Do you know where the BMC's head office was before the existing building was constructed in 1893? Can you spot the statue of the City of Bombay inside the BMC building? Do you know where the 'duck fountain' is in it? And, what lies underneath the building's dome? You will get answers to questions like these and many more when the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) in collaboration with the BMC begins heritage tours of the city's iconic municipal headquarters next month.
Last week the MTDC appointed local tourism agency Khaki Tours to curate heritage tours of the BMC building. Each tour is expected to last around an hour and will include a detailed Q&A at the end. While the days when the tours will be conducted are yet to be fixed, they are expected to begin next month.
"The magnificent dome that you see inside is not the one you see inside from the main staircase. The inside dome is far lower. There are two water tanks between the domes... (which were) concealed so that the building's beauty is not hit. These tanks are not used anymore," says Bharat Gothoskar, founder of Khaki Tours. Another interesting trivia is that in the early 1900s when top BMC officials wanted to watch a cricket match, they would go to the deck above the top dome and watch matches going on at the Bombay Gymkhana grounds across the road.
Research on the mysteries of the BMC building was done by history enthusiast Siddhartha Fondekar, who will host the tours. "Most people miss noticing a statue on the gable in front of the dome. The statue actually represents the colonial city of Bombay. The BMC headquarters hides some architectural marvels too. Between the two wings of the building is a little-known 'duck fountain'. And the mayor's entrance has a floating staircase with no support from the ground," Gothoskar points out.
Last week, tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray, who initiated the BMC heritage walk plan, visited the building with officials from the BMC and MTDC, and Khaki Tours. Officials said only a nominal tour fee will be charged and there will be discounts for students. Booking and ticketing will be done by the MTDC.
"The historic building will soon be open to everyone. There are many things to learn while touring this rich history," Thackeray tweeted.
Gothoskar says that before construction, a competition was held for the building's design and the winner was architect Robert Chisholm. But his Indo-Saracenic design with domes and minarets like the Taj Mahal in Agra did not find favour, and the contract was awarded to Frederick William Stevens and his Gothic design was finally selected. Stevens also designed CSMT.
For many decades, the mayor did not have an office in the BMC building, and only the municipal commissioner had the privilege. "The mayor operated from private chambers. It was only when then mayor Vitthalbhai Patel insisted that the mayor gets an office in the building that an extension for the office was built," Gothoskar says. "For most of us, history and civics are just two subjects in school. We mug them up for exams, and then forget everything the next day. We do not think they are relevant to our lives. Through this walk, our effort is to not only make them relevant, but make them come alive for the common citizen. And the BMC building is where both history and civics interact."