'Without UNESCO rating, the Oval precinct is endangered'

The tradition of citizens pooling their resources to benefit the city is not uncommon in Mumbai We have seen residents come together to maintain parks start schools renovate dilapidated buildings or protest their demolition It is for the first time however that the residents of Oval and Cooperage are coming together to get a UNESCO World Heritage Site status for their area Concerned for the future of their beloved Oval Maidan the residents have came together to support not just monetarily but also emotionally the proposal that will get the Oval precinct nominated as a World Heritage Site Mumbairsquos proposal will be submitted to Maharashtrarsquos Chief Minister as its nomination for UNESCO World Heritage Site status in midAugust OF COURT AND JUSTICE The Bombay High Court and the Oval Maidan PicSuresh KK Distinctive Nayana Kathpalia trustee of the Oval Trust who was born and brought up in the precinct says with pride ldquoThis place is special because it is probably the only place in the world where across 22 acres of land you have the VictorianGothic buildings on one side and on the other you have the Art Deco structures divided by the vast Oval ground It is a very unique space and has a very unique style to it HAVING A lsquoGOOGLYrsquo TIME Cricketloving children are some of the maidanrsquos regular users PicSayed Sameer Abedi ldquoIt is an honour and honestly a privilege to be living here The only reason I want it to be a World Heritage Site is because it will finally get the prestige it deserves Imagine living in a city which will have three UNESCO World Heritage Sites We have the CST and Elephanta Caves which are already UNESCO sites and with the Oval Precinct it will be a hattrick for the cityrdquo LOOKING OVER Residentsrsquo association president Ashad Mehta on the terrace of his building with a view of the maidan at the back PicPicAtul Kamble Operational According to Kathpalia the Oval precinct is the only 20thcentury precinct which is still in use with the Mumbai University and High Court on one side and the ArtDecostyle residential buildings on the other side RETRO STYLE Empress Court is one of the ArtDecostyle buildings opposite the Oval maidan PicShadab Khan She says ldquoDuring the British era the city was developing But it was being planned carefully The CST and the High Court are very wellplanned buildings and they are still functioning Removing statues and renaming streets is not right Our cityrsquos cultural heritage should be preserved and without the UNESCO Heritage Site tag the Oval precinct is endangeredrdquo ICONIC STRUCTURE Rajabai Clock Tower stands tall PicSuresh KK Intention ldquoWe have nothing to gain from this nor do we have any personal agendardquo says Phiroze Javeri an architect who has been living opposite Oval Maidan since his marriage in 1973 He says ldquoMost of us are aged and retired We are taking time out from our profession and investing so much effort into this proposal It is only to preserve it In a city like Mumbai it is a rarity to see a stretch of open space and the Oval has managed to remain intact All the other maidans like Azad and Cross have been encroached upon by political parties shacks or food stallsrdquo PRIDE AND HONOUR Oval Trust trustee Nayana Kathpalia says removing statues and renaming streets is not right PicBipin Kokate Struggle Javeri recalls the hard time he and other Oval and Cooperage Residents Association OCRA members have faced from the authorities ldquoAll the political parties have their eyes on the Oval They have all sorts of plans Once they said they will have a row of buildings at the Oval Maidan at other times they want an underground car park They call it underground but nothing will remain underground Now the latest is that they are talking of having a railway station at the Oval We canrsquot allow such things to happen and one of the weapons in our hands is to get it declared as high as possible on the heritage list as we can so that they are compelled to conserve itrdquo NOTHING PERSONAL Phiroze Javeri says residents are investing their effort only to preserve the area PicAtul Kamble Fortunate Having moved to the area soon after her marriage Dr Anahita Pandole indicates from her office window the view of lush greenery surrounding the Rajabai Clock Tower which overlooks the High Court ldquoWhat part of the city has an open place like this You will not see more beautiful buildings interspersed with the local space It39s amazing how hard all residents have tried to preserve the Art Deco features in our building from our railings to our balconies You can see the difference that just the residents have made if we can collectively make a difference then why notrdquo Stronghold She continues ldquoThese ArtDecostyle buildings are scattered all across the city in Mahim Matunga and Dadar But they are coming down like flies This is our one chance to preserve our heritage We will have much more ammunition to make it into a better place We will be able to convert the rigid who want to tear down an ArtDecostyle building and come up with a multistoreyed building There will be a freeze on all thatrdquo When asked if the Oval would survive without the UNESCO status she exclaimed ldquoAre you nuts Have you seen what Vasant Sagar is doing by increasing its height as compared to the other buildings on Marine Drive Where is the open space And this is our one time when we can actually preserve our heritage and nobody can touch itrdquo Popularity Pandole adds ldquoIf you come here on a Saturday you will see the whole maidan filled with people You will never know who is playing with whom The maidan is used by thousands of people The University the High Court the Rajabai Clock Tower are iconic There is no one who has visited Mumbai and has not seen these structures If a Vasant Sagar ever tries to arise we the residents will fight it till the endrdquo Phiroze Javerirsquos wife Ratty who runs the Indian National Kennel Club from her secondfloor flat opposite the Oval says ldquoA few days ago I was walking my dogs around the Oval Here I met a tourist from Delhi who was going to be in the city for a month He said that he had joined a gym as he didnrsquot know what kind of facilities Mumbai would offer But then when he came across Oval and walked around it he said lsquoWith this ground around I donrsquot need a gymrsquo The Oval is unique and you wonrsquot find a similar place conserved to such extentrdquo Objectives Ashad Mehta president of OCRA says ldquoThe planning for having our precinct nominated as a UNESCO Heritage Site began over a year ago The OCRA members have funded some of the amount but various associations across the city have willingly contributed to our funding The Kala Ghoda Association was very generous as the Asiatic building and many other heritage structures are a part of that area Over a year ago at Saffron Art ArtDecostyle paintings and furniture was auctioned out of which five per cent of the proceedings were directed towards our funding Being an official nomination from Mumbai I have now come to learn that MMRDA is also contributing We have had experts fly in for their suggestions and opinions and some of our members readily hosted them From planning to developing the dossier hosting experts and architects and covering the travel costs is all managed by the donations we receive from these associations We donrsquot need any extra help but unfortunately all of the residents have not come forward to donate ldquoThe extent of the usage of this precinct by the common man and public at large especially in a city like ours where there is a need for open space is remarkable Mumbai is so congested we have the advantages of a few heritage buildings which must be preservedquot The journey ahead Abha Narain Lambah the Mumbaibased heritage conservationist who has spearheaded the UNESCO proposal says ldquoWe met the Maharashtra CM last week and presented our dossier He has given his blessing to our endorsement and the Oval precinct will be the official entry of Mumbai for UNESCO status Around August 13 we will submit our final proposal and before August 25 the Maharashtra government has to present it to the Ministry of Culture in Delhi The Indian site for the UNESCO submission is to be shortlisted by the end of Septemberrdquo What Campaign to support Mumbai39s bid to get the Oval precinct voted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site Where The precinct is in South Mumbai and comprises Oval Maidan flanked by buildings with Victorian Gothic architecture on one side and Art Deco structures on the other Why Experts say the precinct is probably the only kind in the world boasting two contrasting styles of architecture that span two different centuries When This proposal is slated to be submitted to Maharashtra39s Chief Minister in midAugust 2013 Who Experts from the Urban Design Research Institute UDRI are pushing the process forward backed by the Oval Cooperage Residents Association How You can support the bid by voting Only one site can represent India Go online and vote at httpwwwmiddaycomheritage_support u00a0