SA Art Restoration Workshop: An Experience by Alka Dalal

The chills one feels when someone visits a mesmerizing  place!

That's how I felt when I went for an Indo-Saracenic Revival and Art competition that Government Degree College, Kandaghat organised in their premises in collaboration with Speaking  Archaeologically.

 Kandaghat is an idyllic little sleepy town,  situated near Solan in Himachal Pradesh, so picturesque that it took my heart away. It its very heart, it holds a beautiful building constructed  by Maharaja Patiala that combines Mughal, Rajputana and Mock-Tudor  styles of architecture-something that is defined as Indo Saracenic Architecture, an outcome of the British Rule in India. Maharaja Patiala built this for his ailing Uncle, Maharaja Dhaulpur of Malerkotla, when the latter was detected with tuberculosis.

For the last few years, the building was left neglected and was set to be demolished to construct a College in its place but the Principal of the College, Mrs  Navita Gautam and the Team of Speaking  Archaeologically took a stand against this blatant robbing of a place's heritage.

 As a part of this very endeavour,  a competition inviting  students to restore the artwork was held that resulted in a selection of a team of seven people. Seven murals of different  styles were, thus, painted in the college premises. Being one of them, it was an out of the world experience  for me. We got to stay in the PWD Rest House that was once the house of the British Resident in Kandaghat, next to the erstwhile Power House, made in the typically Victorian Gothic Style.

I made such beautiful  friends and I got to learn a lot about history and culture of the people living in different parts of India .We worked for three days and that has become the most memorable time of my life.

Shriya Gautam, who is the Head of Speaking Archaeologically, is a sweetheart  and someone, one could admire and adore completely. Conversations with her and the fellow participants are unforgettable and priceless.

I hope I get the chance to participate in such an inspiring event once again.