Turning a new page: JSW Group completes restoration & conservation of David Sassoon Library in Mumbai's Kala Ghoda in 16 months

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“I have been involved with the Kala Ghoda Art Festival since 1998. Since all these years, the David Sassoon Library has welcomed me and millions of people with open doors during the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. When I was approached to support the restoration of the library, I saw it as yet another opportunity to preserve the legacy of it for future generations,” says Sangita Jindal, Chairperson of JSW Foundation, who conceptualised and implemented the restoration along with India’s leading Conservation Architect, Abha Narain Lambah. “My purpose in restoring the David Sassoon Library is to conserve the beauty and legacy of one of the oldest libraries in the city,” adds Jindal.

The David Sassoon Library and Reading Room was constructed in 1867. It is a Grade I Heritage building in the Kala Ghoda Art District and one of the oldest educational institutions in the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built through the generous endowment of Bombay’s Baghdadi Jew Merchant David Sassoon, this Library is an important landmark in the Jewish Heritage of the city. According to Hemant Bhalekar, President of the David Sassoon Library and Reading Room Committee, “The restoration enables us to carry forward the legacy of David Sassoon Library to the new generation of this city. Our entire committee and its members are happy that the library building has been restored to its original glory.” In a quick conversation with Jindal, we talk about her restoration work and what’s next on the list.What does the restoration of the library mean to you on a personal level? What is one of your first memories of the iconic David Sassoon Library? As part of the restoration team, how do you feel