Miscreants damage wall of Maharaja’s summer palace

Neeraj Bagga

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 22

The boundary wall of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Summer palace, popularly known as Ram Bagh and Company Bagh, has been damaged at many places, much to the apathy of authorities, who are investing crores to refurbish and beautify the heritage structure.

Ram Bagh, popularly known as Company Bagh, was declared a national monument in 2004 after de-notifying the 40-kanal land for the construction of panorama.

A city resident, Balram Kumar Sharma, said it was a sheer wastage of nation’s precious money. The violators had no fear of law at all, he added. He demanded a strict action against the people involved in damaging the boundary wall at many places.

The wall was found demolished on Malviya and Mall Roads, where prime commercial areas are situated across the historic garden.

He said, “It seems that the wall has been demolished to dispose of garbage conveniently in the garden.”

In 2006, a team of conservationists came across vital evidence at the garden as recorded in the “Gulgashat-e-Punjab”, manuscript of Tota Ram. The team also noticed that the total area of Ram Bagh was nearly 75 acre as compared to the popular belief that it was 84 acre.

The protected monument, constructed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh on the pattern of Shalimar Bagh in Lahore, remains in a pitiable condition for long due to indifference attitude of the authorities concerned.

The Department of Culture and Tourism of the Union government declared Ram Bagh as protected area to preserve its beauty and the entire complex as a monument. The historic garden has been a centre of attraction as the summer palace of the legendary King Ranjit Singh for visitors and tourists.

After the development, Archaeological Society of India (ASI) took over Ram Bagh for conservation and restoration its old glory.