Noted Urban Historian & Author of Books on History of Mumbai Heritage passed away

Renowned historian and author of several books on the history and culture of Mumbai Sharada Dwivedi passed away in Mumbai on 5 February 2012. Her name was synonymous with the city's old-world charm.

She authored many books on art, architecture, urban history, heritage and conservation: Bombay, the Cities Within (1995), Banganga, Sacred Tank (1996), Fort Walks (1999), Anchoring a City Line the History of the Western Suburban Railway and its Headquarters in Bombay (2000), The Jehangir Art Gallery (2002), The Victoria Memorial School for the Blind (2002).

In her book Fort Walks, co-authored by Rahul Mehrotra, she recreated the ancient city and used local lore to enchant the reader. One such story is of the Ghoga Street that owes its name to a family nick-name born out of a quarrel.

Her other works include, Lives of the Indian Princes (1984), Reach for the Stars (1993) — the corporate history of Blue Star Ltd., The Broken Flute (1994) – a children's novel, The Maharaja (1999), A celebration of style (2000) Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla.

As Mumbai’s biographer, she raised awareness about city’s heritage buildings and precincts. She fought to save its heritage buidings. She raised funds and much needed awareness for heritage buildings and championed causes related to the city. She was actively involved with the Urban Design Research Institute, Kala Ghoda Association and other citizen groups.

She served as a member of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee and was a part of the executive committee of the Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI).

Her nomination backed by strong research was responsible for the inclusion of the Opera House in the 2012 World Monuments Watch and that of the Fort-Churchgate precinct in the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Monuments. She also championed the cause of notifying Marine Drive as a protected precinct to save it from the onslaught of highrises.