Mumbai's Hebbar's Heritage Home turns 100 and continues to be a slice of paradise in the heart of the city
The word hotel means 'means something else abroad and in India, its used very loosely, which is why we changed the named to Hebbar's Heritage Home,' explain Ajit, adding that people were also confused about the word Hindu - 'They didn't understand the concept of us only serving vegetarian food. So we rebranded and modernised ourself. I don't want people to come here and say, it's a hotel, We like the concept of this being a 'home' for travellers.'
'It is very quiet & peaceful, especially as the hostel is in the heart of SoBo. There is a lot of greenery & you can even hear the birds chirping,' says Ajit, as he shows us the various rooms they have available. One can see the love & effort that's gone into maintaining this 100-year-old building and the antiques they house. 'A lot of our money goes into maintenance. It is very tough, but they all belong to my family - the wooden almirahs, trunks that my family traveled with when moving to Mumbai, then Bombay, even the ceramic boxes my grandmum & mum stored wheat & rice in,' he shares.
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'We encourage community living,' Ajit says, adding, 'We have people coming from all over the world to stay here for business or on vacation, we also get a lot of backpackers. So everyone, from all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds live and even eat together.
The hotel used to house an in-house South Indian eatery that served simple, homely & cost-effective 'tiffin'. It was relished by the nearby mill workers, taxi drivers, families visiting & even the politicos working in the nearby Mantralaya & Bombay High Court.
However, a court order stating gas cooking wasn't allowed on the ground floor, some 15 years back, put an end to a flourishing business. 'We had several women, wives mostly, who came & asked us to re-start the kitchen,' he saying, laughing, 'Because we used to take care of their husbands' lunch.'
Explaining the reason for their popularity, Ajit tells us, 'Nowadays, we all wear similar clothes, talk the same language & even eat the same food; we are global citizens. But think back to 100 years ago, when my ancestors - South Indians from Mangalore - came to Bombay in search of work, they were like fish out of water. And that could be said for a lot of South Indians, who didn't know the language, ate dal & chawal, & wore lungi. This place was started by my grandfather as a way to help them. They would come here & feel happy to find people who ate and looked like them & spoke their language.'
Ask Ajit what the future holds for this hostel, that's also a premier shooting location for ads, magazines and films as it retains the Victorian era architecture with hints of Art deco and Portuguese elements. 'I don't think the next generation of Hebbars' will want to take over this business, they have their own aspirations. I was a banker before I took over the family business,' he says, adding, 'Things will take its own course and a place can't run forever. This building will also get old.'
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