hindol 11th issue january 2012

8/2/2019 HINDOL 11th Issue January 2012

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1938

today, man's achievementis an ugly mockeryannouncing itself everywherethe face of a monster.must I have to witness thisugly nightmareby lighting a stormy lampin the twilight hour of my life?

Rabindranath Tagore

1938

Translation - Uma Dasgupta


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76 Sumantra Nag Delhi (a poem)

77 Rasiklal Gupta Jottings - Translation from 'Lipika'

82 Chittaranjan Pakrashi A British Officerwho made a Difference

Translations of Tagore Songs

74 Ajanta Dutt

75 Maitrayee Sen

Delhi Vignettes

73, 88 Madhumita Dasgupta


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Yesterday, I went through the two issues of Hindol which are nowwith us (January 2011 and the special edition of April 2011 on the150th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore).

I liked Ajanta Dutt's translation of the song 'Ami path bhola ek pathik eshechhi, I also read her article on Rabindrasangeet. I read withinterest about the context for the composition of the song 'Tumi kemonkore gan kore...' I had an (evidently erroneous) impression that Rabi

Thakur composed this song after listening to Nazrul Islam sing.I read Sunandan Lala's article on Santiniketan, and noted a pho-

tograph of the prayer hall with an abundance of glass on its walls,where I attended a morning prayer with the sun streaming in throughthe glass on the side. The reading of a simple prayer by a clear and


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captivating voice in this environment was memorable and I rememberit still because of the purity of the experience.

Also read Uma Das Gupta's conversation with Indira Gandhi onher days as a student in Santiniketan and Mandira Mitra's article onthe sculptor K.S. Radhakrishnan and his association with Santiniketan.The historian Professor V.N. Dutta, formerly of Kurukshetra Univer-sity, once told me about a Sikh singer who left Punjab and travelledto Santiniketan and settled there to learn and practice Rabindrasangeet.At least that is what I remember hearing some years back in the courseof a leisurely conversation with Prof Dutta.

Sumantra Nag25.10.2011 Delhi

I believe you are doing a massive job (HINDOL) in a world withlimited vision, fast food, poor digestion and everything in capsuleform, including education at every level!

Any activity which endeavours to look even a little beyond today's

normally accepted Indian value-base built on the concept of 'more'property and 'more' money is definitely divine - no question on that.We may differ on literary/intellectual/social issues but, that is theessence of living - individuality that is not calculated to hurt, intimi-date or, satisfy one's ego.

Aurobindo Mukerji11.11.2011 Delhi

As a professional communication practitioner engaged in thebusiness of advertising & journalism, allow me to express my joy atreading Subhadra Sengupta's piece in the October 2011 issue of yourmagazine. As a hard core NRK - non-resident Kolkatabasi (who afterliving 3 decades in Delhi still pines for Kolkata!), I found the pieceenlightening, enriching & entertaining.

Tragically, in today's world, scholastic insightful & analytical writing

is largely perceived as "unfashionable & boring" as most things seriousare. My father-in-law {the late Chidananda Dasgupta} always lamentedthis fact but never ever moved away from his vision & calling asperhaps India's last great original voice in the area of serious filmcriticism.


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These are endangered species in a space where smart slick, stylish,trendy writing rules & mediocrity triumphs in no uncertain terms!

More power to Ms. Sengupta's pen (mouse?) & may she move fromstrength to strength.

Monojit Lahiri5.11.2011 New Delhi

The articles in Hindol 3 / 2 number are quite interesting. I likedSmt. Deepabali Sen's 'Bangla Sahitye Dilli' very much. However,although it was quite exhaustive in mentioning various books/stories,"Rajpath Janapath" by Chanakya Sen (if I am not mistaken) wasmissing.

Sucheta Ghosh16.10.2011 Kolkata

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& g I cannot forgetthe lovely poem 'Come O Peace' (Esho Santi) e .

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The ages passed on, and the forests sank lower and lower beneaththe encroaching waters. Slowly, slowly it went down; so slowly thatthe forest seemed to stand ever where they had ever stood before,and none but the brooding Eternity could know that the rusting moanof waves and trees was the millennium long 'Nunc Dimmittis' of theirdeparture.

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But to me the wedding feast was all the brighter for the thoughtthat in a distant land a long lost father had met again with his onlychild.

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^ The Captive Ladie - T M g E - ^ Madras Circulator GeneralChronicle- - -

He might employ his time to better advantage than in writing Englishpoetry. As an occasional exercise and proof of his proficiency inthe language, such specimens may be allowed. But he could renderfar greater service to his country and have a better chance of achievinga lasting reputation for himself, if he will employ the taste andtalents, which he has cultivated by the study of English, in improving

the standard and adding to the stock of the poems of his ownlanguage, if poetry, at all events, he must write.

y (if poetry, atall events, he must write) BengalHurkuru -

These verses of M.M.S. Dutt are very fair amateur poetry; but if the power of making has deluded the author into a reliance on theexercise of his poetical abilities for fortune and reputation.. the

delusion is greatly to be regretted.Hurkuru- (Curse that rascal)

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Getting there: Opposite Gate no. 1 of Pragati Maidan : Pragati Maidan

Two other temples in Delhi thatgo by the name of BhaironMandir and accept offerings of liquor are at Nehru Place and at

Rani Jhansi Road.

Image of the deity atRani Jhansi Road.

Getting there : A hundred yardsfrom the T-junction of B.R.

Ambedkar Marg.

: Jhandewalan

Temples in Delhi where liquor is 'prasad'

Bhairon Mandir is the most famous. Behind the Kilkari Bhairon Mandir is the DudhiyaBhairon, where the deity is bathed with milk every day.

PHOTO : MADHUMITA DASGUPTA

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Chatanki, the name given to a rock that Pandu's son Bhim is said to have

played / exercised with, for whom it weighed as little as a chatak!

Getting there: Can be seen conveniently while visiting Lal Kot (see page 69). Afterturning in from Adham Khan's tomb, turn right again from the first crossing till youcome to the dargah of Ashiqullah. Ask for Bhim Ki Chatanki. It is about 2 kilometresfrom Adham Khan's tomb and about a hundred yards from the dargah.Don't miss the view from the top of the dargah of the Qutab Minar jutting out from thetrees.

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Getting there: The dam is in the Faridabaddistrict of Haryana. From the main gate of Tughlakabad Fort, passing the Shooting Rangeon the left, drive 6 kilometres south (up toAnangpur Mor) towards Suraj Kund. Take aright here, drive another kilometre up to St.Brijmohan School, take the lane on the rightopposite the school, and keep to your right tillthe lane, that soon turns into a track, ends in

the woods after about a kilometre. You are nowat the northern end of Anangpur village, whereyou are certain to get guidance to walk downto the dam.

Southern view

A sluice gate

Anangpur Dam, built byTomar king Anangpal,

possibly in the 8th century AD

PHOTO : ANEESHA DASGUPTA

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Rai Pithora - Surviving wall of fortress said to have been builtin the 12th century AD byPrithviraj III, a king of theChauhan dynasty thatsucceeded the Tomar dynasty.


The Hindu kingdom in Delhi

Bastion at Lal Kot - The fortress

Lal Kot is said to have been builtby the Tomars in the 8th centuryAD

Getting there: ApproachMehrauli village from AurobindoMarg keeping Qutab Minar onyour left. Turn right immediatelyafter Adham Khan's tomb(opposite Mehrauli Bus Terminal

on your left). The ruins of thewalls of the Lal Kot fort are on

your right after the tomb. A hundred yards down, the wall turns off to the right towardsthe Chatanki (see page 64). Photograph is taken near the Chatanki.

Adham Khan was the son of one of Emperor Akbar's wet nurses, Maham Anga. TheEmperor had Adham Khan executed by having him flung down repeatedly from theramparts of Agra Fort as he had killed Atgah Khan, the husband of another of Akbar'swet nurses Jiji. Maham Anga died shortly after in 1562 and is also interred here. Shehad a mosque built in Delhi called Khairul-Manazil.

Getting there: The best preserved portions run parallel to Press Enclave Road, onwhich the entrance is situated. : Malviya Nagar

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Meerut pillar

Getting there: Follow the metro line from the

Kashmere Gate station beyond Tis Hazari (onestation) and take a right on Rani Jhansi Marg.The road will wind up to the Pillar aftercrossing Fatehgarh Memorial on the right.

: Pul Bangash

Ashokan PillarsBoth the Ashokan Pillars in Delhi were brought here by Sultan Firoz Shah (Tughlak),one from Topra (near Ambala) and the other from Meerut.

Getting there: This is inside the ruins of Firozabad next toFeroze Shah Kotla stadium on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg.Right next to the pillar is the Jami Masjid built by the Sultan,where prayers are offered even today. Do not miss thecircular baoli here (see HINDOL October 2011).

: Pragati Maidan or New Delhi station or Kashmere Gate

Topra Pillar

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The two Ashokan Pillars in Delhi (see page 71 ) were 'imported' whereas the Rock Edict is 'in situ' meaning 'at its original site' (literally 'in position'). The presence of theedict indicates the relative importance of this area during Emperor Ashoka's reign(3rd century BC).

Getting there: Go past theISCKON temple, approachingit from the National HeartInstitute in East of Kailash, andthe site is on the hillock at thenext right hand corner enclosedby a high boundary wall. It isan ASI protected monument.

: Kailash Colony


Ashokan Rock Edictin East of Kailash

Delhi Vignettes


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'twas that night when my doors were battered in the stormyet I did not know you had crossed the threshold of my home;all around darkness descended into nightthe flickering lamp suddenly shed its little light

my outstretched arms reached for the skies in search of an unknownform,yet I did not know that you had crossed the threshold of my home.

in the lengthening shadows did I lie, in dream-like reverie,how could I know the tempest heralded your chariot of victory;when the day broke I opened my eyes to see,you were there, standing there, just in front of me;this room so full of emptiness, fulfilled upon me loom'd,yet I did not know that you had crossed the threshold of my home.

(Translation : Ajanta Dutta)

A R T I S T :

S H A N U

L A H I R I


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...i know not when it wasthat I first set out with Thy song on my lipsi remember notsince when my heart has been thus longing for Theenot today, to be sure! not just today.

as the waterfall leaps into the unknownwithout knowing whom it seeksthus have I sped along the course of my life,not today, to be sure! not just today.

what varied names have I called Thee by;what varied images have I drawn of Theewith what joy and abandon have I rushed ontowards a destination I knew not.not today, to be sure! not just today.

as the flower unknowingly keeps vigil through the nightawaiting the light of the day,thus hast the hope of Theepervaded my whole being all through my life,not today, to be sure! not just today.

(Translation : Maitrayee Sen)

A R T I S T :

S H A N U

L A H I R I


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DelhiSumantra Nag

a view through the corner pane displaysdull mortar or cream in durable paintrelieved by wooden window framesacross the dry expanse of landthe houses grow like spreading cropsthrough miles of dust and stone and scrub.

a whole generation's genesis seenthrough the wrong end of a telescope.boulevards and gnarled tree trunksregimental tunes that marchedas the Beating of the Retreat swaggeredand cymbals clashed to greet a queen.

colonnaded arcades in Connaught Placeusher ambling crowds to spacious shops

the two-roomed dwellings in the upper storieswhere the tenants rubbed their eyes in sleepand tuition by a Christian teacher leftthe smell of ink with the backward student.

cracked ramparts of medieval fortsrun loosely round once peopled spaces.Purana Killa's mounds were rich in yieldhearthstones in daily use uncovered

or coins from distant centuries jade jars from China for a princeand shards of broken potteryconfirming the last millennium's myths.

(A view of Jami Masjid inside Firozabad)


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Replay

News from the battlefront was less than inspiring. Dejected, theking went out for a turn in the park.

A young boy and girl were at play under a tree near the periphery

wall.'What are you playing,' he asked them.They said, 'We are playing at being Ram and Sita during their stay

in the woods.'The king settled down next to them.The boy said, 'This is our Dandak forest, we are building our

cottage here.'He was indeed very busy with lots of branches, twigs, brushwood

that he had collected.The girl too was busy cooking some leaves in a clay pot on a

fireless hearth. Ram was to be fed; Sita had no time to waste.The king said, 'You seem to have thought of everything else, but

where's the ogre.'The boy had to concede that there were some imperfections in

their Dandak forest after all.

'Alright, I'll be the ogre,' the king offered.The boy inspected him closely and said, 'But you would have tolose.'

The king said, 'Sure, I'm a great loser. Just check me out.'The ogre-slaying went off so well that the boy just wouldn't let

Rasiklal GuptaKarol Bagh, Delhi

Jottings(Translation from 'Lipika' of

Rabindranath Tagore)

Jottings - Replay


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go of the king, who had to suffer a dozen deaths and was at the endof it exhausted from dying over and over again.

The birds crooned that day just as they had done at Panchabatiin Treta. The morning light played the same tender notes among thedappled curtain of the green leaves as it had done in Treta.

The king's heart was lightened of its burdens.He summoned the minister and asked, 'Whose children are these?''The girl is my daughter; her name is Ruchira. The boy is Kaushik,

his father is an impoverished Brahmin who earns a living byperforming religious rites.' the minister said.

The king said, 'I'd like them to get married when they are of suitable age.'

The minister did not dare to speak up; he just lowered his eyesand stood there, silent.

-2-The king sent Kaushik for tutelage with the best tutor of the land.

All the upper caste children

there used to study under hisguidance. As did Ruchira.The tutor was not pleased

when Kaushik started to attendhis classes. The others werediscomfited too. But then it wasthe king's wish.

Ruchira was mortified themost. The boys gossiped. Shewould blush in embarrassment,her eyes flooding over in anger.

If Kaushik passed her abook, she would push it away.If he spoke to her about a lesson,she would not reply.

The tutor was very fond of Ruchi. He had made up hismind that she should trounceKaushik in every subject; thiswas Ruchi's vow too.ARTIST : PULAK BISWAS

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It looked that this couldhappen very easily, for

though Kaushik did study, itwas not single-mindedly. Hewas keen to go off swimming, to go strolling inthe woods. He would singand play musicalinstruments.

The tutor rebuked him,'Are you not interested inyour lessons?'

'I am interested, but inmany other things too.' hereplied.

The tutor said, 'Discardthose interests.'

'Then I will lose interestin my lessons.' he said.-3-

Some time passed.The king enquired of the tutor, 'Who is your best student.'The tutor answered, 'Ruchira.'The king persisted, 'And what of Kaushik?'The tutor said, 'I doubt he has learnt anything at all.'The king said, 'I would like to see Ruchira married to Kaushik.'The tutor smirked, 'It would be like getting the dawn married to

the dusk.'The king summoned the minister, 'Your daughter's marriage to

Kaushik should not be delayed any further.'The minister said, 'Your Highness, she does not consent to this

match.'

The king said, 'Can a woman's desire be reckoned by what shesays?'The minister said, 'Her tears stand witness.'The king asked, 'Does she think Kaushik to be unfit for her?'The minister said, 'Yes, that is so.'

ARTIST : PULAK BISWAS

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The king said, 'Then let a competition be held on their learning.If Kaushik wins, the marriage will take place.'

The following day the minister told the king, 'My daughter agreesto this contest.'

-4-The judges had assembled. The king was on the throne; Kaushik

sat at his feet.Ruchi arrived, escorted by the tutor. Kaushik rose to pay obeisance

to the tutor and to greet Ruchi. Ruchi ignored him.In the classroom, Kaushik had never ever got into even a mock

debate with Ruchi. The other students had also never discussedanything with him, considering him beneath their contempt. Thustoday, when the sharp acidic barbs of his arguments flashed about,the tutor was amazed as well as annoyed. Ruchi broke out in a sweat;she could not keep her wits about her. Kaushik pressed her to the brink of defeat and then released her.

The tutor was speechless with fury; Ruchi was in tears.

The king said to the minister, 'Fix the wedding date.'Kaushik rose and said to the king with folded hands, 'Please forgiveme, I will not be married.'

Astonished, the king asked, 'Will you not accept the prize won?'Kaushik said, 'Let the triumph be mine and the prize someone

else's.'The tutor said, 'Your Highness, please grant another year's time.

Allow the final test to be held after that.'It was so agreed.

-5-Kaushik stopped coming to school. Some mornings he was

roaming in the shady woods, on some evenings he was seen on thehilltops.

The tutor devoted himself to Ruchi's education. But what wasRuchi devoting herself to?

Piqued, the tutor said, 'If you are not careful, you'll be humiliatedagain.'But she seemed to be yearning to be humiliated once again. Like

Aparna had practiced austerity by not eating, Ruchi seemed to bedoing so by not studying.

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Flying into a rage, the tutor said, 'I swear on the names of Kapiland Kana that I'll never again accept a woman student. I have solved

the many mysteries of the Vedas, but have not been able to understanda woman's mind.'

One fine day the minister appeared before the king and said, 'Amatch has come for my daughter's hand from the clan of Bhabadatta.They are second to none in antecedents, reputation and wealth. I seek my lord's blessings.'

The king asked, 'What is your daughter's view?'The minister said, 'Can a woman's desire be gauged by what she

says.'The king asked, 'Why, what do her tears say today?'The minister fell silent.

-6-The king went out to sit in the lawns. He told the minister, 'Ask

your daughter to come and see me.'Ruchira came and bowed.

He said, 'Child, do you remember the game of Ram's exile to theforest?'Ruchira stood silent with lowered eyes.The king said, 'I'd love to watch that game once again.'Ruchira veiled her face and kept quiet.The king said, 'The forest exists, so does Ram, but I hear, my child,

that Sita's not on hand. If you permit, this can be corrected.'Ruchira said nothing but knelt to touch the king's feet.The king said, 'But my child, I cannot play the ogre today.'Ruchira raised her eyes to look at the king.The king said, 'This time the ogre will be played by your

tutor.'

(Rasiklal Gupta is a practicing lawyer.)

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It was December 20th 1945. The Second World War had ended just four months ago after the devastating atom bombs were droppedon Japan. Coming from Calcutta, I landed at the Old Delhi railwaystation to join a job under a British Director in a non-descript new

office in the Ministry of Commerce of the Government of India. Thecity of Delhi, with its glorious past during the Hindu and Muslimmonarchy, had been reduced to a mediocre city after the freedomstruggle called the 'Mutiny of 1857'. Though the shifting of India'scapital from Calcutta to Delhi took place with the historicannouncement at the Delhi Durbar on 12th December 1911 byEmperor George V, the capital of modern India, a marvelous creationof the leading British architect Edwin Lutyens, came into being 20years later and was inaugurated on February 10, 1931 by Lord Irwin,the Viceroy of India. When I landed at Delhi not much had changedsince 1931.

Major P.W.R. Homfray, a handsome young man in the British armyhad fought at the Burma front during the Second World War. Whilethere, he got to know the widowed daughter of the Governor of Burmaand married her after the war was over. Moving to Delhi, he now had

his own office under the Ministry of Commerce. This office -'Administrative Intelligence Room' - was meant to give pictorial shapeto statistical data relating to activities of various Ministries andDepartments of the Government of India to ascertain their progressor otherwise at a glance. For this, besides other paraphernalia, a

Chittaranjan PakrashiKailash Colony, Delhi

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statistical and Drawing Section wasimperative. A Statistical Officer was

available, but for the head of theDesign Section, Homfray advertised innewspapers. Eventually, ChunilalBiswas was appointed as AssistantDirector and about a dozen artists,including myself, were added to assisthim.

When I joined that office I noticedseveral things out of the ordinary.Firstly, Director Homfray used toattend office on a bicycle, though therewas an office car. Instead of throwinga big party to celebrate his wedding, Homfray arranged for tea andbiscuits every morning and evening for a month for all his staff at hiscost. He installed a music system in his room and provided loud

speakers in each room of the office to create a pleasant atmosphereof 'music at work'. When the office shifted to the bigger 'B' Barracksnear Connaught Place, he encouraged his staff to start a recreationclub for organizing periodical cultural shows and for screening movies.

Lord Wavell took over as the Viceroy of India in 1943. Homfraypersuaded the powers-that-be to have the Viceroy's insignia for thecoat-of-arms designed in India instead of getting it from England, aswas the practice. Homfray assigned the job to Biswas who did a perfect

job to the full satisfaction of the Viceroy. Lord Wavell personally cameto our office to thank Biswas and presented him a speciallymonogrammed silver cigarette case. Homfray took the opportunity tointroduce all the artists to the Viceroy - it was unthinkable to shakehands with the all powerful head of the state and we were in a stateof ecstacy!

Homfray used to come around the office every morning to see if

everyone was in his seat and everything was in order. One day, whiletravelling to office by bus one of the fingers of my right hand gotbruised. Homfray, out for his morning rounds as usual, rushed to hisroom on seeing my plight, asking me to follow him. When I enteredhis room he was already on the phone talking with the Medical

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Superintendent at the Viceregal Hospital at Church Road. He got theoffice driver to take me there. Examining me the English doctor

laughed and said - 'I thought something serious had happened', andarranged for the required treatment. I still remember Homfray's remarks- 'Pakrashi, your right hand is your bread earner, you can't damage itat any cost!'

Even during pre-independence days India used to participate inTrade Fairs held at different parts of the world. For the Milan TradeFair, Homfray undertook to produce the publicity materials like poster,show-card, brochure etc. to accompany the exhibits. The work as usualwas allotted to me. Coincidentally, my sister's marriage was settledaround then and I was asked by my parents to be present at ourancestral village in East Bengal for the wedding. I too was very eagerto attend the ceremony and applied for a few days' leave. Instead of summarily rejecting my application, Homfray called me to his roomand patiently explained how important the publicity material was andhow earnestly he depended on me for the job. He told me 'Look

Pakrashi, you are the key man for this job and the prestige of yourcountry is involved. At the same time I realize how important it is foryou to attend your sister's wedding. Now, I leave the matter entirelyto you.' My conscience did not allow me to escape my officialresponsibility.

The most memorable milestone of India's history arrived at themidnight of 14/15 August 1947 when Lord Mountbatten, the lastEnglish Viceroy of India handed over charge of the reign of India tothe Indian leaders under Jawaharlal Nehru, who was elected as thefirst Prime Minister of independent India. I was holidaying at my nativevillage - this time Homfray gladly granted my leave - and heard theemergence of new India through our radio - the only one in that locality- with mixed feelings - extremely glad for the emergence of a newIndia and extremely sad as my own birthplace was now in a differentcountry. Coming back to Delhi I learnt that Homfray had opted to stay

back in Delhi to serve the new Government of independent India inorder to complete the projects he had undertaken. I noticed the saplingof a banyan tree, which I was told, Homfray had planted to mark theindependence of India. Even today in the yard at the back of 'B'Barracks (now demolished) the full grown banyan tree stands aloft to



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mark India's independence. But hardlyanyone knows its history and its association

with a British Officer who loved India andits people.

The most remarkable assignmentHomfray brought for Biswas was preparingthe line rendering of the seal of independentIndia from its halftone version for officialuse. With great care Biswas prepared the linedrawing of the Lion Capital which hasbecome the permanent seal of theGovernment of India and is extensively usedall over India for all Government purposes.Nobody remembers Chunilal Biswas todayfor this splendid work so painstakingly



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accomplished by him,charged perhaps with a

sense of nationalisticfeeling that Homfrayhad kindled in us.

The saddestmoment of the nationcame on the 30thJanuary 1948 when thefather of the Nationwas assassinated. Iremember the dayvividly. It was 5.30 inthe evening, I wascycling, like most of the office goers inDelhi, home to

Karolbagh after officeand on PanchkuinRoad, as I neared theBhangi Colony, I noticed clusters of people engaged in animatedconversation. On enquiring I heard someone saying worriedly -'Gandhiji ille!' I sensed something serious must have happened. Onsome previous occasions while returning home from my work I usedto go inside Bhangi Colony and found Gandhiji, after conducting theevening prayer, addressing the gathering. One evening I was lucky tohear Gandhiji's famous uttering - 'Jawahar! Wo to Jawahar hi hai!' Isaw top leaders like Pandit Nehru, Sarder Patel and many othersattending prayer meetings without any kind of security around them.That fateful day it was not at Bhangi Colony but at Birla House thatthe prayer meeting was being held and he became an assassin's target.Next morning I managed to go near the crossing of Rajpath and Janpath

and saw the sea of humanity that gathered there to pay their lastrespects to his mortal frame.In 1948 itself the East Punjab Government under its Chief Minister

Gopi Chand Bhargava decided to pay homage to the Father of theNation by holding an exhibition at Simla - which they named 'Life

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After Truth' - on 2nd October, hisbirthday. A request from the East

Punjab Government came toHomfray to assist the StateGovernment in making an elaborateplan for the Exhibition. I waschosen by Homfray for the job andwas sent to Simla to assist the StateGovernment in the matter. I stayedover a month in August 1948 at theGrand Hotel with a few of mycolleagues from Delhi as guests of the State Government andaccomplished the assignment.Homfray was very pleased.

In 1949 Homfray felt it wouldnot be practicable for him to stay in

India forever. So, at a time when most of his dream projects weregetting momentum he thought of handing over the baton. In S.Subrahmanyam, an I.C.S. officer, he found an able administrator whowould be fit to carry forward his projects. Instead of going back toEngland, his place of origin, he decided to settle in Australia. Abefitting farewell party was organized in Homfray's AdministrativeIntelligence Room Auditorium when all the employees, with moisteyes, spoke about the personal touch that Homfray used to extend toeach one of us. This Englishman genuinely felt for each one of us.When we presented a specially designed scroll bearing autographs of all the employees of A.I. Room, it was difficult for Homfray to hidehis emotions.

Nearly ten years later each member of the then A.I. Room receiveda personal invitation asking him to join a get-together at the ImperialHotel hosted by Homfray. He was then holding the post of Chief in

the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He was very keen to meeteach one of his old colleagues including even his personal peonMangal Singh! It was really a joyful occasion for all of us to meet ourdear Homfray after so many long years.

Drawing by the author for theinvitation card of the exhibition



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The Kos Minars of theGreat Mughals

Mughal Emperor Akbar is said tohave ordered building of KosMinars (milestones; kos or krosbeing an ancient Indian measureof distance) from his capital Agra.Jahangir and Shahjahan are said tohave continued building thenetwork (to Lahore, to Ajmer andto Bengal). Experts say that sarais(rest houses) and baolis (stepwells)would have come up near some of these.

Many of the minars can be seenwhile driving along the Delhi-Agraand the Delhi-Jaipur highways.One of them can be closelyinspected in Delhi itself.

Kos Minar at Delhi

Getting there: It is inside the Zoo. Shortly after entering, take the right at the fork.There is a baoli close by in the Purana Qila. (see HINDOL October 2011).

: Pragati Maidan

This structure at Lodi Gardens (just next tothe India International Centre entrance) is aremnant of a Lodi period building and is not a Kos Minar.


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hindol 11th issue january 2012

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