Matharpacady village in Mumbai: A grade III heritage precinct

In the heart of Mumbai, there is silence. Old houses with large porches border the bylanes. Wooden columns grace their balconies. Some of these houses still flaunt slate roofs. Potted plants are perched in every niche and corner, adding greenery. In the sleepy neighbourhood of Matharpacady, life is not just lived but relished.

Matharpacady’s space in the history of Bombay

Mumbai used to be an archipelago of seven marshy islands—Colaba, Little Colaba, Bombay, Worli, Mahim, Parel and Mazgaon. The cluster of islands were ruled by various indigenous kings before being transferred to the Portuguese. The interest of the Portuguese in India was spices and religion. They wanted to spread Christianity and for this purpose they even encouraged marriage with indigenous Indians.

Mazgaon at the time of the Portuguese control was a verdant island with hills and a natural harbour. The inhabitants were farmers and fishermen (the Koli community). Most of the original inhabitants of the island were converted to Catholic Christianity by the Portuguese. Similar events happened in different pockets around Mumbai, for example in the area of Thane, Bandra and Vasai.

For a long time, these Christians were called “Thane Christians”, “Vasai Christians” and so on. Finally in 1887, an organization was formed uniting all the converted Christians of Bombay. They call themselves Bombay East Indians. They essentially are the indigenous people of Bombay.

When Prince Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza in 1662, the archipelago of Bombay was given to the British as dowry. Prince Charles rented the archipelago to the English East India Company(EIC). Eventually the EIC “joined” the seven islands by quarrying rocks from the hills and using it to fill creeks, ponds, marshes, mudflats and even the sea.

Initially, the Europeans and the rich Indians were settled in the Fort area of Bombay (during that time there was a literal fort). When trade flourished, the neighbourhoods at fort became very crowded, chaotic, and busy areas. Eventually, the elite of the fort migrated in search of greener pastures. Mazgaon was much sought after by them. The Matharpacady neighbourhood was originally established as quarters for officers who worked at the EIC. Later, the Bombay East Indians settled in the neighbourhood.

Interesting bylanes of Matharpacady: Schools and kudds

I walk between the double storey houses and come across a gated single storey house with a spacious porch. Its plinth is raised and the walls are covered by tarpaulin—looks like some maintenance is undergoing. This non-descript building had served as “a classroom” for the residents of Matharpacady for three generations at least!

St. Isabell High School, the only school in Matharpacady, used to function in a non-centralized way. There was no single building for the school so residents opened their houses and conducted “classes” inside them. Nowadays there is a dedicated building for the school just at the border of the village, however, it serves as a girl’s school only.

In this neighbourhood I again come across kudds. I have already seen a kudd in the dockyard walk. Kudds are dormitory style accommodations established by Goan villages/Parishes to facilitate the villagers/subjects of the particular Church to stay at a nominal price. Back in the day, Goan men from villages used to flock to the Mazgaon Dock area in search of jobs as seamen. They served for months at sea. The kudds were a place for them to deposit their belonging for safekeeping when they were away at sea.

I stroll in front of Paroda Kudd, a kudd of Paroda village of Goa. Opposite to it is a house that featured in the Bollywood movie Farzi.

A lion and a rare musical instrument

A little ahead I stop in front of a two-storey red house with a sloping roof. It has fancy grills and two CCTV cameras installed to monitor the outside. This house, 23D, was once upon a time resided by one Lt Cdr Eric Lopes and his daughter Dagmar, musical saw players. Before coming here, I was not even aware of the existence of musical saws!

My next stop is almost a landmark of Mazgaon – the ‘Lion’s Den’. This is a yellow painted, two storied, sloped roof house built on a raised plinth. It has elements of vernacular Portuguese architecture like a sprawling balcony along the perimeter of the first floor. The most unique feature of the house are sculptures of two lions at its gates.

It is said that the person who made this house was named Daniel. This fellow got influenced by a 2^nd century BC book called “The Book of Daniel”. Here, Daniel, the hero, was put into an enclosure full of lions but he, being the hero, still miraculously escaped.

Standing on a hill, this house used to be the tallest structure here once upon a time. It is said that the Bombay harbour was visible from the balcony of this building.

Mango magic and a freedom fighter

Bang opposite this house is the famous twice fruiting mango tree of Mazgaon. According to history, the mangoes from Mazgaon used to be of superior quality, sought after by the royalty. Unfortunately, hardly any mango tree stands in the region now. This is one lucky tree that survived the relentless destruction of nature in Bombay! I hear it fruits in May and October.

Matharpacady was also the home of Joseph Kaka Baptista, a close friend of Tilak. Baptista studied engineering and then went to London to study law. Once he returned to Bombay, he started a movement against the British. When the cotton mills owners colluded with the British governance to abruptly shut their mills, they left the mill workers in a lurch. It was Joseph Kaka Baptista who fought for the workers. He founded the “All India Trade Union Congress.”

His ancestral home still stands in the village today at 22, Eymard Cottage, Matharpacady. His house is now Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament Kristu Jyoti Province- India.

Land sharks and the Pagdi system

In Bombay, the Pagdi system of tenancy was prevalent in the old days. According to this, the tenant has no rights over the land but they do have rights on the house. They can make structural changes, pass on the house to their heirs and sublet it to other people.

For this, the tenants paid a one-time lumpsum amount and a very nominal monthly rent. It worked on lease-basis. Leases were for a very long time, mostly 99 years or more. The Pagdi system was drafted and applied to make housing affordable for all. The section for ‘redevelopment’ of houses under this system is very vague.

Since the past 15 years most of these leases have started expiring as they have crossed the 99^th year. Keeping the current valuation in mind (most of these are in prime locations of Mumbai), the new rent is being fixed. However, that amount is sometimes unaffordable by the current occupants —people who have put in major money in the past for the maintenance and upkeep of the property. There is no solution to such impasses.

Current occupants are afraid to put in more money for maintenance and as a result some houses are crumbling down or in a dangerous state. Landlords (or is it BMC who owns all such land? I think so.) are of the opinion that the little rent being paid by the occupants is not sufficient for the upkeep of the property. So, this is ground for redevelopment.

Once redeveloped, tower buildings are being constructed and the modern model of tenancy is being followed. However, every neighbourhood is losing its charm. They are all becoming the same —a cluster of anonymous high-rises —a concrete jungle. The mighty developers of Mumbai, who want to win these redevelopment projects, are hand-in-gloves with politicians/landlords to gain access to these prime lands.

The builders are offering some money to the current occupants but not everyone wants to leave their ancestral land. Not everyone can accept their cute childhood neighbourhood being torn apart to build soulless concrete jungles. However, some have accepted this —old people for whom maintenance of an entire house alone is cumbersome.

Matharpacady, though protected under “Grade III Heritage Structure” status (buildings or precincts of important townscapes), still suffers from similar problems. This explains a couple of under-construction zones, one being the site of the famous Matharpacady Club. Some residents have filed court cases to preserve their houses, but when politicians and builders are friends with each other, there is very little these residents can do.

Matharpacady Holy Cross Oratory

A small chapel with a Holy Cross called the Matharpacady Holy Cross Oratory is the heart of this village. It is dedicated to Saint Roque—patron saint of epidemics. The residents revere this chapel as they believe during the Bombay Plague of 1896, this chapel protected all the villagers. It is a quiet, clean, and nicely decorated place with plants. The land for the chapel was very kindly donated by a fellow villager.

Beside this oratory is a red house with a cute balcony with grills embossed with Queen Victoria’s crown adorned profiles. These grills came up in 1887 and was a mark of allegiance to the Queen. Residents have made cozy benches with recycled wood in this village square. These aesthetically made benches are adorned with creepers and flowers.

The village well

Enroute from the chapel to my next stop, the well, I pass by the house of the first mayor of Bombay of Independent India. The abode of Dr. Mafaldo Ubaldo Mascarenhas. He was a Goan who revolted against the Portuguese and hence the latter made sure he was not welcomed in Goa anymore.

The village well is a large one. It is circular in shape with thin service roads encircling it. A clutch of old houses surrounds it. Some of these houses have elements of Art Deco architecture on them, for example, rounded corners. The waterbody is covered by a grill like structure. The well is instrumental in the life of the Bombay East Indians. The community has elaborate weeklong marriage rituals and the well features prominently in it.

Even though the Bombay East Indians are Catholic by faith, their rituals and lifestyle has elements of Hindu religion. ‘Umrachepani’ is often used to refer to well water. It is also a name of a ritual that takes place during marriages. Just like Hindu weddings, their weddings also have a ritual of ‘Haldi’ (family and friends apply turmeric to the bride and groom). Umrachepani is the ritual where the bride and groom are bathed with the well-water after the Haldi ceremony.

At this iconic village well, I end my walk.

Note:

Various walking tour companies conduct guided walks to this neighbourhood. It is advised you go with them. This is a very quiet precinct mostly resided by senior citizens. Please be respectful and non-invasive if you go for a visit here. It will take around 1 hour if you walk very slowly.

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