Bada Imambada’s shahi baoli to get a facelift
Historians say the baoli’s restoration would revive an important chapter in the rich history of the state capital
LUCKNOW:: The Nawabi era ‘baoli’ (pond) at the iconic Bada Imambada here is in for a makeover. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has proposed a massive facelift of the pond lying neglected since ages.
Indu Prakash, superintending archaeologist, Lucknow Circle ASI, said the ‘baoli’ was in dire need of maintenance and repair. “There is a long list of the restoration and preservation works to be carried out at the ‘baoli’ and a proposal is being forwarded to the headquarters for final clearance and allocation of funds,” he said .
Prakash said the beautification work topped the priority list and would be among the first few works to be carried out in the next financial year. He said a team of experts had prepared a detailed list of work which would be carried out at the ‘baoli ‘after a survey .
This is perhaps for the first time the ASI is planning to carry out the restoration work on a mass scale. ASI officials said efforts were being made to restore the ‘baoli’, which has run out of water, to its original condition.
Prior to this, Hussainabad and Allied Trust (HAT) had approached experts and technicians to revive the ‘Shahi Baoli’, which once served as ‘Shahi Mehmaan Khana’ during the regime of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah.
In 2015, the then DM Raj Shekhar, also the custodian of HAT, had made efforts to revive the dying ‘baoli’. Hehad roped in the Nagar Nigam and Public Works Department (PWD) and asked the ‘conservators’ to take expertise from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and other expert agencies. As per the plan, the ‘baoli’ would have be desilted to re-charge it and remove the clogging, obstructing water inflow. Besides, the heavy illumination work in and outside Baoli was also a part of the drive, which was said to be merged with SP government’s Old City beautification project. But the plan failed to take concrete shape.
Historians say the baoli’s restoration would revive an important chapter in the rich history of the state capital. “The baoli is as important as Bada Imambada. But still its presence is ignored by historians and authors as there are very few details available. I am sure it’s revival would be a revival of history,” said Yogesh Praveen, a city-based historian who has penned several books on monuments of Lucknow.
He said the baoli that served as the main source of water to construct series of monuments came up during the regime of Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daulah—the ‘architect general’ of Lucknow.
Praveen said it was also mentioned that nawab Asaf Ud Daula had ordered special floorings capable of regulating temperature from England.
It is also said that it was the first of its kind order in which around 8,000 pieces of flooring were imported.
A few historians also say that the ‘baoli’ also witnessed the coronation of Asaf-ud-Daula’s son.