Opinion is divided among heritage enthusiasts and the Public Works Department (PWD) on the issue of demolishing the more than 250-year-old Raj Nivas, the office-cum-residence of the Lieutenant Governor in Puducherry.
One group says that the building is structurally unsafe and needs to be reconstructed. The other view is that heritage buildings should not be disturbed and must be retained for posterity.
According to a PWD official, the building has suffered structural damage and cracks have developed on the first floor and other portions. “The building is very old and beyond the limits of restoration work. Even if restoration works are carried out, there is no guarantee that the building’s existence could be extended. We have submitted our recommendations to the government to demolish the structure and reconstruct it with the same architectural design,” he said.
‘Leaking patches’
Sources said the wooden rafters in the building had deteriorated due to excess retention of moisture. There are clearly visible patches on the terrace, which apparently had been leaking.
“A patchwork can be done, but an entire demolition is totally unjustified. The government should find an alternative place for the incumbent to have the office and residence, and retain the Raj Nivas as a building of great tribute to the architectural beauty of the French,” say heritage enthusiasts.
Sources said the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had also submitted a letter to the government, offering suggestions for restoration.
“The PWD has taken up restoration of two government schools that functioned out of heritage buildings. Both these buildings were in a far worse condition than the Raj Nivas. When these two buildings could be restored, what prevents the government from restoring the Raj Nivas, maintained by the PWD,” said an urban planner.
According to founder-member of the residents’ collective People for Pondicherry’s Heritage (PPH), Kakoli Banerjee, “Puducherry’s biggest source of income is tourism and at present, people are drawn to it because of its architectural, spiritual, cultural or natural heritage. Why does the government fail to realise and acknowledge this simple fact. The PWD wants to demolish Raj Nivas because it is unsafe. But we have taken the opinion of experts like Arun Menon, Associate Professor of Structural Engineering, IIT-Madras, and other restoration architects who are of the opinion that the building can be easily restored at a fraction of the cost of rebuilding the whole structure.”
“Raj Nivas is a category I heritage building, classified by INTACH, and the question of demolition should never arise. It should be restored and used as a public building and not as the Lieutenant Governor’s residence because security factors cause a lot of inconvenience to the locals.” he added.
‘Many redundancies’
According to Sunaina Mandeen, co-founder of PondyCan, a civil society organisation and member of the PPH, “INTACH was called months ago to give their opinion on the building. They had submitted their suggestions and were ready to do a proper study of the structure. However, nothing was heard from the government after that.”
“The Raj Nivas is more than 250-year-old and it has so much redundancy built in it. But the PWD has taken the stand that the building should be rebuilt and it will last for the next 50 years. Heritage is the prime factor for Smart City and if the government goes on demolishing old buildings and rebuilding in their place, Puducherry won’t be left with any heritage. Demolishing a heritage structure and constructing a new one in the original style is not heritage preservation.”
If the government starts doing this, Puducherry would only be a replica of buildings.
The government should get expert opinion before demolishing the structure, she added.
Centuries-old history
Built in 1766-1768, the Raj Nivas, a Grade I A heritage structure, has a history that dates back to more than two-and-a-half centuries. From 1733-1761, it functioned as Hotel de la Compagnie. It was destroyed by the British in 1761 and rebuilt in 1766 as Hotel du Gouvernement by Bourcet. In 1820 it was restored by Spinasse.
The upper storey was added in 1768 and it served as the office and residence of the Chief Commissioner from 1954. From 1963, the Raj Nivas has been serving as the office and residence of the Lieutenant Governor.
A landmark building in the French precinct, the Raj Nivas enjoys a significant location overlooking the Bharathi Park. The main building consists of interconnected rooms flanking the central halls. The first-floor reception hall has a vaulted roof with clerestory windows, according to INTACH. Originally, the building was surrounded on all three sides by arcaded porticos on the ground floor and colonnades on the first floor. As part of a later alteration on the ground floor, the portico along Saint Louis Street was enclosed to create more rooms.