Delhi: P
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Paharganj
Tughlaq-era Baradari, Imambara, Lodhi-era tomb
The Times of India, Sep 08 2015
Lost amid the din and bustle of this part of the capital are two monuments that speak volumes about the strong architectural legacy left behind by two of Delhi's illustrious sultanates. After decades of neglect and misuse, the Tughlaq-era Baradari and the Lodhi-era tomb have been restored to their original glory, thanks to an intensive conservation programme launched by Intach in collaboration with the Delhi archaeology department. Imambara had been used as a godown for years, the tomb was overrun by commercial establishments, a garage and tea stalls. Officials said several rooms had been built inside the Baradari, where people used to live and store their goods. The project, which lasted up to 10 months, involved removing the alterations like partition walls and other temporary structures erected inside the Imambara. “Once work started, we found that locals had actually built an additional floor inside the structure, which was used as sleeping quarters. That had to be removed carefully so as not to damage the structure itself. There were two big trees adja cent to the Imambara, which also had to be removed for which per mission was taken from the forest department. “Once the cement and plaster was removed, we found hid den patterns in the structure, niches, arches and mouldings. The idea was to bring back the original integrity of the monument and restore all the original designs which has been hidden beneath plaster,“ added the official. Railings have been erected around the monument as a measure of protection from any vandal ism and future encroach ment threats. Both monuments are graded A and B in terms of ar chaeological value in the Delhi herit age listing. The Imam bara has five domes on the roof and the big gest challenge was to remove tree branches and foliage, which had come up there over the years. As some of the overgrowth originates from inside cracks in the monument's facade, this was done carefully, without causing further damage, another official said.
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