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| Crumbling of historical Bahu Fort attracts no Govt concern | | Major cracks on structure speak official apathy | | Jammu, Oct 21: More skeletons are tumbling out of the wall collapse of centuries-old historic Bahu Fort here. The department concerned has done nothing, except minor repair and patch-work on Bahu Fort during the past eight years, notwithstanding it spent more than 68 percent of funds out of the total budget. Major cracks have developed in the entire structure of Bahu fort, except famous Kali Mata Temple, which is being maintained and looked after by the priests of a particular family.
A particular government department was given the task of repair and maintenance of the Bahu Fort by the state Archeological Department in 2005, with the total budget allocation of Rs 69.5 lakh, out of which the department had spent more than Rs 47 lakh thus far but nothing was visible on ground.
The officials, however, claims that they have completed more than 80 percent of renovation work, but neither they touched the wall which had collapsed nor they have done anything "extraordinary" to renovate Rani Mehal, which is situated on the rear side of the Fort. Official apathy could be gauged from the fact that wild grass has grown inside Rani Mehal besides major cracks have also appeared on all the walls of the Fort. Even the stairs inside the Fort are about to collapse. Only the front portion of the fort seems to be safe.
Every year, lakhs of pilgrims visit Kali Mata Temple which is situated at the centre of Bahu Fort. Although the temple and surrounding area is safe but it is not being maintained.
The violation of Ancient Monuments Preservation Act was also quite visible in first sight. The wall, which was collapsed due to heavy rains, was earlier repaired with the stones and cement in utter violation of the norms as the Archeology department doesn't allow use of such material during the repair of any historical monument.
Officials further inform, "The concrete was used in 1990s, when it was not a repaired by the PWD, we only used the material prescribed by the Archeology Department."
According to the locals of that area, the department has started the work in 2006, for three-four months, but only the filling wall was done, after that no work has been done in the fort by any of the agency.
Vivek Patihal, President of the Bahu fort market union said, "Only the Archeology department and JDA are responsible for the collapse of the wall of this heritage." "They have done nothing more than some fill on the walls, that too in the front portion only," he added. Bahu Fort is a cultural symbol of the city of Temples. The fort also has an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Kali, the presiding deity of city and is revered by people across the region. It is one of the most ancient structures in the state and is said to have been originally built by Raja Jambu Lochan 3,000 years ago.
Records say Raja decided to build the fort when he witnessed a curious scene of a tiger and a goat drinking water side by side at the same location in the Tawi River.
It was refurbished by the erstwhile Dogra rulers in the 19th Century, when the rein of Maharaja Gulab Singh started after the fall of the Sikh empire in 1840. |
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