ASI waits for clear weather to begin restoration work on Charminar

The damaged portion of the southeast minaret of historic Charminar.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRAGEMENT

A day after a two-metre stucco portion of Charminar’s south-eastern minaret fell during the rain on Thursday afternoon, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team carried out an initial assessment to restore the national monument. “We are waiting for the India Meteorological Department forecast. We need a window of dry weather to start the work. The damage happened due to the summer rains, like it did in May 2019,” informed an ASI official.

The Charminar, a centerpiece of Hyderabad as a tourist attraction and a foundational monument, is under the custody of the ASI. As millions of visitors mill around the site every day, the wear and tear has affected the 430-year-old monument. “Pollution, vibration due to human activity, and prolonged exposure to environmental stressors such as moisture infiltration, freeze-thaw cycles, and structural fatigue could be the reasons for the detachment,” said an ASI conservation official. On Thursday, after days of withering high temperatures , there was sharp spell of rain at 2.45 p.m.

The Charminar has become a target of jokes on social media as work is going on one minaret or the other round the year. There are social media videos about the colours and the constant presence of scaffolding. This has proved to be a boon in the present instance reducing the administrative work, as the restoration work will be carried out under the existing work order.  

“Skilled traditional artisans have been brought to the site to participate in the inspection, discuss the methodology for immediate restoration of the fallen portion, and take necessary precautions. The fallen pieces of stucco have been removed and stacked for further scientific analysis. Scaffolding has been installed along with safety nets, and the estimated completion time for this work is 15 days,” shared the ASI official. 

“What has fallen off is an ornamental decoration. There may be a lot of reasons for that piece flaking off, including the increase in vibration due to the cobblestones of the pedestrianisation project. On the plus side, vehicular traffic has decreased, reducing vibrations and pollution,” says civil engineer Sajjad Shahid, who is also the co-convenor of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage in Hyderabad.