LAHORE: Ages-old neglected monument Chauburji Gateway is being conserved and restored with an amount of Rs 43.843 million by the Archaeology Department of Punjab, Daily Times learnt on Sunday.
The conservation will be completed by June 2018 and the monument will be opened for the general public. Daily Times further learnt that the monument was in a derelict condition because of aging, neglect and weathering.
Certain parts of the monument were colliding while some had decayed and the fresco work was fading away speedily after the ongoing construction of Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT), sources informed Daily Times.
The monument was in dire need of preservation as the terraced flooring of the main passage had fallen apart and its side rooms has also become feeble. Sources said that the façade had already been damaged due to the OLMT and neglect by the concerned authorities. Sources further informed that the place had been turned into an addicts’ hub after sunset and had lost its original purpose.
Researcher and expert Faizan Naqvi was of the opinion that Chauburji was already being neglected and later it got victimised by the OLMT. He also informed that there was a time when it was family place where people would gather at evenings to enjoy the weather and surroundings.
“It is one of the most famous monuments among the structures and buildings of the Mughal era in the city of Lahore. It was a garden of Mughal era which now is limited to just this one gate and rest of the garden has vanished away with the passage of time. The construction of this garden is attributed to Mughal Princess Zebun Nisa, 1646 AD, and it is also evident from the inscriptions on the gateway,” Faizan Naqvi said.
Another expert on history and Lahore Tania Qureshi said, “Chauburji represents a strong blend of Mughal architecture with ancient Muslim style of building. Its distinguishing features are the minarets which expand from the top, not present anywhere in the sub-continent. Some architects and historians claim that there were cupolas upon the minarets which collapsed with the passage of time and were never constructed again. The red brickwork is typical of the Muslim buildings of the sub-continent; the doorways and windows running through the interior corridors are examples of the living style that characterised the Mughal buildings. The main architectural merit of the building is its rich mosaic decoration on its entire façade including the octagonal corner minarets. The minarets are slender for their height and end at the top in coved platforms which once carried arched pavilions.”
She was of the opinion that conservation of the monument was much needed as it was being derelict and losing its value.
Punjab Archaeology Department Deputy Director Malik Maqsood Ahmed said that they had taken up the conservation and restoration of the monument in 2016.
“For the first time in history, a comprehensive conservation is being carried out at this monument by the Archaeology Department. Earlier, only minor repair works were being done. The work is in progress and more than 80 percent conservation work has been completed and the remaining is expected to be completed by June 2018. In this conservation and restoration plan, we are restoring the works of fine brick masonry, kankar lime plaster, brick tile cornice as per existing design and brick tile dassa including floral design, ghalib kari work in geometrical design and tile mosaic work as per original design and colours,” Malik Maqsood Ahmed added.
He further informed Daily Times that the project also included the restoration of lime terracing, red sand stone jali, replacing the decayed wooden doors, lime pointing of open joints, fixing iron fencing around the protected area and brick tiles on edge flooring in special design square pattern.
“A couple of months ago, UNESCO training was also held at Chauburji where UNESCO had called in the experts for holding a training in collaboration with the University of THAAP. All the master trainers were gathered at this place and a comprehensive training over the conservation techniques was held,” Maqsood Ahmed informed. He further added that artisans from all over Pakistan had been gathered by the Archaeology Department for the conservation of Chauburji Gateway. The tiles and enamel preparation took almost six months and such a comprehensive conservation work was being carried out on any monument for the first time in Pakistan. On inquiring about the security and ticket system he said that the Archaeology Department would be housing a guard at the monument and the entry would be restricted, but there would be no ticket imposed.
Published in Daily Times, May 7th 2018.