ONCE UPON A RICH LEGACY... UMANG HUTHEESING

A FAMILY LINEAGE DATING BACK A THOUSAND YEARS, ARTWORKS SPANNING EVERY PERIOD OF INDIAN HISTORY, THE CULTURAL CUSTODIAN TELLS HELLO! ABOUT GROWING UP AROUND ART AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING HIS RICH LEGACY AS A NATIONAL TREASURE FOR POSTERITY

- ANKITA RATHOD

With its quaint havelis, rich histories in textile and wondrous spiritual architecture, the aristocratic lifestyle in pre-Independence Gujarat is Umang Hutheesing’s favourite subject. Ensconced in a 500-year-old haveli in Ahmedabad, the land of the Mahatma (Gandhi played an important role in the artistic, cultural and political landscape of India), the cultural impresario welcomes us into his historically-rich world. When Umang talks, our imagination walks us through a blend of Indian and European architecture juxtaposed with traditional wood and stone carvings, profuse with impressive brocades, rich tapestries and BC dated sculptures and metalwork.

The Hutheesings still retain the graces and aura of old wealth, built over generations. With business networks extending across the world, the family accumulated one of the subcontinent’s most comprehensive fortunes, which included rare art, artefacts and collections of bespoke and beautiful objets d’art. Strategic alliances with other powerful families helped – including a nuptial into the Nehru dynasty that has given modern India many of its leaders. “The haveli has hosted many monarchs, including the Queen of Bhutan and the King of Nepal, political leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and the current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi as well as corporate tsars and social celebrities from across the world. Regular visitors who come to see the collection by appointment include curators for museums such as New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and scholars from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC,” shares Umang.