Chemicals in wall putty to repair imambara’s gate raise eyebrows

LUCKNOW: Wall putty being used to repair the outer gate of Shahnajaf Imambara can damage the structure, said heritage experts. Constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture by Nawab Ghazi-ud-din-Haider in 1818, Shahnajaf Imambara is managed by the Hussainabad Allied Trust (HAT) and is a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
HAT assistant office superintendent Habibul Hasan said, “The ASI is busy refurbishing the interiors of Imambara, which will take time, hence, we decided to get the gate repaired in view of the activities scheduled in the upcoming Islamic month of Muharram.Superintending archaeologist ASI Lucknow circle, Aftab Hussain, however, said use of chemicals for repair is not allowed. “Had authorities asked us to get the gate repaired, we would have done it,” he said. Convener, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, Vipul Varshney, said, “If material for repair is not the same as used for construction of the monument, they can cause decay in the structure. The chemicals in putty and paints can make the situation worse.”
Corporate lawyer and heritage activist Mohammad Haider said, “In 2017, when HAT used cement to restore a part of Chhota Imambara, I filed a petition in the high court which directed ASI to form a high-power committee to probe the matter. The committee found that the experiment caused irreplaceable damage to the monument.”