A display of tribal musical instruments of Madhya Pradesh

It was an exhibition for music lovers and a learning experience for others like me wherein about ninety tribal instruments used by various tribes in the state of Madhya Pradesh were on display. Many of them may be at verge of extinction in today’s world of electrophone instruments. The exhibition titled as ‘Adirag’ was held at Bharat Bhawan from December 27 – 29, 2007 which was organized by Tribal Department of the State of Madhya Pradesh. Musical instruments from the districts of Balaghat, Chindwara, Dindori, Hoshangabad, Dhar, Dindori, Betul, Mandla and Khargone were on display. In addition to instruments photographs of various tribal musical instruments could also be seen. Instruments like Chikara, a string instrument, which has three strings (two horse hair & one steel) and is used by Gond tribes was on display from Dindori district. Instrument like Turra used by Baiga tribes, Tutuna, which has a unique sound effect produced by pressing and releasing the cane after plucking the string, Gudum used by Gond, Baiga and Dholia tribes, Ghunguroo and Mandar were on display. In addition to it various forms of Dhol, Dholki and Dholaks used by tribes like Bhils, Gond were simply fascinating. Nagara which has two pieces, the smaller one the female placed on the right & the bigger one the male placed on the left, played by Baiga and Gond tribes placed at the entrance of the exhibition attracted attention of many who were visiting the exhibition. In this display one thing which was missing and could be looked at was a small info- leaflet on the instruments probably could have contributed in spreading and retaining information about them before they fade away to few lines in the books of tribal history. But an effort of the department, well appreciated by the visitors, media and needs to be replicated.

Contributed by Anil Gulati

The Kingfisher at Bhopal's Van Vihar

Kingfisher bird at Bhopal's van vihar, the National park in capital of Madhya Pradesh.

Kingfisher bird live in both woodland wetland habitats. Kingfishers that live near water hunt small fish diving. They also ea crayfish and insects. They are able to see well both in air and under water. To do this, their eyes have evolved an egg-shaped lens able to focus in the two different environments.

(Pic by anil gulati)

Madhya Pradesh fisheries federation nets ISO certificate

Madhya Pradesh Fisheries Federation (MPFF) has bagged the country's first ISO certificate for fisheries, awarded by Surewin Quality Certification, Minister of State for Fisheries Moti Kashyap said. 'The federation has been assessed and found to be in conformance to the requirements of the quality management standard,' the minister said in an official statement here Thursday.

The certificate recognises the effective measures adopted by the federation for the welfare of fishermen and was a positive outcome of transparency, good performance and welfare programmes, Kashyap said. MPFF Managing Director Kanchan Jain said it was the first such certificate given to an Indian cooperative working for fishermen's welfare.

'The federation has this year introduced an innovative scheme called Jaldeep to provide basic facilities such as education and health to fisher folk living on small islands and isolated areas. It conducted a survey to identify such beneficiaries,' said Jain.

Another noteworthy achievement of the federation, she said, was the credibility and prestige it earned among international funding agencies due to the initiatives taken by it. These included improving efficiency, constantly increasing fish production and undertaking welfare measures for fish farmers in the state. 'It is also for the first time that the fishermen who suffered losses last year due to heavy rains have been given compensation,' she said.

Source - IndiaPRwire

Brand your shop, a new buzz word in rural marketing !

‘Branding’ a buzz word used by multinationals or Indian biggies but is practiced by many including by retail shopowners in Madhya Pradesh. Shopkeepers in Hoshangabad district in Madhya Pradesh use ‘the so called branding techniques’ to creatively name their shops. They may not be undertaking ‘marketing research’ or using ‘advertising agencies’ but it is their local painter and their own creativity which brings in the midas touch.

Barber shops in Budni and Babai area of Hoshangbabad have named themselves as hair styler’s or hair care centre or men parlors. Particular examples are ‘Fine hair stylers’ and ‘Narmada hair art’ in budni area of the district. Others call themselves as ‘men parlour’ or ‘hair care centres’ or ‘hair saloons’. Though the service provide are hair cutting, hair setting, hair dyeing, and head message, which is more than just cutting, hence the justification. Bollywood and cricket have its influence here and one can find posters from both the sectors in their shops. Not to left behind are the paan shops in the district which have taken away the word ‘shop’ and replaced it with ‘paan palace’ or ‘paan centre’. ‘Friend paan centre’ owner in the district shares that ‘I am actually friend of my clients, they come to my paan centre, share their thoughts, we debate on issues and in all this they also smoke a puff or buy paan, hence the name. This may sound bit interesting but fact is that both paan chewing and smoking is harmful and are cancerous, and should be discouraged, which he too agrees. But in terms of ‘marketing’ all them are creatively branding their shops to gain by attracting more customers and ‘position’ themselves as different then the others, well that is what is taught at B - schools which none of them have been !

The Holy Narmada, Hoshangabad

(Photo of the holy Narmada river from pitching Ghat in district Hoshangabad.)

यह मेरा घर, यह तेरा घर !

Large cormorants at Van Vihar, in Bhopal on December 2, 2007. (Pic courtesy - anil gulati)

Death of tiger in Bhopal’s Van Vihar raises concern

Gautam, a five year old male tiger died at Van Vihar, national park in Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh. This is not the first death this year. Deaths of these ‘big cats’ have being happening at regular intervals since October 2006

GAUTAM, A five year old male tiger died at Van Vihar, national park in Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh. This is not the first death this year. If we look at the figures, two tigers and one white tiger have died this year in Van Vihar. Particularly disturbing is the fact that deaths of these ‘big cats’ have being happening at regular intervals since October 2006. A total of six ‘big cats’ have died here. This includes two white tigers, one tigress, two tigers and one lion.

Post-mortem report conducted on Gautam’s body, which was shared with the media, states that the death could have been due to some parasitic disease namely ‘Bebesia’. This raises questions regarding the safety of other animals particularly tigers, lions and panthers in Van Vihar. The question is whether it can spread across to them? Though as a precautionary measure, blood samples of other carnivorous animals of the park has been sent for testing. But is that enough?

Van Vihar is the pride of Bhopal and is home to a number of animals, including white tiger, panther, lion and tigers. But these deaths have raised concern in the state among wild life experts, media and animal lovers. There is a need to take steps to prevent these deaths. Some wild life experts feel that there is a need for wildlife health centre in the state and also create greater awareness within the state regarding wildlife.

Gautam’s death has once again brought this discussion to the forefront. But let us hope that some positive steps are taken in this regard, lest we forget Gautam’s death. We may not get a second chance.

Anil

State museum in Bhopal, a showcase of cultural prosperity

by Anil Gulati
Source -www.merinews.com

The state museum of Madhya Pradesh has an impressive collection of artifacts illustrating rich cultural history of the state. Sixteen galleries exhibit collection of sculptures, archival and excavated materials collected from different parts of state.


IF YOU are planning to visit Bhopal, you should not miss a chance to visit the state museum of Madhya Pradesh. The museum is a splendid collection of artifacts illustrating rich cultural history of the state. Bhopal, the capital of MP, hosts the state museum that is located in the Shymala hill. The museum exhibits some old and the best pieces reflecting art and culture richness of the state.

The museum has sixteen galleries displaying unique showcase from pre-historic tools of lower Paleolithic period to stamps and autographs used in previous years in the state. The state museum was established in year 1964 and it was shifted to a new building at the end of year 2005 for better display of the exhibits. The museum, actually based on archaeological relics, also exhibits antiques such as sculptures, paintings, objects of arts, crafts, coins, bronze images, archival and excavated material from different parts of diverse state of Madhya Pradesh. The beautiful and rare exhibits of statues like Narwar in Shivpuri, sixteen feet long treaty of Burhanpur of year 1804, statues of Lord Shiva and many others will keep bringing you back to museum again and again. In the first hall of the museum, titled as master pieces of Madhya Pradesh, you can find some of its best sculpture pieces like sculptor of Yakshi of 2nd century BC, acquired from Satna, and statue of Buddha of 2nd century AD, acquired from Gwarighat, Jabalpur.

The Narvarha of 9–10th century AD, acquired from Mansaur, was not in India. Recently, it was brought back to the museum. Similarly, ‘Birth of Krishna’ that dates back to 11th century AD was also bought recently to the museum. Some interesting exhibits acquired from lower Paleolithic period are on display in its fossil section. In sculpture gallery, one can find sculptures of Ganesha, Shiva, Uma–Maheswar, Vishnu etc. These sculpture were collected from different places of state.

You can find a valuable collection of different editions of stamps of Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Badwani, Orcha and Datia state. In the musical instrument section, you can see the well-preserved instruments such as Israj and Rudra Veena. You will notice cannons of 18th century AD acquired from Indore, guns of Holkar period in the weapon section and coins dated back to British and Moghul period in its coin section.

In the excavation section, the water conservation and water reuse systems are just gleaming to watch. One can imagine how beautifully the communities in early years used to conserve and recycle water.

In the inscription gallery, the museum exhibits inscriptions on stone, copper plates found in state, prominent citations, grants issued by Pratihar and Parmar rulers and interesting six line inscription referring to building construction in Chanderi, Guna (now Chanderi is in newly formed Ashok Nagar district). In the section of royal collection ornate art objects, you can find several interesting things such as inkpot of 18-19th century AD and pen stand of 20th century AD also. One can say after visiting the state museum that this is really a splendid collection of artifacts illustrating the rich cultural history of the state.

Salman Khan on a wall clock!

Moved by his idol, Salman Khan, Kirori Mal got Salman moving on the wall. That’s the ingenuity of a barber in a dusty village in Madhya Pradesh.

DHARDA GANESH is a village in the Shivpuri district of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is more than an hour’s drive from main district headquarter or Shivpuri urban and one has to navigate many bumpy roads and stretches which hardly have roads. The village looks like a typical village in the state of Madhya Pradesh with a cluster of mud huts, roofed with thatch or earthen tiles, narrow paths full of mud and water (if it rains) which leads to the outside world. Probably time had a little effect on these villages.

I happened to visit this village on some work. But it was interesting visit for me as I had an opportunity to visit the shop of Kirori Mal. Kirori Mal is a barber. His shop is just at the entrance of the village, outside the Panchayat Bhawan. It was a makeshift shop, a few inches above the ground. One had to climb to enter it.

Probably he seems to be a huge fan of Bollywood. The walls of his shop were lacquered with the photographs of all the well-known actresses. May be it was an added attraction to his shop for the clients who came for a haircut or for shave and sometimes had to wait for their turn. He was a self-confessed fan of Salman Khan. But I was bit puzzled as I could not see Salman Khan on the walls so got bit inquisitive. I dared ask him where is Salman Khan? He looked into my eyes and then pointed his finger towards his wall clock, which was hanging on the wall of his shop.

There was the Khan, captured in the wall clock! Actually he had a cut out of Salman Khan and had replaced it with second’s needle in the clock. Instead of ‘seconds’ needle, it was Salman’s photograph cut in shape of it. It was quite an interesting way to use a photograph of his idol.

So it was Salman Khan on the move that too every second! Not only Bollywood actress but also moving Salman attracted the young clients of the village to visit his shop every now and then.

By Anil Gulati
Source - www.merinews.com

Biko-magic spreading its wings in Bhopal

Biking has become a passion among the youth across the nation, and Bhopal is no different. Young guys flock the roads of Bhopal on weekends, riding their bikes at high speeds.

BIKING IS BECOMING popular in Bhopal these days, especially with young ones. Branded jackets, shoes, mobiles, and smart bikes are fast becoming an integral part of their way of life. Bhopal has many youngsters who perform heroic acts on bikes and get the due media attention. Bhopal has many, who do all kinds of stuff on these bikes, be it standing on the bike, zipping around, driving on front or back wheels, and all those things, which the bike inventors must have not even thought about. They probably made this vehicle to transport people!

Thanks to the available roads in Bhopal, and media attention, this keeps them going. They are like local heroes, motivating many other young ones to take risk to compete with them. Nobody stresses upon helmets and precautions, for that matter helmets are only compulsory in the rulebooks, not on the roads.

They have more incentives now. In August, Bhopal had Moto Soccer, a football match between two teams, namely Indian bikers and Biker boys, in which these men played soccer with bikes. Indian Bikers team defeated Bikers Boys to win the Mayor Trophy Moto Soccer event. The winner of the match was decided by penalty shoot out. Thankfully, the match was played with drivers wearing helmets.

Occasionally, one can notice a cavalcade of bikers on roads of Bhopal. Tens of bikes are often seen zipping around the roads of Bhopal on weekend evenings, replicating Pune bikers’ Sunday shows. All this sounds good, but catch is that one needs to undertake the ‘so-called’ heroic acts with due precaution and care with minimum risk, which is not there as of now. And finally, the petroleum conservation guys should also reach out to these young ones and tell them about the value of non-renewable resources.

Contributed by Anil Gulati

MP’s may have its own 'Palace on Wheels' !!

Madhya Pradesh Government is planning to launch "Malwa Odyssey", a luxury train on the lines of "Palace on Wheels" in Rajasthan, linking its tourist destinations with Bhopal. A suggestion in this regard was first made by the Indian Heritage Hotels Association which has submitted a detailed report to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan last week on ways to boost tourism in the state. While these proposals were being made Indian Heritage Hotel Association (IHHA) have also urged Madhya Pradesh government to strengthen state's basic infrastructure to develop it as a tourism hub. Though Madhya Pradesh has tremendous potential in heritage tourism and as it develops into tourism hub it needs to improve its basic infrastructure, including roads, air connectivity and electricity.

Madhya Pradesh to set up heritage hotels

BHOPAL: A chain of heritage hotels will be established in Madhya Pradesh for giving boost to tourism in the state which boasts of numerous forts, palaces and ancient monuments.

"Forts, palaces and sites of erstwhile kingdoms have been identified by the State Tourism Development Corporation for establishing heritage hotels," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said here on Sunday.

Addressing the general body meeting of the Indian Heritage Hotel Association, he said "Besides three world heritage monuments a large number of places of archaeological and historical importance are strewn across the state and efforts will be made to attract investment at these places."

He said apart from sites of historical importance, sanctuaries, national parks and places of natural beauty in the state, the heritage hotels will be an added attraction for tourists.

Referring to Bhopal, which is also known as the city of lakes, Chouhan said efforts will also be made to promote the state capital as a major tourist spot.

Airports at Bhopal and Indore will be upgraded to international standards, he said.

Sprawling Madhya Pradesh beckons Bollywood

Sanjay Sharma, IANS

Bhopal, Aug 30 (IANS) With Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan promising Bollywood a red carpet in Madhya Pradesh, the film and entertainment industry has started showing interest in the state. While actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha wants to open a film city with studios - like in Mumbai - somewhere near the state capital here, TV czarina Ekta Kapoor is willing to start an acting university in Gwalior.

Gwalior is also the first choice of former Miss World and actress Sushmita Sen, who wants land to install the sets of her own production 'Jhansi Ki Rani' there. 'The government has decided to provide land to Shatrughan Sinha for his project in Bagroda village near Bhopal. The actor has also seen the land and approved it and things are expected to be finalised soon,' an official said. At an interactive meet with industrialists in Mumbai Aug 10, Chief Minister Chouhan said provisions had been made for facilitating the entry of a film city, besides other units related to the entertainment world. 'Madhya Pradesh, which has abundant natural beauty, has immense possibilities for producing films. The government would provide full support in this regard. Land and other facilities would be provided at concessional rates for setting up a film industry and training institutes,' Chouhan told the meet. Earlier, during Sinha's visit to the state Aug 7, Chouhan had announced that his government was considering setting up a film city in the state.


He gave this assurance at a special function held in Khandwa to honour actor-turned-politician Sinha with the Kishore Kumar Samman. He said a film city would provide a platform to budding artists. 'Encouraged by the chief minister's assurance, TV producer Ekta Kapoor has also made up her mind to open a university in Gwalior which would impart a bachelor's degree and master's degree courses in acting and other fields related to cinema. These would include theatre, advanced cinema and studio editing,' a source said. Kapoor has asked for 30 acres of land in two phases for setting up the university and even had talks with Special Area Development Authority (SADA) chairman Jai Singh in this regard. The government of Madhya Pradesh - one of India's largest states - had constituted SADA for the development of Gwalior. 'Kapoor has talked to me and I have asked her to send a detailed proposal. We have enough land to provide for constructive works. Let the proposal come,' Jai Singh told IANS on phone.

Sushmita Sen's company Tantra has also approached SADA for three acres of land to put up the sets of 'Jhansi Ki Rani'. She also wants to open a studio at least for three years. 'We have invited the actress to come and look for the suitable site and she has agreed', said Jai Singh.

UP to launch a combined tourism circuit with MP

Uttar Pradesh is planning to launch combined circuits jointly with neighbouring Madhya Pradesh to attract tourists. There is a plan to launch combined circuits with MP, said an official from UP Tourism Corporation which will be a viable plan for the two states to combine their resources to attract tourists. It will be tried by a joint tourist circuit which includes Taj Mahal, Gwalior, Orcha etc."

New circuits which would be developed included the Buddhist circuit, Avadh circuit, Brij, Bundelkhand and Vindyachal-Varanasi circuit. UP tourism plans to treble its investment from Rs 13 crore to Rs 40 crore to develop new circuits.

MP gives 50% discount on tour packages before Sep 30

The Madhya Pradesh tourism department has given a 50 per cent discount to tourists visiting the state before September 30.

Talking to mediapersons here today at Kolkatta, MPTD executive director G S Chahal said the department runs a network of 44 accommodation units with a total bed capacity of 1500 at over 30 different locations. Mr Chahal said about one crore people visit the state every year of which 60 per cent are pilgrims and about 10 per cent are from West Bengal.

''Keeping in mind the spurt in number of tourists we have started a direct Kingfisher flight from Kolkata to Indore and will soon start one from Bhopal,'' Mr Chahal said. Welcoming the people to the 'land of tigers', Mr Chahal said the state has some nine national parks and 11 sanctuaries, of them the Kanha National park is famous for having the largest number of tigers in India.''Pench is another place full of wild life that had inspired Rudyard Kipling to pen down his famous 'Jungle Book' and its most lovable character 'Mowgli'.

It also offers some of the exotic world heritage destinations like Khajuraho, Bhimbhetka, Gwalior and Mandu, an ancient medieval city, also know as 'City of Joy', he said. Besides, the state has some of the holiest places for piligrims like Amarkantak, Omkareshwar and Mahareswar.

He also offered film makers, the state's vast rough sites to make 'good' thriller movies.

A 'Taj Mahal' In Ruins

Sanjay Sharma
The Taj Mahal in Agra might have made it to the seven new wonders of the world but another architectural gem by the same name, built by Begum Shah Jahan of Bhopal in 1874, is in danger of being erased from the heritage map of Madhya Pradesh.

Though very different from the celebrated monument in Agra, this one was built by Begum Shah Jahan for the purpose of living in Bhopal, which was the only Muslim state to be ruled by four women monarchs in succession.

The complex, once called the 'Raj Mahal', has elaborate stone-pillared arches, with the ceilings having iron rings where coloured glass lamps used to be hung at one time.

'When the British Resident called on Shah Jahan Begum, he was so impressed with its architecture that he looked around with admiration and remarked that this splendid palace should be known as the 'Taj Mahal'. After all, it is the creation of Shah Jahan Begum. Thereafter, the Raj Mahal was renamed Taj Mahal,' recalls an old timer.

Today large parts of the heritage complex have collapsed. Its ceiling near the entrance has buckled and the huge garden with a complex of palaces and covered walkways have disintegrated.

As a result, one can easily see narrow bricks peering out from wherever the plaster has peeled off or the walls have caved in.

But it is said that the palace was once beautiful, as the Begum - ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Bhopal for two terms (1844-60 and 1868-1901) - was quite passionate about architecture like her namesake Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

She not only built the Taj Mahal here for herself but also got a mini city called Shahjahanabad developed.

The grand palace, which was home to Begum Shah Jahan and built as part of her ambitious construction of the Shahjehanabad suburb, has a huge gate with its menacing spikes still intact.

Born in Islamnagar near the city of Bhopal, the begum was known as a lady of learning and piety. She was credited with the authorship of several books in Urdu.

She also made sizable donations towards the building of a mosque at Woking, Surrey, in Britain and contributed generously towards the founding of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh, which developed into the Aligarh Muslim University.

Though much of Bhopal's architecture is said to bear the Mughal, French, British, Rajasthani, Persian, Arabic and Islamic designs, the ruins of Taj Mahal distinctly reflect Islamic architecture.

Observes conservation architect Meera Das, who studied the palace in great detail in her capacity as regional convener of the conservation group INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) : 'The Taj Mahal had a long courtyard with a fountain structure constructed in carved red stone. This exquisite fountain structure - the Sawan Bhadon Sahan - is the attraction of this large complex.'

According to Das, the palace was a mixture of Islamic and Hindu architectural elements with cusped arches, massive gateways, screen windows at upper levels, extensive mouldings, decorative plasterwork and squat homes with 'jharokhas'.

'The detailing on the inner courtyard facades seemed to have a colonial influence. The entrance dome of the Taj Mahal was so large that a 12-horse buggy (cart) could turn under it with ease. The begum would alight from the coach here as she observed purdah,' says Das in a booklet on Bhopal's architecture.

While most of the flooring has been coarsely cemented over, blue-painted Jaipuri tiles are still visible in a few spots. One can well imagine how beautiful it would all have looked with the coloured glass lamps, terracotta painted walls and floors with blue tiles.

The begum also initiated the construction at Bhopal of Taj-ul-Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India.

The begum married Baqi Muhammad Khan, a nobleman of Bhopal and became his third wife in 1855. Four years after Muhammad Khan's death in 1867, Shah Jahan married Sadiq Hasan Khan of Bareilly in the then United Provinces.

After India's independence, a few members of the royal family lived at the Taj Mahal. But since they had no money for repairs, gradually they all moved away and the palace now lies in ruins.

'My FM' and 'Big FM' in Indore now

Last week saw the launch of My FM and Big FM airwaves in the city of Indore in Madhya Pradesh. This is My FM’s third radio station in the state, while it’s the second one for Big FM radio.

Synergy Media Entertainment Ltd (SMEL), a fully owned company of the Bhaskar Group owns the ‘My FM’ brand and had previously launched the station in the cities of Bhopal and Gwalior in the state. The launch in Indore marked rocking performance by the Indi-pop band Euphoria, and the unveiling of the station’s new logo.

The launch was supported by 360-degree promotions comprising outdoor events, hoardings, fliers, etc. The launch was also supported by the group newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, which covered the pre-launch activities extensively.

The Adlabs-owned Big FM’s launch in the city marked the launch of the network’s second station in Madhya Pradesh. With this launch in the city, the station will also cover the adjoining areas of Dewas, Mhow, Pithampur, Sanwer, Depalpur, Manpur in the 40 square kilometre aerial distance.

New Welcome heritage property at Pachmari

Welcomheritage launched its 52nd property 'Golf View Retreat'. The retreat is situated at Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh, at the state's hill station. Spread over four acres, WelcomHeritage Golf Retreat has 15 air-conditioned suites decorated with period furniture and live fire places, LCD television, tea and coffee makers and mini bars. The baths are fitted with shower closets, whirlpools and steam enclosures. The Retreat also has a jogging track, an open-air restaurant, with a live kitchen serving barbeque vegetarian cuisine.

Madhya Pradesh to get new national park

Madhya Pradesh is all set to get new eco-tourism attractions near the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar reservoirs in Khandwa district where a 651 sq km lush green forest is being transformed into a national park, two sanctuaries and two conservation reserves. This eco-restoration area would attract tourists with the unique scenic beauty of the nearly 100 islands in the reservoirs, officials said. The area demarcated for the national park, sanctuaries and conservation reserves is a treasure trove of flora and fauna and has a unique belt of thousands of elegant Anjan trees.

'We have sought help from the Wildlife Institute of India and the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) to protect and provide a natural habitat to the displaced wildlife of the area submerged by the reservoir,' said Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA) vice chairman Uday Kumar Verma.

'The eco-restoration and development project report of the IIFM has been made the basis of the working plan for the Omkareshwar National Park, slated to open on Oct 1,' he added.

'The development work is going on at a war footing. A sum of Rs.103 million has been spent on work undertaken in the current year, including wildlife habitat management, construction of an interpretation centre at Narmada Nagar and development of camp sites. Livelihood diversification work has also been undertaken in 29 villages around the protected area,' Verma said. VDA conservator Vinay Kumar Varman said: 'The upcoming Omkareshwar National Park would be the new habitat for a variety of animals like tigers, panthers, bison, neelgai, sambhar, chital and chinkara. And the islands would provide a natural habitat to thousands of local as well migratory birds.

IANS,Madhya Pradesh,Staff Correspondent

Hiked entry fee to MP forests may hit arrival figures

Jyoti Koul - New Delhi

The irrational increase in entrance fee for the national parks of Madhya Pradesh has become a major concern for the tourism and hospitality industries. While in the short term they have suffered from last minute fee hikes, they fear plummeting tourist arrivals in the long term.

Hoteliers and the travel trade have complained that these hikes have occurred close to the park opening dates leaving no time for them to revise their brochures or tariff cards. As a result, they were forced to cancel tourist groups that were booked a year in advance. Many hotels also had to absorb this hike last year but have continued with the season because international agents refused to go ahead with their groups with the new tariff. The entry fee for a foreign tourist has jumped from Rs 100 to 500 in the last couple of years.

According to Madhya Pradesh operators, the park authorities are planning to change the tariff this year - instead of implementing entry fee per person, they will charge a vehicle entry of Rs 2,500 per trip, regardless of the number of visitors sitting inside. This means a total of Rs 5,000 per day. According to park authorities, this is an attempt to reduce the pressure on the park by limiting the number of vehicles.

According to Amit Sankhala, managing director of Tiger Resorts, tourists usually stay for three nights, which means an entry fee of Rs 15,000 to visit one national park. "If it's a week's stay at Kanha and Bandhavgarh, which is what a lot of clients do, then they pay Rs 35,000. This will definitely have serious repercussions for the inbound tourism market specialising in wildlife tours. This will also harm the image of Madhya Pradesh tourism as the foreign clientele will feel we are not a tourist-friendly state," he said. While only 19 per cent of visitors to Bandhavgarh are foreigners, they contribute almost 70 per cent of the revenue from entrance fees.

Subhash Goyal, president of IATO, who has written to the concerned ministry, said, "The concerned authorities must take steps to save tourism. Such hikes go against the promotional efforts of the industry." Madhya Pradesh is the only state where the lodge owners and park authorities are working closely, thereby showing concern towards saving the wildlife in Madhya Pradesh.

However, when Express TravelWorld took up the issue with the forest minister of the state - Himmat Kothari - he said that his ministry would not discourage the industry by taking any unhealthy step. "I assure everyone that we will take the tourism stakeholders into confidence in case we plan to implement any changes with respect to the entry fee, etc. We do not like to be deterrents in the promotion of tourism in the state," he said.

Express Travel World

Sushmita's now to act as 'Jhansi ki Rani'

Film to be shot in MP

Sushmita Sen is all set to don the avatar of a producer. The diva's dream project will not be the kind you have seen her doing on screen but it's inspired by a real life character straight out of our history books -- Rani Lakshmi Bai, the fiery Queen of Jhansi, also known as the Rani of Jhansi and no prizes for guessing who will play the lead in the historic epic 'Jhansi ki Rani'.

"I am very excited," exclaims Sush as she goes on to elaborate about her work on the character. "I have been working very hard for last 2 years and if everything goes right then Inshallah by 2009 you'll see the release."

With two years already devoted to her epic, looks like Ms Sen is no novice at filmmaking. These days the actress in neck deep in deciding the nitty gritties of the project -- after all, this film will be her way to pay homage to the warrior queen.

Also to make her film 'Jhansi ki Rani' more relevant for gen next, it will be predominantly in English and will be shot extensively in Madhya Pradesh, but till the time her film doesn't hit the floors, Sush will be occupied portraying and promoting 'Ramu ki Aag'.

"This is the first time I have played such a silent character and it was my dream to work with RGV," says Sush, who plays the subdued character of Durga Devi in the film.

Sush is leaving no stone unturned for her big debut as a producer. We understand, because apart from her not-so-impressive acting career, she has another worry that of Ketan Mehta's 'Jhansi Ki Rani', which has her rival Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead. Well, to know what happens next, we'll have to wait and watch.

Re- Timesnow.tv

Eternal weave,

The Hindu, July 7, 2007
ABHILASH GAUR
Most of what made Chanderi famous have disappeared with time. Except the distinct art of weaving that makes Chanderi saris unique.

Many centuries ago, Chanderi was worth dying for. It was a walled city with a hilltop citadel. It had palaces, tanks and pleasure pavilions. The beautiful Betwa flowed close by its side. And precious cloth flowed off the looms of its weavers. So Babur laid siege to it and Medini Rai defended it with all his might. In the end, every last Rajput warrior lay dead on the battlefield, and every Rajput woman lay charred on the jauhar (collective immolation) pyre — their final act of defiance.

The battle has passed into Chanderi’s lore. The grand fort lies in ruins, and the old city below it is crumbling under the weight of its booming population. For all of Madhya Pradesh Tourism’s hard-sell, Chanderi today is not a pleasant place for tourists. Yet, it produces something that many tourists would love to take back home — the Chanderi sari.

The looms never stop
Chanderi’s lone road divides the town into two unequal parts. On one side lies the old walled city, and on the other the crowded, slum-like Patkuian Mohalla, also known as Bahar Shahr (outer city). It is in this congested quarter that hundreds of Chanderi’s looms click-clack away night and day. Every house here has a loom, sometimes two or three, depending upon the number of able hands in the family. The workmen may rest but not their looms. So when Aamna’s brothers sleep, she continues the work, or leaves it to her mother. “Chanderi’s children learn to weave in their playtime,” says the matriarch.

How many weaver families does Chanderi have? Around 3,600 or 60 per cent of the population. That sounds like a large number but let’s not forget that these people work on traditional handlooms. Consequently, each household averages no more than two metres of cloth in a day, and the entire town’s monthly production would yield only around 40,000 saris. Then, how is it that Chanderi saris are available at every big shop across the country? That’s easy: most of them are fakes.

It is an odd fact that Chanderi does not produce yarn. It never has in its history. How, then, did it become a famous centre of weaving? The answer lies in its location. In the old days, Chanderi lay on an important trading route between Gujarat, Mewar and the Deccan, so all the raw material for weaving –– cotton, silk and brocade –– came from outside. What Chanderi pioneered and became famous for was a technique that it has kept alive till now.

Briefly, that technique is: cotton in the warp and silk in the weft. But simple as it sounds, it is a slow process, and even the plainest sari takes three days to weave. Throw in an intricate pattern and the weaving can take a week or more.

The Chanderi cloth is very light. Before machine-made yarn came to be used here, it was comparable in lightness to Dhaka’s famed muslin. And the lightness extended to the colours and designs as well. While today Chanderis come in all colours — ranging from the darkest greens to blues and reds — traditionally, they were white or very lightly coloured. The dyeing used to be done with saffron and flower extracts, which also scented the cloth, but now bright chemical dyes hold sway.

Changing patterns
With time, the patterns woven into the saris have also become more complicated. These days, very few Chanderi saris sport the traditional ginni (coin) or booti (tendril) motif. Instead, their de signs now range from big flowers to geometrical patterns. After all, it is a demand-driven world. But one thing that hasn’t changed — apart from the Chanderi weave — is the traditional border. This heavy strip of brocade is made with a special fibre that is locally produced by twisting together four strands of zari thread. Two weavers work on it at a time, and it is called naalpherma as the thread turns back from the base. Since the border is not w oven along with the sari, it is sewed on later.

Watching a weaver work at his loom can be fascinating, but if you wish to buy a Chanderi sari, you would have to wind your way to the Narsingh Mandir in the walled city, for the saris are the property of rich seth s who live there. They supply the raw material to the poor weavers and get the saris woven for a pittance.

Propped up against bolsters in their old-fashioned stores, you will be shown Chanderi’s finest cloth, and may buy it at half its Delhi/ Mumbai price. The range here is available from a few hundred rupees to Rs. 50,000 for saris woven with pure zari motifs. Amidst their stock, you will also find cloth for pagris (turbans), dupattas etc., and the traders say these were Chanderi’s specialty till saris became its weavers’ mainstay. Now again, in deference to demand, there is a gradual shift away from weaving saris to dress material.

Factfile
Location: Chanderi lies in Ashoknagar district of Madhya Pradesh, close to the Betwa river.
Getting there: By road, Chanderi is 230 km from Gwalior and 205 km from Bhopal. Both cities have airports. The nearest railway station is at Lalitpur, 37 km away.
Sari trade: The weavers’ settlement lies in Bahar Shahr (outer city) while the traders live in the walled city, close to the Narsingh Mandir. Driving in the narrow lanes on either side can be painful, so walk.

Biosphere reserves of MP

The term "Biosphere" was coined by Russian scientist Vladimir Vernadsky in the 1929. It is the part of the earth, including air, land, surface rocks, and water, within which life occurs, and which biotic processes in turn alter or transform.
It is also known as the life zone of the Earth and includes all living organisms, including man, and all organic matter that has not yet decomposed. The biosphere can be divided into distinct ecosystems that represent the interactions between a group of organisms forming a trophic pyramid and the environment or habitat in which they live. Scientifically speaking biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, including their interaction with the elements of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. In simple terms Biosphere Reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. They are devoted to conserving biological diversity, promoting research and monitoring as well as seeking to provide models of sustainable development in the service of human kind.
There are fourteen biosphere reserves in India covering more than 55000 square km. area. spread from Kashmir to Kanyakumari to Andaman & Nicobar islands and from Kutch to Meghalaya and Andaman & Nicobar islands. The biosphere reserves in India, which are on the world network of Biosphere Reserves, are Sundarbans, Gulf of Mannar, Nilgiri and Nanda Devi. In Madhya Pradesh, there are two Biosphere Reserves namely Pachmarhi and Achanakmar-Amarkantak, but yet not on world network.
Government of India’s Ministry of Environment and Forest provides financial assistance to the respective State governments for conservation of landscape and biological diversity and cultural heritage. Support is also provided for research, monitoring, education and information exchange.

The Pachmari Bioreserve

The Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve is a conservation area in the Satpura Range of Madhya Pradesh state, India. It was created on March 3, 1999 by the Indian Government, and covers parts of Hoshangabad, Betul, and Chhindwara districts.
The Biosphere reserve's total area is 4926.28 km². It includes three wildlife conservation units, the Bori Sanctuary (518.00 km²), Satpura National Park (524.37 km²), and Pachmarhi Sanctuary (461.37 km²). Satpura National Park is designated as the core zone, and the remaining area of 4501.91 km², including the Bori and Pachmarhi sanctuaries, constitutes the buffer zone.
The reserve is mostly covered in forest, part of the Eastern highlands moist deciduous forests ecoregion. It is an important transition zone between the forests of western and eastern India; the forests are dominated by Teak (Tectona grandis), but include the westernmost groves of Sal (Shorea robusta), which is the dominant tree of eastern India's forests. Large mammal species include tiger, leopard, wild boar, muntjac deer, gaur (Bos gaurus), chital deer (Axis axis), sambar (Cervus unicolor), and Rhesus Macaques.

Achanakmar-Amarkantak biosphere

The total area of the this bioreserve is 3,835.51 sq. km. It covers parts of Anuppur and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh and parts of Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh State. Out of the total area, an area of 1,224.98 sq. km falls in Madhya Pradesh and the remaining area of 2,610.53 sq. km falls in Chhattisgarh state. The entire area of 551.55 sq. km of Achanakmar Sanctuary falling in Chhattisgarh State will form the core zone and remaining area of 3, 283.96 sq. km surrounding the core zone will form the buffer zone. The Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve is rich in biodiversity because of the favorable climate and edaphic factors that abound in the area. The area provides an ideal habitat for wild animals.

Indragarh Rock Shelter declared State protected monument

Published at www.bhopalpost.com

BHOPAL July 20: The Madhya Pradesh Government has declared the rock shelter at Indragarh in the Bhanpura tahsil of Mandsaur district as a State protected monument.

To protect the monument against any damage, misuse or encroachment, the State government has decided to include it in the Schedule of the State protected monuments.

Jhabua's landscape

The Two Rupee Digiplex !

Many Indian villages may still not have electricity, but they have their own sources of entertainment. A remote village like Amiyan of Chambal district in MP has makeshift video parlours, where villagers can watch a movie by paying just two rupees.


DURING MY TRAVEL, I was in Bhind, a district in the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh I happened to be at a village Amiyan. As I was walking through the village, I saw some boys around a house with a makeshift shed. To satisfy my curiosity, I peeked in; it took me a minute to adjust, as inside it was dark and dingy. A group of young boys mostly in their teens were huddled around a TV at the end of the room watching a film. I asked one what they were watching- it was a not a very popular Hindi movie. I realized I was in a makeshift video parlour.

Before I could speak further, an old man smoking a bidi whisked me away to an adjoining room. He offered me a place to sit and a glass of water and a cigarette too, though I am not a smoker. He started offering an explanation that they have a big family and it is very expensive nowadays and his son (next door watching the video) works hard and this is just to pass time…..I was a bit surprised as to why he was telling me all this. Did he want something? And then it struck me – he thought may be I am here to inspect his business, which is illegal. He had converted his house into a local video parlour, and his son was running it, showing movies daily.

I explained to him that I am not here to inspect, so there was no reason to worry. He seemed to relax, so I expressed my wish to speak to the boys who were watching the show. I had a chat with one who was about 15 years old. “What are you watching?” He said it was a movie from a tawa. Tawa! (A flat cooking plate used to cook chapattis). He meant a video compact disc, which being flat and round like a cooking plate had been renamed. I asked if they pay for watching movies. Yes, was the reply- it is one rupee for one tawa and two rupee for two tawas. Oh great! Since one disc has half a movie, it costs two rupees to see the entire film. Most discs are pirated and tend to get stuck after multiple viewings. They call it as chipak gaya – the same phrase as when a chapatti gets stuck to the cooking plate. It was quite an amazing terminology!

It was humid and stuffy inside the parlour, but the excitement of a movie kept the attention going. When I was around there was no electricity in the village, although it has electricity connection. “The parlour runs on a battery, that is the reason we charge two rupees,” explained the old man.

For us in cities and metros cinema halls are air conditioned, and now digiplexes (or multiplexes) with technology offering us plethora of facilities. Film viewing is an experience now. But for people in villages like Amiyan, well, they too have a place for films. Their digiplex may run on batteries and may be stiflingly hot, but it provides entertainment next to their homes, at a price that they can afford.

Contributed by Anil Gulati

Exuberance of Gulmohar sans Bhopal streets

Heat of summer is cutting across Madhya Pradesh. It is going through Nautapa - nine days of maximum heat which started from May 25. Though parts of the state did receive some showers on the first day of nautapa, but in Bhopal it was just overcast clouds, followed by hot two days but a pleasant evening, when showers lashed Bhopal last Monday, bringing down the temperature.

In the summer of Bhopal leaves of the trees dry down, water gets in short supply, temperature variates but one thing which appeals you is the ‘smile of little Gulmohar’, encountering the heat, adding solace to one who looks at them. You will get to see these red colour flowers on the Gulmohar trees, showcasing their exuberance on the streets of Bhopal. Whether its VIP road or Charimli or Arera Colony you will get fair chance to see these red flowers. Interestingly ‘Gulmohar’ an area in Bhopal has lesser trees as compared to others, may be thy have the name!
Gulmohar remains for several weeks in the city and has exuberant cluster of red coloured flowers normally four to five in numbers. Its elegant wide-spreading umbrella-like canopy adds to its exuberance. The delicate, fern-like leaves are composed of small individual leaflets, which fold up at the onset of dusk. Flowers of India website states that this was discovered in early 19th century by botanist Wensel Bojer and is botanically called as ‘Delonix regia’ !

For people like us, Gulmohar is natural to India and mainly cultivated as a street tree which brings a breathe of freshness in dry heat of the summer adding to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote (1844) ‘Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities of the world’.

Contributed by Anil Gulati

Madhya Pradesh: A Private View

This vast state in the north of the country is filled with riches yet devoid of crowds. Exploring it must be similar to the experience enjoyed by European visitors to Rajasthan in the 1930s, says Juliet Clough in Belfast Telegraph

Monday, April 30, 2007

On the clifftop above Gwalior, where one of the finest living forts in India has been going about its business since 1486, we can hear the faint cacophony of car horns, firecrackers and music.
It's Basant Panchami, the auspicious spring season of weddings. Outside the palace, whose graceful details and bloody history have left us as much chilled as charmed, the fortress seethes with life.

An elite school for boys, a Sikh pilgrim shrine and a busy hospital add their own brands of noise and colour. Fragments of a vanishing Gwalior cling to the warren of lanes in the old quarter of the city below, where dairymen, millers and the sellers of hay, keep a country toehold among the cobblers, quilters and cycle repairers whose tiny shops overflow on to the streets.
Drive 75 miles south of Agra or take the comfortable Shatabdi Express train to Gwalior, and you find the pace slowing with every mile. The vast, central north Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is something like Rajasthan must have seemed to European visitors in the 1930s: a place of infinite riches but without today's hassle and hordes. True, the riches are more widely scattered. You need wheels here and you need stamina. But it's worth it.

In Gwalior we stay at the newly renovated Usha Kiran Palace, once the guesthouse of one of India's most powerful ruling families. Italian tiles, crunchy silk curtains and early photographs of the maharajas getting up to high jinks with their British guests brighten a 19th-century extravaganza of a building. Its eccentricity pales into insignificance beside the Scindias' Jai Vilas Palace next door where the museum collection takes kitsch to a whole new scale. We're talking three-and-a-half ton chandeliers here, not to mention a carpet the size of a couple of tennis courts and a silver model train, which once pottered round the royal dinner table laden with decanters and cigars.
Among the marvels of Madhya Pradesh, it is Orchha, 75 miles east of Gwalior whose siren song has most effectively lured us back. A ghost city, marooned in a bend of the Betwa river, Orchha has been abandoned since the late 18th century, when the Bundela kings moved away. Green parakeets swoop in through the scalloped windows of more than 80 ruinous temples, palaces and monuments. We seek out the vividly remembered old caretaker in the Raj Mahal palace, whose lack of English is no bar to the loving detail with which he brings to life the exploits of the gods, depicted in flaking murals.

Modern Orchha takes a deep breath in the evenings when the coach parties en route between Agra and the temples of Khajuraho have gone. We sit peacefully by the river as the cows wander homewards and children splash in the shallows. Outside the ice cream-coloured temple, yet more wedding parties struggle through the throng, the anxious-looking teenage brides guided by giggling friends among the wandering cows and the sellers of sweetmeats, garlands and vermilion powder. At 7pm the doors of the temple fly open as a soldier with a fixed bayonet presents arms and we are sucked inside with the crowd as the nightly puja for the god-king Rama begins.

As historic monuments, the fabulous temples of Khajuraho, another four hours' drive to the east, no longer qualify as "living"; but exultant life, abundant, sensuous and uninhibited, breathes from every surface. The famed eroticism of the 10th- and 11th-century sculptures that cover the exterior walls draw hordes of visitors, but the serene parkland across which the three groups of temples are scattered easily absorbs them. We ignore the guides with the furtive, plastic hand mirrors and take in the whole show: gods, elephants and amorous couples alike. My favourites are the tiers of gorgeous stone girls poised on every façade, wearing little else but faint satisfied smiles. As a celebration of all human activity, Khajuraho amounts to a round of applause for life itself.

The national parks of Madhya Pradesh claim some of the highest remaining concentrations of tigers left in the subcontinent, their population currently under threat as never before, both from the illegal skin trade and from forest laws giving potential access to up to 40 million tribal people.

With three days in Bandhavgarh National Park, we are virtually promised a sighting. Sure enough, eight encounters of the stripy kind ensue. There's an element of circus in these celebrity walkabouts, involving radio signals, flashing cameras and a frenzied revving of 4x4s. At siesta time, a cavalcade of elephants is on hand to carry spotters to wherever the big cats may be snoozing. Nevertheless, the moment when monkeys and deer suddenly call out in alarm and a barred patch of shadow detaches itself from the undergrowth to stroll nonchalantly across our path is still a memory to trip the heart.
What's new in the Indian jungle is the application of South African eco-safari know-how in the shape of apartnership between the Taj Group of hotels and CCAfrica. At Bandhavgarh, we see the outcome; relaxed, stylish, super-professional, with staff for whom nothing seems too much trouble, Mahua Kothi makes a promising start on ushering India's luxury wildlife tourism to a whole new level.

Madhya Pradesh's days as a sleepy tourist backwater may be numbered.

1. TAKE THE TRAIN: DELHI
A rail journey is a must-do Indian travel experience. The high-speed, air-conditioned Shatabdi Express makes light of getting from Delhi to Gwalior, the start of your Madhya Pradesh travels. There are two departures every day and breakfast or dinner are included in the ticket, which costs from $17 (£9.40) one-way.

2. GWALIOR FORT
Even if the daily son et lumière show at 7.30pm isn't usually your thing, the performance at the Man Mandir Palace inside Gwalior Fort is unmissable, if only for the chance to spend an hour contemplating a superb example of 15th-century Hindu architecture.

3. ROYAL STYLE IN GWALIOR
Usha Kiran Palace ( tajhotels.com) in Gwalior is a grandiose, Gleneagles-style hotel. Despite a sharp new makeover, which has added a beguiling spa and two swish garden suites, the atmosphere clings to its stately past as the maharaja's guest house. Meals are excellent and make sure you ask for a rooftop dinner. Doubles start at from US$215(£119) per room per night.

4. JAIN TEMPLES, SONAGIRI.
Wild peacocks patrol some 80 gleaming Jain shrines that spill like sugar cubes down the hillside at Sonagiri 42 miles south east of Gwalior. In the monastery courtyard below, naked ascetics dispense advice to villagers. Tourists are rare in this unique place.

5. DATIA
Hung with bees' nests and dozing bats, the pinky-ochre Sir Singh Bundela Palace rears seven storeys high over a busy market town 18 miles north west of Jhansi. It's easy to get lost in its labyrinthine corridors and stairways but the flaking frescos and exquisite stonework of the royal apartments on the top floors are worth the climb.

6. ORCHHA
Orchha, with its palaces, temples and tombs crumbling peacefully along the banks of the Betwa River, has to be one of the most romantic spots in north India. You need a couple of days to make the most of the sites.

7.KHAJURAHO
Academic arguments rage around the eroticism of the sculptures that decorate the three groups of magnificent temples on the Khajuraho World Heritage site. Whatever theories prevail, there is plenty to keep you mesmerised among the graceful stone dancing girls, the gods and demons and armies of elephants that crowd every surface of the 1,000 year-old façades.

8. BANDHAVGARH PARK
Stately Sal forest, open grassland, ancient cave dwellings and the ruins of a huge fortress is where you stand a good chance of meeting a tiger. This beautiful national park opens from October to June.

9. A FIVE-STAR SAFARI
Informal, super-spoiling (think flower petals in the tub and a personal butler), Mahua Kothi at Bandhavgarh National Park is the first of a new wave of luxury eco-lodges offered by Taj Safaris ( tajsafaris.com). South-African trained naturalists interpret the jungle with professional zeal during the daily safari activities. One night starts at US$380 (£210) per person, per night, full board with all activities and guiding.

10. FORGOTTEN CITY
Hire a bike to explore one of north India's most evocative ghost towns. The hilltop ruins of Mandu, 60 miles south west of Indore, include some of the finest Islamic buildings in Asia - their elegant simplicity is said to have influenced the builders of the Taj Mahal. Watch the sunset over the plains from the Nil Kanth Palace.

THE COMPACT GUIDE

HOW TO GET THERE:

Please note this -
Juliet Clough travelled courtesy of cazenove + loyd and Taj Safaris. An 11-night, tailor-made trip to Delhi and Madhya Pradesh with cazenove + loyd ( cazloyd.com) starts at £2,706 per person. This includes a stay at the Usha Kiran Palace in Gwalior, the Taj Chandela at Khajuraho, Mahua Kothi and the Taj Ambassador in Delhi. The price includes return flights, transfers, accommodation on a b&b basis, and some meals.

A house in Gwalior that resembles 'Eden' on Earth

Many of us must have witnessed water falls in the hills, but seldom has one seen them being part of our abodes. A visit to the house of Shyam Singh Verma in Gwalior is a must to experience this. Verma, a retired employee of Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board, resides with his wife at his house that almost resembles an 'Eden' on Earth. "After my retirement, I consumed my free time in making waterfalls.

I have made almost 15 large and 25 small artificial waterfalls. Rocks, cement, iron rods and Plaster of Paris are used to give them the artistic touch," says Shyam. The remarkable quality of the small falls is that they are mobile and can easily be moved from one place to another. Verma has received several awards for his creativity, but it is his wife, Indira, who deserves special mention."I look after the falls and the plants in the absence of my husband," said Indira.Besides springs, he has a beautiful collection of Bonsais, aged between 10 to 27 years. The attractive dwarf trees include banyan, mulberry, tamarind and cactus. "Bonsais are the trees grown in the small and shallow pots to keep their size small. The roots need regular cutting and the branches are tied with the thin wire to give them the required shape," said Shyam. The Vermas have exhibited their creation at some exhibitions and earned kudos.Their artistic hobby is an inspiration for the retired fraternity

Mahakaleshwar - Ujjain

source - www.templenet.com


Ujjain, a historic capital of Central India in Madhya Pradesh is a venerated pilgrimage center enshrining Mahakaleshwara, one of the Jyotirlinga manifestations of Shiva.

The Skanda Purana describes the glory of Ujjain (Mahakaala Vana) in great detail. Ujjain was the capital of Avanti and it was here that King Udayana married princess Vasavadatta. Ujjain played an important role during the period of the Mauryas and the Guptas.

King Vikramaditya Chandragupta of the Gupta period ruled with Ujjain as his capital, and the nine gems (Dhanvantari, Kshapanaka, Amarasimha, Sanku, Vetala Bhatta, Ghatakharpara, Varahamihira, Vararuchi and Kalidasa) adorned his court. The Mahakaleshwar Temple has also been referred to in the tamil hymns of the Nayanmar saints of the 1st millennium CE.

Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Benares, Kanchipuram, Dwarka and Ujjain are considered to be the 7 Mukti Stalas of India. Ujjain is home to the Kumbha Mela, when Jupiter resides in the zodiac sign of Scorpio.

The Mahakaleshwar temple at Ujjain is located near a lake; it has five levels, one of which is underground.The temple itself is located in a spacious courtyard surrounded by massive walls. The shikhara is adorned with sculptural finery. Brass lamps light the way to the underground sanctum. It is believed that prasada offered here to the deity can be re-offered unlike all other shrines.

Legend has it that a demon by name Dushana tormented the residents of Avanti and that Shiva appeared from the ground and vanquished the demon, and then upon the request of the inhabitants of Avanti, took up permanent abode here as Mahakaleshwara Jyotirlinga. Also in Ujjain is the temple to Parvati - Harasiddhi Devi temple

Unique 'train restaurant' in Bhopal

IANS, BHOPAL

The next time you visit Bhopal, you could tickle your taste buds at a unique restaurant that looks every inch like a stationary train at a platform. The rail-coach restaurant-cum-bar, Shan-e-Bhopal, has been built by converting an unused train bogie, with the backdrop of actual sights and sounds of a railway platform. The atmosphere is colonial.

The restaurant is located at Hotel Ashoka Lakeview here and was opened to the public Friday. The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC) had come up with the idea in a bid to promote tourism. The eatery has been equipped with all the railway paraphernalia, including lights and signals. Actual sounds of a railway platform are being played for special effect. A railway signal has been installed to indicate whether the restaurant is open or closed. Its other specialties include cast iron furniture, silver cutlery and crockery, old-fashioned street lamps, lanterns and signals that were used by the Great India Peninsular Railway way back in 1849. "Interestingly, many dishes served at the restaurant have been named after various parts of a bogie and the railway engine. The dishes include Indian, Chinese and Continental," says A.K. Sen, an MPTDC chef. "This is the first restaurant in the world to be prepared on a railway theme. The railways are planning to add another coach to the eatery in the near future," said Dilip Shrivastava, assistant engineer, MPTDC.

Water Birds of Bhopal

“Water Birds of Bhopal” is a video documentary focusing on birds as excellent flagships and vital environmental indicators. The documentary is full of extraordinary photography, bird songs and video footage of over 40 species of water birds. The documentary show-cases Bhopal’s Upper lake and the Van Vihar National Park as an excellent habitat for all kinds of birds. The watershed of Bhopal’s Upper Lake—also called the Bhoj wetland is designated a wetland of international importance under the International Ramsar Convention. The Upper Lake and the area surrounding it at once becomes a home for winter visitors of the avian kind as Bhopal falls exactly on the migratory birds’ North-South passage. The documentary by Lalit Shastri, the Principal Correspondent of The Hindu for Madhya Pradesh and his wife Dr. Raajshri Shastri, Assistant Professor Sociology, MLB College Bhopal, with valuable research inputs by Parag Bakshi, is backed by five years and hundreds of hours of birding and outdoor shooting of the most common birds of Bhopal as well as the exotic migratory birds.

To preview the movie please visit www.globalwarmingeurasia.com

Taj unveil its second Luxury Wilderness Lodge "Baghvan" in India

Taj Safaris extend their presence in the arena of Indian wildlife tourism with the launch of its second luxury wilderness lodge, Baghvan situated in the Seoni District of Southern Madhya Pradesh.

The Lodge is located on the border of the Pench National Park, which received international recognition with Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale – The Jungle Book. Taj Safaris is a joint venture between Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, one of Asia’s largest and finest group of hotels, Conservation Corporation Africa (CC Africa), the leading eco-tourism company and Africa’s most comprehensive safari operator, and Cigen Corporation, part of the Chaudhary Group.
Offering a truly unique Indian wildlife circuit, the lodges will provide wildlife enthusiasts and high-end travelers with distinctive, interpretive wildlife experiences in India, which is based on a proven, and sustainable eco-tourism model.

The name Baghvan draws its inspiration from one of India’s iconic symbols, the Bengal tiger (bagh – tiger and van – forest). Designed by architect Dean D Cruz together with CC Africa’s talented designer Chris Browne, the Baghavan lodge features 12 stand-alone luxurious suites, leveraging its natural settings to provide a tranquil experience.

The Pench National Park is a confluence of hills and forests. A blend of southern tropical dry deciduous forest with predominantly teak trees and tropical moist deciduous forest, along with other beautiful species of shrubs, trees and climbers; this national park derives its name from the Pench River, which meanders its way through the entire stretch of the 757 km2 park.
This forested area is renowned for tiger, leopard, dhol (Indian Wild Dog), wolf, hyena, jackal, jungle cat, chital, sambhar, muntjac, gaur, wild boar, langur and rhesus macaques sightings. It is also known for its rich birdlife with over 300 recorded bird species including parakeets, hornbills, kingfisher, barbets, minivets, orioles, wagtails, and a host of raptors like the crested serpent eagle, crested hawk eagle and white-eyed buzzard.

Baghvan is conveniently situated near major airports – Nagpur (90 km) and Jabalpur (192 km).
With hues of copper and pale turquoise, each of the 12 charming individual suites has a contemporary bungalow feel with a retro 50’s ambiance. All suites comprise of two inter-linked buildings accessed through courtyards with each having a spacious air-conditioned bedroom with private shaded sit-outs. With cool pale cream cement screed floors, all bedrooms have a Jharokha (wooden latticed bay window) that filters the soft early morning light. The generously proportioned bathrooms are fitted with double vanity and feature the distinctive concept of indoor and outdoor shower areas. Each suite also features a Machan, a covered roof terrace for romantic sleep outs.
The guest areas are cool, airy and contemporary. The spacious sitting room has an interactive open kitchen, which spills out, into the dining area, with large shaded decks leading to the nullah (dry riverbed). Deep welcoming sofas, handmade Parsi tiles, giant ebony chests, high ceilings, overhead fans and huge windows, lend a quaint charm to this area.
Baghvan will provide guests with a host of distinctive dining experiences including in-room breakfasts on cool private verandas, pool lunches on a shaded deck, dinner for two served on the deck overlooking the nullah or on the Machan, sunset cocktails under the Banyan tree and picnics at Khoka Lake.

Baghvan will offer its guests a unique opportunity to discover the beautiful jungle of Pench National Park, learn about the rich biodiversity of Central India from a CC Africa trained naturalist, travel in comfort in a specially designed Tata open 4x4 safari vehicle, view tigers whilst riding an elephant, indulge in twice-daily safaris in the reserve, tick off Pench's ten Star Birds (a unique Taj & CC Africa programme), absorb the sights and sounds of a traditional MP village and much more.

The heart of the guest’s stay is in the interpretive wildlife experience led by CC Africa trained naturalists. These naturalists have gone through an intensive 14-20 week training programme, the first of its kind in India. The jungle is brought alive by their skilled interpretation whether it is a nature walk, jeep safari, bird watching or stay in a watchtower. This intimate guest experience is complemented by a warm yet discreet staff, butler service and delicious regional cuisine served with the best wines in unusual locations.

The first lodge, Mahua Kothi, situated on the border of Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, had opened its doors for guests on 1st November 2006. More lodges will open over the next two years. Guests will benefit from Taj Hotels’ legendary hospitality, and the expertise of CC Africa in delivering unique and in depth wildlife experiences.

It's busy time for artists in Gwalior ahead of Khajuraho Festival

Gwalior, Jan.31 (ANI): Ahead of renowned Khajuraho Festival, a number of sculptors are attending an ongoing statue making camp here. Organised by Allauddin Khan Music and Dance Academy, the camp has drawn various artists from different parts of the world. "The main aim of the statue making camp is that, the statues are carved showing the poses of different traditional dances. These statues are being made for the Khajuraho Festival, which will start from February 23 and will last till March 3 in Khajuraho. It is organised every year. Traditional artists are invited to make these statues," said Anil Kumar, an organiser of the camp. This year the focus in the Khajuraho Festival will be on creating sculptures on various forms of traditional dances like Bharatnatayam and Odissi. Artists from all over the country have come to attend the camp, Anil added. "I belong to Tripura. I am making a statue on Odissi dance. I have the photograph and I am making it accordingly," said Pandit Kalappa, a sculptor. "I am making a pose of a Mohiniatam dance. My forefathers have done this work. I have not taken any teaching for it. My forefathers use to work for kings. Nobody has taught me this work," said Ram Vishwakarma, another sculptor.

The week-long Khajuraho Festival is held near the world famous Khajuraho Temples. People from all walks of life come to watch eminent artists perform under theses ancient temples. The temples were built during the Chandela era. The 9th to 12th century temples of Khajuraho is evidence of the architectural geniuses that lived during the Chandela era. Situated in Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho oozes with passion, eroticism, dance and music. The 85 temples were built in North Indian 'Nagara' style of architecture, though only 20 of them have survived the ravages of time. The two richer distinctive groups of temples are the Western and Eastern group of temples. Khajuraho Festival of Dances is organised by the Madhya Pradesh Kala Parishad. It draws the best classical dancers in the country every year, who perform against the spectacular backdrop of the floodlit temples. The festival showcases various classical styles of Indian dance such as Kathak, Bharat Natyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Kathakali. Modern Indian dance is a recent addition.Every evening, two accomplished artists from different genres perform in the open-air auditorium. (ANI)

Guna: More Than a District of MP

Anil Gulati

Guna, is a district in north-eastern Madhya Pradesh, has been in the news recently. Two prominent subjects that made headlines were the story of 'Kumbhkaran', a man whose family falsely claimed that he slept for six months sans break, and another person from Guna who won an astronomical Rs. 1 crore on KBC2.

The district is home to the heritage citadel Bajrangarh fort, though now it is lying in depilated state. It is also had religious places such as Bishbji and Jain shrines besides a few other interesting places. Though it's not on a tourism map, neither many people know much about it, except in political circles. Guna was once famous for saris from Chanderi block of the district which recently became part of the newly formed district Ashok Nagar.

The information superhighway (web world) reveals that Guna was also the birthplace of one Vijay Kumar Patodi, a mathematician who died at the young age of 31 but attained fame for his papers.

Interesting names of Dhabas

I often tour Guna and keenly observe fresh developments. On the way back to Bhopal from Guna one comes across several highway dhabas that have some unique catch in their names.Mention of a dhaba conjures up an image of a rustic eatery with a charpoy, platefuls of dal and tandoori roti. Dhabas have undergone a makeover and the complexion of the clientele has also changed. Charpoys have mostly given way to tables and chairs. Besides the dal, roti and mixed vegetables, soft drinks, mineral water and packets of chips also adorn the eateries.While naming dhabas many owners have incorporated a tag of some district of Madhya Pradesh. Some of them also prefer the word hotel. At Chanchod, there's Mishra and Shivhare Bhind Wale Dhaba. As you progress further along the highway you will encounter Tomar Hotel Gwalior Wale, Morena Dhaba and Dhoplur Dhaba Morena wale.A Punjabi dhaba is easy to spot. I saw many including the Guru Nanak Punjabi Dhaba, Dhillon Punjabi Dhaba and Agra Punjabi Dhaba. A rare name was Rangeela Rajasthani Dhaba. All this may be aimed at catching the attention of drivers from the respective districts but there is very little difference in menu. In Haryana, lots of dhabas are named after birds while in Punjab businessmen name dhabas after themselves and that's the reason we have Puran da Dhaba and so on.

Statue of liberty
If you are passing along the main road to Aron block you may encounter a replica of New York City's Statue of Liberty, and universal symbol of political freedom and democracy. It stands right there within the Royal Homes complex along Aron Road. I couldn't get an opportunity to interact with the owners to explore why this replica was put up. Guess I'll leave that for my next trip.

World's longest rock art chain in Vindhyas

T S Sreenivasa Raghavan

After Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh is poised to claim yet another world record in rock art — this time, for the longest chain of rock art. The 12-km-long site, with most of its petroglyphs or pre-historic rock carvings intact, has been discovered in Mandsaur district of Malwa region, which is also home to Bhimbetka, the UNESCO world heritage site, 45 km south of Bhopal. The Rock Arts Society of India (RASI), which knew about the existence of the site for sometime, has now gone official saying the site in the Vindhyan tableland, a plateau lying north of the central part of the Vindhya range, is indeed the "longest chain of rock arts in the world". "Nowhere in the world has anybody come across such an extensive chain of rock arts with little interruption. What's exciting is most petroglyphs are intact," internationally acclaimed paleontologist and former RASI secretary G L Badam told TOI.

The site is situated inside dense forests, 35 km from Bhanpura town, about 350 km from Bhopal. Earliest carvings in the chain are mostly of animals like rhino, nilgai , bear, panther, elephant, monkey, turtle and crocodile. But there are also pictures of cow, bull, buffalo, pig and horse. Experts have called the discovery of the Bhanpura rock arts as "an important milestone in the history of anthropology". "The presence of a variety of rituals, processions and fighting scenes goes to prove the continuity of the art and early man's culmination into community living," said Badam. RASI officials have already pitched for National Park status to the Vindhyan rock-shelters.

Pachmarhi, nature's gift to heart of India

Anil Gulati





Captain J Forsyth discovered the gift of nature - Pachmarhi ‘the’ hill station of Madhya Pradesh, heart of India in the year 1862. This nature’s glory is nestled among Satpura ranges at an altitude of 1067 meters. The eroded rocks, red sand stones hills offer fascinating shapes and sizes which is attraction to trekkers and rock climbers. Pachmarhi lies in Satpura national Park, which is also a wild life sanctuary, adding to its beauty. Pachmarhi also hosts a number of trees and plants which have an immense herbal value. It hosts more than seventy varieties of butterflies and number of birds which offer an attraction for bird’s watchers or people who love to capture them in their cameras.


Pachmari is called as “verdant jewel” of Madhya Pradesh, and no doubt is one of the loveliest hill stations. It is a trekker’s paradise and offers nature’s walks, refreshing weather, and lovely views. It’s calm and serene environ enlightens one’s soul. Though the season when people visit peaks during October to December but it is even an experience during monsoon. Dotted with lush green trees, forests, hills, falls, streams, “grass rooted grounds” Pachmarhi vibrates with a rhythm that no other place has. Bison Lodge which was built by Captain J Forsyth, the discoverer of Pachmari still stands there and now serves as a museum to showcase the flora and fauna of the Satpura region.



Pandav Caves
It is said that Pandavs had spent their part of exile in the caves and from that Pachmarhi derives its name. At present caves are surrounded by a lovely garden, including cactus which is at the entrance of the caves. Caves also host a recently discovered brick stupa which though is partially eroded now. Pachmarhi is abound with the pilgrim spots. It includes Chhota Mahadev, (also called Gupt Mahadev) a narrow point in the hills; Chauragarh, where a pilgrim path leads to a sacred summit with several images of Shiva. It is more than 1330 steps if you go from Chota Mahadev. Jatashankar caves have a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in a gorge and the shrine is hidden under a huge overhanging rock.



The water falls
The silver cascades of water falling from sandstones rocks entrapped within greenery makes Pachmarhi falls unique. There are several waterfalls in Pachmarhi, however the quite popular one is the “bee falls”. One can walk for the first point which is about one and half kilometers and is followed by a bit treacherous route into the valley to view the complete waterfall. But if you wish to take a gypsy, or four wheel drive vehicle, that is the only one allowed, you may have to shell out upto two hundred rupees.





Apsara Vihar also known for place where film Ashoka starring Shahrukh Khan and Kareena Kapur was shot: other ones are Rajat Pratap and Duchess falls (said to be one of beautiful ones in Pachmarhi but was closed at the time when I was there) and plus many others.
Guides at Pachmarhi say that you should visit Dhupgarh, a place to witness the morning sunrise and as they say even more spectacular sunset. I could see the sunset and it was fascinating. If you wish to catch a glimpse of beauty at a glance Handi Khoh and Priyadarshini point are the ones to visit. In addition to the its beauty there is one more thing which you will find in entire Pachmarhi - hoardings requesting you not to spoil the serene beauty by throwing used plastics bags/ bottles, but inspite of this one still finds the same in popular spots like Jatashankar and Bee Falls, may be strict action is needed there.



It would not be wrong to say that Pachmarhi has lot to offer, one cannot write about it in one article, may be one needs a series on it. Nevertheless, I had pen down its offering along with elaborating on the places which one can see. Nature is something that delights everyone. One can forget everything in the lap of nature. Our country has plenty to offer, but Pachmarhi is one of loveliest and is truly a nature’s glory.





How to be there
If ones have to travel to the Pachmari, it is about 54 kilometers from Pipraiya, the nearest railway station and is about 195 kilometers from Bhopal, which takes about four and half hours by road.

Photograph by Anil Gulati

This article was on http://www.boloji.com/places/0032.htm