Bazme Sadaf International (BSI) award is to be given to famous Urdu poet Shahida Hassan while Ambareen Salahuddin was selected for the new generation writer award, according to a statement received in Doha.
Ibrahim Kamal Khan (Qatar), Zahoorul Islam Javed (Abu Dhabi) and Sheraz Ali ( UK) were selected for Urdu Movement awards.
The awards will be presented in Doha at a grand ceremony on January 26-27, followed by an international literary festival and poetry symposium.
Delegates and eminent literary personalities from 12 counties are expected to attend the gala event.
Speaking at a press conference in Patna, India, BSI director Prof Safdar Imam Quadri announced the names of awardees of 6th BSI awards and enumerated their literary achievements.
Shahida Hassan is a Canada-based Urdu poet who has published three acclaimed anthologies of poems and also translated select pieces from contemporary literature of other languages into Urdu.
The new generation award, given to a promising writer below 50 every year, has been bagged by Pakistani academic and poet Ambareen Salahuddin. Both the awardees will be arriving in Doha to receive their awards and participate in the literary festival too.
BSI also gives awards to individuals who have served the cause of promotion of Urdu language and literature.
For 2020, this award has been given to Ibrahim Kamal Khan who, as the founder president of Anjuman Mohibban e Urdu in Doha, has provided significant service to the cause of Urdu language in Doha.
Abu-Dhabi-based poet Zahoorul Islam Javed would be given this award for 2021 and UK-based academic Sheraz Ali for 2022.
In the last two years, this award has been renamed after the late Sabih Bukhari, who was the chief patron of BSI until his death.
BSI chairman Shahabuddin Ahmad, in a message sent from Doha, congratulated all the winners and informed that eminent Urdu poets and literary figures from 12 counties have confirmed their participation in the event.
They include Shahida Hassan (Canada), Khalid Irfan (US), Zahoorul Islam Javed (Abu Dhabi), Hassan Kazmi, Safdar Imam Quadri, Azm Skakiri, Shadab Azmi and Dr Shakil (India), Ambareen Salahuddin and Ali Zariyun (Pakistan), Sadaf Mirza ( Denmark), Ateeq Anzar, Ahmad Ashfaq, Nadeem Jilani Danish and Wasiul Haq Wasi (Qatar), Masood Hassas (Kuwait), Ayesha Shaikh Aashi (Dubai) Jamil Ahsan ( Sweden), A M Tahir (Germany) and renowned journalist Dr Mohammed Gauhar.
BSI chief patron Hassan Chougule congratulated the awardees and requested all Urdu lovers to attend the poetry symposium in DPS-Modern Indian School auditorium, Al Wakra on January 27.
BSI Doha chapter president Dr Nadeem Zafar Jilani also expressed his happiness at the announcement of the awards and congratulated the winners.
source: http://www.gulf-times.com / Gulf Times / Home> Community / January 19th, 2023
Sara Arfeen Khan never really set out to be an actor. Armed with a master’s degree in psychology from London, the young lass returned to India to pursue her interest in social work. She was actively involved in training young people and working on projects related to women empowerment when she was offered a role in the television show, ‘Dhoondh Legi Manzil Humein’. She accepted it and has come a long way since. But Sara is selective about the kind of projects she wants to work on. The actor is clear when she says she wouldn’t work on just any project because her focus remains on working with young people. She wants to make a substantial contribution in making the young in the country a more secure force. In a chat with Nina C George, Sara talks about returning to the small screen and her journey so far.
How did you get into acting?
Before I started acting, I was actively involved in training youngsters in stress management and was also attached to projects related to the WHO. I was in a meeting with a few people in a cafe in Mumbai when I got a call asking if I was interested in working on the television serial ‘Dhoondh Legi Manzil Humein’. It was after several rounds of discussions that I agreed to work on it.
Your Bollywood debut ‘Total Siyappa’ changed a lot of things for you…
Yes. It made me realise that acting in films is not as tough as working for the small screen. You are on your toes when you are working in television but it’s not so in films. At least, you get a chance to go a bit slow.
How is it to return to the small screen with ‘Jamai Raja’?
I play the central character called Mahi. In ‘Jamai Raja’, Mahi meets with an accident and after a plastic surgery, I will be a new Mahi. It’s a very positive role because I play the character who brings two warring groups together. But looks like the plot will change in the second half, and I may end up portraying a negative shade. So far, the project has been moving at a brisk pace.
What keeps you grounded?
Most people tend to put their eggs in one basket. This is precisely why some actors get into depression. If they don’t get as many lead roles as they used to, they get depressed and fall prey to drugs and alcohol. I make sure that I not only act but also work on a couple of things unrelated to the film industry. This, I think, keeps me grounded.
Why do you think you are different from the other actors?
Acting is not the only thing I do. I also work on projects related to women empowerment and with youngsters who need help dealing with stress-related issues. As actors, we make a name and have a huge fan following but I always wonder whether we do enough to give back to society. Working with youngsters means a lot to me.
What keeps you going?
I keep in touch with reality and in tune with my surroundings.
What next?
I’ve signed two projects because I found them very different but I am not allowed to talk about them just yet.
At close quarters Actor Sara Arfeen Khan made her debut on the small screen with ‘Dhoondh Legi Manzil Humein’. She soon made her mark in Bollywood with ‘Total Siyappa’ which marked her debut in Bollywood. She was also part of television series such as ‘Dilli Wali Thakur Gurls’ and ‘Zindagi Wins’. In between, she took a short break and has now returned to the small screen to essay the role of Mahi in ‘Jamai Raja.’
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Metrolife / by Nina C George, DHNS / November 14th, 2016
Abu Sufiyan at Jaipur Lit Festival (Source: Instagram)
Abu Sufyan was in the final year of his engineering course at a Chandigarh college when, one day, his mother called him. This call did make him realise the value of the quintessential Begmaati Zabaan (colloquial dialect) her mother used.
It changed his perspective on life and pulled him out of his mental depression. A decade later, sitting in a Café close to Jama Masjid in Old Delhi, Abu Sufiyan recalls his life-changing moment. “I hardly visited home those days, I was lying aimlessly on my hostel bed, my mother called me up to enquire about my returning home and I told her, “I am not coming.” “She started reprimanding me in her Lahja (colloquial style)… I had this habit of recording her calls as it was too much listening to all the wrongs I had done…”
When he listened to his mother’s recorded call later, he laughed out loud; “her dialogues and dialect were innocent and filled with wit, sarcasm, and humour.”, he adds. Sufiyan says, “that became my Eureka moment.”
He decided to create a page on social media to document the Begmaati Zabaan. Explaining the Begmaati Zabaan, this 31-year-old social media entrepreneur says, “in this dialect, the sarcastic remarks are never made directly. For example, if a person has to say ‘we must congratulate the family for the birth of a baby by presenting gifts’ they’ll say “500 rupaye ka money-order aa ri aaye..” and so on…”
His Purani Dilli Waloan Ki Batein page on Facebook has since turned into a Socio-Economic-Cultural community, with more than 105k followers. Sufiyan initially posted the conversations between his mother and aunts via different characters like #khabtikhala #aminkiphuppo and so on. He also took up various societal issues disguised as humour on the page. Even to his disbelieve the audience on social media liked it and he received good response
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“It played like nostalgia and many renowned faces soon joined the list of followers and it has grown since then. I was shocked as it became an instant hit and soon at dinner time around 9 pm the page received instant likes and comments.” Sufiyan says that he had no idea of developing the PDWKB page in a full-fledged community. “It was just for fun and to break the mental loop…”
No sooner than the hashtags #mobango #khalakhabti #tumharekhalu #winkiphuppo #tumharibaji #tumharidulhan #lafangaparinda started picking up, and these characters started becoming more defined. Sufiyan says, “I made Sadiya Saeed, Anas Faizi and others the co-admin of the page; some comments on the posts were going viral…the characters that earlier were managed solely by Sufiyan now had different managers, soon they developed into animated characters that today are known as avatars…”
Aye muhaav Te par raen.. jaldi se kapde la chhat pe se… Sab bheeg jayenge.. tujh se kehti hun teym se utaar laya kar nasoomdi.. hath se mobaail hi ni chhooTta… Paya ni kis se baatein milayi reti he sara din.. amma ko moo ni lagati.. ek ek jawab ghante bhar mein deti he.. Allah khair kare ab thand zor pakad legi… Angeethi jala ke liya aaj to dekhiyo.. Mere se uttha ni jata.. bas kya karein aulad ke rehm o karam par guzregi zindegi.. jo khila diya kha liya.. jaisa kiya usi mein sabar.. wakhat se bewakhat chai milti hai… haaye bas kuch kehne ka ijaara ni riya ab… Moo ko aate hain sab… Allah kisi ki bana ke na bigaade…
Today, Abu Sufiyan is involved in conducting heritage walks, dastan goi (Storytelling), book reading sessions, and food walks related to Old Delhi. He also runs a tech company. Sufiyan hails from an Old Delhi family with a Mughal and Sufi lineage and says that his ancestors had a haveli near Old Delhi. “During partition, times were very tough yet they stayed in the interiors as it was very safe even back then..”. soon after the partition the Haveli near Suivaran, Chandini Mahal, was bought by my grandfather…”
“Our old haveli had two floors where the first floor belonged to my maternal household and the ground floor to my paternal household. They were friends and my nana was in the income tax department and they belonged to Agra. My mother was beautiful and dad was handsome and they were compared to Reena Roy and Rakesh Roshan…” The love between the parents blossomed and soon the marriage happened after a lot of resistance from Sufyan’s would be aunts, whose impact can be seen and felt on his page PDWKB, “Both my parents were very educated but my mother was more educated in comparison to other women of her times and used to wear jeans in the 1980s…thus Daddy’s sisters were a bit skeptical but Daddy was adamant…”
A screengrab from PDWKB’s Instagram page
Sufiyan says that his great-grandfather was a magnanimous human who welcomed many with an open heart and had rented space at his haveli. Sufiyan’s father was a technician and taught electronics to the retired army and navy officers at the Delhi engineering College and later opened a television shop in Daryaganj. Back then it was a new technology and therefore technicians like his father were much sought after, “All his students got the sets repaired by him as he was the only mechanic in Delhi…”
Young Sufiyan with his parents and sisters
Sufiyan says during the early ‘80s there was no driving force that emphasized education and also the families around him had no educational background but they were brought up in a protective and educational environment.
“It was my father’s wish to make his children erudite. I was just allowed to visit the coaching institute, a family from Lucknow and our English teacher Geetanjali Mam, rest the Maulana used to visit the home to teach Arabic and Urdu…” Sufiyan sat in his father’s television shop after school. “Cricket matches and television go hand in hand in sync with my interest in electronics… I used to repair TV, and remotes, and soon I was selling TV sets in my father’s absence.” Sufiyan says that it was APJ Abdu Kalam who inspired him to pursue Engineering. “when I was in the 12th standard, APJ Abdul Kalam visited our Anglo-Arabic School. My question was among the top five questions selected and I attended a one-to-one session with President Kalam.”
President Kalam later told my father, who was among the parents assembled in the school, that he should allow me to study further. After completing his engineering In 2015, Abu Sufiyan started an e-commerce company. He along with 3 more partners launched an e-commerce website Godkonnect.com, which primarily focussed on selling artefacts of all religions. The site was shut down later. He then joined Paytm as a Data Analyst and was later, got promoted to Team Lead – Revenue Assurance at Paytm Marketplace. After dabbling with firms like Cognizant and Google he gave up the 9 to 5 job and started working as a freelancer.
He says, “I was working 24 by 7 but my passion for PDWKB overruled everything else…” Three years later, he quit his job and closed down his ventures and got interested in PDWKB on a full-time basis. In August he decided to create a trust named “Tareekh, Arts and Culture Trust ” to manage PDWKB. A year later his business was getting had started getting the attention of big clients like Gaurang Shah – an award-winning designer based in Chennai, who specializes in Jamdani weaves for Sarees and outfits, Sahitya Kala Parishad, art culture and language department of the Delhi Government thus Sufiyan took the big leap and established a separate business under his proprietorship “Tech Charmers” to manage the Digital Marketing Projects, Web & App Development, and Virtual Reality Projects.
Sufiyan was visiting a monument and there by chance he participated in a heritage walk, “the guide had no idea about the importance of the place and his vision of Old Delhi was flimsy, this made me sad and I decided to take up the initiative of organizing the heritage walks…” In March 2016, the venture PDWKB organized its first heritage walk, “We wanted people to know the real culture of Shahjahanabad and feel connected to the Old Delhi, thus our very first themed cultural walk started from the Turkmen Gate to Church to Qala Masjid to Razia Sultan Mazhar to Pahadi Imli’s old library to Changezi Bazaar and finally we ended at the rooftop of Pahadi Imli…all the while we made them savour the iconic dishes of Old Delhi…”
A scene as captured by the page of PDWKB
He feels that this narrative of his has helped in spreading a positive note about Old Delhi, “From Asar Ud Sanadid (narrating the events of 1857) to Twilight in Delhi (narrating 1947) to Mayank Austen Soofi’s first-hand account in the year 2001 and then PDWKB is a first-hand account of Old Delhi since 2014…”
Sufiyan feels that he has been the early technology adapter and that his initiative was one of the early pages that adapted and tested the technology in real-time, “We started the concept of storytelling through pictures in 2014, short videos and avatars were a rage even back then…”
Winding up he says, “PDWB is a socio-cultural community and the first-hand witness accounts of old Delhi mood, it isn’t influenced by anyone, it is the voice of people when people need it…” Looking forward he says, “It is a community voice and it’ll always be there and I wish to retrieve the food culture of Old Delhi like mutanjan, shab gosht, Haleem, and various kinds of Sharbats (sweet drinks), etc.”
His page played a major role in maintaining the Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb during the 2018 temple brawl in Old Delhi, “We circulated three fact-checking videos when there was a hint of disharmony in Old Delhi and by God’s grace we were able to control the situation…such is the power of community vis-a-vis social media…” Sufiyan assisted Rana Safvi in her research for her book Shahjahanabad.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home / by Shaista Fatima , New Delhi / February 22nd, 2023
The National Barista Championship in Bengaluru featured 60 baristas from across India and from some of the best coffee houses in the industry and home brewers.
This past week was abuzz with caffeine-induced energy at the 21st National Barista Championship 2023, held between February 14 to 19 at the Orion Mall in Rajajinagar, Bengaluru.
Jaseem Abbas, a home brewer who goes by his handle @ninedotcoffee on Instagram, was crowned the winner, and in June, he will travel to Athens to represent India at the World Barista Championship 2023.
“This used to be a very subtle, small event where we did not have coffee traders, cafe owners, or even equipment manufacturers participate. So, we made it bigger by allowing brands to exhibit their products and expose Indian coffee to the audience,” D. M. Purnesh, President of the Speciality Coffee Association of India, revealed to YS Life.
Jaseem Abbas, Winner of the National Barista Championship 2023
A stroll through the exhibition section will give one insight into how big the event has become. From coffee estates and bean roasters, to cafe owners, and equipment makers, every stage of the coffee bean’s journey is represented.
Attendees could mingle with industry leaders, sample exquisite coffee blends, learn about coffee preparations, equipment and techniques, and enjoy live music and entertainment.
The National Barista Championship featured 60 baristas from across India—some of the best coffee houses in the industry and home brewers who competed for the title of the National Barista Champion. The jury members included certified Q Graders (professionals skilled in the sensory evaluation of coffee), technical judges, and a World Barista Championship Committee-recognised head judge.
The technical judges look at what the barista does behind the counter—station management, skill with the espresso machine, the tamping, coffee extraction times, etc. The sensory judges (Q Graders) evaluate the ‘crema’ of the espresso, the aromas of the beverages, harmony and balance in the taste, the temperature and tactile experience while sipping the beverage, and the functionality of the vessel.
“The barista will tell us how their beverage is supposed to taste. We listen to them for the accuracy of their descriptors too,” explained Mandappa, Divisional Head (Coffee Quality) at the Coffee Board, a certified Q Grader and one of the sensory judges at the championship.
At the National Barista Championship 2023 in Bengaluru
Each barista serves three beverages—first, an espresso, second, an espresso-based milk beverage, third, an espresso-based signature beverage.
“We’re not looking at Latte art here. We’re looking at sheen, synergy, and contrast between the milk and coffee when judging visuals. When we take a sip of the beverage, we see how the espresso is in harmony with the milk,” Mandappa added. The current edition of the rules allows for only cow’s milk, but future editions will allow branded plant-based milk alternatives.
The signature beverage gives baristas the liberty to come up with their own concoctions, as long as the base remains a shot of espresso. “My coffee had pineapple, green grape, mulberry, black tea, Demerara sugar syrup, strawberry syrup, and butter, which I had melted with coffee,” said Suhas Dwarakanath, Owner at Benki Brewing Tools, and one of the contestants.
“These ingredients played with the flavour of the espresso and brought out completely new flavours, like how mixing red with yellow gives us another colour. In the end, my coffee had notes of muskmelon, papaya, salted caramel, and a black tea finish,” he described.
Winner Abbas’ Nitrogen Oxide-infused signature brew had notes of sweet lime, jasmine, orange candy, and sweet papaya. “I used coffee from Tat Tvam Asi Estate as it was one of the most organic and naturally-processed coffees I could find,” he said. “The pressure is intense; there’s no room for error. No sudden movements, no spillage. It’s a beautiful situation to be in. The perfect balance of pressure and cannot be experienced unless one goes up on stage,” Abbas added.
Speciality coffee and Bengaluru have a symbiotic relationship. Karnataka is one of the largest coffee-growing regions in India. The city has a growing cosmopolitan population with the awareness, time, and willingness to experiment with new flavours.
Speak to any brewer or barista, and they’ll have the same things to say: Coffee is not just bitter. One can notice sweetness, florals, fruitiness, and a pleasant bitterness that makes it beautiful and interesting. It’s like tasting a fine wine or a scotch whiskey.
“Coffee can change completely profile-wise with different types of roasting (light, medium, or dark), grind sizes, and brewing equipment. In fact, I came across a variety of cups that allows the coffee to aerate, allowing for more flavour to come out,” said Purnesh.
According to Dwarakanath, one of the challenges in making speciality coffee mainstream is shifting consumers away from the chicory-infused, sugary filter coffees Bengaluru is used to.
“Speciality coffee doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I understand it’s more expensive, but selling smaller portions so they’re affordable is something we do at the Benki cafés. We don’t sell anything above Rs 150, and we use the same premium coffee I used in the competition today,” he added.
Mandappa staunchly believes in drinking what one enjoys while taking the time out to experiment with new food and drinks to develop a refined palate. “It’s always good to experiment and see how a different ingredient tastes, maybe a berry or an exotic fruit,” he said.
“When one is starting, make descriptions easier for yourself and look at basic nuances like sweetness and bitterness (favourable bitterness like bitter gourd, dark chocolate, and stout beer; and unfavourable bitterness like astringent and burnt). The common consumer should first look for a balanced coffee,” added Dwarakanath.
Coffee journeys often start with the quintessential bottle of Nescafe’s instant coffee powder. Speciality coffee, however, works differently.
Right from the quality of the soil and the manure fed to it to the skill of the barista pouring out your drink—each step is crucial in brewing a good cup of coffee.
“It’s about appreciating the journey of the coffee bean. It’s a chain reaction. The farmers, the roasters, the barista—there are hundreds of steps before it reaches your cup,” said Abbas.
“A coffee planter’s job is 365 days, round-the-clock work,” added Purnesh. “We nurture plants through the year for a single crop. The last few years have seen climate change, and the current challenge is adjusting to changing patterns of rain,” he added.
Many coffee planters have developed multi-cropping systems by growing pepper, areca nut, cardamom, avocados, and assorted fruits and vegetables. This keeps a steady flow of income and adds nuances to the flavour of the coffee.
The Speciality Coffee Association of India was set up by passionate coffee planters who wanted to put India’s coffee on the world coffee map. “Everything happens with the support of the Coffee Board, controlled and funded by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. They help us promote coffee in India and the world market. They are one of the main sponsors and supporters of the National Barista Championship,” said Purnesh.
With the close of the 2023 edition of the championship, Abbas is looking forward to his competition in Athens this June. “I’d like to thank my roaster, who introduced me to the coffee I used for the championship. And, since I’m representing India, I want to represent India’s coffee on the world stage. I’ll be going up against the best of the best,” he added.
source: http://www.yourstory.com / YourStory.com – YS Life / Home> Events / by Arjun Mehta / edited by Suman Singh / February 22nd, 2023
Achan Village (Pulwama District), JAMMU & KASHMIR:
Srinagar :
J & K Innovative Foundation for Transforming Society(JKIFTS) on Wednesday awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to Faheem Ul Islam, a young Kashmiri author for authoring book titled “Beyond The Boundaries”.
Appreciating the efforts of young author, Chairman JKIFTS Dr Tasaduk Hussain Itoo said that Faheem is an inspiration to youth and a great public speaker besides an author.
Hailing from Achan village of Pulwama district, Faheem Ul Islam is presently pursuing his bachelor’s (Hons) in political sciences at Aligarh Muslim University.
He has authored the Book “The Midnight Silence” in 2020 and for that Faheem was also awarded.
Pertinent to mention Faheem’s second book titled “Beyond The Boundries” was released recently on International Mother Languages Day in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh in the auspicious presence of dignitaries including Padma Shri Awardee, Professor Hakim Zillur Rahman, Former Treasurer Aligarh Muslim University.
source: http://www.risingkashmir.com / Rising Kashmir / Home / February 24th, 2022
Later, he also visited Sira town in Tumakuru district and distributed Saudi Riyal 500 and other essential items to 26 pilgrims.
Congress MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan. (File Photo)
Bengaluru :
Chamarajpet Congress MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan on Saturday arranged Umrah (an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca) for 16 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers at Jagjivan Ram Nagar ward office and distributed Saudi Riyal 500 (Rs 11,097) to each of them.
Taking to Twitter, the MLA said that a pilgrimage send-off programme was organised in his constituency during which he distributed the money and also other Umrah essentials to the workers. Later, he also visited Sira town in Tumakuru district and distributed Saudi Riyal 500 and other essential items to 26 pilgrims.
Meanwhile, the BJP hit out at the MLA saying he was indulging in such activities only to attract voters ahead of the Assembly elections. They have also demanded that the police file a suo motu case immediately and take necessary action.
K Somashekhar, state president, ASHA Workers Association, said that he was not aware of the programme organised by the Congress leader. The MLA was not available for a comment.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / February 27th, 2023
Umar Hamdan, a VII standard student of Bearys Public School, has been selected for the National Level Spell Bee Competition after clearing the State-level round of the competition.
Hamdan, who is the son of Late Abdul Basheer and Shameela, was selected for the state-level round after clearing school and inter-school rounds that were held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National-level round is scheduled to be held in the third week of January 2021.
Inter-school toppers from each class will be selected for State Level, in which Umar Hamdan of class VI (Present studying in VII) was selected for State Level.
“Out of 20 Toppers of class VI from State Level Umar Hamdan of our School is selected for National Level” an official press statement from the school stated.
Chairman of Bearys Academy of Learning, Syed Mohamed Beary congratulated Hamdan on his achievement and wished him bestfor the national-level event.
source: http://www.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / by Vartha Bharati / December 26th, 2020
It was 1836 when William Celenso, a Christian missionary from Cornwall in England, first stumbled upon the mysterious Tamil Bell in a remote Maori village in New Zealand. It was being used as a cooking pot by some of the local people, who told the fluent Maori speaker that it had been found under the roots of a large tree, swept up from the ground by a storm many years prior.
Upon inspection, Celenso discovered a series of markings and runes in an unfamiliar language. Realizing the strangeness of the find, he traded it for a cooking pot, and deposited the curiosity in the Otago Museum in Dunedin. It was later bequeathed to the Dominion Museum, which today is the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington.
Deciphering the Strange Inscriptions on New Zealand’s Tamil Bell
In 1870, ethnographer J. T. Thompson chanced upon the bell, and puzzled by the strange archaic writing, he took photos and sent them all around India in the hope of producing a translation. Just two months later, Thompson had replies from Ceylon, which is modern-day Sri Lanka, and Penang, a settlement on the Malaysian Straits.
The obscure inscriptions had been identified as ancient Tamil, a language that hadn’t been in use for hundreds of years. The primitive words that adorned the curious metal oddity were Mohoyideen Buks , which were translated to mean “Bell of the Ship of Mohaideen Bakhsh.”
This led to several fascinating revelations. It illustrated that the owner was a Muslim Tamil, of high stature and probably from a famous Indian shipping company based in Nagapattam, in the south-east of India. This was because his name was Arabic, and his first name came from the Tamil phrase meaning “owner of ships.”
Later, in 1940, the age of the Tamil Bell was estimated to be 400 to 500 years old, dating back to the period between 1400 to 1500 AD. This was a remarkable surprise, suggesting that outside contact with New Zealand had been made hundreds of years before English captain Thomas Cook landed on the windswept coast of Poverty Bay in 1769. But had it really?
Facsimile of inscription on the Tamil Bell. ( Public domain )
Evidence of a Tamil Colony in New Zealand
Only 7 years later, another perplexing discovery would further mystify the people of New Zealand, leading to a possible explanation for the out-of-place artifact. In 1877, a shipwreck was discovered half-buried in sand between the ports of Raglan and Aotea. It was first assumed to be a modern ship, as the New Zealand coast was renowned for being extremely dangerous and accidents were common. But this was different.
The vessel appeared to be of Asian origin and extremely old. C. G. Hunt noted how the ship was constructed of teak beams that were placed diagonally and secured by wooden screws, strongly suggesting it was built in South East Asia. Inside, a brass plate with Tamil inscriptions and a plank of wood containing the familiar name Mohoyd Buk were found.
Inexplicably both pieces of tantalizing evidence vanished in Auckland, and experts were never able to compare it to the timeworn letters of the Tamil bell. Nevertheless, several early theories were put forward by the historians of the day. Some argued this was proof of an early Tamil colony on New Zealand. Others maintained that the skillful construction and expertise of the Tamil seafarers made it perfectly possible they could have sailed to New Zealand.
On the other hand, the evidence for such arguments remains scarce. As far as historical record is concerned, the eastern-most frontier for Indian sailors was the island of Lombok, next to Bali in current-day Indonesia. Furthermore, the Spice Islands of West New Guinea, where nutmeg, mace, and cloves could be exclusively found, although in use, were never controlled by the Tamils and instead remained in the hands of local magnates of Ternate, Tidore, and Amboyna. Add to this that no other Indian relics have ever been found in New Zealand.
Facsimile of inscription on the Tamil Bell. ( Public domain )
A Lost Portuguese Trading Ship?
Another theory put forward is that the Tamil Bell was originally Portugese, and from a lost ship sent as part of a fleet by the Portuguese emperor to secure the Spice Islands. From the 1490s, the Portugese became a major player in the Indian Ocean trade network, securing Asian goods for a booming demand back in Europe. In 1511 the Portuguese even established a trading colony on the Malacca Straights and in many places on the Indian mainland.
One of these places was Goa, and in 1521 the Portuguese Viceroy sent out a fleet of three caravels captained by Cristovas de Mendonca, to explore the lands beyond the Spice Islands. Only Mendonca’s caravel returned, the other 2 being lost at sea and never seen or heard from ever again.
In 1877, the shipwreck found on the New Zealand coast was identified as being constructed in Goa, precisely where the Portuguese ships had set out from. Tamil was widely spoken in Goa which neatly explained the Tamil writing on the bell.
However, all of this is incredibly unlikely. There is no direct evidence that points to a bell being on the Portuguese caraval. Lastly, the Portuguese had already established an incredibly lucrative trade system, which meant there was no motive for them to explore further as the known world of the Indian Ocean was already providing them sufficiently.
Spanish Castaways or Anthropological Science Fiction
One of the most famous and controversial theories was advanced by Robert Langdon in his book The Lost Caravel , in which he proclaimed that the Tamil Bell was brought to New Zealand by a group of Spanish sailors from the East Indies who became disorientated and eventually settled in New Zealand, hundreds of years before Thomas Cook’s arrival.
He wrote that in 1524 the King of Spain ordered an expedition to the Spice Islands, sending a sortie of six ships. A maelstrom of disasters ensued, with two wrecked on the coasts of Patagonia and the Philippines, one reaching Mexico, another returning to Spain, and the remaining two disappearing. One of the stray caravels, the San Lesmes, which contained the Tamil Bell, was last observed in 1526, voyaging across the Pacific Sea.
After running aground at Amanu, an atoll of French Polynesia, where four cannons were later discovered, the crew repaired their ships and sailed on to the atolls of Ana and Raiatea, where several of them settled down and married the native woman. Later on, in a bid to return to Spain, the weary seamen set out west, discovering New Zealand in the process and deciding to make a home on its verdant shores.
The descendants of the castaways explored further, discovering new lands as far as Easter Island, and introduced new cultures, customs, and languages to the Polynesian people influenced by their Basque origins. Langdon was convinced that the additional discovery of a Spanish helmet dated from the 16th century in Wellington Harbor in the 1880s gave his hypothesis more credibility.
However, like the Tamil and Portuguese ship propositions, Langdon’s argument has been highly criticized for its extravagant interpretation of available evidence. Bengt Danielsson, an academic from French Polynesia, described it as “anthropological science fiction.” Throughout his account, Langdon disregarded all existing archaeological and historical literature of the Pacific which often contradicts and disproves his ideas.
The existence of Caucasian-like individuals with fair-skin, red hair, and blue eyes on many Pacific Islands was deemed proof of his hypothesis. While there is no doubt that these traits existed, even in the earliest contact with Polynesian natives, Langdon argued the Spanish castaways were the only source of these genetics, a fact that is impossible given that there were only reportedly 20 to 50 castaways in the forgotten band. It was equally as unlikely that they had travelled to all of the Polynesian Islands .
Next, Langdon pointed to linguistic anomalies as a sign that Spanish words were absorbed into the local dialects. However, there are no identifiable Spanish words in the languages of Eastern Polynesians. Without a shred of evidence, Langdon explained that this was because the children only learned the language of their mothers, leading to the decline and eventual disappearance of the Spanish, Basque, and Galician languages of the fathers. He even proposed that the lack of sounds in the Polynesian tongue meant that Spanish words could easily have been changed beyond recognition after only a day or two.
On the other hand, in all other cases of European and native intermixture in Polynesia, European languages were adapted into the local speech. A diverse array of English words still remain in Polynesian languages today after being incorporated 200 years ago. For example, on the Pitcairn Islands, where only one Englishman lived with eight native women, his descendants still speak English!
In addition, Langdon believed that the indigenous beliefs of Polynesians were derived from the Christian faith of the Spanish diaspora. He utilized sources from 1874 from Catholic missionary Albert Montiton, who remarked on how Christian the native religion seemed to him. Yet Langdon completely ignored the wide conversion of natives to Christianity that happened from 1817 onwards, which presents a more reasonable explanation.
Finally, Langdon cited the “talking boards” of Easter Island, a series of stone tablets discovered in the 1860s with archaic runes, as a type of script invented by the Spanish castaways. Yet his main source for this point was a native guru called Hapai, a man who claimed that Europeans had inhabited Easter Island, and whose evidence was subsequently found out to be fabricated. In the end, Langdon’s farfetched argument was systematically disproven, and the confusion over the Tamil Bell persisted.
There are many examples of ghost ships found floating at sea without any sailors. ( muratart / Adobe Stock
The Derelict Theory: Did the Tamil Ship Drift to New Zealand?
After years of fantastical hypothesizes, Brett Hilder entered the debate with a theory more rooted in reality. His so-called derelict theory re-invigorated the earlier claim that the bell came from a Tamil ship. Hilder’s theory attacked the assumption prevalent in most theories that the crew who possessed the Tamil bell were alive. In the choppy, capricious oceans, there had been many instances of intact wooden ghost ships being found without any sailors.
The Flying Dutchman was perhaps the most famous example, having been discovered with full sails and without anyone on board. Nearer the Pacific, the wreck of the sailboat Joyita, on a journey from Apia to the Tokelau Islands, was observed to have no remaining personnel when it was detected half-submerged in the sea.
These “derelicts” were usually still floating, even after many years at sea, because of the buoyancy of their hulls. Hilder entertained the idea that the Tamil Bell originated from a Tamil merchant ship that was caught in the eastward sea current between Antarctica and the southern parts of the continents.
During the late 1400s and 1500s, when the bell was dated, Tamil seafarers dominated the trade networks of the vast Indian Ocean. Muslim Tamils were particularly skilled navigators, plying their wares across the sea as far as the eastern coast of Africa. Indeed, modern examples of the power of the great Southern Current, which stretches from New Zealand to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, cement his idea.
For instance, in June 1973 it was reported in the Nautical Magazine of Glasgow that an unmanned lifeboat had travelled 7,000 miles from the coastline of East London, South Africa, to the Princess Royal Harbor in Albany, Australia. Thirty jars of barley, sugar, and lifeboat biscuits were found in perfect condition, sealed in two compartments. It is more likely, then, that a similar fate befell a Muslim Tamil ship, and that the preservation of its wooden hull helped bring the Tamil Bell to a wild new frontier of the world.
@tamilancient
Enduring Enigma of the Tamil Bell
Since its discovery in 1836, most theories surrounding the Tamil Bell were highly speculative and lacked the sufficient evidence to be taken seriously. Unlike others, Brett Hilder’s focus on the Great Southern sea current, a real geographical phenomenon, presented a case for the Tamil Bell that finally made sense without the mental leaps and bounds taken by other theorists such as Langdon, whose sole proof that the crew of the San Lesmes reached Amanu and married the native woman was the fact that four rusty old cannons had been found there.
Yet even Hilder’s theory has weaknesses. All of the theories incorporated the 1877 shipwreck as a key piece of evidence that identified if the bell was brought by the Tamils, Portuguese, or Spanish. Yet by 1890 the shipwreck, said to be half-sunken in the sand, had mysteriously disappeared, never to be seen again. Subsequent attempts to re-find the wreck, as late as 1975, were all unsuccessful.
“The problem with all these and other ‘mystery’ items, such as ancient shipwrecks on New Zealand’s wild west coast beaches that are reputed to be uncovered briefly in storms, is that in the absence of hard evidence to explain their existence and context, numerous fanciful interpretations are often placed upon them according to particular agendas,” explained Katherine Howe, summing up the situation perfectly. Thus, the mystery of the Tamil Bell lives on.
Top image: Representational image of a tamil bell from inside of Meenakshi Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, South India. Source: Владимир Журавлёв / Adobe Stock
Mouzam Makkar is currently seen on high voltage legal drama “The Fix” on ABC.
Actor Mouzam Makkar, who plays Loni Kampoor on ABC’s ongoing series The Fix, has come a long way since she arrived in the US as an excited 12-year-old. Today, she along with many other South Asians in American entertainment industry, are not only defying brown stereotypes but are also introducing a newer idea of success in otherwise academically inclined South Asian American families.
While The Fix began airing last month, Makkar has been slowly establishing her identity as a talented Indian American actor. Last year, she was seen in Champions on NBC that was created by Mindy Kaling and Charlie Grandy. Before this, Makkar was also seen in The Following, Exorcist, Law & Order: SVU and many other shows.
“It’s a very exciting time to be a South Asian actor,” she says about being among the few brown actresses who may be changing the long-held stereotypes on American TV. “There are more of us doing TV and film than ever before and the types of roles we play continue to expand. There are also more South Asian content creators and that makes a big difference in expanding the types of narratives we get to tell. It’s been wonderful to be a part of a variety of stories where my characters were not solely defined by my ethnicity.”
Makkar, who hails from Kerala, India, spent a few years in the UAE before making America her home. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance and worked in both investment banking and private equity before shifting to entertainment. Asked if it is doubly difficult for a person of color to find a foothold in the highly competitive Hollywood, Makkar says, “Hollywood is a very tough industry and being a person of color when the majority of the stories are still being told through a white lens makes it that much more difficult. However, things are changing and an important aspect of that change come from people behind the camera. Directors, producers and casting agents who are willing to think outside the box when they’re trying to fill a role make a difference in changing what’s on screen.”
Makkar also spoke about a growing number of South Asians in entertainment. “Those creating their own content can make some of the biggest difference in this industry and that’s exactly what the likes of Mindy Kaling, Aziz Ansari, Hasan Minhaj and Kumail Nanjiani have done with their projects,” She says. “When you write the story, you no longer have to play the supporting character – you can be the hero, the story can revolve around you and your experience. That what these folks have done with their TV shows and films – they’ve shown that the South Asian character and story no longer has to be an afterthought – they can be the main attraction.”
She spoke about the kinds of roles that she would want to see more on TV and in Hollywood. “As a Muslim artist, I would love to see a broader representation of Muslims in TV and film,” she says. “Muslims are an especially misunderstood group in this country and I truly believe that more nuanced and diverse portrayals of the Muslim diaspora can go a long way in helping the general public dismantle many of the negative stereotypes they may hold against Muslims. Given the recent attack in New Zealand, understanding and compassion is more important now than ever. The stories you see in TV and film can go a long way in humanizing people and experiences that you yourself might not directly encounter.”
On the artists that may have inspired her, Makkar says, “My dear friend, Fawzia Mirza, is an amazing filmmaker, actor and activist and she is absolutely an inspiration for creating and sharing stories boldly. As a queer storyteller, she brings yet another layer to the narrative and filmmakers like her are instrumental in showing the world that there isn’t just one type of Muslim or South Asian in this world. We are a varied and diverse group, dealing with unique and universal struggles and we can’t be neatly boxed into a single category.”
source: http://www.americanbazaaronline.com / The American Bazaar / Home> News> Entertainment / by Zofeen Maqsood / April 04th, 2019
Eight minarets of Hamid Manzil, a magnificent building that houses the world’s famous Rampur Raza Library located some 200 kilometers from New Delhi, is a great symbol of pluralism in India.
The first part of the library minaret at the bottom is built in the shape of a Mosque; the part just above this resembles a Church, the third part reflects the architectural design of a Sikh Gurudwara, and the top-most part is built in the shape of a Hindu temple.
The religious symbols
This spirit of inclusiveness promoted in the princely State early on continues to inspire the people of this Uttar Pradesh district to live in harmony.
Rampur also famous for the Rampuri Chaku (knife), is one of the few princely states in India where no major communal riots or disturbances ever took place during the British colonial era or in the years afterward.
What makes the symbolism of the building remarkable is that it was constructed between 1902-05 much before India got its Independence and the nawabs were in the power of the 15-gun salute Princely State. They consciously chose to keep the sequence of symbolism with a secular spirit.
The unique architecture of the library building tells a long story about the nature and politics of the erstwhile Rampur Princely state. The interior of the building is also inspired by European architecture. The architect of the building was French architect W.C. Wright, who made the structure on the instructions given by Nawab Hamid Ali Khan.
The interiors of the library
The Nawabs of Rampur were Rohilas, who had their origin in Roh, Afghanistan, and were renowned for their secular and liberal outlook. They patronized the arts, culture, and education, and were known for their love of music, poetry, and architecture. They also promoted social and religious harmony by patronizing scholars and religious leaders from all faiths, including Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. Raza library continues to be one of the most important cultural institutions in India and houses a vast collection of rare manuscripts, books, and other artifacts.
The library is now managed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh but remains closely associated with the Nawab family. Its minarets capture the true soul of the syncretic traditions of India. The Rampur Raza Library collection was started by Nawab Faizullah Khan in 1774. But the building came up much later.
The library initially had the personal book collection of Nawabs of Rampur who were patrons of the arts and avid collectors of books and manuscripts. Over the decades, the library has grown to become one of the largest collections of rare books and manuscripts in the country.
The library houses a vast collection of 17,000 manuscripts, including 150 illustrated ones with 4413 illustrations and about 83,000 printed books besides 5,000 miniature paintings in albums, 3000 specimens of calligraphy, and 205 palm leaves. Many rare and valuable texts are in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hindi, and other languages. The collection includes works on a wide range of subjects, including history, philosophy, science, literature, and religion.
The Raza Library is also home to several rare artifacts, including miniature paintings, coins, and other objects of historical and cultural significance. The library has a conservation lab that works to preserve these artifacts and ensure that they are protected for future generations. Nawab Murad Ali Khan, the son of the last nawab Murtaza Ali Khan has been on the board of the library management. His brother Nawab Kazim Ali Khan was also involved.
He has been MLA for five straight terms from the Suar constituency. He has twice been a Minister in Samajwadi as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party Government of Uttar Pradesh. He has continued the legacy of his ancestors in furthering a tolerant and secular culture in his region. Maulana Azad was the first MP from Rampur, who also became the first education minister of independent India. The Nawabs of Rampur were particularly famous for their patronage of Urdu poetry and music.
The general view of the library
Nawab Yousuf Ali Khan learnt poetry from Mirza Ghalib, who had been employed by his court. The nawabs were avid collectors of musical instruments, and many famous musicians and singers, including Ustad Allauddin Khan and Ustad Faiyaz Khan, were associated with the Rampur court.
The Rampur-Sahaswan gharana of classical music is named after the princely state and continues to be popular among music enthusiasts in India. Even though Rampur was a predominantly Muslim state, the Nawabs encouraged the development of Hindu temples and other places of worship for non-Muslims.
They also supported interfaith marriages and were known for their efforts to bridge the gap between different communities in their state. Rampur Raza Library is today one of the biggest symbols of India’s syncretic heritage and continues to attract visitors from across the world.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by ATV / Posted by Shaista Fatima / February 22nd, 2023
