Khotachiwadi – a slice of history
A Bombay lesser known. That is what I would call a place like Khotachiwadi. The common metaphors used for the megalopolis have nothing to do with quaint neighborhoods, clean alleys, afternoon siestas and a slow pace, and those are exactly the metaphors that would be used for Khotachiwadi.
I went to Khotachiwadi on a Sunday afternoon, armed with a camera and instructions on how to get there, and promptly lost my way. Eventually, after a lot of wrong turns and direction-seeking, I chanced into Khotachiwadi, and there was a sudden difference in the vibe. No car horns, no pedestrians walking hither-thither, no roadside shops hawking their wares – there was just a narrow alley, with multi-colored houses on both sides, and ending at a very brightly painted red-and-yellow two-storey house. It was heart-warming.
I walked through the colony, and it is a maze, with lanes criss-crossing with each other, which make it seem a much larger area than it really is. And every lane has something new to offer. The kaleidoscope of sights makes it even more difficult to button-hole Khotachiwadi into any one narrow niche. Ancient and well-maintained, Khotachiwadi is.
Some of the sights that I was able to frame are here, and illustrate the diversity of experiences on offer in Khotachiwadi. A shrine of Jesus, the committee chawl (see ‘17 families, 1 house‘), beautiful window arches, cast of the face of the Buddha, a wide-porched house being rennovated, wall temple of the Sai Baba, gym whose façade looked more like a nursery, pretty children, shrine of the Virgin Mary donated by the Patkars, a Maharashtrian family.
All in all, tremendous diversity on offer.
‘Wadi’ in Marathi means an orchard, and colloquially, a village. There are many Wadis in Central Bombay – Fanaswadi, Ambawadi, Sitafalwadi, Khotachiwadi being some among those. Khotachiwadi was founded in the late 1700s by a Pathare Prabhu Brahmin called Khot, who sold plots to East Indian Christian families. Today, there are a number of Christian and Brahmin families living in the village.
The architecture is distinctly Goan – quaint low-rise wooden bungalows, with large open verandahs, trellised balconies, latticed windows, bright colours and an external staircase leading to the first floor. Khotachiwadi has been marked as a heritage precinct of Bombay since some years now, and the residents have been very steadfast about not selling of their houses / plots to developers. In spite of all efforts, only 30 or so of the original 65 bungalows still remain, and it in an uphill battle to maintain those in the same way as before.
One of the high points of the Khotachiwadi visit was the house of Willy Felizardo. Seeing the camera in my hand, and taking me to be the ersatz photographer that I am, the family welcomed me in. The first look of the courtyard was mindblowing – bright colors, patterns, figurines, lanterns, stools, fishes, birds. The mind boggled! Kitschy, but very attractive. Apparently,Willy ends up buying interesting things as and when he sees them, and the result is the open courtyard with its various artifacts. The house has been featured in various travel magazines as well.
Another high point of Khotachiwadi is an eating place called Ananthashram, where one can get the cheapest seafood, and where the food is cooked on wooden fires, and served on standalone wooden tables. But more on that in another post.
I came away from Khotachiwadi, very pleased at having been able to take a peek into a Bombay that existed years earlier. Like seeing a sepia-toned photograph of a friend’s younger days.
How to get there? From Charni Road railway station, walk east past the Central Plaza theatre, and turn right at the traffic light intersection. Another 200 meters, past a GSB (Goud Saraswat Brahmin) colony, and then turn left into the first lane. You are in Khotachiwadi.
Or just get to St. Teresa’s church, and ask for directions.
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Comments
Man in Bombay – Nice post. I am sad to hear from Zishaan and you about the state of many of the buildings there. I think crass commercialization, politics and mass-democratization (I dont know whether I love or hate this) are killing many aspects of our culture.
I think when our children grow up, they will think our traditional songs are bhangra, information is google search and books are boring. I shudder at the thought.
Interesting to note the seafood place – hmmm.
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tathagata Reply:
August 28th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
PP, I think politics and democratization certainly have a role to play here.
Slum rehabilitation is a case in point. A lot of places like Khotachiwadi (not Khotachiwadi itself though) are being classified as slums, places like Koliwada, Cuffe Parade, Mahim, which are primarily fishing villages. These being ‘redeveloped’ will cause a part of the ethos of Bombay to disappear.
It is sad but as I replied to Zishaan, I hope these continue to survive, and our children will not miss out on all such things.
And, the seafood place (Anantashram) is very fundoo. Great food, no ambience, and rock-bottom prices.
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Nice post, TM! Yes, its expensive to maintain these old houses. The 2-day Khotachiwadi Festival occurs every May (i hope they havent discontinued) to keep this 200-year old village going. During the festival, the houses are decorated & some shining examples (the house opp Anantashram) are kept open for visitors. Mind you, it feels quite odd to be traipsing through an occupied house. But the people here are very warm & welcome the urban hordes during these 2 days. They also put up food stalls offering authentic, home-cooked Goan & Maharashtrian fare. Hope you are putting up the Anantashram post soon! 
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Thanks, Kirti, PP and Neeta. I am glad you guys liked it.
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Nice post, Tathagata. When I walked in Kotachiwadi in 2004, it looked very quaint and beautiful. I was there again in Aug 2009, but everything looked dilapidated and rotten. I noticed that the ‘The Assisi Mansion’ houses the Bhatijas. ‘The Shelter’ is now home to Shindes. A collapsed bungalow is now a (political) slum.
Is it just my memory failing or is it indeed an uphill battle to maintain those houses as they were – I don’t know.
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tathagata Reply:
August 26th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Thanks, Zishaan.
This walk happened way back in April, and since it was my first time in Khotachiwadi, I had nothing to compare it against. But I remember that there were stretches where it just didn’t feel right – ill-maintained houses with paint peeling, newer constructions happening etc.
I think you are right – it is becoming tougher day by day to maintain those houses as they were. And that is tragic. The local residents and NGOs committed to preserving these spaces are fighting a losing battle. I sincerely hope that I will be proved wrong though.
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