Intach, Hyderabad Chapter, convenor P. Anuradha explains to visitors the antique clocks at the Special Historic Clock Collection housed in the Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, on Saturday. (Photo: DC)

Later, Ms Reddy answered queries raised by visitors about the unique clocks displayed at the museum.

Ever wondered how time was maintained when the modern day mechanised clocks had not been invented?

Well! In the ancient days, people relied on sun dials. Time almost stood still at the Salar Jung Museum on Saturday, as Ms P. Anuradha Reddy, convener, Intach, Hyderabad chapter, gave an engaging talk on clocks during a guided tour of the clock gallery on the first floor of the Western block.

She threw light on the importance of good time management and how it was kept in the days gone by. The shadow cast by the sun indicated what hour it was on the sun dial. “Such a clock still exists at the historic Macca Masjid in the city,” Ms Reddy said. So how did one calculate time on days when the sun wasn’t shining? This problem led to the invention of the water clock, where water falling drop by drop in a bowl indicated time.

Then came the hourglass. Modern age saw European countries invent a series of clocks - grandfather clock, table clock, wall clock. During the Qutb Shahi period, drums were beaten at public places to indicate time. The Asaf Jahi rulers, who came later, built clock towers at strategic points as not everyone possessed clocks. The city has a number of clock towers at Charminar, Mahboob Chowk, Sultan Bazaar, Secunderabad. Even private buildings installed clocks for the convenience of people. Ms Reddy explained how later day clocks saw new features being added, like the second hand, date and calendar. The present-day clocks even have a barometer to check weather conditions.

Later, Ms Reddy answered queries raised by visitors about the unique clocks displayed at the museum. She also explained the importance of time in religion. For horoscope matching, Hindus look at the Nakshtra and take time of birth, day, hour and minute into account. Muslims, too, attach great importance to time in the conduct of prayers and other religious matters.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Deccan Chronicle

Dated January  13,2019

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Those who didn’t find their names in the list of selected pilgrims stormed the chamber of the Haj Committee special officer Prof. S.A. Shukoor, in protest.

The State Haj Committee is expecting an additional 1,000 seats in the coming days.

Good news for Telangana Haj pilgrims. Those who couldn’t make it in the qurrah (draw of lots) need not despair. The State Haj Committee is expecting an additional 1,000 seats in the coming days. This follows below quota applications received in several states. The leftover seats will be redistributed among all states and Telangana is hopeful of getting at least 1,000 additional seats.

The draw of lots held on Saturday by the Telangana State Haj Committee left many disappointed. Those who didn’t find their names in the list of selected pilgrims stormed the chamber of the Haj Committee special officer Prof. S.A. Shukoor, in protest. A group of women even dropped the name of a MIM legislator and threatened to take up the matter with him.


Mr Shukoor pacified the protesters saying the computerised district-wise draw took place in a transparent manner and he couldn’t help if they were not selected.

He assured them they could get seats in the waiting list, which is expected to be pretty long, as in several states the number of pilgrims who applied for Haj was less than the allotted quota. This has resulted in 23,084 seats being left unfilled to be redistributed by the Haj Committee in all the states.. The highest number of 8,411 applications were from Hyderabad and the lowest of four from Mahabubabad.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today

Dated January 14,2019

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A man of many media, Ravikanth Masuram talks art, family, dreams and more in a candid chat

What happens when artists dabble into medicine? They give it an artistic touch. No wonder the medical camp organised recently by a group of artists under the aegis of Anjuman-e-Reqta Goyaan differed in style and content. The camp held at Urdu Hall, Himayatnagar, was inaugurated not by any VIP, but by persons who cater to aesthetic sensibilities –  poet, writer, artist and a journalist.

If you think this is strange what followed was even stranger. Those who came for diagnosis were treated to a thought-provoking health talk and a spur-of-the-moment mushaira. The healing effect of words has long been recognised. There is also growing scientific evidence to show that music helps patients in palliative care.
“Art is a critical component of healthcare. Why not use poetry for therapeutic purpose”, says Dr Javeed Kamal, the man behind the unique medical camp organised in association with the Indo-US Hospital.

It was a medical camp with a difference. Conspicuous by absence was the typical hospital atmosphere which triggers anxiety and panic. Instead it was in a cordial and stress-free environment that the procedures were conducted. Photographs of famous writers and poets adoring the Urdu Hall looked down from above as the 200-odd persons underwent various medical procedures.

Tests over, Professor Masood Ahmed, director, Indo-US Hospital, gave an enlightening talk on preventive healthcare and how to avoid lifestyle diseases. Giving a power-point presentation, he termed lifestyle diseases as modern-day silent killers. Research showed that 66 percent of diseases are controllable as they depended on one’s lifestyle. Attending mushairas and kavi sammelans also has a role in reducing stress, Prof Masood remarked and recited this verse:

Doctor se mashwara to kar magar dakhil na ho
Ye usoole tandrusti hame hospital ne diya
Consult the doctor but don’t admit

This fitness rule the hospital gave

Taking a cue from this couplet, poets present on the occasion regaled the audience with their shayeri. Humour poet, Moin Amar Bamboo, sent everyone in peals of laughter with his verses.

Shohar ke gal pe koee machar tha pur-sukoon
Thappad lagya beevi ne ye inka tha junoon
Puchi wajah Bamboo ne, beevi ne kah diya
Mere alava chuse na koee tumhara khoon
A mosquito was perched upon the husband’s cheek
The wife slapped in a fit of madness
When Bamboo enquired the reason, she said
Nobody except me should suck your blood

Other poets such as Lateefuddin Lateef, Professor Majeed Bedar, Aslam Farshori and Waheed Pasha Quadir too gave a rollicking time. Not to be left behind the compeer, Gule Rana, pepped up the evening with this couplet:

Zindagi zinda dili ka naam hai
Murda-dil kya khaak jiya karte hain
Life is the name of a never-say-die spirit

What the heck the faint-hearted will live

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today

Dated January 13,2019

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Image Courtesy: Google

The world over January is identified with the new year. But in Hyderabad it is remembered for Numaish, the annual consumer fair.

The world over January is identified with the new year. But in Hyderabad it is remembered for Numaish, the annual consumer fair. In fact Hyderabad is the only place where new year brings in a double delight. The city sees a breathlessness as the D-Day draws near. Elaborate plans are made and people take time out to visit the All India Industrial Exhibition not once but several times.

My earliest memories of the Numaish goes back to 1974 when I shifted to Hyderabad to pursue studies. Since then I don’t remember having missed Numaish any year. What’s so special about it? Nothing. You find the same products which are available in shops elsewhere. But it is the pleasant mela-type ambience that people root for.

In these days of Netflix and multiplexes, Numaish holds its own. It retains its charm and appeal simply because it is identified with the nawabi city’s culture. The open-to- sky picnic spot serves as a stress buster. To top it all, it is the cheapest show in town. For the price of a dosa you can get a ringside view of nonstop amusement for eight hours.

Some families, mostly from the nearby districts, come to Hyderabad just to see the Numaish. My niece who stays in Detroit has programmed her visit coinciding with the ongoing Numaish. “US has everything but nothing to match our own Numaish”, she says.

The good thing about it is that you get to see goods from Kashmir to Kanyakumari at one place. Take your own time to shop and haggle or simply indulge in window shopping. Some like to go around, popcorn in hand, and enjoy the old Hindi melodies.

Yonder an elderly woman has a tough time keeping in sight her grandkids running here and there. Suddenly the song stops and an announcement is made about missing children. Most parents keep a chit in the child’s pocket containing name, address and telephone number. The moment an announcement is made they go and collect their kids. All is well that ends well.


A unique thing about Numaish is that nobody wants to leave until forced to. As the closure time, 11 pm, draws near, the Pakeezah song is played invariably. And when the line ye chirag bujh rahe hain comes, the lights go off one by one. The regulars know it is time to pack up.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The New Indian Express

Dated January 11,2019

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Dawoodi Bohra community organised a mega health camp at Anjuman-e-Saifee, Red Hills Jamaat in Hyderabad. — File photo

The idea of using mosques for purposes other than congregational prayer is gaining traction in Hyderabad. With the Masjid-e-Ishaq in the Old City breaking new ground by doubling up as a medical clinic, more and more mosques are now coming forward to emulate the example.

To take the concept further, Safa Baitul Maal, an educational welfare and charitable trust, has convened a meeting with members of various Masjid committees, Mutawwalis and responsible persons in the city on Saturday to discuss how best the masjid premises could be utilised for welfare activities.
A mosque should be much more than a place of worship. One shouldn’t just pray and go home but find answers to community needs. Presently, most of the mosques remain open for the duration of namaz five times a day and then close. This is the case with masjids not just in the city but elsewhere too. Of late, some like the Azizia Masjid at Humayunnagar and the Masjid-e-Ishaq in Achireddy Nagar have started using their premises for rendering medical aid to the poor and needy, irrespective of their religion.

Many Muslims feel it is time the concept is replicated on a large scale for the greater benefit of the community.

“This is actually an Islamic concept. The Masjid-e-Nabawi (the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah) used to be the centre of community activity and not just a place of worship. We want to revive this concept and ensure that mosques function as centres of welfare activity,” says Gayas Ahmed Rashadi, who heads the SBM. This organisation is working in 26 slums in the city providing food and financial assistance to below-poverty-line families.

Maulana Abu Talib Rahmani, member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, who will be the key speaker at the programme, is a strong advocate of making the local mosque the ‘mohalle ki parliament’ (parliament of the local community). He wants the mosques to be the hub of welfare activities rather than merely serving as a place of worship. Those in charge of mosques should be well aware of the people living in the basti and build a rapport with them.

The sick, destitute, and needy should be taken care of. Those in dire need of money should be assisted and relieved from the clutches of money lenders, says Mr Rashadi.

The Azizia Masjid, which has a Facebook presence, is the first in the city to take the initiative of throwing open its doors to address community needs. English speaking youth, who flock to the mosque in good numbers, have been availing the career counselling offered here for quite some time. Recently, the Masjid-e-Ishaq in the old city caught everyone’s attention when it opened a primary health clinic in the mosque in association with the Helping Hand Foundation (HHF).

Encouraged by the good response, the HHF has started using the masjid loudspeaker for disseminating community health information. Short announcements are made from time to time about the availability of specialist doctors and their timings.

“Sometimes we need to announce the unavailability of a doctor on a particular day so that patients are not inconvenienced and the masjid sound system comes handy,” says Mujtaba Hasan Askari of HHF.


It is not just azaan (the prayer call) but health information too that people here look forward to from the local mosque.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Deccan 

Dated January 03,2019

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The almanac brought out by Dr Aleem Khan Falaki

Hyderabad: It is more than just a list of dates and events. It shakes your conscience and jolts you out of your complacency. This is one calendar whose leaves you wouldn’t like to tear off every month. Every page sends out a strong message about extravagant marriages in the Muslim community, the menace of dowry and ways to curb it.

Dowry has become the bane of Muslim marriages. Even Friday sermons in mosques are talking about the need to root out this social evil. But the almanac brought out by Dr Aleem Khan Falaki, president, Socio Reforms Society (SRS), seeks to drive home the message in a simple and effective way.

Masjiden alag — Shadi Khane ek

Namaz key tareeqe alag —- Shadi ke rasm-o-riwaj ek 

(Different mosques but the wedding hall is the same

Different ways to pray but wedding rituals are the same)

In a telling way the calendar points out that different sects have their own mosques but the wedding halls are the same. Their method of namaz (prayers) differs and yet the marriage rituals remain the same. Then comes the punch line: all sects appear to have ganged up against the ‘Sunnat-e-Nikah’ (Prophetic way of marriage). Boycott such un-Islamic marriages.

Each leaf of the calendar delivers a thought-provoking message in Urdu and Roman Urdu accompanied by pictures. It mocks at the charade of giving and taking ‘jehez’ in the name of ‘khushi se’ (happiness). If there is nothing wrong in accepting dowry given ‘happily’ then corruption, gambling, wine and interest should also be permissible since all these acts are done ‘khushi se’, it says.

A good number of men and women, who attended the calendar release programme here on Sunday, resolved to stay away from marriages where dowry is taken forcibly. The SRS plans to hold its next programme on ‘Saas ho to Aisi’ which celebrates women who have not made any demands during the marriages of their sons.

Mr Falaki has been leading a crusade against the dowry system for nearly 18 years. He articulates his ideas and social stances without mincing words. The scourge of dowry is posing a big challenge to the Muslim community —making marriage a near impossible task for the low income groups. 

“One should have the guts to boycott marriages where dowry is demanded and un-Islamic practices followed,” he says.

He tries to prick the conscience of the community through different means books, short films, talks and songs. The calendar is yet another arrow in his quiver to send out a wakeup call be man enough to say ‘no’ to such marriages.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Deccan Chronicle

Dated December 25,2018

 

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A file photo of the crowd during Numaish, 2018.

 It is the one place where you can go with eyes shut and yet find what you want. No prizes for guessing. Even a dimwit will say it is the numaish. The annual consumer fair springs no surprises. It remains the same year after year except for some cosmetic changes here and there.

Regular visitors know where to find Kashmiri silks, readymade garments, leather goods and toys. These stalls come up exactly at the same spot every year.
“I find nothing new. But I still go to the exhibition by force of habit,” says Irfan Khan, who has been visiting the numaish for close to two decades without fail. Come January the city sees breathlessness as the All India Industrial Exhibition gets underway.

Basically, the exhibition is intended to provide a vibrant market place for traders to do business face to face. Manufacturers from the state and across the country choose to launch their products from here.

But of late big players are dropping out with availability of other advertisement avenues like social media and audio-visual communication platforms. For the last few years, BHEL, the state irrigation department and a few major electronic companies have stopped displaying their products at the exhibition.

With the numaish attracting traders from all over the country, the Exhibition Society is concentrating more on generating revenue to support its 18 educational institutions in providing quality and affordable education.

The society rakes in over Rs 100 crore by way of ticket and revenue from the 2,500 stalls. There are roughly 24 categories of stalls dealing in various goods that do business here. Of course women entrepreneurs, self-help groups and manufacturers from the state get preference.

Has monotony and lack of novelty robbed the numaish of charm in its 79th year? The answer is ‘no’. Repetitiveness notwithstanding, people still flock to it during the 46-day long period it is held. “Most of the people come here for recreation and not to find anything new,” says Aditya Margam, former secretary, Exhibition Society.

This view is shared by many visitors. Throughout the year the city hosts different kinds of exhibitions and people get to see and buy a variety of things. But Numaish occupies a special niche and is identified with Hyderabad culture.

Many families make two to three visits to the exhibition — first to see, then to choose and finally to buy articles. Some people simply like to saunter around and enjoy the old Hindi hit songs played there. “I find the Exhibition Ground the best place to beat the stress,” says Ramesh Kumar, a senior citizen echoing the view of many others.

Some families turn the exhibition grounds into an open air picnic spot. They bring cooked food from home and eat leisurely. “Where else can you indulge in such fun?” asks Asma, a housewife.

Is there anything new this year? Yes, one can find a dust-free and greener environment. More LCD screens have been put up at strategic points to watch the goings-on. Also a brand new statue of Mahatma Gandhi in sitting posture, similar to the one in the State Assembly has been put up.

A new stage with lawns has also been developed for holding cultural programmes.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Deccan Chronicle

Dated December 23,2018

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