Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of Kalbadevi Road & Girgaon[ Jer Mahal ]

Between St Xavier’s College and Metro Cinema is a Grade-III heritage structure known as Jer Mahal. A cluster of six buildings and an annexe, it represents the finest example of a whole style of vernacular Indian architecture. It has even been called ‘Bombay’s most beautiful chawl’. A Goan cultural hub, Jer Mahal accommodates 50 Goan clubs on its premises at Dhobi Talao. These clubs have been around for over a century; the oldest one can be traced back to 1857. Each floor accommodates 3 to 4 clubs, along with a single kitchen and a bathroom. Today, the clubs are characterised by broken walls, protruding cable wires and worn out arches. Club class Published: Sunday, May 18, 2008, 3:40 IST By Radhika Raj The Goan clubs at Dhobi Talao’s Jer Mahal have been around for over a century, but now their crumbling rooms face the threat of demolition, finds Radhika Raj Praxis Remedios pulls out one coin after another out of thin air and then makes them disappear within a blink of an eye. His black jacket and a magician hat hang from a rusty hook on a chipped room wall. Above it lies a broken wooden board that says Guirim Club. Remedios is one of the residents of a Goan club at Jer Mahal in Dhobi Talao. “These clubs are boarding houses for people from Goa,” he explains. “Every village has club for its residents here. It is a mini-Goa in Mumbai.” Remedios has been living in his club for over twenty years, but still has a difficult time explaining his address. “If I tell people in the city of our club, they ask if there is a swimming pool there,” he smiles. Sandwiched between city stalwarts like St Xaviers College and Metro cinema, Jer Mahal bears the distinction of being one of Mumbai’s most beautiful chawls and a Goan cultural hub, accommodating 50 Goan clubs in its premises. Jer Mahal however is facing the threat of demolition because of its location.“Jer Mahal is a Grade III structure and hence can be pulled down if proven that it cannot be restored,”says conservationist architect Abha Lambah.“It is necessary to list Jer Mahal as a Grade II structure as it is one of the most culturally rich chawls in city. We must protect it from turning into another concrete tower”. With over 104 years of history tucked away in its crevices, notice boards with Konkani scrawls, chapels in each of the clubs, posters of Jesus Christ (and occasionally white women in skimpy outfits) this bulky structure is indeed a world in itself. The oldest Goan clubs can be traced back to 1857. Later, the second world war and an acute food shortage brought people to the newly developing city of Bombay. Goans, with their Portuguese backgrounds and knowledge of the Roman script, could easily pick up the English dialect. They were employed as cooks, clerks, musicians and seamen. Most clubs were set up at Jer Mahal at Dhobi Talao, since it was near Crawford Market and convenient for the cooks. Government offices at Fort and the docks for seamen were close too. Even today, most residents here work as seamen for the navy, musicians in Catholic orchestras or waiters at five star hotels. “This is home away from home. All the people here go to the same church, most of them have grown up together,” says Joel Fernandes from the Majorda Club. Dinshaw Mahal, one of the wings of Jer Mahal, where Fernandes stays, contains Goan clubs all the way up to the top floor. Each floor accommodates 3-4 clubs, along with a single kitchen and a bathroom. The rent or the baddem is as low as Rs200 per month. “These clubs are so old that some traditions have been followed for a century,” says Vitthal Aranjum, accountant and member of the United Club of Assondra. For instance, due to space constraints, mattresses were not allowed at the clubs in the 1950s. Despite the number of residents reducing by almost half, this rule is still religiously followed and every member picks a spot on the floor at bedtime. These days the clubs are characterised by broken walls, protruding cable wires and worn out arches. “A decade ago there were 14 people at our club, but today there are only four,” adds Aranjum. Four clubs in the past few years have merged to form one United Club of Assondra. Most clubs at Jer Mahal have downed their shutters while others have been lent to locals. Change has trickled into these stolid old structures. Football and cricket have taken over the annual feasts and the Goan DJ brought in every year during Christmas also plays Himesh Reshammiya songs. There are also some constants, like the resident ghost who allegedly haunts the terrace. As Anthony Fernandes cooks pork vindaloo, someone at the neighbouring club plays a popular Goan classic. Residents at the Durga club dig out an old frame. When they they find it, they look at it with amazement. ‘Established – 1908 it says in Konkani. “Oh my god, our club turns hundred this year,” they exclaim. “We must celebrate ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOAN KUDDS IN BOMBAY: GOING, GOING, GONE_ By Frederick Noronha PANJIM, May 10: Fulgence Rodrigues was surprised when he recently tried to get a place for his shipbuilding-qualified son at one of Mumbai's kudds. He realised that the famous decades old clubs of Goan expats in that city, that served as a gateway to a better life for generations, are verging on collapse. Shocked and saddened by the sorry state of affairs of these institutions that played a crucial role in the history of Goan emigration, Vasco-based Rodrigues is now all fired up to do something that could safeguard the kudds. Says he: "In the halcyon days of the fag end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth, our farsighted ancestors in their wisdom and for the benefit of visiting Goans, founded clubs known in the vernacular language as kudds in erstwhile Bombay, now renamed Mumbai." "In the beginning they were like chummeries. Our village folk in those days would migrate to Bombay, as it was a city of opportunity, in quest of jobs", Rodrigues says. Some went for medical treatment. Others for professional studies. Many Goan youth, particularly Christians from simpler and less affluent backgrounds, would go there in droves for a sea-faring career. These institutions provided low-cost accommodation, and friendly mentors from among one's fellow-villagers. Today, with allegations of suspicious deals by some of those in charge, and pressures from land-sharks, these institutions face a bleak future. Recent amendments in the Rent Act mean that the real estate lobby has "cast its greedy eyes" on these dilapidated properties, says Rodrigues. Even owners and landlords -- perhaps whose grandparents had originally leased out these structures -- have tried to take up eviction proceedings in Mumbai's Small Causes Court. Some kudd secretaries have developed questionable links with the builders lobby, and disposed off kudd premises, getting free flats in the bargain for themselves. In the rumour mill, some names of prominent individuals are already being mentioned. Secretaries of the kudds are supposed to maintain accounts. But, without supervisory control, some secretaries have allegedly run amuck. Migrant Goan villagers would arrive in Bombay by bus, train or boat. Strangers in that huge and heartless city, the kudds would offer them "shelter, board and facilities such as they were accustomed to back home", says Fulgence Rodrigues. This home-away-from-home offered them low cost boarding. Their needs were often subsidised by other members of the kudd (or village club), till they could find a job of their own. Prayers were said at 8 pm sharp, and members also had to stay present for the Sunday cleaning-up operations. Collective funds fuelled the mess. Profits, if any, would accrue to a general fund, which was "disbursed appropriately to those members who would retire or leave the kudd in order to settle down back in their respective villages or towns", says Rodrigues, in a brief study of this issue. Many clubs have large, spacious halls. Most are situated in old, multi-storeyed buildings constructed in the nineteenth or early twentieth century. Many buildings have become decayed, decrepit and dilapidated. Bombay's Rent Control Act froze the rentals taken from tenants. This meant no repairs or maintenance was done on buildings. "During a recent visit to Bombay, I was horrified at the appalling situation in some of these kudds, which looked abjectly pathetic," said Rodrigues. Interiors of many kudds are on the "verge of collapse owing to paucity of funds, and nobody seems to be doing anything nor anybody comes forward to repair them," adds Rodrigues. Fulgence Rodrigues believes that with institutions like the NUSI Maritime Academy at Assolna and the Institute of Maritime Studies at Bogda-Sada, Mormugao, Goa badly needs institutions like the kudds to help its youngsters get access to better jobs offshore. "Goa government has a Goa Bhavan in Juhu. But (the average) Goa cannot avail of these facilities due to its distant location from Greater Bombay, considering transport costs, travelling inconveniences and bureaucratic hassles in booking accommodation," says Rodrigues. On the other hand, the kudds are located at prime and convenient spots. "I've visited kudds of villages like Chorao, Divar and Margao. There are many Bardez kudds too. Most are located in areas like Dhobitalao and Mazgaon. I was told that there are some at Dadar, Parel, Matarpakaddi, and Byculla too," Rodrigues told this correspondent. Rodrigues says something badly needs to be done to save these institutions. Interested persons can contact him at 555063, says he. He has sought the support of former Goa Speaker Simon D'Souza, and politicians like Dr Wilfred Mesquita. "I want to speak to CM Sardinha and persuade him of the need for a detailed report into the functioning of all the clubs." He suggests the clubs could come "under one umbrella" to fight against eviction attempts. Rodrigues says that the prestigious Jer Mahal, in the centre of Dhobitalao, is popularly known as a "mini Goa", and is full of Goan kudds. "It was a miniature capital of Goa and their cultural hub. Now the kudds have fallen into utter neglect, and are on the verge of extinction. Economic and social changes in the lifestyle of Goans have had deleterious effects on the kudd system," says he. Perhaps the growing affluence of Goans has also made us more individualistic and selfish! (ENDS) Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of Kalbadevi Road & Girgaon   Bombay 100 Years Ago · In stock Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of ... Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of Kalbadevi Road and Girgaon (Code: 148) - Photo Print in Wooden Frame - Bombay 100 Years Ago Bombay 100 Years Ago · In stock Photo Print in Wooden Frame ... Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of Kalbadevi Road and Girgaon (Code: 148) - Mounted Photo Print - Bombay 100 Years Ago Bombay 100 Years Ago · In stock Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of ... Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of Kalbadevi Road and Girgaon (Code: 148) - Mounted Photo Print - Bombay 100 Years Ago Bombay 100 Years Ago Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of ... Bombay Photo Images[ Mumbai]: jer mahal at the Junction of Kalbadevi Road & Girgaon and the Goan history in bombay Bombay Photo Images[ Mumbai] Bombay Photo Images[ Mumbai]: jer mahal ... Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of Kalbadevi Road and Girgaon (Code: 148) - Mounted Photo Print - Bombay 100 Years Ago Bombay 100 Years Ago · In stock Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of ... Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of Kalbadevi Road and Girgaon (Code: 148) - Mounted Photo Print - Bombay 100 Years Ago Bombay 100 Years Ago · In stock Mohammadi Mahal at the Junction of ... Bombay Photo Images[ Mumbai]: jer mahal at the Junction of Kalbadevi Road & Girgaon and the Goan history in bombay Bombay Photo Images[ Mumbai] Bombay Photo Images[ Mumbai]: jer mahal ... Between St Xavier’s College and Metro Cinema is a Grade-III heritage structure known as Jer Mahal. A cluster of six buildings and an annexe, it represents the finest example of a whole style of vernacular Indian architecture. It has even been called ‘Bombay’s most beautiful chawl’. A Goan cultural hub, Jer Mahal accommodates 50 Goan clubs on its premises at Dhobi Talao. These clubs have been around for over a century; the oldest one can be traced back to 1857. Each floor accommodates 3 to 4 clubs, along with a single kitchen and a bathroom. Today, the clubs are characterised by broken walls, protruding cable wires and worn out arches.

============================================== The Musings of a Night Owl: Jer Mahal - Glimpses of Mumbai - Part - II mommyliciousma.blogspot.com Their plans for the Jer Mahal is to look like this - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  INDIA 100 YEARS AGO SOME RARE PICS - YouTube ▶ 2:56 www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW2c1SPyy6I Apr 24, 2011 - Uploaded by Panthi.Ravi INDIA 100 YEARS AGO SOME RARE PICS. Panthi. ... Up Next. Mumbai City at 1920s - Awesome Video _ bet ... Rare pictures of India 100 years ago - YouTube ▶ 1:20 www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZv1PHfgvHs Jul 28, 2014 - Uploaded by Suryaoneplus RARE PHOTOS: A 100-year-old glimpse of British India. ... A mountain railway that existed 125 years ago ... 100 years on, Mumbai then and now - Rediff.com News news.rediff.com › News Oct 23, 2010 - 100 years on, Mumbai then and now. ... The World Luxury Council (India) recently hosted a vintage art exhibit at The Oberoi in Mumbai called Mumbai 100 Years Ago ... "Some of these were postcards, others were photographs, which were .... It has been given a five-star ranking by the National Assessment ... RARE PHOTOS: A 100-year-old glimpse of British India ... www.rediff.com › News May 8, 2012 - RARE PHOTOS: A 100-year-old glimpse of British India. ... The 178 negatives were found in a shoebox for a pair of grey, size 9, .... A mountain railway that existed 125 years ago ... Kejriwal takes swipe at PM over 'Lalitgate'. 'Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan': 30 vintage, black and white ... www.ibnlive.com/.../yeh-hai-mumbai-meri-jaan-30-vintage-black-and-w... Apr 24, 2014 - 'Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan': 30 vintage, black and white photos of Bombay from the last 100 years you need to see as the city goes to polls ... Days of the Raj: Huge collection of photographs showing life ... www.dailymail.co.uk/.../Days-Raj-Huge-collection-photographs-showing... May 7, 2012 - Archivists have confirmed some of the images were definitely taken in 1912, when the royals visited. ... the British Raj and it is thought the negatives were untouched for almost 100 years. .... Ralph, Mumbai, India, 3 years ago. 100 years ago today, Gandhi returned from South Africa to a ... scroll.in/.../100-years-ago-today-gandhi-returned-from-south-africa-to-a... Jan 9, 2015 - Photos: 90 km from Kolkata, traditional midwives are still the only hope for ... 100 years ago today, Gandhi returned from South Africa to a week of parties in Bombay ... Reception to Gandhi in Bombay at Jehangir Petit's house with Sir ... Kasturba and he gave speeches, were given speeches at, and most ... ...................................................................................................................... some  make a quick buck selling  130 year++ old photos of 19 century!what is available in chor bazar from antique shops for 5oo rupees is being sold for 50000 and 60000 rupees