High-fives for Bombay's star attractions

It was one of those odd days in the middle of October when the skies were overcast and the odd pitterpatter made Sir PM take extra small steps as he treaded cautiously to meet his friend Lady Flora at her pedestal There was some buzz around her and a few other landmarks in the city Theyd received international recognition all the way in Malaysia according to Dr Viegas It was in the papers Pheroze Ask her noWho better than to get it straight from the horses mouth he chuckled before rushing off to collect the last batch of pao from one of Dhobi Talaos bakeriesThe rain increased to a persistent drizzle and so Sir PM wasnt sure if his failing eyesight or the raindropsplashed spectacles was causing the confusion He could see that Lady Flora was sporting a pair of dark shades She was beaming from ear to earWhats with the shades Lady Flora All well I hope Dare I ask if conjunctivitis has got the better of you Then again what is to be said about this lessthansalubrious weather remarked Sir PM He had punctured the moment and his friends facial expression changed quickly to a halffrown Why would you say something so depressing PherozeHavent you heard I won There was an Honourable Mention made in faraway Malaysia to hail my restored self Now Im being celebrated as one among the best in Asia too Bombay did spectacularly well Ive been told There were others who also returned with awards mdash our neighbour the Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue and Gloria Church in Byculla A city based architect also did fine things for the Vikram Sarabhai Library at IIM Ahmedabad she rattled off And what is the connection with the win and your decision to sport dark glasses Sir PM prodded looking as puzzled as before Well you see Pheroze ever since the news broke last Monday citizens tourists and heritage buffs have been thronging the pedestal to catch a glimpse of me The clicking of cameras has been relentless and so I have had to wear these to protect my eyes from the glare I do not wish for my smooth and wrinklefree faccedilade to be subject to any kind of strain or damage she elaborated adding I cant afford any negative publicitySo what was the honour about Sir PM asked he was trying hard to keep the curiosity under check Havent you heard Its UNESCOs top awards for the finest examples of restored architecture in the Asia Pacific region It doesnt get bigger than this ndash like our Oscars minus the gowns and the tuxes I believe there was some tough competition from countries like China So this feels extra special Pheroze Shall we head someplace to raise a toast I heard about a new tea room right here in Horniman Circle she asked By now Sir PM was preening like a peacock thrilled to hear about his friends award Its a fine effort Lady Of course we should celebrate After all how often does the city get such a wonderful legup The fate of Esplanade Mansion lies in the air so this is fabulous Both stood for a moment by the decrepit faccediladeStill these wins are a terrific salute to the heritage movement Last year too it was the lay people who propelled the effort towards earning the UNESCO World Heritage Tag for the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble and now these victories each helmed by conservation architects and their teams validates and reassures us that the city has so many keepers of its heritage reminded Sir PMIndeed Pheroze its the small victories that add up to a big revolution she agreed and finally removed her shades as they approached the tea roomThe rate at which your popularity is soaring I suspect you might become the first ever heritage statue to receive an invite to one of these highprofile inviteonly celebrations theyre called Page 3 parties Dont forget your old friendshellip he teasedHow can I Pheroze she smiledHeritage was the talking point once again in the city and after a long time the two friends truly savoured the walk It had been a win for their beloved Bombay after allmiddays Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the citys sights sounds smells and stoneswherever the ink and the inclination takes her She tweets bombayanaSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates