Indian Monument Restoration and Protection thread

[kronik]

Adilabad, Tughlaq's forgotten fort

It’s one of the lesser known of the many forts dotting the Capital’s landscape. Delhi may be known as the city of tombs and forts, but this 14th century edifice located in the outskirts of the city lies neglected and almost forgotten.

Built by Mohammed-bin-Tughlaq, Adilabad Fort is referred to by historians as the fourth fort of Delhi, in the footsteps of famous contemporaries like Red Fort, Old Fort and the adjacent Tughlaqabad Fort. But despite being under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Adilabad Fort remains a rare, hidden treasure of Delhi with very few people even aware of its existence.

The first obstacle any visitor wanting to explore the fort faces is the lack of proper access. Even asking locals in Tughlaqabad area for directions elicit blank looks. The only sure way of finding the way to Adilabad Fort is by asking ASI officials at the ticket counter of Tughlaqabad Fort. And the road is not easy. A maze of kuchcha paths lead to the beautiful fortress located southeast of Tughlaqabad Fort, partially hidden by foliage and undergrowth.

The first thing that strikes one is the absence of the blue ASI board at the site, as well as the fact that there seems to be no caretaker around. Though one of the oldest forts in the Capital and one of the remaining examples of Tughlaq-era architecture, Adilabad Fort has managed to remain elusive for years, completely overshadowed by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq’s fort. ‘‘As it is not too many people visit Tughlaqbad Fort, so it’s only once in a blue moon that Adilabad gets a visitor. Most people have not even heard of it,’’ said the lone ASI official at Tughlaqabad.

But once in Adilabad, it’s like stepping back in time. Broken steps and a kuchcha slope lead into the fortress and one can see that most of the structure is in ruins. According to historians, Adilabad began as a small fort with massive ramparts protecting it. In comparison to its predecessor, the mammoth Tughlaqabad Fort, Adilabad is a dwarf as far as stonework is concerned. However, with construction of the peripheral defensive fortifications around the city of Jahanpanah, the scope and utility of the fort increased as it offered protection to the people living within the boundary. The fortified area had a palace citadel housing the royal palace as well as important administrative buildings.

ASI officials told Times City they had drawn up a big estimate for Adilabad Fort and work would soon begin to make it another tourist destination in time for the Commonwealth Games. Officials admitted that the last time work had been undertaken in the fortification walls was several years ago and a lot remained to be done. ‘‘As of now, we plan to make a proper entrance for visitors to the fort and make space for vehicles also. The access area to the fort needs to be developed. After this, conservation work will also start in phases. People coming to Tughlaqabad Fort will also be advised to visit Adilabad which was built by the same dynasty,’’ said a senior ASI official.

Though much smaller than Tughlaqabad Fort, Adilabad is a treat for any visitor. Much of the fort lies in ruins but fortunately, the basic structure has survived the ravages of time. Conservationists have called for a more elaborate effort from the ASI to protect this legacy of Mohammed-bin-Tughlaq. ‘‘The area is surrounded mostly by villagers which make it difficult to develop both Tughlaqabad and Adilabad forts as proper tourist destinations. But the potential of the fortresses are huge. There are not as many Tughlaq structures in Delhi as there are Mughal or even colonial. Each monument carries different characteristics and architectural style representing the era they come from. These two forts are the biggest legacy of the Tughlaq dynasty,’’ said a noted conservation architect.

[Hindustani]

Lucknow Renovation-Restoration in full swing

Big Imambara getting a makeover - Phew, about time.



Shahi Hammaam





Rumi Darwaaza

[kronik]

Thanks for the update, Hindustani.

[Mahratta]

Looking good so far, thanks for the update Hindustani.

About time too - hopefully we'll see more of the same

[Hindustani]

Originally Posted by kolkatausa

I have been there: bara Imambara. You need a guide inside who knows the place otherwise you would easily get lost.

The paint job looks nice. Question: is mud-brown the original color of the Mosque? When we went there, it looked yellowish.

This mud business does raise some serious Qs. It definitely aint the real color. Its prolly the 1st coat of paint in the series I hope. Imambara is yellowish no doubt just like Charminar in Hyd. This aint the real thing definitely.

I give the UP govt some due credit here. They started somewhere b4 we lost the whole structure to god knows what.

[vidya]

vilasrao deshmukh always says that mumbai will be sanghai in the coming years.
but now if we see atleast the 400-yr-old Haji Ali dargah is going to become Mumbai’s Taj mahal.
yes the project of 9.2 crore is going to start in the second week of october.


Source : exchange4projects

[skganji]

There are reports that ASI has dismantled some portion of the Thanjavur famous temple and is not able to assemble it again or fix it again because of lack of expertise. Even in my home town area, they dismantled a 600 year old Shiva temple and have failed to assemble it again for similar reasons. This is really bad that ASI is dismantling these structures without enough expertise in fixing them. Local people should raise their voice against such senseless destruction.

[vidya]

Originally Posted by skganji

There are reports that ASI has dismantled some portion of the Thanjavur famous temple and is not able to assemble it again or fix it again because of lack of expertise. Even in my home town area, they dismantled a 600 year old Shiva temple and have failed to assemble it again for similar reasons. This is really bad that ASI is dismantling these structures without enough expertise in fixing them. Local people should raise their voice against such senseless destruction.

Yes ... I agree with skganji...
Its a holyplace and not an ordinary building.....
But I think people now a days they don't want to keep the ancient beauty of temples alive. People are more interested in modern look.

[skganji]

Originally Posted by vidya

Yes ... I agree with skganji...
Its a holyplace and not an ordinary building.....
But I think people now a days they don't want to keep the ancient beauty of temples alive. People are more interested in modern look.

Preserving History for coming generations is more important than giving a superficial and modern look.
ASI should be strictly be warned of their failure to repair these ancient heritages. There is no excuse for their failure to rebuild them . If they cannot fix it then they shouldn't dismantle them. Let the temple authorities and interested donors take up the renevotion work.
I was very disasspointed with their work in renevoting a temple in my home town. The image is the proof their bad work.

[Mahratta]

Learn from China? Yeah...tear down the historic parts of cities to build highrises instead of restoring them...

More like India should learn from Europe...

[skganji]

Originally Posted by Mahratta

Learn from China? Yeah...tear down the historic parts of cities to build highrises instead of restoring them...

More like India should learn from Europe...

Sorry. I got a different impression when I was watching the Olympics . I thought they did a great job by preserving the great wall of china and also other historical monuments in Beijing.

[tanzirian]

Some important Mughal monuments that would benefit from a few changes:

The Red Fort in Delhi - The first thing one notices as one approaches the fort, is the barbican of Aurangzeb. Although an attractive piece of military architecture in its own right, it obscures front view of Shah Jahan's original Lahori Darwaza and as such significantly diminishes the external visual impact of the entrance. Since the barbican has historic value of its own, it should not be destroyed, rather carefully dismantled and reconstructed elsewhere. The Lahori Gate in turn used to lead through a covered bazar to a courtyard in front of the Naqqar Khana. The arcades which defined this courtyard are long gone, destroyed by the British, but one could still have a sense of shape of the space, and a good view of the NK, if it wasn't for a large roundabout built where the former courtyard used to be. Removal of the roundabout and paving the square area of the former area would restore the footprint of the courtyard and free up a view of the NK. Third, about half of the only surviving garden (the Hayat Bakhsh Bagh) is taken up by British barracks w/ no artistic value. These should be torn down, and the garden returned to its former glory. Fourth...is pretty much everything else. In its day the Red Fort was the opulent palace in the world...but visitors today cannot get a sense of this from the shabby state of the pavilions. Although most of the complex has been destroyed, the main pavilions are mostly still there, and could, with sufficient willpower, be restored to much of their former glory.

The Moti Masjid in Agra - the second largest marble Mughal building and possibly the most beautiful mosque in India - is off limits to the public. Why?

Taj Ganj - the village fronting the Taj Mahal had an orderly quadrilateral plan echoing that of the garden of the Taj. Now more recent constructions have altered this plan so that one is forced to enter from the side of the village and not the front gate. The grand approach to the Taj is greatly diminished.

Taj Mahal garden canal - why is the cross canal of Taj usually dry? Considering the amount of money this building generates for India, it is a shame that this very visible element is left neglected.

[Mahratta]

Originally Posted by skganji

Sorry. I got a different impression when I was watching the Olympics . I thought they did a great job by preserving the great wall of china and also other historical monuments in Beijing.

Yeah, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and a few famous monuments here and there. In the same way, India has preserved the Taj and a few others here and there. You claim to care for every monument and then praise China, where a small temple that doesn't draw tourists would probably be torn down as soon as it was needed.
The Old quarters of Beijing were torn down decades ago after the Maoists took power and Tiananmen Square was horribly distorted from its original proportions.
The old cities around China have been and are still being destroyed or neglected while new glitzy buildings go up - and India is following suit.
Look what the Europeans did - why do you think nobody knows about Indian history and culture (other than curry and bhangra) but everyone knows about Europe's?
They care about their history.

[tanzirian]

You are right, China could do a much better job. The historic areas of Beijing are systematically being bulldozed to make way for newer structures. A few decades ago the grand walls that surrounded the old city were demolished during the Cultural Revolution. As for the more famous Great Wall...parts of it have been rebuilt near the capital, but in the further reaches, it is falling to ruin as a debate goes on how best to preserve it. The Great Wall being built mainly of earth and brick, generally falls apart unless replaced periodically. This is what a group of preservationists is trying to do, using traditional techniques. But the government is opposing them, saying they are changing history, but offering no alternative. In the mean time, time is taking its toll and many segments of the wall are little more than mud heaps now. For me, Europe remains the gold standard for preservation and integration of old structures into a modern context.

[skganji]

The point is simple. ASI should stop senseless dismantling of these ancient temples if they cannot fix them. There are numerous incidents where they or the local government indulged in senseless dismantling of these ancient structures, without even knowing how to repair them.

[vidya]

But friends I dont understand one thing that why we always want our country to look like other places of the world.
For eg :- As Vilas Rao deshmukh said that he wants to make mumbai look like shanghai in the coming years.
Why cant we maintain our historic monumnets as and build the other infrastructures weather its a railway station, bridge, buildings etc in our own Indian Style ....

So that people around the world would say that lets make our county decent like India .......

[vidya]

Please let me know how to upload pics ....

[skganji]

Originally Posted by vidya

Please let me know how to upload pics ....

There actually instructions in a different thread that has the details on how to upload pics. I will try to see if I can find it. Meanwhile, most of the people I know post their pictures to some imaging website like http://imageshack.us and use the tags [IMG] and [/IMG] and type the url in between the tags . Make sure that you have the complete URL including the JPEG details. This you can find when you view the properties of the picture you posted on the URL.

[vidya]

Originally Posted by skganji

There actually instructions in a different thread that has the details on how to upload pics. I will try to see if I can find it. Meanwhile, most of the people I know post their pictures to some imaging website like http://imageshack.us and use the tags [IMG] and [/IMG] and type the url in between the tags . Make sure that you have the complete URL including the JPEG details. This you can find when you view the properties of the picture you posted on the URL.

thanks

[vidya]

In an effort to retain the history of India's struggle for Independence for the posterity, the Leaders' Block at the historic Ahmednagar Fort,
where Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, along with twelve other prominent national leaders, were imprisoned during the Quit India movement in 1942, and where Nehru wrote the famous The Discovery of India,' has been restored to its original glory by the authorities of the Ahmednagar-based Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACCS) and the state administration.

Read More ....