Gobindgarh Fort wall comes off, heritage lovers fume

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 13

A portion of the wall, constructed near the toshakhana (treasury) as part of the ongoing conservation work of the18th century Gobindgarh Fort, came off recently, much to the chagrin of heritage lovers who question the architectural planning and the quality of the work carried out here. Insiders say a portion of the about 10-foot wall, constructed by raising a single brick wall on both sides and filled by earth, came off. It exposed the soil within which has become an eyesore for the visitors. It has left heritage lovers fuming.

Retired principal Kulwant Singh Ankhi said the use of sandy soil does not go down well with tourists, especially foreigners. Use of modern brick is also not the proper way for the repair of heritage and historical monuments. Instead, nanakshahi brick must be used, at least on the facade. Otherwise, the wall must be plastered with a material, which appears as a heritage material.

Prof Mohan Singh said the fort was constructed during the Sikh Misl period and it was further consolidated during the Maharaja Ranjit Singh era. “The purpose of such a thick wall was to defend the fort from the invaders. On the opposite, the new wall can't defend itself from a moderate rain,” he remarked.

AR Mishra, in-charge of the Punjab Heritage Tourism Promotion Board (PHTPB) project, said some cracks appeared in the wall during the heavy rain. So reconstruction was carried out to avoid any future damage. He added that the contractor was liable to reconstruct the portion as it happened while the construction was under way.

He said that it was a simple brick pitching wall and no structure would come over it.