The heritage lions’ Gate of the Nilgiri king’s palace has become an object of attraction for tourists after it received a new lease of life following its makeover with the help of State Tourism and Culture Department in technical assistance with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). The gate building having a prominent clock tower was built in the palace in 1895 by then ruler of Nilgiri princely State Shyam Chandra Mardaraj. The building was dedicated to public by King Rajendra Chandra Mardaraj through judicial settlement and since then managed by a trust board (Thakura Mahal Trust).
The palace gate’s clock tower was in dilapidated state in the want of care and maintenance due to paucity of fund. The present queen and president of the trust board Manoja Manjari had apprised about it to the district Collector as well as INTACH in 2016.
The district administration further had written to the Culture department for its restoration in March 2016. The INTACH was urged to prepare a detail report and budget estimate towards repair and restoration cost of the building. The work for repair began following allocation of fund after receipt of report from the INTACH in October, 2017.
With the financial support of the Odisha Government and technical support of the INTACH, the repair and renovation works were undertaken. The roof beams of the first and second floor of the clock tower were replaced; ceilings and entry gates were repaired. Rs 20 lakh was sanctioned for renovation works of the gate.
A descendent of the royal family Jayant Mardaraj said, “The lions’ Gate’s upper portion is known as the clock tower. The tower had four clocks that were imported from london by then ruler Shyam Chandra Mardaraj. All these clocks have become defunct and those are removed now. There is a plan to install at least one clock in the tower.”