general elections in the entire state of Goa, The successful use of electronic voting machines in these elections convinced the political parties, candidates and the people that the process had indeed become quicker and trouble-free, The demand for the use of the machines increxsed and they were used in the 2004 general elections all over India which ‘meant that about 650 milion electors used them. Delegations from countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Africa, Thailand and Uganda have visited India during the above machines. lections to see the actual working of the DECEMBER, 2004 Te Viet Sik Ar ty Subbra Majumdar Evolution of Sikh art he conceptof painting Sikh reverential subjectsspansa. | 200 year gamut. It ranges from the middle years of the 17* century, when this form was typically unsophisticated folk to the 19 century, when it reached maturity in the courtlyart of Lahore under the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjt Singh. With the passage of eachera, Sikh artbegan to difier oniy 4 far as external influences were concerned, for the subject matterof these works is essentially linked with depictions of the ten Sikh Gurus, beginning with the founder of the faith, Guru Nanak Thusone would be justified in stating that the beginning ‘of Sikh art can be traced to the Jancen Sakhi paintings These hagiographic accounts ofthe life of Guru Nanak are a series of, popular narratives about the Guru and has anecdotes about his illustrations. Before long, patrons emerged and so did the influences of| Sufl philosophers upon its artistry. The structure and literary traditions of Sufi hagiographers found ready acceptance in these Janam Sakhi works, so thatthe Guru in them could not be much

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