Mubarak Mandi in Shambles

Restoration of the Mubarak Mandi heritage complex in Jammu has been going on for some years now. Its vandalisation gained the public attention when the civil society in Jammu raised the voice and demanded the shifting of the government offices from the complex. Preserve Art Treasure and Heritage(PATH), an NGO that consisted of multidisciplinary experts joined hands to sensitise the masses about the heritage and cultural value of this urban historic city centre. PATH filed a PIL in the early 2000 when the Jharokhas of the Ranvas were vandalised leading to the mutilation and damage to the frescos and wall paintings that brought to the fore the aesthetic value and place consciousness of Mubarak Mandi. A department that had nothing to do with the preservation, conservation and restoration was asked to repair the unsafe structure. It was a simple public works department that had no expertise to restore the heritage structures. It indulged in the repair work by using the incompatible material and in this process it used cement in place of surkhi-chuna, the original material that constituted the monument. PATH’s intervention did make a change as it awakened the common masses and the administration and this misuse of the heritage structure in the name of repair was stopped. Over the years the monument was handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI).And then it was handed over to a private organisation for the restoration work. Though the process of restoration did start, it did not yield the desired results as the pace of work was too slow. Not only that, when a keen observer of heritage visits this urban historic city centre ,he can easily witness vandalisation in the name of restoration. The restoration work completed in some buildings is nowhere near to the time frame in which the monument was conceived. The reason being its original architecture has been altered in the name of restoration. The building housing the Dogra Art Gallery is witnessing the worst fate. The museum has been shifted to another restored building but the vacated building is witnessing severe damage. In the name of restoration the original walls and the paintings have been completely erased and have undergone whitewash. The motifs have been smashed. Ceilings completely changed. Restoration of a heritage complex does not mean that the existing evidence, architectural forms and paintings have to be damaged. Restoration means to at least bring the vanishing forms closer to their original state. But what is being witnessed in Mubarak Mandi is the violation of the place consciousness and aesthetics. Not only that, the main park in the Mubarak Mandi complex has been totally vandalised. It was in good shape a few years ago but now it has been completely vandalised, when there was no need for it. Plantation in the park has been decimated. Fountains having the heritage character have lost their vintage look. What is worse is that the iron grills that constituted the boundary of the park have been removed. It was completely perfect. Mubarak Mandi has been reduced to rubbles and this is a violation of its heritage character. There is a need to put some sense into the restoration process. Restoration does not mean to damage the structures that are in good condition. It does not mean to inflict loss to the cultural property in the name of restoration. The Government of Jammu and Kashmir must constitute a team of multidisciplinary experts that includes art conservators, art historians, conservation architects, historians, heritage tourism experts and professionals who delve in cultural heritage to evaluate the ongoing restoration work at Mubarak Mandi. And put a halt to further vandalisation in the name of restoration. It needs to be ascertained whether the restoration is being carried in compliance with the specified guidelines given the internationally recognised organisations of repute like ICOMOS and ICCROM for the restoration of the heritage monuments.