GRANDEUR REGAINED

AHMEDABAD: Sarkhej Roza, the birthplace of Ahmedabad, has slowly begun regaining its lost glory over the past year. The grand, 600-year-old structure is abuzz with activities, and the number of tourists visiting the heritage icon has almost doubled.
According to the Sarkhej Roza Committee (SRC), more than 5,000 visitors came to the monument last year, of whom 2,000 were foreign visitors.Sarkhej Roza — hailed as Ahmedabad’s Acropolis by the famous architect Le Corbusier — was a forgotten piece of history until last year. It lay amid debris and was plagued by encroachment.
But last year, the Roza got a new lease of life when the TOI, along with some corporate houses, launched a drive to revive and restore the magnificence of a vital part of Ahmedabad’s heritage. The changes seen at the monument today are the result of a roundtable organized by TOI in 2010. Participants included Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), NGOs, developers and concerned citizens. At the roundtable, the stakeholders charted out a plan to give a makeover to the 34-acre Roza complex.
The AMC has planned a Rs 6.84 crore restoration work in and around the complex, which will involve the installation of street lights, resuscitation of gardens, laying of drainage lines and footpaths. Already, storm-water drains have been laid. And after the ASI integrates modern and ancient waterways, rainwater from the surrounding areas will refill the central tank of the Roza.
It is expected that by the next monsoon, the tank will be full of water and surroundings greener — transforming the complex into a model of aesthetic excellence it was in its heydays. “We are working to restore the Roza complex to its past glory, and providing modern facilities to conserve the heritage as well as encourage more tourists to visit,” said deputy municipal commissioner M D Modiya. “Over the past year, apart from the tourist inflow, the Roza is also gaining cultural prominence,” said Abrarali Saiyed, the president of SRC.
“A lot of concerts and socially driven meets are being held here.” Saiyed said that of late the Roza jaali art was gaining recognition and being incorporated into popular culture as a motif. Apart from lending the premises for events, the SRC has implemented other measures too to meet the rising popularity of the monument.
For instance, it provides a guide for tourists and has set up a few benches in the garden. It has also prepared brochures offering insights into the history of the Roza and the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad Khattu, the patron Sufi saint. Moreover, the premises are visibly cleaner.