Chandigarh, Jan. 23 -- After years of delay, weather setbacks and painstaking conservation planning, Panjab University (PU)'s iconic Gandhi Bhawan is finally inching closer to a long-awaited milestone, with Phase 1 of its restoration-centred on the revival of its reflecting pool, expected to be completed by March this year. The work marks a crucial step in restoring the architectural and symbolic heart of the Grade I heritage structure, which has stood without water in its pool for over a decade.

At present, groundwork inside the pool is actively underway, with the base being rebuilt layer by layer. Officials associated with the project say this stage is among the most critical, as the underground structure, more than 60 years old, had d...