You are here

India

A Watershed Summit

On World Water Day, a virtual round table session, organised by news website India Today, brought together some of the best minds working to resolve the daunting water crisis facing India. Among the participants, Apoorva Ajay Oza, CEO of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India), listed four reasons behind the success of programmes such as the JJM (Jal Jeevan Mission - a programme to assist, empower and facilitate rural water supply strategies). "Decentralisation in decision-making processes helps the community take responsibility and enter mutually respectful partnerships with professionals. Technology for monitoring and scaling up and setting up special purpose vehicles is crucial," he said.

Heritage Walk: Stroll, shop, Sufi sonata at Sunder Nursery

In New Dehli, Sunder Nursery, renovated and revived by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is not only a new attraction for the picnickers and backpackers, it also draws music lovers too in its lush green folds. AKTC has revived this 90 acre land with a great makeover holding its sanctity and mysticism intact. The nursery recently witnessed some remarkably great performances with compositions displayed by singers of the Indian classical genre. The event was organised by the British Council in association with AKTC.

 

 

 

 

 

A heritage park in Hyderabad

In Hyderabad, the Qutb Shahi tombs don’t usually find mention. But these tombs are marvels of architecture, design, craftsmanship and engineering. Come 2024, the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park will draw visitors from all over the world to see an outstanding conservation effort which not only puts the tombs back in all their intricacies, but revives around them 106 acres of greenery together with ancient water-harvesting structures. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) began the conservation project in Hyderabad in 2013, drawing on its immense success in Delhi with the revival of Humayun’s Tomb and surrounding monuments together with Sunder Nursery, Delhi’s Heritage Park. "When our work is completed in 2023-24, it is going to be a destination that people travel to Hyderabad to visit," said Ratish Nanda, CEO of AKTC in India.

 

 

The glory of Qutub Shahi tombs being restored

In Hyderabad, visitors to the historic Qutub Shahi Tombs will be mesmerized by its architectural beauty. The colourful enameled tiles were used in decorating the tombs. Quli Qutub Shah bears intricate carvings. The enameled tiling of the tomb made it unique from the other tombs. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) CEO, Ratish Nanda, said: "Qutub Shahi Tombs are fine examples of Indo-Iranian architecture." Mr Nanda reviewed the restoration work done by AKTC in collaboration with the Telangana State Archaeology and Museums Department which started in 2013 and was unveiled by the U.S. Ambassador to India earlier this month. While restoration work paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic, work has now continued at a slower pace.

The Classic Bagh Festival’ to be held on 21 March in Delhi

Designed as an immersive and environmentally conscious experience, the one-day ‘Classic Bagh Festival’ is scheduled to take place at the famous Sunder Nursery on 21 March in New Delhi. Presented by JodhpurRIFF and the British Council, in association with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the festival supports Indian artists and professionals impacted by Covid-19. The free one-day festival has been developed as a site-conscientious response to the green setting of Sunder Nursery and its broader location within Nizamuddin. It is a celebration of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s vision of pluralism and kindness, and the legacy and contribution to Hindustani music.

Sunder Nursery to host the Classic Bagh Festival, an India-UK collaboration

Designed as an immersive and environmentally conscious experience, the one-day ‘Classic Bagh Festival’ is scheduled to take place at the famous Sunder Nursery on 21 March in New Delhi. Presented by JodhpurRIFF and the British Council, in association with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the festival supports Indian artists and festival sector professionals impacted by Covid-19. The free one-day festival has been developed as a site-conscientious response to the green setting of Sunder Nursery and its broader location within Nizamuddin. It is a celebration of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s vision of pluralism and kindness, and the legacy and contribution to Hindustani music. In keeping with the Covid-19 safety protocols, masks will be mandatory along with distancing norms.

Glory of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah tomb uncovered

In Hyderabad, India, in a site-transforming discovery, large panels of coloured glazed tile-work have been uncovered on the tomb of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah at the foothills of the Golconda Fort. "This tile-work changes the significance of the site. Historically, we know Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah’s dome had coloured tile-work but we could not find evidence. This find changes everything," says, Ratish Nanda, CEO of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in India, which is carrying out the conservation effort. The tile-work on the shafts and cornices was uncovered after about 40-mm layer of lime mortar was peeled away and has not been seen for decades. The colour of the tiles uncovered are shades of blue, green, white, yellow and red that usually form the haft-rang in medieval architecture.

 

 

 

Pages