‘?1m’ Indian archway saved from being thrown away can be seen in …
A temple archway handcrafted in India and threatened with disposal is now in position at its new Mill Road home. Until 2019, the ‘Gateway from India’ took pride of place at the former Bharat Bhavan Hindu temple, inside the library building on Mill Road.
The temple was repossessed by the council in 2020. It has since been used as an office and, in March 2023, it was announced that the council would sell the temple to an unidentified bidder[1].
Without the input of Cambridge hairdresser Piero D’Angelico[2], the likely fate of the stone ‘gateway’ was to be thrown away. However, Mr D’Angelico, who is part of the Mill Road Traders’ Association, bought it from the council for the small sum of £1.
Mr D’Angelico said: “My decision to save the structure was based on instinct. I come from a family of stonemasons, and my grandfather was the last one. When I saw this beautiful, intricate monument, I didn’t have the heart to think it would be destroyed. It has been so nice to see so many members and institutions from the community coming together.
The Gateway from India on Mill Road (Image: CambridgeshireLive)
“I have met so many good people throughout the project. It was all made possible by them – no public money has been spent at all.”
The archway was carved by hand in Rajasthan, a feat that took five years. It was created specifically for Cambridge and arrived here in 2006.
The Mill Road Traders Association crowdfunded over £60,000 to move it to the public gardens in Ditchburn Place, Mill Road. It can now be glimpsed at this site, albeit behind railings and scaffolding.
The official opening of the ‘Gateway from India’ will be held at 10.30am on September 1, 2023. MPs, a lord lieutenant and the deputy mayor of Cambridge are included on the guestlist – though the invitation is extended to everyone.
Piero D’Angelico (right) with Abdul Arain, who has also helped with the archway project (Image: Cambridge News)
The mayor of Castelluccio Valmaggiore, the Italian town Mr D’Angelico grew up in, is also expected to attend – which is particularly special as this mayor knew his grandfather. Without this stonemason grandfather, Mr D’Angelico says, he would never have had the instinct to save the monument.
Mr D’Angelico said a recent valuation put the archway at £1 million, partly due to the rare type of sandstone used. The only change made to the structure, since its position in the temple, has been to bend the top into an arch. This improves its stability in its new, outdoor spot.
References
- ^ sell the temple to an unidentified bidder (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ input of Cambridge hairdresser Piero D’Angelico (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ The £6.1million Dutch masterpiece in Cambridge not displayed in public for almost 400 years (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)