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| Damaged Nahan Kothi Panchkula timescontent.com |
Nahan Kothi Panchkula nyoooz.com
Above image: The 161 year old building that lies in a Sector-12, residential area of Panchkula, is a protected monument with 19th century British architecture. Haryana’s department of archaeology took efforts to save the dilapidated building and put it back to old glory. It was constructed between 1857 and 1863 and in 2016 Rs. 65 lakh contract work was allotted to a private contractor for the restoration work which, it was said, would be completed as early as possible.
The 161 year old Nahan Kothi, a protected monument (declared in 2007), in the modern city of Panchkula is the only important remnant representing the British architecture of 19th century AD in this region, according to state Archaeology department. Built by Prince Surjan Singh and Bir Singh, the sons of Raja Fateh Singh (1857-63 AD), the ruler of Sirmour State, Nathan Kothi, with a garden and servant quarters was primarily used by the rulers as a territorial out-post to keep an eye on activities inimical to the rulers going on in the neighboring places. Apart, it was also used as a hunting lodge for overnight stay during hunting expedition undertaken by colonial rulers.
Part of the reason why an outpost was planned here was it happened to be a hilly region and the state was susceptible to attack by enemies around. that place. This region including Morni and other adjoining hilly areas of Haryana was part of Sirmour State and the state capital was Nahan (Himachal Pradesh). The monument several times underwent many alterations at various periods and consequently the original architecture wa very much affected. However, some of the original features of this Kothi remain unaffected.
1n 1997 Consumer Forum court house shifted to this place in Nov 1997 and the SDM court was functioning there for sometime. In the 2010s the state Archaeology department was keen to restore the building as there was mounting pressure from the historians and heritage lovers to save the building from severe damages. The Consumer Foram delayed its shifting office to a new upcoming court complex in 2013-14 and finally eviction was forced on them through court proceedings. Both Punjab and Haryana High Courts came down heavily on the Consumer Foram and sent a notice to Haryana government, the cultural affairs department and Panchkula deputy commissioner, on a public interest litigation seeking eviction of the consumer forum from the heritage building
CDM - consumer forums in Haryana come under the food and supply department and since the government had not found a suitable place to locate the consumer court in the heritage building for a long period. The CDM office finally moved over to sector 14. from Sector 12-A in Panchkula to facilitate the restoration work, but their move is a belated one.
Sources said the officials of Department of Archaeology and Museums, Haryana, had made a proposal for restoration of the monument pretty soon and did not want other agencies to undertake the conservation work.
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| Nathan Kothi, Panchkula in ruins ruinshindustantimes.com |
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| Nathan Kothi, Panchkula in ruins ruinshindustantimes.com |
https://haryanatourism.gov.in/Destination/nahan-kothi
