While the lighted gates are expected to provide grandeur to the monuments, this move is also being pushed through to prevent vandalism. Deputy Commissioner Tejveer Singh said at present the gates were used freely for advertisement purposes with people putting up boards and even iron spikes to serve as carriers for electricity, cable and telephone wires.

Mr Tejveer Singh said the Heritage Society had decided to take up the restoration of all the historic gates, including the Samania Gate, Sunami Gate, Sirhindi Gate and the Top Khana Gate last year. He said it was proposed to request corporate and industry houses besides other establishments to sponsor the maintenance of these gates. He said the society did not get any response in this regard.

Meanwhile, one of the two massive wooden doors of the Samania Gate had given way in September last year. This gate was taken up for repairs by the society and the work was entrusted to INTACH. Mr Tejveer Singh said the wooden door had been put back into place by the INTACH team which had also conducted a strengthening exercise of the entire gate besides beautifying its exteriors according to the original design.

“We have nearly restored part of the original look of the Samania Gate at a cost of Rs 6.5 lakh and this initiative has been well received by the people of the area,” Mr Tejveer said, adding a request had already been received from people living near the Sirhindi Gate that it be refurbished also. “We plan to look into this,” he added.

Meanwhile, even though the Heritage Society has been able to conduct restoration work on the Samania Gate, people of the city felt the society had missed the bus as far as restoration of the other gates was concerned. Amarjeet Singh of Sheranwala Gate said he did not want the Sunami Gate to meet the fate of the Sheranwala Gate which was literally pulled down by shopkeepers of the area after it started to crumble. “The Sunami Gate has developed cracks and requires urgent restoration but nothing is being done to save it,” he said.

Other citizens, including Manmeet S.P. Singh of Lal Bagh, felt that the attempt to preserve and maintain the historic gates should be done all year round and that a simple cleaning up during the run up to the festival would not save these monuments.