Heritage structure to retain its old-world glory, says builder

After MiD DAY reported on June 30 on the sale of Vinchurkar Wada, the builder who bought the property has agreed to retain its old-world charm and construct a Lokmanya Tilak memorial. There was a consensus on the course of action between Paranjape Schemes, the construction firm that purchased the historic wada, and the Lokmanya Tilak Pratham Prasthapit Ganpati Trust. Vinchurkar Wada wasu00a0 where Lokmanya Tilak started the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav 117 years ago, and despite the fact that it is now part of the heritage list drawn up by the PMC, the wada was sold to the builder.


Change with a heart: A truce has been reached on theu00a0 issue of the
changes that the Vinchurkar Wada will see after its purchase by a builder.
File Pic

Memorial
Dr Deepak Tilak, great-grandson of the Lokmanya, said: "We had talks with Shashank Paranjpe, MD, Paranjpe and Company. It was decided that a memorial will be built this month." Vinchurkar Wada is not only the place where Lokmanya Tilak installed the first Sarvajanik Ganpati in 1994, but also where he met Swami Vivekanand in 1905. "We are making the memorial in which the meeting with Tilak and Swami Vivekand shall be shown," Dr Tilak said.

Ravindra Pathare, trust treasurer, said: "We have proposed a hall where the Ganpati sculpture can be placed."
Paranjpe and Pathare also had talks over the memorial. "If the builder is making money in the 18,000 sq ft old Vinchurkar Wada, then the memorial should also have a prominent place."

Builder speaks
Shashank Paranjpe, MD, Paranjpe and Co, said: "We are ready to have a memorial and a cultural programmes hall at Vinchurkar Wada. Our idea is also to have an audio-visual show on the wada. We are in touch with historians to know where Tilak lived in the wada."