After a six-year tenacious effort, Vijay Goel, president of Heritage India Foundation, managed to restore a haveli of Chandni Chowk for future generations to trace back their roots, writes Arjita Mishra
Whenever we think of enjoying a day out with our family and friends, we might usually try to go to a historical place. Especially, in a place like Delhi where there is an excess of choices with popular spots like Red Fort, Qutab Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, et al. to go and not only explore but also to increase our knowledge. We all want our children to know more about the heritage of this magnificent country and these architectural heritages are best to increase the knowledge.
But, what if such heritage sites get ruined with the passing years. No doubt, our government is spending a lot of money to keep these heritages alive but what about those which are not so famous and are getting ruined day by day. Vijay Goel, president of Heritage India Foundation (HIF) has tried to restore this 19th century residential mansion situated in Chandni Chowk.
Haveli Dharampura came into Goel’s attention a few years back while he was campaigning for elections, “As I am a heritage lover, even while campaigning my mind gets diverted by such time-decayed architectural instances,” he said. Goel purchased this haveli ten years back from a Jain family and after four years, he commenced the Haveli’s renovation.
Although the haveli dates back to 19th century, its architecture style and design is a bricolage of Mughal, Hindu and European art. Few years back, Goel was the MP from Chandni Chowk but during that time he was not able to fulfill his dreams of restoring the historical haveli as he was persistently occupied with his political commitments. So now, along with his son Siddhant, Goel has taken up the daunting task of reinstating the haveli to its days of glory past.
He tried to maintain the originality of the structure of the haveli by sourcing different components of thehaveli from various parts of the country. The cast iron railings are replicas of Shahjahani design which were made in Jaipur, and the entrance wooden door was carved in Shekhavati style. It took six years for Goel for the restoration and conservation of the haveli. He hired 50 specialist masons and labourers to work on the exterior and intricate details.
According to Goel, “The purpose of restoring thishaveli was to call the attention of people towards the heartbreaking condition of architectures that possess historical significance.”
Goel’s efforts are not only towards turning the haveli into a splendid tourist attraction but also to send out the message that every generation needs to be aware of its roots. He said, “I was passionate about this project and completed it despite the countless hurdles that came my way. This journey of restoration required my active involvement in understanding architectural techniques, and finding people with the necessary skills to execute the process. Resources were limited and it required professional skill to preserve the irreplaceable character of the structure. But, despite all challenges, the final form of Haveli Dharampura gives me immense satisfaction.”
He further added, “This is just the beginning and I will continue working on the restoration of other heritage structures inside the walled city. I hope my efforts will encourage others to take up the cause of restoring other historical structures its earlier magnificence.”