Abstract of the Article

Invariably in India one finds hill-stations located near large settlements that are get-a ways, colonial outposts that took cues from some early mythical pilgrimage places. These towns today are hotly contested terrains. The contest is between tourists, tour-operators, fun-seekers, local residents and hotel-owners on one hand andenvironmentalists, brown sahibs, poets and writers on theother. Mahabaleshwar is no exception to this. The severaldepartments of the local, state and central governments that have people working in or outside the departments who take sides of either of the two categories stated earlier. New laws and committees have sparked of a host of positive and negative reactions in the hill station. With the middle class growing richer in India, there is agrowing demand for weekend get-a ways as well as planned holidays. In Maharashtra, Mahabaleshwar in the Western Ghats is ideally located at the end of a four hour journey from Mumbai or two hours from Pune. In recent times the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India has been forthcoming by working out a scheme for infrastructure and destination development to aid tourism. The MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) has been able to successfully avail of this scheme and utilize it in their holiday resort (infrastructure) at Mahabaleshwar. The destination development however remains elusive as the Forest Department is slow in giving permissions or waking up to the clarion call of cutting bureaucratic red tape in twenty-first century India.

CONFLICTS, CONTRADICTIONS AND COMPROMISES

In the misty myths of time and spaceWhere Mahabal and Atibal the demons fought the Lords Vishnu and Shiva and the conflict lends its name to theplace (Mahabaleshwar)

Where the five rivers (Krishna, Venna, Gayatri, Savitri, Koyna) gather their soul and strength from this lofty paradiseof extreme climes

Where the bison, monkey and the shekru (flying squirrel), the wild roses and the jarul, karanj, jambhul abound the hills and vales

Where ballads and lost memories of the Yadav King Singhan, the great Shivaji and Raja Pratapsingh and the Mores ofJavli or those of Afzal Khan echo in the valleys

Where Malcom and Malet, Arthur and Elphinstone, Briggs and Babington, Frere and Falkland left their marks on the clubs, bazaars, churches and schools, points and bridle paths, and a legacy of bureaucracy where nothing moves

Where Glen-Ogle and Four Oaks, Craig and Castle Rock, Bella Vista, Bohemia and Bellevue are forgotten names of rich men’s haunts now palaces known by their gardeners

Where Chinese and Malay convicts gave natives lessons and a means for living in growing strawberries and weaving cane

Where lakes and forests are menaced by 21st century settlers Who in turn are seized by committees and covenants

Where the contradictions arise between conservation anddevelopment, between rights and duties, charity and profit, fun and contemplation is aplenty

Where the rulers of the past donated glittering spires and beautiful temples to posterity, a tribute to god’s gift of nature

There the innocent tourist leaves behind a trail of litter, car smoke, visual chaos and exploitation!There the challenge is to reverse the tide of erosion, neglect, indifference and frustration!

There the challenge is to make sensible conservation!To strike a balance between what was and what can beWhere we understand the language of the bird and the beeA compromise that accommodates the conflict and contradiction

Misty Myths:Legend has it that Atibal and Mahabal were two

demons who were slain by Vishnu and Shiva. A dying wish was granted at the end of the battle that there would be temples built by the names of these two demons. The name of the town Mahabaleshwar owes its origin to this myth.

Mahabaleshwar in Time and Space:Mahabaleshwar is one of the most popular Hill

stations of Maharashtra today. It has its origins that goback to the mythical era. But the remains of the various temples can be traced to the twelfth century. The elevation of the Hill town being about 4500 ft above sea level and that it receives rainfall ranging from 180 inches to 347 inches annually has endowed the region witha unique ecosystem having its special mix of flora and fauna. These features of the climate have had special appeal owing to the therapeautic value inherent in the atmosphere of Mahabaleshwar. The threats to this unique ecosystem ensue from the growing population of the town

and surrounding villages as also from the greed of tour operators and resort owners. The contested terrain is rapidly being usurped by human habitation and its manifold stresses on the environment. A detailed inquiry into the past and a balanced assessment of the present condition is an ongoing process that the project addresses consciously. The seemingly opposed ideologies of conservation and tourism are reconciled in the search for limited and appropriate development.

Colonial Development:The colonial period between 1820 and 1947 saw the

development of the town as a popular resort for the Europeans who favoured this place as an escape from the oppressive heat of the plains and the coast. The various clubs, streets, bridle paths, houses and estates bear names of the people who authoritatively asserted their presence and left deep impressions on the local culture.

Governor’s House and the Maharashtra Tourism HolidayResort

The MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) resort that has developed around the Governor’s House since the 1980’s is a large 450 bed establishment that is in need of up gradation to meet thecontemporary demands of tourism. Out of the 29 hectares of land surrounding the Governor’s House, 15 acres of land and some 82 structures (approximate area 11,539.29 sqm or 1,24,162.76sft) are in the possession of the MTDC.These buildings are a mix of structures built in 1891, 1901, 1980, 1990 etc. Surprisingly the older structures have stood the test of time and the extreme weather of Mahabaleshwar better than the more recent buildings. Nevertheless the buildings needed better toilets, leak-proof rooms, better lighting and ventilation, interiors, housekeeping and basic services of lighting, pest-control, back-up of emergency lighting, signage, landscape, water-supply and sewage treatment. Better catering services and other essentials of a resort viz. health-club, games rooms, conference rooms, and restaurants are badly needed.

Layout and nature of development:

The resort is located on the north and south slopes of a ridge that runs east to west. Small barrack like structures in laterite stone masonry walls, timber framessupporting corrugated iron roofs and having heavy teak wood doors and windows are arranged in an east west orientation. The thick vegetation prevents any views of the surrounding landscape except from selected places. Several watercourses that run through the slopes of the ridges have led to differential settlement of the newly built cottages. One of them had collapsed due to this defect. Little or no landscape development besides the thick vegetation of local trees was seen in the site.

Threats to buildings and conservation work undertaken: Termites had attacked some roof timbers, wet rot was active at the bases of timber columns. Limited replacement of decayed parts, removal of several layers of oil paint and repeated seasoning with linseed oil was undertaken to restore the period look. Leaking roofs had caused damage to false ceilings. Old corrugated iron roofs were replaced with semi-corrugated, profiled, precoated, galvanized iron sheets. Most of the plumbing,electrical services and toilet finishes needed a completeoverhaul. This was done using the least offensive-lookingand by selecting the most user-friendly gadgets and finishes. In some places the immediate outdoors of buildings were badly treated without attention to transition zones. These were provided by using pavers blocks, cast iron railings, period light fittings and ceramic tiles. The period language of trellis-work, barge-boards, laterite and granite signage was revived tocomplete the heritage ambience.

Declaration of the Eco-Sensitive Heritage ZoneMahabaleshwar being declared as an eco-sensitive

heritage zone and some of the old buildings being declared as Grade II heritage buildings by the Govt. of Maharashtra, there are stringent regulations that any development is needed to comply with.

Funding from Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India

The proposed development was divided into two phases, each which also deals with the two most popular tourist spots in Mahabaleshwar viz. the Bombay Point (Phase I) and the Arthur seat Point (Phase II) respectively. The first phase dealt with providing structural strengthening and weather-proofing of several heritage buildings like the ‘Bacheri’ (probably a name ofthe Governor’s band), the dormitories and family rooms. Also included in the first phase was improvement of the Krishna Cottages and landscape at the entrance plaza and around dormitories, sewage, effluent treatment plants. The second phase includes improvement of the Kitchen, restaurant, providing new games room and health resort, improvement of the Hanuman cottages and some dormitories and family suites. Providing improvement to the infrastructure of water-supply, electricity, and house-keeping is also included in the second phase.

Thematic Improvements that may add value to conservation and tourism

It is also proposed that there should be thematic improvements and a complete change in the experience of the tourist while in the resort. Period style furniture, fabrics, stationery, attendant attire, cutlery, paintingsand prints will be used to create an aura of exclusive escape. Re-enactment of historic episodes by various performing artists, food festivals that recall the era, and recitation of literary works will add to the total experience that goes with the tourist experience. Guided tours to various spots that speak of the historic value of the place will complete the interest in the town and its surrounding places to make the resort unique.

Making Conservation and Tourism mutually supportive:At present the occupancy is around 60% for not more

than 90 days in a year. The proposals after implementation are expected to boost this by at least twice the present figures. Improvement of the two points will mean better parking and other tourist facilities like food and beverages, information and signage, toiletsand security, souvenirs and merchandise for visitors to these places. A balance between reasonably priced tourism

and adequately provided facilities is being sought by thecorporation as against the usual market-savvy one-upmanship.

Proposed Improvements at the Bombay Point and Arthur SeatPoint include:

1. Improvements to the approach Road by resurfacing with tar, providing necessary signage to avoid accidents, control speed, guide parking and reduce pollution. At theArthur seat point it is proposed that a common area for parking private vehicles about 2km away from the points should be supplemented by a set of battery-operated vehicles plying every 30 minutes.

2. Improvements to the existing parking area by providinga paving of concrete paver blocks with parking lines marked systematically, adequate lighting, ticket booth.

3. Restricting access of horses and vehicles in the area by providing deterrent railings and signage and creating an exclusively pedestrian zone.

4. Providing aesthetically designed signage giving the historic, environmental and ecological significance of the point and the views from the point.

5. Providing suitable kiosks for essential services and entertainment after removing the present steel fabrication structures with aesthetically designed signage as per enclosed drawing. At the Bombay Point the existing pavilion will be restored including the signage at the entrance.

6. Removal of historically inconsistent and aestheticallydisturbing elements such as railings, chain-link fences, garbage cans, signage, water tanks, light poles, seats etc.

7. Providing thematically and historically consistent elements in place of the above.

8. Rebuilding the laterite stone wall along the western edge of the point as it shows tilting.

9. Paving the area to prevent the incidence of soil erosion and of rising dust with laterite and basalt stonepavers set in grit without mortar and in mortar along theedges to secure the paving. The overall geometry of the positions of various elements and material is shown in the drawing attached.Wherever necessary providing eco-friendly check dams and retaining walls to prevent soil erosion is proposed. Paving is also proposed with the intention of allowing a safe and easy path for tourists to access the points without accidents.

10. Plantation of flowering and non-flowering shrubs those are indigenous to the location of Mahabaleshwar with informative signage on local names, botanical names,flowering seasons, medicinal value etc.

11. Signage and maps of tourist interest including walks and bridle paths, flora and fauna, do’s and don’ts.

ConstraintsConsidering that the holiday resort is a prime cash cow of the MTDC it is not possible to shut the resort for renovation. These works have to be carried out off-season. The period between July and October or January and March is the only one when work can be done. The monsoons in Mahabaleshwar being heavy (3500 to 4500 mm!)it is a difficult period for work. Being a GovernmentDepartment the work has the usual problems of scheduled rates that are nowhere near market rates leading to poor workmanship, empanelled contractors who rule the roost. Outdated systems of tendering, billing and project management were resisted to the extent possible. In conservation estimation and anticipating the nature of repairs is next to impossible in a given time frame. Permissions from the Heritage Committee, Local

Authorities and the Forest Department are vexing and frustrating exercises to say the least. All these constraints were reasonably addressed to complete the first phase and have the second phase currently going.

Anjali and Kiran KalamdaniArchitects, Partners ‘Kimaya’

The Architects Anjali and Kiran Kalamdaniare partners in the Pune based firm of ‘kimaya’ thatis striving to achieve a balance between prose and poetry, conservation and new build, theory and practice, charity and profit, professionalism and activism. Besides working on the formal disciplines of architecture, urban design, conservation, valuation and interior design, they are actively involved in academics, journalism, activisim, poetryand photography.

Some of their important projects include Revatizing Environs of Shaniwarwada, Pune; Conservation of Vishrambagwada, Kanhoji Angre Samadhi at Alibag and the Main Building of the University of Pune.

Both have done their B.Arch from the BKPS College ofArchitecture in Pune and their M.Arch in Urban Design from SPA, New Delhi. Anjali is a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Valuers and Kiran is a Life Member of INTACH. He has done an M.A. in Conservation Studies from the University of York andis a Trustee of the Shaniwarwada Mahotsav Committee as well as the National Institute of Naturopathy.

1.Impersonal paving, poorly appointed ironwork and large gaps between the RCC roof and its CGI cover characterized the comedy of errors previously.

2. Ceramic tile paving, heavy cast iron railings, replacement and extension of CGI sheets with profiled pre-coated sheets has helped to blend the

new cottages into the heritage ambience.

3. Leaking roofs, hanging wires, poorly protected and painted woodwork, lack of sympathetic transitionzones between buildings.

4. Changed roofing material, weather shades added, landscaped surroundings, period lighting and signagehave added value.

5. The ‘Bacheri’ with poorly executed later additions, leaking roofs, termite infested timbers and no plinth protection, as recorded in Feb ‘05.

6. The ‘Bacheri’ after the recent works

7. The ‘Bacheri’ in Feb 2005

8. The Bacheri in Feb 2006

9. Dormitory D3 after repairs

10. Dormitory D 3 before repairs