Shantaram Chawl, hotbed of freedom movement, turns 125

To mark the landmark year, two of the Girgaum chawl's oldest residents document its history, revive old memories

- Haima Deshpande

MUMBAI: At first glance, Shantaram Chawl Complex, tucked away in a nondescript lane off a crowded road in Girgaum, seems dwarfed by upcoming shiny highrises around it.

But the space is a world unto itself—an afternoon walk through the chawl revealed a muggy air infused with the aroma of varan-bhaat, women putting their household laundry to dry, schoolkids making purposeful strides alongside their mothers clutching their satchels and a group of men indulging in deep conversations in street corners.

The quietude of the settlement, which was built 125 years ago, is ever so delicately offset by an array of cars and two-wheelers, representing the growing prosperity of its residents.

Residents of the 180 households are unwitting inheritors of the chawl's history where freedom fighters such as Lokmanya Tilak, Sarojini Naidu, Annie Besant, Mahatma Gandhi, Benjamin Horniman, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Lala Lajpat Rai, amongst others, once converged to lead movements.

To celebrate its landmark year, Anagha Bedekar, whose family owns the popular spices and pickle brand V P Bedekar & Sons Private Limited, and also possesses many buildings in the chawl; and Amey Joshi, a freelance photographer and a fourth-generation resident, have documented Shantaram Chawl's history, based on research from Kesari Wada, Pune, home to Lokmanya Tilak and his descendants; Mani Bhavan; Asiatic Society and newspaper clippings from 1845 onwards, in a slim volume titled, 'Shantaramchawlichi Smarangatha'.

Through his speeches, Tilak is known to have encouraged people of Shantaram Chawl to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi as a socio-religious festival. Shantaram Chawl is one of the first in the city to start the Sarvajanik Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. "This year, we will celebrate the 125th Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav. An all-women's committee has been set up to oversee the celebration," said Bedekar.