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

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.

South Facade view of Waroda road, Bandra

South Facade view of Waroda road, which is the entrance to Ranwar from Hill road.
all the houses, shops in this series of photographs are in Ranwar.
Have fun playing with the synth.

will upload screen shots and the maps soon.

North Facade view of Waroda Road, Bandra

North Facade view of Waroda road, which is the entrance to Ranwar from Hill road.
all the houses, shops in this series of photographs are in Ranwar.
Have fun playing with the synth.

will upload screen shots and the maps soon.

the Zig and Zag roads

Mr. Arup Sarabadhikary shared some interesting insights on the reason of Zig Zag pattern for roads/pathways in Bandra Village.

anyone can easily miss it, thinking it just gives character to the urban texture and the aesthetic of Ranwar, but it does more than that.

This was intentionally done while the buiding layout was being done at site. The neighbors used to get together and decide how to place the houses, retaining privacy, at the same time keeping visibility from the verandahs/ balconies for a friendly chat. One can notice that scooters and small cars can still be parked in these niches, without hampering traffic.

The development plan 1981-2001 made by the MCGM, received from David Cardoz, highlighting the Bandra Village Precinct. 

In this one i have highlighted the roads/pathways/streets in the Bandra Village Precinct, we indeed see the point!

Its really interesting how these small but details while town planning makes such an impact. I have seen this is Ranwar (refer to the photographs above), but would really want to see it in the other villages too!

Thanks Mr. Arup for sharing this information. 

Arup Sarbadhikary is a structural engineer by profession and a former member of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee.  He is one of the founder members and Trustee of the Bandra Bandstand Residents Trust.

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!