Charting a city's heritage

Picture used for representational purpose only

Perhaps it was serendipity that this particular Facebook 'memory' [those little sunshiny kind of reminders that pop up on your timeline every now and then] showed up yesterday morning. It was the link to a story written two years ago about the Esplanade Mansion - that grand old Iron Man-like structure in Kala Ghoda. An existing restaurant located in its ground floor had made extensive repairs and new additions to the historic landmark, in violation of its heritage status. Architects and conservation experts cried foul. The heritage community was up in arms to save this unique building - with its grid-iron framework and rich legacy of once being Bombay's premier hotel where the rich and famous wined and dined, even hosting the likes of American author Mark Twain.

Two years later, and we are in lockdown. Like so many disputed sites or structures where restoration had to be halted midway, Esplanade Mansion awaits its fate as a legal battle ensues. These days, its façade is enveloped in a massive protective net [or shall we say web? pun intended]. It looks like a long, arduous road for this over 150-year-old 'mansion but we would like to keep our faith in our heritage caretakers - conservation architects, urban historians, cultural godfathers, and the common man - all of who have been the superheroes in this regard.

They were at the epicentre of many conservation success stories. A few notable ones come to mind - the trio of Flora Fountain, Wellington Fountain and Mulji Jetha Fountain; Royal Opera House, Esplanade House, the Town Hall's Central Library, Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, or even the wonderful turnaround for Parel's little cine jewel -Deepak Cinema. For that matter, a small yet significant sidelight, like the Living Cathedral exhibition at CSMVS that opened up the archives of St Thomas Cathedral was also commendable. We noticed a keen sense of awareness among Bombaywallahs to get involved across aspects of heritage conservation - from setting up of platforms like Art Deco Mumbai to document this architectural style across the city to countless heritage walking groups. If I were to list all of these developments, it would require at least two extra pages of this newspaper, which is good news for our urban heritage. The icing on the cake was the conferring of the World Heritage Site tag on the Art Deco and Victorian Gothic ensembles. Most importantly, it was a sterling example of a resilient citizen's movement.

But there is work to be done. The precarious condition of Jer Mahal at Dhobi Talao, the handful of single-screen cinemas that are gasping for breath even more with the crippling fallout of the pandemic; and sites like Kipling's Bungalow inside the JJ School campus are some projects that we hope will be preserved. There is also the ongoing work underway at Victoria Terminus (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) that requires the world-class expertise in the fields of architecture and conservation [who can forget those shocking Zoo Zoo figure-like recreations of FW Stevens' original designs on its facades, and stained glass aberrations that disturbed the essence of this Gothic masterpiece?]. The Elephanta Caves site also needs urgent interventions, especially considering it bears the weight of a UNESCO WHS tag.

Sadly, the decade also saw us bid adieu to two of our favourite spots - Cafe Samovar, and its equally popular neighbour - Rhythm House (RT). Both were cultural ambassadors of a Bombay on the rise, where ideas and inspiration flowed as quickly as the pudina chai cups drunk at Sams (as regulars affectionately referred to it) or the speed at which Miles Davis's records vanished off RT's shelves. It was also curtains for single-screen cinemas like New Excelsior and New Empire.

But instead of the downsides, this column is more about hailing the good and looking towards positive takeaways. So, like the stoic Esplanade Mansion that has braved assault from all sides, structurally and otherwise, let's hope that despite the odds, the new decade sees more interest and financial backing for heritage awareness, to help preserve our beloved city's original template.

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana
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