Historic moments at PJLN College, Banda. The inauguration of INTACH Archive Conservation lab inaugurated by Honourable Ms. Sheetal Verma I.A.S. District Magistrate, Banda U.P.

Hindus join Muslim brothers in paying homage on the occasion of Muharrum

In this backward Uttar Pradesh town, Hindus join their Muslim brothers in paying homage to the martyrs of Karbala on the occasion of Muharrum. This unique tradition, bringing the two religious communities together in praying, started about 260 years ago with a Maratha setting up "Ramji Ka Imambara" at the Gulab Bagh road in Aliganj locality here. While the Muslims recite "fateha" before the "tazias" installed at the Imambara during this month, their fellow Hindu devouts pray before the "dhaal, naal and alams" identified with Muharrum. Devouts of both the religions pray under one roof, setting a rare example of communal amity and brotherhood.

Five generations of the Marathi family, who had set up this imambara, have been personally taking part in observing Muharrum and they converge here on this occasion every year. 71-year-old Basant Raj Samant, an advocate by profession, representing the fourth generation of the family, said that ever since 1750 this tradition has been kept alive by them and he too makes it a point to come here from Pune every year.

After Five Years, Monsoon Brings Smile to Parched Bundelkhand

Good rainfall this monsoon season in Bundelkhand region of the state has brought some cheer at a time when the region has been reeling under drought-like situation for the past five years.

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That Bundelkhand is one of the most underdeveloped regions of Uttar Pradesh is not lost on state government's planning department. According to its assessment of the region, Bundelkhand performs poorly on several parameters, both in comparison to the state and India. It has the highest number of persons engaged in agriculture in comparison to total main workers (2001) at 70.08%. In the past decade, many from the farming community have now turned labourers in this region.

Official figures confirm 519 suicides in the seven districts in the first five months of this year. This figure includes all suicides.

Everything is in short supply here, especially hope. There was a flicker of it, though, when on April 30 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came here with Rahul Gandhi. Maybe the people were expecting a miracle, an end to the misery created by season after season of bad crops and the resultant rising debt. Their hope proved to be short-lived. Since then, nine farmers have killed themselves in Banda district alone, the worst hit in a cluster of seven district that form the ravaged Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. The other six districts are Hamirpur, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Mahoba, Chitrakoot and Jalaun. Banda district hospital has reported around 330 cases of suicide between January and May this year.

Locals here say most of the suicides are by indebted farmers, their world darkened by the burden. The actual number, however, is difficult to tell. Official figures confirm 519 suicides in the seven districts in the first five months of this year. This figure includes all suicides. But even if one were to go by the official figures, there has been an alarming rise in the rate of suicides in the last five months. In the 12 months of 2009, there were 568 suicides in the seven districts against 519 in just the first five months of this year. In 2010, 583 suicides were recorded. Between 2001 and 2005, there were 1,275 cases of suicide (the period includes 2002 and 2004, two harsh drought years).