Events Archives
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Lecture on ‘Challenging Conservation of Temples in the Chambal Valley’ by Mr. K. K. Muhammed
Date: 31st August 2018
Time: 4.30 pm
Location: Multipurpose Hall, INTACH, New DelhiIt gives us great pleasure to invite you to the lecture. Bateshwar group of temples consists of more than two hundred temples from the 8th – 11th centuries located deep in the Chambal Valley. These temples were in a highly ruinous condition, reduced to fragments and stones. The surrounding areas were infested with dreaded dacoits where nothing could be done without their express permission. After protracted negotiations with the dacoits Mr. K. K. Muhammed, the then Chief of Archaeological Survey of India in Madhya Pradesh, was able piece together eighty temples with meticulous care and precision. Here like the proverbial phoenix, a temple town came in to life from its own ashes and debris. There still remains buried, the remains of hundred and twenty temples waiting to be excavated and restored.
Once free from dacoits, rampant mining and the ensuing vibrations brought down the conserved temples…
Mr. Muhammed who spearheaded the project will share with you in his illustrated talk the anguish and agony, joys and pleasures of reconstructing eighty temples from bits and pieces.
He is the former Regional Director North, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and an archaeologist by profession has had the distinction of conserving more than a hundred temples in various parts of the country, of which eighty, in the Chambal valley were with active co operation of dreaded dacoits of the area!
Mr. Muhammed has the credit of excavating several significant historical structures. He led the excavation of the Ibadat Khana, the hall of interreligious discussions, where Emperor Akbar promulgated the composite religion known as Din I Ilahi, at Fatehpur Sikri. Here, he also discovered the first Christian Chapel of North India.
In Bihar he discovered a Buddhist Stupa at Rajgir built by King Ajatashatru over the mortal remains of Lord Buddha and excavated Kesariya Stupa, one of the tallest excavated stupas. While his conservation strategy of Sanchi Stupa won him National Award 2006 – 2007 for the ‘Best Tourism Friendly Monument’, at Satdhara he was able to piece together a huge stupa by painstakingly assembling its scattered fragments.
Of the five transplantations of monuments carried out in the country, Mr. Muhammed has the distinction of successfully heading two, namely Kurdi Mahadev temple in Goa and Chaubis Avatar temple at Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh.
He is the recipient of several international awards – SARRC International Award and Sri Lanka Award to name a few .He has also been conferred with several state awards.
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Talk on ‘Higher than Mount Everest’by Ajeet Bajaj
Date: 26th September 2018
Time: 4.30 pm
Location: Multipurpose Hall, INTACH, New DelhiIt gives us great pleasure to invite you to the illustrated talk. Ajeet Bajaj and his daughter Deeya became the first Indian father daughter duo to climb Mount Everest on May 16th, 2018. Mr. Bajaj, in an illustrated talk will share his Everest experience and passion for adventure. The talk will also focus on encouraging our daughters, scope for adventure tourism, best practices and the way forward.
Ajeet Bajaj is a mountaineer, adventurer, explorer and entrepreneur. He is the first Indian to have completed the Polar Trilogy by skiing to the North Pole, the South Pole and across Greenland. With over 30 years of experience in adventure sports, he is the first Asian to have rafted and kayaked some of the most challenging rivers of the world spanning six continents.
In May 2018, Ajeet Bajaj & his daughter, Deeya, became the first Indian father – daughter duo to scale Mount Everest. In a country where the girl child is often neglected, they wanted to spread the message that any girl, given the right opportunities, can reach the highest of summits.
Ajeet Bajaj was conferred the Padma Shri in 2012 by the President of India. He has also been felicitated with the Hall Of Fame award by the Adventure Tour Operators’ Association of India (ATOAI) for his contribution to the growth of adventure tourism in India.
He has summitted Mount Elbrus, Mount Aconcagua, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kosciuszko which are the highest mountains in Europe, South America, Africa and Australia respectively. He has won a bronze medal in the national games for kayaking and one silver and two bronze medals in international rafting competitions in Switzerland and Siberia, Russia. He captained the international team for world white water rafting championships in Turkey in 1994. Ajeet has done a number of first descents of rivers in India and is considered a pioneer of river rafting, kayaking and sea kayaking in India.
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Talk on ‘How to be a Fig?’ by Abhisheka Krishnagopal
Date: 4th October 2018
Time: 4.30 pm
Location: Multipurpose Hall, INTACH, New DelhiIt gives us great pleasure to invite you to the illustrated talk on Fig (Ficus) trees, which are considered keystone species in a rainforest as they sustain several lives – from birds, mammals to the tiniest of insects. They were around when dinosaurs roamed the earth and they continue to thrive in today’s modern world. Though Ficus is part of the cultural and social landscape, the ecological significance of these species is not widely acknowledged. The hidden flowers of the fig and it’s extraordinary relationship with the wasps are mysteries known only to a few. The illustrated talk “How to be a Fig?” aims to unravel the mystery of these magnificent trees and cover their historical and ecological importance.
Artist and Ecologist Abhisheka Krishnagopal, got involved in rescue and rehabilitation of displaced and distressed urban wildlife during her student days and invariably entered the field of wildlife conservation. She went on to pursue her Masters in Ecology and Environment. She has several years of experience working as a wildlife researcher with research institutes like Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) specializing in Wetland Ecology and Bird Migration studies. She is currently part of the Education and Public Engagement team of Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Bangalore.
As a Nature-Educator, Abhisheka uses her experience in wildlife rehabilitation, field ecology, and the medium of art to create environmental awareness in both urban as well as rural communities across the country.
Through the project ‘How to be a Fig?’ she brought together scientists, artists, writers and performers to understand and appreciate the importance of the ficus in the ecosystem.
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Book Discussion: ‘Adi Shankaracharya – Hinduism’s Greatest Thinker’
Date: 12th November 2018
Time: 4.30 pm
Location: Multipurpose Hall, INTACH, New DelhiIt gives us great pleasure to invite you to the book discussion based on Pavan K. Varma’s book Adi Shankaracharya – Hinduism’s Greatest Thinker. The book is a well-researched account of the life and times of a child-saint, Adi Shankaracharya, who was the first to give Hinduism a definite form along with his journeys across India and setting up of monasteries or mathas in Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri and Joshimatha. The book deals with the ultimate unfolding of an unmatched philosophy in the history of world religions – Advaita and Adi Shankara’s sheer audacity and thought in establishing significant scientific principles which even modern science endorsed centuries later.
Pavan K. Varma is a writer-diplomat and now in politics. Author of over a dozen best selling books, including Ghalib: The Man, The Times; The Great Indian Middle Class; The Book of Krishna; Being Indian; Becoming Indian; and Chanakya’s New Manifesto. He has been Ambassador in several countries, Director of The Nehru Centre in London, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, and Press Secretary to the President of India.
Pavan K. Varma was conferred an Honorary Doctoral Degree for his contribution to the fields of diplomacy, literature, culture and aesthetics by the University of Indianapolis in 2005.
The discussion with the author will be chaired by Dr. Karan Singh and moderated by Dr. Swapna Liddle.
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Heritage festival ‘INTACH UTSAV’
Date: 28th to 31st January 2019
Time: 9.00am – 7.30pm
Location: INTACH, 71, Lodhi Estate, New DelhiIt is our pleasure to invite you to the heritage festival ‘INTACH UTSAV’, which will feature classical and folk music, dance, theatre, lectures, children’s workshops, food stalls and other all day activities. A craft exhibition is also simultaneously organized to encourage young craftspeople and showcase the excellence of our craft heritage.
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Interactive Demonstration on ‘Using Traditional Materials for Contemporary Spaces’
Date: 31st January 2019
Time: 11 AM to 6 PM.
Location: INTACH, 71, Lodhi Estate, New DelhiArchitectural Heritage Division INTACH invites you to an Interactive Demonstration on ‘Using Traditional Materials for Contemporary Spaces’ at INTACH, 71 Lodhi Estate, New Delhi on 31st January 2019, 11 AM to 6 PM.
This is a part of the INTACH Utsav from 28th to 31st January 2019. All events have free admission. the details are provided in the poster.
We look forward to seeing you there!
