Effort to preserve village within city

For the last five months,he has been living in and out of an old “heritage” bungalow,where his friend and NID alumnus Ayaz Busride runs the Busride Environment Studio that is sponsoring his thesis,“Scenario building for urban conservation and regeneration”.

“Heritage is not just about old houses and art deco structures but about people and close-knit communities that gives it the description,” says Sheth,studying exhibition (spatial) design in NID’s undergraduate programme. He points to an old Goan tune being played in the middle of a weekday afternoon when most Mumbaiites are at work.

So,he not only is studying the structures and the spaces and the open squares where the community meets but has also spent time with the original residents who live,willingly or unwillingly in Ranwar’s 40-odd old houses.

Ranwar’s appearance is changing,very slowly,with most residents waiting for offers lucrative enough from builders. Many old cottages have gone; a seven-storey highrise has already come up.

Sheth agrees development cannot stop but says an economically sustainable model could still help retain Ranwar’s character. Among the ways he will recommend in his thesis,one is that rather than sell and allow redevelopment,residents rent out part of the old houses — the Busride Studio in the old bungalow is an example. He has made a presentation to villagers,hoping they would hold on to their heritage.

Sheth plans to come up with rough guidelines for architects and builders so that they would try and retain the aesthetics when developing the area. That will form the core of his thesis,to be submitted next month

Research on the East Indian villages along Mumbai’s coastline,particularly Ranwar,has given Sheth access to some facts that many old Bandra residents might not be aware of. For example,Rest Ranwar Club,established in 1924 and older than Bandra Gymkhana,was a resting place for villagers after the day’s work; it even boasted its own football team till the 1950s. Then there’s the masala-making in summer when Ranwar’s women lay out spices for drying and bottle it with secret flavours.