Revision as of 17:07, 25 October 2015

Dara Shikoh's library

The Times of India, Sep 21 2015

Some facts, Dara's library, Delhi; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, Sep 21 2015

RichiVerma

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University campus

Plan to turn Dara's library into first city museum revived

A unique mixture of Mughal and colonial architecture, the building now shows marks of long neglect

It began life as the library of an emperor-in-waiting 378 years ago[put year] and has since then served as a British residency, a government college, a municipal school, office of the state archaeology department and an archaeological museum. But long neglect and the reduced standing of Dara Shikoh's library near Kashmere Gate now show clearly in its building while plans to covert it into Delhi's first city museum remain on paper. Experts say this building on the campus of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University is unique for its layers of Mughal and colonial architecture.On the northern side, cusped arches and columns--some of them absorbed by walls added later--give it a clear Mughal identity. But alterations and additions made by the British impart an equally strong colonial character. Amid the whitewashed walls, cracked and dusty display cases house a selection of archaeological artifacts for visitors, although it's not a very welcoming place. TOI found it locked up from inside by the guard who doubles as a caretaker.

Darya Khan/Kidwai Nagar

Graphic courtesy: The Times of India

Graphic courtesy: The Times of India

The Times of India Jun 18 2015

Richi Verma

Rescue of 16th-century monument caught in red tape

Covered under a cloud of dust ema nating from the heavy construc tion work for Kid wai Nagar's rede velopment is a 16th century monument--forgotten and surrounded by unkempt grass and a pile of garbage. Years of neglect has left parts of Darya Khan Lohani's Tomb, one of the prime properties of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), crumbling.Today, situated right in the centre of the construction area, this tomb rarely finds any visitor. Part of a complex, the tomb is also the resting place of other no bles of the Delhi Sultanate like Mubarak Shah, Kale Khan, Bade Khan, Chhote Khan and Bhuiyan Khan of the Lodhi dynasty . With its unusual architectural style, its four-domed chhatris and a raised platform with an unmarked grave make this structure striking. Now, three of the chhatris are in ruins and the decorative artwork and ornamentation have vanished. The cement patches speak of the conservation work of the past.

As the National Monuments Authority guidelines state that 100m area around the protected monuments should be devoid of construction, experts feel that if the 14 acres of the green area around the monument is developed properly, it could be an ideal tourist destination. An official with National Buildings Construction Cor poration--the organization undertaking the Kidwai Nagar redevelopment said, “The tomb is a cen trally-protected one and we have to be very cau tious. We told ASI that we wanted to adopt the g reen area around the monu ment because it might not be able to maintain it. We proposed installing lights and fountains. We also said we wanted to conserve the monument and maintain the tomb.But, while ASI agreed to let us develop and maintain the green belt, they refused permission to conserve the monument.“

“We had proposed hiring a consultant to conserve the monument as NBCC does not have the expertise or experience to preserve historic buildings. It would, obviously, have been done with the consultation and guidance of ASI, but it refused,“ he added.

Da ASI, though, is Marg apprehensive. A senior ASI official Dilli obindo Haat said, “We welcome corporates INA wanting to adopt Aur monuments through national Sri culture fund. In AIIMS case of the tomb, we have concerns over the conservation work they would do. They would not have the technical expertise, so we would want to handle the structural conservation in-house.“

Barring Humayun's Tomb, ASI's projects with other organizations wanting to adopt monu ments have fallen flat.

SAIL's agreement for Lodi Garden was stalled, Park Hotels' effort at Jantar Mantar never took off and an IOCL fund ing for Qutub Minar are some stark ex amples.

Calling ASI's refusal “unfortu nate“, a conserRoad vationist said, “Anyone can do better than the past cement-based repairs carried out by the ASI. This has only led to further col lapse. It is a pity that no body at ASI can be held accountable and there seems no interest or sys tems within ASI for self-monitoring. It is unfortunate that the ASI refuses suppor t from an agency capable of bringing together professionals and craftsmen ca pable of under taking conservation.“

Meanwhile, the ASI has been facing shortage of manpower and resources. It had, earlier, stated that they were clearly ill-equipped to handle the conservation and main tenance of 3,600 plus centrally protected monuments. Delhi, alone, has 174 monuments. “We are hoping to augment our manpower shortage problem, said an official, when questioned. Experts, however, pointed out that a request for ad ditional 10,000 attendants by ASI has been pending for over a decade.

Daryaganj

Lotanji Ke Chhole Kulche

The Times of India, Oct 10 2015

Picture courtesy: The Times of India, Oct 10 2015

Sujith Nair

Lotanji Ke Chhole Kulche has been feeding schoolkids and adults for nearly 100 years now. Men patiently await their turn around a table on a street in Daryaganj for a drink served in a plastic glass with a cube of butter.

These glasses soon get filled with chhole ka paani -made from the water in which chickpeas are soaked for over 10 hours, and boiled with garam masala.An inter minable stream of customers keeps the fourth generation sellers of Lotanji Ke Chhole Kulche busy from morning till noon. Lotan started selling chhole, kulche and chhole ka paani on the pavement of a Chawri Bazar bylane in the 1920s. His great-grandson, Mahaveer, 40, continues this tradition every morning at the same spot. His clients are mostly residents. At 10am, the action shifts to Daryaganj. Here Mahaveer's younger brother, Deepak, sets up a table right behind Commercial Senior Secondary School, which once housed Lady Shri Ram College for Women. The school and the Lotans have a long connect. “They have been serving chhole kulche to kids in the school's courtyard since the late `50s,“ says former principal IC Ahuja. He adds that Lotan started the business as a noble endeavour -to feed kids during recess on a nonprofit basis.

Now, it is Deepak who sells chhole and kulcha for Rs 10 to the schoolchildren during recess. The same combo costs Rs 25 outside. Physi cal education teacher Rajneesh Gautam, 43, says that he used to relish Lotan's chhole-kulche, in the early '80s, as a student in the same school. Once recess ends, Deepak moves back to the table outside the school. He scoops out chhole from a copper vessel, tops it with aloo and masala -the red spicy concoction with a choice of less, medium or at-your-own-risk! Then follows a spoonful of amchur chutney, a sprinkle of garam masala and a garnish of dhaniya and ginger. Placed alongside a plate of kulche, sourced from a baker in Dariba, the combo is snapped up by eager hands looking for a quick lunch in this publishing hub. The Lotans draw their inspiration from their great-grandfather who loved feeding people. Says Deepak: “Come hell or high water, we never miss supplying this snack to school children. And we never harangue a student or a client who walks off with out paying. Lotanji used to say: `Woh hamara namak kha ke ja rahe hain, par apna naseeb chhod ke.“

Chana soup aka chhole ka paani

Chickpeas are soaked in water for about 10 hours before these are cooked. This water is decanted and boiled, with a dash of garam masala, to make chhole ka paani. Chickpea is then cooked separately and mixed with chhole ka paani over the counter and sold as chana soup topped with a cube of butter.

Defence Colony

Defence Colony market

The Times of India, Jul 28 2015

Amin Ali

A market that failed to sell itself

Poor infra, lack of innovation and limited options stunted Defence Colony market

Foto Mart, set up in 1961, survived the technological onslaught at a time when thousands downed the shutters for good. But for Sharma, this success came at a cost. He devoted a major section of his shop to Pet Land--an outlet selling products for pets--in 2002. And while his shops stood the test of time, the market is still stuck in a time warp. In the middle of bustling south Delhi, certainly an enviable location, the market is rapidly losing to the likes of GK, South Extension, Lajpat Nagar, Saket and Khan Market. Blame it on the lack of innovation, fewer shopping options and poor infrastructure. Even a handful of international fast food chains had to shut shops within a couple of years.

The market couldn't evolve beyond its character of a neighbourhood one. There are no big dining spaces or retail brands here like in Hauz Khas Village or Mehar Chand Market.

Jaspal Singh Sahni of Kents, a fast food outlet that opened in 1985, says the market had a south Indian dining option in Sagar Ratna, and departmental and grocery stores besides his own fast food joint much before other markets. But with hardly any additions, the market seems to have lost the race.

Shopkeepers blame the market association. They claim to have complained about the lack of basic amenities but to no avail. “The market association exists only in name. A weak union means that all plans remain only on paper,“ says Sahni.

A walking plaza is a dream being sold to the residents here for a good 25 years.Add to it the parking woes, sewage issue, traffic congestion and the few badly-main tained toilets. “The market enjoys a good location facing the park. It should have been a place where locals could have enjoyed a stroll. But total lack of planning has forced people to avoid it,“ says Harjit Singh, a resident of the colony for the past 56 years. He has leased out his shop to a Thai eatery.

While other markets see a new outlet open almost every week, any new addition to Defence Colony market is news. “This market isn't drawing customers. But it made good sense for us to open an outlet here,“ says Luvleena Saggu, owner of newly-opened Giani icecream outlet. She is among those who have seen the market over years and feels that even if it's not fast-paced, a loyal customer base could give it a new lease of life.

Masjid Basti Baoli

The Times of India, Jul 05 2015

Amin Ali

Built in 1488, this mosque has had its share of ups and down. The mosque used to get only a handful of people when the present imam took over. It had a railway line running next to it and was surrounded by vast secluded stretches. “It used to be scary post sunset, especially with hardly any company,“ recalls imam Eisa. As a way to overcome this problem, a madrassa was started within the premises so that the imam would have students for company in namaaz.

Just as the neighbourhood markets started emerging as popular retail and dining destinations in the city , the mosque too became the place to pray for professionals in the area.

“Most of the people who pray in Masjid Basti Baoli are workers who come from different parts of the city. The mosque is a meeting point for such people to fulfil their religious duties and get a feel of community ,“ says Adnan Ansari, a regular.

Dwarka

Dwarka-Palam flyover

The Times of India, Oct 17 2015

The Dwarka-Palam flyover; the Buhril case; accidents: 2013-Oct 2015; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India

Sana Shakil

Faulty design makes it deadly spot  The Dwarka-Palam flyover, which was described on Friday by additional sessions judge Kamini Lau as one of the “deadliest accidents spots“ in Delhi, has seen 30 mishaps this year alone with five fatalities, according to police records.The court's view that its “faulty“ design will continue to lead to accidents is backed by statistics that show around 90 road accidents have occurred on this stretch in the last three years. Though the number of accidents on this stretch has gone down after 2008, when there were 20 fatal accidents on there, the numbers remain alarming. The court's observations came while directing the flyover's maker, DDA, to pay Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the family of 21year-old Chingliensang Buhril of Manipur, who became the eighth victim of a road mishap on the flyover within a week in March 2009.

The judge also noted that DDA, which had constructed this flyover in 2006, had admitted it had not provided any safety measures like warning signs till 2012. In its arguments before the judge, DDA had claimed that the Delhi Police had never asked the civic body for any assistance in curbing accidents on the flyover. The court, however, disagreed and pointed out that there had been several instances when the Delhi Traffic Police had expressed concern but and an “indifferent“ DDA had done nothing about it.

Even six years after the deadly stretch claimed Buhril's life and those of many others, the situation has not changed. Accidents continue to take place there although some signboards and speed barriers have now been put up there. It is easy to see that the stretch requires glow studs to help motorists in low-light conditions.

The judge has asked the government to review the design of the flyover and come up with a permanent solution for the problem. The court said that the installa tion of retro-reflective tapes, glow studs and spring posts by DDA, that too “on the repeated prodding of the Delhi Traffic Police“, constituted only temporary measures when the problem needed a long-term solution.

“The question of the design being flawed having arisen and certain structural deficiencies having been noticed, there is a need for the Government of NCT of Delhi to intervene and a relook by an independent expert committee is needed to remedy the situation permanently ,“ the judge suggested.