“Rising Beyond The Ceiling was born out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women in India,” said Fatehally.
(L to R) Zoya Fatehally, Margaret Alva, Farah Usmani and Aiman Ansari at the book launch
Bengaluru:
Recently, Rising Beyond the Ceiling launched their hardcover edition of Rising Beyond The Ceiling Karnataka publication, after releasing an e-book version of the same in November 2022. With 100 stereotype-shattering stories of inspiring Muslim women from Karnataka, the book is authored by Dr Farah Usmani and co-authored by Dr Zoya Fatehally and Aiman Ansari. Former Governor of Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, Margaret Alva was the chief guest while director Saad Khan hosted the evening’s launch party.
“Rising Beyond The Ceiling was born out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women in India,” said Fatehally. “The need to change the narrative behind the stereotype about Indian Muslim women not contributing to the nation much and how Muslim women are known for getting married and having a lot of kids and not working was one of the inspirations that drew to author such a book,” said Aiman Ansari, the co-author.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / March 01st, 2023
Judge Shama Hakim is the first South Asian American woman and the first Muslim American woman on any appellate court in United States.
New York:
In a first, Indian-American Democrat Shama Hakim Mesiwala has been unanimously confirmed as associate justice of the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento, California.
Mesiwala, 48, was administered the oath of office this month by Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, chair of the Commission on Judicial Appointments.
She was confirmed by a unanimous vote of the three-member commission, which included Chief Justice Guerrero, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Acting Presiding Justice Ronald B. Robie.
Judge Mesiwala, who would now be the first South Asian American woman and the first Muslim American woman on any appellate court in the country, would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Coleman A. Blease.
She has served as a Sacramento County Superior Court judge since 2017 and was a commissioner there in 2017.
Mesiwala is the co-founder of the South Asian Bar Association of Sacramento and the president of the Schwartz/Levi Inn of Court.
She served as the Americans with Disabilities judge for the Sacramento County Superior Court Hall of Justice and created the first Indian Child Welfare Act courtroom in Northern California.
Armed with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law, Mesiwala also teaches appellate advocacy as an adjunct professor in the same university.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> United States / by ummid.com with inputs from IANS / February 28th, 2023
Hindustan aur Kuwait (Tarīkhī, Ilmì aur Thaqafatī Rishte’ by Dr Abdul Qadir Shams launched in Delhi.
New Delhi:
Hindustan aur Kuwait (Tarīkhī, Ilmì aur Thaqafatī Rishte) i.e. India and Kuwait: Historical, Academic and Cultural Relations in Urdu, a book crafted out of the doctoral thesis of late Dr Abdul Qadir Shams Qasmi (1972-2020) originally titled ‘Ulūm-e-Islamī ki Tahqīq-o-Isha’at mein Wazārat-e-Auqaf Kuwait ka Kirdar by Mohammad Khalid Azmi (residing in Kuwait) was launched at Hotel River View, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi on Saturday, 25 February, 2023. The launch programme witnessed a good number of participants from media, academia and other spheres.
The participatns appreciated Khalid Azmi for his timely efforts to turn the thesis into a book with helpful additions to focus on the bilateral role of India and Kuwait in the academic and cultural domains.
The event was presided over by Prof Akhtarul Wasey, Islamic scholar and former president of Maulana Azad University, Jodhpur. Academics and media persons including Dr Raziul Islam Nadwi, Professor Iqtidar Mohammad Khan, Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi Salafi, Dr Waris Mazhari, Dr Khalid Mubashshir, Dr Mohammad Ajmal, Suhail Anjum, Siraj Naqvi shared their views.
Dr Shahabuddin Saqib Qasmi, senior sub-editor, Urdu daily Inquilab, conducted the event, organised by Qari Zafar Iqbal Madni of Jamiatul Qasim Darul Uloom -il Islamia, Supaul, Bihar.
Mufti Mohammad Ansar Qasmi of Jamiatul Qasim presented vote of thanks.
It should be noted that author and senior journalist, Dr Abdul Qadir Shams Qasmi, had died of cardiac arrest on 25 August, 2020, during Covid-19.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Books / by Manzar Imam / February 27th, 2023
Among the plethora of machines there, decades-old radio sets stand out in the store, which is one of the few places today where ‘old tech’ can be fixed.
Hyderabad:
The once ubiquitous radio, has been replaced today with modern tech advancements in all practicality. Podcasts and Youtube videos have essentially changed how the world consumes information, be it news, movies, entertainment, or just plain simple music.
Gone are the days when one would find someone to fix radios, TV sets, or even tape recorders, given that our smartphones have literally replaced most all those devices. In such a modern world, there is however still one place in Hyderabad that is stuck in time, where radios from bygone eras, and from around the world, are still sent for repairs.
Welcome to Mahboob Radio Service, a place where one can get a glimpse into the past, when tube TV sets, tape recorders, radios, transistors, etc were the norm. Among the plethora of machines there, decades-old radio sets stand out in the store, which is one of the few places today where ‘old tech’ can be fixed.
“We have been fixing radios here from over five decades. Me and my elder brother Mujeebuddin learnt it from our father Shaik Mahboob, who first began selling radios which he used to bring from Bombay,” said Mohd. Moinuddin (70), while sitting and tinkering at an old radio set.
The story of this old store in fact goes way before 1948, when the erstwhile state of Hyderabad was run by its last Nizam, Osman Ali Khan. Shaik Mahboob was in fact selling PVC pipes which he would import from Bombay. One fine day he brought back with him a radio, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Mohd. Moinuddin, the younger sibling from Mahboob Radio Service, holding a valve from an antique radio. (Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania)
“After he brought back the radio with him and sold it, he got a few more pieces. Then he began learning how to fix those radios. In those times, you could only listen to the few channels that were there. Earlier, whenever we would turn on the radio, everyone would gather around to listen,” recalled Mr. Moinuddin.
In Mahboob Radio Service, one can find all sorts of radios, be it a Phillips, Murphy, GEC, Johnson, Marconi, Telefunken, or any other well-known company one can think of from decades ago. “We have one from America as well, which is over 80 years old,” recalled Mr Moinuddin.
The internals of one of the many radios in Mahboob Radio Service.Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania
Origins
Mahboob Radio Service in fact was set up in 1948, the same year when the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad was annexed to India on September 17. However, even before that, Shaik Mahboob was already fixing radios at Dabeerpura. He eventually shifted to Chatta Bazar at the shop’s current location, where it stands out amidst scores of printing presses.
Understanding the importance of his job, Mr Moinuddin has also stocked up on spares and old radio sets, many of which he uses for parts. “Valve radios stopped manufacturing by the 1970s itself. After that, things kept changing,” Mr Moinuddin reminisced.
A picture of Shaik Mahboob (beside clock), the founder of Mahboob Radio Service.Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania
More importantly, he pointed out that unlike devices today, which contain a motherboard, radios can be repaired over and over again. “Today, you can’t really fix motherboards easily, and once it is spoilt, it has to be entirely replaced. In old radios, you can keep replacing parts, and those will work forever,” said Mr Moinuddin, with a bit of laughter.
Unlike today, where tech has become cheaper to own, owning radios was only for the elite. What was even peculiar, or perhaps funnier, was that repairmen like Mr Moinuddin and his father had literally no say in their remuneration.
Maze of radios: A view of Mahboob Radio Service from its entrance. Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania
Ask him about it, and he narrates tales from years ago, when some Nawab or the other would call him to fix a radio. Among that elite section was also the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, who was among one of the many customers of Mahboob Radio Service.
“Oh, in those times, they (Nawabs) would give us their radios to fix. Once it was done, we had to actually go all the way to their home, operate the radio and show them that it was working. They used to pay us anything they liked, say Rs.20 or Rs.30. No one could dare ask for a price!” recalled Mr. Moinuddin.
Today however, the situation is quite in contrast, wherein people from different cities and even other countries come to get their radios fixed.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Yunus Lasania / March 16th, 2022
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
American Specialty Foods Co, on February 19 celebrated its 10th anniversary in Dubai with Valerie Brown, Regional Agricultural Counselor at USDA, US Consulate General Dubai attending the event as the Guest of Honor.
American Specialty Foods Co. that serves the taste of American flavors to over 50 countries with 20 product categories unveiled a brand new catalogue boasting over 650 products. The catalogue was unveiled by worldwide CEO of American Specialty Foods Co. Hany M Haneef, a prominent and dynamic NRI entrepreneur hailing from Mangalore.
“When I founded this company, it was a dream that I aimed to accomplish through passion. Despite the struggles we went through and the challenges we accomplished, it is the undying support of everyone which has enabled the company to achieve more than what we envisioned,” Hany M Haneef said during the event.
Valerie Brown, lauded the company and its achievements adding that the company was epitome of a company that “gets it”.
“They are deliberate, diligent and dynamic in promoting the best the US has to offer. I am delighted to celebrate them,” Valerie said.
Another guest Moroslav Hosek, spoke about the intensity with which Hany works as a professional.
“I have known Hany for five years now, but it feels like I have known him for at least 10 years. So intense a personal and business relationship it is indeed,” he said.
Incorporated in the USA 10 years ago, with a corporate office in Maryland, and a marketing office in New York, American Specialty Foods Co. includes a wide variety of products across 20 categories, including sauces, dressings, mayonnaise, tortilla chips, salsa, potato chips, popcorn, syrups, olives and more.
American Specialty has increased its global footprint, with regional offices in Dubai, London and Mexico.
The company is now venturing into the B2C segment to reach an increased number of households and bring the goodness of American taste to all, a press statement from the company said.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Gulf / by Vartha Bharati / February 25th, 2023
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
Sahebaan Business and Professionals Group (SBPG) and Sahebaan UAE conducted a Business and Professionals Meet at Al Jumairah Ballroom of Crowne Plaza Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, on 5th February 2023 from 2.00 PM onwards.
The event, sponsored by the Sahebaan Business Community UAE, was a success, with Sahebaan Community delegates from UAE, GCC, and India in attendance.
The event commenced with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. The convenor of SBPG, Althaf M.S., welcomed the gathering and explained the purpose of this maiden initiative.
The Program thereafter commenced with a panel discussion moderated by Althaf M.S., an EPC Oil and Gas Professional. The panel consisted of Dr. Abdul Rahiman Beig, a Professor at Khalifa University Abu Dhabi; Mrs. Ambreen Sheik, a Businesswomen and also an Honorary President of the Indian Ladies Association, Abu Dhabi; Mr. Mumtaz Hussain, an established Businessman from Qatar; Dr. Waleed Ahmed, Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK) and a well- known consultant and Mr. Syed Siraj Ahmed, Ex banker & Risk Management Consultant.
While speaking during the event, Mr. Imran Hidayath, CEO of Hidayath Group, Dubai, dwelt on his entrepreneurial journey to success.
Mr. Suhail Kudroli, Chartered Accountant, urged all to participate in such gatherings.
While speaking at the sidelines of the meeting, UAE Sahebaan Convenor Mr. Afroz Assadi and Mr. Siraj Ahmed appreciated the initiative and urged all to lend their support.
Business presentations were made subsequently by Mohd Salman on his startup business “The Stepup Ventures,” followed by Sahebaan ladies, Sahara Asif on “Life Skills Education” and Waseem Shaikh & Thanziya Khan on “Tru Choco & Nuts.”
The event’s highlight was Speed Networking, which evidenced active participation by delegates and interaction on a one-to-one basis with every delegate.
The Program was managed by Althaf M.S, Mohd. Samiulla, Mohd Sufiyan, and Faizaan Khateeb and anchored by Mohd. Sufiyan.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Gulf / by Vartha Bharati / February 13th, 2023
One can find a rather impressive collection of mechanical timepieces at Bombay Watch Co (subject to availability).
Hyderabad:
Unlike bigger cities like Bombay, where can hunt in areas like Chor Bazar and find local vintage watch repair stores or dealers, the same cannot be said for our city here. Even the online market space for horology lovers is filled sellers from other cities.
Finding something similar in Hyderabad turned out to be rather difficult. While one can always go to the known stores like Kamal Watch or Ramesh Watch (or any of the bigger stores on the Abids road), it took me a few weeks after a lot of searching to finally find what I was looking for.
In fact, it dawned on me to ask the owner of Mahbub Radio in the Old City if he knew any of the old watch experts. After all, the Chatta Bazar area also at one point of time had close to a dozen watch stores (most of which except ones like Mahmood Watch have shut however.
Vintage watches at Bombay Watch Co. (Image: Yunus Y. Lasania)
From old models of Favre Leuba to the now in demand HMT mechanical models, Bombay Watch Co has everything.
When I visited the store a few weeks ago, I spotted different models of old watches ranging from Tissot to Henry Sandoz. While one can look at the many online sellers, going to a watch store and geeking out over these old time pieces is a very different experience.
Store owner Kareem with his son. (Image: Siasat)
“I had gone to Bombay and worked there for two years in my youth to learn how to repair and service watches. I learnt my craft in Bhendi Bazar. I came back around 1976 and then set up my shop here. We fix everything. You can get us any watch or clock and we can repair it,” said Kareem Khan. Today he runs Bombay Watch with one of his sons Mohd Rizwan Khan (26).
At a time when fashion watches are sold everywhere and are an easy buy, the demand for old or vintage watches he says is in fact growing. “Lot of people still like old watches and Bombay Watch is known for selling old time pieces. Quartz watches that are made now are not so good in terms of quality,” he opined.
A serviceman at Bombay Watch Co. (Image: Siasat)
A quartz mechanism is essentially a battery-powered watch, which is not as complicated as a mechanical watch or an automatic watch. Mechanical watches do not need batteries, as it runs on a series of gears and a main spring, all of which work when the machine is winded (typically an old mechanical watch works for 24 to 48 hours after being fully winded). One can find a rather impressive collection of mechanical time pieces at Bombay Watch (subject to availability).
An automatic watch on the other hand is also a mechanical watch, but with a rotor which self winds the watch based on hand movements. It basically will run forever for as long as it is worn. Typically, automatic watches last for 40 plus hours after it is taken off from the wrist.
“We even fix 100-year-old clocks and watches. There are watches here that as close to a century old as well,” quipped Kareem Khan. Those interested in checking out vintage watches at Bombay Watch Co can easily find the place, which is located a stone’s throw away from the famous Subhan Bakery in Nampally.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Yunus Lasania / February 22nd, 2023
The Muslim Chamber of Commerce and Industries conducted a Business Summit on the 1st of April, 2022 at the Shantai Hotel, Rasta Peth Pune.
The Chief Guest of the program was Sanjay Shah who is the immediate Past President of Bombay Industries Association and Guest of Honor was Ex-Mayor of Pune City and Current NCP Pune President Prashant Jagtap.
The Summit was successful with more than 125 Delegates from various Industries participating, there were speakers who spoke on Digital Marketing, Startups, Government Subsidies etc.
Prashant Jagtap was felicitated by MCC&I President Nisar Sagar and MCC&I Secretary Rizwan Munir Shaikh.
source: http://www.punekarnews.in / Punekar News / Home> Business / April 04th, 2022
