Nagpur: The 160-year-old Ajab Bangla, a grand architectural gem adjacent to Zero Mile in Nagpur, is undergoing a hurried facelift as workers rush to prepare it for the upcoming ‘Shivshastra Shauryagatha’ exhibition, showcasing the weapons of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Maratha army. The main attraction will be the legendary Wagh Nakh — the iron claw used by Shivaji Maharaj in his fateful encounter with Afzal Khan.
While the State Government is pulling out all stops to ensure the Central Museum looks its best for the event, the restoration efforts appear to be a mere cosmetic cover-up for the years of neglect the building has suffered.
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The museum, closed since October 2023, suffered severe water damage during last year’s monsoon when rainwater seeped through its dilapidated roof, damaging priceless artefacts, soaking walls, and leaving the floors flooded. The museum’s heritage collection had to be relocated to other rooms, but no substantial repairs were carried out.
A Haryana-based architectural firm was initially tasked with restoration, but failure to meet deadlines led to its contract being scrapped. Now, in a last-minute effort, workers are layering fresh Plaster of Paris (POP) over the deteriorated surfaces, a move experts fear will crumble if unseasonal rains hit the city.
Reports suggest that the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) had warned authorities against using the building before proper restoration, yet the museum’s management has ignored these recommendations.
Adding to the museum’s woes is a leadership vacuum — the post of Curator remains ineffective, with the current caretaker, Mayuresh Khadke, unavailable for comments despite multiple attempts to reach him.
As the prestigious exhibition approaches, the museum’s structural integrity remains a pressing concern, raising questions about the long-term fate of Nagpur’s historical treasure. Will ‘Ajab Bangla’ truly be restored, or will it remain just a temporary showpiece? Only time will tell.
