Postcards from far away

Delhi at its center: Connaught Place

Connaught Place, Edwin Lutyen’s work of architecture, was completed in 1933. It has since then changed many faces, but it houses some of the old time buildings and businesses which have survived the rise and fall of the British. Let’s take you through some of those by-lanes in the history of Delhi.

This is where it all started… ‘Keventers- Ends the quest for the best’

Keventers, 1925 (Courtesy: Keventer's archives)

Our very own go-to place for a refreshing bottle of milkshake has been flourishing for about a century now. It was set up by Edward Keventers in 1920s, with its first factory in Chanakyapuri, and later taken over by Ram Krishna Dalmia in 1940s.

With other outlets opening up in Saket and DLF Promenade, the one bustling in A-block corner has to be one’s favourite.

While at Keventer's, it is hard to miss Wenger’s on its side. One of the most popular bakery and restaurant among British bureaucrats, foreign diplomats and Indian royalty until Independence was designed in 1926 by British architect Sir Robert Tor Russell.

Wenger’s, 1930 (Courtesy: Atul Tandon)

It was built across a vast stretch of A-block with a ballroom, restaurant and café on the first floor.

Wenger’s, 1930 (Courtesy: Atul Tandon)

In 1945, the Swiss owners of the place sold it to B.M. Tandon. Since then, although it has shrunk to a small shop, the place is hustling with people at all times.

Surviving the decades old legacy, commercial movie theaters, built in 1930s, mustered large crowds, and were considered cultural hubs by the elite.

Odeon cinema, 1950s (Source: unknown)

Plaza cinema, 1952 (Source: Jaspal Sawhney)

Regal cinema, 1980s (Source: unknown)

Before Bollywood films began to be showcased, these theaters ran silent films, organized Russian ballets and Urdu Plays, and were frequented by the aristocrats till before Independence. With many restaurants and cafes opening up around these halls it has started to attract people from all walks of life.

And this is Delhi (or rather CP) through the years...

(Written by Gurkiran Shahi)

Saaraansh

sMother Nature

Composed by Tenzing Topzer Bhutia

It's scorching here, some of these Lords in here

Should realize the cost and what's important here

Understand there are resources we're exhausting here

Don't wait until it's too late

Panic-stricken, I'm two-faced

I'm screaming Green week, Earth day, 

But as I speak righteous today, do I care?

Putting everything aside, do I even practice what I say?

No

But I guess admitting is the first step to rectify my mistakes

Tough pill to swallow, my words ring hollow and I swear

These broken promises live anonymous,

Now the air we breathe is poisonous

The food we eat is hazardous, 

Diseases delivered through aqueducts

What can I say that hasn't been said yet?

Go poetic on your beauty and then leave you for dead?

No

Sorry dear Mother, for all the abuse you've endured

These past few decades have left you impure, in need of cure and so much more

We've used you, abused you

Selfish intents and self-serving needs that felt crucial

When our own existence is at stake, we can't afford to stay neutral

Wake up dear friends, Mother Earth needs you!

We owe a debt to the the generations that are yet to take a step

Here, this world's not ours to take, it's ours to protect

UNESCO Photo Contest 2016

Win a chance to get your photo displayed at UNESCO New Delhi office’s new premises

1. The contest is open to nationals of the six UNESCO Cluster countries, namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

• Photographs must be submitted under the chosen category(s), with your name and residing country along with a short description of the photo in not more than 30 words. Please mail your entries to: unescondlphotos@gmail.com
• To participate for the special prize for the most popular photo on social media:
• Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/unesconewdelhi/ or follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/UNESCO_NDL. Upload your photo on Facebook or twitter with the hashtag #Science4Sustainability #UNESCONewDelhi. Please make sure that the post is public. The photo with maximum likes and shares either on Facebook or with maximum retweets on twitter shall win this prize.

2. Last date for receiving the entries is 31 August 2016. Entries must be submitted in jpeg format, minimum resolution 300 dpi and maximum file size 5MB. Entrants should retain high-resolution files of their submissions. In the event your submission is shortlisted, you will be asked to submit the original highresolution image.

Contest Themes: 

Five thematic categories are open for photographic submissions:

• Science in everyday life
• Science for Peace and Development
• Biodiversity, Natural Heritage and Wildlife
• Water and Life
• Climate Change

Submit your entries and get a chance to win:

• 1st Prize – US$ 500
• 2nd Prize – US$ 300
• 3rd Prize – US$ 200
• Special Prize – US$ 200 for the most popular photo on social media

The four winning entries will have the honour of being displayed at the UNESCO New Delhi office’s new premises in the diplomatic area, New Delhi.

Photographers will retain all copyrights to their images. By submitting their entries, the Entrants accept that these entries may be used by UNESCO as part of its communication tools.

Entrants must possess the exclusive rights to entries and are responsible for having obtained any necessary permission from the subjects shown on the entries, in accordance with applicable law.

Contest Ends On – 31 August 2016

For more information click here or log on to http://bit.ly/29iWNGB.

So hurry up, submit your entry now to get your photo displayed at UNESCO New Delhi office premises and to win exciting prizes :)

HERITAGE BYTES: Dilli and the Tale of the Two Pillars



Iron Pillar and Qutb Minar

Though the Iron Pillar and Qutub Minar are located around 15-20 meters apart, in terms of history, they cover a time of around 900 years. Between them, and the site they cover, they narrate the tale of transition from Rajput kingdoms to the Delhi Sultanate and also emergence of Delhi as a capital city.

 

The inscription on the Iron Pillar (belonging to 4th century CE) valorizes the achievements of Chandra II identified as Chandragupta II of the Gupta dynasty. This rust-free metallurgical marvel is also associated with the tale of Dilli. According to a popular legend, one Brahman told the Tomar king Ananagapala that the Pillar rested on serpent king Vasuki’s hood and was immoveable. Further, his rule would last as long as the Pillar stood firm. Out of curiosity, the king got the Pillar dug out only to find the base smeared with Vasuki’s blood. He tried hard to fix the Pillar.

However, even after several attempts, the Pillar remained loose (Dhili, in Hindi). The name of the capital ‘Delhi’ is often traced to this lore about the ‘dhili’ pillar. The Tomars soon lost the kingdom to the Chauhans who in turn lost it to the Turks. Qutubuddin Aibek, the slave general of victorious Muhammad Ghori built the capital city of Delhi in the heart of the former Rajput stronghold called the Lal Kot and Rai Pithora. The temple complex gave way to the ‘Quwwat-al Islam’ Mosque and a part of the Minar. The sky-scape of North India also changed with domes, minars, and arches replacing the flat-roofed or pyramid-shaped tops of the building structures. 

Known as ‘Qutb Saab ki Lath’ (the staff of Bakhtiyar Kaki, the Sufi saint respected hugely by Sultan Iltutmish who built the subsequent storeys), the Minar was popularly believed to connect the earth to the heaven. More importantly, it served as an imposing visual reminder to the advent of the new Sultanate and Islamic supremacy. 

Delhi never looked back after this and though the seats of power kept on changing within the city, it continued to remain the capital city. 

The two Pillars still stand tall talking to each other and to the visitors about the glorious and not-so-glorious times they have seen.

Written by Dr. Shashank Sekhar Sinha