Indian Monument Restoration and Protection thread

[Yagya]

Walled City to regain heritage look: Kak

Jaipur: Tourism, art and culture minister Bina Kak announced that the Walled City area of Jaipur would again be given its old, pristine heritage look.

She said that the chief secretary had a meeting with JDA Commissioner in which it was decided that JDA would allocate Rs 2 crore to restore the Walled City to its original heritage look by way of uniform paint, similar signages, repair and restoration. She said that a proposal was also being submitted to the Government of India for funding of this project.

She was speaking at her residence this evening to the trade representatives of the Walled City markets including Johari Bazaar, Chandpole, Chaura Rasta, Kishanpole Bazaar, Tripoliya Bazaar, Ramganj Bazaar, etc. Chief secretary, S Ahmad; principal secretary, tourism, Usha Sharma, JDC Kuldeep Ranka and executive director (works), Amber Development and Management Authority BD Garg were also present. Minister said that the maotha at Amber would be filled right upto its capacity and the water would be brought from the Bisalpur Dam. This project would cost an additional Rs 2.5 crore per annum she added.

Kak added that the manner in which different cities are known for their festivals, similarly, the Pink City would now be known for its Diwali. To begin with, this year the department of tourism, would be organising a 3-day festival in Jaipur.

source

[Yagya]

Comprehensive restoration plan for Kashmir's Samba Fort

Srinagar: A comprehensive plan for restoration of the Samba Fort has been conceived at an estimated cost of over Rs 4.87 crore as part of efforts to preserve historic places by Jammu and Kashmir government.

Over Rs 75 lakh have been spent on various works for the restoration of the fort believed to be first constructed in 13th century AD, an official spokesman said after a high- level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

The meeting was convened here yesterday to take stock of the conservation programme of the Samba Fort, which has been declared an ancient monument under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1920.

The government undertook restoration and conservation programme in March 2010.

The works so far undertaken include partial restoration of outer fort wall, restoration of water tank, clearance of wild vegetation inside and outside the fort, the spokesman said.

The fort was rebuilt by Raja Suchit Singh in 1830 on the remains of earlier fort built by Naga Raja Gour Sen.

The spokesman said conservation work of four more forts of Hari Parbhat, Bahu, Reasi and Hira Nagar is being executed by the Department of Culture and Tourism while Archaeological Survey of India is working on the restoration of Ram Nagar Fort.

Addressing the meeting, Omar called for holistic approach by the departments concerned to preserve historic and cultural speciality of the state.

He said Jammu and Kashmir possesses rich heritage and remarkable archaeological and architectural characteristics.

"This special phenomenon of the state needs focused attention," he said calling for preservation and protection of this glory.

PTI

source

[tanzirian]

A point of discussion for anyone interested in Mughal architecture...

Recently, as part of a decade-long restoration of Delhi's Red Fort, the ASI painted the west facade of the Naqqar Khana with white plaster. The ASI states that it found evidence that the west facade of this building was originally plastered white in this fashion. Here is a picture of the result:

image hosted on flickr

red fort by Sketti K., on Flickr

...and before restoration / plastering:

image hosted on flickr

Naqqar Khana by philandsarah@comcast.net, on Flickr

I was quite surprised by this action. I have seen two paintings of the west facade of the Naqqar Khana (drum house) which predate 1858 (when the British destroyed much of the palace). One of these paintings is a highly accurate and detailed drawing by Mazhar Ali Khan in 1846, which clearly shows the west facade plastered in red. I post Mazhar's painting below...the Naqqar Khana can be seen in the middle, with red coloring. Another painting from about the same time, as well as British photographs from 1858, concur with this color scheme.



Now, it's certainly possible that the white plaster may have been lost in the two centuries between the construction of the palace and Mazhar's painting. However, the principal structures in Shah Jahan's palaces generally followed a scheme where buildings primarily for imperial use were constructed in white marble, those for both imperial and public use were built of red sandstone and then coated with white plaster to mimic marble, and those primarily for non imperial use featured red sandstone or other non-white facades. An example of a building which was in fact originally coated with white plaster was the Diwan-i-Amm (public audience hall). In Mazhar's painting, this building is shown coated white, just as its counterpart in Agra still is today. The Naqqar Khana, although a very prominent structure, was intended for musicians and would never have been entered by members of royalty (they would just pass underneath the central arch).

Delhi, Diwan i Amm, without plaster:

image hosted on flickr

Diwan-I-Am, Red Fort, Delhi by Geetesh Bajaj, on Flickr

Agra, Diwan i Amm, with original plastering intact:

image hosted on flickr

Agra Fort - Diwan-i-Aam by Dr Rohit Raj, on Flickr

I don't know that the ASI is necessarily wrong, but it's still jarring that they continue to take such drastic steps without a broader discussion first among archaeologists, conservationists, and art historians. Before this current restoration, the ASI had undertaken a "restoration" in 2003 which actually caused widespread (and sometimes irreparable) harm to many of structures in the fort, most notoriously the partial destruction of the exquisite marble lattice in the Khass Mahal (emperor's private quarters). One of the decisions that the ASI took in that earlier restoration was to pave over the northern section of the imperial terrace that runs along the eastern boundary of the fort. At the time they claimed their actions were based on depictions in old paintings. These paintings turned out to be done by British painters who had never entered the fort. In the process, the archaeological footprints of the Nahr-i-Behst (artificial stream that followed through the imperial pavilions), and of one royal pavilions torn down by the British, may have been permanently lost. To me the current actions, while not nearly as thoughtless, still seem to have a similar hint of reckless haste.

[Yagya]

जयपुरवासी अब गर्व से अपने शहर को कहेंगे पिंकसिटी

जयपुर.जयपुर की बसावट के 284 साल बाद यह पहला अवसर होगा, जब शहर के प्रमुख बाजारों में एकरूपता लाने का कोई बड़ा प्रयास किया जा रहा है। 90 डिग्री के कोण में कटे यहां के सभी प्रमुख बाजारों के फसाड हवामहल जैसे गुलाबी रंग में रंगे नजर आएंगे।

इसके लिए 15 नवंबर से चारदीवारी के सभी प्रमुख बाजारों के फसाड की मरम्मत का कार्य शुरू होगा। आमेर डवलपमेंट अथॉरिटी की ओर से यह पहल गवर्नमेंट ऑफ इंडिया से मंजूर हुए 11.70 करोड़ रुपए की मदद से की जा रही है। अगली दिवाली तक इस कार्य को पूरा करने की तैयारी की जा रही है।

इसमें बाजारों के बरामदे और प्राइवेट मकानों के फसाड की मरम्मत होगी, भले ही वे कितनी ही मंजिल क्यों न हों। इसके लिए नगर-निगम और जेडीए से अतिक्रमण हटाने में मदद ली जाएगी। आमेर डवलपमेंट बोर्ड के कार्यकारी निदेशक, (कार्य) बीडी गर्ग ने बताया कि फिलहाल फसाड मरम्मत का कार्य शुरू किया जा रहा है, ताकि शहर को वल्र्ड क्लास और पुराने गुलाबी शहर की पहचान कायम रखी जा सके।

अगले साल दिवाली से पहले इसे पूरा करने के बाद व्यापारियों के सहयोग और सरकार की मंजूरी से इस कार्य को अंदर के छोटे बाजारों और गलियों तक ले जाया जाएगा, जिससे पुराने शहर के जीर्ण-शीर्ण भवनों को हेरिटेज के हिसाब से सुरक्षित रखा जा सके। गर्ग ने बताया कि हवामहल का वर्तमान कलर अब पूरी तरह शहर के हेरिटेज के मुताबिक तय हो चुका है, इसलिए उसी कलर का खमीरा पूरे शहर में लगाया जाएगा। यह कलर इंजीनियर्स और पुराने कारीगरों की देख-रेख में तैयार कराया जाएगा।

रोजाना पांच हजार कारीगर

इस मेगा प्रोजेक्ट को अगली दिवाली तक पूरा करने के लिए 15 नवंबर से रोजाना करीब 5 हजार कारीगर और मजदूर काम करेंगे। इसके लिए अलग-अलग मार्केट में एक साथ काम शुरू किया जाएगा।

क्या-क्या होगा?

सभी मार्केट में एकरूपता लाने के लिए टूट चुके ट्रेडिशनल छज्जे, टोडी, बालकनी, झरोखे, कलश, डोम और जालियां फिर लगाई जाएंगी। इसके साथ ही खूबसूरती बढ़ाने के लिए बिजली और टेलीफोन के बेतरतीब पड़े तारों को अंडरग्रांउड किया जाएगा। फसाड वाले मकानों की खिड़कियों और जालियों में एकरूपता लाने के लिए इन्हें बदला जाएगा।

लोगों को भी होगी सुविधा

फसाड की मरम्मत के साथ शहर में एकरूपता लाने के लिए दुकानों के नाम और नंबर एक समान अक्षरों में लिखे जाएंगे। इनका कलर भी एक जैसा होगा। मार्केट के हर मोड़ पर मार्केट और दुकानों की जानकारी देने वाले साइन बोर्ड लगाए जाएंगे। हर गली के जंक्शन पर डायरेक्शन बोर्ड लगेगा।

कहां कहां?

किशनपोल, चांदपोल, त्रिपोलिया, जौहरी बाजार , रामगंज बाजार, सिरहड्योढ़ी बाजार, सुभाष चौक से जोरावर सिंह तक मार्केट में।

कैसे हुआ संभव?

आमेर डवलपमेंट अथॉरिटी ने प्रायोगिक तौर पर करीब 50 लाख की मदद से एक साल पहले चौड़ा रास्ता में यह कार्य शुरू किया था। अधिकारियों के मुताबिक तब शहर के व्यापारियों ने इसका विरोध किया था, लेकिन जैसे-जैसे कार्य आगे बढ़ा और मार्केट की सुंदरता बढ़ी, तो व्यापारियों ने इस पहल को स्वीकार कर सहयोग का आश्वासन दिया।

हाल ही शहर के व्यापार संगठनों ने पर्यटन मंत्री से मिलकर पूरे शहर में इस तरह कार्य शुरू कराने का निवेदन किया, जिसे सरकार ने मंजूर कर लिया। अब यह कार्य पूरे शहर में एक साथ शुरू होगा।

जयपुर व्यापार महासंघ के अध्यक्ष त्रिलोक चंद्र अग्रवाल ने बताया कि पर्यटन मंत्री बीना काक को व्यापार जगत की ओर से सहयोग का आश्वासन दिया गया है। पहले चरण में प्रमुख बाजारों की मरम्मत और गुलाबी कलर करने की बात है, उसके बाद अंदर के बाजारों पर विचार किया जाएगा। जहां तक अतिक्रमण की बात है, तो प्रशासन को पूरा सहयोग दिया जाएगा।

पर्यटन को मिलेगा बढ़ावा

शहर में फिर से एक समान गुलाबी रंग होने से पिंकसिटी की पहचान पूरी दुनिया में कायम रहेगी। बीते कुछ साल से अतिक्रमण और अलग-अलग गुलाबी कलर से पूरी दुनिया में गलत मैसेज जा रहा था। इससे पर्यटकों का आकर्षण कम हो रहा था।

जंतर-मंतर और हवामहल देखने के बाद शहर में हेरिटेज वॉक करने वाले पर्यटक भी कम हो गए थे। अब इस नायाब कार्य से पर्यटकों को गाइड फिर से शहर में बेहिचक ले जाएंगे, जिससे शहर की आय में बढ़ोतरी होगी और गुलाबी शहर की प्रतिष्ठा बरकरार रहेगी।

source

Mega conservation project for the walled city

From 15 November, the work for repairing the facades of buildings inside the walled city will begin. The GOI has given around 11.70 crores for this and work is likely to be finished by next Diwali.

The galleries and facades of private houses will also be repaired no matter how many stories they have. The help of the Municipal and JDA will be taken to get rid of any encroachment.

With the help of the businessmen and government the work will be taken to the smallest of bazaars and alleyways.

Around 5,000 workers will commence the work in different areas after 15th November.

What work will be done?

The broken jalis, domes, pillars etc will be replaced. The wires will put underground and to bring similarity the jaalis and windows of facades will be adjusted. The name of the shops and numbers will also be of the same font and size. Signboards will also be put up.

The areas: Kishanpol, Chandpol, Tripolia, Johari Bazaar, Ramganj Bazaar, Sirahdeodhi bazaar, Subhaash cowk to Zorwar Market.

How it became possibly?

recently the chauda raasta was restore with 50 lakhs. In the beginning the shop owners were skeptical but seeing the result they were happy.

The unions of businessmen met the tourism minister Bina Kak and asked for the scheme to be implemented in the whole of the city.

SO HAPPY!

[kalkibhagwan]

Originally Posted by tanzirian

A point of discussion for anyone interested in Mughal architecture...

Recently, as part of a decade-long restoration of Delhi's Red Fort, the ASI painted the west facade of the Naqqar Khana with white plaster. The ASI states that it found evidence that the west facade of this building was originally plastered white in this fashion. Here is a picture of the result:

image hosted on flickr

red fort by Sketti K., on Flickr

...and before restoration / plastering:

image hosted on flickr

Naqqar Khana by philandsarah@comcast.net, on Flickr

I was quite surprised by this action. I have seen two paintings of the west facade of the Naqqar Khana (drum house) which predate 1858 (when the British destroyed much of the palace). One of these paintings is a highly accurate and detailed drawing by Mazhar Ali Khan in 1846, which clearly shows the west facade plastered in red. I post Mazhar's painting below...the Naqqar Khana can be seen in the middle, with red coloring. Another painting from about the same time, as well as British photographs from 1858, concur with this color scheme.



Now, it's certainly possible that the white plaster may have been lost in the two centuries between the construction of the palace and Mazhar's painting. However, the principal structures in Shah Jahan's palaces generally followed a scheme where buildings primarily for imperial use were constructed in white marble, those for both imperial and public use were built of red sandstone and then coated with white plaster to mimic marble, and those primarily for non imperial use featured red sandstone or other non-white facades. An example of a building which was in fact originally coated with white plaster was the Diwan-i-Amm (public audience hall). In Mazhar's painting, this building is shown coated white, just as its counterpart in Agra still is today. The Naqqar Khana, although a very prominent structure, was intended for musicians and would never have been entered by members of royalty (they would just pass underneath the central arch).

Delhi, Diwan i Amm, without plaster:

image hosted on flickr

Diwan-I-Am, Red Fort, Delhi by Geetesh Bajaj, on Flickr

Agra, Diwan i Amm, with original plastering intact:

image hosted on flickr

Agra Fort - Diwan-i-Aam by Dr Rohit Raj, on Flickr

I don't know that the ASI is necessarily wrong, but it's still jarring that they continue to take such drastic steps without a broader discussion first among archaeologists, conservationists, and art historians. Before this current restoration, the ASI had undertaken a "restoration" in 2003 which actually caused widespread (and sometimes irreparable) harm to many of structures in the fort, most notoriously the partial destruction of the exquisite marble lattice in the Khass Mahal (emperor's private quarters). One of the decisions that the ASI took in that earlier restoration was to pave over the northern section of the imperial terrace that runs along the eastern boundary of the fort. At the time they claimed their actions were based on depictions in old paintings. These paintings turned out to be done by British painters who had never entered the fort. In the process, the archaeological footprints of the Nahr-i-Behst (artificial stream that followed through the imperial pavilions), and of one royal pavilions torn down by the British, may have been permanently lost. To me the current actions, while not nearly as thoughtless, still seem to have a similar hint of reckless haste.

who cares?? they are not Indian anyways, they are more of a liability than an asset... be thankful that the building was atleast painted..

[tanzirian]

If they are not Indian then neither is the Taj or quite a few other structures.

[dayalbaba]

kalki, would you stop trolling in every thread ?

[dayalbaba]

please, not this garbage. just because there are loonies does not mean you have to take them seriously. no one takes pn oak seriously. the person belongs in a mental institution along with digvijay singh.

[Cov Boy]

Humm this is indeed interesting & disturbing.

The truth hurts.......however just let it go i say.

[Marathaman]

Anyone who understands the rudiments of Indian temple architecture would know that Taj Mahal could never have been a Hindu temple. It's absurd. The argument of an illiterate.

[purty_trash]

Originally Posted by Marathaman

Anyone who understands the rudiments of Indian temple architecture would know that Taj Mahal could never have been a Hindu temple. It's absurd. The argument of an illiterate.

Just asking...If you see 'BANNED' written under someone's name...they are really banned aren't they? What 'crime' do you really need to commit?

[tanzirian]

As a follow up to post # 283, I wanted to highlight some of the positive things that the ASI has been doing as a part of the Red Fort restoration. Not everything they do is controversial!

Although I remain skeptical of the ASI's plastering of the Naqqar Khana facade, their work on the inside of the building is bringing back to life long faded paintings:

image hosted on flickr

New Delhi, India by altoms2, on Flickr

Many of the imperial pavilions in the Red Fort were originally decorated with semi-precious stones inlaid in marble (aka pietre dure). In all but a few cases, these inlays have been removed by vandals over the years. Recently, the ASI restored the pietre dure of the surviving pavilions in the Hayat Bakhsh Bagh (garden) in the north-east corner of the palace, so that these buildings now look better than they have in one-and-half centuries. Here is an example of the restored pietre dure:

image hosted on flickr

Marble in the Red Fort by tomrebbeck, on Flickr

I also noticed some restoration work beginning inside the Rang Mahal. The Rang Mahal was formerly the main pavilion in the women's quarters (zenana), and derived its name (Color Palace) from its formerly vibrant decoration. None of this decoration survives today, except some very faded silhouettes. In the recent pic below, some new plaster-work is evident on one of the columns. I don't know what the ASI is basing this restoration on, since so little of the original decoration remains. However, unlike the Naqqar Khana, the Rang Mahal is in such shabby condition currently, that ASI's efforts here will likely represent an improvement (as long as they document what they are plastering over).

image hosted on flickr

New Delhi, India by altoms2, on Flickr

[India101]

^Thanks Tanzirian! We appreciate you posting here, so just ignore people like kalkibhagwan.

[tanzirian]

Does anyone know whether these plans from 2006 still have a chance of being realized? The Delhi JM is such a grand monument, but the poor surroundings don't do it justice. There is a grand main entrance, but when I visited Dec 2010 I was advised to enter through one of the side gates since the area surrounding the front gate isn't the best. Another problem...quite unrelated to the plans below...are all the pigeons. As with all mosque courtyards one must take off one's shoes...but all the pigeon poop makes this an unhygenic proposition at present. I think the plans below are really well thought out, and if properly executed, could significantly enhance the experience of visitors to this beautiful old building.

Originally Posted by IndiansUnite

Via HT Delhi Oct6

[Yagya]

Renovation work begins at Sonar Fort

JAISALMER: Renovation work has started at Sonar Fort where parts of boundary wall had collapsed in heavy rain in August last year. About 15 labourers have been engaged in the reconstruction of the collapsed wall. Renovation work has also started at two other places in the fort.

TOI had reported the apathy towards the oldest living fort in its edition dated January 16, 2012. The report caught the attention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who sought a report from Union culture minister Selja. The minister later held a meeting at the secretariat in Jaipur for the protection and conservation of the fort.

The Archaeological Survey of India, Jaipur, had sent a proposal worth Rs 91 lakh for reparing the wall to New Delhi but to no avail. However, approval has not been received from ASI to change the sewerage line that was to be started by RUIDP. Now, recently the department has issued a new notice asking IIT New Delhi and Kharagpur experts to give a new report in regard to sewerage, after which the approval will be given. ASI has also given directions that those people who have made houses illegally, will not be given connection in the new sewerage line.

Seilja has sent Gautam Sengupta, director general, ASI to oversee the work. He will attend meetings on February 3 and 4 where national and foreign experts will take part. Some prominent names include Mark Baber from World Watch Monument, New York, senior geo technical consultant from Canada Dr John Hughes, senior architect Sameer Deqmonte, Drona's Shikha Jain, Bombay Coalbatery Urban Design and Conservation director S C Deshpandey, World Watch Monument India representative Amita Baig, ASI director (conservation) Jahanavi Sharma and National Culture Fund's Yamini Moboy. Besides, technical experts from IIT-Madras and IIT-Hyderabad are expected to participate.

Bombay Coalbatery Urban Design and Conservation has been given the work of stablisation of the fort by ASI. The fourth and final phase of checking the tumult in the hill has been started from February 1. Using modern machines, Inclimeter, has been put at 9 borewells to note the reading. Later, the data will be sent to London for study. Till now Inclimeters have been put in borewells in the hill at three different times and the data has been sent to London for study. Based on the reports, the three faults of earthquake and tumult will be found.

source

[Yagya]

The U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation

Restoration of the 18th Century Tomb and Garden Complex of Mah Laqa Bai in Hyderabad

In 2009, an Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation grant of $100,000 was awarded to The Muslim Educational Social and Cultural Organization for the restoration of the 18th century tomb and garden complex of Mah Laqa Bai in Hyderabad. Mah Laqa Bai, also known as Chanda Bibi, was a dancer, poet, and active in the religious and political life of Hyderabad during the city's golden age. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage awarded the tomb-garden the Heritage Award 2011 for its heritage value as the sole example of a charbagh garden-tomb to be found in Hyderabad.

image hosted on flickr

The U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation by U.S. Embassy New Delhi, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

The U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation by U.S. Embassy New Delhi, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

The U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation by U.S. Embassy New Delhi, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

The U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation by U.S. Embassy New Delhi, on Flickr

[Yagya]

Lalgola project

The Lalgola Heritage Conservation Project was awarded a U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation grant in 2007. Located in Murshidabad, West Bengal, the project restored the 18th century estate of a former royal family. One part of the estate is an experimental correctional facility and the inmates received training to become master conservation masons, giving them valuable skills for when they return to their communities.

image hosted on flickr

The U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation by U.S. Embassy New Delhi, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

The U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation by U.S. Embassy New Delhi, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

The U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation by U.S. Embassy New Delhi, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

The U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation by U.S. Embassy New Delhi, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

The U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation by U.S. Embassy New Delhi, on Flickr

[Yagya]

Originally Posted by Yagya

जयपुरवासी अब गर्व से अपने शहर को कहेंगे पिंकसिटी



Mega conservation project for the walled city





SO HAPPY!

I think these images are of this... have been noticing them on flickr....

image hosted on flickr

Restoration by arabischenab, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Jaipur India ~ The Pink City by Vasenka, on Flickr



image hosted on flickr

Jaipur Construction by brianfarrell, on Flickr

[Yagya]

image hosted on flickr

jaipur-0272 by beenbrun, on Flickr

[jas29]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/inte...nteractive-map

Anyone in Delhi know if the authorities will take this ruling seriously?