Conservation work at Delhi’s Zafar Mahal set to begin

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is set to initiate conservation works at Zafar Mahal in south Delhi’s Mehrauli, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday.

Once the summer palace of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, the monument is located only a few kilometres southwest of the Qutub Complex — a world heritage site — but the palace, one of the last remnants of Mughal India’s architectural legacy in the Capital, is rapidly running to ruins.

Praveen Singh, superintending archaeologist, ASI Delhi Circle, said the complex’s condition has severely deteriorated, and the agency will undertake conservation works to fix its damaged portions.

“We will be taking up Zafar Mahal for conservation soon. The condition of the monument has not been up to the mark for some time now. It requires primary attention and I have asked officials to create the conservation estimate and start work soon,” Singh said.

He added that the monument was located in the interiors of a busy neighbourhood, due to which few people are aware of its existence. “The ASI has a large number of monuments under its ownership. As a result, we have to prioritise conservation after assessing the situation. Zafar Mahal is certainly in need of repairs and will get the necessary support,” Singh said.

The Zafar Mahal was originally built by Akbar Shah II in 1820. It was expanded during Bahadur Shah Zafar’s reign, with new structures including a gateway built under him. On April 11, HT had highlighted the poor condition of the complex, and the need for timely conservation support.

HT’s report had also noted that local residents rarely visit the complex — people who drink and gamble in the area keep the families away.

Maulvi Zafar Hasan, the ASI archaeologist who prepared the first list of monuments worthy of conservation in 1916, in his listing states that Bahadur Shah Zafar constructed the new gateway to facilitate the entrance of elephants. A marble inscription at the entrance mentions its year of construction as 1264 in the Islamic calendar (1847-8 AD).

Over the years, huge sandstone slabs from the gateway have fallen off, while deep cracks run across its length. Several slabs from the ceiling of the gateway have also collapsed over time. Floral motifs on the marble portion of the gateway are broken in parts, while various parts of the gate have been vandalised with graffiti and other carvings. The interiors of the palace are a sorry sight, with plaster peeling off, broken ceilings, and caved-in stairs that have rendered some parts inaccessible

Conservation architect Misbah Noorie, who is the ASI in-charge of the complex, said that documentation of the complex was being carried out. “We will continue with the documentation for the next 10-15 days. After the completion of the exercise, we will give a financial estimate and start the conservation works,” said Noorie.

He said the conservation works would be carried out across the whole complex, and should be completed within this financial year. “Initially, we had prepared the estimate for only a portion of the complex but now the plan is to focus on comprehensive conservation across the complex. It’s difficult to give a timeline right now since the scale of work is large, but it should be done in the current financial year,” said Noorie.

He said that conservation will largely focus on strengthening the complex and working on the continuity of the ornamental carvings that have faded or disappeared over time.

Noorie added that parts where stone slabs have gone missing and other damaged areas will also be repaired as part of the conservation exercise. “By May-end, the project estimate and timeline should be ready. After that, we will initiate work,” he said.