Encroached, altered, forgotten: 14th-century Delhi's Gumti tomb set to reclaim its legacy
The Delhi government has commenced conservation of the Lodi-era Gumti tomb of Shaikh Ali, previously occupied by the Defence Colony Welfare Association.
NEW DELHI: Delhi govt's archaeology department has initiated conservation work on the historic
Gumti tomb
of Shaikh Ali, located at the Defence Colony market roundabout. The tomb, constructed during the Lodi period in the late 14th or early 15th century, underwent inappropriate modifications in the 1990s when it was transformed into the office of the Defence Colony Welfare Association (DCWA).
Following years of unauthorised occupation, the Supreme Court instructed the Defence Colony Residents' Welfare Association (DCRWA) on Jan 21 to vacate the premises and restore the site. On April 17, the archaeology department wrote to the executive engineer of Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation Ltd to take up the conservation and restoration work of the monument immediately and submit the status report before the next court hearing on May 14.
DCRWA was ordered to pay Rs 40 lakh as compensation, which was submitted to the archaeology department on May 7. On May 13, the department also submitted a detailed restoration plan to the court, with the time for completion of the project estimated at six months.
The restoration began this month. It involves the removal of modern additions like brick walls, plaster, wooden elements, windows, doors, false ceilings, tiles, toilet facilities, parking shed and pavements to uncover and preserve the tomb's original structure.
The project encompasses conservation of the external dome, replacement of damaged lime plaster, restoration of stone brackets, archaeological excavation, plinth protection, chemical preservation, and finally, illumination of the monument and installation of CCTV cameras.
Environmentalist Bhavreen Kandhari was happy. "This landmark judgment sets a powerful precedent; public spaces and heritage sites cannot be held hostage by encroachers," she said.
"Protecting a 700-year-old monument also means the restoration of open spaces taken over by parking mafias and neglected, but now returned rightfully to the citizens."
A technical expert committee with historian Dr Swapna Liddle in it, formed on March 10, conducted a site inspection on April 24 and provided comprehensive recommendations for the restoration work to prevent it from decay and maintain its originality and presentation.
Archaeology department officials reported that on May 12, scaffolding with protective netting was installed, and modern additions concealing the original octagonal structure were carefully removed.
Officials noted that after removing the false ceiling, they discovered embedded metal structures previously used for fixtures. Following technical committee guidance, these were carefully removed to preserve the original structure.
The exposed internal dome reveals 16 decorated niches with multiple paint layers. Chemical treatment is going on to remove the paint layers and uncover the original colour. Trial excavations have revealed evidence of the existence of the original flooring. Modern additions like DCWA entrance features like signage with sunshade, marble stairs and pathways have been removed.
Vegetation removal, chemical treatment of roots and structural strengthening are also being undertaken.
The external dome's restoration, including repair of the lotus cresting and plaster work, is under way too. Stone plinth protection will follow the removal of the scaffolding.
Delhi govt has proposed declaring the Gumti of Shaikh Ali a protected monument under the Delhi Ancient and Historical Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 2004, which establishes prohibited and regulated spaces in the city.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
15 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
US gives nod to Syria to bring foreign jihadist ex-rebels into army
DAMASCUS/AMMAN, - The United States has given its blessing to a plan by Syria's new leadership to incorporate thousands of foreign jihadist former rebel fighters into the national army, provided that it does so transparently, President Donald Trump's envoy said. Three Syrian defence officials said that under the plan, some 3,500 foreign fighters, mainly Uyghurs from China and neighbouring countries, would join a newly-formed unit, the 84th Syrian army division, which would also include Syrians. Asked by Reuters in Damascus whether Washington approved the integration of foreign fighters into Syria's new military, Thomas Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey who was named Trump's special envoy to Syria last month, said: "I would say there is an understanding, with transparency." He said it was better to keep the fighters, many of whom are "very loyal" to Syria's new administration, within a state project than to exclude them. The fate of foreigners who joined Syria's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels during the 13-year war between rebel groups and President Bashar al-Assad has been one of the most fraught issues hindering a rapprochement with the West since HTS, a one-time offshoot of al Qaeda, toppled Assad and took power last year. At least until early May, the United States had been demanding the new leadership broadly exclude foreign fighters from the security forces. But Washington's approach to Syria has changed sharply since Trump toured the Middle East last month. Trump agreed to lift Assad-era sanctions on Syria, met Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh and named Barrack, a close friend, as his special envoy. Two sources close to the Syrian defence ministry told Reuters that Sharaa and his circle had been arguing to Western interlocutors that bringing foreign fighters into the army would be less of a security risk than abandoning them, which could drive them into the orbit of al Qaeda or Islamic State. The U.S. State Department and a Syrian government spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. CHINESE CONCERNS Thousands of Sunni Muslim foreigners joined Syria's rebels early in the 13-year civil war to fight against Assad, who was himself aided by Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias. Some fighters formed their own factions, while others joined established groups such as Islamic State, which briefly declared a caliphate in swathes of Syria and Iraq before being routed by an array of forces backed both by the United States and Iran. Foreign fighters within HTS earned a reputation as loyal, disciplined and experienced militants, and formed the backbone of the group's elite so-called suicide units. They fought against Islamic State and against other wings of al Qaeda from 2016, when HTS broke away from the group founded by Osama bin Laden. The Uyghur fighters from China and Central Asia are members of the Turkistan Islamic Party, a group designated as terrorists by Beijing. A Syrian official and a foreign diplomat said China had sought to have the group's influence in Syria restricted. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said: "China hopes that Syria will oppose all forms of terrorism and extremist forces in response to the concerns of the international community." Osman Bughra, a TIP political official, told Reuters in a written statement that the group had officially dissolved and integrated into the Syrian army. "At present, the group operates entirely under the authority of the Ministry of Defence, adheres to national policy, and maintains no affiliations with external entities or groups," he said. In December, the appointment of a handful of foreign jihadists who were part of HTS's senior leadership to top military posts had alarmed Western governments, raising concerns over the direction of Syria's new Islamist leadership. Demands to freeze the appointments and expel rank-and-file foreign fighters became a key point of contention with Washington and other Western countries up until the week of Trump's landmark meeting with Sharaa. Sharaa has said that foreign fighters and their families may be granted Syrian citizenship due to their role in fighting Assad. Abbas Sharifa, a Damascus-based expert on jihadist groups, said the fighters being included in the army had shown loyalty to Syria's leadership and were "ideologically filtered." But "if you abandon them they become prey to ISIS or other radical groups" he said.
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Made a mistake of giving financial benefit to all women': Ajit Pawar on Ladki Bahin scheme; Uddhav Sena cries voter bribe
NEW DELHI: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Monday admitted that the state government made a "mistake" in extending financial benefits to all applicants of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana without sufficient scrutiny, attributing the lapse to time constraints ahead of last year's assembly elections. 'We made a mistake of giving the financial benefit to all women (applicants). We had little time to scrutinise the applications and identify the ineligible ones. At that time, elections were supposed to be announced in two to three months,' news agency PTI reported Pawar as saying. The Ladki Bahin scheme, launched in August 2024, offers Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women aged 21 to 65 years with an annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh. Though it was designed to empower poor women, scrutiny revealed thousands of ineligible recipients, including over 2,200 government employees. Pawar, who also heads the state's finance department, clarified that the aid already deposited will not be withdrawn. 'When the scheme was unveiled, the government had appealed that only eligible women apply but that didn't happen. A scrutiny is being conducted. Only the needy women will get the monthly payout,' he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Truque caseiro noturno eficaz contra a papada (faça hoje mesmo) Revista & Saúde Saiba Mais Undo His admission drew strong reactions from the opposition. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded Pawar's resignation, accusing him of enabling a misuse of public funds to gain electoral advantage. Raut said the finance department had presided over a 'loot of government money for the sake of votes'. Earlier, Maharashtra minister Aditi Tatkare confirmed the government had disqualified 2,289 ineligible government employees after examining nearly two lakh applications. In a recent post on X, she assured the public that such scrutiny would continue regularly. 'After realising this, such beneficiaries are not being given the benefit of the scheme,' she wrote. The Ladki Bahin scheme was credited with boosting the Mahayuti alliance's performance in the November 2024 assembly elections. However, it has also led to budgetary strain. Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat conceded that the government was under pressure, saying, 'It is a reality that the monthly amount of Rs 1,500 cannot be raised to Rs 2,100.' He added that the scheme would continue even if it required the state to borrow funds. Shirsat also criticised the finance department for diverting funds from his ministry without notice. In March, he alleged that Rs 7,000 crore had been slashed from the Social Justice Department's budget, and on Monday, he called for a law to protect such departments from arbitrary cuts. According to official guidelines, beneficiaries must meet income and residency criteria and provide Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. Newly married women can present a marriage certificate if their name does not appear on a ration card. While the scheme aims to support women's economic independence, the government now faces growing scrutiny over its execution.
Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Another case under MGNREGA ‘scam': Balvantsinh Khabad sent to five days police custody
A local court in Dahod on Monday remanded Balvantsinh Khabad — the older son of Gujarat Minister of State for Panchayat, Bachubhai Khabad — to five days in police custody following his re-arrest on Sunday in a fresh case of alleged irregularities in the the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in district's Dhanpur taluka. On Monday, the Dahod district police sought 14 days remand of Balvantsinh, citing that records of the payments as well as involvement of government officials, who favoured the agency run by the accused, needed to be probed into. Dahod Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagdishsinh Bhandari told The Indian Express, 'We had sought a remand of 14 days on various grounds but the court has granted five days in police custody until Friday. We also have Kiran Khabad in custody until Friday.' Balvantsinh's arrest on Sunday had come just three days after the Dahod Sessions court on Thursday had upheld the regular bail granted to the two brothers in the first case filed by the District Rural Development Authority (DRDA) of an alleged MGNREGA scam worth Rs 71 crore. While Kiran was re-arrested minutes after being released from judicial custody on Thursday, in a second FIR lodged in connection with irregularities in Lavaria village of Devgadh Baria taluka, Balvantsinh's arrest has come in a third FIR lodged by the DRDA in case of incomplete projects in Bhanpur village in Dhanpur taluka of the district. In the new case against Balvantsinh, the police is probing an irregularity of approximately Rs 33 lakh for about 11 incomplete MGNREGA works that have been found in Bhanpur village of Dhanpur taluka. Bhandari added that no fresh arrests have been made in any of the three FIRs registered so far. A total of 14 persons have been arrested in the case, including the then Taluka Development Officer (TDO) of Devgadh Baria, Darshan Patel, the current Deputy District Development Officer (DDO) of Dahod Rasik Rathwa, who was then the TDO of Dhanpur taluka as well as Dilip Chauhan, a former Assistant Programme Officer (APO) — and a distant relative of the Khabads. Then Assistant Programme Officer of Dhanpur Bhavesh Rathod, MIS operator Sanjay Baria and the owner of other agencies that supplied materials — Parth Baria and Jagdish Baria — are among the 14 accused to be arrested so far. Kiran and Balvantsinh are the only accused to have been arrested in more than one FIR so far.
