Chhota Imambara’s gate cries for revamp

Lucknow: Thin lakhauri bricks, made of red burnt-clay, lay exposed. Plaster made of lime, surkhi, and mortar can be seen coming off the pillars and walls, and on top of it, there are encroachments in the form of restaurants, kiosks and a police post.Welcome to the Barauni gate of Chhota Imambara, also known as Hussainabad Imambara. The monument, built by Nawab Muhammad Ali Shah between 1837 and 1842, is crying for attention. The task of restoration was assigned to the Hussainabad and Allied Trust (HAT) in 2014 but the gate is still in a crumbling state so much so that heritage activists recently called on the authorities, including the police and district administration, to lodge a complaint. They highlighted the dilapidated condition of the gates, particularly the “Barauni” gate, which poses a potential safety hazard. Despite Imambara’s beautiful features, such as a gilded dome, turrets, exquisite chandeliers, gilt-edged mirrors, and colorful stuccos, the neglect of the gates is disheartening.The activists claimed that they had written a letter to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the commissioner of Lucknow, and the police, requesting for the renovation of the eastern gate of Chhota Imambara. Although the repair work was initiated in 2015 with a budget of Rs 12 lakh following a high court order from 2014, the western gate has been completely ignored, leading to its deteriorating condition.Mohammad Haider, a heritage activist who has repeatedly voiced his concerns, said, “Our 181-year-old heritage is getting damaged with every passing day, but the government has turned a blind eye to it. It is regrettable that even the police, whose duty is to remove encroachments, have a post inside the gate.”Renowned anthropologist Nadeem Hasnain, alongside other activists, has expressed deep concern about the deplorable state of the monuments in Lucknow’s old city. Hasnain criticized the Husainabad Trust for its failure to fulfill its conservation duties and called out the government for its ignorance regarding preservation efforts. He urged civil society to step forward and exert pressure to safeguard Lucknow’s unique heritage embodied in its monuments.Brijesh Verma, additional city magistrate and in charge of conserving heritage sites as a representative of the Husainabad Trust, stated, “We have requested the police to remove the encroachments within a month. Additionally, we are aware of the damage to the western gate and will request the ASI, currently occupied with restoring the Rumi Gate of Bada Imambara, to survey Chhota Imambara and its gates for restoration.”(With inputs from Achintya Singh)