She might belong to a Sindhi family, but every December, Priyanka Panjwani eagerly looks forward to midnight mass, carols, plum cake and eggnog. So, this year the conservation architect has started illustrating churches in Mumbai and around it, inspired by the hashtag #12DaysofHeritage on Twitter, which was started by Heritage Alliance, a coalition of heritage organisations in the United Kingdom.
<img title="Our Lady of the Sea, Madh" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/dec/Churches-of-Mumbai.jpg" alt="Our Lady of the Sea, Madh" /> Portuguese Church in Dadar
Being a Thanekar, her first sketch was that of St John the Baptist Church. Her process began with preparing a list of church buildings that inspired her. "I began from the north of Mumbai and will end with the beautiful monuments of SoBo. First, I browse through images on the web and look for interesting elements, colours and angles. My sketches are tiny; I am comfortable in packing details into a 4x4 inch box, and the size makes it fairly quick to finish," she shares.
<img title="Priyanka Panjwani" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/dec/Priyanka-Panjwani.jpg" alt="Priyanka Panjwani" /> Priyanka Panjwani
While posting each drawing, Panjwani adds a factual detail about it sourced from the online repositories of MMR-Heritage Conservation Society and Asiatic Society of Mumbai. And the project has led her to new discoveries. "Usually when we visit churches, we are overwhelmed by their high ceilings and calm atmosphere, which are a contrast to our congested and noisy city. We sometimes miss noticing changes and interventions in the building," she says. To elucidate her point, she states an example of how the porch of Kurla's Holy Cross Church used to be a simple pitched roof canopy. "Now the portico has expanded into a larger hall with an elaborate roof resembling a Hindu temple gathering space or a sabhamandapa, possibly because of the influence of the local community," she adds.
Panjwani hopes her Twitter thread serves as a reminder for citizens to preserve these spaces. "The famous German-American architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said that God is in the details. Architectural and heritage studies have taught me that it is important to observe the details, in order to value, in order to protect. This is what I would encourage all Mumbaikars to do as well."
Log on to: @PriyankaPanjw14 on Twitter
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Ahead of Christmas, a conservation architect is spreading cheer with a series of illustrations on church buildings in and around Mumbai

A canvas for churches

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A canvas for churches

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