Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau
Agra: A local farmer has claimed ownership of a portion of Agra’s Gyarah Sidi Park, located across the Yamuna river and behind the Taj Mahal, restricting public access to the site whose name is derived from a Mughal era monument bearing 11 steps.
Claiming to have won a protracted legal battle, farmer Munna Lal recently tilled six bighas in the park using a tractor, fenced the area, putting up barricades and erected a board declaring it as private property that was strictly off-limits for outsiders.
Lal, a farmer from Nagla Devjit, Kachhpura, said that the land measuring six bigha and eight biswa was historically recorded under Khasra (a Persian term implying a unique number assigned to a plot in rural areas) numbers 608, 610, 613, 614, and 615. He added that his father Roop Singh, along with his uncle Nathhi Lal, was the registered cultivator.
“My family has fought a 40-year legal battle to secure this land after it was taken away in urban ceiling action in 1976,” Lal told ThePrint, adding that the district judge ruled in his family’s favour in 1998.
Subsequently, the property was recorded under his name in the land records this year, he said.
ThePrint has seen copies of the Agra district judge’s 1998 order, as well as a 2020 document from the office of the sub-divisional magistrate asserting Munna Lal’s ownership.
Agra divisional commissioner Ritu Maheshwari conceded that she wasn’t aware of the farmer claiming a portion of the park. “This land is within the Agra Development Authority (ADA) jurisdiction. We will send a team there to inspect, and if there is indeed unauthorised possession, appropriate action will be taken,” she asserted.
The ADA-managed park has long been at the centre of various proposals, ranging from a venue to host cultural events, beautification projects, to setting up even a museum.
The development of a Theme Park and Entertainment Zone along with a Cultural Activity Zone at Garah Sidi near the Taj View point will create a lively recreational space that celebrates cultural heritage, offers diverse entertainment options, and enhances the visitor experience, making the area a vibrant and attractive destination for both locals and tourists (sic),” reads a section in the Authority’s website.
The last major event held at the park was the Taj Mahotsav cultural festival in 2023, while it was the venue for Greek composer Yanni’s concert in March, 1997.
“The development seems to have compromised the city’s tourism attractiveness, specifically for the park itself that will have fewer viewers admiring the Taj…,” Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber secretary Vishal Sharma said.
We had visualised Gyarah Sidi Park as a place where locals and tourists could assemble and witness the glory of the Taj at sunset. This development has turned our dream upside down and puts a question mark over the future of this site.”
The Gyarah Sidi Park is next to Mehtab Bagh, which is now more known for ADA’s Taj View Point that is flocked by both domestic and international tourists. It is adjoining the Gyarah Sidi, which is an observation structure from the Mughal period.
The structure is said to have been used by Mughal emperor Humayun as an observatory. But, it bears the signs of deterioration with the stones of the structure visibly damaged. The heritage site, once protected, has now become a den for miscreants.
“As can be seen here, priceless historical assets are destroyed without any concern. The park, the observatory, and nearby cultural landmarks must be interfered with immediately to avoid more destruction. Authorities must do more restoration work in the area,” Devashish Bhattacharya, a local social activist, said.
