Vasai Fort (Baçaim, Bassein)

Basai, Baçaim, Bajipur, Bassein or the present day Vasai is at a distance of 50 km's from Mumbai to the North. For quite some time I have been planning to visit the ruined fort, chapels etc at that place. Finally on Sunday the 31st August 2008 I could make it. Along with my friend, Murthy, I boarded a train from Dadar (West) going towards Virar. We were at Vasai Road station in less than an hour. The bus stand is nearer to the station. Although there are buses going straight to the fort, it entailed a long wait. We then decided to proceed to Vasai village for which a bus was about to leave. We boarded that bus and reached the village. We came across a restaurant just across the local bus stand. We thought of filling out our stomachs before we proceed further. After the fill, we looked around the village. It was picturesque with plenty of vegetation all around. We felt as if we are out of Mumbai - indeed we were. I also recharged my mobile phone at one of the road side shops and caught an auto to take us to the fort site. We were charged Rs.20/- and were off loaded at the Vasai pier (Boat Jetty) over looking the Vasai creek. We looked around and located the entrance to the fort from that end.

Basai (as it was known) already had a Fort under the control of Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat. It was a significant trading centre in the west coast for times immemorial. Portuguese, with a formidable Navy, were trying to possess Diu and were continuously attacking the coastal territories, inflicting great losses. Finally they overran the defences of Basai and procured the fort along with Bombay and other adjoining areas, under a treaty signed with the Sultan of Gujarat on 23rd December 1534. In the second half of the 16th century, they reconstructed the fort on a grand scale with 10 bastions and named it Baçaim. This fort became the Portuguese Head Quarters of Indian Operations. The entire town was within the fort walls. It was known for the splendor of it's buildings, palaces and for the beauty of it's churches.

The importance of Baçaim was reduced due to Bombay getting transferred to the British under the famous wedding treaty of 1665 (Catherine Braganza of Portugal to Charles the Second of England). After the Portuguese rule of over 200 years the fort fell into the hands of Marathas. Chimaji Appa, younger brother of the Maratha ruler Baji Rao Peshwa, after a prolonged campaign defeated the Portuguese in May 1739 at a very heavy price - 12000 dead. The casualty on the Portuguese side was less than 1000. It was the magnanimity of the Marathas who allowed the portuguese to march out of the town honourably. However, all the Churches and buildings were destroyed. The Church bells were carried away as souvenirs and got installed at Bhimashankar, Naroshanker (Nasik) and at Asta Vinayaka temple, Ballaleshwar (Sudhagad - Raigad). Baji Rao II on his defeat at the hands of Yashwant Rao Holkar, took refuse in this very fort in 1801.The fort also got renamed as Bajipura or Bajipur. In December 1802 he signed the treaty of Bassein with the British, who in turn helped getting him reinstalled as Peshwa. Eventually the fort came under the British rule and got renamed as Bassein.

This is all about the history of the fort in brief. When we entered the gate from the boat jetty side, there was an eerie feeling. Despite being a Sunday, there were hardly any visitors. There was wild growth all around. Prominent among them were hundreds of date palms every where. We walked through the narrow path, amidst the ruined structures. Some of the façades, are very well decorated with carved stones. But there are some, which have lost their identity. There were some Churches in ruins, which are still recognizable. The roofing of one of them seemed like a barrel. Navigating ourselves through the undergrowth, we tried to explore as much as possible. Since the area being very wide, we could not venture into looking at many of the remains from close quarters. Perhaps the month of August was not very conducive for exploring the site. The fort as it is, suffers from gross neglect. No efforts appear to have been made for any kind of restoration. Elsewhere in the country, the ASI is doing a commendable job but when we look at Vasai, one can only cry in dismay.

Photos Courtesy: Himanshu Sarpotdar For a Hindi version Click Here

Bartia Bhata - Megalithic Burial Ground

To cover my operational area, I was required to travel frequently visiting various centres. While visiting interior centres, I used to travel by a Jeep or a sturdier vehicle and also carry a "Topographic Sheet" (toposheet) of a larger scale (published by Survey of India) relating to the area of my operation. They contain detailed information about fortifications, ruins, temples, hillocks, rivers and rivulets, bridges, ponds etc. which proved very useful for me. Today we have the Google Earth which also gives a satellite view of the land surface sans description. Wikimapia is another facility where you are enabled to identify places/objects and mark descriptions of your own.

Once I was required to visit a far off village known as "Gatadih" in Raipur district. To reach the place I needed to travel upto Saraipali, at a distance of 145 km's on Raipur - Sambalpur highway (Great Eastern Road) and then take a left turn towards the North for another 30 km's or so. The road to Gatadih was once made of bitumen but in the absence of maintenance, developed hundreds of potholes. It was impossible to drive without stumbling on them, giving terrible bone shaking jerks. Nevertheless, I reached Gatadih after a 2 hours ordeal, with every part of my body aching.

After finishing my usual inspection of the office thereat and scribbling my observations, it was time for me to return. The very thought of the return journey brought shivers in my spines. After resting a while, I pulled out my toposheet and spread it on the bonnet of the Jeep. On examination, I found, there was a kutcha road which could take me to the highway, leaving behind Saraipali, at a place known as Basna. Midway there was a large village "Bhanwarpur". I consulted some locals, who were assembled near my Jeep, and decided to take the unexplored road. The driver of my Jeep too was enthusiastic. Instead of going straight to Saraipali, we took the road to the right coming at a short distance. We traversed through the country side on the sparingly metalled road till we were about to reach Bhanwarpur.

While looking out of the window, I came across an unusual land formation on the right. The barren ground was strewn with pillar like monoliths. I gestured the driver to stop the vehicle on the roadside and walked towards the ground for a closer appreciation. In no time I found myself surrounded by a meter high monoliths all around. All the stone pillars were in a slanting position. One was even lying flat, on which I sat for a while. They were more akin to menhirs. I felt a sensation when I realised that it is a Megalithic burial ground. My "Steffy" ( Doggy - Fox Terrier) started making noises as if to tell me to make a move.

On one side of it, adjoining the road, there was a small building housing the Tribal Hostel. There was a guy available there with whom I conversed. He narrated that long long ago a marriage party was resting on these grounds and due to certain reasons they all became stones. That is why the place is known as "Bartia Bhata". A barren plain land is referred to as "Bhata" in the Chhattisgarhi dialect. He also informed me that during the excavations for the foundation of the building some pots, iron articles like knives, arrow heads etc. were found under the soil. He could not positively say if any skeletons were found.

On my return to Raipur, I took up the matter in the District Archaeological Committee meeting emphasizing the importance of the place and the need to protect it and conduct extensive excavations so that we are better informed about the cultural aspects of the tribal life. Subsequently a survey was conducted and I learnt that the site is around 2 to 3000 years old and nothing more. Similar sites have also been encountered one each in Durg and Dhamtari districts but the one at Bartia Bhata is said to be the largest.

Ayurveda in Kerala

Emperor Asoka the Great introduced Buddhism in Sri Lanka by sending his daughter and son in the 3rd Century BC. Apart from the royal paraphernalia, the duo would have been accompanied by thousands of Buddhist Monks as well. Asoka was very much concerned about the well being of his subjects. To ensure proper medical aid, he has owned up in one of his rock inscriptions, of having created medical facilities, even in the remotest parts of his empire, bordering other kingdoms, to enhance well being and promote longevity. Dispensing of medical care had been the domain of the monks with knowledge of the traditional system of Aurveda, which then existed. Monastic system of education was considered incomplete without acquiring knowledge of medical therapies.

Ayurveda is considered a divine science being a part of the Hindu scripture "Atharvaveda". The oral traditions were led by Atreya and Dhanvantari representing two different schools of thought i.e. the school of physicians and the school of surgeons respectively. Further codifications were carried out in "Charaka Samhita" which deals with internal medication. "Susruta Samhita" on the other hand contains surgical procedures.

The Ayurveda system of medicine believes that the human body is made of Panchabhutas, the five elements, namely either (space), air, fire, water and earth. They combine with each other and manifest themselves as three basic principles, collectively known as Tridosha.
Either with Air creates Vata
Fire with Water creates Pitta
Water with Earth creates Kapha
The system attempts to address the imbalances in Tridosha to cure human ailments.

During the 8th century CE a Buddhist monk named Vag Bhatta from Kerala is said to have visited Sri Lanka for studying the Buddhist System of medicine. He is credited to have authored "Ashtanga Hridaya" and "Ashtanga Sangraha", treatises in Sanskrit, which has formed the backbone of Ayurveda in Kerala. "Ashtanga Hridaya" contains knowledge comprising the two schools of Ayurveda. "Ashtanga Sangraha" is bigger in size but more or less similar to the "Ashtanga Hridaya". Some scholars are of the opinion that the compilations could have been made by two different persons of the same name.

Soon after Buddhism got established in Sri Lanka, southern parts of Kerala came under Buddhist influence. The Ezhava community (also known as Chovars in central Kerala and Thiyyas in Malabar area) of Kerala is believed to have migrated from Sri Lanka, who became the torch bearers of Buddhism. They were physicians, astrologers,warriors, coconut farmers and so on. As a class they were held in high esteem in the society. Karappuram Kadakkarappally Kollattu Veettil Itty Achudan was a pioneer in editing the first Malayalam book on traditional medicine, published by the Dutch in 1675, titled Hortus Indicus Malabaricus. Kayikkara Govindan Vaidyar was the one who translated the famous "Ashtanga Hridaya" into Malayalam. Both the physicians belonged to the Ezhava community.

After the advent of Shankaracharya, a Hindu revival movement received great impetus. Over a period of time the Brahmins had a sway in the society with the support of the local rulers. All Buddhists were assimilated into the Hindu stream. However a large section of the ezhavas preferred to stick to their old faith. This infuriated the Brahmins and since they were wielding great power, with the connivance of the ruling elite, persecution of the non-converts gained momentum. Ezhavas were kept out of the Varna system of caste division and denounced as untouchables. Thus the community received a severe setback. They were compelled to work as toddy tappers, farmers etc. for a livelihood. This also made many of them to embrace Christianity.

Shri Narayana Guru (1855 - 1928) born into an Ezhava family was one of the greatest social reformers Kerala has ever seen. He revolted against casteism and relentlessly worked for social equality. It is he, who was responsible for the social emancipation of Ezhavas. They now constitute a major chunk of the Hindu population and considered to be one of the most prosperous communities. Buddhist influence can still be traced in their festivals. Their gods Cittan and Arattan are said to be of Buddhist origin.

Major ayurvedic hospitals, spas, pharmaceutical companies are now owned by them. Products like Kamilari, Chandrika, Medimix, to name a few, come from their factories. They also own large hotel chains, modern hospitals, multi-storied complexes and so on. Incidentally the present day Chief Minister of the State also comes from their clan.

To sum up, Buddhism and Ezhava community together have contributed immensely for the growth of the traditional wisdom in Ayurvedic medication and popularizing it amongst masses in Kerala.

Inspiration: Sampath Iyer, Kochi Abridged Hindi version

Achievement Motivation : Asokan Inscription

Once upon a time there was a king who was fighting a battle with a neighboring kingdom. Sensing imminent defeat, he ran away from the battle field and took shelter in a cave. While he was resting, his eyes fell on a spider which was engaged in making a large web. The king observed that the spider was falling down again and again but finally it succeeds in creating a beautiful web after some relocation. Taking a cue from the spider the king leaves the cave, reorganizes his army and attacks his enemy from a different front and wins.

Some 84 km's. from Jabalpur towards Katni, there is a Hindu religious place ( a Shiv Linga), Roopnath near Sleemnabad. It is here that we come across a rock (sheltered in a canopy) bearing the inscriptions of Asoka the Great (3rd Century BC). Quoting his own example, he advocates vigorous efforts to be made for achieving success. He stresses that not only the rich, even people of lower means could succeed in attaining heavenly pleasures provided determined efforts are made.
Generally we have found that most of the rock inscriptions speak of the achievements of the king in a highly exaggerated manner, couched in a spicy language. But the Asokan inscription, we are discussing about is plain and simple. We provide hereunder an English version of the contents:

"Thus speaks the Beloved of the Gods, (Asoka): I have been a Buddhist layman for more than two and a half years, but I did not make much progress. Now for more than a year I have drawn closer to the Order and have become more ardent. The gods, who in India up to this time did not associate with men, now mingle with them, and this is the result of my efforts. Moreover this is not something to be obtained only by the great, but it is also open to the humble, if they are earnest and they can even reach heaven easily. This is the reason for this announcement that both humble and great should make progress and that the neighboring peoples also should know that the progress is lasting, And this investment will increase and increase abundantly, and increase to half as much again. This matter must he inscribed here and elsewhere on the hills, and wherever there is a stone pillar it is to be engraved on that pillar. You must go out with this document throughout the length and breadth of your district. This announcement has been proclaimed while on tour; 256 nights have been spent on tour."
(Scholars are not unanimous about the exact translation. Interpretations differ.)

One may observe from the above translation that the sentence beginning "The Gods, who in India ........(in italics)" looks meaningless (absurd). Some scholars are of the view that "Deva" also means "Clan". Therefore the term "Deva" occuring in the original inscription is not a reference to "God". If this view is accepted, it would mean that the Clans which followed a faith of their own, were pursuaded to accept Buddhism. An extreme view could be that the places of worship were converted into Buddhist shrines.

(For an abridged Hindi version click here)

Birth Place of Buddha - Controversy

Click Here for an interesting research paper

सफलता और समृद्धि (एक पुरानी लघु कथा)

एक गाँव में एक किसान परिवार रहा करता था. परिवार में अधेड़ किसान दंपति के अतिरिक्त एक पुत्र एवं पुत्रवधू भी थे. पुत्र निकट के नगर में एक सेठ का सेवक था. एक दिन की बात है. तीन वृद्ध कहीं से घूमते घामते आए और किसान की आँगन में लगे कदम के पेड़ के नीचे विश्राम करने लगे. किसान की पत्नी जब बाहर लिकली तो उसने इन्हे देखा. उसने सोचा की वे भूके होंगे. उसने उन्हे घर के अंदर आकर भोजन ग्रहण करने का अनुरोध किया. इसपर उन वृद्धों ने पूछा, क्या गृहस्वामी घर पर हैं?. किसान की पत्नी ने उत्तर दिया, नहीं, वे बाहर गये हुए हैं. वृद्धों ने कहा कि वे गृहस्वामी की अनुपस्थिति में घर के अंदर नहीं आएँगे. स्त्री अंदर चली गयी. कुछ देर बाद किसान आया. पत्नी ने सारी बातें बताईं. किसान ने तत्काल उन्हें अंदर बुलाने को कहा. स्त्री ने बाहर आकर उन्हें निमंत्रित किया. उन्हों ने कहा "हम तीनों एक साथ नहीं आएँगे, जाओ अपने पति से सलाह कर बताओ कि हममें से कौन पहले आए". वो जो दोनों हैं, एक "समृद्धि" है, और दूसरे का नाम "सफलता". मेरा नाम "प्रेम" है". पत्नी ने सारी बातें अपने पति से कही. किसान यह सब सुनकर अत्यधिक प्रसन्न हुआ. उसने कहा, यदि ऐसी बात है तो पहले "समृद्धि" को बुला लाओ. उसके आने से अपना घर धन धान्य से परिपूर्ण हो जाएगा. उसकी पत्नी इसपर सहमत नहीं थी. उसने कहा, क्यों ना "सफलता" को बुलाया जावे. उनकी पुत्रवधू एक कोने में खड़े होकर इन बातों को सुन रही थी. उसने कहा, अम्माजी आप "प्रेम" को क्यों नहीं बुलातीं. किसान ने कुछ देर सोचकर पत्नी से कहा "चलो बहू क़ी बात मान लेते हैं".
पत्नी तत्काल बाहर गयी और उन वृद्धों को संबोधित कर कहा "आप तीनों मे जो "प्रेम" हों, वे कृपया अंदर आ जावें. "प्रेम" खड़ा हुआ और चल पड़ा. बाकी दोनों, "सफलता" और "समृद्धि" भी पीछे हो लिए. यह देख महिला ने प्रश्न किया अरे ये क्या है, मैने तो केवल "प्रेम" को ही आमंत्रित किया है. दोनों ने एक साथ उत्तर दिया " यदि आपने "समृद्धि" या "सफलता" को बुलाया होता तो हम मे से दो बाहर ही रहते. परंतु आपने "प्रेम" को बुलाया इसलिए हम साथ चल रहे हैं. हम दोनो उसका साथ कभी नहीं छोड़ते.

जहाँ प्रेम है वहाँ सफलता और समृद्धि भी रहती है.

मूलतः सारथी में प्रकाशित

World's Earliest Inscription of Love

(For a Hindi version please Click Here)

Recently I was on a family trip to visit the Golden Triangle consisting of Bhubaneswar, Konark and Puri in Orissa. While at the Udayagiri caves near Bhubaneswar (ancient name Ekamra), on the extreme left, there was a cave chiselled to look like a lions mouth. There was a platform in front of it. The site is also datable to 2nd Century BC on the basis of an inscription of Kalingaraja Kharavela at the nearby Hathigumpha. The cave aforesaid, had a resemblance with some similar cave structure I had in my memory. That was the oldest rock cut cave theatre (Amphitheatre) in the Ramgarh hills of Sarguja District in Chhattisgarh (India). This is said to belong to the 3rd Century BC on the basis of a "first ever message of love" found inscribed on the walls of a nearby cave. The cave housing the "Natya Shala"(theatre) is known as Sitabengra. It is about 45 ft long and 15 ft wide. The stage is at a lower level while the gallery for seating the people is elavated. Caves were reportedly used as pleasure resorts in the ancient times.
The other cave nearby is Jogimarha which is 15 ft long and 12 ft wide. The roof here is higher than Sitabengra and is adorned with rock paintings. Monks could also be seen depicted in those paintings apart from other subjects. The name 'Jogimarha' itself suggests its association with Jogis or Monks. The message of love referred above could be found engraved on its walls. The script is Brahmi of the Asokan period (3rd Century BC). This is said to be the only inscription from any period preserving pure Magadhi. The reason being the pronunciation of 'Dasi' as 'Dashi'.
The original text appears in the photograph below.

The English transliteration (Indian Epigraphy - Richard Salomon) is as follows:
Sutanuka nama
devadashikyi
Sutanuka nama I devadashikyi I
tam kamayitha bal(a)naseye I
devadine nama I lupadakhe I
Although scholars are not unanimous about the exact translation, conversely we may put it as:
"Devidin a Sculptor from Varanasi fell in love with Sutanuka, a Devadasi"
Some doubts do arise in my mind when I look at the message. Devidin, apparently a person skilled in carving, as the adjective 'lupadakhe' suggests, has failed to do justice with the inscription. Geometrical proportion in lettering has been totally ignored. We may compare the Brahmi Characters with that appearing in the Asokan edicts for the purpose. Here is an example of his

Girnar Inscriptions.

सामाजिक उत्तरदायित्व

शांतिनगर के हमारे मुहल्ले में सेवानिवृत्त बुजुर्गों की एक जमात है. रोज शाम शौपिंग काम्प्लेक्स के कोने में बनी दवाई की दुकान के सामने सब इकट्ठे होते हैं. कुछ दूसरे मोहल्ले से भी ऐसे ही लोग, अनुकूल वातावरण देख कर शामिल हो जाते हैं. जगह की कमी के कारण बैठक दो पारियों में होती है. एक का नाम विधान सभा और दूसरे का नाम लोक सभा रख दिया गया है. तीसरा समूह एक समाज विशेष का भी है जो चलायमान रहता है. यदा कदा इसमे से कुछ छिटक कर हमारे विधान सभा या लोकसभा के दर्शक दीर्घा में आ बैठते हैं. अब आप सोचेंगे की इस नामकरण के पीछे भी कोई सोच होगी. जी हाँ बिल्कुल है. विधान सभा में चर्चा का विषय अधिकतर प्रादेशिक और स्थानीय होता है जबकि लोकसभा का चिंतन राष्ट्रीय हुआ करता है. विधान सभा की बैठक ८.०० बजे या कुछ पूर्व ही समाप्त हो जाती है. लोकसभा का सत्र ९.०० रात्रि तक निश्तिक रूप से चलता है. परन्तु ९.०० बजते ही कुछ एक साथ उठ खड़े होते हैं तो कुछ ऐंठ कर कुर्सी या बेंच पर बने रहते हैं मानो उन्हें बीबी की परवाह न हो. वस्तुतः यह दिखावे के लिए होता है.

कुछ ऐसे भी लोग हैं जो दोनों सभाओं में बराबर की रूचि रखते हैं. करें भी क्या, बीबियाँ भगा जो देती हैं. भगाए जाने के पीछे भी कई कारण बताये गए. कुछ के यहाँ शामको सहेलियों का आनाजाना लगा रहता है. पत्नियाँ नहीं चाहतीं की उनके पति की सहज दृष्टि भी सहेलियों पर पड़े. कुछ पत्नियाँ ब्यूटी पार्लर घर पर ही चलाती हैं. सज संवर कर जब कन्यायें कमरे से निकलती हैं तो बैठक में बुजुर्गों का पाया जाना बाधक बन जाता है. फ़िर कहेंगी अंकलजी मैं कैसी लग रही हूँ? यह सब पत्नी को रास नहीं आता. पर पतियों को दी गई यह छूट असीमित नहीं है. रात ९.०० बजे के बाद घर आने पर हमारे कई मित्र प्रताडित भी होते हैं. ऐसा लगता है मानो लोग श्वान योनि में प्रदार्पण कर चुके हों. उनकी जरुरत हो तो घर पर ही रहो नहीं तो बाहर जाओ. ऐ ले आओ वो ले आओ. एक मित्र का पट्टा निश्चित समय पर खोल दिया जाता है. फिर वह अपने बुढापे का ख्याल किए बगैर मंडली की ओर पूरी रफ्तार से निकल पड़ता है. बेचारा करे भी क्या अन्यथा मंडली के द्वारा भी प्रताडित होना पड़ेगा.

विधान सभा में जैसा, पूर्व में ही कहा जा चुका है, चर्चा का विषय प्रादेशिक एवं स्थानीय होता है. बिजली, पानी, सड़क, पर्यावरण, चोरी चमारी, लूट खसोट और महंगाई. एक कालोनी की बिजली की समस्या पर चर्चा वर्षों से चल रही है. कोलोनायिसेर, बिजली बोर्ड एवं स्थानीय नेताओं को कोसते कोसते अभी अभी उस कालोनी में बिजली ने अपनी दस्तक दी है. अब पानी की समस्या ने विकराल रूप धारण कर लिया है. समाधान कहीं दूर दूर तक नही दीखता. एक के बाद एक बोरवेल सूखते जा रहे हैं. दूसरी ओर हमारी लोकसभा इन सब मामलों में रूचि नही रखती. राष्ट्रीय समस्याएं क्या कम हैं? आतंकवाद, तुष्टिकरण की राजनीती, परमाणु संधि, अमेरिका से रिश्ता, संभावित लोकसभा चुनाव, गठजोड़, ऐ सब भी तो हैं.

ऐसी गंभीर समस्याओं पर चर्चा के बीच कुछ मित्रों में अपनी व्यक्तिगत (घरेलु) समस्याओं को उजागर करने की प्रवृत्ति भी देखी गई है. आम तौर पर वह ज्यादा सशक्त प्रतीत होती है. कभी कभी समस्या को बयां ख़ुद बा ख़ुद सदस्य ही करता है या फिर उसे प्रेरित किया जाता है. वैसे तो हर व्यक्ति की अपनी समस्या होती है परन्तु दूसरे की सुनकर मन हल्का करने की या मजे लेने की जुगाड़ भी होती है. हाँ तो आज क्या हुआ ? - बस पूछने की जरुरत, फ़िर सुनते रहिये उनकी कहानी. एक मित्र तो आते ही कहते हैं "हमारी सुनो", जैसे सबकी सुननेकी जन्मजात विविशता हो. लोक सभा गई भाढ में.

हमारे इस क्षेत्र की आबादी काफी बढ़ गई है. नए नए अख़बार निकल गए हैं और मुफ्त में बाँट भी रहे हैं. पूर्व से स्थापित अख़बारों में अपने पाठकों को बनाये रखने की प्रतिस्पर्धा भी दिख रही है. उन्हों ने राजधानी के इस क्षेत्र विशेष के लिए अलग परिशिष्ट भी प्रकाशित करना प्रारम्भ कर दिया. कुछ ने तो अपना एक छोटा कार्यालय ही खोल दिया. अब इनके पत्रकारों को छापने के लिए मसाला भी तो चाहिये. उनकी नज़र हम मसाल्चियो पर पड़ी. प्रस्ताव आया की हम लोगों की फोटो खींची जायेगी. दो एक बातें होंगी और अख़बार में छपेगी. तब जाकर कर्तव्यबोध का ख्याल आया. हरेक ने अपने साक्षात्कार में अपने आप को किसी न किसी तरह समाज सेवा से जुटा हुआ जताया. अख़बार में फोटो सहित ख़बर भी छाप दी गई. सामाजिक उत्तरदायित्व का निर्वहन न सही, प्रचारित करने का अवसर तो मिला.

Constitution 1,000 years ago

by T.S. Subramaniam

A perfect electoral system existed, inscriptions found in Uthiramerur reveal.
Photos: S. Thanthoni

The mandapa of the Vaikuntaperumal temple.
It may be hard to believe that nearly 1,100 years ago, a village had a perfect electoral system and a written Constitution prescribing the mode of elections. It was inscribed on the walls of the village assembly (grama sabha mandapa), which was a rectangular structure made of granite slabs. “This inscription, dated around 920 A.D. in the reign of Parantaka Chola, is an outstanding document in the history of India,” says Dr. R. Nagaswamy, former Director, Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology, referring to Uthiramerur in Chingleput district.
“It is a veritable written Constitution of the village assembly that functioned 1,000 years ago,” Dr. Nagaswamy says in his book, “Uthiramerur, the Historic Village in Tamil Nadu.” The book, in both Tamil and English, has been published by the Tamil Arts Academy, Chennai.
Dr. Nagaswamy says: “It [the inscription] gives astonishing details about the constitution of wards, the qualification of candidates standing for elections, the disqualification norms, the mode of election, the constitution of committees with elected members, the functions of [those] committees, the power to remove the wrong-doer, etc…”


And that is not all. “On the walls of the mandapa are inscribed a variety of secular transactions of the village, dealing with administrative, judicial, commercial, agricultural, transportation and irrigation regulations, as administered by the then village assembly, giving a vivid picture of the efficient administration of the village society in the bygone ages.” The villagers even had the right to recall the elected representatives if they failed in their duty!
It has a 1,250-year history
Uthiramerur has a 1,250-year history. It is situated in Kanchipuram district, about 90 km from Chennai. The Pallava king Nandivarman II established it around 750 A.D. It did exist earlier as a brahmin settlement. It was ruled by the Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Sambuvarayars, the Vijayanagara Rayas and the Nayaks. It has three important temples, the Sundara Varadaraja Perumal temple, the Subramanya temple and the Kailasanatha temple. Plans are under way for the conservation and restoration of the Kailasanatha temple, which is in ruins.
All the three temples have numerous inscriptions — those of the great Raja Raja Chola (985-1015 A.D.), his able son, Rajendra Chola and the Vijayanagar emperor Krishnadeva Raya. Both Rajendra Chola and Krishnadeva Raya visited Uthiramerur.
Uthiramerur, built as per the canons of the agama texts, has the village assembly mandapa exactly at the centre and all the temples are oriented with reference to the mandapa.
R. Vasanthakalyani, Chief Epigraphist-cum-Instructor and R. Sivanandam, epigraphist, both belonging to the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology, said that while village assemblies might have existed prior to the period of Parantaka Chola, it was during his period that the village administration was honed into a perfect system through elections. “About 1,100 years ago, during the period of Paranataka Chola, Uthiramerur had an elected village panchayat system, which was a step ahead of the modern day democratic system,” she said.
According to Dr. Sivanandam, there were several places in Tamil Nadu where inscriptions are available on temple walls about the prevalence of village assemblies. These villages included Manur near Tirunelveli, Tiruninravur near Chennai, Manimangalam near Tambaram, Dadasamudram near Kanchipuram, Sithamalli and Thalaignayiru near Thanjavur, Jambai near Tirukovilur and Ponnamaravathy near Pudukottai. “But it is at Uthiramerur on the walls of the village assembly (mandapa) itself, that we have the earliest inscriptions with complete information about how the elected village assembly functioned,” said Dr. Sivanandam. It is learnt that the entire village, including the infants, had to be present at the village assembly mandapa at Uthiramerur when the elections were held, pointed out Vasanthakalyani. Only the sick and those who had gone on a pilgrimage were exempt.

The Tamil inscriptions elaborate on the election procedure followed several centuries ago.


There were committees for the maintenance of irrigation tanks, roads, to provide relief during drought, testing of gold and so on. Sivanandam himself has written a book in Tamil called, “The Archaeological Handbook of Kanchipuram district,” (published by the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology in 2008) in which he says the original sabha mandapa’s superstructure was made of timber and bricks. After the superstructure collapsed and only the base of the mandapa made of granite slabs remained, Kulotunga Chola I built a Vishnu temple on the base towards the end of the 11th century.
The village sabha mandapa, with its invaluable inscriptions, is now called Vaikuntaperumal temple. Dr. Nagaswamy says: “The village assembly of Uttaramerur drafted the Constitution for the elections. The salient features were as follows: the village was divided into 30 wards, one representative elected for each. Specific qualifications were prescribed for those who wanted to contest. The essential criteria were age limit, possession of immovable property and minimum educational qualification. Those who wanted to be elected should be above 35 years of age and below 70…”
Only those who owned land, that attracted tax, could contest. Another interesting stipulation, according to Dr. Nagaswamy, was that such owners should have possessed a house built on legally-owned site (not on public poromboke). A person serving in any of the committees could not contest again for the next three terms, each term lasting a year. Elected members, who suffered disqualification, were those who accepted bribes, misappropriated others’ property, committed incest or acted against public interest.

Courtesy: Shri Ram Varmah (varmah@yahoo.com)
http://tinyurl.com/6y5hnu

Around Mangalore

Courtesy: Shridhar Shenoy
The 35 kilometer stretch of Shirady Ghat between Kappalli (Manjrabad fort) to Gundya is a nature lover's paradise. It had always been from time immemorial but the beauty could not be enjoyed due to bad roads and drivers and passengers used to be more pre-occupied with the jolts and jumps that they might get during the journey.
But with the roads now as smooth as it used to be before, people are now enjoying the 90 minutes journey, and why not? There is so much to see, the evergreen Shola forests, the huge ferns that are an endemic species to Western Ghats and the thick foliage which is a delight to watch.
But what turns Shirady into a paradise during monsoons is its numerous water falls. There are no large water falls like Jog, but there are many medium and small water falls that fills your heart and eyes. The central part of Shirady Ghat I.e, between Adda Holay and Gundya is the natural water log area. The rain water re-charges the mountainous water veins and releases through faults and folds of the mountain. But apart from the technical details of the waterfalls the beauty of water falls which is what enthrals the nature lovers. The milky surf that cascades from a great height is a sight to watch. It is stated that there are over 300 small and medium water falls.

According to Dinesh Holla an adventurer and an avid trekker the origin of the water falls in Shirady generally is located at a height of 400 to 600 feet (MSL) many of them have a circuitous course before the emerge into open and fall from a height. Many trekkers stay for considerable time at the water bodies that open into a water fall.
The ideal route to get to the water fall is the route that the Mangalore-Bangalore train takes. It is possible for the trekkers to take the railway get down at Soorikumer and pass to the other side towards Pushpagiri. There are people who have driven their motorcycles on narrow paths from Shirady village up to a certain height and walked from there.
But one cannot go into these areas as they want, they should notify the forest department about their trekking route and take their permission well in advance.
For people who just want to enjoy it on the way to their destination either ways should travel during the day time. The ideal time is to arrive at this stretch either from Bangalore or Mangalore at mid morning or late afternoon, which is when the real enjoyment of waterfalls could be felt. The immediate instinct is to stand below the cascading water, but that is where extra precautions should be taken, the rocky slopes are slippery and the water would be cold.
Various spots like Kempu holay, Yemme holay, Adda holay, Annamma holay have good waterfall sites.
shridharshenoy2000@gmail.com