115-year-old Victoria Memorial Hall in Karnal to be spruced up

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 17

Aiming at developing cultural tourism in the city, the 115-year-old Victoria Memorial Hallalso known as Gandhi Memorial Hall, will be beautified. It is being developed under the Smart City’s 4-km long proposed heritage corridor from Geeta Dwaar to Karan Gate across which heritage buildings will be beautified to make people aware of the monuments.

Facade lighting planned for building

Facade lighting is proposed to illuminate the heritage building at night and to enhance the architectural elements of the elevation. — Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner-Cum-CEI of KSCL

Surrounded by shops, less visible

• This site is in the heart of the city, but less visible as it is surrounded by single storey shops on all sides.
• The entrance is not visible due to existing shops and many times blocked by street dwellers, due to which people are less aware of the site.

Condolence meeting was held in 1948

• It was renamed Gandhi Memorial Hall after the first condolence meeting was held here after the Mahatma’s assassination in 1948.
• It is a unique building that features a fine combination of three architectural styles –Indian, Islamic and European.
• There are four porticoes on all four sides of the building

This building was constructed in 1906 in the memory of Queen Victoria and was renamed as Gandhi Memorial Hall after the first condolence meeting was held here after the Mahatma’s assassination in 1948. It is a unique building that features a fine combination of three architectural styles –Indian, Islamic and European. There are four porticoes on all four sides of the building and outside of the pillared verandah.

This site is in the heart of the city, but less visible as it is surrounded by single storey shops on all sides. The entrance is not visible due to existing shops and many times blocked by street dwellers, due to which people are less aware of the site.

As per an official, as the upkeep was not good, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the state government to take up the restoration work of the building under the ASI in 2013 as the building was slowly crumbling due to neglect. The important artifacts in the old building had been removed and sent to the museums. The Archaeology and Museum Department, Haryana, had declared it as state protected monument and had renovated it. The department also displayed the history of this protected monument on the board. An office of the District Public Relations was also functional here for sometime before the renovation.

With the consent of the department, Karnal Smart City Ltd. (KSCL), a company looking after the Smart City project, will beautify the premises and increase the visibility along with approach to the heritage building by enhancing the landscape and access to the structure. The KSCL has called tender of it.

A meeting in this regard had already been held between the KSCL and Archaeology and Museum Department, Haryana, and a concept presentation was given by both authorities to CM Manohar Lal Khattar recently, said an official. “The existing access is being widened and a building of ATM has been demolished. The entrance will be widened to 6 meters, which will also give access to fire tender movement. A gate portal is proposed at the access point to mark the entrance of this monument, which will be visible from the main road. The portal replicates the architectural style of the building elements,” said Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, who is also the CEO of the KSCL.

Three secondary access points will be developed which will link the indoor space with the outdoor space, the CEO said, adding that the backyard wall of the existing shops will be treated as a mural wall replicating the arches of the verandah. Facade lighting is proposed to illuminate the heritage building at night and to enhance the architectural elements of the elevation. “The conservation of the building will be done in a separate proposal by the Archaeological Department, Haryana,” said Yadav.