New exhibition in Mumbai traces the lives of the Pathare Prabhu community in the city

Long before the city was Mumbai a group of migrants arrived on its shores carrying their traditions trade and an aggressive instinct to preserve memory That layered history now unfolds at Roots of a City The Pathare Prabhus of Mumbai at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya CSMVSRajan Jayakar explains the migration route through which the Pathare Prabhu community settled in Mumbai PicsAshish RajeAs we enter the exhibition hall a wall on the left traces the communityrsquos origins to Raja Bimbadeva who established his capital at Mahikavati presentday Mahim bringing with him 66 families including Somvanshi and Suryavanshi Kshatriya lineages that later evolved into distinct communities in MumbaiA statue of Bali RajaThrough archival material and personal collections belonging to Rajan Jayakar Dr Anita RaneKothare Sakshi and Uday Zaoba Vishwas Ajinkya Neela Trilokekar Rashmin Rane and Bageshri Parikh the exhibition pieces together migration patterns rituals lifestyles and contributions that shaped the cityDaily lifeA representative image of a Pathare Prabhu couple along with a turban a dagla an oversized coat and a walking stick that belongs to Jayakarrsquos grandfather a nineyard Kasbi sareeCollector and curator Rajan Jayakar guides us through the gallery playing historian archivist and storyteller all at once Beside displays of traditional Daglas Kasbi sarees and communityspecific pagdis he introduces us to a vintage card game called BeziqueAnother wooden box cupboard with miniature household artefacts from Jayakarrsquos personal and family collection that offers a glimpse into the domestic life of the communityLifestyle and ritualsA vanity box belonging to a Pathare Prabhu woman featuring an angled mirror as women sit on the floor while dressing up in frame a representative image of a typical Pathare Prabhu womanThis section recreates fading traditions around GauriGanpati and Diwali For GauriGanpati a balsam plant is tied into the form of Goddess Gauri reflecting the belief that a married daughter should visit her parents only briefly As Jayakar puts it in the traditional saying ldquoOnce uprooted a plant survives only for three daysrdquoA wedding scene from the Pathare Prabhu community painted by MV Dhurandhar where each face appears distinct and individualDiwali also meant seasonal housecleaning shares Jayakar recalling the phrase ldquoIda pida javo Baliche rajya yevordquo Let suffering and evil depart may the kingdom of Bali return a prayer to ward away sufferings and welcome the benevolent kingdom of the returning King BaliPeopleA tribute to the noted singer Mohantara Talpade featuring instruments that once belonged to her right on wall a list of Pathare Prabhu women pioneers in the fields of art and medicineAnother corner honours women from the community who pioneered change in music medicine education and the arts A wall of honour features women pioneers from the Pathare prabhu community including Kamala Vijaykar and Dr Jamnabai Dhurandhar Desai Lakshmibai Dhurandhar Sheiladevi Trilokekar Kumudini Jayakar Lakhia and concludes with Ambika Dhurandhar Jayakar points to 1940s doyen Mohantara Ajinkya neacutee Talpade remembered for songs such as Bala Jo Jo Re and Aalen Gade Mi MaheralaVandana PrapannaldquoThis isnrsquot just an exhibitionrdquo says exhibition consultant Vandana Prapanna ldquoIt took us almost three months to prepare and it carries the voices sentiments and personal memorabilia of the community Maybe just maybe we will do more such communitybased exhibitions after thisrdquoAT Mumbai Gallery 1st floor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Mahatma Gandhi Road FortTIME 1030 to 6 pm Wednesdays closedLOG ON TO csmvsmumbai entry Museum ticket prices applyCommunity voiceDr Anita Rane KothareWhat many donrsquot know is that the community was exceptionally literate and were still deeply conscious of safeguarding its identity across generations Beyond the decadesold sarees and heirlooms the community remains a living heritageDid you knowRaja Bimbadeva is believed to have migrated to the Konkan after Alauddin Khiljirsquos invasion of Devagiri around 1298 CE