Sibtainabad Imambada to have its own heritage bylaws

LUCKNOW:Sibtainabad Imambada, the mausoleum of King Amjad Ali Shah built in 1847 in Hazratganj area of the city, is set to become the state’s first heritage structure to have its own heritage by-laws that aim at giving a complete transformation to the site and its surrounding areas, thus making it an ideal place for the tourists.

National Monuments Authority (NMA), ministry of culture, shortlisted the heritage site after finding it one of the most feasible sites that could undergo transformation and also directed the competent authority, in consultation with Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to prepare the heritage bylaws.

The decision was taken in the 193rd meeting of the NMA that was organised under the leadership of Susmita Pande, chairperson of NMA. ‘It was decided to visit, along with the representative of INTACH, the centrally protected monument of Amjad Ali Shah’s mausoleum on October 10, 2018 to inspect its surroundings and heritage buildings in its prohibited and regulated area,” reads the minutes of the meeting organised on September 28th 2018.

“It is a moment of pride for us to note that Lucknow’s Amjad Ali Shah’s mausoleum will be the pioneers in the adoption of model heritage by-laws.

The NMA has finally decided that the by-laws of these two sites would be finalised on priority and be forwarded to the ministry of culture for submission and passing it in both houses of Parliament during the upcoming winter session. Indeed it’s a big move in order to boost up the development in and around the heritage site,” said S Mohammed Haider, a heritage activist and mutwalli Sibtainabad Imambada.

Haider said, “We thank the ministry of culture and the NMA for heeding to our request for the overall protection and conservation of this magnificent edifice of yore which was portrayed in our souvenir– ‘Sibtainabad through the Lens of Time’.”

Other than Sibtainabad Imambada, the NMA has also shortlisted Delhi’s Humayun’s Tomb, a group of monuments that comprises 28 protected monuments, including the monuments in Sunder Nursery, Nizamuddin Basti, tombs of Batashewala Complex, Neela Gumbaz, Sabz Burj, Rahim Khan’s tomb.