Bioscope of old Delhi.

Cinema has always been one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the city of Delhi, making them major entertainment venues. In recent years Delhi's many single-screen cinema halls have given way to large multiplexes. However some old theatres still survive in some parts of the city. The Excelsior theatre was established in 1935, earlier known as the Inayat pavilion theatre. It seats 452.



Moti theater in Old Delhi is the sole supplier of film reels in north India.

This machine has been made in the year 1940, imported form Germany. it is the 70 mm film Projector. In today's era of digital imagery , such old means still function as entertainment tools.



Suresh Chand is a film buff. He has been seeing films regularly since the last 40 years.

Token security measures are seen on the entrances to these halls. Frisking , metal detector, and checking of the bags are the measures that are employed .

At least 500 people queue outside these halls every weekend, keeping the cash registers ringing.

In spite of the badly kept interiors , the audience still throng the halls for the weekly entertainer film.

Despite the lure of cheap entertainment, these places have fallen on bad times. The halls are in a dilapidated situation , and are mostly ill maintained.


These cinema halls offer cheap entertainment for the masses. a ticket here costs between Rs 15 to 35. which is way cheaper than the swanky multiplexes.


Manny cinema halls like Moti show B-grade Bollywood and regional films. Moti cinema was established in the year 1938, its currently run by Karat Desai. Moti has had many silver and golden jubilee film runs.


Bioscope of Old Delhi. by Shariq H Naqvi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Qutib Minar

The foundations of world famous tower, known as the Qutib Minar, were laid by the Qutbbiddin Aibak of the Mamulk dynasty towards the end of the twelfth century. The construction was interrupted at the first storey by his death and the remaining three storeys were completed in matching material and the style by his successor Iltutmish commonly known as Altamash in A.D. 1230. In A.D.1368 the Minar was damaged by lightning. Later, Feroz shah Tughluq (A.D. 1351-88) replaced the top storey by the existing two stores faced with the marble Sikandar Lodhi (A.D. 1489- 1517) also executed some repairs to the Minar in A.D. 1503, when it was again by lightning. The tower has a diameter of 14.32m at the base and of about 2.75m at the top with a height of 72.5m and ascended by 379 steps; it is the highest stone tower in India and a perfect example of Minar known to exist anywhere. The variegated plan of its three lower storeys, the projecting balconies with stalactite, pendentive brackets and ornate bands of inscriptions on its facades heighten its decorative effects.

Alia Minar
In 1311 A.D.

This unfinished Minar with his, extent height of 24.5 m, was commenced by Alauddin Khalji (A.D.1296 -1316) it had hardly reached its storey when he died. He had conceived this Minar to be double to the height of the Qutib Minar, in order to be proportionate with the Quwwatul -Islam mosque, as extended by him.Amir Khusru in Tarikh-I-Alia mention about the intentions of Alauddin Khalji to increase the area of the mosque and construct of another Minar.

College and Tomb of Alauddin Khalji.

This quadrangle enclosed by high walls with rooms along the side and the entrance on the west, was originally a college (madrasa), and built by Alauddin Khalji (A.D.1296-1316), to impart traditional instruction. His tomb was perhaps located in the centre of the southern wing of the enclosure. The conception of a combined college and a tomb appears here in India for the first time and is inspired by Saljuqian tradition.





Qutib Minar. by Shariq H Naqvi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Global Warming: The Heat is on and on …………

The world cannot remain a fossil fool anymore, oblivious of the environmental destruction wrought as it guzzles fuels like coal and oil and causes global warming. Global warming is the phenomenon of the increase in the average temperature of the earth’s surface due to the increased concentration of Greenhouse gases (GHGs) like Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Oxide (N2O), Chlorofluorocarbons due to the burning of fossil fuels.
The inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been established by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options or adaptations and mitigation.
The IPCC’s report of 2007 has left no room for skepticism on global warming. “The warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global mean sea level”, the report stated. The following are the main finding of the report:
 Sea levels are projected to rise between 7and 23 inches (18 and 59 centimeters) by the end of the century.
 Eleven of the last 12 years rank among the 12 warmest in the instrumental record, which stretches back to 1850.
 A best-guess temperature rise is between 3.2 and 7.1 degrees Fahrenheit (1.8 and 4 degrees Celsius), though the high end remain possible.
 Global temperature will increases between 2 and 11.5 degrees (1.1 and 6.4 degrees Celsius), by the end of this century over pre-industrial levels.
 If recent melting in Greenland and Antarctica continues, sea level could rise an additional 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters).
 In some projections, Arctic sea will continue to become more frequent.
 Observational evidence suggests an increase in hurricane strength in the north Atlantic Since1970 that correlates with an increase in sea surface temperatures.
 Temperatures and sea levels will continue to rise for centuries even if Greenhouse gas emissions are stabilized today.
 The Gulf Stream, which brings warm waters to the north Atlantic, may slow but is unlikely to Hollywood Disaster Movies The After Tomorrow.













India too Feel’s the Heat
There was a jolt for India when the report, given the possible economic losses due to its long coastline, dependent on monsoon and large number of the dependent on agriculture, considered India to be one of the most vulnerable to climate change.

Impact on India

Glaciers:
Himalayan glaciers will shrink from 500,00sq km to 100, 00 sq km.
Water:
Per captia availability of water will shrink from 1, 800 cubic m to 1,000 cubic m, making India water –scarce country.
Food Security:
Agricultural productivity is likely to shrink by 30 per cent. Substantial fall like in production of rain-fed wheat.
Rainfall:
Winter rains will decrease, especially in December, January and February, implying lesser storage and greater water stress.
Plant and Animal Species:
20-30 per cent of animal species assessed so far at increased risk of extinction if global temperature exceed 1.5 to 2.5 degrees centigrade.
Health:
Diarrhoeal diseases and cholera associated with floods and drought are expected to rise in south Asia.

By: SHARIQ HAIDER NAQVI.



Global Warming:The Heat is on and on....... by Shariq H Naqvi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Pushkar fair 2009.

Pushkar Fair 2009. by Shariq H Naqvi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.