LUCKNOW After the Rumi Darwaza repair work is completed, several other historical structures in Lucknow would be restored or given a facelift, said officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Lucknow circle. They added that the repair work of Rumi Darwaza — the monumental gateway built by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daula in 1784 — is expected to be completed by the end of June 2023. Subsequently, the other historical structures would be repaired in the next six months.
According to the proposal, the monuments which have been shortlisted for restoration and repair include — the miniature domes and labyrinth of Bada Imambara, Sikh Square and German Post, Garden Landscaping and pathway construction in Church and Cemetery in Residency, Nadan Mahal, Picture Gallery, Amjad Ali Khan’s Tomb, Ghazi-ud-din Haider’s Tomb, and the British cemetery near Chiraiya Jeel.
To ensure that these structures don’t lose their grandeur and soul after the repair, the old mortar recipe would be used for the entire process. “The mortar recipe for cementing and filling gaps will be the same as it was during the construction of the monument originally. Lime, surkhri (brick powder), powdered black gramme (urad dal), sand, and adhesives such as belgiri juice and gum derived from the babool tree and jagger are among the ingredients to be used in the process. Jute fibres will also be used for bonding and strengthening,” said Aftab Hussain, superintending officer, ASI, Lucknow circle.
PIL seeks to relocate police outpost at Chota Imambara Gate
LUCKNOW A letter has been written to the commissioner of police, Lucknow, seeking the removal/relocation of the Satkhanda Police outpost from the historic Chota Imambara Gate. The letter has called it an encroachment of the heritage building. Syed Mohammad Haider Rizvi, a heritage lover and a lawyer by profession, in his letter (dated December 8, 2022) stated that the police outpost in the heritage premises is an illegal occupation and should be immediately relocated so that the building can be repaired and protected by ASI.
Mentioning previous resentments, Rizvi also mentioned the writ petition (PIL) seeking relocation of the police outpost. The PIL is scheduled for hearing by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on December 20, 2022. “It is important to remove encroachment from any heritage structure before its repair work. If this encroachment is not removed, then what lesson will it give to the other people who have encroached on these heritage properties? Besides encroachment, they have also altered the facade of the structure by constructing a two-feet cement structure,” he added. However, the Commissioner of Police remained unavailable for his comments.
