Little Konkan in Bhandup

The distinct smell of freshly painted pandals for Durga Puja and strains of Marathi Folk music greet us as we step into a bustling bylane of Konkan Nagar in Bhandup W to meet Prajakta Palav As one of the artists associated with Mohile Parikh Centrersquos yearlong public art project Geographies of Consumption the 35year old Sir JJ School of Art graduate has been exploring this neighbourhood for two yearsArtist Prajakta Palav in Konkan Nagar which is dotted with steps that work as pathways since it is built on a hill PicsSharad VegdaldquoI first visited Konkan Nagar some years ago to meet a lady who would babysit my daughter I fell in love with the site my daughter calls it a fairylandrdquo says Palav as she readies to host an exhibition of six paintings to reflect the corners of this neighbourhood as well as conduct treks and workshops here Keen to experience this microuniverse we joined Palav for an hourlong trekA wall painting of pot pyramid typically found in homes in the Konkan outside a home in Konkan Nagar Bhandup PicSharad Vegda Survive and sustainIn the 1960s people from the Konkan migrated to Mumbai to work in the nowdefunct textile mills and made the hills of Bhandup their home ldquoItrsquos how this place got its name I believe there would have been temporary cloth and plastic hutments earlier but with time this site developed permanent houses However the settlers donrsquot have any property papers So it is difficult to map the area or even count the number of residents as this neighbourhood continues to grow Each time you visit you will spot a new developmentrdquo she informs Coincidentally Palavrsquos hometown is Malvan a part of Konkan and hence she found an instant connect with this siteHandmade crochet buntings torans adorn most doorsteps here ldquoKnitting them is calming since it requires concentration You have to knit in Xand0 patternsrdquo shares PalavWith many entry and exit points the settlement feels like a maze of snaking pathways bordered by rows of singlestorey homes and high stone steps at every few feet reminding us of Konkan Nagarrsquos hilly uneven topographyOne of the six paintings by Palav that will be displayed at the exhibitionWith Powai Lake nearby the area is dotted with many wells the first was built in 1972 informs Palav that were dug by locals for their daily needs ldquoResidents have found ways of sustainability They have created an underground drainage system where every resident is allotted a day to remove stone slabs and clean the drainsrdquo observes PalavOn this terrace residents grow potted curry leaves turmeric and hibiscus used in Ganpati puja all sourced from their hometownItrsquos 11 am the sun plays hide and seek between tiny lanes as cats and dogs amble along Women wash clothes using water from common taps fitted at regular intervals When we look closer we realise that this daily chore also cleans the pathways another method to sustain this societyA resident conducts an Aanganwadi class in the neighbourhood every dayWe spot a solar panel on a streetlight and have to move to the side as we make way for a few impatient school kids ldquoThere are six schools in this area of which one hosts its annual race in this settlement kids have loads of fun running from the top to the bottom of the hillrdquo shares PalavOne of the first wells dug in 1972 in Konkan NagarWhile most men work as security staff in factories or at Andherirsquos SEEPZ women are mainly homemakers The neighbourhood also includes a tiny homerun store selling milk and other products of daily use There is also a tutor for primary school subjects a tailor and an Aanganwadi ldquoThey are selfsufficient The biggest problems are the lack of a market or a hospital in the areardquo rues PalavAn old wooden door with peeledoff paint that opens into two houses in the settlementKonkani connectBy now wersquove reached Sahyadri Nagar and Jamil Nagar the extensions of Konkan Nagar Punctuated with chatter from the Maharashtrian womenfolk catching up on gossip therersquos a strong whiff of dry fish and fried green chillies that greets us from billowing curtains instead of closed doors ldquoThey cook traditional Konkani fare Many residents head to their native place during Ganpati and return with plants to grow hererdquo informs Palav While Ganeshotsav is celebrated with gusto so is Navrati and Christmas ldquoIrsquove seen Santa Claus figurines made from cloth outside houses during that time The neighbourhood is secular People from Bihar and a few Christians have settled here toordquo says PalavA solar panel on the streetlightCurious glances greet us en route but Palavrsquos presence warms them up ldquoThey have seen me around a lot I first started making malas garlands with scrap plastic and cotton threads as an art project many women would join me Itrsquos how I earned their trustrdquo she shares We wind our way to a terrace built on a water tank that offers vantage view of the settlement it will be the exhibition site The nearby Sai Baba temple will exhibit selected works of Palavrsquos students from Rachana Sansad where she is a lecturer ldquoWhich neighbourhood would have allowed me to display works in a templerdquo remarks PalavPrajakta Palav in one of the winding bylanes of Konkan NagarAs we sit under the shade of a tree on the terrace watching two kittens have a go at each other surrounded by lsquonightiersquoclad women dishing out cooking tips we ask Palav if locals have discussed redevelopmentRice papads left out to dry in the sunInstead of commenting she shows us photographs from one of her art projects that feature notes penned by local kids where they mention that they arenrsquot deprived and love this home If Konkan Nagar falls to land sharks eventually it will mean a loss of a lsquofairylandrsquoA top view of Konkan Nagar bordered by skyscrapers in Bhandup WTill October 18 exhibition treks and workshops with students 11 am to 1 pm trek for participants October 17 and 18 3 pm Starting Point Konkan Nagar Vyayamshala Bhandup W RSVP nikhilmohileparikhcenterorgCall 92244876419820806187Note No parking facility in the area please use local transport