Tucked inside the little lanes of Bandra are these old gems — one little cosy, charming bungalow after every 2-3 concrete highrise. Still standing amidst trees as old as them or perhaps, older, these bungalows are a silent testimony of the times that we have lost to ‘development/concretisation’.
We looked at them in admiration and love, tried to visualise how the neighbourhood would have looked in the 60s-70s when the land sharks had still not taken over this beautiful suburb. Conrad Gonsalves, a prominent citizen in Bandra, had told us about Bandra’s rich history and heritage last year. While on a walk such as this, you can see how steadily this heritage is being ripped apart…being replaced by concrete with no story to tell, no heritage to showcase. Yet another example of how our corrupt and callous netas and babus are making their moolahs without a thought about what it is leaving back for the next generation…
There are two sides to this really. With the growing population in the town, it was a matter of time before the bungalow culture would be out. Then again better civic planning may have ensured that heritage is maintained!
Hi Sanjeet,
That’s the problem all around now. However, the Govt should, in such cases, declare them as heritage zones and not allow construction that tamper with the traditional buildings. Else, they turn characterless. A mall in Mumbai is similar to one in Singapore….where do you get the flavour of that city/country if everything is so badly concretised?
Regards,
Deepa