4 minutes of readingPuneJanuary 30, 2026 21:12 IST
Inside a 200-year-old chapel in Khandala, history awaits in quiet anticipation. A new chapter is about to begin in your life.
The golden winter sun filters through the stained glass windows, bringing colorful patterns to life. Around him, a technical team moves with quiet efficiency, busy tying up loose ends before a performance. The chapel, a place of reflection, prayer and blessing, where it is easy to imagine the voice of a choir rising to the rafters, has been resurrected as Maharashtra’s newest venue for music, spoken word, theater and intimate artistic gatherings.
Called Abbey 301, according to the area’s postal code, it stands in the Sahyadri Hills, between Bombay and Pune. The launch weekend gives an idea of the curatorial intention of the place. Poet-lyricist Kausar Munir will take center stage on the morning of January 31, followed by singer-songwriter Nikhil D’Souza at 2 pm and the Sanjay Divecha Trio at 6:30 pm.
In the early hours of Sunday, audiences will gather while it’s still dark to hear Grammy Award-winning bansuri maestro Rakesh Chaurasia perform as the sun rises and the chapel gradually lights up. An outdoor exhibition of 32 ceramic sculptures from BhopalContemporary artist G Reghu, who will greet the public from January 31, will be on display for the next few weeks for people to spend time with him.
Sharing a family heirloom
“We have had this beautiful Gothic structure in our family for almost six decades. My father-in-law, Bhagwanbhai Kotak, purchased it from the outgoing Anglican church as they were leaving India. It was the love of my father-in-law’s life as it brought him great joy,” says Kamini Kotak, project promoter and member of the steering committee of Abbey 301 and design and development leader at JM Baxi Group.
Bhagwanbhai Kotak’s dream was to convert the chapel into a place of contemplation or convert it into a library because it had more than 3,000 books. “He also felt that this would be a lovely place for music. That was one of the reasons we decided to turn it into a performing arts space,” says Kamini Kotak.
As the decades passed, the chapel had become a shell. There were no windows and the roof needed attention. There was a previous restoration effort. The latest work was carried out by Adil Dholakia of Five Cross Architects.
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“The essence of this building is that it carries many memories, as it is a colonial-era building. Our conservation approach respects the original structure, scale and architectural language of the building, with contemporary interventions intentionally kept to a minimum. These were introduced only where necessary to improve acoustics, lighting, security and long-term use. The result is a space where history remains legible and culture can be carefully developed,” says architect Adil Dholakia.
Vishakha Gangar, another architect on the team, adds: “We were very conscious of the carbon footprint because when we looked at conservation and adaptive reuse of an old building. What was salvaged was consumed first and then new materials were brought in.”
Expressions of creativity.
Abbey 301 hopes to revitalize artistic ambitions in Mumbai and Pune. There are plans to involve the local community, schools and institutions for the elderly and visually impaired, among others. “Community outreach is a big part of our work. The other part is that we hope that when we have artists performing here, we can bring children who are interested and talented to interact with them and get better exposure,” says Kamini Kotak.
Sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee performs at Abbey 301. (Photo credit: Kirti Chopra)
Leading the creative programming are Pushan Kripalani and “A chapel is a place for people to come together and share a unified experience. Is that exactly what a theater is too? You come with whatever your personal background is and whatever you’re going through right now. You’re gathering with others for a unified experience, and what you take away from the experience will be different from everyone else’s,” Kripalani says.
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Meanwhile, the black basalt chapel walls stand as a dramatic backdrop for what comes next.
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