The Public Works Department is taking recourse to traditional construction techniques to restore the historic Humayun Mahal and will soon use bulls to churn lime mortar, as that was how it was done centuries ago.
In its effort to restore the heritage building, the Department is meticulously sourcing materials to match the original ones used and ensure strength. M. Rajamohan, engineer-in-chief, said: “We are planning to use bulls to churn lime mortar instead of a mixer, for better compressive strength and long-lasting life. We found that structures built with lime mortar achieved more strength as they grew older, compared to concrete buildings that gained strength only up to 50-60 years.”
Adding strength
The Department decided to turn to traditional construction methods to add more strength to the Humayun Mahal. K.P. Satyamurthy, joint chief engineer, PWD, said while lime was being sourced from Kazhugumalai near Tirunelveli, and tiles from Athangudi, sand would come from the Cauvery river bank near the Thanjavur-Tiruchi belt and bricks from Rajapalayam.
Though sourcing Burma teak for roofing is a challenge, it is being procured from a few dealers who have stocked up.
Constructed in 1770, the Humayun Mahal is spread over 81,000 sq. ft and has no windows. Workers are involved in rebuilding the Madras Terrace roofing and walls of the building that has 108 doors and four corridors.
Officials said the Indo-Saracenic structure has eight huge halls on the ground floor, and was used as a revenue building by the British. Unlike concrete structures, it would take three times the building cost, due to intricate workmanship. The cost would work out to about ₹8,000-₹10,000 per sq. ft.
Time-consuming process
C. Kalyanasundaram, executive engineer, Building Centre and Conservation Division, PWD, said about 150 trees that had grown into the dilapidated structure had been removed so far. Each process was complex, and roofing of each hall alone would take 20 days to complete. The building also has a connecting corridor to the Kalas Mahal.
The building suffered a roof collapse and fire accident, after which it was completely abandoned. The ₹33.95-crore restoration project is likely to be completed by next year-end.
