http://www.indianchristianity.com
26-11-2012
9.20pm
Church Historian Writes to Defence Minister A.K.Antony to Revive Muziris Maritime Route

Muziris letter to  Defence Minister AK Antony

Respeced Minister for Defence,

Sir,

Kindly go through the two attachments.Your Excellency,It would be great , both for India and Kerala, if a Muziris Voyage along the lines of the First century voyages from and to the Red Sea Ports of Berinice, Aden- and Socotra - which were frequent in the early centuries - could be re enacted as suggested by the KeralaHistory Association headed by the venerable Justice V R Krishna Iyer. Such a trip would get immense world media attention and will go a long way to promote Tourism in the country and to project a glorious image of India's and Kerala's culture and achievements in the early centuries BCE and ACE. The Indian Navy could play a pivotal role in such a trip as was played by the Omani Navy in the voyageof the 'Jewel of Muscat'.Entreating your good selves and the Navy to kindly take immediate and effectivesteps in the matter, and to include the necessary funds in the forth coming budget itsef for 1. a feasibility study, 2. for a Project Report, 3. for the construction of a Sail Ship at Beypore or elsewhere, and 4. for the training of a dedicated team of sailors and navigators, and 5. to form a team of researcheras for the purpose.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Prof. George Menachery, West Bazaar, Ollur, Trichur District, Kerala 6803060091 98460337130091 487 235 43980091 487 235 2468kunjethy@gmail.com,kunjethy@yahoo.com

Pattanam, St' Thomas, Binnale and KCHR-
Edited by DR.C.I.Issac-Price Rs/100

This New Book was  Released by Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram at Kerala University Senate Hall on  11 nth November. The first copy was received by eminent historian Professor M.G.S.Narayanan

The religio-politics of Left historians and Church gets exposed
Stunning Facts on International Conspiracy Behind Pattanam Excavations

 Christian Organisations Uphold Archaeological Excavations at Pattanam as Evidence of ST' Thomas Tradition

http://antonyka.blogspot.in/

Muziris ( Kodungallur ) and Indian Ocean Exchanges:

Trade links and maritime contacts between the sea-faring peoples like Phoenicians, Jews and Arabs and the resource-rich Indian subcontinent existed in the centuries, before Christ. Some historians, believe that it can be traced back to the days of King Solomon, on the basis of evidences in comparative philology ( Kings,9.28 & 10.11 ) ( Biblical reference to a port called ‘Ophir’ ,situated some where on the west coast of India, too is cited as evidence for the maritime relations ).

As per the extensive references from the following historical and literary sources, for at least three centuries, Muziris (Kodungallur) was a prime center, for Mediterranean, North African, West Asian and Chinese Maritime contacts and one of the four important Indian ports:

Sources of information:

1. Strabo’s Geography 1C BC Geographical encyclopedia. (Greek historian)
2. Periplus Maris(unknown author) 40-70AD About 40 Ports, incuding Muziris.
3. Pliny, the Elder 1^st C, AD Natural History
4. Ptolomy’s Geographia 150 AD
5. Muziris Papyrus 2^nd C AD Trade contract between a Merchant from Muziris and a Banker / agent, Alexandria.
6. Carition (escape of 2 lovers) 2^nd C AD Comedy play/mime with Indian characters & reference from Indian Trade.
7. Cosmos Indicoplatus Has references about Syrian Christians, ( Dealing 5 Ports; Muzris not mentioned)
8. Puti table (TabulaPeutingeriana) 4^th C AD, Among the Ports , Muziris shown with a Temple of Augustus, in the vicinity.

Indian sources:

1. Classical Tamil sources like Sangam (2^nd BC-4^th AD );clear description of Muziris, is seen in the Akanaanooru, in the Sangam Literature.
2. Epic poems-----Chilappathikaram. ,,
3. Legends on cultural transmissions like St.Thomas& Knayi Thoma traditions.(Early Christian Era..)
4. Very limited Archaeological evidences from Western coast.—only Iron Age burials & few Roman coin hoards. No evidence for habitation.
1. Indian Pottery from Berenike—Shred with Tamil Brahmi Script.
2. Arikkamedu: Roman coins -1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd c AD.
3. Archeological evidence from Pattanam ( Muziris )

Path breaking discoveries from Pattanam ( Muziris ) Excavations.

It is, in this back ground, that, Kerala Council for Historical Research (K C H R) undertook a challenging, ‘multi-disciplinary’ archaeological research, in 2007, at Pattanam, a small village at North Parur, an integral part of ancient Kodungallur (Muziris ) port.

The artifacts and materials unearthed from the area have shown the maritime activity there to be as old as 500 B C. ‘The artifacts recovered from the excavation site suggest that Pattanam, with a hinterland port and multicultural settlement, may have had links with the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the South China Sea rime, since the Early Historic Period of South India’, according to P.J.Cherian, Director of K C H R .

The five samples including charcoal samples from the Iron Age Layer, parts of wooden canoe, and bollards (stakes used to secure canoes ), recovered from the site. Samples subjected to Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), radiocarbon dating. Their mean calendar dates fall around 500 B C. The wood ( of the Canoe ), was identified as Anjily ( Artocarpus hirsutus ) and Teak ( Tectona grandis.). The 14 C date range of the canoe is 1300 BC to 100 BC. Other finds include pottery,metals,objects of personal adornment, botanical samples, and a broken rim with Tamil Brahmi script( 1^stcentury BC) , one expert described as ‘exiting discovery’, providing sufficient archeological evidence to the enquirers.( Iravatham Mahadevan,a specialist in Tamil epigraphy, confirmed the inscription, of 1^st century BC. )

Unearthed from PATTANAM :

1. Amphorae---Wine container ( Big storage jar, made of stony type of clay)
2. Indian Pottery ( Non Roman 2^nd grade.)

Other items

• Eurocentric perspective – Indo-Roman perspective.
• Nationalist historiography – Later studies & New perspectives.
• Need for searching for West Asian evidence in Indian sites (Gogte VD,1991)
• Pattanam site-Location is a hamlet in Vadakkekara revenue village-Area 45 hectare—Life started here 1000 BC—Iron age.---Early Medieval—Late Medieval.

According to Bishop Francis Roz, there is a place called PATTANAM, inhabited by Syrian Christians.

1) T.G.P.(Turquoise Glazed Pottery, indicating Mesopotamian links ( Parthian/Sassanian),2 Nos. )(Pattanam Excavation 2007 ) confirmed by Durban University, UK

2) Shreds of West Asian Torpedo Jars

3) Amphora Shreds (South Italy ) ( Excavation 2008):largest assemblage of Roman pottery in India, showing Roman role in Indian Ocean trade.

Other items ( Multicultural ).:

Roulette Ware –1 ;Indian Pottery—Large quantity; Semi-precious Stone/Glass Beads numbering 10,000 unearthed in 2008; Beryl Beads(2009) Pachaswarnam, local name; Cameo Blanks( Raw material from Kerala coast); Fragments of Roman Glass Terracotta lamp ( Roman ? );Ferrous Artifacts ;Early Chera copper coin (40Nos)— a clue for monetization; Gold ornament (Claiming Italian origin); Gold string; Gold bar,Bender; A huge Indian Pottery; Pottery with Post firing ( Ex.2007 ) Brahnmi script with a Cross(10mm) ;Chinese Ceramics(Broken) — showing East connection.; Maritime (VANCHI )boat -6meter length; Wharf with Canoe ( Jesus vessel-nick name);Botanical remains (including Frankincense) (Kunthirikkam) Items, such as BRW shreds, an exquisite ornament, 1.89 gm golden felling axe, show, metallurgy begun here, in the Iron Age phase itself.

These exiting discoveries, provided abundant material evidence, to what was described by the Western authors and Tamil Sangam poets about the flourishing trade between Muziris port in the Malabar coast and Rome ( via the Red Sea ports ),centuries before the beginning of Christian era.

The huge quantity of artifacts unearthed and the radio-carbon analysis, they are subjected to, put the antiquity of Pattanam, to first millennium B C. It provided valuable collateral archeological proof to Malabar mission of St. Thomas.

Pattanam ( Muziris ) Findings : Vindication to St. Thomas Tradition

The ancient Syrian Christian community, inhabited, mostly in the Malabar coast (Kerala State ) of Indian Subcontinent, inherited a concrete, constant and consistent tradition , for over 2000 years . As per this tradition, they became Christians, by the evangelization work of no less a person than, St. Thomas, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, in the year AD, 52, at Kodungallur ( Muziris ) port. Apart from oral tradition, there are some ancient folklores, ‘ cultural remnants with Christian Symbolisms and some structures in the specific spots, where seven communities ( churches, Pallikal, in local language ) believed to have been established by the Apostle, and his traditional tomb at Mylapore, no direct, contemporary evidence from Kerala, available, to substantiate this belief. Though there are clear literary references can be seen, in various ancient languages, they are not contemporary as per the norms of the secular historians.

It is in this back ground that Kerala Council for Historical Research, a State Government body of secular historians, in collaboration with Archaeological Survey of India ( A S I ), conducted an Archeological Excavation using all modern techniques at Kadungallur ( Muziris / Pattanam ) , the Port of St.Thomas. The excavation results, proved beyond doubts that there were hectic trade between this port and Mediterranean ( and other ) countries , right from 500 B C.--- providing authority to St. Thomas tradition.

How this vindicates the tradition of St.Thomas Christians?

According to eminent historian and J N U Professor, Dr.Pius Malekandathil, two important happenings, in the recent past, in the field of history, viz. the Discovery of Vienna Papyrus ( 1985 ) and Archaeological excavation at PATTANAM / MUZIRIS, revolutionized the historical research and disproved the antic-arguments against the St.Thomas Tradition, branding it as a myth. Also, a blow to the prejudicial and dogmatic approach of some historians of eminence, from Kerala. In his own words:

Recent researches ( by implication, Pattanam excavation ), have high lighted the historical probability of the arrival of St.Thomas, in India, particularly against the background of intensified maritime trade happening between coastal Western India and Red Sea ports on the one hand and coastal Western India as well as the ports of Persian Gulf on the other. The physical presence of about 6 million St.Thomas Christians, claiming their origin to one or another place of the 7 initial Christian settlements, set up by St.Thomas , as per their tradition, often serves as ethno-historical evidence, adding significantly to the historical claim of their oral tradition. From 3^rd century onwards, the written sources from West Asia and the Mediterranean world started mentioning about the Christians of India and the Apostle, who had preached among Indians….

At a time when 120 vessels were playing between coastal Western India and ports of Roman Egypt every year, there is no reason whatsoever, to doubt about the veracity of their accounts. ( From his Seminar paper ‘ A commonwealth of Christians in Indian Ocean’. )

Referring to the next, discovery ‘Vienna Papyrus’, ( an voluminous trade agreement entered between a seller in Muziris and the buyer in Alexandria, for regular supply of merchandise ), Dr. Pius says, this together with Muziris findings, provided historical status to the coming of Pantaenus to India, as reported by Eusebius and Jerome. Also, without any ambiguity we can conclude that the part of the world, he visited , is our India., the scholarly conclusion reached by eminent historian William Logan, 100 years back.( See the detailed discussion of the topic, in Article No. 3 ) These archaeological and epigraphic evidences give sanctity and historical status to the descriptions of Eusebius and Jerome not only about the visit of Pantanus but also to the Apostolate of St.Thomas and the first converts of the Apostle.

 Syro Malabar Church  Liturgical Research Centre 39 nth SeminarReport highlights P.J.Cherian's Paper Supporting StThomas Christian Tradition Using Archaeological Evidence From Pattanam

http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/lrc_report39.php

REPORT OF THE 39TH LRC SEMINAR

Khor Rori : P.J.Cherian and KCHR abuse archaeology for religio-politics.

Reverend Charles Forster sustains the traditional argument that the land of Dhofar was the port of Khor Rori being the Biblical land of Sephar where the legendary individual Ophir settled.Historian Ali al Shahri gave a talk at Brigham Young University arguing that Khor Rori is the Biblical port of Ophir.

It is clear why P.J.Cherian presented a potsherd with Tamil Brahmi script  discovered from Khor-Rori.

Khor Rori is part of the ancient Biblical region of Ophir.The recent find of a potsherd with Tamil-Brahmi script from the region brings out the interest of P.J.Cherian.

 Khor Rori is part of the ancient Biblical region of Ophir.The recent find of a potsherd with Tamil-Brahmi script  from the region brings out the interest of P.J.Cherian. 

 

P.J.Cheriyan presented a  paper at Syro-Malabar Church Conference on July 2011 at Mumbai- The Impact of Recent Archaeological Discoveries in the Ancient Muziris on the Historiography of the Establishment of Christianity in Kerala.This was only one among many papers he presented at various church denominations. Interested visitors can go through hundreds of posts in this blog

The 39^th Seminar of the Litrugical Research Centre (LRC)  of Syro-Malabar Church was held in Kalyan, Mumbai from July 29-31, 2011 at the Hope Centre, Amboli, Andheri West. The Theme of the seminar was ‘Early Christian Communities of St. Thomas Tradition inIndia”Dr. PJ Cherian, Director, Pattanam Excavations presented  a paper on -The Impact of Recent Archeological Discoveries in the ancient Muziris on the Historiography of the Establishment of Christianity in Kerala-highlighting the importance of Pattanam as the landing spot of St’Thomas in Kerala

Khor Rori: Serious Questions

A single potsherd with Tamil-Brahmi script is of importance and should have been placed on 6-7nth July exhibition at National Museum of San Matleo in Pisa. The potsherd is from the Biblical region of  Ophir. Curated by Alessandra   Avanzini along with Sultanate of Oman Cultural Centre there was no mention of such a potsherd.at the exhibition.How did it reach P.J.Cherian who is  a modern historian and has been vehemently criticized by leading archaeologists in India  for dubious games using politics communalism and archaeology?

Khor Rori:  P.J.Cherian again  uses Biblical site for establishing Indian connections

Khor Rori was the Biblical port of Ophir, where  a potsherd with TamilBrahmi script is claimed to have been discovered.Sumhuram city where the potsherd is claimed to have been discovered was the palace site of legendary queen Sheeba spouse of Solomon of Biblical fame.

Accountant General Office Brings out Corruption in KCHR

KCHR yet to recover excess amount paid to senior staff

By Prabhat Nair | ENS - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

22nd July 2012 09:27 AM

The Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR), which has been under fire for giving excess pay and allowances to its senior staff, is yet to recover about Rs 5  lakh paid to them.

 Even after the Accountant-General detecting the irregularities in its audit report of 2010-11, the excess pay and allowances are still being continued with the amount almost doubling.

 Though KCHR director P J Cherian claimed that the AG might have dropped the objections after the explanation given, sources in the AG’s office said that the objections still remain as such.  ‘’It is not true that the objections have been dropped after the KCHR gave an explanation,’’ sources said.

 Moreover, they said that the KCHR was posing certain delays with regard to the present 2011-12 audit.

‘‘They have been demanding more time when the audit is due,’’ they said. However, KCHR director P J Cherian said that the council had replied to the AG with regard to the objections.

‘‘It is normal to have queries during auditing. We have explained to the AG about all the issues mentioned. I think the AG dropped the objections after giving the explanation,’’ he said.  The AG had recorded that academic coordinator Preetha Nayar was given an excess amount of Rs 3.22 lakh and research officer K P Shajan Rs 1.05 lakh on account of irregular grant of UGC scale in 2010-11.

Sources said the amount due from Preetha has doubled now whereas Shajan has been terminated from his post. Another point that was raised by the AG was with regard to the excess amount of Rs 20,808 given to the secretary to director Sunanda Nair, who was given irregular grant of increment.  Even after the objections were raised, the persons continue to draw the same salary, which no doubt has only added to the financial burden of the exchequer.

 Apart from the irregularities on the excess payment, the 2010-11 report had also said that the UGC scale was granted without government sanction. As the KCHR was an autonomous institution, it was mandatory to get sanction from the government before giving UGC scale.

 It has also been learnt that the Council has not yet given satisfactory explanation to the various objections raised, including parking of funds outside the treasuries.

Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram asks KCHR to abandon proposal of Bringing Dr.Federico de Romanis for Muziris Papyrus session. It is aimed at Propogating St' Thomas Myth

The Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram has questioned the rationle behind Kerala council of Historical Research (KCHR)bringing Dr.Frederico de Romanis Latin Scholar and Biblical Historian from Rome for taking a two week session on Muziris Papyrus document.Frederico de Romanis is already in the Core Committee of the Knanaya Church sponsored Nazarene Academy and Museum.Excavations at Pattanam by P.J.Cherian a modern historian has already invited sharp criticism from leading archaeologists in IndiaThe KCHR is already under stigma on huge misappropriation of public funds.Further, KCHRis flooding with Christian family histories alleging native hindus of arson, loot and murder.
KCHR Life Member and  historian of Malankara Marthoma church, Prof N.M.Mathew had already given wide publicity to Muziris Papyrus in his article to Malayali Association in British Colombia.It intends to link Pattanam excavations and Muziris Papyrus with mythical  arrival of St' Thomas in Kerala.The KCHR charges Rs 3000 for the course on Muziris Papyrus conducted by Frederico Romanis.Dr. P.J.Cherian is already under fire for presenting paper at Syro-Malabar session at Mumbai in 2011 linking Pattanam as the landing spot of St' Thomas.Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram has asked KCHR to  abandon its proposal of religious propogation  under the guise of historical Research by bringing Frederico de Romanis

 

 

Linked with Pattanam Excavation and Muziris Heritage Project

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-21/kochi/30542223_1_kochi-muziris-biennale-artists-dirty-picture

03-01-2012; 2.30pm

 

Allegations paint a dirty picture of Kochi Biennale

Sangeetha Nair, TNN Dec 21, 2011, 02.05AM IST

Tags:

• Kochi Muziris Biennale|
• Kochi Biennale Federation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Allegations of public fund misuse has painted a dirty picture of the planned Kochi Muziris Biennale with a group of artists, led by renowned sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman, on Tuesday terming it as "the biggest scam the art world has seen."
Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, the artists urged the state government to freeze the grant allotted to KMB, and audit the expenditure incurred till date. They alleged misuse of funds and lack of transparency.

  P.J.Cherian Links Megaliths and Dravidian Race Theory
Cherian Calls Pattanam site as a  Civilization Spreading from Pattanam to Idukki district in Kerala

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article2764185.ece?homepage=true
 03-01-2012; 2.30pm


Bone remains found inside a burial urn believed to be of Iron Age

The bone remains found inside the nannangady (burial urn) believed to be of the Iron Age, recently excavated from a construction site near Ramakkalmedu in Idukki district, throw up the possibility of carbon dating for further studies.

The site is located at Thovalappady en route to Ramakkalmedu from Thookkupalam and it is one of the many sites of megalithic remains excavated in the district. K.T. Rajesh, historian, who led the excavation, said an in-depth technical study of the bone remains could provide data on the period of the burial urn. The discovery shows that a society which revered the dead and a prominent civilisation existed in the eastern hills of the district.

The nannangady is about a metre tall and its brim had a diameter of about 12 inches. The top of the urn was covered with a round stone slab. Two small pots shaped like a coconut and a bowl having a diameter of about eight inches were placed near the urn.

“The red and black pottery is remarkable as it denotes the Dravidian expansion to south India,” Mr. Rajesh said. It was the first time that a human bone was found in a nannangady and this biological element was very important because it would open the window for scientific studies, he said.

The bones collected will be sent for scientific experiments soon. Megalithic evidence like dolmens (muniyaras), table stones, burial urns and historic stones believed to be of BC 1050 and AD 300 was discovered at various locations in the eastern parts of the district. It is believed that an administrative hierarchy in Keezhmalanadu with a supporting civilisation existed in the interior areas of the present Thodupuzha spread over the Western Ghats.

P.J. Cherian, director of the Kerala Council for Historical Research, told The Hindu that the Pattanam excavation had opened up the possibility of further study of the valuable historical remains in Idukki district too. Though they have been classified broadly, it needs specific study to establish the period of each historical remains, he said. “Burial urns and dolmens are mortuary remains of a society and it is true that a civilisation spreading its roots to the interior areas remained in the district,” Dr. Cherian said. Serious studies were needed on the complex architecture of the megalithic era. These historical remains throw light on the actual life of that period and the practices followed by a society which is different from the other. He said that such remains had been unearthed in many areas but a historical map had not been prepared so far.

The district administration has drawn up a project, ‘Discovering Idukki,' in its annual budget for 2011-'12 to protect the megalithic sites and initiate studies into them.

Constructing St' Thomas Foundation at Pattanam  Through Imported Students From Georgia University
The Hindu-25-12-2011
Thiruvananthapuram Edition

Eleven students from University of Georgia has landed at Kerala to learn through workshop and field studies to learn the historical, theological and sociological aspects of Kerala. The  major themes include-the ancient trading port of Muziris and Christianity in the state.The students will attend prayer service at Cheriyapalli at Kottayam.. Uttiyo Raychaudhari, associate director at the University's  global programmes in Sustainability and Farley  Richmond Professor of Theatre and Film studies are the academic directors of the course

  http://expressbuzz.com/cities/kochi/Report-sought-on-Muziris-Biennale-Funding/345477.html

 

Financial Irregularities Behind  Pattanam Archaeology Gets Exposed

 

Report Sought on Muziris-Biennale Funding

 

 

Prabhat Nair

 

Express News Service

Last Updated : 21 Dec 2011 11:39:22 AM IST

 












KOCHI: The Kerala Government has sought a report on the funding for the Kochi Muziris Biennale and also about the activities of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, the private trust that has been formed for conducting the biennial.
“The Culture Secretary has been asked to submit a report at the earliest regarding the funds that have been transferred to the Kochi Biennale Foundation and about its activities,” Cultural Affairs Minister K C Joseph told Express. “The Secretary has been asked to look into the various media reports that had come out against the functioning of the Kochi Muziris Biennial,” he said and added that he had got numerous complaints from artists regarding it. The artists had also given a memorandum against the Kochi Biennale Foundation, Joseph said. Stating that it was the previous government that had allotted `5 crore for the Kochi Muziris Biennale, Joseph said everything would be looked into. A decision would be taken after getting the report from the Secretary, he added. The government was forced to ask the Culture Secretary to furnish a report after the artistic community raised doubts about the functioning of the biennale. Renowned artist and former executive member of Kerala Lalit Kala Akademi B D Dattan said that the entire artistic community was against the way the government had given the power to the  Kochi Biennale Foundation for conducting the biennale. “There is no accounting for the `5 crore that had been already given to the foundation, which has Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu at the top of the trust. How can the government allot such a huge amount of money to a private trust,” he asked.  The foundation is engaged in all sorts of extravaganza and is wasting the tax payers money, he said and added the government should not have sanctioned such a huge amount. Lashing out at the Foundation’s claim that the artists in the state would have a bigger space after the renovation of the Durbar Hall, Dattan said the hall had always been a pride of the artists in the state.

  http://www.deccanherald.com/content/213272/kerala-artists-oppose-international-festival.html

Binale Festival  Aimed to Internationally  Market Pattanam Archaeology Meet Strong Resistance

Kerala artists oppose international festival

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 20, DHNS

Around 25 leading artists from the state, including Kanai Kunhuraman and C L Porinjukkutty, alleged at a press conference here on Tuesday that  norms are being violated to facilitate the event. No Kerala-based artist will be participating in the event, they said. The Rs 75-crore government aid promised for the event organised by a private trust violates all norms. The dissidents demanded a government probe into the issue.

The festival, initiated jointly by the Kochi-Muziris Biennale Foundation and Muziris Heritage Foundation, with government aid, will be held at different venues in Kochi and Muziris, around 25 km from Kochi.

The festival, with Mumbai-based artist Bose Krishnamachari as the director, would witness presentation of artworks, seminars, educational programmes and launch of several books.
Voicing their opposition, the artists said the Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy should have been
entrusted with the responsibility of organising the festival.

Highlighting that the previous LDF government had already disbursed Rs 5 crore for the event, the artists urged the present state government to refrain from releasing further funds. Incidentally, the present UDF government had promised to release Rs 5 crore more.
The festival will be the biggest arts scam in the country, they said.

  Wide Protests Against Marketing Pattanam Archaeology  Under the Guise of Binale Festival and  Tourism

 

Express News Service

Last Updated : 22 Dec 2011 12:46:28 PM IST

 

http://expressbuzz.com/states/kerala/prominent-artists-seek-vigilance-probe/345906.html

 

 

 






THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A group of leading artists in the state who gathered here to protest against the suspicious way in the conduct of Kochi- Muziris- Biennale, have called for a Vigilance probe into the granting of crores of rupees to a Trust in the name of promotion of art.
 The group comprising nationally-acclaimed artists including C L Porinjukutty, Kanayi Kunhiraman, K K Rajappan, K C Chithrabhanu, N N Rimson, Tensing Joseph, Shibu Lopez, Nemom Pushparaj, T V Chandran, Gopikrishnan and Ajith Kumar G told a news conference the other day that the international art festival, which is the first of its kind being hosted in Kochi, has already come under scathing attack from the art fraternity for various reasons like not including the local artists and portraying the traditional art form of Kathakali in a vulgar manner in its brochure. The artists demanded that the State Government revoke the previous LDF Government’s  decision to grant an exorbitant sum of over Rs 70 crore without following any norms to the  Biennale organisers, Kochi Biennale Foundation, a public  charitable  Trust governed by the  provisions of Indian Trust Act(Act II of 1882) led by its president Bose Krishnamaachary and secretary Riyas Komu. The previous LDF government had sanctioned a sum of `73.2 crore for the conduct of Biennale from the Kochi Muziris project fund. The Department of Tourism had sanctioned the release of `5 crore to the Kochi Biennale Foundation to meet the initial cost. They said this sum was unacceptably high as similar events like the Triennale of Central Lalitha Kala Akademi and International Film Festival of Kerala of State Chalachitra Academy were conducted with a budget of around Rs 3 crore. Moreover, the organising of the event had been undertaken by a Mumbai-based private agency, which was not accountable to the State Government in any way.The State Lalitha Kala Akademy had been kept at a distance from the conduct of the international event. Hence, there was a possibility of the grant being misused. Since the government had granted the sum as a monetary aid, the organisers did not have to submit the accounts of the transactions before the government, they alleged. In addition, the previous government had granted several crores of rupees to the Kochi Muziris Foundation Trust for various proposals like installation of statues on roadsides from Nedumbassery airport to Ernakulam and establishment of Kochi Biennale schools without consulting the experts, the artists alleged. It has been pointed out that while Rs 5 crore was allotted as initial cost of the activities including that of the renovation of the Kochi Durbar Hall gallery, the Trust had claimed that they had spent Rs 3.5 crore for renovation itself. The artists claimed that the expense must have been cost only Rs 1.5 crore.The artists wanted the State Government to conduct a Vigilance probe against all concerned including former Cultural Affairs Minister M A Baby as he had visited Venice Binennale along with Trust office-bearers, while he kept the Kochi-Biennale venture as a secret from the artists and art historians of the state

0
inShare

Share on TumblrT

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/kathakali-distortion-condemned/195127-60-116.html

           Time 24-12-2011; 11.15AM

 

Intellectuals  Condemn Benale Festival and Pattanam

 

Express News Service , The New Indian Express

0
inShare

Share on Tumblr

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram director P Parameswaran has questioned the logic behind linking the Muziris project with the Indian edition of a foreign festival, Biennale, and criticised the vulgar portrayal of Kerala’s classical art form of Kathakali in the festival brochure.

Express, in its Kochi edition, carried a report the other day on the� controversy over the vulgar portrayal of Kathakali in the brochure which� carries the picture of a painting in which a Kathakali artiste’s embellished head is shown fixed on the body of a muscleman wearing only a loin cloth and carrying a mace in his hand.

Noted artistes such as Kalamandalam Gopi had expressed anguish and protest over the vulgar portrayal in the brochure for the Indian edition of an Italian festival, which is slated to showcase India’s rich cultural and social heritage, which will be taken around the world.

The festival, the brainchild of former minister M A Baby, is expected to attract funding amounting to Rs 100 crore of which a major portion is from the Centre and State Governments.

Responding to the news report, Parameswaran said that the shift in the interest of the stakeholders from archeological excavation to heritage� project and now to conducting a foreign festival to promote tourism was a dubious one.

“To start on an academic note, end up in heritage and tourism projects and link it with Biennale festival, the entire issue is surrounded by a kind of mystery. What I don’t understand is how does Pattanam excavation connected to Biennale, an Italian festival,’’ he said.

A foreign festival, which is in no way connected to the excavation, should not be supported by the government. Now, the brochure reveals what they are aimed at. In the name of culture, in fact, they are denigrating the culture, Parameswaran said.

Attempt to  Transform Adulterated Archaeology at Pattanam into Tourism and Heritage Site of St' Thomas

Archaeologists Respond-
Report by  Times of India

Muziris does not need a tourism tag'
Dec 11, 2011, 02.24AM IST [ Gayathri Sasibhushan ]


KOCHI: The focus of the Muziris project is shifting towards tourism
from the archaeological importance of the findings of the excavation
done at a site, according to archaeology experts. On the sidelines of
an international seminar at Kottappuram on Saturday, many experts said
that the project should be given its due archaeological importance.

The excavation at the Muziris heritage site should have been modelled
after the Anuradhapura excavation project in Sri Lanka, K Krishnan, a
faculty member of archaeology at the University of Baroda, said. The
department of archaeology was part of the of the excavation team at
Anuradhapura, which was at present a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Krishnan said that the importance of Muziris was shifting towards
tourism from the archaeological importance of the findings.

A scholar in the field of geological-archaeology, Krishnan suggested a
comprehensive study technique such as the Hinterland transect survey
for further Kottapuram excavations. "In simple language, this would
mean a more intensive field work with Arcgis software-enabled
equipment, which is an expensive and labour-intensive alternative to
what is being done now," he said.

The shards of pottery and celadon found at the Kottappuram fort were
signs of a much earlier settlement of Portuguese than 1509, said Prof
Doutor Vitor Rodriguez. Doutor, an expert on the Portuguese forts in
south India, said, "Kottappuram will have more relics because the
strategic position of the fort in relation to the ancient Spice route
and further excavations will definitely give us more evidence."

The International Conspiracy for Establishing Pattanam as St' Thomas site

 median.hypotheses.org

Accession date and time 06-12-2011

 Roberta Tomber Stated  that St' Thomas Landed at Pattanam.

Shinu Abraham is consultant -Knanaya Nazrene Christian Academy  at Pattanam

K.P.Shajan and V.Selvakumar Presented Papers on Pattanam for Syro-Malabar Church, Kochi

The International Conspiracy for  Establishing Pattanam as St' Thomas Site

 Migration, Trade and Peoples

Publication en ligne de la Royal Asiatic Society :
Willis M. (ed.), Migration, Trade and Peoples : European Association of South Asian Archaeologists. Proceedings of the eighteenth congress, London, 2005, London : The Br itish Association for South Asian Studies, The British Academy, 2009.

Sommaire

Foreword / Michael Willis. iii

PART 1: INDIAN OCEAN COMMERCE AND THE ARCHAELOGY OF WESTERN INDIA. 1
Editors: Roberta Tomber, Lucy Blue, Shinu Abraham

Preface. 2

- Boats, Routes and Sailing Conditions of Indo-Roman Trade / Lucy Blue. 3

- Strategies for Surface Documentation at the Early Historic site of Pattanam, Kerala: the Malabar Region Archaelogical Survey / Shinu A. Abraham. 14

- Archaeological investigations at Pattanam, Kerala: New Evidence for the Location of Ancient Muziris / V. Selvakumar, K.P. Shajan and Roberta Tomber. 29

- Beyond Western India: the Evidence from Imported Amphorae / Roberta Tomber. 4

National Archaeological Meet-Prof MGS Asks KCHR to Hand Over Pattanam to ASI---P.J.Cherian Vehemently Criticized by Leading Archaeologists

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/kchr-asked-to-hand-over-pattanam-excavation/333792.html

Express News Service

Last Updated : 16 Nov 2011 12:57:31 PM IST

 

 


THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: M G S Narayanan, noted historian and Director General of the Centre for  Heritage Studies has called  upon the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) to hand over the excavation activity, being carried out at Pattanam, to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI).Presiding over the annual meet of the Archeologists held here the other day, he said that the KCHR had not been able to make considerable progress in the excavation so far. He said that the ASI, which is the representative body of the Archeologists in the country, had only the expertise to take up such a mammoth task and conduct it in a scientific manner.He expressed his displeasure over the KCHR’s decision to black out the media about the ‘meet’ fearing criticism from the archeologists across the country. The  organisers in the State had neither invited the media nor given the details to it. When KCHR chairman P J Cherian presented the paper on Pattanam excavation, it invited severe criticism from eminent archeologists.The ASI, Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies and the Indian History and cultural Society jointly organised the meet. ASI Additional Director General Dr B R Mony, former deputy additional director  general Dr K N Deekshith and Additional Chief Secretary K Jayakumar were present.  Noted archeologist A Sundaraiah was honoured at the function.