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LESSER KNOWN MONUMENTS - Do
They Have A Future
Anu Gupta
In a quest for discovering
green areas within the claustrophobic confines of the city’s concrete jungle,
we ventured into the Jahanpanah forest, which is a part of Delhi’s
south-central ridge.
It is a forest in name only. While we encounter some fairly thickly wooded
patches, large barren areas are common. Emerging from one of the green
groves, in the far distance we notice what looks like domed structure.
Curiosity impels us to move closer to it. Situated atop a small hill, it is a
round cave-like monument about 20 feet in height, surrounded by a profusion of
wild low-lying bushes and trees. Its sloping walls, now crumbling, suggest
that it belongs to the Feroz Shah Tuglaq period (14th century) and
was probably one of the hunting lodges that he is said to have built around
Delhi. The monument is small, lacking in any great architectural or
archeological value, yet it is not inconsequential.
Several such historic structures are scattered across the ridge. A survey
done by the Development Research and Actin Group (DRAG) of the south-central
ridge (626 hectares spread across Tughlakabad, Jahanpanah, Mehrauli,
Jawaharlal Nehru University campus and Vasant Kunj) revealed that the invaders
of Delhi, the Turko-Afghan kings, made it the site for a substantial amount of
building activity.
While we all know about the more important landmarks of South Delhi like the
Qutab Minar and the Tughlakabad Fort (also on the ridge), the landscape around
them is dotted with a large number of smaller, lesser known monuments. In
comparative terms they appear rather innocuous, but they nevertheless form an
important link in the chain of building activity.
The survey of some of these structures found them to be in a state of ruin.
They are constantly threatened by a number of factors. Misuse by man is the
prime cause of deterioration. Stones and other building materials are removed
from these structures. They are used as cowsheds, as dumping-yards or more
commonly as a place for defecation by slum-dwellers living in the vicinity.
In a listing done by Zafar Hasan, published between 1916 and 1922, over 1,300
monuments have been catalogued. The Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) has
taken 164 under its purview. Another 40 are being protected by the Delhi
Administration. A few are being used as private residences or office space.
For example, the Vice-regal lodge in Delhi University which is Vice
Chancellor’s office, or a part of the Purana Quila and the Safdarjung tomb
complex, which are being used by the ASI as office area and library. The rest
lie uncared for.
Should we allow them to crumble through neglect or willful destruction by
land-hungry marauders? It is the public, the citizens who must pull
themselves out of their state of inertia and do something concrete, otherwise
our architectural heritage will be lost even as we stand and stare. To give
one example, in the Malviya Nagar area two years ago a domed structure,
probably a tomb of pre-Mughal times, collapsed overnight. As not even
photographic documentation had been made of it, it is lost forever to us. Now
a tea-shop has sprung up in its place.
The city NGOs must work in collaboration with the locals and either initiate,
or support conservation practices. Once the right kind of awareness has been
created, then the people themselves, those living around these structures, or
schools, may take the initiative. They can adopt monuments and see to
its/their conservation. People may band together and each may contribute in
his own fashion – physical work, in an administrative capacity, monetary
donation or even simply moral support. Thereby results a consolidated
movement towards the conservation of cultural property.
However, simple enthusiasm and zeal will not suffice. It will be imperative
to invite the services of professional conservators, lest more harm than good
is done. For example, modern materials may not be right for repair work.
Also proper monitoring of the execution of the action programme will be
required.
Another solution towards which people’s group may work, is to make these
structures usable in some way – as an art gallery, recreation spot, community
centre or it may be developed as a place of tourist attraction. Here too
caution and moderation is to be practised. The example I can recall is of a
monument not on the ridge; the Baradari in the Lalit Kala Academy’s artists
complex at Garhi. For years it was left to itself, a place for reflection and
relaxation. Then it was proposed to turn it into an art gallery. The first
exhibition went of without incident. But then the need for the security of
the art objects was felt. The result: introduction of ugly iron grills over
the arched doorways. Later still others decided to hog some studio space
there. Part of the walls were broken and ugly wooden door panels fitted in.
thanks to the pressure of the authorities, the studio ideas was discarded,
and also the concept of an art gallery. Today the Baradari lies in an extreme
state of ruin and disrepair.
Some NGOs such as INTACH have done commendable work. To take one example, it
has recently brought out a series of detailed maps of the monuments in the
Mehrauli area. But good work in the field of conservation in the capital is
rare. Hence Delhi is losing a number of its lesser known monuments every
year. If this trend is not stopped then possibly in a decade from now we may
lose all those monuments which are not under the purview of government
bodies. Time is running out.
Anu Gupta is an artist, a
teacher at Sushant School of Art and Architecture, and a research scholar in
art history at the National Museum.
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