–Temple of Prince Loh likely to be opened for public
LAHORE: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has started the conservation process for the interior of Alamgiri Gate of Lahore Fort as well as the connected chambers, rooms and temple of Prince Loh, Pakistan Today learnt on Thursday.
The project, which will be executed at the cost of Rs7 million, will be completed in May 2020.
The gate’s conservation work will include the consolidation of its structure, lime plaster/lime wash, repairing of the wooden door, seepage treatment, anti-termite treatment, fresco treatment and illumination along with the installation of CCTVs for security.
Pakistan Today further learnt that the work to be carried out in the temple of Prince Loh would include lime plaster/lime wash, pacca kalai, repairing of wooden door, seepage treatment, anti-termite treatment, replacement of existing fiber with steel structure and tempered glass, excavation and treatment of archeological findings, provision of the drain system, illumination and installation of signs.
A tourist guide at the Lahore Fort, Malik Aftab told Pakistan Today that the gate’s interior section had dilapidated with the passage of time and needed to be repaired urgently.
“The Archaeology Department had once carried out some conservation work but now it needed attention again as tourists often complain about the structures connected with Alamgiri Gate and Loh Temple. The WCLA has taken a good step by taking up this work,” he said.
He told that the Alamgiri Gate was built by Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir and opens into Hazoori Bagh. It shows a pleasing blend of strength, grace and grandeur with its two semi-circular bastions decorated with lotus petal designs at the base. The interior once had the ticket counter as it was the main gate to the Lahore fort but it had to be closed due to security reasons.
Khalid Elahi, a tourist at Fort said, “It will be great if WCLA restores the Alamgiri Gate. We used to enter the fort through this gate during my childhood and the postern gate used to enter now does not match the fort’s magnitude and grandeur”.
Another tourist and student of NCA, Samia Shah said, “I used to visit this section of the fort often before it was closed. I have seen cracks and damaged fresco inside the gate whereas the temple of Loh is also just a symbolic thing now and people do not know even know of its existence. It is good that WCLA is conserving these places and I hope these places will also be opened for the public later”.
WLCA Director Conservation Najamusaquib said, “This part of the fort is out of sight for the tourists as it is closed with barriers. We will be conserving the interior of the Alamgiri Gate which has rooms and chambers. We will also be conserving the temple of Loh which is located close to Alamgiri Gate. Structural stabilization will be done along with underpinning, restoration of fresco and we will be connecting the temple of Loh with the remains found in the Royal Kitchens. This will surely be another experience for tourists. After conservation, we will be illuminating these permanently for the tourists. WCLA is carrying out all the conservation projects as per the international guidelines and standards of conservation.”