The heritage in structures

Their tours of Bombay "will involve more than observing structures from the outside,” Dr Simin Patel, (pictured) director of Bombaywalla Historical Works Private Limited informed the mid-day of November 2, 2017. On November 4, the day that Patel flagged off the intriguingly titled "Delicate Ground: The Opera House Walk, 1846-1917,” she informed Parsiana that "the idea is to get people to engage with structures... we will be stepping (into heritage structures) wherever possible, unlike other companies that concentrate on streets,” she said.
Why did she choose this neighborhood for her maiden walk? "We wanted to situate the Royal Opera House (ROH) in the vibrant theater world that developed in the area 1846 onwards. When it opened in 1911, the building of ROH was not even completed,” but co-owners Jehangir Karaka and Maurice Bandmann "wanted to get things moving,” she informs us, providing another nugget: the opening of Bombay Theatre at Grant Road in February 1846 marked the beginning of the neighborhood’s tryst with art and culture.
"The first walking tour included Roshan Talkies that still stands strong as a single screen theater. The tour included a foray into the stately Laxmi Baug, "a hotbed of Hindustani classical music” in Girgaum that has played host to many a soiree in the early 20th century. A second tour in November will cover the period from 1910 to the 1950s.
With a doctorate in the city’s history from Oxford University, Patel is writing a book on the Irani cafes of Bombay.