Finally, the Charminar is getting its due. Conservation of the 425-year-old monument is going on full steam ahead, albeit with limitations due to the popularity of the landmark. As visitors mill around, pose for selfies and soak in the grandeur of the monument; working from the small space in the northern minaret, workers carry buckets of raw material to the northwest minaret.
“It is 55 steps to the first floor and 150 steps to the top minaret,” informs an ASI worker as the climb becomes an odyssey of breathlessness. Many of the workers carry the buckets of liquid and semi-liquid material up the staircase where each step is a huge block of hewn rock set in a small circular space.
“We have embarked on a two-step conservation process. Physical preservation and chemical treatment and both the steps are going on simultaneously. Once we finish with the physical preservation part we work on chemical preservation,” informed V. Gopala Rao of Archaeological Survey of India.
Asked about the time frame for finishing the project, he said: “There is no deadline. It is a time consuming process. We have a record of all the cracks, defacements and damage. Using that information, we begin the physical inspection after washing with water. Then we sandpaper the spot before using the limestone putty and only then we go for the final coat of treated limestone liquid mixed with a set of organic material,” says Mr. Gopala Rao.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Charminar is the inner dome that soars to over 50 feet. As pigeons flit in and out of the monument, Mr. Rao promises that the restoration of the dome will take place in this financial year itself. “Work on the north-eastern minaret is nearly complete. North-western minaret work is also progressing and this year we will take up work on the dome which is a very challenging task,” says Mr. Rao.
Hidden from public view is the masjid above the dome that was used by about 40 persons to offer prayers during the heydays of the Qutb Shahi reign. Now, the arches above the prayer niche have cracks dating back to 2001 which have to be repaired. That will be a big challenge for the ASI.
A custom solution On the bottom floor of the north-western minaret, an idly batter grinder has been transformed into a bespoke contraption for grinding the slaked and cured lime into a fine paste that can be used for plastering the stucco work or filling up the cracks. Buckets of jaggery water, eggs and other colourful, but foul smelling liquids are mixed to create the mix that can withstand the vagaries of time. “We did a chemical analysis of the material used for constructing the Charminar and discovered that egg plays an important role making the monument impervious to even acid rain,” informs Mr. Gopala Rao. So, what are the proportions? “I have a ratio and I only mix it,” says Mr. Rao.
Any conservation effort requires a no-go zone. But the conservation of Charminar has been going on without any such restrictions. Except the netting and scaffolding on the minarets, most areas of the monument are open as usual. “Earlier, people were allowed to the topmost part of the minaret, but after nearly four suicides over a period of time, the access has been stopped,” informs another ASI employee.
History of conservation The Charminar has a long history of restoration and conservation effort.
In the early part of Mughal conquest of Golconda, the southwest minaret collapsed due to a lightening strike and it was repaired by the then governor Rustam Dil Khan during his second stint.
In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 1 lakh by Chandu Lal before he became the Prime Minister.
The iron railing was affixed around the monument in 1886 when the Viceroy Lord Dufferin made his visit to Hyderabad.
One of the major changes to the monument was the installation of clocks in 1889 in the second storey of the building.
In the aftermath of the big flood of 1908, the area around the Charminar was cleared and the road widened. But now, the roads have shrunk due to encroachments by various departments and shopkeepers.
In 2010, a portion of the stucco work flaked off after incessant rain, but was repaired later by the ASI.
