EMPRESS COURT
My Home in Mumbai Where I Spent the Six Best Years of My Life
By
VIKRAM KARVE
The next time you visit South Mumbai, go to Churchgate, admire the beautiful Art Deco style façade of the Eros Cinema, an architectural landmark, which marks the beginning of the Art Deco district of Oval Precinct.
Then, start walking southwards down Maharshi Karve Road, passing Eros, Sundance cafe to your right, the verdant Oval Maidan across the road to your left.
Keep walking past splendid Art Deco buildings like Court View, Queens Court, Greenfield, Windsor, Rajesh Mansion.
Stop at the T-junction with Dinsha Vachha Road, look across the road and you will see the most magnificent of them all – Empress Court.
Pause for a moment to appreciate the splendid pista green building with its exquisite façade.
Then cross the road, walk through the elegant entrance, climb up the wooden spiral staircase to the second floor and ring the doorbell.
If you had come 10 years earlier, maybe I would have opened the door – for this is the place where I spent the six best years of my life.
Oh yes!
If you had come 10 years earlier, maybe I would have opened the door – for this is the place where I spent the six best years of my life.
Oh yes!
How can I ever forget Empress Court – the best house I have ever lived in.
Let’s go in.
A huge hall, dining room to the left, drawing room to the right, airy windows and a cute circular balcony.
Stand in the balcony and admire Mumbai University’s Rajabai Clock Tower right in front of you across the Oval, the High Court to its left and Old Secretariat to the right.
A huge hall, dining room to the left, drawing room to the right, airy windows and a cute circular balcony.
Stand in the balcony and admire Mumbai University’s Rajabai Clock Tower right in front of you across the Oval, the High Court to its left and Old Secretariat to the right.
All Gothic style majestic structures in stone.
Walk through the airy cool rooms, each with a balcony with excellent views.
Open the doors and windows and enjoy the refreshing sea breeze.
It’s heavenly.
Words cannot describe the blissful delight I felt when I lived here.
Close your eyes and think of GB Mhatre, the architect who crafted and designed this elegant apartment house.
Empress Court, facing the Rajabai Clock Tower, on the western side of the Oval, is a part of the heritage Fort precinct.
The lush green Oval Maidan, a Grade I Heritage Precinct, an open space colonial pattern esplanada of scenic beauty, acting as a buffer between two architectural period styles:
1. The Gothic buildings of the Mumbai University, Bombay High Court and Old Secretariat to the east
and
2. Art Deco district to its west.
The location of Empress Court is ideal.
There is the Oxford Bookstore next door where I spent delightful hours browsing books on elegant orange rocking chairs, refreshing myself with delicious cups of invigorating teas in the Cha Bar.
Just a short walk past Shankar Jaikishen Chowk and the CCI and you are at Marine Drive.
There is the Oxford Bookstore next door where I spent delightful hours browsing books on elegant orange rocking chairs, refreshing myself with delicious cups of invigorating teas in the Cha Bar.
Just a short walk past Shankar Jaikishen Chowk and the CCI and you are at Marine Drive.
Opposite Empress Court is the lush green Oval, ideal for brisk walks in the mornings and evenings, and rollicking times playing with your pets.
The Business and Art districts, education, museums, sightseeing, shopping, good food, entertainment, night life, clubs, sports, bus and railway stations – everything is so nearby.
The Business and Art districts, education, museums, sightseeing, shopping, good food, entertainment, night life, clubs, sports, bus and railway stations – everything is so nearby.
You’re right in the centre of everything that’s happening in Mumbai.
I shall never forget the clock atop Rajabai Tower whose chimes woke me up at six every morning to watch the glorious spectacle of the metamorphosis at sunrise as the sun rose every morning between the tall BSE building and the Clock Tower.
How can I forget the soothing green Oval maidan, the football matches at the Cooperage, and the calm tranquil soothing sunsets on Marine Drive.
Thank you Empress Court !
I shall always cherish the 6 years I spent with you, yes six glorious years from 2000 to 2006 – the best years of my life in the best place I have ever lived in.
I shall always cherish the 6 years I spent with you, yes six glorious years from 2000 to 2006 – the best years of my life in the best place I have ever lived in.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
NB:
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013. All Rights Reserved
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About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramwamankarve@gmail.com
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9
About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramwamankarve@gmail.com
Twitter: @vikramkarve
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
The writing is of course very nice, do share some pictures of empress court or the area you have described, would go a long way in imagining the description.
ReplyDeletewww.subzeroricha.blogspot.in
thanks for sharing...
ReplyDeleteProperty in Pune
Good idea Richa. i must click some pics when i go to mumbai next
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