This Sunday, walk with two architects and an author into the eerily calm Katha and Bhat bazaars to marvel at a restored heritage pyau and find a cannon temple
"Trust me, the narrow bylanes in Masjid Bunder are not a walker’s delight on weekdays. They are packed with huge trucks and all you can hear is continuous honking and the chatter of labourers. It’s only on Sunday that you can actually see the streets," says architect Deepa Nandi, who was introduced to the crowded and chaotic South Mumbai neighbourhood while working on a documentary with filmmaker Vaibhav Dixit last year.
The restored Keshavji Naik pyau (water fountain) in Masjid Bunder
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From being an old fishing village to a military regiment during the Colonial era, the west-side area along Masjid railway station, also housing two of the oldest bridges in the city — Masjid and Carnac — is today a busy wholesale marketplace. "An aerial view reveals how it grew organically. It comprises various streets and each one offers a different flavour," adds Nandi, founder of citywalk organisation Raahgeer. She will venture into this maze with a group of 20 guests on Sunday for a Bhat Bazaar walk.
Passersby quench their thirst at the only functioning heritage pyau in the city. Pic/Datta Kumbhar
Bazaars and bylanes
Starting from Masjid railway station, the walk will cover the landmark sites in two bylanes — Katha Bazaar and Bhat Bazaar — leading to the Gate of Mercy Synagogue on Samuel Street. A market traditionally lined with shops selling ropes made from coconut coir, Katha Bazaar was also badly hit during the 1992 blasts. Bhat Bazaar derives its name from a wholesale supply of rice that it witnessed during its heyday. The walk will also include stories of other bylanes, like Daana Bazaar, a market for selling grains and the Saag Gully, where you could buy a variety of greens.
Deepa Nandi (seated in front row, right) with guests at an earlier Raahgeer walk
The main attraction is an ornate Keshavji Naik Pyau that occupies a pride of place in the area. Over 120 years old, the water fountain was restored last year by architect and heritage conservationist Rahul Chemburkar’s firm Vaastu Vidhaan Projects, as part of the ongoing Mumbai Pyau Project. "It is the only functioning drinking water fountain of all the heritage pyaus in the city.
The challenge was to restore it to its original state," says Chemburkar, who will join Nandi on the walk, to narrate stories of the iconic landmark and its restoration.
Also joining the duo is Rajendra Aklekar, author of Halt Station India, that chronicles the rise of India’s rail network. "The Masjid Bunder area was an important place since it was too close to the original Boree Bunder station when the railways arrived in India in 1853. I will discuss a few relics that have been lying around the station area for 200 years and share stories around them," says Aklekar.
Sketch and doodle
The last 30 minutes of the two-hour walk will witness guests sketching, doodling or penning poems and stories around the area. "The idea is to observe the crunched spaces of Bombay in detail, which are often overlooked in our busy lives. The guests will get to absorb the marvels during the walk and then, express them creatively through different forms of art," sums up Nandi.
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