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.

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

 

 

 

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

Why Mumbai's Slums are Villages

While browsing through the web and the URBZ webpages : http://urbz.net/ , i came across this really interesting article on Mumbai's development on the Village and the Slum front. The essay in the article very interestingly points out the growth of these urban formats through the times of the Portuguese and then the British. The Author takes the example of Khotachiwadi as a village that was termed as a slum, by the British Authorities so that it can fulfill its dream of larger urban development in the ares. Khotachiwadi and such other Hamlets in Bandra like Ranwar (the one i am studying), Vasai, Thane etc., speak of a distinct history and is a subject of study for a lot of Urban Planners, Designers etc. These Hamlets constituted a format of living and have a very distinct texture to themselves.
read on for more on the article


Why Mumbai's Slums are Villages:
Mumbai’s history reflects two distinct phases. One is the south-oriented story that starts with the development of the docks by the British in the seventeenth century. The other is an older, northern-bound story that starts with the Portuguese conquest and domination of the regions around Vasai village in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The essay argues that the point of intersection of these histories is one that can potentially explain the overwhelming presence of poor, infrastructure deprived habitats – often referred to as slums – that dominate the landscape of the city.
more on : http://www.airoots.org/why-mumbai’s-slums-are-villages/comment-page-1/#comment-3921

At the oratory Junction in Ranwar

this is the synth at the oratory in Ranwar. The Oratory is over 100 years old and it just celebrated its centenary in February 2010. more stories on the same soon.
for now enjoy the view!

What is an Oratory?:

In Christianity, an oratory is a room for prayer, from the Latin orare, to pray. In the Roman Catholic Church, an oratory is for all intents and purposes another word for what is commonly called a chapel. Oratory today means a private place of worship for a group or community which could be opened to the public at the discretion of the group's superior.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oratory_(worship) )

This Oratory is now maintained by the residents, it used to be a very common place of gathering. Only recently in february when it celebrated its centenary all the residents gathered around fro a good celebration. All the old residents started speaking and it went back in the passage of time to remember old times (as told to me by Mr. Damascene D'sylva). These kind of spaces have served as nodes of great nostalgia and reflects the living culture of the place.

More in view is the 170 year old house, The Trellis which is still maintained beautifully to its old glory. also in view is the AB estate, which once used to be the house of the Xavier'. The Xavier house was built in 1841 and used to be one of the most common ground for all the kids to play and loiter around. The Xavier's who were spinsters were very open to the kids and other people walking and walking out at any time. They lived for the community and contributed a lot. Now it is occupied by the AB estate a G+3/4 structure which has taken over the entire land and covered all the open area too. Also the AB estate has the biggest amount of land in Ranwar.

Other is the view of the streets and the main street that bring one person inside the village.

Have fun navigating.

At the junction after the Grotto

well heres the synth of the junction after the grotto..
In view will be the houses belonging to the Rodrigues, Mrs. Flananingan, and the Pareiras.

This junction is very interesting because it gives a great view of these houses, with a sneak preview of the Ranwar Square over the grotto.

These houses if maintained would look just stunning. Its going to be one way in which the old glory of a place like Ranwar can be brought back.

If we look at other villages like Shirely Rajan (Bandra) and Khotachiwadi (Girgaum), these houses have been reinterpreted to todays times and have been given a new look with something as simple as exterior facade paints. nothing more but just limestone mixed with color will not only give these walls a new life but also lets them breathe, specially in a whether like Mumbai.

But anyways coming back to these patterns in grills, these window styles, the verandah styles, the colors, they are similar all across these kind of villages everywhere in Mumbai. They are said to be Portuguese in style, but they are not..well maybe they have an influence, but they are very Indian in style and make and is a typical style of paddy cultivating villages around the Konkan line and the rest of Mumbai, wherever they are located.  It is popularly know as Vernacular Architecture style, but its a good example of Local style. These are ofcourse going in a time warp due their appearance today, but a little modification and these will look absolutely stunning.

Masala seasoning

Every summer its the masala smell that rules all our houses. Thats one typical feature of an Indian household of the old times. The ladies of the big fat joint family would get together to grind some lip smacking masalas, which would rule all our stomachs for the rest of the year, till the next season of masala making comes into motion.
But all the Ramdev and MDH masala companies have pretty much stolen this job from our mothers and grand mothers today. It seems quite a village like talk or a talk of the past when a lady mentions that she is going to make masalas, it sounds rather strange. In this times of the dying tradition, some households in Ranwar still indulge in the masala making process.

Thanks to Fr. Larry, Parish Priest at the Mount Carmels Church, who invited me  to his 170 year old house in Ranwar (popularly known as Trellis) to have a look at the masalas being made in process. As soon as i walked in the house, the backyard was smelling fresh of the spices being ground and roasted to be mixed in an age old secret recipe. Yes thats the catch, the recipe is secret and is very special of the East Indian Catholic Community, that resides in these houses here. But yes the smell was too tempting and the colors were just outstanding. Some images:

the spices left out to dry

the spicy Kashmiri chillies

the spices being mixed after roasting

being grounded in an age old scooped out jambun tree bark

the ladies who grind the spices to make them into amazing masalas 

come from Thane, they are specialized in this job, anyone who wants to contact them

need to be around. thats the amazing bit, all the women from various household 

come around and call them to their place to grind the spices to make masalas.

This initiates a lot of conversations (a very good example of interpersonal relationships that

are shared in these villages)

the spices being ground into very fine powder, the masala

the not so fine powder yet is being strained in big strainers, to separate the already 

fine powder.

these are then mixed well and very very tightly packed in dark 

bottles (mostly wine/beer bottles)  so that sunlight does not change the color. they are then left to mature fora while and then used for cooking some of the finest East Indian Cuisine.

These Masalas are then used to make some of the most amazing East Indian Dishes like curries, Sorpotel, etc. What was very interesting to see how women from various households came around giving their bottles as they could not make these masalas in their houses anymore. Lack of space is the main reason. most of these houses have some open areas mostly in the back (Backyards), which are not seen anymore due encroachment of sorts. It is very interesting to know how these spaces are so important for community living, and how they initiate various nodes of conversations.

When the Masala was almost ready (not matured yet though), i was allowed to taste it with some raw mango that i got to borrow from some kids moving around distributing them after plucking them of their own mango trees, to the poor kids. I was luck to have one from them , coz they refused to give me one coz a) i was not a kid, and b)i was not looking poor by any chance. Well these kids were just 10-12 years old and were imbibed with great sense of responsibility and generosity.

I will definitely be waiting to taste some curry made out of this masala as promised by Aunty Blance, who with a lot of patience explained me the entire process.

Keep licking your fingers now!

a small video of the process:

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!