Bal Thackeray memorial to open for public in December

While the funds for this project were allocated through the government of Maharashtra, the executing authority to float tenders was Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA).

Mumbai: Come December and the much-awaited memorial of late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray at the erstwhile Mumbai mayor’s bungalow at Shivaji Park in Dadar will be thrown open to the public. The project, comprising three structures on around 6,056.82 sqm of land, is in its final phase of completion and the total cost incurred is approximately ₹180 crore.

Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

While the funds for this project were allocated through the government of Maharashtra, the executing authority to float tenders was Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA).

The plot near the mayor’s bungalow belonging to Keraliya Samaj Sanstha, which ran a kindergarten for 30 years, will be the entrance block and security block. This is followed by the interpretation block for the memorial, the Mayor’s bungalow which will house a museum and an administrative block.

Instead of typical tall, imposing structures or statues, a distinct understated structure called the ‘interpretation centre’ will be built 15 metres away from the erstwhile Mayor’s heritage bungalow. It will depict the overall personality of the stalwart politician.

Interestingly, the interpretation centre, the memorial is neither tall, fancy nor ostentatious, but it will be low-key, sunken six metres down below, as per the source.

“When you enter the garden, you walk towards a garbakund, open to the sky. It is almost like a “kund” - the sanctum sanctorum. This centre is far from the heritage building to minimise the impact on the heritage structure,” said the source.

The memorial is below ground level and viewers will have to take steps to go six metres down.

Because Balasaheb was a son of the soil, the design concept abstained from having tall structures, as per the source.

“He was ‘dharti putra’ and so the building is connected to the ground -- partially underground and partially over the ground. It is less than 4 feet in height due to its heritage status. It is a simple structure and does not pretend to be mighty or great and yet substantial, where exhibitions will be held on Balasaheb and there will be an archive to research his life. At the end of the day, it is a smarak to commemorate his life events. His ideology, his political career and personal views will be a part of the centre,” said a source.

In the northeast corner of the property, a servant’s quarter will be converted into an Artist’s Retreat, to depict his artistic nature where art workshops will be conducted.

“Some structures were like the staff quarters. There is a low rise ground floor veranda, a terracotta tiled roof structure which will serve as the offices with public conveniences and a public toilet,” said an MMRDA official on the site.

Conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah & Associates had bagged the project by participating in a design contest.

The design concept aims to depict his personality through the building which is also seen in the choice of materials, using only granite and stone.

“The idea was that he wasn’t a person who would cover up so there is no plaster of paris moulding. It is his personality being depicted through the building and architecture,” said the source.

The construction also depicts the environmentally conscious nature of the Thackerays, as per the source.

“His whole family wanted to preserve over a hundred trees on the plot. Balasaheb himself used to love gardening and so they were preserved and not a single tree was dislodged in the campus,” said the source.

Besides, now the Mayor’s bungalow will be accessible to the general public. “Only the VIPs could enter and the public couldn’t access it. With this project, the bungalow which is a heritage building will be restored. The heritage building, the garden with a view of the sea link would be opened to the general public,” said the source.