Cell by cell: How ASI is conserving ruined structures in Delhi’s Purana Qila

After a two-month-long conservation process, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has given a fresh lease of life to a cell at Purana Qila by repairing its dome that had caved in decades ago. The cell is part of the enclosures included within the fortifications.

The cell is adjacent to the on-site ASI museum. ASI officials said that workers recreated the dome through an intricate process that involved the demolition of reinforced cement concrete and brickwork. The space was earlier used as office space by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).

After the additions that had been made over the years were demolished, the old masonry work was chiseled and frames were put in place for making the arches. The frame for supporting the arches was made with the help of brick, salwood plank, and sand. Once the frame for holding the arches was in place, masonry work was carried out on the dome, explained ASI in-charge of the site and conservation assistant (Delhi circle) Ajay Bagri.

He said that the ASI had inherited the structure with the collapsed roof and the agency took the decision to conserve the cell and remove additions made over the past few decades.

“The fortifications or walls of the fort also included cells where armed guards could live and perform their duties as well. Some 15-20 years ago, the cell was used by ITDC. However, it had been lying unused for several years. Since modern construction was added to a heritage structure and it was affecting the structure, we decided to remove it and conserve the dome,” said Bagri. “The cell is now part of the fort,” he added.

Work at the site was initiated in June and completed in August. It cost around ₹25 lakh. The ASI is also working on another cell in the part of Purana Qila that is used as an administrative complex.

“The cell might have seen different activities over the years. The British might have used these cells too. At some point in time, a supportive brick structure was built by them to tackle cracks that had developed in these arches. We noticed that these cracks were now widening. If repair and restoration of the cell were not taken up on time, the dome would have collapsed,” said Bagri. He added that the supportive brick structure will be removed after restoration.

As part of the conservation being carried out at the site, gaps and cracks that had developed at the site over the decades were repaired. “To preserve the structure, we initiated complete conservation work. We filled cavities with random rubble and then covered it with a fresh plaster layer,” said Bagri. The flooring of the cell will be completed with red sandstone.

Daya Ram, a worker at the site, said that the lime punning process was left at the second cell and at least two months would be needed to complete the process. “We removed the older plaster, fixed the gaps and repairs, and then covered it with a fresh layer of plaster with lime mortar. After the plaster is completed, we will carry out the process of lime punning,” said Ram, a native of Madhya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh.

Purana Qila is the only site in Delhi where one can witness continuous habitation over 2,500 years starting from the Maurya to Shunga, Kushana, Gupta, Rajput, Sultanate, and Mughal periods. The citadel was built by Humayun and Shershah and dates to 1530s-40s.