Friday, August 25, 2006Traffic in India
Tuesday, August 22, 2006Mobile Ring TonesAkhian Milawo Akhian Choorao [ Raja ] [ Tempo : ? ]288*, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 5, 5, 5, 4, 49, 2, 28, 5, 5, 5, 58, 5, 69, 69, 68, 5, 5, 5, 599, 288*, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 6**#, 6#, 6#, 6#, 6, 5, 4, 6, 6, 1*, 1, 1, 69**#, 68, 5, 69, 58, 4, 6, 6, 6#, 6, 59, 5, 59, 6888, 5, 499, 68, 6, 6, 6, 1*, 59**, 5, 599 Avara Bhawarey [ Tempo : 125 ] (hold 2)8**, (hold 2)8, 29, (hold 2), 2, (hold 1)8, (hold 1)9, (hold 1)9, 18, (hold 7)8**, (hold 6)9, 79, (hold 6)8, (hold 2)*, (hold 1), (hold 7)**, (hold 6), (hold 5)9, (hold 2)88*, 2, (hold 2)9, 2, (hold 1)8, (hold 1)9, (hold 1)9, (hold 1)88, (hold 7)**, (hold 6)9, (hold 7), (hold 6), (hold 2)*, (hold 1), 79**, (hold 6)8, (hold 5)9, (hold 2)88*, (hold 2), (hold 2)9, 18, (hold 7)**, 199*, (hold 7)8**, (hold 1)*, (hold 2)9, (hold 2)88, 29, (hold 2), (hold 1)8, (hold 7)** Aey Kya Bolti Tu [ Ghulam ] [ Tempo : 125 ] 59*#, (hold 7)888, (hold 6)#, (hold 5)#, (hold 2)99#, 59#, (hold 7)888, (hold 6)#, (hold 5)#, (hold 2)99#, (hold 2)*#, (hold 7)888**, (hold 1)999*#, 788**, 7, (hold 7)8, (hold 6)9#, (hold 5)#, (hold 5)99#, (hold 2)*#, (hold 7)888**, (hold 1)999*#, 788**, 7, (hold 7)8, (hold 6)9#, (hold 6)#, (hold 5)99#, (hold 1)888*#, (hold 2)9# Amar Akhbar Anthony [ Tempo : 70 ] 69*, 688, 7, 58, (hold 6), (hold 7)99, 79, (hold 7)888, 19*, 68**, (hold 7), (hold 1)99*, (hold 6)8**, 6, 6, 7, 588, 699, (hold 7)9, 79, (hold 7)888, 19*, 688**, (hold 7)9, (hold 1)99*, (hold 6)88**, 69, (hold 7)8, 19*, 2, 3, 28, (hold 1)8, 29999, 188, (hold 7)8**, 69, 5, 5, 58, 69, (hold 7)8, 79, 1*, 7**, 68, (hold 6)99, (hold 3)888, 399 Ankhien Khuli [ Mohabattein ] [ Tempo : 140 ] 6, 1, 78, 19*, 38, (hold 3)9, 68**, 699, 68, 7, 68, 29*, 78**, 59, 6, 79, 78, 2*, 28, 39, 28, 19, 1, 1, 288, 099, (hold 1)99, 78**, 59, 7, 6, 6, 69, 0888, 6888, 6, 699, 58, (hold 6), 78, 19*, 38, 0, (hold 7)9**, 28*, 79**, 5, (hold 6)9 Aye Dil [ Kaho Na Pyar Hai ] [ Tempo : 140 ] 5*, 3, 8**, 3*, 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 19, 8**, 3*, 2, 1, 3, 29, 8**, 2*, 1, 7**, 1*, 29, **, 58*, 5, 39, 8**, 3*, 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 19, 8**, 3*, 2, 1, 3, 29, 8**, 2*, 1, 7**, 2*, 19, 8**, 5*, 6, 6, 5, 5, 6, 6, 5, 6, 59, 8**, 5*, 6, 5, 4, 5, 4, 39, 8**, 5*, 4, 3, 5, 49, 8**, 4*, 3, 2, 3, 49, 8**, 5*, 6, 6, 5, 5, 6, 6, 5, 6, 59, 8**, 5*, 6, 5, 4, 5, 4, 39, 8**, 5*, 4, 3, 5, 49, 8**, 2*, 1, 7**, 2*, 19 Aashiq Tera [ A.S. Kang ] [ Tempo : 190 ] 488, 4#, 4, 4#, 49, 4#, 5#, 4#, 4, 2#, 48, 4#, 4, 4#, 49, 4#, 599#, 2888#, 2#, 2#, 2#, 29#, 4, 4#, 4, 2#, 1#, 28#, 2#, 2#, 2#, 49, 4#, 499, 4888, 4#, 4, 4#, 49, 4#, 5#, 4#, 4, 2#, 48, 4#, 4, 4#, 49, 4#, 599#, 2888#, 2#, 2#, 2#, 29#, 4, 4#, 4, 2#, 1#, 28#, 2#, 2#, 2#, 49, 4#, 499 Apna Punjab Hove [ Gurdas Mann ] [ Tempo : 90 ] 38, 3, 5, 58, 699, 688, 69, 6, 0, 3, 5, 58, 699, 688, 69, 6, 0, 6, 7, 5, 68, 799, 088, 38*, 28, 39, 0, 2, 2, 3, 78**, 699 Apna Sangeet [ Tempo : 170 ] 68, 18*, 1, **, 1*, 29, 38, 49, 38, 299, 388, 29, 38, 29, 18, 69**, 18*, 19, 18, 29, 38, 29, 38, 199, 88**, 3*, 29, 38, 299, 68**, 18*, 1, **, 1*, 29, 38, 49, 38, 299, 388, 29, 38, 29, 18, 69**, 18*, 19, 18, 29, 38, 29, 38 Aaja Re Tu [ Company ] [ Tempo : 124 ] 28*, 2#, (hold 3)9, (hold 2)#, 28, 2#, (hold 2)9, (hold 1)#, 28, 2#, (hold 3)9, (hold 2)#, 28, 2#, (hold 2)9, (hold 1)#, 28, 5, (hold 2)9, 09, 48, 4#, (hold 5)9, (hold 4)#, 48, 4#, (hold 4)9, (hold 3), 48, 4#, (hold 5)9, (hold 4)#, 48, 4#, (hold 4)9, (hold 3), 48, 6#, (hold 4)9 Aksar Is Duniya Mein [ Dhadkan ] [ Tempo : 225 ] 4*, 4**, 48, 3, 49, 48, 3, 2999, 488, 4, 3, 48, 5, 4, 3, 2999, 488, 4, 48, 3, 49, 48, 3, 2999, 488, 4, 3, 48, 5, 4, 3, 299, 1888, 399, 3, 38, 2, 39, 38, 2, 1999, 388, 3, 2, 38, 2, 199 Aaja Sonneya [ Pakistani Melody ] [ Tempo : ? ] 388, 3, 3, 3, 49#, 699, 08888, 6888, 6, 59#, 68, 49#, 58, 4999#, 0888, 3888, 3, 3, 3, 49#, 7, 699, 6888, 6, 59#, 68, 49#, 58, 499#, 08, 7, 188*, 79**, 6, 69, 788, 69, 5, 59, 688, 59, 3, 499# Billo De Ghar [ Abrar ] [ Tempo : 225 ] 5*, 6, 7, 6, 59, 68, 79, 78, 6, 59, 68, 5, 6, 7, 6, 59, 68, 39, 3, 7**, 3*, 7**, 3*, 7**, 388*, 39, 38, 3999, 788, 6, 59, 68, 5, 6, 7, 6, 59, 68, 39, 3, 7**, 3*, 7** Aao Milke Gaayen - Music [ Armaan ] [ Tempo : 100 ] 188*#, 7**, 6, 79, 58#, 69, 78, 6, 5#, 3, 49#, 58#, 4#, 3, 1#, 39, 58#, (hold 4)9#, 18*#, 7**, 6, 79, 58#, 69, 78, 6, 5#, 3, 49#, 58#, 4#, 3, 1#, 399 Aankhien Bhi Hoti Hain [ Haasil ] [ Tempo : 80 ] 48*, 5#, 599, 488, 5#, 5, 4, 2#, 1, 5**#, 699#, 488*, 199, 588, 4, 2#, 199, 188#, 1#, 6**#, 2*, 2, 299# Aisa Kion Hota Hai [ Ishq Vishk ] [ Tempo : 112 ] 58*, 58, 59, 5, 5, 4#, 3, 28, 199, 48#, 48#, 49#, 4#, 48#, 39, 2, 1, 7**, 29*, 58**, 6, 1*, 1, 7**, 68, 79, 5, 3, 699, 588, 6, 1*, 1, 1, 28, 19, 2, 7**, 6, 5999 Aankhon Ne Tumhari [ Ishq Vishk ] [ Tempo : 180 ] 3*, 2, 199, 3888, 2, 1, 2, 3, 49#, 3, 299, 5888, 6, (hold 7)9, 78, 19*, 799**, 4888#, 5, (hold 6)9, 68, 79, 699, 1888*, 1, 1, 1, 7**, 6, 799, 788, 3*, 2#, 3, 19, 799**, 78, 68, (hold 5)8, 4#, 3, 4#, 3, 299, 38, 58, 69, 5, 48#, 399 Aaj Kehna Zarori Hai [ Andaaz ] [ Tempo : 112 ] 18*#, 1#, 79**, 1*#, 78**, 69, 78, 6, 49#, 18*#, 1#, 79**, 1*#, 78**, 69, 78, 6, 49#, 28, 2, 4#, 4#, 6, (hold 4)9#, 38, 39, 38, 4#, 29, 28, 2, 4#, 4#, 6, (hold 4)9#, 38, 39, 3 Allah Kare Dil Na Lage [ Andaaz ] [ Tempo : 112 ] 5, 1*, 18, 1, 69**#, 28*, 2, 19, 19, 588**, 5, 19*, 18, 1, 69**#, 28*, 2, 19, 19, 288, 2, (hold 2)9#, 28, 1, (hold 6)9**#, 28*, 2, (hold 2)9#, 28, 1, (hold 6)9**#, 28*, 2, (hold 2)9#, 28, 1, (hold 6)9**#, 28*, 2, 19, 19, 588**, 5, 5#, 6#, (hold 5)#, 69#, 58#, 59, 48 Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai - Title Song [ Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai ] [ Tempo : 90 ] (hold 3)8, 48#, 59, 1*, 799**, (hold 1)88*, 78**, 69, 7, 699, (hold 3)88, 48#, 59, 1*, 799**, (hold 1)88*, 78**, 69,7, (hold 6)9, (hold 2)88*, (hold 7)**, 5, (hold 2)*, (hold 7)**,(hold 5)9, 288*, 3, 299, 7**, 199*, (hold 7)88**, 68, 59, 58, 7, (hold 6)9, 5, 48#, 49#, 5, 48#,3, 399 Apna Banana Hai [ Rishtey ] [ Tempo : 70 ] 288*, 38, 0, 39, 48, 0, (hold 4)9, 08, (hold 4)99, 08, 4888, 0, 4, 0, 49, 38, 0, 39, 28, 299, 399, 08, 2888, 38, 0, 39, 48, 0, (hold 4)9, 08, (hold 4)99, 08, 4888, 0, 4, 0, 49, 38, 0, 39, 28, 3, 299, 399. Andekhi Anjani Si [ Mujhse Dosti Karoge ] [ Tempo : 100 ] 18*, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2#, 29#, 28, 1, 6**#, 6#, 1*, 2, 29, 68**#, 6#, 6#, 1*, 29#, 28, 1999, 1888, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2#, 29#, 28, 1, 6**#, 6#, 1*, 2, 29, 68**#, 6#, 6#, 1*, 29#, 28, (hold 1)99 Akkh Jo Tujh Se Lad Gayi Hai [ Ankhiyoon Se Goli Mare ] [ Tempo : 160 ] 48, 69, 688, 69, 1, 68, 69, 6, 1, 68, 199, 68, 19, 68, 29, 18, 2, 19, 6, 6, 488, 29, 49, 28, 1, 2, 18, 4999, 48, 28, 19, 68, 1, 1, 6, 4, 4, 6, 6, 1, 69, 59, 588, 1, 1, 19, 68, 68, 18, 69, 5, 49 Aja Re Tu [ Company ] [ Tempo : 124 ] 28*, 2#, (hold 3)9, (hold 2)#, 28, 2#, (hold 2)9, (hold 1)#, 28, 2#, (hold 3)9, (hold 2)#, 28, 2#, (hold 2)9, (hold 1)#, 28, 5, (hold 2)9, 09, 48, 4#, (hold 5)9, (hold 4)#, 48, 4#, (hold 4)9, (hold 3), 48, 4#, (hold 5)9, (hold 4)#, 48, 4#, (hold 4)9, (hold 3), 48, 6#, (hold 4)9 Aap Mujhe Ache Lagne Lage - Title Song [ Tempo : 63 ] 18**#, 38, 299#, 78**, 28*#, 199#, 188#, 39, 29#, 78**, 28*#, 199#, 188#, 7**, 69#, 79, 788, 6, 59#, 69, 688, 5#, 39, 69, 588#, 499#, 188#, 499#, 588#, 69, 4#, 29*, 188#, 7**, 699, 288*, 199#, 18#, 79**, 688, 59#, 5#, 79, 58#, 69, 588#, 499# Ankhain - Title Song [ Tempo : 100 ] 2*, 39, 488, 3, (hold 2)8, 399, (hold 7)9**, 28*, 39, 488, 3, (hold 2)8, 3999, (hold 6)888**,0, 69, 7, 2*, 0, 08, (hold 6)8**, 69, 7, 2*, 08, (hold 4), (hold 4)8, 399, 0, (hold 6)88**, 69, 7, 2*, 0, 08, (hold 6)8**, 69, 7, 2*, 08, (hold 4), (hold 4)8, 3999, 28, 39, 488, 3, (hold 2)8, 399, (hold 7)9** Aapke Pyaar Mein [ Tempo : 160 ] 78, 2*, 5**, 4#, 3, 4#, 3, 3, 39, 3, (hold 3), 08, 78, 2*, 5**, 4#, 3, 4#, 3, 3, 39, 3, 28, 19, 08, (hold 3)8, (hold 4)#, 3, (hold 3), (hold 4)#, 3, (hold 3), (hold 3)#, 3, (hold 3), (hold 4)#, 3, 28, 1, 2, 1, (hold 1)99, 08, 5, 48#, 4#, 3, (hold 3)9, 38, (hold 3)9 Awara Paagal Deewana [ Tempo : 180 ] 3**, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 7**, 1*, 2, 1, 7**, 2*, 1, 7**, 6, 7, 1*, 7**, 6, 1*, 7**, 6, (hold 7), 68, (hold 5)99#, 0, 688, 6, (hold 6)99, 388, 3, (hold 3)99, 0, 588, 5, (hold 5)99, 288, (hold 2)99, 08, (hold 1), 38, (hold 7)9**, 38*, (hold 6)9** Aaghaaz [ Man Tera Mera Man ] [ Tempo : 140 ] 59, 08, 588, 6#, 2*, 6**#, 199*, 08, 688**#, 6, 5, 6, 499, 08, 288, 4, 6, 4, 599, 0, 5, 08, 588, 6#, 2*, 6**#, 199*, 08, 688**#, 6, 5, 6, 499, 08, 288, 4, 6, 4, 599 Aaja Sohneya [ Shazia Manzoor ] [ Tempo : 90 ] 388, 3, 3, 3, 49#, 699, 08888, 6888, 6, 59#, 68, 49#, 58, 4999#, 0888, 3888, 3, 3, 3, 49#, 7, 699, 6888, 6, 59#, 68, 49#, 58, 499#, 08, 7, 188*, 79**, 6, 69, 788, 69, 5, 59, 688, 59, 3, 499# Apna Punjab Hove [ Tempo : 90 ] 38, 3, 5, 58, 699, 688, 69, 6, 0, 3, 5, 58, 699, 688, 69, 6, 0, 6, 7, 5, 68, 799, 088, 38*, 28, 39, 0, 2, 2, 3, 78**, 699 Aankhen Khuli [ Mohabbatein ] [ Tempo : 140 ] 6, 1, 78, 19*, 38, (3)9, 68**, 699, 68, 7, 68, 29*, 78**, 59, 6, 79, 78, 2*, 28, 39, 28, 19, 1, 1, 288, 099, (1)99, 78**, 59, 7, 6, 6, 69, 0888, 6888, 6, 699, 58, (6), 78, 19*, 38, 0, (7)9**, 28*, 79**, 5, (6)9 Aashiq Tera [ A.S. Kang ] [ Tempo : 190 ] 488, 4#, 4, 4#, 49, 4#, 5#, 4#, 4, 2#, 48, 4#, 4, 4#, 49, 4#, 599#, 2888#, 2#, 2#, 2#, 29#, 4, 4#, 4, 2#, 1#, 28#, 2#, 2#, 2#, 49, 4#, 499 Apna Sangeet [ Tempo : 170 ] 68, 18*, 1, **, 1*, 29, 38, 49, 38, 299, 388, 29, 38, 29, 18, 69**, 18*, 19, 18, 29, 38, 29, 38, 199, 88**, 3*, 29, 38, 299, 68**, 18*, 1, **, 1*, 29, 38, 49, 38, 299, 388, 29, 38, 29, 18, 69**, 18*, 19, 18, 29, 38, 29, 38 Ajnabi [ Tempo : 140 ] 18**#, 7**, 6, 5#, (hold 4)9#, (hold 1)*#, 1#, (hold 1)8#, 79**, 7888, 199*#, 29, 1#, (hold 7)9**, 188*#, 7**, (hold 5)8#, 49#, 39, 4#, (hold 5)8#, 48#, 3999, 4#, 58#, 48#, (hold 3)9, (hold 5)888#, (hold 6)999, 5#, 488#, 5#, (hold 4)9999#, 58888#, (hold 6)9, 59#, (hold 4)#, (hold 1)*#, 1#, (hold 1)8#, 79**, 78, (hold 1)88*#, 2999, 1#, (hold 7)9**, 188*#, 7**, (hold 5)8#, 49#, 39, 4#, Arzoo Jagawoo [ Tempo : ? ] (hold 6)99*#, (hold 5)888#, 69#, (hold 5)#, 1*, (hold 5)8**#, 699#, 6#, (hold 5)88#, 19*, (hold 2)8#, 199, (hold 5)88**#, 699#, 6#, (hold 5)88#, 4999, (hold 5)8, 68888#, 19999*, 688**#, 5# Ashiq Mujhe Ashiq [ Tempo : 160 ] 28*#, 28#, 2#, 29#, 2, 2#, 28#, 2#, 29#, 2, 2#, 28#, 2#, 29#, 2, 2#, 28#, 2#, 29#, 2, 2#, 28#, 2#, 29#, 2, 2#, 28#, 2#, 29#, 2, 19, 29, 288, 28, 2, 29, 1, 2, 28, 2, 29, 1, 2, 28, 2, 29, 1, 2, 28, 2, 29, 1, 2, 28, 2, 29, 1, 2, 2#, 2, 1, 59**# Avara Bhawarey [ Tempo : 125 ] (hold 2)8**, (hold 2)8, 29, (hold 2), 2, (hold 1)8, (hold 1)9, (hold 1)9, 18, (hold 7)8**, (hold 6)9, 79, (hold 6)8, (hold 2)*, (hold 1), (hold 7)**, (hold 6), (hold 5)9, (hold 2)88*, 2, (hold 2)9, 2, (hold 1)8, (hold 1)9, (hold 1)9, (hold 1)88, (hold 7)**, (hold 6)9, (hold 7), (hold 6), (hold 2)*, (hold 1), 79**, (hold 6)8, (hold 5)9, (hold 2)88*, (hold 2), (hold 2)9, 18, (hold 7)**, 199*, (hold 7)8**, (hold 1)*, (hold 2)9, (hold 2)88, 29, (hold 2), (hold 1)8, (hold 7)** Aye Dil [ Kya Kehna ] [ Tempo : 140 ] 5*, 3, 8**, 3*, 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 19, 8**, 3*, 2, 1, 3, 29, 8**, 2*, 1, 7**, 1*, 29, **, 58*, 5, 39, 8**, 3*, 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 19, 8**, 3*, 2, 1, 3, 29, 8**, 2*, 1, 7**, 2*, 19, 8**, 5*, 6, 6, 5, 5, 6, 6, 5, 6, 59, 8**, 5*, 6, 5, 4, 5, 4, 39, 8**, 5*, 4, 3, 5, 49, 8**, 4*, 3, 2, 3, 49, 8**, 5*, 6, 6, 5, 5, 6, 6, 5, 6, 59, 8**, 5*, 6, 5, 4, 5, 4, 39, 8**, 5*, 4, 3, 5, 49, 8**, 2*, 1, 7**, 2*, 19 Aap Ka Aana [ Kurukshetra ] [ Tempo : 180 ] 68, 59#, 4#, 38, 39, 49#, 588#, 6, 7, 5#, 6, 59#, 48#, 4999#, 5888#, 49#, 3, 28, 39, 58#, 5#, 6, 7, 5#, 6, 5#, 4#, 4999#, 688*, 68, 5#, 6, 5#, 4**#, 1#, 4#, 1# Abdul Kader [ Tempo : 200 ] 288*, 3, 49, 48, 6, 59, 58, 6, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 49, 48, 5, 3, 4, 3, 2, 19, 0, 18, 2, 3, 49, 48, 6, 59, 58, 6, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 49, 48, 2, 39, 38, 1, 299 Aksar Is Duniya Mein [ Dhadkan ] [ Tempo : 225 ] 4*, 4**, 48, 3, 49, 48, 3, 2999, 488, 4, 3, 48, 5, 4, 3, 2999, 488, 4, 48, 3, 49, 48, 3, 2999, 488, 4, 3, 48, 5, 4, 3, 299, 1888, 399, 3, 38, 2, 39, 38, 2, 1999, 388, 3, 2, 38, 2, 199 Ande ka Funda [ Jodi No.1 ] [ Tempo : 200 ] 5*, 5, 5, 2#, 4, 09, 2#, 2, 2#, 4, 2, 2#, 09, 5, 5, 5, 2#, 4, 09, 2#, 2, 2#, 4, 2, 2#, 09, 1, 1, 1, 2#, 2, 09, 2, 1, 2, 2#, 1, 6**#, 09 Aay Meray Dil [ Josh ] [ Tempo : 160 ] 1+, 28, 3, 4, (3)999, 3888, 3, 6, 3, 2, (2)999, 3888, 3, 6, 3, 2, 2999, 388, 28, 09, 19, 38, 1, 7++, (6)999 Monday, August 21, 2006Strange Facts
The Iron Pillar from Delhi Enigma of the Iron PillarB.N. Goswamy The sight is so familiar: each time you are in the vicinity of the Qutab Minar in Delhi, you find groups of tourists gathered around a tall, sleekly tapering iron pillar in that complex, one person from the group standing with his or her back firmly against it, and trying to make the fingers of the two hands touch while holding the pillar in embrace. Very few succeed but, almost always, there is a feeling of merriment around, since terms are set within the group and each person is 'tested', as it were, for fidelity or truthfulness or loyalty, even longevity, it could be anything. When a person fails to make the contact between the fingers of the two hands wrapped around the pillar, squeals of delight go up. This has gone on for years, certainly ever since tourist guides came into being.
The Iron Pillar at Delhi seen through an arch. The Iron Pillar dates from Gupta King, Barely anyone from these thronging groups of tourists, however, cares to find out the history of this pillar, or knows that it has been something of a riddle for people—historians, archaeologists, palaeographers, metallurgists, etc—for close to a century and a half. The pillar is now located in Delhi, although one knows almost for certain that it was moved to that place from somewhere in Madhya Pradesh about a thousand years ago. But, somehow, in my own mind, it has come to be associated also with Shimla. For that is where I have been hearing of it mostly of late. When I was there last year, at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study(IIAS), a series of lectures on the Iron Pillar were being delivered by a visiting scholar, a well-known metallurgist, Prof R. Balasubramaniam of the IIT, Kanpur. This year again, when I was in Shimla, the pillar came up, for the institute had brought out a finely detailed publication based on that series of lectures, under the title, "The Delhi Iron Pillar: New Insights." Like last year, however, a debate about the points made in the book ensued again, for there were, and are, scholars at the institute who hold other opinions on the points raised in the book. Each serious study that appears—and Professor Balasubramaniam's is certainly one—adds to the scholarship on this theme, and extends the field further. But nothing, it seems, is finally settled.
Inscription on the rust resilient Iron Pillar from Delhi Some physical facts about the pillar are reasonably well-established: it is 7.3 metres tall, with one metre below the ground; the diameter is 48 centimetres at the foot, tapering to 29 cm at the top, just below the base of the wonderfully crafted capital; it weighs approximately 6.5 tonnes, and was manufactured by forged welding. But, this said, nearly everything else about the pillar is surrounded by acute controversy: For whom was it made? Exactly when? Where did it originally stand before it was moved to Delhi? What is the true import of the long inscription in Brahmi characters engraved upon it? Who placed the later inscriptions on it, and when? Who had the pillar moved to its present location, and why? What exact processes were followed in forging it into shape at that early a point of time, the 4th/5th century AD? Above all, from the scientists' point of view, what is the secret, the great mystery, behind the fact of its being virtually non-rusting? There seems to be no end to the questions. Take the case of the Brahmi inscription alone. Readings of this six-line, three-stanza inscription in Sanskrit verse vary considerably, the one most often published being that by Fleet, who translated it in 1888. It speaks, in very poetic terms, of the powerful, all-conquering monarch who had the pillar made: "He on whose arm fame was inscribed by the sword, when in battle in the Vanga countries, he kneaded (and turned) back with (his) breast the enemies who, uniting together, came against him; … he, by the breezes of whose prowess the southern ocean is even still perfumed." But, this eloquent panegyric apart, when it comes to identifying the king with clarity, and giving further details about the erection of the pillar, the inscription suddenly leaves some questions unanswered: obviously, not for those who lived in those early times, but for later generations, for whom so much information was lost in the centuries that have gone by. Thus, the verse concludes with the words: "He who, having the name of Chandra, carried a beauty of countenance like (the beauty of) the full moon, having in faith fixed his mind upon (the God) Vishnu, (had) this lofty standard of the divine Vishnu set up on the hill (called) Vishnupada." But who exactly was king Chandra remains a puzzle. On other grounds, historical or palaeographic, it can be concluded that the pillar belongs to the Gupta period, but, from among the imperial Guptas, who is it that is referred to here simply by the name of 'Chandra': Chandragupta I, Chandragupta II, also celebrated as Vikramaditya, or, as some firmly believe, Samudragupta? Again, the Guptas were known to have been devotees of Lord Vishnu, but where was this hill called 'Vishnupada' located? Questions like these are, however, only a relatively simple sample of the issues that centre on the great pillar. There are others, very complex ones, that have engaged the minds of scholars. Prof Balasubramaniam addresses them in his inquiry without once losing sight of the sheer elegance of the pillar, especially of its exquisitely made capital atop which a figure of Garuda, the ' Sun-bird ', who is the vahana of Vishnu, or a chakra, the discus that is his emblem, might once have stood. There are long and detailed chapters on the structural features of the pillar, the methodology of its manufacture, a general inquiry into other large iron objects in ancient India, including the iron pillars in Dhar and Mandu in Madhya Pradesh, Mount Abu in Rajasthan, the Kodachadri Hill in Karnataka. But, understandably, the most densely argued chapter is on the corrosion-resistant nature of this iron pillar, the P-content and the S-content of the low carbon mild steel of which it is made, the process of rust protection, the colour of whatever rust there is, spectroscopic analyses, are all themes, something that has led to its being widely regarded as a 'miracle' of technology, given the times in which the pillar was forged and erected. With all this, however, will the whole clutch of issues addressed in the book get finally settled, one might ask? I doubt it. But then this is the way it should be; this is how scholarship proceeds. Corrosion, of a different kind I was very taken up with a saying of the Buddha, cited from the Dhammapada, which serves as an epigraph at the beginning of the book. This is how it runs:
Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020714/spectrum/art.htm Mystery of Delhi's Iron Pillar unraveled New Delhi, July 18: Experts at the Indian Institute of Technology have resolved the mystery behind the 1,600-year-old iron pillar in Delhi, which has never corroded despite the capital's harsh weather. Metallurgists at Kanpur IIT have discovered that a thin layer of "misawite", a compound of iron, oxygen and hydrogen, has protected the cast iron pillar from rust. The protective film took form within three years after erection of the pillar and has been growing ever so slowly since then. After 1,600 years, the film has grown just one-twentieth of a millimeter thick, according to R. Balasubramaniam of the IIT. In a report published in the journal Current Science Balasubramanian says, the protective film was formed catalytically by the presence of high amounts of phosphorous in the iron—as much as one per cent against less than 0.05 per cent in today's iron. The high phosphorous content is a result of the unique iron-making process practiced by ancient Indians, who reduced iron ore into steel in one step by mixing it with charcoal. Modern blast furnaces, on the other hand, use limestone in place of charcoal yielding molten slag and pig iron that is later converted into steel. In the modern process most phosphorous is carried away by the slag. The pillar—over seven metres high and weighing more than six tonnes—was erected by Kumara Gupta of Gupta dynasty that ruled northern India in AD 320-540. Stating that the pillar is "a living testimony to the skill of metallurgists of ancient India", Balasubramaniam said the "kinetic scheme" that his group developed for predicting growth of the protective film may be useful for modeling long-term corrosion behaviour of containers for nuclear storage applications. Crowds Throng to See Hindu Statues DrinkCrowds Throng to See Hindu Statues Drink
LUCKNOW, India -- Hundreds of thousands of Indians thronged temples across India on Monday in the belief that statues of Hindu gods were drinking milk. "I put a milk-filled spoon to Ganesha's mouth and he drank it," exclaimed Akhilesh Shukla, a trader in Lucknow, capital of northern Uttar Pradesh state.
He was among the countless devotees who carried milk in glasses and pitchers to northern Indian temples where Hindus worship Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of good fortune and wisdom; Shiva, the destroyer, and Durga, the goddess of strength. "It is a miracle," said Sudhir Mishra, a priest at a Shiva temple in Lucknow. He said that at least 10 liters of milk had been offered at his temple on Monday. "Look at the floor it is fairly dry. Where's the milk gone? It should be visible on floor. Can you see that." But others dismissed the milk-slurping gods as the work of less miraculous forces _ surface tension, which pulls the liquid toward the statues, and capillary action, through which the milk is leached into the statues by tiny pores on the surface of the stone. "Milk disappears the same way water reaches the top of a tree through roots," said A. K. Sharma, a professor at Lucknow University. Indian folklore is replete with tales of miracles, and sociologists said the frenzy over the latest such incident should be viewed through sharp contrasts in education among India's billion-plus people. "Many people in India straddle two different worlds _ one world of scientific education and high-tech jobs versus another steeped in their centuries-old beliefs in supernatural phenomena. And they see no contradiction in this," said Abhilasha Kumari, a sociologist at Jamia Milia Islamia university in New Delhi. The drinking gods craze came after thousands of Muslims flocked to a bay in Bombay late Friday and early Saturday to drink "sweet water" _ ordinarily brackish water that was noticeably less salty than usual. Scientists said recent heavy rains had lowered the salinity of the water, and officials urged people not to drink from Mahim Bay where the water is reportedly contaminated by raw sewage and industrial waste. Nearly two days later, on Sunday evening, milk was offered to a statue in the town of Bareilly, also in Uttar Pradesh, and the idol absorbed the liquid. As the word spread through television reports, crowds swarmed temples in dozens of cities, just as millions did during a similar episode in 1995, when authorities were forced to deploy extra police to control crowds. Some parts of the country also faced a milk shortage. At that time, a group of scientists visited a temple in New Delhi and fed a statue milk tinted with dye. The milk was quickly absorbed by the idol, and soon permeated the stone, leaving the statue coated by a colored, milky film. |
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