The treasure in our trees
From the stately, tall coconut trees come the coconut, which could be fashioned into wonderful stilts on which children could walk tall. From the Indian Coral tree came these wonderful seeds that would get very hot when rubbed on the ground. What wonderful hours we had, placing the hot seed on the arm of an unsuspecting friend and watching them leap in surprise.
Where have all the trees gone? Most children have barely seen a tamarind tree, let alone climbed one.
About a year ago, I interviewed a number of people asking them to recollect their childhood memories of play. One talked of a wonderful catching game that they played that involved climbing trees. Another reminisced about how he never used to enter through the gate of his friend's house but preferred to clamber over the wall by using an overhanging tree.
To quote Richard Mabey, a renowned British writer and broadcaster, best known for his work exploring the relationship between nature and culture — 'To be without trees would, in the most literal way, to be without our roots.'
And the roots of our traditional games are in
our trees – truly the treasure in the trees.
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Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
HT Archives: Queen Elizabeth II coronated in grand London ceremony
The bells of London pealed and the guns thundered to salute the crowning of Queen Elizabeth II. A great concourse in Westminster Abbey cried 'God save the Queen' as they watched the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher, place on her head St. Edward's Crown, the symbol of the British monarchy. Outside, beneath grey skies, the cry was taken up by millions who had watched her progress to the ancient Abbey and waited to see her emerge again as the crowned Queen. Later, the Queen thanked her people for their ' loyalty and affection.' She ended a worldwide broadcast on her Coronation Day with these words: 'As this day draws to its close, I know that my abiding memory of it will be not only the solemnity and beauty of the ceremony but the inspiration of your loyalty and affection.' 'I thank you from a full heart. God bless you all.' Earlier, she pledged: 'Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.' A congregation of more than 7,000 waited at the Abbey since early morning for the Queen's arrival. They heard her approach in State, heralded by a swelling roar of cheers along the route, while a massed orchestra in the Abbey played softly. Then through the west door of the Abbey along the blue carpet leading to the Coronation theatre before the altar, the stately procession began. First came the Abbey beadle bearing his golden staff of office. Behind him came churchmen in scarlet cassocks and sombre black. Then in a great multi-coloured stream, the heralds in medieval tunics, the court officials and the standard bearers. Slowly the colour moved across the golden carpet of the Coronation theatre in the centre of which the golden throne, upholstered in rose, stood in a raised dais. Prime ministers of the Commonwealth stepped aside into their allotted places giving way to the Archbishops of York and Canterbury in their pointed mitres and gold-embroidered robes. The Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers, Mr Jawaharlal Nehru and Mr Mohammed Ali Jinnah, walked side by side in the procession into the Abbey. Behind them surrounded by heralds in bright medieval tunics came the Duke of Edinburgh, a burgundy robe trimmed with ermine billowing around his naval uniform. Amid this rich and multi-coloured scene the Queen appeared like a gold and crystal figure, supported by her maids of honour. A bishop walked on either side. As she entered the clear voices of 40 schoolboys rang out in the cry of Vivat Regina. There was a great crash of the organ and then the 400-voice choir echoed the salute. The Queen walked steadily, her hands clasped in front, her face tense and serious. As the cries of 'Vivat' soared upwards she seemed to tremble for a second, her hands unclasped, but quickly she clasped them again. As she reached the Chair of Estate, her arms dropped to her side and the maids withdrew. For a moment the Queen knelt in prayer, then took her place on the chair, while the regalia was placed on the altar. The moment had come now for the recognition. Once more her maids of honour escorted her to a corner of the theatre beside the Coronation Chair. There she stood alone as the Archbishop of Canterbury declared: 'Sirs, I here present unto you Queen Elizabeth your undaunted Queen: wherefor all you who are come this day to do your homage and service. Are you willing to do the same?' A great cry of ' God save Queen Elizabeth ' rose from the assembly, echoed twice by the Choir. Four times from each side of the theatre the Archbishop asked the question and each time the thunderous cry came back. Then he bowed to her and she returned to the Chair of Estate. Sitting upright in her chair the Queen next took the oath speaking her only words of the entire ceremony. 'Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa. Pakistan and Ceylon and of your possessions and other territories to any of them belonging or pertaining according to their respective laws and customs?' the Archbishop asked. 'I solemnly promise to do so,' she said in a clear voice. Afterwards, her maids of honour gathered around and escorted her into St. Edward's Chapel to prepare for her triumphal drive through the streets of London. As the Queen reappeared from the Chapel, arrayed now in a purple robe, crowned and carrying her sceptre in one hand and the cross-topped orb in the other, a fanfare of trumpets blared out and the Abbey rang with the national anthem: ' God save the Queen.' The rain streamed ceaselessly down, until dignitaries riding in open carriages were so wet that they had the hoods put up, almost hiding them from view. 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Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
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Hidden Delhi museum swelling with over 1,000 artefacts awaits expansion
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These include traditional Hmar attire and ceremonial garments such as the Thangsuo Puon — a cloth of honour representing bravery and selfless community service — as well as the Zakuolaisen blouse and Puonlaisen wrap, worn by Hmar women during weddings and festivals, officials said. 'Each of these garments holds a cultural and ceremonial purpose. For instance, the Thlanlam Puon is used during funerary rituals,' said Abigail Lalnuneng, assistant professor at the department, while curating the brightly coloured fabrics. Other garments include the Hmar Puon (originally intended as a representation of the Hmar identity for women during dances and festivals), Tawnlo Puon (shawl of distinction, used by Hmar families to indicate their status and wealth), Tawllo Puon (the shawl of dauntlessness, used to drape the corpse of the Hmar hunters killed by animals), and Hmar-am (short skirt), among others, each linked to specific social or ceremonial roles in the Hmar community, which is an ethnic group based in northeastern states of India, including Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Assam. The collection also includes bead necklaces, earrings, headgear, and other cultural accessories, Lalnuneng added. Another recent donation came from the Centre for Indigenous and Colonial Studies (CEIC) at the National University of Jujuy, Argentina. 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Time of India
15 hours ago
- Time of India
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Credit: Instagram/@shige_japaniguruji Tucked away in a quiet corner of Tokyo's Suginami Ward stands Renkō-ji Temple—a modest, centuries-old Buddhist shrine that has quietly drawn visitors, questions, and emotions for nearly eight decades. Far from a tourist hotspot, this unassuming temple holds an object of immense historical significance and emotional gravity: an urn said to contain the ashes of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, one of India's most enigmatic freedom fighters. And with it, Renkō-ji cradles a mystery that continues to haunt Indian memory: did Bose really die in that 1945 plane crash? From revolution to reverence: Bose's Japan connection Subhas Chandra Bose remains a towering figure in India's independence movement, celebrated for his uncompromising stance against British rule and his leadership of the Indian National Army (INA). Unlike Mahatma Gandhi's path of non-violence, Bose believed liberation required force. During World War II, he forged alliances with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in hopes of toppling British colonial power. Credit: iStock In 1943, Bose arrived in East Asia, rallying the INA under Japanese sponsorship and setting his eyes on India through Burma. But after Japan's surrender in August 1945, the tide turned. Official accounts claim Bose died on August 18, 1945, after his Japanese military aircraft crashed in Taipei. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Badly burned, he was said to have died two days later, and his remains were cremated and brought to Japan. On September 14, 1945, his ashes were entrusted to the Tokyo Indian Independence League and placed in Renkō-ji Temple following a memorial service. A shrine, a mystery, a memory Renkō-ji Temple was established in 1594 and belongs to the Nichiren sect of Buddhism. Unlike the grand shrines of Kyoto or the iconic temples of Tokyo, Renkō-ji is serene and simple—its architecture quiet, its grounds humble. Yet it holds a significant legacy. At the center of its courtyard stands a bronze bust of Netaji, installed in 1975. Flanked by plaques marking visits from Indian dignitaries—Jawaharlal Nehru in 1957, Indira Gandhi in 1969, Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001, and others—the site becomes a place of pilgrimage every August 18, when the temple opens for a memorial service marking Bose's reported death anniversary. Inside the main hall, a small golden pagoda holds the urn said to contain his ashes. For the rest of the year, Renkō-ji remains closed to the public, adding to the enigma that surrounds it. Contested remains and unanswered questions But here's where reverence meets controversy. The authenticity of the ashes has long been disputed. While Japanese records and commissions like the 1970 G.D. Khosla Commission affirm Bose's death in the crash, the 2005 Mukherjee Commission disagreed, concluding there was no conclusive evidence Bose died in Taiwan. The Indian government dismissed the Mukherjee findings without explanation, keeping the debate alive. Theories about Bose's fate abound—some claim he escaped to the Soviet Union, others suggest he lived in secrecy in India. Family members, including his daughter Anita Bose Pfaff and grandnephew Chandra Kumar Bose, have repeatedly called for DNA testing of the remains. In a 2005 letter, Renkō-ji's then-chief priest confirmed the temple's willingness to permit testing. Yet no test has been conducted, and as of 2025, the ashes remain undisturbed. Credit: iStock Visiting Renkō-ji: A quiet pilgrimage Located about 500 meters from Higashi-Koenji Station, Renkō-ji isn't easy to stumble upon. Hidden in a residential neighborhood and absent of English signage, it's not on most Tokyo travel itineraries. Those who make the journey often describe it as a profoundly emotional experience. Through Sanshi-no-Mori Park and into the temple courtyard, visitors are greeted not with fanfare, but with solemnity. The priests' decades-long guardianship of the ashes—now upheld by Nichiko Mochizuki, the son of Reverend Kyoei Mochizuki—adds a layer of reverence not often seen in global shrines to foreign figures. A legacy awaits closure Despite public interest, political visits, and continued family appeals, no Indian government has made a formal request to repatriate the remains. The Japanese government and temple custodians have signaled their willingness, but the silence from New Delhi remains deafening. In the heart of Tokyo, far from Netaji's birthplace in Cuttack or the battlegrounds of Southeast Asia, Renkō-ji Temple keeps vigil. It holds not just an urn, but a story unfinished—a story of courage, of freedom, and of a nation's unanswered question.
