Iconic Gole Market to be developed as centre for culture and history
Delhi’s iconic Gole Market near Connaught Place could soon be turned into a museum to house materials of cultural and historical importance – all related to Delhi.
“We have decided to convert the heritage building of Gole Market into a New Delhi museum. The restoration project and setting up of the museum is likely to be completed by the September, 2018,” said Naresh Kumar chairperson of New Delhi Municipal Council.
Besides photographs and other display material such as paintings, statues and literature based on the socio-economic, cultural and political aspects and conditions of pre and post independent period of the country, the contribution and sacrifice of freedom fighters would be also depicted in the museum.
“The museum would have four components – photo exhibition, documentary films, paintings and sculpture. We are in touch with some organisations, government departments and individuals o procure rare items,” an NDMC official said.
Rare photos like the ones from the Delhi Durbar of 1911, in which the decision to shift the country’s capital to Delhi was announced and photos depicting construction work of Lutyen’s Delhi would be displayed in the photo exhibition gallery.
“We are in touch with some organisations such as Mahatta & Co in Connaught Place which has some rare collections. Besides this, efforts are on to procure old and rare photos from the archives of the ministry of information and broadcasting. Some old time photographers also have a good collection which would like to display,” said the official.
The documentary film section would act like a mini-amphitheatre where citizens would be able to see some documentary films and news reels related to Delhi both from the pre and post independence era.
The third section will depict stories of India’s struggle to freedom. The last section would include the artwork of India’s eminent painters and sculptors depicting the cultural and socioeconomic aspects of Delhi of both pre and post independence era.
This is, however, not for the first time that renovation plans for the Gole Market is being planned. Several shopkeepers had to be shifted after the redevelopment plan was conceived in 2006. It led to a long drawn legal battle between the NDMC and local traders until the Supreme Court passed an order in NDMC’s favour in 2013. The structure was declared unsafe in 2007.
“They have been saying this for the past several years. They were supposed to complete the renovation before the Common Wealth Games. It was only because of this renovation that all the shopkeepers had to shift,” said Ravi Kant Jain, officiating secretary of the Gole Market Traders Association.