Mumbai has always been a fast-changing city. But this spatial fluidity often comes at the cost of history and heritage. The ‘City of Dreams’ recently lost one such crucial piece of history on March 19, Tuesday, when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation or BMC pulled down one of the city’s most historic buildings. Located in one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Andheri, one of the last of 7 bungalows has now been torn down.
Andheri’s 7 Bungalows Loses One Of Its Last Bungalow
According to an article which was recently published by The Times Of India or TOI, the BMC declared the bungalow to be in a ruinous state. They issued a notice to the owners of Rattan Kunj two months ago to vacate the bungalow as it would collapse soon.
One of the co-owners of the bungalow even challenged BMC’s contention and stated that a civic body issued a structural audit notice which showed that save for minor repairs, the bungalow was under no imminent danger of collapsing.
It was claimed that there was a conspiracy to evict them as the land was coveted by a local builder who had intentions of redeveloping the area. Originally called Talati Bungalow, Rattan Kunj was 124 years old and was one of the last of the eponymic seven bungalows in Andheri.
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History Of This Legendary Neighbourhood In Andheri
The renown of the neighbourhood comes from the fact that each of the seven bungalows was owned by some of the most influential people in India at the time. These included Dadabhai Naoroji, the Maharaja of Gwalior, the Maharaja of Kutch, Sir Rustom Masani, Sorabjee Talati, the Khambattas and the Chinais.
After the fall of the Talati Villa or Rattan Kunj, the only piece surviving piece of this architectural history is the Shanti Niwas built by the Chinais. The question remains to be answered: Are such historical structures acceptable as sacrificial scapegoats for “redevelopment”?
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Did you ever have the privilege to witness this bungalow before it was demolished? What do you think of this act by the BMC? Let us know in the comments section below!
Cover Image Credits: Seven Bungalows Group/Facebook and @SevenbungalowsC/X (Formerly, Twitter)
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