Chandigarh, July 21
Having attempted to restore Qila Mubarak in Patiala to its pristine glory, the Punjab Government has finally sought refuge under the World Monument Watch, a global programme which focuses on the most endangered historic sites in the world. Faced with inadequacy of funds immediately required to preserve the fort, the Punjab Government has decided to send the case of Qila Mubarak for nomination in the World Monument Watch list of the most imperiled monuments across the globe.

This decision follows the realisation that crores would be needed to restore Qila Mubarak, which offers a marvellous blend of Mughal and Rajasthani architecture. The previous government had also contributed Rs 60 lakh in 2000-2001 towards this cause, but the fort’s condition is still far from fair. The work of cultural preservation being carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) needs to be furthered with finance and collective will, which is currently lacking.

As of today, the fort, spread over 12 acres, is in an utterly dilapidated state. The beauty of its nine big and small “baradaris” withered from the day the fort was founded by Baba Ala Singh in 1764. Gold work, the hallmark of its painted chambers, has fallen off due to dampness. Experts observe that unless restorative work is taken up immediately, this site of great beauty may be lost forever.

On a scholarship from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ICCR in India, Anne-Colombe Launois, who has been rechristened as Satkaur, has taken up the iconography and style of the wall paintings in the fort as her Ph.D. topic. Calling the fort a “refuge of the arts”, she observes, “The Qila is in utter state of disrepair, which is evident from the peeling off of wall paintings, once a visual treat at the Ran Was and other areas of the Qila. Some paintings are beyond recognition.” Out of the nine rooms having beautiful paintings on the theme of Radha and Krishna, only two are intact. The frescoes bearing images of Lord Krishna and the 10 Sikh Gurus in the Dewan-e-Khas are in a bad shape, so are the paintings on Lord Krishna’s life, mounted in Rang Mahal. Even the mirror work in Sheesh Mahal stands damaged.

An ASI official informed The Tribune that many murals depicting sequences from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, as also the Janam Sakhis now face threat of extinction. Not many people know that the Durbar Hall of Qila Mubarak has a silver chariot which was used by the first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, to enter Rashtrapati Bhavan. The hall is full of huge exquisite chandeliers from Belgium, collected by the Maharaja himself.

As Punjab’s rich legacy awaits attention, the government is hopeful of support from the World Monument Watch. Once listed, the World Monument Fund (WMF) will be directed towards timely financial support for preservation of the Qila. A panel of leading international experts selects the list of 100 most endangered sites from nominations submitted to the WMF every two years by governments, cultural organisations and individuals. The only non-profit organisation devoted to conservation of monuments worldwide, WMF has, till date, achieved a record of successful intervention by advancing more than 300 projects in 70 countries. It has given over $57 million in grants to 350 sites in 77 countries. Since 1998, WMF has given an additional $11 million in matching funds from other sources.