In what can be considered an attempt to further strengthen Ayodhya’s Ganga-Jamuni culture and save the rich legacy of Nawabs of Awadh, the UP government is going to infuse life in the holy city’s Nawabi-era structures and has released an amount of Rs 70 crore as initial instalment for the project.
On the banks of Ghaghara River in Ayodhya, earlier known as Faizabad — the erstwhile capital of Awadh — stands Kothi Dilkusha, the imposing official residence of Nawab Shuja-Ud-Daulah who ruled Awadh from 1756 to 1775. This will be the first heritage structure to see the change.
“As per the plan, we will rejuvenate Dilkusha Kothi first. We are trying to rope in agencies that can restore the structure using traditional methods of construction and restoration,” said Nitish Kumar, district magistrate, Ayodhya.
Under the restoration plan, officials with the district administration said the first step will be to strengthen the structure using iron girders and other base-strengthening techniques. This will be followed by plastering work as there are several points where the plaster is peeling off,” officials said.
After this, beautification will be undertaken under which the facade of the Kothi, along with the surrounding areas, will be well illuminated along with landscaping work. Officials said the surrounding area of the Kothi will be developed as a modern garden. “There are also plans to transform the Kothi into a museum,” an official said.
Apart from Dilkusha, the state government has plans to restore the four 18th Century gates that are an intrinsic part of Ayodhya’s heritage.
Built by Nawab Shuja-ud-Daulah between 1753 and 1775 in Faizabad, the four gates — also referred to as ‘Chaar Dar’ — will be beautified. “The restoration work will be carried out purely in a traditional manner using lime, mortar, surkhi and lakhauri bricks,” the DM said.
Once rejuvenated, Dilkusha Kothi and the gates will be a major attraction for tourists. Historians of Awadh too gave a thumbs-up to the restoration work.
“It’s a good move. I am happy that the move will not only infuse life in the decaying structure but will also make the coming generation aware of their past. Dilkusha once served as the official residence of Nawab Shuja-Ud-Daulah, who ruled Awadh from 1754 to 1775. The bungalow, which also includes mud barracks where forces used to reside, was handed over to the Central Bureau of Narcotics after Independence and hence, people started calling it ‘Afeem Kothi’. The office that aimed to control smuggling of opium was later closed in 2012 and since then, it is lying in utter neglect,” said Roshan Taqui, a renowned historian who has penned several books on the Nawabs of Awadh.
He said the gates too are an important part of the Nawabi heritage and timely restoration will save them from being lost in oblivion.