Uttarpara Rajbari restoration: Porch roof, pediment back in place
Times of India | 4 April 2024
Kolkata: The 164-year-old Uttarpara Rajbari has undergone restoration, with the pediment on the facade and a portion of the porch roof that had previously been pulled down being reconstructed. Architects and heritage enthusiasts, who were concerned when parts of the building were demolished last year, have expressed satisfaction at the restoration of this heritage structure.
The building, associated with the Bengal Renaissance and India’s nationalist movement, is considered a prime example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. The public works department (PWD) faced criticism for demolishing portions of the building, sparking outrage on social media and leading to protests that halted the destruction and paved the way for its restoration. “The Uttarpara Rajbari facade and roof have been restored to their former glory. Even though a modern roof has been rebuilt, the heritage look, complete with iron beams, has been recreated. The interior of the building has been modernized, but we have not changed the exterior, keeping the heritage norms in mind,” said an official of the Uttarpara-Kotrung Municipality.
“I am glad that the Bengal Heritage Commission played a catalytic role in the restoration of an important historical building to its old glory,” said Alapan Bandyopadhyay, chairman of the West Bengal Heritage Commission. Bandyopadhyay intervened and sought a report from the Hooghly DM, and sent an expert from the commission to ensure that a conservation architect was engaged for proper restoration.
Sandipan Chatterjee, a conservation architect residing in Uttarpara, had sounded the alarm when sections of the Rajbari roof, including the triangular pediment and decorated cornices, were demolished by the PWD. The PWD had claimed it was conducting repairs, but conservation architects had questioned the timing, as the demolition was being carried out just before monsoon. With the restoration of the damaged portions now complete, the architects have expressed relief.
Mukul Agarwal, an architect and Calcutta Heritage Collective convenor, commended the efforts of the Uttarpara authorities in preserving the heritage property and urged for the documentation of all heritage properties in the area. She emphasized the need for accurate references to guide future restoration projects, citing the challenges in restoring the Rajbari due to limited historical documentation.
Kaushik Mukherjee, the fifth descendant of Babu Joy Krishna Mukherjee and the great-great-grandson of Raja Peary Mohan Mukherjee, felt the Rajbari, built around 1860, needed to be officially listed as a heritage property to prevent any destruction in future. He has already proposed the conversion of the erstwhile puja room into a museum, where he has offered to display family heirlooms and artefacts. “Our exhibits are ready. We went there, but the room was under lock and key. We want to meet the Heritage Commission to take the initiative forward,” he added.