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Dogra heritage in a shambles
A
number of palaces in Jammu have already collapsed or are in an
advanced stage of decay as no steps have so far been taken to preserve
them.
These edifices have the potential of being preserved as living
monuments to attract tourists who pass through the town while on their
way to the Vaishnodevi shrine or the Kashmir valley. The history of
the Dogra rule is hidden in these palaces. Not only the government’s
neglect, but also the killer earthquake of October 8 last year has
caused further damage to these structures. Although the Central
Government has now decided to prevent further damage to these
monuments by allocating an initial amount of Rs 3 crore for this year,
initiative on the part of the state agencies is lacking. Initially
there was confusion whether the PWD or the Tourism Department would do
the restoration work, but now it has been decided that INTACH would
provide expertise to the Tourism Department for the job. This has
brought a ray of hope for the preservation of these places that are
masterpieces of craftsmanship. The Jammu and Kashmir chapter of
INTACH has prepared a detailed report about the condition of these
palaces and has also suggested certain measures to restore them to
their past glory. The central Tourism Department has also got a
report prepared and has engaged some conservation architects to begin
the job. However, there is confusion among various organisations of
the state government, which continue to create hurdles in the way of
starting the restoration work. Much time was lost as the
Archaeological Department of the state government was earlier asked to
do the restoration work without any resources. Thereafter the Public
Works Department (PWD) came into the picture and left without doing
any work, as its engineers were not trained in the restoration of
archaeological monuments. It is learnt that the authorities were
planning to first take up the restoration work of the building that
earlier housed the high court. The archives would be shifted to this
building soon after it was conserved. But voices of dissent over the
decision to shift the archives there have started emanating as the
original plan of the Tourism Department was to make the building a
lively monument. Dr Lalit Mangotra, president of the Dogri Sanstha,
says the complex should be restored as a "living monument"
so that tourists visited here. The thrust of the government should be
to promote tourism in Jammu by restoring the dilapidated palace
complex. The successive Dogra rulers built the palace complex, which
is commonly called as the Mubarak Mandi. Maharaja Gulab Singh built
the first structure in the complex that lies in the heart of the city
overlooking the Tawi that flows through the city. The work was
completed during the reign of Maharaja Ranbir Singh, recalls Mr Dharam
Chandra Prashant, a noted historian. These palaces now house
government offices that are causing further damage to the magnificent
buildings by white washing the wall paintings and nailing wires on the
carved marble structures. The wall paintings in the palace where the
cultural section of the Information and Public Relations Department is
housed are covered under thick smoke and grease as the staff cooks
there. Minutely painted papier-m`E2ch`E9 ceilings of many palaces have
already collapsed. The magnificent two-storied marble hall, in which
the Department of Geology and Mining was located, has completely
collapsed. The white marble pieces from the debris were being carried
away by unscrupulous elements. The red stone palace that housed the
high court and the Public Service Commission till the recent past is
now decaying, as the area has become a parking place for vehicles. The
emission of the vehicles is turning the red stone into black. The
historic Gol-Ghar building was the first victim of neglect when it was
gutted in a fire in the 1980s. The ruins of the imposing multi-storied
structure stand as a mute testimony to the Dogra rule. The debris of
the palace can still be seen lying in the area. Mr Salim Beg,
chairman of the J&K chapter of INTACH, has suggested restoration
of the Gol-Ghar on priority, as it is one of the prime archaeological
structures within the complex. Portions of the structure are in an
extremely precarious condition. Another red stone building is the
Rani Charak’s palace. It has developed cracks, but could still be
conserved. Some arches and columns in the palace require immediate
repairs. The survey conducted by the central Tourism Department has
assessed that a sum of Rs 44 crore would be required to restore the
palace complex. However, experts point out that it might take several
years to complete the job, as a pittance of Rs 3 crore has been
earmarked for this year. Preservation of the palace complex has never
been on the agenda of the governments that came in the state in the
past 60 years. A committee headed by Dr M. S. Randhawa was appointed
by the government in the late 1970s to suggest measures for the
preservation of the magnificent Dogra heritage. However, the report of
the committee was never implemented. The palaces, one by one, were
consumed by fires or decayed due to the passage of time. Over the
years the palace complex that earlier housed the office of the Prime
Minister of J&K, Assembly and many other offices, has suffered
extensive damage that was never taken care of. The miniatures on the
walls in many of the buildings have already faded or vanished. Most
of the buildings in the palace complex have been declared unsafe. The
only surviving gateway structure adjoining the office of the
divisional commissioner is in a bad shape. Roots of trees have
entrenched in the walls. Many trees were jutting out of the structure.
The gateway is a high-rise two- storied arched opening towards the
main bazar. The wooden door constructed more than 180 years ago,
according to estimates, is still intact.
Poonch House Another
magnificent piece of architecture, the Poonch House that was built
near the canal road by the erstwhile ruler of Poonch in 1930s, also
needs immediate attention of the government as it has also got damaged
at many places. The palace now houses the institute of music and fine
arts. The recent earthquake has destroyed the historic fort in the
Poonch town. Its rear, southern and eastern portions have completely
collapsed. There are wide cracks on the walls, INTACH has reported.
The entire complex even before the earthquake was not in a very good
condition. The other monuments in the Poonch town, including the Moti
Mahal, Baldev Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Syndicate building and the Haveli
Mian Gulab Singh, are also in an advanced stage of decay. The Moti
Mahal, which houses the Army office, was badly damaged due to the
earthquake. The Sheesh Mahal, that houses the girls’ school, has
been declared unsafe and the haveli, which was the oldest residential
building in the town, has almost collapsed.
Reasi Forts The Bhimgarh
and the Zorawar forts at Reasi in Udhampur district that are an
important part of the Dogra history are also fading due to
neglect. The Bhimgarh fort that was built in the 19th century has
suffered major damage although it has been declared a protected
monument by the state Department of Archaeology. The structure of the
fort has weakened due to the growth of vegetation on it. The bastions
on the southern and northern sides have suffered major damage and a
portion of the fort has collapsed. The Zorawar fort is lying
unprotected with only two small structures standing there. This is
virtually disrespect to the legendary general who extended the
boundaries of the state far and wide. The historical complexes in the
Ramnagar town have also decayed due to official neglect.
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