The Asian Tribune
www.asiantribune.net
NEW DELHI: For years, a man has been patiently documenting the rare aspects of heritage and the monuments in Central India—a large region that includes the former state of CP and Berar, apart from regions like Maharashtra’s Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh.
The structures that were built centuries ago, much before the Mughals came—in Sultanate era and during the reign of other dynasties, that don’t even get attention, are being located and traced, the information brought to public.
Raziuddin Siddiqui has made it a mission and he has been crisscrossing the vast region—Vidarbha and around, the many historic towns in this region like Ellichpur, Balapur, Malkapur, Daryapur, Karanja Lad & major monuments—centuries’ old tombs, the crumbling palaces, forts and shrines that are spread in Akola, Buldhana, Amravati, Washim and adjoining districts.
Siddiqui’s passion has brought umpteen major monuments back in public eye and there is a renewed interest. Though a medico, his heart is in history, heritage, archaeology. He traverses the region and makes short documentaries and provides evidences from books along with works of authors in medieval era, the British rule and the twentieth century researchers.
Facts and names of books are on the tip of his tongue. From the once famous town of Shahpur, which has a rich history, to that of Ellichpur and the former Kingdom of Berar, he easily answers all queries—either Gond kingdom at Deogarh, the reign of Bakht Buland Shah, the Tribal Muslim dynasty, Maratha rulers, Chandrapur and little known places in MP & North.
“I felt media in this region focused less on heritage and hence I thought I should visit the places, document and bring the facts to fore”, says Siddiqui. Though his ancestors belonged to Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Siddiqui has been in Nagpur since his childhood.
“In 1857, Nagpur too participated in the freedom struggle and there was rebellion against the British rule”, he tells. From the incidents in the past like how Nawab Kadar Ali Khanand his associates were hanged by East India Company, to the historical incidents and cruelty of British forces, he keeps on telling stories after stories, with names of authors and relevant documents.
Though a medico, he has been passionate about archaeology, history and heritage. Travelling across the region, he has been visiting places of heritage that were forgotten and he has documented innumerable tombs, crumbling palaces, ancient monuments and structures that were neglected over a long period.
In Allahabad, he found the place that was site of the prominent mosque that was destroyed by British in the first war of independence in 1857. He has many interesting tales and tidbits about towns in Uttar Pradesh too, which he shares during conversations.
“It was on my children’s suggestion that I uploaded videos on internet and then the I got substantial following on the web”.
Siddiqui’s channel Khoj India has tens of thousands of followers on YouTube and more importantly, the information is helping create awareness in the region and the media is also getting interested in the historical value as well as tourism potential of the monuments that dot this huge but neglected region.
[Email:editor@asiantribune.net]
