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| Jama Masjid, By Mohsin Javed |
Finally, the iconic 362-year-old Jama Masjid is all set to
get repaired with the traditional lime mortar that was used in construction
from 16th century to 19th century.
The Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) team has started
repairing the central dome of the iconic structure.
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| Workers doing restoration work of central dome at Jama Masjid, By Mohsin Javed |
The ASI department’s action comes days after a report was
published in Hindustan Times regarding Jama Masjid’s deteriorating condition on
14 December 2017.
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| Central Dome & Minar of Jama Masjid, By Mohsin Javed (Before) |
Earlier, Hindustan Times had reported about the damage in
the mosque where portions of the eaves of all the four dome-shaped chattris had
started falling off with several marble pinnacle’s on smaller domes on the
northern and southern gates which fell off along with the largest pinnacle on
the Central dome was reported as tilted.
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| Restoration work of Central Dome of Jama Masjid, By Mohsin Javed (Current) |
It was only after Hindustan Times published the report on
damage, teams from the ASI, the DWB, the divisional commissioner’s office, and
the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had visited the site to
inspect the damage.
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| Restoration Materials at Jama Masjid, By Mohsin Javed |
According to Tariq Bukhari, general secretary of the Jama
Masjid Advisory Council (JMAC), which manages the mosque’s daily affairs, the
central dome of the principal prayer hall is the worst affected, with white
seepage marks clearly visible on it. Rampant water leakage has developed cracks
in the main bulbous domes that are further eroding the monument’s structural
integrity. The seepage has peeled layers of sandstone and plaster from some of
the walls and loosened some of the intricate parapet carvings.
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| Restoration Work at Jama Masjid, By Mohsin Javed |
The ASI had last worked on the Mosque in 2007 under a
special arrangement since 1956.
The Masjid which is visited by an average 5,000 tourists and
nearly 1,000 worshippers who offer Namaz at the Mosque was originally named as
‘Masjid-i Jahan Numa’ which was the centrepiece of Shahjahanabad, costed nearly
Rs 10 Lakh and took 6 six years to complete the masterpiece which was started
in 1648.
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| Minar of Jama Masjid, By Mohsin Javed |
Source : Hindustan Times
All Photos © Mohsin Javed