Indian Express 30.11.2010
Heritage body to bring back Mughal glory to city’s gardens
Sweta Dutta Tags : heritage, citys gardens Posted: Tue Nov 30 2010, 05:26 hrs
New Delhi: In an effort to rejuvenate the gardens of Delhi, many of which came up during the Mughal period, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is working on a proposal to restore their beauty and grandeur.The heritage body is in talks with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to develop three significant Mughal gardens- Shalimar Bagh, Qudsia Bagh and Roshnara Bagh, all in North Delhi.
“Heritage is not a passive activity of conserving monuments but also enhancing the quality of urban spaces. The focus here is to re-vision the public spaces that were once an integral part of Delhi and to resurrect them,” said AGK Menon, Convenor (Delhi Chapter) INTACH.
“We are in the process of finalising the proposal and will present it to the DDA. We did approach the DDA earlier, but with the Commonwealth Games round
Menon also pointed out that the original look of these gardens had altered, due to many changes carried out over time. “The fruit-bearing trees, a distinct feature of Mughal gardens, have been replaced, and lawns, primarily a British import, have been brought in, ruining the original image of the Mughal bagh,” he said.
Priyaleen Singh, a historic landscape expert and an advisor to INTACH on the proposal, told Newsline, “The idea is to restore the spirit of Mughal gardens, rejuvenating the charbagh and other features. Various agencies like the DDA, the MCD and the ASI that have ownership over the plots will be approached for implementing the project.”
the corner, the plan had to be shelved. This time, however, the proposal is being detailed and a landscape expert has also been roped in.” The INTACH is also in talks with the Ministry of Culture to initiate the proposal for Heritage City status for Delhi, for which the gardens are a part of the natural heritage.
The Qudsia Bagh,a mid-18th century garden, which once housed a palace, waterfall, a mosque, a summer lodge and a sprawling flower and fruit garden, lost much of its space to the inter-state bus terminus at Kashmere Gate. What remains of it now is an imposing western gateway, Qudsia mosque, Boulevard Road and a few pavilions of red sandstone.
The Roshnara Bagh,a 17th century garden tomb, lies in a shambles today. The British had earlier taken fancy to this once magnificent garden and established the Roshnara Club here.
The Shalimar Bagh,where Aurangzeb crowned himself as the emperor in 1658, too lies in utter neglect, especially the Sheesh Mahal, the fountain network and small wells.
