
We have a long memory, when it comes to arts and heritage of Ahmedabad. But a few people like Anupa Mehta, take the pledge to preserve the deep-rooted fortified old legacy of ‘pol’ in the city. For six years, Mehta, a city-based author and art critic, nurtured an artistic project Arts Reverie, set in Dhal ni Pol, one of the several pols of the old city. It is a restored haveli of 1920s located in the heart of the city. It was a project of Arts Reverie Consultancy Services Private Limited that was spearheaded by Mehta and Barney Hareduke. However, it will now make way for a new initiative by Deepali Patel.
Deepali Patel, an aspiring entrepreneur, art and design enthusiast working with Rajiv Patel of City Heritage Centre on the restoration projects in the old walled city. The Centre is a community-based resource centre that helps in ‘preserving, sustaining and promoting their architectural and cultural heritage’.
Enthusiastic Mehta, commenting on the hand over said, “We entered the heritage space with an arts project at a time when people were still sceptical of its potential. Nearly 300 artists, tourists and arts-lovers with an interest in the creative industries have visited the pol over the last six years.”
”It has been a very satisfying experience. We are glad to be handling the building to someone who will create similar legacies,” added Mehta. Deepali, who has taken over the project with the initiative to run an ‘incubation centre’ for home-stays under the THC home-style banner, said “We will help the residents of the walled city of Ahmedabad to create home-stays in their heritage homes.”
”The main motive of the project is to foster the old, walled city of Ahmedabad and give the opportunity to arts-lovers to cherish its beauty through home-stays,” added Rajiv. Meanwhile, Arts Reverie will continue to run art projects in other parts of the city.
Rupsa C
Refer Original Article :- DNA
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