INDIA
Asian Voice - Saturday 31st March 2012
27
Abhay Mangaldas gives a new meaning to Ahmedabad’s heritage By Purvi Apurva Shah Ahmedabad came a step closer to realising its dream of becoming a world heritage city with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) nominating the walled city for Unesco's 'World Heritage List'. A creative genius - Abhay Mangaldas, an anchor to conserve heritage and make the old world charm as charming as ever. He says, “"Life must be lived forward, but it can only be understood backward." And he worked full-on to restore and recycle the rich heritage that was passed to him by his forefathers in Ahmedabad. He left huge business prospects only to revive the ancient heritage of Ahmedabad and let people a chance to enjoy and celebrate the heritage of Ahmedabad. He made an effort to reach out to foreign tourists and let them bask in the glory of the past. Born and brought up in Ahmedabad and proud to be a Gujarati, he created contemporary lifestyle that is rooted in tradition. He renovated and recycled a heritage property to flower into a hotel, restaurant, café, craft centre, cosmetology centre that too in such a way that it spells heritage in a big way. He introduced heritage walk and heritage exploration in the form of online connection, contest and workshops. With the revival of heritage, he gave rise to many home-industries and provide livelihood of many. Abhay, the scion of one of the bestknown families of Ahmedabad, wanted to preserve the rich heritage of architecture, craft and cuisine. Abhay returned to his roots after completing Master's in Mass Communication (with a major in Computer Graphics and Animation) from Boston University and later spend eight years in different ventures in Mumbai. But soon he realised that he was losing his individuality. Mumbai was so driven by commerce that giving birth to ideas and innovations was impossible. It was time to go back to his roots. His father, a textile industrialist and an architect, instilled in him the love of heritage. His career began at the family-owned Victoria Mills, an institution that was then unfortunately in a state of decline. In 1995 he took the dynamic decision of selling the mill, salvaging the real estate and separating the company’s subsidiaries. It was providence that in the family separation, the company that he heads purchased his great grand father's mansion and he has since been immersed in its restoration and reuse. He wears the hats of both creative head and operations head for his hotel, restaurants and retail ventures. His creation, a boutique hotel, the House of Mangaldas Girdhardas, is an attempt not just to connect with his roots but to enable others to understand the Gujarati ethos as well. The restaurant, Agashiye serves the typical Gujarati food that probably your great granny must have made for you, the old cuisine that is saved from its decline. Mangaldas ni haveli is a two hundred – year-old intricately carved house that is turned into a café that it looks ancient, but warm and inviting. It also has a rich history, as it once belonged to poet Bholanath Divetia and was blessed by the frequent visits by famed poet Akho Bhagat. It is situated in old Pol and its structure and formation makes you live the old times. Lotus Pool, an indoor pool restaurant, has a theme of old mythology symbols and floral motifs, makes you feel as if having a royal banquet with kings and queens in their heritage property. ‘Agashiye’, a terrace eatery, is an award winning Gujarati thali restaurant that serves the finest Gujarati cuisine in the traditional finedining style. ‘The Green House’, a courtyard café, is another popular
eatery that serves ala carte options from Gujarat, Rajasthan and South India, including seasonal fresh juices, hand-churned ice-creams and freshly brewed coffees and teas. The Green House restaurant is vegetarian but eggs are served during breakfast. The restaurant serves typical Gujarati food and thus saved some of the vanishing old dishes. It is like maa-ka-khana or probably the food that your great granny must have served you. Ginger coconut is the house wine and chaas is the beer at the House of Mangaldas Girdhardas. Abhay is so committed to Gujarati cuisine
that he gave it a new dimension when he created this unique boutique hotel. A magnificent structure set in the midst of bustling Ahmedabad, the House of MG offers visitors the pleasures of homecooked food. Abhay gave way to the old Gujarati culinary be a lifestyle with cooking classes and even published various books that has the oldest food recopies. “It is not the honor that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind. Any efforts to re-root to our heritage will be successful only if people are made aware of what it really means. Our food,
our clothing, our homes, our language, customs and rituals… in-fact, our entire lifestyle was woven on the threads of our heritage. Our heritage is our anchor and without it we are adrift,” he says. He launched another initiative, ‘Ahmedabad4whc’ – a Facebook group that attempts to get youngsters explore our architectural and cultural heritage through a host of activities organized in the Walled City of Ahmedabad. The group is also creating a one of a kind Google Map of Ahmedabad that documents all the local crafts, foods, religious places, listed heritage properties and places of interest in the Walled City so that people anywhere in the world can learn about Gujarat’s heritage at the click of a mouse.
Presents
12th Asian Achievers Awards !"#!
14th September 2012 NOMINATION FORM
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Please tick the appropriate category Sports Personality of the Year............................................
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International Personality of the Year ............................
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