LAHORE, Aug 20: The Tollinton Market on The Mall will house a craft bazaar and museum after restoration to its original shape.

The craft bazaar will be located towards the Old Anarkali side and museum will be set up in the meat market and its side halls. The craft bazaar will comprise 14 shops with inter-floors. The present flat roof of the market will be replaced by gable roof in accordance with the original design. The gable roof had been replaced by the present flat roof in around 1920s.

Arts and crafts and food courts are expected to be built in the eight-kanal plot behind the main building. An underground parking may also be built at the backside of the main building. The mosque towards the museum side will be rebuilt after relocation.

The market will have four entrance points. But the main entrance will be through The Mall side. A beautiful fountain will be installed in the hall providing access to the museum to be located on the right hand side and craft bazaar on the left. The hall will also be accessible from the back side of the building. Small entries will be provided to the museum and crafts bazaar from the eight-foot verandah to be built around the building.

Restoration work is in progress on the 136-year-old building these days after the ejectment of a few shopkeepers who were lingering on pending the settlement of their claims for allotment of shops in the new market in Shadman where the majority of the shopkeepers had shifted long ago.

Massive encroachments appearing around the original structure of the market raised in 1866 have been removed and major portions of its dilapidated verandahs and the roof of the meat market has been dismantled. Roofs of other parts are not in a good condition either and would have to be replaced.

Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool inaugurated the Tollinton Market Renovation Project in July. The Tajdeed-i-Lahore Committee and the Parks and Horticulture Authority which are undertaking the project expect that it will complete in about two years at a cost of Rs40 million.