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Delhi, without any doubt has a rich heritage. This
is obvious in the many monuments, gardens and edifices which came up
during different phases of its existence. Out of the fourteen
hundred monuments identified in Delhi some years ago, as many as five
hundred no longer exist. Thus the Conservation Society of Delhi has
taken up arms to preserve a rich heritage. Their activities are
participatory in their approach and involve people from different
walks of life such as students, local communities, professionals and
the general public.
The Conservation Society,
Delhi (CSD) is a leader as far as conserving Delhi’s heritage is
concerned—the name being self-explanatory of its aim and focus.
Founded by Kamala Devi Chattopadhyaya in 1984, the Conservation
Society, Delhi is a voluntary citizens’ pressure group which
aims at preserving the build environment and architectural heritage
within the restricted jurisdiction of the National Capital Territory
of Delhi. Its members, a total of 148, include architects,
archeologists, teachers, students, social scientists and eminent
citizens of Delhi. The various professional skills of the members
lend to CSD tremendous expertise and resource potential to tackle the
toughest conservation job. Nalini Thakur, president CSD, clarifies
further the goal of the organization: “CSD is keen to preserve
not only the physical remnants of Delhi’s heritage but also the
intangible ethos that lend strength and vitality to its cultural
environment”. According to CSD, conservation is not the realm of
just a few specialists but should be a concern for all citizens,
young and old.
Awareness building is one
of CSD’s major activities—in fact, the brochure for the
organization succinctly states that dissemination of knowledge and
promotion of citizen’s awareness, appreciation and abiding
interest is the conservation of Delhi’s rich heritage of
historic settlements, landscape assets and monuments is one of the
main objectives. The other objective include organizing and
conducting study courses, seminars, lectures and workshop
demonstrations on subjects related to Delhi’s heritage,
involving children in conservation activities by holding special
camps and workshops and assisting other agencies like the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and INTACH.
The CSD awareness
building programmes are innovative and are guaranteed to make Delhi
wallahs take a second look at their city. The concepts the CSD has
pioneered in this process are ‘Radiscovery of Historic Delhi’,
‘Archaeological Park at Mehrauli’ and ‘Historic Delhi
as a Playground for Learning’. It was perceived that most Delhi
wallahs were unaware of Delhi’s heritage and that it was
essential to uncover for them the various facets of the city. Thus
the concept of rediscovering Delhi’s heritage by organizing
walks and talks for the general public, schoolchildren and teachers.
Heritage walks and trails through areas of historical and
conservation interest are organized free of cost from October to
April every year. Every Sunday, groups of visitors are taken around
the different areas by members of the CSD who have a wealth of
information based on serious research of the area. Thus, the CSD
heritage walks are a veritable educational experience. The areas
covered by these walks include Lalkot, Sultan Ghari, Khirkee Masjid
and Satpula, Tughlakabad, South Extension and Kotla Mubarakpur,
Chirag Delhi, Lodhi Tombs, Nizamuddin East, Lal Bangla in the Golf
course, Sher Shah Gate and Matka Pir, Purana Quila, Chandni Chowk,
Salimgarh, Kashmiri Gate, India Gate, Lutyens Delhi, Hastal, Mehrauli
of the Last Mughal, archaeological excavations at Lalkot and other
recent excavations in Delhi. In fact, so popular are the walks that
very often people come back year after year.
Mehrauli, one of the 111
traditional settlements within Delhi termed as urban villages, has
been of special significance for CSD members for quite some time. In
1988, CSD was successful in saving the 16th century
Chaumachi tomb at Mehrauli from demolition by a land developer. In
fact, CSD won the public litigation field in this matter in the
Supreme Court. The heritage of Mehrauli has suffered from the usual
problems of demolition, forcible occupation and vandalism. Appalled
at the state of the heritage in the area, both build up and
environmental, CSD launched the Mehrauli Archaeological Park concept
to safeguard the are. The important sites identified by the CSD in
the region include Lal Kot, the 11th century citadel of
the Tomar Rajputs, the Hauz Shamsi tank build by Shamsuddin
Iltutmish, the Qutub complex built by Qutubuddin Aibek, Iltutmish and
Alauddin Khilji, the Jahaz Mahal, the 15th century Lodhi
palace used today as the venue of the Phoolwalon ki Sair festival,
Rajon Ki Bain built during the reign of Sikander Lodhi, Madhi Masjid
from the Lodhi or early Mughal period, Jamali Kamali Tomb and Mosque
built by Sheikh Fazlullah, Adam Khan’s tomb, Jharna, the 19th
century Zafar Mahal palace and Dilkusha, the garden built by Thomas
Metcalfe and the Bazaar. In association with INTACH Delhi, CSD has
brought out a set of well researched maps on the heritage of
Mehrauli. Nalini Thakur has authored a comprehensive report on
Mehrauli for INTACH which also suggests a methodology to accommodate
both community needs and heritage conservation in the area.
Unfortunately, the follow up by the concerned authorities has not
been very satisfactory.
Over the years, CSD has
held many interesting events to promote conservation of heritage in
Delhi. In 1993, on World Heritage Day (18 April), a Kavi Sammelan
(Poet’s Meet) was organized at the Lodhi Gardens where poets
were asked to recite poems composed by them on Delhi. Thanks to CSD’s
efforts, the Qutub Complex became a World Heritage Site in December
1993 and therefore, in 1994, it was the focus of the grand
celebrations on World Heritage Day. Students from more than thirteen
city schools participated in drawing, essay and poetry writing and
painting competitions based on the various buildings in the Qutub
Complex and the response was extremely gratifying. In 1995, a series
of talks were held at the India International Centre, Delhi on the
various aspects of the city’s heritage. The idea was to promote
historic Delhi as a World Heritage City and to bring together people
from varied professional backgrounds to examine different aspects of
Delhi’s heritage. CSD also has to its credit the campaign to
save the India Gate Chhatri from being demolished and the institution
of a Conservation Cell in the Delhi Development Authority.
Today, as Delhi gears up
to face the challenges of the 21st century, the issues
linked to heritage conservation and development are becoming more
complex. CSD can take pride in the knowledge that it has put
conservation on the agenda for India’s fastest growing city and
has converted many of its citizens into committed Delhi wallahs—a
fact highlighted in their brochure which also has another expansion
for the acronym CSD—Concerned with Safeguarding Delhi. Any way,
there is no doubting CSD’s priority –that of preserving
Delhi’s heritage for posterity.
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