While the royalty no longer owns the estate, fears over losing a vital and visible part of a citys history should be troublesome enough to warrant some kind of discussion about the way ahead.
The magnificent Pratap Vilas palace and the Raja Baug grounds. Pic/The Royal Gaekwad Collection
Yesterday, this paper ran a report and interview with a member of Vadodara's royal family. The topic was saving the Pratap Vilas palace that overlooks the stunning Raja Baug lawns.
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The entire estate is now Railways' property sold by the royalty to the current owners in the 1960s. A controversy has arisen with the Railways all set to construct an office building on the lawns. Activists have launched a signature campaign against the move saying that it would amount to the defilement of the heritage property. The royal family, too, is at the forefront of the fight to stop the construction of the new building.
The former owners say that everybody has a claim on the history and heritage of a city and it is up to all those invested to get a court stay on this new building. A modern office building on the lawns will hugely affect the aesthetic and historic lure of the estate.
It is time for the current owners and representatives of those objecting, including the royal family, to sit across a table and perhaps have a dialogue about what each one believes in and the importance of finding some kind of mutually acceptable solution.
While the royalty no longer owns the estate, fears over losing a vital and visible part of a city's history should be troublesome enough to warrant some kind of discussion about the way ahead.
The current owners must be able to amalgamate the old world charm with the contemporary, working structure so that we have both aims fulfilled.
This kind of push and pull is evident at several sites across the country where those invested in preserving history clash with others who push for modern choices. One thinks that these are not mutually exclusive and in fact, can and must exist in conjunction with each other. This is the only way forward to keep alive our legacy.
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