The Hindu : This bank has more to offer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 18, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

This bank has more to offer

By Mandira Nayar

This is how the SBI Building at Chandni Chowk will look after the restoration works are completed.

NEW DELHI, JAN. 17. It might have joined the wired world of instant transactions, but the good old State Bank of India at Chandni Chowk here wants to go back to 1806. Literally. Draped in a bright blue banner proudly declaring its intention to turn back the pages of history, it was a traffic stopper for the overcrowded market here today with "regulars" stopping to look up at the eight-storey-high building.

A bank with a rather colourful past, it has opened its doors to reveal more than just "green''. Taking a step back in time, the State Bank of India has teamed up with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), to do its bit in restoring Chandni Chowk to its pristine glory. With wooden windows replacing the concrete screens on its façade, lime plaster instead of cement - the bank has taken a significant step in taking the benefits of conservation to its customers.

"This building proves that conservation can be used as a resource and hopefully this will start a trend in the area. There are about 13 banks in this area, out of which more than 10 are in heritage buildings; this effort might inspire them to do the same. It is an important step in conservation development,'' stated convenor, INTACH Delhi Chapter, O.P Jain.

Introducing their customers to a little bit of "forgotten" history hidden behind dusty ledgers and counters, the bank promises that a visit to the restored branch will not only be about cash withdrawal. And with a plaque dedicated to the memory of George Berresford and his family, the manager of the Delhi Branch during the Revolt of 1857 who was killed by sepoys of the 3rd Light cavalry, the bank guarantees that it will be a worthwhile stop.

"We want to start the process of conservation in Chandni Chowk. We own many heritage proprieties and hope that this will start a trend and we will be able to replicate the same in all our branches in the rest of the country. The work has not only helped the building, but it has also changed the attitudes of the staff that works here. We hope not only to restore the façade but also the interior of the building, so that it is as close to what it was like. We also have an incinerator with a chimney that is a legacy of the building from its Reserve Bank days. Soiled and mutilated notes were burnt here,'' said the State Bank of India General Manager, K.B Gopalkrishanan.

A mini museum has also been planned at the main reception area of the bank highlighting these little known facts. "The building was built in 1806. We hope to take it back to this year by 2006,'' he stated.

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