‘Oldest municipality’ building to be converted into museum
KOTA: The ancient building of the Jhalrapatan municipality in Jhalawar — believed to be one of the oldest municipalities in the country — is being transformed into a museum and library to preserve its heritage.
A committee of distinguished persons, headed by erstwhile ruler of Jhalawar Chandrajeet Singh Jhala, has been entrusted with the restoration work of the old municipality building, civic body officials said.
Jhalrapatan municipality chairman Dr Rajesh Sharma told HT that the civic body is believed to be the state’s as well as the country’s oldest municipality as the renowned British historian Colonel James Tod referred it in his book during his visit to the town in 1821.
The municipality used to function from the old building near the Sun Temple till 1948. But when the Indian government introduced the new municipal system in the country, the municipality was shifted from the old building to the current building, about a kilometre away.
“Now the Jhalrapatan municipality has provided `5 lakh this year for the renovation of the old building, which has already started,” Sharma said.
Giving details of the restoration work, he said the library and museum would be developed in two rooms each out of the total four rooms of the old building. The work, he said, would conclude by February next year.
Lalit Sharma, an expert on Jhalrapatan history and also a member of the renovation committee, said the library will have all the books related to the historical city and the municipal system of Jhalrapatan.
The museum, he said, will have pictorial exhibition of the famous monuments of Jhalawar and Jhalrapatan, including Sun Temple, Kolvi Caves and Gagron Fort.
Names and pictures of all the 82 chairpersons of the Jhalrapatan municipality would also be exhibited at the old building, he said.