Amber Town was included in the 2008 World Monuments Watch to call attention to the alarming and increasing decay of its historic buildings. Since the 1980s, tourism has greatly increased and land values have risen, resulting in historic structures being demolished to make way for new shops and hotels. Unused historic buildings were also being used as sources for construction materials. (...)
Amber Town was included in the 2008 World Monuments Watch to call attention to the alarming and increasing decay of its historic buildings. Since the 1980s, tourism has greatly increased and land values have risen, resulting in historic structures being demolished to make way for new shops and hotels. Unused historic buildings were also being used as sources for construction materials. Soon after the announcement of the World Monuments Watch, WMF secured support for the conservation of the Bihari Ji Ka Mandir Temple, one of the most significant historic structures in the town, through the Robert W. Wilson Challenge to Conserve Our Heritage. The temple had deteriorated severely in recent decades, the collapse of the octagonal corbelled roof of the colonnaded hall being the most visible and significant damage. In addition, vegetation growing on the surface was contributing to further decay of stonework.
The project at the temple has included the survey and documentation of the existing conditions, followed by consolidation and restoration works based on the condition assessment. Debris and invasive vegetation were cleared throughout the site; matching quartzite stone was used to replace missing stone pieces in the consolidation of the structure. The last phase of the project, the implementation of lighting and signage for the interpretation of the site, will be completed in 2012.
