The Historical Analysis through Maps

Sorry for a long break in between!!
MAPS: Maps are a visual representation of an area; they also depict the relationships between the spatial elements of that area. Maps are a tool that i am using for analysis of the research i have done for Ranwar and about Ranwar. They are indicative in nature and depict my viewpoint based on the various available data and resident interviews over the period of my study.
Please do leave your comments and feedback!

1) The Age map of all the heritage built-scape : This map indicates the age of buildings existing as of July 2010. All buildings built before 1934 are considered historically significant. The span of life of this built form ranges from 75- 200 years. The built scape belongs to a specific style of architecture and spatial character, which defines the cultural ethos of the community that occupies them. They need special attention in terms of conservation and regeneration.

2) The Age map of all the built scape : This map indicates the age of buildings existing as of July 2010. All buildings built before 1934 are considered historically significant. The span of life of this built form ranges from 75-200 years. One can see the stark difference in the built form in the last 25 years, which has juxtaposed itself against the older built form. This also in clear indicates the threat the old built form, which needs conservation in first priority is under the scare belt.

3) Comparison in between various village structures: This collage of maps shows the similar village structures of the community of the East Indian Catholics, whose ancestry comes from the profession of Paddy cultivation. They were converted to Christianity by the Portuguese around 1575 AD. These villages date back to 400 years of constant evolution with various house types. Today these villages are looked as prime properties for development in FSI (Floor Space Index), by the builders. Hence most have them have been declared Heritage Precincts by the Heritage Society of Mumbai (MMRDA), to protect a culture, lifestyle and architecture which defines the cultural ethos of all the suburbs they are from.

The structure of the village is defined by narrow streets, winding/zing zag lanes, house types of G or G+1 levels of local vernacular architecture influenced by the Portuguese and the British styles. They hold a similar pattern of evolution all along the cost of Konkan region. They congregations/huddled houses are normally found on infertile tracts of land, the foothills in most cases. The houses are very close to each other (mainly for security reasons) and their fields move outwards, towards the fertile landscape.

There is no planning that goes into the while the houses are being constructed, wherever there is space they used to construct. Also the houses in the village grew with the increase in family members to accommodate everyone. 

4) Probable Evolution of Ranwar : This collage of maps shows the probable evolution of Ranwar through the 400 years. It is an indicative probability mainly based on the sample interviews I had with the residents of Ranwar. It is also more so an example to show how villages of this nature and spatial character evolved around the Konkan coastline.

Ranwar, 1610:

The houses start to be build around paddy fields by the farmers. They build them in a cluster format close to each other mainly for security reasons. There are about 10 houses at this time and their fields are close by. There is no planning what so ever that goes into the building of a village. The land found perfect for construction is built on. Ranwar, comes from the word 'Ran', meaning forest and 'Wada/Wadi' meaning settlement, making it to 'Ranwada' and finally 'Ranwar'. This proves the existence of a forest around, maybe moving upwards to the Mt. Mary’s Hill. Ranwar was divided in to sections mainly due to its location just at the foothills. as marked in the map, the clusters in the east belonged to 'Wada chi Wadi', higher towards the hill, while the west side belongs to 'Het Wadi', lower towards the downhill. 

Maximum Height of built scape: 396 cm

Ranwar, 1710:

Everything remains same as in 1610, a few more houses have been added. 

Maximum Height of built scape: 396 cm

Ranwar,1810:

The families started getting bigger and the houses started extending. This is one of the main reasons of Evolution of a village of this kind.

Maximum Height of built scape: 670 cm

Ranwar, 1910:

The farmers start loosing their land to the British Government for development in exchange for an assured job with the govt. The clusters have become stronger and the roads have started getting definitions. A community has started growing. There is a sudden jump visible due to the rapid increase in population.

Maximum Height of built scape: 670 cm

Ranwar, 1960:

The communities start migrating to new places with new migrants entering. The village is loosing its character due to the rapid development by the new Indian Government. The village is saturated with built scape.

Maximum Height of buil scape: 1525 cm

Ranwar, 2010:

Things are changing rapidly and a culture, lifestyle and architecture that complement each other in a community like this is dying. There are several reasons for the same.

Maximum Height of built scape: 1525 cm and going higher and higher.

5) Effects on Ranwar before and after Reclamation: This map indicates the scenario of Bandra before and after the reclamation in 1972. The effects of which are seen in Ranwar directly in terms of wind circulation and lifestyle. The reclamation which took over the south sea portion affected a lot of spatial characters of precincts nearby. At one point it used to be the best docking station for ships as they were protected by the cup, created by the 3 forts (Bandra, Worli, and Mahim) around that area. The sea edge also called for a lot of activities like family hangouts and swimming for the young.

The Lifestyle of the people got affected as a result of both Ranwar and Bazaar road being landlocked. It got in a lot of traffic and the wind circulation has been disrupted.

In the map the blue area is the water edge, the one in the south was reclaimed in 1972 to make land for development, which connects to the main western expressway that takes most of the traffic of Mumbai. Towards the other water edge in north-west there are several high rises that have blocked all the view and wind. Also in between the ares full of concrete blocks and the green cover is reduced to a considerable level.

In the below Mumbai Map of 1954 (source unknown), we can see the image of Mumbai before the second reclamation took place. In the circle one can see the cup protected by the three forts of Bandra, Worli and Mahim very clearly. It is in the Third and the last reclamation of 1972 when the southern edge of Bandra and the western edge of Mahim were reclaimed for development. The Honourable Supreme Court put a prohibition on any further reclamation in the city by putting in effect the Costal Regulatory Zones.

The Historical analysis was mainly carried out to see the heritage aspect of Ranwar Precinct. But it is not just with the analysis of the historical aspect that things get clear, a lot more analysis was done to create the reference points of better understanding the current state of the Hamlet amongst the madness that Mumbai faces everyday.

Feast of the Holy Cross

Feast of the Holy Cross:
About
The True Cross is said to have been discovered in 326 by the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine I, Helena of Constantinople, during a pilgrimage she made to Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was then built at the site of the discovery, by order of Helena and Constantine. The church was dedicated nine years later, with a portion of the cross placed inside it. In 614, that portion of the cross was carried away from the church by the Persians, and remained missing until it was recaptured by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in 628. Initially taken to Constantinople, the cross was returned to the church the following year.

The date of the feast marks the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 335. This was a two-day festival: although the actual consecration of the church was on September 13, the cross itself was brought outside the church on September 14 so that the clergy and faithful could pray before the True Cross, and all could come forward to venerate it.

Alternately: In the Gallican usage, beginning about the seventh century, the Feast of the Cross was celebrated on May 3, and called "Crouchmas" (for "Cross Mass") or "Roodmas". When the Gallican and Roman practices were combined, the September date was assigned to commemorating the rescue of the Cross from the Sassanid Persians, and the May date was kept as the Finding of the Holy Cross or Invention of the True Cross to commemorate the finding. (In this context "invention" (from Latin invenire, "to find") does not have the modern sense of creating something new.) Pope John XXIII removed this duplication in 1960, so that the Roman Calendar now celebrates the Holy Cross only on September 14.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Cross)


In Bandra:
Going by the Gallican usage, which was the earlier celebration, Bandra celebrates the Feast of the Holy Cross in the month of May every year. The residents who live around a particular cross come out in the evening after sunset to say the rosary everyday in May. Its a practice that has been followed since eternity here, even though the official date of the the Feast is shifted to September 14th by the Pope.

the decorated cross at the Ranwar Square for the final day of the feast of the cross month on the 31st May

In Ranwar, the feast is celebrated with full zeal and enthusiasm by the residents of the village. It was a very neat experience to be a part of these daily rosary's at the two crosses in Agna Square, and the Ranwar Square. I went to both for rosary recital, of which one was the community mass and feast on the last day of the month of May when the feast ends. Its really nice that this practice still continues, especially in the month of May as it is Vacations and all the kids can also join in. The atmosphere around these crosses id very festive, the crosses are decorated and the snacks for the feast are prepared at home by some enthusiastic residents (the taste of the Marzipan is still on my tongue, gosh! it was yum), and it is always open for all to come around and be a part of the celebrations. 

It is also important to notice that these events and activities, religious or not religious become great nodes of communication. People gathered around do make it a point to greet each other and share a chat. This is something that keeps the community life active and buzzing.

some more images:

 

the statute of Mother Mary at the grotto near the Ranwar square, and the a regular Rosary on at the Agna square

Rosary on the final day of the month if May, which is celebrated with a feast.

a residents reciting the Rosary, praying for everyones good health and revising lessons give by Lord Jesus on community living, love and friendship

some beautiful decoration at the cross, with flowers from a neighbors superb garden, and an innovative sprite bottle cut candle stand. 

The Experience was truly memorable, also because i was introduced to a whole lot of residents who are going to be helping me with the project and we got to see a very very beautiful cottage 42, Ranwar at the Square which belongs to Mr. Owen and his cousin brother. The chat about his house, maintenance, the time he spends it to talks of some history was very helpful.

Shirely, Rajan (Bandra) and Khotachwadi (Girgaum)

An other visit, to these amazing villages around Bandra and in Girgaum. It was a good visit, as i got to know about Parallels to Ranwar. This was not an exercise to study the differences and alikeness between these hamlets, but to study them as a whole, keeping Ranwar out of my mind.

But as we are humans and we tend to compare, it thus happened.

The first visit happened to Rajan, and the next neighborhood, Shirely in Bandra, Mumbai. It was Raghav Sethi, Neehar Desai and me looking at an other settlement in the same suburb with a similar layout, community and format. While wandering around the streets of Shirely Rajan (will use the names together henceforth, its also worth noticing the fact that the names of these two villages/hamlets were always taken in one breath, i wonder why?) we found we landed in another part of Ranwar, which we might have missed to explore. There was similarity in house layouts, the local style, the zig zag wandering streets, the grills, windows, doors. everything! But there had to be something different and that could have been in the lifestyle. If one looks at the photographs in isolation without attaching the name Shirely Rajan to it, it would just look like an other part of Ranwar. Why i contextualize everything to Ranwar is simply due to the fact that i am studying it in detail.
Lets look at some photographs from Shirely Rajan;

the Greens:

In these two hamlets a lot of importance was was given to the green around the house. almost every house we crossed gave beautiful variations of greens against the nice colors of the house. More interesting were the ways in which these greens were incorporated around their houses and the efforts placed in it. These spots serve as great nodes of communication amongst the residents. Also watering and maintenance of the green seems to a common interest and is nurtured very well.

the old scale ground floor houses, with a standard attic at the rooftop, mainly to store

the paddy harvest

this place is converted to a nice school for creative arts for the kids, moving around this house

we could hear interesting music, once we went on the other side, they had a beautiful front space for the kids to play. A very interesting mix use for the house and nurture young minds around these winding lanes.

one of my favorites and very natural, the photographs speaks for itself and speaks a lot

Open spaces, common nodes of interaction, greens, colors and a happy community is what we got to see at Shirely Rajan, a very interesting hamlet the proximity of these two hamlets for sure have induced a lot of interactions and a lot of stories pertaining to these two places might be enough for a thick publication.

Moving to Khotachiwadi (Girgaum), a lot of similarity was seen again. Went there on a sunny saturday morning and the place was full of vibrant colors and beautiful lanes again. This village/wadi has been in a lot of limelight lately. one of the last few remaining ones in South Mumbai, there is a lot of history to this place. Of the 60 (approx) cottages/bungalows in Khotachiwadi only 26 are remaining, and thanks to the resident awareness they are in a good shape. more about Khotachiwadi from the residents and URBZ  will be found here: http://khotachiwadi.urbz.net/ , this webpage is a very interesting effort and a good start at a resident involvement in preservation of their own culture.

some of my favorite picks from the hamlet:

The analysis and comparison of efforts and conservation in Khotachwadi Preceinct, with Ranwar is something that i would like to do in detail, which shall happen in the next post.

Space and Thoughts

its been a long break from the blog world..so here i return.

this post will mainly be an anthology of thoughts that have come across while i have been reading various authors/writers. will try to credit the author wherever i have adapted a thought. the rest would be analysis and self thoughts:

On SPACE as a dwelling unit:

--The space that we in-hibit isn't merely a dwelling unit, it defines the spaces in our mind and our outlook towards life too. Often, when you are struggling in a small space (as in the case of mist areas of Mumbai), the thinking too revolves around those two tiny rooms. the corners and the boxes!

City and its Collective Memory:

-- One can say that the city itself is the collective memory of its people, and like memory, it is associated with objects and planes. The city is the locus of collective memory. This relationship between the locus and citizenry then becomes the city's predominant image, both architecture and of landscapes, and as certain artifacts past of its memory, new ones emerge

- "Architecture of Cities", by Aldo Rossi (Pg 130)

Of History in India:

-- "In India we live, move and have our being" in a historical environment and yet we are not aware of the treasures that surround us. Thats because we take these for granted. 

are we loosing the grip of our histories due to this redundancy? 

The Chief aim of Architecture is to be Functional:

-- He forgets the environment into which he will implant his buildings because he is attracted be new and modern innovations and gadgetry. He fails to realize that form has a meaning only within the context of its environment. 

i am very sorry have completely forgotten where i read this and by whom 

is it written, but it was something that was not missable.

Social and economic forces:

-- " The city is becoming less the result of design and more the expression of economic and social forces." 

we very regularly see this happening all around us, specially in the post-independance Architecture where the government housing and building were to built not only here in Mumbai but across the country. The form just became an expression of what the government was doing with the growth of the country and the way it would deal with such issues in the future! Time and again the economic and social forces rule the way a city has to look, the urban planners forget that the city needs to maintain and conserve its lived in heritage.

--this week seems to be the writing week!

Street REwinding

helloz,
REwind time, well maybe?, walking through these streets in Bandra just gives you the right amount of taste of how things were at one point. so the other day (11.03.2010) it was St. Andrews Church-St.Pauls road-Chimbai village road-a little of Turner road-Perry Cross Road-Carter road. whoooo

the route taken by me

looking at these streets and walking around just gives a good glimpse of how the space has changed from the 1920's, 30's, 40's, 50's with the Art Deco style in demand, 60's, 70's when the reclamation happened and the mass housing systems were put in place to today wen there is something from all the periods!

After a not so quick walk through the St. Andrew's church, mainly looking for the oldest cross in Bandra, which i got to know has been installed in the St. Andrew's Church. It is relocated on the church compound. Stands 17ft high and made of a single stone. It  was  orignally in the jesuit seminary of St. Anne built in 1610.  The building was  destroyed in 1739 and the cross was relocated to the Andrews church. The  surface is carved all over with 39  emblems of the passion of Christ. i finally did locate it, and i thought it would be re installed with much more celebration, but to my disappointment it was just there in one corner with not much attention paid to it. As a first encounter the church seemed to be facing to sides of the urban expanse in that area. One that it marked the end of Hill road, one of the busiest roads in Bandra and on the other side the bandstand promenade, opposite to which on the other side is the Chimbai village road. All three with a different character a different urban texture attached to it. While these thoughts wandered in my mind and i moved around the 1574 building that still stands in its complete modesty as shrine not only to the Christians but to a lot of other communities. The feeling of walking through the various grave stones was quite strange along with it being over whelming at the same time. The dates on the stones range from before 1800 untill today, which also proves the series of generations that have spent their lives in this suburb.

The oldest cross in Bandra, relocated in the compounds of the St. Andrew's Church.

What caught my attention was the massive Ferns Mansion, a graded heritage building by the MMRDA, and its condition today. Also famous as the Yacht Restaurant around the vicinity, this building is a classic example of a colonial vernacular architecture. As it pretty much seemed to be in a dilapidated state, a thought of converting it into a community based art gallery was what struck my mind first. It could be an artist in residency, and many more things because the space just seems perfect.

                    

the Ferns Mansion right opposite St. Andrews Church.

After sooooo many thought pouring in and out i started walking on the St. Pauls Road. At the first glance the cleanliness of the place stunned me, and the green patch which served as a must for every housing colony, cottage or a mere small store around the place, ran through all the foot path. These roads inclusive of the Perry cross road and much of the Carter road has a good mix of Colonial and Portuguese vernacular architecture along with a good quantity of Art deco bungalows which were the flavor of the 1930's and 1940's all around Mumbai. some images of these streets and the houses.

 

These are various examples of the styles of architecture mentioned above.

A lot more  to talk, seems like i will have to wait till the next post, this one seems to be quite long for one read..so more soon!