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• Winged friends throng Kamrup's Deepor Beel
• Hidden gateways discovered in Agra fort

Winged friends throng Kamrup's Deepor Beel
by Gaurav Srivastava

    Kamrup (Assam): Deepor Beel, a biodiversity hot spot on the outskirt of Kamrup has suitably enough potential to stun anybody visiting for the first time. Deepor Beel is a permanent freshwater lake and a major stormwater storage basin for the city.The Beel is endowed with rich flora and fauna. In addition to huge congregation of residential water birds, the Deepor guests list includes large number of migratory waterfowls every year. The global biodiversity hotspot is home to hundreds of species of birds, fishes and amphibian life forms. Every year the winged friends from northern hemisphere start coming here from September and stay through out the winter season. According to Kiran Chandra Das, a boatman, these birds come every year and he has been watching them since the last 50 years. He says that he has taken many bird watchers to the Beel. Another resident, Prahlad Das, reveals that often these birds are killed by people, which he doesn't likes. He says that when water level goes down more than 10,000 birds come to the Beel. Experts also feel that the restoration of Beel is necessary for maintaining the echological equilibrium in and around the city. "I have fishing in this Deepor Beel for more than 40-50 years. There are various birds and it is difficult to finish the name list. People come here form outside to watch birds. I take people to see the birds.There are so many birds, I can't tell the manes, " Kiran Chandra Das, boatman "We like the birds. People sometime kill them. We don't like this and we tell the people that 10,000 to 12,000 birds come here every year, when water level goes down," adds Prahlad Das, a local resident. This view is also endorsed by B.N. Talukdar, the Assisant Conservator of Forests of the area.
-Feb 7, 2005

Hidden gateways discovered in Agra fort (Go To Top)

     Agra: Two new entrances to the red sandstone monument of the 16th century Agra Fort has been recently discovered. The Mughal emperor Akbar laid the foundation for the construction of the Agra Fort in 1565 and was completed by his successors. Workers engaged in the fort's repair discovered the hidden 'Water Gate' and the 'Haathi Gate' during their restoration work. Historians say that the British who set up their military bases here and made alterations to the fort's architectural structure had sealed the gates for their own convenience. Hathi Gate forms one of the four main entrances to the fort, whereas the Water Gate lies hidden between the fort's wall and a ditch. "When work was being done from Amar Singh gate to Haathi Ghat gate, all the undergrowth and bushes surrounding it was being cleared. Then two gates namely the water gate and hathi ghat gate were revealed," said Amarnath Gupta, Conseravation Assistant. Trade was mainly conducted through the Hathi Gate whereas the existence of the Water Gate has also been acknowledged in historical texts. It is believed that the gate was operated in times of water crises. Moreover it was also the gateway, which the queens used for boating. Historians said the newly discovered gates could draw lots of tourists. "I believe the gates should definitely be opened for the tourists. It will help them to understand how people led their lives around 300 to 400 years back. Moreover this discovery has cultural significance and can contribute a lot. Therefore it should be made open for the public. If the government makes arrangements for a light and sound show then it will become more interesting. This fort is a human legacy," said Pratima Asthana, a historian. The Archaeological Survey of India has sanctioned 25 lakh rupees for the restoration work. This majestic citadel has two main gates, the Delhi Gate and the Amar Singh Gate. The original and grandest entrance was through the Delhi Gate. But now the entrance to the fort is only through the Amar Singh Gate. Public access is limited to the southern part of the fort, which includes nearly all the buildings of tourist interest.
-Feb 3, 2005

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