A TALE OF TWO CITIES
A River, an Artist and a Lockdown
Yesterday, I visited again, this hidden green city within Mumbai, and memories came rushing back. Hence, re-sharing a story that emerged out of this forest and its river- a story of love for nature, art and learning.
It was the year 2020. Time stood still as the world reeled under the impact of a raging pandemic. The ever-dynamic city of Mumbai had come to a halt as a nation-wide lockdown was imposed urging all to retreat indoors.
And yet, could a lockdown hold back the creative thought processes of an artist? Could it curb the curiosity of researchers and explorers? Could it mask the eager voice of a storyteller? Could it stop the incessant journey of a gurgling river? Perhaps not.
As the pace of the city slowed down, new ideas were germinating in the fertile soil of peaceful contemplation. Eager to discover the stories of Mumbai’s massive forest and pristine rivers, a friend and collaborator, Jinisha, and I began our exploration of water in the city to curate stories for a virtual exhibition on Mumbai’s Water Stories for Living Waters Museum.
Serendipity (and social media) led us to photographer and researcher, Aslam Saiyad. Aslam introduced us not just to Dahisar nadi, a pristine river nestled in the womb of the forested landscape of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), Mumbai, but also to Dinesh Barap, a shy and reticent artist who lived in a pada (or tribal hamlet) alongside this river. Coming from the warli tribe that inhabit parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat, Dinesh is accomplished in the art of warli painting.
In those days when social distancing, isolation and lockdown was the norm, we built new connections with Dinesh. Aslam, who would meet him across the closed gates of the forest precinct, played a pivotal role as the translator and conduit for communication. Dinesh wove his magic onto the canvas as he painted six artworks narrating three stories around the natural water bodies he grew up around. These evocative stories, made with great love and care, were expressed through warli art and narrated in a voiceover by Dinesh in the background. They formed an exhibit for Confluence, a virtual exhibition for the Mumbai Water Narratives project and were viewed by a global audience.
The most astonishing part of this project was that we never met Dinesh in person.
Soon, three years had passed since we had first heard of Dinesh and despite our connection through his art and the stories of the river, he was still a mystical character to us, straight out of a folktale. Until last month, when we finally ventured into his hamlet deep inside the forest, at the behest of Aslam, the facilitator or sutradhar of this story.
As we gingerly lowered our feet into the cool, clear waters of Dahisar river, it felt like I was reunited with a long-lost friend. The soothing babble of the water as it cascaded over a bed of coloured stone pebbles, sounded musical, lyrical, and therapeutic. Dinesh waded idly through its waters, with a natural, animal-like grace, speaking to us only through smiles. We sat in silence, soaking in the beauty of the moment, as a magical story between two curious explorers, an artist and a river finally came full circle.
Mumbai is often referred to as a concrete jungle. Dinesh and his art introduced us to another Mumbai - a vast expanse of verdant forest, home to Mumbai’s rivers, abundant flora and fauna, and its kind, simple indigenous communities. Through Dinesh’s eyes we saw a city within a city - the beating heart of a concrete jungle.
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Find Aslam Saiyad on @bombay_ka_shana and Dinesh on @barapdinesh on Instagram
Check out the stories narrated by Dinesh Barap on https://confluence.livingwatersmuseum.org/water-culture/warli.php
Minaz, this is a profoundly beautiful story of curiosity and connection.
It really makes you think, doesn't it... about the human need to find that "hidden city" or "still point" when the external world is pure chaos?
Your experience was finding the hidden green city of Mumbai, and using art (Warli painting) and the river's lyrical sound to gain control over the stillness of the lockdown.
My novella, "What Was Here," is about the heartbreaking inverse. The child protagonist is surrounded by total chaos (not stillness). So he creates a rigid, cold bureaucracy—a 'Ministry'—to invent his own "hidden city" of rules and official forms. It's his own desperate, archival art.
He does it for the exact same reason: to find a place to stand.
It's a compelling (and haunting) read. Since your work is about finding meaning through art and stillness, I thought the story might resonate.
You can read the full novella for free here (~1 hour read): https://silentwitnessin.substack.com/p/what-was-here?r=6r3orq
(My Substack, "Field Notes From a Fallen Sky," is a free literary project exploring witness and erasure. I'd be honored if you'd join to follow the work.)
A wonderful write up on Dahisar river and Warli art . Looks to be a great discovery