Mumbai as a primal city is totally inconsistent. It is full of contrasts, overcrowded and urban yet there is some logic to all this madness. Not far from where I live in Vallabhai Patel Road, off the JVLR highway In Andheri East, tucked away amidst this concrete jungle is a new open park Shilpgram, unusual as it offers none of the features of regular parks, no cycle tracks or animal enclosures. Just a vast open garden reflecting rural Maharashtra.
Shilpgram is no mirror to the bustling city of Mumbai today. It comprises of 12 different trades, an old caste system of life that existed in villages before the 1950’s. Over 15 life-sized huts of baked clay and straw roofs, showcase the rustic lifestyle that existed then. If you have never visited an Indian village, this is the place to be ! Life-size statues depicting the daily job functions in a typical village like the cobbler, the barber, the blacksmith and so on.
It’s a great place to shoot smart selfies with a choice of whom you want as your background. There’s a small jogging track and an open air amphitheater. Every evening, as darkness descends, the musical water fountains come to life. A nice serene location to spend with children and your family…