As part of its commitment to turn Mahakumbh 2025 into a grand spectacle while maintaining the sanctity of its rich traditions, the Yogi government is renovating a 150-year-old heritage building in Prayagraj, which will be ready before the mega festival.
The building, located in the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation campus, is being renovated by the Corporation at the cost of Rs nine crores, to offer devotees a glimpse into Prayagraj’s rich history.
Built around 1865 during the British era, the ‘Great Northern’ hotel, was later converted into the Municipal Corporation office. Notably, Prayagraj, known for its religious significance, also boasts a rich history and cultural heritage.
Municipal Commissioner Chandra Mohan Garg stated that this building is a heritage of Prayagraj, and the Municipal Corporation has taken the initiative to preserve it. The renovation work will be completed before the Mahakumbh.
The historic building was once used for meetings of intellectuals involved in the country’s freedom struggle. In the 1930s, the British government converted this building into an administrative office, he added.
Suraj VS, an Advisor from the Civil Engineering Department of Prayagraj Municipal Corporation, mentioned that in December 2020, the ceiling of a room in the municipal building collapsed, which led to discussions about demolishing the entire building and constructing a new one.
Before demolishing this more than 150-year-old building, consultations were held with the ASI, MNIT Prayagraj, and IIT Mumbai. Based on the ASI report in 2020-21, the Municipal Corporation was advised to preserve this building as a heritage site.
This building was constructed 150 years ago using eco-friendly materials such as jaggery, pulses, and fenugreek, and now its renovation is being carried out using the same materials.
During previous repairs, new materials such as cement plaster, floor tiles, windows, and doors were installed, but these are now being removed to restore the building to its original form. This restoration will ensure that the building’s temperature remains naturally cool, reducing the need for air conditioning even during hot weather.
The restoration work is being carried out by Savani Heritage from Mumbai and is expected to be completed by the end of December. After this, façade lighting will be installed in the building. Tourists visiting the Mahakumbh will witness this historic building in a new avatar.
Savani Heritage’s Jitesh Patel shared that the restoration of this old municipal building is being done using materials that were historically used in construction. Lime from Katni, Madhya Pradesh, along with other materials sourced from various states and local markets, is being used for the renovation. Instead of cement and sand, the construction material is prepared using a mixture of lime, surkhi, sand, bell giri, jaggery, urad dal, guggul, and fenugreek.
Another interesting thing about this building is that at one time it housed Prayagraj Museum. Evidence related to the museum is still present in this building.
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