Park dedicated to Indian freedom fighter lying in neglect for years

LUCKNOW A Qaisar Bagh-based park dedicated to freedom fighter Raja Rampal Singh has been lying in a bad shape for years due to the neglect of civic authorities

LUCKNOW A Qaisar Bagh-based park dedicated to freedom fighter Raja Rampal Singh has been lying in a bad shape for years due to the neglect of civic authorities. Situated right close to the iconic Baradari structure, the Raja Rampal Singh Park cries for attention as several of its structures are crumbling while its lamps and lights have gone missing. Even the swings installed for children are in a battered condition.

The park was last revamped in 2004 under the Urban Conservation Project Part-I. A (HT Photo)

The upkeep of the park is the responsibility of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA). Incidentally, a water body developed within the park, along with a fountain, has also dried up. It appears to have gone non-functional a long time ago. Similarly, a structure in the park, known as the small Baradari, is also in an utter bad shape. The red marble-boundary is also missing.

While the exact history of the small Baradari structure is unknown, some believe it was relocated from another part of the city to its current location post-independence. Others claim it has always been at the same place in the park. “There is no recorded history of the small Baradari, hence, its exact inception is unknown till date,” said Lucknow-based historian Ravi Bhatt. “Earlier, there was no practice of recording the history. This is probably why there are no document about the structure,” he added.

The park was revamped in 2004 under the Urban Conservation Project Part-I. At a cost of ₹2 crore, the entire park was given a facelift. The money was spent on the restoration of boundary walls, ponds, fountain, and the small Baradari (Chatri), among others, said city-based architect Ashish Srivastava, who led the project along with LDA. Ashish believes that the small Baradari was not shifted from any other place and was made during the rule of King Wazid Ali Shah in Awadh. “Keeping that in mind, the beautification was done in sync with the design of the old era,” he said.

Efforts to restore structure

Heritage activists S Mohammed Haider and Ashish Srivastava have come forward to assist in the restoration of the crumbling edifice made up of single-piece marbles. A year ago, the duo approached the LDA, demanding immediate intervention to ensure restoration of the small baradari. “Ashish sent a team to inspect the baradari and calculated that it will cost around ₹30 lakh to restore the structure. LDA can use his expertise or do the restoration work on its own,” an official LDA letter stated.

Ashish said that the restoration was to be taken up in the wake of the G20 and Global Investors’ Summits but due to some reasons, it could not happen. Replying to another letter by S Mohammed Haider (dated March 10, 2022), the LDA said that the following structure comes under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and hence, its maintenance must be done by the ASI itself. However, Haider points out that, “The ASI has a list of monuments it protects, and the following structure is not on that list, so it is clearly the responsibility of the LDA.”