Kolkata will have one of its heritage buildings converted into a hotel for the first time to ensure the upkeep of the property now in poor condition. Ambuja Realty plans to develop a theme-based boutique hotel on 4-bigha (80 kottas) ‘Basu Bati' (House of the Basus) in north Kolkata.
Declared a heritage building by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Basu Bati has reportedly played an important role in the country's freedom movement.
According to Ambuja Realty, the company currently owns the property and there are plans to develop a boutique hotel in the building. “We are awaiting necessary clearances in this regard. The heritage committee of the KMC has to clear the proposal after which work on the project may start,” Mr Harsh Neotia, Managing Director of Ambuja Realty, told
He, however, did not disclose the financial details of the project. “It's too early to comment on tie-ups and the estimated investment,” he said.
Kolkata currently has a heritage hotel in the century old Great Eastern in the central business district.
The only other proposal so far that has come to develop a heritage property in the city has been in the house of Lady Ranu Mukherjee, once a prominent name in the social circle of Kolkata and the wife of Sir Biren Mukherjee, a well-known entrepreneur and founder of Indian Iron and Steel Company Limited (IISCO), now a part of SAIL, in the colonial era.
History of Basu Bati
According to records available with the KMC, the building adorns ‘revival architecture' which was a shift from the traditional Hindu architecture but not a copy of the colonial structures that came up in abundance in the city in those days.
Interestingly, the original owners of the property, Pashupati Basu and Nandalal Basu, were not considered much of a luminary. However, they offered patronage and shelter to many prominent freedom fighters and reformists of those days, the famous among them being Swami Vivekananda.
Previous Ventures
A major developer in this part of the country, Ambuja Realty runs two hotels in the city and its outskirts. The group had previously renovated and restored the city's iconic Town Hall.