Despite being recorded as one of the hottest days in April, a group of serious heritage enthusiasts were not done with their questions and discussions as we reached the fag end of an engaging walkthrough that was preceded by a lecture inside a classroom at the Sir JJ School of Architecture. The subject of this recent session was to explore and decode the many architectural styles that grace Bombay since it grew from a port town into a prosperous mercantile and commercial colonial city.

Roughly three-and-a-half hours earlier, 20-25 participants, including yours truly, were greeted by Professor Mustansir Dalvi at the entrance to the Architecture annexe within the historic campus. Barely 10 minutes into the lecture, the privilege and thrill of being part of an important session by an expert in the field — where he highlighted and drew out incisive thoughts and insightful commentaries about the architectural influences of this great city — dawned on me. It was like being back in college, when an articulate professor would share their knowledge about a tough but passionate subject in a simple, lucid manner, minus the frills. The lecture was without spiffy PPTs or props that we are so used to witnessing in modern-day presentations and seminars. The information was disseminated in the classroom format and from a single source who cited tonnes of examples and references from the past and present. Chalk and blackboard, and seamless delivery. I looked around, and apart from this attentive bunch, and a handful of architecture students; the typical guided walk participant was missing. What a shame. It is another story altogether that this informative session was free of cost.