Dogra Art museum to be temporarily shifted to facilitate restoration work

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The Dogra Art Museum at Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex is being temporarily shifted to Army headquarters building within the premises here to facilitate restoration work, an official spokesman said on Tuesday.

The decision to shift the museum was taken after Farooq Khan, advisor to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, visited the 187-year-old epitome of cultural and royal heritage of last Dogra rulers in the old walled city, the spokesman said.

Mubarak Mandi, overlooking the Tawi river, was the main seat of power till 1925 when the last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh moved to the Hari Niwas palace in the northern part of Jammu.

Khan inspected different segments of the heritage complex on Monday to have firsthand appraisal of the ongoing work and sought a detailed briefing on several important issues pertaining to restoration of the museum, preservation of historical records and documents, strategies and methodologies for restoration and conservation of various components, the spokesman said.

Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Sanjeev Verma, Secretary Culture, Zubair Ahmad, Director, Archives, Archaeology and Museums, Munir-Ul-Islam, Executive Director, Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society (MMJHS), Deepika K Sharma besides senior officers of executing agencies and representatives of Sanrakshan Heritage Consultants were present on the occasion, the spokesman said.

Director, Archives, Archaeology and Museums gave a detailed presentation on the museum and informed the Advisor about the arrangements being made for its shifting.

Executive Director, MMJHS briefed the Advisor about the master plan for the heritage complex, besides Divisional Commissioner and Secretary Culture gave their valuable suggestions about various options available for shifting of the museum, the spokesman said.

The Advisor asked the Director, Archives to prepare a detailed report on temporary shifting of the museum while executing agencies were directed to optimise the changes to be made in the Army Headquarters building like lighting, installation of security gadgets and other paraphernalia required for the shifting purpose.

Khan also asked Islam to take necessary measures for preservation and shifting of archival record and submit a feasible report on exploring possibilities for shifting books and old records pertaining to pre-Dogra period and Dogra period to the Army Headquarters.

The Advisor asked the executing agencies to prepare a detailed draft for the future course of action for the restoration work of the heritage complex, he said.

In March, Governor Satya Pal Malik approved the master plan for conservation and adaptive re-use of Mubarak Mandi palace complex as per the proposed zoning (A-F) which includes central courtyard, knowledge centre, interpretation and collection galleries, lifestyle, experiential spaces, and crafts centre.