NEW DELHI: The Delhi Golf Club (DGC) will carry out conservation of eight ‘unprotected’ heritage structures including seven tombs and a mosque on its sprawling over 220 acres campus with the assistance of the Central Public Work Department (CPWD) as the Centre has given its go-ahead to undertake the job. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will provide technical assistance.
To raise funds for the conservation of the historic structures constructed during the Tughlaq period (1320-1413) or the Mughal rule (1526-1857), the club will seek help from Corporates.
The project, expected to begin next month, will probably be a rare feat as for the first time, a private entity — the club — will be managing and supervising the conservation of sites of historical importance in Delhi.
Ravinder Singh Bedi, president, DGC, said the organisation had got a detail report prepared by Dharohar, a firm of heritage conservation experts, which, it would forward to the CPWD for planning estimate for the project. “We have been dealing all the monuments with sensitivity and maintaining at our own cost. The objective is to preserve them. Hence, we have taken this responsibility of their conservation. The CPWD will prepare estimate and do the job for which the club will deposit required money with the department,” said Bedi, adding that the project may begin by next months.
Among the cluster of structures in the club, the Lal Bangla, possibly named after Lal Kunwar, mother of Mughal King Shah Alam II is prominent. Apart from three unknown tombs, the campus has sepulchres of Sayyid Abid, companion of Mughal general Nursat Jang and Mir Taqi. All the structures, except Lal Bangla, a notified monument in the ASI list, have not been notified as protected buildings yet either by the state archaeology department or ASI.
According to officials, a proposal to notify these structures has been gathering dust for more than a year. With the understanding between the Centre and golf club, long-drawn-out tussle between the club and the department is likely to end once and for all. The department included DGC monuments in the list of 18 monuments supposed to be restored this year, for which detailed project reports (DPRs) were also prepared. While the work at other sites has already started, conservation work couldn’t be set off due to jurisdiction issues between the club and the department.
“Because the (club’s) land belongs to the Centre, we approach the Centre. Consequently, a meeting was held at MHA in which the undersecretary of the ministry and representatives of CPWD and ASI were present, where it was unanimously decided that CPWD will do the project. And the ASI will provide technical support. Entire project will be funded by the club, for which we will seek funds from private companies under CSR,” said Bedi.
Vikas Maloo, head of office (archaeology) of Delhi government, confirmed that CPWD would be doing conservation of monuments at DGC. “The monuments are part of a common list of heritage structures in the city and with mutual understanding with the ASI, the department restores them,” he said.
Gol Gumbad to get a facelift soon
The Lodi-era tomb, Gol Gumbad at Lodi Road will be provided with tourist amenities and illumination as the Delhi government decided to hand over it to a private company under the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme. The officials said that later Bada Lao Ka Gumbad in Vasant Vihar and Mehrauli Archaeological Park would also given to the corporate for regular upkeep.