The god in small things

The din of Chemburs bustling market on DK Sandhu Marg comes to a grinding halt at the gates of Shri Bhulingeshwar Devalay Trust As one enters the compound the sounds of raucous hawkers and honking cars are replaced by the serene quiet of the temple complex punctuated only by the ringing of brass bells within its six shrines which date back to the 18th century A few devotees can be seen snaking their way in and out of the shrines while others soak in the silence of the placeCenturies ago the premises served as a meeting point for members of the Somvanshi Kshatriya Pathare SKP community who lived in the nearby villages abutting the saltpan lands of Chembur says conservation architect Rahul Chemburkar It was a sociocultural oasisConservation architect and heritage enthusiast Rahul Chemburkar left and Subhash Mhatre secretary of the trust outside the recentlyrestored shrine of Lord HanumanThe deolwadi as it is known continues to have pride of place in the eastern suburb Today it enjoys footfalls from devotees as diverse as Tamilians Punjabis and Sindhis who reside in the area But it got its biggest boost when around five years ago the BMC included the complex in its heritage list The recently restored Hanuman shrine inside the main temple is just the beginning of its conservation storyAs good as oldChemburkar who grew up in the vicinity remembers spending a significant part of his childhood at the deolwadi I would come here with my parents or grandparents or would just drop by in the evenings while on my way home It was like a katta where people would spend time togetherhe recalls More than a religious site I saw it as a community spaceAs the rest of the suburb started getting a facelift Chemburkar a heritage enthusiast felt the urgency to preserve the deolwadi which overlooks the monorail stationThe restored deepmala at the deolwadi in ChemburThe temples inside the complex are humble structures of stone and wood boasting of a sanctum also known as the garb griha where the idols are placed and a common assembly hall or the sabha mandap for the devotees Coastal architecture aesthetics which include sloping roofs and Mangalore tiles inform its designAccording to the records of the trusts the land for the shrines was donated by a devotee named Krishnaji Arjun Somvanshi in 1764 The temples were built over a period of timeadds Subhash Mhatre secretary of the trust which was started in 1994After the trustmdashon Chemburkars suggestionmdashgot the BMC to add the temple in its heritage roster work on restoring the first shrine began in late 2017 The moment you give a structure heritage status people assume that it becomes a liability But I see heritage as an opportunity which doesnt stop development but adds value to itsays Chemburkar who offered his services as architect to the trustThe valueaddition to the restoration was the stained glass on the wooden framework behind the Lord Hanuman ShrineThe Hanuman shrine sits in the same temple as Lord Ram and Someshwar This particular shrine was in bad shapesays Chemburkar The roof had been replaced with a tin shed ruining its original character Some incongruous additions had also been made to the wall like additional concrete layer due to which the core of the structure had been losthe saysTo begin with Chemburkar got his team to peel off all the concrete and expose the main structure If you see the shape of the shrine it is not elaboratemdashit is a simple vaulted roof with an arched entrance as seen in many wayside shrines in villages and countrysideshe saysNatural stone was used to clad the exteriorChemburkar decided to retain its minimalist style while making minor additions We used lime plaster to enhance the arched entrance and facadeDuring the repairs traces of interlocked tiles similar to the countrytiled cornice seen in traditional Goan roofs were found Taking cue from it Chemburkar recreated a unique cornice below the vaulted roofAdditional concrete layer on the vaulted roof of the main facade had destroyed its original characterHe didnt tamper much with the sanctum except for using glazed tilesmdashthey are easy to maintain especially because oil is smeared heremdashand washing the paint from the wooden doors and adding antique fixtures to them While the exterior of the shrine was clad with natural stone and the floor with kadappa black stone the tin roof was replaced with timber to give it a quaint feel The interesting addon however is the stainedglass on the wooden framework Heritage restoration doesnt need to be rigid The elements have to come together like a composition When you speak of urban and community spaces you have to be open to experimentation If you see the stainedglass we have used its not like the ones you find in churches which have a lot of iconography This is just coloured glass used as a filler elementhe explains The trust pooled in around Rs 35 lakh to restore the siteApart from this he also restored the 12foottall deepmala which sits inside the premises We had to remove incongruous layers of oil paint by cleaning it with water to reveal the original stone surface This also allows the stone to breathe After this we used a technique involving paper pulp to get rid of any excess salts and impuritiesAfter peeling off all the concrete Chemburkar used lime plaster to enhance the roof He also recreated a traditional cornice below the vaulted roofThe visitors he says have responded positively to the efforts They were surprised that this could be done In Chembur at least this is a firstofitskind effort to restore our cultural heritage says Chemburkar adding that spaces like deolwadis are suffering due to neglect and ignorance Chemburkar along with the trust is now planning to restore the remaining shrines in a phased manner We want to ensure that its done systematically because we dont want to compromise on the materialPreserving deolwadisAnita RaneKothare who heads the department of Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology at St Xaviers College describes deolwadis as a social meeting ground In earlier times when communities migrated to cities and settled around different areas the temple became that source of communicating with each otherDeolwadi she says is a Maharashtrian term to describe a cluster of temples of various gods that would be housed in the same premises and which would be owned by one specific community family or trust It was in the nature of a deolwadi to also have a sprawling courtyard water tank charity homes schools and agricultural land to help benefit members of the community thus making it a selfsufficient unitWith spaces in the city shrinking deolwadis are also struggling to keep up with the times At Thakurdwar the 150yearold Zaoba Ram Mandir which belongs to the Zaoba family from the Pathare Prabhu community is one such deolwadi that has continued to resist government intervention The premises used to house a tank that supplied water to the surrounding areas says KothareThe Zaoba Ram Mandir in Thakurdwar is also situated in a deolwadiHowever after a cholera outbreak the British got rid of the tank With the undergound Metro 3 from Colaba to Seepz being constructed right below it a building that was used to house members of the community had to be demolishedSimilarly the 19th century Shri Bhavani Shankar Mandir run by philanthropist Jaganath Shunkerseths family and which Chemburkar himself had restored in 1998 once had a dharamshala in its premises where the Mangeshkar family is said to have spent considerable time when they first moved to the city The temple complex today has two shrines but the semblance of community life is missing There is a need to preserve spaces like these because it brings communities together says KothareChemburkar adds As a city we are definitely growing but we need to find a balance and ensure we retain something of the old for our future generations because it tells us a story of who we are and how we came hereCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates