BACK in the good old days (between 1840 and 1930), the main street of Limbdi, a princely state in Saurashtra, was quite a sight. Over 90 havelis, with architectural style influenced by prevailing trends in France and Germany, lined both sides of Regency Street. These mansions belonged to royal officers and courtiers of the erstwhile state, which today is located in Surendranagar district. The grand structures, built from Burma teak, were embellished with intricately carved jharokhas and stained glass from Belgium; housed inside were spiral staircases, furniture and artefacts, created with as much dedication as imagination. Time, earthquakes and an indifference towards history and heritage have today converted Regency Street into a veritable antiques mall. While most mansions have long bitten the dust or hold on as government offices, a lot of the remaining ones are being pulled down to make way for modern housing. Each demolition results in ornamental dressing tables, play carts, staircases, windows and swings finding their way through dealers into Ahmedabad. And into the shopping lists of the well-to-do.
