Maharashtra govt approves conservation of 144-year-old Kipling Bungalow

The bungalow was built in 1882 to replace the house in which the renowned novelist and poet Rudyard Kipling was born in 1865

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has sanctioned around ₹10 crore for the renovation of the 144-year-old Dean’s Bungalow, also referred to as the Kipling Bungalow, on the campus of the Sir JJ School of Art.

Mumbai, India - April 5, 2018: Rudyyard Kipling's Bunglow at Sir JJ School of Art in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, April 5, 2018. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

Constructed in 1882, the wood-and-brick bungalow served as the residence for the school’s deans till 2007. Its claim to fame, however, is that it was built to replace the house in which the renowned novelist and poet Rudyard Kipling was born in 1865. Kipling’s father, John Lockwood Kipling, was the first dean of the Sir JJ School of Art.

The Kipling Bungalow has been undergoing restoration for several years to fix the damage caused by time and neglect. According to a government order issued on Thursday, the latest conservation work approved will focus on structural maintenance and restoration of the bungalow’s original features, including its teakwood construction, verandas, and bedrooms. The project will also include the development of an art gallery, site improvements, landscaping, and architectural illumination in accordance with heritage norms, among other enhancements, officials said.

Confirming the development, state cultural affairs secretary Kiran Kulkarni said, “We have decided to undertake renovation and conservation work of the Dean’s Bungalow, which is located inside the premises of Sir JJ School of Art.” The conservation work will be undertaken by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums.

The Kipling Bungalow is a Grade II heritage site and state-protected monument, named in memory of Rudyard Kipling. The author of The Jungle Book was born in 1865 in a bungalow adjacent to this site. The original house was later demolished due to age. The present bungalow was built in 1882, after Kipling, then a young boy, was sent to England.

In 2015, Vinod Tawde, the minister for school education and cultural affairs at the time, had proposed converting the bungalow into a tourist attraction. Additional proposals included developing it as a literary venue, with concepts such as an art museum with a café and a virtual reality experience based on The Jungle Book.