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Once regarded as the center of Hyderabad, the magnificent Chowmahalla Palace was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizams entertained their official guests and royal visitors. Built over 200 years ago, Chowmahalla is renowned for its unique style and elegance. A synthesis of many architectural styles and influences, the Palace Complex has been meticulously restored.
Open now to select individuals and corporates for hosting their dinners, receptions and cultural evenings, Chowmahalla is a location that’s unmatchable for exclusivity and offers experience guests will never forget.
If you are looking for a party location that is full of history and heritage. One that would make every guest of yours feel special and also make the evening different, memorable and indeed magical, then just step into the meticulously restored Chowmahalla Palace, You’ll immediately know that your quest has ended. This is the palace that was the seat of the Asaf Jahi Dynasty and was once regarded as the very center of Hyderabad,. This is the palace where the Nizams entertained their official guests and royal visitors.
Built over 200 years ago, Chowmahalla Palace is renowned for its unique style and elegance and is a synthesis of many architectural styles and influences. The highlight of the Palace is the Grand Khilwat, the Durbar Hall. The sheer magnificence of the place is breath-taking. The Courtyard where parties can be held is a vast expanse of lush green lawns and picturesque water tanks and fountains.And now for the details of what the Palace Authorities can do to make your party one of the most talked about events in town.
Restored with great care, this was one of the original Palace buggies that transported the Nizam and his guests. And today the whole fleet, with liveried assistants in attendance, demonstrated that hospitality indeed begins with four wheels and four legs. As guests entered the courtyard, what their eyes were immediately drawn to was the Khilwat, the Grand Durbar Hall that was lit up in an ever-changing milieu of colors. This served as a unique backdrop to the whole event and the fantastic evening that was poised to unfold.
Mecca Masjid, also called Makkah Masjid, is one of the popular tourist spots of Hyderabad attracting not just devotees but almost everyone. The construction of Mecca Masjid Hyderabad involved close to 8000 masons who worked round the clock. This construction went on for almost 77 years. Located in the Old City, at a distance of 100 meters from the Charminar which is another popular place for sightseeing in Hyderabad, Mecca Masjid is one of the largest mosques not just in India but also in the world.
The mosque has an approximately 75-foot-high hall with dimensions of 220 feet by 180 feet. Interiors of the mosque are also beautifully decorated. It is believed that the main hall alone can accommodate 10,000 worshippers at a time.
Along with this, there are 15 intricately designed arches supporting the roof of the prayer hall. On each side, there are five arches, along with a wall which offers Mihrab on the 4th side. The pillars are carved out of single slab granite which increases their exclusivity. The two octagonal columns that majorly constitute the Mosque construction have been created from a single granite stone.
Verses from Quran have been carved on the arches and the doors. Various aspects of Mecca Masjid represent the style of Qutub Shahi dynasty. The cornices along with the floral motifs that have been carved around the complete mosque are one such example. One can see the similarity of design on the arches here at the masjid and those at the golcondaFort and Charminar.
Mecca Masjid construction was started by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah in the year of 1614. If tales have to be believed, the bricks used for the construction of this mosque were brought from Mecca. This mosque is also believed to have some more sacred relics. For instance, according to some, it has the hair of Prophet Muhammed. However, the construction was completed in 1687 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, after he took over the Golconda Kingdom. It has seen repairs even after that.
The beauty of the fascinating architecture of Mecca Masjid has been accentuated by the Belgian crystal chandeliers which adorn the mosque ceilings. There is also a room in the courtyard where relics and artifact from the ancient times have been kept. Inside the mosque, belonging to the Asif Jahi Dynasty, there lie five passageways and tombs as well.
Tuesday 30 May 2017
Madhubani
SOURCE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Also called Mithila art, it originated in the kingdom of Janak (Sita’s father in Ramayana) in Nepal and in present-day Bihar. It is one of the most popular Indian folk arts, practiced mostly by women who wanted to be one with God. Characterized by geometric patterns, this art form wasn’t known to the outside world until the British discovered it after an earthquake in 1930’s revealed broken houses with Madhubani paintings. It mirrored the work of Picasso and Miro, according to William G. Archer. Most of these paintings or wall murals depict gods, flora, and fauna.
This art form is unique to the state of Telangana and made mostly in Hyderabad currently.
Cheriyal Scroll Painting is a popular and modified version of Nakashi art, considered highly rich in the local motifs. This art form is unique to the state of Telangana and made mostly in Hyderabad currently.These scrolls are painted in narrative format similar to a film roll or even comic strips, and depict stories from the Indian mythology as well as the shorter stories related to the Puranas and Epics. Scroll paintings are known for their rich history and they also assume a significant role among Asia’s artistic traditions. The Cheriyal paintings represent a distinct local invention, based mainly on local traditions.
The Nakashis are the artists of Telangana and the scrolls constitute a key element of the social and cultural setting of Telangana. These paintings were mostly confined to Cheriyal village, and hence called Cheriyal scrolls. The scrolls earlier depicted the adventures and the exploits of local folk heroes wherein each community had its popular heroes. This traditional art form is considered an inseparable part of the profession comprising the story-telling and balladeer community called Kaki Padagollu. They have displayed these scrolls which are also accompanied by music and dance. The scrolls would be flowing like a film roll, which is usually nearly three feet in width and about 40 to 45 feet in length, based on the story.
The traditional scrolls are mostly of vertical format and illustrate the stories through a series of horizontal panels. Here, there is a floral border in the middle separating the two panels, and the linear narrative is shown, being held with both hands or suspended from a tree. It is further rolled continually. Compared to the long scrolls in the past, now artists have adapted to paint smaller versions of these scrolls that only depict any single episode or few characters from the traditional stories. These can be framed easily and hung on walls of modern homes.
The canvas making is an elaborate procedure. It is made of Khadi cotton, starch, white mud and a paste of tamarind seeds and gum water. After the canvas is complete, the artists prepare the outline directly using a brush on the canvas. These outlines are defined clearly and appear sharp which shows the quality as well as the skill of the Cheriyal craftsman. At present, the Cheriyal painting work is being continued by some selected families. There are only few artists remaining who still paint, making use of this unique technique. One of the recent innovations is the painting of single pictures instead of a continuous scroll for the purpose of wall decorations.
Cheriyal Painting is easily recognized by certain unique characteristics: These are painted in vivid hues with mostly primary colors, showing a predominance of red color in the background. These paintings are characterized by unbridled imaginations of the local artisans. In this form of art, the iconography of major deities like Vishnu, Shiva, etc. too carry a strong local idiom. The subjects of the scroll paintings are mostly drawn from mythological, ancient literary and folk traditions. The major themes are Krishna Leela, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Shiva Puranam, Markandey Puranam along with the ballads and folk stories of Gauda, Madiga and other communities. The main narrative involves scenes from the common rural life such as women performing kitchen chores, men working in fields or experiencing merry, festival settings, etc. The costumes and settings reflect the culture of Telangana.
Cheriyal Painting is widely popular due to the unique rural element which renders an aura of exclusivity and charm for the art items. It represents the pride of Telangana, especially the region’s tryst with such rare and unique art forms. Cheriyal scroll painting also received Intellectual Property Rights Protection, commonly called the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in the year 2007. It is a matter of academic interest for painters all over India and the world, who study the art work with attention to detail and efforts are on to preserve this rich tradition for posterity by actively promoting the tradition of Cheriyal Painting.
Pembarthi Metal Craft is a popular metal handicraft made in Pembarthi of Warangal district, Telangana State, which is widely known for the exquisite sheet metal art works. The intricate sheet metal brass engravings and artefacts made here can be traced back to more than 800 years.
Pembarthi is a village situated about 80 km from Hyderabad. The region has witnessed glory during the period of the Kakatiya dynasty which had spanned 500 years. Pembarthi has a rich history of outstanding workmanship of the Metal workers or the “Vishwakarmas”.
Therefore, the process of Sheet metal workmanship became popular as it adorned the vigrahas (statues) as well as vahanas (chariots) of several Hindu temples. With great patronage accorded to temples in Kakatiya kingdom, the Pembarthy sheet metal work attracted attention from all over the country.
Since most of the ancient temples in Telangana region were built under the patronage of the Kakatiya rulers, these temples bear the signature style of Pembarthi craftsmen. The metal craft reached the pinnacle of perfection following the higher degree of skills that were displayed by the master craftsmen. The Vishwakaramas of the region were renowned for their rare skills in this form of metal sculpture.It is also known popularly as the Pembarti Brassware. It has become an essential artefact in every handiwork exhibition and has also become synonymous with Telangana’s artistic heritage.
After the advent of Muslim rule, Pembarti craftsmen subsequently evolved their art style and decorated individual items such as betel nut cases or paandaans, perfume containers or Ittar pots, hanging metal Chandeliers or Jhummars, vases, special plaques and mementos.
The skill survived the setbacks of political conditions while the post-independence era has witnessed resurgence of this art that reoriented according to the changed demand patterns. There has been more emphasis on the utilitarian aspect in addition to the exotic. Pembarthi Brassware, over the years has captured the essential nuances of both Hindu and Muslim influences, which has seamlessly blended into both cultures. The craft form has received the prestigious Geographical Indication, which is indeed an honour for the craft.
Raja Ravi Varma was a renowned Indian painter who greatly influenced the future generations of Indian painters. Coming from a naturally blessed family of creative folks, pursuing a career in arts was not an aberration for young Varma who was encouraged by his uncle Raja Raja Varma to make a career out of the painting. Trained by several professional artists, he finally emerged as a classic Indian painter who excelled in depicting scenes from Indian literature and epics such as Mahabharata and Ramayana. What gave him the edge over other painters of his generation was that he fused Indian tradition with European technique thus coming up with a new genre of painting in India. He brought out on canvas several folks and traditional art forms of India. At a time when India was looking for inspiration to free itself from British rule, his dazzling oil paintings of India’s glorious past became highly popular In his career, his works were exhibited in major exhibitions across the globe for which he received numerous awards
Raja Ravi Varma was born to Umamba Thampuratti and Neelakanthan Bhattatiripad on April 29, 1848, in the princely state of Kilimanoor, in Kerala. While his mother was a poet and a writer by profession, his father was a scholar. He had three siblings, Goda Varma, Raja Varma and Mangala Bayi.
Coming from a family of creative personnel comprising of scholars, poets, and painters, it was only natural for young Varma to be blessed with artistic ingenuity.
At the young age of seven, he started showing signs of taking the artistic route. Whatever he came across in his day to day living, such as pictures of animals, everyday acts and scenes, later adorned the walls of his home, reflecting his creativity and artistic sense.
While his family abhorred this behavior of young Varma, it was his uncle, Raja Raja Varma, a Tanjore artist, who realized his true potential and calling. He resolved to tap the creative ingenuity of the young boy to make him a proficient artist.
With the help of his uncle and the ruling king, Ayilyam Thirunal, he received training and education in arts. His uncle also gave him his first ever drawing lesson.
At the age of 14, he moved to Thiruvananthapuram, where he received training in water painting by the palace painter, Rama Swamy Naidu.
Raja Ravi Varma was born to Umamba Thampuratti and Neelakandan Bhattathiripad in the royal palace of Kilimanoor. The inborn talent of the painter started showing at a very tender age. Recognizing the innate aptitude of their child, his parents sent him to study under the patronage of Ayilyam Thirunal Maharaja of Travancore, when he was only 14 years old. He received tutelage, first, from the palace painter Rama Swamy Naidu and then, from Theodor Jenson, a British painter
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Raja Ravi Varma got married to Rani Bhageerathi Bayi (Kochu Panki Amma) of Mavelikara Royal House. He spent the later years of his life in Mysore, Baroda and a number of other cities in the country. This exposure helped him in broadening his outlook. At the same time, he was able to expand as well as sharpen his skills and evolve into a mature painter.
Professional Aspects Raja Ravi Varma received systematic training, first in the traditional art of Thanjavoor and then, in the European art. He is credited with providing the critical link between Thanjavoor School and Western academic realism. His paintings can be classified into the following three categories:
Portraits
Portrait-based Compositions
Theatrical Compositions, based on myths and legends
It is the third category of paintings for which Raja Ravi Varma is the most renowned. He was continuously traveling through the length and breadth of India, in order to find subjects for his paintings. His love for the South Indian women is depicted through his works. In many of his paintings, he has modeled Hindu Goddesses on the women living in the southern parts of India. The most popular as well as impressive paintings of Raja Ravi Verma include the ones depicting episodes from the story of Dushyanta and Shakuntala and that of Nala and Damayanti.
At times, Raja Ravi Varma is criticized for being too showy in his paintings. His paintings are also condemned for overshadowing traditional Indian art forms, especially the ones depicting Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Raja Ravi Varma's approach is said to lack the dynamism of expression seen in the traditional paintings. Critics have also disapproved of his rejecting the traditional models of representation of deities and reducing them to the level of mortals.
Recognition In recognition of the immense contribution of Raja Ravi Varma towards Indian art, the Government of Kerala has instituted an award in his name. Known as the 'Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram', the award is given to individuals who show considerable promise in the field of art and culture. There is a college in Mavelikara district of Kerala, established in the honor of Raja Ravi Verma. He also received international recognition in 1873, when he won the first prize for his paintings at the Vienna Art Exhibition.
Notable Works of Raja Ravi Varma Given below is a comprehensive list of the prominent works of Raja Ravi Varma:
A Family of Beggars
A Lady Playing Swarbat
Arjuna and Subhadra
Damayanti Talking to a Swan
Draupadi Dreading to Meet Kichaka
Girl in Sage Kanwa's Hermitage (Rishi-Kanya)
Jatayu (a bird devotee of Lord Rama is mauled by Ravana)
Lady Giving Alms at the Temple
Lady Lost in Thought
Lady with Fruit
Lord Krishna as Ambassador
Lord Rama Conquers Varuna
Nair Woman
Romancing Couple
Shakuntala
Shakuntala Composing a Love Letter to King Dushyanta
India has had a very rich and glorious maritime history. This richness comes not only because of the culture and tradition of the country but also because of its conflicted and diverse past. The country has been under the rule of many empires – the last one being the British Empire – before it gained its independence. And since the geographic location of the country such that it forms a huge marine channel, naval vessels have played a major role in glorifying in the military history of the country.
INS Vikrant is one such name that stands out when a list of the Indian naval ships are recounted. Commissioned in the year 1961 as an aircraft carrier by Vijaylakshmi Pandit, the then High Commissioner, the name Vikrant stands for unassailability and bravery in Sanskrit.
Originally named as HMS Hercules, the vessel was built in the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard and launched as a part of Great Britain’s Majestic Class of vessels in the year 1945. However, even before she was brought into active operational duty, World War II came to an end and the ship was withdrawn from being used in active naval duty.
Credits: Arun Prakash/wikipedia.org
Subsequently, Hercules was sold to the Indian naval force in the year 1957. For four years till its formal launch as a part of the Indian naval force, the warship was re-modified to suit the Indian requirements in the Irish Harland and Wolff shipyard.
The aircraft fleet of the INS ship consisted of three crafts – the Sea Hawk bomber jets of Great Britain and the French anti-submarine plane Alize. Because of this limited capacitance of fighter planes, the flight carrier was regarded as a light attack air fleet carrier.
War History
The initiation of the flight carrier in the Indian Navy was not met with the hearty flavor all over. The Russian diplomats of that time raised queries about the Indian choice to opt for a British warship while several senior Indian army men were skeptical of the performance of the vessel.
In the year 1961 according to reputed maritime history sources, the Pakistani navy made claims that they had destroyed the flight carrier. This was a rumor as at that time the vessel was not deployed in the active line of duty but was undergoing its regular maintenance work at the Mumbai (then Bombay) shipyard.
The true test of INS Vikrant, however, came during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. With seriously debilitating problems to one of her boilers, the INS ship had to function with limited speed that could have hampered that the actual potential of the vessel during the crucial time. However, these problems to the boilers notwithstanding, the aircraft vessel was successful in majorly helping the country to win the 1971 war in a thumping manner.
In the following years, the war vessel underwent major re-hauling with respect to its engines, boilers and other technical equipment. Its fleet of vessels also underwent a change with the Harriers becoming a part of its fleet and the Alize crafts becoming redundant. However, towards the start of the late 21st century (in 1997), the aircraft carrier because of its performance incapacity was withdrawn from active service duty.
Life After De-Commissioning
INS Vikrant, even after her decommissioning has been a major source of attraction for enthusiasts from all over the country. Seeing its popularity, the Indian government raised a proposal to convert the ship into a drifting museum. At present, the INS ship is grounded near to the Mumbai landmark, the Gateway of India with her name rechristened to IMS Vikrant – where IMS refers to Indian Museum Ship.
Ship Specifications
The Indian navy ship offered a speed of about 25 knots which was later on curtailed to about 12 knots due to the technical problems.
The ship measured 192 meters lengthwise, 24.4 meters beam wide and 7.3 meters draft wise
For its act of bravery in a time of extreme need and importance, the ship was awarded Indian military medals of honor – the Mahavir Chakras (two) and the Vir Chakras (12).
Of all the Indian naval ships which have served the nation, no other war vessel has enjoyed a status that the INS vessel has enjoyed. For its esteemed past and the highlighting picture of history it portrays in the present time, the war vessel needs to be much appreciated.
The Samjhauta Express commonly called the 'Friendship Express', is a bi-weekly train that runs from the Indian capital New Delhi to Attari, on the border and then on to Lahore in Pakistan. The word 'Samjhauta' means, 'Accord' in both Hindi and Urdu (the national languages of India and Pakistan respectively).
It is the oldest train link between India and Pakistan since partition in 1947. The train service was first launched on 22 July 1976 and initially ran between Amritsar (India) and Lahore (Pakistan). It was a daily train when the service starts and changed to a bi-weekly schedule in 1994.
In the 31 years of its history, the bi-weekly train was discontinued only twice since it began operating from July 1976. India and Pakistan take six-month turns to run the service. The train derived its name from the historic Shimla Agreement between the two nations signed in 1972 between the then Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan.
Termed as the 'Peace Train', it has been catering to the needs of common people in either country, who were separated by the partition. The train has been the vehicle of emotional reunion for millions of people with relatives living across the border. The Samjhauta Express or the Attari Express leaves Old Delhi railway station and then travels to Attari, where the Attari Express changes formally into the Samjhauta Express. After the customs and immigration clearances at Attari, the passengers start their journey to Lahore in Pakistan through the Wagah border.
Wagah is the only Indo-Pak road crossing between Amritsar, India and Lahore, Pakistan.
first rays of dawn had just illuminated the Vishakapatnam harbor on December 5, 1971, when Lieutenant Sridhar More steered the INS Akshayout towards the open sea. The previous day a few local fishermen had visited the Eastern Naval Command with pieces of wreckage and reported the presence of a large oil slick in the area. As a result, the fast moving patrol ship, also called an SDB (Seaward Defense Boat), had been dispatched to investigate the same.
As the INS Akshay made its way to the spot mentioned by the fishermen, Lieutenant More saw the reported oil slick immediately, stretching out as far as the eye could see. As soon as the reached the spot, a driver was quickly sent into the water to investigate. Surfacing after a few minutes, the excited diver gasped,
A second diver was sent in to confirm that first one had not been mistaken. He surfaced half an hour later, bringing back more details and confirming that the source of the oil slick was indeed a sunken submarine. Lieutenant More immediately sent a message that he had located a bottomed submarine to the Maritime Operations Room (MOR) in Vizag. Soon after, the divers could make out the initials on the black shape. With the information they provided, Lieutenant More sent his second message to the operations room,
When the divers came back with the information that the submarine’s estimated length was over 300 feet, Lieutenant More was stunned. He knew that Pakistan had four submarines and only the largest one in the fleet was longer than 300 feet. After referring to Jane’s Fighting Ships (an annual resource book on all the warships in the world) to confirm his suspicion, he sent his last signal to the operations room at Vishakapatnam. The message, which sent ripples through the operations room, said,
The sinking of PNS Ghazi during the Indo-Pak war of 1971 has long been an unsolved mystery. With Karan Johar sharing the first poster of his movie, The Ghazi Attack (India’s first war-at-sea film that is based on the mysterious sinking of PNS Ghazi) yesterday, the debate on what caused the blast on board the Pakistani vessel has been renewed. Let’s take a look at the many theories about this enigmatic incident that is believed to have tilted the 1971 war in India’s favor.
In mid-November 1971, millions of refugees were pouring into India to escape the Pakistani Army’s genocidal rampage in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In an effort to provide shelter to the refugees, the governments of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura had established refugee camps along the border. With the flood of impoverished East Pakistani refugees placing an intolerable strain on India’s already overburdened economy, a full-scale war only seemed a matter of time.
On November 14, 1971, PNS Ghazi, crammed with food and ammunition, quietly sailed out of the Karachi Harbour into the Arabian Sea. While the submarine had been ostensibly dispatched to Chittagong in East Pakistan, its real mission was to target India’s aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.
Formerly USS Diablo, PNS Ghazi had been built during World War II. Leased out to Pakistan, it had been renamed ‘Ghazi’ or ‘holy warrior’. South Asia’s first submarine, PNS Ghazi was Pakistan’s only submarine with a capacity to travel over 11000 nautical miles to reach the Bay of Bengal and undertake operations on India’s eastern coast.
Intercepted transmissions had led the PNS Ghazi to believe that INS Vikrant near Vizag. As a result, the pride of Pakistani Navy was sailing to the eastern coast of India to destroy India’s flagship aircraft carrier. What the Pakistani Navy didn’t know was that this was a smart wartime ruse planned by Vice-Admiral Krishnan, the Commanding Flag Officer of the Eastern Naval Command.
Signal intercepts of Pakistani Navy had indicated an imminent deployment of the Ghazi in the Bay of Bengal. So Vice-Admiral Krishnan decided to set a trap by letting Ghazi believe that INS Vikrant was in the area near Vizag. He summoned Lt. Commander Inder Singh, the captain of INS Rajput, and gave him an important mission.
INS Rajput, an aging WWII destroyer had actually been recently sent to Vishakapatnam for decommissioning. As a part of the mission, the ship was to pretend to be INS Vikrant, sail out of the Vizag harbor and generate heavy wireless traffic – leading the PNS Ghazi to believe that it had received the right intel about the aircraft carrier. The wily Vice-Admiral also informed the authorities in Madras (now Chennai) that the aircraft carrier would be arriving shortly. Not leaving anything to chance, he also ordered huge quantities of food rations to indicate that the ship was in a harbor near Vizag.
As he hoped, the bait was snapped up. In a signal, later recovered from the sunken Ghazi, commodore submarines in Karachi had sent a signal to the Ghazi that “intelligence indicates carrier in port. Occupy Victor Zone (a code name for Vizag) with all dispatch”. Reaching Vizag on November 27, 1971, PNS Ghazi prowled perilously close to the Indian coast, searching for its elusive quarry. Unknown to the Ghazi, INS Vikrant and her escorts had already sailed into ‘Port X-Ray’, a secret anchorage in the Andaman Island, nearly a 1000 miles away!
On the night of December 3-4, 1971, an explosion tore through the PNS Ghazi, blowing open its bow, crumpling the hull and cracking open the water-tight compartments. Seawater rushed in, drowning the crew as the submarine crashed to the seabed. On December 6, three days after the sinking of the PNS Ghazi, INS launched its first airstrike.
On the same day, the Indian navy’s Soviet-built submarine rescue ship INS Nisar arrived at the site of Ghazi’s sinking with a specialist underwater salvage team. On exploring the sunken submarine, the team reported that the entire forward part of the submarine had been destroyed and blown outwards on the starboard side.
Four bodies had to be removed to access the submarine’s interior, and as per the worldwide naval custom, they were reburied at sea with military honors. Among the objects recovered from the interiors were a chart detailing the voyage from Karachi, the captain’s stationary pad, the ship’s log, radio messages, a Pakistani flag, and the characteristic American “flying bridge” curved windshield.
Some miscellaneous items recovered by India off PNS Ghazi; a bulkhead frame, a hatch with its closure spring, and a section of pneumatic tubing.
So, what exactly caused the blast on PNS Ghazi? This is where the debate arises. Indian Navy claims the submarine was destroyed by depth charges fired by its ship INS Rajput. Pakistani authorities say the submarine sank because of either an internal explosion or accidental blast of mines that the submarine itself was laying around Vizag harbor.
According to the Indian Navy:
At 00:14 on 4 December 1971, INS Rajput’s sonar room reported what sounded like a submarine changing depth, about half mile ahead. Captain Inder Singh ordered a sharp turn and immediately fired two depth charges from the ship’s Mk.IV DCTs. Less than a minute later, at 00:15, a massive underwater explosion shook the destroyer. The crewmen of INS Rajput were unsure what had happened; some sailors briefly thought their destroyer had been torpedoed due to the force of the explosion. Lookouts on INS Rajput saw what was possibly an oil slick in the area. Singh felt certain he had sunk a Pakistani submarine and relayed this to Vice Admiral Krishnan at Vizag. Several minutes later, Vice Admiral Krishnan was informed that a beach patrolman in Vizag had also heard a huge explosion at 00:15.
INS Rajput then departed the area and proceed to join up with the INS Vikrant battle group. After sunrise, local fishermen saw an oil slick and some floating debris in the area. Included in the debris was an unused submariner life vest labeled “USS DIABLO”.
According to the Pakistani Navy:
PNS Ghazi commenced laying a small minefield east of the Vishakapatnam harbor mouth on the overnight of 2-3 December 1971. Then at daybreak on 3 December, it headed out to deeper water to search for the INS Vikrant battle group. Not finding it, PNS Ghazi returned to the Vishakapatnam harbor mouth area at sunset to resume laying the minefield. As the lights ashore were blacked out, PNS Ghazi may have misjudged her position and doubled back into her own minefield around midnight; about 10-15 minutes before the INS Rajput depth charging. Thus, it was the accidental detonation of its own mines that destroyed the Ghazi and not INS Rajput‘s depth charges.
Over the years, the mystery surrounding the sinking of PNS Ghazi has endured. Today, the submarine lies embedded in the Vizag seabed about 1.5 nautical miles from the breakwaters. Close to the harbor channel, the spot has been marked on navigational maps to help ships avoid the wreck.
In 2003, an attempt was made by the Eastern Naval Command to check the condition of the debris. A team of 10 drivers of the Eastern Naval Command was sent down for another look at an old enemy that had come so close and failed.
The images of Ghazi, taken with underwater cameras, revealed that the submarine, in death, was teeming with life. Still sitting on an even keel, the submarine’s hull, chipped away to reveal its steel skeleton, was covered with thousands of fishing nets. However, the cause of the blast still remains unclear and the decades-old-puzzle still remains unsolved. As Vice Admiral (retd) G M Hiranandani (whose book, Transition to Triumph, gives a detailed history of the Indian Navy) says,
“The truth about the Ghazi, which remains on what the submarine community calls the ‘eternal parole’, lies somewhere between the Indian and Pakistani versions of the sinking but no one knows exactly where.”
