But days before the demolition, Mr Dewanjea and a group of artists paid tribute to the stately home: they held a public, two-day interactive art event inside the house.

"The goal was to let people experience this majestic house and the memories associated with it," says Uma Banerjee, 32, a performance artist who organised the event, aptly titled Museum of Air and Dust.

"We also wanted to create a new, happy memory of the house before it vanished forever."

They are not alone. Young Indians are trying to shine a spotlight on centuries-old homes to save them from being demolished, and erased from collective memory.