The Hindu : Many landmarks to get a facelift

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 17, 2003

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Many landmarks to get a facelift

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JULY 16. Two of the landmarks of the North Campus of Delhi University -- St. Stephen's College and Hindu College -- will soon witness conservation work on their premises. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting convened by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vijai Kapoor, here on Tuesday.

The meeting, which reviewed the heritage projects being undertaken by Delhi Development Authority, decided on starting conservation work on the old St. Stephen's College building, for which the plans were finalised by the civic agency. The conservation work will, however, be taken up by the Public Works Department.

The other new project identified was the Guard House at Hindu College, which is a colonial style building dating back to the later Mughal period (1828 A.D.) and formed a part of the series of guard houses in the Flagstaff areas marking the defensive perimeter of the British Cantonment in the pre-1857 period.

Various area level conservation plans of restoration works initiated by the Conservation Unit of DDA were also discussed at the meeting. It identified new programmes for the future. Besides, the new projects, the meeting delved on restoration works already initiated. The restoration of Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School at Ajmeri Gate, being done with the objective to use it as a centre of learning, was discussed.

The operational elements of restoration planned for the school includes work on the pristine elegance of the historic quadrangle by opening arches and verandahs, giving a facelift to the front elevation, and restoring double height entrance by removal of the intermediate floor.

Till now, DDA said, 81 arches out of the 96 closed have been opened up and the area has been uplifted by landscaping central court and building area which was earlier being used like a dump yard.

It was suggested in the meeting that the management of the Delhi Education Society would set up a committee to oversee functioning of the school and its ability to sustain the maintainability of the restored heritage structure. The school, constructed in 1692 A.D. is incidentally one of the only remaining specimen of traditional Mughal school buildings.

Mr Kapoor reviewed the plan of an Archaeological Park at Mehrauli along with Qutub complex and the plans to identify a suitable historic structure for re-use as an interpretation centre. Informed that a heritage trail and signages would be developed around Jamali Kamali and the work, financed by DTTDC, will be done by INTACH, Mr Kapoor also directed immediate initiation of landscape work on a "jharna'' (waterfall) in the area. The meeting decided to take up the structural rehabilitation of Satya Narayan Bhawan at Roshanara Road since it was associated with Swami Vivekanand's stay in the year 1890.

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