Part of the historic haveli of legendary Bollywood actor Raj Kapoor collapsed in Peshawar due to recent heavy rains followed by a strong earthquake on Friday night, officials and locals said. According to PTI, the century-old Kapoor Haveli, an important cultural site in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that was declared a national heritage by the Pakistani government in 2016, suffered structural damage after incessant rains weakened the building, while tremors late on Friday further destabilized its already crumbling structure.
Part of Kapoor Haveli, Raj Kapoor’s ancestral home, has reportedly collapsed after heavy rains and a strong earthquake in Peshawar, raising fresh concerns over the preservation of the historic structure, PTI reported.
According to officials and local residents, incessant rains have weakened the already fragile building, while Friday night’s earthquakes further destabilized it.Shakeel Wahidullah, secretary of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Heritage Council, confirmed the damage. “Part of the haveli wall collapsed after the earthquake,” he said, warning about the safety of the remaining structure.No casualties or injuries were reported in the accident.Wahidullah urged the Department of Antiquities and the provincial government to take immediate steps to restore and preserve the historic building, warning that further neglect could lead to irreparable loss of the cultural heritage of the region.Located in the heart of Peshawar’s famous Kisa Khawani Market, Kapoor Haveli holds immense historical importance and is one of the most iconic monuments in Pakistan.
The estate has long remained in disrepair despite calls for its preservation.This property was home to Prithviraj Kapoor – the first member of the Kapoor clan to enter the film industry. The house was built by his father, Dewan Bashwarnath Kapoor, between 1918 and 1922. Raj Kapoor and his uncle Trilok Kapoor were born here.Kapoor Haveli was one of the finest architectural buildings of its time. The house consists of 40 rooms.
The front of the house is decorated with intricate floral motifs and jharokhas.Although the house is now in a very delicate condition, its beauty still stands out, even after years of being left abandoned.It was the same haveli where Raj Kapoor’s two younger brothers were born but died in 1931.Raj Kapoor’s brothers Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor were born in India.However, they often visited and even lived in the haveli. While the building witnessed the lives of the first generations of the Kapoor family, it was left abandoned in 1947 after Partition.Like many other families, Raj Kapoor too moved to India after Partition, leaving behind the city, the buildings and his childhood memories.His sons Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor had visited the site in the 1990s.
