Hyderabad's James Street Police Station, built in 1870s, revitalised for future
The police station was originally named after British Resident James Kirkpatrick and later renamed after businessman Seth Ramgopal, who financed its construction. In 1998, the fully functional police station was designated as a heritage building under the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority. Over time, this grand structure succumbed to the elements. Leaking roofs and broken rafters became common, clear signs of deterioration due to the passage of time and nature's relentless touch.
Conservation architect GSV Suryanarayan Murthy of Kshetra Consultants said his team studied the original geometry, architectural features, and material used, along with archival research, to restore the building. Asked about the condition of the building at the start of the conservation project, he said that the structure was intact, though portions of the roof at the back had cracked. 'People had added a water tank, damaging the brackets and parapet, and the roof portion. We removed it and tried to load the water tank appropriately so that it does not further damage the structure in the future,' he added.
According to him, the 'Madras terrace' and 'jack-arch roof' are unique to the era's buildings. 'There are no people who know the know-how of this kind of roof. So, we studied the previous specifications from old documents, trained people, tested at some place, did trial and error, and we continued only after finding them appropriate,' he said, adding that the famed British Residency and iconic Kurshid Jah Devdi are examples of similar architecture to be found in Hyderabad.
Mir Khan of Deccan Terrain Heritage, who carried out the restoration work, said that several layers of foreign material, such as cement and synthetic paints, were carefully removed and redone with ancient lime plaster techniques, as part of the restoration. 'The ornamental lime plaster over typical colonial brick masonry is one of a kind in clock tower design, signifying the era of brick and lime mastery, where curved steps and grooves on the outer walls distinguish it from general lime buildings' ornamentation,' he said.
According to Khan, wooden rafters, due to constant moisture, were damaged, and wherever required, propping was done and replaced. 'Due to ageing and interventions, the building, like any heritage building, required detailed analysis before taking up restoration. We have to retain the breathability in the walls. So, for aeration, we have to have lime plaster on both sides. Terrace leakages are common in any heritage building. However, if you don't attend to them in time, the water penetrates the building and becomes a problem. The clock tower was in bad shape. There was a 400-kg brass bell. We have kept it on the ground floor as a memento,' he explained.
Rahul V Pisharody is an Assistant Editor with the Indian Express Online and has been reporting from Telangana on various issues since 2019. Besides a focused approach to big news developments, Rahul has a keen interest in stories about Hyderabad and its inhabitants and looks out for interesting features on the city's heritage, environment, history culture etc. His articles are straightforward and simple reads in sync with the context.
Rahul started his career as a journalist in 2011 with The New Indian Express and worked in different roles at the Hyderabad bureau for over 8 years. As Deputy Metro Editor, he was in charge of the Hyderabad bureau of the newspaper and coordinated with the team of district correspondents, centres and internet desk for over three years.
A native of Palakkad in Kerala, Rahul has a Master's degree in Communication (Print and New Media) from the University of Hyderabad and a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. Long motorcycle rides and travel photography are among his other interests. ... Read More
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Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
A dark, bitter truth: Mridula Ramesh spills the beans on coffee
About a thousand years ago, in the mountains of Ethiopia, a shepherd boy named Kaldi saw his goats acting strangely. The next day, he followed and saw them eat red berries growing in clumps on a short tree with waxy, dark-green leaves, sheltered by the rainforest canopy. Coffee cherries dry in the sun, post-harvest. (Shutterstock) He plucked a berry and popped it into his mouth. Its meagre flesh was sweet, encasing twin seeds. He bit into these too and found them hard and bitter, but within 15 minutes, he had a spring in his step and was hopping along with his goats. This is coffee's origin tale, told in the highlands of the Kaffa region. The berry spread from these cool and wet climes around the world, but this is the climate that still suits coffee best. Back then, as word spread of this bean and its effects, priests began to chew on it to help them stay awake through long rituals. It took hundreds of years, journalist Mark Pendergrast writes in his book Uncommon Grounds (1999), for coffee beans to be roasted and brewed. Then, plantations came up in Yemen, and the port city of Mocha became the hub for global exports. The Ottoman Empire later inherited and reinforced this monopoly. Venetian traders then popularised the brew in Europe, but they still relied for their supply on roasted beans from Arab traders, who tightly guarded live plants. By the 17th century, coffee houses had spread rapidly across Europe, with England, particularly London and Oxford, becoming renowned for their vibrant 'penny universities', where people from across social backgrounds engaged in lively discussion, news-sharing and intellectual debate. Unlike taverns, these venues promoted the exchange of ideas and served as breeding grounds for Enlightenment-era thought. Several major British institutions originated in coffee houses: the Lloyd's insurance company began at Edward Lloyd's coffee house; the London Stock Exchange grew out of trades made at a café called Jonathan's. Members of the Royal Society frequently met in coffee houses. The coffee house catalysed Britain's intellectual transformation. *** In rainforests such as the Amazon, trees are levelled and the debris set ablaze, to make room for the lucrative plantations. (Shutterstock) Caffeine lay at the heart of this. It is structurally similar to adenosine, a naturally occurring neurochemical that builds up in the brain over the day and signals, by evening, that it is time for the body to rest. Caffeine resembles adenosine closely enough to bind to its receptors in the brain, but unlike adenosine, it does not activate them. These receptors, when activated, promote calm and sleep and regulate mood and motivation. By occupying these receptors without triggering them, caffeine blocks adenosine's calming effect, leading to increased neuronal activity and the enhanced effectiveness of dopamine pathways. Ingesting caffeine makes one feel less sleepy, more alert, improves reflexes and makes one more energised. In short, it made people more industrious. As demand grew, Europe's merchants began to ask themselves: Can we not grow this bean ourselves? The Dutch were the first to break the Arab monopoly by acquiring live coffee plants — historical accounts differ as to whether this was through smuggling or a gift — and cultivating them first in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and then in Java (Indonesia), in the 17th century. The French then obtained a plant from the Dutch botanical gardens in Amsterdam, which they successfully cultivated on Reunion Island and then in the Caribbean. Incidentally, another origin tale has it that Baba Budan, a 17th-century Sufi saint, smuggled seven seeds to India, hidden in his beard, to set up the country's first coffee plantation, in Karnataka. *** Cultivation of this crop is time- and labour-intensive, requiring several steps that must each be executed with precision. First, seeds must be selected and nursed into seedlings. These must be transplanted and tended to (with regular weeding, pruning, pest and disease control, and irrigation). At harvest, the cherries must be hand-picked, often selectively and over several phases, since they ripen unevenly. Post-harvest, the cherries must be processed, dried, hulled, sorted, graded and roasted, each step involving at least a certain degree of skilled manual labour. In a coffee plantation that I recently visited in Tamil Nadu, harvest coincides with the winter rains and the manager must cajole workers to stand in the downpour, braving leeches, to pick the cherries. Wages exceed ₹1,000 a day, with bonuses for productivity, but still, plantation ownerShakerNagarajan says, labour is not easy to come by. Incidentally, in one of the world's most expensive coffees, the Kopi Luwak, much of this process is outsourced to Asian palm civet cats, who eat and pass the bean, their stomach enzymes enhancing the flavour. Someone still has to collect the scat, extract the beans, clean, dry and roast them. Back in the 17th century, the need for all this labour spurred coffee's cruellest avatar: that of a plantation-grown crop enabled by deforestation and slavery. And it was brutal. Haiti, in 1788, provided nearly half the world's coffee, but under conditions so inhuman that a slave's life expectancy was 21 years. Then coffee began to eat into the rainforests of Brazil. The story goes that the seeds entered Brazil, then a Portuguese colony, hidden in a bouquet given by the wife of the governor of French Guiana to her Portuguese lover. After the country broke free of Portuguese rule in 1822, coffee plantations grew swiftly, clearing enormous, almost unfathomable swathes of the Amazon in the process. In his book With Broadax and Firebrand (1997), ecological historian Warren Dean describes how a crew of loggers would ascend a hillside, cutting through a swath of trees without felling them, until the foreman severed the 'master tree'. Its fall would trigger, like dominos, the entire hillside of timber to collapse in a 'tremendous explosion'. The felled trees were later set ablaze, leaving the land looking like a battlefield, 'blackened, smouldering, and desolate'. The ash, writes Pendergrast, provided a boost for the coffee seedlings, and when the soil grew tired, the plantation owner moved on and burned a fresh patch of forest. The irony of destroying a forest to plant a shade-loving crop was lost on the farmers. To meet soaring global demand, large swathes of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, particularly the upland slopes, were also cleared. Brazil became, and remains, the world's leading producer of the bean, but at a cost that is now coming due for us all. *** Meanwhile, Brazil's gigantic coffee harvest caused prices to fall enough to make this a mass-market drink. As it entered the home, a cultural revolution was unleashed. Historian AR Venkatachalapathy writes that, in the early 20th century, families in Tamil Nadu drank neeragaram or kanji, essentially fermented rice water. Conservative commentators bemoaned the abandoning of this nutritional beverage for the amoral, probably unhealthy, new brew. In the US too, there was a raging battle over coffee's possible health impacts, with dubious arguments and counterarguments playing out in advertisements. But too many had grown accustomed to the alertness that the morning cuppa provided. Then, in the 1950s, climate struck, with a frost decimating the Brazilian crop, causing coffee prices to skyrocket. From the ashes of this disaster, another variant rose like a phoenix: Instant coffee, where cost, convenience and nifty advertising combine to triumph over taste. Now, the hardier Coffea canephora aka Robusta rose to prominence, despite its harsher flavour. Native to Africa's lowlands, the higher-yielding crop marked a new era, with the plant now devastating new geographies in Brazil, Uganda and Vietnam. Separately, in the 1960s, scientists began to develop new strains of Arabica. These could grow under sunlight, but needed far more fertiliser. This became a double whammy for soil health. Then, caffeine began to be packaged in new ways. A 350 ml can of Coca-Cola contains about 34 mg of the substance compared to the hefty 94 mg provided by a regular cup of coffee. The caffeine in soft drinks re-sculpted humanity's biochemistry once more. Neuroscientist and podcaster Andrew Huberman calls caffeine a reinforcer. It does this by making the dopamine circuits more effective in brain areas that make you feel alert and good, encouraging you to indulge in behaviours that accompany that shot of the substance. Studies have shown, for instance, that, particularly in older adolescents, caffeine consumption is strongly linked to reduced sleep time. Now consider that many energy drinks today contain nearly as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, and are ingested by sleep-deprived teens while scrolling mindlessly through Reels, not by a young adult at the beginning of their day. Imagine the brain being re-sculpted, not towards enlightenment but towards the mindless consumption of content designed to make tech companies wealthier. Meanwhile, climate is wreaking havoc on the plant. In many places, farmers are having to move to higher altitudes. Rising temperatures and humidity levels, meanwhile, tilt the balance in favour of pests such as the coffee bean borer and coffee leaf rust. In 2015, a study found that, based on current climate projections, about half the land currently used for coffee production would no longer be suitable for the crop, by the 2050s. As though to prove them right, coffee harvests have suffered in recent years across Vietnam, Brazil and Colombia, leading to record prices. Meanwhile, consumers are increasingly asking for fair-trade beans and sustainably produced brew. This may be just what the doctor, and the planet, ordered. And India is well-placed to benefit from such a trend. Stay tuned for more on this, in the next Trade-Offs. (Mridula Ramesh is a climate-tech investor and author of The Climate Solution and Watershed. She can be reached on tradeoffs@
News18
13 hours ago
- News18
Your Guide To The Best Boarding Schools In India
1/11 India is home to some of the world's oldest and most esteemed boarding schools. Take a look. (Image: AI-Generated) The Lawrence School, Sanawar, Himachal Pradesh: Founded in 1847, The Lawrence School, is the oldest co-educational boarding school in India. Established by Sir Henry Lawrence to serve the children of British soldiers, it has since evolved into a prestigious institution renowned for its emphasis on academics, sports, and student camaraderie. (Image: The Lawrence School) Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh: Established in 1859, Bishop Cotton School is one of India's oldest and most prestigious boarding schools. Named after Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton, its heritage is defined by a strong focus on character development, leadership, and integrity, shaping students into successful individuals. (Image: Bishop Cotton School) Mayo College, Ajmer, Rajasthan: Founded in 1875, Mayo College is a distinguished all-boys boarding school with a rich heritage. Originally established to educate Indian nobles, the school is renowned for its regal architecture and strong emphasis on Indian traditions. (Image: Mayo College) Welham Girls' School, Dehradun, Uttarakhand: Established in 1957, Welham Girls' School is one of India's oldest and most prestigious boarding schools for girls. Founded on the principles of academic excellence, cultural diversity, and personal development, the school has nurtured generations of strong, successful women. (Image: Welham Girls' School) The Doon School, Dehradun, Uttarakhand: Founded in 1935, The Doon School holds a distinguished place in the history of Indian boarding schools. Modelled after British public schools, it was established to provide Indian boys with a well-rounded education. (Image: The Doon School) Montfort School, Yercaud, Tamil Nadu: This prestigious co-ed school was started on June 1, 1917, and is run by Gabriel's Montfort Brothers. Ranked as the best boarding school in India, here education is provided to the students of classes 3 to 7. (Image: Montfort School) Rajkumar School, Rajkot, Gujarat: Established in the year 1868, it is spread over a total campus of 26 acres. It is one of the oldest and famous 12 institutes of India. The children of many kings and maharajas of India have also got their education from this school. (Image: Rajkumar School) Scindia School, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh: Founded in 1897 by Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia of the princely Gwalior State, the all-boys boarding school is situated atop the historic Gwalior Fort. The school is currently managed by a Board of Governors, chaired by Jyotiraditya Scindia. (Image: Scindia School) Daly College, Indore, Madhya Pradesh: Founded by Sir Henry Daly of the British Indian Army in 1870, it is one of the oldest co-educational boarding schools in the world. Originally open exclusively to the sons of the Princes and Chiefs of the Indian Empire, its doors were thrown open to admissions on merit, regardless of gender, caste or creed. (Image: Daly College)
Mint
15 hours ago
- Mint
Two pubs claim to be Londons oldest riverside pub. Which one is right?
LONDON (AP) — On a charming cobblestone street tucked away in London's East End, a pub proudly hangs out a sign that reads 'Oldest riverside pub in London.' Across the Thames River, a pub with a different name makes the same bold claim. The unofficial title of the oldest riverside pub in the city has long been disputed, with both the Mayflower and the Prospect of Whitby laying claim to the title. The two contenders can be found along a quiet stretch of the Thames, far from the city's crowded souvenir shops and tourist sites, serving up traditional British dishes — from steak and ale pie to sticky toffee pudding — with a side of history. The Mayflower is named after the Pilgrim Mayflower ship, which set sail from the site in 1620 to begin its journey to America. Though it only got its name in 1957, it is said to have some of the ship's original timbers incorporated into its structure. Today, pubgoers who can prove direct descent from one of the Mayflower passengers can sign its 'Descendants Book.' Every night, tourists step out of black cabs at the doors of the two pubs, trading the capital's modern skyscrapers for the storied streets of London's East End, lined with quaint terraced houses and red brick warehouses. In both pubs they enter spaces where old paintings hanging on dark paneled walls and other mementos of their histories seem to leave the contemporary world behind. 'There really is a feeling that you might have stepped back in time and could be drinking beer with sailors or pirates or anybody from any Dickens novels really," said Emily Godwin, a Londoner who has been to both. She spoke while sipping a pint of lager with friends at the Prospect on a recent summer evening. The Prospect boasts a pewter bar – the longest of its kind in Britain — where the infamous 'Hanging Judge Jeffreys' is said to have watched the many hangings that took place at the nearby 'Execution Dock.' Early on, the pub was known as the Devil's Tavern due to its association with thieves and smugglers. A hanging noose outside serves as a reminder of the pub's grisly history. It 'feels like such a pocket of history in London,' Godwin said. 'So much of London's East End feels very new and trendy, and the Prospect feels like it's barely changed.' British pubs have always been at the center of social life, with locals coming together over a pint, even in times of war and economic hardship. But the last five years have been challenging for the industry as pubs contended with the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs. This year an estimated 378 venues are set to shutter across England, Wales, and Scotland, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. 'When a pub closes, it puts people out of a job, deprives communities of their heart and soul and hurts the local economy,' said Emma McClarkin, head of the BBPA. Pubs across the country have been forced to find new ways to attract customers. History is a big draw for pubgoers, with a trip to a traditional British pub coming in high on tourists' London bucket lists, raising the stakes of the Prospect and the Mayflower's competition. The Prospect claims it was established in 1520, with its original flagstone surviving an arson attack in 1666 — the same year as the Great Fire of London. The pub was outside of the city limits at that time and was not affected by the conflagration that gutted the medieval city. Justin Billington, assistant manager at the Prospect, said some people date the pub to its full reconstruction in 1774 after the 1666 fire. But he doesn't see it that way, noting that it operated continuously. The day after the fire, the workers rolled out a barrel of beer that had survived the flames and locals showed up with their tankards, drinking vessels, and enjoyed a drink on the spot. There were several reconstructions in the pub's subsequent history, but none withstood the salt water and shifting foundations of the Thames, Billington explained. Not, that is, until 1774 when the retired captain of a merchant ship called 'The Prospect' rebuilt it using the ship. 'This rebuild held and continues to hold on for dear life," he said. If the pub was actually established in 1774, that would make the Mayflower — established in the 16th century — older. But there are no hard feelings between the pubs as Billington described their competition as a 'loving rivalry.' 'We compete against each other to be the oldest, and to serve the best food and drink,' he said. But the question remains: How can either pub definitively claim the title? Unlike the title of the 'Oldest pub in England,' held by the Porch House in southern England, which is said to date to the 10th century, there is no official certification for the oldest pub in London. Guinness World Records said it has not formally awarded the title because of the complexities created by numerous name changes, relocations and reconstructions. 'There are lots of very old pubs that might make a claim to being oldest, but it could be contested because it could be argued they weren't always in 'London,'' English historian and author Jacob Field said. 'Many pubs have changed name over time, making it hard to claim they are the oldest."
