Hyderabad: Paigah Palace in Hyderabad, which served as the US Consulate in Hyderabad since 2009, will soon see a change in its identity.
With the US Consulate officially ending its lease of Paigah Palace, the fate of the building will now be decided by the state government.
Telangana state museum or heritage hotel in Hyderabad?
While the tourism and other departments had earlier proposed to convert the building into a heritage hotel on the lines of Falaknuma Palace, it now looks like the palace is likely to be converted into a state museum.
According to a report by TOI, Telangana Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao is believed to have informed HMDA officials about Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s plan to convert it into a state museum.
History of Paigah Palace in Hyderabad
Paigah Palace was built by Sir Vicar-ul-Umra, a Paigah nobleman. It is spread over four acres of land and is a double-storied building.
The palace premises consist of the main building (G+1), annexure-I building (G+3), and annexure-II (G+3) with a total built-up area of 6,211 square meters.
The US Consulate office in Hyderabad was the first US diplomatic office to open in India after 1947. Until March 15, it was housed in Paigah Palace, Chiran Fort Lane, Hyderabad.
In the past 14 years, the US Consulate approved over 16 lakh visas and processed 42511 citizenship services. However, on March 20, the US Consulate in Hyderabad began its operation at a new facility in Nanakramguda, which is the largest US diplomatic mission in South Asia, built with an investment of USD 297 million. The new consulate office, constructed on a 12.2-acre site, has many new features, including 54 visa procession windows.
Paigah Palace in Hyderabad has a rich history and cultural significance. The building’s architectural marvels and historical significance make it a valuable asset for the state of Telangana.
Srinagar: Amid ongoing holy month of Ramadan, the Sri Pratap Singh (SPS) Museum has organized a week-long special exhibition featuring Quranic manuscripts. The exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to delve into the rich history and heritage of Islamic art and calligraphy.
The exhibition showcases a collection of rare and ancient Quranic manuscripts, including those from the 17th century – which is a testament to the deep reverence and importance that the Holy Quran holds in the Muslim faith.
SPS Museum manager Rabiya Qureshi said, “Our manuscript section was not displayed yet, but then we thought that this being the holy month of Ramadan, people should know that Kashmir had hand-written manuscripts of ancient times so that they will learn about the influence of art and artifacts from Central Asia and Persia, among others.”
“I am feeling proud that we have a collection of maximum manuscripts from the 17th century and in which Kashmiri paper is used. This is a local paper manufactured in the downtown area of Srinagar and although the processing and pounding were done in Ganderbal, after finishing it was written by,” she said.
“These manuscripts are mostly made of black ink, gold, and saffron color. This manuscript paper had two to three types and one of them was for royalty and another for common people,” she said, adding that people from outside take paper from here and use it. The first unit of paper was made in Kashmir, and India has also received paper from Kashmir.
Local students who visited the exhibition also shared their views. “It’s fascinating to see these ancient manuscripts, which have been so well-preserved. We’ve learned a lot about our local history and the art of manuscript-making,” said Farhan Ahmad.
Another student, Aisha Mir, said, “I never realized that Kashmir had such a rich tradition of manuscript-making. It is wonderful to see these beautiful pieces up close and to learn about their history and significance.”
Notably, most of the manuscripts in the museum are illuminated and mostly made of gold. It is also seen that saffron has been used in these manuscripts. These manuscripts have been made of natural and mineral colors and they took a long time to get ready. (GNS)
The Science Museum in London signed a sponsorship contract containing a gagging clause with the Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor, agreeing to take care not to say anything that could damage the firm’s reputation, it can be revealed.
The agreement, a copy of which was obtained by the Guardian and the investigative journalism organisation Point Source, concerned sponsorship of the museum’s current Wonderlab exhibition.
It stated that the Science Museum and its trustees must take reasonable care to “not at any time” during the exhibition term “make any statement or issue any publicity or otherwise be involved in any conduct or matter that may reasonably be foreseen as discrediting or damaging the goodwill or reputation of the sponsor”.
The inclusion of the so-called non-disparagement clause has led to accusations of greenwashing from environmental groups.
Equinor was known as Statoil until it changed its name in 2018. This month it was accused of “profiteering” from the energy crisis and higher household bills after posting record annual earnings of £62bn.
During the fourth quarter of 2022 it produced the equivalent of 2,046m barrels of oil a day. It has oil and gas assets in the North Sea, Brazil, Algeria, Angola, Nigeria and Tanzania.
Equinor and the Science Museum declined to reveal how much the oil company paid to sponsor the Wonderlab exhibition.
Environmental groups claim the Science Museum has lost its ability to honestly discuss the true impact of the oil and gas sector on the environment because of gagging clauses it has signed with big businesses.
In 2021, two prominent scientists refused to allow their work to be included in the Science Museum’s collection after it was revealed that the institution had signed a similar contract with Shell.
Steve and Dee Allen, global plastic pollution researchers, say the museum’s deals with fossil fuel companies such as Shell and Equinor mean it is no longer a credible scientific institution.
Commenting on the latest revelations, Steve Allen said: “Scientists cannot support these gagging clauses. It’s simply not tenable, because our job is to report how the world really is, to the best of our knowledge. We have to tell the whole truth, not just what is acceptable to the oil and gas industry.
“Even if the Science Museum completely cut its ties to the oil and gas industry today, I think the damage done to the institution’s credibility is going to take a very long time to repair.”
Robin Wells, a spokesperson for the campaign group Fossil Free London, said: “The idea that it is still acceptable for public institutions like the Science Museum to accept undisclosed amounts of money from big oil and gas companies like Equinor is very disappointing.
“The corrupting influence of oil and gas companies on public discourse about climate change has been repeatedly demonstrated over past decades.”
Dr Chris Garrard, a co-director of the campaign group Culture Unstained, said: “These clauses are deeply troubling, particularly when it comes to deals with unethical companies like fossil fuel companies, because it undermines the independence and integrity of public institutions.”
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While museums routinely state that large corporate sponsors do not exert any editorial influence over exhibitions, in 2015 the Guardian revealed that Shell had tried to influence the presentation of a climate change programme it was sponsoring at the Science Museum.
Internal documents showed that the oil company raised concerns that part of the programme created “an opportunity for NGOs to talk about some of the issues that concern them around Shell’s operations”.
A spokesperson for the Science Museum said: “At all times the Science Museum retains editorial control of the content within our exhibitions and galleries, and this is asserted clearly and unambiguously in all contracts we sign.”
On the use of gagging clauses, the spokesperson said the museum had decided “to no longer include them in new agreements”.
Equinor said: “The clause you are referring to is a standard clause included by the museum in the contract – it is not something we have asked to be included.”
It said that although its name remained attached to the Wonderlab exhibition on signage and on the Science Museum website, the term of the sponsorship agreement ended in March 2022.
Equinor supplies about a quarter of Britain’s gas, and it hopes to develop the Rosebank field to the west of Shetland, despite opposition from climate protesters. A final investment decision on the UK’s largest undeveloped oilfield is expected this year.
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
It is slated to be the “western world’s museum of museums”, a showcase of Greece’s greatest repository of ancient art.
Once completed, the revamped National Archaeological Museum in Athens will, say officials, not only have been expanded but “reborn” at a time of record tourism to the country.
“Today I have been profoundly persuaded that a personal dream of mine has become reality,” the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told an audience at the museum for the unveiling of the new design on Wednesday.
The emblematic work, overseen by the British architect Sir David Chipperfield, is expected to last five years. Presenting the plans, the Briton emphasised that the goal was not to compete with the museum’s main neoclassical building, which houses one of the finest collections of antiquities globally, but to complement the historic landmark by drawing on the original design. “Our architectural approach has been to create a plinth growing out of the existing building … [that] at the same time develops into a powerful piece of architecture,” he said.
“The challenge, of course, is to get those two things in balance.”
The proposed renovation was unanimously selected from a shortlist of 10 by an international evaluation committee last month. Chipperfield, renowned for his restoration of the Neues Museum in Berlin, has calculated the construction will generate about 20,000 sq m of additional space, including two floors of subterranean galleries, a lush roof garden and street-level entrance.
But like most public works it is controversial.
Not since the Acropolis Museum was built back in 2009 at the foot of the fifth century BC site has a project of such scope stirred such debate or emotion. Before the proposed design had been chosen, the Association of Greek Architects had threatened to take the issue of the competition’s rules to the Council of State, the country’s supreme administrative court, after it became clear that only award-winning foreign firms with experience in museum work would be permitted to participate.
“It is unacceptable that Greek architects were not allowed to take part,” said Tassis Papaioannou, emeritus professor of architecture at the National University of Athens. “We are seriously thinking of taking it to court because the way they have proceeded so far is illegal.”
Greek renovation experts have also objected to the scale of the new entrance, saying photorealistic images released by the winning team are overly optimistic. “The new construction will virtually eclipse the original 19th building from public view at street level,” said Costas Zambas, who headed restoration works at the Acropolis for 25 years. “After yesterday’s presentation it is clear that what is one of the great neoclassical monuments in Athens will be hidden if this overly optimistic approach is allowed.”
Chipperfield, described as a master of works dealing “in dignity, in gravitas, in memory and in art”, told the Guardian his team had wrestled with similar concerns. “You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs,” he said after the presentation. “From certain angles, it is true, it will have an impact but the question is whether it amounts to significant harm or whether [the change in view] is just different. It’s a perfectly valid question. Our concerns are not dissimilar.”
Mitsotakis, whose centre right government faces re-election this year, has made the renovation a cultural priority, saying it will not only put the institution on the map but help revive an entire district in downtown Athens.
“We display less than 10% of what we have in our warehouses,” he said of its vast collection. “It has always troubled me that just over 500,000 visitors come to the museum every year when it hosts such an incredible wealth of world cultural heritage.”
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
Panelists at the session at the Hyderabad Literary Fest (HLF). (Image: Abinaya Sivagnanam)
Hyderabad: Every building cannot be a museum and old or heritage structures can be used for new purposes, said award winning architect Anuradha Naik. She pointed out that demolishing old structures and constructing something new takes a lot of energy (hinting that it could be perhaps be avoided with regard to heritage structures).
“Not every old building should be a museum. My question is what are we going to put in it? The oldest hospital is London is 1000 yes old. So why can’t we use old structures for new uses? Our tendency to say all old buildings should be got culture is wrong,” said Naik, while speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Reviving Heritage’ at the Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF) here on Sunday.
The Residency Building at Koti. (Photo: Siasat)
Naik, who has worked on various projects including the Domakonda fort in Telangana (which recently won a UNESCO award for its restoration work), said “In most Scandinavian countries you have to reuse buildings. Osmania hospital has everything (with regard to the recent controversy about the structure, when there were calls to demolish it. The Telangana government eventually decided against it).”
Architect B. Sarath Chandra from Heritage Matters, whose team worked on the restoration of the historic British Residency building (which was inaugurated earlier this month), also said said they are now trying to “institutionalise” the maintenance of such buildings. “How does one run a museum? Can a College history department also be involved? How long will donors continue funding?,” he asked.
Chandra also said the next edition of the HLF can also be held at the British Residency itself, given its grandeur. The panel was moderated by Hyderabad based journalist Serish Nanisetti. The British Residency (1798-1804) ʼ was built after the Nizams of Hyderabad and the British East India Company signed the Treaty of Subsidiary Alliance in 1798.
Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has launched an initiative to transform AlUla into the largest living museum in the world, local media reported.
The initiative aims to resettle wild animals, which includes more than 1,580 wild animals belonging to four categories— antelope, reem gazelle, Arabian oryx and mountain ibex, within three nature reserves in AlUla Governorate.
The resettlement campaign is the largest of its kind for the Royal Commission for AlUla, as it includes determining the readiness of the site, monitoring resettled animals, and focusing on scientific studies and preparations for animal resettlement campaigns in AlUla.
Photo: RCU
Photo: RCU
As part of the campaign, the committee will use a lightweight, solar-powered collar for ungulates, a first in the region.
The campaign is in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the Saudi Green Initiative, and the Middle East Green Initiative, with the goal of making AlUla the largest living museum in the world while preserving its environmental and historical heritage.
In order to balance the natural and cultural environment in #AlUla, we are launching the largest campaign to resettle wild animals in nature reserves, which include: Arabian and Sand Gazelle, Arabian Oryx and Nubian Ibex. pic.twitter.com/gOl9eClGXG
