A project that recreates the past glory of Srinagar’s Maharaj Gunj market, which has disappeared from sight with encroachment and deviations for several decades, throws new light on rare architectural elements introduced in Kashmir by Dogra Hindu kings between 1846 and 1947. Now, Srinagar Smart City Limited and the Kashmir chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) have joined hands to conserve vernacular elements of Kashmiri architecture, including colonnaded walkways, decorative pilasters, and exposed moulded brickwork in their efforts to bring that past to life again.
“The [Maharaj Gunj market] area has a rich mix of vernacular and colonial architecture. Most residential buildings lining the streets are mixed use, with shops on the ground floor and living quarters on the upper floors, constructed in the taq or dhajji dewari styles. Some of the houses going up four floors still bear testament to the rich architectural legacy of Srinagar, with highly ornate exteriors and interiors,” Saima Iqbal, principal conservation architect with INTACH, told The Hindu.
One of the approach roads from the beautiful 607-year-old Budshah Tomb has already been uplifted with a subtle colour palette, including lime for the walls and brown for the windows. A uniform, traditional character of fenestrations is already changing the character of the location. Shop shutters are being realigned, and repainted with an appropriate colour. A uniform wooden signage has been designed for all the shops, with standardised typeface and size.
