A 250-year-old historic building belonging to the Jain Samaj Trust collapsed on June 16 in Jaisalmer’s Rakhecha Pada area, narrowly averting a catastrophic heritage disaster, caused by alleged unauthorised 15-foot-deep basement excavation at a neighbouring plot.
The building, known as the ‘Upasara’, functioned as a traditional lodging and spiritual centre for Jain saints. It is located directly behind the Patwa Haveli and within the restricted 300-metre zone of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Sonar Fort.
Over ten labourers working at the excavation site escaped moments before the multi-storey building imploded into rubble after observing falling lime and mortar.
Jaisalmer Municipal Council Commissioner Lajpal Singh Sodha stated that the illegal underground construction, reportedly carried out by a Mumbai-based businessman, violated explicit statutory orders. “Both the Municipal Council and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had previously issued official stop-work notices to the property owner. Despite these directives, the illegal digging continued, ultimately causing the heritage structure to crumble,” he said.
Following the incident, local administration and city police cordoned off the area. Kotwali Police Station in-charge Surjaram Jakhar said: “To ensure public safety, the affected street has been barricaded, and public movement is completely restricted. The under-construction site has been sealed, and families of two immediate neighbours, Naman Bhatia and Mangilal Jain, have been evacuated to safer locations.”
Resident Harsh Jain remarked that although the building was temporarily used as a commercial warehouse due to its deteriorating condition, it held significant religious importance as a historical site where Jain monks resided and delivered sermons during their Chaturmas stays.
The Municipal Council has issued an immediate notice to the Jain Trust to clear the debris safely and dismantle any remaining unstable parts of the building under administrative supervision. Simultaneously, the ASI is pursuing strict legal and penal action against the violator for unauthorised construction and endangering a protected heritage zone.
The 250-year-old Jain Trust ‘Upasara’ building collapses in Jaisalmer after an illegal excavation by a Mumbai businessman damaged the foundation, narrowly sparing labourers from disaster at the UNESCO heritage zone.
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