The Koti Women’s College administration is all set to begin restoration of the Residency building in the coming days. Initially, Rs.2 crore received from the World Monument Fund (WMF) and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will be used to begin the work.
Grand plans“It will cost us Rs.17 crore in total to restore the entire place to what it was. We will start with the Residency building, and after that the special wells, arches and other buildings on the college premises will be restored,” said B. T. Seetha, principal, Koti Women’s College. She said that a Project Implementation Committee (PCI), comprising donors, engineers, and ASI officials will oversee the works.
Ms. Seetha also said that the National Culture Fund (NCF) had come forward to help them. “But as of now, it is lying low. The Rs.2 crore that we will spend will help us keep the structure in place, by taking care of the cracks and growing vegetation in the old buildings,” she explained, and further stated that a detailed study of the institution’s premises had been done between 2002-03.
Film shootingRecently, author William Dalrymple had hinted that the old construction could perhaps be a location for shooting a movie based on his book ‘The White Mughals’. When asked about giving permission for shooting of movies in the Residency building, Ms. Seetha said: “The place is in a dilapidated condition, and we can’t allow anything inside as of now.”
The principal also mentioned that the college administration was looking for corporate donors, to see that the structure is restored. “They will of course have to work under the broad guidelines stated by the ASI, and people who have studied the place,” said Ms. Seetha, and added that allowing the public once a week to visit the place is also on the anvil which can generate some income for maintenance.
