Textile past will come alive at Kalachowkie museum

The transformation of raw cotton to the cloth that finally ends up as your favourite outfit is something we’ve all taken for granted. Considering that textile mills were once the city’s mainstay, they have all but vanished today.

Worried that this rich textile heritage will be lost forever, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning a grand textile museum in Mazgaon on the lines of the Manchester textile museum in England. The Manchester model was chosen because that city, too, had a history of textile mills that were eventually phased out.

“History is intertwined with the culture of a society. We do not want future generations to forget the reasons for Mumbai’s greatness. In fact, old Mumbai’s entire economy revolved around textile mills,” said RA Rajeev, additional municipal commissioner.

There are six heritage structures belonging to the National Textile Corporation — India United Mills 2 and 3, a pond and a chimney — which will be developed for the museum. With a built-up area of 3 lakh sq ft, the museum will be built on 6.5 hectares of land. It will be developed amidst a garden, with a cafeteria and a library. “The government has promised Rs20 crore for it and BMC will give Rs5 crore,” Rajeev added.

Among the many things the museum will showcase are the old spinning wheels and famous sirens that played a big role in the lives of mill workers.

BMC has appointed VJTI professors, conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah and structural consultant Shashank Mendhele for the project.