Hyderabad: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) began restoration work on one of Charminar’s minarets after a piece broke off earlier this month during heavy rainfall. The fragment, which fell from the southeastern minaret, landed near the Bhagyalakshmi temple at the base of the monument.
Smitha Kumar, deputy superintendent of ASI, confirmed that the restoration process is now underway and will also include a structural assessment of the remaining minarets to prevent further damage. “Staying true to heritage conservation practices, the ASI is using materials such as lime, sand, etc., to carry out the repairs. The aim is to restore the plasterwork without compromising the monument’s original architectural integrity,” she added.
Staff stationed at the monument pointed out that the minarets were not included during the restoration efforts conducted just ahead of Ramzan. “There are chances that the other minarets could get damaged if repair work is not carried out on them as well,” said one of the staff members, raising concerns about the stability of the other sections.
The ASI erected scaffolding and wrapped the affected minaret to shield it from further environmental impact as the repairs progress. “We were waiting for dry weather to commence the work; however, frequent rains delayed it,” Kumar added.
