Lodhi-era turret gets facelift ahead of G20

A Lodhi-era turret is the latest historical structure in the city to get a facelift ahead of the G20 Summit scheduled to be held in the Capital on September 9 and 10.

- Sadia Akhtar

Located close to gate no.3 of Lodhi Gardens - at the southeast corner of the Bada Gumbad - the turret is among the three small monuments that fall under the jurisdiction of the department of archaeology. The structure last saw repair in 2010, in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games. The restoration was part of the work undertaken by the Delhi government over the past few months to conserve heritage sites across the city, including those at the Mehrauli Archaeological Park and Gol Gumbad on Lodhi Road.

The work at the turr was completed after a month-long exercise.

"Over the years, gaps and cracks had developed at the structure. We filled the gap with lime mortar and then plastered it to strengthen it. The roof of the turret had sustained damage due to a heavy branch. The edges of the roof were also broken. We restored the dome and layered it with lime," said, the contractor working on the project said, asking not to be named. A turret is a small watch tower.