Srinagar, Aug 16: The wait is finally over as the Shergari Cultural Centre is now open to the public at the Old Secretariat complex in Srinagar.

 

Art and heritage lovers can visit the centre and explore the ancient and modern exhibits on display in the newly restored art museum. 

 

The project is the first step towards the restoration of the eighteen century Shergari complex into a full-fledged cultural centre for students, scholars and art lovers.

 

“Our next program is to start the restoration of the old structure of Shergari palace and other buildings for reuse,” said Mushtaq Ahmad Beigh, Deputy Director at the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums.

 

“More such spaces will be open for heritage lovers, conservationists and tourists in the cultural centre after the proposal is accepted by the government of India,” he said.

 

He said the centre would be the first destination for tourists during the heritage trip through Jhelum.

 

Admission to the Cultural Centre will remain free for all and its current hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The facilities are closed on Mondays.

 

Beigh said he sees this new space becoming an important art and heritage hub in Kashmir.

 

“This is a new space for the community and will give a first of its kind platform for local artists for free,” he said. “We want them to make better use of it.”

 

The permanent exhibits are paintings and artefacts from the 18th century till the present and some rare art collections from the J&K Academy of Art Culture and Languages which are as old as 300 years.

 

These exhibits also show off the gallery’s emphasis on old paintings from Kashmir, Jammu, Pahari, Kangra and Basholi schools.

 

The opening event was held on August 15 that coincided with Independence Day and then continued from the next day. 

 

Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha inaugurated the art museum at Shergari Cultural Centre. The museum has been established by the Department of Archives, Archaeology, and Museums J&K.

 

“Culture is a way of life. It is our social capital. The museum will offer equal access to budding painters, scholars, and art connoisseurs," Sinha said while inaugurating the museum.

 

“It is our top-most priority to maintain and preserve our cultural heritage. The government is mapping J&K’s cultural assets and the status of art, music, and drama for promotion in schools and universities,” he added.

 

The governor said that the government plans to invite artists from J&K and outside states for art camps in Jammu and Srinagar for cultural engagement with local artists.

 

On the occasion, the paintings of many artists were showcased for public viewing which includes ‘Before Deluge’ by Bansi Parimo painted in 1969, ‘Happy Valley’ by K Subramanium (1970); ‘Landscape’ by MF Hussain (1962) Kashmir Family by Laxmi Pai (1969). Besides, the artworks and paintings of Shuban K Kaw, SN Bhat, Anand Dev, Baldev Gambhir, Mohsin Nasreen Mohan Raina, GR Santosh, Satyen Ghosal, Shanti Dave, Shoba Broota, and other contemporary artists from Jammu and Kashmir were also on display at the Art Museum.

 

The Shergari palace came up in 1772 when Afghan governor Jawansher Khan ruled Kashmir. It continued to remain a major power centre even during the longest period of Dogra rulers after which the complex was turned into erstwhile state Assembly and Legislative Council and later also used as Administrative Secretariat.

 

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly during the 2014 budget session had recommended that the government should preserve and restore the Old Assembly Complex (Shergari, Srinagar) on the pattern of Mubarak Mandi Jammu and initiate vital conservation measures for the same.

 

The government has already declared Mubarak Mandi Jammu as State Protected Monument under vide SRO-126 and has started its renovation to restore the complex into its original glory. Accordingly, in view of its historical, archaeological and architectural importance, the government declared the Sheer Garhi complex as a 'state-protected monument' under SRO-270, on July 6, 2017.

 

The Shergari complex includes the L-Shape heritage building—a historical structure, constructed during the Dogra period. Block C Old Building, a heritage structure, was gutted in a fire nearly three decades back. The Old Assembly Building in Shergari Complex is an old structure and was used by the then governments as a Legislative Assembly from 1947.