All posts tagged: architect

Anit Thapa: Architect of BGPM’s rise and key power centre in Darjeeling hills

Anit Thapa: Architect of BGPM’s rise and key power centre in Darjeeling hills

Published by Parlour News

Anit Thapa is a politician and the current Chief Executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, as well as the President of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha. Anit Thapa’s rise reflects a shift in hill politics towards relatively stable administration after years of unrest linked to the Gorkhaland movement. (PTI) A key political figure in the Darjeeling Hills, he is known for his grassroots leadership and development-oriented governance. Under his leadership, the BGPM has emerged as the dominant political force in the region, securing control across the GTA, municipal bodies, and local governance institutions. His rise reflects a shift in hill politics towards relatively stable administration after years of unrest linked to the Gorkhaland movement. Born in Mungpo and educated in Kurseong and Darjeeling, Thapa began his political journey in 2007, initially associated with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha under Bimal Gurung. He was elected uncontested from Kurseong in the 2013 GTA elections. During the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation, he distanced himself from the earlier leadership’s approach and later, along with Binoy Tamang, played a key role in reshaping …

Who Was Edwin Lutyens? British Architect Whose Bust Was Removed From Rashtrapati Bhavan | India News

Who Was Edwin Lutyens? British Architect Whose Bust Was Removed From Rashtrapati Bhavan | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:February 23, 2026, 20:21 IST Edwin Lutyens was a renowned British architect, best known as the principal designer of New Delhi. Lutyens’ architectural vision shaped the central part of New Delhi, an area now known as ‘Lutyens’ Delhi’ in recognition of his contribution. The statue of British architect Edwin Lutyens at Rashtrapati Bhavan was replaced with a bust of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India. The move is part of the government’s efforts to shed the vestiges of the colonial mindset. President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the bust at the Grand Open Staircase near Ashok Mandap, opposite the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, during an event attended by Vice President CP Radhakrishnan and other dignitaries. A statement from the President’s office said the initiative is part of a series of steps to embrace, with pride, India’s culture, heritage, and timeless traditions, and to honour those who served the nation with distinction. ALSO READ: ‘Shedding Colonial Mindset’: C Rajagopalachari’s Bust Replaces Edwin Lutyens’ At Rashtrapati Bhavan Who Was Edwin Lutyens? Edwin Lutyens …

Statue of Lutyens, New Delhi’s British architect, to be replaced with Rajagopalachari’s at Rashtrapati Bhavan| India News

Statue of Lutyens, New Delhi’s British architect, to be replaced with Rajagopalachari’s at Rashtrapati Bhavan| India News

Published by Parlour News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced that a statue of British architect Edwin Lutyens at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be replaced with that of C Rajagopalachari, the first Indian governor-general of independent India. Sir Edwin Lutyens was a British architect and town planner who, in collaboration with Sir Herbert Baker, designed several monumental buildings in New Delhi, including Rashtrapati Bhavan, North Block, South Block, and India Gate. (Photo: rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in) The announcement was made by PM Modi during his monthly radio address, ‘Mann ki Baat.’ He noted that the statues of British administrators remain in Rashtrapati Bhavan even after India’s independence, while those of India’s great leaders “were not duly honoured” with a place there. Stressing that the country is moving away from the “symbols of colonialism” and “beginning to embrace symbols of Indian culture”, the PM said that the statue will be replaced with a statue of C Rajagopalachari. “A statue of British architect Edwin Lutyens also stood in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Now, this statue will be replaced by a statue of Rajaji (C Rajagopalachari),” he …

THIS actress left industry at the PEAK of her career, got married to an architect, was TORTURED and ABUSED for over 30 years: ‘I’ll be beaten to…’

THIS actress left industry at the PEAK of her career, got married to an architect, was TORTURED and ABUSED for over 30 years: ‘I’ll be beaten to…’

Published by Parlour News

Who is Rati Agnihotri? Actress Rati Agnihotri, known for films like Coolie and Ek Duuje Ke Liye, married renowned architect Anil Virwani in 1985. At the time, she was at the peak of her career. After marriage, she left films and hoped for a simple married life. But her life didn’t turn out as she had imagined. She faced domestic violence in their penthouse in Worli. Was Rati Agnihotri assaulted for 30 years? In an interview, Rati Agnihotri revealed a 30-year-old secret. She disclosed that she had been subjected to abuse since the early years of her marriage. For nearly thirty years, she went through this suffering, yet still showed the world a picture of a happy family, smiling through it all. She claimed that the beatings occurred in areas where no one could see the injuries, thus extending her pain. Why didn’t Rati Agnihotri leave her abusive marriage? Rati became a mother a year after her marriage. Her son, Tanuj Virwani, was born in 1986. She explained that she stayed in the marriage for …

The unassuming architect of Indian Football’s greatest underdog stories

The unassuming architect of Indian Football’s greatest underdog stories

Published by Webster

On the warm Saturday evening in Bhubaneswar, Khalid Jamil stood once again on the sidelines, watching as Jamshedpur FC fell to FC Goa in the Kalinga Super Cup final. A 3-0 scoreline. Another heartbreak. Just weeks earlier, his side had been knocked out in the dying minutes of the ISL semifinal by Mohun Bagan. Two painful exits. Two chances at glory, slipping through his fingers. But this has never been a story of trophies alone. Khalid Jamil is not the headline-maker with dramatic touchline antics or marquee quotes. He is the quiet craftsman — India’s first torchbearer in a league still largely defined by foreign tacticians. In the world of flash and fame, he remains the understated architect of belief. While foreign coaches have shaped the Indian Super League’s narrative, Khalid Jamil has led a silent revolution—one wrapped in resilience, humility, and an unrelenting love for the game. His story is rarely told. But it should be. A journey shaped by principles Khalid’s love for football began in Kuwait, though it wasn’t a career path …

How a British architect Chisolm’s notes helped reinstate Vadodara’s iconic MSU dome with jaggery, spice & everything nice | Long Reads News

How a British architect Chisolm’s notes helped reinstate Vadodara’s iconic MSU dome with jaggery, spice & everything nice | Long Reads News

Published by Parlour News

At the 145-year-old heritage Faculty of Arts building of Vadodara’s Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU), a group of three men stand on the campus grounds, considering how best to send some intricately carved sandstone jaalis to their peers standing on the first floor of the building. Inside, a worker is busy polishing heavy wooden door frames while another is painstakingly painting over a delicately engraved potted plant on the facade on the ground floor. For the last 18 months, the MSU’s 19th Century arts faculty building, with its amalgam of Indian and Byzantine arches and its peculiar marriage of local Gaekwad and the Baroque architecture, has been humming with activity. Here, 100 workers have been working on a long but ambitious project: to breathe new life into the iconic double-layered masonry dome designed in 1880 by British architect Robert Fellows Chisholm. What makes the project complex yet exceptional, according to experts involved in it, is how it uniquely blends traditional building materials such as lime plaster and sandstone with out-of-the-box ones – such as a mixture …

Who is Jatin Hukkeri? Architect husband of actor Ranya Rao, who is caught in alleged gold smuggling case | Latest News India

Who is Jatin Hukkeri? Architect husband of actor Ranya Rao, who is caught in alleged gold smuggling case | Latest News India

Published by Parlour News

Mar 06, 2025 10:43 AM IST Kannada actress Ranya Rao was arrested on Monday after authorities seized gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore from her at Kempegowda International Airport. Jatin Hukkeri, the husband of Kannada actress Ranya Rao, is under scrutiny following her recent arrest in Bengaluru in connection with an alleged gold smuggling case. Police allege that he frequently travelled with Rao to Dubai multiple times. Ranya, who married Hukkeri in a high-profile ceremony at Taj West End a few months ago, caught investigators’ attention after taking four trips to Dubai within 15 days. Jatin Hukkeri, an architect and husband of Kannada actress Ranya Rao.(Facebook/Jatin Hukkeri) According to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore were seized from Rao at Kempegowda International Airport. Following this, officials searched her residence, recovering gold jewellery valued at ₹2.06 crore and ₹2.67 crore in cash. Rao is the stepdaughter of senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, who currently serves as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. …

Varun Chakravarthy on his different career paths: ‘My dreams were all being an architect and making movies’ | Cricket News

Varun Chakravarthy on his different career paths: ‘My dreams were all being an architect and making movies’ | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Varun Chakravarthy is a later bloomer, which is rare in Indian cricket. On Sunday, Varun Chakravarthy took 5 for 42 and helped India beat New Zealand by 44 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. It was Varun’s first five-wicket haul in only his second one-day international. The 33-year-old has picked up cricket when he was 26. At the press conference in Dubai, he has opened up about his different career paths. “So, I started cricket very late, pretty late, when I was 26 I started cricket, so before that my dreams were all building, being an architect and making movies,” he told reporters. Story continues below this ad “I’ve had different career paths, so it has been different, after 26 is what I started dreaming about cricket and all those things are happening, so yeah, it’s been good right now,” he said. India’s Varun Chakravarthy bowls a delivery during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and New Zealand, in Dubai, UAE. (AP) Chakravarthy was tough to handle for the lower order, taking …

Who Is Chandrakant Sompura, Ayodhya Temple Architect Among Padma Awardees

Who Is Chandrakant Sompura, Ayodhya Temple Architect Among Padma Awardees

Published by Webster

Chandrakant Sompura, the architect of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, is among the Padma Shri recipients this year. He comes from a family of temple architects that have designed over 200 such structures. He had told NDTV in an earlier interview that he had designed the Ram temple over 30 years ago using his footsteps as a unit of measurement. “At that time, we were not allowed to take measuring tapes. I was told just have a look around alone. It was very difficult for me to envision a temple without proper measurement. So, I used my feet and counted the steps. I remembered all the steps – from left to right, across, and replicated the design inside a big hall where I could take proper measurement,” Mr Somapura had said. The 80-year-old envisioned the temple in Ayodhya, constructed over an area of 2,7 acres in the traditional Nagar style without using iron. Mr Sompura is the grandson of Padma Shri Prabhashankarbhai Oghadbhai Somapura, whom he also considers his teacher. As per his …