Inside a 200-year-old chapel in Khandala, history is waiting in hushed anticipation. A new chapter is about to begin in its life.
The golden winter sunshine filters in through stained glass windows, bringing alive colourful patterns. Around it, a tech team moves with quiet efficiency, busily tying up loose ends before a performance. The chapel, a place of reflection, prayer and blessing, where it is easy to imagine a choir’s voice rising to the rafters, has been resurrected as Maharashtra’s newest venue for music, spoken word, theatre and intimate artistic gatherings.
Named Abbey 301, after the area’s postal code, it looms in the Sahyadri Hills between Mumbai and Pune. The launch weekend gives a glimpse of the venue’s curatorial intent. Poet-lyricist Kausar Munir will take centre-stage on the morning of January 31, followed by singer-songwriter Nikhil D’Souza at 2 pm and the Sanjay Divecha Trio at 6.30 pm.
In the wee hours of Sunday, the audience will gather while it is still dark to hear Grammy Award-winning bansuri maestro Rakesh Chaurasia perform as the sun rises and the chapel gradually lights up. An outdoor exhibition of 32 ceramic sculptures by Bhopal-based contemporary artist G Reghu, which will greet audiences from January 31, will be on display for the next few weeks for people to spend time with it.
Sharing a family heirloom
“We’ve had this beautiful Gothic structure in our family for almost six decades. My father-in-law, Bhagwanbhai Kotak, bought it from the outgoing Anglican church when they were leaving India. It was the love of my father-in-law’s life as it brought him great joy,” says Kamini Kotak, promoter of the project and a member of Abbey 301’s steering committee and design and development lead in JM Baxi Group.
It was Bhagwanbhai Kotak’s dream to turn the chapel into a place of contemplation or make it a library because he had over 3,000 books. “He also felt that this would be a lovely place for music. That was one of the reasons we decided to turn it into a performing art space,” says Kamini Kotak.
Over the decades, the chapel had become a shell. There were no windows, and the roof needed attention. There was an earlier restoration effort. The latest work was carried out by Adil Dholakia of Five Cross Architects.
“The essence of this building is that it carries a lot of memories, as it is a colonial-era building. Our conservation approach respects the building’s original structure, scale and architectural language, with contemporary interventions intentionally kept to a minimum. These were introduced only where necessary to enhance acoustics, lighting, safety, and long-term use. The result is a space where history remains legible, and culture can unfold with care,” says architect Adil Dholakia.
Vishakha Gangar, another architect of the team, adds, “We were very conscious of the carbon footprint because when we are looking at conservation and an adaptive reuse of an old building. Whatever was salvaged was first consumed and, then, new materials were brought in.”
Expressions of creativity
Abbey 301 hopes to revitalise artistic ambitions across Mumbai and Pune. There are plans to involve the local community, schools and institutions for the aged and visually impaired, among others. “Community outreach is a large part of our work. The other side is that we hope that when we have artists performing here, we will be able to bring children who are interested and have talent to interact with them and get better exposure,” says Kamini Kotak.
Sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee plays at Abbey 301. (Photo Credit: Kirti Chopra)
Leading the creative programming are Pushan Kripalani and Xerxes Unvala, who bring decades of experience in filmmaking, theatre, music and international cultural programming to Abbey 301. Unvala says that Abbey 301 is “a holistic space for music, theatre, dance”. “A chapel is a place for people to congregate and share a unified experience. Is that exactly what a theatre is also? You are coming with whatever your personal background is and whatever you are going through at the moment. You are congregating with others for a unified experience, and what you will take away from the experience will be different from everyone else’s,” says Kripalani.
Meanwhile, the walls of the black basalt chapel loom like a dramatic backdrop for what will come next.
It was Bhagwanbhai Kotak’s dream to turn the chapel into a place of contemplation or make it a library. (Courtesy: Kirti Chopra) 
Sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee plays at Abbey 301. (Photo Credit: Kirti Chopra)
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