Restored Mughal heritage still closed

As part of the ‘heritage corridor’ that includes

Humayun

’s Tomb and Dargah of

Hazrat Nizamuddin

, conservation work on the Batashewala complex had been started in 2011 by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) with help from the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation.

The work was completed in 2015 and the complex handed over to Archaeological Survey of India. But

ASI

hasn’t yet thrown it open as it says some restoration work is still on.

The 16th-century complex is spread over 11 acres and has two chaharbagh gardens with three tombs—Bada Batashewala, which is the tomb of

Mirza Muzaffar Hussain

, the grand nephew of Humayun, the

Chhota Batashewala

and an unknown Mughal-era tomb.

AKTC’s work was to restore the integrity of the monuments and replace the 20thcentury alterations of the structure. In 1989, about 150 structures were erected within the complex and walls enclosing it were demolished.

Ratish Nanda, CEO of AKTC, said, “Neglect and inappropriate past repairs had led to all three structures in a ruinous condition with their original architectural elements largely missing.”

Nanda said that much of the enclosure walls had been demolished though the foundations had remained. AKTC carried out “over 30,000 man-days of work by master craftsmen using traditional tools, materials and building crafts to match the work of their forefathers”.

The restoration relied on traditional methods to “ensure long-term preservation”.

A senior ASI official said the complex would soon be opened up for the public and agreed that it has huge tourism potential.