Homes painted in a shade of ivory, the windowpanes in dark brown; internal roads paved with rough granite and vintage lamps lighting them up at dusk. This is a not plan for some upcoming housing complex. It is the blueprint to restore Desai ni Pol – one of the oldest housing complexes in the city – to its original glory.
Effectively, this would be the first pol to get a facelift with the help of residents as the city marches towards becoming India’s first Unesco World Her- itage City. It can also become a mod- el for restoring other pols in the city.
Members of Desai ni Pol Yuvak Mandal, restoration expert and professor of architecture from Cept University Rajesh Desai and Kishore and Bharat Zaveri of Zaveri
and Company who are funding the restora- tion, met recently and worked out the plans. Zaveri said, “The plan also includes detailed suggestions to mend the pol’s exterior, paving the roads, renovating the two entry gates and adding cattle traps to keep stray animals out.”
Dr Hemant Bhatt of the Yuvak Mandal said, “A brief history of the seven havelis in the pol, which have a rich past, will be inscribed in stone in front on them. This would help a visitor understand the value of the heritage structure.”
“Some of Ahmedabad’s best known people have their ancestral havelis in Desai ni Pol, which are also important architectural specimens. A short history of the people who lived in these havelis would be highlighted, which would be placed in front of them,” said Dr Bhatt.
HIGH ON HAVELIS
Heritage structures in Desai ni Pol, Akha Bhagat’s haveli
Ranchhodlal Chotalal’s haveli, Chinubhai Baronet’s haveli
Keshavlal Mehta’s haveli, Dr Indra Mehta’s haveli
Dayabhai Mehta’s haveli, Ela Bhatt’s ancestral home
