Agha Aly Asker by Syeda Mirza

Agha Aly Asker

-The Persian who contributed significantly to

 the development of Bangalore in mid 19th century 

by Syeda Mirza

  Finding a book on Bangalore and its people is a gratifying experience by itself. After a lot of research, visits to the libraries & bookstores and talks with fellow city dwellers if you are lucky you may find one, if luckier you may find an author signed copy like I did. Thank you Rehana Mohammed Shakir's Pet Therapy & Surrogate Pet Programme for guiding me to Champaca a well curated book café which left the Bangalore reader in me impressed.

India has always been a melting pot of civilization. If one were to ask for a quintessential example for this statement, our city of Bangalore is the best to cite. A side lane on Cunningham Road connecting to the Miller’s Road bears the name of a Bangalorean by choice and love for his karmabhumi, Agha Aly Asker the founding father of the Persian legacy in the city. His contribution to the city of Bangalore and Mysore State during that period is incredible and forms an important part of our city’s rich legacy.

As a 16-year-old boy of Turkic origin, Agha Aly Asker left is hometown of Shiraz in Persia and came to Bangalore in 1824 as a horse trader and became more. The book initially speaks of the culture and the landscapes of his hometown. Shiraz is beautifully described as a land of mystics, poets and gardens; rightfully called ‘The City of Roses And Nightingales’. With chai khaneks and bazars, horse races and gymkhanas, carpets and chandeliers, architectures and societal structures, delicacies and cuisines, manners and upbringing, religion and culture; the author has not left one detail untouched. One is left mesmerized reading the first few chapters.

However, as they say destiny is what you make it, Agha Aly Asker had a vision for his future in the then land of Hind and Ingleesi. His courage to pursue, the adventures to reach the subcontinent through the deserts and the seas is described through and through, the reader gets drifted to those times. Along with being an equine connoisseur and contributing to the horse racing map of the city Agha Aly Asker has built many iconic colonial bungalows at the request of Sir Mark Cubbon who had a paternal affection for this young immigrant who came to the city crossing Bushehr, Mangalore, Puttur, Hasan, Adichunchanagiri only because of his love for horses.

Now from horses to houses, the list of houses built and owned by Agha Aly Asker is mind boggling, from Raj Bhavan to Balabrooie. He also played an important role in the Mysore State’s persistence of securing the Wodeyar gadi for Krishnaraja Wadeyar III adopted son Chamaraja, preventing the British plan of annexing Mysore. The list of presents that reached Queen Victoria speaks of the richness of Mysore State and only a keen observer who had a taste for such finesse could come up with such precious tokens to get things going. Such incidents reflect his relentless love for his adopted country despite his trades with the British. His sense of justness to the locals and natives deserves great respect and admiration.

The author also writes about his descendants and the other stalwarts associated with him like Sir Mark Cubbon, Sir Mirza Ismail, the Wodeyars and his comradeship with them. His kindness, honour, justice and love towards the family and friends that he made here in Bangalore is captured in its truest essence in the book with multiple references and documents. The words in this book carry the power and fragrance of his favourite pink rose ‘Gul-e-Mohammadi’ and that is the beauty of his story, a legacy that deserves all the love he has left behind for this world.

Fading histories, fading cities...

After getting this book we walked down the Agha Ali Asker Road. Coincidentally I spotted a fading yellow board in one of the crossroads, one can hardly read the name and number of the cross on it. While I was assuring myself that the road is the one, a cyclist stopped by and left his cycle leaning on the board and went about his work. The name supports a Bangalorean even after a century, and that was the moment when I felt that there must be something transcendental about him.

I wish we Bangaloreans remembered and respected the people who made us, a little more🙏🙂

A few quotes from the book:

To sit and manage a horse is the most important thing in the world- Sir Winston Churchill

The true journey is not crossing the desert or covering great distances by sea, it is arriving at a point outside ordinary experience, where the savour of the moment suffuses all the contours of the inner life.-Kevin Rushby

#booksandbangalore #aghaalyasker #syedamirza #booksonbangalore #peopleofbangalore #bangaloreheritage #citizensofbangalore #readingbangalore #aghaalyaskerroad #champacabookstore

Bangalored!

 ‘Be proud of your town because it is a big part of who you are!’ said some wise gentleman.

“Pride without knowledge is like a tree without roots!” said somebody else, a little wiser maybe.

Of late I have begun to follow their words and I have started learning about Namma Bengaluru. What better way than to read all the literature about the place we live in? While discussing our common interests (read books!) a friend recommended me ‘Peter Colaco’s Bangalore: Century of Tales from City & Cantonment’. I was on an eager search the same day.

“Your search ‘Peter Colaco’s Bangalore: Century of Tales from City & Cantonment" did not match any products. Try something like using more general terms or checking your spelling” said Amazon.

“Sorry, no results found! Please check the spelling or try searching for something else” said Flipkart.

 “Sorry, out of stock” said Sapna Online.

“Out of stock, it is in print Madam...” said Mr Maye Gowda of Blossoms Book House with his signature smile.

And then like all roads lead home, I sent this on our WhatsApp group of Akruthi Books.

Pat came Guru’s reply, a dear friend and the owner of the bookstore. If there is something called as cloud nine, it was this text for me at that moment. There is a reason why some book stores become your favourite, it is because they are run by warm people who make the place feel warmer than home. They make a way to your heart. They are not about sales. They are not about discounts. They are not about author meets and greets. They are not about book reading sessions. They prevail for something beyond all that, for the higher purpose of reading.

I received the book by post today and cannot wait to read it. Thank you Guru :-) I am Bangalored, of course for good. 

Off I go on a nostalgic through Namma Bengaluru :-)

PS: For all those who love reading and who live in Bangalore, do visit this bookstore at Rajajinagar, a quiet but bright basement very close to Bashyam Circle. I bet you cannot stop loving this little den and getting some books!

Here are the details:

Whom to contact: Mr Guruprasad on 098866 94580 [Ask him about a book, he will review it in a line or two within a couple of minutes for you :-) !]

And where it is: No. 28 (Old No. 733), 2nd Floor, 3rd Block, No. 31/1, 12th Main Rd, Gayathri Nagar, Rajaji Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560010

 On Map: 

 

 -R.

The Scavengers

This post is in the list of Blogadda's Tangy Tuesday Picks of October 4th, 2016 

"Everyone must be his own scavenger"

-Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi-

My two cents to Baapu today, the only thing he can do is this, leap out of this beautiful street art and do the needful. I have been commuting through Bannerghatta Road of Bangalore for the past two years; and I must say that once upon a time this place looked a tad bit better. This is somewhere on the five hundred metre stretch from Shopper’s Stop to the Jeddimara junction, right on the main road, travelling on this road is as good as getting a breath holding test done to check your cardiopulmonary reserve. I stopped by and clicked a picture today for it is something which perfectly defines our defiance amidst all the celebrations. People have thrown enough garbage for Gandhi to do his part, to be his own scavenger! 

Today on the birth anniversary of Gandhiji and Shastrji our Prime Minister and our government with all the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ wants us to make this unfathomable dream of a clean India come true. Before we catch hold of a broom and pose for a photograph and send it across as requested, well there is a lot of introspection to do.

Every time I pass by this place, I think of the Samaritan who drew this on the wall, I think of his or her effort and of all the people who may see it. I wonder how many of us can figure out the intention behind this art. It is to create a new mindset and to educate people but look at all the garbage around! Ironically ‘Shramdaan’ happens only on days such as today and constructing ’Shouchalyas’ remain only as winsome advices from film stars. A while before I clicked this picture a man was happily taking a leak and a few others were tip toeing around awaiting their turn. Nature calls in the wee hours of morning you see. Civility demanded I turn around and look at the other side, that's the most I could do!

Normally it is impossible to walk on this stretch of the road, with children defecating on the footpath, garbage and filth piled at every twenty feet of distance and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike workers half willingly cleaning and scavenging the area. And mind you this is all on one of the busiest roads of the Garden City and Silicon Valley of India, the situation elsewhere in Bengaluru I bet isn’t any different. I wish the Palike of our city and the people of this locality looked into this matter, at least today. Look at our Baapu smiling on the wall despite what he has been offered! Before we think on what is the best tribute we pay our leaders and country, we as citizens are duty bound to sustain what we have already been provided with, knowledge or amenities. Somehow in India, this never seems to happen. Lakhs of villages and hundreds of cities are now declared Open Defecation Free. Bless the data and statistics, let us include them in our bag of achievements. All the advertisements and campaigns in fact are nothing but a veil of development; our Indianness is here to stay for a long time to come. 

So what am I complaining about? Well I could have gone ahead with an enthusiastic team today [of which there is no dearth especially on such occasions!] to clean this place and sent a picture to Modiji, put it up on social media and all. You know with the masks and caps and tees and boots and brooms in hand but which fellow Indian can assure me that after a couple of months this place will not bear the brunt again? I cannot wait till the next Gandhi Jayanthi or any other Jayanthi for that matter to go ahead and clean my Bengaluru. I am writing this with a larger issue in mind, of personal hygiene and a sense of personal health. One cannot expect one’s neighbour to come and scoop up what one throws on the road. Unless every individual realizes that his own cleanliness comes before his own happiness and somebody else's too, all community efforts are futile. Let godliness stay where it wants, to each his own. When it comes to cleanliness, nobody can better our lives. We have to do it ourselves, it's a responsibility which is strictly personal, just like one's belief.

-R. 

#october2nd #gandhijayanthi #lalbahadurshastrijayanti #soIndian #swachhbharat #defiance #cleanonlyforaday #campaignsofIndia #NaMo #whowillcleanthiscountry #happygandhijayanthi #celebrations #nationaldays #narendramodi #hamaraBharathmahankyunkihummahan #sobangalore #trelltalebangalore #myblr #namoorujana #bangalorediaries #India #failinginitiatives #Indiatoday#thingsthatiamnotproudof #swachhbharatabhiyan #bbmp #bengalurumahanagarapalike

Of Grass And God

When there is a festive occasion at home and my folks are busy putting things in order I have this habit of asking questions about the procedures that are being followed so fervently. They always answer them with a lot of patience, accepting or refuting their explanations thankfully is up to me. Today is Ganesha Chowthi, the fourth day of Shuklapaksha of Bhadrapada celebrated with much grandeur across the country to honour Ganesha's birthday, and like any other Indian God he has his special requirements. Twenty one seems to be his favourite number. Twenty one names, twenty one flowers, twenty one leaves and twenty one sit ups. I had returned home from the hospital this morning and the first thing Amma reminds me to do is this customary exercise, so holding my ears with crossed hands and reciting this sloka I began.

"Benaka benaka...

Ekadanta....

Pachegallu...

Panipeeta...

Muthinunde...

Honnagante

Inthopuva Sri Siddhi Vinayaka

Devara padakke namo namasthe!"

Up and down, twenty one times!

“Why ‘Garike’ hullu Amma?”

I asked looking at the fresh green grass that was offered to him and as always was thinking of something else.

“Governments rise and fall, machines rust away, great buildings crumble, but mountains still stand, rivers flow to the sea and the earth is clothed in grass and verdure. Nature gives. And takes away. And gives again...”

So writes Ruskin Bond in his book‘The Book of Nature’. And here we were offering the same grass to God. A friend of mine had opined over a conversation just yesterday ’Nature is God’ and that echoed strongly now.

There are two versions to the story behind Ganesha’s special liking towards this grass. Apparently an Apsara in heaven wanted to marry him and she disturbed his meditation, he declined her proposal and in return she cursed him. He started having some burning sensation on his forehead and this grass came to his rescue. The second story is more interesting, Ganesha devoured a demon named Analasura who was troubling Yamaloka. This demon had the power to emit fire, so when he ended up in Ganesha’s stomach he gave him hell of a time. Thousands of sages offered this grass to Ganesha which reduced his discomfort. And therefore it is concluded that if you were ever to give Ganesha one thing, it has to be this ‘Garike hullu’.

Mythical I know but this was not what Amma told me today. She looked at me with some sort of amusement, it was more than the gratification she got because I was listening to her like every year.

“Hmmm…because he has an elephant head right and elephants are herbivores…they love eating grass…what Zoology have you learnt in school Oppi! Now go eat the Kadubu I have made!” she said and continued her effort to please Ganesha.

She heard the conflict in my head, maybe.

-R.