Facades lining Chandni Chowk set for extensive revamp, repair
NEW DELHI: The Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) is expected to soon start work on restoring the façade of buildings lining the 1.3km Chandni Chowk stretch between Red Fort and Fatehpuri Masjid that has been revamped and made a no-go zone for motorised vehicles.
Starting from the ES Pearey Lal Building, near the Red Fort, to the State Bank of India building, near Fatehpuri Masjid, the stretch is dotted with buildings demonstrating architectural influences from a variety of time periods, underlining the fact that the Mughal-era market embodies both built heritage and a vibrant culture.
Some of the buildings go back several centuries. Many of the buildings that house shops and offices, however, are in dire need of repairs.
Nitin Panigrahi, deputy general manager of SRDC, the nodal agency for the Chandni Chowk revamp project, said a consultant was in the process of being appointed for the restoration of the façades. However, experts and residents have cautioned against a purely cosmetic approach to the process.
A shopkeeper at Pearey Lal building, who asked not to be named, said a one-size-fits-all approach will not work in the market, which he said is distinctive because of the unique design of each building and variety of signboards.
“Beautification alone is not development. The government is trying to replicate what was done in Connaught Place. But CP consists of a uniform pattern building with shops of similar sizes. You can’t implement a ‘uniform approach’ in Chandni Chowk, where every building and shop is different from each other,” said the shopkeeper.
Built in the early 20th century, the Pearey Lal building is occupied by hundreds of shops and has not been repaired in years.
“For several years, we have heard how all shops will have similar signboards. But different signboards add to the character of a market. They want to kill all innovation,” he said.
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in 2019 offered to help with improving the façade of the buildings, and said it was crucial to preserve individual characters of buildings.
Referring to the facelift of the walled city in Amritsar, Annabel Lopez, a project consultant with INTACH, said such an approach will not work in Chandni Chowk. She said that as part of the façade work in Amritsar, the whole street was given a standard treatment, which diluted the individual character of the buildings.
“In Shahjahanabad, every building is unique. One building might be a late Mughal period structure, the next might be an early colonial one, and another building might have a mix of both styles. So, there is a unique character to each façade in Shahjahanabad. That should be retained,” she said.
Residents welcomed the prospect of restored façades, and said there was a need to curb unauthorised construction and encroachments in the area.
Pointing to a recent development in which a building was given a massive façade on the lines of Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal, residents said it was important to keep a check on construction that was undertaken without necessary permissions, and does not align with the proposed restoration plans.
Traders and residents also stressed on the need for agencies to incorporate suggestions from stakeholders before finalising plans. Anil Pershad (77), one of the owners of Chandni Chowk’s iconic Chunnamal Haveli, said that he was not aware if the haveli will be taken up for façade restoration.
“We don’t have any idea if our building will be included among those that will be taken up for façade restoration,” said Pershad.
Ashok Mathur, 52, another resident, said redevelopment in a true sense will require that issues faced by residents are addressed first.
A senior Public Works Department (PWD) official said all buildings along the corridor will be given a facelift for a uniform look.
“The appointment of a consultant will be done this month, and efforts will be made to protect the façades,” he said.
The facade restoration is part of the ambitious Chandni Chowk redevelopment project that aims to decongest the heritage market, and make it more accessible and shopper friendly while maintaining its old world charm, officials said.