Splendour returns home to Diwanji ni Haveli

AHMEDABAD: The Sankadi sheri is a small lane that can be very tricky, but a passerby cannot miss the flurry of activity at the Diwanji ni Haveli. One can see that the 250-year-old haveli's grand facade is being restored to its former grandeur. Once you step inside the haveli, you witness a courtyard filled with blueprints, busy carpenters, and a team of restoration experts working tirelessly to reclaim a lost era.
City-based builder Rajiv Patel has taken up the restoration project. To realize his vision, he has roped in a team of Spanish restoration experts - Pilar Gonzalez and Daniel Ponce - who will be in the city for the next six months, sharing their expertise and advanced technology with their Indian counterparts.
Gonzalez explains the development so far: "We first carried out damage assessment of the building and are now outlining a restoration plan, taking into consideration the ground realities here." Surprisingly, the architects are familiar with these kinds of buildings because southern Spain shares a similar architectural background. "However, techniques are quite different here from Europe," Gonzalez said. "In Europe, we have to restore the original construction since the ancient art work there is difficult to replicate. But in India, the art form survives through the centuries, so we have the option of replacement."
The restoration is nevertheless complicated because the wood has to be of the same era (150 years old), and lime mortar plaster and other art stuccos are hard to get.
Patel credits the heritage walk for his inspiration. "I realized the glory of this city when I took the heritage walk," he said. "I resolved to do my bit and bought this haveli three years ago without a clue about what to do with it."
Today, he has attracted the expert team of Spanish architects; Ashish Trambedia, a conservation architect; Jagdish Verma, an experienced consultant; and Jethabhai Solanki, a heritage carpenter.
"These are my teammates, along with Nikhil Vyas and Vijay from AMC Heritage cell, who are as passionate as me about breathing a new life into the building," Patel said.
Rajiv Patel aims to open the Diwanji ni Haveli for the Ahmedabad Heritage Week. The haveli will aim to show the people the various processes of restoration that are being carried out. After the restoration, the haveli is going to be a technical centre for future restoration plans and also be an education center, offering courses in heritage carpentry and diplomas in historical restorations.