3 years after facelift, repairs on Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar begin again

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar, February 12

About three years after the historic Jallianwala Bagh, housing the National Martyrs’ Memorial, was inaugurated following a revamp, the place is once again in need of repair. Its plaster is coming off at several places while the paint work has faded, exposing the wood to vagaries of nature. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had virtually inaugurated the Bagh on April 13, 2021 to mark 102 years of the massacre.

A visit to the historic Bagh by the Amritsar Tribune team revealed that the upper layer of plaster on the ceiling, situated just before the Amar Jyoti, has come off. Dampness on the ceiling was visible at several places.

Similarly, a projector in the first gallery showcasing historic developments in the wake of the massacre in the historic Bagh, was also lying non-operational.

A wooden railing installed around the green area in the Bagh has got damaged at several spots. Artisans have been engaged to replace the broken part with new wood. An artisan said Kapur Sal, a hardwood, was now being used to replace the already used Kail and Marandi (white cedar wood) and diyar (cedar wood) in the wooden railing.

Shubhneet Singh, a tourist from Nabha, said the wooden railing has been used for the railing installed in the open sky. They were unlikely to weather the vagaries of nature for a long time, he said, and added that in the given scenario, metal railings could have been more durable.

The historic Bagh was beautified at a cost of Rs 20 crore after over one and a half years of renovation by the Ministry of Culture in 2021. The revamp project included the setting up of four new museum galleries, sculpture installations along the historic narrow alley, alterations in the entry and exit, development of a lotus pond, glass enclosures around the victim’s well, and arrangements for a light and sound show about the events of the tragedy.

Simranjit Singh, manager of a private company which has been tasked with the maintenance of the Bagh, said the small ceiling portion was repaired by evening today. He said the projector required servicing and the company concerned has been asked to carry it out at the earliest. He added that woodwork was in progress to replace the railing with hardwood.