NMC launches plan to restore historic Gandhi Gate in Mahal
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Nagpur: In a major push to preserve Nagpur's historical identity, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has unveiled plans to restore and redevelop Gandhi Gate — also known as Jumma Darwaza — one of the city's oldest surviving Mughal-era gateways nestled in the heart of Mahal.
Steeped in centuries-old history and deeply tied to India's freedom struggle, Gandhi Gate stands as a silent testimony to both the rise of Nagpur and sacrifices of revolutionaries during the 1857 uprising.
According to historians, built by Chand Sultan, the son of Gond King Bakht Buland Shah, the gate was once part of a sprawling palace complex constructed after Raghuji Maharaj-I declared Nagpur his capital in 1735.
This complex stretched from Kotwali police station to DD Nagar Vidyalaya, featuring palatial residences, temples, and administrative structures. Much of it was destroyed in 1818 during British annexation, including a fire that reportedly raged for six months.
Yet, Gandhi Gate withstood the devastation.
The initiative, conceptualised by municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, aims to both conserve the physical structure and highlight its forgotten legacy.
NMC executive engineer (project) Ashwini Yelchatwar told TOI that the civic body is inviting proposals from qualified project management consultants (PMCs) with experience in heritage conservation. The scope of work includes preparing a detailed project report, architectural redesign, structural assessments, and conservation techniques tailored to historical sites.
Its most poignant chapter came during the First War of Independence in 1857.
As the rebellion spread across the subcontinent, the British executed nine local revolutionaries at this gate — Nawab Qadir Khan, Siddiq Ali Khan, Akbar Ali Khan, Vilayat Ali Khan, Bunyad Ali Risaldar, Yusuf Khan, Uniform Major, Moinuddin Husain Jamadar, Inayatullah Khan, and Maratha soldier Waghle Jamadar. Their bodies were left hanging for three days to deter further resistance.
Their remains now lie at the Nine Gazi Memorial on Sitabuldi hill.
Today, Gandhi Gate sits amid the narrow lanes and vibrant commercial hub of Mahal — surrounded by colonial-era schools, old stone-walled homes (wadas), and temples — but suffers from neglect and encroachment. NMC's effort is not just about physical conservation, but about reviving public memory and civic pride.
"This is about reintroducing Nagpurians to their own history — stories that never made it to school textbooks," Yelchatwar said.
The final DPR will be developed following a pre-bid meeting and technical evaluations. Once the PMC is selected, the budget for the project will be finalised.
For a city rapidly reshaping itself with modern infrastructure into a smart city, the Gandhi Gate project stands out as a rare acknowledgment of the past — and perhaps, the first step toward restoring many more heritage sites hidden across Nagpur.
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