KARAN SINGH

LUCKNOW: How little we care for our cultural heritage is evident from the manner in which the CDRI office damaged the over 300- year- old walls and frescoes at the Chattar Manzil where they were tenants for the last thirty years.

Nearly ten days ago, the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) which was housed in the Chattar Manzil, once the palace of Wajid Ali Shah, the King of Awadh, decided to shift to its new location on Sitapur road, electrical wires and other fitting and fixtures were removed in such a way that it left many parts of the Chattar Manzil, a heritage site protected under the ASI, damaged.

 This building designed by Major General Claude Martin and completed during the reign of two Nawabs in the 17^th century is a rare illustration of Mughal and European architecture. In 1920, Chattar Manzil was declared a protected monument by the ASI, but in 1950 it was handed over to the CDRI by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

   “India emerged as a free nation after the 200- year- old British regime. At that time least importance was given to heritage as other important issues like poverty, unemployment, education, development and security were topping the list. There were shortage of buildings at that time and thus the available ones were used regardless of their cultural heritage,” says Vipul Varshney,  architect and state convenor of INTACT.

       The porch of the imperial building had fallen 2 years back but no efforts were made to rebuild it. The ruckus started when CDRI sought to expand the building in order to open another  laboratory. This move was objected to by the directorate of U.P. State Archaeology on the grounds that the monument was an  ASI protected building.

 Finally CDRI was given space in Jankipuram area of the city but during the process of shifting from Chattar Manzil, no efforts were made by either the CDRI or State Archaeology Department to supervise the process of shifting. Electrical wires and other fitting and fixtures were ripped off the ancient walls in such a way that it left many parts of the Chattar manzil, damaged and the windows and plaster smashed. Wherever the installations of CDRI were found, they were torn off  mindlessly.

 PK Singh Dy. Director State Archaeology Department told this newspaper, “combined inspections of the monument are being done by CDRI and Archaeology Department teams to find out the extent of  damage and then do the needful”. Singh said that they arranged for the funds and a special team has been appointed to find the old pictures and blue prints so that the grand building should be brought back in its original form. It would take a time period of another one month when the building would be finally in our custody. “Our aim would be to give this building back to the people of Lucknow in its original form within a year”.    

Says Varshney, “the conservation architect should design the layout in such a way that it should be in perfect harmony with the past. The additional material added and colour combination should be in symmetry”.   Generating revenue from the site should also be an important concern because that will help in maintaining the heritage. Suggestions have been made to transform the building into a cultural hub. This will even help in raising revenue for the upkeep of the building. The building can also be used for showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the city of Lucknow like basant utsav, aam utsav, book shows and music festivals on kajri and thumri etc.

 Meanwhile,  Ministry of Culture is ready to sign a memorandum with the government of France for restoration of Chattar Manzil. The process is in its final stage. A meeting with the French delegates involving the stakeholders, conservationist, developers, technical experts from IIT's and government officials will be held in February to conserve the legacy which has a speck of French history too.