Whenever I think of Bombay, it’s like a rush of thoughts and innumerable everlasting memories with a mind and heart filled with passion and hope to bring my dreams to reality. During my under-graduation, I participated in a competition whose Jury was to be held in Sir JJ College of Architecture, Bombay; and I can’t express how excited I was because this could be one of the best moments of my professional career.
I prominently remember the Jury date, November 26, 2015, the 8th Anniversary of the infamous Bombay Terrorist Attack. I walked into the city with a mix of emotions that ranged from goosebumps to excitement to fear to pride and were so intense that I felt overwhelmed. However, the thought of the various events that have repeatedly tested the city’s resilience and how the city’s spirit to fight back is phenomenal.
Some experiences can only be felt but are extremely difficult to express, such
as the tears I saw in the eyes of a 5-year-old boy who came up to me and hugged me while I was sitting on the footpath near the Gateway of India or the blood marks that could still be seen in parts of the CST railway station. It made me understand that sometimes feeling lost in space forces us to create our way, the path of belongingness, which is so relevant in the case of Bombay. People may perceive Bombay as a city with poverty, shacks, street dwellers, hunger and dirt, but for me, its Bombay’s dreams, hope, excitement, love, freedom, and faith.
I happened to meet a tea vendor who told me he belongs to the city and had
witnessed the attacks on Bombay. He not only survived it but comes here every day with pride saying, never lose hope because such incidents have always brought India together. I still remember the events that were taking place at the Taj Palace Hotel and the Gateway of India to pay tribute to the martyrs who lost their lives in the tragic attack; and people from all over the country lighting candles, their eyes sparkling with honour, praying in hope is actually something that unites a city.
You belong to the city, and the city belongs to you; people may come and go; however, the city promises a sense of permanence; it has so much to offer but demands nothing in return. While contemplating what to write about the city that is so magical, I am confident that whatever I write will not be enough to describe the city’s power. But, one thing I gladly acknowledge, the city is the ultimate manifestation of society’s collective achievements. Bombay’s extremes from beauty to harshness, temporality to permanence, formal to informal, millionaire to marginalized, this city has always been seen and narrated through various lenses. The most effective learning Bombay has given me is that time is the ultimate healer and that nothing is permanent; hence, such an incident gives us a fresh perspective on life.
‘Acknowledge and Celebrate your Existence!’
Pragya Hotwani, AssistantProfessor
School of Art and Architecture,
Sushant University
