Memories of a glorious childhood spent in Kolar Gold Fields. KGF was known for its colonial ambience and came into existence as early as the 16th century.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
IMAGES OF KOLAR GOLD FIELDS FROM THE SOUTHERN INDIA JOURNAL
My name is Bridget White-Kumar. I’m a Cookery Book Author, Food Consultant and Culinary Historian. I’ve authored 7 Recipe books on Anglo-Indian Cuisine. My area of expertise is in Colonial Anglo-Indian Food and I have gone through a lot of effort in reviving the old forgotten dishes of the Colonial Raj Era. My Recipe books are a means of preserving for posterity the very authentic tastes and flavours of Colonial ‘Anglo’ India, besides recording for future generations, the unique heritage of Anglo-Indian Cuisine. I take up professional assignments and conduct Cooking Workshops and Training Sessions in Colonial Anglo-Indian Cuisine at Restaurants, Hotels and Clubs and large hospitality houses such as The Oberoi Mumbai, The Taj Conemara Chennai, The Taj West End Bangalore, Vivanta by Taj Whitefield, Sujan Luxury Rajmahal Palace Jaipur Sujan Luxury Sher Bagh Ranthambore, Bow Barracks Bangalore, Bangalore Club,Ivy Unwind Resort Bangalore, etc I also assist in organizing Anglo-Indian Food Festivals and Culinary Events besides conducting Cooking Classes for small groups.
Tel +919845571254 Email bridgetkumar@yahoo.com
www.anglo-indianfood.com
http://memoriesofkgf.blogspot.com
Thursday, March 26, 2015
BULLOCK CARTS AND TONGAS - THE ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE EARLY DAYS IN KOLAR GOLD FIELDS
I found this Post Card on Ebay depicting the modes of transportation in the early days in KGF. I would like to share a small excerpt from my Book KOLAR GOLD FIELDS DOWN MEMORY LANE in this connection.
When we were children frowing up in Kolar Gold Fields during the 1950s and 60s, public transport was very
limited in KGF and there was no local bus facility to take us around the mines
and to Robertsonpet. The only buses that passed through the Nandydroog Mine, were the long distance buses that came
from Bangalore and Kolar via Bangarapet. These buses were either Express or Non
stop Services, so they didn't stop en route to Robertsonpet. The few ordinary
service buses were quite infrequent so no one really depended on them as a
means of local conveyance. KGF also didn’t have a regular Taxi service in
those days. There were only one or two people like Mr. Parker, or Mr. Das from
Robertsonpet who ran their old cars as Taxis. The ‘Jatka’ Service was the only
means of conveyance for many, many years. People either traveled in the Jatkas
or else just walked to wherever they had to go to.
The Jatka / Tonga or the
Horse drawn carriages came into existence in India, in the middle of the 18th
century through the traders of East India Company in Calcutta. It was
originally conceived and built for use of the Company but spread to other
places in India and soon became a popular means of transport for the common
man. The Jatkas and Tongas were the only mode of local conveyance in KGF from
the early 1900s till the late 1970s. These Jatkas
were fondly called ‘BANDIES’ by the
Anglo-Indians which was an Anglicized version of the Tamil word “VUNDIE’, and the Jatka Driver or Cartman was called the "Bandy man"
Besides being the mode of
transportation in KGF, the Jatkas were also used as a means of advertising the
latest film releases in Town. Before a new film was released, posters of the
hero and heroine in some catchy pose would be stuck on to Tattie or Bamboo
sheets and tied on the sides of the Jatka. Inside the jatka, a gramophone with
a loud speaker would blast the title songs of the Movie, and a person with a
megaphone would announce in which Picture House the film would be running. All the small urchins would
run behind the Jatka and pick up all the pamphlets that were dropped by the
person doing the announcing in the jatka. These ‘advertisement Jatkas’ would go
all around KGF covering every street and Miner’s Line so that everyone would
know about the latest release. This was a very effective advertising tool in
those days.
My name is Bridget White-Kumar. I’m a Cookery Book Author, Food Consultant and Culinary Historian. I’ve authored 7 Recipe books on Anglo-Indian Cuisine. My area of expertise is in Colonial Anglo-Indian Food and I have gone through a lot of effort in reviving the old forgotten dishes of the Colonial Raj Era. My Recipe books are a means of preserving for posterity the very authentic tastes and flavours of Colonial ‘Anglo’ India, besides recording for future generations, the unique heritage of Anglo-Indian Cuisine. I take up professional assignments and conduct Cooking Workshops and Training Sessions in Colonial Anglo-Indian Cuisine at Restaurants, Hotels and Clubs and large hospitality houses such as The Oberoi Mumbai, The Taj Conemara Chennai, The Taj West End Bangalore, Vivanta by Taj Whitefield, Sujan Luxury Rajmahal Palace Jaipur Sujan Luxury Sher Bagh Ranthambore, Bow Barracks Bangalore, Bangalore Club,Ivy Unwind Resort Bangalore, etc I also assist in organizing Anglo-Indian Food Festivals and Culinary Events besides conducting Cooking Classes for small groups.
Tel +919845571254 Email bridgetkumar@yahoo.com
www.anglo-indianfood.com
http://memoriesofkgf.blogspot.com
Monday, March 23, 2015
EARLY MINING DAYS IN KOLAR GOLD FIELDS
An Excerpt from my book KOLAR GOLD FIELDS DOWN MEMORY LANE
In the early days when the John Taylor and Company started mining operations in Kolar Gold Fields, the miners worked in hazardous and humid conditions underground at the risk of their lives. They went underground in a bucket let down by a rope practically crawling down the shafts with only candles to illuminate their way. It was much later that oil lamps were used to light their way under ground.
In the early days when the John Taylor and Company started mining operations in Kolar Gold Fields, the miners worked in hazardous and humid conditions underground at the risk of their lives. They went underground in a bucket let down by a rope practically crawling down the shafts with only candles to illuminate their way. It was much later that oil lamps were used to light their way under ground.
They had to
work in the dark, dangerous and cavernous underground passages, often bare
headed or wearing flimsy hats made of cane. Some of them just covered their
bare heads with a towel or a piece of cloth. The temperatures were very high under ground and often touched 67 Degrees Centigrade. It was literally like
working in hell and their bodies were often burnt black with the heat. Many of
them developed heat sores and boils but carried on their wok never the less.
The early
Miners also had to handle explosives with their bare hands at high risk to
themselves. Several of them met grisly ends when the explosives went off
accidentally and many fell to their deaths in the deep tunnels. The underground tunnels were damp, dark and
unhygienic, so epidemics like plague and cholera were also rampant due to the
poor working conditions. These workers
risked their lives to mine the gold that made the John Taylor and Sons Company
richer by the day!
Since labourers were
in short supply, the Company insisted on the workers wearing a metal bracelet
on their left hand, which had the name of John Taylor and Company, embossed on
it along with a number and name of the mine. This was to ensure that the workers did not run
away, and if they did, they would be found quite easily as the bracelet was
very tight and wouldn’t come off easily. The workers had no option but to wear
it. (However, this practice was given up only in 1940 when the miners formed
their own unions).
My name is Bridget White-Kumar. I’m a Cookery Book Author, Food Consultant and Culinary Historian. I’ve authored 7 Recipe books on Anglo-Indian Cuisine. My area of expertise is in Colonial Anglo-Indian Food and I have gone through a lot of effort in reviving the old forgotten dishes of the Colonial Raj Era. My Recipe books are a means of preserving for posterity the very authentic tastes and flavours of Colonial ‘Anglo’ India, besides recording for future generations, the unique heritage of Anglo-Indian Cuisine. I take up professional assignments and conduct Cooking Workshops and Training Sessions in Colonial Anglo-Indian Cuisine at Restaurants, Hotels and Clubs and large hospitality houses such as The Oberoi Mumbai, The Taj Conemara Chennai, The Taj West End Bangalore, Vivanta by Taj Whitefield, Sujan Luxury Rajmahal Palace Jaipur Sujan Luxury Sher Bagh Ranthambore, Bow Barracks Bangalore, Bangalore Club,Ivy Unwind Resort Bangalore, etc I also assist in organizing Anglo-Indian Food Festivals and Culinary Events besides conducting Cooking Classes for small groups.
Tel +919845571254 Email bridgetkumar@yahoo.com
www.anglo-indianfood.com
http://memoriesofkgf.blogspot.com
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