Its Exclusive! is what Ms. Alice Flanagan told me. Yes 1,4 is a fund that is an exclusive private club that runs in Ranwar which gives admittance to only 24 members. only 24!.
Going a little back to the history of these funds, it was a little more than 40 years ago that these funds were started, in fact only recently the funds celebrated its 40th anniversary with much fanfare and some and nostalgia (unfortunately cant reveal some little secrets with which the members are made fun off, but yes that showed the sincerity with which the members run the funds and be together in times of need.) So back to history, the funds were started by a group of women around the Ranwar square and they used to pay Re.1 and 4 anna as the membership fees per year and hence the name 1,4 funds.
The funds were created mainly for the reason that the women gather money by the year and enjoy with money, and if any member needs some in difficulty help them too. They used to used the funds also to have a picnic for the members once a year.
Some activities, all the members get together and celebrate their being every alternate month in the form of a dinner which is hosted by four members in one of their cottages. Hence they have 6 dinners a year, and all the 24 members get to host it once in a group of four. And they enjoy their time with full course dinners cooked by some of the best cooks (from what i have heard and will soon experience, Ranwar has some of the best culinary skills) and some great East Indian drinks like Kheemad, the base of which is country liquor mixed with some spices.
What they talk, we can imagine. It ranges from talks of their lives to nostalgia to doing something fruitful for their village juntaa. So they have a motive and its to celebrate once every two months and enjoy the exclusivity of being a part of a club which they call it 1,4 funds.
Today the members pay around Rs.50 as membership fee per year, apart from hosting these wonderful dinners ( i need not mention, i already got an invitation to the next one and i am so looking forward to it!)
Through these community initiatives we can only see some thought for the being, being together and living peacefully with one another. Interestingly, places like Ranwar gives an opportunity to have some clubs and initiatives of these sorts which still binds them together.
Like the literary club in Ranwar some grand years ago to Rest Ranwar, women's day celebrations, evening rosary's, 1,4 funds, and many more initiatives bring a lot of reflection as well as importance to the existence of these spaces and the link of same to their culture and lives that they live everyday!
i am sure there are many more clubs like 1,4 that i have to still hear about. But just celebrating life is something one should hear from them!
Showing posts with label a village story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label a village story. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
BLOWUP!
and the show finally happened, it was a great convergence of photographers and lovers of moments captured. a very interesting format which definitely won a lot of appreciation. more with the photographs down here.
As it started with the idea of bringing in as many photographs (amateurs and professionals alike), together on one ground with a format like a street exhibition. blindboys.org, did an outstanding job looking at the turnout. More than an exhibition it turned out to be a festival, to celebrate something,,well we know that it was photography. some shots from the show.
volunteers putting DST behind the prints and the local kids hanging around. they were great help!
The whole idea of one getting his/her own prints was very interesting and less burdensome on the organizers physically and monetarily. It was a very participative event which made things much easier for all. The images seem to be speaking more on the rustic background.
some images from the show:
A Collaborative with CRY, showcasing about child rights :
a small video of the street exhibition converting into a carnival, festival of sorts. i think this is the character that best defines Bandra.
Some images of my images up on the wall in the old ruins of Zeenat Aman's house. I just felt the location worked perfect for the kind of photographs i was showcasing. Also because all the other walls in that room without the roof were in black and white, so the colors in mine gave quite a break to the viewer. But yes it was a great experience also to understand the effect of such initiatives which bring a lot of like minded people together commenting, giving feedback and just celebrating.
some shots:
‘A Village Story’
-by Vivek Sheth
This set of 24 photographs are from Ranwar, Shirely, Rajan villages in Bandra and Khotachiwadi in Girgaum. I have tried to capture the various architectural nuances which give a character to these places. These villages with its spatial narratives makes it more intriguing to wander around and this is exactly what i am trying to understand as well as capture. In this photo essay called ‘A Village Story’, very little is revealed and this is exactly what i want to pinch on, look at a little and wander around for more.
These villages are a lifestyle which talks very differently of Mumbai, the first city of India. Its a lifestyle, that the ones sprawled by the urban jungle just think of, while there are some who live it. What gives it style is these ancestral homes (more than 100 years of age), with their distinct local flavour of architecture peppered by the Portuguese style.
Vivek Sheth is a final year student of Exhibition (Spatial) Design at The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. He is currently doing his final diploma (thesis) project with The BUSRIDE Design Studio, located in Ranwar.
The scope of his diploma covers exactly what these pictures speak about, while he tries and understands this sub-culture of Mumbai and Bandra in specific these are a few encounters of his to gaze upon.
For more on the project log on to : www. http://www.bandraforyou.blogspot.com or email: viveksheth87[at]gmail[dot]com
-by Vivek Sheth
This set of 24 photographs are from Ranwar, Shirely, Rajan villages in Bandra and Khotachiwadi in Girgaum. I have tried to capture the various architectural nuances which give a character to these places. These villages with its spatial narratives makes it more intriguing to wander around and this is exactly what i am trying to understand as well as capture. In this photo essay called ‘A Village Story’, very little is revealed and this is exactly what i want to pinch on, look at a little and wander around for more.
These villages are a lifestyle which talks very differently of Mumbai, the first city of India. Its a lifestyle, that the ones sprawled by the urban jungle just think of, while there are some who live it. What gives it style is these ancestral homes (more than 100 years of age), with their distinct local flavour of architecture peppered by the Portuguese style.
Vivek Sheth is a final year student of Exhibition (Spatial) Design at The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. He is currently doing his final diploma (thesis) project with The BUSRIDE Design Studio, located in Ranwar.
The scope of his diploma covers exactly what these pictures speak about, while he tries and understands this sub-culture of Mumbai and Bandra in specific these are a few encounters of his to gaze upon.
For more on the project log on to : www. http://www.bandraforyou.blogspot.com or email: viveksheth87[at]gmail[dot]com
i was more glad because i found one possibility. The fact that Bandra is looked at as the first probable location for such initiatives is due to its strong liking as well as open ness to these formats of gatherings!
the entrance to the street exhibition, BLOWUP from hill road/waroda road
for more on blowup check out : http://blog.puneetrakheja.com/?p=655
check out cnn's review on the show: http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/none/blowup-bombay-street-photo-exhibition-792523#gal_TB_inline?height=550&width=950&inlineId=cnngoGallery
also an other blogpost by Meena Kadri: http://www.randomspecific.com/blow-up-bombay
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