Hoteliers eye Mahim fort

As the Grade-I heritage structure disappears behind concrete and slum encroachments, hotel industry asks state tourism dept to let it adopt and refurbish it

Hoteliers eye Mahim fort

As the Grade-I heritage structure disappears behind concrete and slum encroachments, hotel industry asks state tourism dept to let it adopt and refurbish it

The Mahim fort - once known for its strategic value in the colonial era, and now, for the utter abandonment disfiguring its former elegance - has attracted the attention of the hotel industry.

A hotel association wants to invest in the structure's restoration and manage it as the Grade-I heritage site that it is.

Last month, Hotel and Restaurant Association -Western India (HRA-WI) made an appeal to the state tourism department and the Maharashtra Tourism Department Corporation (MTDC), seeking permission to adopt the dilapidated heritage structure, suffering from administrative neglect, encroachment of slums, and exposure to tidal erosions. They are now waiting for a response.
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Kamlesh Barot, president, HRA-WI, said, "Maharashtra's forts, as tourism features, are comparable to the palaces of Rajasthan. The fort at Mahim should be given to the hospitality industry for adoption.

This will trigger a trail of fort renovations in the entire state. Also, if the government permits us to adopt the fort, it will boost tourism."

He added, "We don't want to own the place. We are just going to manage it."

Barot said that he and his associates have already spoken to MTDC officials, who are yet to respond to the proposal.

"Even if you stand near the traffic junction at Mahim or travel from the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, it is impossible to catch a glimpse of the fort, just a few hundred feet away, because of concrete structures and shanties overshadowing it," Barot said, adding, "On the one hand the government talks about promoting tourism.

On the other, no attention is paid to these structures requiring immediate attention."

'Help us to help you'

Adding to Barot's concern, Vithal Kamat, chairman and managing director, Kamat Hotels (India) Ltd (KHIL), feels there is a lot more to explore in the country.

"We have such a rich heritage that needs to be preserved. We as hoteliers will help MTDC restore the structures, and the government, on its part, needs to help us," said Kamat, who had invested Rs 200 crore for the revamp of the Jadhav Gadh fort at Murud Harnai beach in Ratnagiri district.

After entering into a long-lease agreement with the MTDC to develop the fort, Kamat has been successfully running the heritage property under his Gadh Hotels banner. He also owns eco-friendly five-star hotels in Mumbai and is all set to develop six heritage properties in Orissa and Pune.

He further said, "Such proposals will not only help boost tourism, but also bring in employment for villagers staying in these areas. At Jadhav Gadh, we have 55 villagers employed with us, and five others work as drivers with our hotel."

Expert speaks
Sharada Dwivedi, a Mumbai-based historian and researcher, applauds the idea of adopting the forts.
"It is a very good idea. As a city, we have so much to offer tourists but we are doing nothing to promote it. Look at how much Miami in the US earns from its art deco heritage. And though Mumbai has the second largest number of art deco buildings after Miami, we are diluting them. The Mahim Fort requires immediate attention as the encroachment around the fort has dampened its image as a heritage structure," she said.

The Mahim Fort has been in a state of disrepair for years

MTDC speaks
"Hoteliers have made a proposal to us and we are waiting for their final draft. The proposal seems to be valuable for city monuments and forts. We are positive about it. But a final decision can only be taken after the state tourism and cultural departments approve the proposal," said Vijay Chauhan, general manager, MTDC.

About the fort

Mahim fort is the first of the many forts built by the Portuguese in the Bombay Province in mid-16th century. It was a bulwark against repeated maritime invasions.

From its strategic location in the Mahim Bay, off the Causeway, the fort overlooks Worli to the south, Bandra to the north, and Mahim to the east.

Today, although the Mumbai Urban Heritage Conservation Committee has classified it as a Grade-I heritage structure, the fortress lies in abject ruin.

Responsibility for it is shuffled between the state government and the BMC, although it lies on the former's land.

In 2008, then municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak had proposed a makeover for the fort, it continues to be in a state of disrepair.