Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

At the historical Humayun?s Tomb, His Highness the Aga Khan, hereditary spiritual leader (Imam) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and founder of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) together with India?s Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh today announced the seven recipients of the 2004 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The announcement marked the completion of the ninth cycle of the programme. The Award, which has a triennial prize fund of US$ 500,000, is the world?s largest architectural award. The seven projects selected by the 2004 Award Master Jury are: ??

The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, today suggested that the Aga Khan Foundation extend its projects in social, education and health sectors beyond Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The President made this suggestion to Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Ismaili Khoja community, who called on him at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Official sources said Mr. Kalam suggested that the foundation also take up work in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The sources said the Aga Khan briefed the President on the foundation's activities in India.

Moti Morsal village in Gujarat's Sundernagar District is green and fertile today due to the relentless efforts of its women. There was a time when extremely hot summers and scanty rainfall would force the villagers of nearly 160 houses to leave the area in search of food and water.
However, under the aegis of the Aga Khan Rural Support Program, the village women who once used to walk miles for drinking water, have started schemes like roof water harvesting in tanks with storage capacities of around 10,000 liters to meet drinking water requirements up to six months.

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, will arrive on a six-day visit to Delhi mainly for discussions with Indian leaders on broadening the framework of activities of the Aga Khan Development Network in the country.
He will call on President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, his deputy L K Advani and other leaders during his stay here.

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, today discussed with External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha the scope of his development network in promoting education, health and rural development in India.

During the 45-minute-long meeting, the Aga Khan, who is on his first visit to India in 11 years, spoke about the potential for cooperation also in areas like micro credit, financial services, humanitarian assistance and in the promotion of non-governmental organisations, informed sources said.

The prestigious Aga Khan award for architecture will be presented at a glittering ceremony in the gardens of Humayun's Tomb here Saturday afternoon.
The high-profile award presentation ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Aga Khan, ministers, top diplomats, architects and bureaucrats.

The award, established in 1977 by the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, to enhance the understanding and appreciation of Islamic culture as expressed through architecture, is presented every three years.

A primary school, a village mosque and an ancient library located in different parts of the world were Saturday conferred the Aga Khan award for architecture in recognition of learning, faith, tradition and modernity.
Among the seven institutions cited were the Bibiliotheca Alexandria in Egypt, an indigenously-designed primary school in a Burkina Faso village, the (restored) Al-Abbas mosque in Yemen and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

An independent master jury selected them for the 2002-2004 awards cycle.

The prestigious Aga Khan award for architecture will be presented at a glittering ceremony in the gardens of Humayun's Tomb here Saturday afternoon.
The high-profile award presentation ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Aga Khan, ministers, top diplomats, architects and bureaucrats.

The award, established in 1977 by the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, to enhance the understanding and appreciation of Islamic culture as expressed through architecture, is presented every three years.

The prestigious Aga Khan award for architecture will be presented at a glittering ceremony in the gardens of Humayun's Tomb here Saturday afternoon.
The high-profile award presentation ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Aga Khan, ministers, top diplomats, architects and bureaucrats.

The award, established in 1977 by the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, to enhance the understanding and appreciation of Islamic culture as expressed through architecture, is presented every three years.

Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Shite Muslims, meets Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi at in the Capital on Tuesday. ? Tribune photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Tucked away in a residential area of India's capital is one of its least-known tourist attractions ? the 16th-century tomb of the Emperor Humayun.
The magnificent red-sandstone tomb is said to have provided the inspiration for the Taj Mahal, but is rarely included in the 'must-see' list for visitors, who prefer to go to the more famous Red Fort, India Gate monument or Rashrapati Bhavan, the president's palace.

The Petronas Towers and a project to revitalise Old Jerusalem were among seven architectural achievements named as winners of the 2004 Aga Khan award for architecture.The prizes were presented by the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the world's 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims, yesterday.

The Aga Khan, billionaire spiritual leader of the world's 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims, met Indian Finance Minister Jaswant Singh during an official visit here Tuesday. He is scheduled to inaugurate the restoration of a tomb of Emperor Humayun. The work was carried out jointly by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India. The Aga Khan, who is on the second day of a six-day visit here, was also to meet leaders of the Ismaili community.

Recreating History At Humayun?s TombOffering a glimpse of the great Mughal art of landscaping in the midst of Delhi?s concrete jungles, the restored gardens at Humayun?s Tomb were thrown open to visitors last week.
The first privately funded restoration of the garden of the tomb, which is a World Heritage Site, was completed last month. It was a joint effort of the Agha Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the aegis of the National Culture Fund (NCF).

Mr. Chairman, Chief Minister, Your Worship the Mayor, Sheriff of Bombay, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I would like to begin by thanking the Chairman and Members of the Maharashtra Friendship Society for their very kind address and reception. My visit to Bombay is short and I am, therefore, all the more appreciative that this reception should be on my day of arrival.

It has given me the wonderful opportunity to meet once again the many friends whom I have not seen since my last visit here.

Mr President, Gentlemen

The topic I have chosen to talk to you about is wide and much too complicated to deal with fully in twenty minutes. I hope, however, to give you a sketch of what has been happening in East Africa during the last year or two, and in particular to give an idea of the role which the Asian communities have played, and the one which they have to play, whether they desire to or not, in the future.

I cannot begin this reply to your welcome address without expressing my gratitude to the leaders and governments of this city, of Bombay State and of all India for the kindness with which they have received me. This is a very special occasion for the Ismailis of India, and I speak for them all when I say how much I have appreciated the friendly co-operation which my community has received in the many details of preparation. I would specially like to thank His Excellency the Governor, the Chief Minister and his colleagues, the Chief Justice and the Commissioner of Police.

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations at Dar-es-Salaam followed in August, 1946. To it thousands of people came from all parts of the world, especially lndia, Europe and the Middle East. Hundreds made the journey by air, thousands by train, by car and by lorry, from all parts of Africa, many enduring much hardship in travelling from such out of the way places as Abyssinia, Belgian Congo, Uganda. Convoys of cars came from South Africa.

At a quarter past five on the afternoon of Sunday, March 10, 1946, a deep hush fell upon the Brabourne Stadium in Bombay. Here over 100,000 people, from various parts of the world., had come to witness one of those magnificent ceremonies which arouse wonder and amazement in the minds of men. It was on this day, and at this hour, that His Highness the Aga Khan was to be weighed in diamonds to celebrate the sixtieth year of his Imamate. Seldom before can Bombay, even in its pageantry and glory, have looked upon such pompous ceremonies, such splendour and colour.

THIS IS A BIG JAMAT KHANA IN SAURASHTRA AREA