11 January,2011 09:33 AM IST | | Dhvani Solani
...No, not to face that sour-faced lecturer. Walk around the many institutions and heritage sites that dot the Education District to know how mumbai has evolved
As we rush through the crowded corridors of Churchgate Station , we forget to pause and reflect on the brilliant heritage that graces the area. After a walk to be led by Frenchwoman Julie Van Rechem around the Education District, you will hopefully stand and stare, be it just for a moment.
Bombay Gymkhana located at the southern end of the Azad Maidan.
Pic / Bipin kokate
und helps me see the difference between what is fantasised, what is real and what is felt," says Julie, a History and Geography teacher who has made Mumbai her home since the past two years. "I try to make people understand that there is what you see -- the buildings, the city, the people who live in it -- and then there's a whole world of memories, stories, expectations, hopes and disappointments."
The hour-and-a-half long guided tour will kickstart at the Alliance Fran aise de Bombay and run through Azad Maidan as well as the small district situated between VT, DN Road and the maidan that is called the Education District, thanks to the many institutions and libraries that were established here.
"This route gives me the possibility to talk about many important topics about Mumbai heritage, for example the inherited sociability of the clubs (Bombay Gymkhana), the meanings behind the maidans, the importance of Parsi foundations with regards to health and school (Parsi Lying-in Hospital).
I'll also have the opportunity to explain how Mumbai's heritage is considered, protected or not while talking about the private properties of wealthy families (Esplanade House) or restoration of buildings by foreign companies (Tata Palace or the Deutsche Bank)."Though these walks are usually in French, this one's in English. Catch it before the lingo switch takes place!
On: January 13, 9.30 am to 11 am. Registrations are compulsory and must be made at the Alliance Fran aise office at Theosophy Hall, 40, next to Nirmala Niketan College, New Marine Lines. Call: 22035993 or Eail sheryn@afindia.org. Cost: Rs 160 per person
