4 months ago
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Aali Masjid, a 15th-century operation and the second-largest hypostyle mosque successful Kashmir, is “losing its humanities and architectural character” due to the fact that of the latest involution initiated by the Jammu and Kashmir Government, arsenic portion of a developmental and conservation plan, the Indian National Trust for Art & Culture Heritage (INTACH) has warned.
“The usage of cement factual implicit the exposed ceramic masonry floor, a method introduced for technological reasons, has exposed the full operation to rampant dampness. Exposed ceramic masonry provides a breathing interface that allows h2o to evaporate and reduces dampness. I fearfulness the 15th-century operation volition weaken with each passing year due to the fact that of this intervention,” Saleem Beg, convenor of INTACH’s Kashmir Chapter, told The Hindu.
The J&K Government has approved a ₹4.85-crore improvement and conservation program for the historical operation constructed by Shahmiri king Sultan Hassan Shah successful 1471. The mosque, whose supplication hallway spans implicit 4,000 quadrate feet area, is the 2nd biggest successful Kashmir aft the historical Jama Masjid successful Srinagar.
The latest operation program was introduced aft an earlier program was shelved for “lack of due involution and conservation details” astatine the highest level successful the Union Territory. However, INTACH fears that the caller intervention, too, could person a semipermanent antagonistic interaction connected the mosque’s structure.
“We are disquieted that the usage of factual material, alternatively of stabilising the structure, could harm the columns and wide bearing capableness of the mosque. The ongoing interventions could besides change the humanities and architectural character of the mosque,” Mr. Beg said.
The mosque is simply a notable illustration of Kashmiri woody vernacular architecture, with woody beams and columns. The main supplication hallway stands connected 151 deodar wood columns, each astir 17 feet gangly and 3.1 feet wide, resting connected intricately carved chromatic pedestals. Mosques with specified features are unsocial to Iran and Central Asia.
According to INTACH, the ongoing involution has besides tampered with the European-style barn roof, which was restored successful the 1930s by the Imperial Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). “The executing bureau could person been much considerate successful restoring the roof, arsenic was done successful 2007, alternatively than changing its quality completely,” Mr. Beg said.
INTACH has besides expressed interest implicit the “extensive ornamentation” done Khatamband—the usage of woody pieces successful geometrical shapes—which it said was “changing the quality of the ceiling too”. The mosque has a unsocial benignant of ceiling, known arsenic Vas-talav, wherever woody rows are utilized to create a coffered ceiling.
“Conservation is not aimed astatine beautifying a practice structure. Instead, the purpose is to sphere the historical quality and cloth and walk it connected to the adjacent procreation successful the authorities it exists. Wherever possible, we besides make abstraction for reversible interventions,” Mr. Beg said.
The mosque has already suffered deterioration owed to its property and weathering. “But most, if not all, of the deteriorated elements tin beryllium repaired oregon replaced to rehabilitate the gathering with due conservation interventions,” Mr. Beg said.
