Dogra empire symbol Sher Garhi Complex to be renovated at Rs.145 Cr
Eighteenth century structure of Sher Garhi in Srinagar, a living history and witness of Afghan and Dogra rules, will finally be resurrected 72 years after it was slowly abandoned by late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, apparently for being a Dogra rule’s symbol. The complex witnessed major shifting of administrative offices during Bakshi Ghulam Ahmad.
Sher Garhi- a multi-storey and multi-complex and Old SPS Museum building, the residence of the Dogra rulers established on the banks of river Jhelum in Srinagar, will be renovated at a cost of Rs.145 crore with the help of the Union Ministry of Culture. The museum, art center, collection library, painting gallery will be built and a center for cultural activities will be established. The DPR of the project is being prepared by Mumbai’s renowned Darshaw and Company.
The Sher Garhi palace came up in 1772 when Afghan governor Jawansher Khan ruled the place. It remained a major power centre even during the longest period of Dogra rulers.
Shergarhi Complex was declared a state protected monument in July 2017 and Old SPS Museum building in January 2019 under the Jammu and Kashmir Heritage Protection Act 2010. After this, the renovation exercise of Shergarhi Complex started in 2015, but did not materialize.
Darshaw and Company is preparing the Detailed Project Report(DPR) for this project and will be ready by the end of this year. After that the restoration work will start. In October 2020, the government had issued a tender for the restoration work. In March 2021, the government prepared a provisional DPR and sent it to the Union Ministry of Culture for approval. Now after getting approval, the central government will spend 90 percent and J&K government will spend 10 percent on this project.
The government plans to conserve the complex as part of the beautification work aimed to re-establish historical connections between local inhabitants and their cultural, social and political past.
Museums will be built in Sher Garhi complex, in which the ancient history of Jammu and Kashmir will be kept in front of the people. The government will also sign an MoU for this soon.
