Shivajinagar… the first thing that comes to my mind is “THE BUS STOP”. My views, my perception, my understanding towards Shivajinagar were standardised. You know I was put within walls about the place and I stayed in it, going with what other people told me about it and how it is and all. But figured they have never been there… Though I have been living in Bangalore for quite some time, I never knew Shivajinagar was so big!! For really I didn’t know that commercial street was a part of Shivajinagar. Leaving this behind, after the walk I so impressed, inspired just on the first day of the walk we had. The mixer of people from different backgrounds, sounds, shop, work, small shady lanes that are not scary at all… old house built ages ago and still being use as it is. There were so many things going in and out of that place, that it was unbelievable. What got me the most was the footpath; every few meters I walked there was this one rocky footpath, which made me feel like I was on to something, like a sign to reach this old guy with huge amount of knowledge or this shop where you can find things for your project. And you know what made it worse? Dogs After I looked at the rocky footpath and looked around there was always this one dog looking at me O.o” smiles looks down and goes away(not joking). I don’t know may sound funny to you but I was being played by Shivaji.


- Gaurav Gatti 

MYTHIC CITY-My Reflection- Saumya Pankaj

‘Mythic city- as the name contests- are cities created not just out of concrete and mortar but romanticized and refurbished from the stories and escapades conjured by the mighty pen of journalists and travelogue writers down the ages. This is evident in the ‘golden bird’ stories of India conceived by travelers to the royal courts like Huen Tsang and Ibn Batuta. This is  evident in contemporary times when the seventh estate is rocking the world with shocking and revealing headlines that rudely yet entertainingly and exhaustively seek to keep the glamour or cities alive in good times or in bad…and nothing can do them apart.

The beginning leaves an indelible mark with the Zoroastrian death ritual, impacting readers by a harsh tradition over a sensitive issue. The Zoroastrian and the Mumbai world are metaphors of a sacred but vulnerable universe that is exposed by the naked truth wrought out by magazines and journalists in their noble endeavour to inform, instruct and entertain. Lewis Carol once accused interviews to be hateful since it seemed to steal the soul of the person interviewed. Similar is the exposure through media that lays bare the realities of any city, its corrupt administration, Machiavelli politicians, its legal order and its religious frailties; as the author says…’it allows a vital energy to escape from the holy ball of fire.’

For the people of the city it would be nothing less than sacrilege to lay bare the demons, but it allows its readers to delve and revel in the new ‘mythic image’ manifested in films and the written gospel. Thus cities are soon becoming a  figment of imagination contrived by stories, dreams, fears and aspirations of the national diaspora. The author is right CITIES LIVE IN OUR IMAGINATION…and this illusion and imagination feeds and thrives on publicized episodes of a city kept under wraps by its inmates. No city is a hard city, enjoying a cushy place on the map…they are all soft cities susceptible to change for the good or worse, a heady cocktail of embarrassing events and virtual Melting Pots.

Physical remoteness, associated glamour, money- estrange fiction and reality but fantasy becomes far more palatable for the readers. Cartoonists like Mario Miranda, editors like Russi Karanjia, writers like Salman Rushdie, tabloids like Mid-Day or Blitz and Illustrate Weekly undoubtedly add elitism to the topic broached but enjoy disseminating the absurdities, the modern spirit, the cultural arrogance and the bureaucratic ethos of a city. The myths are shattered soon and there is a paradigm shift in the perception of the people towards the city and its charm. Bombay’s mythology was cast in iron…entrenched by Bollywood ‘masala’ till it was hit by floods and terrorism that took a toll on its sacred name and besmirched the image of its politicians and administrators.
The ‘mongrel’ world of our metro cities tend to be soulless, with a dull government, callous city habits and capricious decisions. Liberal democracy takes a beating and the façade cracks. Decaying values are thrown up and the myth is relegated to the ‘once upon a time’ episode. 
Cities are now crammed with the currency of competition and suspicion . paranoia reigns supreme with all the corruption, ‘power brokering and influence peddling’. With the ‘urbanization of poverty’ the myth finally crumbles and the new ‘generic city’ makes a bloodless coup. The 'historic' has been smothered by the 'generic' landscape that is anything but exciting or exhilarating. The ‘mythic’ cities are under the lens…’open for archaeological excavation’, hidden under the dust of myths proving cities are societies and need to go through the scanner despite the surreal stories shielding their reality.

VASUDHEV KUTUMBKUM the ‘world is my family’ --My City -saumya pankaj

VASUDHEV KUTUMBKUM

the ‘world is my family’

My City

We were asked in one of our classes ‘which cities we came from’. We were also instructed to include a memoir from any media- a photograph, a video, a song, or any means of communication that connects us to that city. Ironically, while my classmates were thinking of what connected them to their cities, I sat on my chair, at the back of the class, grappling with the dilemma of which city to choose from the plethora I had been exposed to!!

 You see I’m one of the ‘Fauji Brats’ A military slang to describe kids or teens of the ‘active military personnel waging an everyday battle against a proxy enemy ‘,who are thought to be spoilt by adoring parents and their every need is served on a ready platter. What no one sees is the degree of inconvenience the whole family goes through, the dangers it encounters in field areas, the insecurity of such impermanence and the lack of anchorage in such a life. Not that I am complaining.Born in the historic city of Gwalior [Madhya Pradesh], in a dilapidated military hospital, at a meager ‘cost price’ of ninety rupees, I am proud of say that i am the apple of my mother and father’s eyes.

 MOBILITY being the quintessential ingredient in my roller coaster ride called life I’m a rolling stone that has fortunately gathered a lot of moss. Since birth I was promised the permanency of a gypsy life, punctuated by change in places, friends, and schools. My ROOTS??  They’re as strong and steadfast as the mighty oak.  This might seem paradoxical to some, but juxtaposed against my father’s career in the Indian Armed Forces it seems perfectly normal and natural. Every move has woven a new transition; a new flavor with every city has been added to our spicy life. My family and these changing faces of new cities nurtured and nourished my soul, behavior and  personality..it never allowed me to grow old but rather grow up and be far more mature than my friends. So my ‘hometown’ is technically nowhere, yet everywhere. As I grew up I observed a lot around me and chronicled it in stray diary entries, and  moments got tucked away neatly in memories' cupboard. I often wonder what took me to all these places and what made me brave enough to gather myself and start again and again every time.

As I shut my eyes to see what weaves all these moments together, I see my father. A photograph I have with my dad ,as he sat on a chair outside, in our garden, leaning forward and chatting with the 5 and a half year old me , smiling to me like he’s encouraging me to keep faith and enjoy the journey. It’s his camouflage uniform that has made such a life possible. We have always moved together as a family and not split at any moment just because the next city would be cut off, or not good enough for our education. Undoubtedly... my city is where my family is, and my city is my family ever since.....nuclear but complete in itself.

Imbibing all that a place offers me, giving enrichment and I maintaining a cheerful effervescence, humble and grateful in return for the ‘not even a single boring moment’ life. Goodbyes were to meet again, yet in every sorrow of separation you hope and find strength and the ability to anticipate a fantastic tomorrow.

Hence my CITY[s] is Gwalior [MP], Delhi, Pune, Gopalpur [Orissa], Roorkee, Bangalore (many more)-MY FAMILY makes the city beautiful.

- Saumya Pankaj

FORBIDDEN FRONTIERS with Saumya Pankaj

In response to the book- CITY AT ITS LIMITS (authored by Danielle Gandolfo)

Danielle Gandolfo, in his book -The City at its Limits-begins with the relationship between oxymorons, taboos and transgression. Taboos invite human curiosity and questioning, leading to, crossing the sacred precincts to satisfy the inquisitive mind about the consequences of crossing the prohibition. Taboos invite transgression and transgression allows fresh taboos. 

This symbiotic relationship allows dynamism and change in every society, its politico-social framework, its cultural hierarchy and the legal order of things whether its gender, class, caste or ethnic related. Urban ‘informal’ societies tend to do just that- they allow random change, radical and mixed thinking and hold the promise of liberation from the taboos. The woman’s act of stripping is seen more like a metaphor for breaking the taboos and prohibition. It means a dilution of authority when the common man dares to not adhere to periphery performance and crosses the sacred line.

The protest is an articulation of a long repressed demand, a questioning of authority and its rules. It’s a symbolic statement of an aging society that is not aging gracefully, rotting in its core and beseeching for renewal. The vision is of ‘urban renewal’ of an impoverished society that has outlived the archaic regulations and seeks to welcome change. ‘Change’ of any authoritarian regime is considered blasphemy initially but such self-inflicted restrictions of political, social and cultural boundaries abort creativity and liberal thinking and true growth. The truth of taboos is that they are not just disciplining but rather restrictive, imprisoning and debilitating. We enjoy setting taboos that permit social differences in the name of order and propriety, out casting anything that is improper and socially incorrect.

 Yet social taboos cannot suffocate or smother human curiosity for change and demands constant destructuring and restructuring that ends in delightful victory. What might be conceived as ‘fictio’ or ‘something made’ might actually turn out to be the reality of the future as no thoughts of change can be muted or muzzled.

INFORMALIZATION : Bane Or Boon ?

As urban societies are booming, informal economies are also developing side-by-side. Especially in developing countries, we see posh and luxurious colonies co-existing with slums, shacks and humble, untidy shanties. The capital city, New Delhi of India has plush malls and shopping complexes. But equally popular are the unplanned markets, which have mushroomed at Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar and numerous other such colonies. Mumbai, which is the financial and industrial capital of India, cannot ignore the existence of ‘Dharvi’, Asia’s largest slum that co-exists with its luxurious housing amenities. Shivajinagar is another example of an unplanned, crowded and an extremely chaotic market.  This is one place where one could find anything and everything under the sun. Being one of the oldest markets of Bangalore, Shivajinagar has yet retained its history, beauty and charm. Informal structures are mushrooming all over the place, but their origins are very old and are the core urban economies.

        Informalisation is also present in modern and developed economies. Social networking sites have become a very effective means of communication all over the world. Developed countries need cheap labour to manufacture luxury items at cheaper prices. So they too depend on developing economies. So all of us are in some way connected to the informal.

-Sharanya Aggarwal

Do We Know Our Limits .. ?

The Preface of the book, “The City At Its Limits”, talks about the city of Lima, its history, its development to its present time, its society, its culture, politics, etc. A society is an organization of people, made by the people of a particular country or city. It is governed by certain self-imposed rules and regulations, culture and traditions. For peace and order and for the smooth functioning of the society, certain laws are enforced and codes of conduct are established. Breaking these is considered a taboo.

The city of Lima too is facing an upheaval. The newly appointed Mayor wants to restore the past glory of Lima by beautifying and cleaning the city. But change is never easy. The local people of Lima too rebel against these changes in various ways, which results in the breaking of certain taboos. The author, who has returned to her native city of Lima after a long absence, realizes that her perception of the city has changed drastically. She tries to reveal the relation between taboo and transgression of limits through events and incidents happening in Lima. She realizes that one cannot judge the exact intention or expectations in the minds of people while establishing laws, rules and regulations. Similarly, we cannot really analyze or judge why people transgress certain limits or break taboos. All that remains is a broken taboo…!

“The Mythic City” written by Gyan Prakash tells us about his dreams and fantasies connected to Mumbai since his childhood. This desire of his built up largely due to the Bombay Cinema. He further talks about how people have adapted themselves in terms of the latest fashion to even memorizing and mouthing their dialogues. Politics played a big role as well. Bombay was totally corrupt and soulless which was an absolute contrast to the simplicity and warmth of the village. The fascination with Bombay was due to the glamour and desire for a modern life.

- Sharanya Aggarwal 

DIRECT FROM SHIVAJI

Earlier Shivajinagar to me was nothing more than just a bus stand, where you go just to change buses and reach somewhere else. There is nothing interesting to do, no fun, no excitement and an absolute waste of time taking you nowhere. Chaos, noises, pollution, foul smell…that’s it and you are done explaining Shivajinagar to the core. This was the reflection which i had regarding Shivajinagar.

Then I started off with the course of designing a walk in Shivajinagar. This was really an excellent opportunity for me to know Shivajinagar in a better way. This was the start of my journey in Shivajinagar, including all aspects of it.

Shivajinagar is huge…really huge. This was the initial notion I had when I started exploring Shivajinagar. Numerous streets, numerous shops, plenty of fancy things, large population. Definitely Shivajinagar turned out to be something really more than my expectations. The first thing I did was went exploring Shivajinagar geographically. I went to almost every street in Shivajinagar, getting the essence of each one of them. Each one of them in spite of being identical to each other is very different and carries its own natural charisma and aura. Moving further on I went to various shops and was amazed to look at the variety of stuff they have to sell. From old to new, small to big, traditional to modern…Shivajinagar has everything in it. This is really a very good aspect of the place which is mainly the reason behind the shopaholics being attracted to Shivajinagar.

Shivajinagar is considered to be around 120 – 150 years old and therefore it carries in itself a huge deal of mysteries, events, people, stories and really interesting aspect of a society existing in that space since so long.  Major communities living in Shivajinagar are the Muslims, the Hindus and the Christians. It truly displays the essence of the proverb which has been very rightly noted, ‘Unity in Diversity’. In spite of being such an old community, which has experienced numerous ups and downs during the course of its existence, people just not only live peacefully but do consider each other’s emotions, beliefs, thoughts and are truly interested in a harmonious coexistence.

Shivajinagar is something which can be considered as a living example of a very colourful, lively, vivid, rich, cultural place which won’t allow itself to be discovered on its own but rather to know it in a better way one needs to get thyself connected to it to the core.

Religion is one of the most important aspects of Shivajinagar. One can’t imagine Shivajinagar without this notion of multiple religions connected to each other in a way and thus glorifying the different values and beliefs it contains. Religion is the binding force which holds the people of Shivajinagar together.

Moving ahead I came across some really old houses and shops which were of the British era and were really beautiful to look at. They even being so old were very well capable of re-enlivening the ancient scenes and generating the basic idea of how architecture prevailed in Shivajinagar.

Food is also one of the most exciting and enjoyable factor of Shivajinagar. It not only attracts you to itself but also in a way connects the local people with the outsiders like us. There are a couple of streets in Shivajinagar which are completely devoted to serve people with tasty local dishes. It not only makes the place more interesting but also provides local people with job opportunities. Apart from these things Shivajinagar is considered as a commercial area of Bangalore since so much of trade and commerce flows in, of different levels targeting different strata of the society.

There lies a marvellous kingdom of art, design and architecture in Shivajinagar. It is really exciting to observe these things which just lie around in Shivajinagar but to admire them one needs to identify it and then take it from whole new bottoms up perspective. Since the place is really old it gives oneself numerous opportunities to try various design tools and extract or convey the information about a particular place using them in a manner which creates interests and displays the real beauty of that place including all the aspects of it.

WALK –

For the walk we have planned to design a gallery space for the same. The gallery won’t be displaying Shivajinagar but instead will include Shivajinagar from a different perspective.

The theme of the gallery is to show the relation between the old Shivajinagar and the new one. Thus we have sub titles to categorise the things. They are – TRANSITION…IMPACT…ACCEPTANCE…( as in the transitions might be accepted or might not) .

For the execution of our project we have thought of various mediums covering different topics. These mediums might take any form or shape as the gallery gets developed. Also we will be including some narratives in the form of photographs or even through other means like old newsletters, publications, receipts, etc.

Thus we plan to provide the actual essence of Shivajinagar getting developed or evaluated to the people coming for the walk in the form of the gallery. 

PARAM JAIN