NEW DELHI: The central dome of a Mubarak Begum mosque – a 200–year–old was damaged by the heavy rains and lightning in the national capital on Sunday morning.
The Delhi Waqf Board has sought an inspection by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) before the removal of debris and restoration of parts of the historic masjid at Hauz Qazi Chowk.
The debris lying on the roof of the building may lead to further damage due to rain and seepage, a senior Waqf Board officer said.
“In a letter to the ASI superintending archaeologist on Monday, the board has requested the ASI for an inspection of the heritage structure by experts, so that the rubble of the damaged dome could be preserved for research and used in the restoration work,” he added.
The Delhi Waqf Board is the custodian of the notified heritage building. It has informed the member-secretary of the Heritage Conservation Committee about the damage and need for inspection, the officer said.
“We have sought help from the ASI as it has conservation experts, who can tell us how to go about the restoration work. Presently, our concern is removal of the debris as it may cause further damage to the mosque,” he added.
A team of Waqf Board officials, including its acting chief executive officer Tanvir Ahmad, inspected the mosque on Tuesday.
The mosque was commissioned in early nineteenth century by Mubarak Begum, who was the wife of a British resident in the Mughal Court, according to historical references.
It is a two-storey structure, which has prayer chambers on the upper floor and shops on the ground floor. The building is constructed of red sandstone and lakhori bricks.
There was no casualty when the central dome crashed around 6.45 am on Sunday as no one was inside the building to offer prayers, board officials said.