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About Pyaavs
'Pyaavs' – a typical urban feature of the city of Mumbai are more than just a public drinking water fountains; more so they are repositories of the architectural history and socio-cultural life of the city. They are symbols of architectural finesse as well as philanthropic motives from the 18th and 19th century. Varied in form and nature, Pyaavs are in dire need of being conserved to quench the thirst of the modern city and to serve the purpose they were originally constructed for. A movement to reclaim these heritage structures and to restore them to their original glory has already begun where architects, historians, bureaucrats have joined hands.
This heritage walk will retrace an old trail through the heart of erstwhile Bombay. We will start from Bhat Bazar near Masjid Bunder, make our way through Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai and then to the centre of the colonial city of Bombay in Fort. On our way we will visit and hear stories of several Pyaavs, each of them unique and befitting to the spaces they belong to. You will be amazed to know how these historic structures lie in plain sight and yet were in a state of neglect for several decades. However, due to recent conservation efforts, some of them are now back in use!
About our walk expert – Rahul Chemburkar
Architect Rahul Chemburkar is the founder and partner of Mumbai based firm Vaastu Vidhaan Projects. His work encompasses the conservation and sustainable restoration of varied heritage structures and creating awareness about architectural history and heritage by means of walks, lectures and discussion forums.
A heritage enthusiast, he has spearheaded the conservation and revival of about twenty major Pyaavs across the city. On this heritage walk with the passionate ‘Pyaavist’ Rahul we will visit some of the Pyaavs restored by him, and quench our thirst for knowledge and stories from an era gone by.
Starting point: Masjid Bunder Railway Station (Central & Harbour Line)
Ending point: Horniman Circle, Fort
Start time: 8:30 am
Walk duration: 3 hours