Written by: hitarthpandya
3 min readVadodaraFeb 17, 2010 02:01 AM IST
First published on: Feb 17, 2010 at 02:01 AM IST
In a significant development,the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Department of Architecture,Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU),have decided to join the movement started by Rajpipla locals under the leadership of Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil to save the Hazoor Office. It is a heritage structure built by the erstwhile Rajpipla royals and currently houses the Narmada district collectorate. The district administration,however,plans to demolish the building.
On Tuesday,Gohil had a detailed meeting with the ASI’s Vadodara office and another meeting with MSU professors. The ASI officials maintained that once a detailed application is given to them,they would send a team to make a detailed report on the heritage sites,and which will eventually be sent to its Delhi headquarters. Meanwhile,the MSU will send their own team of scholars to study heritage monuments in Rajpipla.
“I was quite disturbed by the way top officials in Narmada district reacted to the entire movement. However,I would like to make it clear that it is not a movement initiated by a prince but by the people of Rajpipla as they know the value of these structures. More importantly,it is not just the Hazoor Office,but there are number of such monuments across the state that need government attention and protection,” Gohil told The Indian Express.
Gohil met ASI Deputy Superintending Engineer V S Badiger and discussed the matter.
“He was shocked to hear the district collector’s statement and said that it is the collector’s responsibility to protect structures over 100 years old. He has asked us to send them a detailed application,on the basis of which they will begin the process to protect the Rajpipla monument,” Gohil added.
Meanwhile,Uday Shelat,head of the MSU Department of Architecture,along with his colleagues Professor Dinesh Pathak and Professor Anil Navangul,has decided to send a team of scholars to Rajpipla to study the heritage structure. “Rajpipla is reputed for its architecture. It is surprising to know that the government is ignoring this fact and planning to demolish the same structure. We had a meeting with Manvendra Singh Gohil and it has been decided that we will conduct a detailed study of the old buildings and document them,” Shelat said.
Meanwhile,Divyesh Joshi,a Rajpipla local keenly interested in saving old structures,said: “Unfortunately,there is no provision to approach the lower courts in such cases. But we are ready to fight a legal battle as well. Our argument is simple: when there is a lot of space to construct new buildings,why have the historic sites been targeted?”
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