A well, a brass band and visarjans come together for two murals that aim at transforming an ancestral neighbourhood.
In Versova Koliwada, a dozen freshwater wells have fallen into neglect over the years ever since the municipal water connections had been provided. Yet, one survived. Used by the area’s Koli residents for domestic purposes, it has inadvertently doubled up as a space for conversations during chores and community gatherings. The Bhandari well, called so after the family that once owned it, was the site of a placemaking project in early 2021. Urban design firm Bombay 61 intended to emphasise the well as a social space. A mural came up on a nearby wall as a way of marking it.
Architect Jai Bhadgaonkar, 37, co-founder of Bombay 61, said, “The quality of the village had degraded because of over-densification. The nature of open spaces and built spaces had transformed.” The project was an attempt to remind Koli youths of the significance of their ancestral neighbourhood and its potential for transformation.
The mural depicts a Koli fishmonger in the foreground, with a fisherman casting a net behind. The well was painted, too. Bombay 61 commissioned Sairaj Vijay Shigwan, a final year art student at the Sir J J School of Art, to paint the mural. Shigwan studied the Kolis’ daily routines and chose a main character, that of the Koli woman. He said, “Her husband may catch the fish, but after that, it is she who cleans it, sells it, earns an income and runs a household. It is all her.”
Read the full article on The Indian Express
Author: Benita Fernando
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