Building Stories - 2

Methodology and observations (Mandvi ni Pol) :

I set out to collect as much intangible heritage as possible, present only as a collective memory, which is slowly dying. I am also trying to gather some of the tangible heritage, in the transformation of windows and balconies on the façade.

15^th August 2019, being Independence Day and Rakshabandan, there were hardly any people on the streets. There was some Independence Day celebrations in the pols near Astodia Chakla. While few men stand around a flag on the streets, a woman is seen to be watching it from the balcony. Most shops are closed. At around 10:30am, the Manek Chowk vegetable market is open, but with few customers. Most of the shops that are open are selling raakhis. It is difficult for me to converse with the locals as cannot understand Gujarati, nor am I fluent in Hindi. It is an even harder task to photograph the daily activities of people. Some people feel it as an intrusion of their privacy and throw us taunting looks. On the  first day, I took photos of the windows and balconies of the buildings on either side of the main Mandvi ni pol street. I concentrated on the floors above the ground floor, as in most cases the ground floor had been renovated to accommodate shops. Yet, in some cases, whole buildings have been renovated or reconstructed, with no consideration to the surrounding heritage structures. In few cases old windows and doors have been reused. The Haji- Abdulkader- Valiulla Charity building, at the junction between Mandvini Pol and Manek Chowk, declares itself to be from 1951, 68years old.

On the second visit I covered Madini khadki, Vichini pol, Kalijugni kadki,  Sarkethni pol, Sonini Pol, Motibhai ni pol, Suthariyani pol, Gathradni pol, Kakabaliyani pol and Harikishandas Sethni pol. Within each pol too, you find that the buildings are from different decades, some being as old as 100-150years old, and some new apartment complexes built 2-3 years back (as in Sonini Pol). In Vinchini pol, some women are seen to be sticking sequences onto kurtas, which come in bulk orders from companies outside. In Kalugni Khadki, a house-wife shows off the 50 year old intricately decorated plaster of paris ceiling and old teak cupboards of her house, to us. 70-80 year oldsters climb up and down the steep wooden ladder with ease. They say they are not afraid of falling as it is wood and will not slip.

In conversation with a resident of Vichini pol:

The pol was just inside the fortwall when Ahmedabad was built. While making of the pol, many scorpions were found on the site, which is why it is called Vichini (gujarati for scorpions) pol. It is also believed that the idol of Kalka Mata was found from the well that used to be there at the chowk. The well was covered 4-5 years ago. Many houses have been renovated.

In conversation with a resident of Soni ni pol:

The pol was named after the Soni family who used to live in the pol, community of goldsmiths. He is one of the last few remaining from that community. The tanka that used to be there at the chowk of the house has now been covered, but the water still flows below.

In conversation with a resident of Gatrad ni pol:

The name of the pol comes from the Gatrad Matha, for whom a shrine is dedicated to in the pol. The peepal tree in one end of the pol is more than 100  years old and worshiped. Noone can cut the peepal tree. It sprouts by itself and dies by itself. If anyone cuts a peepal tree, it will destroy their house.

In conversation with a resident of Kakabadiya ni pol:

The idol at Suvideena Jain Mandir (swethambar temple) is believed to be the oldest in Ahmedabad, and the old temple to be the first with a history of 400 years. The new temple was constructed 119 years ago. This temple and idol has a lot of power and many miracles keep happening in the lives of the people that believe in it. He does not want to reveal what the miracles are as he is worried that will lead to an influx of people just for the miracles and not for the belief in the God.

In conversation with a resident of Harishandas ni pol (Kalpana) :

(The house had a shrine attached to it, dedicated to Bahuchar Mata) The idol is more than 100years old. In one of her great grandfather’s dreams, Mata told him to take her out of the well, and so the idol was found from the well that used to be opposite their house (now it has been covered up). Though the temple is a private shrine, it is opened for the pol on Sundays when they have Pooja. The area is called Mata vale Kancho.

She also recited some stories from “Amdavad no Itihas” by Maganlal Wakhatchand Sheth:

Legend has it that Sultan Ahmed shah sighted a rabbit chasing away a wild dog while hunting near the Sabarmati River. He wondered that if the animals were so brave here, then so must be the people and decided to set up his kingdom here. When he first came, there was just a village called Karnavati. To set up the city, he first needed a water source, and built the Kankaria Lake. The Sabarmati used to flow through the Manek Chowk and the area where the Sharma Bakery is situated now was a burial ground. Near the bakery is a Hanuman temple, the Samshan Hanuman Mandir was where the bodies used to be cremated. That was where the ‘samshan’ ghat was.

Manek Baba was a very powerful occultist in the area. Ahmed Shah did not want him disrupting the construction of the city. Ahmed Shah challenged Manek Baba to enter a ‘chirag’ (lamp) if he was so powerful. Once he was in the lamp, the Sultan closed it, trapping him in it and buried Manek Baba at the site on which the temple exists today.

There is also another story of Goddess Lakshmi coming in the form of a woman and asking the guard at the gate for some water to drink. The guard, on realising her to be Goddess Lakshmi, told her to wait while he gets it for her, never to return. It is believed that he sacrificed himself so that the Goddess would never leave the city. People believe that the presence of  Lakshmi Devi is what brings prosperity to any business that starts in Manek Chowk, or even Ahmedabad, and no one goes hungry.

Secondary Data Collection

From data collected from Conservation pg students,

·         Gathrad ni pol was called Joita dhola, named after Bahuchar joita (joita means victory)

·         Kakabaliyani pol is named after a shaivak Kakabaliya who resided there

·         Harikishandas ni pol was named after Harikishandas who used to reside in the haveli.

Reflections

The names of pols have various origins like site specific elements or stories, communities or prominent people who used to live here. Those who have been living in the pol for many generations have many stories handed down to them from their fathers, grandfathers and neighbours. But many people present now are not originally from Ahmedabad. Though they are aware of the stories of the hare and the dogs, Lakshmi Devi and of Manek Baba, most people are not familiar with local stories of the pol or how it’s names came about.

Women use the balcony and window spaces much more than the men in the pol. The balconies are used mostly as a place for drying clothes.