Heritage lovers join hands to save Walled City’s splendour

VADODARA: Beautiful homes with intricately designed wooden verandahs were once a common sight in the by-lanes of the old city. But most of these heritage homes have now been replaced with concrete buildings with bland exteriors sporting drab colours.
Concerned over the disappearing heritage, a group of concerned citizens have come together to save these exquisite structures.

A team of about a dozen persons will not just try to save the existing old residences but also help in beautifying the concrete buildings in the narrow lanes. “We have been organizing heritage walks in the old city for years during which we saw many old wooden homes getting demolished and making way for concrete apartments. So, we thought of forming a team to save these artistic homes that stand testimony to our rich heritage,” said Chandrashekhar Patil, art conservator.

The committee will meet owners of such old houses and convince them to not bring down the structure. “We will explain them the importance of these homes with ornamental interiors and balconies. If they seek help, we will also restore and strengthen their heritage homes as our idea is to save our heritage,” Patil told TOI. From Mughal and Maratha architecture to Gujarati and Jain styled homes, the walled city has a rich treasure of heritage.

Balconies of some of the homes still sport animals and birds carved out of wood. “If any owner wants to build a modern house, we will convince him to change the interiors but keep the old exteriors intact. This will help both owner and the heritage lovers. If any person wants to sell his old house, we will try to find a buyer who would respect and conserve the heritage structure,” Patil, who along with heritage lover Kirti Parikh, held team meetings with owners of some old homes over last few days, said. The Amba Maata ni Pol, Jagmal ni Pol and Narsinhji ni Pol have some of the most artistic wooden homes complete with porch and tall decorated pillars.

Owner of an old house in the lanes of the Walled City has approached Patil for help in maintaining his home’s exteriors. “Only organizing heritage walks isn’t enough to save these structures. We wanted to do something to conserve it so we decided to come together and work for saving our heritage,” Parikh said.