Khilji?s tomb. Picture by Abhijit Chakrabarty

Gangarampur (South Dinajpur), Jan. 2: They mean well, but their initiative is doing Bakhtiar Khilji?s tomb more harm than good.

The grave of Khilji, who captured Nabadwip in 1201 and ushered in Muslim rule in Bengal, is losing its battle against time, administrative apathy and the damage done by well-meaning residents with no clue about how to go about restoring the 800-year-old structure.

The original engravings on the tomb are all but hidden under layers of earth and plaster that Narayanpur residents have pulled on the structure in a bid to prevent it from crumbling to dust.

After reasoning with the villagers, this correspondent could convince them that the tomb needed scientific restoration to preserve its original shape and styling.

The villagers promised to stop the plastering work and soon petition the district magistrate and urge him to initiate the preservation work.

Interestingly, the tomb has been protected over the generations by the villagers of Narayanpur, who pred- ominantly belong to Hindu Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

One of the villagers, Nirod Roy, pointed out that every year during the Bengali month of Baisakhi the tomb is visited by Muslim fakirs who light lamps and distribute sweets.

?Over the years, we have been demanding that the district administration construct a three-kilometre-road for tourists to travel easily to the spot,? Roy said.

Golideb Singh, another villager, pointed out that every four or five years some government officials visit the tomb.

?They inspect the tomb and leave after assuring us that funds will be allotted to restore the disintigrating structure,? he said.

District magistrate Romit Mutsuddi said: ?No one has brought my attention to the fact that villagers have been plastering the tomb. Responsibility for the structure lies with the Archaeological Survey of India. We cannot step in. I have instructed the subdivisional officer and block development officer to submit a report through me to the state archaeological department.?

Bakhtiar Khilji was a young fortune-seeking Turk who sought employment in Mohammad Ghori?s army.

He managed a jagir in Ayodhya and then spread his influence by capturing others through guerrilla operations.

After capturing Nabadwip and King Lahksman Sen, he was murdered by a senior general at Naraynpur and laid to rest beside a pond near the garrison where he was stabbed to death.