19
Sep 2024
6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Uncovering Urban Legacies: Stories of Bombay's Precincts - Mazagon
Coomaraswamy Hall, CSMVS, Mumbai - 400001
Did you know that Gamdevi, once known as 'Gaondevi,' is named after the 'goddess who guards' the locality? This charming neighborhood emerged as a response to early 20th-century Bombay's housing needs, balancing affordability with livability.
Continuing Avid Learning's journey through Uncovering Urban Legacies: Precincts series, we arrive at our next stop, Gamdevi, a microcosm of the city's rich history and culture. From the historic August Kranti Maidan, where the Quit India Movement was born, to Jyoti Studio, the cradle of early Bollywood talkies, Gamdevi encapsulates pivotal moments in India's political and cultural narrative. Each episode will spotlight one iconic precinct, exploring its historical significance, architectural splendor, diverse cultural expressions, and culinary landscape shaping the city’s multicultural fabric and cosmopolitan character. Our panelists will also examine Gamdevi’s thoughtful urban planning that blends low-rise buildings with high-density development, wide tree-lined streets, and ample public spaces.
Join us as we peel back the layers of Gamdevi's fascinating story, uncovering its unique blend of historical significance, architectural character, and cultural contributions.
Pinky Chandan-Dixit completed her Hotel Management at Sophia Polytechnic, and Diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, London. She worked with Mrs Tara Dalal, researching her cookbooks for over 8 years, where trying new cuisines and often long forgotten recipes gave her immense knowledge of food, under the guidance of Mrs Dalal. She founded Soam, a contemporary Indian restaurant specializing in home-style comfort cooking, and more recently Aamchee which celebrates the city's heritage through the food of its many communities and neighbourhoods. Pinky is also the co-founder of a QSR called wraps&rolls. Hailing from Mahablaleshwar was raised, she believes that food needs to be healthy, local, sustainable and seasonal, and the offerings at Soam are an effort to move towards that direction. She is the proud mother of a 10-year-old and juggles her way between family and work.
Read more
Bharat Gothoskar studied mechanical engineering and has a postgraduate degree in Business Administration. He worked with Indian multinational companies like Godrej, Pidilite, and Mahindra before giving up his corporate career to devote time to evangelizing heritage in Mumbai. He has founded two institutions in this space - the experiential heritage travel company, Khaki Tours, and its not-for-profit counterpart, the Khaki Heritage Foundation, which is involved in heritage awareness, archiving, and conservation. Under the aegis of the Foundation, he has started the cultural space KHAKI Lab where he hopes to incubate the heritage bug and infect future generations with it. His mission is to make Mumbaikars proud of their city’s heritage. He is also the Curator for Heritage Walks at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.
Read more
Nikhil Mahashur's strong passion for hospitality and commercial architecture is blended with a broad experience in PMC. He believes in creating a space not only for the person who commissions it but for the people who are going to use the space – each project is a celebration of that space and its intimacy. He describes his architectural style as Eclitecture - designing cotemporary buildings and layering them with traditional elements. He firmly believes that the first impression is the one that will make you fall in love with the building. Helmed by Nikhil Mahashur, Nikhil Mahashur & Associates (NMA) is accustomed to delivering exemplary projects across Architecture, Renovation, Interiors and PMC. NMA's design philosophy is therefore entrenched in creating the right first impression and a WOW factor through simplicity, where even a little chaos can be simple.
Read more
Gautam Kirtane Born and raised in Mumbai, I'm deeply passionate about its intricate tapestry. Over two decades, my career has revolved around Mumbai's evolution as India's gateway. I earned an MSc in Environmental Science from Mumbai's Institute of Science in 2004 and later pursued an MSc in City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics in 2019. My professional journey spans public policy think tanks, research institutes, corporate houses, and NGOs, tackling diverse challenges like solid waste management, transport, water supply, sanitation, and disaster management. With a vision for vibrant public spaces, I advocate for participatory urban development, aiming to enhance Mumbai's resilience and sustainability. This city isn't just my workplace; it's my laboratory, teacher, and home, driving my commitment to its dynamic future.
Read more
Dhaval Kulkarni is a Mumbai-based historian, author, and bilingual journalist with over two decades of reporting experience.He specializes in Maharashtra-based subjects and covers governance, politics, history, heritage, culture, caste, identity, social movements, and archaeology and has a special interest in police and military history.His book, ‘The Cousins Thackeray: Uddhav, Raj and the Shadow of their Senas’ was published in 2019 by Penguin Random House and has been translated into Marathi and Hindi. His second book, ‘The Bawla Murder Case’ was published in January 2021 by Harper Collins. Dhaval has worked across media groups like India Today, Hindustan Times, DNA, the New Indian Express, the Indian Express and the Times of India. His opinions and bylines have also appeared in News18.com, The Print, Asian Age and Deccan Chronicle, Loksatta.com and Chitralekha (Marathi). He has also appeared as an analyst on English, Marathi, and Hindi news channels and anchors a popular weekly show on history.
Read moreGamdevi: A Captivating Mumbai Neighborhood
Nestled in the southern end of Mumbai, the neighborhood of Gamdevi, also known as Goandevi, holds a fascinating history and cultural significance. The name is derived from the 200-year-old temple dedicated to the goddess Durga, also referred to as Lilavati, a graceful and revered figure. Spanning approximately 1 km in four directions, Gamdevi is a precinct that still houses numerous heritage structures, each with captivating stories and people. This area has been witness to pivotal moments in modern India's history, from the struggle for independence to the rise of Indian feminism and Bollywood moments.
India’s Independence Stories in Gamdevi
Every corner of Gamdevi holds an anecdote that transports you back to the era of India’s freedom struggle. One such story begins with Mani Bhavan, owned by Shri Revashankar Jagjeevan Jhaveri, which served as a residence for Gandhiji from 1917 to 1934. It has now been transformed into a living memorial that celebrates Gandhiji and his contributions to India.
Just a little ahead is a huge open green space known as Gowalia Tank Maidan. The name derives from two words: ‘Gau’ meaning cow and ‘Walia’ meaning owner of the cow. It is said that cattle owners used to bathe their cows in the tank situated under the existing ground. On August 8, 1942, this ground witnessed the Quit India Movement, where the slogan ‘Do or Die’ from Mahatma Gandhi’s speech became famous. The next day, Aruna Asaf Ali managed to reach the ground and delivered a brief speech followed by flag hoisting, after which the police expelled the public with tear gas, leading to many injuries and deaths. This was the onset of the Civil Disobedience Movement, after which the ground became known as August Kranti Maidan.
The Blavatsky Lodge, a unique two-story structure, served as the headquarters of the Theosophical Society. In the 1930s, several nationalists and freedom fighters gathered here for discourses on the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Gamdevi's Heritage Structures
As you further explore the streets and bylanes of Gamdevi, parked between Mumbai’s Charni Road and Grant Road railway stations, you come across several beautiful structures, each conveying its own story. A quintessential 135-year-old Maharashtrian mansion at the foot end of French Bridge, the Raut’s Bungalow (1889), has been home to five generations and continues to be a living home, taking you back to the 19th-century Gamdevi.
After the Bombay Plague, the city witnessed town planning in several locations, including Gamdevi. While the city undergoes another round of redevelopment, the Saraswat Cooperative Housing Society, formed in 1915, remains bustling. This is not just Bombay’s but Asia’s first housing society, and it continues to set the pace in the neighborhood.
Bhendi Gully, the narrowest street in Mumbai, leads you to the Yeshwant Siddhi Cooperative Society, the same spot where the mansion of Raobahadur Yeshwantrao Harishchandra Desai, the superintendent manager of the team that built the Gateway of India, once stood. A replica of the Gateway of India made of sandstone is also placed within the premises.
Amidst the modern-day transformation of Gamdevi, it continues to offer visitors and residents a unique window into the multifaceted heritage of Mumbai with its structures and stories.
