New Delhi, Dec 14 (PTI) Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajantoday pitched for developing a heritage walk in Chandni Chowk,a densely populated market which has been around for more thanthree centuries.
Mahajan said the government and the people should cometogether to restore the "old splendour" of Chandni Chowk.
The market was once divided by canals to reflect themoonlight, and merchants from Turkey, China and even Hollandvisited it, according to the Delhi Tourism department website.
Chandni Chowk was among the biggest Indian markets.
Citing the restoration of 'Rajwada' in her constituencyIndore, Mahajan said a heritage walk should be developed inChandni Chowk.
"The old splendour of Chandni Chowk could be restored. Wecan definitely think of developing a heritage walk there withthe help of people and the government," she said at an event.
Mahajan and the section chief and programme specialistfor culture at the UNESCO's New Delhi office, Moe Chiba, alsopresented a citation to Union minister Vijay Goel and his sonSiddhant for the restoration of the 19th-century DharampuraHaveli in Chandni Chowk.
The haveli, painstakingly restored over six years, hasearned a special mention in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards forCultural Heritage Conservation this year.
The Lok Sabha speaker said the initiative could bereplicated at many other places across the country.
She also said that with the help of Indian National Trustfor Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), work has started onmaintaining and preserving the Parliament Building.
Tourism Minister K J Alphons too lauded the restorationof Dharampura Haveli and added that "Goel has shown how we canshowcase our heritage to the world. It's a great example forthe people to come forward. We have started 'adopt a heritage'scheme' and 14 sites have been given for restoration."He urged Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, who waspresent at the event, to make the monuments "alive" byallowing them to be kept open beyond 5pm and hold cultural andrecreational activities there.
In a country like India, having diverse heritage, itsnot possible that each heritage site has to be dependent ongovernment support, Moe Chiba said.
The restoration of Dharampura Haveli was a "totallyprivate" initiative to restore it to its old splendour withhigh-quality craftsmanship and use of traditional constructionmaterial to preserve its Mughal era architecture, she added.
PTI VITABH.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.