Shared Ground

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/india/ne-43-05a.jpg

Shankar temple precinct, Nagaon

Hazrat Adam Pir Baba dargah, Revdanda

Wadi, Revdanda Fort

Rameshwar temple, Chaul

Fishing village, Korlai

Cultivated landscapeWadi, Revdanda Fort

Temporal bridgeFishing village, Korlai

Measured precinctRameshwar temple, Chaul

A place in the mangrovesHazrat Adam Pir Baba dargah

Rhythmic spaceShankar temple precinct, Nagaon

Shared Ground

The character of a place is as much an attribute of environment as it is of hu-man habitation. The nature of this relationship however, gets shaped by many factors and expresses itself in myriad ways at many scales. We also experience places as sensorial compositions – of quality of light, texture of soil, smells that waft through it, of aridity and wetness, of the colour of the flora; and many more. While many of these are attributes of location, topography and geography; many of them are also the result of human inter-vention within the same –a smell intensified, a texture accumulated, a vignette captured, a boundary established. This engagement between human habitation and landscape attributes has in a lot of cases evolved with the making of the habitat in response to natural systems – of topography, water, sun, soil etc. for pragmatic reasons. At the same time, it also consciously and intuitively recognizes and appropriates ex-ceptional landscape features and systems; sometimes as part of a working system (e.g. siting of houses, fields with respect to movement of water) - and sometimes as a distinct entity (appropriation of the highest point in a recog-nized boundary, marking of a special tree/grove). These marking of systems and places can take many forms – of stories, of rituals, of cultivation and, of construction.

As designers dealing with habitation, we are interested in the more tangible aspects of these markings –constructs between the landscape and habitation that appropriate, define, and celebrate this engagement.

The region of Nagaon - Revdanda, is a small area of the Konkan coast bound by the Sahyadris on the east and the Arabian sea on the west. Located within this strong natural context, it offers an opportunity to study many such points of engagement between habitat and landscape.

For the course, we identified five locations, which offered us a chance of investigating this relationship in five distinct conditions along this coastal strip.

One is a temple and tank in the village of Nagaon. Located strategically between a point of contact between the mangroves and the village, the temple turns its back to the main street of the village while engaging the expanse beyond through a tank. However, every Thursday, the space it definestransforms into a vibrant market, saturated with produce, products and people. The space of the temple precinct thus, rotates amplifies, condenses and expands.

The Rameshwar temple at Chaul, again, sits at the threshold between mangrove and settlement. In this case however, the relationship is not apparent at once. The space of the temple and tank is formalized and defined precisely.

The wadi at Revdanda illustrates the thin line between an apparently ‘natural’ and a cultivated landscape.

Hazrat Adam Pir Baba dargah at Revdanda appropriates a space within the mangroves – a site usually not inhabited, thus creating a identity within an otherwise anonymous expanse.

The fishing village in Korlai occupies, literally, a slim threshold – between the river and the sea.

In all the cases, it is difficult to imagine one without the other – the occupied (topography/ geography/the physical ground) without the occupier (cultivation/ human habitat and constructs) and vice versa. The students and instructors spent a week on site observing, sketching and drawing. All measured drawings and sketches were made on site to scale (1:200 in most cases). The drawings were made by hand on A3 cartridge paper and put together after coming back to Ahmedabad.

Temporal bridgeFishing village, Korlai

The village of Korlai forms a thin sweeping arc in the Arabian sea, the tip of which is a large elliptical rock rising to a height of forty five metres. Atop the rock sits Korlai fort, a fort built by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. The lay of the land, the outcrop of rock and the fort, form a natural gaurd to Revdanda creek. The thin neck of the arc connecting the main land and the fort is occupied by a fishing village. This thin strip of land physically connects two land masses in the north south direction; and notionally links two waters - the fresh water of the Kundalika river on its east, and salt water of the Arabian sea to its west.

Waters BangdaSunKashtiPeopleFort

Recording appropriationLocation/ people/ activities

The village is shaped by its physical location - and the people in turn have appropriated

the ground they occupy. The houses of the fishing community face east towards the Kundalika river. The fishing boats are anchored here, protected from the constant wind of the sea. The western face is used for drying and curing fishing taking advantage of

the sun and the constant breeze from the sea.

River Harbour East West Sea Wind Sun

Swayamprakash Mohanty

Anushka Karnawat

Anshita Aggarwal

View of the village from the Fort

Recording appropriationLocation/ people/ activities

The fisherfolk are all Kolis. Over a period of time, migrants from Jharkhand and Bihar have integrated themselves withing the fishing community. The whole family is involved in the fishing process as men fish during night, while women dry and cure the fish by day.

Fishing is done during the night hours and the fishermen return at seven in the morning. Once the fish arrive they are taken into baskets to the drying platforms where the women spread these fish and let them dry for a day or two. Once the fish dry, they are swept by a broom into baskets and are sieved through a sieve. For this process the natural course of the sea breeze is taken to its advantage. These dust and scale free fish are stored for later use.

Swayamprakash Mohanty Swayamprakash Mohanty

View of Korlai fishing village from the Kundalika river

Looking east from the fishing villageTemporary shelter on the western side

• Harpadon nehereus (Bombay duck) • Lepturacanthus savala • Trichiurus lepturus • Eupleurogrammus muticus (Ribbon fish)• Acetes indicus (Paste Shrimp) • Bregmaceros mcclellandi (Unicorn cod) • Coilia dussumieri (Gold-spotted grenadier anchovy)• Lactarius lactarius (Whitefish) • Rastrelliger kanagurta (Mackerel) • Parapenaeopsis stylifera (Kiddi Prawn) • Exhippolysmata ensirostris (Hunter Shrimp)

Recording appropriationDocumenting the fishing village

Recording appropriationLocation/ people/ activities

Anchors, in - between, the edgeSwayamprakash Mohanty

The western side of the village has platforms on which the various fish and other catch is dried. The plantforms are pucca’as well as kuchcha. Platforms are cleaned just before the catch arrives. Fresh cow dung is applied to the platforms every two to three days. This area is also used for other activities like repairing of nets etc also. The platforms, fish and all related activities occupy only the flat ground, making for a bare, stark, brown landscape with no trees or any other element breaking the horizon.

Ground, platform, fish Swayamprakash Mohanty

Recording appropriationDocumenting the fishing village

Activites East - boats, catch, transport/ West - drying, repairing, storage, Swayamprakash Mohanty

Recording appropriationLocation/ people/ activities

Adjacent to the fishing village, and at the base of the fort; there is another settlement. This is a close knit community consist-ing primarily of farmers who have agricultural lands on the outskirts of the village. This area also has a wadi which has a four

hundred year old house.

Many new buildings have come up at the edge of this settlement. The settlement has two temples adjoining each other, with an open space overlooking the river. People also pay homage at shrines inside the wadi and at the entrance of the settlement. Most hosues have a Tulsi Vrindavan in front. Shrines in the community are also marked by Plumeria trees.

Swayamprakash Mohanty

Anshita Aggarwal Abhijeet Khachar

Swayamprakash Mohanty

Abhijeet Khachar

Elements Korlai village

Recording appropriationLocation/ people/ activities

The settlement next to the fishing village

Houses - old and new

Shrines at the entrance of the village and facing the river

Wadi and a four hundred year old house

View from main street

Street, cluster, Tulsi, Plumeria

All images: Swayamprakash Mohanty

Interpretative sketches: Swayamprakash Mohanty

Cultivated landscapeWadi, Revdanda Fort

Layers Fort wallKholsLight and shadowSparse -DenseGround

The word wadi literally translates to orchard. Large swathes along the Konkan coast are orchards of coconut and supari plantations, grown for commercial production. These coconut and supari groves can easily be mistaken for a ‘natural’ condition; but have in fact, been cultivated over many decades. The wadi undertaken for the study is part of an area that used to be enclosed within the Revdanda fort. The fort was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century. This area is the southernmost part of Revdanda town today. Both the fort and the Revdanda are bound by the Kundalika river on the south.

The wadi is experienced in various layers. Physical layers - type and density

of trees, set up a visual interplay of textures and light.

The location of the wadi - inside the fortified area, the fort at the edge of the

wadi, the sea beyond and the fort of Korlai on the opposite side of the sea set

up a thickly layered experience of history as well; reminding us of the inter-relationship of geography, location and

history

Akash Ghadiyali

Tanushree Patel

Filtered sky/ foliage/ coconut fronds & slender green trunks/ wells, channels and

khols/empty shapes - flooded movement/ water path/ moist ground -

shrubs, miniature plants abandoned wadi/ dilapidated fort wall/

unused water channel/ overgrown weeds/

saplings & mature trees/ growth - decay - renewal

The distribution of the water in the wadi occurs through the water channels from a well. The watering of the plants is done once in every three days and the water is supplied through openings in the channels. The water then flows into the khols, which are pits dug around the roots of the tree.

Trees/ water/ ground/ light

Ishita Dimri

Reenu Vinod

Vismay PatelReenu Vinod

Observations in the Wadi

Coconuts are gathered by plantation owners during harvesting time. The coconuts are shifted into bullock carts to be taken to market areas or near the ferries where they-was to be transported to the neighbouring markets and places for trade. Ships and boats from Gujarat came to Revdanda to trade for coconuts and areca nuts.

Wadi/ clearing/ houses People/ cultivation/

Ritual/ Tulsi & Plumeria

Jackfruit/ Nutmeg/ Rose apple/

Mango/ Chikoo wells

Observations in the WadiPeople/ habitat/ cultivation

Wadis are not just commercial orchards, but are also places of dwelling. Houses are located in clearings in the wadi. The housing cluster has a Tulsi planter in its shared open space. This precint is further marked by specially cultivated flora - Jackfuit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Mango (Mangifera indica), Chikoo (Manilkara zapota), Rose apple (Syzgium jambos) and Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans).

Ishita Dimri

Ishita Dimri

Vismay Patel

Ishita Dimri Tanushree Patel

Reenu Vinod

Shreeda Goel

Shreeda Goel

Shreeda Goel

Tanushree Patel

Reddhi Bhatt

The area under study consists of two wadis. The territorial boundaries of the houses between these two wadis are marked by the plantations they manage on their own. The character of the space, neighborhood and the built structure varies significantly in the two subdivisions in terms of vegetation, houses and density, water channel system. The houses belong to the caretakers of the wadis. There is a small shrine which acts as a common gathering space.The ownership is divided among the family members, and is passed on from generation to generation.

Observations in the WadiPeople/ habitat/ cultivation

Vismay Patel

Observations in the wadiDocumentation

Vismay Patel

Observations in the wadiDocumentation

Reddhi Bhatt

Reddhi Bhatt

Shreeda Goel

View of the beach from the wadi

View of the fort

Ground texture

Ground- Light and shadow

Houses

Sky Reenu Vinod

Reenu Vinod

Ishita Dimri

Ishita Dimri

Shreeda Goel

Sky/ ground/ history

Ishita Dimri

Observations in the Wadi

A place in the mangrovesHazrat Adam Pir Baba dargah

Salt water Fresh water Mangroves Shelter Moon Tides

Mangroves are formed where fresh water and salt water mingle. At the mouth of the Kundalika river, just before it meets the sea is an expanse of mangroves cutting northward into the land. What seems like a monolithic expanse is broken by four coconut trees rising up. Upon careful observation, one can discern a small structure sitting in the midst of the man-groves. This is a small dargah en-shrining the tomb of Hazrat Adam Pir Baba. This stretch of mangroves marks the eastern boundary of Revdanda town.

The nearly 500-year old structure of the dargah sits within dense mangroves amidst a small tributary flowing at the mouth of the Kundalika river. The dargah overlooks the undulating Western Ghats afar; and it forms a picturesque visual of a layered landscape. Water in the mangroves rises and falls according to the tide. During high tide, water reaches to the level of the plinth of the dargah.

Discerning placeHorizon/ location

Anuradha Desai

Pooja Panchal

Pooja Panchal

Pooja Panchal

Discerning placeHorizon/ location

“The main dargah holds the

headless body of Hazrat Adam Pir Baba,

a therapist and warrior.

It is said that he died fighting in a war and his horse carried his headless body to

the place where it rests today.

It was entombed by someone who had a

dream in which the Baba appeared and

asked him to entomb his body given its

location”.

The dargah was built on a small rocky island existing within the creek waters. Earlier visitors used to come wading or in boats.The mangroves have populated gradually over all these years with people now visiting through the newly constructed road.

Anuradha Desai

Pooja Panchal

Pooja Panchal

Discerning placeMeasuring the dargah

The area of the dargah is demarcated with varied vegetation in the middle of a vast clearing. The dargah is isolated from the main village settlement and stands in solitude. The place draws ones attention and yet at the same time, lends a sense of serenity. Light infiltrates through the jaalis of the windows and numerous other openings which illuminate the dimly lit dargah. An aura of radiance fills up the space and makes a strong impression on one’s mind and memory.

Anuradha Desai

Anuradha Desai

Anuradha Desai

Anuradha Desai

Kaivan Bhayani

Discerning placeHorizon/ location/ engagement

The vast expanse of clearings and mangroves surrounding the dargah with the Sahyadris in the background

Large stretch of dense mangroves giving way to coconut wadis in the distance

The entrance to the dargah is marked by tall coconut trees

Water rises and gradually submerges the mangroves

Water rising in the mangroves as full moon night approaches

Vegetation types All images: Pooja Panchal

Discerning placeHorizon/ location/ engagement

Rameshwar temple, ChaulMeasured precinct

Rameshwar temple is located in the heart of Chaul and is one of its most visible landmarks. Chaul is a region occupied since antiquity. It is also said to be home to 365 temples - one for each day of the year. Rameshwar temple is located on the threshold between Chaul and a small creek that drains into the Kundalika river. Though the creek is not visible from anywhere in the temple precinct, one can sense its presence.

Defined Tank Living Precinct Edge Land

The precint consists of the main temple and tank. Opposite the tank is a small pavilion and plinth. Atop the plinth is a Tulsi vrindavan and abutting it a very old Plumeria tree.

The southern wing of the temple complex is the temple caretaker’s residence.

The pavilion, plinth and Plumeria opposite the main temple complex (south eastern corner of the tank) is used for rituals. The water tank measures 36.5 x 40.0 mts. A small area in the south west corner of the tank is used for Ganesh visarjan. On the western edge of the tank is the main temple, the southern edge of the tank is defined by a thick foliage of trees, the eastern edge is marked by the pavilion and plinth; and the fourth (northern) edge is bound by the main road of Chaul. The ground of the temple precint itself is demarcated by its surface - paved and unpaved. The open, unpaved area between the tank and the main temple is used by the local children to play cricket. The local population also uses the space of the temple complex for many everyday activities like drying clothes and red chillies. The area behind (to the west) the main temple has a number of abandoned structures - a well, a dilapidated Tulsi vrindavan and a couple of small collapsed structures. This area seems abandoned and unkempt. Behind this is a dense wadi with the samadhi of Kanoji Angre - the erstwhile ruler of Alibag. There all also three mazhars adjacent the samadhi. This wadi is inhabited by its caretaker and his family. The temple itself is an amalgamation of many building techniques, The main shrine has a dome atop - constructed to prevent it being desecrated by the Mughals. The complex was painted white during the Portuguese invasion. The sabhamandap was added around 200 years earlier to facilitate community gatherings.

While the architecture of the temple exhibits a geometry and precision, it is not rigid. The scale of the building and the temple precint allows for both the sacred/religious and domestic/everyday.

Investigating experienceLocation/ precinct/ elements

Hitarth Panchal

Kaivan Bhayani

Investigating experienceThe site

Pooja Panchal

Investigating experienceThe site

Pooja Panchal

Investigating experienceLocation/ precinct/ elements

Anuradha Desai Anuradha Desai

Investigating experienceLocation/ precinct/ elements

Shourya Mall

Shourya Mall

Nilosha Dave

Nilosha Dave

Myth says this temple was built 600 years ago by a saint who worshiped Lord Shiva . The Shiva linga was believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva in the meditating stage . During the meditation Lord Shiva resides away from Goddess Parvati. Therefore, the temple complex is organised in such a way that Goddess Parvati’s temple is situated next to the main Shiva temple.

Activities

The kund

Temple as a gathering place for community

Investigating experienceLocation/ precinct/ elements

Rhythmic spaceShankar temple precinct, Nagaon

Constant Temporal Sacred Mundane Rythm

The Shankar temple in Nagaon, is located on the Nagaon market main street. Yet, one can easily miss the temple and tank while going past it. The Shankar temple sits at the edge of a large tank. However, it has its back to the main street of Nagaon at an angle creating a large open space between the road and the edge of the temple and tank.This open space is dotted by a few trees and seems undefined - till Thrusday morning; when a busy market is set up on this ground.

Locating activitiesGathering/ market

The main temple is poised on the edge of a large tank and faces east. On the opposite edge of the temple, beyond the tank lies a large creek. On the north edge of the tank is a crematorium and on south side is a small community of fisherfolk. The tank itself is used for fishing and washing clothes. The fisherfolk set up shop at the edge of the road and the temple precint, but away from the temple. They sell surmai, fantus, rahu, shrimps and prawns. Every evening, the ladies of the village gather in the temple and its verandah for bhajans. There is also a special aarti on Mondays. All these customs and rituals have continued since the past three hundred years. The Shankar temple was built in the time of Ahilyabai Holkar (seventeenth century). Similar to many other temples in the area, the actual roof of the garbha griha is concealed under a dome and minarets. The small sabha mandap appears to have been added later.

The tank and the temple. Behind the temple is the Nagaon main street. The Thursday market

Locating activitiesPlotting the space

Chriz Thomas

Locating activitiesPlotting the space

Shivani Palepu

Locating activitiesPlotting the space

Shivani Palepu

Every Thursday, the seemingly quiet and unused temple grounds transform into a riot of colour, canopies, people and produce. The Thursday market caters to many nearby villages, and shops sell everything from fish, vegetables and fruits, pulses, grains, plastic goods and much more. A hundred and thirty five shops get set up every Thursday morning under colourful canopies engulfing even the temple steps and sabhamandap.

Locating activitiesGathering/ market

Jaladhi Gohil

Jaladi Gohil

Vedant Jani

Chriz Thomas

Temple precint and everyday activities The Thursday market set up on the temple grounds

Puneet Mehrotra Puneet Mehrotra

Student groups Fishing Village, Korlai Abhijeet Khachar Anshita Aggarwal Anushka Karnawat Swayamprakash Mohanty Wadi, Revdanda Fort Aakash Ghadiyali Ishita Dimri Reddhi Bhatt Reenu Vinod Shreeda Goel Tanushree Patel Vismay Patel Rameshwar temple, Chaul Nilosha Dave Rahul Dagli Shaurya Mall Tej Patel Anuradha Desai Hitarth Panchal Kaivan Bhayani Pooja Panchal Hazrat Adam Pir Baba dargah, Revdanda Anuradha Desai Hitarth Panchal Kaivan Bhayani Pooja Panchal Shankar temple, Nagaon Chriz Thomas Jaldhi Gohil Shivani Palepu Vedant Jani

Instructors Anjali Jain Puneet Mehrotra

Acknowledgements This study was undertaken under the aegis of the Summer School 2014 at CEPT. An enthusiastic bunch of twenty three students worked hard on site documenting the five sites in this compilation for a week. It would have been impossible to do any of it without the logistical arrangments made by Ramesh Sutar and his family. Many thanks to them for all their support and help.

Puneet MehrotraCover image: Vismay Patel