“Around 1/4 of the structure is still there, which will be used to create the new structure, even if the most of it has been demolished. From Rajasthan, marble that is comparable to that used in the previous building will be imported.

LUCKNOW: Chhoti Baradari in Raja Rampal Singh Park, near to Safed Baradari in Qaisar Bagh, has finally started receiving long-overdue renovations. Heritage enthusiasts in the city have long called for the restoration of the dilapidated building that is pleading for help.The 200-year-old, single-piece marble structure is being restored by renowned city heritage architect Ashish Srivastava, who stated, “Funds have been given and the restoration work has started. It will be finished in the next six months. Even though the entire park needs to be restored, it will cost about $30 lakh to rebuild the crumbling chhatari (Chhoti Baradari).

In the middle of the park, Chhatari is encircled by a man-made pond. In addition, the park features a statue of its namesake, Raja Rampal Singh, a freedom fighter.

Even though the majority of the chhatari is destroyed, what is left will aid in restoration efforts. “There is still about one-fourth of the chhatari, which will be used to build the new structure. From Rajasthan, marble that is comparable to that used in the previous building will be imported. The Taj Mahal was constructed with the same marble, according to Srivastava.

A year ago, Srivastava and other history buffs asked the Lucknow Development Authority to begin an emergency repair of the building. But now that the work has paid off, he continued, “it is ready to get a new lease on life.”

Although the Chhoti Baradari’s actual origins are uncertain, some people think that it was moved to its current place after independence from another area of the city. Others assert that it had consistently been in the same spot in the park. According to historian Ravi Bhatt of Lucknow, “the small baradari has no recorded history, so its exact inception is unknown as of this writing. There was no practice of recording history in those days.”

But according to Ashish Srivastava, “the Chhatri was not shifted from any other place and was built during the rule of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, according to documents and images of 1858 available in the state archives.”

“With this in mind, the park was renovated in 2004 as part of the Urban Conservation Project Part-I. The beautifying was carried out in harmony with the style of the previous era. The entire park was given a facelift for $2 crore, he claimed.

Source- Hindustan times
Link- https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/long-ignored-chhoti-baradari-in-lko-finally-getting-a-facelift-101695755472954.html