Having fallen into neglect earlier, 'Barah Khambha', a 16th century monument in south Delhi, has been restored and opened to the public today.
Located on Lodhi Road, the monument's park has also been landscaped and restored in a traditional way.
"The layers of cement applied to the monument during past repairs causing extensive damage to the structure were carefully removed and replaced with lime mortar, structural cracks in the dome and other parts of the building repaired and sandstone flooring provided.
"The final layer of lime mortar was as used by the 16th century builders to mimic the appearance of more expensive marble and is prepared with marble dust and egg-white and serves as a protective layer that will quickly get the patina of organic growth during the monsoon," Project Director, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) said.
The restoration was funded by DDA with a grant of over Rs 75 lakh awarded last year, under its (DDA's) Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation (DUHF) and conducted by the AKTC.
DDA Vice-Chairman Balvinder Kumar, while opening the heritage site to people, said "we would like to have more such collaborative projects. We would like people in the neighbourhood and other visitors to engage with the monuments and also use the facility for walking at its an open space."
The monument and the park around it are spread over nearly two acres. While the structure is under ASI, the park is owned by DDA.
A senior official of DDA said that the place had at one time become a "den for drug addicts and was encroached upon by extraneous cement structures being built in and around it. We have removed those elements and now the area has again become people-friendly."
The monument stands within the Delhi Master Plan designated heritage zone of Nizamuddin and within the buffer zone of the nearby Humayun's Tomb, a World Heritage Site.
