Srinagar, Sep 25: Maharaj Gunj, a prominent heritage marketplace in Shahr-e-Khaas is fast losing charm due to alleged neglect by successive regimes even though the market could have been a key attraction for tourists, apart from being a business hub. 

THE PLIGHT
 The residents and shopkeepers of Maharaj Gunj are up in arms against the government with many a grievance such as lack of required transportation, dilapidated roads and congestion. The complainants said the access to the area has gone so cumbersome that people avoid going there.
 “Many promises were made but nothing realized…Nothing substantial has been done till now to revive the glory of this Shahr-e-Khaas area,” said a group of aggrieved residents of Maharaj Gunj, flanked by shopkeepers.
 The complainants added that many building structures were removed by the government in order to widen the road connectivity but the work was done “haphazardly as many of the bottlenecks still exist especially between Wazapora and Rajouri Kadal.”
 “The area is in a total mess, with dilapidated roads dotted with potholes. While some structures have been removed some are untouched,” they said.

TRADERS SPEAK
 The traders complained that there is dearth of required transport facility to the area. “This place is famous for Mandis (wholesale market) but unfortunately we lack sufficient transport, which is most important for such a place. Trade is successful only when there is good transport, without that no trade is possible,” President Maharaj Gunj Traders Federation, Haji Asadullah Mir told Greater Kashmir.
 His colleague Muhamad Yaseen, Secretary Budshah Bazar, has more to add.  “There is no traffic policing in the area. Many accidents happen here almost everyday because of wrong side driving whereas the men in blue are seen but only in civil line areas alone,” Yaseen said.
 But he said this wasn’t the scene till a few decades ago. “There used to be a hustle-bustle here as apart from local customers, foreign tourists would love coming to this place… But then with the passage of time it has lost its importance due to callousness of those at the helm of affairs.”
 At present, the market houses around a thousand shops including 150 wholesale dealers, who struggle to keep the trading go on.

HISTORY
 The 205-years-old market of Maharaj Gunj is believed to have been constructed by Maharaja Ranbhir Singh in 1806, in an era when trade was done through bullock carts and transported to many wholesale markets of South Asia from Central Asia via Jhelum Valley Cart Road (now called Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road). 

PROMISES
 The state government made several promises to restore the pristine glory of this historic area but on ground nothing tangible is seen to have been done till date.
 In April this year, Minister for Rural development and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Sagar during his old City visit said that Shahr-e-Khaas has rich history and therefore can be utilized for tourist activities.
 “An ambitious project is on the anvil to promote Maharaj Gunj and Zaina Kadal including Budshah Tomb as cultural heritage site,” Sagar had said.
 He added that pristine glory of Shahr-e-Khaas would be restored for which a project is under consideration of the government. Sagar said those who would come under this ambitious project would be “rehabilitated properly.”
 The same month, Minister of State for Tourism Nasir Sogami echoed similar views saying the area would be decongested.  “People should visit this place more often. We should project the market in such a way that the tourists should include it in their itinerary. One can get many things in this market, which are not available elsewhere. The inflow of the tourists in the market would be a boost for the trade and the state's economy,” the minister said.

THE PROPOSALS
 In May this year, INTACH, a prominent organization into heritage conservation prepared a detailed report on the conservation of Maharaj Gunj.
 Koen Aertgeerts, an architect from Belgium who has extensively worked in Srinagar for his thesis said the conservation of heritage was no big deal provided “there is a commitment to the task.”
 He said Rs 12 odd crore project could transform the Maharaj Gunj locality into an eye-catching heritage site which apart from local business can attract tourists from world over.

BOTTOMLINE
 Till now successive regimes made several promises to facelift the old City, particularly Maharaj Gunj. But on ground, this heritage marketplace is losing sheen even as it cries for attention.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 25 Sep 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 IST