The Delhi government will illuminate hidden historical gems in the national capital with tricolour lights on the 75th anniversary of Indian independence. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a review meeting with the concerned officials on Monday said, ”Delhi is known for its historical monuments all over the world and it is the priority of the Kejriwal government to preserve them for life. To ensure the conservation of all the monuments in the jurisdiction of the Delhi government, its concerned departments are working diligently and round the clock.”
The Deputy CM said that most of the monuments in Delhi are maintained by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), but there are 71 hidden gems of history which are maintained by the Delhi government. ”Historical monuments in Delhi symbolise the country’s evolution over a period of time, but these all have remained neglected for a longer time, which has caused much damage to them. Most of the monuments in Delhi are maintained by the Archeological Survey of India but there are 71 hidden gems of history which are maintained by the Delhi Government. These monuments too have great historical importance,” said Sisodia.
To mark the 75th year of Independence Day, Delhi Government has decided that 5 major monuments in Delhi will be illuminated with tricolour lights. These monuments include Birji Khan’s Tomb in RK Puram, Sector-3; Baradari Qudsia Bagh; Bara Lao Ka Gumbad at Vasant Udhyan; Gol Gumbaz near Lodhi Flyover and Tomb of Paik at Mukarba Chowk.
He further said the Delhi Government is working on the restoration of these monuments and will organise various cultural events around them to celebrate their historical importance and spread awareness about them. “I will soon visit them to review the conservation works in progress at the historical sites,” he added.
Sisodia said the work of preserving the Qudsia Bagh has also been taken up by the Delhi Government. The government has not only done the maintenance of the buildings here but has also given a new look to the garden. Dara Shikoh’s library, located in the campus of Ambedkar University at Kashmere Gate, was in a dilapidated condition for years. The ceiling and walls of this library had become dilapidated due to lack of maintenance. As the library is located in close proximity to the Yamuna, the issue of dampness in the building was always reported here.
The work of preserving and reviving this building of historical importance has been given priority and expedited. These aforementioned monuments will soon get a state-of-the-art museum of history. “In this series of monument, restoration works being done by the Kejriwal government, Delhi’s famous Malcha Mahal will also get a makeover soon. The government is planning to restore this popular monument soon and highlight its historical importance. Along with this, the government is already in the process of restoring the monument Azimganj Serai, located in Sunder Nagar and Phase 1 of restoration has already been completed. Very soon we will begin the work on Phase 2,” Sisodia added.
