Kapurthala’s iconic Gol Kothi restored, to have restaurant

Gol Kothi in Kapurthala was renovated under conservation and adaptive reuse of colonial heritage project

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Gol Kothi which stands opposite the official residence of the senior superintendent of police (SSP), Kapurthala, has a rich history. It was built by Raja Fateh Singh in 1833.

Jalandhar

The tourism department has finally restored the 187-year-old Gol Kothi in Kapurthala after nearly four years and plans to set up a restaurant on its premises. The iconic Gol Kothi was restored by the department after some parts turned into debris.

A senior official said, “We have sent a proposal to the Punjab infrastructure development board for setting up a restaurant or a clubhouse under the public-private partnership mode on its premises because the location is suitable for the purpose.”

He said, “We have conserved the basement and a part of the tunnel during the restoration with glasses.” Kapurthala deputy commissioner Deepti Uppal said the project had been completed. Spread over nine kanals and nine marlas, the building is being renovated under the ‘conservation and adaptive reuse of colonial heritage’ project at an estimated cost of ₹4.98 crore.

The task of restoring the heritage building has been assigned to Rajputana Constructions Pvt Ltd, a Rajasthan-based company. The Darbar Hall and Buggy Khana will also be renovated under this project. The building was declared unsafe by the public works department (PWD) five years ago because it had fallen into a state of disrepair.

Gol Kothi which stands opposite the official residence of the senior superintendent of police (SSP), Kapurthala, has a rich history. It was built by Raja Fateh Singh in 1833 and was once the residence of Mahamantris (prime ministers) of this erstwhile princely state. It is also believed that Maharaja Jagatjit Singh spent his formative years in the building in the 1880s. Skilled labour from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan has been hired to repair the building.

The official said a mixture of red brick dust, slaked lime and other materials known for their cementing properties are being used to strengthen it. The project has been divided into two parts — one is conservation and the second is adaptive reuse.