Uttar Pradesh's capital is home to some of the most beautiful monuments from the Nawabi era, which started in the early 18th-century and ended when the British annexed the state of Awadh in the mid-19th century. For many years, this period's pristine architecture and colossal structures enticed locals and tourists. But these magnificent monuments now show signs of chronic neglect, and are slowly crumbling under the onslaught of time, weather and vandals.Some of the structures have developed cracks. Their walls have been scratched with the names of uncaring visitors, some of whom even cart away chunks of building material. Straggly wild plants stick out from niches in walls like bizarre architectural adornments. Some monuments have been encroached upon by people and other structures.



Of Lucknow's 59 protected monuments, 25 have been encroached,

according to the Archaeological Survey of India



These include the monumental Bada and Chota Imambadas, the Asafi Masjid, the Picture Gallery and the Shahnajaf."A small crack could be fatal to these monuments," said conservation architect A Srivastava, adding that such fractures can spread and bring a structure down. Said Raushan Taqui, author of several books on Lucknow’s history: "These are very important monuments in terms of Lakhnavi history and culture, and everything should be done to protect and conserve them."

PK Mishra, the Archaeological Survey of India's Lucknow head denied that his organisation had neglected the monuments. "We look after every monument," he said. "But some circumstances obstruct us...but we are trying our best to restore them."The walls of some monuments have cracks that are gradually widening and threatening the structures' very existence. Plaster from the walls is peeling off and the stuccos are crumbling. The walls of monuments such as the Tomb of Saadat Ali Khan in Hazratganj and the Rumi Gate have visible cracks; they are gasping for life. The palace of Musabagh is in tatters, with locals quarrying its walls for building material.



Maqbara Saadat Ali Khan

Encroachments on these monuments are both residential and commercial, and many involve the trusts or caretakers themselves. The entrances to both the Tomb of Nawab Asaf-ud-daula (the Asafi or Bada Imambada) and the Tomb of Nawab Muhammed Ali Shah (the Husainabad or Chota Imambada) have been encroached upon by shops and eateries. Many families live inside the Bada Imambada and some in underground cells of the Asafi mosque.The Tomb of King Ghaziuddin Haider, or the Shahnajaf Imambada, in the Hazratganj area, houses the family members of the trustees, who live in the cells and have built several houses over the years. In 2011, after hearing a public interest litigation, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High court directed the district administration to remove the illegal occupants.



Shahnajaf Imambada

But the occupants challenged the order in the court, which stayed the previous order telling them to vacate the premises. The matter went to the Hussainabad Trust, which owns the property, which was to issue fresh orders after listening to the petitioners. But another drive was conducted to vacate them, which failed. “My forefathers served and lived in Shahnajaf," said one resident, who did not with to be named. "I will fight for my shelter."



Back gate of the Shahnajaf Imambada

Encroachments are the result of both rapid urbanisation and the Trust's allotments within the monument premises . The ASI's Mishra pleaded helplessness. "We depend upon the state government or local administration for initiating any legal action against illegal occupants," he said.Encroachment is prohibited for 100 metres from the monument on all sides and the regulated zone is a further 200 metres beyond this, under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act 2010. Violations are punishable by a fine of Rs 1 lakh and a two-year jail term.In May 2013, a city-based lawyer, Mohammad Haider, filed a public interest litigation in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, covering all monuments that had been defaced and encroached upon. The court directed the ASI and other concerned parties to form a committee and review the problems stated in the petition.The law states that the central government and trustee or owner must come to an agreement about the upkeep of a monument. But the Archaeological Survey of India and the Hussainabad Trust, which administer these monuments have no such written document."The Trust was set up a century ago, with descendants of royal families as trustees," said a member of the Awadhi Royal family. "Today, the trust [needs to be reconstructed] as they [the trustees] are not interested in restoring the monuments."

If the cracks on the Rumi Gate are to be restored, traffic will have to be diverted. But when officials considered diverting traffic through the Link Road near the Tiley Wali Masjid, the Sunni mosque's Imam Maulana Fazlul Rehman objected, saying that the vehicles would damage the century-old structure. The ASI, the district administration and the Hussainabad Trust held several meetings to convince the imam without success.This article was originally published on TwoCircles.net