Khandala to get a cultural space in colonial-era chapel

Mumbai: A tall octagonal room in Khandala that once housed robes and holy vessels will soon morph into a dressing room for musicians and theatre performers from Mumbai.On Jan 30, a decommissioned colonial-era chapel—whose Gothic form makes the Sahyadri Hills resemble Scotland—will reopen its arched doors as an intimate cultural space dedicated to music, spoken word and artistic exchange.
Held by the Kotak family for over six decades since 1973, the nearly 200-year-old black basalt structure has been restored under the leadership of Kamini Kotak and architect Adil Dholakia of Five Cross Architects. "We don't own the property," said Kamini Kotak. "The property owns us."Built in the mid-19th century in the Gothic Revival style, the black basalt chapel boasts pointed arches, five buttresses and stained-glass windows in its nave, altar and octagonal vestry. "My father-in-law used to listen to music and contemplate here," said Kamini Kotak. Lying silent in his wake, "we wanted to breathe life and music back into its walls". A trial event last year drew nearly three times the expected audience. "The moment we tested the space, we realised how starved the area was for cultural activity that wasn't about selfies," said creative director Pushan Kripalani, who leads Abbey 301 alongside independent producer and arts management consultant Xerxes Unvala. "Artists are eager," adds Kripalani. "They ask just two questions: When can we play here? And can I write for the venue?"The restoration, carried out between Sept and Dec 2025, followed a conservation-first philosophy of repair over replacement. Over 70% of the 2,500-sq-ft structure has been repaired, with salvaged stone, wood and Mangalore tiles reused wherever possible to reduce carbon footprint, said Dholakia. "Only the octagonal vestry required replacements and renewal," he said. All contemporary interventions—electrical systems, climate control to lighting—are reversible, he said, explaining the tweaks can be easily maneuvered by teams restoring it centuries later. The chapel boasts stained glass that was locally replicated after reference images were sourced from a chapel in Scotland. Its walls and roof were previously restored twice by conservation architect Vikas Dilawari. "It is one of three churches in Khandala where travelling communities would once congregate," said Dilawari.From the underground plumbing to the electrical wires coiling the structure from under teakwood panels, the recent two-month-long restoration entailed documenting every square inch of the space, an exercise that saw team members climbing onto the pitched roof and "putting a raincoat on it". Structural reinforcements have extended the life of the vestry by several decades, while the pitched roof—which had been painted black—was restored to its original mahogany tone. "The idea was to support the building rather than steer it away from what it already is," said Dholakia. Replete with speakers, fire extinguishers, a wooden deck that can be spun around to the other side and air-conditioners, Abbey 301 opens on Jan 30 with performances by musician Nikhil D'Souza, lyricist Kausar Munir, the Sanjay Divecha Trio and bansuri maestro Rakesh Chaurasia. Beyond public performances, the space will host rehearsals, residencies and closed-door conversations. Perhaps the only non-traditional cultural centre in the Mumbai-Pune corridor, Abbey 301—marker of a movement using heritage to catalyze contemporary art and culture—will also host an outdoor exhibition of 32 ceramic works by artist G Reghu in the surrounding grounds.