by Mihir Srivastava
Ratish Nanda, a conservation architect, heads the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in India. And when you tell him that he is one person who has done the most for the conservation of monuments in Delhi, he blushes for a second or two, and then asserts with conviction, “It’s the trust. I’m just another functionary.”
Ratish has a reputation. He gets things done, and the projects moving, even the government seems receptive to his suggestions and initiatives. It’s not easy to do so, particularly in the field of restoration and conservation of monuments. The AKTC projects in India have continued unabated despite the change of governments.
What is the secret? “We, the trust, are here to work with the government. It’s all a government initiative. We are a catalyst, facilitators,” he says without the slightest hesitation. He doesn’t want to take the credit personally, “it’s a team effort. Our priorities are clear. We work for and with the government of the host country all over the world.”
I met him in his office, which is a temporary structure, and almost hidden behind the green foliage at one corner of Sunder Nursery. AKTC has a big team, with experts in every aspect of conservation giving their best to help relive the past by restoring monuments in a state that’s almost akin to the way they were created. Science comes into play, and so does the traditional way of restoration, with an overriding sense of history, and certain aesthetics. It’s not about beautification but is an economic model where conservation not just pays for itself but also provides employment to hundreds of people. The city is connected to its past by reliving it in some measure.
Ratish is a Delhi boy, who was mentored by Om Prakash Jain, the founder of Sanskriti Foundation. Ratish carried out a painstaking project for many years that for the first time photographed and documented heritage buildings of Delhi, more than a thousand, published by INTACH in two fat volumes titled Delhi, the Built Heritage. Most of these buildings were hidden in the dense concrete jungle that’s what parts of Delhi have become. Therefore, he knows Delhi like very few do, every nook and corner, and it takes perseverance par excellence to rediscover hidden jewels for everyone to see.
After he did his master's in Historic Building Conservation from the Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies at the University of York in 1998, he worked with Edinburgh architect Benjamin Tindall, and then for a while with Historic Scotland in Edinburgh before returning to India and joining AKTC in 1999.
“Conservation and development can–and should be–part of the same process,” says Ratish. AKTC’s Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative (NURI)– is based on a non-profit people-public-private partnership model with the participation of a host of agencies like ASI, MCD, CPWD, and Aga Khan Foundation. The idea is to bring together various stakeholders and create a conservation-based urban development project that will contribute towards improving the quality of life of the locals. Many foreign governments, agencies and corporations lend a helping hand–the US, Germany, Australia, and the UN. This is because AKTS has an impeccable trek record, it does what it says.
NURI started in 2007, and the conservation work by AKTC is a mega effort requiring over 1.4 million man-days of work, creating employment, and also meeting the government’s sustainable development goals. AKTC got their priorities right and took no shortcuts. It’s interesting to note, as explained by Ratish, development initiatives receded the humongous conservation effort, which includes 20 historical monuments around the 14-century mausoleum of the revered Sufi sage, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Not just the restoration of structures done painstakingly but the local crafts revived and improved the urban environment and the revitalisation of the living historic urban landscape in its truest essence. Here it’s seeing is believing.
I remind him that a man who died 500 years ago earns the Vatican City most of its revenue by way of tourism. Most of the tourists, like me, thronged the Vatican City to see the works of Michelangelo–he painted the ceiling and an altar wall of the Sistine Chapel with multiple male nude figures inspired by the tales from the Bible. Ratish gave me a reality check, “we are fascinated with the work of foreign artists and are blind to our own rich heritage,”
He gave the example of the gold ceiling of the Sabz Burj dated to have been built in the 1530s–around the same time as Michelangelo was enthralling Italians with his art. The complexity and scale of ornamentation of the gold ceiling of the Sabz Burj is bewildering, it must have belonged to Mughal royalty.
To the utter amazement of the conservationists, when the thick layer of cement render was removed deftly, it revealed a painted ceiling with intricate floral patterns and motifs created in real gold and lapis lazuli—a deep-blue metamorphic rock, is a semi-precious stone known for its intense colour.
It’s not that people don’t value artistic cultural treasures at home, it is not known to them and has remained for centuries in a state of benign neglect. And the poor artists who painted the ceiling of Sabz Burj, for instance, will never be known and recognised, unlike Michelangelo.
The NURI initiative has also contributed to urban improvements and environmental development. Like the restoration of the gardens to their original splendor. Sunder Nursery is a prime example, spread over 90 acres with over 4500 trees of 300 species, 54 species of flowers, 80 species of birds, and 40 butterfly species. While we were chatting, Ratish draws my attention to a peacock loitering around just outside his office.
The welfare of the people is integral to the NURI, whether it's early childcare, education, health, or livelihood programmes, with a focus on women.
Insha-e-Noor is a women's enterprise that makes paper and textile products using techniques of sanjhi, crochet, aari and embroidery–more than 165 women work who have in turn trained more than 500 since its inception in 2010 and the earnings disbursed among the local artisans. Encouraged by their success, Insha-e-Noor is planning to launch an exclusive brand website. Being a foodie, I’m glad Ratish mentioned Zaika-e-Nizamuddin–an enterprise of local women chefs promoting the micro-cuisine of Nizamuddin. It was started to mitigate malnourishment in children, has seen phenomenal growth in the last seven years. Not only has the initiative created a safe working space for the women here, Zaika-e-Nizamuddin has a proliferating customer base and has partnered with Hyatt Regency and J W Marriott to share their cuisine and experience.
Ratish is a birder, a photographer in his own right, he does things for the love of it, perhaps that’s why he’s never tired and propelled to do better all the time. This has been his last 29 years. Delhi is glad that Ratish happened to this great city. He’s focused to make things happen, and not insecure to take credit for it. AKTC is the most successful conservation organisation, and Ratish is the force behind it but prefers to be discreet about it like his office.
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