Heritage Building Restoration in Kolkata

Kolkata has a rich cultural, artistic, revolutionary heritage and extraordinary love for literature. The city was the capital of British India in the early 18th century. After a historic victory in the Battle of Plassey, the British stepped foot in Kolkata, and so Colonial India was created. Kolkata has been called “The City of Furious'', and “Creative City” for its love for creativity. While the city embellished numerous buildings with Indo-Islamic and Indo-Saracenic architectural influences, some colonial-era structures were designated as Kolkata's heritage. These once-famous Kolkata structures are currently being demolished due to both man-made and natural disasters. The federal and state governments are taking steps to preserve and reform decaying cultural sites.

HERITAGE SITES OF KOLKATA

• Victoria Memorial: Victoria Memorial is a marble building built in the fond memory of Queen Victoria. The lush green and eco-friendly garden is spread on 57 acres of land. The mesmerizing memorial was built between 1906-1921. It was opened by Prince Edward of Wales in December 1921. Victoria Memorial is a museum now with lots of artifacts put on display from the Victorian Era.
• Marble Palace: Marble Palace is a nineteenth-century palace. It was built by Raja Rajendra Mullick, a rich Bengali merchant who had a keen love for paintings. The palace is beautifully restored and persevered. It is open for visitors every day except Mondays and Thursdays.
• St. Paul’s Cathedral: St. Paul Cathedral is a North Kolkata Church. The church belongs to the Anglican community. The cornerstone was placed in 1847, and it depicts the awe-inspiring majesty of Gothic architecture. Throughout the year, St. Paul Cathedral is available for tourists Monday through Saturday. On Sundays and religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas, it is only open for worship.
• Indian Museum: The museum is the oldest and the largest in Kolkata. There are six sections which are sub-divided into 35 galleries which consist of paintings, artifacts, antiques, mummies, etc. 
• Princep Ghat: The Prinsep Ghat was constructed during the colonial era along the banks of the Hooghly River. The architecture along the Kolkata River is inspired by the Greek Gothic style and is one of the nicest spots to visit, particularly at night. The sparkling lights illuminate the entire area, making it exceedingly stunning. It is an excellent location for spending quality time with friends and family. It is one of Kolkata's oldest leisure areas and was established by James Princep, who was famous for reading inscriptions.
• Tagore House: The Jorasanko Thakur Bari was home to the literary family; The Tagores. Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore was born here. The house was erected in the 18th century by Prince Dwarkanath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore's grandfather. It now houses the Rabindra Bharati University as well as a museum with various literary pieces, papers, and items depicting Tagores' lives.
• Rabindra Sarovar: Rabindra Sarovar formerly known as Dhakuria Lake is an artificial lake in South Kolkata. People come here for relaxation. The lake is surrounded by beautiful green shrubs and trees, making it an attractive destination.

WHAT DOES BUILDING RESTORATION MEAN?

The process of restoration includes restoring a structure to its original condition or changing it to a better one. This repair procedure is often used on ancient historic buildings since they are too valuable to lose due to man-made or natural disasters. Preserving architecture is crucial for the current generation so that future generations and subsequent generations can learn about history in a more structured manner. Building repair entails preventing additional harm to structures. This is accomplished by replacing obsolete materials with more advanced ones. Other contemporary approaches, such as replacing antiquated utilities with new utilities and climate control systems, are used wherever and whenever they are required.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO RESTORE BUILDINGS?

It is essential to preserve heritage buildings since their architecture is crucial in society. In a country like India, where history has revealed so many inspiring stories from the past. Similarly, Kolkata, the former capital of colonial India, has many heritage structures that need to be restored. Furthermore, preventing the destruction of heritage buildings is critical for long-term economic prosperity. Architectural constructions are crucial in terms of tourism. These can provide jobs and opportunities for both local and foreign professionals. 

WHAT ARE THE LEVELS OF RESTORATION?

The restoration procedure is ecologically sound since it gives the greatest form of recycling by replacing obsolete utilities with sophisticated and sustainable utilities. Climate control systems are also implemented where they are required. Aside from that, it aids in the preservation of architectural investments in terms of labor, money, time, and energy.

There are generally three ways in which an architectural building can be restored depending upon its age and its historical significance. The levels include:

• Preservation: This is the initial step in which no to minimal changes are made. The architects and activists simply preserve the architecture, that's all.

• Rehabilitation: In this step, an architect’s main focus is to restore the structural value of a historical building. This is done mainly to protect the building from deteriorating further.

•  Reconstruction: This step is quite worrisome as it includes the reconstruction of those heritage buildings whose remains are very precious to the country. The buildings are recreated using modern techniques.

The restoration process is full of challenges as it deals with architecture that has a lot of cultural values. The choice of treatment depends upon the condition of the building.

HOW DO ACTIVISTS AND ARCHITECTS OF KOLKATA REACT TO THE DETERIORATION OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS? 

In an article published by The Times of India, activists, conservatives, and architects from Kolkata have urged KMC (Kolkata Municipal Corporation) to restore and protect the neighborhoods of Kolkata. The article quotes several experts on this line.

INTACH‘s (Indian National Trust of Art and Cultural Heritage) GM Kapur said, “We must protect our tangible and intangible heritage” because neighborhood like Hasting, Elgin Road, Camac Street, and Theatre Road has been irreversibly altered but other roads such as Purna Das Road, Hindustan Park, Lee Road, Creek Road, and Chitpur could be still preserved, he added.

Urban Conservationist Kamalika Bose called the designated heritage care centers to follow a sustainable method to support historic and culturally significant areas of attraction. She said, “You need legislation to safeguard collective character and lool beyond cherry-picking individual architectural landmarks. For Kolkata, this is urgent and essential as several neighborhoods, urban settings, and public open spaces can still be saved from irreversible and incongruent change.”

CONCLUSION

It is critical to repair heritage buildings because they not only identify one location from another but also because they have intrinsic worth. The marble of the Victoria Memorial is turning yellow due to an increase in pollution released by thousands of vehicles that pass through the monument daily. Climate change can cause unavoidable damage to heritage sites through an increase in temperature, change in humidity cycles, and increased frequency and severity of extreme events.