Category: History

** Manipur residents celebrate renaming of Mount Harriet

Recognition for revolt against British

People in many parts of Manipur celebrated the renaming of Mount Harriet in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as Mount Manipur, by lighting candles in front of their houses on Sunday evening.

Prince Kulachandra and 22 others were deported to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for serving long prison terms for revolting against the British government. Officials say that in view of his good behaviour, prince Kulachandra was shifted to a bungalow there later. Nothing is known of the other prisoners.

** Large Sri Lankan contingent to attend Kushinagar airport opening

Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa, nephew of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and son of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, will travel to Uttar Pradesh, along with ministerial colleagues and a group of 100 Buddhist monks to attend the event, according to officials in Colombo.

The airport is expected to provide seamless connectivity to tourists from Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, etc.

Kushinagar is the centre of the Buddhist circuit, which consists of pilgrimage sites at Lumbini, Sarnath and Gaya. Buddhist pilgrims consider Kushinagar a sacred site where, they believe, Gautama Buddha delivered his last sermon and attained ‘Mahaparinirvana’ or salvation.

Uttar Pradesh

** Jaishankar unveils plaque at ‘Bhoodan Grove’ in Israel

Dr. S. Jaishankar also visited the Indian Cemetery at Talpiot in Jerusalem and paid homage to the brave Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifie during World War I.   | Photo Credit: PTI

** 12th Century stone idol of Lord Ganesh discovered

It surfaced while a farmer was tilling his land

A 12th Century stone idol of Lord Ganesh has been unearthed at a sleepy village of Motupalli in Prakasam district.

Giving details of the discovery, E. Sivanagi Reddy, archaeologist and CEO of Pleach India Foundation, said Siripudi Venkateswaralu discovered the idol while he was tilling his farm on Thursday.

** After 68 years, Tatas win back Air India with ₹18,000-crore bid

It will take ‘considerable effort’ to rebuild the debt-laden airline, says Ratan Tata.

After 68 years, Air India is all set to return to the Tata fold. Tata Sons subsidiary Talace Pvt Ltd emerged as the winning bidder for the debt-laden national carrier after quoting an enterprise value of ₹18,000 crore. The government will take a hit of ₹28,844 crore.

The Tatas will own 100% stake in Air India, as also 100% in its international low-cost arm Air India Express and 50% in the ground handling joint venture, Air India SATS. Apart from 141 planes and access to a network of 173 destinations including 55 international ones, Tatas will also have the ownership of iconic brands like Air India, Indian Airlines and the Maharajah.

** American Centre Chennai has special corner dedicated to city historian Muthiah

This comes after the US Consulate General launched its Madras Week celebrations with a virtual tour titled ‘America in Chennai — Sites, Streets, Structures’.

According to Prof. Suresh Sethuraman: “Chennai boasts of several sites, streets, and structures that have strong ‘America’ connections – the St. Mary’s church within Fort St. George where Elihu Yale of Yale University fame got married in 1680, the Ice House on Kamarajar Salai where ice from Massachusetts was stored in the 19th century, the YMCA building opposite the Madras High Court built with financial aid from the US in 1900, to name only a few.