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The jail that was
| Chennai’s 152-year-old
Central Jail building is soon going to become history as the stage
is set for its demolition. Tribune Correspondent N. Ravikumar goes through the pages of history after visiting this
once-dreaded prison |
NOT
many gave a thought to the Chennai Central Jail, even though it
was located right in the middle of a busy area in the city, till
the news of its demolition became public. And suddenly, almost
everyone in Chennai, is longing to ‘go to jail’ to catch a
glimpse of the prison, before bulldozers raze it. Hordes of
visitors can be seen thronging the prison premises.
Tour
de prison |
The entrance to the VIP cell where leaders like former Chief Minister
J. Jayalalithaa were lodged
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Asiatic
lion living on the edge
Coming from a common
bloodline of 20-odd animals in 1901, the 300 Asiatic lions
in the Gir forests today risk being wiped out altogether in a
single epidemic, writes Lt-Gen Baljit Singh (retd)
Moments
before the crack of dawn when silence is all pervasive, the first roar
of the Asiatic lion evokes unique primordial emotions of awe, deep
down from the pit of stomach. As it happens on a lucky day when one or
more lions reciprocate, singly or in tandem, that ensuing crescendo of
lion roars is a sublime experience of once in a lifetime.
Da Vinci had blonde hair, blue eyes
Going by the details of a portrait that has come to light in southern Italy Leonardo da Vinci had long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. The slightly damaged oil painting on wood shows the Renaissance master in a three-quarter profile and wearing a hat.
Here
goodwill prevails
Despite mobiles, ATM cards
and other gizmos surrounding the whole area near Guwahati, thousands
of tribesmen assemble to take part in the annual Junbeel mela
for barter trade. Mrinal Talukdar gives a
glimpse of a world where goodwill scores over money
Despite
mobiles, ATM cards and other gizmos surrounding the whole area near
Guwahati, thousands of tribesmen assemble to take part in the annual
Junbeel mela for barter trade. Mrinal Talukdar gives a glimpse
of a world where goodwill scores over money
Jewellery
for him
Men go in for diamond-studded
watches and gold chains, says Harshad Somani
From
tweaking their eyebrows to pedicuring their toes, men today indulge in
much that was earlier written off as feminine, especially the
jewellery, which was a no-no. You have seen them flaunt it, be it the
flash of a diamond ear stud, or the shimmer of a bracelet.
A
slice of history
Antony
Colaco on heritage mansions of Goa, some which are at least 400
years old
SINCE
Independence a large chunk of India’s architectural heritage has
been lost to the realty lobby. Many historical buildings have been
razed to make way for multi-storey buildings.
Indian
circus on a tightrope
ONCE
a major mass
entertainment, Indian circus is virtually on a tightrope walk due to
the difficulty in getting new talent to join the art and lack of
institutional support for the profession.
Walls
that divide people
Shoma
A. Chatterji on Supriyo Sen’s 12-minute documentary Wagah,
which
won the Berlin Today award recently
A
12-minute documentary by Supriyo Sen, Wagah, which bagged the
Berlin Today 2009 Award recently, is about an extraordinary event that
takes place at the only border crossing between India and Pakistan.
Every evening, thousands of cheering spectators gather to witness a
patriotic parade for the ritual closing of the border.
I
have tried to create my own space: Irrfan Khan
Bedika
FROM
The Warrior, Slumdog Millionaire and his latest film Billu,
it has been a long journey for Sahabzade Irrfan Ali Khan in the
industry. He says he has always tried to create his own space in the
field of acting.
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