Bandra Fort garden to get a facelift as BMC begins beautification work

At present, there are palm trees and natural walkways, but due to lack of maintenance, several parts of this garden are in a dilapidated state with a huge chunk of land being encroached.

During the monsoon, mud and stones often roll down from the steep slope on the walkway, thus posing a threat to the people visiting there.

The BMC, as part of its new development plan, aims to transform this garden into a history and culture plaza. The key aspect of this plaza is going to be seven information tablets that will be entirely carved from basalt stones. Each of the seven tablets will give out historical information of the fort along with some salient features of the seven islands. These tablets will also represent seven canons of the fort that serve as a milestone depicting historical timeline. Besides this, the entire pathway that led to the fort is being redone by using basalt stones and granite bands that would serve as an extension of the fort.

The granite wall of the fort will also be polished and murals depicting significant historical events will also be created.

Civic officials from GIC said that at present there is an amphitheatre inside the garden which is in a dilapidated state. This existing theatre will be reconstructed while another new one will also be created.

“At present, the entire periphery of the fort is in a dilapidated state. The paver-blocks from the walkways have gone missing and the entire surface is non-uniform. We are aiming towards making this place an extension of the fort so that the historical value is reflected,” said a senior official of the GIC.

“The fort comes under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), while the periphery falls under the BMC’s jurisdiction. As a result, we are not carrying out any work inside the fort since we don’t have authority,” the official said.

The cost of this project has been pegged at Rs 17 crore and BMC aims to complete the project by December 2024. The civic body has architectural firm Hafeez Contractor as the principal design consultant.

Speaking with Express, Karl Wadia, principal architect for this project, said that the basic idea behind this project is to bring out the history of the fort by revitalizing the entire periphery. “Bandra Fort has a rich heritage and due to a state of disrepair, the entire area outside the fort is in a dilapidated condition. The seven information tablets that will be created in the plaza will tell the story of the seven Salsette Islands. Visitors, while entering or exiting the fort, will understand why the structure was built and how it served the city,” Wadia told The Indian Express.