NEW DELHI: Procedural requirements are delaying the restoration of Malcha Mahal — the 14th-century hunting lodge located in the central Ridge, along the Sardar Patel Marg.
The heritage structure, which was in the custodianship of the self-proclaimed royal family of Oudh or Awadh, has been abandoned and neglected since the death of its last occupant Prince Ali Raza (Cyrus) in September 2017.
In October, the state archaeology department (SAD) of the Delhi government had agreed to ‘adopt’ the historic structure built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq and restore it.
Subsequently, the department wrote to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to know whether it would be interested in carrying out its conservation, as, if it doesn’t, the department will initiate repair and re-strengthening work.
However, the department has not received any reply from the survey yet.“The department will send a reminder to ASI. If it still doesn’t get a reply, we will plan conservation of the building. The proposal for the same has already been given in-principle approval in October,” said a government official, in the know of the matter.
Significantly, the Mahal is not in the list of protected monuments of ASI and SAD. The building, hidden behind thick foliage, served as a haven for the self-proclaimed reclusive descendants of the Nawab of Awadh or Oudh for about 32 years.
An official of ASI, however, said it had no plan in place for conservation of the structure. “Malcha Mahal is not in our list of the protected monuments,” said the official.
Raza, along with his mother Begum Wilayat Mahal, sibling princess Sakina, 11 dogs, and a few servants shifted to the lodge on May 28, 1985.
The Mahal remained inaccessible to ‘uninvited’ visitors through the years till Raza was alive, as the family wouldn’t allow anyone coming near the fencing of the premises. However, they occasionally met foreign guests and journalists.
A New York Times story in November, however, questioned the veracity of the family’s claim to royalty.