Indian Monument Restoration and Protection thread

[Marathaman]

Are there any mughal-era or british-era maps of area?

[IndiansUnite]

Couldn't find a detailed map of that particular area but here's one of Delhi which the uploader claims is from 1962. It's definitely from the British times since it doesn't show the post-independence developments.

http://www.orbat.com/site/maps/india.../delhi1962.jpg

[IndiansUnite]

Here's one from 1857-

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/p...p/delhimap.jpg

North direction is on the right.

[ajithv]

Rajya Sabha

Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs Shri V. Narayanasamy has said that Out of 3675 centrally protected monuments/sites, 35 are not traceable.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today he said the main causes for the disappearance of these monuments are urbanization, commercialization and implementation of development projects.The disappearance came to light in the course of surveys of monuments and it is not feasible to fix individual responsibility.

Source

[Abhishek901]

Hindustan Times

[zenith_suv]

HT Delhi edition e-paper

[zenith_suv]

RECREATING HISTORY’S LOST BASTIONS

Eye On Games, ASI Is Repairing Missing Portions Of Tughlaqabad Fort’s Main Enclosure

Richi Verma | TNN


Situated on a high rocky ground on the outskirts of Delhi, a magnificent 14th century fortress built by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq — founder of the Tughlaq dynasty — is in for a massive facelift. To revive the glory of this symbolic monument — one of the remnants of the seven cities of Delhi — the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is repairing broken bastions which form the main enclosure of the fortification wall of Tughlaqabad. Missing battlements on top of these bastions will also be replaced so the fortress resembles its former self as much as possible.

The original bastions collapsed several years ago and have not been repaired since. While conservation work has been undertaken in the past, this is the first time missing bastions are being reconstructed to fill in the missing portions of the fortification wall. Work is likely to take several months as it requires a lot of skill and expertise to resurrect the bastion in the same manner as they originally were.

According to senior officials, repair was doubly important as parts of the bastions left standing without any support on either side were also in danger of collapsing. Moreover, to give the monument greater visibility during the Commonwealth Games, ASI is planning to put lights along the entire stretch of the fortification wall for which it was imperative to resurrect the missing portions.

Work has been in progress for over two months and collapsed portions of the wall are being carefully resurrected according to original design. ‘‘At three separate points, the bastions have been resurrected where they were completely missing. Huge gaps in the fortification wall were weakening other parts of the structure too and these had to be strengthened. There are a few more points on the eastern side of the wall where similar work will be undertaken,’’ said a senior ASI official. The project cost is a whopping Rs 2 crore, out of which half the allocation is just for the building material being brought in from Rajasthan.

ASI is also hoping to revive tourist interest in the 14th century fortress, which till now is visited by few tourists due its off-location. ‘‘Once conservation work is complete, we will illuminate the entire top of the fortification wall. People driving towards Tughlaqabad will notice the monument more and hopefully, it will get more visitors,’’ said the ASI official.

Conservation of Tughlaqabad Fort is also in accordance with ASI plans to highlight the historical significance of the seven cities of Delhi. Work is also on in Qila Rai Pithora, Purana Qila, Siri Fort wall, etc. ‘‘Ultimately, we will introduce packages for tourists to relive the seven cities of Delhi. This would become a very popular tourist destination during the Games. Pamphlets highlighting details of the monuments connected with the seven cities of Delhi would be brought out and people would get more insights about Delhi’s history,’’ said an official.

According to historians, Tughlaqabad Fort was once symbolic of the might of the Tughlaq dynasty. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq built the fort as part of Tughlaqabad, the third city of Delhi. ‘‘This was the period of political unrest, with continuous danger of Mongol attack from the north-western borders of the empire. To save the empire, Ghiyasuddin built the Tughlaqabad Fort,’’ said a historian.

Even though much of the fort is in ruins, it bears testimony to past glory and the might of Delhi Sultanate. Conservation architects say the ramparts, battlements and mammoth stonework of Tughlaqabad Fort speak highly of the architectural skills and advancement of the craftsmen.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...Mode=HTML&GZ=T

[Arul Murugan]

Puducherry keen to rediscover Roman connection at Arikamedu

GOVT SEEKS CENTRAL AID TO CONVERT IT INTO A HERITAGE
B Aravind Kumar | TNN

Chennai: Puducherry, about 170 kms from Chennai, attracts hordes of tourists drawn by its quaint French flavour. But what is little known is the town’s two-century-old Roman connection. Flanked by a picturesque river and a fishing hamlet, ‘Arikan-medu or Poduke,’ (eroding mound), located about 4 km from Puducherry, was once an ancient Tamil port town. Over the years, several archaeologists have dug up evidences to prove that a settlement of the ‘Yavanas’ (people of Greco-Roman origin) once existed here.

Today, the Puducherry g ove r n - ment is
pushing aggressively on a plan to further excavate the world famous archaeological site with a rich history dating back to 200 BC and dig up innumerable treasures buried underneath. And facilitating the plan to develop the site into a heritage tourist destination is son of the soil, V Narayanasamy, who is now Union minister of state for culture.

Narayanasamy told TOI that the government was very keen to begin excavations and further research to promote the site as heritage tourism
spot. “We are serious this time to promote the ancient connections.” Initially, Rs 5 crore will be funded for the dream project. The Puducherry government has already acquired about eight acres of land around the ASI site, where three excavations have been undertaken till now, and have fenced off the area to prevent further disturbance and encroachments. The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Hudco) has a plan ready to develop the site and set up a museum, an amphitheatre for sound and light show, a boat deck and viewing tower, restaurants and a leisure zone. According to sources, the territorial government has been trying hard to roll out the plan for nearly seven years. But it made very little progress as the site was under ASI control. “Arikamedu is a rare site. We have acquired land, fenced it and now we are awaiting ASI nod,” said Mathew Samuel, director of tourism, Puducherry. The government has requested ASI to use remote sensing and other technologies to ascertain what lies beneath the soil.

Sources say that the Italian government was willing to extend an init i a l grant of Rs 10 crore for excavations and expansion of the site. M o r i m e r Wheeler was the first to excavate at Arikamedu in 1945 and confirm that the fishing village was once a major Chola port that flourished for centuries by trading with the Romans. Later, Frenchman JM Casal (1947) and Vimala Begley of the University of Pennsylvania (1989-1992) conducted excavations. Archaeologist P Ravichandran, who was part of Begley’s team, has warned against further excavations. Unlike archaeological sites like Harappa where architectural ruins draw people, Arikamedu is an “artefact’’ site with ancient treasures like beads and pieces of terracotta strewn across it. “This could disappoint tourists,” he pointed out.


Preserving A Slice Of History
In a bid to showcase its two-century-old Roman connection, the Puducherry government has presented a plan to the Archaeological Survey of India for developing the famous Arikamedu site on the outskirts of Puducherry into a heritage tourist spot
TOI

[Arasu]

Preserving A Slice Of History
In a bid to showcase its two-century-old Roman connection, the Puducherry government has presented a plan to the Archaeological Survey of India for developing the famous Arikamedu site on the outskirts of Puducherry into a heritage tourist spot

It should read 'twenty two-century old Roman connection' instead of two century old! The reports should be a bit more careful.

[Marathaman]

Finally some restoration work started in Varanasi. Its the Ramnagar fort. I'm not keen on the colours.

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irenel2...71200/sizes/m/

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pocketp...08927/sizes/m/

[Hindustani]

thanks. thats a beautifully restored fort entrance. nicely done.

[Arul Murugan]

Big Temple set for millennium fete

ASI Completes Restoration Of Northern Corridor, Panel To Plan Celebrations
V Mayilvaganan | TNN

Thanjavur: A sculptor’s dream, a historian’s mine, a dancer’s vision and a sociologist’s scoop — that’s the Brihadeeswara Temple. And the Chola-era temple is now preparing for its millennium celebrations.

Built in 1010 AD by Raja Raja Chola in Thanjavur, the erstwhile capital of Chola kingdom, the temple, popularly known as Big Temple, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“A committee will be formed to plan events for the celebration. Besides cleaning up the temple, we are planning to beautify the entire city. The encroachments near the temple will be removed,” said collector MS Shanmugam.

The Archaeological Survey of India that maintains the temple has just completed restoration of the northern corridor. The floor had sunk, unable to bear the weight of the stone pillars and ceiling. The ASI took up restoration work in 2006 and completed it at a cost of Rs 63 lakh. Landscaping is also being done in the precincts of the temple. “More grass instead of brick will reduce heat generation,” said an ASI official.

One of the major projects planned ahead of the millennium celebrations is a light and sound show in English and Tamil to give visitors an insight into the history of the temple. The Centre has already sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore for the project.

“An ASI team will visit the temple shortly to decide on the location for the show,” said Sathyabama Badrinath, superintending archaeologist, ASI, Chennai circle. It is likely to be in the south-west corner of the temple.

The other project is conservation of the moat around the temple which was so far under the control of Thanjavur municipality. “It has been handed over to us now. We are working out details of conserving the wall around the moat,” said Sathyabama. The moat was created in 1550, when the Nayaks used the temple as a fortress.

S Balasubramanian, an epigraphist and scholar, said, “Billboards and high-rise buildings that hide the gopuram (temple tower) should also be banned.”



TOI

[Cate123]

Originally Posted by DeMorgan

Fine old Calicut Building threatened
Hello,

"A Heritage Site Soon to Disappear


One more landmark in the glorious past of Calicut may soon disappear – unless those who love Calicut (and they are legion) act to prevent the demolition of the only colonial structure left in the Mananchira Square. The row of buildings constructed in the Victorian style which adorns the southern bank of the Mananchira Tank may soon be sold in auction for meeting some statutory payments relating to the dues of the workers of the Commonwealth Trust."

From

http://calicutheritage.blogspot.com/

It would be sad if this fine old building were to disappear, as it was on of the finest buildings in the town. It would make a great heritage hotel, like some of those in Kochi.

Can't some good use be found for it?

Nick

Through restoration, any heritage site can not be lost. I agree. Fire and water damage are major disasters that shouldn't let any property owner completely devastated and hopeless after, restoration indeed should be immediately done. I know an alternative solution for this. I have trusted this group ever since:

http://www.pdrestoration.com/

I guarantee you, this one helps.

[India101]

Originally Posted by Abhishek901

Hindustan Times

Wait, so they were gonna construct a mall inside. Well obviously that wasn't gonna get approved...

[sumant]

i think INTACH would have done a much better job of restoring these old beauties than ASI.
Look at how beautifully they have restored the bhau daji lad museum (not prince of wales museum )Its near jijamata udyan/byculla zoo mumbai

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/...bba76428bf.jpg

CC : SHERLOCK

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7CwUq9BNiJ...600/museum.jpg

[Marathaman]

Restored glory

TEXT: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN
PHOTOGRAPHS: V.V. KRISHNAN


In a stupendous feat, a team of ASI archaeologists has restored hundred-odd ruined shrines at Bateshwar.

\

FROM the inclined paved pathway that led up to the archaeological site at Bateshwar in the Chambal valley, it was hard to guess what it really held. As one reached the top of the incline, breath stopped, literally. The vista was beyond one’s imagination: a hundred-odd shrines with majestic vimanas (towers) rising into the sky and massive mounds of rubble – pillars with exquisite sculptures, panels of miniature friezes, carved architectural members, roof slabs and serrated amalakas that would have capped the shikaras. Further away on a raised platform stood a temple in ruins, whose shikara consisted of slabs arranged somehow.

“This is my place of pilgrimage. I come here once in every three months. I am passionate about this temple complex,” said K.K. Muhammed, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Delhi Circle.


The ruins before the ASI began the restoration work in 2005.

Welcome to the 1,300-year-old temple complex at Bateshwar in Morena district in Madhya Pradesh. The shrines are located on the western slope of a range of hills near Padavali, a village about 40 km from Gwalior. Stylistically, the temples belong to the period between post-Gupta and early Pratihara (between the eighth and 10th centuries A.D.). The Pratihara rulers were patrons of art, architecture and learning, and encouraged building activity.

“If there are two sites in India that can rival Bateshwar in its grandeur, they are Aihole in Karnataka and Jageshwar in Uttarakand,” said Muhammed. Aihole and Jageshwar have about 120 temples each. But Bateshwar has about 200 shrines in a comprehensive parcel of a site that is spread over 25 acres (10 hectares). While most of them are dedicated to Siva, a few are Vishnu temples. (Local lore has it that the name Bateshwar originates from Bhooteswar, another name for Siva.) The temples and the sculptures are made of sandstone.

In a stupendous feat of restoration, a team of ASI archaeologists led by Muhammed has brought back to life about a hundred shrines at the site by piecing together slabs and stones and fitting them into a particular structure. Most of the shikaras had collapsed, an overgrowth of vegetation had wrecked the very foundation of some of the shrines and the stones were piled up in mounds or strewn around.


K.K. MUHAMMED (fifth from left), Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Delhi Circle, with his team members.

Muhammed did not wait to see them. When he visited the complex, he found it in complete ruins. “No two stones were found lying together. At some point of time, a powerful earthquake must have jolted the area. Besides, there was human neglect.” He was sure the complex was not destroyed by the invaders. He attributes the devastation to an earthquake. “But even this devastation had a music of its own. It was this music that enchanted us. So we decided that we should straightaway start the restoration and conservation work,” he added.

Dealing with a dacoit

But the rub was that the dacoits controlled the complex. It was during a reconnaissance trip to the ruins that Muhammed saw a bearded man smoking a cigarette inside a temple. This angered the Superintending Archaeologist, who confronted the bearded man: “How dare you smoke inside a holy place?” At that moment, an ASI assistant caught Muhammed by his arm and signalled him to stop addressing the man in such a manner. The bearded man was none other than Nirbhay Singh Gujjar, the feared dacoit known to have committed 239 offences. (He was killed in an encounter in Etawah on November 7, 2005.) Soon parleys got under way between Muhammed and Nirbhay Singh Gujjar.

The ASI official tried to convince the dacoit about the bona fides of the institution’s attempt to restore the Bateshwar temple complex, which had deities the dacoits worshipped and assured him that they were neither from the police nor were their informers. Gujjar saw reason and assured the ASI that he would not disturb its restoration efforts.


Siva linga and a bas-relief of Siva holding the hand of Parvati in the sanctum sanctorum of a restored shrine. Most of the temples in the complex were dedicated to Siva.


“It was a massive work. Stone by stone, the four shrines were re-erected and their original beauty restored,” Saxena said. Today, the walls of these shrines are resplendent with wondrous sculptures – Siva and Parvati, women dancing or playing the drums, men wrestling, amorous couples, prancing lions with warriors riding on them, and so on.

“Another group of three temples presented a jig-saw puzzle. They were overgrown with trees,” said Muhammed. In one temple, the antarala – a porch built outside the sanctum sanctorum – stood precariously, supported by only one pillar because a tree had grown out of the porch. The antarala was dismantled stone by stone, documented and re-assembled. All the three temples were restored to their original splendour.

Another temple presented an enigma. It had been destroyed so much that the ASI team could not figure out whether it was a temple dedicated to Vishnu or Siva. As the restorers began sorting out the ruins, they found a “Nandi”, the sacred bull, or the rishabha vehicle, of Siva. Overjoyed, Muhammed, who is a scholar in Sanskrit, recalled the verse from the Sanskrit text: “Rishabhayasya…Vasuki ganda bhushanam, vame shakti dharma deva, vahanaya namo namah.”

Yet another temple was completely hidden by a huge tree, a scene reminiscent of the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia before it was restored. “When we cut down the tree, the entire temple fell down,” said Rathore. But after a few months, there emerged a beautiful temple from the rubble.

Near the stepped tank there were four shrines, visible only up to their blacked out base. Their architectural members were lying around. Adjacent to this group of four shrines was another temple whose shikara had tumbled down and its amalaka stone was buried in mud. Asked how he and his team were able to rebuild the temples/shrines as they existed before from total ruins, Muhammed said that the Bateshwar complex was built on the architectural principles enunciated in two Sanskrit texts, Manasara Shilpa Shastra, composed in the 4th century A.D., and Mayamata Vastu Shastra, written in the 7th century A.D. Since he knew these texts, he found clues in them in restoring the temples according to their original plan.

He explained: “Our forte was that once we get a part of the temple [that is, an architectural member], we will be able to identify to which part of the temple it belonged. We are well-versed in this. We would segregate the various architectural members. We would identify the temple parts to which these members belonged and mentally reconstruct the entire temple before actually rebuilding it.”

Besides, he had trained a contingent of 50 to 60 workers in this specialised, technical work. “They go from site to site. In doing so, they train others. So it goes on. They have become well-versed in the art of restoration. They have become sthapathis,” he said.

In the past four to five years, Muhammed’s team has completed the restoration of 100 temples/shrines in Bateshwar. It may take another five years to restore another 100 temples/shrines, which are bigger in size. “It is slow and meticulous work,” Muhammed explained.

As he took us round the complex, he showed us photographs of the place when he first visited it. “As I said earlier, no two stones were lying together,” he observed. He showed us what he called “a classic photograph” of ruins lying everywhere. “Now seven temples have risen from these ruins,” he said as he took us to the platform where they have been reassembled. On how he knew the seven temples were buried under the ground, he joked with an intended pun, “I could see them with my third eye.” Behind the seven temples, eight more have been rebuilt without compromising on the canons of conservation.

Another picture he produced showed the ruins lying scattered on a platform and the only indication that temples would have existed there was a flight of six steps that led to the platform. A group of 10 temples presented a bigger challenge – there was no visible sign of them at all. They had to be excavated because their stone members had commingled with the earth.

A superb piece of rebuilding has brought alive a temple with a tall shikara, which has the carving of a dancing Siva on the keerthi mukha. Below the keerthi mukha, but above the threshold, is an exquisite carving of Lakulisa, a reincarnation of Siva with a club in his hands. On the rear wall of the sanctum sanctorum, behind the Siva linga, is a beautiful bas relief of Siva holding the hand of Parvati. On seeing the sculpture, Muhammed could not help reciting the stanzas from Kalidasa’s Kumarasambhava, where the poet describes how Parvati felt the electrifying “sparsh” when Siva touched her. A few sanctum sanctorums have bas reliefs of “Kalyana Sundar” – the marriage of Siva and Parvati.

Some distance away, on a knoll, lies a majestic temple dedicated to Vishnu. Its shikara is in a bad shape with the stone slabs barely managing to remain in place. But the sandstone friezes on the walls around the sanctum sanctorum are a testimony to the consummate skill of the Gujjar Pratihara sculptors.

Above the threshold is a sculpture of Garuda, flanked by airborne men holding garlands in their hands. On the threshold’s pillars are small sculptures of women playing the lute, veena or drums, naga kanyas, men riding elephants, men wrestling, lions, and so on.

On the base are sculptures of the Ganga and the Yamuna, portrayed as women, holding pots of water in their dainty hands, women attendants holding umbrellas, and so on.

On the outer walls of the sanctum sanctorum are out-of-the world friezes: Devaki suckling her infant Krishna in prison with a woman guard, with a club in her hand, standing nearby; Devaki holding infant Krishna while a warrior on horseback keeps a stern eye on them, and Krishna draining away the life of the demon Bhoothanai, among others. The ASI has proposed to lay a terrace of lawns from the Bateshwar complex to another Vishnu temple a few hundred metres away so that they can become an integrated whole.

Sanjay Mittal, a contractor who was relishing the beauty of these friezes, could not help exclaiming, “They are not merely beautiful. They are amazing. They are beyond imagination.”•

[zenith_suv]

HUMAYUN’S TOMB TO GET BACK ITS CROWN JEWELS



ASI And Aga Khan Trust Will Rebuild The Tiles On Eight Canopies Of The Sixteenth Century Monument, In The Original Colours And Using The Original Blueprints


Richi Verma | TNN


World heritage site Humayun’s Tomb is all set to regain its lost architectural marvels. The eight canopies on the dome of the 16th century monument — which originally had striking blue, yellow and green colour tiles — will be restored as per the original Mughal design and architecture.

Experts said that the process of rebuilding the tiles was a very long process and involved detailed studies aimed at understanding the original design and composition of the Mughal-era tiles.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) director-general K N Shrivastava said: ‘‘We are going to reconstruct the original blue tile work on the canopies of the monument. Since the monument is a world heritage site, we will have to keep Unesco updated about the plan and also about the progress of the conservation work. Under the principles of conservation, monuments have to be conserved according to the original design and shape. Reconstructing the lost blue tile work is a structural requirement of the tomb.’’

According to ASI officials, the smaller canopies on the roof of the tomb were originally decorated with ceramic tiles in lapis blue, turquoise blue, green, white and yellow as was the tradition at that time. ‘‘These striking colours were highlighted by the contrasting milky whiteness of the marble dome in the background. During the early 19th century, most of the original tiles started peeling off. Only traces of them remain today,’’ said a senior ASI official.

Experts said that traces of tile work that remained have helped reveal the original pattern, and laboratories in Roorkee, Oxford and Barcelona have tested the tile samples. ‘‘An international workshop — co-sponsored by Unesco and ASI — on conservation of Humayun’s Tomb tile work was held in April 2009 to discuss, debate and find possible solutions for conservation of tiles on the tomb’s canopies, including restoration of the missing tile work,’’ added officials. About 40 participants from nine tile producing countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the workshop.

According to historians, tile work is a significant element in several Lodhi and early Mughal period structures and remnants of tile work can be seen on several monuments in Delhi. However, the tile-making traditions followed by the Mughals have been lost over the centuries and hence very little in conservation terms could be done when the tiles have fallen, vandalised or simply gone missing.

Tile work is a significant architectural element, and it also protects the underlying surface. The loss of tile work severely disfigures the historic architectural character/integrity of the monument.

‘‘Conservation of existing tile work should be a priority at all sites and efforts should be made to minimise further loss of the original tiles. Any new tile work that will replace missing tiles should match the original ones in colour, texture, composition and other physical and chemical properties and the conservation work should respect the original patterns,’’ said Ratish Nanda of Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC).

AKTC will also train youths of Nizamuddin Basti to produce Mughalstyle tiles and to preserve tile-making traditions in the country.

The conservation work at the Humayun’s Tomb is part of a publicprivate partnership between the ASI, AKTC, Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Aga Khan Foundation.

Some months ago, ASI and AKTC officials had removed a thick layer of cement concrete from the roof of the mausoleum. The concrete was putting a pressure of about 10 lakh kilos on the structure. This layer that had been added to the monument during the British rule to prevent water seepage also blocked the water drainage channels on the roof, leading to accumulation of rainwater causing considerable damage to the monument.

Making History Again

The eight canopies on Humayun’s Tomb were originally covered with ceramic tiles in lapis blue, turquoise blue, green, white and yellow
Tile-making techniques used by the Mughals have been lost over the centuries and very little in terms of conservation has been done when the tiles have been vandalised, fallen or simply gone missing
Traces of the original tile work on the canopies of Humayun’s Tomb helped reveal the original pattern of the tiles

Built in Mughal emperor Humayun’s memory in 1562 by his widow Hamida Begum, Humayun’s Tomb was the first structure to use red sandstone on such a large scale and also the first garden-tomb in the Indian subcontinent. It was given Unesco world heritage status in 1993

Times of India

[IndiansUnite]

From HT:

[GJ10]

X-Posted from Ahmedabad Projects Thread

Centre clears Bhadra Fort revival

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has finally obtained the money it needed to ‘hammer’ life into a monument that defines city’s cultural heritage. It has secured a central grant of Rs 77 crore to restore the Bhadra fort’s magnificence and develop an area stretching from the nearly 600-year-old structure to Teen Darwaza as a heritage stretch completely free of traffic.

Once developed, this stretch, likely to be named ‘Bhadra Plaza’, will be a far cry from the chaotic public space that exists now. So, you can look forward to taking a stroll on new walkways that will come up near the fort, unwind at a café on the monument’s terrace or visit a museum on its premises. You will be able to do all this without negotiating through a tangle of streetside vendors and illegally parked vehicles.

The money for restoration of the fort and development of the heritage square was sanctioned by Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) recently. Mirror reported in July last year that the civic body had submitted an elaborate plan to get the grant.

The Rs 77 crore JNNURM has allotted will be used to not only improve the weather-beaten Bhadra fort’s condition, but also rebuild its gardens and majestic courtyard. All work will be carried out according to guidelines on heritage conservation laid down by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

“Now, we will prepare a new plan to seek ASI’s help for reconstructing sensitive structural components of the monument,” the municipal commissioner, I P Gautam, told Mirror. “An agreement involving restoration work costing Rs 35 crore will be signed with the ASI.

Apart from setting up a café and a museum in the fort, the AMC wants to open a restaurant that serves traditional food and handicraft outlets on the ground floor, and art galleries on the first floor. To end chronic congestion in the area and woo more tourists, it will demarcate space for parking, landscaping, roadside food joints and cultural exhibits.

The civic body will regularise flow of pedestrians by constructing sidewalks between Teen Darwaza and the fort. The most ambitious feature of AMC’s plan is construction of an elevated walkway from the nearly 600-year-old structure to the Sabarmati riverfront.









Walkways, a terrace cafe, a museum and yes, no vehicles... the stretch between Bhadra Fort and Teen Darwaza will soon regain its lost glory

Full ppt presentation containing larger pictures and more detail on this project can be downloaded here

The fate of the surrounding shops is not really mentioned, although I would imagine as Aks Sky says, they shouldnt really be affected by this as in the main it just a pedestrianisation of the area, rather than road widening/acquiring extra land.

(Selected images from pdf)

[Jodhpur2]

I hope the name change doesn't happen...