Page 73 - Mann ki Baat June 2022 - English

Sultaan se Sur-Taan:
The Rejuvenation Story

An important architectural become old, it won’t have any
element that served water and use. We did a music festival there,
was celebrated over the arid where we called artists, who
regions of India was Baori, the painted in tune with the music.
stepwell. One such marvel is This way, it sank in the hearts of
‘Sultan ki Baori’, hundreds of years the villagers that this place is
old step well in Bedla village of their cultural centre, which they
Udaipur, Rajasthan, built by Rao can use for various purposes,”
Sultan Singh. But, due to neglect, he said. Baori has become the
gradually this place became talk of the town and it has awed
deserted and turned into a pile of even foreigner visitors, including
garbage. But, one day, a group of a delegation from Japan and
youth accidentally came across it Denmark and world-renowned
and seeing its sad state, took it in architect Mr. Bill Bensley.
their hands to restore, revive and Shri Amit Gaurav, architect, ASAP
rejuvenate the Baori. It was their Academic Foundation further
determination and hard work, added, “Seeing its condition, the
which brought the people of the idea of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
village together and changed the came to our mind and we started
picture of the stepwell.
its restoration work. No one could
They called their mission ‘Sultan have imagined that the stepwell
se Sur-Taan’. Shri Sunil S. Ladha, could become a tourist spot.
architect, ASAP Academic There are thousands of lakhs of
Foundation, and one of the stepwells in our country and we
leaders of the initiative, tells how must start a campaign to bring
the stepwell fascinated them and them alive.” He expressed his
upon exploring its history, they gratitude to the Prime Minister
found that its name was actually and said, “We started this work
Sur Taan Baori. They not just from our heart but we never
rejuvenated the stepwell but also thought that the Prime Minister
created an alternate use for it so would appreciate it. It is a great
it doesn’t die away again. “Since inspiration. Because of him,
water is now available at homes perhaps this small initiative will
through taps, the stepwell will turn into a huge one.”

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