Mohatta:The pink palace

It was a rainy sunday afternoon when I had decided to grab my camera and head towards 7,Hatim Alvi Road,Old Clifton. Once there, the giant facade of the Mohatta Palace greeted me like an old friend. Having come here on many occasions I am quite familiar with probably every corner of the place. As a child ,during my school years when the palace was newly restored and opened to the public as a museum, i was awed by its grandeur and beauty. It was there that I discovered my love for the Eastern archictecture ,having previously only been familiar with the colonial buildings of Saddar. From then onwards I would frequent the place on numerous

occasions. Sometimes on my own or sometimes bringing foreign relatives. However this time I was well equipped with my camera and went about clicking.

The history of this place dates back to the year 1926(some sources also say 1935), the year it was completed. Built by a rich hindu businessman Shivrattan Chandrattan Mohatta from Marwar,India as his summer abode. Little did he know that after only two decades of savouring it he would have to make a hasty retreat home where he belonged leaving his palace alone beside the sea , now in another country.
The Mohatta Palace , a Rajput style building, was designed by architect Agha Ahmed Hussain. The Pink Jodhpur stone used in it, brought all the way from Rajasthan, gives it its unique pinkish tinge. The Palace has nine domes and one temple made for the worhsip of Lord Shiva. Its arches have spandrels made of skillfully carved stones and Bullustrades adorned with floral motifs. The windows have blue and green glass and the brackets have florals patterns engraved on them, all a reminiscence of the mughal art.

Apart from the museum exhibits being an attraction, once you are inside you cant stop Ooh-ing and Aah-ing at the Teak wood interior,the intricately carved pillars,the mosaic flooring , door knobs and handles. There are certain areas that are however out-of-bounds for the ordinary public and my wild imagination doesnt stop me from conjuring tales in my mind about its hidden portions and I would often end up poking my nose into the basement vents opening outside. This was specially after I discovered while researching the Palace that it has a secret tunnel built in it leading all the way to a hindu temple less than a kilometre away. Apparently it was built to safely transport the wife of Shivratan Chandratan Mohatta to the temple for worship. Some sources especially the museum guides have claimed that the palace could be haunted owing to the strange activities occuring inside it.

Haunted or not the palaces' grandeur and glamour are enough to attract the attention of tourists and locals alike. There is certain ambience of peace and serenity once you enter the premises,one which transports you to another place entirely away from the Metro's busy sights and sounds.