Conservators call Lahori Gate’s restoration ‘shoddy’

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 7

The state government has restored Lahori Gate of the historic Qila Sarai monument at Sultanpur Lodhi, which was crumbled in September last year, but not to satisfaction of conservators and historians of the area.

The administration and officials of the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department claimed that the historic place was brought back to its glory under expert supervision by using a mixture of 19 elements, including limestone, mortar and Nanakshahi bricks. But conservator and music exponent associated with the site Bhai Baldeep Singh termed it a “shoddy” work.

In September last year, a team of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Punjab Secretary (tourism) Raji P Shrivastava, director Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa, chief general manager (projects) Brig Charanjit Singh and conservation architect Neha Jain visited the site following the collapse. They reported the matter to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who had then sanctioned Rs 70 lakh for its restoration.

One of the two “minars” (pillars) at the entrance of the Qila Sarai had crumbled owing to vagaries of weather and frequent shuttling of police vehicles through the gate of the monument which houses the offices of SHO and DSP Sultanpur Lodhi.

The crumbled minar, a portion above the gate, and hollow areas have been restored by the teams that had been assigned the task. At present, the building is only being given final touches.

Deputy Commissioner DS Mangat said, “I had gone to the site a day before and I am satisfied with the restoration work.”

On the contrary, the Anad Foundation chairperson said, “Given a petty sum that was sanctioned and the inability of the architect concerned who had won the tender, the Lahori Gate has ended up being stripped bare of its protective plaster. The government is destroying the remaining relics and remnants of our heritage. An administration loses its relevance when it cannot face objective and constructive criticism from the custodians of the heritage.”

“The administration doesn’t know the meaning of volunteer. Despite our requests to allow the Anad Foundation to take the charge of restoration with two Italian project architects working for the foundation on a volunteer visa, the politicians did not allow us to pitch in,” the chairperson said.