Delay in completing conservation of Delhi Gate annoys heritage-lovers

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

An air of disappointment prevailed amongst the heritage enthusiasts and heritage-lovers as the conservation work of this grand heritage Delhi Gate built with black basalt stone and lime mortar has come to a standstill halfway, leading to continued deterioration of the structure. It may be noted that the 32-foot-tall teakwood gate, reinforced with iron nails, was once so strong that even elephants could not break it.

The department of state archaeology (DoSA) started the conservation of Delhi Gate in December 2024, but the work is still not completed. Plans included waterproofing, removing cement layers, and carrying out various restoration tasks. Some of this has been done, but for the past few days the work has completely stalled. Construction materials lie scattered around the site, while trees and shrubs have grown all over the gate, worsening its condition. Meanwhile, the heritage Bhadkal Gate has also deteriorated at several places, and history enthusiasts are eagerly waiting for its conservation work to begin.

Why it is called Delhi Gate

On the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the then viceroy Khan Jahan built a six-mile-long fortification wall around the city in 1682. It had four main gates – Delhi Gate, Makai Gate, Jalna (Roshan) Gate, and Paithan Gate, along with several other smaller gates. The gate facing the northern direction towards Delhi came to be known as Delhi Gate. Besides, the rulers and the nobles were also using this route to proceed towards Delhi.

Only 20 pc work left

The assistant director (DoSA) Jaya Wahane said,“To avoid inconvenience to citizens, it was necessary to complete the work at Makai Gate first, so it was given priority. Only about 20 per cent of the work on Delhi Gate is pending. The restoration of Bhadkal Gate will also begin soon.”