20 November,2025 11:28 AM IST | Mumbai | Shriram Iyengar
A panel depicting the existing (in purple)
The first mention of Shivaji Park for any millennial Mumbaikar would remind them of Sachin Tendulkar. The most famous resident might have stolen the limelight from another wonderful heritage that quietly resides in the precinct - Art Deco. Architect Nikhil Mahashur is keen to return the spotlight to these edifices. "The Art Deco in this precinct is far subtler, prettier, and distinct from those at South Mumbai," he shares. This weekend, Mahashur, along with Art Deco Alive! and the IES College of Architecture (IESCOA), will host the Echoes of Deco, an exhibition celebrating the centenary of the Art Deco Movement with a special focus on the Dadar neighbourhood.
A Shivaji Park resident, Mahashur admits an affinity to the neighbourhood. The tale of Shivaji Park traces back to 1896, and the horrors of the Bubonic Plague. Later dubbed the Bombay Plague, it forced the city to plan efforts to reduce the crowding in Girgaum and Parel. The Bombay City Improvement Trust (BCIT) chose Dadar and Matunga as suitable options. "The Park itself was built as a valley, with one-storey Art Deco buildings around it, followed by two-storey buildings in the next row," shares Mahashur. The earliest constructions around the park began in 1936. The low-rise, humble residences are a distinct feature that set the precinct apart from its grander counterparts downtown.
Despite this, the precinct boasts names such as musicians Kesarbai Kerkar and Vasant Desai, cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Sandeep Patil, among other luminaries, and theatre artistes such as Arvind and Sulabha Deshpande, to name a few. "The building facades are frugal. It is the nature of the residents, and the communities that are reflected in its architecture," he explains.
The frugality does not diminish the features, the architect adds. "The buildings here have a distinct vernacular language. One key feature is the influence of elements from Maharashtrian wadas. For instance, you will spot columns with a Capital on balconies, a feature on wada porches in Maharashtra. You will also spot the occasional Om, a Hindu Swastik or a Star of David," he says.
A prominent example is that of Laxmi Nivas. "Unlike its SoBo counterpart that has a figurine of Goddess Laxmi atop, this site has a muted appearance. You will spot a subtle motif of the Lotus on its façade," Mahashur elaborates.
With support from students of IESCOA, the project has already documented photographs, videographs, as well as a 3-Dimensional Map of the changing Shivaji Park. "Our role is to be memory keepers. It is an archive for the residents to look back, and recollect its beauty," he explains. The documentation also becomes more important in the age of redevelopment. Of the initial 195 buildings in the 1930s, there are only 80-90 left.
Having opened with the Art Deco Alive! Festival, the exhibition will now be hosted at the Bandra college as part of their ongoing conference, Mimansa. Focused on The Maidan and the Mall, the exhibition will be part of a series of conversations at the conference about the dualities in the city. "There is more to the exhibition than these photographs. We will also have a walkthrough that will take you through the stories, the people, and the history of the precinct," he concludes. A timely reminder in a city that constantly rebuilds over its past.
ON November 21 and 22
AT IES College of Architecture, KC Marg, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra West.
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