Efforts on to revive lost glory of Ferozepur town

BLURB: 10 heritage gates being given facelift under spl drive

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, July 11

In an effort to revive the lost glory of this historic town, the ten heritage gates here are being given a facelift after most of them had crumbled and got obscure over the period of time. These gates were earlier christened to indicate the names of the destination they would lead to during pre-partition times.

The present-day circular road in the city was dotted with these gates. The Delhi and Ludhiana (Baghdadi) Gates were towards the south; Makhu towards the east; Bansawala towards the north; and the Kasur and Multan Gates on the west. Others included the Zira Gate, the Amritsari Gate, the Kasuri Gate, and the Magazine Gate. All these had been named after the important towns which they lead to during good old times.

The present-day Baghdadi Gate on circular road used to house timber merchants, families of whom had been in the business for centuries. While, odd bric-a-brac wood shops now line the road and what was once a structure constructed under the supervision of a Mr Knox, who was inspired by the Afghan architecture. It was off-late hidden under a motley set of ‘new’ pink-hued, edifice, which displayed martyrs’ busts and garish advertising billboards. However, thanks to the initiative by local MLA Parminder Singh Pinki, it has been given a makeover by ACP sheets with lighting effect which gives it prominence as dusk shrouds.

While the renovation work on Delhi Gate, Baghdadi Gate and Multani Gate has been completed, efforts are on to renovate the rest of them. The Multani Gate with the centuries-old brick kiln’s construction was hitherto in bad shape with electrical wires marring its view along with erratically displayed posters of various political events. However, its renovation has earned applause especially from old timers who have been reminiscent of rich grandeur.

“One doesn’t have to be a history student to notice the rich heritage of the place and can only hope to re-live those lives that were lived years ago,” said Rishi Sharma, a young councillor who has been instrumental in restoration of these heritage structures. Over the years, the town has remained neglected, however now the local MLA has not only provided funds but also motivated us to take up the cudgels to revive the lost glory of the place. MC president Rinku Grover said the council would ensure that these renovated gates are maintained and given the much needed attention which had eluded them in the past.

When contacted, Pinki said he had grown up witnessing the aura of these gates which had lost their splendour in past few decades, but I will ensure that they are revived and resurrected in best possible manner.