Unicaus NEWS
Jun 17, 2025 05:39 PM IST We have a look at this hostel-cum-heritage house, all rolled into one, to grasp how they embracing change whereas staying true to their historical past In a metropolis that by no means sleeps and the place change occurs within the blink of a watch, moving into Hebbars Heritage Home is like strolling right into a time capsule. This “home away from home” is nestled within the bylanes of Fort and has stood the take a look at of time because it completes a century this yr. Originally referred to as the Modern Hindu Hotel, the caretakers of this institution wished so as to add a familial contact “some 10 years back” and rebranded it with their household title. Founded in 1924 & taken over by Shankar Narayan Hebbar in 1926, he handed the legacy to his son Anantha Krishna. The lodge is now within the succesful palms of the third technology of the Hebbar household, Ajit Hebbar. Actor Anupam Kher shot at Hebbar’s Heritage Home for HT Showstoppers (HT pictures) Actor Ranveer Singh poses with the bunkbeds in Hebbar’s Heritage Home for an advert marketing campaign (instagram) The phrase lodge means “means something else abroad and in India, its used very loosely, which is why we changed the named to Hebbar’s Heritage Home,” clarify Ajit, including that individuals had been additionally confused in regards to the phrase 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 exhibits us the assorted rooms they’ve obtainable. One can see the love & effort that’s gone into sustaining this 100-year-old constructing and the antiques they home. “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. “We encourage community living,” Ajit says, including, “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 close by mill staff, taxi drivers, households visiting & even the politicos working within the close by Mantralaya & Bombay High Court. One of the partitions of the heritage house options pictures of the long-lasting spots round Mumbai that the house owners really feel is a should go to for travellers (HT pictures ) However, a court docket order stating gasoline cooking wasn’t allowed on the bottom ground, some 15 years again, put an finish to a flourishing enterprise. “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 explanation for his or her reputation, 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 longer term holds for this hostel, that’s additionally a premier taking pictures location for adverts, magazines and movies because it retains the Victorian period structure with hints of Art deco and Portuguese parts. “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, including, “Things will take its own course and a place can’t run forever. This building will also get old.”
