Delhi’s Safdarjung Tomb, a graceful Mughal architectural marvel that stands as a symbol of the city’s rich cultural heritage, recently found itself in an amusing situation. The main door of this historical landmark was “inadvertently” painted with the wrong color which in no way matched its original aesthetic, a report by The Times of India claimed. The good news is that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has now swiftly jumped to action to rectify this error, and embarked on a mission to restore the door’s original colour.
According to the report, the ASI officials said that the door was painted a dark yellow colour when originally, it was painted light yellow. The officials admitted that they painted a darker yellow as they thought it would lighten up after drying. But that didn’t happen. They said they are now repainting it as the ASI is very sensitive and particular about retaining the originality of the structure. However, this mishap did delay the work by a month.
The incident is a gentle reminder of how delicate is the balance between conservation and modernization in safeguarding the essence of historical treasures. Built in the 18th century, the Safdarjung Tomb stands as a testament to the opulence and grandeur of the Mughal era. The tomb was commissioned by Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula in memory of his father.