Give the Oval Maidan precinct its due

A human flood flows through the Titanic exhibition in Orlando Florida every day Visitors are eager for a glimpse of a replica of the Grand Staircase of the illfated ship ldquoThink of the fingers that have glided over the handrails Luminaries brilliant entrepreneurs writers and artistswhat whispers were exchanged here what stories unfoldedrdquo said a tour guide Tourists many of whom are Indians are often moved to tears An aerial view of the Oval Maidan flanked by the Art Deco buildings left and the Victorian Gothic right buildings on either side Pic Atul Kamble Conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah would be thrilled if Mumbaiites could similarly appreciate the ldquoliving breathing monumentrdquo the Oval Maidan Precinct which along with Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensemble form Mumbairsquos proposal for UNESCO World Heritage Site status ldquoDuring the plague of the 1860s Mumbai residents camped on these grounds to avoid the ratinfested alleys of the fortified townrdquo Lambah shares Taptapping on her keypad she shows us images of the old city a small cluster of buildings ldquoIn place of the High Court and the Victorian constructions a moat ran around the original fort the open ground outside afforded a clear line of firerdquo she adds Rise of the city ldquoThe outbreak of the plague gave the then Governor Bartle Frere the excuse he was looking for to bring down the walls of the fort and expand the cityrdquo she shares Conservation architect Vikas Dilawari adds ldquoThis coincided with the cotton boom The American Civil war cut off cotton supplies from there thereby boosting the demand for Indian cotton and Mumbairsquos cotton traders struck it rich since transport was also simultaneously boosted by the opening of the Suez Canal and the railways This led to a unique partnership Land was given by the government for the construction of buildings sponsored by Mumbairsquos philanthropistsrdquo Lambah who joined hands with the eminent Mumbai historian late Sharada Dwivedi to press for due recognition for this incredible site over a decade ago isnrsquot sure if therersquos any truth to the legend that 19th century Gujarati lsquocotton kingrsquo Premchand Roychandrsquos sightless mother Rajabai relied on the chime of the Rajabaiclock to identify dinner time But she does assert that the Gujarati businessman one of the founders of the Bombay Stock Exchange generously shelled out R400000 a substantial amount in 1869 for construction of the tower that was modelled on London39s Big Ben and named after his mother Mumbairsquos Rotten Row In the 1960s historian Deepak Rao was among scores of children who would visit the Maidan routinely ldquoMy parents would take me to the southern end of the ground where you could hire a horse and for 8 annas you could ride it around a trackrdquo he recalls Rao who went on to get a diploma in equestrianism from France tells us that a part of Oval Maidan was referred to as Rotten Row back in 1955 in keeping with the English tradition In Londonrsquos Hyde Park a horseriding track was called ldquoRoute de Roirdquo mdash French for ldquoKingrsquos Roadrdquo It eventually transformed into ldquoRotten Rowrdquo ldquoThe spot occupied by The Taj Wellington Mews today served as stables back thenrdquo Rao says estimating that close to 60 trained riders from the Amateur Ridersrsquo Club ldquotaught proper riding at the grounds mdash trotting galloping canteringa few raced around the track too There were also bhayyas who had ponies and kids sometimes went for a sawaar ride on theserdquo he adds In hindsight Rao marvels at how the animals were well cared for ldquoeven in the absence of regulationsrdquo Mail to order Architectural trends had shifted around the turn of the century So by then the maidan was flanked on one side by Art Deco buildings and on the other by imposing gothic Victorian structures designed by Sir Gilbert Scott James Trubshaw and Lt Col James Fuller between 1871 and 1878 Interestingly Scott one of the most eminent English architects of the time designed the Bombay University by mail Lambah shares ldquoRecords suggest he was afraid of getting the plague and so there was huge correspondence back and forth to inform him of the climate and requirements of those who would use the buildingrdquo she reveals ldquoLetters were exchanged for over a year until Sir Cowasjee Jehangir put his foot down and asked for his donated money for the buildingrsquos construction to be returnedrdquo Just as it works today the threat inspired action and itrsquos therefore that the precinct today houses the most unique collection of Victorian and Art Deco buildings and presents the largest conglomeration of the two distinct architectural styles The stories encapsulated in this area need to be preserved Dilawari explains ldquoGothic constructions employed local stone grey or buff basalt Kurla or Malad quarry stone with ornamentation in soft limestone Porbandar stone materials which withstand wear and tear remarkably but their restoration and repairs require expertise and skill Original details must not be replaced with cheap modern materials Most Art Deco buildings have an RCC Reinforced Cement Concrete structure though there are a few such stone buildings too and this material is really strong but the sea air has corroded the steel in many of these and that is of grave concernrdquo Even though the buildings have held up beautifully over the years Dilawari reminds us why the heritage tag is crucial ldquoThe recognition will not only boost tourism it could strengthen the government39s commitment to conserve and protect these buildings as their condition would then be monitored by an international agencyrdquo Vote for your city MiDDAY has joined hands with UDRI to begin a public awareness campaign where readers can show their support to back this proposal Cast your vote and post a message too to express your solidarity for this unique campaign to save our living heritage TO VOTE Log on tou00a0httpwwwmiddaycomheritage_support