Restoration work has begun on the 150-year old domes adorning the buildings of the Madras High Court.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has teamed up with the Archaeology Department to renovate the onion-shaped structures that are part of the Indo-Saracenic style and are considered as landmarks in Chennai.
PWD sources said that scaffolding had been erected around three small domes that are located near the Judges Entry Gate on the High Court premises. Initially, only these three small domes would be taken up for renovation.
The work would be expanded to the rest of the 20 domes, including the main large dome at the centre of the High Court premises in November-end.
PWD sources and archaeology experts said the idea is to have uniformity in terms of its original colour, style and texture. “The work is being undertaken after more than two decades. Most of the paintings and carvings on the domes have faded or disfigured due to salty breeze blowing in from the sea. The idea is to restore the original splendour,” said a court official.
Officials added that the work was so intricate that each dome would take at least a month to complete, and work might be suspended during rains. A PWD engineer assigned the task of restoration said it was not a problem undertaking the exercise during the monsoon season, because sunshine for merely five minutes will be sufficient to dry up the paint.
