In an ambitious endeavor to restore the lost grandeur of Srinagar's Maharaj Gunj market, which had faded into obscurity due to encroachments and deviations over the years, a remarkable architectural heritage project is now underway. This initiative sheds new light on the rare architectural elements introduced in Kashmir during the reign of Dogra Hindu kings from 1846 to 1947. Srinagar Smart City Limited and the Kashmir chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) have partnered to conserve the vernacular features of Kashmiri architecture, including colonnaded walkways, decorative pilasters, and exposed molded brickwork, with the aim of resurrecting the area's historical charm.
Maharaj Gunj market boasts a unique blend of vernacular and colonial architecture. The residential buildings lining its streets follow mixed-use patterns, with shops on the ground floor and living quarters on the upper levels, constructed in traditional taq or dhajji dewari styles. Some of the houses, soaring up to four stories, still stand as testaments to Srinagar's rich architectural heritage, featuring highly ornate exteriors and interiors.
Significant efforts have already been made to revitalize the area. One approach road, beginning from the historic 607-year-old Budshah Tomb, has undergone a transformation with a tasteful color palette, incorporating lime for the walls and brown for the windows. A uniform, traditional character of fenestrations is being introduced, significantly altering the area's ambiance. Shop shutters are being realigned and repainted in suitable colors, and a standardized wooden signage system has been designed for all the shops, featuring uniform typefaces and sizes.
Maharaj Gunj market, situated in the heart of Shehar-e-Khaas, Srinagar's old city, was initially established by Maharaja Ranbir Singh to boost trade and commerce in Kashmir. Before 1947, Maharaj Gunj transcended regional boundaries, attracting traders from cities as prominent as Amritsar, Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and even parts of Central Asia. It was a bustling hub, attracting traders from various regions in their pursuit of expanding their commercial prospects.
This market introduced a different lifestyle to the city through the Khatri businesspeople, initially dealing in textiles, spices, and copper goods, before diversifying to include commodities previously unavailable to the local Kashmiri community. Moreover, it facilitated the export of prized Kashmiri items such as saffron, shawls, paper, and fruits. Its strategic location along the Jhelum river made it an attractive destination for traders from various locations within Kashmir, particularly those arriving via the river.
In 1932, a trade directory commended Maharaj Gunj as one of the finest markets in India. Sheikh Mohalla, located adjacent to the market, served as a center for trade and commerce, where Kashmiri art goods and consumables were primarily traded by local Kashmiri merchants.
The Srinagar Smart City Mission's revival program is set to shine a spotlight on the city's rich cultural heritage, including old shrines, tombs, mosques, temples, and a gurdwara. Urbanized habitation along the Jhelum river was recognized as an essential heritage zone in the first heritage listing, prepared by eminent conservationist and architect Romi Khosla in 1989, with INTACH building upon this work and undertaking digitized mapping of Srinagar, focusing on the heritage area of the old town. Maharaj Gunj, with its vernacular, monumental, spiritual, and riverine heritage, plays a prominent role in this mapping project.