Indian Monument Restoration and Protection thread

[sumant]

Found this on youtube
video of restoration of Bhau Daji Lad Museum

[Yagya]

Amazing restoration! thanks for sharing

[Yagya]

The fort in Rawala Gogunda has been restored and turned into a hotel by an Italian: Roberto Nieddu and his Canadian wife Cathy. The couple along with their daughter live in Jodhpur and have several business interests but are mainly handicraft exporters. Roberto has lived in India since 1993 and currently is the Consular Correspondent in Rajasthan for the Italian Embassy in India.

Rawla Gogunda is an important place as this is where Maharana Pratap's coronation took place. The battle of Haldighati also took place not far from here. Anyway enjoy the pictures:

[Cov Boy]

Amazing!

[Yagya]

Restoration work gains speed

A view of Ripon Buildings and the adjacent Victoria Public Hall. — DC

The much-delayed renovation of the historical Ripon Buildings and the adjacent Victoria Public Hall, both built during the colonial period, has finally gained some momentum.

While a lot of work is yet to be done at Ripon Buildings, around 70 per cent work is complete at the Victoria Public Hall.

Both the buildings are considered to be a throwback to the early days of western architecture in India and a total of about `9 crore will be spent for the restoration of the Indo-Saracaenic structures.

The project had got delayed many times since the previous DMK regime had mooted the renovation programme.

In fact, former mayor Mr M. Subramanian had inspected the Victoria Public Hall at least half a dozen times hoping that the Hall could be thrown open to the public during DMK’s rule; while that never materialised, it is now the turn of AIADMK-led mayor Mr Saidai Duraisamy to carry the work forward.

Mr Duraisamy is also keen on the restoration of both these buildings.

The Ripon Building, built in 1913, is nearing its centenary and would be ready by next year and the Victoria Public Hall is all set to be thrown open to the public by the end of this year. Both these buildings serve as classic examples of natural ventilation and lighting.

According to corporation sources, the project include restoration of roof and the clock tower, strengthening of pillars and ceiling, replacement of wooden structures and flooring in the heritage buildings.

Wood works in the VP hall has almost reached its final stage and quality teak wood from Thoothukudi is being used to replace the stairs and girders.

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[Yagya]

Restored at 3.5 crore, Reis Magos fort opens

PANAJI: The recently-restored majestic Reis Magos fort was opened as a cultural centre by chief minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday. Prominent citizens, bureaucrats and art lovers were among the over 250 people who were present on the occasion.

Renovation work on the fort which had begun in 2008 was completed a few months ago at a cost of 3.5 crore. The restoration project was funded by the UK-based Helen Hamlyn Trust.


The fort was built by Adil Shah as a smaller fort in 1497 and destroyed by the Portuguese in 1510. It was later rebuilt on a bigger scale in 1543 to keep the Dutch treat to the Portuguese colony of Goa at bay, said Gerard Da Cunha, the architect behind the restoration, in his address.

Da Cunha said that the fort was turned into a jail in 1900 and a lot of freedom fighters—three of whom were present on the occasion—were incarcerated in it. After liberation, it lost importance and was left to slip into a dilapidated state.

He credited the late Mario Miranda for being behind efforts to restore the fort and thanked Lady Hamlyn for her support.

Parrikar, in his address, sought to remind the gathering that he had initiated an early effort to restore the fort in his first stint as chief minister. Parrikar said his late uncle was also jailed in the fort.

"We as a society should remember the past," said Parrikar, adding that "if we don't, that society can't build defence for the future".

Parrikar felt the fort would have to find a way to make itself commercially viable. "The government is good at building, not maintaining," Parrikar acknowledged, adding that the restoration was privately funded.

He suggested hosting of "heritage marriages" at the fort as one solution. Parrikar also said "comunidade land (surrounding the fort) would be taken over by the government (to create a precinct area) and make the fort commercially viable for economic activity (to be) carried out without damaging the environment."

Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar, chief secretary Sanjay Srivastava and Shobita Punja of the Helen Hamlyn Trust also spoke on the occasion.

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image hosted on flickr

Renovated Reis Magos Fort, Goa, India by Joel's Goa Pics, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Reis Magos Fort Heritage Centre, Goa, India by Joel's Goa Pics, on Flickr

[flyinfishjoe]

Amazing! Refreshing change from typical sarkari ASI restoration.

[Yagya]

Originally Posted by Yagya

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

image hosted on flickr

[Yagya]

image hosted on flickr

DSC00623 by ChungHsuan, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

DSC00624 by ChungHsuan, on Flickr

[Yagya]

image hosted on flickr

Renovation in the Pink City Jaipur by Emiel van den Boomen, on Flickr

[Cov Boy]

Brilliant efforts!

[Yagya]

image hosted on flickr

2012 India - Jaipur by Nico Praat, on Flickr

[adam_india]

140-year-old Council Hall undergoes makeover

PUNE: The Council Hall - a grade I heritage structure, which was originally built in 1870, will soon wear a revamped look with the restoration work under way and the state allocating Rs 11 crore for the purpose.

The building is significant as it was here that the first session of the then Bombay legislative assembly was held -- on July 19, 1937. The first session of the Bombay legislative assembly after independence was also held here -- on September 10, 1947.

Restoration of its decorative columns, gold leaf work on its wooden false ceiling and iron railing, lime plaster and stained glass works are some aspects of the renovation being undertaken here.

Architects firm 'Kimaya' have been appointed to undertake the conservation work of the building. Conservation architect Kiran Kalamdani, said, "The conservation issues in the building relate to the brick work that was painted over with an acrylic-based cement paint so much so that even the stone work had been painted over. The flooring inside the building comprised several types before we began restoring it; the one in the hall was altered recently with such disastrous effects that it needed to be replaced."

Atul Chavan, executive engineer, public works department (PWD), said, "The Council Hall building is over 100 years old and was built by the British in 1870. The renovation work began here in May this year and is expected to be completed in December. It is one of the earliest buildings of composite stone and brick material in the Italianate style."

Kalamdani said many archival records from British times talk about the additions and alterations undertaken in the building since it was built. "British records of 1868 and consecutive years helped us understand the different additions and alterations done by the British, the original material used in construction of the building as well as the colour scheme used in its various aspects. After studying available archival data and analyzing available maps on the site, we understood the layering of the building, which is an important step in restoring a historic building," he said, adding that in conservation works, emphasis is on maximum reuse of material. "In such a situation, works are being undertaken manually by experts," he said.

Painting works in the building included removal of paint from decorative stone column surface as well as the brick wall surface without damaging the historic stone surface and the ornamental work on it. "We also used pressure water jets and chemicals where needed, apart from making the surface even and polished with the help of hand scrapping tools. Also, the elements in the building that are dismantled (without hampering other structural joinery), are numbered carefully as per the sequence - items which have badly deteriorated are replaced with new ones of similar type. Those that have partly deteriorated are resurfaced manually using hand tools," Kalamdani said.

He added that plastered surface in historic buildings is mainly of lime. "Lime plaster consists of three layers. This plaster has to be removed using hand tools slowly and gently without causing any damage to the innermost layer. Historic research says the main hall in the old building was painted in picked white and gold. So, extra precautions had to be taken while removing its paint or plaster, so that the original layer of white and gold became visible," Kalamdani said.

The old paint from the wood in the building was removed without damaging the historic wooden surface, and its decorative features. The surfaces were then made even with hand scrapping and scaffolding. "In the balcony floor of the main hall , timber floor boards were removed, and so was the enamel paint at the base. Wax polish and a final coat was applied and the boards were refixed at respective positions," he said.

Resetting Mangalore tiles on the roof, restoration of stone work here, dismantling of the damaged terrace and providing as well as laying the integral lime based water proofing treatment for roofs, balconies, terraces are other works to be undertaken in the building.

The team involved in the restoration activity also included noted history scholar Shriniwas Sathe and Ravi Ranade of the Construction Diagnostic Centre, who undertook a structural audit of the building. Experts from Savani Constructions Pvt Ltd, who are contractors specialized in restoration works, are also part of the team.

An older photo:
image hosted on flickr

Council Hall, Pune by Mubarak Ansari, on Flickr

[adam_india]

Restored main hall of College of Engineering, Pune

[engineer.akash]

ASI clears shifting of Tipu’s armour

The 800-tonne armoury in Srirangapatna will be moved by a U.S. firm using heavy machinery. File photo: M.A. Sriram
The Archaeological Survey of India has given in-principle clearance to relocate Tipu Sultan’s armoury in Srirangapatna to pave the way for the Bangalore-Mysore track doubling work.

Officials of South Western Railway told The Hindu here on Wednesday that State Archaeology Department had earlier given permission to relocate the armoury 150 metres away from its location.

The Archaeological Survey of India has now given in-principle clearance to relocate the 200-year-old monument to ensure completion of track doubling work. “We are expecting an official communication from the Union government on shifting the monument,” they said.

Ashok Kumar Mital, General Manager, South Western Railway, said that Prime Movers of the U.S., which has relocated several buildings in the past, has been consulted to relocate the armoury. The 800-tonne armoury would be shifted by the U.S. firm by using heavy machinery and jacks, he said.

The estimated cost of relocating the monument has been put at Rs. 10 crore. A new location has been identified, he said.

“Shifting of the armoury is a herculean task. But we cannot undertake doubling of track work without shifting it. This kind of an exercise will be taken up in India for the first time,” the Railway officials said.

Besides the armoury, a burial ground and a temple have also come in the way of completion of the railway line, they said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/...cle3889950.ece

[xtremeshock]

Originally Posted by Yagya

The fort in Rawala Gogunda has been restored and turned into a hotel by an Italian: Roberto Nieddu and his Canadian wife Cathy. The couple along with their daughter live in Jodhpur and have several business interests but are mainly handicraft exporters. Roberto has lived in India since 1993 and currently is the Consular Correspondent in Rajasthan for the Italian Embassy in India.

Rawla Gogunda is an important place as this is where Maharana Pratap's coronation took place. The battle of Haldighati also took place not far from here. Anyway enjoy the pictures:

Hi all this is my first post.

@Yagya:This is a really good find. Very beautiful I must say. Where may I ask did you get this information? would love to visit it.

[Yagya]

[Yagya]

Originally Posted by Yagya

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


image hosted on flickr

Jaipur India ~ The Pink City by Vasenka, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Jaipur by BasketBalNieuws.nl, on Flickr

[Yagya]

image hosted on flickr

Jaipur, la ville rose by PtiteArvine, on Flickr

[Yagya]

Australian know-how for Jaipur`s Man Singh museum makeover

New Delhi: A five-member heritage delegation from Australia has arrived in Jaipur to collaborate with the Maharaj Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust on heritage conservation and cultural tourism. The delegation, which reached April 8, will tour the Pink City and "assess the condition of the museum and the artifacts".

The Australian and Indian teams will take part in a joint forum on museum collections and conservation, heritage architecture and conservation, and cultural tourism, the embassy of Australia said.

AusHeritage chairman and Australian cultural heritage expert, Vinod Daniel, set the tone for the forum with an address on ‘The Museum of the 21st Century’. He said museums had to move out of the conventional spaces and reach out to people and conservation technology had to be upgraded to control deperciation of heritage and cultural artifacts with time and extreme Indian weather.

The participants visited the Jaipur City Palace and the Jaigarh Fort.

Australian Deputy High Commissioner Bernard Philip, said he was delighted to be at the City Palace for the forum.

"Initiatives such as this one, funded by the Australia-India Council, are an important part of the ongoing conversation between our two countries", he said.

Aditi Mehta, Rajasthan`s additional chief secretary, will inaugurate the forum, hosted by the secretary of the Museum Trust, Diya Kumari. "This forum is yet another effort on the part of the trust to learn the scientific and modern methods to conserve our heritage architecture as well as promoting cultural tourism," she said.

"We are happy to join hands with AusHeritage in this endeavour," Divya Kumari added.

Vinod Daniel said the five-member AusHeritage team had a wide range of expertise and he was delighted to collaborate on a project involving the City Palace - a site on every Indian visitor`s wishlist.

In addition to Daniel, Australian experts visiting Jaipur for the forum are collections specialist Charlotte Galloway, heritage architecture specialist Roger Beeston, materials scientist Jim Mann and cultural tourism academic,Keir Reeves.

The Australia-India Council (AIC) established in 1992 to encourage people-people links between the two countries, has been supporting AusHeritage members to work on many projects in India, including providing assistance for designing an international exhibition gallery for the Chatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai, developing a charter for conservation of buildings for the Indian National Trust for Art and Culture, providing capacity building for museums in Assam, Kerala and West Bengal, besides Mumbai and Delhi, and developing a function brief for a Tagore museum in Shanthinketan.

AusHeritage has memoranda of understanding with INTACH and the Madras Christian College.

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