The flea, the mouse, the spider and other illustrated stories

This is a German book originally titled 'Der Floh, Die Maus, Die Spinne und andere Bildgeschichten'. As per the Google translation, it is 'The flea, the mouse, the spider and other illustrated stories '. A lovely book with stunning illustrations! Not understanding a single word in German, the illustrations in the book were so striking that it became almost irresistible to get this book. No, no, the Google translation was not there at that time, nor was blogging. Yet this book became so close to heart that it remained almost handy.
Not knowing anything about the author-illustrator Wilhelm Busch before the Google era, the wikipedia has a detailed page on him.
Meanwhile see this simple, yet elegant illustrations on the front jacket.

 This story is titled 'Die Maus'. (The Mouse). Not a single word, just liiustrations, illustrations and illustrations. They seem to have done with ink, brush and some with pencils. Here the lines are thin, yet bold. Notice the rat in the foreground.

 The lines here start getting thicker, probably with the use of ink. The water color is also used here. See how the open umbrella is shown.

The rat slips into the cat and it is finally caught. Notice the thick strokes of black ink in the background as well as in the foreground. The chair also fall down while collecting the rat in the cap. The detail of fingers is not shown.

 The rat being caught is dropped in a drum and is covered. Watch the use of water color and pastel in the woman's top and in the umbrella. See how simply the three planes are shown with few strokes.

 Notice the fingers of the hand of the man in both the illustrations. The last picture is difficult to understand. Is the man holding a rat with his fingers? Why the woman is standing on the chair? What is she pouring from the bottle? Are they trying to drown the rat?

And the lines become thinner, finer, clearer in the last illustration! You can notice each and everything. The broken bottle, candle, bowl etc.. And how the drum behind the bed is shown with lighter strokes. 

This is the last jacket of the book. simple, yet elegant. 

And now something about the artist Wilhelm Busch courtesy wikipedia. 

Heinrich Christian Wilhelm Busch (15 April 1832 – 9 January 1908) was a German humorist, poet, illustrator and painter. He published comic illustrated cautionary tales from 1859, achieving his most notable works in the 1870s. Busch's illustrations used wood engraving, and later zincography.

A self-portrait by Wilhelm Busch

Busch drew on contemporary parochial and city life, satirizing Catholicism, Philistinism, strict religious morality and bigotry. His comic text was colourful and entertaining, using onomatopoeia, neologisms and other figures of speech, and led to some work being banned by the authorities.

Busch was influential in both poetry and illustration, and became a source for future generations of comic artists. The Katzenjammer Kids was inspired by Busch's Max and Moritz, one of a number of imitations produced in Germany and the United States. The Wilhelm Busch Prize and theWilhelm Busch Museum help maintain his legacy. His 175th anniversary in 2007 was celebrated throughout Germany. Busch remains one of the most influential poets and artists in Western Europe. 

More about the artist can be read here: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Busch

Meghdoot conveys the message of a paper company (2)

And here is the second part i.e. remaining pages of the unique diary on the theme of 'Meghdoot'. These six pages are from the Uttar Megh i.e. second part of Meghdoot. 

July is approximately when the month of Ashadha comes as per the Vikram Samvat. 

The July page separator says: " Ladies of Alka

A fluttering lotus in hand, fresh Kunda blossoms wreathing the hair and the face beaming with the pollen of the Lodhra flowers." Meghduta.Uttara.2 

Written on the page of August is: "Trail of Abhisarika
The Mandara flowers falling from the hair and the golden lotuses slipping down with their petals shattered tell the trail of the tryst." Meghaduta, Uttara.11

 The page for the month of September has this writing : "Yaksha's Abode
There to the North of Kubera's palace stands our dwelling recognisable from afar by the arched gate lovely like a rain-bow." Meghaduta, Uttara.15

 Now, after showing his own abode to the cloud, the messanger, the Yaksha describes his beloved. It is on the page of October: "Yaksha's beloved
Slim and youthful, possessing pointed teeth, ripe Bimba-like lower-lip, slender waist, eyes like those of a frightened deer, a deep naval...." Meghaduta, Uttara.22 

 So what is the message after all? What the cloud has to convey? The November page: "Diversion of Yaksha's wife
You will perceive her as engaged in asking the encaged, sweet-voiced Sarika: "O sensitive one, do you call to remembrance your master?- for you certainly were his favourite." Meghaduta, Uttara.25 

 The last page of December has this shloka on it: "Steadfast faith
You will find her reckoning the remaining months of the period of separation by arranging on the ground the flowers placed on the threshold." Meghaduta, Uttara. 27

All the pages put here were the separator pages for each month which were handmade papers. Here is the page for daily usage which has beautiful line drawing of the Yaksha. All the pages of this old diary of 1965 are blank. How one could write his/her appointments on such a beautiful diary?

And finally, here is the cover page of the diary. This diary was prepared by 'Chimanlal & Co.'  which was situated at Macmilan Building, Dadabhoy Naoroji Road, Bombay-1. 

Out of curiosity, whether this company still exists or not, its name was googled. And surprisingly found the website of this company. In About us , they say:

"In the late fifties, when paper was all about plain white sheets of papyrus, Chimanlals rolled out an exclusive range of paper products that defied set norms of both raw materials and colour and designs.

Inspired from the myriad of traditional (ikkat, bandhani, ghumar, patola, warli,....) as well as contemporary constituents of Indian culture, Chimanlals rewrote history in paper, for paper and about paper. 

The objective was crystal clear: in pursuit of design - traditional and contemporary, to achieve excellence in quality and make paper a way of life. In a nutshell - bringing Paper Culture into every day life.

Bearing this in mind the product range is utility-oriented and designed for the general consumer - social stationery items like designed letter papers, with coordinated envelopes, gift covers, gift wrappers, bags, boxes, collapsible baskets, desk organisers, etc.; office stationery like collapsible magazine racks, pencil holders, etc.; as well as a retail outlet for handmade paper, manufactured in different parts of India."  

More can be read at this link: 
http://www.chimanlals.com/index.html
Must say, this site is very pleasant looking and aesthetically designed, hence worth visiting.  
Never thought this 48 years old diary would lead to the present state of the company. 
One more thing, This 1965 diary had been presented by Chimanlal P. Shah. Would the presenter be the same- owner of the company itself or some another one? Heaven knows. 

Meghdoot conveys the message of a paper company (1)

Does a paper company have anything to do with 'Meghdoot', the Classic of Kalidasa? Obviously not. Yet this diary of 1965 has a unique thing and theme. It has a theme of 'Meghdoot'. At the beginning of each month, there is a separator on which a shloka of 'Meghdoot' has been written along with an appropriate drawing. The paper used for the separator is a handmade sheet. The writing is written in a calligraphic way. And yes, the shape of the diary is horizontal just like an old hastaprata (manuscript). What a high sense of aesthetics! 

Behind each separator, the English translation is given. What is the name of the company who had made such a gorgeous diary? Well, you will have to wait till tomorrow to know the name of the company, the normal pages of diary, and remaining pages of Meghdoot. Yes, of course, only six pages have been shown today. 

This is the separator for the month of January. The eternal opening shloka of 'Meghdoot' 'Aashaadhasya pratham divase' has been written in a calligraphic manner. It has been translated like this: "On the first day of Ashadha, the love-lorn Yaksha beheld a cloud embracing the peak of the mountain and as attractive as an elephant stooping low in his playful butts." Meghaduta, Purva. 2 

 This is the separator for the month of February which has been translated as: "Delighted, the Yaksha adoring the cloud with the fresh jasmine flowers welcomed him with words couched in attention." Meghduta, Purva 4.  

And here comes March. You will have to look carefully to see the line drawing at the right. It has yellow lines. This shloka has been translated as: "Wayfarer's wives
Heartened by the confidence, the travellers' wives holding up the ends of their tresses will intently gaze at you who have taken the airy flight." Meghduta, Purva.8 

 This is the separator page for April. This shloka has been translated as: "Swelled up in your figure with the incense used for perfuming the hair and wriggling through lattice-windows, (brisk yourself) being hailed with a present of a dance by the domestic peacocks through fraternal affection." Meghaduta, Purva. 35 

 This is for May. This shloka has been translated as: "A void quickly the path of the sun (at the morning) for it is the time for the lovers to wipe off the tears of the disappointed women." Meghaduta, Purva.42 

The June. "Musical feast
Filled with the breeze, the canes resound exquisitely while the triumph over Tripura is melodiously sung by the mellifluent Kinnaries." Meghaduta, Purva.59 

The Meghdoot was written in 2 parts i.e. Purvamegha and the the Uttarmegha. In this diary, the first six months contain shlokas from the Purvamegha whereas the later six months contain shlokas from the Uttarmegha. It is not known who has translated these shlokas.
The remaining six pages plus sample of the pages of this beautiful diary will be put tomorrow. Till then enjoy these.

INA: A forgotten chapter or an unforgettable slice of history?

Indian National Army aka Azad Hind Fauj. It was a force formed to realize the dream of Subhash Chandra Bose. A full fledged army it was supposed to be. It might be lacking in resources, but never in spirits. Singapore was the place of its birth. Originally formed by Mohan Sinh, it was revived by Subhash Babu. And it was to march towards the Burma front to enter and attack in India from the East. The I.N.A. had a Rani of Jhansi Regiment headed by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan (later Lakshmi Sehegal). Subhash Babu firmly believed if there would be a thousand women as brave as Lakshmibai aka Rani oh Jhansi, it would not be difficult to drive the British away from India. Hence he appealed the women to join the I.N.A.

With a sudden, unexpected and untimed death of Subhash Babu in 1945 followed by the fall of Japan, the I.N.A. became a history. 

Here are some images related to the I.N.A. 

Subhash Babu made his broadcast on July 6, 1944 and he sought Mahatma Gandhi's blessings for the 'holy war'. Seen here is Subhash Babu broadcasting the message. 

"Comrades! The Azad Hind Fauj has only one single aim: the liberation of Mother India; the Fauj has only one destination: the ancient Red Delhi Fort!.... The Provisional Government and its Army are the servants of the Indian Nation." This was his address about the aim of the Fauj, which was made on October 25, 1943.) Subhash Babu can be seen receiving the salute from the army.

This is how warmly Subhash Babu was received by the women. In Rangoon, he addressed to the women, "sisters, there is no sphere of our activity in which our Women have not gladly and bravely shared the burden of work...."

The soldiers of I.N.A. welcome the declaration of war on Britain and America. 

"I, Subhash Chandra Bose, will continue this sacred war of freedom till the last breath of my life...." On October 23, 1943, Subhash Babu took the oath of allegiance to the Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind (Provisional Government of Free India). . 

The regiments were named as 'Gandhi Brigade', 'Azad Brigade', 'Nehru Brigade' and 'Subhash Brigade'. Subhash Babu can be seen in the photograph having a military inspection of the Gandhi Brigade of Azad Hind Fauj. 

The soldiers of I.N.A. marching in the hilly area of Assam with a spirit- "It does not matter who among us will live.." 

Subhash Chandra Bose examining plans of the campaign along with his Staff Officers. 

These are some of the memories we have today of I.N.A. It might be a forgotten chapter, it will remain live in our heart as an unforgettable slice of history.

The terrible trip

" How was your trip? Did you enjoy it? Were you able to visit the places you had planned? You must have also got enough time for shopping, too." These are the questions commonly asked when we return from a trip. Smilingly we say, "Oh boy! That was a fantastic trip. The most memorable one! Missed you a lot." The one who asks the questions feels better when he hear that he was missed. Had he known the fact how badly he was missed! Here is the honest answer of "Did you enjoy your trip?" 

This is a 'PUNCH' feature. 

Just observe how the outfit of the couple changes while remembering everyone. 

And now instead of their outfit, their shapes starts changing. 

Their heads began to sink.

Their legs start bending.

And they are not able to stand on their own at last. 

Here they are difficult to recognize. The financial burden has made them bent and they are hardly able to walk. With a heavy heart, they resolve, "Of course, Next Time we really must............"

But does 'NEXT TIME' ever come? After each trip, such a resolution is made and is forgotten before the next trip.

Excavation in East Pakistan

If u remember a country named East Pakistan, you would not have forgotten Mainamati. "East Pakistan is a fascinating country. Though lacking in some of the physical aspects of the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, it has a unique charm of its own." Says a booklet on Mainamati published by Department of Archaeology in Pakistan. Well, well, there is not any intention of creating suspense. East Pakistan is what today known as Bangladesh.
The sites mostly found in Mainamati are mostly Buddhist. The evidences indicated that the importance of Mainamati as the nerve-centre of South-East Bengal remained undiminished till the coming of the Muslims at the end of the twelfth century. During the excavations, various things were found. The ensemble of evidence from the copper plates, terracotta sealings, inscribed potshreds, gold and silver coins, bronze images, stone sculptures, terracotta plaques and other various objects indicate that the excavated monuments on the Mainamati hills belonged to a period between 7th nad 12th centuries A.C. The three main sites were: Salban Vihara, Kotila Mura and Charpatra Mura.
The booklet was published in 1963.Just have a look upon various things.

This map of East Pakistan indicates various archaeological sites.
 

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 This is a monastery cell at Salban Vihara.

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 These are the terracotta plaques found which clearly depicts Goddesses.

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And these are the stupas at Kotila Mura. Excavation started here in 1956. There are three principal stupas here which perhaps represent the three jewels of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

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Three hoards of 227 gold and silver coins were found in the earthen pots at Salban Vihara. However, no copper coin was found. 

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The inscribed copper plate was the most important found here.

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These are the terracotta plaques at the basement wall of Central shrine at Salban Vihara. These plaques provide an interesting study of the popular folk-art of Bangal. Animals like lion, elephant, wild boar, monkey etc can be seen here. 

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A large quantity of pottery was found from here. This is some of the household potteries. 

Many of the excavated objects have been put in the Mainamati site museum. But tourism and Bangladesh makes a stark contrast. With Bangladeshis encroaching the Indian Border on and off, hardly is Bangladesh considered a tourism destination. Till then, this is a photo journey of the place.  

(images courtsey: Mainamati, Department of Archaeology, Govt. of Pakistan)