Restoring an old Church in Gurgaon

It was before the pandemic that we noticed how the slates of the roof of the Epiphany Church of Gurgaon had begun to give way to the elements. Our immediate priority at that time lay in getting the slates replaced. However, what had begun as a project for mending the 150 plus-year-old roof ended up spiralling into a massive project of renovation of the entire church building. The challenges were enormous as cement could not be used for mending the walls. The Presbyter in charge, Pastor Daman Rodgers mentioned that the cement that was used was a mixture of ash and lime. Moreover, once the slates were removed, it was evident that the ravages of time had affected the entire structure and so it was not only the roof but also the walls, flooring and the wooden fitments that would have to be redone. Utmost care had to be taken in order to retain the historical identity and integrity of the structure. The church was built more than a hundred and fifty years ago for the British Garrison based in Gurgaon. 

I visited the Church of the Epiphany Compound recently and I was amazed by the quality of the restoration work done. Everything had been done to restore the old church building to its original form, as it had existed more than one and a half centuries ago. The wooden doors that had been painted in thick layers of paint were stripped of the paint and their wooden finish was restored. The original brass fittings, locks and latches were stripped of coatings of paint and they were revealed in their original form. The switches were replaced with the age-old bakelite and ceramic switches.

It was indeed an onerous task for the Pastorate Committee and the Contractor to come to a consensus about how to go about the task of restoring the old church building. The Presbyter in charge, Revd. Daman Rodgers spoke about the numerous arguments that took place between the Building Committee, the Pastorate Committee and the Contractor who worked on the project. The final result, however, proves that it all ended up well. It is said that the walls and the structure do not make up a Church, but then, it has to be admitted that the old church building evokes a sense of awe and a vibe that results from being in an ancient structure - a testament of a fellowship that has lasted more than a hundred and fifty years.

The Church of the Epiphany, Civil Lines, continues to be an important landmark for the town of Gurgaon. It is venerated by all people alike, worshippers and those lighting a candle for blessings. Gurgaon has quite a long history. From being the home to Acharya Dronacharya to being a garrison town during the British occupation. Unfortunately, only a few monuments remain in their original form. The Kaman Sarai is all but gone. The Cricket Club with its library in Civil lines barely exists. Of another ancient structure, another Sarai or inn that existed in the past, located in the heart of the Sadar Bazaar Sabzi Mandi, only the outer walls remain. Of the prayer hall allotted to Indians during the late 1800s and early 1900s, also in the Sadar Bazaar, nothing much can be seen. It is in the context of its historical significance that I felt the need to do a write up of the restored Church building. It is evocative of the times that were, the techniques used to build structures, the brass-alloy casting techniques that gave the church its bell and of course the Anglo-Indian architecture.

I am indeed amazed by the work done by the conservationist and architect, Surbhi Anand Roy who strived to ensure that the original structure of the church was retained. The switches were sourced from Ambala, the brass locks were sourced from elsewhere. I was told by the Presbyter In Charge, Revd. Daman that she had fought throughout the restoration process arguing against shortcuts. A big hats off to her for understanding and ensuring that the original beauty of the church could be brought out only through conscious effort, painstaking research and a careful study of the structure itself!

I was able to meet the Presbyter In Charge, Revd. Daman Rodgers while he was working in his office. It was later as he stepped out to supervise the laying of tiles in the ground that he was able to spare time to describe the interesting things that were uncovered during the restoration process. He described how upon removing a layer of cement on the floor of the church they discovered the original tilework. Scraping of multiple layers of paint from the locks and latches revealed the brass below and of course the year of manufacture.

Of course, I had to ask my brother, Sanjay to accompany me on the day I took photographs of the newly restored church. I had to carry three DSLR cameras and a tripod and I told him that it would be difficult to handle all of that equipment single-handed. The reaction on his face, when he set foot inside the church is worth sharing here.

And of course, many thanks to him for taking a photograph of me too! I have taken these photographs as I feel we need to save some of these things for posterity.

The Psychological Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Credit: Molly Ferguson

The Covid - 19 Pandemic has had a far-reaching impact on all the stakeholders in the educational system (teachers, students and parents alike). The impact has been on the mental health of everyone involved in education! I have seen fathers weep tears of grief before me and mothers sharing their anxious thoughts with me regarding their inability to help their children with their homework and projects because of their inability to navigate through online LMS modules. The grief and anxiety of parents, expressed in words and tears is a dire call for help. Mental experts, councillors and life coaches need to address the mental issues faced by the shareholders of the educational systems all over the world. Unfortunately, all subject teachers can do is to listen to them with sympathy, though the solutions they can offer are very limited in nature as subject teachers are not trained to handle such issues.

Some of the issues faced by students and their parents alike are linked to the former being confined within the four walls of their homes due to extended lockdowns and concerns associated with the fear of contracting the disease. This enforced quarantine has affected young students' ability to connect with others, express their feelings with the result that they have retreated into a shell. This in itself has led to anxiety and stress. Another very issue is related to the trauma of losing family members to the disease. For young students who are at a vulnerable mental stage in life, it has been very difficult to cope with the tragedy of loss. The trauma of seeing dear ones fade away before their very eyes has become a painful experience that most students are struggling to emerge from.

It has been a painful experience for the parents too, who, because of the Covid-19 Pandemic have been working from home. They too had to undergo a difficult time balancing the stress of working from home, the uncertainty of holding on to their jobs, an uncertain future, the added responsibility of looking after their children who in better times would have been looked after by their teachers in school. The added stress of learning to work with online platforms on which homework, projects and learning materials are posted has confused well-meaning parents who previously took an active interest in their children's studies. A mother literally wept in front of me expressing confusion and helplessness in helping her younger daughter keep up with her studies. She had received an intimation from her daughter's teacher regarding her pending work!

Another parent told me how she and her husband had not earned a single cent since the Covid-19 Pandemic as they had been working in the travel industry that has suffered great losses with the drop in travel and tourism. It set me wondering about how their daughter was coping as she must surely be aware of the economic uncertainty her parents were going through. Job loss and lack of economic stability caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic have added to the mental stress faced by both parents and children alike. 

The shift to an online platform in school education has been a lifesaver but it has come with its own set of problems affecting the mental health of students parents and, even, teachers. The need to adapt to an entirely new (for many) system/platform has had its own issues. It has led to undue confusion and stress caused by the need to unlearn and relearn and modify neural networks in the brain. The virtual learning platform forced on us by the Covid-19 Pandemic has added to the psychological impact of living in unprecedented times. Noam Chomsky would be hard-pressed to explain how neural networks, hardwired for the learning of languages for ages would have to be modified in an instant!

Neural networks in human brains that have been wired taking into consideration centuries, if not, ages of learning, race memories, social, cultural and instincts to make us what we are, have been rudely jolted by this Pandemic. This emergent rewiring of neural networks in the brain has created more confusion and chaos than ever before. You just don't switch off, switch on, erase at will and then write at will unlearn and relearn things that have been etched in your brain from ancient times. The Covid-19 Pandemic will be seen as a significant blip in the story of Mankind. History has probably never seen an upheaval such as that caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic. Social conflict, war and even pandemics seen in the past have not had the kind of impact that the Covid-19 Pandemic has had on us. The greatest irony is that all our technological prowess and our knowledge of Science has not helped save us from the attack of a virus. We have won our battle against Polio, Small Pox, Plague, and Cholera,  but not against what is claimed to be a biological weapon against all mankind.

I understand and appreciate the efforts made by health experts to address concerns associated with the impact of a pandemic of epic proportions but, unfortunately, not much has really been done in this regard. The fact of the matter is that we are not mentally prepared to address the problems associated with the impact of a pandemic of such proportions. The Covid-19 Pandemic has exposed the need to work on our mental health preparedness both at the school level, family level and individual level. The Covid-19 Pandemic will go down in history as an event that has exposed the ineffectuality of science and technology in combating the impact of a virus attack on humanity at large.

We are, unfortunately, today befuddled and confused by the impact of a global pandemic. Our technological prowess in space sciences, medical sciences, psychology, warfare, and any other field has exposed our lack of preparedness in tackling a global pandemic caused by something as small as a virus. This knowledge in the inefficacy of science in tackling and defeating a virus has had a mental and psychological impact on all of us. The knowledge that we are, after all, not in control of our viruses and pandemics has led to a feeling of deja vu, a feeling of disenchantment and helplessness in a world that is supposedly moving towards advancement never before seen in the history of mankind.

Sarus Cranes - Graceful Birds of India

Sarus Cranes are some of the most graceful birds I have ever seen and photographed. Unfortunately, their very existence is threatened, thanks to human developmental activities. A few years back one could spot these birds closer to the city of Gurgaon at the Basai Wetland. Today, however, you can only spot them at the Sultanpur National Park further away from the city.

Sarus Cranes, known by their scientific name, Grus antigone are the worlds tallest flying birds, although they probably don't fly very high in the sky! Sarus Cranes are known to be metaphors of integrity in matrimony as it is said that they pair for life. I have had the luck to photograph a close-knit family of three, a father, a mother and a juvenile. This family of three is very close to each other and they stroll together, forage together and fly together

I have observed these beautiful birds foraging for crustaceans, grubs and even freshwater snails, some of which were so big that both parents found it difficult to swallow them even as the juvenile watched them contort their long necks to force the snails into their stomachs.

The juvenile Sarus Crane lacks the bright red colouring around its head and the colours of its feathers are a bit dull. It is often accompanied by its mother even as its father scouts ahead. The Sarus Cranes at the Sultanpur National Park might face some danger from the burgeoning population of Jackals. However, I am sure that the adult birds can hold their own when attacked by some of the smaller carnivores.

Tips for Shooting Exclusive Wildlife Photographs

Some of the best photographs of birds in flight are taken early in the morning and my preferable ISO setting is between 100 and 400. In most cases, a shutter speed of 640/1 should work preferable well. Although I carry a monopod or a tripod most of the time, I, however, rarely use them as they restrict free movement.

Greylag Geese and Painted Storks are some of the larger birds that can be shot easily in flight, taking off or alighting. If you are subtle enough and careful about hiding yourself from the birds, you might get close enough to them to use a 70-300 mm zoom lens. I find the USM lens handy enough for wildlife photography.

Some of the larger animals like Antelopes can be photographed using a slower shutter speed, again if you are still enough and properly camouflaged. Wearing clothes in muted colours helps a lot. This is why the clothes you wear is as important as the camera equipment you carry. Although I wear spectacles generally, I avoid wearing them on wildlife shoots. Any glint from the lenses of your glasses can frighten away wildlife. I like shooting in the raw and aim for slightly underexposed photographs so that the colours come out really nicely!

One very important tip for all wildlife photography enthusiasts is to reach the venue early in the morning, preferably before all the others appear. My go-to place happens to be the Sultanpur National Park in Gurgaon, or the nearby wetlands, especially the Basai Wetland. I prefer reaching the spot by seven in the morning even when it is foggy. Fog, ironically, makes the animals and birds lethargic and thus easier to photograph. The fog also helps conceal the photographer from the animals and birds. This brings me to the question of photographing birds in flight. A reasonably fast shutter speed coupled with the right angle can help greatly. The photographs below are those of Painted Storks landing on the ground to collect sticks and twigs to build up their nests. They have come up reasonable nicely because of the angle of the camera and the direction of the sun.

A final word about taking exclusive photographs of wild animals and birds is that it requires a lot of patience and an instinct for being at the right place at the right time. In the case of the Asian Antelope, it was all about standing still and calmly taking well-aimed shots without making excessive movements. While the Doe was feeding her calves, the male stood guard. All three of them probably did not find my presence threatening so they went on with what they were doing. All these photographs were taken in foggy conditions early in the morning at the Sultanpur National Park in Gurgaon.

A Morning Walk in the Park - A Poem

 A Morning Walk in The Park

A walk in the park, each morning, is like a learning walk.

The gentlemen huddled in a corner discussing the latest

In politics, a glimpse into the world in crisis. In the middle,

Another group of gentlemen, practice Yoga - "breathe in,

Breathe out - all is well with the world, just breathe calmly".

And as you wonder about the new world order, you look

At the people, meeting each other in the mornings, sharing

Greetings like they've met after a long time. You realise that

Life is a collective act of sharing and appreciating life together. 

Solutions to problems might come from a morning walk in a park.

A fresh wind blows onto your face like the caressing stroke of

One loved. It brings with it a hint of Jasmine, tempting you to

Take yet another circuit of the park. Time slows, a tapestry unfolds

Of scents, trees, blossoms, birds and people. A mellowed lady 

Passes by and is overtaken by a young girl walking briskly.

In this park, the old and the young complement each other,

Bringing in life's diversity as they participate in a common act-

A morning walk in the park to start the day with. As others doze

In their beds, you catch the day as it unfolds, breathing the fresh

Air and the scents that waft by, ready to start the day with zest!

 In the park you see a young girl instruct a few mellowed men

In the art of breathing, which they follow meekly! Breathe in

Breathe out she calls out in a surprisingly calm voice and they

Obey meekly like little children. This is a park where the grown-

Ups become children and the children become the grown-ups!

For once we need to change roles, to seek advice rather than

Give advice, to open your senses to what the trees and the birds

Might offer! The fresh air with its scents of Jasmine and Rose

A better therapy than that offered in a hospital. And as you walk

You burn those calories to get a slimmer, fitter, beautiful you!

Lineated Barbet enjoys a Breakfast of Figs

The Lineated Barbet is an elusive and rather shy bird that hides quickly inside the branches when it realises it has been spotted. This rather beautiful bird has a bright green plumage, a brown head, yellow eye-patches, red beak and star-spangled streaks along its wings. The bird enjoys feeding on fig fruits. The bird has a distinct though subdued 'kurk...kurk' call.

It was a joy to spot one of these birds feasting on figs on the fig tree in front of my house in Palam Vihar. Incidentally, the sun was behind me and so the Barbet couldn't see me clearly as that would mean peering into the bright sun. Like the Green Pigeon, the Lineated Barbet is an arboreal bird that lives most of its life in the branches of trees.

All of these photographs were taken with a Canon 1500 D  and a Canon USM 70-300 mm lens. I used a ISO setting of 100 to get sharper photographs.

Greylag Geese and Sarus Cranes spotted at the Sultanpur National Park

A visit to the Sultanpur National Park during the weekend yielded amazing results in spite of the bad weather conditions. A welcome spotting of an entire family of Sarus Cranes was perhaps the best reward that I could treat myself to. Sarus Cranes are the largest flying birds in the world and they can fly at a height of ten meters or more above the ground. Yesterday's sighting was of a male, female and a juvenile Sarus Crane. The Juvenile Sarus Crane lacks the red colouring around its head. The white patch on the crown of the head is common to juvenile and adult Sarus Cranes alike.

Based on repeated sightings of these amazing birds, one can see that Sarus Cranes are a closely-knit family. In the photograph posted above, one can see the mother in the foreground and the juvenile in the background. Throughout the time, I saw them, the mother stayed close to the juvenile Crane. The male stayed ahead of the two as if to scout the area ahead (A large number of Golden Jackals in the National Park might pose a problem for these birds).

Speaking of Jackals, my brother, Sanjay, who was following an ex-student and I was surrounded by Jackals some photographs of which he shared with me that I have posted below. It looks like the Covid-19 lockdown has had a favourable impact on the population of wild animals in the national park. While one might argue that the presence of carnivorous animals is important for maintaining a healthy eco-system, an imbalance between these animals and the rest of the animals and birds might lead to some kind of a turf war!

I guess it is a good idea to walk in groups while visiting National Parks. Another good idea is to keep a tripod or a monopod handy in case one has to chase away unwanted animals!

Coming to Greylag Geese, well, I guess they are some of the noisiest migratory birds I have ever seen. You can hear them long before you see them, that is of course when their lake is hidden from you by the underbrush. Greylag Geese incidentally happen to be migratory birds flying in all the way from Mongolia and Central Asia. Greylag Geese are quite large in size and they seem to be similar to Bar-headed Geese which should be arriving soon at the wetlands in Northern India.

Scarface - the Veteran Indian Golden Jackal

Just today, when I visited the Sultanpur National Park, I did not expect to spot any new migratory birds since it was early November and most of the birds, especially the Bar-headed Geese arrive later in the month. The almost one and a half years that the park was shut down has however, been a boon to some of the Vulpine species of Mammals and the indigenous species of birds. In my previous post I had mentioned spotting a pair of Indian Golden Jackals but not being able to take a snap of them. Today, however I was lucky enough to take a few photographs of them. The weather, unfortunately was not too good, and the smog created by stubble burning in the nearby areas had contributed to less than favourable conditions to take photographs of wild animals and birds.

I have titled the post, Scarface because one of the Golden Indian Jackals I spotted seemed to bear the scars of a battle it must have fought with another animal, possibly wild dogs or even something more imposing. When I looked at other photographs of the animal, I noticed healed skin over its right hindquarters. Any ways, I will state with great respect that none of the animals I spotted dashed away into safety! I did not move, I kept still and as long as I was still these rather beautiful and graceful animals allowed to take their photographs. It was only when another visitor to the park made an abrupt appearance that they scampered away!

The Indian Golden Jackal, incidentally is under a threat of extinction, especially as their natural habitats keep shrinking to make way for human developmental activities. Very soon, even these animals will be lost to us forever. The Indian/Asian Antelope, also known as Neel Gai is also facing extinction because of a loss of habitat. This majestic Antelope shares the park with numerous other animals. I couldn't resist taking a photograph of one of them!

The last photograph I am sharing on this blog is that of what I assume to be an Indian wildcat. A little distance into the Park, I noticed a pair of what appeared to be wildcats dash in front of me. I did not have time to change the shutter speed nor the aperture and so I just let go at one of them. The only part that seemed to be clear enough was that of the tail which seemed to have a series of concentric dark circles around it.