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Compiled By: Asim Deb, 1977 Electronics & Tele-Communication Engineering

Stone by Stone, Hanamkonda’s Kakatiya-Era Dance Pavilion Rises Again.
After a 42-year conservation effort, the Archaeological Survey of India has rebuilt the sunken dance pavilion of iconic 12th century Nandi sculpture of the Hanamkonda’s Thousand Pillar Temple It used the Kakatiya-era sandbox technology, rebuilt stone-by-stone after it sank into the ground centuries ago. The famed Nandi outside the Shiva shrine is now inaccessible to the public. The sculpture stands reconstructed with the tail and folded leg complete.

The dance pavilion of the troika of Shiva, Surya (sun) and Vishnu was ransacked during the southern conquest of Ulugh Khan in 1323-24. The desecrated temple was left to ruins and as the urban neighbourhood of Warangal closed in, the temple land became a playground for children. It was only in 2012, when ₹5 crore was sanctioned for road widening, that the grandeur of the temple became evident as 30 families who lived in the temple premises were evacuated and structures in the surrounding areas demolished. Due to negligence, the disused pavilion sank to the ground as the north-east fracture or lineament drained away the foundational sandbox used for constructing the temple.

Source:
Stone by stone, Hanamkonda’s Kakatiya-era dance pavilion rises again – The Hindu

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Iconic 19th Century Painting Sets Indian Art Record with ₹167.20 Cr ($17.9m) Sale
A 19th century painting by artist Raja Ravi Varma has become the most expensive Indian artwork ever sold, setting a new auction record. The painting, Yashoda and Krishna, was sold for 1.67bn rupees (₹167.20 cr, $17.9m; £13.6m) at a Saffronart auction in Delhi. The new owner Dr Cyrus S Poonawalla, managing director of the Serum Institute of India. With this auction, Raja Ravi Varma’s painting India’s costliest artwork. It beat the previous record set by MF Husain’s Untitled (Gram Yatra) which fetched $13.8 million in 2025.

The surge in sales and records highlight growing demand for Indian and South Asian art, with collectors pushing prices to new highs. Poonawalla shared, “I am privileged to have the opportunity to acquire, preserve, and care for the iconic Raja Ravi Varma painting ‘Yashoda and Krishna’. This national treasure deserves to be made available for public viewing periodically, and it will be my endeavour to facilitate this going forward.”

Varma, born in 1848 in what is now the southern state of Kerala, is widely regarded as a pioneer of modern Indian painting and one of the most influential artists from the subcontinent. His realistic depictions from Hindu epics and mythology are widely recognised in India – so much so that prints of his works are often found in household shrines. Yashoda and Krishna is an oil-on-canvas painting from the 1890s, when Varma was at the height of his career. It portrays Yashoda is milking a cow, while Krishna stands beside her holding a cup and waiting. The child has a mischievous look in his eyes while Yashoda’s face reflects warmth and care. Their ornaments are minimal, but intricately detailed.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cje4l98wjzwo

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Major Priya Semwal: First War Widow of a Fallen Soldier to Become an Officer in the Indian Army

Major Priya Semwal stands as a pioneering figure in the Indian Army, recognised as the first widow of a martyred Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) to be commissioned as a commissioned officer. Her journey from a grieving widow and single mother in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, to a serving Major in the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME) exemplifies extraordinary resilience, determination, and unwavering commitment to national service. By donning the uniform her husband once wore, she could overcome the challenged societal norms surrounding widowhood and gender roles in the armed forces.

Early Life, Marriage, and Family Foundations:
Priya Semwal, after her first year of undergraduate studies at DAV PG College in Dehradun, she married Naik Amit Sharma of the 14 Rajput Regiment. Naik Sharma encouraged Priya to complete her graduation, and then a Master of Science degree in Mathematics, did a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.), and finally cleared the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET). She then worked as a tutor at a private coaching institute in Dehradun.

The Tragedy: Martyrdom of Naik Amit Sharma
On 19 June 2012, while serving with the 14 Rajput Regiment in Arunachal Pradesh under Operation Orchid, Naik Amit Sharma was martyred. The incident occurred in a transit camp on 17 June, the regiment was travelling in a vehicle along hazardous, unconstructed mountain terrain amid hostile weather conditions. The vehicle lost balance and plunged into a deep gorge. Naik Sharma sustained severe head injuries and succumbed to death. At the time Priya was raising their four-year-old daughter and working as a tutor.

A Pivotal Turning Point: The Decision to Serve
Colonel Arun Agarwal, Commanding Officer of the 14 Rajput Regiment, played a decisive role in Priya Semwal’s transformation. Attending the last rites of Naik Sharma, he learned of Priya’s educational background, and recognising her potential, Colonel Agarwal urged her to consider joining the Indian Army as an officer. Despite initial family apprehensions—stemming from the recent loss and traditional views of widowhood—her family eventually extended full support. Priya then cleared the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination and the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview. She faced an initial medical setback due to a prior kidney stones surgery but was cleared after review by a medical board at the Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi.

Rigorous Training and Historic Commissioning:
Priya Semwal underwent 11 months of demanding training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. She excelled academically and physically, becoming one of only three Lady Cadets to clear the All Tests Pass (ATP) on the first attempt. On merit, she earned the appointment of Company Sergeant Major (CSM) in her senior term, in addition earned recognition in sports and drill.

On 15 March 2014 (with the passing-out parade occurring around 15-16 March), Priya Semwal was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME). She was one of 62 women and 194 men commissioned as Short Service Commission officers that day. Colonel Arun Agarwal travelled from the border to witness the ceremony, describing the occasion as historic: “Probably, this is the first time an Army jawan’s wife has become an officer in India.” The OTA Commandant, Lieutenant General S.S. Jog, termed it “unprecedented” and “the biggest tribute she could pay to her martyred husband and the greatest service she could render to our nation.”
In a poignant reflection shared later, Priya emphasised her motivation: “This is not about employment. Rather, it is about pride and dignity. I want to carry forward the legacy of my husband, who lost his life for the nation.”

Career Progression and Notable Achievements
Promoted over time to Captain and subsequently to Major, Priya Semwal has served various operation areas, including in a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.

In February 2022, Major Semwal was a key member of the Indian Army’s first all-women offshore sailing expedition, organised by the EME Sailing Association under Southern Command. Led by Major Mukta Gautam, the nine-member crew—including Majors Priya Semwal, Priya Das, Rashmil Sangwan, Arpita Dwivedi, and Sanjana Mittal, along with captains—sailed approximately 900 nautical miles from Chennai to Nizampatnam, Visakhapatnam, and back. Flagged off on 15 February 2022 from Chennai Port, the 10-day voyage tested endurance amid rough seas, extreme weather, and logistical challenges. Major Semwal reflected: “Being a woman, I have proved enough that women are strong and capable enough to take up anything and finish that successfully. We wanted to motivate other women to take up challenges.” She also underscored the Army’s training ethos: “The Indian Army believes in the concept that ‘the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in war.’”

Her story has been documented in Swapnil Pandey’s book The Force Behind the Forces (chapter titled “Never Give Up”), and it formed the basis of a 2025 academic paper, “The Silent Strength Behind the Uniform: A Study of Major Priya Semwal in Swapnil Pandey’s Never Give Up,” which analyses her journey through lenses of emotional resilience and gendered agency.

Legacy of Resilience and Inspiration:
Major Priya Semwal continues to serve with dedication, balancing the responsibilities of motherhood with the demands of military leadership. Her daughter, Khwahish, has grown alongside her mother’s evolving career. Through her actions, Major Semwal has subverted traditional notions of widowhood, demonstrating that personal tragedy can fuel public service and national contribution.
Major Priya Semwal’s life remains a testament to courage, professionalism, and the enduring spirit of the Indian Army. In an institution built on sacrifice and duty, she embodies the highest ideals of service—transforming loss into legacy.

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2,500 Movies in 62 Years: Even if We Watch Sukumari’s Films One per Day, We would Finish only by 2033.

Versatility is not something all actors possess.
Right from the onset of her career, Sukumari played serious mother roles and comedic ones with equal ease, regardless of her actual age; breaking down such barriers and not allowing anyone to reduce their artistic identity to a few archetypes. Sukumari was arguably the queen among them. She could be the funny one, the arrogant one, the devious one, the troubled one, the aching one, the scarred one, the envious one, and the liberated one — back-to-back or even simultaneously.

Accidental entry into world of cinema
Born on October 6, 1940, Sukumari made her silver screen debut at the tender age of 10 in the Tamil film Or Iravu (1951). Director P Neelakantan offered her a role in the movie after chancing upon her while she was coincidentally on a film set with her relative, veteran actor Padmini (one among the ‘Travancore Sisters’ trio). Her passion for dance and her natural acting style quickly made her a prominent figure in the industry.

Even her entry into Malayalam cinema was entirely coincidental. In director SM Sriramulu Naidu’s Thaskaraveeran (1957), when the actor who was supposed to play Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair’s wife failed to show up, the role was given to Sukumari, who was then a member of the movie’s dance troupe. Right from the onset of her career, despite her age she had the unique fortune of playing both the heroine and the mother to almost all legendary heroes in Malayalam cinema of that era. She also became an on-screen mother, sister, and friend to the next generation of actors like Mohanlal and Mammooty, among others.

In an illustrious career spanning 62 years, she appeared in over 2,500 films across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Sinhala, French, Italian, Bengali, Tulu, English, and Kannada languages. In 2003, she was honoured with the Padma Shri. She is widely known among her colleagues and Malayalam movie audiences as Sukumari “Amma.” Thanks to the hundreds of characters she immortalised, Sukumari continues to live on in the hearts of film lovers.

Source:
Indian Express: 2,500 films in 62 years: Even if we start watching Sukumari’s films at a rate of one per day, we would finish only by 2033

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Kashish Methwani, Miss International India 2023, and now a commissioned officer in the Indian Army’s Air Defence Regiment.

She holds a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Savitribai Phule Pune University and completed a Neuroscience thesis at IISc, Bengaluru, and then earned a PhD offer from Harvard. Despite such qualifications, she chose a career in the armed forces, inspired by her NCC experience and family background. She recalled marching at the Republic Day parade in January 2021, and receiving the best cadet trophy from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as moments that gave her a sense of purpose. She secured the All India Best Cadet Trophy, marking a pivotal moment in her life that deepened her commitment to discipline, leadership, and national service.

During her training, she earned several honours, including the AAD Medal, awarded to those commissioned into the Army Air Defence. She also won a gold medal in the March and Shoot Competition, the Sikh Li Regiment Medal, and achieved the highest shooting score at the academy. She received a Drill and Discipline Badge for best drill performance and maintained a record without any punishment. Now serving in North India with the Air Defence unit, she said she remains committed to her responsibilities of the armed force.

Beyond academics, Kashish Methwani has proven herself in various fields. She is a national-level pistol shooter, trained in Bharatanatyam dancing, and proficient in playing the tabla. Her engagement in debates, sports, and particularly basketball, further highlight her versatile persona.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she founded an NGO named Critical Cause, on raising awareness about plasma, blood, and organ donation, illustrating her leadership and social responsibility even before her military service.

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