Vilayatibagh ruins, Lucknow

Pics taken on Sunday July 21, 2013

Vilayati Bagh was built by Ghazi-ud-din Haider
 (b. c. 1769 – d. 19 October 1827) was the last^[1] nawab wazir of Oudh from 11 July 1814 to 19 October 1818^[2] and first^[1] King of Oudh from 19 October 1818 to 19 October 1827, for an European of his on the right bank of the River Gomti not far from the Dilkusha Palace.
The Archaeological Survey of India has been working on its preservation after decades of neglect. 
Three European graves within its precincts have been repaired but remain nameless!

 

The two little pyramids put on one grave are, perhaps,
 remnants of the original grave or wall that surrounded it! 

Hussainabad Clock Tower gate

 

The top picture was taken in May 2011: Roaming around the Hussainabad Clock Tower in Lucknow,  notRumi Darwaza I noticed this iron railing with a crescent. I couldn't believe that it had survived

far from the

when all the rest of the fencing had long gone; replaced by a poorly finished angle-iron fencing. I again visited the place on July 14, 2013 and was disturbed to find labourers digging around and I thought this would be the end of that old fence. Anyhow on closer examination I discovered that this was actually the original gateway to the clock tower. The pictures here are of two iron pillars with the two gates intact. One is hidden by the earth that has been piled against it. Most of the gate had been hidden by bushes most of the time. I went on to an Archaeological Survey of India facebook page thinking I'd draw the attention of the authorities to it. The reply I got from there disappointed me: The page is the ASI's 'fan' page!! Now how long will this survive is anybody's guess! Several years ago the changed the original pre-Independence fencing around the Sir Harcourt Butler Park in Kaiserbagh, Lucknow. What the use today as fencing needs repairs every couple of years. Iron is twisted a wrenched off by people who sell it to scrap dealers.

November 2014 the original gateway to
the Hussainabad clock tower was
smashed as I'd feared three years earlier.

This is how the Archaeological Survey of India
preserves heritage sites and artifacts!

End of November 2014

Old pic taken some months ago (2014)