NEW DELHI:The precious handwritten notebooks and journals of exceptional Urdu poet of the Mughal era, Mirza Ghalib is rotting in his home-turned-museum in Chandni Chowk.
The handwritten Diwans that are over 300 years old are maintained by the Department of Archaeology, Delhi government. But surprisingly, the department has no clue of its deteriorating state. The four main diaries of Ghalib have been put under a glass lid on a high platform for public view. But all of them are being eaten by black fungi.
The rotting state of the national treasure has escaped the ‘hawk’ eyes of the archaeology department, which carries out regular restoration works of some local-level monuments in the capital.
“At regular intervals, our officials visit the site, but if this is taking place then we would take necessary steps for the restoration of the books,” Archeological Engineer Vikas Maloo said.
Ghalib’s Haveli is located in Chandni Chowk’s Ballimaran area and is part of Old Delhi.
In 2000, it was declared a heritage site by the Archaeological Survey of India. The mansion which offers an insight to lifestyle of the poet has been encroached upon by shops and stalls but the ground floor has been converted into a museum.