ASI to restore old glory of Red Fort’s Rang Mahal

With the help of scientific treatment and preservation, the Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI) is set to restore the glory of Rang Mahal in the Red Fort. The renovation cost will be over ` 15 lakh. The work would include removal of dust and dirt from the surface of the monument. The repair work will carry scientific treatment and preserve the existing paintings with lime wash removal and expose hidden paintings, if lying underneath.

The task will include cleaning of mirror work on lime plaster. It involves chemical cleaning by liquid ammonia and non- ionic liquid detergent solution. There will be clay pack treatment, chemical treatment, and preservation of the plain wooden surfaces.

Rang Mahal, which was also known as Imtiaz Mahal ( palace of pre- eminence), was the harem building closest to the Khas Mahal — the emperor’s private apartment. A pavilion built on a high platform, its façade has five nine- cusped arches. The floor is of marble. The riverfacing wall has low windows. Each of the pair of small cube- shaped rooms, on either side of the pavilion, is called Sheesh Mahal — the palace of mirrors. Its ceiling is embedded with small mirrors and its walls have panels of floral plasterwork.

At present, Rang Mahal’s stone jaalis are broken; the plaster is flaking off the walls; the floor is stained with bird droppings; and the canal is dry.

◗ Every year, 29 lakh domestic tourists visit the monument, which generates an annual income of 20 crore by way of tickets and parking fees

However, the sweeps of the arches, the latticework of the windows, the carvings on the roof, the vestiges of the painted gold arabesques, and the milky white stones of the lotus- shaped pool almost succeed in summoning back the veiled life of Rang Mahal.

Every year, approximately 29 lakh domestic tourists visit the monument, which generates an annual income of ` 20 crore by way of tickets and parking fees.