The Archaeological Survey of India is restoring 20 painting on the roof and the arches in Chhatta Bazaar. (Abhinav Saha)
Hidden beneath an uneven coat of white paint, the Mughal-era wall paintings on the roof of Chhatta Bazaar inside Red Fort were easy to miss. Since October, though, the paintings slowly started becoming more prominent. For the first time now, the work will be open to the public, with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) restoring 20 painting on the roof and the arches in Chhatta Bazaar.
Commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1639, the Red Fort was completed in nine years, and the paintings in the market — earlier called Meena Bazaar or Bazaar-e-Mussakaf (which translates into a market with roof) — was part of the plan.
“We began scientific treatment of the painting on the Chhatta Bazaar roof in October and expect to finish it by May. If needed, we will also undertake minor repair work like filling up joints of the structure,” said N K Pathak, superintending archaeologist, ASI (Delhi circle).
A group of 25-30 skilled labourers, attached to the ASI, have been scraping off chuna from the works, revealing stunning Mughal-era paintings with geometric and floral designs, in red, yellow, green and black. Floral arrangements with detailing on the petals stand out, as does the “kalash” motif — a bulbous urn with leaves and coconuts.
Floral arrangements with detailing on the petals stand out, as does the “kalash” motif — a bulbous urn with leaves and coconuts. (Abhinav Saha)
“It is believed that during the British era, they whitewashed the roof, and it stayed like that. Every year for Independence Day, another coat of whitewash would be done. So there are six-eight thick layers of limewash under which these paintings are hidden,” an ASI official said. The work is being undertaken by the ASI’s Science department.
After using a sharp blade to scrape off layers of chuna, Ashok Kumar (47) takes a tea break. “I have been attached to the ASI as a daily wager for 25 years now, and specialise in chemical cleaning and washing of monuments. Two years ago, I began the blade work… it’s a tedious job and can take months per painting. All I know about these paintings is that Shah Jahan got them made. They were completely white, you could only see some part of the design… but months later, it looks beautiful,” he said.
An ASI official said, “We call it ‘chemico-mechanical’ work — some chemical work and some manual work. We need skilled labour for this, and most people in the team have been working on similar projects for decades. Apart from this, we might also retouch the colours of the work in May.”
While Chhatta Bazaar now mostly caters to tourists looking for souvenirs, it once stood for the opulence attached to the Mughal period, with luxury items such as exquisite carpets, quilts, pashmina shawls, zari and brocade, precious stones, and saffron and spices being sold there. The market also stands out from the period as it was one of the first “covered bazaars”, instead of the usual open-air markets.