After decades of neglect, the legacy of Bhakt Buland Shah—the Gond king who laid the very foundation of Nagpur—is finally receiving the recognition it deserves. In a long-overdue move, the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) has launched a ₹6.7 crore project to restore and beautify the 300-year-old Bhakt Buland Shah Memorial in Mahal.
The site, one of Nagpur’s oldest surviving heritage spots, had become a crumbling shadow of its former self. Once forgotten, it is now being transformed into a space of pride, remembrance, and public engagement.
Bhakt Buland Shah, who shifted his capital from Deogarh to Nagpur around 1702, is credited with giving the city its earliest shape. Yet, for generations, his memory was marked by a neglected structure few recognized and fewer visited.
That changes now.
The NIT’s ambitious makeover includes traditional red and yellow sandstone, mint stone, and white Rajnagar marble, carefully selected to reflect the original Gond architectural style. Expertly carved beams, pedestals, chhatris, and pillars are being rebuilt using age-old male-female joinery, and polished after anti-moss treatment for long-lasting beauty.
Even the flooring is being reimagined, with flamed granite and thick marble slabs laid in intricate patterns. Detailed cladding work adds depth, while engraved granite plaques will narrate the story of the visionary king to future generations.
Public-friendly additions like walkways, seating zones, and landscaped gardens are part of the plan, aimed at making the memorial not just a monument—but a community space.
The timing couldn’t be more symbolic. As civic authorities draw fire for Nagpur’s pothole-riddled roads and vanishing heritage, the revival of this landmark sends a hopeful message: that a city’s roots matter. That history, if preserved well, becomes legacy—not rubble.
When completed, this once-ignored site is expected to shine as a cultural cornerstone in Nagpur’s urban identity—finally giving the city’s founder the tribute he was long denied
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