Historywallahs

09/09/2023

29/08/2021

The video recording of last evening's webinar on "The Story of Our Times through Images" by Mahesh Bhat is now available on our Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjZ_eSs3_dU

Images have the ability to capture a moment in time with all its complexities. Photographic images made years ago compel us to read and connect the associati...

29/08/2021

Some of you had signed up but couldn't attend the last two webinars. Some of you had also emailed and messaged asking about video recordings.

Here is the video recording of Ra Devi (Rashmi Sawhney)'s talk on "The Lost Decade of Indian Science Fiction Cinema"

https://youtu.be/Jj5OzvVzXhY

1960s Indian cinema saw the emergence of a genre that suddenly disappeared, only to re-emerge at the turn of the millennium, in a completely new avatar, with...

28/08/2021

Here are the zoom credentials for the webinar today :

The Story of Our Times Through Images
Date & Time Aug 28, 2021 06:00 PM Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi
Meeting ID 889 7497 3803
Passcode 37dt5y

24/08/2021

Our next webinar is on AUGUST 28th, 6 pm IST.

The link to register is - https://bit.ly/3guwLnb

Title of the webinar: THE STORY OF OUR LIVES THROUGH IMAGES

Images have the ability to capture a moment in time with all its complexities. Photographic images made years ago compel us to read and connect the associative events of the time, and, reveal to us the contemporary spirit of the society. A photographer aka the image maker with his/her keen eye, is at the forefront of capturing the story of our society as it unravels.
In this webinar, one such image maker - Mahesh Bhat, through his life time’s work of making images in India’s socio-political landscape, will talk to us about the various historic events he was witness to, and also tell us the story of our times as he saw it through the lens of his camera.

About the speaker:

Mahesh Bhat is a Bangalore based Photographer, film maker, book maker, publishes and educator. He has chronicling the city of Bangalore since mid 80s. He has been working to conserve the 5000 acre catchment of Hesaraghatta reservoir/Arkavathy river for the last 17 years.

14/08/2021

This webinar will begin in next 15 minutes.

Link to join webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/w/81195800200?tk=-2afcvbmHHVdyfnPMgKyRrxke1CzSbjtsSSncyoauOI.DQIAAAAS56WWiBZwTDhFUzZpR1RxYXE1U0ljcnVUTm53AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&pwd=clM2REhVdnpXREdaSCtmSWpjdEJGUT09

09/08/2021

Our next webinar is on an exciting chapter of Indian film history. Here are the details:
Date: August 14th, 6.00 pm IST
Duration: 1 hour (50 minutes talk + 10 minutes of Q&A)
Link to register - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsfuygrjsoGtREbyc4LkaR_uAz84W_crjV

Topic: The Lost Decade of Indian Science Fiction Cinema

1960s Indian cinema saw the emergence of a genre that suddenly disappeared, only to re-emerge at the turn of the millennium, in a completely new avatar, with superheroes and heavy-duty VFX. This was the genre of the low-budget, B Science Fiction films, which was considered too marginal for inclusion in dominant accounts of ‘national film history’. The decade that seeded the touristic view in Indian cinema - notably in films located in the “earthly paradise” of Kashmir, and others, more adventurously making forays into distant lands (Love in Tokyo, An Evening in Paris) - was also the decade when Indian cinema set off on journeys into outer space, and encounters with extraterrestrial beings. Many of these science fiction films have not been preserved in the National Film Archive of India, and are therefore, lost to the annals of film history. Film scholar Rashmi Sawhney, through her work of unearthing film scripts and visual ephemera, has constructed an account of this lesser-known trajectory of Indian cinema. In this webinar, Rashmi will share an overview of this exciting genre, locating it in the context of postcolonial India’s emphasis on nation and institution building, and international debates around science and ethics. These debates seem to be ever more relevant to our present lives, as we grapple with increasingly blurred boundaries between humans, animals and machines, as well as the imminent colonisation of space by modern-day corporations.

About the speaker:
Rashmi Sawhney is a writer, curator and Associate Professor of Film & Cultural Studies at Christ University, Bangalore. Her recent publications include contributions to "Women at Work: the cultural and creative Industries'' (2020), "Moving Image: South Asian Trajectories'' (2018), and "Indian Science Fiction and Fantasy" (2015). She is co-founder of VisionMix, an international platform for artists, filmmakers and researchers, and has curated works for Kochi-Muziris biennial and Hong-gah museum, Taipei.

05/08/2021

Here is the video recording of last week's webinar on Madurai's Chithirai Thiruvizha -

https://youtu.be/turanT4KtoM

For a fortnight, in the summer month of Chithirai (April), the city of Madurai comes alive. Lakhs of people congregate to celebrate the famous Chithirai Thir...

05/08/2021

The video recording of this webinar is now on our Youtube Channel -

https://youtu.be/turanT4KtoM

Please watch and share.

28/07/2021

Dear all,

Here are the details of our next webinar :

Date & Time: July 31st, 6.00 pm IST
Link for registration : https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkcOmtrDwuEtzSk2RIHlSyKWK8CCUu0g75

Topic: Madurai during the Chithirai Thiruvizha

For a fortnight, in the summer month of Chithirai (April), the city of Madurai comes alive. Lakhs of people congregate to celebrate the famous Chithirai Thiruvizha. The festival is popularly associated with the coronation of Goddess Meenakshi and her marriage with Lord Sundareswara. A lesser known but associated festival is one that is celebrated at Alagar Kovil. It is from here that Lord Kallazhagar starts on his journey to Madurai, to partake in the celestial wedding. During the 15-day celebrations, the city of Madurai and the village of Alagar Kovil transform in exciting ways to make space for the festivities.
Maniyarasan, an Architect and Photographer from Madurai, has been documenting the Thiruvizha and resulting spatial transformation since 2015. In this webinar, Maniyarasan will give us a virtual tour of the Thiruvizha and discuss particular histories and cultures associated with it.

About the speaker:
Maniyarasan R, an architect and photographer, specialises in documenting architectural heritage. He works as an architectural photographer and visual documentation consultant. He works on projects related to aerial mapping, photogrammetry and technical imaging in architecture/conservation practice. He did B.Arch from SPA Delhi, PG Photography Design from NID Ahmedabad & UCA Farnham UK. He teaches at CARE School of Architecture, Trichy, and is a coordinator of CARE Design Cell, working on design research consultancy projects. As a research scholar, Architectural documentation is his primary area of research.

We look forward to your participation in this webinar.

Please share and help us spread the word.

25/07/2021

Dear all,

The recording of this webinar is now available of our Youtube Channel:

https://youtu.be/MQLeYtOJC-M

Dear Friends,
Our next webinar is titled "Traditional Industrial Heritage of Sambhar, Rajasthan"

Sambhar Lake, a salt water lake, is a unique feature located in the semi-arid region of Rajasthan. It has been an important centre of salt extraction since at least the 6th century, when salt was extracted for local consumption. This was later commercialised by the Mughals in the 16th century. Under the British, a mass-scale production unit was established that exists till date. Sambhar settlement expanded over time and several associated features like salt pans, markets, havelis of salt traders, cenotaphs of Banjaras and production units came up. Over time, however, the link between the lake and the settlement has been lost, leading to decline of not only a once thriving settlement, but also a natural ecosystem.
The speaker, Somya Johri, will discuss the evolution of the traditional industrial landscape of Sambhar.

About the speaker:
Somya Johri is a conservation architect based in New Delhi. She has more than a decade long experience working as a heritage professional and has been involved in preparation of conservation and management plans of heritage sites and heritage impact assessments of Industrial sites in India. She has published her works on Industrial heritage on various national and international platforms.

Please register for the webinar here - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZModuCqrDIiG9Dxqzv8r8qJuQ1O4gCftup9

25/07/2021

Dear all,

The video recording of this webinar is now available on our youTube channel :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfdl6t3fEsI

17/07/2021

this is today 6 pm. A gentle reminder

13/07/2021

Details of our next webinar :
Date: 17th July 2021, 6 pm
Link to register : https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvcuugrDIjG9UBIaXBlZ4StqCuM6SDRwZ8

DOCUMENTING CRAFTS OF INDIA - The Journey of a photographer
India's vast and diverse landscape is home to several traditional crafts. Often, an exercise in documenting crafts of a particular region is full of new discoveries and experiences. In 2003-2004, Ramu Aravindan, an independent photographer, undertook one such documentation exercise. Ramu travelled for months across South, East and North-East of India craft clusters in these parts. How does one approach such a project? How does one document craft forms and skills using photography? How does one ensure the cultural context and people's stories are not lost? Ramu will answer these questions and more while sharing his experience in this webinar.

About the speaker:
Ramu Aravindan is a graphic designer and photographer based in Bangalore. His images deal with landscapes, places, objects, and the sense of space and locality they create. About his work he has this to say: “My central fascination with photography is a link I had made up, over time, between the optical quality of the image and the visual engagement involved in looking at places—experiencing places. It’s the satisfaction and the ‘sense of seeking’ contained in that activity that drew me to photography and continue to draw me to it.”

Ramu has worked on photography commissions for books, visual research and design projects. He runs a consultancy, Landeater, that creates design and content for communication and documentation projects. He also teaches photography as visiting faculty at art and design schools.

Ramu graduated in graphic design from NID, Ahmedabad, and holds a Masters in photography from the University of Calgary.

09/07/2021

Here is the video recording of the webinar we conducted on "Historic waterworks of Bijapur"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JqfHnXewaw

Most of us are aware of Bijapur’s rich architectural heritage of royal tombs, audience halls, grand mosques, palaces etc. But the architecture of the water w...

03/07/2021

This is today 6 pm IST. Don't miss

Dear Friends,
Our next webinar is titled "Traditional Industrial Heritage of Sambhar, Rajasthan"

Sambhar Lake, a salt water lake, is a unique feature located in the semi-arid region of Rajasthan. It has been an important centre of salt extraction since at least the 6th century, when salt was extracted for local consumption. This was later commercialised by the Mughals in the 16th century. Under the British, a mass-scale production unit was established that exists till date. Sambhar settlement expanded over time and several associated features like salt pans, markets, havelis of salt traders, cenotaphs of Banjaras and production units came up. Over time, however, the link between the lake and the settlement has been lost, leading to decline of not only a once thriving settlement, but also a natural ecosystem.
The speaker, Somya Johri, will discuss the evolution of the traditional industrial landscape of Sambhar.

About the speaker:
Somya Johri is a conservation architect based in New Delhi. She has more than a decade long experience working as a heritage professional and has been involved in preparation of conservation and management plans of heritage sites and heritage impact assessments of Industrial sites in India. She has published her works on Industrial heritage on various national and international platforms.

Please register for the webinar here - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZModuCqrDIiG9Dxqzv8r8qJuQ1O4gCftup9

29/06/2021

Dear Friends,
Our next webinar is titled "Traditional Industrial Heritage of Sambhar, Rajasthan"

Sambhar Lake, a salt water lake, is a unique feature located in the semi-arid region of Rajasthan. It has been an important centre of salt extraction since at least the 6th century, when salt was extracted for local consumption. This was later commercialised by the Mughals in the 16th century. Under the British, a mass-scale production unit was established that exists till date. Sambhar settlement expanded over time and several associated features like salt pans, markets, havelis of salt traders, cenotaphs of Banjaras and production units came up. Over time, however, the link between the lake and the settlement has been lost, leading to decline of not only a once thriving settlement, but also a natural ecosystem.
The speaker, Somya Johri, will discuss the evolution of the traditional industrial landscape of Sambhar.

About the speaker:
Somya Johri is a conservation architect based in New Delhi. She has more than a decade long experience working as a heritage professional and has been involved in preparation of conservation and management plans of heritage sites and heritage impact assessments of Industrial sites in India. She has published her works on Industrial heritage on various national and international platforms.

Please register for the webinar here - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZModuCqrDIiG9Dxqzv8r8qJuQ1O4gCftup9

26/06/2021

This is today 6 pm. If you have not registered yet, please do at - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcOGhqTgiEtFMrACkRM7I8A7n8tYsPCnL?fbclid=IwAR2qj3ZoWZyf_cPR7g-_IrAFnWILfURCBVN8t7000sLUfth4u2at4LoGY0g

Dear all,
We have been quiet for the last few months as we were all dealing with the Covid-19 situation in some way or the other. But now, with things a lot better than before, we are also slowly emerging from our caves.
As we cannot meet in groups for some more time, we thought of taking this opportunity to organise a few webinars.
The first one is scheduled for this Saturday June 26th, 6.00 pm

Title: HISTORIC WATERWORKS OF BIJAPUR
Most of us are aware of Bijapur’s rich architectural heritage of royal tombs, audience halls, grand mosques, palaces etc. But the architecture of the water works of Bijapur are rarely highlighted. Although known in the recent past for its arid weather and water scarcity issues, historically, Bijapur was well known for its highly efficient man-made water management systems. In this webinar, we will learn about the complex network of step wells, pipes, tunnels and reservoirs which catered to all the water needs of Bijapur in the 16th and 17th centuries. Most of these structures were built during the reign of the Adilshahi rulers.
We will also discuss the present status of these historic water systems and rehabilitation efforts of these magnificent architectural marvels.

This webinar will be conducted by Saparya Varma.

About Saparya :
Saparya Varma is an architect specializing in Heritage Conservation. In her 12+ years of experience, she has worked primarily in the area of Conservation Planning and Management. She has a keen interest in undertaking cultural heritage surveys to document neglected yet significant cultural resources. In 2015-16, Saparya was involved in a project that extensively surveyed and mapped the water structures of Bijapur (over an 18sqkm area).

When: Jun 26, 2021 06:00 PM Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcOGhqTgiEtFMrACkRM7I8A7n8tYsPCnL
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

21/06/2021

Dear all,
We have been quiet for the last few months as we were all dealing with the Covid-19 situation in some way or the other. But now, with things a lot better than before, we are also slowly emerging from our caves.
As we cannot meet in groups for some more time, we thought of taking this opportunity to organise a few webinars.
The first one is scheduled for this Saturday June 26th, 6.00 pm

Title: HISTORIC WATERWORKS OF BIJAPUR
Most of us are aware of Bijapur’s rich architectural heritage of royal tombs, audience halls, grand mosques, palaces etc. But the architecture of the water works of Bijapur are rarely highlighted. Although known in the recent past for its arid weather and water scarcity issues, historically, Bijapur was well known for its highly efficient man-made water management systems. In this webinar, we will learn about the complex network of step wells, pipes, tunnels and reservoirs which catered to all the water needs of Bijapur in the 16th and 17th centuries. Most of these structures were built during the reign of the Adilshahi rulers.
We will also discuss the present status of these historic water systems and rehabilitation efforts of these magnificent architectural marvels.

This webinar will be conducted by Saparya Varma.

About Saparya :
Saparya Varma is an architect specializing in Heritage Conservation. In her 12+ years of experience, she has worked primarily in the area of Conservation Planning and Management. She has a keen interest in undertaking cultural heritage surveys to document neglected yet significant cultural resources. In 2015-16, Saparya was involved in a project that extensively surveyed and mapped the water structures of Bijapur (over an 18sqkm area).

When: Jun 26, 2021 06:00 PM Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcOGhqTgiEtFMrACkRM7I8A7n8tYsPCnL
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

18/04/2021

Films Division India is celebrating World Heritage Day by streaming documentary films made on some of India's finest built heritage on its Youtube Channel. Films on Hampi, Hoysala temples, Cave temples of Badami, Elephanta and Ellora, Nagarjunakonda, Sanchi, Orccha, a film on Tripura's built heritage.

But our favorite is this lovely B&W film (probably made in 50s) on the city of Mandu.

Happy world heritage day to all of you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnqAKKLOLsI

28/03/2021

The Madras Railway company and the Southern Mahratta Rly company merged in 1908. This is one of their ad pamphlets highlighting the significant tourist places enroute.