A milestone reduced to dumping site

VARANASI: How will you react if you stumble upon a historical milestone in city that is screaming for recognition? Yes, the milestone of prestigious Grand Trunk Road outside the busy and crowded Cantonment Railway Station is lying neglected. In fact it has become a dumping place for garbage. Notably the authorities responsible to look after it are not aware of the presence of such milestone in the city.
The Grand Trunk Road, the foundation of which was laid some 2000 years ago by Mauryans, was modified by Sher Shah Suri in 16th century AD which spanned over 2600 km (1600 miles) across the Indian Subcontinent, Pakistan and Afghanistan for centuries and acted as a major commercial link for most of the northern parts of the country. According to historians, the road had several milestones, sarai or rest houses to facilitate travellers.
The solid round pillar that stands on masonry platform is built with bricks and plastered with lime. The letters on the milestone are now badly damaged due to negligence and pasting of posters on it for many years. It is worth mentioning here that apart from carrying a baggage of historical significance, the milestone stands with the evident informations about the road.
When TOI contacted Ramesh Chandra Srivastava, assistant engineer, Public Works Department (PWD), he said “there is no information about the existence, restoration or renovation of such a pillar in the department.”
According to Prof PN Singh, former head of department of Ancient Indian History and Culture (AIHC) and archaeology department, a number of milestones and ‘kos minars’ were built in the medieval period. The English letters on the milestone suggests that it was built or rebuilt when European travelers, especially Britishers, started coming to the country for trade and commerce purposes.
Grand Trunk Road, also known as The Long Walk by European travelers, is one of the oldest, longest and most important roads of South Asia. “The milestone was never looked upon as architectural impressive structures. It is only when we view the design closely, the real significance emerges,” says Radhe Shayam, a tea shop owner near the station.
According to Chhote, another makeshift stall vendor, the enclosed area near the pillar has been converted into public convenience and dumping area by passengers and locals. It is worth mentioning here that the area where the milestone is situated forms a major part of the ambitious project of building four lane roads under ‘Golden Quadrangle’.