Majbhita Village (Azamgarh District ), UTTAR PRADESH :
The coin has an image of Lord Ram, Sita and Hanuman inscribed on it and its value is said to be several lakhs of rupees.
Syed Mohd Islam, a Muslim man living in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district, has decided to gift an ancient coin made of ‘ashtadhatu’ (eight metal alloy) for the Ram temple construction in Ayodhya.
The coin has an image of Lord Ram, Sita and Hanuman inscribed on it and its value is said to be several lakhs of rupees.
According to Syed Mohd Islam, who lives in the Sitaram locality, he has found the coin while he was reconstructing his ancestral home in the village.
“On November 30, 2019, when the plinth of the house was being dug, we found these two coins. I decided to gift them for the temple construction. I will soon be going to Ayodhya and will hand over the coin to Mahant Nritya Gopal Das who is the chairman of the Ram Teerth Kshetra Trust that will construct the Ram temple,” Syed Mohd Islam said.
However, recently, when he went out for some work, his wife Kaneeza Fatima went to a local jeweller and sold off one coin for Rs 3 lakhs.
Syed Mohd Islam further said that he will request the Mahant to sell the coin and use the amount in construction of the temple.
Syed Mohd Islam hopes that his contribution to the construction will encourage other Muslims to make similar contributions and present a perfect example of communal harmony.
source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> News> India / by Indo-Asian News Service, Azamgarh / March 07th, 2020
In ‘Understanding Mughal India’, Meena Bhargava writes about how Aurangzeb patronised several Hindu institutions & was supported in the war of succession by Rajputs.
A portrait of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb | Photo: collections.vam.ac.uk/
That Aurangzeb’s orthodoxy and his dedication to his beliefs was personal rather than a matter for political interference is evident in his reactions and responses during the war of succession of 1658, a quadrangular conflict between Dara, Shuja, Aurangzeb, and Murad. Throughout the struggle, Aurangzeb was concerned about Dara’s political manoeuvres. Their individual feelings and religious outlook—which stood in sharp contrast—remained confined to the personal level. Aurangzeb referred to Dara as mushrik (heretic) while Dara called Aurangzeb kotah pyjama (narrow pants), a symbolic attribute of orthodoxy. Both attempted to rally public opinion, but never on religious grounds. In fact, the support that largely came for Aurangzeb was from the Rajputs, notably Rana Raj Singh of Mewar, Raja Jai Singh Kachwaha of Amber, and later, Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Marwar. In this context may be related an interesting nishan that Aurangzeb sent to Rana Raj Singh of Mewar, condemning such kings who practised intolerance that could become the cause of dispute, conflict, and harm to the people, and could ‘devastate the prosperous creations of God and destroy the foundations of the God-created fabric’. Such attitudes of kings, Aurangzeb ordained, deserve ‘to be rejected and cast off’. This document from the Udaipur records is a clear revelation of what Aurangzeb intended as his public policy. It further confirmed that Aurangzeb, in the struggle for succession, did not raise the cry of jihad or Islam in danger, nor did he promulgate a new religious policy contrary to that of his predecessors; neither did Dara claim to be the champion of liberal forces. The issue was not religious or ideological, or whether orthodoxy would triumph or liberalism. It was a question of personal vested interest, political in nature but free from religious connotations, that is: Who would be the emperor of India, Dara or Aurangzeb? It is in such a context that Aurangzeb deserves to be assessed.
Debating Aurangzeb’s leanings—religious orthodoxy or political pragmatism—one needs to ask: Did Aurangzeb really intend, as Jadunath Sarkar suggested, the establishment of dar-ul-Islam or a truly Islamic State in India, the conversion of the entire population to Islam, and the annihilation of dissenters? Or, as Ishtiyaq Husain Qureshi argued, was it rigid adherence to the shari’a and undoing the damage caused by Akbar; or the triumph of Muslim theology, as Shri Ram Sharma asserted? If this was really the case, then the emperor’s personal valour, military skills, and single-minded commitment to achieving territorial expansion and consolidation would stand negated. The biased ideological portrayal of the emperor, regardless of historical accuracy, makes it difficult to explain the increase in the number of Rajput mansabdars in Aurangzeb’s administration as compared to Akbar’s period, and their rise from 24 per cent under Shahjahan to 33 per cent in 1689. Nor can Raghunath Ray Kayastha’s dominance as diwan-i kul be understood rationally. Raghunath Ray not only supported Aurangzeb but also participated in several expeditions of the period. Aurangzeb honoured him with the title of Raja and when Raghunath Ray died in 1664, the emperor, in his obituary written in Ruqa’at-i Alamgiri, remembered him as the greatest administrator he had ever known.
There are well-documented evidences of Aurangzeb’s patronage of various Hindu religious institutions, namely temples, maths, grants to Brahmins and pujaris:
Land grants were renewed to the temples at Mathura, Banaras, Gaya, Gauhati, and others, while the emperor is known to have donated ghee for the navadeep in a few temples, including the Mahabateshwar temple at Agra;
Gifts were offered to the Sikh gurudwara at Dehradun;
Madad-i ma’ash grants, as listed in the Rajasthan documents, were continued to a math of Nathpanthi yogis in pargana Didwana, sarkar Nagor;
Grants were also made to Ganesh Bharti faqir and his successors in pargana Siwana with the instructions that the faqir should not be disturbed so he could ‘pray for this sultanat’.
The Vrindavan document of 1704 referred to a parwana which sanctioned the rights of Chaitanya gosains who had founded Vrindavan and established pilgrimages in Braj Bhumi, and recognised the right of Brajanand Gosain to receive a fee from the followers of the sect on account of kharj sadir o warid, that is, expenses on guests and travellers from each village. In effect, it was a government levy for the benefit of Brajanand Gosain and his Vaishnavite followers.
From the above description, Aurangzeb’s patronage to temples appears without doubt. And yet some temples were attacked, while others were spared. This aberration in the emperor’s attitude can be explained by only one rationale: it was not iconoclasm, but reprisal for rebellion or political misconduct or disloyalty to the emperor. This exposition can be applied to understand the attack on the Vishwanath temple at Kashi, the Keshav Dev temple at Mathura, and several prominent temples in Rajasthan. In 1669, during a zamindar revolt in Banaras, it was suspected that some of them had assisted Shivaji in his escape from imperial detention. It was also believed that Shivaji’s escape was initially facilitated by Jai Singh, the great-grandson of Raja Man Singh, who had built the Vishwanath temple. It was against this background that Aurangzeb ordered the destruction of that temple in September 1669.
Around the same time, in a Jat rebellion that had erupted in the neighbouring regions of Mathura, a patron of the local congregational mosque was killed, leading to Aurangzeb’s order in 1670 to attack the Keshav Dev temple at Mathura. Temples in Marwar and Mewar were also attacked following the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh to reprimand and crush the Rathor rebellion and the development of a Sisodia– Rathor alliance. These included temples in Khandela patronised by rebel chieftains; temples in Jodhpur maintained by a former supporter of Dara Shukoh; and the royal temples in Udaipur and Chittor patronised by Rana Raj Singh after the Rana entered into an alliance with the Rathors that signalled the withdrawal of loyalty to the Mughal State. It may be observed that the Rathor rebellion was not a reaction or a protest against the re-imposition of jizya. Instead, this re-imposition, as Abu’l Fazl Ma’muri observed in the context of the suppression of the Satnami revolt and prior to the emperor’s expedition to Ajmer, was meant for ‘the affliction of the rebellious unbelievers’.
This excerpt from Understanding Mughal India: Sixteenth to Eighteenth Centuries by Meena Bhargava has been published with permission from Orient BlackSwan.
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> Page Turner> Book Excerpts / by Meena Bhargava / February 19th, 2020
India’s history in currency is the subject of Rezwan Razack’s Museum of Indian Paper Money
Back in timeThe concept of money has existed since almost the beginning of civilization, says Razack / bhagyaprakash k
India’s history in currency is the subject of Rezwan Razack’s Museum of Indian Paper Money
Hailed as the largest collector of Indian currency, Rezwan Razack has opened South India’s first currency museum in Bengaluru. “I am so happy that the former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, C. Rangarajan inaugurated the museum,” says Razack.
Razack, co-founder and joint MD of Prestige Group, is the Chairman of the International Bank Note Society, India Banknote Collectors’ Chapter, and is recognised for his contribution to the advancement of numismatic knowledge. Razack, who built his collection over 50 years with exhaustive research, enjoys sharing his knowledge with students and encourages budding collectors to promote numismatics as a hobby.
He has co-authored The Revised Standard Reference Guide to Indian Paper Money in 2012, and in 2017 wrote One Rupee One Hundred Years 1917-2017 to mark the centenary of the issuance of the one rupee note. “Rezwan Razack’s Museum of Indian Paper Money will not only be the first of its kind in India, but also the world,” says Razack.
The museum at Prestige Falcon Towers on Bruntun Road, has trained guides to take visitors through the history of currency in India. “The story of money is woven into our very being, uniting us, dividing us, giving us a sense of identity and mapping people or the nation’s power, crises and triumphs. I consider it a comprehensive restoration and preservation of an important national heritage. It is also something that numismatists worldwide will benefit from.”
The initiative, he says, is to help educate, inform and entertain. “The rupee is one thing that is ever present in our lives but never seen as a source of history, information and national pride. I hope visitors understand, enjoy and value this museum of our collective economic heritage.”
The museum displays a diverse collection of Indian paper money and the related material drawn from the Indian subcontinent. “While the concept of money has existed since almost the beginning of civilization, the invention of paper currency is more recent,” says Razack. From the early barter systems and the use of coins as currency, the museum introduces the visitor to paper currency, its origins and its use.
Apart from its selection of banknotes dating back to the early 1800s, an auxiliary collection has also been put together to explain the inspirations and techniques of making paper currency. While original hand-painted essays, patterns, proofs, trials, specimen notes, autographed notes and a rare Star of India Medal demonstrate fascinating aspects of money, meticulously sourced cheques, stamp papers relating to Indian paper money, booklets and banknotes help decode the world of money.
“This museum has been planned meticulously over three years to conform to international standards of lighting and climate control,” says Razack, adding that people don’t often retain paper money “ My visits to cut-note dealers in Chickpet and in Fort Bombay gradually increased my collection,” he says, acknowledging that his persistence paid off.
Razack says his collection includes the oldest surviving note from 1812 of Bank of Bengal right up to the notes of 2017 of all denominations. The rare ones are the early Presidency Banknotes of Bank of Hindostan, Bank of Bengal, Commercial Bank, Calcutta Bank, Bank of Bombay, Bank of Western India, Asiatic Bank and Bank of Madras; British India’s Portrait Notes of Queen Victoria, Portrait Notes of King George V and King George VI; and Indian Notes used in Burma and Pakistan; Notes of Indo-Portuguese and Indo-French Territories and Indian Notes since Independence, also used by Haj Pilgrims and in Persian Gulf States.
There is also a lot of importance behind his book dedicated to the One Rupee note. The first One Rupee Note in India was issued on November 30, 1917. “To celebrate 100 years of the one rupee note in India, my book focusses on the origin and journey of the smallest existing denomination through the century, while examining its genesis. As the general population in India were unacquainted with paper notes until 1917, one of the methods adopted to increase the popularity of the one rupee note was to print a picture of the silver one rupee coin on both sides of the note.”
At Prestige Falcon Towers, 19 Brunton Road, Bengaluru; 10-30 a.m. to 5-30 p.m.; closed on Mondays and public holidays;entry Rs. 100
While the concept of money has existed since almost the beginnings of civilization, the invention of paper currency is more recent
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Ranjani Govind / February 17th, 2020
Dr Adfer Rashid Shah of Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women’s Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), has received George Greenia Research Fellowship of USA to study Amarnath Yatra.
Dr Adfer Rashid Shah of Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women’s Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has been awarded with George Greenia Research Fellowship in Pilgrimage Studies from USA’s William & Mary University for a qualitative study of Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir Valley.
The fellowship by George Greenia, the second-oldest university in the US after Harvard, provides funding for faculty to support original scholarship on pilgrimage.
Dr Shah’s project titled, ‘Understanding a Perpetual Pilgrimage in a Conflict Zone from Stakeholders’ Views and Experiences: A Qualitative Study of Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir Valley‘ has been accepted for the fellowship.
Dr Shah has been researching Muslim Endowments (Auqaf), peacebuilding and pilgrimages in India, especially Amarnath Pilgrimage in Kashmir valley for many years, this fellowship is the recognition of his years of work in this field.
He was chosen for this award during the Annual Symposium hosted by William and Mary’s Institute for Pilgrimage Studies in November this year.
The award also contains a cash prize of one thousand US dollars. Dr Shah also presented a paper (in absentia) titled ‘pilgrimage and peacebuilding in conflict zones: Notes on Amarnath pilgrimage in India’s Kashmir Valley’ in the symposium.
About Dr Adfer Rashid Shah
Dr Shah earned his doctorate in Sociology from JMI in 2015 and has authored three books and about 40 research papers in prestigious journals. He also edits Eurasia Review as Associate Editor and also served Women’s Link Journal as Associate Editor besides writing columns for leading newspapers.
source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> News> Education Today> News / by India Today Web Desk / New Delhi – December 07th, 2019
At the helm of this 300 million pounds (over Rs 28,06,09,18,200 roughly) investment is the Kerala born NRI businessman MA Yusuff Ali.
A night stay at the hotel will cost you over Rs 40,000 and lunch over Rs 10,000 | Photo from Twenty14 Holdings website
Once upon a time in London, United Kingdom the address people would have wanted to avoid might be now the place they might aspire to be in – The Great Scotland Yard Hotel.
Better known as the Old Scotland Yard that served as police headquarters, now is a plush 5-start hotel.
At the helm of this 300 million pounds (over Rs 28,06,09,18,200 roughly) investment is the Kerela born NRI businessman, MA Yusuff Ali of Lulu Group’s hospitality arm, Twenty14 Holdings.
Calling it a “dream come true” to transform world’s most historic addresses, Adeeb Ahamed, the managing director of Twenty14 Holdings said, “This building holds more tales than ever told and our approach has been multi-layered, with emphasis on stories that are unheard, the hotel is a tribute to the intrinsic spirit of London.”
Opened to public from the December 5, it was inaugurated by Nicky Morgan, UK secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport.
Speaking about the “exceptional transformation” that the building has undergone Sir Edward Lister, special advisor to the Prime Minister, said, “It is a place which is right at the heart of the city and the government and the West End of London. It’s just a perfect location for a tourist.”
Event was also attended by the High Commission of India, her excellency Ruchi Ghanshyam amongst other Lords and dignitaries.
It might cost upward of 430 pounds (Rs 40,000 roughly) to stay for a night and 100 pounds (Rs 10,000 roughly) to lunch at the The Great Scotland Yard Hotel that has Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and the West End just round the corner.
Current building at 3-5 Great Scotland Yard has grand five storey Imperial Red brick and stone facade with arched main entrance | Photo from Twenty14 Holdings website
From staff wearing brass hand cuff in their belts to retaining some of the writings on the walls, this dog-friendly hotel endeavours to give its guests an eclectic experience of past and the present.
Shafeena Yousuff Ali, the daughter of Yusuf Ali, the woman behind the art and decor of the hotel said that they have tried to give their guests “a transformational experience that will inspire their souls”.
The operations of the hotel have been handed over to The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.
source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> News> World / by Loveena Tandon / December 06th, 2019
Naqvi made the remarks after signing the bilateral annual Haj 2020 agreement between India and Saudi Arabia with Haj and Umrah Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten.
Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (File photo | PTI)
Jeddah / New Delhi :
India has become the first country to make the entire process for pilgrims going on Haj completely digital, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Sunday after signing the bilateral agreement for next year’s pilgrimage with the Saudi Haj Minister in Jeddah.
An online application, e-visa, Haj mobile app, “e-MASIHA” health facility, “e-luggage pre-tagging” providing all information in India itself regarding accommodation and transportation in Mecca and Madina will be provided to 2 lakh Indian Muslims going for Haj in 2020, he said.
Naqvi made the remarks after signing the bilateral annual Haj 2020 agreement between India and Saudi Arabia with Haj and Umrah Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten.
He said for the first time facilities were provided for digital pre-tagging of pilgrims’ baggage.
This will ensure the Indian pilgrims will get information in India itself about the building and the room allotted to them as well as the transportation details for travel after reaching the airport in Saudi Arabia, Naqvi was quoted as saying in a statement issued from his office.
Even the mobile phone SIM card has been linked to mobile App which will ensure pilgrims immediately get all the latest information regarding Haj in Mecca and Madina on their mobile phones.
This year, a 100-line information centre has been established at the Haj House, Mumbai for providing information regarding the entire Haj process.
A health card is being provided to Indian Haj pilgrims in the country, Naqvi said.
E-MASIHA (E-Medical Assistance System for Indian Pilgrims Abroad), an online system to create and maintain the complete health database of Indian pilgrims along with doctors’ prescriptions, medical treatment as well as medicine disbursal, has been developed to deal with any emergency in Mecca and Madina, Naqvi said.
“Haj Group Organisers (HGOs) have also been connected with 100 per cent digital system which has ensured transparency in their functioning and has also ensured better facilities to Indian Haj pilgrims,” Naqvi said.
“A portal of HGOs http://haj.nic. in/pto/ (Portal for Haj Group Organisers) has been developed which contains all the details of HGOs and their packages,” the minister said.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs has taken effective and successful steps during the last four years to make Haj and other programmes completely digital or online as a part of Digital India campaign of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naqvi said.
Making the entire Haj 2020 process digital has helped in providing better facilities to people going for Haj and ensured transparency by eliminating middlemen, he said.
The minister said the Indian government – in coordination with the Saudi Arabian government, the Indian Consulate and various concerned agencies in Saudi Arabia – was working to ensure safety, better services and medical facilities for the pilgrims during the Haj.
In 2020, a total 2 lakh Indian Muslims will perform Haj that too without any subsidy, he said.
Naqvi said that till November 30, 1.76-lakh haj applications, including 15,000 online applications from Jammu and Kashmir, had been received.
The last date of submission of Haj application is December 5, 2019.
The Saudi Arabian government has always played an active and effective role to ensure safety and better facilities to Indian Haj pilgrims, Naqvi said, adding that it is a part of strengthened bilateral relations between the two countries.
India-Saudi Arabia relations have achieved newer heights under the leadership and guidance of gulf nation’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prime Minister Modi, Naqvi said.
Both the countries share strong cultural, historical, economic and political relations, he said.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s visit to India and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2019 have further strengthened relations between the two countries, the minister said.
Naqvi thanked King Salman for his guidance and active support to make Haj 2019 successful.
Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ausaf Sayeed, Additional Secretary Ministry of Minority Affairs Jan-e-Alam, Consul General Mohd Noor Rehman Sheikh, Haj Committee of India Chairman Nabi Jinna Sheikh, Haj Committee of India CEO M A Khan and other senior officials were present on the occasion.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / by PTI / December 01st, 2019
Rofikul Islam is a professional wildlife guard and much in demand for his amazing knowledge of birds and animals. Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is among his top clients.
Quack! The gander gives away the nest’s position behind an arbour of foliage. Mrs White-Winged Duck responds with a quick quack-quack. Rofikul Islam raises an arm, winks at his team. And they, finger on trigger, behold Assam’s state bird—so elusive and endangered that perhaps only 200 pairs remain in the wild on this planet—with unabashed sideways glances of looky-loos. They go click, click, click. But the light is low; the sun has just yawned out on this island in the Jia Bhoroli, the livewire of Nameri national park straddling Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
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Will he stop prying into Mr and Mrs DUck’s private moments? He won’t.
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Rofikul, a professional wildlife guide with AllIndiaBirdingTours, has prepared well for the sortie. This morning is a long trek—boating, fording, and pushing their trusty legs to their limits. Waking up to a burst of tweets, retweets, pa-chip-chip-pa-tip (sounds like potato chip and dip?), breakfast is hearty in the camp. “By noon, the team logs nearly 80 species of birds,” says Rofikul, a Kaziranga native who turned 30 this November. Growing up near the famous park helped him hone a guide’s primary asset: like telling a Crested Kingfisher from a finch by their calls. Booked through the year, his adventures are on unplumbed land—jungles on the Assam plains, in the Northeast’s hills and snowcapped Sikkimese mountains. His guest list? Long and impressive; includes Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
Back to camp, lunch, another expedition (short; sundown gathers pace), tea/cookies/Maggi, and it’s almost time for dinner around a bonfire. The thatch-and-bamboo cottages, the snug beds wait invitingly. But the guardian owl is on his nightly run. Hoot hoot! Everything screeeeeee-s to a halt.
source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> Magazine> National / by Rituparna Kakoty / November 21st, 2019
The Taj Mahal and 4 other monuments earned Rs 146.05 crore, more than half the total revenue generated by centrally-protected monuments, in 2017-18.
New Delhi:
Fringe Hindu groups and even some BJP leaders may have sought to belittle their significance but official data shows that India’s top five revenue generating monuments were all built by Muslim rulers – the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Qutub Minar, Fatehpur Sikri and Red Fort.
While Qutub Minar was built by rulers of the Delhi Sultanate, the rest were constructed by the Mughals.
These five monuments together earned the government Rs 146.05 crore in 2017-18, according Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) data. This is more than half the total revenue of Rs 271.8 crore generated by all centrally-protected monuments.
The Print
The Taj Mahal, which has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in recent years, with the Supreme Court last month pulling up the ASI for its poor maintenance, continued to be the highest earner at Rs 56.83 crore.
While some politicians sparked a controversy last year by arguing that the Mughal-era monument did not represent Indian culture, the number of visitors to it, both Indian and foreign, only increased since 2016-17.
A total of 64.58 lakh people visited the Taj Mahal in 2017-18 compared to 50.66 lakh in 2016-17.
Last year, the UP tourism department had even omitted the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO world heritage site, from a brochure listing the state’s principal attractions.
With total earnings of Rs 30.55 crore, Agra Fort built by Mughal emperor Akbar, another UNESCO world heritage site, was the second highest revenue generator in the last financial year.
While the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha came second after the Taj Mahal in terms of number of visitors (32.3 lakh), it generated only Rs 10.06 crore as revenue. This, officials said, is because the temple is mostly popular only with Indian tourists, with 32.21 lakh domestic visitors making the trip last year.
While Indian tourists are charged Rs 30 per head as entry fee to world heritage monuments across the country, foreign tourists have to pay Rs 500 each.
“It is impossible to communalise the entire Indian population through the meaningless political venom spewed by politicians,” said historian S. Irfan Habib, explaining the increase in visitors to the Taj.
“No matter what they say about the Taj Mahal and Red Fort, Indians will continue going there,” he added.
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> India> Governanace / by Sanya Dhingra / June 07th, 2018
With a master’s degree in innovation and management from UK, Mohsina’s exceptional work has been showcased in a series of coffee table books.
Mohsina Mirza (HT Photo)
Driven by a passion to excel, this teacher by profession wants to give every child wings to fly high.
Meet Mohsina Mirza, a drone pilot who is motivating millions of children across the country. A pioneer in drone piloting, Mohsina has introduced the concept of aviation and flying technology in schools.
Talking about her interest in the field, she says, “When I completed my BTech-PGDBM from UK, I realised that my interest in robotics and drones has increased manifolds. I knew I wanted to do this in future but as I learnt and explored the subject I realised it was time to pass on the knowledge to kids. I knew the concept will be of interest to many children who have nothing but books on the topic. Practical is equally important as theory and this was my mantra.”
Talking about her choice of an out of the box subject, she says, “I always had this in mind that I would do something different. Being a female, I wanted to bring in more girls along with me. I knew this was not something routine and it would be difficult for me to make people understand its importance. But I also had firm belief that with one right step everything will fall into place.”
“I fail to understand why people stick to conventional and routine in any profession. Why do they shy away or are afraid to explore? I decided to deviate from regular teaching stuff and innovate something interesting and think beyond books,” she remarks.
With a master’s degree in innovation and management from UK, Mohsina’s exceptional work has been showcased in a series of coffee table books – ‘Secret of Mart’, ‘Mausoleum of Boulone Lise’ and ‘The Lat’. At present, her passion for aerial photography is taking most of her time other than training children in the subject.
Speaking about her new venture, she adds, “I launched my new dream venture Techno Kids in collaboration with InveroTech. This is a one-of-its-kind robotics and aviation flying club where children in the age group of 6 to 18 years get exposure to aviation and flying technology. Children are trained to pilot their own self-made flying robots and fixed wings, and become future ready.”
With 10 exclusive flying robots and aircrafts of various sizes, she is teaching skills to countless school-going boys and girls of the city who have interest in technology and robotics. She takes regular classes at La Martiniere College that are open to students of all the schools.
“My classes are for all students irrespective of their school or city. My club provides basic knowledge to students who aspire to take up piloting, engineering and aerial photography as their profession after 10+2,” she says. “We use world class drones, variables and more for practical usage. We also use automated drones for all age groups and segments. In senior techno group, we have everything for aero modelling, scratch building of RC models, glider aircrafts, assembling and flying of different aircraft and remote controlled models. I strive to help children develop and pursue their interest in aerial photography or robotics,” says Mohsina.
Speaking about her love for innovation, she says: “I am excited about my new invention, an air selfie chip, which is set to roll out in a couple of months. I am waiting for little support from some company. With this chip in the phone, you can click selfies by lifting your hand and leaving the phone in the air.”
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> India> Cities> Lucknow / by S. Farah Rizvi , Lucknow, Hindustan Times / April 17th, 2017
Murshidabad, the seat of Mughal power in Bengal, serves up an impressive cuisine
A vegetarian thali; dal bada; bhapa maach; gosht biryani;
Mention Murshidabadi cuisine, and many foodies would look at you wonderingly. A well-kept secret, this district, which in the 18th century was a Mughal seat of power and ruled over undivided Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, can surprise you with its subtle flavours. Executive Chef Syed Mustaque Murshid, a descendant of one of the earliest settlers in the region, introduced some signature dishes from the Murshidabadi platter to the Delhi palate at Zambar, Ambience Mall, Gurugram, during a weeklong Murshidabadi Utsab this month. Tracing his roots to 23 generations, Murshid learnt cooking from his mother.
He says, “Murshidabadi cuisine is one of the oldest cuisines of India. Being a chef from Murshidabad, I want the masses to know more about this and reassert that West Bengal is more than just Bengali cuisine. Food has always been known to break barriers between communities and Murshidabadi cuisine is the best example of how we slowly imbibed the Persian culture and married it with our local flavours to come up with something delectable.”
Murshidabadi cuisine is often known as a lighter version of the rich Mughal food and like any Mughal dish, it involves the trademark slow preparation, grounding of the masalas on a sil-batta, etc. It emerged at a time when ‘Mughaliya’ cuisine—or the food that the Mughals brought with them to India—was merging with different Indian tastes and giving birth to newer cuisines. The popular Awadhi and Hyderabadi cuisine were born during this period, as were the cuisines of Rampur, old Delhi, and of course, Murshidabad.
The influence is quite apparent in dishes such as the dalchini gosht (mutton flavoured only with cinnamon), boti seekh kebab, and of course, the trademark biryani—which is actually a poorer version of its richer Mughal cousin. The biryani comes with equal portions of mutton and potatoes and is more rustic in its use of masalas, unlike the subtle aroma of the Mughal version. The tikiyas that come in a variety of kinds—from prawns, to mutton to beetroot—are a firmer version of the typical succulent Mughal kebabs. Unlike its Mughal counterpart, the most sought-after qormas in Murshidabad are vegetarian—the aloo qorma and yam qorma.
The cuisine also boasts a fair amount of Bengali influence. There is the very traditional shukto (a milky mix of vegetables tempered with paanch phoron), albeit with fried nuts and sans the bitters. There is also the bhapa maach (a steamed fish with curd, mustard and coconut). A very subtle dish, Murshid’s version was truly magnificent.
Vineet Manocha, Senior Vice President, Culinary, Lite Bite Foods Pvt Ltd, shares, “At Zambar, we strive to offer local flavours from different regions of India. Murshidabadi Utsab was in line with our philosophy to promote regional cuisines and we received encouraging response from food enthusiasts in the city.” This amazing cuisine also includes tok murgi (a sour chicken curry), savoury rice pancakes, and of course, a host of posto or poppy dishes in keeping with its similarities with the Bengali cuisine.
In fact, they also boast a posto halwa, which is often a crowd-pleaser. Unfortunately, it was not something our palate took to positively when we tasted it. Too sweet, it still retained its distinct ground flavour which goes well with savoury items. But the zarda pulao (sweet pulao) more than made up for the halwa.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Lifestyle> Food / by Medha Dutta Yadav / Express News Service / October 24th, 2019
