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| Historic Edward Hall (now Gandhi hall) , Indore |
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| Gandhi (king Edward) hall, Indore, dreamstime.com |
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| Gandhi/ Edward Hall, Indore dreamstime.com |
Above image: Gandhi Hall (formerly King Edward hall), Indore, MP: Built in Indo -Saracenic style the Hall measuring 112 feet in length has a stage and gallery surrounded by an open verandah.
Rajput-style minarets topped with domes are typically native architectural features. The European style has Gothic elements Palladian arches, a terraced roof and ornamental moldings. the other striking feature is the fascinating 90 foot tall clock tower, capped by a large 15x15 feet dome housing the clock itself. The clock dials are big and are quite visible at far of distance. The high ceiling in the arch is made of white plaster of Paris with decorative features. A temple and a library are additional features of this building........
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| Maharajah. Yeshwant Rao Holkar II npg.org.uk/ |
At a time when old colonial monuments are either left to rot or not given due attention by the state Archaeology departments, I am glad the Indore Smart City Administration in 2021 restored the famous King Edward Hall along with the chiming clock in the prime area. In order to preserve the heritage value special care was taken by the project engineers with respect to conservation work. The work that needs to be applauded is that of the chiming clock and the tower. The restoration work began only after the structure had been made structurally strong.
Mahatma Gandhi Hall formerly known as King Edward Hall built in 1904 by Holkars of Indore to honor the visit of British Ruler King Edward during to Indore State was renamed as Gandhi Hall after India's independence. The builder was Maharajah Yeshwant Rao Holkar II (reign: 1926 - 1948) ho had a close rapport with the Crown administration. The architect was Mr. Charles Frederick Stevens (he designed (Chatrapathi Shivaji Railway terminus, Municipal corporation building, etc.) from Mumbai and construction cost was about ₹2,50,000. It was inaugurated by the Prince of Wales (George V) in 1905. After the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, the hall was renamed after Gandhiji.
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| King Edward (9 Nov 184 - 6 May 1910) en.wikipedia.org |
The red-colored building with magnificent domes and minarets has an impressive medium tall clock tower with fine-looking clock dials. The white stones from Seoni and red stones used in the building were procured from Patan, from mines in the present Madhya Pradesh (M. P.). The leftover construction material from the incomplete Phooti Kothi, also in Indore, was used to construct this hall.
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Architect Frederick William Stevens (11Nov.1847 -5 Mar. 1900)
en.wikipedia.org |
After renovation the chiming clock shows correct time and helps thousands of passersby The historic grand building of Holkar era still stands as a legacy of the British Raj.
Set in an area of 4.245 acres including the 1200 square meters of hall with marble flooring, wooden stage area, unique painting and beautiful wooden ceiling, Gandhi hall building and the complex underwent complete renovation as part of Indore smart city project
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| Gandhi hall, Indore map.sahapedia.org |
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palladian arches Gandhi hall, Indore map.sahapedia.org
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Gandhi/ Edward Hall, Indore dreamstime.com
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116 year old clock. Gandhi hall, Indore map.sahapedia.org
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Above images: Gandhi Hall Clock on the tower, Indore: The chiming 116 year old clock tower has been part of the life of the people living in this area. Now restored after two decades, it chimes every 15 minutes. Earlier its chiming caused vibrations and it was considered unsafe as the building was structurally weak due to poor upkeep. Credit goes to 83 year old watchmaker
P.B. Lapalikar, who had earlier repaired the clock in 1956 and 2013 managed to repair the it with his sons in a short time. Chiming was restored in July 2020 only after the tower was made safe by way of anchoring work.........
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Indo-Gothic Gandhi hall, Indore map.sahapedia.org
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Indo-Gothic Gandhi/ Edward Hall, Indore dreamstime.com
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The renovation wok covered repair of the sound of the chiming clock and certain structural cracks in the clock tower. The clock became dysfunctional primarily because of these cracks that caused seepage. The restoration engineers were careful about renovation as the building is a masonry one clad in stone on the exterior on both sides. They carefully handled the structural strengthening work without compromising on its grandeur and beauty provided by the exterior cladding. The special patented technology of
cintec anchor (UK) gave them the right solution as it was used with high tensile strength stainless steel anchors embedded across the length and width of clock tower. They also successfully handled outward leaning and separation of northern and east walls at north east corner of the building. The conservationists carefully used the
cintec anchors tying both walls to stop further separation; separation being due to long term deflection and movement. The most difficult part of conservation work undertaken by the Indore smart city administration was strengthening the structure without damaging the decorative elements on the exterior.
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Gandhi/ Edward Hall, Indore dreamstime.com
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Located close to the Indore railway and bus stand, the renovated aesthetically built Gandhi hall, along with open green cover of over 14500 square meter area, parking, open-air theater, underground library building of 600 square meter and public plaza, has become a popular venue for many cultural and religious events, exhibition, etc., in the city. The hall being a large one, can accommodate 2000 people at the same time and the added advantage is the open space around it which can be used for bigger social events. The renovated colonial structure has not only given a fillip to the Socio-cultural life of this sprawling city but also will stimulate the heritage tourism of MP. Restored to its original grandeur in 2021, to get the attention of the public the State Government uses a new gimmick - lighting up this building in tri-color on all the three national festivals highlighting the splendor of this Indo-Saracenic styled structure, a legacy of Maharajah Yeshwant Rao Holkar II, a dynamic ruler and administrator.
https://www.dailypioneer.com/2021/state-editions/heritage-building-gandhi-hall-renovated.html
https://indorerocks.com/attractions/Attraction/Gandhi_Hall/10010
https://map.sahapedia.org/article/Gandhi-Hall/10496
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