India’s UNESCO ambassador urges BMC to document restoration like Notre Dame Cathedral

As he walked through the corridors of the BMC headquarters on Friday, to look at its resurrection after it was gutted in 2010, India’s ambassador to UNESCO Vishal Sharma, noted that the restoration must be documented like the Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.

MUMBAI: As he walked through the corridors of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) headquarters on Friday, to look at its resurrection after it was gutted in 2010, India’s ambassador to UNESCO Vishal Sharma, noted that the restoration must be documented like the Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.

Mumbai, India – Aug 02, 2024: 46th UNESCO World Heritage Site Committee Hon. President and India's UNESCO Hon. Ambassador Mr. Vishal Sharma visited the historic building of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Headquarters, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, Aug 02, 2024. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

Apart from damage to the building, many old photographs were also ruined in the fire. While the civic team restored the photographs, the building was restored to its old form by architect Abha Narain Lambah in 2016. As he took the heritage tour of the building, Sharma first met civic chief and administrator Bhushan Gagrani. He congratulated the heritage department for retaining the Venetian Gothic and Indo-Saracenic style architecture. He visited the deliberative wing where all crucial decisions were once taken presided by the mayor and the 227 corporators.

“In the 2010 fire, 90 per cent of the BMC house was damaged, including old photographs. We had requested the National Archives of London to recreate them,” said a civic official from the BMCs heritage department.

“You should publish a book on the process of restoration. The French are documenting every step of the Notre Dame Cathedral’s restoration process, after it was burnt down. We have done such a great job here; why don’t we tell the world about it,” Sharma told officials from the heritage department.

Later, addressing the media, Sharma said he was pleased to see India’s nomination to the World Heritage list for 2025, where the Maratha landscape – primarily 12 forts – will be showcased to highlight the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He was referring to forts in Raigad, Torna, Pratapgarh, Sinhgadh and Lohgad, among others.

“There are 11 forts in Maharashtra and one in Tamil Nadu near Thanjavur because the Maratha empire spread from Thanjavur to Peshawar. It is our duty to show the world the military genius, strategic thinking and naval power of Shivaji,” said Sharma. “We want school students from Maharashtra to be associated with these forts, which can be achieved through painting and essay writing competitions. The stones in these forts are the soul of Maharashtra.”

Sharma was the first Indian elected to chair the World Heritage Committee during its 46th session, in November, 2023. The 47th session will be held in Bulgaria between July 6-16, 2025 where the nominations will be examined.

For the first time the World Heritage Committee held its first meeting in India between July 21-31 this year, since the UNESCO’s 1972 convention. Representatives from over 136 countries convened in New Delhi to discuss conservation and world heritage issues. India has achieved significant success in nominating properties to the World Heritage list, with 43 sites currently listed. The most recent addition is the Moidam burial sites of the Ahom dynasty in Assam.