Khotachiwadi dates back to the late 18th century and belongs to the East Indian community. Though some parts have heritage status, only a clutch of the original houses remain. (Express) THE CRASTO family’s house, built in the mid-1800s, is one of the original few that survive in the urban village of Khotachiwadi, Girgaum. In recent years, its ground floor has functioned as a gym and then as a printing press for greeting cards and wedding invites. In its latest avatar, it opens as a design gallery on Saturday, named after the house number, 47-A.
A joint venture between online store Baro Market and gallery Chatterjee & Lal, 47-A is dedicated to global design practices and design histories. Srila Chatterjee, who runs Baro Market, said, “Design is taken for granted in India. We want to shine a spotlight on the fact that design isn’t about how pretty something looks but about what problems it solves and what statement it makes.” The two parties have devised a model in which they will alternate to present shows. 47-A’s debut show is a homage to the immediate Khotachiwadi neighbourhood and to the larger Girgaum area. Two films are on exhibit, one that surveys Girgaum’s music halls, and another featuring oral histories with Khotachiwadi’s local residents. An architectural model of Khotachiwadi and archival photographs from one of the families are also part of this opening.
Tara, who co-owns Chatterjee & Lal in Colaba with her partner Mortimer Chatterjee, said, “The special quality of Khotachiwadi’s urban plan, along with its architectural history, lends itself beautifully to a gallery engaged with design. The same can be said of the cultural history of Girgaum, with its important connections to fine art and Hindustani classical music.”
Khotachiwadi dates back to the late 18th century and belongs to the East Indian community. Though some parts have heritage status, only a clutch of the original houses remain.
Designer James Ferreira, Khotachiwadi’s most famous resident and co-founder of the Khotachiwadi Welfare and Heritage Trust, is hopeful that the gallery signals the start of the neighbourhood’s revitalisation, offering a chance for residents to make an income. “If we allow places like godowns to multiply here, they will bring down the value of Khotachiwadi,” he said.
Coinciding with 47-A’s opening, Ferreira is spearheading a weekend-long pop-up event called Khotachiwadi Alive at his ancestral home. The pop-up features art exhibitions, stalls by local brands and food catered by residents. In the lead up to this event, urban sketchers have painted vignettes of Khotachiwadi, which will be available for purchase.
Ferreira said that Khotachiwadi could be a much better art district than Kala Ghoda. “Kala Ghoda has office buildings, people scurrying around and no heritage bungalows. It’s not a beautiful place to walk around,” he added. Baro Market and Chatterjee & Lal have invested in structural repairs and conservation work of 47-A. Srila said, “In areas like these, even in Kolkata, houses crumble because young people have left, only the old remain, and no one has the finances to [repair]…We want to involve the people here as much as possible.”
In cities, the repurposing of urban villages has led to gentrification, such as the case with Hauz Khas in Delhi. Ferreira is confident that this is not a concern for Khotachiwadi. He said, “We are going to curate whatever comes in and make sure they include the community.”
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