Jammu, April 2
The 161-year-old palaces of the Dogra rulers have become dilapidated ruins because of the neglect of successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir.
The ancient Pahari paintings on the walls of these buildings are gradually fading away or have been badly damaged by the occupant offices of the state government.
No effort has been made to maintain these art pieces of the Dogra regime which are either crumbling or are being consumed by flames one by one. The first building to get destroyed in the early 1980s in a massive fire was the one in which the office of the education department was located. The five-storeyed red stone building still stands as a mute witness to the Dogra history.
A high level committee headed by Dr M.S. Randhawa appointed by the then Chief Minister, Sheikh Abdullah, in 1978 had recommended that the palaces in Mubarak Mandi here should be properly restored and converted into a fine arts complex, but the report of the committee has never been implemented.
Allegations have been made from time to time that the state government is intentionally allowing the palaces of the Dogra rulers to turn into ruins. Ironically, the Dogra heritage depicted in these buildings is getting erased with the passage of time.
Archaeologists point out that the palaces can be developed into a tourist attraction if the state government is interested in restoring these decayed buildings which are a part of the state's history.
The palaces in this complex started coming up during the reign of Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1822. Maharaja Ranbir Singh and Maharaja Pratap Singh added new palaces in the
complex on the banks of the Tawi. The marble palace, which once housed the office of geology and mining, has collapsed after being gutted in a fire. The building was made of white marble and the interiors were also made of
chiseled marble with rich paintings on the walls. The building housing the cultural wing of the Information and Public Relations Department is a sad tale of neglect. Electric wires have been nailed on the Basohli paintings on the walls. Some of these paintings have black patches on them because of the smoke that emits from the make-shift kitchen nearby.
The Dogra Art Gallery was shifted to one of the palaces a couple of years ago, but the shortage of funds has prevented further growth of the gallery.
A cultural complex was to be constructed in the building which earlier housed the High Court. But it has been occupied by the state Public Service Commission and some district courts after the High Court shifted to its own building.
The state archives in the same complex is another evidence of neglect by the state government. The precious documents can be seen scattered on the floor of the dingy rooms.
The palaces built thereafter in the outskirts by the rulers who came later, particularly the Amar Mahal, is being properly maintained as it is being looked after by a trust in which Dr Karan Singh is taking personal interest. The palace houses the Amar Mahal Museum with a collection of rare books and manuscripts.
One of the palaces has been converted into a hotel, while the other houses Raj Bhavan.
