Pixelated Memories: Inscriptions

Showing posts with label Inscriptions. Show all posts

December 22, 2015

Panchalingeshwara Naganatheshwara Temple, Bangalore, Karnataka

“My country! In thy days of glory past, a beauteous halo circled round thy brow
And worshiped as a deity thou wast – Where is thy glory, where the reverence now?

Thy eagle pinion is chained down at last and groveling in the lowly dust art thou,

Thy minstrel hath no wreath to weave for thee, save the sad story of thy misery!

Let me dive into the depths of time and bring from out the ages that have rolled,

A few small fragments of these wrecks sublime which human eye may never more behold

And let the guerdon of my labour be, my fallen country! One kind wish for thee!”

– Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, "To India - My Native Land"

Several highly embellished, possibly fabricated medieval tales popularly claim to hide in their outlandish bosoms the intriguing beginnings and the interesting nomenclature of the glittering glimmering city of Bangalore – one such fascinating tale recounts how the mighty Hoysala sovereign Veer Ballala II (reign AD 1173-1220), frustratingly lost in the impenetrable forests encircling Bangalore, was kindheartedly offered boiled beans by a poor old woman and gratefully christened the densely-forested area as "Bendakaluru" (literally, “City of Boiled beans”), which eventually evolved into “Bengaluru”; an alternate belief goes that the city derives its name from “Bengavaluru” (“City of Guards”) since here were provided accommodations for royal bodyguards servicing Ganga Dynasty (AD 350-1000) sovereigns; yet another fairly scientific theory however credits the enormous city’s perplexing nomenclature to a possibly vegetative origin and states that it was thus named because of the overwhelming presence of the deciduous Kino trees, locally referred to as “Benga”!

Spellbinding tranquility!

Another bewitching lore enthrallingly recounts the curious construction of the formidable fortress and establishment of the finely planned city around it in AD 1537 by Hiriya Kempe Gowda I (ruled AD 1513-69), the Lord of Yelahanka principality (refer Pixelated Memories - Bangalore Fort). It is this one to which I too professed since I began exploring the magnificently ornamented monuments and eye-opening architectural heritage of Karnataka – a year later, the mesmerizing journey has come to fruitful (and unbelievably painful!) termination and it is time for me to return to Delhi beloved, but the last ancient monument I photographed and studied, painstakingly I must point out since it is miserably located in a very distant, perennially ignored corner of the otherwise shimmering city, has unquestionably defeated all the previous beliefs and folklores, notwithstanding how undeniably believable or how fiercely explicable they were, regarding Bangalore’s mysterious origins.

Challenging established notions

The gorgeously traditional Panchalingeshwara Naganatheshwara temple located in the underdeveloped, poverty-encrusted village of Chikkabegur off the Silk Board – Electronic City – Hosur highway happens to be a tiny ancient edifice superficially embellished and unremarkably drenched in myriads of brilliant hues on several occasions throughout its over 1150-year history and is encircled on all sides by multistoried, vividly painted, box-like residential apartments not any different from the millions of buildings littering Bangalore’s overpopulated landscape except that the backbreaking, undulating roads leading to this unexceptional agglomeration of ubiquitous residential spaces are so thoroughly pockmarked and crumbling to featureless oblivion that every moving object – human, vehicle and animal alike – reaches the beautiful temple complex in the all-enveloping midst of an irritating dust cloud of their own making consistently proportional to their own physical dimensions and velocity. Heralded by the enormous Begur Lake and three vividly painted, towering pyramidal gateways (“Gopuram”) displaying a mind-blowing collection of celestial guards, fearsome mythological deities and mythical anthropomorphic entities intertwined with religious pattern work and geometric and floral leitmotifs, the unbelievably simplistic, architecturally austere shrine is altogether a picture of tremendous contrast not merely to the gigantic soaring buildings colonizing Bangalore but also its own three multi-hued, artistically flamboyant, recently constructed gateways (the dexterous stonemasons as well as the traditional artists, all are Muslims – there goes the country's recently manifested and fiercely debated religious intolerance!).

The forced imposition of modernity

Said to have been constructed around AD 860 during the rule of Western Ganga Dynasty sovereign Ereganga Nitimarga I (reign AD 843-70) with further structural and religious additions commissioned by Ereyappa Ereganga Nitimarga II (reign AD 907-21), the exemplar shrine is said to be a handsome epitome of Ganga Dynasty architecture, further embellished during the rule of Rajakesarivarman Kulothunga Chola I (reign AD 1070-1122) and Raja Raja Chola II (reign AD 1146-73) with elaborate Chola Dynasty (reign 300 BC – 1279 AD) artistic and sculptural idioms including representations of "Kirtimukha" (the ferociously wide fanged, lion-like face of an all-consuming demon conceived and originated out of thin air by Lord Shiva to destroy other, mightier demons) and "Makara" (entities possessing the body of a fish, the face and tusks of an elephant, the limbs of a lion and the tail of a peacock).

Piercing the skyline

Apart from the three exquisitely painted, intricately designed gateways (one of these a sparkling golden furiously reflecting the brilliant sunshine) and the numerous subsidiary shrines dedicated to minor mythological deities and serpent divinities associated with fertility rituals and childbirth, the two identical granite shrines are widely renowned for their traditional layered architecture adorned with multi-patterned pilasters and smaller figurines of Lord Shiva (the Hindu God of death and destruction to whom these temples are dedicated) and his bull demigod mount Nandi (patron of spirituality and religious commitment). Nageshwara, Nagareshwara, Choleshwara, Kameshwara and Kamateshwara are the five forms (Panchalinga) of Lord Shiva religiously venerated here.

Ancient textures

Numerous stone epigraphs and Veergallu inscriptions (commemorating eminent soldier-warriors and efficient generals) miserably lie scattered in different stages of ruination around the historically unique shrine, expounding mythical tales from ancient Hindu epics as well as extolling the unparalleled courage and battle worthiness of military commanders and regal personal guards – one such intricately sculpted stone plaque agelessly celebrating a fierce battle fought in the year 890 between King Ereyappa Ereganga and Nolamba King Bira-Mahendra (whose fearsome elephant battalions were efficiently commandeered by his son Ayyapadeva Nolamba) notes the existence of Bengaluru ruled by a Jain feudal officer named Nagattara within the domain of the Ganga supremacy –

“Bengaluru kalaghadhol buttana setti sattam”
(“In the Battle of Bangalore, Buttana Setti died.”)

The obdurate locals stubbornly prevent conservation authorities from relocating these epigraph inscriptions to museums believing that malevolent spirits and bad fortune would accrue in the village if these are even slightly disturbed – thus the continuous exposure to the relentless ravages of ruthless nature.

History's mystery?

Thanks to the perennial construction enveloping the tiny village on all sides, one of the faces of the massive lake nearby has been transmogrified into an incredible stretch of multi-rise residential apartments and commercial buildings totally foreign to the underdeveloped, semi-rural landscape, and amidst such development the magnificent colorful shrine, inexplicably peaceful and very strongly fragrant with the aromas of incense and camphor, is an ethereal site of soothing peacefulness and serenity, tranquil enough to attract hundreds of waterbirds that contentedly frolic in the hyacinth-shrouded purple-blue waters of the immense lake opposite and noiseless enough to nearly soothe every single visitor to an undisturbed calmness and facilitate uninterrupted conversations with one’s own self especially during the commotion-free afternoon hours.

Unassuming simplicity

But Begur, originally referred to as “Behuru” (“City of Spies”) since here lived the most efficient spies prominently employed by the Ganga Dynasty sovereigns, apparently does not wish to continue being existential in a state of erstwhile skeletal glory – the immense stretch of unutilized area is rapidly giving itself to burgeoning urbanization and avaricious commercialization, modern-day shimmering glass-and-concrete buildings are rapidly piercing the contourless skyline, gigantic resort-like educational institutions such as the Manipal Institute, offering diplomas in banking, financial institutions and corporate investments, encircled by numerous mouthwatering continental cafes and delectable coffeehouses, and lastly, large gated communities enclosed by massive periphery walls and ostentatiously christened Royal Castle, Lakeview Apartments, Wellington Paradise and Regal County are mushrooming in every direction one looks to. It is unreservedly stimulating to know that despite striving to catch up in the race of globalization and urbanized development, the perennially ignored settlement continues to supply reputed historians and archaeologists with rich layers of epigraphical material instrumental in sifting through impenetrable webs of millennium-old folk history and highly embroidered tales to decisively extricate the city's curious history and unequaled identity.

P.S: The sumptuously delectable white-sauce pasta and tremendously calorie-laden chicken burgers at cafe Magic Oven, prominently located close to the intersection of the Bangalore-Hosur highway and Manipal County road, is definitely worth an irresistible detour.

Mouthwatering!

Open: All days, sunrise to sunset
Location: Chikkabegur locality, Begur village, off Bangalore-Hosur highway
Nearest Bus stop: Singhasandra, couple of kilometers from Bommanahalli
How to reach: All BMTC buses plying to Electronic City from Silk Board, Majestic (Kempegowda Bus Stand) and Koramangala stop at Singhasandra. Irregular private buses are also available from Madiwala junction. The shrine is located approximately 3 kilometers from Singhasandra past Manipal County educational campus. Walk/avail an auto to reach the same.
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 30 min
Relevant links -
Other monuments/landmarks located in Bangalore -

Suggested reading -

December 12, 2014

South Ex. Trail, Delhi

"Dehli

Refuge of religion! Refuge and paradise of justice!

Long may it endure!

Since it is a heavenly paradise in every essential quality,

may God keep it from calamity!"

– Amir Khusro, "Qiran al-sa'dain", 14th century

Surprisingly, if there is an area in Delhi which renews one's faith in humanity's obstinate permanence and repetitive resurgence despite recurrent cataclysms and mortality-induced banalities, it would be South Ex., the commercial heart of the city, that is intriguingly strewn with ornate monuments over half a millennium old that have weathered centuries of oppressively sweltering summers and bone-chilling winters and yet, with its fascinating hodgepodge of designer showrooms, multi-storied coaching centers, glimmering neon signs and glitzy restaurants, appears as new as a fresh idea. Amidst the serpentine, perennially crowded, maze of ubiquitous glass and cement mega-structures are scattered a few miniature, painstakingly adorned early Lodi-era (AD 1451-1526) mausoleums that each stands within a small landscaped grassy lawn of its own and are in such close vicinity to each other that one necessarily feels that they were originally intended as a cluster existential within a larger garden complex but have since become drastically estranged from each other as a result of burgeoning urbanization and commercialization of land space. Needless to say, the disproportionately minimal space around each of these structures renders photography and visual composition exceedingly difficult, but does indeed propel one to imagine what these might have appeared like in their erstwhile majesty when surrounded by vast open grassy plains as far as the eye could see.

Desolation! - Kale Khan ka Gumbad

Kale Khan ka Gumbad –

Coordinates: 28°34'12.5"N 77°13'08.2"E
Literally translating to "Tomb of the Black Khan", the decrepit (yet ruggedly elegant) square mausoleum, the first that a solitary visitor wandering into the back lanes of South Ex's otherwise glittering expanse encounters, encapsulates in itself the mortal remains of Mubarak Khan Lohani who was a nobleman during the reign of Bahlol Lodi (ruled AD 1451-89) and whom many historians consider to be the father of Darya Khan Lohani (more on him later). The crumbling yet evocative edifice, built in AD 1481 and royally seated upon a high sloping mound of its own, dominates the area around itself despite the circumstances it finds itself in presently – the small lawn that surrounds it, though landscaped with a shroud of green grass and rows of palm trees, has become an oasis for couples shopping/feasting nearby, students attending coaching classes and smokers wishing for a respite from the sweltering sun and a corner to sit around and gossip.

Externally, the tomb's walls are conceived to present a double-storied appearance wherein narrow alcoves are set on either side of the larger central arch which is itself set within an even larger arched depression which in turn is set within a projecting rectangular facade. The roof, before culminating into the perfectly executed semi-circular dome, translates into a row of "kanguras" (battlement-like ornamentation) lining also the drum (base) of the dome.

Spotted on the trail

Entrances mark three of the sides while the fourth (western), that lacks any opening, functions in the capacity of mihrab (western wall of a mosque/tomb that indicates the direction of Mecca and is faced by Muslims while offering namaz); the interiors, even more dilapidated than the exteriors which at least display some semblance of having been plastered as part of a restoration effort in the past, retain remnants of plasterwork medallions and a eight-cornered star pattern adorning the dome that might have been vibrantly painted and decorated once but at present offers not the slightest clue to its original glorious existence; there are two graves within, possibly those of Mubarak Khan and his wife. Why the tomb is referred to as that of the Black Khan is a matter of conjecture, but some suspect it might be because of Mubarak Khan's dark complexion, even though no historic records specifically refer to it. Interestingly, of all the Lodi-era monuments, it has been dated to be the earliest and represents a crucial step from pre-Lodi mausoleums (that were predominantly octagonal or otherwise built like a small forceful structure complete with buttresses and thick walls) to the innovation of highly symmetrical square structures – all the more reason for its restoration and conservation for future generations to observe, research and understand.

Hemmed in - Bhure Khan ka Gumbad

Bhure Khan ka Gumbad –

Coordinates: 28°34'20.4"N 77°13'14.9"E
Another distinctive tomb whose nomenclature perhaps invokes a reference to the complexion of the person interred even though the actual identity remains unknown, "Tomb of the Fair Khan" is similar to Kale Khan ka Gumbad in almost all aspects with the only exception that is slightly perceptibly better embellished with a smattering of decorative plasterwork patterns, tapering fluted pillars and brilliant blue tile work along its front facade, inverted lotus finial surmounting the dome and pendant-shaped medallions marking the space in the dome interiors where the larger painted star-pattern is extended so that its vertexes project to intersect the row of ornamental alcoves that adorn the base of the large dome. A large grave occupies most of the interior space and even the squinches (diagonal added between two arms of a corner so as to span space and convert a square structure successively into a octagon and then a polygon/circle to support the heavy dome) are better defined and decorated. Thoroughly filled with cobwebs and foul-smelling refuse, a narrow staircase next to the entrance leads upstairs to the roof level, however the panoramic view around is entirely impeded by the surrounding whitewashed buildings and treeline. The tiny tomb exists in a deplorable condition, wedged between towering houses that overshadow it on two sides, a parking lot turned into a dump yard-cum-cow shed on the third and barbed fences demarcating the extent of the meager confine of land surrounding the tomb on the fourth. The only possible way of entering this fenced-in space if one wishes to observe the monument close and personal is by jumping over the fence along the dump yard side at the cost of spoiling one's shoes with muck and cow shit, or worse, tearing one's trousers on the barbed wires!

Silence and serenity - Bade Khan (left) and Chote Khan (right) ka Gumbad

Bade Khan – Chote Khan Tomb complex –

Coordinates: 28°34'23.7"N 77°13'11.6"E
The only facet of the identities of Bade Khan ("Big Khan") and Chote Khan ("Small Khan") apparent today is that they were eminent noblemen in Lodi regime and possibly shared a relationship amongst themselves such as that of father-son or teacher-pupil. It is contended that originally the three architecturally and artistically similar tombs of Bhure Khan, Bade Khan and Chote Khan were included within the same larger complex but have since become partitioned into two different complexes as a consequence of glaring blunders that Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) committed in an overzealous attempt at monument conservation whereby without any prior notification they demolished buildings constructed by a certain Nahata Group of Traders and Builders who had overtime come to own the crucial land between the tombs. Following this, the Nahata Group pressed legal charges against ASI demanding financial compensation for illegal demolition and the entire area has since been fenced in with barbed wires with notices put up threatening action against trespassers. Thankfully, the remaining plot has been beautifully maintained as a garden by the ASI and there are towering trees flanking the circumference, green grass carpeting the lawns and flowering shrubbery demarcating the walkways. Young children from nearby slums and construction sites run around playing games of their own making, a few walkers stroll around the walkways and the tombs function as majestic bedrooms for a few laborers and gardeners.

Exquisiteness personified - Stucco patterns, Chote Khan ka Gumbad

Though the better preserved Chote Khan ka Gumbad is kept grilled and locked most of the time, the friendly caretaker will instantaneously open it up if requested. Lavishly embellished with an extravagant layer of incised plasterwork patterns crafted into rows upon rows of intricate Quranic inscriptions and floral motifs, the cream-pink exquisite tomb is unarguably architecturally and artistically the most delightful of the lot traversed in this particular trail. The use of vibrant blue tiles along the facades, tapering turrets projecting along the tops of the rectangular embossments that frame the arched entrances, stone latticework ("jalis") to mark the two openings which do not function as entrance gateways (the fourth side functions in the capacity of a mihrab) and hexagonal "chattris" (umbrella domes surmounted on slender pillars) mounted on the corners of the roof contrasted against the massive perfectly designed dome lend further credence to the ornamental conception of the mesmerizing structure. Where mankind failed, further charm is added by nature in the form of colorful parakeets that flutter around the tomb's chattris and sides and sleepy-eyed owls that occasionally peep through their nest holes in the walls.

Inside, the arches engulfing the squinches, the curve of the entrances and the smaller decorative alcoves that fringe the base of the dome too are layered with stucco inscriptions. The sober red sandstone mihrab is exceedingly simplistic and yet undeniably touching while the impressive star pattern adorning the roof couldn't have been envisaged more gracefully. I'll let the photographs do the talking since words fail to convey the eminence of the alluring structure.

"Hey, look! What's that bespectacled guy with the camera trying to do?!"

Bade Khan's spectacularly prominent tomb, though irresistibly simplistic and covered only with red-brown stone rubble, is literally gigantic and has been externally conceived to appear triple-storied through the assistance of narrow arched alcoves and windows on different levels. The massive tomb packs numerous intriguing surprises such as the occasional blocks of singular sculpted stones bearing calligraphic inscriptions embedded within the walls relieving the continuous monotony, corbelled doorways crafted out of red sandstone lintels artistically carved to generate the appearance of arches, small chattris surrounding the colossal dominant dome, the use of detailed stone latticework to close off two of the entrances and most interestingly, ornamental semi-octagonal pillars ("pilasters") built within the walls along the corners – a feature that is unique to this particular tomb amongst all medieval structures in Delhi. The shallow dome rises from a sixteen-sided drum (base) whose each corner is marked by a slender tapering turret. The grand interiors are relatively better preserved and the plasterwork medallions, cobblestone floor, red sandstone mihrab, star pattern adorning the roof and the five large sarcophagi are all intact. The incised plaster medallion inside the star pattern, displaying collinear bands of inscriptions and floral and geometric motifs, is amazingly well preserved and fascinatingly intricate.

Notice the unique corner towers! - Bade Khan ka Gumbad

Darya Khan Lohani's Tomb –

Coordinates: 28°34'20.1"N 77°13'00.3"E
The contrast between the tombs of Mubarak Khan and Darya Khan couldn't have been more glaring. Constructed in a three-tiered setting, one of the most unusual, although grievously neglected, tombs in the city belongs to Darya Khan Lohani, the "Mir Adil" (Chief Justice) during the reigns of Sultan Bahlol Lodi (ruled AD 1451-89) and Sikandar Nizam Khan Lodi (ruled AD 1489-1517). It today functions as a forgotten and ignored traffic roundabout in Kidwai Nagar where it delineates the urban village setting of Kotla Mubarakpur from the exceedingly posh South Extension I. What can be said to constitute the tomb proper is raised from the surroundings by an immensely high square platform which possesses remains of circular bastions along the corners – rubble slopes continue to hinge the platform to the ground around on all sides, however it is deduced that along one of the sides originally existed a regal gateway which has since been reduced to rubble by nature's fury. One wonders how much of the irrevocable damage was heaved to the fragile monument by the enormous heat, noise and material pressure exerted by the annual Dussehra festivities that saw effigies of the demon lord Ravana being burnt in its immediate vicinity till a few years back!

Unusual and beckoning - Darya Khan Lohani's tomb

Upon this pedestal and exactly symmetrical with it is another comparatively smaller pedestal accessible via staircases on three sides and crowned on each corner by a domed twelve-pillared stone pavilion (chattri/barakhamba). In the center of this second pedestal lies a moderately high circular edifice (which presently acts as a site for the locals to sprinkle grain and sweets for the birds and insects which flock to it in hundreds every day) on which in an excessively simplistic grave enclosed in white marble sleeps Darya Khan in eternal slumber. Only one of the four square chattris survives in its entirety while the rest exist miserably in different stages of ruin – the interior surfaces of the domes were inscribed with floral medallions and handsome bands of calligraphy, possibly Quranic, but that couldn't save them from destruction, the pillars are thick, perfectly carved and thoroughly unblemished, the use of squinches to successively convert the square configuration to circular is immediately notable, kanguras (battlement-like ornamentation) decorate the proportionately high octagonal bases of the domes.

Amongst ruins, here lies Darya Khan, a powerful Afghan noble

Pigeons find resting space upon the large domes and underneath meet doting couples looking for a quiet cozy corner, laymen coveting some space to doze around or play cards and locals congregating to gossip. There have been attempts to landscape the upper platform with rows of palm trees extending alongside the sides and shrouds of grass carpeting the entire area. Ashoka trees reach out from the lowermost surface and, much to the pleasure of squirrels who like nothing more than hopping around, spread their wide, crinkled branches over the domed pavilions.

In view of full disclosure, I find these ruins more fascinating than the splendid whole.

It would be fitting to end this article with words drawn from R.V. Smith, my favorite chronicler of Delhi's history and monuments, reflecting upon the neglect and ignorance faced by these tombs in particular and almost all monuments in the country in general in terms of restoration-conservation and historic appreciation –

"The gumbads (domes) of Delhi are also repositories of history which, however, are not given the attention they deserve. Domes came into prominence during the Muslim period, though there certainly were domed buildings before that time, but Hindu temples and other edifices, by and large, lacked the finesse and excellence of the domes that came up later."

Symmetry, stars and medallions - Inside Chote Khan's mausoleum

Nearest Bus stop: South Ex. I
Nearest Metro station: AIIMS
How to reach: From the Ring Road, take the street beginning immediately besides Nalli Sarees or the Louis Philippe store and you will come across Kale Khan ka Gumbad after walking less than half a kilometer. Afterwards walk straight with your back to Ring Road and ask directions for Bade/Chote Khan ka Gumbad and the locals will direct you. Darya Khan Lohani's tomb is located in the middle of a roundabout known as Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Chowk near Kidwai Nagar market/post office.
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 20-25 minutes per monument
Other trails in the city -

Suggested reading -

September 13, 2012

Black Hole Memorial, Calcutta

This post is part of series about St. John’s Church located in BBD Bagh area, Calcutta. The integrated post about the church and the structures within can be accessed from here – Pixelated Memories - St. John's Church.

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"Of one hundred and forty-six prisoners, one hundred and twenty-three were smothered in the Black Hole prison, in the night of the 20th of June, 1756. Few survived capable of giving any detail of the manner in which it happened; and of these I believe none have attempted it: for my own part, I have often sat down with this resolution, and as often relinquished the melancholy task, not only from the disturbance and affliction it raised afresh in my remembrance, but from the consideration of the impossibility of finding language capable of raising an adequate idea of the horrors of the scene I essayed to draw. But as I believe the annals of the world cannot produce an incident like it in any degree or proportion to all the dismal circumstances attending to it, and as my own health of body and peace of mind are once again, in a great measure, recovered from the injuries they suffered from that fatal night, I cannot allow it to be buried in oblivion."

– John Zephaniah Holwell, "A genuine narrative of the deplorable deaths of the English Gentlemen, and others, who were suffocated in the Black Hole in Fort William, at Calcutta, in the kingdom of Bengal; in the night succeeding the 20th day of June, 1756" (1758)

A solitary edifice remembering the victims of Calcutta's Black Hole (Photo courtesy - Johnandlucyareback.blogspot.in)

The British East India "trading" Company, an early example of capitalist privatization and massive-scale political maneuvering and powerbrokership, was given the charter to trade silk, spices and jewels in foreign lands, most notably India and south-east Asia, by the British crown – the Company soon began to maintain its own army in the areas where it established factories, hired British army officers as administrators, maintained regiments of mercenaries and Indian soldiers and turned kingmaker in several regions where it practiced its writ by interfering with local politics and sovereignty of the kings and landlords and also through political intrigues and offering military assistance to the warring factions. The Company adopted a policy of high-handedness and abuse of its duty-free privileges when Mirza Muhammad Siraj-ud-Daulah ascended the throne of the Nawab (Provincial Governor) of Bengal and Bihar in AD 1756. Only 23-years old at the time of his ascension, the wise Nawab, from the very beginning of his reign, was worried stiff by the ever-increasing territorial power and influence of affluent foreign imperialist countries and their militarily-strong trading companies. And he had valid reason to be worried as well – the assiduously cunning British East India Company never wanted him to become the ruler of Bengal-Bihar, but instead supported, financially and militarily, his renegade uncles and cousins. Immediately upon ascension and as one of the first working orders he issued, an enraged Siraj demanded the fortifications and armouries of both the French and British strongholds in Calcutta be torn down. The French promptly obeyed, but the obdurate British did not comply, further refused to pay the respects due to him, and soon thereafter even indulged in rioting and war-mongering. Incensed, Siraj marched to Fort William, the Company’s military and trade stronghold, and laid siege to it. The fortress' Commander and other officers had escaped beforehand to safety, leaving behind only a small retinue of trained soldiers and civilians to defend it and they proved no match for Siraj's martial prowess and surrendered four days later. The fortress captured and its defenders imprisoned, Siraj handed them over for further dealings and interrogation to his commander Manikchand. It is said that 146 of the survivors of that melancholic siege and battle were confined overnight in a horribly small, poorly ventilated dungeon – consequentially, 123 of them died as a result of asphyxiation and the ensuing stampede when water was passed around the prison cell!

Commemoration (Photo courtesy - Heritagestructurewb.blogspot.in)

The entire miserably terrifying, heartrending brutal incident from British-Indian history is based on the account of John Zephaniah Holwell, who claimed to be a survivor of the “Black Hole” tragedy (nomenclature he himself invented – in a way, the credit for the christening of the spatial phenomena of gravitationally collapsed colossal objects discovered much later goes to him) and penned an exceedingly detailed account, filled with pictures of blackened windows, suffocation and terrible physical and mental atrocities, about the abominable incident. British politicians and public, outraged and vehement in their demands for retribution and vengeance, never asked questions about Holwell's stories nor accounted for the numbers of soldiers, dead or missing, following the incident. No other contemporary historian or even Company papers mention this particularly important incident, nor was a report of it made to the Company Director. Nevertheless, it gave Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Clive the opportunity to march from Madras with a regiment of especially trained soldiers and challenge Siraj-ud-Daulah's authority in the Battle of Plassey (AD 1757). The Company became the de-facto ruler of the entire province of Bengal after Siraj's capture and execution on the battle front, the ascension of his Commander and Paymaster-General Mir Jafar Ali Khan (with the Company's inauspicious blessings) as the (nominal) sovereign and the appointment of J.Z. Holwell as the Governor of Bengal. British Governors, administrators and politicians of the day magnified the incident by adding gruesome details, used it to justify their conquests over the “uncivilized and brutal” Indians and, considering the meteoric rise of Robert Clive and J.Z. Holwell, also milked its aftermath to their own personal advantage. Later British historians justified the conquest of Bengal through intrigues and treachery by considering it a just retribution for the tragedy and an essential requisite for the Company's trade and territorial supremacy – but what if the maligned event itself was a case of crookedness and falsehood?!

Today, many eminent historians, including the renowned British scholar J.H. Little, question the veracity of Holwell's eyewitness account and contend that the ghastly incident did not take place at all but was a fabrication by Holwell to blemish the monarch’s name and present himself as the hero of the day. Most historians, however, do accept that some prisoners were indeed put in the dungeon and many amongst them did die due to suffocation, summer heat and the ensuing stampede, but hotly dispute that Siraj was not personally responsible for their deaths and Holwell’s version is highly exaggerated in itself as 146 people could not have been physically confined in the said punishment room (14 ft X 18 ft) and only around 65 people were actually confined. They even deny Holwell's statements that the women prisoners of European or mixed descent were forcefully relegated to Siraj's harem. There are many other inconsistencies unaccounted for that render the entire episode a shameful sham – for instance, how did Holwell move about in the cramped chamber to comfort his co-prisoners like he claims to have done in his recounting? How did he observe their agonized faces and keep note of the time in his watch if the entire chamber was drenched in darkness and even the windows had been barred and blocked till not a stream of light escaped through? Also, it has been countered that Holwell and several other officials and military officers escaped from Fort William through a series of tunnels to the Hooghly riverfront from where they were transported to Chennai (Madras) by a ship and only 43 people, including many Indian soldiers, were left unaccounted for.

The monument at its original location, after it was recommissioned by Lord Curzon in 1901 (Photo courtesy - Wikipedia.org)

Besides penning the said book about the tragic incident, Holwell even commissioned a commemorative memorial edifice that was originally located near the present-day Calcutta General Post Office (refer Pixelated Memories - General Post Office) in 1760. Interestingly, the entire monument vanished without a trace in 1822! Some historians claim that it was demolished upon the orders of then Governor-General Francis Rawdon-Hastings who was disturbed by the congregation of barbers at all times of the day around the obelisk memorial. The "Black Hole" itself, afterwards transformed into an ordinary warehouse, was dismantled when the fortress was rebuilt several years later. It is surprising that an edifice remembering such a gruesome catastrophic event in British history was destroyed in its entirety and there was no monument whatsoever following its obliteration to mark the same. Another monument, exactly identical to the original in all aspects except a few further fabrications (discussed below), was rebuilt in the vicinity of Writers' Building (present day office of the Chief Minister of Bengal, said to be the actual site of the “Black Hole”, refer Pixelated Memories - Writers' Building) by Lord Curzon, then Viceroy of India, in 1901. But in addition to the twenty seven names that Holwell had furnished of the British officers massacred in the tragedy, Lord Curzon also added several more who were known to have actually died in the siege of the fortress and the skirmishes and fighting that followed! Epigraphs were inscribed on each side of the memorial. The one etched upon the orders of Lord Curzon reads –

"This Monument

Has been erected by

Lord Curzon, Viceroy and Governor-General of India,

In the year 1902,

Upon the site

And in reproduction of the design

Of the original monument

To the memory of the 123 persons

Who perished in the Black Hole prison

Of Old Fort William

On the night of the 20th of June, 1756.

The former memorial was raised by

Their surviving fellow-sufferer

J. Z. Holwell, Governor of Fort William,

On the spot where the bodies of the dead

Had been thrown into the ditch of the ravelin.

It was removed in 1821."

At the height of Indian independence movement, with the growing clamor, especially provoked by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, for removal of signs of British supremacy and colonial history, the memorial was removed in its entirety from the Writers' Building compound and shoved in a corner of St. John’s Church (refer Pixelated Memories - St. John's Church for more details and photographs) where it still exists.

The 50 feet (15 meters) tall, obelisk-like memorial surmounted upon an extremely high octagonal base, one of the earliest examples of British masonry in the country, is inscribed with the names of the 123 people (supposedly) killed while incarcerated in the Black Hole. One of the legends states –

"The names of those who perished

in the Black Hole prison,

inscribed upon the reverse side

of this monument

are in excess of the list

recorded by Governor Holwell

upon the original monument.

The additional names, and

the Christian names of the remainder,

have been recovered from oblivion

by reference to contemporary documents."

Citing the memorial's meager forgotten existence in the corner of the church complex, another engraving, belonging to a later date after the sober but shambolic edifice had been shifted here, notes –

"This Monument was erected in 1901

Lord Curzon on the original site of the Black Hole

(North-West corner of Dalhousie Square)

and removed thence to the Cemetery of

St. John’s Church, Calcutta in 1940."

The reason (Photo courtesy - Wikipedia.org)

Whatever the true story was, the event has become an important constituent of the annals of Indo-British history and has been one of those instances where stories, conceived out of half-truths and falsehoods and constructed on the premise of an irresistible and unquenchable lust for political and territorial power, repeated again and again become transformed to "truths", difficult to chaff from reality, in popular perception. Oddly enough, J.Z. Holwell, as a surgeon and commentator interested in Indian civilization and Hindu scriptures and culture, drafted massive essays titled "An account of the manner of inoculating for the Small Pox in the East Indies with observations on the mode of treating that disease in those parts" (1767) and "Interesting historical events, relative to the Provinces of Bengal, and the Empire of Indostan with a seasonable hint and persuasive to the honorable the court of directors of the East India Company. As also the mythology and cosmogony, fasts and festivals of the Gentoo's, followers of the Shastah. And a dissertation on the metempsychosis, commonly, though erroneously, called the Pythagorean doctrine" (3 vol., 1765-1771). The latter exhorted fellow British clergy, scholars and administrators to consider Hinduism as equivalent to Christianity and, in distant future much to the chagrin of his corrupted, hell-bound soul, was particularly used by Indian nationalists during the Independence Movement. Revenge is best served cold!

Location: Inside St. John's Church complex, BBD Bagh area (refer Pixelated Memories - St. John's Church), approximately a kilometer from Esplanade square.
Nearest Metro station/bus stop: Esplanade
How to reach: Walk/take a taxi from Esplanade.
Open: All days, 10 am – 5 pm
Entrance Fees: Rs 10 for visitors on foot; parking charges applicable.
Photography/Video Charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 10 min
Other monuments within the church complex -

Relevant Links -

Suggested reading -

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South Ex. Trail, Delhi

September 13, 2012

Black Hole Memorial, Calcutta

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