Mumbai Textile museum in defunct mill project unlikely to take off soon

This means the other heritage issues related to the project will only be discussed once the matter relating to funding is resolved.

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While India United Mills 2 and 3 have the tag of a heritage precinct, three ring and spinning structures, a chimney, a semi-automatic loom and a pond, all in the compound, have been given individual heritage status of varying grades.

Of the 80-odd mill land structures that were recommended for heritage listing, India United Mills 2 and 3 are the only mills that were accorded protection under heritage regulations.

However, conservation architect Abha Lambah, who was appointed as a consultant for the plan, said the funding of the project had been clear since the inception of the plan. “During the signing of the agreement with the BMC, it had already been made clear that the cost of Rs 48 crore would be borne by the civic corporation.”

Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta said he was not aware of the status of the project as of now.

The project was proposed almost seven years ago. In 2011, the heritage committee had not given approval for the recreational ground-cum-textile mill museum on the ground that none of the structures on the premises should be touched. Subsequently, every new committee that has been formed has not given the requisite clearance for the project.

The vision for the textile museum is to adaptively reuse the heritage structures. “The idea is to create a world-class textile museum, which will be the largest in India with galleries, craft demonstrations, auditoriums, restaurants, boutiques as well as exhibition spaces,” said Lambah.

Spread across 61,000 sqm, the museum will depict various aspects of mill. “We want to document the narrative of life in the mills, the life of mill workers, their chawls and the larger influence of the mills on the city’s growth,” she added.

The project encompasses having two fashion galleries that will display traditional textiles and contemporary Bollywood costumes and Indian fashion wear. Besides an amphitheatre to stage performances of traditional Girangaon (mill culture) dance, music, literature and poetry, a fine dining franchise and a food court serving Bombay street food and local Maharashtrian, Goan, Udipi and Iranian food has also been suggested.