Sir Pherozeshah Mehta’s over century-old cottage among Matheran’s treasures

By Quaid Najmi Raigad (Maharashtra), Feb 14 : Mysterious Matheran, a tiny hill station on the outskirts of Mumbai, is full of secrets in its nooks and crannies, built up over the years after it became a choice locale in the 1850s.
Among the unknown marvels is the “Rose Cottage”, a magnificent, picturesque heritage structure, where once the leading light of Indian Independence movement, Sir Pherozeshah M. Mehta (1845-1915), lived with his family some 125 years ago.
The present owner, Manoj Khedkar, has renamed it as “Radha Cottage” and the 13-bedroom prime holiday resort offers a peek into the glorious history of Sir Pherozeshah’s private residential complex in the “forest atop the mountain head”, as Matheran means.
Khedkar, a civil engineer, says the original structures comprised the main bungalow, ‘rasoda’ (a huge kitchen), a stable for cows and horses, servants quarters and a caretaker’s house, plus a brick outhouse that may have been added a few years later by one of the subsequent owners.
“No records are available whether Sir Pherozeshah constructed it or bought it, but old official documents confirm he was the first owner… I am now the 5th owner,” Khedkar told IANS with a tinge of pride.
Built on a luscious green sloping acre of land, the bungalow was befitting the towering personality and historical stature of Sir Pherozeshah, a UK-educated barrister, who went onto become one of the founders of the Indian National Congress and was elected its 6th President at its 1890 session in the then Calcutta.