Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
A fresh controversy has erupted over the overseas auction of original heritage furniture associated with Chandigarh’s world-renowned architectural legacy. Heritage conservation advocate and lawyer Ajay Jagga has urged the Central Government to take immediate action after several rare Chandigarh heritage items were sold at an international auction.
Jagga has written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, seeking urgent intervention in the matter.
According to Jagga, he had informed the Centre in advance about the auction scheduled for June 4 at an auction house in the United States. Despite the alert, seven rare heritage furniture pieces designed by renowned architect and designer Pierre Jeanneret were auctioned overseas.
The seven items fetched a combined sale value of approximately ₹1.16 crore. The highest-priced lot was a pair of Chandigarh lounge chairs, which reportedly sold for around ₹37.8 lakh.
Jagga expressed concern that heritage furniture from Chandigarh’s government institutions has been disappearing for years and subsequently finding its way into international auctions and private collections. He argued that these objects are an integral part of Chandigarh’s architectural and cultural heritage and should be protected from being exported or sold abroad.
The latest auction has reignited debate over the preservation of Chandigarh’s iconic modernist legacy and the need for stronger safeguards to prevent heritage assets from leaving public
