History in every corner

It is night as I arrive at the 150-year-old stately Diwans Bungalow in the Raikhad locality, entering the old city gate of the walled city in Ahmedabad, and driving through the narrow lanes. I drive into the tall iron railing gates, and am met by the bewitching sight of the whitewashed colonial building with arches, jaalis, standout jharokha-style windows and a gently gurgling fountain in the centre. In 2011, it was converted into a hotel and run by the Neemrana group. The refurbished property, now run as an intimate heritage hotel by jüSTa Hotels and Resorts, is the ancestral home of the distinguished Kadri family, who trace their origins to the city of Baghdad.

With Corinthian capitals, carvings and coloured glass, this is a fusion of Gujarati, European, neo-Gothic and Islamic architecture.

All of the eight rooms are named after members of the family, accessed by a private staircase and decorated with one wall painted a bright colour, and block print and mashroo fabrics and Sanganeri quilts, antique furniture and wooden cupboards.

History whispers from every corner of the bungalow. Talking to IM Kadri, the nonagenarian visionary architect with buildings like the Taj Coromandel in Chennai and Fort Aguada Hotel in Goa to his credit, I understand that his early years with his five siblings were spent in this large bungalow. It was built by his great grandfather, Sayad Bavamiyan Kadri, who was the Diwan of Radhanpur.

Some of IM Kadri’s notable buildings in Mumbai include the iconic Nehru Centre, the cylindrical tower with its fretwork like cross-hatched cladding, and the Shivsagar estate with five identical hexagonal towers at Worli.

He has contributed to landmark buildings not only in India, but also in the United States, Russia, the Middle East and Hong Kong. He developed a distinct style, inspired by the havelis he grew up around in Ahmedabad, Mughal architecture and contemporary design from abroad. He is also a trained civil engineer.

“There was always good food on the table, and we grew up with our siblings, being visited by prominent Congress leaders, including Vallabhbhai Patel and Mahatma Gandhi, as my father, who was the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s first deputy mayor, was a nationalist and social worker. The house had two separate wings — the Zenana and the Mardana — which were connected in the 1920s with four suites by British architect Claude Batley,” he recalls.

In the early days when there was no electricity, candles and lanterns lit up the rooms and the chandeliers. “My mother would sit on the jhoola and run the household from there, right from accounts to planning the menu.” He remembers that the clock that still hangs in the living room had to be manually wound every Friday, and the person who came to do it was paid one anna!

Wedding ceremonies of the mohalla were often hosted on the lawns, and lively cricket matches played between members of the family and friends. He recalls an undocumented incident, when Gandhiji came to Ahmedabad to open his ashram and Sardar Patel brought him to their bungalow to rest, before being taken in a bullock cart procession.

All the brothers left the city to pursue their professions, but a part of their hearts remained here.

The Kadris’ culinary heritage continues to win hearts. Serving Gujarati fare as well as special Mughlai-influenced recipes from the family that have been passed on from generations, the bungalow feels like an oasis in the old city.

Rehana Bano, whose grandfather used to be a cook in the Diwan household, works with Chef Sunil in the kitchen, and makes her delicious khatta gosht laced with curd, along with Nizami paneer and sev ki subzi for vegetarians.

The bungalow feels like a home away from home — one filled with stories from the past, happy memories, old-world grandeur and nostalgia.

— The writer is a freelance contributor