Muziris Heritage Binale funds suspended

Funds for Muziris Binale Suspended

Muziris Binale now termed as Cochin binale is now under Governmental Enquiery .Amount set apart for the festival will be released only after investigation by the Secretary,Cultural department,Govt of KeraLa-Mathrubhoomi Daily 28-11-2011 Reports.

This Festival Is a part of MUZIRIS HERITAGE PROJECT ,of which K C H R is the Nodal Agency!

Back Ground paper submitted to Plan Consultative Committee –Sub Committee by KCHR Director reveals that Pattanam research is only a part of Muziris Heritage Project .

Intellectuals Condemn Benale Festival and Pattanam

Friday, 23 December 2011

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/kathakali-distortion-condemned/195127-60-116.html

Time 24-12-2011; 11.15AM

Intellectuals Condemn Benale Festival and Pattanam

Express News Service , The New Indian Express

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram director P Parameswaran has questioned the logic behind linking the Muziris project with the Indian edition of a foreign festival, Biennale, and criticised the vulgar portrayal of Kerala’s classical art form of Kathakali in the festival brochure.

Express, in its Kochi edition, carried a report the other day on the� controversy over the vulgar portrayal of Kathakali in the brochure which� carries the picture of a painting in which a Kathakali artiste’s embellished head is shown fixed on the body of a muscleman wearing only a loin cloth and carrying a mace in his hand.

Noted artistes such as Kalamandalam Gopi had expressed anguish and protest over the vulgar portrayal in the brochure for the Indian edition of an Italian festival, which is slated to showcase India’s rich cultural and social heritage, which will be taken around the world.

The festival, the brainchild of former minister M A Baby, is expected to attract funding amounting to Rs 100 crore of which a major portion is from the Centre and State Governments.

Responding to the news report, Parameswaran said that the shift in the interest of the stakeholders from archeological excavation to heritage� project and now to conducting a foreign festival to promote tourism was a dubious one.

“To start on an academic note, end up in heritage and tourism projects and link it with Biennale festival, the entire issue is surrounded by a kind of mystery. What I don’t understand is how does Pattanam excavation connected to Biennale, an Italian festival,’’ he said.

A foreign festival, which is in no way connected to the excavation, should not be supported by the government. Now, the brochure reveals what they are aimed at. In the name of culture, in fact, they are denigrating the culture, Parameswaran said.

Posted by Pattanam at 21:45 0 comments

Attempt to Transform Adulterated Archaeology at Pattanam into Tourism and Heritage Site of St' Thomas

Archaeologists Respond-
Report by Times of India

Muziris does not need a tourism tag'
Dec 11, 2011, 02.24AM IST [ Gayathri Sasibhushan ]


KOCHI: The focus of the Muziris project is shifting towards tourism
from the archaeological importance of the findings of the excavation
done at a site, according to archaeology experts. On the sidelines of
an international seminar at Kottappuram on Saturday, many experts said
that the project should be given its due archaeological importance.

The excavation at the Muziris heritage site should have been modelled
after the Anuradhapura excavation project in Sri Lanka, K Krishnan, a
faculty member of archaeology at the University of Baroda, said. The
department of archaeology was part of the of the excavation team at
Anuradhapura, which was at present a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Krishnan said that the importance of Muziris was shifting towards
tourism from the archaeological importance of the findings.

A scholar in the field of geological-archaeology, Krishnan suggested a
comprehensive study technique such as the Hinterland transect survey
for further Kottapuram excavations. "In simple language, this would
mean a more intensive field work with Arcgis software-enabled
equipment, which is an expensive and labour-intensive alternative to
what is being done now," he said.

The shards of pottery and celadon found at the Kottappuram fort were
signs of a much earlier settlement of Portuguese than 1509, said Prof
Doutor Vitor Rodriguez. Doutor, an expert on the Portuguese forts in
south India, said, "Kottappuram will have more relics because the
strategic position of the fort in relation to the ancient Spice route
and further excavations will definitely give us more evidence."

Posted by Pattanam at 21:32 0 comments

Monday, 5 December 2011

The International Conspiracy for Establishing Pattanam as St' Thomas site

median.hypotheses.org

Accession date and time 06-12-2011

Roberta Tomber Stated that St' Thomas Landed at Pattanam.

Shinu Abraham is consultant -Knanaya Nazrene Christian Academy at Pattanam

K.P.Shajan and V.Selvakumar Presented Papers on Pattanam for Syro-Malabar Church, Kochi

The International Conspiracy for Establishing Pattanam as St' Thomas Site

Migration, Trade and Peoples

Publication en ligne de la Royal Asiatic Society :
Willis M. (ed.), Migration, Trade and Peoples : European Association of South Asian Archaeologists. Proceedings of the eighteenth congress, London, 2005, London : The Br itish Association for South Asian Studies, The British Academy, 2009.

Sommaire

Foreword / Michael Willis. iii

PART 1: INDIAN OCEAN COMMERCE AND THE ARCHAELOGY OF WESTERN INDIA. 1
Editors: Roberta Tomber, Lucy Blue, Shinu Abraham

Preface. 2

- Boats, Routes and Sailing Conditions of Indo-Roman Trade / Lucy Blue. 3

- Strategies for Surface Documentation at the Early Historic site of Pattanam, Kerala: the Malabar Region Archaelogical Survey / Shinu A. Abraham. 14

- Archaeological investigations at Pattanam, Kerala: New Evidence for the Location of Ancient Muziris / V. Selvakumar, K.P. Shajan and Roberta Tomber. 29

- Beyond Western India: the Evidence from Imported Amphorae / Roberta Tomber. 4

Posted by Pattanam at 23:14 0 comments

MGS comments on Pattanam Excavations

MGS cmments on pattanam excavation

Friday, 18 November 2011

National Archaeological Meet-Prof MGS Asks KCHR to Hand Over Pattanam to ASI---P.J.Cherian Vehemently Criticized by Leading Archaeologists

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/kchr-asked-to-hand-over-pattanam-excavation/333792.html

Express News Service

Last Updated : 16 Nov 2011 12:57:31 PM IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: M G S Narayanan, noted historian and Director General of the Centre for Heritage Studies has called upon the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) to hand over the excavation activity, being carried out at Pattanam, to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI).Presiding over the annual meet of the Archeologists held here the other day, he said that the KCHR had not been able to make considerable progress in the excavation so far. He said that the ASI, which is the representative body of the Archeologists in the country, had only the expertise to take up such a mammoth task and conduct it in a scientific manner.He expressed his displeasure over the KCHR’s decision to black out the media about the ‘meet’ fearing criticism from the archeologists across the country. The organisers in the State had neither invited the media nor given the details to it. When KCHR chairman P J Cherian presented the paper on Pattanam excavation, it invited severe criticism from eminent archeologists.The ASI, Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies and the Indian History and cultural Society jointly organised the meet. ASI Additional Director General Dr B R Mony, former deputy additional director general Dr K N Deekshith and Additional Chief Secretary K Jayakumar were present. Noted archeologist A Sundaraiah was honoured at the function.

Posted by Pattanam at 01:57 0 comments

Wednesday, 16 November 2011

P.J.Cherian and Pattanam -The Integrity of excavations questioned by Indian Archaeologists at three day national conference at Thiruvananthapuram

At Thiruvananthapuram , on 11th November 2011 Prof MGS Narayanan in his presidential address at the annual conference of the Indian Archaeological Society, Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies and Indian History and Culture Society launched a scathing attack on Pattanam excavations and requested the Archaeological Survey of India to undertake the site.On 12th November 2011 eminent archaeologists questioned the integrity of Pattanam excavations. After P.J.Cherian presented his paper on Pattanam at the Indian Archaeological Society Session it was severely criticized. Prof A.Sundara leading archaeologist from Karnataka pointed out that there are no major structural remains at the site. He asked P.J.Cherian to precisely record and classify antiquities from each trench rather than pooling them together and interpreting them. Prof. Sundara told Cherian that such approaches are not adopted in field archaeology since cultural material from each trench has its validity. Prof .Sundara also pointed out that the claims of structural remains from Pattanam is questionable. Dr. K.N.Dikshit former Joint Director General of Archaeological Survey of India and Secretary of Indian Archaeological Society questioned the claims of P.J.Cherian that Historical Period at Pattanam goes around 1000 BC. K.N. Dikshit asked Cherian to be cautious and review such claims since Historical Period in Peninsular India has not gone beyond 200-300BC

Other archaeologists questioned Cherians claims of Pattanam as an urban site since nothing was seen in empty trenches when they visited Pattanam . To them Cherian told that he has left the site and structures in the trenches were carried away by local people for which he is not responsible.When he was again asked to clear as to how residential areas, streets , warehouses and wharfs can be carried away by people Cherian was silent and stood isolated.

Posted by Pattanam at 22:05 0 comments

Sunday, 13 November 2011

Pattanam and P.J.Cherian: Prof. MGS Narayanan Launches Scathing Attack on Pattanam Ideology

Professor MGS Narayanan Former Chairman of ICHR and currently Director General of Centre For Heritage Studies, Thrippunithura, Kerala launched a scathing attack on Pattanam archaeological excavations and KCHR. He was delivering the Presidential address of the National Conference of three archaeological socities- The Indian Archaeological Society, Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies and Indian History and Culture Society on 11th November 2011 at Mar Gregorious Renewal Centre, Nalanchira Thiruvananthapuram.. Professor MGS Narayanan urged the Archaeological Survey of India to take up Pattanam excavations.The entire archaeological community from all over India numbering 200 and represented by the three socities applauded the suggestions put forward by MGS. Narayanan.Dr. K.N.Dikshit, fSecretary of Indian Archaeological Society and former Deputy Director General of Archaeological Survey of India, Dr. B.R.Mani, currently Additional Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, Professor P.K.Thomas and Professor Pramod Joglekar of Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies and Professor Vandana Kaushik and Professor Ashalatha Joshi of Indian History and Culture Society were present on the occasion.

Posted by Pattanam at 22:09 0 comments

Monday, 7 November 2011

P.J.Cherian Dupes Press and Southern Naval Command.

To Press P.J.Cherian States He Discovered the Oldest Pier in the World. To Southern Naval Command He is Silent on Pier and Wharf and States on the Canoe at Pattanam.




http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-268270437.html
Accession Date and Time 08-11-2011; 8.15 AM
KOCHI, Sept. 29 -- The National Maritime Foundation (NMF) has honoured the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) with its excellence award.
KCHR Director P J Cherian received the award, consisting of a plaque and citation, from Vice-Admiral K N Sushil, flag officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command, at a function organised at the Naval Base. . J Cherian said that Pattanam excavations have unearthed the oldest ever pier in the world.sought the assistance of all in taking the Muziris Project forward and acknowledged the contributions of the Southern Naval Command in the underwater mapping of the area.





http://indiannavy.nic.in/PRel_110928_MuzirisProjectAward.pdf
Accession Date and Time 08-11-2011; 8.15 AM
National Maritime Foundation (NMF) has awarded the Excellence Award to
the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR). The award consisting of a plaque
and citation was accepted by Dr PJ Cherian, Director of KCHR from Vice Admiral KN
Sushil, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Naval Command at an
impressive ceremony at the Southern Naval Command Officers Mess late evening
yesterday. .P Dr PJ Cherian in his acceptance speech informed the audience that the
Pattanam canoe could be one of the oldest found in an archaeological context in
South Asia.

Posted by Pattanam at 18:51 0 comments

With Piracy Photos P.J.Cherian Argues Pattanam is Ancient Muziris

http://www.basas.org.uk/groups/ports.htm

Accession Date and Time 08-11-2011; 8.00AM

RESEARCH GROUPS

BACK

Ports and Indian Ocean Exchanges

Convenors: Dr R Tomber (British Museum, London, UK) & Prof PJ Cherian (Kerala Council for Historical Research, Trivandrum, India)
This international research group concentrates on Indian Ocean exchange of the Early Historic and Medieval periods, particularly seen through its ports, and the goods and ideas exchanged between them.
The convergence of textual and archaeological evidence during the Early Historic makes it and subsequent periods especially amenable to the study of exchange. Active archaeological research throughout the rim of the Indian Ocean is providing new finds and stimulating a growing interest in the subject. Informed speculation on the global nature of the economies of these periods can only now be attempted on the strength of this new information regarding the connections, exchanges and interaction among the different ethnic groups, trade sites and partners from different social and political systems.