VADODARA : The city may not have much to offer this World Heritage Week, but if things go as planned Vadodara will have its own City. Heritage Museum ready by the time heritage week celebrations kick off next year.
District administration, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation and a city-based heritage trust headed by well-known architect Karan Grover are all set to sign an memorandum of understanding (MoU) to convert historical railway shed near platform number six of the railway station into City Heritage Museum with Rs 2 crore grants.
The railway salon once housed living, dinning and bedroom bogies of a train which was used by erstwhile ruler of Baroda state - Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad - when he used to travel to Bombay. These royal bogies were attached to the train from the salon, which is presently in dilapidated condition.
"We have made a draft MoU whereby heritage trust will design and look after the railway salon which is being converted into the heritage museum. While Vadodara mayor and MP Balkrishna Shukla has sanctioned Rs one crore from his MP grants, district collector Vijay Nehra has sanctioned another Rs one crore for the city museum," says Grover, adding that while an estimated Rs 1.5 crore will be spent on restoration and new extension of the salon to convert it into city museum, another Rs 60 lakh will go
towards its interiors.
"The railway salon is unique in itself for the simple reason that one would find no shed being used for royal bogies attached to any railway station. It was from here that these bogies were attached to the train in which the Maharaja travelled," says Grover, adding that the MoU is expected to be signed before December 31, after which work for restoration of the heritage building will start.
"The city museum will house five galleries for which we will put up a ramp that will divide the building in two parts. While three galleries will come up on ground level, the upper level will house two. One gallery will display the history of the city, while the other gallery will showcase the Gaekwadi era. Similarly, two other galleries will display city's achievements and history connected to cricket and fine arts," says Grover, adding that one gallery will showcase exhibition on rotation basis. Well researched panels on 100 heritage buildings of the city will be showcased at the museum.
The trust also plans to display 80 objects that will be shifted from the government-owned Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery to the city museum.
District administration, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation and a city-based heritage trust headed by well-known architect Karan Grover are all set to sign an memorandum of understanding (MoU) to convert historical railway shed near platform number six of the railway station into City Heritage Museum with Rs 2 crore grants.
The railway salon once housed living, dinning and bedroom bogies of a train which was used by erstwhile ruler of Baroda state - Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad - when he used to travel to Bombay. These royal bogies were attached to the train from the salon, which is presently in dilapidated condition.
"We have made a draft MoU whereby heritage trust will design and look after the railway salon which is being converted into the heritage museum. While Vadodara mayor and MP Balkrishna Shukla has sanctioned Rs one crore from his MP grants, district collector Vijay Nehra has sanctioned another Rs one crore for the city museum," says Grover, adding that while an estimated Rs 1.5 crore will be spent on restoration and new extension of the salon to convert it into city museum, another Rs 60 lakh will go
towards its interiors.
"The railway salon is unique in itself for the simple reason that one would find no shed being used for royal bogies attached to any railway station. It was from here that these bogies were attached to the train in which the Maharaja travelled," says Grover, adding that the MoU is expected to be signed before December 31, after which work for restoration of the heritage building will start.
"The city museum will house five galleries for which we will put up a ramp that will divide the building in two parts. While three galleries will come up on ground level, the upper level will house two. One gallery will display the history of the city, while the other gallery will showcase the Gaekwadi era. Similarly, two other galleries will display city's achievements and history connected to cricket and fine arts," says Grover, adding that one gallery will showcase exhibition on rotation basis. Well researched panels on 100 heritage buildings of the city will be showcased at the museum.
The trust also plans to display 80 objects that will be shifted from the government-owned Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery to the city museum.
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