17th century Oonth Kadal to get fresh lease of life

The 17th century 'Oonth Kadal', a Mughal period arch-shaped bridge in the middle of Dal Lake here will soon be restored with German aid.

An agreement to this effect was signed here Monday between Deputy Ambassador of German Embassy Jasper Wieck, and convener of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), J&K chapter, Muhammad Saleem Beg.

Oonth Kadal is a stone masonry bridge which was a part of the erstwhile Chaudhri Soth (also called Soth-i-Chodri) that started at the end of the Naidyar Bridge in Kralyar Rainawari area of the old city here.

The bridge was built in the 1670s during Mughal rule in India. The camel's hump-shaped bridge is believed to have a causeway supported by a series of timber and stone planks, which helped the structure survive the vicissitudes of time.

"The Oonth Kadal structure today lies isolated in the middle of Dal Lake. However, images from 1890s to 1960s illustrate the structure as part of a causeway with a series of poplar trees lining both edges of it. This unique frame created a picturesque setting which was suitably taken advantage of by many international photographers of the time, Beg said.

He said Oonth Kadal, which has been seen in a number of Hindi films, is part of the combined package of Dal Lake, Zabarwan mountain range and the potential world heritage site of Nishat Bagh.

"Over the decades, lack of attention and difficulty in reaching the structure has resulted in its severe deterioration. If immediate attention was not given to conserve this historical structure, the structure would have succumbed to external agents of erosion and pilfering of building material, the INTACH convener said.

Beg said INTACH has been working with the cultural division of the embassy of Germany for the last few years and during this time the embassy had provided financial support for restoration of papier mache ceilings at the Black Pavilion of the Mughal Garden in Shalimar Bagh in 2015.

"Based on the high degree of professionalism displayed by INTACH's Kashmir Chapter, the German Embassy said that more restoration proposals for funding by them could be considered, he said.

He said a detailed conservation plan was prepared by INTACH and sent to the German Embassy, New Delhi.

"Arno Kirchhop, political minister counsellor, Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany in India, visited Srinagar for spot feasibility inspection of the project, after which the embassy approved the funding for the significant cultural property, he said.

Beg said the restoration of Oonth Kadal will bring focus on the significance of the Dal Lake as part of the global cultural and natural heritage.