Monthly Archives: June 2018

The Nizams’ lost wheels

June 30, 2018Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Transport, Travel & Tourism, World OpinionAutomobiles of the Nizams' - Author - Muhammad Luqman - Publisher - Oxford Printing Press, Book - Automobiles of the Nizams', Muhammad Luqman, Nizam Mukarram Jah, Nizam Mukarram Jah Bahadur, Prince Azmet Jah, Seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, Seventh Nizam-Mir Osman Ali Khan, Sixth Nizam of Hyderabad - Mahboob Ali Khan, Sixth Nizam of Hyderabad-Mahboob Ali Pashampositiveone@gmail.com

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

From missing White Steams to a recently found Duesenberg, a new coffee-table book — Automobiles of the Nizams — looks at the Hyderabad royal house’s expansive car collection

Once upon a time, Duesenbergs, Napiers, Rolls-Royces, White Steams and Hispano-Suizas were the playthings of the Nizams, the ruling family of Hyderabad. Then they disappeared. “There were 400 of them; I’ve been able to trace around 50. The others remain missing, scrapped, hidden or in private collections,” says Muhammad Luqman, a Hyderabad-born, Dubai-based banker and vintage car collector who has chronicled the royal wheels in his book, Automobiles of the Nizams. Containing never-before-seen photos, the tome tracks significant cars from production lines to palatial palaces. It is set to be released at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in California in August.

As we walk around the Chowmahalla Palace over the weekend — where some of these cars ferried the sixth Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan (1869-1911), and later his son, Mir Osman Ali Khan (1911-1948) — Luqman spins a fascinating yarn about the wealthy monarchs’ love affair with automobiles. The first to catch the motoring craze, he says, was Mahbub Ali. The story goes that to acquire one of the first Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts, he roped in the services of the British Resident (an appointee of the British government), shelled out ₹25,000, and then got it modified to his taste. Painted yellow, as a sign of royalty, he ordered a crest shaped like the dastaar (traditional headgear) and metal work with a delicate lily pattern for the roof fringe. However, by the time the customisation on the Throne Car was completed, he passed away.

The Ghost chronicles

Last year, at Cartier’s Concours d’Elegance at Falaknuma Palace, his great-grandson, Prince Azmet Jah, sat in the Silver Ghost and reminisced about being driven around in Hyderabad. “This was a ceremonial car used on special occasions. The prince recalled how, to celebrate the golden jubilee of Osman Ali’s ascension in 1936, the courtiers wanted him to get a new car. But the Nizam, known for being frugal, asked the Railways (he had his own railway network) to spiff it up instead. They did so by adding horrible fenders,” says the author, who relied on the archival material at Chowmahalla Palace’s royal library for much of his research. “After being left to the elements, it was restored by Rana Manvendra Singh (one of the country’s foremost authorities on vintage vehicles) in 2012, with Cartier picking up the tab.” As we talk, I also spot a massive, newly-restored Wolesley beside the shiny Silver Ghost.

While the sixth Nizam bought cars in pairs and preferred the ultra-luxe versions, his son picked the simpler Humbers and Fords. Today, one of the 1933 Dodges used by Osman Ali is taken out for a spin every Sunday by Captain Kerman Pestonjee, a Hyderabad-based collector, who acquired it with a unique number plate: King Koti Hyd A. So does Luqman’s book overlap with Singh’s 2003 compendium, The Automobiles of the Maharajas, a sweeping history of Indian royalty and their tryst with cars? No, he replies, because his work is a micro history, with details about the vehicles and anecdotes about how the Nizams acquired them. “It has been my obsession for the past 30 years; this book is a culmination of the love story,” says Luqman, who houses his collection of 12 vintage cars, including a small 8 HP post-war Wolseley, in Hyderabad.

Disappearing act

One of the cars he has been able to trace is a Bentley. When Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited in the ’50s, he was photographed in the vehicle with the Hyderabad number plate intact. Nizam Mukarram Jah had also used it extensively and once, in the ’60s, crashed it near Visakhapatnam — into a cart carrying coconuts. “The glass was smashed, the radiator twisted out of shape, but the Nizam continued with his programme and went to Calcutta. When he relocated to Perth, he took the Bentley with him. I traced it to a collector there,” says the writer, who also traced a Duesenberg to General William Lyon’s collection in the US.

But the mystery of the missing 350 cars remains. How do large automobiles just disappear? Luqman explains that after the 1948 merger with India, Hyderabad’s royal family simply lost interest in the vehicles — till Nizam Mukarram Jah Bahadur, an outdoorsman who loved tinkering with engines, took charge. His biographer, John Zubrzycki, talks about Jah’s fascination with everything with wheels, including earth movers and heavy machinery. “One of the Jeeps he had, had mounted guns,” he says. An interesting story that could explain a few of the disappearances, involves an electrician. “About 10 years back, the family wanted to install an AC at their Chiran Palace. Once done, a grateful Nizam asked the technician for the fee. ‘I want that Jeep,’ he replied, and the generous prince obliged. Now the Jeep, with the 8386 number, has passed on to another Hyderabadi family,” concludes Luqman, who hopes that more stories about the Nizams and their cars will come out once his book hits the market.

Automobiles of the Nizams, planned as the first of a multi-volume series, is published by Oxford Printing Press.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Luxury / by Serish Nanisetti / June 29th, 2018

West Bengal Government Seeks GI Tag For Kohitur Mango

June 30, 2018Business & Economy, Green Products, World OpinionAshabul Mondol - Mango Grower - West Bengal, Hakeem Ada Mohammadi, Kohitur Mango, Kohitur Mangoes, Last Nawab of Bengal, Nawab Siraj-Ud-Daula, Nawab Siraj-Ud-Daula - The Last Nawab of Bengalmpositiveone@gmail.com

WEST BENGAL :

The precious mango, so delicate that each piece has to be carefully plucked by hand and swathed in cotton, was developed in the late 18th century by the last nawab of Bengal.

New Delhi :

The West Bengal government is pushing for a GI tag for the Kohitur mango, arguably the most prized variety among the king of fruits that was ‘created’ during the reign of nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah strictly for royals only and now sells for up to Rs. 1,500 a piece.

The precious mango, so delicate that each piece has to be carefully plucked by hand and swathed in cotton, was developed in the late 18th century by the last nawab of Bengal. The mango was out of bounds for commoners with only royal orchards permitted to grow it, and only royals allowed to relish it.

Still out of reach for most, except for modern-day royals who have the means to spend, the the West Bengal government is trying to save and popularise the Murshidabad nawab’s favourite fruit all over the world and get a geographical indication (GI) tag.

“Kohitur is an exclusive variety from West Bengal. It can be only found in Murshidabad. At one time, there were 148 varieties in this district but now only 42 varieties are left. We are trying to save this variety. We have now applied for GI tag for Kohitur. Hopefully we will get it,” Gautam Roy, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Murshidabad told PTI.

The GI tag ensures that only those registered as authorised users are allowed to use the product name.

The rare and costly mango is presently on display and sold as a precious item from the state at the ongoing ‘Mango Festival” by the West Bengal government in the capital’s Janpath area.

“Legend has that, Siraj ud-Daulah, a connoisseur of mangoes, had gathered saplings of the best mangoes from all over the country for his garden in Murshidabad. He had even appointed few of his favourite mango breeders who were treated like Akbar’s Navratnas to do research and cross breed between various mangoes to create new varieties. Kohitur was created at that time and it was his favourite,” Roy stated.

The Kohitur is believed to have been created by a royal mango breeder called Hakim Ada Mohammadi, by cross breeding between a mango called Kalopahar and another variety, Roy said.

Though the Kalopahar, which got its name from its blackish green skin, is now extinct, the Kohitur continues to grow.

But the numbers are dwindling.

According to Kohitur growers, there are only 10 to 15 growers and only 25 to 30 Kohitur trees left in Murshidabad district despite the state government’s efforts to save the mango species.

“The district has more than 200 mango orchards but this variety is found only in a few. Some of these trees are over 150 years old. One tree does not bear more than 40 fruits in a season and the trees don’t bear fruit every year, making Kohitur one of the most sought after mangoes,” said Ashabul Mondol, a mango grower.

“It is an extremely delicate mango. It is not a very commercially viable mango,” he added.

But since each mango is priced at more than Rs. 500, growers tend to earn well.

“Last season we sold each mango at Rs. 1,500 per piece in Kolkata,” Mondol said.

The fruit is so delicate that fully ripe mangoes have to be plucked by hand. They start rotting if they fall from trees or get damaged in handling.

“It is so delicate that these mangoes need to be packed or kept separately wrapped in cotton. Legend has it that the nawabs kept the mangoes dipped in honey to preserve it and increase its shelf-life,” said Roy.

To relish the royal favourite, if you can afford it, eat them the way the royals did.

According to legend, Kohitur was not sliced by metal knives but bamboo knives to get the real flavour and taste. The nawabs would then use golden toothpicks to dig in delicately.

The Union Commerce Ministry has earlier given the GI tag for the Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso mangoes.

source: http://www.ndtv.com / NDTV / Home> Sections> All India / Press Trust of India / June 24th, 2018

Bidar’s officers who became beacons for the entire State

June 29, 2018Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, Travel & TourismP.C. Jaffer, P.C. Jaffer - Deputy Commissioner - Bidarmpositiveone@gmail.com

Bidar, KARNATAKA :

Ordinary people continue to talk about the work of Moudgil, Gupta,Jaffer, Tewari, Singh, and Ghosh even today

Bidar district is fortunate to get good officers known for their out-of-the-box thinking. Munish Moudgil, Harsh Gupta, P.C. Jaffer, Anurag Tewari, Naveen Raj Singh and Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh, to name a few, were not only good administrators leading the bureaucratic apparatus but also people-friendly officers who ordinary folk continue to talk about even many years after they have been transferred.

That many of their unique experiments in the district have grabbed the attention of the political class in Bengaluru who, in turn, adopted them for the entire State considering their effectiveness in improving governance is testimony for their outstanding performance.

When Naveen Raj Singh was Bidar Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) between 2003 and 2005, the district witnessed a successful experiment of watershed development through arch-check-dams. A civil engineering graduate, Mr. Singh studied the pressure enduring logic behind Idukki Dam, a double curvature arch dam constructed across the Periyar in a narrow gorge between two granite hills in Kerala, and built the first-ever inclined-buttress check-dam, as it was called, in Bidar applying the same logic.

Considering the reduction of construction costs by half as compared to conventional check-dams and increased life expectancy to around 100 years, the arch-check-dams proved to be a successful model in watershed development at affordable costs. The experiment impressed the State government which issued standing directions to all district to adopt the Bidar model for building smaller check-dams.

Munish Moudgil, who served as Deputy Commissioner in the district between 2005 and 2007, was the man who not only forced the mighty to respect and adhere to the law of the land but also significantly contributed to improving the administration. An M.Tech graduate from IIT Bombay, Moudgil was the one who first conceived the idea of time-bound public grievance redressal system.

He began to hold Jana Spandana, a people-meeting programme, on Tuesdays to address public grievances and put a mechanism in place to see that every grievance is addressed within a stipulated time.

Then, all the other department heads also followed him. Impressed by the initiative, the government adopted it for the entire State under a new name, Sakala.

Then came Harsh Gupta. During his tenure as Deputy Commissioner between 2007 and 2010, Bidar saw multi-front development. He put men on task to identify and protect 96 little-known monuments of historical importance. It was during his tenure that around 1,100 acres of public land encroached upon by private parties returned to government’s possession. His groundwork is undeniable in the famous Bidriware getting geographical indication (GI) tag as he was the one who roped in Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium to train Bidri artisans and get their work globally recognised.

Education was P.C. Jaffer’s cup of tea. During his tenure as Deputy Commissioner between 2012 and 2015, he introduced a series of programmes for improving the education scenario in the district. He selected one efficient teacher from each one of the 1,350 government primary schools and get them trained in English teaching training. Experts from English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad, with whom he entered into an agreement, trained teachers in two sessions with multimedia teaching tools.

Mr. Jaffer conducted a series of career counselling programmes for spreading awareness on UPSC examinations in the backward district. In one of his important initiatives, he conducted a preliminary test for those aspiring for civil services and selected 12 students — eight males and four females, whom he sent to Delhi for higher-level coaching. Two of them cracked the UPSC exams. His efforts to improve the district’s performance in SSLC and PUC examinations were unlimited.

Anurag Tewari, who succeeded Jaffer as Deputy Commissioner and worked between 2015 and 2017, was Bidar’s waterman. In collaboration with Team YUVA, a civil society group of professionals, he identified hundreds of public tanks and wells that were crying for dredging. The collective efforts paved way for the dredging of 100 tanks and 300 open-wells resulting in increased water storage and groundwater table recharge. In 2016, the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who visited a lake in Aurad, locally known as Deshmukh Kere, which was freshly dredged, was so impressed that he extended the initiative to the entire State under the name of Kere Sanjeevini.

Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh, during his tenure as the CEO of Bidar Zilla Panchayat, put a system in place for ensuring punctuality of teachers in government schools. The system inspired the Education Department to further develop it into an SMS-Based School Attendance Monitoring System and extend it to the entire State.

Anirudh Sravan P. is another promising officer that Bidar could expect the furtherance of the legacy from. Transferred as Deputy Commissioner of the district by Election Commission during the recent Assembly polls, he got recognised as people’s officer within a short period. It is his repeated visits to the district hospital that made it a patient-friendly hospital. Known for his style of working more from the field than from office, he is still talked about in the rural areas of Kalaburagi where he had meaningfully implemented MGNREGA as the CEO of Kalaburagi Zilla Panchayat.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Kumar Buradikatti / Kalaburagi – June 19th, 2018

Brilliant Kannur Youngster Puts Google to Good Use, Becomes Millionaire at 21!

June 28, 2018Business & Economy, NRI's / PIO's, Science & Technology, World OpinionFareeda, Mohammad Jawad TN, TNM Academy - Kannur - Kerala, TNM Jawad, TNM Online Solutionsmpositiveone@gmail.com

Kannur, KERALA :

Today, Jawad is the managing director of TNM Online Solutions, a multi-crore IT establishment that deals with e-commerce, web designing and app development, and has a large clientele base from across the world.

It was a computer gifted to TNM Jawad which overturned his fortune and changed his life for the better. The 21-year-old from Kannur, Kerala, is a millionaire today and owns a company that rakes in an annual income of ₹2 crore. He also owns a house and a BMW car—and all this is thanks to Google!

This is the inspiring story of an enterprising youngster who entered uncharted territory at a very young age and emerged a winner through sheer hard work and trust in his abilities.

Today, Jawad is the managing director of TNM Online Solutions, a multi-crore IT establishment that deals with e-commerce, web designing and app development, and has a large clientele base from across the world.

But let’s go back to where it all began.

All of 10, a young Jawad made every possible use of the computer his father had gifted him along with an internet connection. Interestingly, Jawad’s original name is Mohammad Jawad TN, and it was his father who created his Gmail ID.

“At that point, the user ID with my name wasn’t available, and instead Google came up with the suggestion ‘TNM Jawad’, and the name stuck! When I look back, that instance was the beginning of everything good in my life,” says the 21-year-old to The Better India.

Back then, Orkut and similar social networking sites were the rage, and this always intrigued Jawad. “I was keen to learn about everything—like how websites were created and how they worked and spent most of my after-school hours in the same pursuit. You could say that I was addicted to the computer but in a good way,” he recalls.

He soon learnt the basics of blogging and web design through free website building applications and even made a few blogs on his own. By the time he was a Class 10 student, he had launched a website along with his classmate, Srirag, named jasri.tk.

“Both of us were equally passionate about everything web related, and this was our first outing. However, we couldn’t afford a dot-com domain since we didn’t have any pocket money, so we created the site through a free domain,” Jawad adds.

Even as this went on, Jawad made sure that his studies never suffered. After scoring an ‘A1’ grade in all subjects in his exams, he had a lot of time on his hands and decided to explore the field further. He spent his vacation time understanding how great performing websites were different and what made them better.

By then, Jawad’s interest started becoming more pronounced. Realizing that there was a looming scope for website development, he decided to take the plunge by registering his first domain name—TNM Online Solutions—and running it as a virtual company. He started out by announcing on Facebook about designing a website at prices starting from ₹1,000.

Soon enough, enquiries started pouring in, but he admits to being technically ill-equipped to handle almost 99 percent of the queries that came his way.

“That is when I realised that I lacked strong tech-based skills that are important for website development, and to learn more, I even visited a couple of website design companies in Kannur and saw how they worked,” says Jawad.

When nothing seemed to be working for Jawad, the silver lining came in the form of a teacher from his school (where he was pursuing his higher secondary education) who had seen his Facebook post about website building. “Her brother had been an interior designer and was in need of a website. She came looking for me and requested if I could help, and guaranteed that she would pay the full amount I had quoted,” he recalls.

That was the first website formally developed under TNM Online solutions. “My teacher paid me the first ever remuneration I’d ever received in my life. Until then my folks at home had no clue about the company, so naturally, my mother, Fareeda, was shocked when I handed over an amount of ₹2,500 to her, and I had to explain what had happened,” laughs Jawad.

Somewhere around this time, Jawad’s family started grappling with a severe financial crunch after his father, who had been working in the banking sector in Dubai had to leave his job and return to India.

“Things started going from bad to worse, and I knew there was no time to brood over what had happened. Instead, I raised the subject of starting my own company to my parents and requested my father to somehow source ₹1 lakh for the venture. Knowing my penchant for computers and proclivity for web-based work, they wholeheartedly supported my ambition,” Jawad says.

In the meantime, he had signed up with an IT academy in Kannur, where he spent about a month professionally learning about website building and designing. This became yet another landmark turn in his life, as Jibin and Dinil, two of his teachers at the academy, agreed to work for him as salaried employees.

And thus on 23 June 2013, 17-year-old Jawad flagged off TNM Online Solutions at a small office in South Bazaar. Ably juggling school and work, Jawad would rush from school to office and work till 9:00 p.m., following which he would discuss business with clients till 2:00 a.m.

Jawad’s mother, whom he calls his backbone, was a constant pillar of support throughout his days of struggle.

What makes his commitment even more worthy of appreciation is that he managed to score 85 percent in his higher secondary exams.

However, nothing in life comes devoid of obstacles.

Jawad had been offering designing services at a paltry sum, and this provision wasn’t enough to cover the company expenses that included office rent and employee salaries. Also, business was slow, and the team was only getting 1-2 projects per month. That is when his mother stepped in and offered to pledge her golden bangles for money, as she was against the idea of not paying the employees on time.

After two years of testing times and learning curves, TNM Online solutions had worked with over 100 small-scale clients within Kerala itself. “In this time, I learnt that more than revenue generation, it is one’s portfolio that matters,” he adds.

Jawad cites his participation in the YES Kerala Summit for young entrepreneurs that gave him and his venture the visibility it needed and brought in many new projects, as a landmark achievement in his career.

The young man was always keen on living in his own home because, despite the fact that his father had a well-paid job while he was abroad, his family had always lived in rented houses. At the age of 19, he fulfilled this dream by building a home of his own in Varam.

Today, the 21-year-old works with clients from over 18 countries and has opened an office in Dubai, which has a clientele base of over 900.

The young man with his prized possession.

Another significant trajectory for TNM Online Solutions started when Jawad started incorporating Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for the websites he created, making it much easier for websites to be found during a search.

For his incredible achievements at such a young age, Jawad was recently felicitated in the UAE and bestowed with an award by Dr Ram Buxani.

At present, Jawad is busy with a new initiative. He has started the TNM academy that provides professional training in areas like web designing and digital marketing to youngsters. The academy was recently inaugurated in Kannur and is open for anyone, irrespective of age.

Jawad’s resilience and determination deserve to be admired and recognised, and his story will surely motivate everyone. We wish him great success in life and hope that all his future endeavours are fruitful.

You can look up TNM Online Solutions here.

source: http://www.thebetterindia.com / The Better India / Home> Kerala> Lede> Technology / by Lekshmi Priya S / May 23rd, 2018

Offers to digitise Ali Akbar Khan’s rare recordings start pouring in

June 27, 2018Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World OpinionAlam Khan, Ali Akbar College of Music - California - USA, Ali Akbar Khan, Ali Akbar Khan Library - Kolkata, Padma Bhushan Ali Akbar Khan, Swar Samrat Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Ustad Aashish Khan, Ustad Ali Akbar Khanmpositiveone@gmail.com

Maihar, MADHYA PRADESH / Kolkata, WEST BENGAL / San Alselmo – California, USA :

Kolkata :

A day after Ustad Ali Akbar Khan’s family in Kolkata urged the government to digitise his 100-odd audio cassettes, offers to restore his works started pouring in. On Khan’s ninth death anniversary, TOI had reported about how the rare recordings of the Swar Samrat faced the risk of being lost forever.

On Monday, Raki Sree Eleperuma showed TOI the collection of her grandfather’s recordings of bandishes as well as orchestra pieces. The audio cassettes are currently with Raki’s mother. “They urgently need digitisation. It’s not possible for an individual to professionally treat these tapes with the latest technology to ensure long-time preservation. I hope, the state government offers professional expertise to preserve them properly,” she told TOI.

Immediately after the article was shared on social media by Khan’s disciple Pt Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, the legend’s California-based son responded. “I was so happy to see my guru’s son — Alam Khan – react immediately. He offered to get the recordings digitised at the Ali Akbar Khan library and send over copies if Kolkata chooses to open a museum. He also wanted to discuss this with Raki. Kishore Merchant — an art connoisseur in Mumbai — has also offered to help,” said Majumdar.

National Award-winning producer Sani Ghosh Ray was equally keen to chip in and help in the digitisation process. “These are part of our heritage. I don’t have any idea about the amount of money that is required to digitise them. But I’m ready to do my bit to get the funding for preserving this priceless collection. We just can’t let the recording get destroyed. If required, one can try to get crowdfunding,” he said from Mumbai.

Raki is happy that music connoisseurs are showing this interest in preserving a legacy. “I’m glad. I hope the government comes forward to digitise this collection,” she said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Kolkata News / by Priyanka Dasgupta / TNN / June 20th, 2018

Google doodle celebrates Gauhar Jaan, India’s first recording artist

June 26, 2018Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, World Opinion'Bada' Malka Jaan, Gauhar Jaan, Gauhar Jaan - India's First Muscian to Record on 78 rpm Records, Gauhar Jaan (aka) Angelina Yeoward, India's First Musician to Record on 78 rpm Recordsmpositiveone@gmail.com

Azamgarh, UTTAR PRADESH / Kolkata, WEST BENGAL / Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

Today’s Google doodle features legendary musician and dancer Gauhar Jaan, the first Indian to record music on a 78 rpm record, thus opening up a new avenue for Indian classical music. Gauhar Jaan was born on this day in 1873.

The illustration is by Aditi Damle, showing Gauhar Jaan with her cat, and the gramaphone in the background.

Gauhar Jaan was born Angelina Yeoward to an Armenian Christian father and an Indian Jewish mother. Angelina converted to Islam along with her mother in the 1880s and became Gauhar Jaan. Her mother, ‘Badi’ Malka Jaan, was an accomplished Kathak dancer and singer and was a courtesan in Benaras. Gauhar learned classical music and dance from her mother. The duo moved to Kolkata later, where Gauhar learned more classical forms such as the Patiala gharana, Dhrupad, Thumri, and the Bengali keertan. She started singing songs penned by Rabindranath Tagore much before it came to be known as ‘Rabindra Sangeet.’

Her maiden music concert was when she was as young as 17 years. Gauhar began giving dance performances too after a few years. She went on to perform in many parts of India, including Mysuru, Chennai, Dharbanga, and Allahabad. Gauhar used her travels as an opportunity to learn regional art forms. She could sing in as many as 20 languages.

When Frederick William Gaisberg, the iconic recording engineer from the Gramophone Company, visited India to record Indian music, Gauhar Jaan was the first musician to accept his offer. This was at a time when her male counterparts were reluctant to accept a new technology, which they feared would spoil their voice. On the day of the trial recording, she is believed to have said “My name is Gauhar Jan,” according to Suresh Chandvankar of the Society of Indian Record Collectors.. This eventually became the label of the first Indian album. Gauhar has over 200 records to her credit. In 1994, the Gramophone Company re-released 18 of her songs as a collection.

“Gauhar Jaan was exceptional in more ways than one… she created a template to showcase something as expansive as Hindustani music in just three minutes!” said Vikram Sampath, who wrote her biography ‘My Name Is Gauhar Jaan! The Life and Times of A Musician.’ . Earlier gramaphone records would last only for three minutes and artists had to scream into horns as the acoustic technology was in its nascent stage. Gauhar’s method of recording was adopted by many women singers, which eventually led to more women taking up recording.

In the book, Mr. Sampath has chronicled the life and times of Gauhar, including her lavish lifestyle, her ill-fated relationships, and dwindling health during later years. There is an interesting story about the cat that is featured along with Gauhar in Tuesday’s Doodle. It is said that Gauhar spent ₹20,000 in the early 1900s and threw a party when her cat delivered a litter of kittens, according to historian V. Muthiah. However, she spent her last days as a court musician in the Mysore Maharaja’s palace for a sum of ₹500 per month, before she passed away on January 17, 1930.

Director Ashutosh Gowarikar has bought the movie rights for Mr. Sampath’s book, hoping to bring Gauhar’s life to the silver screen. Gauhar’s life had been enacted as a play directed by Lillete Dubey. Singer Rajeshwari Sachdev played the title role, while Zila Khan played the older Gauhar.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Internet / by K. Deepalakshmi / June 26th, 2018

How a ‘Maths World’ lab in this Dakshina Kannada village school produced cent per cent results

June 24, 2018Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Karnataka (under research project), Science & TechnologyYakub Koyyur, Yakub Koyyur - Maths World Lab, Yakub Koyyur - Maths World Lab - The Government Kannada Medium High School - Nada Village - Dakshina Kannada Districtmpositiveone@gmail.com

Nada Village, Belthangandy Taluk (Dakshina Kannada District) , KARNATAKA :

Yakub Koyyur, assistant teacher in mathematics, at the lab opened by him at Government Kannada Medium High School in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district.

All SSLC students pass the maths paper; their success is being attributed to a laboratory in the school

A government school teacher setting up a laboratory to help students overcome their fear of mathematics four years ago appears to have borne fruit in a Dakshina Kannada village school as all the 43 students who appeared for the mathematics paper in the recently held class 10 exam have passed.

The Government Kannada Medium High School at Nada village in Belthangady taluk had previously recorded cent per cent results in mathematics way back in 2002.

It was Yakub Koyyur, an assistant teacher in mathematics, who opened the laboratory in the school in February 2014. But it was effectively put to use one year later, from the 2015–16 academic year.

It was the first such laboratory opened in a government school in the State. The objective was to make students having less-than-average learning ability score well and at least pass the mathematics paper.

When the first batch of class 10 students who used the laboratory wrote the exam in March 2015, the pass percentage in mathematics went up to 77.35 from 69.38 in 2014. It further rose to 95% in 2016 and witnessed a slight decrease — 94.59% — in 2017. The dream of the teacher to see all class 10 students pass in the subject was achieved this year.

Mr. Koyyur said many students end their education in class 10 for having failed in mathematics as they feel it is tough nut to crack. He, however, wanted to make the students first shed the fear about the necessary evil and pass the SSLC exam.

Before setting up the laboratory, the pass percentage in mathematics in class 10 in the school varied between 62.6 and 86.76 during 2008–13.

All those students who passed in mathematics in class 10 this year had made use of the laboratory since they joined the school for class 8 in 2015–16. “The laboratory inspired the students to shed the fear and also provided a base to understand the concepts of mathematics. Three years of continuous exposure of students to the laboratory could be one of the reasons for all having passed this year,” Mr. Koyyur said. But the pass percentage also depended on the questions asked and the learning ability of students, he added.

In his bright and colourful ‘Maths World’ laboratory, all students from class 8 onwards get hands-on experience through models, audio-visual tools, and charts. The laboratory was opened with a partial government funding of ₹2.5 lakh and ₹13 lakh contributed by the school alumni.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Ravi Prasad Kamila / Mangaluru – June 18th, 2018

‘Beauty is everyone’s concern’

June 23, 2018Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Products, Leaders, World OpinionMirza Hameedullah Beg, Mirza Hameedullah Beg - Chief Justice of India, Nasirullah Beg, Nasirullah Beg - Chief Justice - Allahabad High Court, Samiullah Beg, Samiullah Beg - Chief Justice - Hyderabad High Court, Shahnaz Husainmpositiveone@gmail.com

Hyderabad, TELANGANA / NEW DELHI :

Appetite for knowledge Shahnaz Husain at The Park’s Fire restaurant in New Delhi | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

Shahnaz Husain says quality of food plays a vital role in making a person look attractive.
It is usual to find film stars, sport personalities and politicians surrounded by fans and followers. One did not expect such response for Shahnaz Husain, one of the pioneers of herbal beauty care movement in the country. From the moment she steps into Fire, the multi-cuisine restaurant of The Park for a luncheon interaction, men and women of all age groups douse my cynical mind with their requests for selfies and autographs with the doyenne of cosmetic industry.

Perceiving my surprise, Shahnaz says, “This is the goodwill that I have earned thanks to my profession. For me, money was never primary. It was to help people look good without adverse effects. I’m always keen to help people including strangers whenever I observe a skin or hair problem. I try to suggest what is good for them. Recently, I noticed the girl doing my cardiogram at the doctor’s clinic had a bad case of skin pigmentation. I advised what was best for her.”

Chef Abhishek Basu has specially curated organic seasonal menu for the guest. Shahnaz remarks, “Being conscious about my diet, I am glad about this menu.”

Carving her own niche

Considering that Shahnaz comes from a family of legal luminaries — her grandfather Samiullah Beg served as the Chief Justice of Hyderabad High Court, father Nasirullah Beg was the CJ of Allahabad High Court and uncle Mirza Hameedullah Beg was the CJI — many find it surprising that she decided on cosmetic business as a career. “My father wished me become the Chief Justice of the International Court of Justice in Hague while I teased him that my limited schooling was not enough for that. Having been married at 15 and becoming a mother at 16, I wondered what to do with my life. Not keen on interior decoration or fashion, I decided to opt for cosmetic therapy and cosmetology.”

What she decided, she did with style, studying in eight countries and getting trained in globally reputed institutions like Helena Rubinstein, Swarzkopf, Christine Valmy, Lancome and Lean. “Having dropped out of school, I was hungry for knowledge , till they said, there is nothing else to teach,” she quips. Remarkably, Shahnaz paid the fees for these institutions on her own by writing articles on beauty for magazines and weeklies.

Shahnaz took a major decision when after learning Western techniques and methods she decided to create herbal products based on Ayurveda. She says it happened because of a chance incident. “At Rubinstein, my classmate Catherine used to come with a very beautiful woman whom she made wait outside. Unable to control my curiosity, I found out that the lady was her mother. A well known model, she had gone blind by using a famous eye make-up while advertising for the product. I was completely stunned and wondered that if a cosmetic product led to loss of sight, there is something wrong with the beauty business. Pondering over it, I decided to tap India’s more than 3000-year-old Ayurvedic heritage to find alternatives for the chemicals used in beauty products.” After returning to India, she employed several ayurveda practitioners for the job. “You would be surprised to know that for each formulation we discovered 20 alternatives. Such is the richness of this ancient science.”

Meanwhile, the chef fills the table with healthy options. There is sol kadhi, bael pathar ka sharbat and bhutte ka kees taco. Each finds favour with Shahnaz. “This is the strength of natural ingredients. It not only lends taste and flavour but also provides required nutrients.” As we finish the main course of Thanjavur manga curry, mangodi ki subzi and munsiari rajma masala is served. Shahnaz remarks, “The sheer colour, aroma and presentation makes the dishes so tempting. I will try a little of each.”

As we enjoy the delicacies, Shahnaz observes that while most people think that creams, lotions and treatment makes one look good, it is essentially our food intake that plays a major part. “If possible, people should go vegan, otherwise they must eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables; go high on protein and less on carbohydrates; eat dal and rice after removing the water. These are the mantras for healthy skin and hair.” One couldn’t help observe the hotel staff, listening in rapt attention as did other guests around us.

Strict diet

On being asked if she herself practices what she preaches, Shahnaz says. “I follow my diet rigorously. Breakfast is oats, papaya and green tea. Lunch is usually fruit juice, brown bread, cheese and vegetables while dinner is one roti with subzi.” It must be tough to resist the temptation. “Yes it is,” she admits candidly. “I do have cheat days when I eat Hyderabadi biryani, korma, roast potatoes, kakori kababs, sheer mal and kheer.” Her favourite cuisine is of course South Indian. “Being light and healthy, I prefer idli and dosa with sambar. I learnt this from Vyjayanthimala, who told me that a doctor had advised her to eat these when she wanted to be fit for a particular film.” Likewise, she prefers Chinese cuisine, particularly chicken chowmein, Peking duck and sweet corn soup. “Bahut light hota hai!”

Amazingly dealing with chemicals and their formulations, Shahnaz does not lead from the front in kitchen. “I never had a chance to learn since we always had a cook at home. Once venturing to make rice, I was so confused about the quantity of water and the time required to boil it, that I ended up adding milk and sugar to make kheer,” she quips.

As the doyenne emphasises the need for proper diet for healthy body and mind, one wonders what beauty means to her. “Beauty is what a woman exudes from inside. There are essentially two aspects to it. A woman needs to be intelligent besides being attractive. One without the other never works. Secondly, neither the skin nor hair colour is important, it is the quality that counts.” Then what about this fanatic longing about fairness? “That is really unfortunate. I know several women having underwent chemically induced treatment to look fair. That never helps as the side effects are terrible. We too are entreated by parents to make their daughters fair to help them get a suitable match. All this pains me.” The cosmetic industry too fuels this fascination as evident from ads. “Instead of changing public perception, they are promoting it. Skin colour does not decide the character or nature of a person or how he or she will be as a life partner,” remarks Shahnaz.

Instead of this obsession for fairness, Shahnaz suggests one should take care of oneself. “Looking good is feeling good. People in general and women in particular must take out ‘me time’ to take care of themselves. This need not necessarily mean visiting salons or parlours.” Stating that beauty consciousness is no longer confined to the upper crust of the society, she narrates some interesting anecdotes. “I once met a woman selling Rajasthani cushions in Connaught Place. She recognised me and eagerly shared that she uses one of my products which she picks up in bulk during her visits to Delhi. Likewise, a guard once asked me what cream to buy for his wife. Beauty is everyone’s concern,” she sums up.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Food / by S. Ravi / June 20th, 2018