Historic Ram Bagh Gate cries for attention

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 6

The around 240-year-old historic Ram Bagh Gate located at Ram Bagh Chowk in the walled city is crying for attention. Though the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Board (PHTB) has spent a huge sum for its preservation, rampant encroachments alongside its boundary walls are marring its beauty and heritage value.

If sources in the department are to be believed, its preservation work was stopped in the middle due to lack of funds from the state government. However, officials claimed that the next phase of its preservation work would start in next three to four months.

Only surviving gate in the walled city

Rambagh gate is the only surviving gate of the walled city constructed during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s. It was constructed on the route from the Summer Palace (Ram Bagh garden) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to Golden Temple. As the history goes, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had spent a huge sum on the fortification of the city established around Harmandir Sahib. Before him, the city was ruled by Bhangi Misls and they also used the gate for policing purpose.

Though the heritage building was vacated by the Police Department eight years ago, the local administration was yet to remove the encroachments in its vicinity. The encroachments have become an eyesore for heritage lovers. Earlier, there was a (Ram bagh) police station operating from its premises. The Police Department vacated the building in 2007 to mark World Heritage Day. The police station is being operated now from a building located in front of the gate. The lone surviving gate of the old walled city had a long association with the police. It was one of the most important police establishments after the city was conquered by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1802, who had appointed official designated as ‘Nizam’ who was responsible for police duties.

An official in the Tourism Board on condition of anonymity said the government spent around Rs 1 crore during its preservation work in the first phase in which the outer side and façade of the gate was conserved and brought to its original shape. This work was completed in 2013 and since then it was lying unattended. In the absence of any care, a number of illegal temporary shops have come up in front of the gate. The district administration has failed to remove them till now. What is worse is that people could be seen urinating on one side of the gate.

There was a plan to set up an open air restaurant and a Phulkari museum at the historical gate to attract visitors and tourists coming from across the country. However, it never took shape as the preservation work was yet to be completed.