VISIT TO EUROPE - UNITED KINGDOM - LONDON - HOLBORN & WEST MINISTER

CHAPPIDI ABHIRATH REDDY,
C/O COL GKS REDDY,hile on a visit

Secunderabad - 500 015.

Visit to Holburn (Camden County)

          While on a visit to London in Mar 2014, to meet my children and also to tour some of the European Countries, with London as the Base, I decided to meet Col Sanjay Chibber (Retd), an ex - colleague of mine from National Defence Academy, Kharakvasla (Pune) and an Infantarian like me, who took voluntary retirement from Indian Army, after commanding an Infantry Battalion and moved to London and settled down.

          We decided to meet in his office in Holborn, in the Camden County, adjoining central London on 31 Mar 2014. Since there are two Tube routes to Holborn from Rayners Lane, where I was staying with my daughter - The Fast Metro Line to King's Cross and back to Holborn or The slow Piccadilly Line, which goes directly from Rayners Lane to Holborn, without any changes enroute, I decided to take the slow Piccadilly Line. On the morning of 31 Mar, I took Piccadilly Line at about 1100 h and reached his office in Holborn at about 1200 h.

Holborn

Holborn (/ˈhoʊbərn/ hoh-bə(r)n)[a] is an area of central London and also the name of the area's principal street, known as High Holborn between St. Giles's High Street and Gray's Inn Road (the junction being roughly where Holborn Bar—the entrance to the City of London—once was) and then Holborn Viaduct between Holborn Circus and Newgate Street. Since boundary changes in 1994, the street runs along the boundary between the London Borough of Camden and the City of London; previously the boundary was less obvious in the area and crossed the street at Holborn Bar.

We decided to chat over a glass of English Wine and have lunch at the famous Bleeding Hearts bar at Holborn. We had a long chat about our days together at NDA and Indian Army and at the end of the day decided to celebrate our meeting after a long time by Visiting Lille in France together on 03 Apr 2014. After Lunch, we walked back to his office through the famous Holborn Bars, a heritage building, taking a few snaps enroute

Holborn Bars Building

          Located close to the Holborn Bar city boundary of the City of London it was built on the site of the former Furnival's Inn building of the Inns of Chancery. Designed in Gothic Revival style for the Prudential Assurance Society in phases between 1885 and 1901 by architects Alfred Waterhouse and his son Paul Waterhouse and modified 1930-32 by E. M. Joseph, who introduced Art Deco features. It was expanded again in 1993 by EPR Architects to a floor area of 34,931 square metres.

         The block is bounded by Holborn to the south, Brooke Street to the west, Leather Lane to the east and Beauchamp Street to the north.

        The building featured a library, restaurant, chapel, hall, rooftop promenade and a women's entrance. The complex encloses a courtyard, Waterhouse Square, named after the original architect, who also designed the Natural History Museum and Manchester Town Hall.

The building was listed Grade II* on 3 March 1972.

A view of a the left portion of Holborn Bars upto the central Tower

A view of the central Entrance to the Holborn Bars with my 

colleague Col Sanjay in the foreground

Another view of the Central entrance with self in the Foreground

A view of the rear wing of Holborn Bars from the inner courtyard

Another view of the rear wing of the Holborn Bars

Old Pearl Assurance Building

          On my way back from Col Sanjay's Office to Holborn Tube Station, I was impressed by the Old Pearl Assurance Building, just before the Holborn Station and took a few snaps. The old Pearl Assurance Building, is presently used by the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel.

A long shot of the Old Pearl Assurance building with a 

dome on top from across the Road

A frontal view of the central entrance of the Renaissance Chancery 

Court Hotel (Former Pearl Assurance Building) 

A view of the Metro Bank Building, a heritage building located 

just across the Square in front of Holborn Tube Station

Visit to Central London

Visited Central London alongwith my elder daughter, son-in-law and Grandson on 18 May 2014, primarily to see London Aquarium. Since I had problems with my camera to take snaps of the Aquarium due to the dim lighting and reflections in the underground Aquarium, I decided to take a few snaps of the area around instead.

A view of the London Aquarium Building taken from the 

South Bank of the West Minister Bridge

A view of the London Eye from West Minister Bridge

A closer view of the Aquarium Building

A view of the South Bank Lion

A closeup of the Inscription on the South Bank Lion Pedestal

A decorative lamp post in front of the Aquarium, 

with West Minister in the Background

A view of the Old MI 5 Building located across the River from the London Eye

Another view of Old MI 5 Building

A long shot of West Minister, Big Ben and West 

Minister Abbey from the London Eye

Another view of West Minister and Big Ben from the London Eye

Some Close Views of London Eye

A close view of London Eye

An even closer view of London Eye

A full view of London Eye from across the Park in front of it

Note:- The information about the places visited has been Extracted from Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.

MY COLLECTION - ANCIENT INDIAN COINS - ALBUM NO 04 - HINDU & BUDDHIST DYNASTIES -1

CHAPPIDI ABHIRATH REDDY,
C/O COL GKS REDDY,hile on a visit

Secunderabad - 500 015.

ANCIENT INDIAN COINS

Janapadas, Mauryan Empire, Sunga Empire and Kuninda Kingdom and Satavahana Empire

Janapadas and Mahajanapadas

Janapadas

        The Janapadas (Sanskrit: जनपद pronounced [dʒənəpəd̪ə]) were the major realms republics or kingdoms of Vedic (Iron Age) India from about 1200 BC to the 6th century BC, which were then divided into the sixteen classical Mahajanapadas.

          The term janapada is a tatpurusha} compound term, composed of janas "people" or "subject" (cf. Latin cognate genus, English cognate kin) and pada "foot" (cf. Latin cognatepedis). From its earliest attestation, the word has had a double meaning of "realm, territory" and "subject population". A janapadin is the ruler of a janapada. Janapada's were the earliest gathering places of men, merchants, artisans and craftsmen akin to marketplace or town surrounded by hamlets and villages.

        Linguist George Dunkel compares the Greek andrapodon "slave", to PIE *pédom "fetters" (i.e. "what is attached to the feet"). Sanskrit padám, usually taken to mean "footprint, trail", diverges in accent from the PIE reconstruction. For the sense of "population of the land", padasya janas, the inverted padajana would be expected. A primary meaning of "place of the people", janasya padam, would not explain why the compound is of masculine gender. An original dvandva "land and people" is conceivable, but a dual inflection would be expected.

          In context of Krsna digvijay, the Mahabharata furnishes a key list of twenty-five ancient Janapadas, viz., Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Magadha, Kasi, Kosala, Vatsa, Garga, Karusha, Pundra, Avanti, Dakshinatya, Parvartaka, Dasherka, Kashmira, Ursa, Pishacha, Mudgala, Kamboja, Vatadhana, Chola, Pandya, Trigarta, Malava, and Darada . Besides, there were the Janapadas of Kurus and Panchalas also.

         Ramayana (an earlier list) includes Janapadas of Andhras, Pundras, Cholas, Pandyas, Keralas, Mekhalas, Utkalas, Dasharnas, Abravantis, Avantis, Vidarbhas, Mlecchas,Pulindas, Surasenas, Prasthalas, Bharatas, Kurus, Madrakas, Kambojas, Daradas, Kiratas, Tangana, Yavanas, Sakas (from Saka-dvipa) Chinas, Maha-Chinas, Niharas etc.

          The Bhuvanakosa Section of numerous Puranas divides the ancient Indian subcontinent into (1) the Dakshinapatha (Southern India), (2) the Madhyadesa (Mid India), (3) thePrachya (Eastern India), (4) the Aparanta (Western India), (5) the Udichya or north/north-west division, (6) the Vindyavasins, and (7) the Parvatashrayins, and in the detailed list of countries, it refers to many Janapadas of ancient times (See: Kirfel's list of the countries of Bhuvanakosha)

        By about the sixth century BCE, many of these Janapadas further evolved into larger political entities by the process of merger and land grabbing which eventually led to the formation of bigger kingdoms known in Buddhist texts as the Mahajanapadas or the great nations (a karmadharaya of maha "great" and janapada "country").

Mahajanapadas.

          Mahājanapada (Sanskrit: महाजनपद, Mahājanapada, literally "great realm" from maha, "great", and janapada "foothold of a tribe", "country") refers to one of the sixteen kingdoms and oligarchic republics that existed in ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE. Ancient Buddhist texts like Anguttara Nikaya make frequent reference to sixteen great kingdoms and republicswhich had evolved and flourished in a belt stretching from Gandhara in the northwest to Anga in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent and included parts of the trans-Vindhyan region, prior to the rise of Buddhism in India.

          The sixth century BC is often regarded as a major turning point in early Indian history. Archaeologically, this period corresponds in part to the Northern Black Polished Ware culture. The Sixteen Mahajanapadas are:-

1. Anga              2. Assaka (or Asmaka)                   3. Avanti                  4. Chedi


5. Gandhara       6. Kashi                                          7. Kamboja              8. Kosala


9. Kuru              10. Magadha                                   11. Malla                 12. Machcha (or Matsya)


13. Panchala      14.Surasena                                     15. Vriji                  16. Vatsa (or Vamsa)

My Collection of Janapada Coins

Mauryan Empire

          The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in ancient India, ruled by the Maurya dynasty from 322–185 BCE. Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (modern Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh) in the eastern side of the Indian subcontinent, the empire had its capital city at Pataliputra (modern Patna). The Empire was founded in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and rapidly expanded his power westwards across central and western India, taking advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward byAlexander the Great's Hellenic armies. By 316 BCE the empire had fully occupied Northwestern India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by Alexander.Chandragupta then defeated the invasion led by Seleucus I, a Macedonian general from Alexander's army, gaining additional territory west of the Indus River.

          The Maurya Empire was one of the largest empires of the world in its time. It was also the largest empire ever in the Indian subcontinent.[5] At its greatest extent, the empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, to the east into Assam, to the west into Balochistan (south west Pakistan and south east Iran) and the Hindu Kush mountains of what is nowAfghanistan. The Empire was expanded into India's central and southern regions by the emperors Chandragupta andBindusara, but it excluded a small portion of unexplored tribal and forested regions near Kalinga (modern Odisha), until it was conquered by Ashoka. It declined for about 50 years after Ashoka's rule ended, and it dissolved in 185 BCE with the foundation of the Sunga Dynasty in Magadha.

        Under Chandragupta and his successors, internal and external trade, agriculture and economic activities, all thrived and expanded across India thanks to the creation of a single and efficient system of finance, administration, and security. After theKalinga War, the Empire experienced nearly half a century of peace and security under Ashoka. Mauryan India also enjoyed an era of social harmony, religious transformation, and expansion of the sciences and of knowledge. Chandragupta Maurya's embrace of Jainism increased social and religious renewal and reform across his society, while Ashoka's embrace of Buddhismhas been said to have been the foundation of the reign of social and political peace and non-violence across all of India. Ashoka sponsored the spreading of Buddhist ideals into Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, West Asia and Mediterranean Europe.

          The population of the empire has been estimated to be about 50 – 60 million making the Mauryan Empire one of the most populous empires of Antiquity. Archaeologically, the period of Mauryan rule in South Asia falls into the era of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW). The Arthashastra and the Edicts of Ashoka are the primary sources of written records of Mauryan times. The Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath has been made the national emblem of India.

My Collection of Mauryan Empire Coins.

Sunga Empire.

         The Sunga Empire (Sanskrit: शुंग राजवंश) or Shunga Empire was an ancient Indian dynasty from Magadha that controlled vast areas of the Indian Subcontinent from around 187 to 78 BCE. The dynasty was established by Pushyamitra Sunga, after the fall of the Maurya Empire. Its capital was Pataliputra, but later emperors such as Bhagabhadra also held court at Besnagar, modernVidisha in Eastern Malwa.

          Pushyamitra Sunga ruled for 36 years and was succeeded by his son Agnimitra. There were ten Sunga rulers. The empire is noted for its numerous wars with both foreign and indigenous powers. They fought battles with the Kalingas, Satavahanas, theIndo-Greeks, and possibly the Panchalas and Mathuras.

       Art, education, philosophy, and other forms of learning flowered during this period including small terracotta images, larger stone sculptures, and architectural monuments such as the Stupa at Bharhut, and the renowned Great Stupa at Sanchi. The Sunga rulers helped to establish the tradition of royal sponsorship of learning and art. The script used by the empire was a variant ofBrahmi and was used to write the Sanskrit language.

          The Sunga Empire played an imperative role in patronizing Indian culture at a time when some of the most important developments in Hindu thought were taking place. Patanjali's Mahabhasya was composed in this period. Artistry also progressed with the rise of the Mathura school of art. Thereafter, there was a downfall of the dynasty and Kanvas succeeded around 73 BCE. 

My Collection of Sunga Coins.

Kuninda Kingdom.

       The Kingdom of Kuninda (or Kulinda in ancient literature) was an ancient central Himalayan kingdom from around the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century, located in the modern state of Uttarakhand and southern areas of Himachal in northern India.

          The history of the kingdom is documented from around the 2nd century BCE. They are mentioned in Indian epics and Puranas. TheMahabharata relates they were defeated by Arjuna.

         One of the first kings of the Kuninda was Amoghbhuti, who ruled in the mountainous valley of the Yamuna and Sutlej rivers (in today'sUttarakhand and southern Himachal in northern India).

          The Greek historian Ptolemy linked the origin of the Kuninda to the country where the rivers Ganges, Yamuna, and Sutlej originate.[1]

          One of the Edicts of Ashoka on a pillar is also present at Kalsi, in the region of Garhwal, indicating the spread of Buddhism to the region from the 4th century BCE.The Koli Rajput's of Garhwal and Kumaon traces ancestry from Kulindas.Kulin word came from Koli which means a person of high status and da denotes powerful man.

          The Kuninda kingdom disappeared around the 3rd century, and from the 4th century, it seems the region shifted to Shaivite beliefs. According to Hari Krishan Mittoo author of numerous books on Himachal, the Kanets are descendents of Kunindas.

My Collection of Kuninda Coins

Satavahana Empire.

          The Sātavāhana Empire was a Indian dynasty based from Dharanikota and Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh as well as Junnar(Pune) and Prathisthan (Paithan) in Maharashtra. The territory of the empire covered much of India from 230 BCE onward. Although there is some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates suggest that it lasted about 450 years, until around 220 CE. The Satavahanas are credited for establishing peace in the country, resisting the onslaught of foreigners after the decline of Mauryan Empire.

          The Sātavāhanas were vassals to the Mauryan dynasty until the decline of the latter. They are known for their patronage ofHinduism. The Sātavāhanas were early issuers of Indian state coinage struck with images of their rulers. They formed a cultural bridge and played a vital role in trade and the transfer of ideas and culture to and from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the southern tip of India.

          They had to compete with the Sungas and then the Kanvas of Magadha to establish their rule. Later, they played a crucial role to protect a huge part of India against foreign invaders like the Sakas, Yavanas and Pahlavas. In particular their struggles with theWestern Kshatrapas went on for a long time. The great rulers of the Satavahana Dynasty Gautamiputra Satakarni and Sri Yajna Sātakarni were able to defeat the foreign invaders like the Western Kshatrapas and stop their expansion. In the 3rd century CE the empire was split into smaller states. According to ancient Sangam literature the Satavahana rulers were allied with the Tamilrulers of the Chera dynasty, Chola dynasty and Pandyan Dynasty to defeat the foreign invaders like the Scythians. 

My Collection of Satavahana Coins.

Note:- The information about the Dynasties has been Extracted from Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.