The National Museum, Janpath

Both Suresh and I spent an amazing day exploring the National museum at Janpath. These artifacts were sent to the Royal academy of arts in London in 1947-48.These were brought back after independence and stationed at the Rashtrapati Bhawan known as Governor house then. It was housed in the present house in 1960.The first few rooms are arranged chronologically with Harappan, Mauryan, Sungha, Kushan and Gupta artifacts. After this the rooms are arranged theme wise. They also have a room related to North East and the various musical instruments of modern day. It was a treat to see the original dancing girl of the Indus Valley civilization, the various beautiful sculptures, the various miniature paintings. As usual I was fascinated with the sculptures of different periods and especailly the Shiv images and the intricacies of the sculpture.Right at the entrance there is s huge Ashokan inscription.The museum lists the services of various persons who act as guides and they do this voluntarily. We met Neel Dogra who was a banker and now after retirement acts as a guide. His love and passion for history impressed me a lot and he lovelingly took us around the museum with an indepth knowledge about the artifacts.

Looking at my past with a coloured lens

Looking back at my past with a coloured lens. Yesterday my eldest son Sankalp gave me a wonderful gift on his birthday. He spent time and made some of my black and white pictures into colour and sent them to me. It reminded me of the film Mughle Azam being made from black and white into colour. Most of these photographs go back to more than forty years. My favourite photograph is from 1974 when I was given a gold medal and first prize by Mother Teresa at a function orgnised by Gandhi Bhawan in Allahabad University. I travelled with her for few days and had a long heart to heart conversations. Those days there were no mobiles and cameras were not easily accessible . It was later on that two photographs were published by a News paper and the gentleman was kind enough to send me a copy. These are my prized possessions today. In the first picture Mother Teresa is admiring my watch strap. Keeping with the fashion, God knows which one, I had got a black leather or raxine, most probably raxine piece and put my watch and it's tiny strap into this on my own and with this broad strap, I thought this was very fashionable. Mother Teresa was fascinated and wanted to know how I had made the strap. When she was asking various questions every one walking around was very fascinated. When I got married in 1979,those were the days of black and white photographs. Again another photograph of the late 1970's,is with my friend Anita Gopesh,, who is now a very well know writer of Hindi and a Professor of Zoology, if I am not mistaken at Allahabad University. Her father Prof. Gopesh taught us Russian and we were all mesmerised with his teaching, stories, anecdotes and his friendly behaviour.Oh, what fun his class would be. He was a real idol and one to whom we looked up. I do not have any picture with him but one with his daughter of those days. Thanks a lot Bittu. Indeed a wonderful gift and this will be my prized possessions. You made my day. Have a blessed birthday.

Scotland

 In Scotland Gretna green is the first town that one comes across while coming via road from London. I have been to Scotland twice earlier via Air and this is my third visit and one via road. My advise to a travellers here is please avoid air travel if possible and go via road for the beauty of Scotland can be seen in its immense green panorama. The huge green mountains, the mountains filled with rodendran forests, the streams, the lakes, the Fir tree Jungles can never be seen via air. It is good to have a journey come to an end but it is the Journey that matters in the end and this is true as you travel across Scotland. In 17th cen there was a law in England that stated that one could not marry with out one's parents permission and had to be of a certain age for marriage and hence many couples eloped to Gertna Green in Scotland to marry. A blacksmith who was in the business of making horse shoes found an opportunity in this and converted a portion of his workshop into a hall to commemorate marriages and the Shed stas here with a museum and its history. Today also thousands of marriages take place here every month and it is a favourite destination for taking the vow. One can see building with Boards 1751, 1753 as the year of establishment.Krikstone Pass and Ullswater lake: While we were still carrying the enchanting serenity of the lake district and Windermere, we headed for another mesmerising creations of nature the Krikstone Pass. After an hour of road ride on the banks of Ullswater lake, it started raining, that set the perfect English weather and we were at the mouth of the famous Krikstone Pass. It's silence and the greatest spread of green meadows miles together amongst undulating hills, dotted with wooly sheeps, brooks and fragile rocks are simply enchanting. Driving on the banks of Ullswater lake and stopping at the wide opening of the serpentine road with hair pin bands in it self is an adventure. The panoramic view is unmatchable and a life time experience.

Loch and Glen's of Scotland. As teenagers when I had read English poetry two words that often occurred were Loch and Glen. Today the second day in Scotland in Glasgow saw us visit many Loches and Glen's. Loch is the Scottish word for a piece of sea or a water body that is land locked and Glen is the deep valleys amidst mountains. Today we saw many of these. As we moved towards the Highlands with many Scottish mountains and the green panorama the first stop was at Loch Lomond.

The Indian Parliament

 Thanks to a very well connected friend working in the Parliament, I could finally visit the parliament. There is a lot of security which is understandable and so no mobiles, phones etc are allowed but being with this friend, we had the privilege of having our pictures clicked, going around the building, admiring it and the well laid gardens and meeting various people working there. We also stood in front of the plaque that had the names of martyrs who laid their lives while protecting the Parliament. We could see the bullet marks etched on stone walls. Finally we reached the Lok Sabha and took our seats to watch the proceedings. The session started and slowly our Ministers and other dignitaries came in. Saw Owasi, Mulaayam Singh Akilesh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sashi Taroor. Jayram Ramesh, Ravi Shankar,Nirmal Sitharaman, Harsimrat Kaur Badal,Kiran Rijihu and other whom I did not recognise. Mr. Modi and Amit Shah did not attend the session much to my disappointment for would have loved to see them also along with the other dignitaries whom I have never met in person. When Mr. Om Birla, the speaker came and sat in his chair the opposition as if in a pre planned move all rushed to the well and a lot of shouting and commotion took place. They had banners of Shah Resign, Amit Shah shame, shame, Amit Shah go back and what not. I found it strange that Rahul, Sonia, Mulayam, Owasi did not waste their energy shouting and all the others whom I did not recognise did all the shouting and screaming. A lot of paper was torn and thrown while all thesse other leaders sat with a stoic face. I felt bad for the lady who sat below the speaker's chair and pitied her for the noise pollution that she had to deal with and go through. It became unbearable after twenty minutes for the shouting and slogan raising continued and few bills were passed with the, BJP members presenting their case. I just could not bear this din any longer and we came out and had lunch at the beautiful canteen for MLA's where even the crockery had a symbol of the Parliament engraved in it. The Lok Sabha was meanwhile adjourned. When we finished lunch and went in again it began but the same drama continued and the session was adjourned once again. I thought to my self we teach children in school and Colleges to maintain discipline and behave but the highest body of the country does not follow any decorum for protest and goes with the issue of just blocking the proceedings.I imagined the cost to the exchequer, the public money being blown in the name of democratic rights and what not. The whole scene looked like an unruly class which I had never encountered in my life but saw it in few movies. We went around a little bit more,saw the library, the publishing section, the various rooms alloted to MP's. Though one has watched the proceeding often on Television, a live experience is a very different experience. A very fruitful day and indeed a very high powered visit to the capital as I leave Delhi to return home.

Rashtrapati Bhawan and The Mughal Gardens

 A visit to the Presidential palace our own Rashtrapati Bhawan and the Mughal gardens. A very amazing day visiting the building designed by Edwin Lutyen, it's huge entrance, the pillared columns and the huge darbar Hall and the Ashoka Hall. Also saw the dinning room where the dignitaries including Trump recently are served dinners. A beautiful museum of Old carpets adorns it and one can see the dress of the first Lady after independence in gold and silver thread work. The Mughal garden is a feast to the eye . Spread over fifteen acres it combines the Mughal and the English horticulture tradition. While one can witness the terraced steps, the fountains reminding one of Agra and Kashmir garden laid down by the Mughals.It also has huge lawns and beds of flowers in the English style. A variety of roses, tulips of different colours and hues adorn it. The roses of different colours are soothing to the eye. The one which caught my fancy is called ice berg and is pure white. The round garden adjoining it is a beauty. Indeed a beautiful day spent in admiring the Rashtrapati bhawan and it's environment.

Endowment lecture at South Indian History Congress and Pichavaram.

 

I was invited by South Indian History Congress, on 31^st January, 2020.to deliver the   Endowment Lecture: Prof. Peddarapu Chenna Reddy & Dr. Subhashiniin the  40^th Session being held at the University of AnnaMalai. My endowment kecture was on, ,  Rethinking Women’s history and women in the margins.  It was such a great joy to see my earlier studetn of the 1990's now a Professor in the department of History. After the  address we  found time to go to Pichavaram Mangrove near Chidambaram along with two of my students Jeevanandam and Rizwan. Spread over one thousand one hundred kilo meters this mangrove joing the Bay of Bengal and has a large variety of flaura and fauna. This is regarded as one of the largest forest mangroves along with Sunderban. One could see few species of birds too. Many films are shot in these mangroves. It is a beautiful experience, boating under the mangroves, ducking your head often to avoid hitting it with the overgrowth and the thick sticks growing downwards, the cool breeze blowing into your face and the vast and enormous panoramic view of the sea. We found a very interesting boatman who gave us a lot of history of the place and told us about the films being shot here.