Merry Wanderer of the Night:
South Asia

When Moti Darwaza almost came off in 2006, the officials had repositioned it within a few days. But this time, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) sub-circle office at Golconda is yet to act.

The ASI has chalked out big plans for restoration of all the doors at as many as eight entrances to the fort.

According to ASI superintending archaeologist R Krishnaiah, plans are afoot for complete restoration and repositioning of the door by this month-end.

“After an inspection, we have decided to take measures to prevent any such incident in the future. Estimates are ready and work will start soon,” he said.

As of now, the ASI has decided to tie down the doors onto the fort walls using iron cables so that they do not fall down.

“The mechanism for operating these old doors is different. Since none of them is operational anymore, we have decided to tie them to the original position using flat iron cables at two places using L-angle and an iron U-channel from the top portion on to the masonry wall,” said N Ch Peddintlu, assistant superintending archaeological engineer, ASI-Hyderabad circle.

Regarding the damaged right door of Moti Darwaza that has been lying at the ASI sub-circle office in Golconda, he said, “We are going to add a wooden plank of teakwood and embed it to the old door using the ancient techniques. Also, we are going to apply wood preservatives to prevent any further deterioration of wood. This will be done for all the doors at eight different darwazas,” he added.

He said the ASI has also decided to restore the merlons of the fort walls that have either been damaged or have collapsed. This work is expected to start soon and would be completed by June 2015.

During an inspection, it was also noted that land close to the inner fort walls was being misused for parking purposes.

“We are going to enhance greenery by planting vegetation close to the walls so as to prevent littering or defecation or even unauthorised vehicle parking,” Peddintlu explained.

Golconda Fort is over 900 years old. Built by the Kakatiyas, it rose to prominence during the Qutb Shahi era. There are eight darwazas on the outer wall of the fort. All these gateways lead to important urban centres.

Author: Rahul V Pisharody | Source: Indian Express News [January 12, 2015]

The rock paintings in the Marayur-Chinnar forest belt of Kerala, the second largest concentration of cave paintings in south India, are at high risk of degeneration.

As per isolated studies conducted so far, there are 21 cave paintings of red ochre in this Kerala-Tamil Nadu region, a senior official of the Kerala Forest Department told The Hindu. Over 50 caves, situated in the forest belt, are believed to be of the prehistoric period. The cave paintings in Ezhuthala and Attala in Marayur sandal division, the most noted ones, were in more danger.

The official said the rock paintings were in the eastern slope of the Western Ghats, at around 3,000 metres above sea level. The sandy rocks were highly prone to degeneration, he said, adding that they needed new methods of protection. Without assured protection, visitors could not be allowed entry there, he added. Rocks were in bad shape in the Madathala cave at Alampertty in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, which was accessible to visitors.

The first cave painting in Marayur was identified in Ezhuthala Madi on the Tamil Nadu border by Padmanabhan Thampi as part of his research paper in 1974. In 2009-10, archaeological researchers Benny Kurien and Dhanushkody documented the paintings in Ezhuthala, where the largest number of paintings was identified.

Author: Giji K. Raman | Source: The Hindu [January 07, 2015]

India's white marvel, the Taj Mahal, is slowly turning brownish-yellow because of air pollution, says an Indo-US study which also identifies the pollutants responsible for the effect.

It says Taj is changing colour due to deposition of dust and carbon-containing particles emitted in the burning of fossil fuels, biomass and garbage. The study confirms what has been suspected for long — that Agra's poor air quality is impacting India's most celebrated monument.

The research was conducted by experts from US universities — Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Wisconsin — as well as Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and Archaeological Survey of India. The paper was published in the Environmental Science & Technology journal in December.

The findings can lead to targeted strategies to curb air pollution in and around Agra and more effective ways to cleanse the marble surface of the 366-year-old mausoleum, which remains by far the most visited man-made structure in the country with footfalls of more than 6 million in 2013.

The researchers first analysed air samples at the site for roughly a year using filters and found high concentrations of suspended particles that could potentially discolour Taj's surface.

Clean marble samples were then placed at various points on the monument accessible only to ASI staff. After two months of exposure, the samples were analysed using electron microscope and X-ray spectroscope.

The pollutants deposited on the marble were identified through these investigations. Researchers found 3% of the deposits to be black carbon, around 30% organic carbon (or brown carbon) and most of the rest dust. Black carbon is emitted by vehicles and other machines that burn fossil fuels. Brown carbon is typically released through burning of biomass and garbage, a common practice in the region.

S N Tripathi of IIT Kanpur, one of the authors, said the team then used a novel approach to estimate how these deposited particles would impact light reflecting off the marble surface. "We found that black carbon gives a greyish colour to the surface while the presence of brown carbon and dust results in yellowish-brown hues," he said.

"Results indicate that deposited light absorbing dust and carbonaceous particles are responsible for the surface discolouration of the Taj Mahal," the study concludes.

Since 2008, ASI has been trying to fight the yellowing of the monument by giving it a clay pack treatment using the lime-rich Fuller's earth (Multani mitti) to clean the marble surface. Researchers are now keen on studying the efficacy of this method and finding ways of improving it.

"Now that we know what's causing the yellowing, the focus should now shift to undoing the effect," Tripathi said.

Author: Amit Bhattacharya | Source: The Times of India [January 02, 2015]

Australia has informed Indian authorities that it will soon return the sculpture, dating back to second century BC, realizing that it had been stolen from an archaeological site in India. Abbott has on several occasions stated that improving relations with India was high on his priority list and one of the ways he has reached out to the Modi government is by returning stolen artifacts illegally taken out of India.

During his summit meet with Modi last year in September, Abbott returned statues of 11th century Shiva Nataraja and Ardhanariswara to India. According to a report in The Australian earlier this year, the artifact was purchased by billionaire philanthropist Ros Packer for NGA. After Indian authorities took up the issue with Australia, NGA launched a probe into how the statue was bought from a New York antiquities dealer and found that the dealer had tricked Australian authorities into believing that the red sandstone marvel had been purchased from a British collector in Hong Kong. The investigations revealed that the New York based dealer had travelled to India and acquired two Kushan Buddhas from a trafficker.

"The Department of Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India are working with the National Museum in Delhi to affect the handover. The Buddha statue of the Kushan period dating back to 2nd century BC is made of red sandstone and is from the Mathura region of Uttar Pradesh," said a senior government official.

Government sources here claimed there was a growing personal bonhomie between Modi and Abbott following their bilateral meetings last year. Modi last year became the first Indian PM to visit Australia after Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.

Author: Sachin Parashar | Source: Times of India [January 01, 2015]

Expressing outrage at the damage to the precious artefacts dating back to the 2nd and 3rd century BC, the ASI warned the Ministry that the Museum would cease to exist “in the near future” if such a callous attitude continued.

While the damage to the right foot of the 2nd century BC figure of a Yakshi was noticed a few weeks ago, chips on the chest and belly of the “Lion Capital of Rampurva”, a unique specimen of Mauryan sculpture, were discovered last year. Two inspection reports, accessed by The Hindu, suspect the damage was caused by mishandling. “There is a definite damage above the right foot of the sculpture near the ankle. Though the museum staff are of the opinion it was caused by flaking, we did not feel so,” says the report on the Yakshi statue. “The dent is quite deep and abrasive as per standard norms of flaking.” A thorough investigation, it says, “is justifiable under the circumstances.”

The damage to the “Lion Capital of Rampurva”, unearthed by archaeologist Dayaram Sahni in 1907-08, was definitely due to faulty shifting, the report says. The experts who prepared the report were told that the authorities decided to shift this heavy sculpture in two pieces as was done earlier.

Sources said copies of the reports had been sent to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi. The damage came to public notice at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing a petition by the family of Sunil Kumar Upadhyay, preservation officer at the museum, who mysteriously disappeared from his rented apartment in the city on July 3, 2014, and been has remained untraced since.

Author: Shiv Sahay Singh | Source: The Hindu [March 26, 2015]

The Ezhuthala cave is situated inside forests in the Marayur sandalwood division and has one of the four cave paintings in the Great Migration Corridor with human and animal motifs in a single cave.

An official of the sandalwood division told The Hindu that the paintings have faded over the years and the sandy rocks are facing degeneration.

“Normal weathering, in addition to percolation of water during the rainy season, is posing a threat. At present, visitors are not permitted to see the cave paintings,” he says.

The opening of the historical site without proper protection would be disastrous, he warns.

ASI proposal

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has reportedly proposed taking over the cave paintings in the Marayur sandalwood division and the Chinnar wildlife sanctuary for scientific preservation in view of their importance. However, as the areas are under the Forest Department, they need to be handed over to the ASI.

21 documented

The cave paintings came to the notice of archaeologists when Padmanabhan Thampi, as part of his research, found and documented them in 1974.

Later, archaeological investigator Benny Kurien and social worker K. Dhanushkodi documented 21 cave paintings spread over the eastern slope of the Western Ghats at Marayur and Chinnar .

50 caves

Studies have found as many as 50 caves that are important for their prehistoric dwellings. Human and goat motifs reflect a cultural link.

The Ezhuthala cave has not been a subject of serious study by the ASI despite it being part of the second largest conglomerate of prehistoric cave paintings in south India.

Mr. Kurien, who is instrumental in sending a proposal for the protection of the cave to the ASI, says the agency has informed him that it could do so only if the cave is handed over to it by the Kerala government.

There is apathy with regard to the cave paintings, and it has not been taken over by either the Culture or the Archaeological departments, Mr. Kurien, a member of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Culture, says.

The centre for culture would take up a multidisciplinary study on life in the pre-historic era which is reflected in the cave motifs. The paintings, he says, are in need of immediate attention.

Author: Giji K. Raman | Source: The Hindu [March 20, 2015]

The Department of Archaeology has sanctioned Rs. 60 lakh under 13th Finance Commission to restore Sri Ganapeshwaralayam and Mukkanteshwaralayam in Kusumanchi to revive their lost glory.

The two ancient temples, reportedly dating back to the 12th century, were built during the reign of Kakatiya dynasty.

Although declared as protected monuments by the Department of Archaeology several decades ago, the two historical shrines have been lying in utter neglect due to apathy of the departments and agencies concerned.

The Mukkanteshwaralayam had become a target of treasure hunters over the past couple of years.

Though presently lying in a dilapidated condition, the historical Mukkanteshwaralayam bears testimony to the rich architecture that flourished during the Kakatiya regime.

Thanks to the initiative of some local devotees including philanthropists, the Ganapeshwaralaym had undergone minor renovation over a decade ago.

The temple attracts hordes of devotees during Sivaratri festivities every year.

The area surrounding the two temples is dotted with some archaeological monuments including a megalithic menhir (a vertical standing stone).

The entire stretch of the area known for its archaeological significance has been left in shambles due to lack of proper protection, rued V Sagar of Kusumanchi.

The departments entrusted with the task of protection of the monuments should earmark adequate funds for their conservation and appoint a watchman to protect the historical structures of archaeological heritage, he said.

The ongoing restoration works will help revive the lost glory of the two historical temples, said S Rangacharyulu, consultant, Department of Archaeology.

The works are being carried out under the supervision of the engineers of the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation.

The works include strengthening of the foundations of the structures and reassembling of disturbed stones to restore the temples to their original glory, he noted.

The Circumambulation Path (Pradakshina Path) will be restored at Mukkanteshwaralayam encompassing three small shrines in a single complex with a common mandapa.

He said a plan is on the anvil to lay a pathway between Ganapeshwaralaym and Mukkanteshwaralayam for the benefit of devotees.

A proposal has been mooted to appoint a temple development committee to ensure proper maintenance of the two shrines after completion of the ongoing restoration works.

Author: P Sridhar | Source: The Hindu [March 19, 2015]

"The perpetrators were hoping to find gold, silver, precious stones or ivory," says Senarath Dissanayake, director general of Sri Lanka's Department of Archaeology. Destructive treasure hunting is a major problem in the island country off the tip of India.

"Treasure hunting is based only on folklore about great riches. It has no scientific basis," Dissanayake says.

The culprits in Danagirigala went home empty-handed, as did the ones who damaged a stupa (Buddhist burial mound) in Danowita and in Nurwarakanda where treasure-hunters drilled into the chest, belly button and pedestal of a seated Buddha statue.

Over the past two decades, police have come across more than 4,000 cases of such vandalism. The situation was particularly bad in 2012 and 2013 with the floors of caves dug up, the houses of former chieftains torn down and monks' dwellings destroyed.

On average there was more than one such act every day.

"The trend is a consequence of the fact that people no longer have morals and ethics," Dissanayake says.

Archaeologists have little chance of stopping the would-be thieves. According to the archaeology director, the small island has more than 250,000 historic sites, "the highest density in the world" of heritage places.

Items have even been taken from the National Museum in the capital Colombo. A stolen metal sword hilt from the time of the Kingdom of Kandy (late 15th to early 19th century) was later recovered - although by then it had been cut into four pieces.

The head of the special unit tasked with preventing the destruction and theft of antiquities is Udeni Wickramasinghe.

"The problem is that many people cannot distinguish between fact-based history and mythical epics," she says. In the case of the Buddha with three holes drilled into it, this was because of a story that the Buddhist monks hid their valuables inside the statue. Wickramasinghe wrote her doctoral thesis on the excavations at the stupa in Neelagiri Maha Seya. Until 2009 this lay within an area controlled for several decades by LTTE rebels and so wasn't targeted by treasure hunters.

After the end of the civil war, Wickramasinghe and colleagues spent several years excavating around the huge, semi-circular burial mound.

"We found inscriptions, 20 pots, pearls, 150 mini-pagodas and a few semi-precious stones. Much of spiritual but nothing of great material value," she says.

Nevertheless, there are persistent urban legends about a police chief who took treasure from the jungle or a man who used a digger to excavate a stupa and bought a million-dollar car with the riches he found.

"People who are greedy forget their religion," says monk and former member of parliament Ellawala Medhananda.

To the perpetrators it doesn't matter whether a building dates from the fourth or fifth century or is particularly symbolically important, says Medhananda, author of numerous archaeological books.

"I am so sad that our rich national culture is being destroyed," he says. "Unique things are being lost."

Author: Doreen Fiedler | Source: DPA [March 10, 2015]