‘Jal Mahal’ Of Odisha With Impressive Pietra Dura Art On Verge Of Ruins

Bhubaneswar: INTACH team, comprising of Anil Dhir, Biswajit Mohanty and conservation architect Satyam Jyoti, recently conducted a detailed survey of Killa Aul Palace Room, which has one of the most significant, captivating and impressive Mughal Art of Pietra Dura in Odisha.

This low height square room, where the Raja and his entourage sat and watched the performances, is now on the verge of ruins having survived the ravages of time for nearly five centuries.

State Convener of INTACH, AB Tripathy said that this unique and valuable piece of Odishan heritage should be preserved and conserved. “The report will be sent to the concerned officials. INTACH will constitute an expert team for the evaluation of the palace room and render all necessary support for its conservation,” he said.

“The roof is on the verge to collapse with the beams, two of which have fallen down, now termite-ridded and hollow. Two large portions of the Pietra Dura have been damaged due to dampness and fungus. There are intricate floral designs with depiction of birds, especially four large peacocks in all the resplendent glory. The sheen and glaze of the art work is discernible even after centuries. While most of it is still in its original form, it is in an easily restorable and conservable state. The custom-made ceramic tiles, which form the part of the wall, have been designed in pattern with the Pietra Dura work. Some of the tiles are missing,” the INTACH said in its report.

According to Anil Dhir, this is the only perfect example of early period Pietra Dura art in the state in its original form. “Lapis lazuli, found only in Badakshan region of Afghanistan, was a semi-precious stone which was extensively used on Mughal architecture. The finesse and detailed artwork in the Aul Palace surpasses that of many that he has seen in other places. If immediate steps are not undertaken, this valuable piece of heritage will be lost for over,” he said.

Mohanty added that Killa Aul Palace is the only surviving example of a true River Fort built in the traditional style. “The later day palaces were just copies of English Palaces, castles, country houses. The Auli Palace, with its low height roofs and walls, earthen fortifications, moats, cellars, wooden beams structures, laid out in a labyrinth of passages, is a classical example of early era palaces. While the present Raja has restored most of it in its original style, much more needs to be done,” he said.

The artefacts lying in the palace cellars should be places in a proper site museum, he said, adding that some of those shed light on the maritime traditions and mercantile history of Odisha.

Killa Aul Palace

The Killa Aul Palace dates back to 1590 CE and has been the residence of 19 generations of Rajas who are direct descendants of Gajapati Mukunda Deva, the last independent ruler of Kalinga in the 16th century. The palace was established by Raja Ram Chandra Deb on the bank of river Kharasrota, a tributary of the Bramhani. The 432 years old palace bears testimony of Odisha during the Afghan, Mughal, Maratha and British Rule.

Raja Ramchandra Deva had established Killa Aul after drawing up a treaty with the Mughals. It is certainly one of the oldest extant Palace of Odisha, which has retained many of its original architectural features. Built on the lines of a fortified river fort, the palace is very different from the other surviving palaces of the state. The layout and architecture is a blend of old and new, with thick mud walls, low ceilinged rooms, iron studded wooden doors, courtyards and underground chambers. The tidal river encircles and touches the palace walls on the west and north, a moat ran on its western side. In earlier days, it had all the features of a River Fort, with a small dock, lighthouse and anchorage. Even today, it is often termed as the “Jal Mahal” of Odisha, as the water kisses the palace walls twice during the day during the flood tides. The ebb tides results in a pristine private beach.

The Killa Aul Palace Room stands out for the Mughal Art of Pietra Dura. The only other place where this is seen is at the Kadam Rasool Mosque of Cuttack, which was done in a much later period. There is a strong possibility that this work was done by artists from North India, especially Rajasthan, during the period when Raja Mansingh had been appointed as the Subhadar, or Governor, of Bengal Bihar and Orissa in 1594 CE by Emperor Akbar.

Pietra Dura

Pietra Dura was also well known as Parchin Kari in Mughal India. The Agra Fort and the Red Fort in Delhi too have a fair share of this art. The art form is a very tedious process that requires patience and persistence. Fragments of semiprecious stones are first cut and then shaped to give them the form desired. The inlay work is done with delicately cut, fitted and highly polished semiprecious stones like Lapis lazuli, Agate, Turquoise, and Jade. The stone wall is given a slight pigmentation and then chiselled for the stones to be fitted in order to give way to the desired scene. Egg shells, sea shells, traditional lime masonry etc. is all used.

The art work is found in the former royal durbar room overlooking the Rang Manch or the performing art centre which lay in the centre of the courtyard. Performances of Gotipua and classical Odisha music was a regular feature with the kings patronising the arts. This decorated room was where the Raja and his entourage sat and watched the performances.