Restoration of two centuries old Hari Parbat Fort in Kashmir

Srinagar, July 30 (ANI): Authorities in Kashmir are working diligently to restore the original glory of over two centuries old Hari Parbat Fort for developing it as a heritage site in the State.

Built in 1808 by an Afghan Governor Atta Mohammad Khan in 1808, the Hari Parbat Fort is a State protected monument.

The restoration work started in 2006 and due care is being taken to keep the original character and architecture of the fort intact.

"We are taking care not to alter the original character or architectural features of the fort during the restoration process. The fort originally had a mud roof, which we have maintained. In addition, we have used the same stone that was originally used for its construction. Luckily, we found it here. Also, we used limestone in place of cement," said Khurshid Ahmad Qadri, Director of Archives, Archaeology and Museums in Jammu and Kashmir.

The fort is expected to captivate tourists with its magnificence and splendour.

"The fort is older than 200 years. It will emerge into a major attraction for the locals and tourists both," said Nazir Ahmad, a local resident.

With the restoration work on the fort and other such historic sites, the State Government is hopeful to highlight Jammu and Kashmir's rich heritage to the visitors.

"It's really very good to see that this kind of heritage is being preserved by the government. And steps are being taken to preserve this. I think that most of the heritage is found in Kashmir and it's really very important that the government should take steps and preserve them," said Pooja, a tourist.

The government has completed 80 percent work on the Hari Parbat Fort, which is spread over an area of 200 Kanals.

About 13.9 million rupees have already been spent on its development out of 21.3 million rupees, earmarked for the project. By Afzal Bhat (ANI)